John the Baptist is the last Old Testament prophet of Israel. He prepared the Israeli people for the coming of the Messiah - Christ. And he is the River Jordan. He is also called the Forerunner, since he came before Jesus Christ and foreshadowed His coming into the world.
John was born into a priest's family and announced the birth of his son Zechariah in the temple. Archangel Gabriel. He ordered to name the child John. Zechariah doubted the truth of the prophecy, and for this he was temporarily speechless.
John began his prophetic ministry in the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius (28/29) in the vicinity of the Judean Desert and on the banks of the Jordan. He baptized people by immersing them in water and preached repentance. Evangelists pay special attention appearance John the Baptist. He wore “a robe of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist” and ate locusts and wild honey (see: Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6). He is often compared with, who also lived in the Judean desert, wore a hair shirt and a leather belt.
During the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan, John pointed out that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
John the Baptist denounced the Jewish king Herod for having an illegal relationship with his brother's wife, Herodias. Herod did not like this, and he imprisoned the prophet. Herodias' hatred was even stronger, and she was looking for a reason to kill the righteous man. During one of the feasts, Solomiya, the daughter of Herodias, pleased the king with her dance. The king promised to give her whatever she wanted. At her mother's instigation, she demanded the severed head John the Baptist on a platter. The king fulfilled her wish, and Solomiya gave the head to her mother. The Orthodox Church remembers the martyrdom of the Prophet John in.
Herodias did not allow the head of John the Baptist to be buried along with his body and kept it in her palace. The head was secretly buried by the queen's maid, Saint Joan, on the Mount of Olives.
Many years after the martyrdom of John the Baptist, his honorable head was found by a certain rich Christian named Innocent, who built himself a house on the Mount of Olives. This is how the first discovery of the honest head of John the Baptist took place. Innocent kept the shrine with reverence, and before his death he buried it so that the pagans would not desecrate it. During the time of the emperor, the shrine was found again and was kept in a family of pious Christians, and then fell into the hands of the wicked priest Eustathius. Miracles were performed from the holy head, and Eustathius attributed them to himself. When this became known, the heretic fled and buried the shrine in the ground near the city of Emesa. Monks settled at this place, who in 452 made the second discovery of the head of John the Baptist. Both discoveries are celebrated on March 9th.
The third discovery of the venerable head of John the Baptist took place in 850 in Komani (on the territory of modern Abkhazia). In the 5th century, during unrest in Constantinople, the honest head was sent to the city of Emesa. In 810-820, the city was threatened by Muslim Arabs, and the shrine was hidden in the city of Comana. In those days, in Byzantium, by order of the iconoclast emperor, icons and shrines were destroyed, and the head of the prophet was buried in the ground. When the veneration of icons and relics was restored, John the Baptist himself appeared in a dream to the Patriarch of Constantinople, who showed him the location of the venerable head.
On January 20, the day after, the church established the Cathedral of John the Baptist - a particularly solemn, cathedral celebration of his memory.
In the chapel of the city of Moscow there is kept an ancient revered icon of John the Baptist, to the case of which a silver hoop is attached. The origin of this hoop is not known for certain; most likely, it was ordered to be made in memory of the miracle of getting rid of a head disease. Already in our time, several cases of miraculous healing through prayers in front of this icon have been documented.
Jesus Christ said that in Israel “there is not a single prophet greater than John the Baptist” (Luke VII, 28).
Some scholars suggest that he belonged to the Jewish community Essenes.
The Russian Orthodox Church now stands at the birthplace of John the Baptist.
Prophecies (see below).
The name “Forerunner” is not found in the New Testament (more precisely, it is applied to Jesus Christ himself, for example, in Hebrews 6:20). John the Baptist was first called the "Forerunner" by the Gnostic Heracleon (2nd century) in his commentary on the Gospel of John. Then this designation was adopted by Clement of Alexandria and Origen and through them came into widespread use. In Orthodoxy, both epithets are used almost equally often, while in the West, priority remains with the name “Baptist.”
Gospel story
Birth
The circumstances of John's childhood are known only from Luke's account. John was the son of the priest Zechariah (from the clan of Aaron, that is, a priest) and the righteous Elizabeth (from the clan of King David), an elderly barren couple. As the Evangelist Luke narrates, the Archangel Gabriel, appearing to his father Zechariah in the Temple, announced the birth of his son, saying “ many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord; will not drink wine or strong drink, and will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb"(Luke 1:13-17). Zechariah expressed distrust of the angel, and for this he punished him with muteness.
Activity
John began his preaching in or in 29 AD. e. (" in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" - OK. 3:1). He went throughout the surrounding country of Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John's preaching expressed God's wrath against sinners and calls for repentance, as well as an eschatological message. He reproached the people for their arbitrary pride in their chosenness (especially the Sadducees and Pharisees), and demanded the restoration of patriarchal norms of social ethics.
John was not an ordinary preacher - he conveyed the will of God to people (Luke 3:2), like the ancient Old Testament prophets, and even more than that, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). Jesus pointed to John as the coming of the prophet Elijah, who was expected (Matt. 11:14, Matt. 17:12).
The main theme of John's sermons was the call to repentance. John said to the Pharisees who came to him:
Chapter 3 of the Gospel of Luke also contains his teachings addressed to the soldiers (“ Do not offend anyone, do not slander, and be content with your salary"(Luke 3:14)), publicans (" Don't ask for anything more specific to you"(Luke 3:13)) and to all the people (" Whoever has two clothes, give to the poor, and whoever has food, do the same"(Luke 3:11)). People who came to him were baptized by him in the waters of the Jordan River. His followers formed a special community - the “disciples of John”, in which strict asceticism reigned (Matthew 9:14).
To the priests and Levites who came from Jerusalem and appeared to test him, he replied that he was neither Elijah nor a prophet, but: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: straighten the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.”
Prophecies about the coming of the Messiah
To the question of the Jerusalem Pharisees, John answered: “ I baptize in water; but there stands among you [Someone] whom you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, but who stands in front of me. I am not worthy to untie the thong of His sandals."(John 1:26-27).
The next day John saw Jesus approaching him and said: “ behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one of whom I said: A man comes after me, who stood before me, because He was before me. I didn't know Him; but for this purpose He came to baptize in water, so that He might be revealed to Israel"(John 1:29-31). Then came baptism.
Baptism of Jesus Christ
Jesus also came to John, who was near the Jordan River in Bethabara (John 1:28), with the goal of being baptized. (The exact location of Bethavara may be Beit Awara, not defined, since the 16th century it has been considered the place where the monastery of St. John is now located, a kilometer from modern Beit Avara, about 10 km east of Jericho).
John, who preached a lot about the imminent coming of the Messiah, saw Jesus and was surprised and said: “ I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" To this Jesus replied that " We must fulfill all righteousness" and received baptism from John. During the baptism The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: You are My Beloved Son; My favor is in You!"(Luke 3:21-22).
Thus, with the participation of John, the messianic destiny of Jesus was publicly witnessed. The baptism that took place then greatly influenced Jesus and is considered by all evangelists as the first event in his public activity. After Jesus' baptism John also baptized at Aenon, near Salem, because there was a lot of water there; and they came [there] and were baptized"(John 3:23). Evangelist John connects the appearance of the first of the twelve apostles with the preaching of John the Baptist: “ The next day John and two of his disciples stood again. And when he saw Jesus coming, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. Hearing these words from him, both disciples followed Jesus"(John 1:35-37). Around 30 AD e. John was arrested and his preaching work ended.
Icon " »
Arrest and death
Among other crimes against righteousness, John denounced the tetrarch of Galilee, Herod Antipas, who took the wife (and at the same time the niece of both) Herodias from his brother Herod Philip and married her, grossly violating Jewish custom. For this, John was imprisoned by the tetrarch, but Herod Antipas did not dare to execute him because of the popularity of the preacher (Matthew 14:3-5, Mark 6:17-20).
According to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, John was arrested while Jesus was in the wilderness, which means that Jesus began his social activities only after John's activities ceased (Matt. 4:12, Mark 1:14). While in prison, John heard " about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples to say to Him: Are you the one who should come, or should we expect someone else?"(Matt. 11:2-3).
Apocrypha and legends
Despite the significance of the figure of John, information about him is not widespread in apocryphal literature. For example, in the “Arabic Gospel of the Savior’s Childhood” the image of John is absent even when describing the baptism of Jesus. However, they still add some details to John’s biography:
"Position of John the Baptist in the tomb"
Mark of the icon “John the Baptist Angel of the Desert”. The disciples bury the headless body while Herodias admires the head (left corner) and her maid hides it in a cave (right corner)
Attributes of John the Baptist
Place of burial and relics
An ancient tradition locates the burial place of the headless body of John in Sebastia (Samaria) next to the tomb of the prophet Elisha. Apostle Luke, returning to his native Antioch, wanted to take his incorruptible body with him, but the Sebastian Christians opposed this and allowed him to take only the right hand with which Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan (Hand of John the Baptist). Rufinus of Aquila testifies in 378 that the pagans from Sebaste, at the request of Julian the Apostate, in 362 destroyed the tomb of the Baptist, burned his remains and scattered the ashes. And from the relics of the saint, the mentioned right hand and head are currently preserved (originally remaining with Salome). However, Symeon Metaphrastus reports that “ that it was not the Baptist’s body that was burned, but someone else’s, for the Patriarch of Jerusalem, having learned in advance about Julian’s order, secretly took the relics of the Baptist from the tomb and sent them to Alexandria for safekeeping; instead of them he put the bones of one dead man».
Head of John the Baptist
In tradition Orthodox Church There are legends about three discoveries of the head of John the Baptist; a separate celebration was established in honor of each.
| Image | Tradition | |
|---|---|---|
| First acquisition |
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According to legend, Herodias did not allow John’s head to be buried along with his body and hid it in her palace, from where it was stolen by a pious servant (whose name was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward) and buried in an earthenware jug on the Mount of Olives. Years later, the nobleman Innocent decided to build a church on that site and, while digging a ditch, discovered a jug with a relic, which was identified by the signs emanating from it. Before his death, Innocent, fearing that the relic would be desecrated, hid it in his church, which then became dilapidated and destroyed. |
| Second Finding (February 24 Julian calendar) |
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During the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great in Jerusalem, the head of John the Baptist was found by two pilgrim monks, who took it with them, but, showing laziness, gave the relic to a potter they met to carry it. According to legend, the saint who appeared ordered the potter to leave the impious monks and take the shrine for safekeeping. Before his death, the potter placed the head in a water-bearing vessel, sealed it and gave it to his sister. Later, the relic ended up in the possession of an Arian priest, who, with the help of healings emanating from it, supported the authority of the Arian doctrine. When his deception was revealed, he hid the chapter in a cave near the city of Emessa. Later, a monastery arose above the cave and in 452, John, who, according to legend, appeared to the archimandrite of the monastery, pointed out the place where his head was hidden. She was found and transferred to Constantinople. |
| Third discovery (May 25 Julian calendar) |
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From Constantinople, the head of John the Baptist, during the unrest associated with the exile of John Chrysostom, was transferred to the city of Emessa, and then at the beginning of the 9th century to Comana, where it was hidden during the period of iconoclastic persecutions. After the restoration of icon veneration, according to legend, Patriarch Ignatius, during night prayer, received instructions about the whereabouts of the relic. By order of Emperor Michael III, an embassy was sent to Comani, which around 850 found the head of John the Baptist in the place indicated by the patriarch. |
From now on church history sacred relic becomes unclear.
Hand of John the Baptist
He is called the right hand of John the Baptist right hand, which, according to legend, he placed on the head of Jesus Christ at the time of his baptism. Traditionally, the Cetinje Monastery in Montenegro is considered to be the place where the right hand is kept, but the Turks claim that the right hand of John the Baptist is in the Topkapi Palace Museum along with part of the skull. Also, the Coptic monastery of St. Macarius claims that the hand is in his possession.
The relic, generally accepted by Orthodoxy, traces its origin to the Apostle Luke, who, having taken it from Sebastia, transferred it to his native Antioch as a gift to the local Christian community. After the fall of Antioch in the 10th century, the Hand was transported to Chalcedon, and later to Constantinople. After the Turkish capture of Constantinople in 1453, the arm was transported to the island of Rhodes. When the Turks captured Rhodes in 1522, the shrine was transported to Malta.
The Legend of the Right Hand of John the Baptist
(detail of a 16th century icon)
The image of John the Baptist as a desert ascetic, prophet and accuser was so similar to the ideas about Elijah (who was supposed to return before the coming of the Messiah) that John even had to specifically deny his identity with him (John 1:21). Based on John's answers to the Pharisees, one can get some idea of who he considered himself to be - not a prophet or a messiah, but probably a man who “knew that the Jewish teachers of the law had already “drawn a line” by this time, announcing the end of the era when The Lord revealed himself to the prophets (by this time the second part of the Jewish Holy Scripture, Tanakh, - Neviim), and that now people are given the opportunity to hear only the echo of the Divine voice - Bat-Kol. John the Baptist probably considered himself the translator and interpreter of such a voice, repeating what was once revealed to Isaiah.”
The Importance of John's Confession to Christ
That is why, so that such a thought does not become established among the people, immediately after the baptism of Jesus the heavens open, the Spirit descends and together with the Spirit a voice proclaiming the dignity of Jesus as the only begotten.
Baptism of repentance
John's baptism of repentance was a rite that he performed on those who accepted the news he brought about the approach of the kingdom of heaven. John baptized those who came with the aim of symbolically washing away sin from the body after cleansing the soul through confession and good deeds; " thus, this one-time twila acquired the character of initiation, the beginning of a new life, spiritual renewal on the eve of the end of the world and the imminent coming of the Messiah».
This baptism had parallels in Jewish usage of that era. Firstly, they mention the existence of a similar ritual among ordinary devout Jews. Ablution was carried out in a special religious pool - "mikveh". Similar pools for ritual purification were installed in every wealthy house of the previous period. There were especially many of them in Jerusalem (hundreds of such pools have been excavated by archaeologists. In the aristocratic quarter of Jerusalem, the “Upper City,” such pools are mikvaot- were in every house). In especially severe cases of ritual impurity, all Jews had to undergo purification in the running water of the river. This Jewish rite is called twila, from this word the Hebrew nickname of John is derived Hamatwil(“performing ritual purification with water”), which was translated by the Greek Gospel writers as "Baptist".
The Essenes tightened the requirements for the ritual, in contrast to the Orthodox Jews, believing that the need for ritual purification arose not only from touching ritually unclean objects and animals, but also from bad deeds. Therefore, if a person underwent the ritual of immersion in water without repentance, in their opinion, the ritual became a pure formality and did not bring purification; such a concept was a notable innovation. The Qumranite Essenes interpreted this rite of ritual ablution not only as a symbol of repentance for the atonement of sin, but at the same time as a rite of initiation into members of their community.
John's baptism differed from the cleansing washing of proselytes in that it was performed on Jews, and it differed from the daily ritual washing of the Essenes in that it was once and unique.
Execution
It is believed that John was imprisoned by Herod Antipas in the fortress of Macheron (Arab. El Mashnak- “The Hanging Palace”), the ruins of which are located east of the Dead Sea, on the Moab Highlands. According to Josephus, who mentions this fortress and rejects the story of the dance of Salome (whose name is known precisely from his work), John was arrested and then beheaded for purely political reasons. In his testimony, Josephus makes no mention at all of the messianic expectations that formed a significant part of the preaching of John the Baptist. Many researchers, for example, D. Strauss and J. Klausner, did not doubt the connection of John the Baptist with the messianic movements and regarded Josephus's lack of indication of this connection as a deliberate omission in the text intended for the Romans.
Josephus reports that some saw God's punishment for Herod for the execution of John in the fact that in 37 the troops of Herod Antipas were defeated by his father-in-law, the Nabatean king Arethas (Areta, Harirata IV) who opposed him for dishonoring his daughter Fazela (Phasaelis), which Herod left for Herodias. Under the false pretext of Antipas' alleged participation in organizing a conspiracy against Rome, he and his family were exiled by Caligula to Gaul (37 AD), where he died two years later in captivity in complete obscurity and poverty.
The exact date of John's death is not known. Since the Gospels report that the verdict was pronounced after Salome danced at her stepfather's birthday party, it would theoretically be possible to establish an approximate day and month. But, unfortunately, the date of birth of Herod Antipas is unknown. The year of John's death is traditionally considered to be before the crucifixion of Christ, and Josephus indicates that it happened before the year 36.
Followers of John the Baptist
The Synoptic Gospels clearly state that John's disciples formed a closed organization, observed fasts (Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33) and had special prayers (Luke 11:1). As the Gospel testifies, two of John’s disciples followed Christ immediately after baptism (one of them is named Andrew, see John 1:35-40), and some, on the contrary, were surprised by the spiritual practice of the twelve apostles (Matthew 9: 14), it is possible that there were later frictions between the followers of both spiritual leaders.
Mandaeans. Photo, XX century
Some of John's disciples (they are called johannites, later this name was borrowed by the Order of Malta) after his execution did not immediately join the ranks of the early Christians, but for a long time preserved the specificity of their community. One of John's followers was a certain Apollos who moved from Alexandria to Ephesus. Here is what is said about this in the Acts of the Apostles: “ A certain Jew named Apollos, originally from Alexandria, an eloquent man and versed in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. He was instructed in the rudiments of the path of the Lord and, burning in spirit, spoke and taught about the Lord correctly, knowing only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Hearing him, Aquila and Priscilla accepted him and more accurately explained to him the way of the Lord."(Acts 18:24-26). Subsequently, Apollos became one of the active Christian preachers « For he powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, proving from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ"(Acts 18:28), was an authoritative teacher of the Christian community in Corinth.
Some authors, in particular Zenon Kosidovsky, believe that “in Hellenic cities various religious groups fiercely competed with each other. Among them were admirers of John the Baptist. During the lifetime of the author of the Acts of the Apostles, this struggle was in full swing.” The basis for such judgments are the disagreements within the Christian Church of Greece described by the Apostle Paul: “ It has become known to me about you, my brothers, that there are disputes among you. I mean what you say: “I am Pavlov”; “I am Apollosov”; “I am Kifin”; "and I am Christ's""(1 Cor. 1:11-12). However, there is no indication in Scripture that disagreements between communities were based on religious rather than organizational contradictions.
It is believed that in subsequent centuries the legacy of the beliefs of John's followers, which were never included in Christian Church, can be traced in the ideas of the Mandaean sect, a heretical movement that arose in the 1st century and still persists in Iraq and Iran. The Mandaeans revere John under the name Yahya and (obviously, like the first disciples of the Baptist) recognize him as the Messiah, that is, Jesus Christ, according to their ideas, is an impostor. Researchers note this contradiction: “So, we observe a very significant asymmetry in assessments: John for Christians is the greatest prophet and in general a very respected figure, while Jesus for the Johannites is a false messiah.” The Gospels also testify that some of John the Baptist's contemporaries perceived him as the Messiah (John 1:19-20).
In addition, according to the evidence of the Christian hagiographical work of the 1st third of the 3rd century “Clementine”, or “Conversations” (2:23), the Jewish sect of Hemerobaptists - tovlei shacharit(literally from Hebrew - “ plunging at dawn"). considered John the Baptist as their founder.
John's influence on Jesus
Researchers are trying to understand what role John played in shaping the behavior pattern of Jesus at the beginning of his preaching work.
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Jesus imitates the Baptist, according to I. Jeremias, and “ his demeanor... Like the Baptist, he - unlike the scribes of that time - preaches under open air; like the Baptist, he gives his disciples a prayer that should highlight and unite the disciples (Luke 11:1-4)" At the same time, Jesus even received his first disciples from John (the Apostle Andrew and another, not named (John 1:35-39)). Also, Herod, who executed John, having learned about Jesus, said: “ this is John the Baptist; he rose from the dead, and therefore miracles are done by him"(Matt. 14:2).
Other characteristic The life of the first Christians was also, according to D. Fluser, introduced by Jesus following John: Josephus tells that the Essenes who went to other Essene communities did not take anything with them, since all such communities had common warehouses with food and clothing and so on, and the messengers received everything they needed. And Jesus also advises the disciples whom he sends to spread the teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven not to take anything with them.
Adaptation of the image of John by the Christian cult
Noting that John had an undeniable influence on Jesus, researchers are making attempts to restore his true meaning for his contemporaries and to understand exactly how his image was adjusted by Christians when adapting his cult: what was omitted, added or otherwise emphasized. Such attempts at analysis, due to the fact that they call into question "the authenticity and integrity of the Gospels" sometimes cause an aggressive reaction from believers. From their point of view, the information in the Gospels completely accurately describes the relationship between Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, and the contradictions between the texts of the four evangelists do not matter.
Scientists, including Protestant theologians and experts in Judaic studies, still note some inconsistencies and put forward versions to explain them.
For example, according to the Gospels, John and Jesus are related, since their mothers Mary and Elizabeth are related to each other. But this motive is considered by most researchers to be a late addition with the aim of greater artificial rapprochement of both figures, especially since in the Baptism scene the evangelists describe a meeting of two hitherto unknown people, and not cousins. (Compare, for example, the medieval concept of the Holy Relatives, according to which 5 more apostles turn out to be Jesus’ cousins - this trend is explained by the desire of the people’s consciousness intermarry favorite characters).
"Young Jesus Christ and John the Baptist", painting by Matteo Rosselli.
The canvas depicts a meeting of two relatives in their youth, missing from the Gospels, and according to traditional Christian iconography, John is written in a subordinate position to Jesus
Scientists also point out that, under other circumstances, John could well have missed the target. New Testament and not become a significant saint of Christianity. For example, as Professor D. Fluser put it, he “was one of the amazing personalities among the Jews of the Second Temple period: a Jewish preacher and ascetic, who was listened to by the crowds of people who flocked to him in the desert, who “ turned into a Christian saint only because one of those who came to him, listened to him and did as he taught was Jesus of Nazareth“. New religion begins with the appearance of John the Baptist, since Jesus saw him as his predecessor, and Christianity even inherited him in the use of the most important ritual ceremony - immersion in water."
Additionally, some analysts suggest that some censorship occurred in the recording of John's story. For example, for this reason there are contradictions in the accounts of the Baptist in the synoptic gospels and in the Gospel of John. Since it is known that the Forerunner did not become a follower of Christ, but remained on the banks of the Jordan until his arrest, continuing to preach among his disciples, there is an opinion that the evangelists reduced the true significance of John in the eyes of his contemporaries and gave his teaching a secondary function. Zenon Kosidovsky even writes this:
Contradictions in the Gospels are noticeable, in particular, in the issue of the spread of the rite of Baptism. According to the weather forecasters, the contact between Jesus and the Baptist was limited to only one episode of Baptism. In the presentation of the Gospel of John, the situation is different (John 1:26-31). It speaks of Jesus as a person unknown to the numerous followers of the Baptist, and “it is further reported that Jesus himself performed baptism along with the Baptist (John 3:22 - 4:3) ... thus placing himself on the same level with him , so they are perceived as rivals (John 3:26) ... after Easter, the early Christian community began to baptize - this is easier to explain if Jesus himself already practiced baptism. True, at some point he must have stopped baptizing... Be that as it may, the relationship between Jesus and the Baptist cannot in any way be imagined as fleeting. It is easy to understand why the weather forecasters shortened the period of their relationship, limiting it to the episode of Epiphany. The tradition avoided, whenever possible, everything that could be seen as equalization or even subordination Jesus the Baptist,” writes Protestant biblical scholar and doctor of theology I. Jeremias.
Another contradiction concerns John's recognition of Christ as the messiah. According to the most ancient of the canonical gospel texts - the Gospel of Matthew - doubting John sent two disciples from prison with a request: “Are you the One?”, while the episode of Baptism tells that during it, this was already clearly made clear to John. The episode with the request was excluded from the Gospel of John in order to save the reputation of the Baptist, who did not dare to recognize Jesus as God’s chosen one - one can interpret the logic of the actions of the evangelical “censors” in this way.
And, most importantly, since there is a problem of the historicity of Jesus Christ, attempts to build the most plausible theory about his relationship with John the Baptist (whose historicity is not denied), in any case, will remain only unprovable theories.
Noteworthy are the instructions of Jewish authors who analyze the story of John according to the laws of the Torah and find the following contradictions there: members of the family of the Jewish priest could not bear the names Elizabeth and John; Zechariah could not serve in the temple, suffering from muteness; as well as some other inconsistencies, the reasons for which, however, may be oral distortion of history.
Church veneration
John's birthplace
(St. John Monastery on the Mountains)
John's important position in Christianity is entirely based on the respect that Jesus repeatedly expressed to him, pointing to him as his forerunner. Christ says about him that before John there was no greater spirit among earthly people (but at the same time he is still less than those who will follow the Son of Man); on the other hand, Jesus emphasizes that everything John preached has already been said in the Prophets and the Law:
Thus, John stands at the boundary of the Old and New Testaments, and this, in accordance with the Christian understanding, determines his greatness and at the same time the limitations of this greatness.
The Orthodox idea of John as the most important prayer book for all Christians can be most clearly illustrated by the fact that during the intercession (the intercessory prayer that follows the consecration of the Gifts at the liturgy), his name is remembered immediately after the name of the Mother of God:
Much about the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, about Saint John the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, about the glorious and all-praised apostles, about the saint (name of the rivers), of whom we commemorate, and about all Your saints, With their prayers visit us, O God" (from the liturgy of John Chrysostom)
According to one church prayer, the prophet John was " a bright morning star, which in its brilliance surpassed the radiance of all other stars and foreshadowed the morning of a blessed day, illuminated by the spiritual Sun of Christ" Liturgical texts for various holidays dedicated to John the Baptist were written by such famous hymnographers as Andrew of Crete, John of Damascus and Cassia of Constantinople. Andrey Kritsky in " Canon for the Nativity of John the Baptist” gives John the following epithets: limit of the prophets, beginning of the apostles, earthly angel, heavenly man, voice of the word.
Folk fantasy created great amount legends about John the Baptist:
- In etiological legends, John the Baptist appears as the mythical ancestor, the first person whose leg was damaged by the devil, and since then people have had a notch on the front of their leg (Serbian belief).
- Initially, John the Baptist was covered in wool, like a sheep, and only after baptism did the wool fall off him. He first beat those who came to him for baptism with an iron crutch so that “the sins would bounce off,” and then he baptized; John the Baptist was a righteous man and an ascetic: he did not swear, did not eat bread, did not drink wine (Orlov belief).
- According to eschatological legends, John the Baptist will be the first of the saints to descend to earth before the end of the world and will be killed; after his death, Christ will appear and the Last Judgment will come (Nizhny Novgorod belief).
"Ivan Kupala" - Christmas Day
Head of John the Baptist, painted tree, Germany
“Ivan Golovosek” - the day of the Beheading
The day of the beheading of John the Baptist (August 29 (September 11)), one of the great holidays in Orthodoxy, was considered by the peasants to be the beginning of autumn: “ From Ivan Fast the man welcomes autumn, the woman begins her Indian summer" It requires strict fasting and refusal to work for the sake of the health of people and livestock. On this day they were careful not to go into the forest, because they believed that then the snakes would go into their holes, underground, for the winter. The Bulgarians believed that Samavils, Samodivs and other evil spirits left water bodies, fields and forests together with snakes.
Beheading is recognized as one of the most dangerous holidays: a child born on this day will be unhappy, and a wound received on this day will not heal (South Slavic belief). On the day of the week on which it fell, no important work began for a whole year (plowing, sowing, did not set off, did not arrange weddings). The Macedonians did not cut clothes on such a day, the Bosnians did not start warping, fearing that everything sewn, woven or tailored would be cut. Serbian women did not comb their hair during the Beheading so that the hair would not “split.”
The ritual of the Feast of the Beheading is largely connected with the prohibitions on anything that resembles a head, blood, a dish, a sword, or chopping off:
But then came the Day of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. The newly appointed priest opens the first memorial book he comes across and finds there not a ruble, but a ten. At first he thought that someone had put it there by mistake. However, in both the other commemoration and the third, there are dozens everywhere. His bewilderment was dispelled by the Father Superior. He explained that this is a local custom. It is based on the fact that on the ten, unlike smaller bills, Lenin’s head is printed separately. And for this reason, it is considered obligatory to transfer exactly tens of the heads of John the Baptist to the Altar on the Day of the Beheading...
Iconography
Iconographic canon
Icon "John the Baptist Angel of the Desert"
On top of (or instead of) clothing made of camel hair, he may be dressed in a woven chiton and himation.
A scroll (“charter”) with one of the following inscriptions is traditionally placed in John’s hands:
- « Repent, the kingdom of heaven is approaching»
- « This is the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord»
- « Behold, lamb of God, take away the sins of the world. This is the word about Him: the Man who was before me is coming after me, for he was first before me.».
The details of the image of John the Baptist carry different symbolic meanings:
Attributes in Western European painting
In Western painting, John is easily recognized by the following attributes: long hair and a beard, woolen clothing, a book, a long thin cross made of reeds, a baptismal cup, a honeycomb, a lamb, a staff. Facing the sky forefinger his right hand is another motif in the iconography of this saint, who came into the world to preach repentance, which would “clear the way” for the coming appearance of the Messiah. A typical example of such a gesture can be found in a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
Since the Renaissance, John the Baptist is often depicted as no longer mature bearded man(according to the Gospels), but a beautiful young man, which has its origin in the traditional love of this period for androgyny and homoeroticism.
Hagiographic stories
- Epiphany. Extremely common in all faiths. The formation of iconography began in the ancient Christian period along with the establishment of the feast of Epiphany in the 2nd century. The main person in the Baptism plot is Jesus Christ, depicted standing deep in the water, in most cases, naked (sometimes with a bandage around his loins, which appeared no earlier than the 12th-13th centuries). The head of Christ is usually bowed as a sign of humility and submission, the right hand is blessing (a symbol of the consecration of the Jordan and the water of baptism). The Forerunner is represented on the left, laying his hand on the head of Christ. On the right are angels, the number of which is not strictly defined. Their draped arms and veils in their hands indicate the real detail of the baptismal ritual: they act as recipients. The sky is often depicted as a segment of a circle, the Holy Spirit is traditionally depicted as a dove. Jordan is depicted between two cliffs; at the bottom of the river, sometimes in icons you can see the personification of the Jordan and the sea in the form of human figures - a rare iconographic detail with ancient roots in the art of the Christian East (for example, images in the Ravenna Orthodox and Arian baptisteries).
- John preaching to the crowd. A rather rare subject in Western European painting, it was loved by landscape artists.
- John's Sermon to Herod(very rarely).
- Beheading of John the Baptist(a plot common in all faiths).
- Salome with the head of John the Baptist- an extremely popular plot that allows you to portray a “femme fatale”.
- Honorable head of St. John the Baptist- the subject of icon painting and Western European church sculpture, architectural decoration.
- Finding the Head of John the Baptist- found in icon painting.
- Descent into Hell: John's preaching in hell and John among the other souls brought out by Jesus.
Extra-vital images
Common to both Catholic and Orthodox tradition is the canon depicting John coming to Jesus together with the Mother of God in prayer for souls:
- Last Judgment: John with the Mother of God flanking Christ in heaven
- Deisis: John and the Mother of God stand before Jesus
European tradition
In addition, the Western iconography of John has a large number of independently developed extra-plot options.
Basic Image Types
| Name | Illustration | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Angel |
Icon by Procopius Chirin |
The esoteric component of the image of John the Baptist, his “angelic order” gave rise to the type of iconography “John the Baptist Angel of the Desert”. This type has been spreading since the 13th century in Greek, South Slavic and Russian icon painting. The saint has wide angelic wings - a symbol of the purity of his existence as a desert dweller. In Rus', this type gained popularity in the 16th-17th centuries. The iconography is based on the following Gospel text: “ The glory of Christ reached John, who sent them to ask Christ: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” After the departure of the messengers, Christ turned to the people: What did you go into the desert to see? Is it a cane shaken by the wind? ...What did you go to see? Is it a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: “Behold, I send My angel before You, who will prepare Your way before You.”"(Luke 7:17-29)). This text of the Gospel gave reason to depict John the Baptist as a winged angel of the desert, either with a sermon scroll or with a beheaded head - the herald of the coming, exploit and martyrdom of Christ. |
| Deisis |
Arbaville triptych, Byzantium, late 10th century |
Deisis (Deesis) - one or three icons, having in the center the image of Christ (most often in the iconography of Pantocrator), and to the right and left of him, respectively, the Mother of God and John the Baptist, presented in the traditional gesture of prayerful intercession. The main dogmatic meaning of the Deesis composition is mediatorial prayer, intercession for the human race in the face of the formidable Heavenly King and Judge. John the Baptist is depicted full-length, waist-length or head-length, to the right (for the viewer) of the Savior, half-turned towards him with hands outstretched in prayer. On the other, left side, the Virgin Mary is depicted. |
| Lamb of God |
"John the Baptist" with a lamb, painting by Titian |
The Lamb of God is a symbol of John the Baptist, since he addressed this epithet to Jesus (see above). John is often depicted with a cross-staff in his hands, pointing to the inscription Ecce Agnus Dei(“behold the Lamb of God”) or decorated with this inscription. Also nearby may be a symbol of a lamb - a lamb, sometimes with a cross-shaped halo. Thus the inscription and the lamb became generally accepted attributes of John. In addition, the inscriptions may contain another quotation from John - Eg (o…) in Deserto("voice in the wilderness"). John, depicted as an ascetic, is dressed in hair shirt or animal skins; in his hands he can hold a honeycomb, a reed cross with a long thin trunk. |
| Holy family |
"Madonna and Child with John the Baptist" painting by Raphael |
It is common to depict John as a child along with the baby Jesus in scenes of the Holy Family. At the same time, John appears older and holds a reed cross in his hands. There is no such plot in the New Testament; it first appears in the art of the Italian Renaissance. The life justification was as follows: while Holy family After fleeing to Egypt, he lived on the banks of the Nile, Christ's second cousin John was transported there from the desert by an angel to meet his relatives. |
John the Baptist, icon from the Sinai Monastery, Kyiv
Works
Since John the Baptist is very significant in the hierarchy of Christian saints and follows directly after the Mother of God, over two millennia a huge number of cult works depicting him were created. The most famous paintings depicting John are paintings by Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, El Greco, "Triptych of St. John" Rogier van der Weyden, depiction of the execution of John and Salome with his head by Caravaggio. Fresco cycles from his life were left by Andrea del Sarto, Ghirlandaio and Filippo Lippi.
The oldest icon of John the Baptist dates back to the 4th century, comes from the Sinai Monastery and is currently in the Kiev Museum of Art. Bogdan and Varvara Khanenko (curiously, according to one version she depicts not John, but Elijah). Icons depicting John the Baptist became especially widespread in Rus' during the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible, whose heavenly patron he was. Among domestic works, it is worth noting the icons of Andrei Rublev and Theophan the Greek (from the Deesis rows), the icons of the “Angel of the Desert” by Procopius Chirin and the “Chapter of John the Baptist” by Gury Nikitin.
In history
- "John the Baptist"- Russian 100-gun ship of the Mediterranean squadron of Greig (1788, Northern War).
In literature
John the Baptist appears rarely in literature, mainly as an episodic character in the story of Jesus or in independent works dedicated to his death due to dancing
Celebrations of the saint: Christmas on June 24/July 7, beheading on August 29/September 11, council of the saint on January 7/20, first and second finding of the head on February 24/March 9, third finding of the head on May 25/June 7
Holy Scripture has preserved the circumstances of the birth of Saint John the Baptist. The parents of the “greatest of the prophets,” the holy righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, according to the narration of the holy Evangelist Luke, were childless and all their lives they prayed to God for the gift of a child, but God’s Providence determined to show them His mercy only in their very advanced years.
One day, when the priest Zechariah was offering fervent prayers to God in the Jerusalem Temple, the Archangel Gabriel suddenly appeared to him on the right side of the altar and predicted to the elder the imminent birth of a son who would become the herald of the Messiah expected by the Old Testament Church. Zechariah doubted what was predicted, for which he was punished by muteness.
On the eighth day after the birth of the Forerunner, relatives and priests came to Zechariah’s house to perform the rite of circumcision on the baby, according to Jewish custom. Great joy reigned in the house - with the birth of a child, the dishonor allowed by the Lord was removed from the family. By this day, the baby was supposed to be given a name, and the guests decided to name him Zachariah - in honor of his father. However, Saint Elizabeth, filled with the prophetic gift, insisted that the boy be named John, which means “grace” in Hebrew. Everyone was surprised, because no one in their family had such a name. The baby's father himself resolved the confusion. When asked what to name the baby, he wrote on the tablet: “His name is John.” Immediately the bonds that bound his speech were resolved, and Saint Zechariah opened his lips and, giving thanks to the Lord, began to prophesy about the Messiah who had appeared in the world, about his son John, the Forerunner of the Lord, and about future events.
The miraculous birth and its circumstances were told throughout Hebron, in which the house of the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth was located, and its surroundings. The residents asked: “What will this boy be?”, and some called him the future king of the Jews.
When our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and the wise men from the east came with questions about the born King of the Jews to Herod, the latter sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to beat all the male babies there. He did not forget about the baby John from Hebron, about whom he had already heard many wonderful stories. Plotting to kill the youth John, he sent assassins to Hebron. When the massacre of the infants began in Bethlehem, the cries and groans reached Hebron. Saint Elizabeth, together with the Baptist John, went to the Hebron Mountains. Zechariah performed services in the Jerusalem Temple. The soldiers, not finding anyone in Hebron, returned to Herod; he ordered to find out from the priest Zechariah where the baby was hiding. Saint Zechariah answered those who came that he did not know the whereabouts of his son and that he himself, Zechariah, was not afraid of death at the hands of Herod’s mercenaries, since he believed that the Lord would accept his soul. For these words he was killed between the altar and the altar, and his blood on the marble floor became like stone, as evidence of Herod’s crime.
Tradition mentions how righteous Elizabeth, seeing approaching warriors in the desert, looking everywhere for the baby, she turned to the mountain: “Mountain of God, receive the mother and son!” And at the same time the mountain parted and hid her from the killers. By God's command, a cave was built in the mountain, a source of water flowed, and a prolific date tree grew at the entrance to the cave. After forty days had passed since the murder of Saint Zechariah, Saint Elizabeth also reposed; the baby John was nourished and protected by an angel.
Since the time of the prophet Malachi, prophecy has completely ceased among the Jews, who for entire centuries were forced to draw religious and moral strength exclusively from the Law and tradition. The people became so accustomed to this state that they no longer expected the appearance of new prophets, expecting only the second appearance of the ancient prophet Elijah.
John the Baptist appeared in the desert not only in the spirit and power of Elijah, but also resembled him in appearance and way of life. Like his great prototype, he wore a coarse robe of camel's hair, fastened with a leather belt, and ate the most meager gifts of the desert - wild honey and locusts. He fulfilled on himself, as all true ascetics of Christianity later fulfilled, the covenant of Scripture: “Turn away from evil and do good.”
The appearance of such a prophet should involuntarily draw everyone's attention to him, especially since his preaching concerned him very much important issue- the time of the coming of the Messiah. “Repent,” John preached, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And in response to this call, all those who were toiling and burdened began to gather to John from everywhere, wanting in the preaching of the newly-minted prophet to find relief for their conscience from the burden of sins and doubts that weighed on it. The movement was so massive that even arrogant Pharisees and Sadducees, violent warriors and predatory publicans came to John, and they all listened with emotion to the instructions and menacing denunciations of the great prophet, confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan.
The time has finally come for the One about whom John preached to appear.
When Jesus Christ came among a multitude of people and asked John to baptize Him, the great prophet was embarrassed before such boundless humility of the One in whom he immediately recognized the expected Messiah, and reverently objected to Him: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? " And to this expression of humility and reverence on the part of John, Jesus responded: “Leave it now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” After listening to the words of the Savior, John baptized the Lord. When Jesus came out of the water, John saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him. And there was a voice from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Thus the glorious Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ took place by the hand of the holy prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John in the waters of the Jordan.
By baptizing Jesus and thus fulfilling main goal of his ministry, John continued to preach repentance after that, but, as he himself said about himself and about Jesus: “It is fitting for him to grow, but for me to diminish” (John 3:30).
For his fearless preaching and denunciation, John, by order of the Galilean ruler Herod Antipas, was imprisoned in a dark prison. To the temptation of the entire people, this ruler was in an unlawful marriage with the wife of his brother Philip, Herodias, and only the great prophet of the desert decided, amid the general servile silence, to denounce him: “You should not have your brother’s wife.” Herod Antipas himself secretly revered the prophet, but Herodias, hardened in crime, became enraged and looked for a way to destroy the accuser. Holy Gospel tells how exactly she succeeded. Her daughter Salome, during a luxurious feast in the palace of Herod Antipas, was able to please him with her dance and asked for the head of John the Baptist as a reward for the pleasure she gave. Antipas was struck by the unexpectedness of such a demand and was saddened, but still sent soldiers to the castle of Maher, where John was languishing, with orders to bring his head. The head of the prophet was brought and became the subject of mockery by Herodias, and his body was buried by his disciples. Thus, the greatest of those born of women, for his reproof, fell victim to exposed vice. Since all the Old Testament righteous people, dying, inevitably descended into hell in order to be brought out from there “after the fulfillment of the times” by the Only Begotten Son of God, John preached “Christ God who came in the flesh” not only to those living on earth, but also “to those in hell.”
Subsequently, the head of John the Baptist miraculously appeared to Christians three times, disappearing during times of persecution, thus avoiding reproach.
Among the saints, John the Baptist, first after the angels, is glorified by the Church. According to her voice, Saint John is the fulfillment of prophecies, the end of the Old and the beginning of the New Testament, the end of the prophets and the beginning of the apostles, and on the head of Him, whom other prophets only predicted from afar, he laid his hand.
The Holy Church celebrates the memory of the saint:
WITH The holy prophet Zechariah, a priest from the descendants of Ithamar, son of Aaron, had a wife Elizabeth, who was also from the family of Aaron and was sister to Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Holy Gospel testifies to Zechariah and Elizabeth that they were adorned with all virtues, passing their life path immaculately. The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke says about them: " both of them were righteous before God, walking according to all the commandments and statutes of the Lord blamelessly" (Luke 1:6). That their life was truly pious, their holy branch, the honest and glorious prophet, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, also testifies to this. The Scripture says: " by their fruits you will know them"(Matthew 7:16): fruit from good tree really cannot be bad, for, as the same Scripture says: " if the root is holy, so are the branches" (Rom. 11:16). Therefore, the holy branch - John could only come from a holy root.
St. Zechariah, the father of the Baptist, served as priest in Jerusalem during the reign of Herod. He was from the daily order of Abijah, that is, from the family of Abijah, whose turn fell in the eighth week.
The following is narrated about these sequences.
King David, seeing that Aaron's family had become very numerous, so that there was no way for everyone to serve together in the temple, divided the descendants of Aaron into twenty-four orders or faces, so that they, one after another, each celebrating his own week, would perform services in temple. In each individual order, the king chose one most honest man and made him the head of the choir, so that each order had its own chief priest, and there were more than five thousand priests in the order. So that there is no dispute between the main priests about which of them will serve the first week, who will serve the second, who will serve the third, etc. until the twenty-fourth, they cast lots and made a distribution by lot, and in this once established order they kept until the onset of a new grace, so that the descendants of each priest kept their turn according to the lot that fell to their ancestor. The eighth lot fell to the priest Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10), among whose descendants was also Saint Zechariah; That’s why he conducted the service in the temple during the eighth week along with all his succession, for he was in charge over the rest of the priests of his rank.
One day, Zechariah, when he, observing his turn, served before God, according to the custom of the priests, had to enter the temple of the Lord for incense; At that time there were a lot of people at prayer. Entering the sanctuary, Zechariah noticed the angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the incense altar. At the sight of the angel, Zechariah was overcome with fear; but the messenger of God reassured him, saying: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah.” And he consoled the righteous priest, announcing that his prayer was favorable to God; listening to her, the Lord grants him mercy: He blessed his wife Elizabeth, resolving, despite her old age, the bonds of her infertility, and she will give birth to a son, the namesake of grace John, who with his birth will bring joy not only to parents, but also to many people: “Many, - added the angel, - they will rejoice at his birth." The angel Zechariah also announced that his son would be great before the Lord, not in body, but in spirit; he will be a faster and will lead such an abstinent life as no one else; and indeed, this was also the testimony of the Son of God Himself about him: " for John the Baptist has come: he neither eats bread nor drinks wine"(Luke 7:33). The angel predicted that even in his mother's womb John would be filled with the Holy Spirit and would convert many of the sons of Israel to the true Lord God, that he would be Christ's Forerunner in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah and would prepare the people to receive the Lord Savior .
Hearing all this, Zechariah was surprised and amazed, so he did not dare to believe what was said; This seemed strange to him because Elizabeth was barren, and both of them were already of advanced age. And he said to the angel:
How can I believe this: after all, I am already old, and my wife, who never had children, has also grown old?
Then the angel answered him:
I am Gabriel, standing before God; I have been sent to tell and preach this to you. And because you did not believe my words, you will be mute and not say a single word until all this is fulfilled.
Since Zechariah lingered in the altar while talking with the angel, the people who were in the church marveled at this. Coming out to the people, Zacharias was forced to show by signs that he had become mute; Then those present realized that he had a vision at the altar.
Having finished his turn, Zechariah returned to his house, which was in mountainous country, in Hebron, the city of Judah. This city was one of those that were given by lot to the descendants of Judah and intended for the priests to live in.
When what was announced by the angel was fulfilled, and Elizabeth, who had been barren until then, gave birth to John - Zechariah wrote this name on the tablet given to him - Zechariah’s mouth opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak, blessing God. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he began to prophesy, saying: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who has visited His people and brought deliverance to them, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He declared by the mouth of His holy prophets who were from the beginning of time, that He would save us.” from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us; He will show mercy to our fathers and remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to give us, without fear, after being delivered from the hand of our enemies, to serve Him in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. And you, baby, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will come before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to make His people understand salvation in the forgiveness of their sins, according to the gracious mercy of our God, with which the East from above visited us, to enlighten those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, to direct our feet in the way of peace" (Luke 1:68-79).
But then the time came when our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, and the wise men, who came from the east through the vision of a wonderful star, announced to Herod about the newborn King. Then Herod, having sent soldiers to Bethlehem to beat all the children, ordered the death of Zechariah’s son, about whom he had heard a lot. Herod knew everything that happened during the birth of John; since all the events that accompanied the birth of John caused fear and amazement among the surrounding residents. All the Jews spoke about these wonderful events; the rumor reached Herod. Everyone who listened summed up what had happened in their hearts and said: “ what will this child be?"(Luke 1:66). Herod, now remembering John, thought: “Will not this be the king of the Jews?” Having decided to kill him, the king separately sent assassins to the house of Zechariah, but the messengers did not find Saint John. For when it began the godless beating of children in Bethlehem, groans and screams were heard in Hebron, the city of Judah, where the priests lived, since it was not far from Bethlehem; they soon learned in Hebron, of course, about the reason for such a cry. Then Saint Elizabeth, taking her son, the youth John, who was then already a year and a half old, fled with him to the mountains. And Saint Zechariah at that time was in Jerusalem, sending regular service in the order of their succession. Hiding in the mountains, Elizabeth tearfully prayed to God to protect her and her son. Seeing warriors from the mountain, who were carefully looking for the fugitives and were already nearby, she cried out in horror to the nearest stone mountain: “Mountain of God, receive mother and son!” The mountain immediately parted, enclosed them in itself, and thus they hid from the killers who were overtaking them. Not finding those they were looking for, the messengers returned to the king with nothing. Then Herod sent orders to Zechariah in the temple to give him his son John.
“I serve now the Lord God of Israel,” answered Saint Zechariah, “and I do not know where my son is now.
The angry Herod sent to him a second time and ordered to kill Zechariah himself if he did not give up his son. The ferocious murderers rushed like animals, trying to immediately fulfill the king’s command, and shouted with rage to the priest of God:
Where did you hide your son? give it to us, for the king commanded so; if you do not give your son, then you yourself will die a cruel death.
To this Saint Zechariah answered:
You will kill my body, but the Lord will take my soul.
Then the murderers rushed at Zechariah and killed him between the church and the altar, as the king commanded them; The spilled blood of the saint condensed on the marble and hardened like a stone as a testimony and eternal condemnation to Herod; and Elizabeth, protected by God, remained with her son in the parted mountain. By God's command, a cave was built for them there, a source of water opened, and a date palm tree grew above the cave, on which fruits appeared in abundance. When mother and son wanted to eat, the tree bowed down, serving its fruits for food, and then straightened up again.
Forty days after the murder of Zechariah, Saint Elizabeth, the mother of the Forerunner, reposed in that cave, and Saint John was nourished by an angel until he came of age and kept in the desert until the day of his appearance to the Israelites.
Troparion to Saint Zechariah, tone 4:
The priesthood was clothed with wisdom, according to the law of God, burnt offerings were offered in a sacred manner to Zechariah, and you were a lamp and spectator of secrets, bearing signs of grace in you clearly to all wisdom: and you were killed by the sword in the temple of God, the prophecy of Christ with the Forerunner prayed for our souls to be saved.
Kontakion, tone 3:
Today the prophet and priest of the Most High, Zechariah, offer, the Forerunner parent, a meal of his memory, feeding the faithful, dissolving the drink of righteousness to everyone: for this reason he dies, like the divine secret place of God’s grace.
Kontakion to Saint Elizabeth, tone 4:
Like the moon is full, you have received the light of truth from the mental sun of the Messiah, and you have walked in all the commandments of the Lord with Zechariah, God-beloved Elizabeth: we magnify the Lord with worthy songs that please you, the all-generous light that enlightens everyone.
Commemoration: January 7/20 (Cathedral of John the Baptist), February 24/March 9 (First and Second Finding of the Head of John the Baptist), May 25/June 7 (Third Finding of the Head of John the Baptist), June 24/July 7, August 29/11 September (Beheading of John the Baptist), September 23 / October 6 (Conception of the vice of John the Baptist), October 12 / 25 (Transfer of the gum of the hand)
Prophet John the Baptist is the most revered saint after the Virgin Mary. In his honor, the following holidays were established (according to the new style): October 6 - Conception, July 7 - Christmas, September 11 - Beheading, January 20 - Council of John the Baptist in connection with the feast of Epiphany, March 9 - First and second finding of his head, June 7 - Third discovery of his head, October 25 - Celebration of the transfer of his right hand from Malta to Gatchina (according to the new style).
Prophet John the Baptist. Icon, 2nd quarter of the 15th century
The Prophet John the Baptist was the son of the priest Zechariah (from the family of Aaron) and the righteous Elizabeth (from the family of King David). His parents lived near Hebron (in the Highlands), south of Jerusalem. He was a relative of the Lord Jesus Christ on his mother's side and was born six months before the Lord. As Evangelist Luke narrates, the Archangel Gabriel, appearing to his father Zechariah in the temple, announced the birth of his son. And so the pious spouses, deprived of the consolation of having children until old age, finally have a son, whom they asked for in prayers.
By the grace of God, he escaped death among the thousands of murdered infants in and around Bethlehem. Saint John grew up in the wild desert, preparing himself for great ministry strict life- fasting and prayer. He wore rough clothes secured with a leather belt and ate wild honey and locusts (a genus of locust). He remained a desert dweller until the Lord called him at the age of thirty to preach to the Jewish people.
Obeying this calling, the prophet John appeared on the banks of the Jordan to prepare the people to receive the expected Messiah (Christ). To the river before the festival of purification in large quantities people gathered for religious ablutions. Here John turned to them, preaching repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. The essence of his preaching was that before receiving external washing, people must be morally cleansed, and thus prepare themselves to receive the Gospel. Of course, John's baptism was not yet the grace-filled sacrament of Christian baptism. Its meaning was spiritual preparation for the future baptism of water and the Holy Spirit.
According to the expression of one church prayer, the Prophet John was a bright morning star, which in its brilliance surpassed the radiance of all other stars and foreshadowed the morning of a blessed day, illuminated by the spiritual Sun of Christ (Mal. 4:2). When the expectation of the Messiah reached highest degree, the Savior of the world Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to John on the Jordan to be baptized. The baptism of Christ was accompanied miraculous phenomena- the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and the voice of God the Father from heaven: “This is My beloved Son...”
Having received a revelation about Jesus Christ, the prophet John told the people about Him: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Hearing this, two of John's disciples joined Jesus Christ. They were the apostles John (the Theologian) and Andrew (the First-Called, brother of Simon Peter).
With the baptism of the Savior, the prophet John completed and, as it were, sealed his prophetic ministry. He fearlessly and strictly denounced the vices of both ordinary people and powerful of the world this. For this he soon suffered.
King Herod Antipas (the son of King Herod the Great) ordered the prophet John to be imprisoned for denouncing him for abandoning his lawful wife (the daughter of the Arabian king Aretha) and for illegally cohabiting with Herodias. Herodias was previously married to Herod's brother, Philip.
On his birthday, Herod held a feast, which was attended by many noble guests. Salome, the daughter of the wicked Herodias, with her immodest dancing during the feast, pleased Herod and the guests reclining with him so much that the king promised with an oath to give her everything she asked for, even up to half of his kingdom. The dancer, taught by her mother, asked to be given the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod respected John as a prophet, so he was saddened by such a request. However, he was embarrassed to break the oath he had given and sent a guard to the prison, who cut off John’s head and gave it to the girl, and she took the head to her mother. Herodias, having outraged the cut off holy head of the prophet, threw it into a dirty place. The disciples of John the Baptist buried his body in the Samaritan city of Sebaste. For his crime, Herod received retribution in 38 after R. X.; his troops were defeated by Arethas, who opposed him for dishonoring his daughter, whom he abandoned for Herodias, and the following year the Roman emperor Caligula exiled Herod to prison.
As the legend tells, Evangelist Luke, going around different cities and villages preaching Christ, took from Sebaste to Antioch a particle of the relics of the great prophet - his right hand. In 959, when the Muslims captured Antioch (under Emperor Constantine the Porphyrogenitus), the deacon transferred the hand of the Forerunner from Antioch to Chalcedon, from where it was transported to Constantinople, where it was kept until the conquest of this city by the Turks. Then the right hand of John the Baptist was kept in St. Petersburg in the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands in the Winter Palace.
The front part of the head of St. John the Baptist in the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Amiens
The holy head of John the Baptist was found by the pious Joanna and buried in a vessel on the Mount of Olives. Later, one pious ascetic, while digging a ditch for the foundation of the temple, found this treasure and kept it with himself, and before his death, fearing the desecration of the shrine by non-believers, he hid it in the ground in the same place where he found it. During the reign of Constantine the Great, two monks came to Jerusalem to worship Holy Sepulcher, and John the Baptist appeared to one of them and pointed out where his head was buried. From that time on, Christians began to celebrate the First Finding of the Head of John the Baptist.
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