The Miracle of Christ on the Sea of Galilee, bound in Thesaurus Sacrarum historiarum Veteris et Novi Testamenti 1574

This engraving by Herman Müller depicts the Miracle of Christ on the Sea of Galilee, bound in Thesaurus Sacrarum historiarum Veteris et Novi Testamenti. The image teems with figures and symbolic gestures relating to sustenance and divine intervention. Note the baskets overflowing with bread and fish, motifs central to the miracle narrative. This act of feeding the multitude connects to ancient symbols of fertility and abundance, seen across cultures from harvest festivals to sacrificial rites. The offering of food, especially bread, carries deep psychological weight as it signifies not just physical nourishment but also spiritual fulfillment and communal bonding. Observe how the gesture of giving and receiving is echoed in earlier depictions of almsgiving. Consider also how it reverberates even into modern-day symbols of charity, thus revealing a continuous thread of human compassion and spiritual seeking. It is a potent reminder of our shared need for sustenance, and the power of empathy to transcend time.