The three youth in the fiery furnace

The four sides of the capital are devoted to scenes of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3); flames rise in varying form in the middle axis and the three youths are placed in the corners. Their original as also their Chaldean names are inscribed beside them:

- ANANIAS / SIDRAC
- AZARIAS / MISAC
- MISAELIS / ABDENAGO

On the north-east corner an angel comes to their aid to alleviate somewhat the heat of the flames with outspread wings.
IGNIS IN FORNACE (“fire in the furnace”) reads the inscription in the midst of the flames on the east side. This torture, which is presage of the sufferings of Christ, is also an allusion to the fire that consumed the martyrs of Tarragona, who sacrificed their life in the imitation of Christ.

On the bevelled impost block two angels hold a clypeus on each side. On the east the mandorla contains the hand of God, on the south the dove of the Holy Spirit, on the west a lamb, and on the north side the face of Christ (?).

IGNIS ABDENAGO MISAELIS MISAC AZARIAS SIDRAC ANANIAS IN FORNACE furnace youths dove lamb hand Mandorla angel Misael Azarias inscription