An antique Russian Orthodox icon of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. Mixed media painting: egg tempera, gesso, and levkas on a wood board, gilt background and gilt chased metal framing. The medieval legend of the Seven Sleepers, the youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus to escape punishment for their faith, is popular in both Orthodox Christianity and Islamic tradition. Circa: mid to the late 19th century. Antique Russian Religious Items and Collectibles.