Seated Malaleel, Descendant of Adam and Eve

Seated beneath an archway reminiscent of canopies that covered the altar, this figure probably represents Malaleel, a descendant from Adam and Eve’s third son, Seth. Malaleel holds a rolled scroll in his left hand and raises his right hand in a gesture of speech. This window was once part of a series of Jesus’ ancestors that adorned the upper walls of an abbey in Braine, France. The inclusion of Old Testament ancestors visually reinforced the idea that the New Testament fulfilled the promise of the Old. The fleur-de-lis decoration above this canopy, while dated to the late medieval period, was probably not originally part of this window.