From Word into Image: The Visualization of Ulcer in Byzantine Illustrated Manuscripts of the Book of Job

Abstract

A striking iconographic motif in the Byzantine illustrated manuscripts of the book of Job is the three-headed monster that attacks Job at the moment he is inflicted by a disease sent by the devil. This study proposes that the monster was modeled after the letter E of the word "$$Word$$" (ulcer, sores), which is mentioned in the relevant biblical passage (Job 2:7). In other words, the monster represents the disease in the shape of an illustrated initial, an initial, moreover, that does not introduce a text but actively participates in the narrative scene. This unique case of word-image relationship will be discussed in light of Byzantine perceptions of the nature of the devil and his actions in the story of Job. It will also be tentatively related to the increasing use of illustrated initials in Byzantine manuscripts from the ninth century onward.

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