image
Orthodox Icon of Jesus In this painted icon, made for the monastery of Saint Catherine in Egypt in the eighth century, Jesus is shown on the cross, with two angels above him. Icons were important objects of veneration in the Eastern Christian, or Orthodox, Church, although they were also a source of controversy, as some church leaders thought that people were not simply using them as an aide to piety, but worshipping the image. (Kharbine-Tapabor/The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY)