Rossano Gospels, 5th-6th century CE, unknown author, possibly from eastern or Byzantine cultures
The Rossano Gospels are one of the oldest illuminated manuscripts from the 5th and 6th centuries. It is a Greek uncial (capital letter writing style) manuscript containing the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, along with illustrations that narrate the life and teachings of Christ. It is written on purple vellum (calfskin) with silver and gold ink.
This page specifically illustrates a parable, a teaching of Jesus. The illustration features Greek letters at the top, a city to the right, a man lying naked and beaten, with Christ and an angel tending to the man. Continuing to the right, the beaten man appears on an animal, with Christ paying the innkeeper.
Bryan Keene’s article, “Introduction: Manuscripts and Their Outlook on the World,” emphasizes that illuminated manuscripts (decorated books) preserve information about how different cultures perceive the world, and concepts of geography, religion, class, and identity. The Rossano gospels are a design artefact that preserves a rich spiritual heritage, and the quality of vellum and inks demonstrates the importance of the works and their spiritual and moral teachings to the Christian community.
Through text and illustration, the Rossano Gospels' depiction of the Good Samaritan demonstrates where spirituality and action intersect. A fundamentally subversive story, according to the Gospel of Luke, the parable of the Good Samaritan is about a man of a different identity caring for a Judean man robbed and left for dead. A priest and a Levite pass by, until the Samaritan helps the man to an inn.
However, the Rossano Gospels page depicting the Good Samaritan represents the story in an easily recognizable manner, but depicts Christ, denoted by a halo, as the Good Samaritan himself. Though in the Christian Gospels such as Luke, Jesus is the teller of the story, he is emphasized here in the image as the ultimate example of loving your neighbor, as other Christian sources online point out such as The Catholic Talks website about the Rossano Gospels. At the end of the story, he tells his listeners to "go and do likewise." In the same way, the Rossano Gospels would serve as a spiritual and physical reminder of the importance of philanthropy and care across identities (Catholic Talks).
Sources:
https://www.christiancentury.org/art/good-samaritan-codex-purpureus-rossanensis-early-sixth-century
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:25-37&version=ESV
