Saint Ioannis Prodromos – Handmade Hagiography – Mount Athos

Handmade Icon on Natural Linden Wood by an Iconographer Monk from Mount Athos

An exquisite icon depicting Saint John the Forerunner, entirely handcrafted.

This icon is created following the traditional Byzantine standards of iconography. The depiction of Saint John has been meticulously painted by hand. A coating of pure beeswax ensures the preservation of the icon’s colors over time.

This stunning icon portrays Saint John the Baptist, also known as Saint John the Forerunner (commemorated on August 29), who prepared the people to receive the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through his teachings, earning him the title “Forerunner.”

According to the Evangelist Luke, John was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, a relative of the Theotokos (Mother of God). The story of his conception and birth, which occurred six months before the birth of Jesus Christ, is marked by miraculous events. Despite Elizabeth being considered barren, the Archangel Gabriel announced to Zechariah that she would bear a son named John. Initially, Zechariah doubted Gabriel’s words, resulting in a punishment that left him mute until the child’s naming day. Eight days after the birth, when asked about the child’s name, Zechariah wrote “John” on a tablet, and immediately, his speech was restored.

At the age of 30, according to Luke, John appeared “by divine command” in the wilderness of Judea near the Jordan River, preaching: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and baptizing those who came to him. Jesus Christ approached him there and asked to be baptized. At first, John refused, stating he was not worthy to baptize the Messiah and that it should be the other way around. However, Jesus insisted, and so John baptized Him in the waters of the Jordan River.

John’s ascetic lifestyle and powerful sermons drew large crowds. He wore a garment made of camel hair, fastened with a leather belt, and subsisted on wild honey and locusts. His bold denouncement of sin also earned him many adversaries.

One notable act of condemnation was his outspoken criticism of the relationship between Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, and Herodias, his brother’s wife. This ultimately led to John’s imprisonment and subsequent execution. At Herod’s birthday celebration, his stepdaughter Salome performed a dance that pleased Herod, prompting him to promise her anything she desired. Under her mother Herodias’s influence, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, a request Herod fulfilled.

As a biblical figure, Saint John stands at the threshold between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, he is regarded as a “Prophet” and messenger of God, while in the New Testament, he is known as the “Forerunner” of Christ.