RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Colors in the Bi'ble Columba
temple. The first of the four apocalyptic riders has a white horse (Rev. vi. 2); for he went forth to conquer. The " Ancient of _ Days," i.e., the Ever-living (Dan. vii. 9), appears in a garment white as snow; even the hair of his head is like the pure wool. And thus, likewise, the glorified Christ (Rev. i. 14). Even the throne of God which Ezekiel saw was white. White denotes the victory of the light ; hence it is clear why the garments of the priests were white. Even the high priest wore the so-called golden robes over the white ones; and in the temple which Ezekiel saw in his vision the priests wore white garments only. The robes of the priests are, according to their natural color, white, as the angels and blessed appeared to the seers, and as the garments of Jesus became white " like the light " on the mount of transfiguration. God is light, and gives light, or he is holy, i.e., holy love. The colors in the garments of the priests have reference to their office; viz., to act as the medium between God and his congregation, it is their duty to go before the people in holiness and purity.
The three other colors are not inherently symbolic as is white. Strictly speaking, white is not a color. No color is inherently symbolic, but gains symbolic value by its associations. It is true that the colors produce psychological effects, and that in proportion to their relation to the yellow-red ; bright-red is disquieting, while blue is soothing. But this does not create symbolism. Thus green is the color of hope because associated with plantgrowth, with the period to which people look forward in winter. Connected with white is its opposite, scarlet, as the emblem of fire. The dark-red horses in the first vision of Zechariah bring about bloody war; and the yellow-red, a consuming fire. But light and fire are opposites according to the ethical idea of Holy Writ; viz., the light is the symbol of communicating love, the fire, that of consuming anger. When Isaiah describes the sins of his people he speaks of them as being red like scarlet, not like purple. The scarlet along with the white in the high priest's garment means, therefore, to say that he is not only the servant of the God of love, but also of the God of anger (Ex. xx. 5). As to the purple and blue, which are always connected, be it along with white and scarlet, or between,
as they are only two kinds of one and 2. Scarlet, the same purple color, which again is Purple, not a natural but an artificial color, and Blue, consisting of red and violet, they refer
to a twofold attribute of the royal King— the purple to the majesty of God in his glory, and the blue to God's majesty in his condescension. The purple of the garments of the high pnest denotes, therefore, that he is a servant of that God of whom the song at the Red Sea says, " The Lord will reign forever and ever" (Ex. xv. 18); and the song, of Moses, " And he was king in Jeshunin '' (Deut. xxxiii. 5). The red color of the red heifer, whose ashes, mixed with water, were to be used in purification of the unclean, had also a symbohcal signification. Red is the color of blood, which, again, is the life. The animal intended as antidote against vmcleanness through
contact with a dead body was to be without blemish, and upon which never came yoke, and thus represented in its color a picture of fresh and vigorous life. It may be that the colors of the twelve precious stones which were on the breastplate of the high priest had a symbolical significance as to their relation to the twelve tribes whose names were engraved on them (Ex. xxviii. 17-21). This at least may be derived from Jewish tradition.
(W. LoTZ.)
Bibliogkapht: F. Delitzsch, Iris. Farbenstudien und Blumenstiicke, Leipsic, 1888; G. Perrot and C. Chipiez, Hist, of Art in Sardinia, Judcea, Syria and Asia Minor, i. 109-370, London, 1890; Benzinger, Archaologie, pp. 269-270; Nowack, Archaologie, pp. 263 sqq.; E. C. A. Riehm, Handworterbuch des biblischen Altertums, pp. 436 sqq., Bielefeld, 1893-94; EB, i. 869-877; DB, i. 457- 458; JE, iv. 174-178.
COLOSSIANS, EPISTLE TO THE. See Paul THE Apostle.
COLUMBA, SAINT (in Ireland and the western isles known as Colum-cille, " Columba of the church "): The apostle of the Picts; b. at Gartan (25 m. w. of Londonderry), County Donegal, Ireland, Dec. 7, most probably in the year 521; d. on the island of lona June 9, 597. He was of royal blood on both his father's and his mother's side and akin to many powerful families. His studies were begun under Finnian of Moville and continued with Gemman, an aged bard In Ireland, of Leinster, with Finnian of Clonard, and with Mobhi, the head of a monastery at the present Glasnevin, near Dublin. About 546 he founded his first monastery, at Derry (Londonderry), and during the next fifteen years added about forty others, the most famous being at Durrow (about 50 m. w. of Dublin), his most important establishment in Ireland, founded in 553, and at Kells (35 m. n.w. of Dublin), founded at an uncertain date.
In 563 he left his native land, actuated doubtless by the love of wandering, and, possibly, other motives. A bloody battle took place in 561 between Columba's clansmen and the followers of the king, and the Irish accounts state that Columba instigated it because the king had violated the right of sanctuary at one of his monasteries, and had also given what he considered an unjust decision against him concerning the ownership of a book (see Finnian, Saint, of Moville). Adamnan tells of an attempt to excommunicate him at a synod at Teltown in Meath; it is not known when it was held or what was the charge, but presumably it was an effort of the king to retaliate. According to an Irish legend Columba's conscience troubled him for his part in inciting strife and bloodshed, and, on the advice of a friend, he decided to go into exile as penance, to win as many souls for Christ as lives had been lost in the battle, and never to look upon his native land again. If this be true he modified his determination, for he returned to Ireland more than once In Scotland, and continued prominent in Irish affairs. Missionary zeal is indicated by his choice of a refuge. With twelve associates he established himself on the island of lona (q.v.), off
Columba Comenius