A TRINITY OF MOTHERS!!!

☦️🕯️A TRINITY OF MOTHERS🕯️☦️

It is reminiscent of “Old Testament Trinity” icon, only instead of three angels seated at a dining table,we have Mary in the center with the child Jesus, Elizabeth at left with the child John the Forerunner (the Baptist), who holds a scroll with the usual “Behold the lamb of god  …” text common to icons of the adult John.  At right is Salome, mother by tradition of John the Theologian (the Evangelist John) with the child John on her lap.  His scroll has the beginning of the gospel attributed to him:  “In the beginning was the word…” etc.  There is much confusion in tradition about whether Salome was a sister of Mary or a daughter of Joseph “the Betrothed,” the husband of Mary.  She is considered to be the same Salome who was one of the “Myrrh-bearing Women” who came to the tomb of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove appears above Mary and the child Jesus.

Icon:   a modern Russian print / in the comments   an old example of the central portion, a Tver icon from 1809.