The legend of the Mandylion, or the Holy Mandylion of Edessa, or the Savior Not Made by Hands, emerged in the first half of the IV century. The story of the icon is linked to Syrian King Abgar of Edessa. The legend goes that King Abgar contracted leprosy. When he heard of the miracles worked by Jesus Christ, he sent his painter Ananias to Jerusalem to paint the Savior’s wonderworking portrait. Ananias did attend a sermon given by Christ, but he lost courage to the degree that when he saw the Savior in his flesh, he failed his painting mission. Christ saw that and after washing his face he wiped it dry on a towel, a shawl, and a miraculous image of his face was imprinted on it.
The painter came back with Christ’s image that had not been made by hand and brought it to King Abgar. The piece of fabric on which Christ had wiped his face had turned out wonderworking, and King Abgar was cured. Christ’s beard was wet with water and left an imprinting on the fabric. That was how the Mandylion got its second name in some chronicles, Savior the Wet Beard. The legend also goes that the shawl with Christ’s face on it is the first icon in the history of Christianity.
The painter came back with Christ’s image that had not been made by hand and brought it to King Abgar. The piece of fabric on which Christ had wiped his face had turned out wonderworking, and King Abgar was cured. Christ’s beard was wet with water and left an imprinting on the fabric. That was how the Mandylion got its second name in some chronicles, Savior the Wet Beard. The legend also goes that the shawl with Christ’s face on it is the first icon in the history of Christianity.
