prophet John the Baptist (Baptist) - for the most revered Christian saint after the Mother of God.Its icon is in every Orthodox church.Life Baptist exciting and amazing perseverance.History of the iconography of the prophet is also very interesting, but to better understand it, you need to know the path of John the Baptist.
Conception Baptist
birth of the prophet Malachi predicted saint, saying that before the Messiah comes and the Baptist points to the Savior.
Father was St. John the Baptist Zacharias, a priest and a righteous man.His mother, Elizabeth, Anne's sister, gave birth to the Virgin Mary.Both parents Baptist observe the commandments of God, were immaculate existence.Throughout his life, Elizabeth and Zachary dreamed of having a child.But the Lord heard their prayers when they were in old age.
Father of the Prophet did not believe the angel who announced the imminent birth of his son, for which he was punished.The priest was numb and could no longer speak.
Birth of Prophet
For five months the holy Elizabeth hid her pregnancy for fear of ridicule, is the Virgin Mary did not come to her with joy the news of the conception of the Saviour.
After the birth of the Prophet on the eighth day they came all the relatives to carry out circumcision is considered necessary.Suggesting Elizabeth called the name of his father's son as usual, they heard a crack and were surprised such a decision.Asked Zacharias.He wrote that the child's name is John.Immediately, the priest returned to the ability to speak and hear.Quickly spread around the rumor of this miracle.
Icon of John the Baptist after his Christmas is found in almost all Orthodox churches.
Salvation prophet and return to the people
King Herod was aware of the birth of the Forerunner.After the news of the birth of the Messiah, and all frightened.He assumed that John is the son of God.Therefore, ordered the killing of the prophet, and in any case all the children up to two years in Bethlehem and its vicinity.
This news caused a righteous Elizabeth flee with his son in the desert.Zacharias, without revealing his wife's place of residence with John, was killed.Forty days later she died and the mother of the prophet.
John the Baptist lived in the wilderness up to thirty years.He ate locusts and wild honey (according to one source this kind of locust, on the other - plant foods eaten by the poorest segments of the population), drinking water, clothes had been made of camel wool.But it is time to come to the prophet to the people.
At the behest of the prophet of the Lord came to Jordan with an appeal sincerely repent of their sins, correct themselves and do good works, as the time of the appearance of the Messiah has come.Those who followed his teachings, John baptized.
preaching in the desert, the Baptist heard about the miracles performed by Jesus, and sent students to learn about it if not all been waiting for so long.Then Jesus said about the prophet as an angel who prepares the way for him.Hence, John the Baptist icon depicting Forerunner with wings and a scroll.Angel of the Desert, who started preaching ...
baptism of Jesus and the beheading of the Prophet
Undoubtedly, the baptism of John the Baptist was not fully a Christian sacrament.But it sowed grain Baptist faith in the people and prepare the way for the Savior.
During the baptism of Jesus by John the Holy Spirit descended like a dove to the ground, and the voice of the Lord announced that the Savior and the Son of God.Icon of Christ, showing his baptism in the Jordan River, clearly shows the miraculous signs coming of the Messiah.Prophet John fulfilled his mission angel messenger.
And besides, he fiercely denounced the evils in all, regardless of social status.Even the king accused of leaving his wife and lived with his brother's wife Herodias, for which he paid with his head.By order of King Herod the prophet was executed, beheaded.But the Lord to punish those responsible for the death of the Baptist.Concubine of the king's daughter Salome, at whose request and executed the saint, fell on the frozen river.Her head remained on the surface and was cut off by sharp ice floes, and the body is not found at all.King with Herodias, the daughter persuaded to ask for the execution of the prophet, the Roman emperor exiled to Spain, where the earth opened and swallowed them both.
Feast of St. John the Baptist Church in
set several dates holy memory:
- October 6 (September 23) - in honor of the conception of John the Baptist;
- July 7 (June 24) - Christmas prophet;
- September 11 (August 29) - The Beheading of John the Baptist;
- January 20 (January 7) - in honor of the Savior's baptism prophet;
- March 9 (February 24) - in memory of the first and second acquisition of John the Baptist;
- June 7 (May 25) - Third Finding of the Head of the prophet;
- October 25 (October 12) - transfer to Gatchina from Malta Right Hand Baptist.
memory All dates are called "St. John the Baptist."Why say that?These days, the faithful gather in temples for the worship of the holy prayers.
image of the prophet
Each icon of John the Baptist written in the following signs of the holy man of middle age (approximately 32 years), lean in stature and face, which emphasizes its holiness and righteous life;with a somewhat dark from constant exposure to the sun skin.His face corresponds to the Jewish type.In the holy black beard wisps.Its length is shorter than average.The same color curly hair and thick, separated into strands.Clothes made of camel wool, leather belt.
The fact that especially revered saint among Christians, influenced by the diversity of subjects of icons depicting the Prophet.The earliest of them are written in the first half of the third century, with the mapping of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.For comparison: the first icon of the Mother of God was written in the second century in the Roman catacombs.
iconography of the prophet John the Baptist
first icon of the saint, representing only himself, was written during the second half of the sixth century.This is an image of the Prophet in full growth, it is in a hair shirt and holding a scroll in his left hand.On top of the icon, right and left, are arranged medallions with images of the Saviour and the Virgin Mary.
In the tenth-eleventh centuries there was an icon of St. John the Baptist, a decline in the prayer of Christ.In this story of the prophet depicted to the right of the Savior, and from the thirteenth century - to the left.
At the end of the thirteenth century in the iconography of the prophet appeared the image of John the Baptist, Angel of the desert.This was preceded by several stages.Thus, in the tenth-eleventh centuries depicted the prophet in the time of vocation ministry.Here John the Baptist on a background of mountainous terrain bowed in prayer.Then, in the middle of the eleventh century, there was the image of the saint with an ax on a tree barren, and a scroll in his hand.In addition, in the late 11th - early 12th centuries shaped the iconography displaying gaining chapter of the prophet.In the same period the wilderness, ax, scroll, and head in the vessel connected to one icon with the image of the Baptist praying.And finally, at the end of the thirteenth century, the composition supplemented wings image of St. John the Baptist.This is due to statements about a prophet in the Gospel of Luke.According to the book of the New Testament, God said that He sent his angel, that he prepared the way to the Savior.
Plots iconography prophet and dissemination of his image in Russia
There composition involving the whole of the Holy Family, which depicts the infant John, Jesus, as well as their parents.
Among the images found handwritten Orthodox icon of the Mother of God, praying together with the forerunner of Christ for the human race.Evidence of greater veneration of the Prophet than the apostles, is requesting prayer in the liturgy in the churches, when the name of the saint pronounced immediately after the mention of God.
In Russia icons depicting the Prophet began to spread very widely at the time when the king was Ivan the Terrible.Among the authors of images of John the Baptist can be identified by Andrei Rublev, Theophanes the Greek, Procopius Chirino, Gury Nikitin, A. Ivanov.
can say that the icon of Christ is in line with the image of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner especially honored because the Christians.This is John the Baptist has informed the world about the long-awaited Messiah, preaching by example and lit the flame of faith in the hearts of people, prompting cleansed and accept the Savior.Our patron, and the angel of God - the Holy Prophet John the Baptist!
