Anthony of Padua, Jesus Appears Before Caiaphas

16th century
Fresco
Church of St. Roch, Draguć, Croatia

The men on Jesus' left and right are those who came to arrest him with "lanterns and torches and weapons" (John 18:3). This image puts a man with a lantern to Jesus' right and another with a spear at the far right. The man raising his hand as if to slap Jesus is from Matthew 26:67, Mark 14:65, and John 18:22.

Caiaphas sits enthroned with a crown and scepter to register his status as high priest. Seated beside him is his father-in-law Annas, who is only mentioned in John 18:19-23 and then as one who examined Jesus before Caiaphas saw him. It is not unusual for the two to be seated together, as in Giotto's fresco in 1303-1305 or this miniature from the 6th century.

Once Caiaphas pronounces Jesus guilty of blasphemy he sends him off to be judged by Pilate:



In this badly deteriorated panel the man in green who held the spear in the other panel leads Jesus away. Walking behind Jesus is the man who held the lantern in the other panel. Annas and Caiaphas continue to sit on their canopied throne.

View the first image in full resolution.
View the second image in full resolution.
Read more about images of Jesus before the Sanhedrin.

Images photographed at the church by Claire Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.