Oosters-orthodoxe christenen wachten op het heilig vuur in de Heilig Grafkerk te Jeruzalem op de dag van paasavond 1730

This engraving by Bernard Picart captures the anticipation and distribution of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Note the raised arms and ecstatic faces. Such gestures transcend mere religious practice. In ancient Greece, similar postures were seen in Dionysian rituals, expressing raw, untamed emotion and a connection to the divine. The raised arms, a universal symbol of supplication and reception, appear across cultures, from ancient Egyptian art to Renaissance paintings of the Annunciation, linking humanity’s yearning for the sacred. The Holy Fire itself embodies renewal and divine presence, much like the pagan traditions of fire festivals celebrating the sun's rebirth. This image reveals how deeply rooted symbols endure, evolving yet retaining their primal power to stir the human soul.