Predella of St. Helena: Judas is Cast into a Pit

Predella of the Polyptych of the Madonna and Child
Ducal Palace, Urbino, Italy

On St. Helena's orders the Jewish leader Judas is lowered into a pit, there to remain until he reveals the location of the True Cross. Judas has been divested of the red mantle seen in the panel on the assembly of Jewish leaders. He will eventually convert and become a Christian saint, but even for this episode the artist gives him an anticipatory halo of light radiating from his head.

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Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.