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Fri 12 Mar, 2004 10:22 am
Question about the crucifixion scene in "The Passion:"
One of the two thieves (I think it was Gesmas, the unrepentant thief) had a chalice/cup suspended from his cross alongside him. What is the significance of that?
If it had been on the cross of the repentant thief, Dismas, I would assume that the cup symbolized his acceptance of communion with Christ, but I'm pretty sure the cup was hanging from the bad thief's cross.
I assume the cup is an artistic 'aspect' from art: like depicting Peter with Keys, etc.?
Haven't seen the movie (not likely to either for reasons I'll get into later if I feel like it)... but
At the time of the Crucifiction the chalice wouldn't have meant anything having to do with Christ... The Last Supper was only the day before... no time to become legend.
Yes, but "Passion" was not exactly news footage. This was filmed and set-dressed by people who knew about the story. That chalice is there on purpose, and I'm assuming it is a symbolic device of some sort. Or maybe there's a reference to it in the Bible or in tradition that I am unfamiliar with?
I thnk this may simply have been the item he stole. I've not seen anything about it in Jacobus de Voraigne, or other texts.
I haven't seen the film but is -mas a suffix added to all these people: Dis-, Ges-, and Christ- ? Or is it a coincidence?
Coincidence. In the case of Christmas, it's short for Christ's Mass. The two thieves Dismas and Gesmas aren't mentioned by name in the Bible, but they have those names by tradition. I think -as is a common New Testament name suffix, as in Judas, Caiaphas (the high priest), Cephas (Peter) etc. I think it is Greek, as the NT was originally in Greek.
-Equusmas
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