The central tympanum depicts
not the Last Judgment, but the preaching of the Good News. Christ is thus
seated as a teacher rather than as a judge. Surrounding Him are the apostles,
who have received instructions to teach the whole world, while the lintel
and nearest arch portray the peoples
- mythological and monstrous as well as real and known - who received the
message. On the upper arch is found another great medieval theme: the labors
of the months, interspersed with the signs of the Zodiac, which mark the
passage of time.