The Heavenly Ladder was most probably written by John Climacus around the end of the sixth century. This manuscript was created in Sinai in the eleventh century and includes only one illustration of the Ladder that leads monks up to Christ in thirty steps. The miniature painting reveals that the scene was based on the Ladder envisioned by Jacob, the latter depicted sleeping at the base of John’s Ladder, which symbolizes the profound spiritual ascension of the devout.
