The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple

On the right, a divine rider on a white horse and two young men trample and whip Heliodorus, who has attempted to steal the temple treasury. In the center background, the High Priest Onias prays at the altar before a menorah, while on the left, Pope Julius II is carried into the scene on a litter to witness the event. The action takes place within a massive, gold-detailed vaulted temple that reflects high Renaissance architectural ideals.

The work reflects the Renaissance fascination with the Temple of Jerusalem as a supreme model of sacred space and the preservation of holy treasures. In the intellectual context of the Vatican Stanze, this imagery supports the concept of divine providence and the protection of sacred law, themes central to the Neoplatonic and theological synthesis of the period.