Biblical patriarchs. See what “Patriarch (Bible)” is in other dictionaries Old Testament saints

Old Testament forefathers. The story about them takes the reader to the initial period of the history of Israel (chapters 12 - 35). This is the period “Middle Bronze Age” - from the 20th to the 16th centuries. BC e.

In their analysis, scientists were guided by legends, which casts doubt on some facts.

The culture of Mesopotamia (4 thousand), like Egypt, is the oldest in the world. Already in the 3rd century. BC e. the peoples of Mesopotamia had a written language (the Sumerians had their own language, and the Akkadians had Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hebrew).

In the 24th century BC Akkadians conquered the Sumerians. Then it was the other way around. The city of Ur of the Chaldeans (Sumerian), where the first patriarch was born, became a thriving trading center. At the beginning of 2 thousand BC. e. The Sumerian kingdom fell. Then, during the time of unrest, Mesopotamia was conquered by the Amurians (Syrians), which, according to biblical scholars, was accompanied by Abram’s journey through Meat-potamia (24th century BC), which contributed to the spread of tribes. The names: Benjamin, Jacob, Abram are common to these nations. The names of some cities are similar to the names of Abraham's relatives.

Later, the Gurrites invaded Meatpotamia (other biblical scholars attribute Abram's journey to this period).

Hapiru- a group of people outside tribal communities and other social ties, wandering nomads who had no citizenship. “Ivri” = Jews, but it is still believed that the Hapiru were not Jews, and this word began to be used later. Abram and his son are hapiru, but this did not prevent them from moving to Egypt with the onset of famine in Palestine.

The meaning of these chapters: God chose a righteous man, a new generation, Abram(“father of believers”) to preserve religion. God renewed his covenant with him. Abraham turned 75 years old when he heard the voice of God: “Get out of your father’s house... I will magnify your name, your family...” Abraham left and became a nomad. As a reward, God blessed him and promised offspring. God's generosity to Abraham. During Abram's travels, God appeared to him several more times and promised him and his descendants the promised land. At the age of 99 he appeared to Abram and gave him the name “Abraham” - “father of many nations”, and Sarah - his wife - became Sarah - “mistress of the nations”.

Abraham's union with God was cemented by ritual circumcision. Babies are circumcised on the 8th day. The ritual is characteristic of other nations and is carried out when the young man becomes an adult. Now it is a sign of belonging to a community of people who have secured an alliance with God. In the spiritual sense - cutting off lusts and desires.

By the age of 100, God promised Abraham a son (Sarah 90) Isaac. In chapter 18, the appearance of God in the oak grove of Mamvre to Abraham in 3 faces: the Holy Trinity (there were 3 men and 2 angels). The Abrahamic Covenant is a tough faith. Faith grows stronger through trials. God tested Abraham: he had to sacrifice his son Isaac. This is similar to the custom of sacrificing the firstborn to the pagan gods. Abraham passed this test, when he was about to kill his son, God stopped him and the ram was killed.

The Sacrifice of Isaac is the most famous plot of the era of the patriarch. Indicates obedience to the god of Abraham. Philosophers Kerkezor, Shestov, and composer Stravinsky addressed this topic.

Isaac on the sacrificial stone anticipates Christ. The purpose of God's promises: to establish the dependence of the Jewish people on God.

Then Isaac had 2 sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau wanted to sell his brother (Jacob) for lentil stew (there was a famine in Palestine, but his mother did not allow this to happen), he is depicted as a secular person, but generous and magnanimous, and was not interested in God. Jacob is cunning, dexterous, and gradually, due to his kindness and resistance to trials, he becomes worthy of divine blessing.

During one of the travels Jacob saw dream: a ladder from earth to sky. Angels walked and ascended along it. There God repeated the words about the promised land. Many years later, Jacob was returning home when he saw second vision: the struggle with God until dawn is a test of the strength of Jacob's faith. In the fight, he damaged the hip joint, but overcame God, and in life he became lame. Wrestling early is a friendly exercise for developing strength. Major Spiritual Point: During the struggle, Jacob asks for a blessing. The change of name is evidence of his spiritual rebirth. After this test, Israel (new name) became worthy of God. In the ancient east, a name is a person’s identity. To influence a name means to influence a person. The struggle between God and man is only in the patriarchal part.

The book of Genesis is silent about the political events of that time, which makes the work of historians difficult. But we can judge the life and morals of people of 1 thousand BC. e.

Family.

The father is the head, he makes deals with merchants, manages money.

They were engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture.

We lived in a tent and ate vegetarian food; meat is only for sacrifices and feasts.

They had several wives and concubines.

Marriages - with parental consent. The bride was taken to the groom's house, but it could have been the other way around.

The presence of large offspring (sons) is a sign of prosperity. The wife's position depended on the number of sons.

Infertility is a shame.

The firstborn son had more rights (belonged to God) than others (they were already equal to each other).

The era of patriarchy ended with the death of Joseph.

The story of Joseph.

The story of Joseph is the best pages of the Bible, in which archaism is intertwined with subtle psychologism. In one phrase, the biblical author can convey all the feelings of the characters.

Joseph is the beloved son of Jacob, sold into slavery in Egypt by envious brothers. There he experienced many trials. He was a servant, then a housekeeper for the nobleman Patifar. He sent him to prison. The warden made Joseph a warden over the others. He began to guess dreams, as a result of which he became close to the pharaoh (he interpreted his dreams). When there was a famine in Palestine, Joseph's brothers moved to Egypt, the family lived there for a long time. Joseph soon saw his brothers and asked them: “Is my father still alive?” The brothers were afraid and did not answer.

How did Joseph end up with Pharaoh?

In 1720 BC, Egypt was conquered by the Hyksos (Simetic tribes). They defeated Lower Egypt thanks to chariots, and imposed tribute on Upper Egypt. They adopted all the external attributes of power. Their power in Egypt lasted about 150 years, the capital was Avaris. The family's relocation to Egypt occurs during this period. Pharaoh was a foreigner (one of the conquerors), so he could well have brought Joseph closer.

The accuracy of Egyptian customs (funerary rites, names - the wife of Joseph-Osenef, “Joseph shaved and cut his hair”) testify to the extreme antiquity of the legend about Joseph. The basis of the text dates back to the Pre-Solomon era.

ISAAC, BIBLE PATRIARCH

(Hebrew. Isaac? laughter) ? biblical patriarch, so named due to the special circumstances of his birth (Gen. XVII, 17-19; XVIII, 12; XXI, 6). This was the son of the aged Abraham and Sarah, who became the bearer of all the promises given to him. When he was 25 years old, Abraham received a command to sacrifice him, and he meekly obeyed his father: the sacrificial knife was already raised over him, but was rejected by the angel. Was I. married to the grandson of his Mesopotamian uncle Nahor, Rebekah, with whom he had two sons? Esau and Jacob. His life passed without any outstanding events (except for the case of a blessing: see Esau and Jacob), and he died 180 years old.

Brockhaus and Efron. Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron. 2012

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what ISAAC, BIBLE PATRIARCH is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

• ISAAC, BIBLE PATRIARCH
  (Hebrew Isaac - laughter) - so named due to the special circumstances of his birth (Gen. XVII, 17-19; XVIII, 12; XXI, 6). This …
• PATRIARCH in the Dictionary of Thieves' Slang:
  - 1) the chairman of the court, 2) the convicted person with the longest term...
• PATRIARCH in the Dictionary of Church Terms:
  
• PATRIARCH in Orthodox Church terms:
  in some Orthodox churches - the title of the head of the local church. The Patriarch is elected by the local council. The title was established by the Fourth Ecumenical Council of 451...
• ISAAC in the Bible Encyclopedia of Nikephoros:
  (laughter; Gen. 21:1-7) - the child of promise, the son of Abraham and Sarah, was born when the first was 100 years old, and the second 90 years old...
• PATRIARCH in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
  Open Orthodox encyclopedia "TREE". Patriarch (πατριάρχηζ - ancestor) is the title of the head of the local Church in some Orthodox Churches. The Patriarch is elected by the local...
• ISAAC in the Brief Biographical Encyclopedia:
  Isaac - Patriarch (Catholicos) of Armenia, lived around the middle of the 12th century. Brought up in the spirit of the Armenian Church, Isaac became convinced of the correctness of Orthodoxy...
• PATRIARCH
  in the church hierarchy, the highest rank given by the Jews to the head of the Sanhedrin. In the Christian Church it belonged first to all bishops, then to Rome, Constantinople, ...
• ISAAC in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  in biblical mythology, the son of Abraham and Sarah, the father of Esau and...
• PATRIARCH
  (Greek patriarches, from pater - father and archo - I rule), the highest title of the head of an independent (autocephalous) Orthodox Christian church in a number of countries. ...
• ISAAC in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
  according to biblical myths, the son of Abraham and Sarah, the father of Jacob and Esau (the ancestor of the Edomite people). By command of Yahweh, Abraham was to...
• ISAAC FEOFAN in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
  Byzantine writer, see ...
• ISAAC THE SYRIAN in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
  father of the church of the 7th century, b. in Nineveh and, in his youth, entered a monastery near this city, and then retired...
• ISAAC in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
  (Hebrew, Isaac - laughter) - biblical patriarch, so named due to the special circumstances of his birth (Gen. XVII, 17 - 19; XVIII, ...
• PATRIARCH in the Modern Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  (Greek patriarches, from pater - father and archo - to rule), the highest rank in the church hierarchy. In the Christian church it belonged to the Roman, ...
• PATRIARCH
  [Greek] 1) forefather, ancestor; 2) the head of the clan in a clan society; 3) the highest clergyman in some Christian...
• PATRIARCH in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  a, m., shower. 1. The head of the clan in a clan society. 2. The highest clergyman, head of the Orthodox Church. P. of all Rus'. Patriarchal...
• PATRIARCH in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  , -a, m. 1. Elder of the clan, clan community. P. forests (translated: about a mighty old tree). 2. In the Christian church: chapter...
• PATRIARCH
  PATRIARCH, to the church. higher hierarchy title given by the Jews to the head of the Sanhedrin. In Christ. The church belonged first to all the bishops, then to Rome...
• PATRIARCH in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  PATRIARCH (Greek patriarches - ancestor), head, elder of a clan, clan community, family. Peren. - long-lived, respected person by all; oldest representative k.-l. branches of science, art...
• ISAAC in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  ISAAC SIRIN, Isaac of Nineveh (? - late 7th century), Christian. writer, hermit monk, father of the Church. In 661 the bishop of Nineveh then retired...
• ISAAC in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  ISAAC ISRAELI (c. 850 - c. 950), Heb. physician and neoplatonist philosopher. Lived and worked at the court of the Fatimid caliphs in...
• ISAAC in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  ISAAC, in the Bible the son of Abraham and Sarah, the father of Esau and...
• ISAAC in Collier's Dictionary:
  in the Old Testament, the second patriarch of the Jewish people. The son of Abraham, born to him from Sarah when, according to the Bible, she was 90, ...
• PATRIARCH
  patria"rkh, patria"rhi, patria"rkha, patria"rkhov, patria"rhu, patria"rham, patria"rha,patria"rkhov,patria"rhom,patria"rkhami,patria"rhe, ...
• BIBLICAL in the Complete Accented Paradigm according to Zaliznyak:
  biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical ysky, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, biblical, ...
• PATRIARCH in the Popular Explanatory Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  -a, m. 1) In Orthodoxy: the highest clergyman, the supreme head of the Orthodox Church. Patriach of All Rus'. 2) The head of the clan in the clan...
• ISAAC
  Babel, Newton, ...
• ISAAC in the Dictionary for solving and composing scanwords:
  Dunaevsky is the namesake...
• ISAAC in the Dictionary for solving and composing scanwords:
  Male...
• PATRIARCH in the New Dictionary of Foreign Words:
  (gr. patriarches) 1) the head of the clan in a tribal society (see patriarchy); 2) the oldest, respected person by all; founder, oldest...
• PATRIARCH in the Dictionary of Foreign Expressions:
  [gr. patriarches] 1. the head of a clan in a tribal society (see patriarchy); 2. the oldest, respected person; founder, oldest representative of smb. areas...
• PATRIARCH in Abramov's Dictionary of Synonyms:
  cm. …
• PATRIARCH in the Russian Synonyms dictionary:
  head, long-liver, founder, Catholicos, founder, forefather, ancestor, ancestor, rank, ...
• ISAAC in the dictionary of Synonyms of the Russian language.
• PATRIARCH
  1. m. 1) Senior member of the clan society; ancestor. 2) a) The oldest, most respected somewhere. Human. b) transfer Founder, head of...
• BIBLICAL in the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
  adj. 1) Related to the Bible, connected with it. 2) Characteristic of the Bible, characteristic of ...
• PATRIARCH in Lopatin’s Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  patriarch, ...
• BIBLICAL in Lopatin's Dictionary of the Russian Language.
• PATRIARCH
  patriarch...
• ISAAC in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  Isaac, (Isaakovich, ...
• BIBLICAL in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language.
• PATRIARCH in the Spelling Dictionary:
  patriarch, ...
• BIBLICAL in the Spelling Dictionary.
• PATRIARCH in Ozhegov’s Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  Poet is the head and founder of something P. Russian chronicle writing. patriarch, elder of the clan, clan community of P. forests (translated: about the mighty old ...
• PATRIARCH in Dahl's Dictionary:
  husband. forefather, ancestor, venerable and respected head of the family. Old Testament patriarchs Noah, Abraham. | The highest chief of the clergy in the state, in the region. ...
• PATRIARCH
  (Greek patriarches - ancestor), 1) head, elder of a clan, clan community, family. In a figurative sense - a long-liver, a respected person by all (chapter...
• ISAAC in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
  in biblical mythology, the son of Abraham and Sarah, the father of Esau and Jacob. - Gulsar (Persian) (d. about 345), presbyter, martyr, victim...
• PATRIARCH in Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  patriarch, m. (Greek patriarches - Founder). 1. Forefather, senior member of the clan society (see patriarchy in 1 meaning; ethnol.). 2. Every...

Two weeks before the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Holy Church commemorates the holy forefathers. Continuing to prepare us for a worthy perception of the coming holiday of the Nativity of Christ, She now remembers and glorifies all the righteous husbands and wives who lived before the coming of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ into the world, starting with the forefather Adam and ending with Saint John the Baptist and the Most Pure Virgin Mary.

WHAT DID THE FOREFATERS LOOK LIKE?

At the very top of the iconostases you can see how the majestic gray-bearded old men Adam, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek are depicted - the forefathers, the righteous who took part in the history of the salvation of mankind. This Sunday, two weeks before the Nativity of Christ, their memory is celebrated.

Forefathers are not necessarily the ancestors of Jesus Christ according to the flesh. The main thing in their veneration is that they are prototypes of the future deliverance from eternal death. In the Orthodox tradition, the forefathers include: Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Methuselah, Enoch, Noah and his sons, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the 12 sons of Jacob, Lot, Melchizedek, Job and many others. In the Hebrew text of the Bible they are called “fathers”; in the Greek translation (Septuagint) they are called “patriarchs” (Greek patriarches - “ancestors”).

Their host also includes women - the foremothers Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, the sister of Moses the prophetess Mariam, the judge of Israel Deborah, the great-grandmother of King David Ruth, Judith, Esther, the mother of the prophet Samuel Anna, sometimes other women whose names have been preserved in The Old Testament or in Church Tradition. Among the New Testament persons, the host of forefathers also includes the righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and Joseph the Betrothed. The Orthodox tradition also includes the righteous Joachim and Anna among the forefathers, calling them “godfathers.” We know about them not from Holy Scripture, but from Holy Tradition, but their names are inscribed in the history of the salvation of mankind.

The veneration of forefathers has been attested in the Christian Church since the second half of the 4th century, although it dates back to the practice of the Judeo-Christian communities of the first centuries of Christianity and in its origins is associated with the Church of Jerusalem. It was no coincidence that the memory of the forefathers was established before the Nativity of Christ - this is a memory of the chain of generations preceding the birth of the Savior.

According to the iconographic tradition, the forefathers are depicted mostly with gray beards. So in the Greek iconographic original of Dionysius Furnagrafiot we read: “Forefather Adam, an old man with a gray beard and long hair. Righteous Seth, son of Adam, an old man with a smoky beard. Righteous Enos, son of Seth, an old man with a forked beard. And so on.". The only exception is Abel, about whom it is written: “Righteous Abel, son of Adam, young, without a beard.”

As a rule, the forefathers are depicted with scrolls containing texts from the Holy Scriptures. For example, the same Dionysius Furnagrafiot says: “Righteous Job, an old man with a round beard, wearing a crown, holds a charter with the words: Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever.” Some forefathers can be represented with symbolic attributes: thus Abel is depicted with a lamb in his hands (a symbol of an innocent sacrifice), Noah with an ark, Melchizedek with a dish on which there is a vessel with wine and bread (a prototype of the Eucharist).

Individual icons of the forefathers are not often found. Usually these are custom-made icons of namesake saints. But in the painting of the temple and in the iconostasis they occupy a special and very important place.

In Greek churches, images of forefathers and prophets are often located near the scene of the Nativity of Christ, so that, turning their gaze to the Divine Infant lying in a manger, worshipers see not only the participants and eyewitnesses of the Incarnation, but also the forefathers “pre-exalted by faith before the law.” For example, in the paintings of the catholicon of St. Nicholas of the Stavronikita monastery on Athos, made in the middle. XVI century Theophan of Crete, images of prophets and forefathers are located in the lower row under the scenes of the Christological cycle (scenes from the Annunciation to Pentecost), as if the righteous and prophets are looking at the fulfillment of what they themselves prophesied and for which they served as prototypes.

The famous isographer Theophanes the Greek, who arrived in Rus' from Byzantium, also depicted the forefathers in the painting of the Church of the Transfiguration on Ilyin Street in Novgorod, completed in 1378. But he placed them in a drum, standing before the face of Christ Pantocrator, depicted in the dome. Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah are represented here, that is, those forefathers who lived before the Flood.

We also find images of our forefathers in the painting of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, made two centuries later - in the 16th century. The central drum of the temple depicts Adam, Eve, Abel, Noah, Enoch, Seth, Melchizedek, Jacob. The circle of forefathers is expanded to show how the Old Testament history precedes the New Testament history.

For the Russian tradition, such cases are rare. But in the high Russian iconostasis a whole row is allocated to the forefathers - the fifth. This series was formed in the 16th century under the influence of great interest in the Old Testament. The fact is that in 1498, under the leadership of Archbishop Gennady (Gonzov) of Novgorod, all the books of the Old Testament were translated into Slavic. This translation was called the Gennadian Bible. Before this, in Rus', and throughout the Slavic world, only the New Testament and individual passages from the Old, the so-called. Proverbs, those fragments that are read at the service. Archbishop Gennady ordered the translated books to be rewritten and sent to the monasteries, and thereby aroused great interest in the Old Testament in the Russian educated society, and this was mainly the priesthood and monasticism. The priesthood and monasticism were also the main customers of temple decoration, paintings and iconostases, and we see that literally a few decades after the publication of the Gennady Bible, approximately by the middle of the 16th century. above the prophetic rank in the iconostasis the rank of the forefathers appears.

The iconostasis is a complex organism, the purpose of which is to show the image of the Heavenly Liturgy, which includes the image of the Church - the Deesis rite, and the history of salvation: the New Testament - the festive rite, the Old Testament - the prophets and forefathers.

At first, the icons of the forefathers were half-length images, most often inscribed in the shape of a kokoshnik. Sometimes they alternated with images of cherubs and seraphim. By the end of the XVI - beginning. XVII centuries Full-figure images of the forefathers appear in the iconostases.

In connection with the addition of the second row of the Old Testament, the icon painters faced a problem: what to depict in the center of this row. In the center of the Deesis rank is the image of Christ (“The Savior in Power” or the Savior on the Throne), in the center of the prophetic row the Mother of God is depicted (“The Sign” or the throne image of the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven). By analogy with these images, the icon of Hosts (God the Father) appeared in the center of the fifth row, as the personification of the Old Testament ideas about God, or the image of the so-called. The New Testament Trinity, in which the image of God the Father is complemented by the image of Jesus Christ (as a youth or in adulthood) and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. These images caused great controversy in society and were banned twice at Church Councils - in 1551 at the Council of the Stoglavy and in 1666-67. - on Bolshoy Moskovsky. However, they have firmly entered into iconographic use. Only in the twentieth century. the famous icon painter and theologian Leonid Aleksandrovich Uspensky found a way out of this situation by proposing to place in the center of the forefathers' row the image of the Old Testament Trinity in the form of three angels, as Andrei Rublev painted it. It is this tradition that has taken hold in most modern Orthodox churches, where five-tiered iconostases are installed.

Often, on both sides of the central icon in the forefathers' row, the forefathers Adam and Eve are depicted. They, as the forefathers of humanity, lead the line of forefathers. It may seem strange why among the saints are represented precisely those who, because of their disobedience to God, were expelled from paradise, who plunged humanity into the slavery of death? But the iconostasis, as we have already said, is an image of the history of salvation, Adam and Eve, like the entire human race that came from them, having gone through temptations, were redeemed thanks to the Incarnation, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is no coincidence that the image of the cross crowns the iconostasis to reveal the image of Christ's victory.

And in the icons of the Resurrection (Descent into Hell) we see how the Savior, standing on the destroyed gates of hell, leads Adam and Eve out of the kingdom of death. This composition also includes images of other forefathers, for example, Abel. And on one icon “The Descent into Hell” of the 14th century. (Rostov province) behind the figure of Eve you can see five female images, these are righteous wives, perhaps these are precisely those whom the Church reveres as foremothers.

We also see the images of Adam and Eve in the image of the Last Judgment. They are usually represented kneeling before Jesus Christ, seated surrounded by the twelve apostles. Here the return to God of the ancestors who were once expelled from paradise is already affirmed.

The iconography of the Last Judgment includes the composition “Abraham’s Bosom,” which also depicts the forefathers, primarily Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is one of the images of heaven. Usually the forefathers are shown seated on seats in the Garden of Eden. In Old Russian, the womb is a part of the human body from the knees to the chest, so Abraham has many children depicted on his lap and in his bosom, the souls of the righteous, whom the father of all believers accepts as his children.

We also meet Abraham in the compositions “The Hospitality of Abraham”, here he is depicted together with Sarah, and “The Sacrifice of Abraham”, where he sacrifices his son Isaac to God. These scenes, prefiguring the New Testament sacrifice, became widespread in Christian art. The earliest extant depiction of the “Hospitality of Abraham” is preserved in the Roman catacombs on Via Latina, 4th century, and one of the earliest depictions of the “Sacrifice of Abraham” is found in the painting of the synagogue at Dura Europos, c. 250. These subjects were also widespread in Rus'; they are already present in the frescoes of the Kyiv Sophia of the 11th century, and we can find them in many temple ensembles right up to the present day.

On icons, scenes from the story of Abraham are also found quite often, but, of course, the image of “Hospitality of Abraham” in the ancient Russian tradition enjoyed special veneration, since it was perceived as the icon of “St. Trinity".

Among the Old Testament plots associated with the life of the patriarchs, it is worth pointing out two more important plots, these are “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Jacob’s Wrestling with God”; these compositions also have a deep symbolic meaning and therefore were often included in the paintings of temples.

Since the 16th century. Scenes with forefathers were often placed on deacon doors. The most common images are of Abel, Melchizedek, and Aaron; they were perceived as prototypes of Christ, and therefore were perceived as an important part of the liturgical context of the temple.
The iconography of the foremothers is not as extensive as the iconography of the forefathers. We have already mentioned Sarah. Images of other Old Testament righteous wives are quite rare both in monumental paintings and in icons. All the more valuable are those rare monuments, which include the Shuya-Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, kept in the local row of the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. This icon is inserted into a frame, in the stamps of which eighteen Old Testament righteous women are depicted: Eve, Anna (mother of the prophet Samuel), Deborah, Judith, Jael (Judg. 4-5), Leah, Mariam (sister of Moses), Rebekah, Rachel, Rahab, Ruth, Esther, Susanna, Sarah, the widow of Sarepta, the Shunammite, the wives of King David Abigail and Abishag. The marks of the icon were painted by the icon painters of the Armory Chamber.

His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill

The Nativity Fast, which is now coming to an end, draws our attention to the spiritual feat of people who lived before Christ the Savior. Most holidays dedicated to the Old Testament prophets fall during the Nativity Fast. And services in honor of the Old Testament prophets help us understand the meaning and significance of the service that they performed.

The last two Sundays before the Nativity of Christ, called in the language of the Church Charter, Forefather Week and Father Week, are dedicated to all the Old Testament saints of God who kept the promise of the Savior’s coming into the world. They were faithful to this promise, despite the most difficult circumstances of their life at that time from a spiritual point of view.

The small Jewish people were surrounded by a sea of ​​pagan countries and peoples. These countries had a powerful pagan culture that amazes even us, people of the 21st century. The majestic temples in the Nile Valley and the Egyptian pyramids seem to have absorbed all the power of that pagan civilization. Developed crafts, agriculture, army, science, exact sciences, which made it possible to build these majestic structures - all this showed enormous power. That before this power there were mostly humble, little-known people who lived in Palestine, who were called prophets? What was their strength before this amazing power of pagan civilization?

What is wrong and sinful about this civilization? The fact is that it was based on the worship of false gods. People in search of God have reached a spiritual dead end and deified what is not God. And since this was false worship of false gods, it was accompanied by a dangerous, false, incorrect, unpleasing way of life. People lived according to the law of instinct, and everything that contributed to the emancipation of this instinct, everything that contributed to pleasure, was the focus of attention of those ancient people, and everything else was supposed to serve this false, pagan life.

It cannot be said that the pagan environment did not influence those who maintained faith in the one true God the Creator. Many of the Israeli people, under the influence of all this luxury and power of the world around them, bowed their knees before false gods and, probably, were guided by a very simple principle: “Are we worse than others? Look how well they live, what powerful states they have, what an army they have, how well they eat, what beautiful temples and homes they have!”

Many were tempted when they saw the power of the pagan world before them. But there were also those who did not give in to temptation - they were called prophets. They walked, as it were, against the flow, remaining internally free and subordinate only to God. And God, in response to this feat of courageous preservation of faith, granted those people the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, as we confess in the Creed, spoke through the prophets, and therefore their words carried Divine wisdom and power, helped the people maintain the true faith, and when the people retreated, the formidable denunciation of the prophets helped preserve the faith.

The meaning of the Nativity of the Savior is that He made it possible to have the gift of the Holy Spirit not only to individual great and strong-spirited people, but to every person, because through the birth and life of the Savior, through His suffering, the Cross and Resurrection, the grace of the Holy Spirit is sent down to us. And everyone who wants to receive this grace - the same one that inspired the prophets - must only have faith in the heart and be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And what the chosen ones had, we all receive. In everyone there is the Holy Spirit, according to the word of the Apostle, and this Spirit is capable of admonishing us and making us strong.

The temptations of the ancient world are still the temptations of the human race. We see how European civilization, once built on a Christian basis, is gradually turning into a pagan civilization, from which the worship of the true God is expelled, and in the place of God the cult of man, the cult of consumption, is erected. Living according to the law of instinct becomes the value that this civilization preaches. And again, as in ancient times, on the side of this civilization is a force that amazes the imagination; wealth that blinds the eyes. And, probably, many people want to say: “But it’s so beautiful there, there’s such power, such wealth, such pleasures!” Am I the worst? And I want to live like that."

How difficult it was for the ancient prophets, Old Testament forefathers and fathers, to resist temptations! They were alone and fought alone with the pagan reality surrounding them. But today we are not confronting the pagan world alone. We, all together, are the Church of God, in which the Holy Spirit lives and acts. Strengthened by the Sacrament, we enlighten our mind, strengthen our will, and elevate our feelings. We have that power that even the prophets did not have - this is the power of common faith and prayer, this is the power that is bestowed through participation in the Sacrament of the Church.

But how often do we lack these forces, and often we find ourselves literally crushed and destroyed by these external circumstances of pagan life. The memory of the Old Testament saints is given to us on the eve of the Nativity of Christ in order to fully appreciate everything that God in Christ brought to people, in order to fully feel and realize what a great Divine treasure we possess. These days are also given to us in order to strengthen our faith, to realize the vanity and sinfulness of the pagan world and to do everything so that our national life is always nourished from its Christian sources, so that our people draw from these sources the grace-filled power, through the action of which our culture becomes a carrier the highest spiritual values.

The Apostle teaches us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12). Yes, indeed, a Christian does not fight with people, but a Christian is called to fight sin. And may the Lord, who was born in Bethlehem for our salvation, help us to gain victory over all those forces that, both in ancient times and now, fight against faith. The existence of the human race depends on our victory, on the victory of the human race over these elements of this world. That is why the question of faith, of accepting Christ in the heart is not a secondary question of our life, but the most fundamental, on the solution of which not only our personal appearance, but the appearance of the entire human race depends. Amen.

Word on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

This Sunday is called the “Sunday of the Holy Forefathers” because it is dedicated to the forefathers of Jesus Christ. What was especially remarkable about these people, about their destinies? The fact that the Lord called them, and helped them, and acted through them when everything earthly seemed to have changed and abandoned them.

Here is our common forefather Abraham, the father of believers, as the Apostle Paul called him. He lived almost 4,000 years ago, and we still revere him. God called him from among the pagans, the idolaters, and said to him: “Get out of your house, from your father’s family, from your country, and go to the land that I will show you. Separate yourself from them."

This was the beginning of faith, first the Old Testament, and on it, as a foundation, the New Testament. But look: what does God promise Abraham? If he remains faithful and faithful to him, then through his descendants all the tribes and peoples of the earth will be blessed. He promises them a country, a land on which they will glorify God.

What do we see instead? Abraham becomes old, but he is still childless... His wife can no longer give birth to a child, and he must bequeath all his property to his servant Eliazar, because he has no heirs. What did God promise him? What kind of offspring will he have if he does not have a single son or daughter?

And about the land on which he lives, God said: “I give it to you.” But this land remained foreign: each city, each fortress was owned by different kings, princes and tribes. And he was nobody there! He is a wanderer and a stranger.

But finally, with the blessing of God, his wife, who had already lost hope, gives birth to a child. But when the boy grew up, God says that he must be sacrificed, as the pagans did with their firstborns (they sacrificed them to the pagan gods, killing them on the altar). So Abraham had to lose this last consolation too? But he still knew that God does not want evil and will not create it, and that He will resurrect the dead, and therefore he and his son went to Mount Moriah, to the place where the Temple of Jerusalem was later located. Then the Lord said to him: “I see your faith, now My blessing will always be on you and your descendants.” And he received everything, although he had nothing. The Lord, pointing to the starry sky, said: “Look at these stars. You will have so many descendants. You, who was childless, who did not hope for anything human.”

Among these stars, among these descendants are you and me, for spiritually we are all the children of this man who believed in God completely, in spite of everything. He knew that the Lord was good and would never turn from his path.

And after several centuries the Lord calls upon another prophet and leader - Moses. You all know him. When he was born, he had no chance to survive, because Pharaoh ordered all Israelite male children to be exterminated so that they would not increase in number. And the mother, having given birth to the child, did not know what to do with him, because if the child cried or screamed, they might hear him on the street, come and kill him.

She hid him for one month, then another, while she had the opportunity. But the child grew, and she put him in a basket, carried him to the river, to the Nile, which still flows in Egypt, put the basket among the reeds in the water and left, and her daughter, the older sister of the newborn boy, remained to watch what would happen. Will the stream carry away the basket with the baby? Won't people take it? Of course, what chance does a child thrown into a river have to survive?

And at this time the daughter of Pharaoh comes there to bathe. She heard a child crying in the reeds and sent her maids there, and they brought her a basket of reeds. They opened it and saw a swaddled, crying child there. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said: “Perhaps he is one of the children of Israel; someone hid the child. I will take him and raise him like a son.”

She took him into her house and gave him the name Moses, which means “son” in Egyptian, and “drawn from the water” in Israeli. And he grew up with her like a son; had education, wealth, and all the living conditions that a person could dream of. But, as the Scripture says, he, having learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians, still chose to go to his brothers.

And when he saw that his brothers in faith, in the flesh, were suffering from the oppression of the king of Egypt, he decided to deliver and save them. He came to them and began to say that they were slaves and should be free, but they became even more afraid. One day he saw an Egyptian beating an Israeli slave, and Moses interceded, hit the Egyptian, and he was a strong man, and killed him with one blow. And when rumors spread about this, he had to flee the city and hide in the desert, in the mountains.

What was he supposed to do? His life's work failed, the king persecuted him; and Moses went through the desert, found nomads there, peaceful, God-fearing people, married the daughter of their leader, and tended his sheep. That's all the calling! She passed one year, passed another, and lived like this for many years. And, of course, all hope in his soul was extinguished. And then the Lord called him.

One day he wandered with his sheep onto a high mountain, and there he saw a burning bush that was blazing but not burned - the “Burning Bush”, and he heard a Voice: “Take off your shoes - this is a holy place.” When he did this and bowed down, a Voice said to him: “Go to the king of Egypt and say: “Thus says the Lord God, release my people from slavery to freedom.” And again Moses hesitated. He replied: “Where will I go? How will I appear before the king? After all, he will expel me and kill me, and in general they will not allow me to see him. Who am I?" After all, many years passed and the king at whose court he lived died long ago, there was a new king. "Go!" - said the Lord.

Moses could not have had any human calculation. But he went and went in to Pharaoh, and not by his own power, but by the power of God, he said: “Thus says the Lord Eternal. Let my people go!” At first, Pharaoh drove him away, but then natural disasters began: loss of livestock, pestilence, and locusts, and then Pharaoh realized that it was the Lord God speaking through the mouth of this man. And he allowed all the captives, all the people of Israel, to leave.

And the people went out, and Moses walked at their head. And there was a light shining ahead. It was a pillar of fire with which the Lord showed them the way in the desert. But when they approached the shore of the bay, they saw that the royal soldiers were galloping behind them, chasing them on horses and with bows. It was the king who came to his senses and decided to stop the Israelites, because he needed free labor.

And again it seemed that there was no way out. Humanly speaking, everyone should have died. And then the Lord said: “Stretch out your staff,” and Moses stretched out, and a stormy wind passed over the bay, and the sea began to part, and the people walked knee-deep in water across the sand. He went and crossed the sea. When the people passed, the waves closed in, and Pharaoh’s horsemen could no longer catch up with them.

Look, again, at the very edge of death, the Lord helps. And so Moses led the people through the desert, but the desert is not Egypt, where there is excellent food, and shade from the trees, and life-giving water in the Nile River. And although hard labor was difficult, everyone was still fed, clothed, and shod. And now there is a bare steppe, not a single tree, only stones, and people grumble and say: “We will all die of hunger here, it was better for us to be slaves than to come here to this ruined place.”

And again Moses prayed and said: “Lord, everything is over for us, we have no way out and no way.” And at that time, migratory birds flew across the desert, they were caught in the placed nets and fed the people. And another time, suffering from thirst, they approached a rock, and God said to Moses: “Strike just once, and there will be a source.” Moses struck once, but he did not have enough faith. He struck a second time, and the source splashed and flowed. And the exhausted people clung to this water. And the Lord appeared to Moses in a dream and, reproaching him, said: “You struck twice, you did not believe me. I told you: “Just touch the stone.”

This is how we see in the Sacred History of the Old Testament that the Lord called people who were in difficult, difficult circumstances, who could no longer count on anything earthly. Only despair awaited them, but they did not allow despair. Then the Lord Jesus said, “Fear not, only believe.” This is what they did - they were not afraid, but only believed. This is why we glorify their names today. Therefore, today’s holiday, preceding the Christmas days, is dedicated to the memory of these men who stood firm in their faith, in hope and in love for the Lord. Amen.

- son of Enosh, grandson of Seth, father of Maleleel, descendant of Adam

- son of Cainan, descendant of Seth

- father of Enoch, descendant of Seth

- son of Jared, was taken up to God without dying

- son of Enoch, grandfather of Noah

- father of Noah, son of Methuselah

- the last of the ten antediluvian patriarchs and the hero of the flood

Shem is the eldest son of Noah, and the ancestor of Israel. Direct ancestor of Abraham

Cain Line

• - firstborn son of Adam, killed Abel
• Enoch - son of Cain
• Irad - son of Enoch
• Mehiael - son of Irad
• Methuselah – “man of God”, descendant of Cain
• - fifth generation along the line of Cain. The first polygamist in the Bible.
• - son of Lamech, last of the tribe of Cain.

Biblical characters: patriarchs after the Flood

Patriarchs in the Holy Scriptures are biblical characters who were the pious ancestors of the people of God (Jewish), who lived before the law given on Mount Sinai.

• - the third son of Shem, grandson of Noah, was born two years after the flood.
• Eber is a descendant of Shem, the ancestor of Abraham, the last of the pious patriarchs before the dispersion of the nations.
• Peleg - the son of Eber, the ancestor of Abraham (and Jesus), is recognized as the ancestor of all the Semitic peoples of Mesopotamia.
• - son of Harran (Aran), nephew of Abraham.
• – father of Abraham, his religious practices are hotly debated to this day
• - “father of many”, the first Jewish patriarch, son of Terah, descendant of Noah. Originally known as Abram.
• - Abraham's only son from Sarah and patriarch of the Israeli people
• Jacob is the ancestor of the Israeli people and the ancestor of the 12 tribes of Israel. Son, younger twin brother of Esau, husband of Leah and Rachel. God changed his name to “Israel.”

Twelve Tribes of Israel (sons of Jacob, aka Israel)

• Asher is the eighth son of Jacob and Zilpah (Leah's maid), the ancestor of the tribe of Asher.
• Benjamin is the twelfth and last of the sons of Jacob; founder of the tribe of Benjamin. Saul, the first king of Israel, was from the tribe of Benjamin.
• Dan is the fifth son of Jacob and the firstborn of Jacob by Bilhah. Founder of the tribe of Dan.
• Gad is the seventh son of Jacob and Zilpah, the founder of the tribe of Gad.
• Issachar is the ninth son of Jacob, the fifth born of Leah; founder of the tribe of Issachar; little is known about his personality.
• Joseph is the eleventh son of Jacob. His descendants were divided into 2 tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph was taken to Egypt as a slave and served as a translator for Pharaoh.
• Ephraim is the second and youngest son of Joseph, the founder of the tribe of Ephraim.
• Manasseh – son of Joseph, founder of the tribe of Manasseh.
• Judah is the fourth son of Jacob and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. King David was from the tribe of Judah.
• Naphtali is the sixth son of Jacob from Bilhah, the ancestor of the tribe of Naphtali.
• Reuben is the first son of Jacob and Leah, the ancestor of the tribe of Reuben.
• Simeon is the second son of Jacob by Leah.
• Zebulun is the tenth son of Jacob and the sixth son of Leah.

From the formation of a nation to the creation of a kingdom.

• Judah is the fourth son of Jacob and the progenitor of the tribe of Judah.
• Hezrom is the great-grandson of Jacob, grandson of Judah, ancestor of King David.
• Aminadab - father of Naason, ancestor of David and Jesus
• Naason – the name means “snake”; leader of the tribe of Judah in the wilderness.
• – hero; Boaz married Ruth and became the father of Obed (grandfather of David)
• Obed - son of Boaz and Ruth, father of Jesse, grandfather of King David
• Jesse – this name means “courageous”; the father of King David, lived in Bethlehem, had eight sons (of which David was the youngest) and two daughters.
• – the name means “beloved” or “beloved”; the first king to unite Israel and Judah reigned from 1005 to 965 BC. e.

Biblical Characters: Biblical Prophets

Great prophets

• Isaiah - relatively little is known about this biblical character. Prophet of the Kingdom of Judah. He was a prophet during the reign of the Judah kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah; biblical author.
• - belonged to the tribe of Benjamin; prophet in Judea before its fall in 586 BC. e.; known as the weeping prophet, author and.
• Ezekiel is a Jewish priest and prophet. He was taken captive to Babylon in 597 BC. e.; had a thorough knowledge of the Jerusalem Temple. Author .
• - a man of extraordinary wisdom and righteousness; member of the Jewish nobility, exiled to Babylon in 597 BC. e. Author .

Twelve Minor Prophets.

• Hosea - carried out prophetic ministry during the period when Assyria was establishing a new regime of dominance in the East. His predictions are recorded in. He was married to a harlot, often referred to as a “prophet of fate.”
• Joel – son of Bethuel; lived in Jerusalem, is mentioned by name only once in the Old Testament - in the preface to.
• - a prophet who lived around 750 BC. e., preached in the Northern Kingdom; was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea, was called to remind people of God’s punishing justice and call them to repentance; opposed the gap between the very rich and the very poor.
• Obadiah is the fourth of the minor prophets; probably contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel; little is known about his personality. Author .
• Jonah is the son of Amathian; prophet of the Northern Kingdom (circa 800 BC). Author
• Micah - prophesied around 737-696 BC. e. in Judea. Contemporary of Isaiah, Amos and Hosea; condemned King Ahab; prophesied about the future destruction of Jerusalem and the future restoration of the Jewish state; predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
• Nahum - very little is known about his personality; wrote about the fall of the Assyrian kingdom; may have written his prophecies around 615 BC. e.
• Habakkuk is believed to have lived in Jerusalem, and was probably a contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah.
• Zephaniah - prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (641-610 BC), a contemporary of Jeremiah, with whom he has much in common; boldly opposed religious and moral corruption.
• Haggai - Jewish prophet during the construction of the second temple in Jerusalem; work on the restoration of the temple resumed thanks to his efforts and the efforts of the prophet Zechariah.
• Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai; played a significant role in the restoration of the temple.
• , the author of the Old Testament, about whom virtually nothing is known.

Biblical Characters: Biblical Kings

United Monarchy (Israel and Judah)

• Saul - the first king of Israel, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin; anointed king by Samuel, reigned from 1020-1000 BC. e.
• – ruled from 1005-965 BC e.
• Solomon is the tenth son of David and the second son of Bathsheba; third king of Israel, reigned for 40 years around 1000 BC. e.

Rulers of Israel (Northern Kingdom)

• Jeroboam I - son of Nebat, king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the revolt of the ten northern Israelite tribes against Rehoboam, which ended the United Monarchy; reigned for 22 years from 922 BC. e. 901.
• Nebat - the son and heir of Jeroboam, the second king of Northern Israel, reigned for two years from 901 to 900 BC. uh..
• Vaasa - reigned for 23 years (about 900 - 877 BC). Came to power by killing the previous king Navat.
• Elah is the son of Baasha, who succeeded him as the 4th king of Israel, he reigned around 877 - 876 BC. e.; was killed (along with his family).
• Zimri – King of Israel for seven days around 876 BC. e.; the killer of King Ila, was burned alive.
• Famnius, son of Gonathov; reigned from 876 – 871 BC. e.;
• Omri - reigned for 12 years (approximately 876 - 869 BC)
• Ahab - reigned for 22 years (from 869 - 850 BC) married Jezebel (daughter of the Tyrian king), sought to spread the worship of Baal.
• Ahaziah - son of Ahab and Jezebel; reigned from approximately 850 - 849 BC; historical documents record that the Moabites rebelled against him. Ahaziah died by falling from the roof of the gallery of his palace. Had no sons. After Ahaziah, his younger brother succeeded to power.
• Jehoram is the son of Ahab and Jezebel and the brother of King Ahaziah; reigned for 12 years (approximately 849 - 842 BC); worshiped Baal; killed by his own commander Jehu with an arrow in the back.
• Jehu - son of Jehoshaphat; reigned from 842 - 815 BC. e. after the murder of Jehoram.
• Jehoahaz, son of Jehu; reigned for seventeen years (approximately 815 - 801 BC).
• Joash is the son of Joahaz; reigned for 16 years (approximately 801 - 786 BC).
• Jeroboam II - son and successor of Joash; ruled for 41 years (approximately 786 -746 BC), defeated the Syrians; encouraging the worship of golden calves; reigned during the time of the prophets Hosea, Joel, and Amos.
• Zechariah – son of Jeroboam II; ruled for 6 months (746 - 745 BC);
• Sellum - originally a captain in the army of King Zechariah, he conspired against Zechariah and killed him; reigned for “a month of days” before another captain from Zechariah’s army put him to death and reigned in his place.
• Menaim reigned for 10 years (approximately 745 - 736 BC) after the murder of Sellum. Scientists believe Menaim died of natural causes. He was succeeded on the throne by his son.
• Fakia - son of Menaim; reigned for 2 years (approximately 742 - 740 BC) He was killed in the fortress of the royal palace in Samaria.
• Phakai - the son of Remaliin, a captain in the army of the king of Phakia, whom he killed to become king; reigned for several years (approximately 737 - 732 BC (the date of his reign is still debated)); was killed by Hosea, who seized the throne.
• Hosea is the son of Elah, the last king of the kingdom of Israel. Ruled approximately 732 - 721 BC. e.

Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom)

• Rehoboam - son of Solomon, grandson of David; was the king of the Kingdom of Judah, reigned from about 932 - 915 BC. e.
• Abijah - son of Robam, grandson of Solomon, great-grandson of David; fourth king of the tribe of David and second ruler of the Kingdom of Judah; had 22 sons and 16 daughters from 14 wives; fought with King Jeroboam I in an attempt to unite the two kingdoms.
• Asa is the son of Abij; reigned for 41 years (913-873 BC); was zealously devoted to God and tried to rid the country of idolatry.
• Jehoshaphat - son of Asa, reigned for 25 years (approximately 871 - 849 BC).
• Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat; reigned for 8 years (849 - 842 BC); trying to consolidate his power, he killed six brothers and entered into a conspiracy with the Northern Kingdom, marrying the daughter of King Ahab.
• Ahaziah - son of Joram; reigned for one year (842 BC); was the youngest son of Joram.
• Athaliah – daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel; reigned for 6 years (842-837 BC); spread the cult of Baal in Judea, ordered the execution of all possible contenders for the throne.
• Joash is the only surviving son of Ahaziah after the massacre of Athaliah; ascended the throne at the age of 7, reigned for 40 years (approximately 837 - 800 AD). He was killed by his servants.
• Amaziah - son of Joash; took the throne after his father was assassinated at the age of 25; reigned for 29 years (797-768 BC). Having ascended the throne, he ordered the execution of his father’s murderers, but, contrary to custom, he allowed the children of traitors to live. He was killed in Lachish.
• Uzziah is the son of Amaziah; reigned for 52 years (approximately 783 - 742 BC); was faithful to God during his early reign; was stricken with leprosy because he disobeyed God.
• Jotham - son of Uzziah; reigned for 11 years (approximately 742 - 735 BC). A contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and Micah, to whose advice he listened.
• Ahaz - son of Jotham; reigned for 16 years (approximately 732 - 729 BC). He indulged in gross idolatry and even sacrificed his own children to the pagan gods.
• Hezekiah - son of Ahaz; reigned for 29 years (approximately 715 - 686 BC), having ascended the throne, he immediately instructed the priests and Levites to begin repairing the temple. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah and Micah; died of natural causes at the age of 54 and was succeeded by his son Manasseh.
• Manasseh is the son of Hezekiah; took the throne at the age of 12 and reigned for 55 years (approximately 687 - 643 BC). He canceled the reforms carried out by his father Hezekiah and again restored the pagan cult.
• Ammon - the son of Manasseh, reigned for 2 years (642 - 640 BC).
• Josiah, the son of Amun, took the throne at the age of 8 after the murder of his father and reigned for 31 years (641 - 610 BC). He carried out religious reforms, organized the repair of the temple, during which Hilkiah discovered the “book of the law of Moses.” Many scholars believe that it was a copy of the book. The discovery of the book prompted Josiah to renew the ancient Covenant with God. He ordered the destruction of pagan idols and emblems of Baal, and the burning of the bones of dead priests. Josiah died in battle against the Egyptians.
• Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, neglected his father’s reforms and reigned for only 3 months in 609 BC. e., a, died in exile.
• Joachim - the son of Josiah, reigned for 11 years (608 - 597 BC). In 598 BC. e. he died and his body was thrown outside the city walls
• Jehoiachin – son of Joachim; reigned for 3 months and 10 days (from December 9, 598 to March 15/16, 597 BC) Jeremiah cursed him and his descendants. Mentioned in as Joseph's ancestor. Dethroned by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon
• Zedekiah is the last king of Judah. According to the Bible, he was placed on the throne by King Nebuchadnezzar II in 597 BC. e. at the age of 21. He was taken into Babylonian captivity, where he remained a captive until his death.

Characters of the New Testament.

Jesus Christ and his relatives.

• Jesus needs no introduction, the Savior, the Messiah and the central character of the New Testament.
• , wife of Joseph, known as “Our Lady” because of her virgin birth. The Gospel of James contains the names of her parents - Joachim and Anna; her death is not described in the Bible.
• - son of Jacob, husband of Mary, descendant of David; last mentioned in the Bible when Jesus was 12 years old. The lack of later references suggests that he may have died at a young age. By profession, he is a highly qualified craftsman in wood, stone or metal.

Brothers of Jesus.

There is no unanimity among Catholics and Orthodox Christians about exactly what kind of family relationship Jesus had with his brothers. In the Orthodox tradition, the prevailing opinion is that Jesus’ brothers are his half-brothers, the children of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage. In Catholic tradition, it is believed that these are cousins ​​of Jesus, children of Mary of Cleopas.

• James - along with Judas, often mentioned in the Bible as “the brother of the Lord”, was executed in Jerusalem several years before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. e.
• Judas is the brother of Jesus, who is sometimes confused with Judas, who was one of the twelve disciples.
• Josiah - mentioned in as the brother of Jesus.
• Simon - mentioned in as the brother of Jesus.

Christian Apostles are followers of Jesus.

Twelve Apostles.

• Peter (aka Simon or Cephas) ​​is the son of Jonah from the village of Bethsaida. His brother Andrew was also an apostle. Peter denied Jesus three times before truly believing. Leader of the early Christian church. The Catholic Church considers him the first Pope. He was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero.
• Andrey (Peter’s brother) – born in the village of Bethsaida, a fisherman by profession. He was also a disciple of John the Baptist. He was martyred on the cross in Achaea.
• Jacob is the son of Zebedee. He was executed with a sword. This is the only apostle whose martyrdom is described in the New Testament.
• John - son of Zebedee, brother of Jacob; Church tradition holds that he outlived the rest of the apostles and was the only one who did not die a martyr's death. It is believed that he is the author of several books of the New Testament -, and, and also.
• Philip is an apostle, originally from the city of Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Legend has it that he was tortured and executed in Hierapolis.
• Bartholomew is one of the first disciples of Christ, called fourth after Andrew, Peter and Philip. Legend has it that he was tortured in Armenia, having his head either cut off or flayed alive and crucified.
• Thomas, also known as “Doubting Thomas” – according to legend, when Jesus was resurrected, Thomas was traveling outside the Roman Empire and did not believe the good news that reached him. It is believed that Thomas was killed in 72 in India, possibly by a spear or arrow.
• Matthew - mentioned as a tax collector (possibly for Herod Antipas); also called Levi, son of Alpheus, considered the author.
• James, son of Alphaeus, may have been Matthew's brother. Some researchers attribute authorship to him.
• Judah (Thaddeus) – son of Jacob. Not to be confused with Judas the traitor (they are clearly distinguished from each other in the Bible). In some lists of the apostles, his name is omitted - Judas, he is simply called Thaddeus, probably due to the fact that the name Judas was tainted by Judas Iscariot (the traitor). Thaddeus preached the gospel in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Libya. Legend says that he was born into a Jewish family, but probably spoke both Greek and Aramaic and was a farmer by profession. According to legend, he suffered martyrdom in 65 in Beirut, in the Roman province of Syria, together with the Apostle Simon, possibly dying from an axe, the body was brought to Rome and placed in St. Peter's Basilica.
• Simon - According to legend, the holy Apostle Simon preached the teachings of Christ in Judea, Egypt, Abkhazia and Libya.
• Judas Iscariot (traitor) is the son of Simon Iscariot, infamous for his betrayal. Sold Jesus for thirty silver coins. Tradition says that he hanged himself after his betrayal.

Characters of the Bible - High Priests of the New Testament

• Caiaphas, high priest - Joseph Caiaphas; high priest during the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. The leader in the plot to arrest and execute Jesus had no power to impose the death penalty, so he sent Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor, to pronounce sentence. Caiaphas served as high priest from 18 – 37 AD. e.
• Anna - the first high priest of Roman Judea - son of Seth, high priest during the time of John the Baptist; served as high priest from 6 – 16 AD. e.
• Zechariah - father of John the Baptist - priest in Jerusalem. In old age, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and announced that he and his wife were to have a child.

Characters of the Bible - Prophets of the New Testament

• Agabus is a prophet in the early church; perhaps one of Christ's 70 disciples, prophesied in Antioch about an approaching famine.
• Simeon is a prophet and teacher in the church in Antioch.
• John the Baptist - son of Zechariah and Elizabeth; born about six months before Jesus Christ; denounced the Sadducees and Pharisees as spawn of vipers; baptized Jesus; was thrown into prison and beheaded by Herod.

Believing characters of the New Testament.

• Apollos was an eloquent, educated man, well versed in the sacred scriptures. He preached in Corinth after the Apostle Paul.
• Aquila - Priscilla's husband; came from Italy to Corinth after Claudius ordered the expulsion of the Jews from Rome, became a Christian and helped Paul in his ministry.
• Dionysius the Areopagite - one of Paul's converts in Athens; member of the Areopagus, an elite and powerful group of officials.
• Epaphras, a companion of the Apostle Paul, was the bishop of the city of Colosse and the churches of Laodicea and Hierapolis.
• Joseph of Arimathea is a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin, a Jewish elder in whose tomb Jesus Christ was buried.
• Lazarus is the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany, raised from the dead by Jesus after lying in the grave for four days.
• Luke is a pagan by origin, author and. Close friend and companion of Paul; possibly originally from Antioch.
• Martha is a close friend and follower of Jesus, sister of Mary and Lazarus.

Other New Testament Characters

• Matthias is the apostle who replaced Judas after his betrayal and suicide.
• Paul (Saul) - missionary, theologian and writer of the ancient church; wrote 13 epistles, which make up almost 1/4 of the New Testament.
• Barnabas is a Levite and originally from Cyprus; birth name Joseph (or Josiah); sold his property and gave the proceeds to the Jerusalem church. One of Jesus' 70 disciples.

Translations of B. into ancient languages ​​Aramaic targums Aramaic targum Jewish translation of B. (OT) into Aramaic. The noun " " in post-biblical Hebrew. and Aram. means “translation”, the verb “” (Aram.) “translate, explain” (only once in ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

For many centuries of history, homosexual relations were considered a sin in religions based on the Bible, Judaism and Christianity. In the modern period, there are different opinions among Jews and Christians regarding ... ... Wikipedia

Jacob Wrestling with an Angel, Gustave Dore, 1855, Granger Collection, New York Jacob, Israel (Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב‎, Jacob; in Islam Arabic: يعقوب‎‎, Yaqub) hero of the Pentateuch, third of the biblical patriarchs, youngest of the patriarch's twin sons Isaac and... ... Wikipedia

QURAN AND BIBLE- K. priest book of Islam, which is one of the three monotheistic. religions. It was written in Arabic. language, developed within a culture related to Hebrew, and in a certain sense represents an “imitation of the Bible” (*MACKENZIE). K. saturated... ... Bibliological dictionary

GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. PART II- Primates of the GOC Bishops of Kartli (Mtskheta): John I (20-60s of the 4th century); Jacob (60-70s of the 4th century); Job (70-90s of the 4th century); Ilia I (90s of the 4th century); Simeon I (early 5th 20s of the 5th century); Moses (20s of the 5th century); Jonah (20s of the 5th century); Jeremiah (20th... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

BELARUS- [Republic of Belarus, Belarus], state in the East. Europe. Territory: 207.6 thousand square meters. km. Capital: Minsk. Geography. It borders in the northwest with Lithuania, in the north with Latvia, in the northeast and east with Russia, in the south with Ukraine, in the west with... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

BIBLICAL STUDIES- historical and philological science that studies the Bible as lit. a work through textual criticism (the so-called lower criticism; German Textkritik; English textual criticism, lower criticism) and lit. analysis (German Literarkritik, höhere Kritik; English higher... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

This term has other meanings, see Creationism (meanings). Gustave Dore. Creation of light. From the book “The Bible in Engravings by Gustave Doré” ... Wikipedia

Check neutrality. There should be details on the talk page. Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture (OPC) is an academic subject included by the Ministry of Education and on ... Wikipedia

BIBLE TRANSLATIONS INTO NEW EUROPEAN LANGUAGES- Basic translations of the Bible into new European languages. languages ​​were created after the 11th century. To the main European languages ​​THE BIBLE has been translated dozens and even hundreds of times. Albanian translations. In 1827 a translation was published into the southern Albanian dialect, and in 1869 into the northern Albanian dialect. IN… … Bibliological dictionary

Books

• Patriarch Joseph and Egypt, D. Vvedensky, Joseph is the legendary patriarch of the Old Testament. As his father's favorite son, he was hated by his older brothers, who even wanted to kill him, but a random caravan of traders decided to... Category: Business planning Publisher: YOYO Media, Manufacturer: Yoyo Media,
• Patriarch Joseph and Egypt, D. Vvedensky, Joseph is the legendary patriarch of the Old Testament. As his father's favorite son, he was hated by his older brothers, who even wanted to kill him, but a passing caravan of merchants decided... Category: Geosciences, Geography, Environment, Planning Series: Publisher: YOYO Media,
• Modern biblical studies and Church Tradition: Materials of the VII International Theological Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church,