Monday 3 November 2008
Knights of St John's gun and carriage
The Hospitaller Knights of St John Who Were Based In Malta.
This gun and carriage which weighs five and three quarter tones was made by the Knights of Malta. It is richly decorated with images from the Bible. It was brought to England around eighteen hundred, and it can be found in the Tower of London.
The age of the gun is not known, but it is thought to have been made before 1607.
The Bible scene on the side of the carriage depicts St Paul the Apostle when he was shipwrecked on the island of Malta. Where the barbarous people showed him kindness, for they kindled a fire because it was raining and cold.
When Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, he laid them on the fire, then a snake bit his hand, and fastened it’s mouth tightly onto him. When the barbarous people saw the venomous snake bite his hand, they thought that Paul would surely die. Paul just shook the snake off into the fire, and felt no harm.
The Knights of Malta would often preach the gospel through pictures such as these.
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