Name Elizabeth: "Poor Lisa", daughter of Peter I and mother of John the Baptist

Death of the parents of John the Baptist

The killers scoured everywhere in search of the baby. They reached the cave with the righteous Elizabeth and her son. Seeing their mother, she began to fervently pray to God for salvation. And immediately the mountain parted and sheltered the mother and baby from their pursuers.

Zechariah

During this terrible time, Saint Zechariah performed divine services in the temple of Jerusalem. Herod sent guards to him to find out where his wife and son were. But their efforts were unsuccessful because the father did not want to answer the soldiers’ questions. Then, Herod ordered the death of the holy prophet Zechariah, and he was stabbed to death by the executioner between the altar and the altar.

The meaning of the name Elizabeth

The Hebrew name Elizabeth “אלישבע” (Elisheba) is usually translated as “who worships God,” “who swears by God” (literally, “God is my oath”). The name Elizabeth appears twice in the Bible. Elizabeth was the name of the wife of the high priest Aaron, as well as the wife of the priest Zechariah - the holy righteous Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Righteous Elizabeth is revered by all branches of the Christian church. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates her memory day on September 18 (September 5, Old Style).

The name Elizabeth remains popular to this day, especially in Europe. Traditionally, this name was considered royal, noble, and until the 19th century it was more common among the upper classes. Another thing is that in the Western European tradition the name Elizabeth acquired a slightly different sound - from Elizabeth to Isabel and Isabella. At the same time, it did not lose its royal status, remember at least Isabella of Castile, Isabella de Valois, Isabella of France, Queen Elizabeth I of England (Elizabeth). Some short forms of this name in Europe over time became independent names, sounding accordingly: Eliza, Elsa, Ilsa, Liz, Louise, as well as Betty, Betsy and even Babette.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna

In pre-Petrine era Russia, the name Elizabeth was not popular. Due to the fact that names for children were given strictly according to the calendar, and in the church year saints with the name Elizabeth were remembered only five times, it would be more accurate to call this name rare. The name Elizabeth was introduced by Peter I, who named his daughter, born in December 1709, the future Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. A polysyllabic long name, thanks to the successful combination of vowels and consonants, it was euphonious, so it easily came into use and even took root in Russia. Peter, naming his daughter Elizabeth, did not least think about her future. Hoping to someday marry her to a foreign prince, he chose a name familiar to foreign ears. So the royal name became widely known and even popular in Russia.

However, over time the name underwent popular assimilation. The number of syllables was gradually reduced, and Elizabeth became Lizaveta, and in short form Liza.

For a long time it was widespread among the nobility. The “revolution” in the matter of the popularity of the name Elizabeth was carried out in 1792 by Karamzin. He wrote the story “Poor Liza” and thereby determined the direction in which Russian literature would move, and deprived the royal name of the tiara.

Prophecy from an angel

Before the birth of Jesus Christ, humanity lived in anticipation of the Mission promised by God to the first people in the Garden of Eden. The Son of God had to come to earth in human form in order to restore the lost union of man and God and open the way to eternal life. Before this great event, the one who would prepare the way for Christ had to appear to people. His mission was to prepare people to accept the Savior. This man was the prophet, the Forerunner, the Baptist of the Lord, John.

The Prophet John was born into the family of the Jewish priest Zechariah, a descendant of Ithamar, the son of the Prophet Aaron, brother of Moses, who led the Jewish people from Egyptian captivity. Zechariah and Elizabeth lived to an old age, but they did not have children, which in Jewish society was equated with God's punishment and was considered a disgrace.

Appearance of an Angel to Elder Zechariah in the Jerusalem Temple

One day, while serving in the temple sanctuary, the prophet Zechariah saw an angel.

Archangel Gabriel told the priest that God had heard the prayers of him and Elizabeth and was sending them a son. The son named John will become joy and joy for his parents, many will rejoice, for he will be great before the Creator.

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Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth

The memory of the righteous saints Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist , is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on September 18 according to the new style. The Lives of the Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth The holy righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth were the parents of John the Baptist. It is known about Zechariah that he was from the Aron family and was one of the priests of the Jerusalem Temple. Evangelist Luke tells in detail how Zechariah, during his priestly service, was honored with the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, and he told him the good news about the birth of his son soon. The priest could not believe this, since he himself and his wife Elizabeth were already of advanced age: then Gabriel deprives him of the ability to speak for unbelief until the prediction comes true. Righteous Elizabeth was a relative of the Virgin Mary and also came from the family of David. Soon after the appearance of Archangel Gabriel to Zechariah, Elizabeth conceived, although she was already an elderly woman. The Gospel of Luke tells how she was visited during pregnancy by the Virgin Mary, who was also awaiting the birth of the Divine Son. When the Most Holy Theotokos met with Elizabeth, she, still not knowing anything about this great event, in prophetic inspiration glorified the future Mother of the Savior of the world. When Elizabeth’s son was born after the allotted time and they wanted to circumcise him according to Jewish custom on the eighth day, she wanted to name him John. This caused bewilderment among those around him, because Zechariah’s family did not have such a name. Therefore, they began to ask Zechariah by signs to name the name, and he also wrote the name John. At that moment, the gift of speech returned to him and he glorified God and prophesied about the coming Savior. We learn further information about the life of the righteous spouses from church tradition, according to which Elizabeth hid with her son in the desert during the massacre of the infants. At this time, Zechariah served in the temple and, when he refused to reveal where his son John was, he was killed. Iconographic images of Zechariah and Elizabeth There are several iconographic scenes based on the lives of saints Zechariah and Elizabeth. In Russian icon painting, there was a widespread image called “The Conception of John the Baptist,” in which the holy spouses were depicted against the background of the temple in each other’s arms. Also known are frescoes telling about different episodes in the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth: the moment of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, the couple praying for the gift of a child, as well as Elizabeth with the baby John in the desert. In what cases do they pray to the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth? From the lives of the holy spouses it is known that they were childless for a long time, and among the Jews this was considered a punishment from God. The birth of a son in old age can be considered a miracle, and therefore childless spouses often turn to Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth with a request for healing from infertility. They also pray to the righteous Elizabeth in case of difficult pregnancy or childbirth. The holy righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth are an example of a marital union sanctified by God's grace. You can turn to such righteous people for help in strengthening love between spouses, as well as between parents and children, and ask for the gift of patience during sorrowful life circumstances. Saint Elizabeth was forced to hide with her son in the deserted desert in order to save his life. In modern conditions of raising the younger generation, in a sense, mothers also have to protect their children from the harmful influence of the surrounding temptations of the outside world in order to preserve the spiritual life of their souls. In this matter, faithful intercessors and prayer books are such righteous people as Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Troparion, tone 2: Our righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, O Lord, celebrate the memory of those we pray to You: save our souls. Kontakion to the holy prophet Zechariah, voice 3: Prophet today and priest of the Most High, Zechariah, offer, Forerunner parent, a meal of your memory, feeding faithfully, drinking the righteousness for all, dissolving for this sake, as the Divine secret place of God's grace. Kontakion to the righteous Elizabeth, tone 4 Like the moon is full, You received the Light of Truth from the Mental Sun of the Messiah, and you walked with Zechariah in all the commandments of the Lord, God-beloved Elizabeth. We magnify the Lord with worthy songs to please you, the All-Bountiful Light that enlightens everyone. Magnification: We magnify you, holy righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth,/ and honor your holy memory,/ for you pray for us to Christ our God. Prayer: For the holiness of the saints of God, the prophet Zechariah and the righteous Elizabeth! Having fought a good fight on earth, we have naturally received in heaven the crown of righteousness, which the Lord has prepared for all who love Him. In the same way, looking at your holy image, we rejoice at the glorious end of your life and honor your holy memory. You, standing before the Throne of God, accept our prayers and bring them to the All-Merciful God, to forgive us every sin and help us against the wiles of the devil, so that, having been delivered from sorrows, illnesses, troubles and misfortunes and all evil, we will live piously and righteously in the present We will be worthy, through your intercession, even though we are unworthy, to see good on the land of the living, glorifying the One in His saints, the glorified God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.