Six secrets hidden in Da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper: how many did you know?

Renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of the Last Supper is one of the most famous and iconic paintings in the world.

But a history expert has recently pointed out what he claims are six hidden symbols in the 1495 AD masterpiece that tells the story of Jesus’ arrest and resurrection, and which many people have overlooked.

The painting shows Judas holding the silver payment he received to hand Jesus over to the authorities, explained a blogger called Culture Critic, although these theories were never confirmed by da Vinci.

Meanwhile, Saint Peter is seen holding a knife, symbolizing his subsequent attempt to free his leader.

Then there is the mysterious figure to Jesus’ left, who some have claimed was the only woman sitting at the table, but some historical scholars have a different interpretation that this was one of the younger male apostles.

The Bible details the story of the Last Supper in 33 AD, when Jesus sat down with his 12 apostles and told them that one of them would betray him, adding that his death was imminent.

He blessed the bread and wine and explained that they represented his body that would be broken and the blood that would be shed for the forgiveness of their sins.

Rather than focusing on depicting Christ distributing bread and wine, da Vinci showed the apostles reeling at Jesus’ news that someone would bring about his death.

Judas, who had already sentenced Jesus to death by revealing his location before the dinner, stands in the shadows as he grabs one of the 30 pieces of silver he received as payment for betraying his leader.

Directly next to Judas’ hand is what appears to be a container of salt that he threw away, symbolizing his broken covenant with God, Culture Critic wrote in its mail in X.

“It is the complexity and symbolism that is woven into it that has had people speculating ever since Da Vinci created the painting. And as always with Leonardo, nothing is accidental,” the expert said.

The salt theory had already been proposed by scholars earlier, but salt shakers were not invented until the late 19th century.

He went on to explain that Da Vinci’s depiction of Christ taking the bread and wine shows his posture in a triangular shape, signifying the Holy Trinity and expressing another hidden secret.

This is a Christian doctrine that states that God exists as three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Da Vinci went a step further by painting St. Peter holding a knife, adding to the “fascinating reactions of each apostle,” Culture Critic said.

The scholar added that the knife supposedly indicates Peter’s attempt to save Jesus by cutting off Malchus’ ear as he arrested his lord and savior, while also foreshadowing Judas’ eventual death.

Malchus, a servant of the Jewish high priest Caiaphas, was among the 450 men ordered to arrest Jesus.

The Bible passage Matthew 27:3-10 describes Judas’ death, saying that he felt guilty about his betrayal and tried to return the money he had been paid before throwing it to the chief priests and elders and going out to hang himself.

However, Acts 1:18-19 describes a more gruesome death: ‘Judas bought a field with the reward of his wickedness; and there he fell headlong, and his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out.’

St Thomas is shown to the left and behind Jesus with his finger ‘curiously raised in the air’, which could symbolise the apostle later demanding proof that Jesus had risen from the dead, Culture Critic said.

Thomas put his finger into a wound in Jesus’ side as a test and according to John 20:29 in the Bible, the Lord said to him: “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

However, some people have also claimed that the figure is a portrait of Da Vinci, who was also a skeptic of Christ’s resurrection.

There are also segments of the painting that still remain a mystery, the most common being the supposed woman standing next to Jesus.

Although her identity has never been confirmed, some believe she is Mary Magdalene, who traveled with Jesus and was one of his devoted followers.

However, others have suggested that it is actually the youngest disciple, John, whose pale skin and feminine features may have led people to believe that it is an image of a woman.

The revelation comes as the Paris 2024 Olympics are under fire for their depiction of the Last Supper at last week’s opening ceremony.

The scene showed dancers, drag queens and a DJ posing in front of a table in a shot that appeared to depict the apostle’s last meal with Christ before he was crucified.

French theatre director Thomas Jolly created the segment and claimed he was not referencing the Last Supper, but rather the Greek god of wine and festivity, Dionysus, connecting the games to their Greek roots.

The Olympics published images of the event on X, writing‘The interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.’

Although Jolly claimed the images had no connection to the Last Supper, Olympic producers told The Wrap that “Jolly was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting.

“Clearly, there was never any intention to disrespect any religious group or belief… (Jolly) is not the first artist to make a reference to what is a world-famous work of art,” the producers said.

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