What is "tree of jesse"

Jesse \Jes"se\, n. [LL. Jesse, the father of David, fr. Gr. ?, fr. Herb. Yishai.] Any representation or suggestion of the genealogy of Christ, in decorative art; as:

1. A genealogical tree represented in stained glass.

2. A candlestick with many branches, each of which bears the name of some one of the descendants of Jesse; -- called also tree of Jesse.

   Jesse window (Arch.), a window of which the glazing and tracery represent the tree of Jesse.

The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David and is the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy. It originates in a passage in the biblical Book of Isaiah which describes metaphorically the descent of the Messiah, and is accepted by Christians as referring to Jesus. The various figures depicted in the lineage of Jesus are drawn from those names listed in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.

The subject is often seen in Christian art, particularly in that of the Medieval period. The earliest example dates from the 11th century and in an illuminated manuscript. There are many examples in Medieval psalters, because of the relation to King David, son of Jesse, and writer of the Psalms. Other examples are in stained glass windows, stone carvings around the portals of medieval cathedrals and painting on walls and ceilings. The Tree of Jesse also appears in smaller art forms such as embroideries and ivories.