The Prophet Slain by a Lion

The story behind the image

First Kings 13 tells an unsettling story about an unnamed man of God. Ordered not to eat or drink in Bethel, he is persuaded by an older prophet who falsely claims an angel has changed that instruction. After the meal, a lion kills him on the road. The account stresses the strange stillness that follows: the lion neither eats the body nor attacks the donkey standing nearby. The older prophet retrieves and mourns him. Here, the fallen figure, lion and distant traveler turn the landscape into a scene of warning about deception and misplaced trust.

Take a closer look

Two details to notice

• The lion stands beside the fallen figure rather than being shown in a moving attack.
• A traveler and pack animal appear along the rocky track beneath a broad, finely lined sky.

About this original

Source

Original 1880 Bible

Collection

Bible illustrations

Photograph

Framed front view

Visible condition

The photograph shows the framed front. The mat covers the leaf edges; reflections on the glazing limit the view of the paper. Ask for dimensions, back photographs and condition details.

Piece reference

ART0010

These original pages were salvaged from a damaged book. The age and individual marks of each physical leaf are part of what makes it unique.

Read the source

• 1 Kings 13:11–32 · King James Version ↗

The illustration is an artistic interpretation. The linked source gives context for this short introduction.