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"The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the few medieval monuments whose decoration, preserved, even if partially, in its original state until recently, can be almost completely reconstructed on behalf of surviving mosaics and wall paintings, in situ inscriptions, and rich written evidence from the Middle Ages and early modern times. The decorative program, dating back to the third quarter of the twelfth century, represents a unique testimony of its time, touching to historical, theological, and art-historical aspects"--Publisher's website.

The end of time preoccupied medieval artists particularly around the portentous dates of 800 and 1000. This detailed and annotated study of early medieval art, especially Carolingian, Ottonian and Anglo-Saxon illuminated manuscripts and carvings, searches for this expectation of the Apocalypse in motifs and symbols. Kuehnel reveals examples of scientific diagrams in Biblical art and identifies other meanings for the cross, circles and squares. The study, which is fully-referenced to the colour and black and white photographs that can be found at the end, also explores the links between early medieval Christianity, mathematics and science.