![]() ![]() In addition, the elements surrounding the eye take on a Christian meaning as well. The Eye of Providence may also be meant to represent the omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience of God. Thus, in a way, the Eye of Providence is meant to represent a form of spiritual guidance that pious Christians ought to follow. Within this context, the word ‘providence’ refers to ‘divine guidance’, specifically to that provided by the God of Christianity. The depiction of the Eye of Providence on Pontormo’s Supper at Emmaus shows that it started off as a Christian symbol. Above the head of Christ is the Eye of Providence, which is meant to show that God was watching the entire event. Interestingly, a few of the monks were painted by Pontormo behind Christ, who is shown blessing the bread. This painting was made for the Carthusians (a Catholic religious order known also as the Order of St Bruno) of the Certosa del Galluzzo, in the suburbs of Florence. After reaching the town, Jesus stays with the two men to have supper with them, and this is the scene painted by Pontormo. In this story, which happens after Christ’s resurrection, Jesus appears to two of his disciples who were on their way to a town called Emmaus. Jacopo Pontormo’s Supper at Emmaus, where the Eye of Providence is seen above Christ. The subject matter of this painting is the second half of the ‘Road to Emmaus Appearance’ story found towards the end of the Gospel according to Luke. This representation is found in a 1525 painting called the Supper at Emmaus by the Italian painter Jacopo Pontormo. As mentioned already, the earliest-known representation of the Eye of Providence is from the Renaissance. Like the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus and Eye of Ra, the Eye of Providence is also associated with the divine. As the goddess drank the ‘blood’, she became so drunk that she fell asleep, and only woke up three days later with a terrible hangover. The god had 7000 jugs of beer mixed with pomegranate juice, which made the beer red, and he poured them in the fields around the Eye of Ra. Ra, fearing that all of humanity would be wiped out if the goddess was allowed to continue on her rampage, devised a cunning plan. The goddess, however, was in a bloodlust, and paid no heed to her father’s pleas. Seeing the scale of the destruction wrought by the goddess, Ra regretted his action, and called his daughter to stop. The Eye of Ra was a goddess (different goddesses, including Hathor, Sekhmet, and Bast, are said to possess this title) sent to earth in the form of a lion, and she immediately began her slaughter of humanity. Therefore, he decided to punish mankind by sending the ‘Eye of Ra’ to destroy them. Ra was furious that they no longer stuck to laws, and that they were making jokes at his expense. In one of the ancient Egyptian myths, Ra was becoming old and weak, which caused people to disrespect him. Unlike the Eye of Horus, this was an aggressive symbol that focused on the destructive aspect of the god Ra. The ancient Egyptians had another symbol similar to the Eye of Horus, which is known as the Eye of Ra. Such amulets continue to be popular even today. These myths served to popularize the Eye of Horus as a protective symbol, and therefore it was commonly made into protective amulets. ![]() Thus, in this myth, the eye became a symbol of life and resurrection. Osiris ate the eye, and he was restored to life. In another myth, Horus presented his eye to his father, Osiris, to help him rule the Underworld. ![]() Thus, the Eye of Horus became a symbol of healing. This eye was magically restored by the goddess Hathor, who is believed to have been either Horus’ mother or wife. According to ancient Egyptian mythology, Horus lost his left eye during a battle with his uncle Seth. One of the most famous of these symbols is the Eye of Horus (known also as Wadjet, which means ‘Whole One’), which was immensely popular amongst the ancient Egyptians. Nevertheless, eyes have had a strong symbolic meaning in many cultures over the course of history. The earliest-known depiction of this symbol dates to the Renaissance. The Eye of Providence is commonly depicted as a single, realistic-looking eye within one or more additional elements: a triangle, a burst of light, clouds, or all three. The Eye of Providence has also been associated with the Freemasons, and thanks to films, such as the 2004 National Treasure, starring Nicolas Cage, conspiracy theories linking the Freemasons with the founding of the United States have been popularized. This design is in turn derived from the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States. For Americans, The Eye of Providence is most commonly found on the reverse of the United States one-dollar bill. This symbol has been used for centuries in both religious and secular contexts, and therefore its representation can be found in many places. The Eye of Providence (known also as the all-seeing eye of God) is a well-known and popular symbol.
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