The Good Shepherd

    After reading about St. Guinefort, I began to think about other animals that were adopted into Christianity. The most obvious that came to mind was a lamb. Where did this motif originate? Because the ancient world was rooted in agriculture, I found that many traditions referenced sheep. These ideas were absorbed into Christian theology to produce one of the most popular depictions of Jesus Christ today: the Good Shepherd.

Jesus as a shepherd.

The Hebrew Bible referred to sheep and lambs often. For instance, Abraham sacrificed a lamb in place of his son Isaac, which Christians believe is an allegory for the sacrifice of Christ. This story is also important to Muslims and Jews. In all three traditions, the story teaches of obedience and altruistic sacrifice. Clearly, lambs were of great value to this early Middle Eastern society as they were seen as sacrifices of equal value to a child. 

Timurid (Persian) art depicting Abraham sacrificing his son. This illustration was made in Shiraz, Iran.

Another interesting ovine reference in the Old Testament is Psalm 23, which is one of the most popular passages in scripture. The King James version of the Bible reads "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." 

The idea of a shepherd as a leader is not unique to Judaism, the ancient Mesopotamian king Hammurabi declared "I am the shepherd who brings well being and abundant prosperity" in his law code. The comparison here is clear: the shepherd has power over his sheep, who obey them, and in exchange, he offers food and protection. In the religious sense, this safety is more of a spiritual idea; God will protect and bless the obedient. Today, this psalm is used in both Jewish and Christian funerals. 

A modern shepherd leading his flock

In Greco-Roman tradition, rams were a common sacrifice to the gods. Statues called kriophoroi, meaning "ram-bearers" were created in honor of the god Hermes, who was a shepherd.

A Roman copy of a kriophoros.

The depiction of a man carrying a sheep over his shoulders was adopted by early Christians, who wanted an ambiguous image that could be interpreted as merely pastoral art. Therefore, it is difficult for art historians to tell the difference between illustrations of Hermes and of Christ until about the 5th century, when Christianity was mainstream enough. 

This is a fresco from a 3rd century Christian catacomb depicting a shepherd.

 

Today, Christian churches still use this symbolism as it provides a clear allegory for their relationship with God: he provides and they obey. For instance, high ranking bishops in several denominations carry a staff called a crosier, which looks like a stylized shepherd's crook. In addition, the clerical title "Pastor" is actually Latin for "shepherd". 

A crosier

So, the tradition of a spiritual leader as a shepherd dates back millennia. Abraham, Moses, Isaac, and Muhammad were all shepherds. The next question is: How will this idea change as society moves awat from agriculture?