Christ Driving the Money-Changers from the Temple
c. 1626
Oil on panel, 43 x 33 cm
Pushkin Museum, Moscow
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Contemporary analysis sees Jesus’ action as an attack on Temple political practice itself, not money-changing per se. Money-changing was necessitated by the required ritual sacrifice by pilgrims.
In Christian art whips, flying coins, overturned tables and fleeing Jews make for exciting images and reinforce prejudicial Jewish stereotypes.
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