The image of the good shepherd in early Christian sculpture. Interpretation. Methodological aspect

The article explains the methodology of interpretation of early Christian sarcophagi containing the image of the Good Shepherd. The object of the study was a unique monument from the Archaeological Museum in Split (Inv. No. D15, 310-312). Despite the fact that this artifact has been repeatedly studied, a number of unspecified points are found in its interpretation. The special approach used by the author involves not only the analysis of iconographic and stylistic features of the works, but also the involvement of theological texts. A significant methodological innovation was the use of the linguistic term “koine” in relation to sculpture of the III-V centuries, which demonstrates a fusion of diverse influences in its stylistics and iconography. This approach allows the author to read the image of the Good Shepherd in the context of the Resurrection, and also, thanks to literary sources, to trace in the studied monuments the formation of a specific pictorial language inherent in Christian art later.