True Vine

There are numerous Old Testament passages which refer to the people of Israel as a vine (Hebrew: גָּ֫פֶן gephen): Psalm 80:8–16, Isaiah 5:1–7, Jeremiah 2:21, Ezekiel 15:1–8, 17:5–10, and 19:10–14, and Hosea 10:1.

[1] The Old Testament passages which use this symbolism appear to regard Israel as faithful to God and/or the object of severe punishment.

[3] The True Vine was a popular theme painted by Cretan artists.

The theme originated in a passage from the biblical Book of Isaiah and describes the descent of the Messiah.

The Tree of Jesse (Ρίζα του Ιεσσαί) has appeared numerous times in Greek Italian Byzantine art and the True Vine theme is also part of the New Testament.

Leos Moskos completed his version of the work between 1650-1690 and it is entitled Christ the Vine.

[4][5][6][7][8] Several authors such as Barbara Reid, Arland Hultgren or Donald Griggs comment that "parables are noticeably absent from the Gospel of John".

Some writers, however, notably John Calvin,[14] referred to the passage by a Latin term that is typically translated into English as a "parable".

John 15:1–17 reads in the Douay–Rheims Bible:[15]I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman.