Joaquin Yarza Luazes, the Bible ofAvila is the earliest manuscript in Castile and Leon in

the 11Ith and 12th centuries to include a scene of the Baptism of Christ.25

 The second scene on the first register of folio CCCXXIII r is the Wedding Feast

at Canaa (John 2: 1-12). This was the first miracle accomplished by Christ at the

beginning of His public life.26 JOSus and the Virgin Mary were invited to a wedding in

Canaa. When the supper was approaching the end, all the wine had been depleted. It was

the Virgin Mary who saw this and said, "They have no wine."27 Then Jesus ordered the

servants to refill six waterpots with water, and He transformed the water into wine.28

 The Wedding Feast at Canaa includes a total of eight figures. The wedding couple

and the guests, including the Virgin Mary and Christ, are located behind the banquet

table, while the cupbearer is in front of the table. The table is tilted to show the obj ects

that are placed on top of it: wine cups, knives and loafs of bread.29 Behind the table we

can see one guest right beside the bride and groom, who are in loving embrace; then there

are two more guests, a woman and a man, contemplating the newly weds. The Virgin

Mary and Christ are located to the right with their backs turned to the other guests. Christ

is making the gesture of benediction over a goblet that a young boy holds. This is the



25 JOaquin Yarza Luaces, Iconografia de la 2iniatura Ca;stellano-Leonesa~11~~11~~1 de los Siglos
Xly XII, Madrid: Universidad Complutense, Facultad de Filosofia y Letras, 1973, p. 17.

26 Louis Reau, Iconoguraphie de l'Art Chretiene, Tome Second. "Iconographie de la
Bible: Nouveau Testament (II)," Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1957, p. 362-
363.

27 JOhn 2:3.

28 Reau, L., Iconoguraphie de l'Art Chretiene, 1957, p. 363.

29 The shape of the bread and the marks over it appear to be similar to a type of bread
called candial bread that is still being made in Spain today.