The Representation of Hebrew Script in Christian Iconography and Its Functions

The bachelor thesis discusses examples of Hebrew and pseudo-Hebrew script incorporated into Christian art. The earliest evidence of pseudo-Hebrew script in art is dated by the 6th century. The thesis deals with the period between the 12th and 17th centuries when these inscriptions were most common. Most authors of the inscriptions had no knowledge of Hebrew and they produced skilful copies of Hebrew letters with which they were acquainted only visually. Nevertheless, they employed these inscriptions in their works in various sophisticated ways which change according to the cultural-historical context of the artwork, the order, the placement of the artwork, its author and other facts. The portrayal of Hebrew language is set within the context of medieval and early- modern understanding of Hebrew as the original holy language and it connects the phenomenon of Hebrew inscriptions in Christian Art with the Judeo-Christian polemics and the interest of Christian theologians in Hebrew. Individual chapters deal with the portrayal of the titulus crucis, the tablets of the law and the inscriptions on clothes and objects of daily or ritual use