Heliodorus Driven from the Temple

Heliodorus lies prostrate on the temple floor, surrounded by spilled gold coins from a jar he intended to plunder. A powerful rider on a rearing horse and two rushing angelic figures wielding scourges strike him down, while in the background the High Priest Onias is seen praying for divine intervention before a menorah. The scene is set within a grand architectural space characterized by massive columns and deep arches.

Based on the Second Book of Maccabees, this scene represents divine protection of the sacred center and the punishment of sacrilege. Within the Western tradition, the Temple of Jerusalem served as a primary symbol for the architectural manifestation of divine order and the intersection of the earthly and celestial realms.