Research Information System
FOLKLOR/EDEBIYAT: HALKBILIM, ETNOLOJI, ANTROPOLOJI, EDEBIYAT, vol.31, no.122, pp.391-412, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
The story of the raising of Lazarus, as narrated in the Gospel of John (11:1-4), one of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, occupies a pivotal position in Christian theology and is identified with the resurrection of Christ. Similar to other miracles performed by Christ, this narrative has been extensively depicted in literary and artistic works. In Byzantine art, the scene of the raising of Lazarus is typically illustrated with compositions that include Christ, Lazarus, Lazarus’ sisters Martha and Mary, and witnesses to the event. This visual representation effectively encapsulates the narrative from the Gospel of John. In the marginal Psalters (Septuagint LXX) from the Middle Byzantine Period, an allegorical figure representing the underworld is incorporated into the scene of the raising of Lazarus. This depiction demonstrates the influence of the Ancient Period on Byzantine art. The miniature of the raising of Lazarus in the Barberini Psalter (Barb. gr. 372, Vatican Apostolic Library) is particularly significant in this context. Unlike other manuscript miniatures, the scene in the Barberini Psalter features a dog-headed, human-bodied figure, identified with Cerberus, the hellhound from ancient texts. This study explores the relationship between the literary sources and the miniature of the raising of Lazarus in the Barberini Psalter, underscoring the importance of ancient literary sources in the iconographic analysis of Byzantine art.