The icon of Our Lady of Three Hands belongs to the iconographic type of Hodegetria (She who shows the Way). The icon’s history dates back to the 8th century, when the Christian world got divided into two camps — the iconoclasts and icon-worshipers. At that time, the emperor Leo the Isaurian came to the throne of Byzantine and began persecuting icon-worshipers. John of Damascus lived in the capital of Syria, Damascus and served as an adviser to the Caliph. In his letters to Byzantium, he denounced iconoclasm. By the order of Leo Isaurian, a forged letter was written on behalf of John, in which the adviser allegedly offered Leo Isaurian his assistance in conquering the Syrian capital, and sent to the Damascus Caliph. The ruler of Syria sentenced his advisor to cut off his hand and the sentence was carried out. After that John asked the severed hand back, locked himself up and plunged into deep prayer in front of the icon of Our Lady. The next morning, waking up, he discovered that he was healed. In gratitude to God and in memory of this event, a silver image of a hand was made at his request and attached to the icon in front of which the healing had taken place. Subsequently, all copies of this icon depict the Virgin Mary with three hands.
Icon of Our Lady of Three Hands. 19th century
The icon of Our Lady of Three Hands belongs to the iconographic type of Hodegetria (She who shows the Way). The icon’s history dates back to the 8th century, when the Christian world got divided into two camps — the iconoclasts and icon-worshipers. At that time, the emperor Leo the Isaurian came to the throne of Byzantine and began persecuting icon-worshipers. John of Damascus lived in the capital of Syria, Damascus and served as an adviser to the Caliph. In his letters to Byzantium, he denounced iconoclasm. By the order of Leo Isaurian, a forged letter was written on behalf of John, in which the adviser allegedly offered Leo Isaurian his assistance in conquering the Syrian capital, and sent to the Damascus Caliph. The ruler of Syria sentenced his advisor to cut off his hand and the sentence was carried out. After that John asked the severed hand back, locked himself up and plunged into deep prayer in front of the icon of Our Lady. The next morning, waking up, he discovered that he was healed. In gratitude to God and in memory of this event, a silver image of a hand was made at his request and attached to the icon in front of which the healing had taken place. Subsequently, all copies of this icon depict the Virgin Mary with three hands.
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