R12 04-1 - the face of the Saviour

The icon of the face of Christ called Ahiropita, from the Greek Αχειροποίητος which means not made by hand, in Russian Spas Nerukotvornyj, Saviour not made by hand, is considered not an artist’s work, but an imprint of Christ himself. According to tradition, he wanted to leave the features of his holy Face imprinted on the cloth with which a woman, Veronica, wiped the Lord on the way to Calvary. Another typically Oriental tradition, traced the image to the one engraved on the Mandylion sent by Jesus himself to King Abgar of Edessa to heal him from leprosy. This icon synthetically expresses the fundamental Christological dogma: Jesus Christ is true God and true Man. It is the unity of heaven and earth, divinity and humanity in the person of Jesus.