The Good Samaritan

An inscription runs round the top of all four sides of the impost block; it begins on the west side of the capital and accompanies the representation of the parable of the Good Samaritan: ET INCIDIT IN LATRONES/ SAMARITANUS QUIDA[M]/ SACERDOS CU[M] LEVITA P[ER]TRANSIIT/ CURAM ILLIUS HABE.
The story begins with the representation of the traveller going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; he falls among robbers, who strip him and beat him, leaving him half dead on the ground (Lk 10:30-37). On the west side one of the robbers is stabbing him in the back with a sword; two others flank the scene.
This scene is followed to the right by the Good Samaritan, who stretches out his arms to the injured man on the roadside, while on the east side of the capital the priest and the Levite (temple servant in Israel) pass by on the other side of the road, without stopping to help the victim. Their movements are stiff and they visibly keep behind the mount of the Good Samaritan, who offers his help to the injured man and brings him to an inn.
On the north side the Samaritan pays the innkeeper, to whom he has entrusted the victim, two denarii for his services, and as he does so raises his arms in the pose of the orant. The innkeeper steps out of his inn, which is represented by a simple arcade, in order to receive the Samaritan.
The Good Samaritan as Christ's example of love of our neighbour represents the new Law, which supersedes the old Law of Israel with its priests and Levites. The victim can also be interpreted as a prefiguration of the sacrifice of Christ: it is sitting on an ass that Christ heralds his arrival in Jerusalem before the Passion.

Levite priest Samaritan robber innkeeper ET INCIDIT IN LATRONES SAMARITANUS QUIDA(M) SACERDOS CU(M) LEVITA P(ER)TRANSIIT CURAM ILLIUS HABE