During the reign of king Herod, there was a priest named Zechariah whose wife Elizabeth was also of the priestly family of Aaron. Their marriage was still childless, because Elizabeth was "barren", and they were both "well advanced in years".
The duties at the temple in Jerusalem alternated between each of the family lines that had descended from those appointed by king David. During the week when it was the duty of Zechariah's family line to serve at "the temple of the Lord", the lot for performing the incense offering had fallen to Zechariah.
William Blake, (British, London 1757–1827 London)
Archangel Gabriel Appears to Zechariah, c. 1799–1800
Pen and black ink, tempera, and glue size on canvas
10 1/2 x 15 in. (26.7 x 38.1 cm)
he Metropolitan Museum of Art
Blake devoted much of the year 1799–1800 to fifty visionary scenes drawn from the Bible, a commission he received from his principal patron, the government clerk Thomas Butts. About thirty of these works have been identified; it is thought that some have not survived owing to the fragility of the materials. This scene, the earliest in the New Testament narrative cycle, illustrates verses from Luke (I:11–13), in which Gabriel appears to the righteous Zacharias, a high priest of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, to announce that Zacharias’s elderly and barren wife will give birth to a son, Saint John the Baptist. More on this work
William Blake (November 28, 1757 - August 12,
1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely
unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake's work is now considered seminal in the
history of both poetry and the visual arts.
Blake's
prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its
merits the least read body of poetry in the (English) language". His
visual artistry has led one modern critic to proclaim him "far and away
the greatest artist Britain has ever produced".
Although he only once travelled any further than a day's
walk outside London over the course of his life, his creative vision engendered
a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced 'imagination' as
"the body of God", or "Human existence itself". More on William Blake
While Zechariah ministered at the altar of incense, an angel appeared and announced to him that his wife would give birth to a son, whom he was to name John. Citing their advanced age, Zechariah asked with disbelief for a sign whereby he would know the truth of this prophecy.
Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov
Archangel Gabriel hits Zachariah with silence, 1840 -1850
I have no further description, at this time
Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov (July 16, 1806 – July 15, 1858) was a Russian painter who adhered to the waning tradition of Neoclassicism but found little sympathy with his contemporaries. He was born and died in St. Petersburg. He has been called the master of one work, for it took 20 years to complete his magnum opus The Appearance of Christ Before the People.
Aged 11, he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts and studied at his father's course together with Karl Briullov. For his good achievements he was awarded with two silver medals, in 1824 he received a golden medal for the painting 'Priam Asking Achilles to Return Hector's Body'. In 1827 he was honoured with the Big Gold Medal of the Imperial Academy of Arts for 'Joseph interprets the butler's and the baker's dreams' and was promoted to the XIV grade artists.
In 1830 Ivanov departs to Europe, first in Germany, then to Italy. His first works in Rome were copies of Biblical scenes. In 1834-1835 he finished 'Appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena'. The painting had great success both in Rome and St Petersburg. The Russian Imperial Academy of Arts granted Ivanov an honorary academic degree in 1836.
In reply, the angel identified himself as Gabriel, and added that because of Zechariah's doubt he would be struck dumb and "not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed". Consequently, when he went out to the waiting worshippers in the temple's outer courts, he was unable to speak the customary blessing.
After returning to his house in "Hebron, his wife Elizabeth conceived. After Elizabeth completed her fifth month of pregnancy, her relative Mary was visited by the same angel, Gabriel. While still a virgin,
Walter Rane, (1949)
Mary Is Visited By The Angel Gabriel
I have no further description, at this time
Walter Rane (born 1949) is an American artist who began his career as primarily a book and magazine illustrator but now specializes in religious art.
Rane studied at the Art Center College of Design. He then worked in the New York City area. While in New York City Rane illustrated such works as Meet Kit: An American Girl by Valerie Tripp. He has also illustrated editions of Wallace Stegner's Recapitulation and Ellen Glasgow's In This Our Life.
In the early 1990s the Church asked him to begin creating works of art on religious themes. Many of his works depict scenes described in the Book of Mormon while others focus on events in the life of Jesus Christ.
Many of his paintings appear in Salt Lake City. Additionally, over 30 unique paintings by Rane can be found in the Church History Museum.
In 2006 Rane was the recipient of the Associate Directors award at the 21st annual Springville Museum of Art Spiritual and Religious Arts Show. A retrospective of Rane's work was held at the Springville Museum of Art in 2013. More on Walter Rane
Gabriel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.'" Joseph, whom Mary was betrothed to, found out that she was pregnant, obviously disturbing news. Yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.' When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel commanded him and took Mary home as his wife."
Unknown artist
The Embrace of Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary, c. 1191
St. George Church, Kurbinovo, North Macedonia
I have no further description, at this time
Mary then traveled to visit her relative Elizabeth, having been told by the angel that Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy. Mary remained about three months before she returned to her own house. Elizabeth gave birth, and on the eighth day, when their son was to be circumcised according to the commandment, her neighbours and relatives assumed that he was to be named after his father. Elizabeth, however, insisted that his name was to be John; so the family then questioned her husband.
Unknown artist
Zechariah writes, "His name is John."
Mondadori Portfolio/Contributor/Getty Images
I have no further description, at this time
Domenico Ghirlandaio
Zacharias Writes Down the Name of his Son, between 1486 and 1490
Fresco
Width 450 cm
Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence
As soon as Zechariah had written on a writing table: "His name is John", he regained the power of speech. The child grew up and "waxed strong in spirit", but remained in the deserts of Judæa until he assumed the ministry that was to earn him the name "John the Baptist"
Unknown artist
St. Zachariah and St. Elizabeth with their son, St. John the Baptist
I have no further description, at this time
When King Herod heard from the Magi about the birth of the Messiah, he decided to kill all the infants up to two years old at Bethlehem and the surrounding area, hoping that the new-born Messiah would be among them.
More on Prophet Zechariah
Herod knew about John’s unusual birth and he wanted to kill him, fearing that he was the foretold King of the Jews. But Elizabeth hid herself and the infant in the hills. The murderers searched everywhere for John. Elizabeth, when she saw her pursuers, began to implore God for their safety, and immediately the hill opened up and concealed her and the infant from their pursuers.
William Brassey Hole,(1846-1917)
The Murder of Zechariah
I have no further description, at this time
William Brassey Hole RSA (7 November 1846 – 22 October
1917) was an English artist, illustrator, etcher and engraver,
known for his industrial, historical and biblical scenes.
He was
educated at Edinburgh Academy, then served an apprenticeship as a civil
engineer for 5 years, although he really wanted to be an artist.
In 1869,
he sailed from Swansea to Genoa, and spent the next 6 months travelling and
sketching around Italy. In Rome he made the acquaintance of Keeley Halswelle
who gave him practical advice on art.
On returning to Edinburgh, Hole entered the School of
Design, then won admission to the life school of the Royal Scottish Academy,
first exhibiting there in 1873; in 1878 he was elected an associate of the
Academy. Around this time he took up etching and was accepted into the Royal
Society of Painters and Etchers (RE) in 1885; he was already a member of the
Royal Scottish Watercolour Society (RSW) from 1884. He eventually became a full
member of the Academy (RSA). More
on William Brassey Hole
James Tissot
Zacharias Killed Between the Temple and the Altar, c. 1886-1894
Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
7 1/8 x 5 1/2 in. (18.1 x 14 cm)
Brooklyn Museum
Jacques Joseph Tissot (15 October 1836 – 8
August 1902), Anglicized
as James Tissot, was a French painter and illustrator. He was a successful
painter of Paris society before moving to London in 1871. He became famous as a
genre painter of fashionably dressed women shown in various scenes of everyday
life. He also painted scenes and characters from the Bible. More on James Tissot
In these tragic days Saint Zachariah was taking his turn at the services in the Temple. Soldiers sent by Herod tried in vain to learn from him the whereabouts of his son. Then, by command of Herod, they murdered this holy prophet, having stabbed him between the temple and the altar. Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, and Saint John, preserved by the Lord, dwelt in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to the nation of Israel.
More on Prophet Zechariah
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