Hand painted Orthodox icon on wood, "Saint Zachariah", miniature, 7x10cm

This hand-painted Orthodox miniature icon represents Saint Zachariah, the father of the holy Prophet St John the Baptist. The Righteous Zachariah is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on September 5 along with his wife Elizabeth and on June 24 with the Nativity of St John the Baptist.

Original artwork by Ana Drăgan (DAM), painted on wood in tempera colours.

The Righteous Zachariah (or Zacharias), the father of the holy Prophet St John the Baptist is commemorated by the Church on September 5 along with his wife Elizabeth. He is also remembered, in the Greek tradition, on June 24 with the Nativity of St John the Baptist.

The holy Prophet Zachariah, a priest in the Jerusalem Temple, was the son of Barach, from the lineage of Aaron. St Zachariah was told by an angel that his elderly wife would bear him a son named John, but he doubted this prediction. For his weakness of faith, Zachariah become mute. When Elizabeth gave birth to a son, motivated of the Holy Spirit, she announced that his name was John. When Zachariah confirmed the name in writing, speech returned to him, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, he began to foretell about his son as the Forerunner of the Lord.

King Herod began to slaughter the children of Bethlehem after the Lord Jesus had been born. The king sent men to find and kill the son of Zachariah because he had heard all that had happened to Zachariah, and how John had been born. Elizabeth fled with John when she saw the soldiers. Herod was enraged that the child John had not been found and ordered Zachariah to be slain before the altar in temple.