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gold-glass, in manuscript illustration, on jewellery and on plaques executed in ivory; and they continue on into the 5th century. All human beings are shown in the same typical posture. They are ordinary people whose names are inscribed beside them, such as five year old Felix, or teenage Bessula. But so important are these figures, which describe human nature in its relationship with God, that biblical personages also, such as Daniel, Noah, Susanna and the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, martyrs like Agnes, and even Christ himself are depicted in the same way. The importance of these images for any consideration of the relationship of art and prayer cannot be overemphasized by reason of their antiquity, style and theological message. Theological anthropology Because of their artistic form the ancient images are, as we can see, to some extent generic representations rather than individual portraits. They are concerned to emphasize the general as well as individual: to show us that our relationship to God and prayer comes through our common possession of a common human nature. In this way they provide in a unique, visual manner a theological and objective justification for prayer since they express what is technically called theological anthropology. Our very nature demands 13