Capital with Four Scenes from the Story of Samson

This capital narrates four episodes from the life of the Old Testament hero Samson: he wrestles the lion, carries off the gates of Gaza, is shorn by Delilah, and pulls down the pagan temple of the Philistines. Originally an architectural element in the cloister of Notre-Dame des Doms in Avignon, France, it is made of marble possibly ordered from Carrara, Italy, by the canons of nearby Saint Ruf. Samson’s struggles against the Philistines were often interpreted as analogous to the Passion of Christ: just as Christ was betrayed, captured, and crucified, Samson was betrayed by Delilah, taken by the Philistines, and killed as he pulled down their pagan temple. Visible in the marble is the masterful use of the carver’s drill, especially in the deep bores of the architectural ornament and the lion’s teeth, showing the variety of effect and clarity of form that could be achieved with this tool.