Parting

Nativity of John the Baptist: from Ivan to John. From conception to terrible death: holidays and mysteries of John the Baptist

After reading this article, you will learn about the Nativity of John the Baptist, his pious life and the beheading of the holy Prophet.

Nativity of John the Baptist - Baptist of Jesus Christ

Archbishop Averky Taushev, www.days.ru

Prophet John the Baptist is the most revered saint after the Virgin Mary. The following holidays were established in his honor: 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 - the first and second discovery of his head, June 7 - third discovery his chapter, October 25 is the celebration of the transfer of his right hand from Malta to Gatchina (according to the new style).

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.

The priests were divided by David into 24 orders, and Abijah was placed at the head of one of them. Zechariah was ranked among this line. His wife Elizabeth also came from a priestly family. Although both of them were distinguished by true righteousness, they were childless, and this was considered by the Jews to be God's punishment for sins. Each series held its service in the temple twice a year for one week, and the priests distributed responsibilities among themselves by lot.

Zechariah’s lot fell to perform incense, for which he entered the second part of the Jerusalem temple, called the Holy Place or Sanctuary, where the altar of incense was located, while all the people prayed in the open part of the temple intended for him - the “Court”. Entering the sanctuary, Zechariah saw an Angel, and fear fell upon him, perhaps. and because, according to Jewish concepts, the appearance of an Angel foreshadowed a close one. The angel reassured him, saying that his prayer had been heard, and his wife would bear him a son, who would be “great before the Lord.”

It is difficult to imagine that Zechariah, being so old with his wife, and even at such a solemn moment of the service, with his righteousness, would pray for the gift of a son. Obviously he is one of the few the best people of that time, he intensely prayed to God for the imminent advent of the Kingdom of the Messiah, and it was about this prayer of his that the Angel said that it was heard. And now his prayer received a high reward: not only was his sorrowful infertility resolved, but his son would be the Forerunner of the Messiah, whose arrival he so eagerly awaited.

His son will surpass everyone with his extraordinary strict abstinence and will be filled from birth with the special grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit. He will have to prepare the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah, which he will do by preaching about repentance and correction of life, turning to God many of the sons of Israel, who only formally worshiped Jehovah, but were far from Him in heart and life. For this, he will be given the spirit and strength of the prophet Elijah, whom he will resemble in his fiery zeal, strict ascetic life, preaching repentance and denunciation of wickedness.

He will have to call the Jews out of the abyss of their moral decline, returning love for children to the hearts of parents, and confirm those who resist the right hand of the Lord in the way of thinking of the righteous. Zechariah did not believe the Angel, since he was too old to hope for offspring, like his wife, and asked the Angel for a sign as proof of the truth of his words. To dispel Zechariah's doubts, the Angel calls his name. He is Gabriel, which means: “the power of God,” the same one who announced to the prophet Daniel about the time of the coming of the Messiah, indicating the dates in “weeks” (Dan. 9:21-27).

For his lack of faith, Zacharias is punished with muteness, and, apparently, at the same time with deafness, since they later explained things to him by signs. Usually the incense did not last long and the people were surprised at Zechariah’s slowness in the sanctuary, but they realized that he had a vision when he began to explain himself with signs. It is remarkable that the dumb Zechariah did not leave his line, but continued his ministry to the end. His wife Elizabeth, after returning home, actually conceived, but hid it for five months, fearing that people might not believe it and ridicule her, but she rejoiced in her soul and thanked God for removing the reproach from her. Conception of St. John the Baptist is celebrated here on September 23, old style.

When Elizabeth was ready to give birth to a son, her neighbors and relatives rejoiced at her joy and on the eighth day gathered to her to perform the rite of circumcision established under Abraham (Gen. 17:11-14) and required by the law of Moses (Lev. 12:3). . Through circumcision, the newborn entered into the company of the chosen people of God, and therefore the day of circumcision was considered a joyful family holiday.

At circumcision, the newborn was given a name, usually in honor of one of his older relatives. Therefore, the mother’s desire to name him John could not but cause general bewilderment. The Evangelist emphasizes this circumstance to us obviously because it is also miraculous: Elizabeth’s desire to name the baby John was the fruit of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They turned to their father for a solution. Having asked for a piece of paper coated with wax, he wrote on it with a stick, which was used for this purpose: “John will be his name,” and everyone was surprised at the extraordinary coincidence of the desire of the mother and the deaf-mute father to name his son by a name that was not in their family. And immediately, according to the Angel’s prediction, Zechariah’s lips opened, and he, in prophetic inspiration, as if already foreseeing the coming of the kingdom of the Messiah, began to glorify God, who had visited His people and created deliverance for them, Who “raised a horn of salvation in the house of David.”

Just as criminals, pursued by vigilantes, fled into Old Testament to the altar of burnt offerings and, grasping its horn, were considered inviolable (1 Kings 2:28), so the entire human race, oppressed by sins and persecuted for this by Divine justice, finds salvation in Christ Jesus. This salvation is not only the deliverance of Israel from its political enemies, as most Jews, especially the scribes and Pharisees, thought at that time, but the fulfillment of God’s covenant given to the Old Testament forefathers, which will enable all faithful Israelis to serve God “with honor and righteousness.”

By “righteousness” here we mean justification by Divine means, through the imputation of Christ’s redemptive merits to man; by “reverence” is the internal correction of a person, achieved with the assistance of grace through the effort of the person himself. Further, Zechariah predicts the future for his son, predicted by the Angel, saying that he will be called a prophet of the Most High and will be the forerunner of the Divine Messiah, and indicates the goals of the service of the Forerunner to prepare people for His coming, to make the people of Israel understand that their salvation consists of nothing otherwise than in the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, Israel should not seek worldly greatness, as its spiritual leaders of that time dreamed of, but righteousness and forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins will come “from the gracious mercy of our God, as a result of which the East comes to us from above,” i.e. Messiah-Redeemer, by which name the prophets Jeremiah (25:5) and Zechariah (3:8 and 6:12) also called Him.

According to legend, rumors about the birth of John the Baptist reached the suspicious king Herod, and when the wise men came to Jerusalem asking where the born King of the Jews was, Herod remembered his son Zechariah and, having issued an order to massacre the infants, sent assassins to Jutta. Zechariah was serving in the temple at that time, and Elizabeth disappeared with her son into the desert. Angry that the baby John was not found, Herod sent to Zechariah in the temple to ask where he had hidden his son. Zechariah replied that he now served the Lord God of Israel and did not know where his son was. After threats to take his life, he repeated that he did not know where his son was, and fell under the swords of the murderers between the temple and the altar, as the Lord recalls in His accusatory speech to the Pharisees (Matt. 23:35). We celebrate June 24th.

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 service through a strict life of 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 addressed 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 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 at the Jordan to be baptized. The baptism of Christ was accompanied by 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 vices as ordinary people, so 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. After right hand John the Baptist was kept in St. Petersburg in the church Savior Not Made by Hands in the Winter Palace.

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 unbelievers, 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 venerate the 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.

About the prophet John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus Christ said: “Among those born of women there has not arisen a greater (prophet) than John the Baptist.” John the Baptist is glorified by the Church as “an angel, and an apostle, and a martyr, and a prophet, and a candle-bearer, and a friend of Christ, and a seal of the prophets, and an intercessor of old and new grace, and the most honorable and bright voice of the Word among those born.”

Why the prophet’s father was speechless and why the saint lived in the desert until he was thirty. What Christian feat did the martyr accomplish?

Orthodox holiday The Nativity of John the Baptist is celebrated on July 7, and the biography of the righteous man is found in only one biblical chronicler. This is described in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

Saint John the Baptist (also called the Baptist) is one of the most revered righteous people. He accomplished a high feat of self-sacrifice and accepted the crown of martyrdom for the name of Christ, setting an example of long-suffering and meekness.

Mother of the Prophet

The parent of the future prophet, righteous Elizabeth, came from a royal family and was cousin Virgin Mary, who became the mother of the Messiah. In iconography, Elizabeth is usually depicted as an elderly woman. After all, she conceived John when she was already in her old age. Her husband was the priest Zechariah, who died during the massacre of the infants ordered by King Herod.

The soldiers killed Zechariah right in the temple, and Elizabeth and her little son fled to the Sinai desert. A chase began after them, but the rock miraculously moved and hid the fugitives. The righteous woman died in the desert when John was still a boy, and a guardian angel looked after the boy. The Orthodox Church holds memorial services in honor of Elizabeth on September 5 and December 30 (Julian calendar), and the Catholic Church on September 23.

Saint's father

John's parent was the priest Zechariah, who served in the temple during the time of King Herod of Judah. Like his wife Elizabeth, he entered old age, without having children, which was considered a great misfortune and shame among the Jews. Zechariah constantly prayed that heaven would grant him an heir and that his words would be heard.

One day, when he was burning incense in the temple, he saw the Archangel Gabriel. He told him that a son would soon be born, who should receive the name John. The priest also learned about the fate awaiting his child and that his son had a mission to prepare people for the coming of Jesus Christ.

The old priest doubted that he was still able to give birth to a son. For this, the archangel punished him with muteness. The gift of speech returned to Zechariah only when his wife, on the eighth day after the birth of the child, brought her son to him and he inscribed his name “John” on the tablet.

The Life of Zechariah was compiled by the Evangelist Luke on the basis of Byzantine legends, according to which the earthly existence of Father John the Baptist was cut short at the moment when the soldiers of King Herod burst into his temple and began to interrogate where his wife and baby were hiding. The priest said nothing and was killed. In church veneration he is mentioned together with the righteous Elizabeth.

Life of a Righteous Man in the Desert

The Nativity of John the Baptist is surrounded by many miracles, and they continued after the righteous Elizabeth fled with her son into the desert so as not to be killed by the soldiers of King Herod. After the death of his mother, until the age of thirty, he continued to be in the desert, eating locusts and wearing coarse home-woven clothes made of camel hair. Such a garment, a hair shirt, did not protect well from the rain, and when wet, it injured the skin. To top it all off, the prophet deliberately tied his stomach with a wide leather belt so as not to eat more than he should.

John constantly improved his ability to preach eloquently, for which he received from the prophet Isaiah the symbolic name “The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness.” Upon reaching thirty years of age, he left his solitude and went to the shores of the crowded Jordan to encourage people to get rid of sinfulness through confession and ablution.

The ascetic's sermons were so convincing that he turned into a people's favorite and even Jesus Christ himself came to the river bank to receive Baptism at the hands of John. During the ceremony, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and a voice from above confirmed that Jesus was the chosen one.

The feat of the prophet

Over time, rumors of the deeds of the righteous man reached King Herod Antipas. He invited the prophet to his place, listened carefully to the speech about repentance and promised to adhere to the true rules. However, Herod's wife is Herodias, who lived before with Herod’s brother Philip—she hated the Forerunner. She decided that she new spouse can drive her away, because John strictly denounced unrighteous cohabitation. With her intrigues she managed to imprison the prophet.

Then came Herod's birthday. The king asked Salome, the daughter of Herodias, to dance one of her dances in front of the assembled nobles. He was so delighted with Salome’s skill that in front of everyone he promised to give any reward up to half the kingdom. After consulting with my mother, young beauty asked to immediately bring her the head of the prophet on a platter.

The king was saddened, but he kept his word and sent squires to cut off the head of John the Baptist and bring it on a precious tray.

Thus, Salome got what she wanted and immediately gave the head to her mother. The disciples of the Forerunner received his body, which was buried in the Samaria city of Sebastia.

Herodias (according to biblical tradition) “kept the head of the prophet in a dishonorable place” until it was stolen by the wife of the royal steward named Joanna. The woman buried the vessel with her head on the Mount of Olives. Subsequently, the relics changed their location several times. As a result, the temple in Constantinople became their refuge.

Nativity of the honest, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John

As the Gospel narrates (Luke 1:57 - 80), the righteous parents of St. John the Baptist - the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, who lived in ancient city Hebron, reached old age, but had no children, since Elizabeth was barren. One day Saint Zechariah was performing a divine service in the Jerusalem Temple and saw the Archangel Gabriel standing on the right side of the altar of incense. He predicted that Zechariah would have a son who would be the herald of the Savior expected by the Old Testament Church - the Messiah. Zechariah was embarrassed and fear came over him. He doubted that it was possible to have a son in old age and asked for a sign. It was given to him, being at the same time a punishment for unbelief: Zechariah was struck dumb until the time the words of the Archangel were fulfilled.

Saint Elizabeth conceived and, fearing ridicule of late pregnancy, hid for five months until she was visited by the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who was her distant relative, to share His and her joy. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, was the first to greet the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. Together with her Holy Virgin Mary and the Son of God incarnate in Her were greeted by “playing like songs” and Saint John, who was still in the womb of his mother, the righteous Elizabeth.

The time came, and Saint Elizabeth gave birth to a son, all relatives and friends rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, according to the law of Moses, his circumcision took place. His mother named him John. Everyone was surprised, since no one in their family bore this name. When they asked Saint Zechariah about this, he asked for a tablet and wrote on it: “His name is John” - and immediately, according to the prediction of the Archangel, the bonds that bound his speech were resolved, and Saint Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, glorified God and uttered prophetic words about the One who had appeared in the world Messiah and about his son John - the Forerunner of the Lord.

After the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the worship of the shepherds and wise men, the wicked king Herod ordered to kill all the babies. Hearing about this, Saint Elizabeth fled with her son to. desert and hid in a cave. Saint Zechariah, as a priest, was in Jerusalem and performed his priestly ministry in the temple. Herod sent soldiers to him with orders to reveal the whereabouts of the baby John and his mother. Zechariah replied that he did not know this, and was killed right in the temple. Righteous Elizabeth and her son continued to live in the desert and died there. The youth John, guarded by an Angel, was in the desert until he went out to preach about repentance and was honored to baptize the Lord who had come into the world.

The martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist in the year 32 after the Nativity of Christ is narrated by the Evangelists Matthew (Matthew 14:1-12) and Mark (Mark 6:14-29).

After the Baptism of the Lord, Saint John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas, the tetrarch and ruler of Galilee. (After the death of Herod the Great, the Romans divided the territory of Palestine into four parts and installed their protege as ruler in each part. Herod Antipas received Galilee from Emperor Augustus to rule). 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 Philip (Luke 3: 19, 20). On his birthday, Herod gave a feast to the nobles, elders and commanders. Herodias' daughter Salome danced in front of the guests and pleased Herod. In gratitude to the girl, he vowed to give everything she asked, even up to half of his kingdom. The nasty dancer, on the advice of her evil mother Herodias, asked that the head of John the Baptist be given to her immediately on a platter. Herod was saddened. He feared the wrath of God for killing the prophet, whom he himself had previously obeyed. He was also afraid of the people who loved the holy Forerunner. But because of the guests and a careless oath, he ordered the head of Saint John to be cut off and given to Salome. According to legend, the mouth dead head The preachers of repentance once again opened up and said: “Herod, you should not have the wife of your brother Philip.” Salome took the dish with the head of St. John and took it to her mother. The frantic Herodias pierced the prophet's tongue with a needle and buried his holy head in an unclean place. But the pious Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Khuza, buried the holy head of John the Baptist in an earthenware vessel on the Mount of Olives, where Herod had his own plot of land (the discovery of the holy head is celebrated on February 24). The holy body of John the Baptist was taken that same night by his disciples and buried in Sebaste, where the atrocity took place. After the murder of Saint John the Baptist, Herod continued to rule for some time. Pontius Pilate, the ruler of Judea, sent Jesus Christ bound to him, whom he mocked (Luke 23:7-12).

God's judgment took place on Herod, Herodias and Salome during their earthly lives. Salome, crossing the Sikoris River in winter, fell through the ice. The ice 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 helpless movements in ice water. She hung like that until the sharp ice cut her neck. Her corpse was not found, but the 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. There they were swallowed up by the opening of the earth.

In memory of the beheading of St. John the Baptist, the Church established a holiday and strict fast as an expression of Christian grief over the violent death of the great Prophet.

Conception of the glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. The holy prophet Malachi predicted that before the Messiah, His Forerunner would appear, who would indicate His coming. Therefore, the Jews, who were expecting the Messiah, were also waiting for the appearance of His Forerunner. In the city of Judah in the mountainous country of Palestine lived the righteous priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, who immaculately kept the commandments of the Lord. However, the couple were unhappy: having lived to an advanced age, they were childless and did not stop praying to God to give them a child. One day, when Saint Zechariah was yet another priest in the Temple of Jerusalem, he entered the Sanctuary during the Divine Service to burn incense. Entering behind the curtain of the Sanctuary, he saw the Angel of God standing on the right side of the incense altar. Saint Zechariah was embarrassed and stopped in fear, but the Angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard, your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you will call his name John.” But the righteous Zechariah did not believe the words of the Heavenly Messenger, and then the Angel said to him: “I am Gabriel, standing before God, and I was sent to bring this good news to you. And so, you will be dumb until your birthday, because you did not believe my words.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he did not leave the Sanctuary for so long. And when he went out, he was supposed to give a blessing to the people, but he could not pronounce it, because he was struck dumb. When Zechariah explained with signs that he could not speak, the people realized that he had a vision. The prophecy of the Archangel was fulfilled, and righteous Elizabeth was freed from the bonds of infertility, giving birth to the world the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John.

Cathedral of the Baptist and Baptist John

IN Orthodox Church a custom has been established on the next day of the great feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God to remember those saints who most closely served this sacred event in history. So, on the next day of Epiphany, the Church honors the one who served the cause of the Baptism of Christ by laying his hand on the head of the Savior. The Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, the greatest of the prophets, completes the history of the Old Testament Church and opens the era of the New Testament. The Holy Prophet John testified to the coming to earth of the Only Begotten Son of God, who took on human flesh. He was honored to baptize Him in the waters of the Jordan and witnessed the mysterious Appearance Holy Trinity on the day of the Baptism of the Savior. A relative of the Lord on his mother's side, the son of the priest Zechariah and the righteous Elizabeth, the Forerunner of the Lord was born six months before Jesus Christ. Archangel Gabriel was the messenger of his birth, revealing to his father in the temple that he would have a son. Requested by prayers, foretold from above, the baby was filled with the All-Holy Spirit. Saint John, in the wild desert, prepared himself for great service by strict life, fasting, prayer and compassion for the destinies of the people of God. At the age of about 30, Saint John went out to preach repentance. He appeared on the banks of the Jordan to prepare the people with his preaching to accept the Savior of the world. According to the expression of church hymns, Saint John was the “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 - Christ. Having baptized the sinless Lamb of God, Saint John soon died a martyr, beheaded by the sword on the orders of King Herod.

On January 7 (Old Style), we remember the transfer of the right hand of St. John the Baptist from Antioch to Constantinople (956) and the miracle of St. John the Baptist on the Hagarians in Chios.

The body of Saint John the Baptist was buried in the Samaria city of Sebastia. Holy Evangelist Luke, visiting different cities and villages preaching Christ, came to Sebastia, where he was given the right hand of St. John the Prophet, with which he baptized the Savior. The Apostle Luke brought it to his hometown of Antioch. When the Mohammedans took possession of Antioch, Deacon Job transferred the holy hand of the Forerunner from Antioch to Chalcedon, from where on the very eve of the Epiphany it was transferred to Constantinople (956), where it was kept. The Russian pilgrim Dobrynya, the future holy Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod (February 10), saw the right hand of the Forerunner in the royal chambers in 1200. From the deeds of the saints it is known that in 1263, after the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders, Emperor Baldwin gave one humerus of St. John the Baptist to Otto de Zikon, who gave it to the Cisterion Abbey in France. The right hand continued to be kept in Constantinople. At the end of the XIV - beginning of the XV centuries. This shrine was seen in Constantinople in the Perivlepte monastery by Russian pilgrims Stefan Novgorodets, Deacon Ignatius, Deacon Alexander and Deacon Zosima. After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, its shrines, by the will of the conqueror Mohammed, were collected and kept in the royal treasury behind a seal. The Acts of the Saints provide clear evidence that the right hand of the holy Forerunner was given in 1484 by the son of Mohammed, Sultan Bayazet, to the Rhodes knights in order to acquire themselves in their favor, since they had a dangerous rival of Bayazet, his brother. His contemporary and participant, Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes William Gaorsan Gallo, speaks about this event. The Rhodes knights, who established themselves on the island of Malta (in the Mediterranean Sea), transferred the shrine they received there. When Emperor Paul I (1796 - 1801) became a grandmaster Order of Malta in honor of the Holy Prophet John, right hand of the Forerunner, part Life-giving Cross and Philermos Icon Mother of God were transferred in 1799 from the island of Malta to Russia, to the Order Chapel in Gatchina (October 12). In the same year, these shrines were moved to the church in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands in the Winter Palace. A special service was compiled for this holiday.

First (IV century) and second (452) discovery of the head of John

After the beheading of the head of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, his body was buried by the disciples in the Samarian city of Sebaste, and the honest head was hidden by Herodias in a dishonest place. Pious Joanna, the wife of the royal steward Chuza (the holy evangelist Luke mentions her - Luke 8:3), secretly took the holy head, put it in a vessel and buried it on the Mount of Olives - in one of Herod’s estates. After many years, this estate came into the possession of the pious nobleman Innocent, who began to build a church there. When they were digging a ditch for the foundation, a vessel with the honest head of John the Baptist was found. Innocent learned about the greatness of the shrine from the signs of grace that came from it. This is how the First Finding of the Head took place. Innocent kept it with the greatest reverence, but before his death, fearing that the shrine would be desecrated by infidels, he again hid it in the very place where he found it. After his death, the church fell into disrepair and collapsed.

In the days of Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine the Great (+ 337, commemorated May 21), when the Christian faith began to flourish, the holy Forerunner himself appeared twice to two monks who came to Jerusalem to worship the holy places and revealed the location of his venerable head. The monks dug up the shrine and, putting it in a bag made of camel hair, went to their home. On the way, they met an unknown potter and gave him to carry the precious burden. Not knowing what he was carrying, the potter calmly continued on his way, but the holy Forerunner himself appeared to him and ordered him to flee from the careless and lazy monks, along with what was in his hands. The potter hid from the monks and kept his honest head at home with honor. Before his death, he sealed it in a water-bearing vessel and gave it to his sister. Since then, the honest head was successively kept by reverent Christians, until the priest Eustathius, infected with the Arian heresy, became its owner. He seduced many sick people who were healed by the holy head, attributing grace to heresy. When his blasphemy was discovered, he was forced to flee. Having buried the shrine in a cave near Emessa, the heretic hoped to subsequently return and take possession of it again to spread false teaching. But God did not allow this. Pious monks settled in the cave, and then a monastery arose on this site. In 452, Saint John the Baptist in a vision showed the archimandrite of this monastery, Markell, the place where his head was hidden. This acquisition began to be celebrated as the second. The shrine was moved to Emessa, and then to Constantinople.

Third (c. 850) discovery of the head of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John

The third discovery of the honest head of the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John took place around the year 850. During the unrest in Constantinople in connection with the exile of St. John Chrysostom (November 13), the head of St. John the Baptist was carried away to the city of Emesa. From there, during the Saracen raids, it was transferred (about 810 - 820) to Comana and there, during the period of iconoclastic persecutions, it was hidden in the ground. When icon veneration was restored, Patriarch Ignatius (847 - 857) during night prayer was shown in a vision the place where the head of St. John the Baptist was hidden. The high priest informed the emperor about this, who sent an embassy to Comana, and there the head was found for the third time, in the place indicated by the patriarch, around 850. Later, the chapter was again transferred to Constantinople and here on May 25 it was laid in the court church; part of the holy chapter is located on Mount Athos.

Transfer of the gum of the hand of John the Baptist (1799)

The transfer from Malta to Gatchina of a part of the tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the Philermos Icon of the Mother of God and the gum of the hand of St. John the Baptist took place in 1799. These shrines were kept on the island of Malta by the knights of the Catholic Order of St. John of Jerusalem. In 1798, when the French captured the island, the Knights of Malta turned to Russia for protection and patronage. On October 12, 1799, they presented these ancient shrines to Emperor Paul I, who was in Gatchina at that time. In the autumn of 1799, the relics were transported to St. Petersburg and placed in the Winter Palace in the church in honor of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The holiday of this event was established in 1800.

The tradition of glorifying John the Baptist on the days of his birth and martyrdom developed in the first Christian communities. Since the 3rd century, the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist was already widely celebrated by both Eastern and Western Christians - it was called a “bright celebration” and “Day of the Sun of Truth.” At the beginning of the 4th century, the holiday was introduced into the Christian calendar.

The Church classifies the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist into the category of great holidays: it is less significant than the Twelves, but is more revered among the people compared to the others.

This event is reflected in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which tells how the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, who lived in Hebron, grew old, but, due to Elizabeth’s barrenness, had no children.
One day, during a service in the Temple of Zechariah in Jerusalem, Archangel Gabriel appeared to the priest and predicted to the priest that he would soon have a son who would become the herald (forerunner) of the expected Messiah.
Zechariah, hearing the words of the Archangel Gabriel, doubted them and asked for a sign. To this, Archangel Gabriel replied: “You will remain silent and will not be able to speak until the day this comes true, because you did not believe my words, which will come true in due time” (Luke 1:20). And a sign was given to him, being at the same time a punishment for unbelief: Zechariah was struck dumb until the time the words of the Archangel were fulfilled.
Saint Elizabeth conceived, but hid her pregnancy for five months, until the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who was her distant relative, visited her to share her and her joy. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, greeted the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. And Saint John, who was still in his mother’s womb, leaped joyfully in the womb (Luke 1:44).
The time came, and Saint Elizabeth gave birth to a son. On the eighth day, according to the law of Moses, his circumcision took place. When his mother named him John, all his relatives were surprised, since no one in their family bore this name. When Saint Zechariah was asked about the name chosen for his newborn son, he asked for a tablet and wrote on it: “His name is John.” As soon as Zechariah did this, the bonds that bound his speech according to the prediction of the Archangel were resolved, and Saint Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, glorified God and uttered prophetic words about the Messiah who appeared in the world and about his son John, the Forerunner of the Lord.
After the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the worship of the shepherds and wise men, the wicked king Herod ordered the death of all babies. Hearing about this, Saint Elizabeth fled with her son into the desert and hid there in a cave. And Saint Zechariah, continuing his priestly service, was in the Jerusalem temple when Herod sent soldiers to him with orders to reveal the whereabouts of the baby John and his mother. Zechariah replied that he did not know it, and was killed right in the temple (Matthew 23:35). Righteous Elizabeth remained with her son in the desert and died there.
When John was thirteen years old, he left the desert, came to the Jordan Valley and began his preaching. “Repent,” said the prophet, “for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:2). The Prophet spoke about the Judgment of the world, and everything around John seemed to breathe a premonition of the proximity of great events. His words immediately found a wide response in the souls of the Jews. People from surrounding cities walked in crowds to the Jordan River, in which John baptized the people with water. John chose the rite of immersion in the waters of the Jordan as a symbol of entry into the Messianic faith. Just as water washes the body, so repentance cleanses the soul. John demanded that people re-evaluate their entire lives and sincere repentance. Before washing, people confessed their sins.
The holy prophet John the Baptist preached many other things, teaching the people who came to him (Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-18; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:15-28). And Jesus Christ himself received Baptism from John.

People call this day Ivan Kupala or Midsummer's Day - one of important holidays Slavic calendar, celebrated on the day of the summer solstice, in the Christian tradition - a holiday in honor of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the Baptist of the Lord.

Today Orthodox church holiday:

Tomorrow is a holiday:

Holidays expected:
15.03.2019 -
16.03.2019 -
17.03.2019 -

The birth of the honorable and glorious prophet and Forerunner, the Baptist of the Lord, John- so completely in Old Believer tradition is a holiday established in honor of the birth of a son among the righteous Zechariah And Elizabeth, who later became John the Baptist (otherwise known as the Forerunner). Refers to holidays, permanent, celebrated annually July 7(June 24, old style). This day always falls on. The feast of the birth of John the Baptist is six months away from, according to the Gospel narrative. Since the Nativity of Christ was dedicated to winter solstice, then the birth of John the Baptist is for the summer. After the Nativity of Christ, the day begins to increase, and after the birth of John the Baptist, it begins to decrease. This reminds us of the words of John the Baptist:

I am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him. He who has the bride is the groom, and the friend of the groom, standing and listening to him, rejoices with joy, hearing the voice of the groom. This is my joy fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:28-30).

The Lord Jesus Christ himself called John an angel and said that among those born of women there never arose a greater one than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:10-11). IN Orthodox tradition John the Baptist is revered as the greatest saint (after the Mother of God); he is called the first monk, the first missionary and even the first martyr.

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From the editor: The spelling and pronunciation of the epithet “Forerunner” to the name of the Baptist of the Lord John differs in the Old Believer and New Believer traditions. The word "forerunner" was borrowed from Old Slavonic language, in which it is formed from the verb pradtechi - “to go (flow) ahead, to get ahead” according to the tracing method from the Greek prodromos (where pro - “in front”, dromos - “movement”). The Forerunner (literally “predecessor”) is called John the Baptist, who, according to the Gospel, announced the coming of Jesus Christ. In the old pre-schism tradition, John the Baptist is usually called “Forerunner” (as a result of the development of language, O arose in place of Ъ), while in the modern Russian language and the post-schism (Nikonian) church, the sound Ъ was removed for some reason and became commonly used title "Forerunner". In this article we will adhere to the name “Forerunner”, generally accepted in modern Russian.
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At the age of thirty, John the Baptist began preaching to the people:

Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Many people flocked to the banks of the Jordan to hear the fiery sermon. Shocked by the words of the preacher, the people were baptized in the waters of the Jordan. This was a prototype of the Christian Sacrament of Baptism. The Lord Jesus Christ himself came to the Jordan to receive baptism from John. In prayer we turn to the great saint with the words:

Great Saints John, Prophet and Forerunner, Baptist of the Lord, pray to God for us!

We call him prophet, because he announced the imminent coming of the Savior. Forerunner- because he came shortly before Christ went out to preach to the people, saying: “ A man comes after me, who stood before me, because he was before me."(John 1:30). Baptist- because he baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan.

Holidays in honor of John the Baptist

Already in the first centuries of Christianity, a tradition arose to celebrate Nativity of John the Baptist and the day of his martyrdom - . Since the 3rd century, the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist has been known among both Eastern and Western Christians. Since the beginning of the 4th century, this holiday has acquired church-wide significance. Continuing ancient traditions, Old Believers celebrate the following events related to the life and ministry of John the Baptist:

January 20 (7) - Cathedral of John the Baptist (the day after);
March 9 (February 24) - ;
June 6 (May 25) - ;
July 7 (June 24) - his birthday;
September 11 (August 29) - beheading;
October 5 (September 23) - conception.

The New Believer Church also celebrates the transfer of the right hand of John the Baptist from Malta to St. Petersburg - October 12 (25).

Nativity of John the Baptist. Divine service

In terms of the significance and solemnity of the service, the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist is equal to. The verses of the festive service were written by Anatoly, Patriarch of Constantinople (5th century), John of Damascus and Andrew of Crete (8th century) and other Orthodox hymnographers. During the evening service, two canons are read: one written by John of Damascus, the second by Andrew of Crete. The festive chants recall the meeting of the mother of John the Baptist with the Mother of God:

Elizabeth was conceived, the Forerunner of Grace, the Virgin of the Lord's glory. Both mothers kissed each other, and the baby jumped. Inside, the slave praises the Master. Surprised by the mother of Predotechev, she began to cry out: where do I come from, so that the Mother of my Lord can come to me? May he save desperate people, having great mercy.

Translation: Elizabeth conceived the Forerunner of the Lord, the Virgin - the Lord of glory. When both mothers kissed each other, baby John jumped up and down. In the womb of the mother, the slave praises the Master. Mother Predotechev was surprised and said: “ Where do I get this from, that the Mother of my Lord came to me?"? May He who has great mercy save desperate people. The kontakion and ikos of the holiday, read from the sixth song of the canons, explain to us the meaning and significance of the holiday. Kontakion:

Today the Forerunner bears barren fruits, and that is the fulfillment of every prophecy. His prophets preached, laying their hands on him in the Jordan, appearing to the Word of God as a prophet and preacher, together with the Forerunner.

Translation: Today the barren woman gives birth to Christ’s Forerunner, who is the fulfillment of every prophecy. Because he laid his hand on him preached by all the prophets in the Jordan. And he appeared God's Word prophet and preacher, and at the same time a predecessor. Ikos:

Let us now praise the Lord, the Forerunner, who gave birth to the priest Elisabeth, from a womb without fruit, but not without seed. Christ is the only container that cannot be passed through without a seed. John gave birth to barren children, but without this husband she did not give birth. Jesus by the overshadowing of the Father and the Spirit of God, Pure Virgin Birth. But a prophet and a preacher, together with the Forerunner, appeared to the Seedless One from a barren age.

Translation: “Today let us praise the Forerunner of the Lord, whom Elizabeth bore to the priest (Zechariah) from a barren womb, but not without seed. Only one Christ was born without a seed. Joanna gave birth barren, but not without the participation of her husband. Jesus was given birth to by the Pure Virgin, under the shadow of the Father and the Divine Spirit. But to the one born without seed (God) appeared a prophet and preacher, and at the same time a predecessor.”

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Folk traditions of the Nativity of John the Baptist

In the mythology of the Slavs before the adoption of Christianity, the days of the summer solstice were associated with the veneration of pagan gods. These ideas turned out to be so strong that centuries later Stoglavy Cathedral 1551 year stated: “ against the feast of the Nativity of the Great John the Baptist, and during the night of the feast itself, and all day and until night, husbands and wives and children in the house and in the streets and walking and on the waters, they create fools with all sorts of games and all sorts of disgrace and satanic songs and dances, harps and other many types and stingy education. And when night passes by, then they go to the grove with great screaming, like demons, and wash themselves with water.».

The Church has always condemned such pagan echoes and blasphemy, but despite this, the villagers very steadfastly adhered to the Kupala traditions. The night of Ivan Kupala was filled with rituals associated with water, fire and herbs. Slavic popular names holidays: Ivan Kupala, Midsummer's Day, Ivan Tsvetny, Ivan Travny, Ivan the Koldovnik, Ivan the Lyubovny, Ivan the Clean, Ivan the Cheerful, Ivan the Travnik and others. Last title indicates a popular belief that all miraculous and healing herbs bloom on the night of Ivan Kupala, when the creative forces of the earth reach their full potential highest voltage. Therefore, knowledgeable and experienced people, and especially village doctors and healers, under no circumstances miss Midsummer's Night and collect medicinal roots and herbs for the whole year. An obligatory custom of this day was mass bathing: in the north of Rus' people often swam in bathhouses, and in the south - in rivers and lakes. It was believed that from this day all evil spirits came out of the rivers, so until Ilyin’s day one could swim without fear. Towards sunset, bonfires were lit on hills or near rivers. Sometimes fire was made in an ancient way - by rubbing wood against wood. On the night of Ivan Kupala, the “betrothed” were chosen and marriage rituals were performed: jumping over a fire holding hands, exchanging wreaths (a wreath is a symbol of girlhood), searching for a fern flower and bathing in the morning dew.

Unfortunately, even in our time, many people believe that at Ivan Kupala one must definitely weave wreaths and jump over the fire. But it should be understood that these are echoes of paganism, the replacement of the Orthodox understanding of the holiday with superstitious ideas. It is customary to pray to Saint John the Baptist for headaches and for children.

Temples in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist

Russian chronicles report that in beginning of XII century, under Vladimir Monomakh, the finger (i.e. finger) of John the Baptist was brought to Kyiv from Constantinople. In connection with this, the Church of St. John on Setomli was built. Other ancient Russians are also known churches in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist. In 1243, Princess Euphrosyne founded a monastery in Pskov. Its main temple was dedicated to the birth of John the Baptist. Novgorod craftsmen built a four-domed cathedral with a roof covering from plinth (brick) and local limestone. The cathedral was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War, part of it was destroyed by shells and fires. In 1949–59 restoration was carried out according to the project of P. M. Maksimov. Research and restoration continued in 1970-1980. architect S.P. Mikhailov.

Known in Veliky Novgorod Church of St. John on Opoki, founded in 1127 by Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich. In 1130, according to the charter, the temple was transferred to the Ivanovo community of wax merchants who traded honey and wax. At the temple they were kept as “Ivan cubit” for measuring the length of cloth, “ruble hryvnia” for weighing precious metals, scales - “waxed scalps”, “honey pud”. In the middle of the 15th century, Archbishop Euthymius rebuilt the temple. A large single-domed temple was erected on the basis of the foundation and lower part of the ancient walls. It was also damaged during the Great Patriotic War and restored in the mid-1950s. Currently listed world heritage UNESCO.

At the beginning of the 12th century, a temple was built in Moscow in the name of Nativity of John the Baptist on Bor. Under Metropolitan Peter, the church became a cathedral church. It was located in the metropolitan courtyard, on the top of Borovitsky Hill. In 1461, on the site of the old wooden church, a new stone one was built. After a fire it collapsed and was rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century by Aleviz the New. After the birth of Tsarevich Dimitri, the son of Ivan the Terrible, the chapel of this temple was consecrated in the name of the martyr Uar. Some sources mention the entire church under this name. Emperor Nicholas I ordered the church to be dismantled due to its dilapidation and inconsistency with the panorama of the Kremlin, where the Grand Kremlin Palace had just been erected. The chapel of the martyr Huar was moved to the Archangel Cathedral, and the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist itself was moved to the Borovitskaya tower of the Kremlin.

One of the oldest temples Nizhny Novgorod was also dedicated to the birth of John the Baptist. It has been mentioned in chronicles since the 15th century. IN Time of Troubles from the porch of this particular temple (then still wooden), Kozma Minin called on the people of Nizhny Novgorod to liberate Moscow from the invaders. In 1683, a stone church was built on the site of the wooden church. After the name of this temple, the nearby tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is called Ivanovskaya.

Old Believer churches in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist

The Old Believers preserved the tradition of building temples in the name of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Today patronal feast celebrate the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church in the Perm region, Sverdlovsk region and Kirov region. The church holiday is today in the Belokrinitsky parish in Manuylovka, Suceava County (Romania).

In the name of the birth of John the Baptist, a temple of Pomeranian Old Believers was built in the village of Podmolodye, Pskov region.

Iconography of the Nativity of John the Baptist

The oldest image of the birth of John the Baptist is preserved on the frescoes of the Byzantine church in Ohrid - it dates back to the mid-11th century. In the Byzantine era, icon painters depicted righteous Elizabeth on the bed, next to them they depicted Zechariah with a tablet in his hands (episode of naming). Below are maids washing and swaddling a baby. Russian icon painters continued this tradition. Gradually, the plot of the icon became more complex; it began to include everyday details: a set table next to the bed, a scene of a baby rocking to sleep.

In the XVI - XVII centuries images of the Nativity of John the Baptist became part of his life cycles: in the center of a large icon he was depicted as an angel of the desert - in full height with wings behind his back, stamps with scenes from his life were placed around him.

The most ancient iconographic type of Deesis is also widespread - Lord Jesus Christ with the coming Holy Mother of God and John the Baptist. This icon painting composition originated in Byzantium. Nowadays we see her on the iconostases of all Orthodox churches, on individual icons.

Great Saints John the Forerunner of the Lord, pray to God for us!