Ori Soltes, who is on the Island as a guest of the Bermuda National Gallery, will deliver an illustrated lecture at City Hall this evening on the topic: "Symbols of Faith: Art in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim Traditions."

Explaining that he will break his lecture into four ideas, Mr. Soltes said: "The first will be the common roots of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and yet how obviously they differ from each other, and therefore how we should not be surprised to find that a huge number of the same symbols occur and reoccur in the visual traditions of all three faiths, but often with slightly different interpretations."

Of his second idea the visiting American lecturer said: "Most of these symbols pre-date Christianity, Judaism and Islam, so they represent a re-thinking of symbols that are already in the art of pagan antiquity. Many of them have a much longer history than these three religions."

The third idea will focus on transformation.

"It is all about the six-pointed star, which means something in pagan antiquity. It comes to mean something similar but not identical when used by Jews, Christians and Muslims, so we are talking transformation, and that is in the case of all abstract symbols, but the same would be true of many figurative images," Mr. Soltes said.

The fourth and final idea will deal symbols in modern art.

"In modern art there is far more of a continuation in the use of religious symbols than most of us are aware," he said. "These are the ideas I will try to put forth, and which I hope people can walk away with."

Mr. Soltes is currently a professorial lecturer in the Theology and Fine Arts departments of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., but his extensive and diverse career includes curating, writing, and lecturing at many prestigious universities, museums and art galleries. He holds a Master's degree in Philosophy and Classics from Princeton University, and speaks, reads and writes many languages.

The two-hour event begins at 5.30 p.m. and will include refreshments. Tickets (members $10, others $15) will be sold at the door. For further information 295-9428.