the pulpit by giovanni pisano dates from around 1300. pisano left no stone uncarved in his pursuit of beauty. while this was sculpted over a century before the renaissance began, michelangelo himself traveled here to marvel at pisano's work, drawing inspiration from its realism. around the top, christ's life unfolds in a continuous scroll. the infamous massacre of the innocents is powerful. king herod, so threatened by this newborn king, orders the slaughter of all the first-born sons in hopes of killing baby jesus. mary and joseph load up the donkey and hustle their son down to egypt as the bloody massacre proceeds. the sculptor captures the horror of this event with a skill unprecedented in its day. pisano's 400 intricately sculpted figures all weave a complex theological ideal. this provides a symbolic foundation designed to legitimize and reinforce the gospel message the priests read from the lectern crowning the pulpit. in the middle ages, you couldn't even enter the church until you were baptized. that's why baptisteries like pisa'