Spoils of War, Saul Decapitated, Trophies, A Grisly Parade
Old Testament Miniatures with Latin, Persian, and Judeo-Persian inscriptions
Purchased by J.P. Morgan (1867–1943) in 1916
Folio 35r (Latin)
Upper left: How the victorious Philistines strip the bodies of Saul and his sons. (I Samuel 31: 8)
Upper right: How the Philistines cut off Saul’s head. (I Samuel 31: 9)
Lower left: How the Philistines put Saul’s arms in the temple of Ashtaroth, their god. (I Samuel 31: 10)
Lower right: How Saul’s head is sent into the land of the Philistines round about. (I Samuel 31:9)
Folio 35r (Persian)
Upper left margin: When King Saul was slain, they stripped him.
Upper right margin: And they cut off King Saul’s head.
Lower left margin: The idolaters brought King Saul’s garment to the temple of idols and laid it before the idol.
Lower right margin: The idolaters placed King Saul’s head atop a spear and paraded it all over the kingdom.
Folio 35r (Judeo-Persian)
Spoils of War
Following the battle, the Philistines find Saul's body on Mount Gilboa and strip it of the armor. (1 Kings 31:8)
Saul Decapitated
Having collected the king's armor, the Philistines decapitate his corpse. (1 Kings 31:9)
Trophies
The Philistines place Saul's armor—including his shield, sword, and crowned helmet—on the altar of their god, Ashtoreth. (1 Kings 31:10)
A Grisly Parade
The king's head, shown crowned, is shamefully affixed to a pike and paraded throughout the Philistine lands. (1 Kings 31:9–10)