The Lothair Crystal and the Ideal of Justice, Pt. 1

Crystal depicting the Apocryphal story of Susannah (9th cent.)

When Edmond Martene saw this gem at the Benedictine Waulsort Abbey in Belgium in 1724, he wrote: "... a rock crystal adorned with precious stones, on which one sees the story of Susanna very delicately engraved, according to report, by Saint Eloi... The abbots formerly wore it on their chests while officiating [at Mass]."

(click on the image above for a closer look at the scenes)

The eight scenes depicted on the crystal, beginning with the orchard scene at top, moving clockwise and then ending in the center, are accompanied by paraphrased excerpts from the trial of Susannah (Daniel, ch. 13) from the Vulgate, the Latin version of the Bible. The crystal was commissioned by Lothair II (d. 869), of the Carolingian dynasty, and so we read in the center of the crystal, above the canopy: "LOTHARIVS REX FRANC[ORUM MEF]IERI IVSSIT," Lothar, King of the Franks, caused me to be made.*

First a rehearsal of the story of Susannah is in order. Then we will get to Justice as an ideal, what we might learn from the near perversion of justice that was averted here and why a King would have chosen to have this story depicted so beautifully and in such fine detail.

Susannah was raised by just parents, was instructed according to the laws of Moses and was, we are told, exceedingly beautiful (Vulg., pulchram nimisi). Two elder judges, who frequented the home of her husband Joachim, became infatuated with Susannah, perverted their minds and chose to ignore "just judgments" (iudiciorum iustorum) in order to pursue their lust for Susannah. Notice the repeated references to words related to justice. Thus, from the outset the reader gets a clear sense of the Leitmotif of the story. The elders sneak up on Susannah in an enclosed orchard bent on seducing her while her servants are away. They proceed to solicit her and warn her, that if she does not accede to their demands they will bear witness against her and declare that she has committed adultery. Susannah refuses in spite of the danger for she cannot "sin in the sight of the Lord (peccare in conspectu Domini)." Susannah is eventually brought to court and condemned based on the testimony of these elders and were it not for the intervention of Daniel, who declares "Return to judgment (revertimini ad iudicium)!" - she would have been stoned. Daniel proves they had given false testimony through some simple but brilliant cross-examination and the elders are stoned instead!

Engraved in the crystal, based on the Vulgate, are the words: FECE RQE ISSICU TMA LE/EGE RANT, shorthand for "Feceruntque eis sicuti male egerant adversum proximum (Vulg. Daniel, 13:61)."

Or as many Jews and readers of the Hebrew Bible know it (Deut., 19:19),"ועשיתם לו כאשר זמם לעשות לאחיו" In the final, center scene the judge proclaims Susannah's innocence before two onlookers and "innocent blood (SANG... IN/NOXIVS = sanguis innoxius) is saved that day."

*I took the Latin of the crystal, translations as well as some references from Genevra Kornbluth's, Engraved Gems of the Carolingian Empire.