Mosaic Hebrew Prophetesses, Prophets and Heroines in Saint Peter’s Basilica with Andrea Stoler

For many visitors visiting the Basilica of Saint Peter, little do they know that the famous baroque  architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini re-created in bronze twisted columns that are modeled after those in Solomon’s temple and the Keruvim from the Holy Ark.

However, what is not well known is the contributions of other Italian masters of mosaic art who bring to life the Hebrew (Old Testament)  prophetesses and prophets from the Torah who gaze down upon the masses who enter Saint Peter’s Basilica.

From a Jewish perspective, says Andrea Stoler, the New Renaissance Saint Peter’s Basilica (1506) is rightly considered to have executed the largest and most extensive display of Hebrew (Old Testament) prophetesses and prophets through mosaic art.

Mosaic Hebrew (Old Testament) prophetesses and prophets decorate the lunettes and pendentives throughout the interior of Saint Peter’s Basilica. These prophets give evidence that Christianity developed from Judaism and more importantly they demonstrate these artists’ deep respect and knowledge for Jewish tradition.

The Israelites believed that God spoke through the prophets. It is through the prophetesses and prophets that we continue to hear Gods voice. Although, the prophetesses and prophets were greatly respected, the Israelites did not always listen to their words or obey them. The prophetesses and prophets were not fortune tellers. Nor were they foretellers of the future. The prophets were wise women and men who knew the inevitable results of the nation’s wrong doings, unwise alliances, and, most importantly of religious and moral wrongs. The prophetesses and prophets considered themselves to be protectors and guardians of Israel’s spiritual purity and piety and its national well-being. The prophet’s job was to warn the Israelites of danger and they foretold God’s Majestic and loving plan of the Messianic era.

In the Jewish religion, it is only the Jews who tell “the story over and over from the beginning to end every year, every moment on earth.” This is obviously one of the major reasons that Jews have survived throughout the many persecutions they have faced.

So how do the prophetesses and prophets figure into this? The Haftorah portion connected with each weekly Parsha (Torah) reading is the manner in which the Jewish system connects the five books to the rest of the Apocrypha readings that are included in  the Hebrew Bible. These Haftorah portions continue the story of the Israelites getting to the promise land and most of them are told through the Hebrew prophetesses and prophet stories.

The Old Testament (Hebrew) prophetesses and prophets are the ones God picked (figuratively) to keep receiving the word of God, and the prophets were then required to do God’s bidding at all costs; to keep telling the story.  Keep warning the Jews to stop backsliding; to keep their hope no matter what was happening politically.

The prophetesses and prophets were charged with the telling the Jews the Who (God) was giving the orders, Why God was doing it, the How, When, Where and Why God was telling them to achieve these goals, even if the populace didn’t understand. The prophetesses and prophets were the mouthpiece of God as life continued on.

In addition, Stoler also points out that the mosaics tell the stories about the great Jewish women from the Hebrew Bible. These women, significantly through their deeds, were not only wise, but brave, determined, and courageous. They used their leadership skills to impact their and future generations, either directly or indirectly and are as inspiring today as in any time in history.

 Andrea Stoler lives full-time in Rome. She is originally from upstate New York and received her PhD from Northwestern University in Chicago in Molecular/Cell Biology. 

She is an accredited tour guide in the Vatican City making her the first and only Conservative Jewish American woman who gives full-day tours in the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s Basilica, and Saint Peter’s Square from a Jewish perspective.