Baptism of Jesus Christ on the Jordan River
After six months of preaching, Jesus from Nazareth, the son of his mother’s friend Mary, came to John.
He knew him as his relative according to the flesh, and that he was a very pious and bright person. But John could not even think that Jesus of Nazareth was the very Savior about whom he preached. But at that moment the Holy Spirit descended on the prophet and illuminated him with his light. At that very moment, John felt something that he had not felt before. And he realized that the Lord his God was standing before him. Jesus asked to be baptized. To which the prophet was surprised and said that, on the contrary, the Lord should baptize him. But Christ silently entered the Jordan River, making it clear that his baptism was beginning. After the ceremony, he came out of the water. And at that very second the heavens opened, and John saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, which announced that this was the Son of the Lord. From then on, all the prophet’s sermons were aimed at testifying to the existence of the Messiah, who was sent to earth to atone for all human sins.
But even after this, many did not believe that Christ was the Savior. Because he was humble and timid. There was also a belief that Elijah would come before the Savior appeared. Crowds of people came to John with their doubts. To which he answered them - Christ is the Savior, and he is only his servant, who is not worthy to untie the straps of his sandals.
One day, his disciples complained that Christ himself was already gathering disciples for himself, although, in their opinion, he should consider John a teacher. To which the prophet says that this is exactly how it should be, that Jesus should baptize everyone and prophesy about the liberation of sinful human souls. This was the last thing John said about Christ. And three of his disciples followed Christ at his insistence. Subsequently, they became apostles - Peter, John, Andrew the First-Created. The Savior spoke very warmly of John the Baptist. He honored him with such praises that no other person who lived on earth was awarded.
Sermons of the prophet about the coming of the Savior
After John reached his thirtieth birthday, he was called to go to the Jewish people and preach about the deliverance of sins and repentance. All this was supposed to be a precursor to the appearance of the Messiah. After listening to the Voice of the Lord, John went to the Jordan River, where people flocked to him in crowds.
There were people of different classes here. The Prophet tried to convey to everyone how to get rid of their vices. What should stingy people do, people who like to use foul language, how should tax collectors repent correctly, etc. John could correctly convey the message of the Lord directly to everyone’s heart.
Many who came to him were baptized in the Jordan River and repented of their sins.
The power of his words had such an impression on people that they began to wonder if he was the very Messiah. John replied that he was only His servant and Forerunner.
Basic facts of the evangelist's biography
There are several interesting facts from the biography of the saint that
Origin
According to one version, John the Theologian was born in the sixth year in the northeastern part of Israel. However, according to some sources, he was born not in the sixth year, but in the seventeenth year. This information is based on the fact that in the year 33, when Jesus was crucified, he was sixteen years old.
Childhood and youth
When the boy grew up a little, he followed in the footsteps of his father and began fishing with him in the Sea of Galilee, which is now called Lake Tiberias. He was a very hardworking and patient child. One day, not far from the place where John was fishing, the Messiah appeared with a small group of believers. He and his brother Andrei got into a small fishing boat, after which they fished all night. However, the fishing did not go well, as it was not possible to catch a single fish. Suddenly the Lord showed a miracle to people and indicated the place where it was better to throw fishing gear in order to catch a lot of fish. The fishermen took the advice and caught so many fish that their boats almost sank.
Then Christ approached the group of people in which John was and invited them to follow him. They responded to the offer, left their home and followed Jesus.
Christian service
After the call of Christ, John did not part with him and became his faithful confidante. He constantly prayed, led a chaste life and spent a lot of time in the thought of God. While serving Jesus, he saw many miracles. He was one of the few witnesses of the Lord's Transfiguration. He also took part in the Last Supper and saw with his own eyes the resurrection of Jairus’s only daughter.
The Apostle also served the Madonna; he was devoted to her as to his own mother. Shortly before her death, she saw the Archangel Gabriel, who handed her one lily, plucked from the Garden of Eden. During the funeral process, it was John who carried this flower.
After the death of the Mother of God, the saint actively spread the Christian faith and its basic ideas. To do this, he preached for several years in cities such as Thyatira, Smyrna, Pergamum and Ephesus. He also raised the dead and healed sick people. Thanks to his sermons and good deeds, many people accepted Christianity.
Books of the New Testament
The theologian is known not only for his sermons, but also for writing some books.
Many believe that it was he who wrote the five books that make up the New Testament. The most famous is the fourth book, which is called the “Gospel of John.” However, modern scientists doubt that he is the author.
The apostle for a long time preferred only oral sermons, but after he wrote the Gospel, many began to ask him about the early years of the life of Jesus. Therefore, he decided to write the next book, which describes in detail the early deeds of Christ. Later, the “First Council Epistle” was written, which also became part of the New Testament. Formally, this work has no author, but many still attribute it to the apostle.
Other books
There are other books, the author of which is also the Apostle John. For example, he wrote the Apocalypse of John, which differs significantly from the saint's other works. It tells in detail about the events that took place before the Second Coming of the Messiah. In the book you can find information not only about miracles, but also natural disasters. The events witnessed by the Theologian himself are also described in detail.
Some researchers have expressed doubts that the author of the Apocalypse is the apostle. Such statements are based on the fact that the language of presentation differs from other works written by the saint. However, Metropolitan Hilarion refutes such assumptions and explains the change in narrative style by the fact that the author decided to write a new book in the style of the Old Testament.
Death
The apostle spent his life worthily and died a natural death when he was one hundred years old. He is the only one of the twelve apostles who was able to live for so long. For example, Jacob, one of his brothers, died much earlier - at the age of 44.
The circumstances of the apostle's death are still considered unusual. When he felt death approaching, he spoke to his disciples and asked them to bury him alive in a grave shaped like a cross. The disciples fulfilled the apostle’s request, but the next day the body disappeared from the grave.
Prayers in front of the icon Prayer for the chalice
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Symbol of faith
I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.
We advise you to study the Icon “Deliverer”
What do they pray to Saint John the Baptist for: the birth of the prophet John the Baptist
The description of the coming into the world of the greatest of the Prophets is contained in the Holy Scriptures, in the Gospel of Luke. His parents were the priest Zacharias and Elizabeth (along with the parents of the Mother of God, they are called holy forefathers and their memory is especially honored by the church).
The prayer to John the Baptist is considered one of the strongest in the Christian world. And legends tell about the prophet’s deeds.
During prayer, his father received a prediction about the birth of a son from the Archangel Gabriel, but did not believe him, because he had no children and considered himself barren, and besides, he was already in his old age.
For his doubts, Zechariah was punished by muteness, which released him only after naming the born baby John (Hebrew “grace”), contrary to the desire of his relatives to name the long-awaited child Zechariah. After he inscribed “His name is John” on his tablet, he was able to speak again.
When, after the birth of the Lord Jesus, King Herod carried out the massacre of infants in Bethlehem, he did not forget to send soldiers to Zechariah.
However, he said that he was not afraid of death and would not reveal the whereabouts of the child. He was killed between the altar and the altar - Zechariah's blood was petrified on the marble as an eternal testimony to the atrocities of Herod.
And righteous Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, said a prayer to God, and He hid them in the belly of the mountain - immediately a spring gushed into the cleft and a date tree with many fruits grew. Forty days have passed since the death of Zechariah - and the Lord called Elizabeth, while John the Baptist was protected and nourished by an angel.
Saint John appeared in the desert, externally and internally similar to the ancient prophet Elijah, had his strength and spirit - for the Jews were waiting for the coming to earth of Elijah, who was taken to heaven alive.
He ate wild honey and locusts (large ants), wore a robe made of camel hair, and was a model of asceticism and righteousness
The appearance of a prophet of such magnitude attracted enormous public attention - everyone was waiting for the Messiah
The most desperate sinners, arrogant publicans and fierce warriors humbly listened to the teachings and instructions of John, listened to the holy word and offered prayer to God.
From the Forerunner they received deliverance from sins and baptism in the waters of the Jordan River - the Baptist received his name long before the Baptism of Christ. The prayer to John the Baptist dates back to these times.
The most important event that John prophesied was the coming of Christ. When the Son of God humbly came to the baptizer, he was embarrassed and said that he was not worthy to even unfasten the sandal strap on the Lord’s foot, and that John should be baptized by Jesus, and not vice versa, to which Jesus replied, “Leave it now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” "
Having baptized Jesus, John continued preaching humility and repentance - Herod Antipas imprisoned him for denouncing the king’s cohabitation with his brother’s sister Herodias. The king himself revered the prophet in the depths of his soul, but the insane concubine found a way to destroy the Baptist and the Forerunner of the Lord Himself.
The naive sovereign promised to fulfill any desire as a reward for the dance of Salome (the daughter of Herodias) - and the bloody minx was right - she secured temporary deliverance from the voice of conscience by asking him to bring her the head of the Baptist on a platter. Herod was saddened, but the king’s word could not fail to be fulfilled.
The head of the Baptist and Baptist John is the greatest shrine of world religions; Muslims (mosques in Turkey and Syria) and Christians in Rome and Amiens attribute the storage of the real head of the prophet.
The true state of affairs is unknown; Christian tradition speaks of the Honest Head in the context of its three acquisitions - the Head disappeared and appeared on its own, avoiding reproach.
Story
John was the son of an elderly, long-infertile couple, the temple priest Zechariah and the righteous Elizabeth, who was a relative of the Virgin Mary herself.
The family lived in the town of Ein Kerem, near Jerusalem. Now there is a Church of the Visitation here. It is built on the spot where the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth met when they were both pregnant. Mary then went home, and Elizabeth gave birth to John a few months later. Another church is located right where John's house was.
Soon after his birth, Herod ordered that all babies be killed. According to legend, Elizabeth took her son and left to hide him somewhere. And then the mountain opened up before her and she was able to hide there and save John.
And Zechariah, his father, as a priest, took part in services and rituals in the Jerusalem temple. Perhaps John himself became a priest. But in heart and soul he was more like the prophets of the Old Testament.
The 20th-century Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel spoke of prophets as people with special ears who could hear things that other people could not hear.
Christian traditions place John the Baptist among such prophets as Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah - those who had this inner ear, receptive to the word of the Lord.
At the age of 30, John hears the Lord’s call to a special ministry. He must become the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the forerunner of the Messiah. He retires to the Judean desert and, dressed in clothes made of camel's hair, lives there as a strict ascetic and ascetic.
John lives and preaches near a river crossing in what is now Jordan. On the east bank of the Jordan River, his speeches resonate among the people of the country. Dozens of people come to listen to the prophet, because Israel has long lived in anticipation of the Messiah, the true king from the line of David.
And now John says to them:
He calls on everyone:
John preaches Baptism-Repentance for the forgiveness of sins and performs the ritual of immersion in the water of the Jordan River, which has always been considered the border of the Holy Land. Just as water washes the body, Repentance cleanses the soul.
John reminds his fellow tribesmen of one of the greatest prophets of the past - Elijah, who lived 8 centuries earlier. Not only did he preach in the same section of the Jordan River where Elijah lived, but he also dressed like Elijah—minimal clothing. He ate like Ilya. He even had a long beard, like Ilya.
John the Baptist came to fulfill the mission of the prophet Elijah; he was not his physical embodiment. Christ Said:
Soon a whole community of followers gathers around John, and two Galilean fishermen who came here, having traveled tens of kilometers on foot, Andrew and John from Bethsaida, also become his disciples.
Soon, Jesus of Nazareth himself appears among the crowd on the banks of the Jordan. Thanks to prophetic powers, John realized who was in front of him. Christ asks to baptize him.
The sinless Jesus compares himself with fallen, lost people in order to share with them the burden of sins and bring healing to their souls. Having received the Revelation about Jesus Christ, he tells the people about him:
John, in his speeches, increasingly begins to criticize the power of King Herod. And he begins to fear that John’s power over the masses might lead to unrest.
John criticized Herod for divorcing his first wife and marrying his brother's wife. We can also assert, based on the materials of the historian Josephus, that John did not approve of Herod’s actions at the political level.
John was imprisoned in a fortress. But even here he is not going to remain silent and continues to remain a threat to the royal family. Herodias, the same second wife of the king, is looking for a reason to deal with her enemy. She worries that the king disappears at night in prison, talking with John.
A suitable opportunity arose soon, during the celebration of the birthday of King Herod. The daughter of Herodias, Salome, danced in front of the guests. Her fiery dance delights the birthday boy. Herod promises her as a reward everything that she does not ask for. And she, after consulting with her mother, asks for the severed head of John on a golden platter. The head was presented as a gift to Salome, who took the dish and placed it at the feet of her mother Herodias. Thus, John the Baptist died as an unbending witness of the Truth of God.
Akrids or what John the Baptist ate in the desert
Akrids or what John the Baptist ate in the desert.
The Gospel of Matthew says that John had clothes made of camel's hair and a leather belt around his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). Akrids are insects that are a kind of locust, similar to our grasshoppers. It should also be noted that this food at that time was not exotic, but rather represented the lowest class of food. By the way, locusts are still eaten in Nej and Hedjas.
In locust shops it is sold by the measure. When preparing it for food, they throw it alive into boiling water, which is well salted; after a while the locusts are removed and dried in the sun.
We advise you to study Prayers to Righteous John the Russian
The Englishman Dr. Thomson, who lived in Palestine for many years and wrote a very good book about it, says: “No one eats locusts in Syria except the Bedouins on the extreme borders, and they are constantly talked about as an inferior kind of food, they are looked at for the most part with disgust, since this food is tolerated only by the lower classes of the people. John the Baptist, however, belonged precisely to this class, whether by necessity or by choice. He also lived in the desert, where such food is still consumed; and therefore the Gospel sets forth a simple truth. The Baptist’s usual food was locusts, probably fried in oil and mixed with honey, as is the case now.”
Locusts were allowed as food by Jewish law - you can eat from them: locusts with their kind, solam with their kind, hargol with their kind, and chagab with their kind. (Lev.11:22)
By wild honey in the Gospel, some mean the juice from palm trees, fig trees and other trees, or the so-called Persian manna. The basis for this opinion is found in the fact that honey in Greek is simply called meli, without the addition of agrion (wild). In support of the same opinion, they cite Pliny the historian and Diodorus Siculus, who says that the Nabateans “grow a lot of honey (meli), called wild (agrion), which they use as a drink mixed with water.” But others accept that “wild honey” is ordinary bee honey, which bees bring into hollows of trees and holes in rocks.
According to Tristram, there are many more wild bees in Palestine, and the honey sold in the southern regions comes from wild swarms. Indeed, says Tristram, there are few places that are so suitable for bees as Palestine. And in the desert of Judah bees are more numerous than in any other part of Palestine, and honey to this day serves as home food for the Bedouins, who squeeze it out of honeycombs and store it in furs. One cannot but agree that this understanding of the words “wild honey” is more natural than the previous one.
But there is also a spiritual component to this food. Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria, commenting on this verse, writes the following: “John’s food, indicating here, of course, abstinence, was also an image of the spiritual food of the Jews of that time, who did not eat clean birds of the air, that is, did not think about anything lofty, but fed only on the word sublime and aimed at grief, but again falling down. For the locust (locust) is an insect that jumps up and then falls to the ground again. In the same way, the people ate honey produced by bees, that is, by prophets: but it remained with them without care and was not multiplied by deepening and correct understanding, although the Jews thought that they understood and comprehended the Scripture. They had the writings, as it were some kind of honey: but they did not labor at them and did not study them.”
Beheading of John the Baptist
The day of the martyrdom of John the Baptist in the year 32 after the Nativity of Christ is remembered by the Orthodox Church on September 11 in the new style and is called the day of
the Beheading of John the Baptist
. The beheading of John the Baptist is the day on which we, observing strict fasting, celebrate the victory of the Prophet and Preacher of Christ over vile lawlessness.
Icon of the Beheading of John the Baptist. XVI century Greece, Athos, Dionysiatus monastery
Having performed the Baptism of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist continued his prophetic ministry, denouncing vices and sins, calling the people to repentance and showing the way to salvation through faith in the true Christ the Savior. At that time, the ruler of Galilee was Herod Antipas the tetrarch , son of Herod the Great , who killed fourteen thousand Bethlehem babies. Herod Antipas married Herodias , the wife of his brother Philip, during his lifetime. The Prophet of God openly denounced Herod for the fact that, having left his lawful wife, the daughter of the Arabian king Arethas, he unlawfully cohabited with Herodias, the wife of his brother (Luke 3: 19, 20). According to the law of Moses, John the Baptist denounced the lawless confusion, the violation of the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
“Truly, brethren, prodigal sin is fierce: the fiercest and most grievous is intemperance, passion, and fleshly uncleanness: for you will destroy great houses, and overthrow cities from their foundations, and wage fierce battles, and anger the brethren against each other <...> For this reason, the Divine Apostle Paul teaches with the verb, “Flee fornication” (Teaching Gospel. Teaching on the Beheading of the Honorable Head of St. John the Baptist).
The Gospel of Mark says that Herod was against the execution of John, “knowing that he was a righteous and holy man” (Mark 6:20), and agreed to it only because he promised Herodias’ daughter Salome (she is not named in the Gospel by name, we recognize her from the works of the historian Josephus ) to fulfill any of her desires. However, according to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod himself “wanted to kill him, but was afraid of the people, because they revered him as a prophet” (Matthew 14:5). The Jewish people revered John and considered him the greatest prophet, but to please Herodias, Herod put him in prison. Some church historians argue that Herod did this not so much out of anger at John the Baptist, but because he wanted to protect him from his beloved, knowing her vindictive nature. And just as Jezebel sought to kill the holy prophet Elijah, just as the Egyptian woman was inflamed with anger and hatred towards Joseph, so the vile Herodias sought to kill the Prophet and Forerunner:
Again, Jezebel rejoices at Elijah, and again the Egyptian seeks Joseph, and the Prophet and Baptist of Savior is the foul Herodias who has now appeared.
(Ninth Song of the Canon on the Beheading of John the Baptist).
A year later, Herod, celebrating his birthday, gave a feast to the nobles, captains and Galilean elders. The daughter of Herodias, Herod's stepdaughter Salome , came to the feast and began to dance, which pleased the king. Herod liked Salome's dance so much that he told her to ask for everything she wanted, and swore that he would even give her half his kingdom. Salome asked her mother what she should ask Herod. Herodias, who had the opportunity to take revenge on Saint John the Baptist and get rid of reproaches and accusations forever, demanded the head of John the Baptist . Salome returned to Herod and immediately demanded the head of John the Baptist .
The disciple of the all-evil devil danced, and the Lord took your head as a bribe. Oh, the feast is full of blood. It’s better not to swear to Herod illegally, a lie. Even if you swore, you did not swear about good. It would be better for someone who lied to live their life than for the true head of their predecessor to be beheaded. But we the Baptist, as among those born of women, are greater, more worthy and honorable.
(Stichera on the Beheading of John the Baptist).
Dance of Salome, fresco in the monastery of St. John, 12th century.
Herod was saddened, he feared the wrath of God for the murder of the Prophet , whom he himself had previously obeyed, and he was afraid of the people who loved the holy Forerunner. However, because of the guests and the lawless oath, he sent a soldier to prison to cut off the head of John the Baptist and give it to Salome.
And the king was saddened, but, for the sake of the oath and those reclining with him, he commanded that it be given to her (Matthew 14-9)
According to legend, even after his death, the mouth of the Preacher of Repentance once again opened and said: “Herod, you should not have the wife of your brother Philip.” Salome took the dish with the head of John the Baptist and took it to her mother. The frantic Herodias pierced the Prophet's tongue with a needle and, possessed by rage, pierced the holy head with a dagger.
Saint John Chrysostom, in his Homily on the day of the Beheading of the Holy Forerunner of the Lord John, writes: “Who will sufficiently expose the madness of Herod, which manifested itself due to his excessive philandering? Or who will describe the unheard-of audacity of evil women? It seems to me that there is no beast in heaven that is like an evil woman. Not a single animal in the world is like an evil woman. What could be more fierce than a lion among four-legged animals? Nothing. What could be more dangerous than a snake among reptiles? Also nothing. However, a lion and a serpent harbor less malice than an evil woman, as the wisest Solomon confirms my words, saying: “It is better to live with a lion and a serpent than to live with a wicked and evil-tongued woman.”
Herodias did not allow the head of John the Baptist to be buried along with the body of the saint, fearing that if his body was buried along with the head, John would rise again and again begin to denounce her. She buried the holy head in an unclean place.
Presentation of the head of John to Salome on a platter. Fragment of an icon
Having learned about this, the pious Joanna, the wife of Khuza, Herod’s steward, secretly took the holy head of John the Baptist and buried it in an earthen vessel on the Mount of Olives . That same night, the disciples of the Forerunner took the holy body and buried it in Sebastia, where the murder took place. When rumors reached the royal palace about the preaching of Jesus Christ and the miracles He performed, Herod and his wife Herodias went to check whether the head of John the Baptist . Not finding her, they began to think that Jesus Christ is the resurrected John the Baptist , as evidenced by the Gospel (Matthew 14:2; Luke 9:9-7). The relics of John the Baptist (except for the head and right hand) were burned along with the Sebastian Temple by order of Emperor Julian the Apostate in 362.
God's judgment took place on Herod, Herodias and Salome during their earthly lives. According to legend, Salome, crossing the Sikoris River in winter, fell through the ice, which squeezed her so that her body hung in the water, and her head was above the ice. Just as she had once danced with her feet on the ground, now she, as if dancing, made movements in the icy water. She hung like that until the sharp ice cut her neck.
“By God’s vengeance, the ice will squeeze her neck tightly, and while her body hangs in the water, her head will be held on the ice. And even though I sometimes dance with my feet on the ground, the numbness of the bottom in the river is inaccessible, in the water, as if creating a dance in the movement of the swaying rapids of the river. And no one can help her better. And until then she hung in the water, until the ice cut her neck so sharply.” (Synoxarion on the Beheading of the venerable head of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John)
Her body was not found, but her head was brought to Herod and Herodias, as the head of Saint John the Baptist had once been brought to them. The Arabian king Arefa, in revenge for the dishonor of his daughter, moved an army against Herod. Having been defeated, Herod was subjected to the wrath of the Roman emperor Caius Caligula (37-41) and, together with Herodias, was exiled to prison in Gaul, and then to Spain, where they were swallowed up by the opening of the earth.
“ Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand ,” with these words begins the ministry of the Prophet John in the desert, near the Jordan River . The approaching Kingdom of Heaven is Jesus Christ, whose Forerunner was John the Baptist . He was his predecessor not only on earth, where he preaches about Christ to people and cleanses their hearts through repentance. The apostolic prophecy of John the Baptist also brings to hell, in which Adam, Eve and all people were before Christ, before His Death on the Cross and Resurrection. John descends there at the hour of death, and there preaches the good news of the coming of Christ. It is no coincidence that in the festive troparion it is sung: “ Thou didst preach good news to those in hell, God manifest in the flesh, taking away the sins of the world .”
“The Savior’s Forerunner to Saint John, like the Nativity of his Lord, preceded his free death with his own death; Yes, just as His coming was preached on earth, saying: He is coming, and strength will follow me. To the former souls held in hell and in hell, the forefather of the saints, the preaching of the Lord’s coming, as if the desired Messiah had already appeared in the world.”
(Synoxarion on the Beheading of the venerable head of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John).
The Descent of John the Baptist into Hell. Fragment of an icon
At the Resurrection of Christ, the first to fall before the Savior are Adam and Eve, who had been waiting for Him from the moment of death, and after them the prophets and forefathers of the Old Testament, including John the Baptist , and all the righteous people of the earth.
Finding the honest head of John the Baptist
In the tradition of the Orthodox Church, there are legends about three discoveries of the head of John the Baptist , in honor of each of which a separate celebration has been established.
Icon of the Finding of the Honorable Head of St. John the Baptist. Great Lavra on Athos, XIV century.
The first acquisition of an honest head occurred in the 4th century. The land in which the vessel with the holy head rested became the property of the pious nobleman Innocent , who decided to build a temple on the site of the beheading of John the Baptist . While digging a ditch for the foundation, they discovered a jug with a holy head, which was identified by the signs emanating from it. After finding the head, Innocent carefully kept it, but before his death, fearing that it would be desecrated, he hid it in the church he built, placing it in the very place where his cell was. After his death, the temple fell into disrepair, collapsed and even razed to the ground, so that for a long time no one knew where the honest head of John the Baptist .
The second discovery took place in the 5th century, during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great . The head of John the Baptist was found by two monastic pilgrims who arrived in Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Sepulcher . They dug up a vessel with the holy head and decided to appropriate the great shrine for themselves, hid it in a bag and went home. On the way, they met a potter, whom they entrusted to carry the precious burden. The Forerunner appeared to the potter, and, according to the word of the Prophet, this pious man left the monks along with the head of the Baptist. The sealed vessel was passed down in his family from generation to generation. Later, the vessel with the holy head 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. The heretic failed to regain the head of the prophet: a monastery was founded in the cave. In 452, John the Baptist appeared Markel and indicated where its head rested. This was the second miraculous discovery of the head of John the Baptist . It was transferred to Emessa, and then to the capital of Byzantium - Constantinople.
Icon of the Second Finding of the Head of John the Baptist
The third discovery of the head of John the Baptist occurred in the 9th century. 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 at the Council of Constantinople in 842, according to legend, Patriarch Ignatius, during night prayer, received instructions about the whereabouts of the holy head of John the Baptist. 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. After this, the head was transferred to Constantinople and placed in the court church. In a small grotto at the site of the third finding of the head there is an image of John the Baptist , revered as not made by hands.
The miraculous image of John the Baptist at the site of the third discovery of his head, in Komani of Abkhazia
The Orthodox Church celebrates the first and second discovery on March 8 (February 24, old style), the third discovery on June 7 (May 25, old style).
The further history of the shrine remains unclear. Italy, France, Syria, Greece, Armenia - each of these countries claims that they have the original head of John the Baptist . Mohammedans (John the Baptist is revered by Mohammedans as the prophet Yahya ibn Zakariyya) consider the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus to be the place where the head of John the Baptist is kept, and Catholics consider the Roman Church of San Silvestro in Capite. In addition, mention is made of the front part of the skull, brought from the Fourth Crusade, which is kept in the Cathedral of Amiens (France). The location of parts of the chapter is also called Turkish Antioch and one of the monasteries of Armenia.
And yet, the most likely location of the shrine is the Cathedral of Notre Dame in France . Of all the above places, only here a large and high-quality study of the shrine was carried out, and it is also known that this particular part of the chapter has a clear historical path. Miracles come from the shrine: there is a known case of the city of Amiens being healed from the plague in the 17th century through prayers before the head of John the Baptist. The French even had a tradition of making peace near the shrine.
The Holy Head of John the Baptist from the Cathedral of Notre Dame Amiens in France
In 1958, a large pathological examination of the relic was carried out, which was carried out by famous professors of anatomy, pharmacy, surgery, and dentistry. Experts have found that this part of the head is much more ancient than the bone of a medieval man. It was determined that the age of the person to whom this part of the head belonged was between 25 and 40 years. In addition, the mark from the blow with a dagger was clearly visible on the head.
The beheading of John the Baptist. Holiday traditions
According to church traditions, the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist is a time of strict fasting. Saint John the Baptist led a harsh lifestyle; most of his life he lived in the desert without bread, wine or any other food. In the desert, he ate only locusts and wild honey, drank water and did not seek to saturate his body, thinking about his immortal soul.
Fasting on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist was established along with the holiday, the beginning of which dates back to the first times of the Christian Church. The antiquity of fasting on this day is confirmed by the charter of the Jerusalem monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified. It says that “ fasting on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist was bequeathed by the ancient holy fathers .” On this day, even if it falls on Sunday, people do not eat fast food. In sacred memory of the life and feat of John the Baptist, this day should be spent in strict fasting and prayer.
The Old Believers have a ban on dancing and disorderly amusements, not only on this day alone, but, according to the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which in Rule 51 determined:
He completely forbids the existence of laughter-makers and their spectacles, as well as the creation of animal spectacles and disgraceful dancing. If anyone despises the present rule and indulges in any of these forbidden amusements, then the cleric will be expelled from the clergy, and the layman will be excommunicated from church communion. (Trul. 24, 65, 66; Laod. 54; Carth. 15).
“Dancing,” St. John Chrysostom , “is not a human, but a demonic activity. Demons teach us this, so that they are not the only ones who will be tormented in hell. And of all games it is the worst, for it removes a person from God and brings him to the bottom of hell. And the dancing woman is called the bride of Satan, the fornicator of the devil and the wife of the demons, and the dancing woman will not only be brought down to the bottom of hell, but also everyone who danced with her. She does not keep her honor, and with it the devil seduces many, both in dreams and in reality. All who love dancing will be condemned to unquenchable fire. It is both vile and stingy for a husband to live with such a wife <...>. Brothers and sisters, be careful and do not love the lawless games of demons. Especially avoid dancing, so as not to be condemned to eternal torment.”
The beheading of John the Baptist. Divine service
On the Beheading of John the Baptist, a festive service is celebrated - the All-Night Vigil. The verses for the holiday were written by the hymnographers St. John of Damascus (VII-VIII centuries) and Patriarch Herman (VIII centuries). At Great Vespers, three proverbs are read - excerpts from the books of the prophet Isaiah (Is. 40, 1-3, 9; 41, 17-18; 45.8; 48.20-21; 54.1), the prophet Malachi (Mal.3 ,1–3, 5–7, 12, 18, 17; 4, 4–6), King Solomon (Wisdom 4:7, 16–17, 19–20; 5:1–7), which contain prophecies about John the Baptist. At Matins, two canons written in the 8th century are read. The first canon was compiled by the Monk John of Damascus , the second by St. Andrew of Crete . The Apostolic and Gospel readings at the Liturgy are dedicated to the events of the beheading of John the Baptist : the 33rd conception of the Acts of the Holy Apostles (Acts 13:25-32) and the 24th conception of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 6:14-30).
Despite the fact that a sorrowful event occurred, the Church of Christ joyfully celebrates it, praising the lamp of the Universe and the victorious sufferer, about which we sing in stichera at Little Vespers:
“Bring your head on a platter, O wicked Herod, the abominable Herodias, cut off with boldness, commands, O all-blessed. What a terrible and glorious thing to hear. But the Church of Christ joyfully celebrates your suffering.”
The canon of Andrew of Crete the faithful to celebrate the honorable memory of the Prophet and Forerunner : “The red sheep of the desert, the fruit of Zechariah, and Elizabeth’s vegetation without hope, commands the faithful to triumph, his honorable memory.”
Fragment of the icon of the Beheading of John the Baptist
The beheading of John the Baptist is the day on which we, observing strict fasting, celebrate the victory of the Prophet and Preacher of Christ over vile lawlessness.
Troparion for the holiday
Church Slavonic text
The memory of the righteous with praise, but the testimony of the Lord Forerunner is sufficient for you. For you have shown that you are truly a most honest Prophet, as even in the rapids you were worthy to be baptized by the Preached One. Moreover, having suffered for the truth, rejoicing, you preached the good news to those in hell, God manifest in the flesh, taking away the sins of the world, and giving us great mercy.
Russian text
The memory of the righteous is honored with praise, but the testimony of the Lord is enough for you, Forerunner, you have truly appeared to be the most honest of the prophets, for you were worthy to quickly baptize the Preached One. Therefore, having suffered for the truth, he joyfully preached the gospel to those in hell of God, who appeared in the flesh, taking away the sins of the world, and giving us great mercy.
Kontakion
Church Slavonic text
Foreshadow the glorious beheading, the appearance of a certain Divine vision, and the coming of the Savior to those in hell. Let Herodia weep, having unlawfully asked for murder. For, love not the law of God, below the living, but temporary flattery.
Russian text
Forerunner, the glorious beheading occurred according to some Divine plan, so that those in hell could preach the coming of the Savior. Let Herodias weep, having asked for lawless murder. For she did not love the law of God, nor eternal life, but temporary flattery.
Greatness to the holiday:
We magnify you, John the Baptist of the Savior, and honor all your honorable beheadings.
Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist. Folk traditions and superstitions
Among the people, the holiday of the Beheading of John the Baptist was called Poletovschik, Poletok, Turnip Feast, Golovosek, Ivan - autumn market, Ivan-Lenten, Ivan-Lent. In ancient Rus', celebration traditions were strongly influenced by pagan beliefs and everyday superstitions. Many Christian symbols in the popular consciousness were distorted and acquired a different meaning. For example, it was believed that round fruits and vegetables should not be eaten on the Feast of the Beheading because they resemble the head of the Prophet . Apples, potatoes, watermelons, onions, turnips were prohibited, and it was also not customary to eat anything on a platter, so as not to evoke memories of the platter on which the Baptist’s head lay. They tried to hide sharp objects away - they resembled a sword with which a warrior cut off the head of a saint. They didn’t cut vegetables, but they broke bread with their hands. According to the Belarusian belief, associated with the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist , within a year the saint’s head almost grows back, but as soon as people start cutting bread on this day, it will fall away again. On the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist, the southern Slavs strictly observed the ban on red fruits and drinks, since it was believed that “this is the blood of St. John.” Therefore, on this day they did not eat black grapes, tomatoes and red peppers.
The purpose of all these customs was not to evoke any memories of the martyrdom of the great righteous man and to avoid in every possible way such actions and deeds that would be reminiscent of this sad event. To ensure greater compliance with these rules, the peasants believed that John himself punished the violators, sending crop failures to the fruits, or even simply taking away their hands and depriving them of their tongues.
There are other folk traditions that are more related to the weather and the calendar cycle. The day of the Beheading of John the Baptist was considered the beginning of autumn: “From Ivan’s Fast the man welcomes autumn, the woman begins her Indian summer.” On this day they strictly fasted, did not dance in circles or sing songs, and it was customary to invite the poor and wanderers to the table. According to popular belief, people suffering from headaches ask this saint for healing.
Behind many different signs, the true meaning of the holiday is lost. The Orthodox Church tells us that these superstitions have no basis and, moreover, insult the Christian faith. Comparing a head of cabbage or watermelon with the honest chapter of John the Baptist is unacceptable.
The beheading of John the Baptist. Icons
In the Orthodox Church, icons of the Beheading of John the Baptist from the early Byzantine era. In the Middle Byzantine period, an iconographic plot in which John the Baptist bowed down and a warrior raised a sword over him became widespread, the action taking place against the backdrop of the desert. Also, the holy head was depicted separated from the body, blood poured out from the prophet’s neck, and his executioner stood over him and sheathed the sword.
Icon of the Beheading of John the Baptist. XVI century Greece, Athos, Dionysiatus monastery
Russian icon painters depicted the saint bowed down, with his hands tied in front, while the warrior raised his sword over him. Such a plot can be seen, for example, on the frescoes in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Antoniev Monastery in Veliky Novgorod, in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov, in the Church of the Annunciation on Myachina in Veliky Novgorod.
Icon of the Beheading of John the Baptist. XVII century Russia
Two more iconographic subjects are symbolically connected with the beheading of John the Forerunner: on the icons of Christ’s descent into hell, the holy Prophet and Forerunner is depicted announcing to the Old Testament righteous the coming of the Savior and imminent deliverance from hellish darkness. Another image is the so-called “John the Baptist Angel of the Desert,” which was especially common in Russia in the 16th-17th centuries.
John the Baptist Angel of the Desert. XVII century State Museum-Reserve "Rostov Kremlin"
On the icon, John the Baptist is depicted as a hermit, a preacher of repentance, a predecessor of monasticism; he has two large wings, which symbolically mean fasting and prayer, raising to God. On the charter (the scroll that he holds in his hands) it is usually written: “Behold the Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world” or “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is drawing near.”
John the Baptist Angel of the Desert. An icon from a series of so-called “tablets” of Sophia of Novgorod. The end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century. State Russian Museum
Icons of St. John the Baptist with stamps - scenes from his life - are also common.
John the Baptist Angel of the Desert, with Life
Temples in honor of the Beheading of John the Baptist
One of the oldest churches that has survived to this day is the six-altar votive church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Kolomenskoye . According to many researchers, it is older than the famous Church of the Ascension, and was founded in 1529 by order of the childless Vasily III in the village of Dyakovo, with a prayer for the granting of an heir to the throne to the Grand Duke.
Temple of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Dyakovo
In honor of the birth of his son, Vasily III ordered in 1531 to build the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Stary Vagankovo , which was abolished long before the revolution. the Ivanovo Monastery appeared in Moscow on Kulishki , and its cathedral church was consecrated in the name of the Beheading of John the Baptist . The monastery dates back to the very first Moscow church, built in the Kremlin in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist, which stood on the site of the Grand Kremlin Palace.
Currently, in the Old Believers there are practically no churches built in honor of the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist of the Lord. Today, the patronal holiday is celebrated only by the Smilgyai Old Believer religious community of the Ancient Orthodox Pomeranian Church of Lithuania .
Temple in the name of the Beheading of John the Baptist of the Ancient Orthodox Pomeranian Church. Smilgiai, Lithuania
Author: Nina LUKYANOVA (“Russian Faith”)
How does the “Inexhaustible Chalice” image help?
- alcoholic;
- nicotine;
- prodigal;
- gambling.
It is not known for certain who and when the shrine was painted, because for the time being it was hidden from human eyes. But, looking at the photo of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon or a list poured out of natural amber, one can note that the master who created it belonged to the Byzantine school.
This relic is considered one of the oldest types of images of the Most Pure Virgin - “Oranta”, that is, the Blessing One. She shows the Heavenly Queen with her arms raised and outstretched to the sides - this pose symbolizes Her constant intercessory prayer for every person.
But the main feature of the icon is undoubtedly Jesus standing in the bowl. It personifies Holy Communion, given to Christians as a sign of atonement for original sin. The grace emanating from it never runs out, so the cup is truly “Inexhaustible” - just as there is no limit to the Lord’s mercy and patience.
Understanding from the servant’s story that the Most Holy Theotokos herself had called him, the nuns began to search for the icon more diligently. Meanwhile, the soldier went to venerate the relics of St. Varlaam - the founder of the monastery. Seeing the saint’s appearance on the icon, he immediately recognized the “bright old man” who had appeared to him in a dream.
“Inexhaustible Chalice” in Serpukhov
Finally, in the transition corridor connecting St. George’s Church with the sacristy (storage of church vestments), a forgotten icon was discovered. On the board, in strict Byzantine style, the Mother of God was depicted, and in front of Her was the Child Jesus, standing in the Chalice. When the icon was turned back, we saw the inscription: “The Inexhaustible Chalice.”
The icon was immediately transferred from the corridor to the main church and a prayer service was served. At that moment, the old soldier felt healing. He returned home without a crutch, and the craving for alcohol completely left him.
Of course, most often it is to this image that it is customary to pray to those who suffer from the disease of wine drinking. Drunkenness and drug addiction have become a real scourge of our time, so many people ask the Queen of Heaven for help to combat such addictions.
Important. In canonical Orthodox icons there is not a single detail painted by chance or by the inspiration of the artist
Details of clothing, interior, position and size of figures - everything has a theological meaning. Knowing the meaning of the images of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” makes prayer more meaningful and elevates the mind from the earthly to the heavenly.
By the providence of God, the artist who created the original “Inexhaustible Chalice” and the time of its writing remained unknown. But to this day, information has been preserved about the existence of a similar icon, also depicting the Divine Child standing in a bowl, the “Nicene” one. This ancient image of the Mother of God dates back to 304 and was glorified by its miracles during the siege of the city of Nicaea (now Turkey) by the Arabs.
Prayer service before the icon in Serpukhov
The image of the Virgin Mary in a pose of prayer with raised hands (Oranta) is considered the most ancient. Before Her stands the Throne, on which is the Chalice. These items symbolize making a sacrifice. In the Chalice is Christ Himself, sacrificed for the sins of mankind. It is this Chalice that is “Inexhaustible”, i.e. which cannot be drunk to the end, its contents - the grace of God - are enough for everyone.
The clothing of the Mother of God is also symbolic:
- dark blue tunic. This color symbolizes the purity of virginity.
- Maforium. The head and shoulders are covered with a red maforium - a scarf. The red color means the royal origin of the Virgin (from the line of King David) and the torment that She had to endure. The gold trim along the edges of the maforia speaks of the glorification of the Mother of God in the heavenly and earthly worlds.
- three stars, on the forehead and shoulders, mean “seals of virginity” - at the moment of the birth of the Virgin Herself, before Her birth of Christ and after it.
- handrails - “cuffs” of different colors on the sleeves of the tunic. This accessory to the priestly vestment speaks of the service of the Mother of God to God and the cause of salvation of the human race.
Christ, as a Child, standing in the Chalice, is dressed in white robes with flashes of gold. During the Old Testament, white color was considered “the beginning of all colors,” just as God is the beginning of all creations. The icon painters depicted the radiance of grace with golden strokes.
The hands of the Most Pure Virgin are in a prayer position, and those of Christ are in a blessing position. Above the head of the Mother of God is a halo, signifying holiness. The four Greek letters on either side are abbreviated words for “Mother of God.” In addition to these inscriptions, the icon may also contain the name of the image.
Historical information about the Baptist
Who is John the Baptist and what is his role in the Christian religion? Unfortunately, documentary evidence (except for the Gospel) and a couple of biographies about the deeds of this man have practically not survived. Despite this, John the Baptist is a real person whose existence no one even disputes. This man of great significance became the “Forerunner” of Jesus Christ. Many people don't understand what this word means. The meaning of the word “forerunner” is interpreted differently in different sources. This is a predecessor, a person who, through his activity, prepared the way for something or someone, an event or phenomenon that prepared the ground for other actions. John the Baptist was the son of the elderly high priest Zechariah, who despaired of having an heir, and his righteous wife Elizabeth. The biblical scriptures say that he was born six months before Jesus. The angel Gabriel announced his birth and service to the Lord. Isaiah and Malachi also spoke about his birth. He was called the Baptist because he performed the ritual of washing (baptizing) a person in the waters of the river. Jordan as his spiritual renewal.
We advise you to study the Diveyevo icons
The exact place where John was born is not indicated in any source. It is believed that he was born in Ein Karem, a suburb of Jerusalem. Today, on this site stands a Franciscan monastery dedicated to this Saint. Many theologians believe that John's father Zechariah was killed in the temple on the orders of King Herod after he refused to reveal the whereabouts of his newborn son. The Baptist's mother saved him from being killed during the massacre of the Bethlehem infants by hiding in the desert. According to legend, she, having heard about the search for John, went with him to the mountain. In a loud voice, Elizabeth ordered the mountain to hide her and her son, after which the rock opened up and let her in. At that time, they were constantly guarded by the angel of the Lord.
Where are the relics, the right hand and the head of the saint now?
The body of the prophet, buried in Sebastia, was desecrated by the emperor. Julian the Apostate (361-363). Restoring the veneration of pagan gods, he took up arms against Christian shrines. Tomb of St. John was opened, the honest remains were burned. The individual remaining particles of the relics were then transferred to Antioch and Alexandria. After the death of the imp. Julian restored the tomb of the prophet; a version also arose that the pagans did not burn his body; they managed to replace the relic. But even if this is so, the honest remains have since been lost. However, the saint’s left hand and right hand, which were separated from his body long before the desecration of the grave, were preserved intact.
- In documents of the 14th century. talks about the monastery of St. John on the Jordan, which guards the left hand of the prophet. Later, the shrine ended up in France, and now resides in the cathedral church of Perpignan.
- Right hand of St. John was transferred to St. Luke to his homeland, Antioch, since the 1st century. Later the shrine ended up in Byzantium. Constantinople was the only place where Epiphany water was blessed by immersing not a cross, but the right hand of the Forerunner.
After the conquest of the city by the Turks (1453), the hand of the saint was with the Sultan for some time, later it was transferred by him to Christians, and ended up with the Knights of the Order of Malta. When Russian Emperor Paul I became the master of the order, the shrine was given to him as a gift. She stayed in St. Petersburg until 1917, after which she went abroad. Now the right hand of the Forerunner is in Serbia, in the Cetinje Monastery. In 2006, she visited Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
As for the head of the saint, after its third discovery it was divided, according to some sources, into 2, according to others - into 7 parts; they were distributed among different monasteries and temples of the empire. After the conquest of Constantinople, one of the fragments (the face) came to the West, other particles are preserved in France, Jerusalem, and Mount Athos.
Iconography
In honor of John, icons are painted in front of which Christians pray, asking for forgiveness of their sins, to grant mercy. According to the iconography manual, the Baptist is depicted with a thin face, a black beard, and curly hair divided into strands. He may be dressed in clothes made of camel's hair or in a chiton and himation. In his hand, the prophet usually holds a scroll on which the words of his messages to the people are written. Usually a text is placed on paper in which the righteous man asks people to repent in order to bring the Kingdom of Heaven closer. The scroll itself, depicted on the icon, has a symbolic meaning. It symbolizes preaching.
Christians have painted a large number of icons depicting John the Baptist in everyday scenes. Often in churches you can see the image - “The Nativity of John the Baptist”. This most holy icon depicts the parents of the Baptist: the mother lying on her bed, as well as the father writing the name of his son on the board. Little John is depicted in the cradle. This image is similar in composition to the Nativity of Jesus. True, the birth of John is depicted in richer chambers.
The Holy Baptist is also depicted in an ascetic robe in the pose of a praying man. In such icons, the Angel of the Desert holds a scroll in his hands. Sometimes his severed head is drawn in front of the prophet, symbolizing the martyrdom of a righteous man. The most revered icon is the “Baptism of the Lord.” The central figure of this image, of course, is the Savior himself. True, John the Baptist is always present on the icon, because it was he who baptized Jesus Christ.
The Holy Prophet can be depicted on an icon at the moment of death with a severed head. The beheading of John the Baptist is one of the types of preacher iconography. In addition to the executed righteous man, the icon depicts the warrior King Herod, who cut off the head of the Holy Prophet with a sword.
All holidays in honor of the Prophet
During the year, special services to the saint are performed 7 times:
- October 6 – Conception;
- Cathedral of St. John the next day after Epiphany, January 20;
- On March 8 or 9, June 7, the triple finding of the head of the prophet is celebrated;
- July 7 – Christmas of St. John;
- September 11 – Truncation of its head.
Sacrificial service to God, which was the meaning of his life, continues today. One has only to meet his eyes with his stern face on the icon - and it’s as if the fabric of time is torn, as if his words are heard, assuring in the reality of the Eternal: “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is approaching!”
Natalia Sazonova
Three finds
Individual icons with the plot of the Findings are rare. The iconographic scheme is based on a scene of the same type. In the center of the cave there is a bowl with a head, and on the sides there are two monks of different ages. One of them is digging the ground with a shovel, the other is kneeling in front of the revealed shrine, stretching out his hands to it.
Individual icons with the plot of the Findings are rare. His main illustrations were usually the stamps of the hagiographic icons of St. John. Numerous small images surrounding the central image with a large figure of the Forerunner contained a cycle that began with the conception of the prophet by the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth and ended with the theme of veneration of his honest head.
How is the acquisition itself depicted? The iconographic scheme is based on a scene of the same type. In the center of the cave there is a bowl with a head, and on the sides there are two monks of different ages. One of them is digging the ground with a shovel, the other is kneeling in front of the revealed shrine, stretching out his hands to it. If the life cycle is short, then only one mark with the Acquisition could be present in it. If there are no accompanying inscriptions and names of the monks, then it is not possible to establish exactly which of the two events - the First or Second Finding - is depicted. The existence of such a “collective” image, uniting both the First and Second Finding of the Chapter of John, is directly related to the fact that they have a common church celebration.
The images of the Third, last Finding of the head, after which it was transferred with honors to the capital of Byzantium and placed with honors in the Studite monastery, are much easier to identify. Most often they depict young men digging up a relic with picks and shovels in the presence of monks and priests in vestments. In Byzantine monuments, one of the iconographic variants of this Discovery was the depiction of worship before the holy head lying on the throne.
The venerable head of St. John the Baptist in a frame, kept in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Amiens. France
Chapter of John the Baptist. Icon of master Ivan Burenin. 1762 Uglich Art Museum
During the Crusades, when the capital of the Byzantine Empire was devastated and plundered, the holy head was taken from Constantinople and ended up in France. It is still located in the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady in Amiens, where numerous pilgrims come. The presence of the relic in Europe gave impetus to the spread in Western art of naturalistic sculptural images reproducing a severed head lying on a platter. In late Russian icon painting of the 18th-19th centuries, the beheaded head of the Forerunner in a bowl or on a platter became the subject of the image in itself, completely outside the plot context or life of John, as represented on the icon of Ivan Burenin from the Uglich Museum (1762).
One of the most revered icons
In this icon, in the center on a platter, the severed head of John the Baptist is depicted with his eyes closed, hence the name of the icon of John the Baptist “Head on a Platter.” A halo is depicted above the head. This icon of John the Baptist is one of the most revered in the Orthodox world. And the head is depicted separately from the body, since it was buried separately from the body. According to legend, Herodias, fearing that if John’s body was buried together with his head, he might be resurrected, she ordered his body parts to be buried separately. But the wife of their then steward, John, knowing about this, hid her head in a vessel and buried it on the Mount of Olives. Over time, the ruler and his wife wanted to check where parts of the prophet were buried and went to the burial places. Not finding the head of the Forerunner, they decided that he had risen and was walking the earth in the guise of Christ. Scripture from the Gospel testifies to their errors.
Icon of Christ the Baptist
Today in Orthodox iconography there are a large number of images of John.
But the natural icon of John the Baptist has distinctive features
Firstly, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the Forerunner - a dark, thin man of Jewish appearance. Dark thick curly hair
The same thick beard, which is divided into strands. He is dressed in clothes made of rough camel skin, which is tied with a leather belt. Often the saint is depicted on such an icon waist-deep, and he is turned towards the person praying. In his left hand there is a scroll on which a prayer for repentance is written, and his right hand is raised up.
On the saint's left shoulder lies the symbol of his life - a cross-staff. In some images, the Forerunner has a scroll in one hand, and in the other a cup in which the baby Jesus is located, and the icon is called “John the Baptist with a cup.” Although such an image appeared after the 16th century.
Location of the most ancient icon
Few people know about the existence of the ancient icon of John the Baptist and where it is located. Back in the 19th century, a famous archaeologist took the icon from the monastery of St. Catherine, which is located on the Sinai River. And since then, the oldest icon of John the Baptist (6th century) has been kept in Kyiv. Bishop Porfiry (archaeologist) bequeathed his entire collection of icons to the Kyiv Museum back in the first half of the last century.
On this icon John is depicted in full height in ancient attire. In one hand he holds a scroll with an inscription in Greek.
