Christ is identified as Emmanuel, the Word of God incarnate, according to the inscription; he appears seated on a rainbow, inside a halo held up by the four cherub angels of the prophet Ezekiel (10:12). Early Christian and Byzantine art depicted this iconographic type as a beardless young man, essentially an ancient hero. The icon, in fact, shows three representations of Christ: the white hair suggests the Ancient of Days, the posture Christ Pantocrator, and the inscription the eternally young Lord. In this manner the Son is consubstantial with the Father. The icon was perhaps painted in Egypt, and was dedicated by a pilgrim who wrote his appeal around the border.
