THE "LAST SUPPER"

 The Passover/Last Supper - part one of several.

Two things from the Olympics have garnered an interesting amount of pushback this past week. One is the inclusion of biological males in direct competition with biological females. (See Quillette's essays for why this is harmful to females and female sport.) https://quillette.com

The other is the outrage from Christians about the at best weird and at worst sacrilegious portrayal of "the Last Supper." And as the best way to prove that we christians are serious about our faith is to post memes, the memes have abounded. 

"Let's flood the internet with the REAL Last Supper!" was the most recent call to actions from someone in my feed.

Hm. The REAL Last Supper apparently is THAT one. You know, the one painted by Leonardo da Vinci, circa late 1490's.  

"The Last Supper" is one of those terms that doesn't appear in the Christian New Testament Gospels but it has become an accepted phrase for Yeshua's final meal with the 12 apostles before his betrayal, mock trail, beatings, humiliation and crucifixion.

In the Complete Jewish Bible, the word "seder" is used. The meal is the ancient tradition of remembering the Passover.

Before the Last Supper was Christian, it was the Passover, the highest of high holy days for Jews.

Here is the point - the Seder Meal, or to use the shorthand, the Last Supper, has been rendered in religious art since the early 200's and as recently as, well, July 26, 2024.

It has been painted on the walls of caves (the Roman Catacombs) , the walls of cathedrals, on wood panels, canvas, in mosaics (which are incredibly under-appreciated, imho) and is celebrated weekly, monthly, yearly by believers in Jesus of all denominations.

For kicks and giggles, I have decided to explore the many different version of the Seder Meal/Last Supper on my art blog over the next few weeks. The next post will be from Tori Grant Artist at blogger.

I add this image for those who would like to share another version of the Last Supper. 

By James Tissot - Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum; Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2008, 00.159.221_PS2.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10957564