Gerasim of Jordan ( Greek Γεράσιμος ὁ ἐν ᾿Ιορδάνῃ ; Abba Gerasim ; d. 475 ) - Christian monk and saint of the 5th century . The memory of St. Gerasimus is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on March 4 (according to the Julian calendar ), and in the Catholic Church on March 5 .
| Gerasim of Jordan | |
|---|---|
| Γεράσιμος ὁ ἐν ᾿Ιορδάνῃ | |
 Rev. Gerasim with a lion Russian icon of the 16th century | |
| Name in the world | Gregory |
| Birth | Lycia ( Asia Minor ) |
| Death | 475 |
| Is revered | in the Orthodox and Catholic churches |
| In the face | reverend |
| Day of Remembrance | in the Orthodox Church on March 4 (according to the Julian calendar ), and in the Catholic Church on March 5 |
| Attributes | a lion |
Biography
Born in Lycia (southern part of Asia Minor ) in a wealthy family, in the world bore the name of Gregory. He left family wealth and worldly affairs and became a monk . The saint labored in the desert of Egypt and later, around 450, came to the bank of the Jordan River in Palestine, where he founded a monastery and became its rector [1] . As Cyril Skifopolsky writes in the life of Euthymius the Great , Gerasim was at one time a supporter of the heresy of Eutyhius and Dioscore , but soon repented of his errors. The saint died about 475 years .
The story of the taming of Ava Gerasim by a wild lion , which the saint cured of wounds, is widely known: “The lion was given the name Jordan. After that, he often came to the old man, took food from him and did not leave the monastery for more than five years ” [2] . The lion, according to his life, died on his grave and was buried next to St. Gerasim. This plot of the saint’s life became the basis of numerous images of Gerasim, at whose feet lies a lion.
Information about the life of the Monk Gerasim is known from the lives of Euthymius the Great and Kyriak the Hermit , as well as the “ Spiritual Meadow ” of John Mosch (the story of the lion is described).
Iconography
Images of Gerasim of Jordan until the 12th century are unknown. The earliest known image is a fresco in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Novgorod Anthony Monastery ( 1125 ). From the beginning of the 14th century, they began to depict the life cycle of the Monk Gerasim. The earliest is in the church of St. Nicholas Orfanos in Thessaloniki and dates from 1309-1319.
The life story, telling about the Monk Gerasim and the lion, became not only an icon-painting tradition, but was also placed in the facial Mineas . Concerning its writing, the iconographic script of the 18th century indicates: “ ... the lion under his feet is adored, [G. I.] with his hand he blesses, and in the left scroll, and in the scroll says: In the Name of the Lord the beast has obedience, and the Indus writes: this beast had this obedience to Adam. ”
See also
- Monastery of Gerasim of Jordan
- Church of St. Gerasim in Kupchin
Notes
- ↑ Rev. Gerasim of Jordan, Pilgrim
- ↑ Dimitry of Rostov . Lives of the Saints (March 4)
Links
- Gerasim of Jordan // Orthodox Encyclopedia
- Rev. Gerasim, others in the Jordan on the site Orthodoxy.Ru
Literature
- Gladkova O. V. On the symbolic subtext of the Tale of Ava Gerasim and the lion from the Sinai Patericon // Gladkova O. V. On Slavic-Russian hagiography. Essays. M., 2008.S. 7-50.
- Gladkova O. V. On the sources and ideological concept of the legend of N. S. Leskov “Lion of the old man Gerasim” // Gladkova O. V. On Slavic-Russian hagiography. Essays. M., 2008.S. 190-203.