In the Christian
Gospels, the
Last Supper (also called
Lord's Supper or
Mystical Supper) was the last meal
Jesus shared with his
Twelve Apostles and
disciples before his death. The Last Supper has been the subject of many paintings, perhaps the most famous by
Leonardo da Vinci.
In the course of the Last Supper, and with specific reference to taking the bread and the wine, Jesus told his disciples, "Do this in remembrance of me", (1 Corinthians Corinthians). (The vessel which was used to serve the wine is sometimes called the Holy Chalice.) Many Christians describe this as the "Institution of the Eucharist" (see Maundy Thursday).
As far as is known, the first written description of the Last Supper is that of the Apostle Paul in Chapter 11 of his first letter to the Corinthians
Paul states he learned of the ceremony directly from the Lord, that is by revelation. He does not say where and when these things were done, or how and by whom "the Lord Jesus" was betrayed (literally "delivered up"). The Synoptic Gospels present more details, while repeating many of the words given by Paul.
