Sophia Fahim
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01 / Iconography · A visual study

Symbols of
Saint Mary.

Reading the visual language of the Coptic tradition through icons at Holy Cross Coptic Orthodox Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

7 photographic studies

In these icons, Old Testament figures carry symbols associated with Saint Mary. Select a photograph for a closer look; each study pairs the image with its scriptural reference and interpretation.

The icons are church artworks presented here as subjects of study. Text and selections by Sophia Fahim.

Circular church icon of the prophet Moses holding a red burning bush, surrounded by a golden halo.
01

The Burning Bush

Moses Exodus 3:2

The burning bush is a symbol of Saint Mary in the Coptic tradition: bearing the presence of God without being consumed.

Circular church icon of the patriarch Jacob beside a ladder, with a gold halo against a red background.
02

Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob Genesis 28:12

Christ came into the world through Saint Mary’s divine passage.

Church icon of the crowned prophet David holding a small tabernacle, painted in burgundy and gold.
03

The Tabernacle

David Exodus 40:34–35

The tabernacle was the dwelling place of God in the Old Testament, similar to Saint Mary being the dwelling place of Jesus while he was in her womb.

Circular church icon of the prophet Gideon holding a fleece, with a golden halo.
04

The Dewy Fleece

Gideon Judges 6:36–38

The dew symbolizes the living water of Christ and the fleece symbolizes Saint Mary who brought the water of life into the spiritually parched world.

Church icon of the prophet Ezekiel holding a closed gate, with a gold halo and burgundy background.
05

The Closed Gate

Ezekiel Ezekiel 44:1–2

The gate through which the Lord entered was commanded to remain shut after, symbolizing Saint Mary as the gate the Lord came through which would never be used again.

Circular church icon of the prophet Daniel wearing red and holding a mountain-shaped stone.
06

The Mountain

Daniel Daniel 2:34

This symbol refers to a specific dream interpreted by Daniel the Prophet, in which a stone was cut out of a mountain without human hands. The hole within the mountain symbolizes Mary’s womb; because the stone was cut out of the rock without hands, it symbolizes Jesus being conceived without human intervention.

Church icon of the prophet Zechariah holding a seven-branched golden lampstand.
07

The Golden Menorah

Zechariah Zechariah 4:2

Jesus is the true light of the world and Mary physically carried Jesus, so she is the lampstand that brought God’s light into a dark world.