Israelites at the Passover slay a sacrificial lamb and paint its blood on the door lintel as a sign to the angel of the Lord. Jesus is resurrected from the dead. Below: Jonah is spat out by a great fish which had swallowed him three days earlier. Jesus ascends to Heaven. Below: Elijah is carried up to Heaven by angels. In some of the most sophisticated schemes, there is not only a reference to events of the Old Testament, but also a cross-referencing of New Testament events. One such scheme is that painted by Giotto in Padua at the Scrovegni Chapel. At first appearance, the frescoed scenes of the birth and childhood of the Virgin and the life of Jesus seem simply to proceed around the walls in tiers, in a predictable sequence, with small painted panels of Old Testament motifs (rather than detailed scenes) between them. Close examination shows a rich contextuality. Scenes have been skilfully placed so that they contrast with or inform upon another, either placed in the same vertical row, or in immediate opposition across the building. Such juxtapositions include the wise men kneeling before the Infant Christ with Jesus washing the feet of Peter|kneeling before the apostle Peter washing his feet and the Raising of Lazarus from the Dead with the Resurrection of Christ. Cycles The round world A common theme in the art of many churches is to show the greatness of God through his creation and the order that he has placed upon it. God is often depicted in the act of creation as described in Genesis– making the firmament (or Earth), placing the Sun, stars and Moon in the sky or creating mankind. There are many symbolic representations of the Earth, sometimes showing the four rivers that are described in Genesis as running out of Eden. In Baroque art, the globe is often represented, with varying degrees of accuracy. Just as Genesis named four rivers that divided the ancient world, there were four writers upon whose books the Christian Church rested. Convention provided four compass points, four winds, four elements of Fire, Air, Earth and Water and four humours affecting the human nature. The number four appeared to be part of the way in which God organised his world. It related to the fact that creatures have four limbs and buildings stand firm on four supports. Consequently, groups of four people or