Icon | Smithsonian Institution
John 19:1-3
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face.
About the Picture
This large icon, meant to be seen by many people, was carried in church processions on holy days. The subject of Christ crowned with thorns and flanked by tormentors was modeled after Ethiopia’s famous imperial icon that was carried into battle by the emperor’s army.
The icon is a diptych with a half figure of Christ crowned with thorns, flanked by two small men in Turkish costume striking his head, Descent from the Cross with Mary twice, Joseph of Arimithea, Nicodemus, Salome and Elizabeth. The diptych icon has iron hinges, a hand hammered clasp and a leather bound back.
Interactive Map
Traditional Site — Ecce Homo / Lithostrotos (Antonia Fortress area)
GPS: 31.7810° N, 35.2326° E
Setting: Along the Via Dolorosa, just north of the Temple Mount.
This is where Christian tradition places:
- Pilate’s judgment
- The soldiers’ mockery
- The crowning with thorns
It sits on the northeast side of the Old City.
