The Sacrifice of Manoah

This drawing is a good example of the artist’s highly individual choice of themes for his biblical depictions. It shows the sacrifice of Manoah, a scene very rarely depicted in art history. Manoah and his wife are visited by an angel, who announces the coming birth of their son Simson (Shimshon), whereupon Manoah sacrifices a baby goat as thanks to God. “As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground.” (Judges 13:20)