Iprari murals : reading of the scene of the Apparition of the angel to Joshua

The symbolic connection of a Christian ruler with Old Testament heroes developed as a tradition in Byzantine art. This paper presents one of the outstanding examples of "comparative images" reflected in Georgian medieval art: the Old Testament Apparition of the Archangel to Joshua at the Iprari Church of the Archangels (Upper Svaneti, the King's Painter Tevdore, 1096). The scene is interpreted in the light of liturgical and exegetical texts, as well as other comparable visual examples. Especially helpful is the text of the readings for the Archangel Michael's feast on November 8 included in Symeon Metaphrastes's Synaxarion, which focuses on this episode and emphasizes the special importance of the figure of the Archangel Michael; in the biblical text, however, the messenger of the God remains unidentified. The text defines the Archangel as the "servant" of Old Testament Israel and protector of the kings as well as the guardian of nations of the "New Israel" in New Testament times, thus, giving a particular accent to the patronage of the "righteous rulers". Considering the political aspects of this biblical episode, the image in Iprari can be read as a symbol of the protection of the Georgian royal house and nation, echoing the imperial concept of the "chosen people" developed in Byzantium.