Greetings subscribers! Last week, I noted a book project conceived during my most recent visit to Mount Athos and blessed by the Abbot of Vatopedi.
The book is tentatively titled The Supporting Cast of the Gospels: The Names and Fates of Those Who Met Jesus.
The volume catalogues the ancillary characters of the Gospels, whom I’ve dubbed “supporting cast,” and offers a brief account of the traditions, biblical and extra-biblical, about these figures. Following each account, I discuss the source material, its dating, its status in the Orthodox Church, and its reliability.
Last week, I shared the Table of Contents and the Introduction. In addition, I announced that I would be releasing (over the next 15 weeks) these chapters in groups of three, one free and two paywalled. Today marks the first installment, looking at Zechariah and Elizabeth, the mother and father of John the Baptist, as well as Joseph, the betrothed of Mary.
Be watching for more in the coming weeks. If you wish to unlock the whole of these stories, become a paid subscriber. Enjoy!
A quick reminder before jumping in: The East-West Series—a comprehensive 26-lecture exploration of the theological differences between Eastern and Western Christianity—is now out of pre-production and well into production, with block 1 filmed and the remaining two blocks scheduled to be complete by October 9. Post-production is underway in tandem with filming, and the first three episodes will drop at the end of October, followed by weekly releases.
We are currently crowdfunding the series at the lowest price it will ever be available—an offer that expires on October 15. Visit theeastwestseries.com to support or purchase the series and explore various tiers and benefits, including one-on-one meetings, Q&A access, and class participation.
I recommend readers visit the first post in this series and read the Introduction to the volume, if you haven’t already. You can find it HERE.
St. Zechariah
Father of John the Baptist
A righteous priest of the lineage of Aaron within the order of Abijah, Saint Zechariah lived in the Judean hill country with his wife, Saint Elizabeth. Although both walked blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, they reached advanced old age childless, as Elizabeth was barren. While Zechariah was serving his turn of priestly duty in the Jerusalem Temple, he entered the sanctuary to burn incense before the Holy of Holies. Suddenly, the Archangel Gabriel appeared at the right side of the altar, announcing that their lifelong prayers had been heard: Elizabeth would bear a son named John, who would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb and go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. Struck with awe and doubting how this could happen in their old age, Zechariah requested a sign, whereupon the angel rendered him mute until the fulfillment of the prophecy.
When Elizabeth gave birth to her son, relatives gathered for his circumcision on the eighth day and assumed the child would be named Zechariah after his father. Elizabeth intervened, insisting his name be John. Turning to the mute father, they asked him to write his choice on a wooden tablet. As soon as he wrote, “His name is John,” his speech was instantly restored. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah offered the sweeping messianic hymn of praise known as the Benedictus, prophesying that his child would be called the Prophet of the Highest, going before the Lord to prepare His ways.
Following the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, King Herod ordered the execution of all male infants two years old and under, fearing the newborn King of the Jews. Hearing of John’s miraculous birth, Herod’s soldiers sought the child to murder him. Elizabeth fled with the infant John into the wilderness, where a mountain opened up to conceal them. When soldiers confronted Zechariah in the Temple demanding to know the whereabouts of his son, he refused to betray the child’s location, declaring that he served God at the altar and knew nothing of John’s hiding place. By Herod’s command, the soldiers drew their swords and slaughtered Zechariah between the sanctuary and the altar. His blood spilled upon the stone floor, hardening into a miraculous perpetual witness to his martyrdom.
Source Material
The primary scriptural foundation for Saint Zechariah is established in the Gospel according to Saint Luke (Luke 1:5–25, 57–79). Scripture documents his priestly lineage, his turn of service in the Temple, the angelic appearance of Gabriel, his muteness due to unbelief, the miraculous birth of John, his writing on the tablet, his restored speech, and the Benedictus prophecy.
The post-biblical details of his life—specifically his martyrdom by Herod’s guards between the sanctuary and the altar during the Massacre of the Innocents—derive from early Christian history, patristic testimony, and Eastern hagiography. This account is preserved in the 2nd-century Protoevangelium of James (Chapters 22–24) and early Church historians. Furthermore, Christ’s words in Matthew 23:35 referencing “the blood of Zechariah... whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar” are recognized in Eastern Orthodox Holy Tradition as referring to the father of the Forerunner. Early Church Fathers such as Saint Basil the Great (c. 330–379 AD) and Saint Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395 AD) attest to this tradition, noting also that Zechariah was martyred in part because he continued to allow the Virgin Mary to stand among the virgins in the Temple after conceiving Christ.
Within the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Zechariah is canonized as a prophet, priest, and martyr. He is commemorated on his primary feast day on September 5 alongside his wife, Saint Elizabeth. His canonical Luke passages are received as divinely inspired Scripture, while his defense of his son, his refusal to yield to Herod, and his martyrdom at the Temple altar are received as authentic, highly authoritative Holy Tradition.
