Abstract
Male circumcision has been perceived differently in different cultures. In modern times, if it is a non-medical indication, circumcision becomes the starting point of many ethical and other discussions. Its rootedness in Christianity is fixed, among other things, in sacral art and iconography. This article presents five sacral images of the Circumcision of Christ from the holdings of the Croatian sacral heritage with the aim of noticing their iconographic and sacral-medical values. In this article, it is presented the results of field research related to the identification and medical-iconographic presentation of the motive for the circumcision of Jesus Christ in the area of the northern and central Adriatic coast. Five such paintings have been recorded and will be described and compared with similar works by European masters. These are the works of Venetian and Central European provenance and were created between the 16th and 18th centuries. The basic traditional Jewish iconography is visible in all the paintings but modified according to current religious standards. These depictions from the area of Croatia contextualizing and filling in the gaps in verbal records on this topic in our region fit Croatia into an undoubted component of the European Judeo-Christian heritage and when it comes to rare iconographic depictions.
Highlights
IntroductionFrom the writings contained in the Bible, Herodotus’ chronicles, medical manuscripts, and other sources, we learn that this procedure gained and lost in popularity
Circumcision has been known since ancient times, primarily a surgical procedure for removing the foreskin on the male genitalia, it still has its supporters, and opponents, its popularity trends, all sorts of explanations and motivation.[1,2,3,4]From the writings contained in the Bible, Herodotus’ chronicles, medical manuscripts, and other sources, we learn that this procedure gained and lost in popularity
This article presents five sacral images of the Circumcision of Christ from the holdings of the Croatian sacral heritage with the aim of noticing their iconographic and sacral-medical values. It is presented the results of field research related to the identification and medical-iconographic presentation of the motive for the circumcision of Jesus Christ in the area of the northern and central Adriatic coast
Summary
From the writings contained in the Bible, Herodotus’ chronicles, medical manuscripts, and other sources, we learn that this procedure gained and lost in popularity. It mainly grows out of traditional, mostly religious beliefs, often intertwined with attitudes related to hygienic and preventive measures.[5,6] Jesus, whose circumcision is the subject of this account, was circumcised because he was a child born of the seed of Abraham.[7] His parents were devoted Jews and brought him to be circumcised on the eighth day, and under the Levitical Code went through the requirements of purification. A circumcised child means that he belongs to God and becomes a recipient of covenant promises.[8]
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