1690 · Ikonen-Museum, Recklinghausen

At an early stage, what came to the fore as a valid image of the Trinity in the Eastern Church was a symbolic representation that was known as the philoxenia (hospitality) of Abraham, as it was based on the visit, described in Genesis 18, of three men or angels to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham had a calf slaughtered and entertained the guests, who then promised him that his aging wife Sarah would give birth to their longed-for son. This Old Testament story had already been interpreted by the Fathers of the Church as the first revelation of the three Persons of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost).Show more