Museum De Lakenhal – The Crucifixion of Christ

By Cornelis Engebrechtsz. It dates from 1515–1517.

This altarpiece was made for the Augustinian cloister at Mariënpoel near Leiden.

In the middle is the Crucifixion of Christ.

To the right you can see the brass snake that Moses made and that was capable of protection against snakebites.

Numeri 21:8–9

Ende de HEERE seyde tot Mose, Maeckt u een vyerige slange, ende steltse op een stange: ende 't sal geschieden dat al die gebeten is, als hyse aensiet, so sal hy leven.

Ende Mose maeckte een koperen slange, ende steldese op een stange: ende 't geschiedde, als een slange yemant beet, so sach hy de koperen slange aen, ende hy bleef levendich.

Numbers 21:8–9

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.



To the left you can see the mock sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. Nowadays staging a mock execution of your son because you’ve heard a voice in your head instructing you to do so will result in criminal prosecution or a stay in an institution for the criminally insane. Nevertheless all the Abrahamic religions still celebrate this behaviour.

Genesis 22:1–14

ENde het geschiedde na dese dingen dat Godt Abraham versocht; ende Hy seyde tot hem, Abraham, ende hy seyde; Siet [hier] ben ick.

Ende Hy seyde; Neemt nu uwen sone, uwen eenigen, dien ghy lief hebt, Isaac, ende gaet henen nae het lant Morija; ende offert hem aldaer tot een brandoffer, op een van de bergen, dien ick u seggen sal.

Doe stont Abraham 's morgens vroech op, ende sadelde sijnen esel, ende nam twee van sijne jongers met hem, ende Isaac sijnen sone: ende hy cloof hout tot het brandoffer, ende maeckte sich op, ende ginck nae de plaetse die hem Godt geseyt hadde.

Aenden derden dach doe hief Abraham sijne oogen op, ende sach die plaetse van verre.

Ende Abraham seyde tot sijne jongers; Blijvet ghy hier met den esel, ende ick, ende de jongen sullen henen gaen tot daer; als wy aengebeden sullen hebben dan sullen wy tot u wederkeeren.

Ende Abraham nam het hout des brandoffers, ende leyde 't op Isaac sijnen sone; ende hy nam het vyer ende het mes in sijne hant, ende sy beyde gingen te samen.

Doe sprack Isaac tot Abraham sijnen Vader, ende seyde; Mijn Vader: ende hy seyde, Siet [hier] ben ick, mijn soon: ende hy seyde, Siet het vyer, ende het hout, maer waer is het lam tot het brandoffer?

Ende Abraham seyde; Godt sal hem selven een lam ten brandoffer versien, mijn soon: so gingen sy beyde te samen.

Ende sy quamen ter plaetse, die hem Godt geseyt hadde, ende Abraham bouwde aldaer eenen altaer; ende hy schickte het hout, ende bondt sijnen sone Isaac, ende leyde hem op den altaer boven op het hout.

Ende Abraham streckte sijne hant uyt, ende nam het mes, om sijnen sone te slachten.

Maer de Engel des HEEREN riep tot hem van den hemel, ende seyde; Abraham, Abraham: ende hy seyde; Siet [hier] ben ick.

Doe seyde hy: en streckt uwe hant niet uyt aen den jongen, ende en doet hem niet: want nu wete ick, dat ghy Godtvreesende zijt, ende uwen sone, uwen eenigen, van my niet en hebt onthouden.

Doe hief Abraham sijne oogen op, ende sach om; ende siet, achter was een ram inde verwerde struycken vast met sijne hoornen: ende Abraham ginck, ende nam dien ram, ende offerde hem ten brandoffer in sijnes soons stede.

Ende Abraham noemde den naem van die plaetse, De HEERE sal't versien: daerom heden ten dage geseyt wort, Op den berch des HEEREN sal 't versien worden.


Genesis 22:1–14

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.