Research Symposium

BIO

I am a college freshman studying History and Latin. I am from Jupiter Florida and previously lived in Germany. My research interests surround ancient history and religion, and the impact religion has had on society and vice versa. I hope to become a professor eventually and get the chance to teach a class of my own.

The Valley of Dry Bones in Medieval Art

Abstract

The Roda Bible’s Old Testament was written and illustrated in the eleventh century at the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll in Catalonia, Spain. This was one of multiple bibles created for the purpose of promoting education and discourse among the monks. There are illustrations to depict important stories from various books. Through iconographic comparison of these illustrations to other medieval works of art it can be deciphered what the Ripoll monks found to be important for their needs. The specific story for the Valley of Bones from the story of Ezekiel deals with the anxiety of death in most depictions but retains a scholarly perspective in the Roda Bibles. By comparing the representation of the imagery of the Valley of Bones across multiple depictions from medieval art it can be seen that the Ripoll monks focused on communication with God and teaching others.

Keywords: Medieval Art, History, The Bible