The Plague of Ashdod (1 Samuel 6:5)
1887.112
Name/Title
The Plague of Ashdod (1 Samuel 6:5)Entry/Object ID
1887.112Tags
Consult expertDescription
The story of the plague of Ashdod is recounted in 1 Samuel 4-5, and is not commonly known to most people today. In the account, the Israelites went out and encamped at Ebenezer to meet the Philistines in battle. There, they were resoundingly defeated and lost about four thousand men. Regrouping, the Israelites decided they should bring the ark of the LORD of hosts to lead them in battle. This time the Israelites were disastrously defeated, losing thirty thousand foot soldiers and the ark. The Philistines took the ark to Ashdod and placed it in the temple of their god Dagon. Two days in a row they found the statue of Dagon lying prostrate before the ark (the Temple of Dagon and the ark can be seen in the mid-ground of the drawing). Then the people of Ashdod were afflicted with an outbreak of hemorrhoids and a plague of mice, causing great suffering and death. The people demanded the ark of the LORD of hosts to be removed from the city. It was next taken to the Philistine city of Gath, where an outbreak of hemorrhoids also erupted and caused many deaths. From there, it was taken to the Philistine city of Ekron, where again hemorrhoids afflicted the citizens until it was decided to return the ark to the Israelites with tribute offerings to the Israelite's God. Nicolas Poussin ) painted The Plague of Ashdod in 1631. It is in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, and has inspired a number of artists to create versions of Poussin's work. Most notably Angelo Caroselli, whose painting hangs in the National Gallery in London. Although this drawing is not a copy of Poussin's work, there are elements of similarity. The carefully executed draftsmanship of the drawing, the incorporation of classical architecture in the background and the biblical clothing on the figures are all hallmarks of Poussin's works.Artwork Details
Medium
Paper, SanguineCollection
Archabbey-European Prints and DrawingsCataloged By
ChristopherAcquisition
Accession
1887.112Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionMade/Created
Artist
German (in the manner of Nicolas Poussin)Date made
1650 - 1700Notes
Date: Second half of 17th Century Artist's School: French or Italian (?) Technique: DrawingEthnography
Culture/Tribe
European