Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

New Testament illustrations
Germany, probably in or around Strasbourg, ca. 1430
MS M.719 fol. 4v

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Upper half:
Innocents: Massacre -- Herod, wearing pointed hat with crown, holding rod or scepter with right hand is seated on bench, with legs crossed (?). With his left hand he indicates infant pierced by sword held in right hand of executioner wearing hat with streamers (?), and bi-colored trousers and tunic. Mother, both arms raised, crouches by left leg of the executioner. Two other bleeding, nude infants, one only partially visible, recline on ground.
Lower half:
Christ: among Doctors -- Christ, crossed nimbus, holding open book turns toward two of six men, one wearing hood, name inscribed JEBUSEUS and one, name inscribed BARRACHEUS, wearing Jew's hat, both indicating the book with left hands. Of the other four, one, name inscribed BARBACHEUS, holds scroll and looks up; one, name inscribed SCHULAPHR DOPIDUS, wearing Jew's hat sits with back turned, holding scroll; another, name inscribed MABRUCHEUS, wearing tall pointed hat holds book or scroll; and the last, name inscribed ZACHEUS, wears hood. All are seated on circular bench surrounding round table (?) on which Christ is seated (?).