Interpretation of Glass Window Images
The Finding of Moses Chapter 2
The Bible chapter describes Moses’ birth and the events that followed. When he was three months old, he was placed in a basket and hidden between reeds by a river bank to avoid being killed by Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s daughter discovered the baby while taking a bath in the river (Exodus 2:5). Moses’ sister, who had been keeping watch, noticed this and approached her, suggesting she find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. This scenario is depicted in the image of the glass window. The child is lying on the riverbank in a basket. The river is depicted in blue, the accepted color for water bodies, and three women can be seen on the riverbanks (Suger 12). The women in the middle are Pharaoh’s daughter, who wears a crown, Moses’ sister, and her mother. They appear to be having a deep conversation with each other.
The Bush on Fire 3rd Chapter of Exodus
The Bible passage describes a scenario in which Moses was tending to his father-in-law Jethro’s flock in Horeb. He noticed a burning bush, but it was not consumed (Exodus 3:3). So he went to investigate what was going on. God spoke to him from the bush about the liberation of the Israelites from Pharaoh’s slavery. The glass window captures this perfectly. There are sheep in the picture that represent Jethro’s flock. There are also two men, one of whom is Moses and the other is God. Moses is barefoot, which corresponds to the passage where he was instructed to walk on the ground barefoot because the land was holy. The two men are conversing, with God instructing him on how he will liberate the people of Israel. The bush is rendered green, while the fire, which surrounds God’s presence, is rendered red.
The Red Sea crossing 14th Chapter of Exodus
In this passage, God delivers the Israelites from Pharaoh’s chariots and charioteers. God accomplished this through Moses. Moses used God’s power to separate the waters of the sea, resulting in a dry land that ensured the Israelites’ safe passage (Exodus 14:23). After the Israelites had safely crossed, Moses stretched his hands and the sea returned to its normal flow. The image of Israelites and Moses, who was leading them, is depicted in the glass window. There is an image of God instructing Moses. There is also an image of chariots lying on the sea floor, about to be covered by the sea’s waters. The color red represents God’s love for humanity. Moses is in the lead, leading the Israelites through the Red Sea.
The Law Tablets Chapters 31 and 32 of Exodus
In this passage, Moses traveled to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. Moses had been gone for a long time, and the Israelites had grown impatient. They were also skeptical of God because they had never seen him. As a result, they asked Aaron to make a calf for them to worship. Following the creation of the idol, Aaron declared the following day to be the Lord’s feast (Exodus 32:5). The Israelites presented the calf with peace offerings and holocausts. This is depicted in the glass window by an image of the Israelites, Aaron, and the golden calf they had made. The people can be seen worshiping the calf. Moses is depicted with a red halo, standing on the mountain, and stretching his hands towards God in heaven.
Chapter 21 of Brazen Serpent
As the Israelites passed through Edom, they became tired and began to complain to Moses about being brought out of Egypt to die in the desert despite the fact that they had plenty of food and water there. In response to their complaints, God sent saraph serpents that bit them and killed many of them. When the Israelites saw this, they were repentant and asked Moses to ask God to remove the serpents. In response to their cries, God told Moses to create a saraph and mount it on a pole, and anyone who saw it recovered (Numbers 21:8). This is depicted in the glass window by an image of a saraph on a cross, with the Israelites looking at it for forgiveness and healing. It commemorates the coming of Jesus, who was crucified on a cross for our sins. Moses has a red halo in the glass window.
References
K. James (2015). Exodus. In the Holy Bible.
Suger. (1979). (1979). The St.-Denis Abbey Church and its Art Treasures Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
A Sociological Perspective on Deviant Behavior
Social Science – Sociology Critical Reflection Assignment 2. Two contrasting views of the general nature of deviant behavior have been discussed in readings for the first part of this course. On the one hand, early sociologists and many contemporary researchers in psychology, psychiatry, and criminology have viewed deviant behavior as a product of individual pathology. […]
