This article examines literary, epigraphic and archaeological evidence for the Christian reidentification of statuary and reliefs as biblical scenes and protagonists, saints and angels. It argues that Christian identifications were promulgated, amongst others by local bishops, to make sense of imagery of which the original identity had been lost and/or was no longer meaningful. Three conditions for a new identification are discussed: the absence of an epigraphic label, geographical and/or chronological distance separating the statue from its original context of display, and the presence of a specific attribute or characteristic that could become the prompt for reidentification. In their manipulation and modernization of older statuary, Christians showed a much greater appreciation of the statuary medium than generally assumed.

中文翻译：

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旧雕像，新含义。基督徒对雕像的重新识别的文学，人口学和考古学证据

本文考察了基督教，基督教和基督教徒对雕像和浮雕作为圣经场景和主角，圣人和天使的重新定义的文学，人口学和考古学证据。它认为，基督教的身份证明是由当地主教颁布的，以使人们失去原来的身份和/或不再有意义的意象。讨论了进行新标识的三个条件：缺少会标标签，雕像与原始展示环境之间没有地理和/或时间上的距离，以及存在可能成为重新标识提示的特定属性或特征。在对旧雕像的操纵和现代化改造中，基督徒表现出对雕像介质的欣赏远胜于通常的设想。