This is an excerpt from the article, “The Tree of Jesse: The ‘Roots’ of Christian Faith,” written by Frank Greaney '68 M.P.H. Read the article in its totality in the forthcoming Fall 2017 issue of the STM Magazine.

High atop the vault of STM Chapel’s east wall rises a large mosaic of the Tree of Jesse, a striking work that is both ancient and modern. It is an imposing and impactful representation of the genealogy of Christ. Its narrative starts on the right as Jesse is seen with the family tree rising from his right side. The long shaft of green at its center seems to represent a tree, although the artist has labeled it “Radix Jesse” which means in Latin “Jesse the Root” or “The Root of Jesse.” In its fullest form, the Tree of Jesse branches trace the forty-three generations between Jesse and Jesus, abbreviated here to include Ezekiel, Isaiah and David (with harp). The story culminates at the treetop with John the Baptist pointing to the crowned heads of Mary and Jesus. Across the top of the Tree we see seven doves, representing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, sending rays down upon the child Jesus.

The Tree of Jesse towers over the choir balcony and is often mistaken at a distance for a very large tapestry. In a way, it is a tapestry, threaded by carefully selected and placed tesserae, small individual tiles usually formed in the shape of a cube. These are often placed to reflect light onto its subject. The only reflecting tesserae here are seen in the strings of David’s harp and the crowns of Jesus and Mary. 

The Scriptural provenance of this work can be found in the book of Isaiah: 

“On that day,

A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:

a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

A Spirit of counsel and of strength,

a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,

and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.”

Many images of the Tree of Jesse appeared in the early Church, often illuminating sacred texts. The large-scale images of the tree in stained glass windows in the Royal Chapel of St. Denis, Paris, and, later, in the great lancet windows of Chartres Cathedral in France, cemented their popularity in educating the churched public on the earthly origins of Christ. The use of a tree to portray this Biblical teaching also served to inspire the use of a tree as a schematic representation of a family’s genealogy. The Tree of Jesse is the only prophecy of the Old Testament to be so frequently and literally illustrated in Christian art.