Sarcophagus with Lambs Eating Dates

5th to 8th century
Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, Italy

The palms and crosses that frame the lambs suggest a setting in Paradise. The palms themselves are the kind seen around Ravenna, with fruit very much resembling grapes. In paleo-Christian art, lambs pictured feeding symbolize Christians nourished by the Savior.

Each end of the sarcophagus has an elegant composition of crosses, spiral columns, and scallop shells:




View this frontal and the left end in full resolution.
Read more about the Lamb of God symbol.

Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.