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Up for sale is a beautiful, traditional Greek Orthodox wood-mounted icon depicting the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. This high-quality Byzantine-style sacred image captures the legendary story of 40 Roman soldiers who stood witness to their Christian faith on a frozen lake in 320 AD. The back features the official red circular seal of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston, Massachusetts (bearing their founding date of 1961) along with a partial original paper identification label reading "Holy Trans...". It is beautifully mounted onto a solid wooden panel with a red-painted border edge, complete with a pre-drilled hanging hole on the back.
Subject: The Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
Publisher: Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Boston Monks)
Material: Wood-mounted laminated print / iconographyDimensions: Approximately 7" x 9 1/2"
Iconography & Historical Significance: This icon is rich with theological symbolism and tells a powerful story of faith and endurance: The Inscription: The Greek text at the top reads “οἱ Ἅγιοι Τεσσαράκοντα Μάρτυρες”, which translates to "The Holy Forty Martyrs."
The Lake & The Fire: It depicts forty Roman soldiers sentenced to freeze to death naked overnight on a frozen lake in Sebaste. On the right side is a heated bathhouse with a glowing fire, placed there by Roman persecutors to tempt the soldiers to abandon their faith. One soldier can be seen breaking under the cold and running inside, while a pagan guard, moved by the faith of the remaining men, took his place on the ice to keep the number at forty.
The Heavenly Crowns: At the very top, Jesus Christ looks down from the heavens, sending down 40 heavenly crowns of glory to rest over the heads of the martyrs, symbolizing their ultimate spiritual victory.
About the Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Boston Monks): Founded in 1961, the Holy Transfiguration Monastery is a traditional Eastern Orthodox monastic community located in Brookline, Massachusetts. Following the strict communal and contemplative rules of Mount Athos, the monks are internationally renowned for their meticulously produced handicrafts and high-quality Byzantine icon reproductions, which have been distributed to churches and believers worldwide for decades.
Estimated Age:Based on the style of the wood mounting, the aging of the back panel, and the typography of the partial paper label, this vintage icon is estimated to have been produced between the late 1970s and the 1990s.
Condition: Pre-owned vintage condition. The icon image is vibrant, crisp, and beautifully detailed. The wooden block is structurally solid. The reverse side shows natural wood grain and the authentic monastery stamp/the partial label.
Please review all photos closely to verify the exact cosmetic condition. It has light surface wear.
