Image Details

Matenadaran, Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Erevan, Armenia

John baptizes Jesus and both tread on Satan who, in the form of an underwater serpent, holds the cheirograph in his mouth, in this 1587 gospel illumination from Armenia. In the later versions of the cheirograph story, Satan hides the contract in what he thinks is a safe place, the Jordan River, never suspecting that the arrival of Jesus will undo his schemes.