Ecclesia Et Synagoga

and , or in Latin, meaning "Church and Synagogue" (the order sometimes reversed), are a pair of figures personifying the Church and the Jewish synagogue, that is to say Judaism, found in medieval Christian art. They often appear sculpted as large figures on either side of a church portal, as in the most famous examples, those at Strasbourg Cathedral. They may also be found standing on either side of the cross in scenes of the ''Crucifixion'', especially in Romanesque art, and less frequently in a variety of other contexts.

The two female figures are usually young and attractive; is generally adorned with a crown, chalice and cross-topped staff, looking confidently forward. In contrast, is blindfolded and drooping, carrying a broken lance (possibly an allusion to the Holy Lance that stabbed Christ) and the Tablets of the Law or Torah scrolls that may even be slipping from her hand. The staff and spear may have pennants flying from them. In images of the ''Crucifixion'', may hold a chalice that catches the blood spurting from the side of Christ; she often holds the chalice as an attribute in other contexts. Attributes sometimes carried by include a male sheep or goat or just its head, signifying Old Testament sacrifice, in contrast to 's chalice which represents the Christian Eucharist. The Ram also signifies alleged Jewish lustfulness and supposed Judaic focus on the flesh, in contrast to the Lamb, signifying the importance of the spirit in Christianity. In turn, 's female vulnerability and blindness suggest a raped woman and untrustworthiness. If not blindfolded, usually looks down. Other elements suggest defeat. has an earlier history, and in medieval art occasionally appears alone in various contexts, for example on the Cloisters Cross, but the pair, or by herself, are far more common. Further subjects where the pair may sometimes be found are the Tree of Jesse, and the Nativity.

The figures of and are sometimes traced to the influence of the 5th-century ', a Latin dialogue from Roman Africa. The first appearance of such figures in a ''Crucifixion'' is in a historiated initial in the Drogo Sacramentary of c. 830, but though already has most of her usual features already present, the figure representing the Jews or the Old Covenant is here a seated white-haired old man. The pair, now with a female Jewish partner, are then found in several later Carolingian carved ivory relief panels of the ''Crucifixion'' for book covers, dating from around 870, and remain common in miniatures and various small works until the 10th century. They are then less common in ''Crucifixions'' in the 11th century, but reappear in the 12th century in a more strongly contrasted way that emphasizes the defeat of ; it is at this point that a blindfolded with a broken lance becomes usual. The figures continue to be found in ''Crucifixions'' until the early 14th century, and occur later in various contexts but are increasingly less common. The surviving portal figures mainly date from the 13th century.

Background in literature

The relationship between Church and Synagogue was discussed for a long period, ultimately influencing the depictions found in later visual representations. The tone of these varied in their tolerance or otherwise. Augustine, for example, depicts the Old Testament as being the same as the new, but "covered with a veil". The is in this tradition, popularised in Europe much later as larger numbers of Jews arrived. The idea of as blind can be found in this literature. Another common comparison made is to equate the Synagogue with a concubine or female slave, and the Jews to her illegitimate offspring, while the Church is the true Bride, sometimes employing the story of Abraham's children by Hagar and Sarah to complete the metaphor.

Meaning

The medieval figures reflect the Christian belief, sometimes called Supersessionism, that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, and that Judaism as a religion was therefore made unnecessary, by its own tenets, once Christianity was established, and that all Jews should convert. Today opposed by dual-covenant theology, this belief was universal in the medieval church. 's blindfold reflected the refusal of medieval Jews to "see" this point, which was regarded as stubborn. The Gospel of Matthew (27, 51) related that the Veil of the Temple, covering the entrance to the Holy of Holies, tore at the moment of Christ's death on the cross, which was taken to symbolize the moment of the replacement of Judaism by Christianity as the true religion, hence the presence of the pair in ''Crucifixion'' scenes.

The blind covering 's eyes derived from the letter of Saint Paul at II Corinthians 3:13-16:

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

The figure of is usually shown as in some way fallen. The blindfold is also symbolic of this, but other indications can include presentation in a prone position, or possessing a broken staff, or a crown or scroll that is slipping. Sometimes a devil or serpent rather than a blindfold shields her eyes from the word of God. This contrasts with the upright presentation of the victorious .

The sculpted portal figures are generally found on the cathedrals of larger cities in northern Europe that had significant Jewish communities, especially in Germany, and apart from their theological significance, were certainly also intended to remind Jews of their place in a Christian society, by projecting "an ideal of Jewish submission within an ideally ordered Christian realm". They are therefore very prominent, but not very common. Many Jews, like Christians, conducted business in churches, and would pass the figures as they came and went.

Leo Spitzer has claimed that unlike many medieval depictions of Jewish figures (other than those from the Hebrew Bible

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