Curious Christian

You’ve probably seen many depictions of the Last Supper, but perhaps not quite like this. Which is a pity. Because historically, it’s true: Jews in Jesus’ time actually reclined at tables during meals.

Take a look at these verses from the Gospel of Luke:

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.” (Luke 7:36)

“When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.” (Luke 11:37)

“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.” (Luke 22:14)

I’d always wondered what that actually looked like. How did they “recline” to eat? As always, a picture tells a thousand words. Rod Borghese’s paintings at Jewish Jesus Art do just that, capturing a cultural authenticity we don’t often see in traditional Last Supper images. They offer a fresh perspective that brings new layers of meaning to familiar stories.