The Mystal Mill

Vézelay, marvel of the medieval west, holds numerous treasures. Amo . From the core of the motionless stone, ng these is this scene engraved on a capital stone. It is an allegory which explains the atemporal and enlivening nature of the Divine Word. On the left, Moses carries the seed to a mill. The seed will be transformed into flour, and then gathered by St Paul. The continuity between Moses, father of Jewish Law, and St Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles, is thus expressed. God’s message is nourishment, as symbolised here by the use of seed, the symbol of life. This nourishment was announced at the time of the Ancient Alliance and is recovered, with the new Alliance, in the form of purified flour. In spite of the simplicity of thei figures’ bearing, the abundance of detail and the dynamism of the curves perfectly render their message of life in the heart of the motionless stone.