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In the Pistis Sophia, a Gnostic text of great importance, the garment is marked with the sacred Name and with five mysteries.(Erbetta, Gli Apocrifi, pp. 400–401; Pistis Sophia 8–10.)
One symbolically puts on Christ, in Gnostic speculation, through receiving baptism and the garment.(Gilles Quispel, “Qumran, John and Jewish Christianity,” in James H. Charlesworth and Raymond E. Brown, eds. John and Qumran (non-LDS scholars), (London: Geoffrey Chapman Publisher, 1972), pp. 152–54. Cf. J. MacDonald, ed., Memar Marqah (Berlin: n.p., 1963), pp. 4, 32, 80, 139, 158, and 194.)
The ancient garment was adorned with other marks besides the Name.
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Among the textile fragments excavated at Masada were the remains of pieces of fabric with L-shaped cloth markings affixed to them. Dating to before A.D. 73, these are among the very earliest known examples of such marked garments. Scholars refer to these markings as gammadia, some of them being shaped like the Greek letter gamma (G).
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See Gammadia on Early Jewish and Christian Garments
Ancient Markings on the Veil and on Garments
According to Hugo Odeberg, who translated the Hebrew Enoch, the veil was marked with “the secrets of the world’s creation and sustenance . . . in short, the innermost Divine secrets.”(Ibid., p. 28.)
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Each step of progress in initiation was marked by some change of the garment or robes, and so the symbolism of the garment implied increased glory, moving from one existence to another.
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Many ancient texts confuse the garment with the veil of the temple, such as Ambrose of Milano’s Tractate of the Mysteries or the Hebrew Book of Enoch where “garment” and “veil” are used interchangeably.(Nibley, Joseph Smith Papyri, p. 246.)
Enoch is clothed with the veil in the Hebrew Book of Enoch: The Holy One . . . made me a throne similar to the throne of glory. And He spread over me a curtain [veil] of splendour and brilliant appearance of beauty, grace and mercy, similar to the curtain [veil] of the throne of glory; and on it were fixed all kinds of lights in the universe.(Hugo Odeberg, 3 Enoch; or The Hebrew Book of Enoch (1928; reprinted., New York: Ktav Publications, 1973), p. 32. Bracketed words added by author as another possible translation of the word.)
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Also see:
Iconostasis - An Eastern Orthodox Veil
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For other examples see, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Photo Gallery.
In addition to their appearing on clothing and veils the gammas in Ravenna Mosaics are pictured on altar cloths as well.
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See Gammadia at Ravenna
The central Italian city of Ravenna is known for its superb Byzantine mosaics - as they are the finest outside Istanbul. Ravenna rose to power in the 1st century BC under the Emperor Augustus. The town converted to Christianity very early, in the 2nd century AD. Ravenna's exquisite early Christian mosaics span the years of Roman, Ostrogothic and Byzantine rule. Ravenna's early Christian churches and mosaics have been collectively designated a World Heritage Site.
There are a number of major sites (basilicas, baptisteries or mausoleums)in and around Ravenna adorned with these exquisite mosaics featuring many of the different Christian themes and symbols, clearly a Paupers' Bible.
Sant'Apollinare Basilica in Classe
Sant'Apollinare Basilica in Classe Photo Gallery
Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Basilica
Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Basilica Photo Gallery
San Vitale Basilica
San Vitale Basilica Photo Gallery
Arian Baptistery
Arian Baptistery Photo Gallery
Neonian Baptistery
Neonian Baptistery Photo Gallery
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
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Early Christian Textile Markings from Fayum Egypt
Evidences of a Christian Population in the Egyptian Fayum and Genetic and Textile Studies of the Akhmim Noble Mummies (GospeLink.com - subscription required)
Tallit Katan - The Sacred Undergarment of Judaism
Joseph’s Coat of Many Marks
Nüwa and Fuxi in Chinese Mythology: Compass & Square
7 comments:
Hi HR,
This is amazing. I will have to pay more attention to the details in the art the next time I travel to Italy. You have a pretty good collection going on here. If I find others you don't have I will send them to you.
DJ
Don't be too hasty to misinterpret these markings as anything more than letters. The gamma is simply the letter G in Greek (common language of Christians of the time). You'll notice that on some of the other robes, there are other letters or markings that bear absolutely no resemblance to LDS temple ritual. One scholar has even shown that these particular markings simply differentiated between male and female costumes: http://books.google.com/books?id=Jxk0v1rWL1EC&lpg=PA12&ots=193ymDHNy0&dq=gamma%20on%20mosaics&pg=PA12#v=onepage&q=gamma%20on%20mosaics&f=false
Speculation or simply not being sure what the original intent was for the letters is not sufficient archaeological permission to insert our own interpretations into ancient art.
Aaron,
Thank you for your comment.
It is very obvious that the gamma marking and others also have religious significances.
The scholar you referenced showing how these marks differentiated between male and female costumes, talking about the Dura-Europos paintings, was speculating in drawing his conclusions. What the Dura-Europos paintings clearly show is the differentiation between the white garment with the notched band for the male and the colored garments with the gamma-form decoration (L-shaped) for the female costumes.
See:
http://books.google.com/books?id=GxGPLju4KEkC&pg=PA185&lpg=PA185&dq=%22the+finds+from+the+Bar-Kokhba+period+in+the+cave+of+letters%22+Yadin+gamma&source=bl&ots=XcghoUpdrc&sig=weH9XjUWIs-kx3iKJWm4E6DuhCM&hl=en&ei=0ofVTICzEozWtQOj8oGNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAw#v=snippet&q=gamma&f=false
For pictures of Dura-Europos see:
http://ldstempleendowment.blogspot.com/2010/03/early-christian-garments.html
As was stated in the post:
[Non-LDS] "Scholars also refer to these markings as gammadia, "SOME OF THEM" being shaped like the Greek letter gamma (G)."
It might be helpful for you to study more about these markings as they refer to religious markings before you summarily dismiss them out of hand. The posts have links to longer articles which reference different (Non-LDS) scholars and their conclusions about the gamma markings and other markings they call gammadia markings.
See:
Gammadia on Early Jewish and Christian Garments
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:G8fyhS8eliMJ:byustudies2.byu.edu/shop/pdfSRC/36.3WelchFoley.pdf+Jewish+Symbols+in+the+Greco-Roman+Period+gamma&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShcYuzQsUF1fHdS4chu7U38r2q_sO_N5yyZZ7ldRsQVl_Gqr3io2KWDStY5zzBVlC0r-_V81iF_-1sbmIfpPMTjjKwO_7OtdQ7ZahNO_ViJ-HJhSrMxOAbM5mJQ7iBy8VjCJI1H&sig=AHIEtbRVYzKBTxEl6K4GoHivXv_UXD2Img
Clothed Upon: A Unique Aspect of Christian Antiquity
http://byustudies.byu.edu/PDFLibrary/22.1Ostlerf861f624-9df4-46cf-8436-350a99493286.pdf
Textile fabrics: a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, Dresses, Silk Stuff's, Needlework and Tapestries, forming that Section of the Museum.
http://books.google.com/books?id=NlEIAQAAIAAJ&pg=PR50&lpg=PR50&dq=stauracin&source=bl&ots=SqsSWVin4B&sig=eQb3PksIc701v2wbPt_poMZM_s0&hl=en&ei=VmrVTOmOAoG-sAOolMmNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gamma&f=false
A dictionary of Christian antiquities
http://books.google.com/books?id=FaceAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA709&dq=gammadia&hl=en&ei=NarVTJDkCoq4sAORgtGNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=gammadia&f=false
Early Christian Textile Markings from Fayum Egypt
http://www.templestudy.com/2008/03/21/early-christian-textile-markings-from-fayum-egypt/
Gammadia at Ravenna
http://www.templestudy.com/2008/02/11/gammadia-at-ravenna/
Early Byzantine Veil with Gammadia
http://www.templestudy.com/2008/04/17/early-byzantine-veil-with-gammadia/
These links might also be helpful:
Cyclopedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature ..., Volume 2 By John McClintock, James Strong
Gammadia, a cruciform ornament, embroidered on the borders or woven into the texture of ecclesiastical vestments, both in the West and East. It takes its name from being composed of four capital gammas placed back to back, thus forming a voided Greek cross. The gammas were also sometimes placed face to face, so as to constitute a hollow square, in the centre of which a cross was inscribed. Vestments so decorated were known by the name of polystauria. (Smith Dict. Of Christ Antiq. 8.v.) See Fylfot.
http://books.google.com/books?id=PsosAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA423&dq=gammadia&hl=en&ei=CrLVTPbMDY36swPvwaiNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBTge#v=onepage&q=gammadia&f=false
Fylfot (or Fytfot), i.e. fourfooted, a term used to describe a mystical cross, made from the combination, in a drudiform arrangement, of four Greek gammas, thus (fig. 1), or thus (fig. 2); occasionally the small y was employed, thus (fig. 8). It was also called Gammatium, the Greek term for this mystical device. Its use formed a part of the ancient Secret Discipline in the primitive Church. See Gammadia.
http://books.google.com/books?id=PsosAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA423&dq=gammadia&hl=en&ei=CrLVTPbMDY36swPvwaiNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBTge#v=onepage&q=gammadia&f=false
Thank you for the information on these gammadia. I've always been intrigued by the different symbbols on the robes of the martyrs in the mosaic at Sant' Apollinare, Ravenna. Are there any ideas on the significance of the different letters?
Mike Norris
Hello,
My dad is very interested in printing these articles so he may study and mark as he is wont to do with things that piqué his interest. Is there a way we can get ahold of this in a format that is more printer friendly? Perhaps a PDF or word doc? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Do u know when the garments 4 endowed members was implemented? As I have never come across that info.
Thanks 4 the wealth of knowledge u have shared here! M
Joe
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