Museos Vaticanos - Sala de Heliodoro - 002

Within a grand, vaulted classical temple, a celestial rider on a white horse tramples Heliodorus as he attempts to steal the temple treasury. To the left, Pope Julius II is depicted being carried in a litter, witnessing the event to symbolize the divine protection of the Church. In the deep background, the High Priest Onias is seen kneeling in prayer at an altar between golden menorahs.

This work reflects the Renaissance synthesis of sacred history and political allegory, asserting the sanctity of the Church's property and authority through the lens of divine providence. It represents the Roman humanist tradition which sought to harmonize Old Testament narratives with the contemporary temporal power of the Papacy.