3-038-398 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Moses and the Ark of the Covenant; Weltchronik, about 1400-1410. Additional Info:This miniature depicts three events from Exodus. Denied his request to see God's face, Moses is permitted to see the back of God's head. On the left, he turns around to catch a glimpse of God's head, with long curly hair protruding from clouds. Moses' rare privilege demonstrated that he was one of God's favored ones. Below on the right, following his descent from Mount Sinai to deliver the Law to the Israelites, Moses is depicted with horns, a tradition that grew from a misunderstanding of the biblical text that describes rays of light emanating from his head. At the top of the miniature, the Ark of the Covenant containing the Tablets of the Law stands on the summit of Mount Sinai.