Bat Tzion !

Bat Tzion is also part of the Master Peace_alchemy body of work.

Literally it means , ‘Daughter of Zion’, but as with all Hebrew words and letters , they are also pictures and it has a deeper meaning.

The unmarried daughter is the most vulnerable member of the house hold. Not a child and not yet a woman either. She comes under a special protection of her father. He also spoils her a little at this time . It’s almost like a rite of passage that she be given some special care so that she has an extra understanding of her value and the very tender period of transition she is in.

The same fierce way that he loves her he also protects her. There’s a kind of danger associated with the words, as in , ‘watch out if you come to harm or take advantage of this young woman-girl. There will be dire consequences’ . Her protection is a sacred duty and he takes it very seriously. If she is harmed or compromised in any way , that blood is on his hands.

That is required of him. Not her.

Now how and why , you may ask , would I know all this information? Because I research! Down the rabbit hole I go whilst looking for interesting emotional information to add to my paintings.

When I first dreamed up this painting I was thinking about humility and referencing a prophetic script from Zechariah 9:9 which says,’ Be incredibly joyful and shout aloud bat Tzion ( daughter of Jerusalem/ Yerushalayim – city of peace ) see your victorious King comes to you humble riding on a donkey even on a colt, the foal of a donkey’ . My first thoughts for the painting were about humility because it takes humility to heal. It takes humility to face the pain and wounds. The healing hurts way more than the wounding . Alchemizing pain into peace is what Master Peace is all about . Mastering Peace takes humility. And it takes humility to submit to a father’s care.

The prophecy is fulfilled in Matthew 21:3+4 and Luke 19:30-38 at the beginning of Passover as Jesus rides into Jerusalem to shouts of Hosanna. It fascinating ! And now , here we are on the cusp of another Passover, beginning April 5, 2023. Timely.

I love the humble donkeys. I love the vibrant colours. And I love the graffiti type font ! This was a lot of fun to paint . The gold leaf stands for royalty . The bright colours for victory and the donkeys for humility. It hi-lights the contrast of a victorious king who would usually be riding on a proud majestic horse. Bat Tzion !