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About This Work
Joshua stands on the left in a billowing yellow cloak, directing his troops during the assault on the city of Jericho. The fresco captures a moment of intense military action, with soldiers in classical armor wielding spears and shields against a backdrop of distant fortifications. This work is a detail from the expansive cycle in the Vatican Loggia executed by Raphael’s workshop.
Joshua was a central figure for Renaissance thinkers who sought to harmonize the Old Testament with classical heroism. His deeds were interpreted in the context of the 'Prisca Theologia,' where biblical patriarchs were seen as early possessors of the divine wisdom that later informed Neoplatonism and Kabbalah.
Connected Texts
Henry Cornelius Agrippa
In 'De Occulta Philosophia', Agrippa cites Joshua's ability to command nature as evidence of the spiritual power available to a soul aligned with the divine.