Description

Holy Icon Made without Human Hands

The Image of Edessa, also known as the Mandylion or Acheiropoieton (meaning "not made by hands"), stands as one of the earliest and most revered icons in Christian tradition. According to accounts, during Jesus' earthly ministry, King Abgar of Edessa suffered from leprosy. Hearing of Jesus' miraculous healings, Abgar, though unseen, believed in Him as the Son of God and dispatched his court-painter, Ananias, to Palestine with a letter requesting healing and to paint an image of the Lord.

Ananias found Jesus surrounded by a crowd in Jerusalem and was unable to get close enough to paint Him. However, Jesus called him by name and provided a letter for Abgar, commending his faith and promising to send a disciple for his healing and salvation. Following this, Jesus wiped His face with a towel, miraculously impressing His divine image upon it. This towel, along with the letter, was then sent with Ananias to Edessa. Upon receiving these sacred items, Abgar experienced a significant healing, with only a slight trace of the disease remaining until the arrival of the promised disciple.

True to the Lord's promise, the Apostle Thaddeus, one of the seventy disciples, later arrived in Edessa, preaching the Gospel and baptizing Abgar and all the city's inhabitants. Abgar then inscribed the words "Christ-God, everyone trusting in Thee will not be put to shame" on the Image Not-Made-By-Hands and placed it in a niche above the city gates, where it became a focal point of veneration for many years. However, a later great-grandson of Abgar, who embraced idolatry, attempted to remove the Image. In a divine vision, the Lord instructed the Bishop of Edessa to conceal the Image, leading the Bishop to seal it within the niche with bricks and clay tablets.

For many years, the Holy Object was forgotten until 545, when the Persian King Chroses I besieged Edessa, threatening the city's survival. In a vision, the Most-Holy Sovereign Lady appeared to Bishop Evlavios, commanding him to retrieve the Image to save the city. Upon dismantling the niche, the Bishop discovered the Holy Image, still illuminated by a burning lamp, and a similar impression on the clay tablets that had sealed it. After a procession with the Cross and the Image Not-Made-By-Hands around the city walls, the Persian army miraculously withdrew, saving Edessa.

In 630, Edessa fell to the Arabs, but they did not hinder the veneration of the Image, whose fame spread throughout the East. In 944, Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus successfully negotiated for the Image's transfer from the Emir of Edessa to Constantinople. With great reverence, the Image of the Savior Not-Made-By-Hands and Jesus' letter to Abgar were brought to the capital and enshrined in the Pharos Church of the Most-Holy Theotokos on August 16th. The subsequent fate of the Image remains debated; some traditions claim it was lost when a Crusader ship carrying it sank in the Sea of Marmora during the sack of Constantinople (1204-1261), while others suggest it was taken to Genoa around 1362 and preserved in a monastery dedicated to Saint Bartholomew. The Image Not-Made-By-Hands played a significant role during the iconoclastic heresy, serving as an emblem for Russian armies, and its feast is celebrated on August 16th, popularly known as the Third Feast of the Savior in August.

About Our Icons (Print and Mounted):

Theophany Works Icons are handcrafted reproductions, made with prayer and a desire for excellence. Choose from our standard mounted option on Museum Quality Paper or you may choose to upgrade to Museum Quality Matte Canvas. Both offer a rich print with saturated coloration and are finished with our high-grade UV protection sealant offering a subtle tactile texture that gives our icons a truly authentic feel & can be cleaned with a damp cloth. Additionally, each Maple-shelled panel is prepared with a painted chamfered front edge as well as a round-over on the back edge to give a shadow box effect when hung on the wall. Our Icons come standard with a sliding key-hole slot on the back which allows for balanced hanging. These beautiful American-made reproductions will be a beloved addition to any home or parish at the fraction of the cost of a hand painted icon.

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