The
circumcision of Jesus is an event from the life of
Jesus according to the
Gospel of Luke, which states in verse that Jesus was
circumcised eight days after
his birth (traditionally January 1). This is in keeping with the
Jewish law which holds that males should be circumcised eight days after birth during a
Brit milah ceremony, at which they are also
given their name. The circumcision of Christ became a very common subject in
Christian art from the 10th century onwards, one of numerous events in the
Life of Christ to be frequently depicted by artists. It was initially seen only as a scene in larger cycles, but by the
Renaissance might be treated as an individual subject for a painting, or form the main subject in an
altarpiece.