Lamb, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The lamb is prominently featured throughout the Bible, particularly in the context of sacrificial imagery and messianic prophecy.

In the Old Testament, lambs were used as sacrificial animals in the religious rituals of Judaism, symbolizing atonement for sin and submission to God's will (Exodus 29:38-42)¹.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is often referred to as the Lamb of God in John NKJV 1:29: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This emphasizes his role as the ultimate sacrificial offering for the redemption of humanity's sins. This imagery is central to Christian theology and is particularly emphasized in the book of Revelation, where the Lamb is depicted as victorious over evil and worthy of worship (Revelation 5:6-14)².

In Latin literature, particularly in poetic and allegorical works, the lamb was often used to symbolize innocence, purity, and gentleness. This usage draws upon the pastoral tradition, where lambs are portrayed as gentle creatures in idyllic rural settings.

In medieval Christian symbolism, the lamb is closely associated with Jesus Christ, symbolizing his sacrificial death for the redemption of humanity's sins. This imagery underscores the central Christian belief in Christ as the Paschal Lamb³ whose sacrifice brings salvation.

The lamb also represents the Christian faithful, who are seen as followers of Christ and beneficiaries of his sacrificial atonement. The lamb's innocence and purity serve as models for believers to emulate in their spiritual lives.

In eschatological imagery, the lamb is often depicted as a symbol of the final victory of Christ over evil and the establishment of a new, redeemed creation. This imagery is particularly prominent in the book of Revelation, where the Lamb is portrayed as the triumphant ruler of the heavenly kingdom.

Agnus dicitur quasi pius. latini autem hoc nomen
habere putant. eoquod pre ceteris animantibus
is matrem agnoscat. Adeo etiam ut si in magno grege
erret; statim balatu recognoscat vocem parentis. fes-
tinatque ad matrem. lactis quoque materni notos
sibi fontes requirit. Mater vero inter multa ag-
niculorum milia; solum filium novit. Unus est
plurimorum balatus. eadem species. sed illa tamen fetum
suum discernit a ceteris. et solum filium tanto pie-
tatis testimonio recognoscit.

Lamb is regarded as a pious animal. However, the Latins believed that it has this name, for it recognizes its mother, among other animals, so much so that, if it wanders in a large flock, it immediately recognizes the voice of its parents by their bleat, and rushes to its mother. It also seeks out sources of maternal milk familiar to it. Indeed, among the thousands of little lambs, the mother knows only her own cub. There is one bleating among many others of the same species and yet the mother distinguishes her offspring from the others and recognizes only her own cub by showing it great affection.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Lamb, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast195.htm

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014), Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., (2010), The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, HarperCollins UK, London

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)

Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)

Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)

White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)

Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Endnotes

1 Exodus 29:38-42 New King James Version (NKJV): “One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering.”

2 Revelation NKJV 5:6-14: “And I looked, [a]and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”

3 In Judaism, the lamb sacrificed at the first Passover, on the eve of the Exodus from Egypt, the most momentous event in Jewish history. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Paschal-lamb