Front Cover: Marc Chagall’s Painting

Marc Chagall, a Jewish artist, has been described as a “bridge” between Judaism and Christianity. A good example of his bridging is the painting Exode (Exodus in English) on the cover of this book. It unites Moses and Jesus in salvation history. The crucified Christ is at the center and behind Him is a large disc reminding us of the Holy Eucharist. Among those below Him, Moses holding the stone tablets has the greatest prominence, and behind him the bride of Solomon. The two women in the foreground suggest the judgment of Solomon. The man holding a container near a woman with a dying child in the upper right reminds us of Elijah, who kept a widow alive and restored her son to life. The crowd is the people of Israel. At the left are the Shoah images that connect us with Christ on the cross, a theme Chagall evoked even more deeply in his painting, White Crucifixion.