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1. Plots and images of the Old Testament in the visual arts

The Old Testament, written in pre-Christian times, are books revered as sacred by the people of Israel, whose religion forbade the creation of images in artistic form. According to Chiara de Capoa, "Jewish, essentially aniconic art (refusal to depict deities, humans and any living beings), i.e., devoid of figurativeness, differed from Christian art, in whose language throughout the Middle Ages decor was developed in churches with double purpose: firstly, to glorify the Lord, and secondly, from the desire to capture in images the truth of faith for the flock, especially for the illiterate.

As Chiara de Capoa writes, "the penetration into painting of the iconography of the scenes and characters of the Old Testament is directly related to the formation of Christian art. The interpretation of some topics, such as Noah's ark, Jacob's struggle with an angel, Susanna and the elders, becomes widespread in it already in the early Christian period, others the plots become the subject of depiction only gradually, in subsequent centuries. Most of the Old Testament episodes common in the visual arts constituted a certain integrity with the iconography of the New Testament, being read in a Christological key. In the Middle Ages, many scenes and characters of the Old Testament were interpreted as a prefiguration of Christ and Among the various characters who foreshadow the appearance of the Savior in the world, one can distinguish: Joseph; Moses - the direct prefiguration of Jesus; David - his ancestor; and, finally, Jonah, whose sea adventure, swallowing and in itself related features with the life and death of Christ. In the same way, Pascha (pesech), Gathering of manna from heaven, or the Crossing of the Red Sea are considered respectively as types of the Last Supper, the Eucharist, and Baptism" [Ibid.].

Scenes from the Old Testament, which are reflected in the visual arts, are a great many. But some of them, obviously, should be paid special attention.

In medieval book miniatures, sculptures of church portals and Gothic stained-glass windows, the plot of the creation of the world was widely presented. In works of art depicting the creation of the world, the stages of creation can be combined into one act or, on the contrary, divided into different episodes. To symbolically designate the act of creation of the world, God was often depicted as measuring the Earth with a compass. He was also often represented as an eye, arms and legs, surrounded by a vault, breaking through the dusk of chaos.

In Christian art, the motif of Noah's ark was widespread from the very beginning. His image could resemble a boat, on which, according to ancient Greek mythology, souls went to the afterlife; in Christian iconography, the ark symbolized the idea of ​​the Resurrection. Noah's ark is also compared to the Church itself, which opens the believer's refuge and the way of salvation. Parallels between Noah's Ark and the Church also occur in the New Testament, for example, in the scene where Christ walks on the water and his disciples sit safely in the boat. In the interpretation of this Old Testament episode, we usually see the sons of Noah, who help him build the ark. They are often depicted sawing wood to build an ark. This episode was often associated with the entrance to the ark of various animals following immediately after it. Sometimes subsequent episodes were included in the image: Noah releases a dove, and he returns with an olive leaf; God commands Noah and his family to leave the ark. The iconography of the ark has changed over the centuries. In the Roman catacombs, it was depicted like a chest, in the Middle Ages the ark looked like a houseboat, in the Renaissance (and later) it was a real longboat. In the painting by Jan Brueghel "Velvet" (1568 - 1625) "Introduction of animals into the ark" (1613), the ark is presented in the form of a large wooden longboat with several floors. However, in the work of Hans Baldung Green (d. 1545) "The Deluge" (circa 1525), it resembles a huge casket in shape. Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), working on the painting of the Sistine Chapel, depicted the ark in the form of a large building floating on the water.

The images of Abraham, one of the forefathers, which are mentioned in the Old Testament, are very numerous. The episode when Melchizedek brought bread and a vessel of wine to meet Abraham was interpreted in the Middle Ages as a prefiguration of the Last Supper. The offering of bread and wine is an act of tribal hospitality. In the practice of Christian worship, such a gesture acquired a Eucharistic meaning (because it was considered as an act of communion). Melchizedek offering bread and wine to Abraham has been interpreted as a type of Christ's priesthood. In the appearance of three angels to Abraham and Sarah, the Fathers of the Church saw a prototype of the Trinity. This episode was sometimes also considered as a prefiguration of the Annunciation (a prophecy about the birth of a son by Sarah). The image of Sodom and Gomorrah being overthrown is often interpreted as a type of the curse of sinners at the Last Judgment.

The iconography of Abraham's sacrifice was determined by its reading as a link between the Old and New Testaments. In it, according to Chiara de Capoa, "they saw the prefiguration of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, sent by the Father to a sacrificial death for the salvation of mankind." The sacrifice of Isaac has often been depicted in art, due to the richness of detail in the biblical text and the intensity of the emotional tone of the scene. In the painting by Caravaggio (1573 - 1610) "The Sacrifice of Abraham" (1603) "cruel realism reigns in the scene, emphasized by the light that distinguishes from the whole Abraham, the hand of an angel and the head of Isaac. Abraham is ready to raise a knife to hit his son, whose neck he is firmly The interpretation of the scene uses numerous details that appear in the biblical text (a knife, an altar, a donkey, firewood and a ram).The scene of the sacrifice of Isaac is interpreted as a prefiguration of the Crucifixion of Christ, given to the slaughter by the Father: Isaac carries firewood on his shoulders, as Jesus will carry then his cross; a ram, entangled with its horns in a thicket of bushes, is again a prototype of Christ crucified with a crown of thorns on his head. Aries is the prefiguration of the Lamb of God.

In the story of how Abraham instructed Eliezer to find a wife for his son Isaac, the episode of Eliezer's meeting with Rebekah at the well is most often depicted. This plot is interpreted as a prefiguration of the Annunciation.

The depiction of Jacob's life in art is often associated with the story of his son Joseph. Scenes relating to Jacob, in different eras, artists presented either within the framework of the corresponding cycle, or separately. The Christian Church saw in James the prefiguration of Christ. The struggle of Jacob with an angel in different periods of the development of Christian art was interpreted in different ways. In early Christian art, Jacob is depicted wrestling directly with God. This is a struggle between the divine and the human principles. Then God is replaced by an angel. In the Middle Ages, Jacob is also represented in a clash with the devil, which allegorically depicts the struggle between vice and virtue. In the painting by Eugene Delacroix (1798 - 1863) "Jacob's struggle with an angel" (1850 - 1861), Jacob seeks to defeat the angel, but he wounds him in the leg (a parallel is the episode with St. Christopher and the angel) [Ibid.]. The main significance of this scene lies in the change of the name Jacob to Israel. The new name contains a change in the fate of Jacob, his destiny, since from now on he becomes the ancestor of the people of Israel. This episode is also read as an example of the struggle between the Church and the Synagogue, where the injured leg of Jacob symbolizes the Jews who do not recognize the Messiah in Jesus. The episode when Jacob blesses the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, was read in the Middle Ages as an allusion to Judaism, oppressed by Christianity.

The story of Joseph played an important role in the religious art of the Middle Ages. For many artists, she was of interest in itself. In addition, Joseph was interpreted as the archetype of Christ. In Christian art, the story of Joseph has been the subject of depiction since the 6th century.

Of all the characters in the Old Testament, Moses is considered the closest type of Christ. In the life of both, you can find a number of correspondences. Therefore, the depiction of episodes from the life of Moses is widespread. The image of Moses taking off his shoes in front of a bush that burns without burning was usually interpreted in the Middle Ages as a prefiguration of the dogma of the virginity of the Virgin Mary. In accordance with the iconography, which has Byzantine roots, the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne surrounded by fire. In the painting by Nicola Froman "The Burning Bush" (1475 - 1476), the image of the Madonna with the Child in a bush that burns and does not burn is due to the fact that the Burning Bush is interpreted as a prototype of the Immaculate Conception and the purity of the Mother of God. In the hand of the Child is a mirror in which he and his mother are reflected. It symbolizes the Immaculate Conception. In the scene of collecting the manna from heaven, one can see the prefiguration of the Eucharist or the episode with the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

The iconography of David became widespread. In the typological interpretation of the Bible, David is regarded as a type of Christ or as his direct ancestor. The same can be said about King Solomon. Solomon is a sage-king who is the embodiment of an ideal ruler. In Western European art, the episode known as the "judgment of Solomon" was especially widespread. And the plot of the meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is often interpreted as a meeting of the king of the true faith with a pagan queen, as emphasized in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, or as a meeting of the Church of converted pagans with Christ. Sometimes this scene is seen as a prefiguration of the Adoration of the Magi.

Images of the expulsion of Iliodor from the temple were quite widespread. This episode is considered as a type of the expulsion of merchants from the temple by Christ. On the fresco "The Expulsion of Iliodor from the Temple" (1511 - 1514), the author of which is Rafael Santi (1483 - 1520), Iliodor, who plundered the temple, is defeated and thrown back by the horse's hooves. The rider, seated on a horse, is accompanied by two angels, who, with a menacing look, are heading towards Iliodor. The presence of two supernatural beings in the scene inspires believers with the idea that it is the Lord himself who protects the temple.

The righteous Job was portrayed by Christians of the pagan Roman Empire, who performed their rituals in the Roman catacombs. Scenes with Job are interpreted as a prototype of the Passion of Christ. In 1450, Jean Fouquet (circa 1420 - 1481), working on miniatures from Etienne Chevalier's Book of Hours, depicted Job lying not on a pile of ashes, but on a dunghill. The fact is that the dunghill is mentioned in the text of the Vulgate - the "common" translation of the Bible into Latin. The original biblical text says that Job sat among the ashes.

The acts of the prophet Elijah are also reflected in many works of art. The episode with Elijah being fed by a raven or an angel was very popular. In the iconography of this plot, the angel is depicted as carrying bread and a thicket to the prophet, symbols of Communion. Sometimes John the Baptist was seen as a new incarnation of Elijah. Elijah's ascension to heaven in a fiery chariot is sometimes seen as a type of the Resurrection. A prominent place in the iconography of the Old Testament was occupied by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Avvakum, Jonah. Very widespread, from murals in the catacombs to the works of contemporary artists, received a plot related to the protection of Daniel Susanna. The theme of Susanna and the elders symbolizes the triumph of innocence, the Church, which is in danger.

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REPRESENTATION OF BIBLE BOOKS

Greek philosopher Prince Vladimir

In the beginning, on the first day, God created the heavens and the earth. On the second day he created a firmament in the midst of the waters. On the same day, the waters parted - half of them ascended the firmament, and half went under the firmament. On the third day he created the sea, rivers, springs and seeds. On the fourth day - the sun, the moon, the stars, and God adorned the sky. The first of the angels, the elder of the rank of angels, saw all this and thought: “I will descend to the earth, and I will take possession of it, and I will be like God, and I will set my throne on the clouds of the north.” And immediately he was overthrown from heaven, and after him those who were under his command fell - the tenth angelic rank. There was a name for the enemy - Satanail, and in his place God put the elder Michael. Satan, being deceived in his plan and having lost his original glory, called himself an adversary to God. Then, on the fifth day, God created whales, fish, reptiles, and feathered birds. On the sixth day God created the beasts, the cattle, the creeping things of the earth; created man. On the seventh day, that is, on the Sabbath, God rested from his works.

And God planted paradise in the east in Eden, and brought into it the man whom He had created, and commanded him to eat the fruit of every tree, but not to eat the fruit of one tree - the knowledge of good and evil. And Adam was in paradise, he saw God and glorified him along with the angels. And God brought sleep on Adam, and Adam fell asleep, and God took one rib from Adam, and created a wife for him, and brought her into paradise to Adam, and Adam said: “This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she will be called wife. And Adam gave names to cattle and birds, beasts and creeping things, and gave names even to the angels themselves. And God subjected Adam to beasts and cattle, and he possessed them all, and all listened to him. The devil, seeing how God honored the man, began to envy him, was transformed into a snake, came to Eve, and said to her: “Why don’t you eat from a tree growing in the middle of paradise?” And the woman said to the serpent: “God said: do not eat, but if you eat, you will die the death.” And the serpent said to the woman: “You shall not die by death; For God knows that on the day you eat from this tree, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” And the woman saw that the tree was edible, and she took the fruit, and gave it to her husband, and they both ate, and the eyes of both were opened, and they realized that they were naked, and they sewed themselves a girdle from the leaves of a fig tree. And God said: “Cursed is the earth for your deeds, in sorrow you will be satisfied all the days of your life.” And the Lord God also said: “When you stretch out your hands and take from the tree of life, you will live forever.” And the Lord God drove Adam out of paradise. And he settled opposite paradise, weeping and cultivating the earth, and Satan rejoiced at the curse of the earth. This is our first fall and bitter retribution, falling away from the angelic life. Adam gave birth to Cain and Abel. Cain was a plowman and Abel a shepherd. And Cain offered the fruits of the earth as a sacrifice to God, and God did not accept his gifts. Abel brought the firstborn lamb and God accepted the gifts of Abel. Satan entered into Cain and began to incite him to kill Abel. And Cain said to Abel, "Let's go into the field." And Abel listened to him, and when they went out, Cain rose up against Abel and wanted to kill him, but did not know how to do it. And Satan said to him, "Take a stone and strike it." He took a stone and killed Abel. And God said to Cain: "Where is your brother?" He answered: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” And God said, "Your brother's blood is crying out to me; you will groan and tremble for the rest of your life." Adam and Eve wept, and the devil rejoiced, saying: "Whom God honored, I made him fall away from God, and now I have made him weep." And they mourned for Abel for thirty years, and his body did not decay, and they did not know how to bury him. And by the command of God, two chicks flew in, one of them died, the other dug a hole and put the deceased in it and buried him. Seeing this, Adam and Eve dug a hole, put Abel in it, and buried him with weeping. When Adam was 230 years old, he gave birth to Seth and two daughters, and took one Cain and the other Seth, and therefore people began to be fruitful and multiply on the earth. And they did not know the One who created them, they were filled with fornication, all uncleanness, murder, envy, and people lived like cattle. Noah alone was righteous in the human race. And he begat three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. And God said, "My spirit shall not dwell among men"; and again: "I will destroy what I have created, from man to beast." And the Lord God said to Noah: “Build an ark 300 cubits long, 80 wide, and 30 high”; The Egyptians call a fathom a cubit. Noah made his ark for a hundred years, and when Noah told the people that there would be a flood, they laughed at him. When the ark was made, the Lord said to Noah: “Enter into it, you and your wife, and your sons, and your daughters-in-law, and bring in pairs of every beast, and of every bird, and of every creeping thing.” And Noah brought in whom God commanded him. God brought a flood on the earth, all living things drowned, and the ark floated on the water. When the water subsided, Noah came out, his sons and his wife. From them the earth was populated. And there were many people, and they spoke the same language, and they said to each other: “Let us build a pillar to the sky.” Started building; and God said, "Behold, men have multiplied and their vain plans." And God came down and divided their speech into 70 and 2 languages. Only the language of Adam was not taken from Eber; this one of all remained uninvolved in their crazy deed, and said this: “If God ordered people to create a pillar to the sky, then he would have commanded it with his word - just as he created heaven, earth, sea, everything visible and invisible.” That is why his language has not changed; Jews came from him. So, people were divided into 71 languages ​​and dispersed to all countries, and each nation took on its own character. According to the teaching of the devil, they offered sacrifices to groves, wells and rivers, and did not know the true God. From Adam to the flood, 2242 years passed, and from the flood to the separation of the peoples, 529 years. Then the devil misled people even more, and they began to create idols: some - wooden, others - copper, third - marble, and some - gold and silver. And they bowed down to them, and brought their sons and daughters to them, and slaughtered them before them, and the whole earth was defiled. Serukh was the first to make idols, he created them in honor of dead people: some he set for former kings, others for brave people and sorcerers, and adulterous wives. Serug begat Terah, and Terah begat three sons: Abraham, Nahor, and Aaron. Terah, on the other hand, made idols, having learned this from his father. Abraham, having begun to understand the truth, looked at the sky and saw the stars and the sky, and said: truly it is the God who created heaven and earth, and my father deceives people. And Abraham said: “I will test the gods of my father,” and turned to his father: “Father! Why are you deceiving people by making wooden idols? He is the God who created the heavens and the earth.” Abraham took fire and set fire to the idols in the temple. Aaron, the brother of Abraham, seeing this and honoring the idols, wanted to carry them out, but he himself immediately burned down and died before his father. Before this, the son did not die before the father, but the father before the son; and from that time on, sons began to die before fathers. But God loved Abraham and said to him: "Come out of your father's house and go to the land that I will show you, and I will make you a great nation, and the generations of men will bless you." And Abraham did as God commanded him. And Abraham took his nephew Lot; this Lot was his brother-in-law and nephew, since Abraham took for himself the daughter of Aaron's brother, Sarah. And Abraham came to the land of Canaanite to a tall oak tree, and God said to Abraham: “To your offspring I will give this land.” And Abraham bowed to God. Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran. Sarah, on the other hand, was infertile, suffering from infertility. And Sarah said to Abraham, "Come in to my servant." And Sarai took Hagar and gave her to her husband, and Abraham went in to Hagar. Hagar conceived and gave birth to a son, and Abraham named him Ishmael. Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. Then Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Isaac. And God commanded Abraham to circumcise the boy, and they circumcised him on the eighth day. God loved Abraham and his tribe, and called him his people, and separated him from others, calling him his people. And Isaac grew up, and Abraham lived 175 years and died and was buried. When Isaac was 60 years old, he gave birth to two sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau was deceitful, but Jacob was righteous. This Jacob worked for his uncle for seven years, seeking the hand of his youngest daughter, and Laban, his uncle, did not give her to him, saying this: “Take the eldest.” And he gave him Leah, the eldest, and for the sake of the other, he told him to work for another seven years. He worked seven more years for Rachel. And so he took two sisters for himself and begat eight sons from them: Reuben, Simeon, Levgia, Judah, Isachar, Zaulon, Joseph and Benjamin, and from two slave women: Dan, Nephthalim, Gad and Asher. And from them came the Jews. Jacob went, when he was 130 years old, to Egypt, along with all his kind, the number of 65 souls. He lived in Egypt for 17 years and died, and his offspring were in slavery for 400 years. After these years, the Jews grew stronger and multiplied, while the Egyptians kept them in slavery. At that time, Moses was born to the Jews, and the Egyptian magi said to the king: "A child was born to the Jews, who will destroy Egypt." And immediately the king ordered all born Jewish children to be thrown into the river. The mother of Moses, frightened by this destruction, took the baby, put him in a basket, and carried him away and placed him in a watery meadow. At this time, the daughter of Pharaoh Fermuf came to bathe and saw a crying child, took him, spared him, named Moses and fed him. That boy was handsome, and when he was four years old, Pharaoh's daughter brought him to her father. Pharaoh saw Moses and fell in love with the boy. Moses, somehow grabbing the king's neck, dropped the crown from the king's head and stepped on it. The sorcerer, seeing this, said to the king: “O king! Destroy this boy, but if you do not destroy, then he himself will destroy all Egypt. The king not only did not listen to him, but, moreover, ordered not to destroy Jewish children. Moses matured and became a great man in Pharaoh's house. When another king became in Egypt, the boyars began to envy Moses. Moses, having killed an Egyptian who offended a Jew, fled from Egypt and came to the land of Midian, and when he was walking through the wilderness, he learned from the angel Gabriel about the existence of the whole world, about the first man and about what happened after him and after the flood, and about the confusion of languages, and who lived for how many years, and about the movement of the stars and about their number, and about the measure of the earth, all wisdom. Then God appeared to Moses in a burning thorn bush and said to him: “I saw the grief of my people in Egypt and came down to free them from the power of Egypt, to bring them out of this land. Go to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and say to him: "Let Israel out so that they make demands of God for three days." If the king of Egypt does not listen to you, then I will beat him with all my miracles.” When Moses came, Pharaoh did not listen to him, and God sent ten plagues on him: 1) bloody rivers, 2) toads, 3) midges, 4) dog flies, 5) pestilence, 6) boils, 7) hail, 8) locusts, 9) three-day darkness, 10) pestilence on people. Therefore, God sent ten plagues on them, because for ten months they drowned the children of the Jews. When the pestilence began in Egypt, Pharaoh said to Moses and his brother Aaron: “Go away quickly!” Moses, having gathered the Jews, left Egypt. And the Lord led them through the deserts to the Red Sea, and a pillar of fire went ahead of them at night, and by day - cloudy. Pharaoh heard that the people were fleeing, and he pursued them, and pressed them to the sea. When the Jews saw what condition they were in, they cried out to Moses: “Why did you lead us to death?” And Moses cried out to God, and the Lord said: “Why do you cry to me? Strike the sea with the rod." And Moses did this, and the water parted in two, and the children of Israel went into the sea. When Pharaoh saw this, he pursued them, and the sons of Israel crossed the sea on dry land. And when they came ashore, the sea closed over Pharaoh and his soldiers. And the God loved Israel, and they went from the sea three days through the wilderness, and came to Marah. The water was bitter here, and the people murmured against God, and the Lord showed them a tree, and Moses put it in the water, and the water became sweet. Then the people again murmured against Moses and against Aaron: “It was better for us in Egypt, where we ate meat, onions and bread to the full.” And the Lord said to Moses: “I heard the murmuring of the children of Israel,” and gave them manna to eat. Then he gave them the law on Mount Sinai. When Moses went up the mountain to God, the people cast the head of a calf and worshiped it as God. And Moses cut off three thousand of these people. And then the people again grumbled against Moses and Aaron, because there was no water. And the Lord said to Moses, "Strike the stone with the rod." And Moses answered: “And what if he does not emit water?” And the Lord was angry with Moses, because he did not magnify the Lord. And he did not enter the promised land because of the murmuring of the people, but led him up to Mount Vam and showed him the promised land. And Moses died on that mountain. And Joshua took over. This one passed through the wilderness, entered the promised land, slew the Canaanites, and brought the sons of Israel into their place. When Jesus died, judge Judas took his place; and there were fourteen other judges. With them, the Jews forgot God, who brought them out of Egypt, and began to serve demons. And God was angry, and handed them over to foreigners for plunder. When they began to repent, God had mercy on them; and when he delivered them, they again turned away into the service of demons. Then there was the judge Elijah the priest, and then the prophet Samuel. And the people said to Samuel, "Set us a king." And the Lord was angry with Israel, and appointed Saul king for them. However, Saul did not want to obey the law of the Lord, and the Lord chose David, and made him king of Israel, and David pleased God. God promised this David that God would be born of his tribe. He was the first to prophesy about the incarnation of God, saying: "From the womb before the morning star he begat you." So he prophesied for 40 years and died. And after him his son Solomon prophesied, who built a temple to God and called it the Holy of Holies. And he was wise, but in the end he sinned; reigned 40 years and died. After Solomon, his son Rehoboam reigned. Under him, the Jewish kingdom was divided in two: one in Jerusalem, and another in Samaria. And in Samaria reigned Jeroboam, Solomon's serf; he made two golden calves and set them up, one at Bethel on the hill, and the other at Dan, saying, "Behold, your Gods, O Israel." And people worshiped, but God was forgotten. So in Jerusalem they began to forget God and worship Baal, that is, the God of war, in other words, Ares; and have forgotten the God of their fathers. And God began to send prophets to them. The prophets began to accuse them of iniquity and serving idols. They, being convicted, began to beat the prophets. God was angry with Israel and said: “I will reject from myself, I will call other people who will be obedient to me. Even if they sin, I will not remember their iniquity.” And he began to send prophets, saying to them: "Prophesy about the rejection of the Jews and about the calling of new nations."

Hosea was the first to prophesy: ​​“I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. I will break the bow of Israel... I will no longer have mercy on the houses of Israel, but, brushing aside, I will reject them, says the Lord, and they will be wanderers among the nations.” Jeremiah said, "Though Moses and Samuel stand before me, I will not have mercy on them." And the same Jeremiah also said: “Thus says the Lord: Behold, I swore by my great name that my name would not be pronounced by the lips of the Jews.” Ezekiel said: “Thus says the Lord to Adonai: I will scatter you, and all your remnant I will scatter to all the winds ... Because they defiled my sanctuary with all your abominations; I will reject you...and I will not have mercy on you.” Malachi said: “Thus says the Lord: My favor is no longer with you ... For from the east to the west my name will be glorified among the nations, and in every place they will offer incense to my name and a pure sacrifice, because my name will be great among the nations. peoples. For this I will hand you over to be reviled and scattered among all peoples.” Isaiah the great said: “Thus says the Lord: I will stretch out my hand against you, I will rot and scatter you, and I will not gather you again.” And the same prophet also said: “I have hated your feasts and your new moons, and I do not accept your Sabbaths.” Amos the prophet said: "Hear the word of the Lord: I will raise a weeping for you, the house of Israel has fallen and will not rise again." Malachi said, "Thus says the Lord: I will put a curse on you and I will curse your blessing... I will destroy it and it will not be with you." And the prophets prophesied much about their rejection.

The same prophets were commanded by God to prophesy about the calling of other nations in their place. And Isaiah began to cry out, thus saying: “From me will come a law, and I will set my judgment into light for the nations. My truth is near and rising... and the peoples rely on my arm.” Jeremiah said, "Thus says the Lord: I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah... Giving them laws for their understanding, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." Isaiah said, “The former is past, but the new I will announce; before the announcement, it was shown to you. Sing a new song to God." "My servants will be given a new name, which will be blessed throughout the earth." "My house shall be called the house of prayer of all nations." The same prophet Isaiah says: "The Lord will bare his holy arm before the eyes of all peoples, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God." David says, "Praise the Lord, all peoples; praise him, all people."

So God loved the new people and revealed to them that he would come down to them himself, appear as a man in the flesh, and redeem Adam's sin by suffering. And they began to prophesy about the incarnation of God, before the others David: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” And again: “The Lord said to me: You are my son; I have now begotten you." Isaiah said, "Not an ambassador, not a messenger, but God himself, when he comes, will save us." And again: “A baby will be born to us, dominion is on his shoulders, and an angel of great light will call his name ... His power is great, and his world has no limit.” And again: “Behold, a virgin will conceive in her womb, and they will call her name Immanuel.” Micah said: “You, Bethlehem, the house of Ephrants, are you not great among the thousands of Judas? For out of you will come one who is to be ruler in Israel, and whose origin is from the days of eternity. Therefore he sets them up until the time when he brings forth those who give birth, and then the rest of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel.” Jeremiah said: “This is our God, and no one else can compare with him, He found all the ways of wisdom and gave it to his youth Jacob ... After that, he appeared on earth and lived among people.” And again: “He is a man; who will know that he is God? for he dies like a man.” Zechariah said: "They did not listen to my son, but I will not hear them, says the Lord." And Hosea said, "Thus says the Lord: My flesh is of them."

The main images and plots of the books of the Old Testament.

Cultural-historical context and chronology of biblical events.

Genesis. Images and plots of the book of Genesis. Seven Days of Creation. Fall. Exile from paradise. Cain and Abel. "Sons of God" and the sins of mankind. Flood. Legend of Noah. Tower of Babel.

Lives of the Old Testament Patriarchs. Abraham. Sarah. Hagar and Ishmael, son of Abraham. Abraham's migration to Canaan. Appearance of three angels (hospitality of Abraham) and its significance for the Orthodox iconographic tradition. Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot's daughters.

Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah. Esau and Jacob, sons of Isaac and Rebekah. "Sale" of the birthright by Esau to Jacob. Blessing Jacob. Dream of Jacob. Rachel and Leah, wives of Jacob. Jacob's struggle with God. Renaming of Jacob (Jacob - Israel). Reconciliation between Jacob and Esau.

Joseph, beloved son of Jacob. Dream of Joseph. The sale of Joseph by his brothers into slavery in Egypt. Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Dreams of the butler and the baker. Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. Reconciliation of Joseph with his brothers.

Migration of Jacob-Israel to Egypt. Testament and death of Joseph.

Exodus. Numbers. Book of Joshua. Jews in 1200 BC. Life of Moses. Birth, finding the pharaoh's daughter, killing an Egyptian and fleeing. The first appearance of God ("burning bush"). The name of God (Yahweh, Yahweh). Sermon to Yahweh and call to the exodus. The struggle with the pharaoh and the signs of Moses (the rod of Aaron (Moses' brother), pestilence, "darkness" in the land of Egypt, the defeat of the firstborn).

Exodus. The death of the pharaoh's army at sea. Road to Sinai. Miracles of Moses (manna from heaven, a flock of quails, extracting water from a rock, “lifting up of hands”, etc.).

On Mount Sinai. The conclusion of the covenant of the people of Israel with God. Tablets of the Covenant. Ten Commandments. Prayer of Moses. Golden Taurus. Establishment of the ark and altar. Tabernacle of Moses. Copper Serpent (Nekhushtan).

Death of Moses.

Book of Joshua. The conquest of Canaan (the land "flowing with milk and honey"). Valaam's donkey. Crossing the Jordan. Destruction of Jericho. Death of Achan. Capture of the city of Guy. Defeat of the Amorites. Battle on Gibeon (“stop, sun, over Gibeon…” (Is.Nav. 10:12-21))

Palestine in 1200 d.c.e. Canaanites. Language, customs, manners. Worship of the Baals. Moloch. The conquest of Canaan as a "holy war" with the pagans.

Judges. Jews in the XII-X centuries. BC. Transition to settled life. Dual Faith: Yahweh and the Baals. Movement of the Nazirites (Nazarites).

Images and plots of the Book of Judges. Gideon (Jerobal). Gideon's destruction of the altar to Baal. Fight against the Bedouins. Ephod. Urim and Tumim. Teraphim.

Philistine onslaught. Priest Elijah. The captivity of the ark.

Samson. The exploits of Samson (tearing a lion in half, defeating a thousand Philistines, carrying away the gates of Gaza, etc.). Samson and Delilah. Capture of Samson. Death of Samson.

Leviticus and his concubine.

Book of Ruth. Naomi and her daughters-in-law. Ruth and Boaz.

First Book of Kings. Samuel as the last major leader of the era of the Judges. Movement of the Nabids, "sons of the prophets" (Bne-ha-Nebiim). Samuel's struggle with pagan cults. Philistine threat. Demand by the people of royal power. The meaning of the parable of the thorn bush (1 Judges 9:8). Saul.

Saul's anointing for kingship. Saul is the first king of the people of Israel. Saul and the Nabis. Fight against ammonites. Break of Saul and Samuel. David.

David in Saul's house. Michal, wife of David. Janathan, son of Saul. Flight of David. The struggle between David and Saul. Saul and the spirit of Samuel.

Saul's battle with the Philistines. Death of Saul and Joannathan. Song of David on the death of Saul and Jonathan (Ps. 17:25).

Second Book of Kings. David is the second king of the people of Israel. Establishment of the office of sofer (chronicler). Population census. Jerusalem is the City of David. Transfer of the Ark to Jerusalem (c. 995 BC) Hymn of the Ark (“And God will rise…” Ps. 67). Ark tent.

Prophecy of Nathan, its interpretation in Christianity. Psalm 109 about the appearance of the Messiah.

David and Bathsheba. Absalom, son of David wrestling with David. Death of David.

Third and Fourth Kings. Solomon (961-922) is the third king of the people of Israel. The wisdom of Solomon. Judgment of Solomon. Marriage of Solomon with the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Construction of the first temple.

The reign of Solomon and the flowering of the culture of the Jewish state. Jagvist. Song of Songs. Solomon and pagan cults.

Death of Solomon. Rehoboam, son of Solomon. The struggle between Rehoboam and Jerobom. The split into the Northern Kingdom (Jerovam) and the Southern Kingdom (Judea, descendants of King David)

The activities of the prophet Elijah of Thesbite. Drought and competition in Carmel. Elijah at Sinai (“The Lord is not in the thunder, but in the breath of a cool wind ...” (1 Kings, 21)). Vineyard of Naboth, Elijah's Fiery Ascension. Elijah and Elisha, Elijah's disciple.

Strengthening of the Assyrian empire. Capture of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians (King Hosea (732-723))

Southern kingdom. Hezekiah (725-697 BC). Assyrian onslaught. Captivity of King Manasseh (696-642 BC). The first conquest of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar II (597). King Zedekiah (597-587 BC). Rebellion of Zedekiah against Nebuchadnezzar II (589 BC). Second conquest of Jerusalem. Destruction of the city and the temple (587 BC). Babylonian captivity (6th century BC)

Prophecies of Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55).

The first book of Ezra and the book of Nehemiah. The conquest of the Assyrian empire by the Persian king Cyrus the Great (559-539). Edict of King Cyrus (1 Ezra 1:2-5). The return from the Babylonian captivity and the restoration of the temple. Consecration of the temple (515 BC). Organization of the Jerusalem community. The Law of Ezra (Nehemiah 8-10). Restoration of city walls.

Judea under the rule of the Persians (538-333 BC) A period of cultural upsurge. The rise of literary creativity. Creation of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon, the Book of Tobit, the Book of Judith, the Book of Esther, the Book of Job, the Apocalypse of Isaiah, Ecclesiastes. Written fixation of the Song of Songs. Creativity of "hakams" ("chokma" - wisdom). Reasoning about the Wisdom of God as the basis for Sophian iconography

Images and plots of the book of Tobit, the book of Judith, the book of Esther, the book of Job. Ecclesiastes (Kohelet-preacher).

Books of the "great" prophets.Book of Isaiah. The problem of authorship and dating. First Isaiah (ch. 1-39). DeuteroIsaiah (ch. 40-45). Third Isaiah (ch. 56-66). Visions of the prophet Isaiah. Destruction of the "City of Chaos". Leviathan. "Son of the Dawn" (Lucifer). God's judgment and victory over death.

The death of the prophet Jeremiah. Baruch.

Book of the Prophet Ezekiel. Call to be a prophet. Visions of the prophet Ezekiel as the basis of the Christian iconography of the "heavenly powers" (winged beasts (lion, eagle, calf), fiery wheels, etc.). Struggle of Gog and Magog (38:1 - 39:29). Vision of a New Israel.

Daniel at the Babylonian court. Dream of Nebuchadnezzar about the four kingdoms. Three young men in the fiery furnace. Dream of Nebuchadnezzar about a strong tree. Feast of Belshazzar. David in the lions' den. Daniel's vision of the four beasts and the Son of Man. Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. Latest revelations.

Books of the "minor" prophets as the basis of Christian iconography.

First, Second and Third Books of Maccabees. Conquest of Judea by Alexander the Great (322 BC). Judea under the rule of the Ptolemies (323-198 BC). Beginning of Hellenization. The prophecy of Deuterochariah about the King deliverer (sitting on the "donkey and the son of the donkey" (Zech. 9:9), descending "from the tribe of David" (Zech. 12:10-11). The Samaritan schism and the creation of the books of "chronicles" (Chronicles).

Judea under the rule of the Seleucids. Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Epiphanes) (175-164 BC). Forced Hellenization of Judea. Antiochus IV as a prototype of the Antichrist. Terror in Judea. Closing of the temple (168 BC). An altar to Olympian Zeus ("an abomination of desolation"). The appearance of the book of the prophet Daniel. Daniel about the Kingdom of God, the Messiah and his opponent.

Revolt of the Maccabees (166 BC). Creation of the state of the Hasmoneans (Asmoneans). Sadducees. Pharisees. Essenes. finds at Qumran. "Teacher of Righteousness" and the expectation of the Messiah and the end of the world.

Many people are close to the topic of God. But everyone perceives it differently. Some will begin to go to the temple more often and read the relevant literature, others will write wonderful pictures, someone will come up with music, and someone will write poetry. I was very interested in the theme of the Old Testament in the work of Anna Akhmatova. After all, in order to write poetry, you must very clearly imagine what you want to say in your poetry. But interpreting the Bible is not an easy task. There can be no exact statements, only correct thoughts. Therefore, all works of art written on a religious theme are different. They are all on the same topic, but they have significant differences. I would like to touch on the work of Anna Akhmatova and directly on the theme of the Old Testament in her works.

The degree of development of the problem is low. There are separate questions that literary scholars focus on (someone proves that she is a Christian poet, and someone proves that she uses Christian stories)

But the need to fill the gap determines the relevance of the chosen project topic.

There is a contradiction between the interest in the creative heritage of Anna Akhmatova and the insufficient study of the religiosity of her work.

1. Anna Akhmatova - Christian poet

Anna Andreevna Akhmatova (surname at birth Gorenko; born June 11 (23), 1889 in Odessa) - Russian poet, writer, literary critic, literary critic, translator; one of the greatest Russian poets of the 20th century. In addition to artistic creativity, Akhmatova is known for her tragic fate. Although she herself was not imprisoned or exiled, two people close to her were subjected to repressions (her husband in 1910-1918 N. S. Gumilyov was shot in 1921; Nikolai Punin, her life partner in the 1930s, was arrested three times, died in the camp in 1953) and the only son Lev Gumilyov (he spent more than 10 years in prison in the 1930s and 40s and in the 1940s and 50s). The experience of the wife and mother of "enemies of the people" is reflected in one of the most famous works of Akhmatova - the poem "Requiem". Recognized as a classic of Russian poetry back in the 1920s, Akhmatova was hushed up, censored and persecuted, many of her works were not published not only during the life of the author, but also for more than two decades after her death. At the same time, until the end of her life, her name was surrounded by fame among a wide range of admirers of poetry, both in Russia and in exile.

Anna Akhmatova wrote a bright page in the history of world poetry. Her work is rich and varied. Many scientists turned to the analysis of her lyrics, investigated the problem-thematic content and poetics of Akhmatov's works. The work of Anna Akhmatova, like many other poets of the Silver Age, is distinguished by an increased interest in religious themes. This interest is due to the peculiarity of the worldview, the special state of the poet's soul. The images of the eternal book received the most complete plot development in Akhmatova's small cycle "Bible Verses". This cycle was written in the 1920s and included three poems: "Rachel", "Lot's Wife" and "Michal". This cycle was included in the collection "Anno Domini", the name of which (translated from Latin - "Blessing of the Lord").

Anna Akhmatova was very careful about biblical texts, trying to follow the original source as accurately as possible. At the same time, her works were not at all a simple poetic retelling of Old Testament legends. She sought not only to preserve and convey the attitude of the ancient man, but also to bring the legendary stories closer to the modern reader, emphasizing the psychologism of the depicted situation.

Decree of the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks “On the magazines Zvezda and Leningrad” dated August 14, 1946: “Akhmatova is a typical representative of empty, unprincipled poetry alien to our people. Her poems, imbued with the spirit of pessimism and decadence, aestheticism and decadence, "art for art's sake, unwilling to keep pace with its people, harm the education of our youth and cannot be tolerated in Soviet literature."

There is no need to prove that Anna Akhmatova was a Christian poet. The Christian tonality of her poetry is too obvious, the testimonies about her or her own, although rare, statements are too clear. Pasternak's famous "consoling" letter of 1940, in which he calls her a "true Christian". “She, and this is her exclusivity, did not have an evolution in religious views. She did not become a Christian, she has always been one all her life.” Religion expanded the sphere of beauty, including the beauty of feeling, the beauty of holiness, and the beauty of church splendor. Over the years, Akhmatova's poetry becomes spiritually more balanced and strict, the strengthening of the civil sound is accompanied by a deepening of the Christian worldview inherent in it, the thought of a consciously chosen sacrificial path.

But the most intimate feelings are almost encrypted, concealed from a profane look; often, in order to trace the poet's thought to the end, it is necessary to catch the special role of one or another intonation, word, quotation. V. M. Zhirmunsky wrote about the restrained chastity of Akhmatova’s creativity: “She does not speak about herself directly, she talks about the external environment of a spiritual phenomenon, about the events of external life and about objects of the outside world, and only in the peculiar choice of these objects and their changing perception is felt genuine mood, that special spiritual content that is invested in words. Indeed, Akhmatova has almost no purely religious poems, she rarely speaks directly about the subjects of faith. "Church names and objects never serve as her main themes; she only mentions them in passing, but they so saturated her spiritual life that through them she lyrically expresses a wide variety of feelings," noted K. I. Chukovsky.

Even when quoting, Akhmatova rarely claims words that are not her own as a quotation, although there is usually a fairly definite reference to a text or event. Each of the reminiscences needs interpretation and commentary; This article will confine itself to a few examples.

In the poem "You gave me a difficult youth." (1912) - a number of gospel reminiscences, significant in the general repentant tone of the poem. So, the lines are referred to the Gospel: "Lord! I am negligent, Your miserly servant" (p. 62). These seemingly common words have an exact address. This is a parable about an evil servant (Matt. 18:23-35), to whom the owner (the Lord) forgave a huge debt, but did not soften his hardened, stingy heart. The "negligent servant" is mentioned in Matthew (25:14-31) and Luke (19:12-27) in a parable commonly known as the parable of the talents (minas). It has one feature: in both sources it sounds in the context of Christ's words about the Second Coming. The eschatological nature of the parable is stated in the very first sentence: "Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matt. 25:13). We find a similar text in Luke.

The parable of the talents is a parable about the Judgment, about the responsibility that a person bears for his own life as a gift from God, about the reward for the inner ability to understand and accept his destiny, for "he who has it will be given and multiplied; but from the one who does not, even that, what he has" (Matthew 25:29). Christ speaks of the faithful and negligent servant in another parable - with a call to constant "watchfulness" in view of the fact that no one knows the hour of the Coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:42-51; Luke 12:36-48). Akhmatova then unequivocally repeated this prophecy: "Soon there will be the last judgment" ("How can you look at the Neva. ", 1914, p. 83).

In "The Song of the Song"; (1916), the gospel quote sounds in the general context of reflections on the path and destiny of the poet, here - not only the chosen one, but also God's servant, in the simplicity of the heart fulfilling "everything commanded" and not requiring any special gratitude or bribes for their work. In this connection, I recall the question about poetry, asked at about the same time to the Optina elder Nektary (Tikhonov), with whom Akhmatova had several conversations after the revolution. “You can engage in art, like any other business, like carpentry or tending cows, but all this must be done as if before the eyes of God. There is also great art - the word that kills and resurrects (Psalms of David, for example), but the path to this art lies through the personal feat of an artist is a sacrificial path, and one out of many thousands reaches the goal," said the elder.

The humble, as you know, asks God only for strength, patience and blessings for work. It is precisely such a blessing for the common cause that the heroine of the poem asks for: "I only sow. Gather / Others will come. Well! And bless the reapers, jubilant army, O God!" . Compare: "The one who reaps receives a reward and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that both the one who sows and the one who reaps will rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true:" one sows and the other reaps ""

With the understanding of poetry as a blessed work and the poet as "God's servant" in the broadest sense of the word, which includes both chosenness, and sacrifice, and a humble awareness of one's weakness, and that "obedience", good bondage, which is based on complete trust in the Creator, the poem is connected "I prayed like this:" Satisfy. "" (1913). The theme of the rejected sacrifice as a punishment or a special test sent to those called to high service is not accidental in Akhmatova. Perhaps this is connected with an episode from the life of St. Righteous Anna, celebrated on December 9/22 as a church holiday of the Conception of St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos. On this day, the memory of another Saint Anna is celebrated - the prophetess, as well as the icon of the Mother of God, called "Unexpected Joy". .

“Smoke from a sacrifice appears in the poem, which could not fly up to the throne of Powers and Glory, but only spreads at the feet, prayerfully kissing the grass.” A complex doctrine about the types of sacrifices, the nature, method and purpose of their offering is set out in detail in the Old Testament. There we find both the motif of heavenly fire consuming the sacrifice of the righteous, and signs of God's "attitude" towards the sacrificer. Smoke creeping along the ground is an unfavorable sign; so, for example, in the story of the sacrifices of Abel and Cain. One of the most significant sacrifices is told in the Book of III Kings. It was brought by the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel during the test of the power of the God of Israel and Baal. The sign of victory was supposed to be heavenly fire, consuming the victim (the carcass of a calf) without the participation of earthly fire. The efforts of the priests of Baal were fruitless, while, through the prayer of Elijah, "the fire of the Lord fell on the altar, which was also flooded with water." .

Asking God for mercy, the heroine also recalls the gospel healings of the blind and dumb: "So I, Lord, prostrate: / Will the fire of heaven touch / My closed eyelashes And my wonderful dumbness?" . In the Gospel, physical weakness is often a sign of spiritual weakness. Thus, blindness that closed the eyelashes means not only external darkness, but also the darkening of the soul - by sin or unbelief. As in the story of the healing of the blind: "Do you believe that I can do this?" -. "Hey, Lord!" -. - And their eyes were opened. "In the Christian tradition, dumbness is often a sign of "higher knowledge", contact with the reality of another world, a special ascetic feat of silence. Silence is a virtue and a reward of the "future age". "Muteness can be mysterious and sacred. In Akhmatova it is "wonderful". In accordance with the principle of a peculiar choice of objects of the external world, so significant, according to V. M. Zhirmunsky, for Akhmatova, there are realities associated with religion, which are many in her poems. Touching here only on the external, factual side of the issue, I would still like to note that the significance of these realities is not limited to the reconstruction of the internal appearance of the heroine, but extends to the area of ​​symbols and signs.

In the poem “I began to dream less often, thank God.”, where there is clearly a perception of the Bright Week, the only one in the year when the ringing of the bell towers really does not stop all day, to which they let everyone who wants to thus announce the Resurrection of Christ, there are mysterious in its indistinctness, so rare and unusual for Akhmatova, the line: "Here, everything is stronger from Jonah - the Lavra Bell Towers in the distance." Jonah, at best, is interpreted as "the Ionian monastery in Kyiv." But there was no such monastery in Kyiv and there is not. We are talking about the Kiev Holy Trinity Monastery, located on the right bank of the Dnieper, a few kilometers from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. It was founded and rebuilt by the ascetic - the elder Jonah, who did not have time to see the fulfillment of his cherished dream - the completion of the construction of a grandiose bell tower, for which, however, he managed to purchase in 1896 a bell weighing 1150 pounds. Elder Jonah died on January 9, 1902, having taken the schema with the name of Peter 8.

We find mention of another Kiev shrine in a later poem "The gates are wide open.": "And the dry gilding of the Indestructible concave wall is dark" strength. This iconographic type, which reminds believers of the special prayerful intercession and intercession of the Mother of God for the whole world, was popularly called "The Mother of God the Indestructible Wall" (commemorated May 31 and the Sunday of All Saints).

Akhmatova's early poem "By the Sea" (1914) also needs a real commentary, for example, the following series of lines: "And the monk at the gates of Chersonesus / Said to me:" Why are you wandering at night?"; ". I will become a monk. you in Chersonesos"; "Prayer services were served in the lower church"; "And the salty wind brought to us Easter ringing from Chersonesus". but the poem mentions the Orthodox Chersonesos monastery of St. Vladimir.

The history of the founding of this monastery in the vicinity of Sevastopol is connected with the discovery during archaeological excavations in 1848 by Archbishop Innokenty of Chersonesos and Count Uvarov on the central square of Chersonesos, deserted, dead Korsun, where, as it was believed, Prince Vladimir was baptized.

Already on May 4, 1850, the solemn opening of the monastery took place on this site, and in 1853 a small church was consecrated in the name of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. During the Crimean War, the monastery was badly damaged, but was soon restored and in 1861 received a first-class degree. The temple mentioned in the poem was founded with the participation of Alexander II, built according to the project of Academician Grimm and consecrated in the name of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. The project was based on an early Byzantine basilica: a plan in the form of an equilateral cross, many columns and triple windows, a large round interior covered with hemispherical domes. The church was two-story, with many side chapels. In the lower floor, the "lower church", the throne was consecrated in the name of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. There were preserved the remains of an ancient temple - the alleged witness of the baptism of St. Vladimir, the place of the font is indicated. The complex symbolism of the poem is connected, however very indirectly, with the gospel events, the memory of which is dedicated to Passion and Bright Weeks. So, the storyline of the "dead bridegroom" has, in addition to the mythological, symbolic, cultural-historical and other aspects, a certain analogy in the Passion and Light services. In this case, the "groom" is the "Tsarevich", the Son of the King of Kings and God of Lords; the girl waiting for his appearance is the "wise virgin" from the parable, "Christ's Bride", following the example of St. Great Martyr Catherine, who rejected the earthly groom for the sake of the one who would take her into the Kingdom. Then the lines: “I heard - they sang over the prince: “Christ is risen from the dead,” / And the “Round Church” shone with indescribable light - can be interpreted not only as a description of the funeral service according to the Easter rite, but also as being proclaimed over the Shroud (by the way, the theme The shroud sounds very distinctly in the poem) troparion (voice 5): "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and bestowing life on those in the tombs," which follows immediately after the stichera (voice 5) "Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the angels sing on heaven. ", which opens Easter Matins. We also recall that Kuvuklia - part of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem - has a round shape, akin to a rotunda. .

In general, the theme of the Passion (and the understanding of personal sacrifice, life as a way of the cross, the idea of ​​redemption and the high meaning of suffering) occupies a special place in Akhmatova's poetry. In the early period, it is especially strong in poems about the war of 1914, the events of 1917, and personal losses that are inseparable from them. There is also a certain rethinking of the tasks and deeds of the Christian poet and patriot. In the light of the same events, the theme of the "last times", the approach of the Antichrist, the end of the world and the Last Judgment begins to sound distinctly. The theme of "fulfilling dates" and prophecies coming true.

All of Russia knew that the day of the declaration of war fell on the day of memory of the elder Seraphim of Sarov. The canonization and acquisition of the relics of the saint, who has long been revered by both the common people and the royal family, shook Russia without exaggeration. Numerous testimonies about the monk appeared, including the famous Chichagov Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery. The elder's prophecies about the fate of Russia, which at that time seemed unrealizable and terrible, became widely known. Among other things, he said: “Before the birth of the Antichrist, there will be a great long war and a terrible revolution in Russia, exceeding any human imagination, for the bloodshed will be the most terrible.” However, revealing in detail the terrible fate of the Fatherland and the Church, the elder consoled: “But the Lord will have mercy on Russia and lead her through suffering to great glory!"

There is also evidence of a letter from the elder addressed to "Emperor Nicholas II", which was written long before the birth of the last Russian emperor, where his path, abdication and death were fully predicted11. The theme of this prediction echoes the Akhmatov cycle "July 1914" and the poems "Consolation", "Prayer", "In Memory of July 19, 1914" and some others adjacent to it in meaning. Apocalyptic lines from "July 1914": "The terrible dates are approaching. Soon it will become crowded with fresh graves. Wait for famine, and a coward, and pestilence, And an eclipse of heavenly bodies" (p. 97), in addition, is a direct quote from the New Testament. The words of Christ about the end times are especially detailed in Matthew (ch. 24) and in Luke (21, 9-11 and 25-27). In the Gospel of Luke we read: “When you hear about wars and turmoil, do not be horrified. For this must be before: but the end will not immediately. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and terrible things, and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:9-11). But, according to the promise of Christ, great consolation will come after suffering. The same hope is mentioned in the poem: “The White Mother of God will spread great veils over sorrows,” writes Akhmatova, recalling one of the most beloved feasts in Rus', the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, associated with the hope for the special intercession of the Mother of God. However, the final lines of the cycle return the reader to the experiences of the Passionate, without which the "glory of the rays" ("Prayer") is impossible. .

“They hurt Your most holy Body / They cast lots for Your garments” (p. 97) - this is a transcription of lines from the 21st psalm of David: “You divided my garments for yourself, and for my garments metasha lots” (Ps, 21, 19). This prophecy about the sufferings of the Savior is repeated in one of the Passion Gospels read at the evening service of Maundy Thursday: “The soldiers, when they crucified Jesus, took his clothes and divided him into four parts, each soldier in a part, and a tunic; the tunic was not sewn, and all woven from above. So they said to each other: "Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose will it be - so that what is said in Scripture will come true:" They divided My garments among themselves and cast lots for My clothes "" (Jn. 19:23-24) We hear the same words in the Prokeimenon (tone 4) of Matins of the Great Heel.

Thus the cycle "July 1914" reminds Russia of the coming cross. And the “Prayer” speaks of the future glory of the cross, in which, continuing the theme of the Passion, the exultant foreboding of the Resurrection, so accurately conveyed in the last, 15th antiphon of Matins of the Great Heel, sounds: “we worship Thy passion, Christ, show us also Thy glorious Resurrection". The motive of co-crucifixion as a voluntary renunciation for the sake of a high goal from everything that is dear on earth is the leading one in the Prayer. And the line is not accidental in this context: "So I pray for Your liturgy." After all, the liturgy is the "bloodless sacrifice", a prototype of the sacrifice of Golgotha. Let us remember: there are no accidents in the extremely rich and at the same time restrained poetry of Akhmatova; Thus, the rhyme "liturgy - Russia" is significant and not accidental, bringing together mysterious meanings.

But not only this extremely high note sounds in the religious theme of Akhmatova. A significant place, especially in early lyrics, is occupied by works, among which it is significant, for example, such as "Under the roof of a frozen empty dwelling." Listing the titles of books read is always a sign of a certain inner state of a person. "I am reading the epistles of the Apostles." Since ancient times, people have turned to this book of an instructive nature in difficult times and in search of an answer to a painful question. This book is a support, the book is an unconditional authority.

On the other hand, the "words of the Psalmist", i.e. the Psalter of King David, is one of the favorite books of Orthodox Rus'. In this unusual collection of religious lyrics, feelings, sufferings, joys, hardships and the acquisition of a living human soul are concentrated. The psychological and spiritual universality of the Psalter, combined with artistic originality, makes it an interlocutor for all time. She is permeated by a feeling of special closeness to God, a feeling of the possibility of asking for everything, complaining, even grumbling. The Psalter is also a source of poetic inspiration, embodied in a whole tradition of poetic transcriptions. According to church belief, the Psalter drives away demons, helping to cope with confusion and despair, gratefully accept sadness and joy. In reading the Psalter, the heroine of the poem finds solace and consolation, embraced by complex, conflicting feelings. .

"And in the Bible, a red maple leaf is laid on the Song of Songs." "Song of Songs" - one of the books associated with the name of King Solomon, only to the ordinary, non-churched consciousness seems strange, almost erotic "sobbing of the flesh", it is not clear how it broke into the strict harmony of sacred hymns. The extremely close, "native" feeling of God, the dissolution of the whole personality in God, down to everyday trifles and earthly emotions, which is generally characteristic of the Old Testament, was especially clearly manifested in the Song of Songs. Its external, event series - the story of the last love of the royal sage - has for a Christian a certain mysterious higher meaning: it is an inspired song about the "romance" of the soul and God, Christ and the Church. “I gave my heart to the Lord,” writes Akhmatova in the first stanza, which is not included in the main text of the poem. "Song of Songs" glorifies that divine love, a faint shadow of which even the deepest earthly feeling is thought of - that love, which is the name of God and which the monastery elders compared with "a kind of intoxication", and Christ likened the relationship of bridegroom and bride, husband and wife - earthly marriage as a reflection of sacrificial, all-consuming love. .

It seems that Akhmatova, especially in the early period of her work, is very close to the biblical view of the world, when everything that is not sin is blessed. Wealth, expanse, riot of feelings, all the "charm of a sweet life" ("Epic motives. 3", 1915, p. 160) for the Bible - "there is good." The spirit of self-denial and austerity does not prevail in the Old Testament; The Bible, on the contrary, as if sacralizes, sanctifies worldly life, accepting and understanding in it, it seems, everything except apostasy, destruction and depravity. She, in general, is quite indulgent to error, paternally soft in relation to the sinner; it allows both frank admiration of the "lower world" and "the cry of the soul." Biblical flowering and a variety of feelings and colors are accurately conveyed by Akhmatova in the cycle "Bible verses": "Rachel", "Lot's wife", "Mechola". It is the biblical attitude that allows the bride to openly, even sensually desire the groom, as the future husband and father of children, the father - to go to the trick for the sake of the happiness of the unfortunate daughter. ". Everyone will be forgiven deceit for the glory of Laban's house." Such a worldview is upholding the right to simply live, love, give birth, build, fight, sing, cry and pray, sin, repent and live again, fully and brightly. The Bible leaves a person the right to "love that is stronger than death", even to the fallen and perishing in sins "city and the world." "Sodom" "Lot's wife", Petersburg Akhmatova, as well as the City of Bulgakov, beloved and sinful, "paying the bills", but not completely forgotten by God (at least in the person of the righteous). The motive of punished love-pity for the native city-criminal, which sounded so painfully and vividly in Lot's Wife, runs through all of Akhmatova's work, right down to Requiem, Poem without a Hero, war poems and Tsarskoye Selo Ode. .

It should be noted that at the moment of infatuation with Akhmatova, the “biblical view” turns into “remembering the name of God in vain”, into “everyday” Orthodoxy in the negative sense of the word, and even, as mentioned above, into blasphemy. Examples of "domestic" blasphemy are not so few in Akhmatova's early poetry. .

In this sense, it is very characteristic, with all the undeniable literary and artistic merits, the poem "He was my blissful cradle." "Salt of prayers" the heroine calls her beloved city. But the solea, an elevation in front of the altar, separated by three steps from the main space of the temple, is not at all a place for such "prayers" (in other words, the performance of verses), especially ladies. The clergy pray on the solea: the choir sings, the litanies are proclaimed, and the deacon reads the Gospel; the solea is intended for the Small and Great entrances of the clergy during the liturgy, in the center of the salt, on the pulpit, opposite the Royal Doors, there is a priest, pronouncing the Luminary and other prayers, giving a sermon; from here he communes the people, blesses, gives the cross after the service. In the context of this poem, the "groom" who showed the heroine the "illumined path" is, of course, not the Heavenly Bridegroom of St. Catherine and in general not even a groom, a future legal spouse, but simply a lover, and the "path" indicated by him is illuminated by a completely earthly passion. The "young Seraphims" present at the same time somehow do not connect with the Angels closest to God, but are more like chubby baroque-vicious cherubs of the 18th century. In the poem, they hold wreaths over the "solemn marriage bed" of the same society lady. It is no coincidence that Muse appears here as a guide of a blind soul. .

Such is the spirit of the poem "Let's be together, dear, together." In it, passion is quite blasphemously identified with the Christian sacrament of marriage, which, as you know, symbolizes the mystical union of Christ and the Church. Accordingly, "this church" (isn't it a "temple" of "love" with the "altar of Venus"?) precisely "sparkled" and precisely with a "violent radiance", which can also remind of the main seducer named Dennitsa-Lucifer. .

"Escape" (1914) abounds in the same kind of playfulness "in the Art Nouveau style", where the pectoral cross acts as an amulet that brings good luck in love affairs, and the "light of the imperishable day" met "on the deck of a white yacht" has, perhaps, the same source as the above-named "radiant path" and "violent radiance." In this sense, the lines from the beautiful from a purely literary point of view poem "You are heavy, love memory!.": "For this, Lord, did I sing, For this did I partake of love!". An Orthodox Christian, like Akhmatova, could not but know that the sacrament of Communion is the greatest in the Orthodox Church, that it represents the blessed union of a person with Christ as a result of the transubstantiation of wine and bread. Only a baptized believer who has prepared himself by prayer, fasting and repentance can receive communion. In this poem, the "communion of love" is associated not with Christianity, but almost with the style of the "black mass", Khlystism or Rasputin atrocities. After all, here, obviously, by "love" is meant passion, earthly and violent. It is quite understandable that after such a "communion" there appears on the horizon the "illumined oblivion" of "The Master and Margarita" and the suicidal desire for poison and dumbness ..

Akhmatova, with her true spiritual instinct, certainly felt some guilt of "impiety" both personally and in her era. And it is far from accidental that in her poetry, next to the theme of the atoning sacrifice, the theme of retribution, guilt and the righteous Judgment arises. The theme is complex, inexhaustible, like everything connected with the deep layers of the work of this great poet of the 20th century.

In her work "Confession" Anna Akhmatova describes the great sacrament of the Orthodox Church - confession. Confession is a holiday for our soul, for the guardian angel and of course for us. Confession is a sacrament during which the Lord forgives sins through the priest.

All people who have reached the age of 7 are called to confession. You can confess at any time and in any situation, but confession in a church is generally accepted - during a divine service or at a time specially appointed by a priest (in special cases, for example, for confessing a sick person at home, you need to individually agree with the priest). A confessing person must be a baptized member of the Orthodox Church, a conscious believer (recognizing all the foundations of the Orthodox dogma and conscious of himself as a child of the Orthodox Church) and repenting of his sins. Only an Orthodox priest or bishop can be a legitimate occult performer. The priest is obliged to keep the secret of confession, that is, he cannot retell to anyone what he heard in confession. The priest, as a rule, confesses in front of the lectern on which are the Cross and the Gospel. Those who come to confession stand at some distance from the lectern (so as not to interfere and not to hear someone else's confession). When their turn comes, they approach the lectern, bow their heads or, if desired, kneel (but on Sundays and great holidays, as well as from Easter to the day of the Holy Trinity, kneeling is canceled). Usually the priest covers the head of the penitent with an stole, prays, asks the confessor's name and what he wants to confess before God, but sometimes the stole is put on the penitent's head only while the priest is reading the permissive prayer. All these features Akhmatova was able to express in her poem

By the centenary of Anna Akhmatova, which fell at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, new editions of the poet's works, memoirs and biographical works, monographs, collections of scientific articles and abstracts of speeches at conferences were published. Particularly valuable are the memoirs of L. K. Chukovskaya, A. G. Naiman, V. Vilenkin, the Ardov family, N. Ya. Mandelstam, I. Brodsky and other writers who knew Akhmatova closely and left living evidence of her devotion to church doctrine.

For researcher M. S. Rudenko, religious images in the poetry of Anna Akhmatova became the subject of dissertation study. M. S. Rudenko writes that “faith in God has the character of an ideology for Anna Akhmatova, and not a “leadership” in everyday life”, that faith “deepens and expands creative possibilities, helps to create a unique figurative and symbolic structure of poetic speech, but never does not absorb the whole being of Akhmatova's heroine, first of all, the woman and the poet.

Father Mikhail Ardov wrote: “More than anything written in the world, Akhmatova loved the Bible. She had excellent knowledge of the Old and New Testaments. She often resorted to quotations from Scripture both in life and in her work. ".

“During one of our meetings in 1915,” recalls B. Anrep, “I spoke about my disbelief and the futility of a religious dream. Anna Akhmatova scolded me severely, pointing me to the path of faith as a guarantee of happiness. "It's impossible without faith."

In the memoirs of Anna Akhmatova about N. S. Gumilyov, there is the following significant entry: “When in 1916 I somehow expressed regret over our generally failed marriage, he said:“ No - I don’t regret it. You taught me to believe in God and love Russia."

V. Ardov wrote: “I am inclined to believe that Akhmatova, as it were, was a saint, since she did not possess any vices, she was unusually kind. She was very faithful. Most importantly, she honored Christian ethics.”

A. Naiman: “In the Soviet years, when regular church attendance was almost impossible for the poet, she still spoke of herself as a believer, and measured time according to the church calendar: “bright, bright Spirits Day”, “Holy Week” , "Christmas time", "permission of wine and oil", "Eve of Epiphany"".

V. Vilenkin: “. When asked whether she believes in Jesus Christ not only as a historical figure, Akhmatova replied: “of course, like all more or less intelligent people.”

I. Brodsky: “In conversations with her, just in drinking tea or, say, vodka with her, you quickly became a Christian - a person in the Christian sense of the word, rather than reading the corresponding texts or entering a church. The role of the poet in society is reduced to a large extent precisely to this.

Akhmatova was not only a believer, but also a "church" person. Her “churchness” “included an interest in church architecture, the lives of saints, church services, and the church calendar. In church, she behaved confidently, felt at home.

When A. V. Lyubimova, in a conversation with Akhmatova in post-siege Leningrad, complained that she felt guilty for being alive, and that “the survivors must be punished somehow, at least a little,” Akhmatova said: “Impose repentance ".

Akhmatova's notebooks are full of notes relating to church holidays. So, in the workbook of the RGALI, e. x. 114 ("Lermontov") records of the last month of Akhmatova's life are marked as "February 16. Sretenskaya Anna”, February 19 - “Saturday at Maslenaya”, “February 20 - “Forgiveness Sunday”, about February 21 it is written: “Tomorrow is Clean Monday. (“Lord, Lord of my belly.” and the ringing that I remember from childhood)”

Thus, Anna Akhmatova for Russian literature is not only a great poetess (or a poet, as she called herself), but a great Orthodox writer. Her works amaze us both with the precise use of artistic means, the special style of the poetess, as well as Christian ideas filled with deep Orthodox meaning.

2. Analysis of the poem "Rachel"

Anna Akhmatova begins the biblical cycle with a poem about the love of Jacob and Rachel, and she puts so much love and suffering of her heart into a poetic word, opening the pages of the Book of Genesis to readers:

And Jacob served for Rachel seven years; and they appeared to him in a few days, because he loved her.

About the main character of Akhmatov's poem, it is only said that she wore "fluffy braids." About the first impression she made on Jacob, the Bible says restrainedly, not very strongly: "And he lifted up his voice and wept." Akhmatova, on the other hand, does not mention the external emotional manifestations of the feeling that gripped the hero. The poetess draws attention to the state of his soul during and after the meeting: “His heart did not feel sad in his chest.” However, the most majestic, albeit indirect, beauty of Rachel is sung in the following lines: Rachel! For the one who is in your power, Seven years are like seven dazzling days. Akhmatova intentionally reinforces this comparison with an uncharacteristically bright and sonorous epithet for the biblical text "dazzling". Thus, a certain generalized image of majestic, dazzling beauty is created in the poem, which is worthy of any sacrifices made on its altar. It deprives a person of will and is able to bring him to madness. This is why Jacob called Rachel his "black dove".

This episode from Genesis has many theological interpretations. One of them is the interpretation of Ephrem the Syrian.

Jacob met Rachel at the well. She came with a herd, barefoot, in shabby clothes, her face was scorched by the sun. Jacob understood that He who sent the beautiful Rebekah to the source and the wretched Rachel sends to the well, and demonstrates his strength to her: he rolls off the stone that closed the well, which many strong ones could hardly move. Having carried Rachel away to God by this wonderful deed, he himself is betrothed to her with a kiss.

Jacob worked for her for seven years, but when the term was completed, Laban deceived him and instead of Rachel married Leah to him. Laban resorted to such a trick, not only because Leah was ugly and for the seven years while Rachel was a bride, no groom was found for her, but also because he saw God's blessing on his property during the time of Jacob's shepherd. Therefore, he planned to make him a shepherd for another seven years, so that in the next seven years his property would increase, which he acquired in the first seven years, when Jacob worked for Leah who was given to him. Wherefore Laban apologizes to Jacob for the custom of his fatherland, and says, There is no such thing in our place, let the youngest go before the oldest (Genesis 29:26). And then he reveals that he really did it intentionally, and says: “End the days of marriage with Leah and give thee to Rachel for the work, even if she did another seven years for me” (Genesis 29:27). Laban gathered the inhabitants of that country, and they vouched for Jacob for Laban. Jacob reasoned as follows: if Leah stays in the house of the Gentile Laban, then the seed of the righteous may deviate there into paganism. He was also afraid to lie to his wife Rachel, because the bride is already a wife. Therefore, Jacob takes one, so as not to change the word given to her, and the other, so that his seed does not become sinful through it. But if Laban had not taken Rachel from Jacob, but ordered him to work for him seven years for Leah, then he would not have agreed to work for her even seven days. But not because Leah was ugly, but because it seemed disgusting to him to be the husband of two wives.

Leah gave birth to Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah and stopped giving birth; Rachel remained barren. And since she heard from Jacob that Abraham prayed for the barren Sarah and was heard, that Isaac prayed for Rebekah and was also heard, she thought that her closed womb would not open, because Jacob did not pray for her. And therefore, with anger and with tears, he says to his husband: Give me children: if not, I will die (Genesis 30:1). She was angry and therefore said: give me children, and not: "Pray that children be given to me." Therefore, Jacob admonishes her that his fathers, although they were heard by God, but not suddenly: Abraham after a hundred, and Isaac after twenty years. But when Rachel heard that she needed great patience so as not to be exhausted from a long wait, she began to ask Jacob: “Hear to my servant, and let her give birth on my knees, and I will receive comfort from her” (Gen. 30:3). Rachel told him: "Abraham took Hagar and did the will of Sarah, because he loved her, but you are not convinced by my words, because you do not love me." Jacob, so that she would not repeat her incessant relentless request to give her a child, agrees to take her slave. And, of course, in order to make heirs together with the sons of the free and the sons of the slaves.

It is about this passage from the Bible that Anna Akhmatova narrates in her work Rachel.

And indeed, when Jacob is hired into the service of Laban, he asks Laban's youngest daughter, Rachel, whom he fell in love with, as a reward, and Laban deceives him into giving him his eldest daughter, Leah: “In the morning, it turned out that this was Leah. Jacob said to Laban, What have you done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why did you deceive me?

Laban said, In our place they don't do that, to give the younger one before the older one; then we will give you that one for the service that you will serve with me for another seven years more” (Gen. 29; 25-28).

Thus, the cunning Laban keeps Jacob as his workers for another seven years, arranging for him both daughters as his wife. In addition, Leah was blind. She suffered because Jacob did not love her, but his sister. But Leah gave birth to sons, and Rachel remained barren for a long time. And the sisters competed, jealous, suffered

"The high night flows over the desert,

Drops cool dews

And Laban's youngest daughter groans,

“And God remembered Rachel, and God heard her, and opened her womb. She conceived and bore (Jacob) a son, and said (Rachel): God has taken away my shame” (Gen. 30; 22, 23).

Andrew of Crete in The Great Canon, referring to the soul, says: “By two women, understand activity and understanding in contemplation: under Leah, as activity of many children, and under Rachel, as received through many labors, understanding, for without labor, the soul neither activity nor contemplation will be perfected.”

Anna Akhmatova's poem "Rachel" preserves both a transparent spring with pure water - a symbol of the New Testament Shepherd (Word), and sheep drinking from a source - a flock listening to God the Word, and a stone with which the source is littered - a symbol of the Old Testament law, "Having ears, let him hear"

And this was written in 1921, when faith was being persecuted, when militant atheism was taking off: churches were blown up, shrines were destroyed, bells were melted down, martyrdom was in store for the servants of the Church, and religion was declared "the opium of the people." In the same 1921, the husband of Anna Akhmatova, the poet Nikolai Gumilyov, was shot. And at such a time, Anna Akhmatova breathes freely the air of Orthodoxy and publishes religious verses that critics try to avoid.

Indeed, it is written about such people in the Gospel: “Whoever begins to save his soul will destroy it” (Lk. 17; 33).

Comparing Akhmatova's text with the Bible, one can see that the poetess borrows the dramatic plot lines, but fills them with details that are completely absent in the Bible. The poem "Rachel" speaks of Jacob's "sadness of heart", which is expressed in the identification of his heart with an "open wound", while in the book of Genesis the more neutral expression is used: "Jacob loved Rachel."

In Akhmatov's poem, as in the Bible, there are no detailed plot descriptions of events. The real world not only becomes in Akhmatova's poems the background against which events unfold, but also contributes to deepening the characteristics of the characters. The landscape is created with the help of separate dotted details, designed to recreate a whole image of the world: a deserted valley where the heroes meet for the first time, heat, wind carrying "hot dust". The surrounding objects seem to dissolve in the landscape and become an integral part of it. The object situation at the moment of the first meeting of Jacob with Rachel appears before us as the physical embodiment of invisible obstacles in the way of lovers. The Bible mentions this in passing: “Jacob came up, rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep,” but the biblical source is silent about how much effort it cost him. Akhmatova's "source was littered with a huge stone." The poetess introduces a few more additional, concretizing words, drawing our attention to the fact that Jacob rolled away the stone "with his own hand." The absence of life-giving moisture at the very moment of the meeting is emphasized by the words: "The herds raised hot dust." "Hot", that is, red-hot from the heat, covered with a layer of dirt and people and sheep. The epithet “pure” sounds like a clear opposition, which determines the quality of water. It becomes even purer towards the end of the poem, when the “source of the valley” is called “transparent”, that is, crystal clear, as it appears in Jacob’s dreams about that “sweet hour”, when all obstacles on the way to his beloved will collapse before the “homeless wanderer”. Such a construction of a landscape image gives grounds to see a second, metaphorical plan in the details of the landscape: the real thirst of people and animals in the hot, sultry desert is comprehended at the same time as a thirst for love, and the “clean source” of well water is perceived as the source of Jacob’s inexhaustible love for Rachel . Akhmatova approaches the dramatic collision under consideration, first of all, from the point of view of psychology. Therefore, the realities of the surrounding world are directly related to the images it reveals.

Thus, the poem "Rachel" is the beginning of the biblical cycle of Anna Akhmatova. Thanks to this work, we can see the story from the Bible in a new, unusual interpretation.

3. Analysis of the poem "Lot's wife"

Lot's wife looked behind him and became a pillar of salt.

Genesis

God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, as the inhabitants of these cities were mired in terrible sins - debauchery, fornication, gluttony, money-grubbing and robbery. With this news, two angels, messengers of God, come to the righteous Lot, who lived in Sodom with his family. They led Lot's family out of the city and "one of them said, 'Save your soul, don't look back, run to the mountain, lest you perish.'

And Lot's wife, whose name we did not recognize, could not help but look around. It was difficult for her, the woman, the keeper of the family and the hearth, to leave everything at once and not cast a farewell glance at what was so dear to her.

In the spirit of Lotov, the wife is close to many women, including Anna Andreevna Akhmatova, who had a strongly developed sense of attachment to Tsarskoye Selo, St. Petersburg - Petrograd - Leningrad, dreams, secrets, Horace, Dante, Pushkin, the Bible.

The poem "Lot's Wife" is a free retelling of the biblical Old Testament motif: an angel led the righteous Lot and his family out of the doomed Sodom. Lot's wife violated a strict order not to look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Despite the uncomplicated content and simplicity of presentation, in essence this poem is one of the strongest in Akhmatova's lyrics. In her work, the theme of the motherland, namely the small motherland, up to the house and the yard, has always occupied a special place. Yearning for the native land is not determined by its special qualities - the beauty of nature, the unusualness or historical significance of the area, the warmth of people - everything can be exactly the opposite, for Akhmatova this is not important: thanks to a strong emotional memory, every detail of her native places evokes memories of events in her or sensations of the past, is emotionally rich.

In the Bible, Lot's wife is made to look back rather by curiosity, in Akhmatova - by longing for her native places, the inability to tear her eyes away from the receptacle of memories so dear to the heart. The heroine does not die from divine punishment, although she was told: "Save your soul, do not look back." The cause of her death is to some extent physical. She was caused by a "mortal pain" in her heart, which deprived her eyes of the opportunity to look at the death of her "native Sodom". Her eyes froze, because they, like the soul of the heroine, are "bound" in the literal and figurative sense of this pain. Her "fast feet rooted to the ground." The heroine of Akhmatova "rooted" to the ground in the literal sense: not only her eyes, but her whole body froze, "became transparent salt." Salt is usually associated in our understanding with tears generated by suffering. "Transparent salt" is like a lot of small, transparent, frozen, albeit unshed, tears.

Anna Akhmatova interprets the Old Testament tradition in her own way, from the position of modernity. Religious beginnings lose their paramount importance in her poem, and the moral and psychological foundations of events come to the fore. The originality of comprehension of the biblical legend also determined the specific finale of the work, where for the only time throughout the entire cycle a summary is given and the author's position is openly expressed:

“Who will mourn this woman?

Doesn't she seem less of a loss?

Only my heart will never forget

Who gave her life for a single look.

In the context of the entire poem, the character of Lot's wife appears whole and consistent. Her act, in contrast to the biblical interpretation, is perceived not as a misdemeanor that deserves such severe punishment, but rather as a virtue that confirmed her ability to have strong human feelings, as a manifestation of constancy and fidelity.

This poem of the biblical cycle, in poetically translated empathy, opens the confession of a soul that is not ready for the reckless path, for complete self-denial, and is, as it were, a confession in itself of the sin of Lot's wife, who transgressed the word of God:

“But anxiety spoke loudly to his wife:

It's not too late, you can still see

To the red towers of native Sodom,

To the square where she sang, to the yard where she spun,

On the empty windows of a high house,

Where she gave birth to children to her dear husband.

The path of Akhmatova's own suffering lies under the feet of an Old Testament woman, bound by a single anxiety, a single pain with all the women of the sinful earth. "Avoid, soul, the flame of every reckless desire"

When the Lord was about to destroy with fire the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, whose sin was great and heavy, Abraham asked Him if He would not spare these cities if there were at least ten righteous ones there? The Lord said: I will not destroy even for the sake of ten. But even ten righteous people were not found in these cities. And the righteous Lot and his whole family were taken out of the city by the angels and ordered to flee to the mountain and not look back, and not stop (Gen. 18; 23-33; 19). Thus, every stop in spiritual work symbolizes death. To look back is to perish spiritually. And in order to recklessly follow Christ, growing in spirit, reckless faith is also needed, for each is given according to his faith.

“I looked - and, shackled by mortal pain,

Her eyes could no longer see;

And the body became transparent salt,

And quick feet rooted to the ground.

Sympathy for Lot's wife becomes Akhmatova's recognition of her weaknesses, and such recognition is given to repentant souls.

The poem "Lot's Wife" was published in the collection "Appo Domini" in 1922 as part of the "Bible Verses" cycle. Interestingly, the name of the collection can be understood in different ways. On the one hand, this is the name of the writer, on the other hand, it means "the blessing of the Lord." The entire collection is permeated with reflections on the theme of the motherland and the responsibility of a person to it. Akhmatova separates herself from emigrants, from everyone who "abandoned the land." The reason for creating this poem was, firstly, the relevance of the topic for the poetess. And the idea itself came to Akhmatova as a response to a quote from the Gospel of Luke cited in the article by N.V. Nedobrovo “Anna Akhmatova”: “If he seeks to save his soul, he will destroy it; and whoever destroys her, she lives," followed in the Bible by the line "Remember Lot's wife." The image of the Sodom woman, who paid with petrification for fidelity to the past, was a metaphor in a polemic with criticism that demanded novelty. In response to the demand for a new one, detractors received one of the oldest stories on earth.

In the poem "Lot's Wife" the most important role is played by the landscape. Akhmatova creates a vivid picture of the city left by the heroine: “red towers”, “square”, where revival once reigned, songs sounded. The description of the heroine's house is especially concretized. He is visible to her from everywhere, her eyes and heart are always turned to him. Everything is connected with the house: here she whiled away the time, “sang” and “spun”, the most important event in her life happened here - the birth of children to “dear husband”. But the windows of the house are now "empty", the heroine is not there. A beloved home will be abandoned by its inhabitants. The urban landscape plays not only the role of a background against which events develop, but also becomes, as it were, another character in the poem. Lot's wife's last gaze is on Sodom. The city does not let go of the soul of the heroine after her departing husband and becomes the cause of her death.

The interpretation of Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria on the text of the Bible is as follows: “The Lord presents as an example his wife Lotov. She, turning back, became a pillar of salt, that is, not far from malice, she remained with her saltiness, becoming completely evil, and, mired and remaining in evil, constitutes a monument to the defeat that she suffered. Then the Lord adds what is also related to what was said above: Whoever saves his life will destroy it. No one, - he says, - in the persecution of the Antichrist, do not try to save your soul, for such will destroy it. And whoever gives himself up to death and in general to disasters, he will be saved, not bowing before the tormentor out of love for life. This is the understanding of Theophilakates of Bulgaria of this biblical event.

Anna Akhmatova understands this event differently.

When I read it, my imagination draws the image of a woman who disobeyed the instructions of the Angel, not because she renounced her faith, but because she simply could not bear this separation from her beloved place. She stayed when her husband and daughters left. But she did not leave her hometown, preparing to die with him. She did not run away, looking for a better place in life. And the last lines of the poem “Who will mourn this woman, does she seem less of a loss? Only my heart will never forget the one who gave her life for a single look ”prove how hard it was for a woman to make this fatal choice, and that we should pity her, and not judge.

The lyrical heroine understands this work differently. I think she is mentally comparing Lot's wife to herself. The woman wanted to look back at what was dear to her soul. “To the square where she sang, to the yard where she spun, to the empty windows of the high house, where she gave birth to children for her dear husband.” The woman did not want to renounce God, from faith. She just did not want to leave her hometown, her beloved home, where there are so many good memories. This story is very similar to a certain period of Anna Akhmatova. When the persecution was in full swing, all her relatives left, her son was in prison, only she alone remained in Russia and did not emigrate anywhere. It was hard for her, everything was taken from her: her house, her son, her creativity. Late at night, she knocked on the door of her friends asking them to take her in. But many refused her. No, not because they took the side of the Soviet authorities. Because they feared for their lives and freedom. But she didn't give up! There were people who helped Anya survive at that difficult time for her.

Thus, the lyrical heroine of the poem "Lot's Wife" is very similar to Anna Akhmatova. The poetess wrote this work at a very difficult time for her. Her relatives and people close to her were in exile, she herself was overtaken by persecution and misunderstanding. Akhmatova reflected her pain, her experiences in this poem.

4. Analysis of the poem "Michol"

But I loved David.

Saul's daughter, Michal.

Saul thought: I will give her for him, and she will be his snare.

First Kings

The human name is a myth. It takes us to the distant worlds of the forefathers to our heavenly patrons. So the name Anna brings us to the First Book of Kings and to the third verse from the biblical verses - "Michal".

Saul had two daughters: the name of the eldest was Merov, and the youngest was Michal. And Saul took David the shepherd into his service (I Sam. 16).

The Philistines gathered their troops for war against the Israelites. And out of the camp of the Philistines came forth a fighter named Goliath, six cubits and a span tall, and terror seized the Israelites. Saul promised to give the one who kills Goliath great wealth and give his daughter to him.

And David said, The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul sent David to fight. Saul armed David, girded him with a sword, but David took everything off himself, because he was not used to walking in this. In the name of the God of hosts, David defeated Goliath, killing him with a stone from a sling. And everyone glorified David, but Saul was upset and set out to kill David, madly, tormented by an evil spirit. But David dodged Saul's spear. And Saul began to be afraid of David and alienated him from himself, made him a leader of the thousand, in the hope that he would die in the battle.

But Michal, the youngest daughter, fell in love with David, and when Saul was told about this, he was pleased. Saul thought: I will give her for him, and she will be his net and the hand of the Philistines will be on him.

In her soul sorrow and resentment,

But he wants Michal - David.

The appointed days had not yet passed, when David went, and his people with him, and fulfilled the conditions of Saul. And Saul gave David to Michal (I Sam. 18). Marriage was unequal for Michal, and this embarrassed her, hurt her pride:

And my spirit is darkened.

Tramp! Robber! Shepherd!

Alas, it does not look like him?

But loving David and learning that her father wanted to destroy him, Michal warned her husband in a moment of danger. “And she lowered Michal David out of the window, and he went, and fled, and escaped” (I Sam. 19; 12).

After the death of Saul, when David entered the city with the ark of the Lord, Michal looked out of the window and humiliated him in her heart. And she reproached and condemned him: “Today he was naked before the eyes of his slaves and slaves, like some empty person!” (2 Sam. 20).

And David said: "I will humble myself even more, and become even more insignificant in my eyes, and before the maidservants of whom you speak, I will be glorified." And Michal was punished by the Lord, for she had no children until her death.

In green eyes frenzy;

In the compressed semantic space of the verse, Akhmatova reaches saturated fullness. Feeling, entering into connection with events, thickens into a plot, and the poetic plot does not lose its biblical symbolism, but rather emphasizes it.

Spiritual David is an Old Testament type of Jesus Christ. The name "David" is interpreted by St. Maximus the Confessor as "humiliation."

“And the Lord, for our sake, put on the guise of a servant (Phil. 2; 7), became a reproach to people and a humiliation of people full of sins, but a good Shepherd, laying down His life for the sheep, that is, for us (Ps. 21; 7; John .10; 11)"

When you read the interpretation of St. Maximus the Confessor, then one involuntarily recalls the lines from Anna Akhmatova's "Michola", her lines addressed to David: “My shamelessness! My humiliation!"

Michal, in irritation, calls David a shepherd, which corresponds to a symbolic interpretation. David the shepherd protected the flock from the lion and the bear, which is anthropologically interpreted as the expulsion from the nature of human rage and lust.

Thus, David is the king of the people who see God, and Saul is the old people, living according to the law of Moses, mad, exhausted by envy, being unable to bear the loss of passing glory.

The Bible cycle of Anna Akhmatova, like many of her other poems, expresses the religious feelings of the poet. Her soul knows the fate of biblical women. It was she who was jealous, screaming and crying, leaving and looking back in tears, and yearning for her son Levushka, who had been left behind in Bezhetsk. She loved both unrequitedly, and happily, and hopelessly, seeing off to death, under arrest

She lived, and the fates of her biblical heroines were woven into her fate with silver strands of hair, the anxiety of a cracked voice

She is not a saint, she lived and worked according to faith, according to her soul, according to her heart.

In the final cycle of the poem "Michol" the artistic conflict is also built on a psychological basis. At the center of the poem is a struggle between the mind and the heart that must have taken place, but not revealed in the Bible. The heroine views her love for David as "shamelessness" and "humiliation". This assessment is primarily due to social inequality: the king's daughter fell in love with a simple shepherd. This inequality becomes the cause of Michal's annoyance and indignation, as evidenced by the devastating characterization given by her to David: “Vagabond! Robber! Shepherd!". The struggle of love with wounded pride - this is how one could define the artistic conflict of this work. Michal feels that the attraction of the flesh darkens her "spirit", deprives her of her will. She understands that one of the “court nobles” should have received her attention, and bitterly asks: “Why, alas, no one looks like him?” If the poem "Rachel" is imbued with the pathos of the beauty of the main character, then in "Mechol" the beauty of the hero is sung:

By poetic means, psychologically reliable, memorable images are created in "Michol". This is especially true for the portrait of the heroine. The poetess draws our attention not to the features of her face, but to how the inner state of Michal is reflected in her appearance. The portrait detail here is "green eyes". However, Akhmatova is not interested in the unusualness of their color, but in the "frenzy" that overwhelms their eyes.

David, by the will of the Lord, was anointed to the kingdom instead of Saul, the king, who did not fulfill the word of God and the Spirit of God departed from him to David. An evil spirit descended on Saul - an evil clouding of the mind. Saul was healed by the singing and playing of David on the harp, when David played Saul, the evil spirit retreated from the madman:

“And the lad plays the mad king,

And the merciless night destroys,

And loudly calls the victorious dawn,

And the ghosts of horror are strangling"

Saul had two daughters: the name of the eldest was Merov, and the youngest was Michal. And Saul took David the shepherd into his service. The Philistines gathered their troops for war against the Israelites. And out of the camp of the Philistines came forth a fighter named Goliath, six cubits and a span tall, and terror seized the Israelites. Saul promised to give the one who kills Goliath great wealth and give his daughter to him.

And David said, The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul sent David to fight. Saul armed David, girded him with a sword, but David took everything off himself, because he was not used to walking in this. In the name of the God of hosts, David defeated Goliath, killing him with a stone from a sling. And everyone glorified David, but Saul was upset and set out to kill David, madly, tormented by an evil spirit. But David dodged Saul's spear. And Saul began to be afraid of David and alienated him from himself, made him a leader of the thousand, in the hope that he would die in the battle.

As a wife to David, Saul offered his eldest daughter, as promised. And David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life and generation, that I should be the king's son-in-law?"

But Michal, the youngest daughter, fell in love with David, and when they announced this to Saul, he was pleased. Saul thought: I will give her for him, and she will be his snare and the hand of the Philistines will be on him.

"And the king's daughter looks at the singer,

She doesn't need songs, she doesn't need a crown,

In her soul sorrow and resentment,

But he wants Michal - David "

And again David said, "I am a poor and insignificant man." And Saul offered David his daughter Michal for a hundred slain Philistines, secretly hoping for the death of David.

The appointed days had not yet passed, when David went, and his people with him, and fulfilled the conditions of Saul. And Saul gave David to Michal. Marriage was unequal for Michal, and this embarrassed her, hurt her pride:

“Probably, they gave me a drink with poison,

And my spirit is darkened.

My shamelessness! My humiliation!

Tramp! Robber! Shepherd!

Why is none of the court nobles,

Alas, it does not look like him?

But loving David and learning that her father wanted to destroy him, Michal warned her husband in a moment of danger. “And she let Michal David down out of the window, and he went and fled and escaped.” After the death of Saul, when David entered the city with the ark of the Lord, Michal looked out of the window and humiliated him in her heart. And she reproached and condemned him: “Today he was naked before the eyes of his slaves and slaves, like some empty person!” And David said: "I will humble myself even more, and become even more insignificant in my eyes, and before the maidservants of whom you speak, I will be glorified."

And Michal was punished by the Lord, for she had no children until her death.

“Pale than dead; her mouth is compressed;

In green eyes frenzy;

Shine clothes, and harmoniously ring

Wrists with every movement.

In the compressed semantic space of the verse, Akhmatova reaches saturated fullness. Feeling, entering into connection with events, thickens into a plot, and a poetic plot does not lose its biblical symbolism, but rather emphasizes it. Spiritual David is an Old Testament type of Jesus Christ. The name "David" is interpreted by St. Maximus the Confessor as "humiliation." “And the Lord, for our sake, put on the guise of a servant, became a reproach to people and a humiliation of people full of sins, but a good Shepherd, laying down His life for the sheep, that is, for us (Ps. 21; 7; John 10; 11)" ( St. Maximus the Confessor, Prince II, Question LIII). When you read the interpretation of St. Maximus the Confessor, then one involuntarily recalls the lines from Anna Akhmatova's "Michola", her lines addressed to David: “My shamelessness! My humiliation!" Michal, in irritation, calls David a shepherd, which corresponds to a symbolic interpretation. David the shepherd protected the flock from the lion and the bear, which is anthropologically interpreted as the expulsion from the nature of human rage and lust. Thus, David is the king of the people who see God, and Saul is the old people, living according to the law of Moses, mad, exhausted by envy, being unable to endure the loss of passing glory. The Bible cycle of Anna Akhmatova, like many of her other poems, expresses the religious feelings of the poet. Her soul knows the fate of biblical women. It was she who was jealous, screaming and crying, leaving and looking back in tears, and yearning for her son Levushka, who had been left behind in Bezhetsk. She loved both unrequitedly, and happily, and hopelessly, seeing off to death, under arrest. She lived, and the fates of her biblical heroines were woven into her fate with silver strands of hair, the anxiety of a cracked voice. She is not a saint, she lived and worked according to faith, according to her soul, according to her heart.

An interesting fact is that in the Old Testament the main characters of this story are Saul and David, whose beneficial relationship is the main idea. Anna Akhmatova singles out not men, but a girl.

The main character in the work is Michal. The poem written by Anna Akhmatova tells not about Saul, not about David, but about Michal. About the change in her life since the appearance of David. About how she loved him, how they lived happily. And then how she saved his life by being alone. Akhmatova pities the poor girl and at the same time admires her courage and tolerance.

Thus, in this poem, Anna Akhmatova focuses not on spiritual love, but on passion. Maybe in the Bible this story is written with a slightly different meaning, the writer sees it this way. In the understanding of Akhmatova, the word love does not make sense here. Prodigal passion, that's what is synonymous with the work. And the point is not that Anna Akhmatova wants us to interpret the Old Testament in a different way. She just understood the story of Michal differently and expressed it differently.

Anna Akhmatova for Russian literature is not only a great poetess (or a poet, as she called herself), but a great Orthodox writer. Her works amaze us with both the precise use of artistic means, the special style of the poetess, and Christian ideas filled with deep Orthodox meaning.

The poem "Rachel" is the beginning of the biblical cycle of Anna Akhmatova. The plot from the Bible appears in this poem in a new, unusual interpretation. The image of Rachel changes, in it we recognize, perhaps, the poetess herself. The emphasis is not on moralizing, but on the power of love between Jacob and Rachel.

The lyrical heroine of the poem "Lot's Wife" is also very similar to Anna Akhmatova. The poetess wrote this work at a very difficult time for her. Her relatives and people close to her were in exile, she herself was overtaken by persecution and misunderstanding. Akhmatova reflected her pain, her experiences in this poem.

In this poem "Michola" Anna Akhmatova focuses not on spiritual love, but on passion. Maybe in the Bible this story is written with a slightly different meaning, the writer sees it this way. In the understanding of Akhmatova, the word love does not make sense here. Prodigal passion, that's what is synonymous with the work. And the point is not that Anna Akhmatova wants us to interpret the Old Testament in a different way. She just understood the story of Michal differently and expressed it differently.

Conclusion

All three poems of the biblical cycle ("Rachel", "Lot's wife", "Michola") took into account the artistic experience of the eternal book: laconism, severe restraint of feelings, the importance of poetic detail. Small in volume, Akhmatov's creations are rich in their inner content. Tension and a deep psychological image turn the heroes of the works into a source of living analogies and recreate a picturesque, colorful picture in our imagination.

In the future, I dream of becoming an Orthodox journalist. For this profession, I think it is very important for me to know literature, the work of various writers and Orthodox culture, which is inextricably linked with it.

Since childhood, my passion has been literature, and especially Orthodox literature. I have a special relationship with poetry. I love to read poetry and it gives me great pleasure. As a result of my work, I learned a lot about the life of Anna Akhmatova. This knowledge gives me the opportunity to understand the poems, to feel. I am very interested to know the facts of the biography of this wonderful, my beloved Anna Akhmatova. Knowing with what feeling Anna Akhmatova wrote works, what prompted her to create this work, gives me a colorful picture of a certain poem, and I can quickly understand it.

As a result of the work, I tried to prove that knowledge of the Old Testament is necessary to study the work of Anna Akhmatova, otherwise readers simply will not understand the meaning of the poems and will not follow Akhmatova's train of thought. In the process of work, I analyzed some of Anna Akhmatova's poems, compared their text with the text, studied the artistic techniques with which the works were written.

In this article, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most famous biblical stories. It is known that biblical stories became the basis of many works of culture. Learning about Bible stories does more than just teach us wisdom, tolerance, and faith. Bible stories help us better understand the culture and ourselves.

In this material we offer you biblical stories of the Old and New Testaments. The greatest prophets, kings of the Ancient World, apostles and Christ himself - these are the heroes of epic biblical stories.

World creation.

The biblical story about the creation of the world is described in the Book of Genesis (1st chapter). This biblical story is fundamental to the entire Bible. He not only tells how it all began, he also sets out the basic teachings about who God is and who we are in relationship with God.

Creation of man.

Man was created on the sixth day of creation. From this biblical story, we learn that man is the pinnacle of the universe, created in the image of God. This is the source of human dignity, and that is why we follow spiritual growth, so we will be more like him. Having created the first people, the Lord bequeathed them to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and rule over animals.

Adam and Eve - the story of love and the fall

The story of the creation of the first people Adam and Eve and how Satan, disguised as a serpent, tempted Eve to sin and eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil. Chapter 3 of Genesis describes the story of the fall and expulsion from Eden of the first people. Adam and his wife Eve are in the Bible the first people on Earth, created by God and the progenitors of the human race.

Cain and Abel - the story of the first murder.

Cain and Abel are brothers, sons of the first people - Adam and Eve. Cain killed Abel out of jealousy. The plot of Cain and Abel is the plot of the first murder on the young Earth. Abel was a cattle breeder, and Cain was a farmer. The conflict began with a sacrifice to God made by both brothers. Abel sacrificed the firstborn heads of his flock, and God accepted his sacrifice, while Cain's sacrifice - the fruits of the earth - was rejected due to the fact that it was not offered with a pure heart.

Longevity of the first people.

We have been asked many times in the comments to the chapters of Genesis why people in those days lived so long. We will try to present all possible interpretations of this fact.

Great Flood.

Chapters 6-9 of Genesis tell the story of the Great Flood. God was angry at the sins of mankind and sent rains to the earth, which caused the Flood. The only people who managed to escape were Noah and his family. God bequeathed to Noah to build an ark, which became a shelter for him and his family, as well as for animals and birds, which Noah took with him to the ark.

Babel

After the Great Flood, mankind was a single people and spoke the same language. The tribes that came from the east decided to build a city of Babylon and a tower to heaven. The construction of the tower was interrupted by God, who created new languages, because of which people stopped understanding each other and could not continue construction.

Abraham's covenant with the Lord

In the Book of Genesis, several chapters are devoted to the post-Flood patriarch Abraham. Abraham was the first person with whom the Lord God made a Covenant, according to which Abraham would become the father of many nations.

Sacrifice of Isaac.

The Book of Genesis describes the story of the failed sacrifice of Isaac by his father, Abraham. According to Genesis, God called Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a “burnt offering.” Abraham obeyed without hesitation, but the Lord spared Isaac, convinced of Abraham's devotion.

Isaac and Rebekah

The story of Abraham's son Isaac and his wife Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel and the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor (Abraham, who lived in Canaan, decided to find a wife for Isaac in his homeland, in Harran).

Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom and Gomorrah are two famous biblical cities that, according to the Book of Genesis, were destroyed by God for the sinfulness and depravity of their inhabitants. The only ones who managed to survive were Abraham's son Lot and his daughters.

Lot and his daughters.

In the tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah, God spared only Lot and his daughters, since Lot was the only righteous man in Sodom. After fleeing from Sodom, Lot settled in the city of Segor, but soon left there and settled with his daughters in a cave in the mountains.

The story of Joseph and his brothers

The biblical story of Joseph and his brothers is told in Genesis. This is the story of God's faithfulness to the promises made to Abraham, His omnipotence, omnipotence and omniscience. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but the Lord directed their destinies in such a way that they themselves accomplished what they so sought to prevent - the exaltation of Joseph.

Egyptian executions

According to the book of Exodus, Moses, in the name of the Lord, demanded that Pharaoh free the enslaved sons of Israel. Pharaoh did not agree and 10 Egyptian plagues were brought down on Egypt - ten disasters.

Wanderings of Moses

The story of the forty-year exodus of the Jews from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. After forty years of wandering, the Israelites rounded Moab and reached the banks of the Jordan at Mount Nebo. Here Moses died, appointing Joshua as his successor.

Manna from heaven

According to the Bible, manna from heaven is the food that God fed the people of Israel during the 40-year wanderings in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. Manna looked like white grains. The collection of manna took place in the morning.

Tencommandments

According to the book of Exodus, the Lord gave Moses ten commandments about how to live and treat God and each other.

Battle for Jericho

The biblical story tells how the successor of Moses, Joshua, asked the Lord to help him take the city of Jericho, whose inhabitants were afraid of the Israelites and did not want to open the gates of the city.

Samson and Delilah

The story of Samson and Delilah is described in the Book of Judges. Delilah is a woman who betrayed Samson, repaying her love and devotion by revealing the secret of Samson's strength to his worst enemies - the Philistines.

History of Ruth

Ruth is the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth was known for her righteousness and beauty. The story of Ruth represents a righteous entry into the Jewish people.

David and Goliath

A biblical story about a young man who, guided by faith, defeated a great warrior. Young David is the future God-chosen king of Judah and Israel.

Ark of the Covenant of God

The Ark of the Covenant is the greatest shrine of the Jewish people, in which the stone Tablets of the Covenant were kept, as well as a vessel with manna and Aaron's staff.

Wisdom of King Solomon.

King Solomon is the son of David and the third Jewish king. His reign is described as wise and just. Solomon was considered the personification of wisdom.

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

A biblical story about how the legendary Arabian ruler, the Queen of Sheba, paid a visit to King Solomon, known for his wisdom.

Golden idol of Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar, who saw in a dream a golden idol, could not get rid of the desire to make himself a similar statue of huge size and of the purest gold.

Queen Esther

Esther was a beautiful, quiet, modest, but energetic and passionately devoted woman to her people and her religion. She is the protector of the Jewish people.

Job the long-suffering

Biblical stories of the New Testament.

Birth of John the Baptist

The Old Testament ends with the hope that God will send Elijah to prepare the people for the coming of the Savior, the Messiah. Such a person turns out to be John the Baptist, who prepares people for the coming of the Messiah, telling them about repentance.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The biblical story about the announcement by the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about the future birth of Jesus Christ in the flesh from her. An angel came to the Mother of God and uttered the words that She was chosen by God and found grace from God.

Birth of Jesus

Even in the Book of Genesis there are prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. There are more than 300 of them in the Old Testament. These prophecies come true in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Gifts of the Magi.

Three Wise Men bring gifts to baby Jesus at Christmas. In the Bible, the Magi are kings or magicians who came from the East to worship the baby Jesus. The Magi learned about the birth of Jesus by the appearance of a miraculous star.

Massacre of the innocents

The Massacre of the Innocents is a New Testament biblical tradition, described in the Gospel of Matthew. Tradition speaks of the massacre of infants in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. The murdered babies are venerated by a number of Christian churches as holy martyrs.

Baptism of Jesus

Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist, who was at the Jordan River in Bethabara, in order to be baptized. John said, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" To this, Jesus replied that "it behooves us to fulfill all righteousness" and was baptized by John.

Temptation of Christ

After being baptized, Jesus went into the wilderness to fast for forty days. In the desert, the devil tempted Jesus. In Christianity, the temptation of Christ by the devil is interpreted as one of the proofs of the dual nature of Jesus, and the wounding of the Devil by Him is an example of the struggle against evil and the blessed result of baptism.

Jesus walks on water

The walking of Jesus on the water is one of the miracles performed by Christ to assure the disciples of His divinity. Walking on water is described in three gospels. This is a well-known biblical story that was used for Christian icons, mosaics, etc.

The expulsion of merchants from the temple

A biblical story describing an episode of the earthly life of the Messiah. At the feast of Passover in Jerusalem, the Jews rounded up sacrificial cattle and set up shops in the temple. After entering Jerusalem, Christ went to the temple, saw the merchants and drove them out.

The Last Supper

The Last Supper is the last meal of Jesus Christ with His twelve disciples, during which He established the sacrament of the Eucharist and predicted the betrayal of one of the disciples.

Prayer for a cup

The Prayer for the Chalice or the Gethsemane Prayer is the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. The prayer for the cup is an expression that Jesus had two wills: divine and human.

Kiss of Judas

Biblical story found in the three Gospels. Judas kissed Christ at night in the Garden of Gethsemane after praying for a cup. The kiss was a sign for the arrest of the Messiah.

Pilate's Judgment

The Judgment of Pilate is the trial of the Roman procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, over Jesus Christ, described in the four Gospels. The Judgment of Pilate is one of the Passion of Christ.

Renunciation of the Apostle Peter

The denial of Peter is a New Testament story that tells how the apostle Peter denied Jesus after his arrest. Renunciation was foretold by Jesus at the Last Supper.

way of the cross

The way of the cross or the bearing of the cross is a biblical story, an integral part of the Suffering of Jesus, representing the path made by Christ under the weight of the cross, on which he was later crucified.

crucifixion of christ

The execution of Jesus took place at Golgotha. The execution of Christ through crucifixion is the final episode of the Passion of Christ, which precedes the burial and Resurrection of Christ. Jesus suffered on the cross alongside the thieves.

Resurrection.
On the third day after his death, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. His body has changed. He emerged from the tomb without breaking the Sanhedrin seal and invisible to the guards.