Genesis in Reverse: The Hidden Meaning of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Sidebar to: Michelangelo’s Masterpiece Reclaimed


The Creation and Flood stories unfold in dazzling splendor at the summit of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. At first glance, the nine paintings appear to adhere neatly to the Genesis account, beginning with the Separation of Light from Darkness on the first day of Creation and ending with the Drunkenness of Noah. A closer examination of the panels, however, reveals striking deviations from the biblical text—especially in the order in which the events are portrayed. But these discrepancies don’t indicate lapses in Michelangelo’s vast knowledge of the Bible. Rather they are integral to Michelangelo’s careful theological program for the entire ceiling.
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