The Secrets of the 12 Disciples
The Last Supper
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
According to Christian tradition, 2,000 years ago a group of 13 men met in a small room in Jerusalem for a last supper. Among them was Jesus, who knew he was about to die and that he would be betrayed by one of the others. That night Jesus was arrested by the Romans and summarily tried. The following morning he was crucified.
The Last Supper is one of the defining moments in the history of the world. The 12 disciples sitting with Jesus are the most important men in Christianity, after Jesus himself. They were the people who knew him best and who he charged with spreading his message round the world.
However, the way the Last Supper is described and portrayed in art, is imbued with a particular version of Christian history, which derives from St Paul, who lived after these events.
