Athlone Crucifixion Plaque

His chest, arms and long tunic are heavily decorated by elaborate early [[Celtic art|Celtic]] spiral patterns.Harbison (1984), pp. 2–5

His chest, arms and long tunic are heavily decorated by elaborate early [[Celtic art|Celtic]] spiral patterns.Harbison (1984), pp. 2–5

The large and prominent cluster of spirals on his chest resembles similar patterns on the fragment from a 8th or early 9th-century stone Crucifixion found on the [[Calf of Man]], in the collection of the [[Manx Museum]].Harbison (1984), p. 2 They appear to form either a shield or a protective breastplate, perhaps indicating the self-sacrifice aspect of the crucifixion. Herren; Brown (2012), p. 254 In addition, the breast ornament and his elaborate garments allude to Christ as the "anointed one" and eternal priest. The art-historians Michael Herren and Shirley Ann Brown describe him as dressed in the "holy garments" of the [[Old Testament]] priest-kings [[Araon]] and his sons[[ Nadab and Abihu]]" as described in [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 218:1–5.

The large and prominent cluster of spirals on his chest resembles similar patterns on the fragment from a 8th or early 9th-century stone Crucifixion found on the [[Calf of Man]], in the collection of the [[Manx Museum]].Harbison (1984), p. 2 They appear to form either a shield or a protective breastplate, perhaps indicating the self-sacrifice aspect of the crucifixion.Herren; Brown (2012), p. 254 In addition, the breast ornament and his elaborate garments allude to Christ as the "anointed one" and eternal priest. The art-historians Michael Herren and Shirley Ann Brown describe him as dressed in the "holy garments" of the [[Old Testament]] priest-kings [[Araon]] and his sons[[ Nadab and Abihu]]" as described in [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 218:1–5.

===The cross===

===The cross===