Icons

The Harrowing of Hades is the icon most often used to represent the Resurrection of Christ: the Feast of Feasts, Pascha (Easter). In this scene, Christ is seen coming out of the dark pit of Hades, bringing with Him all of the righteous Old Testament...

This stunning icon depicts the Six Days of Creation in one single incredible icon. The starry firmament above contains the sun, moon, and stars. The border of the sky is marked by a rainbow, which in iconography symbolizes God's divine power and...

Icon by the hand of Georgi Chimev.

One day a nun from the nearby convent of Diveyevo, coming to visit St. Seraphim at his hermitage in the woods near Sarov, found the old monk being visited by a bear. Terrified, the nun let out a scream. The staretz responded by patting the bear and...

This 21st century icon shows the scene of the Mystical Supper (or the Last Supper). Christ reveals that one of his Disciples will betray Him, as they look at one another with shock. Judas, the betrayer, is seen reaching his hand toward the bowl, as the...

John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness, preparing the way for Our Lord. As John was baptizing the people in the Jordan River, Jesus came to be baptized Himself—not that He had sins to be forgiven, but to inaugurate His ministry...

Here Christ extends His hand to His beloved friend Lazarus, who comes out of his tomb after being dead for four days. This miraculous event happened just before Palm Sunday. By this action, Christ displayed His power over death and pointed to His...

This 21st century icon, specially commissioned by Legacy Icons, shows the scene of the Mystical Supper (or the Last Supper). Christ reveals that one of his Disciples will betray Him, as they look at one another with shock. Judas, the betrayer, is seen...

This incredibly beautiful icon features the Magi presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ Child. This event is celebrated on December 25 in Eastern Christianity and January 6 (Epiphany) in Western Christianity. The icon has...

The Washing of the Feet occurred in the Gospel at the Last Supper before the Lord’s Passion. In this event, he as the Master washes the feet of his servants, the Disciples. This role reversal demonstrated Christ’s great humility and taught us how we...

This beautiful mosaic is from the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem.

The icon known as the Hospitality of Abraham depicts the Old Testament scene when Abraham was visited by three angelic visitors, who announced the birth of a son, Isaac, by his wife Sarah. This scene is traditionally considered a prefiguring...

    This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three...

During the reign of Caesar Augustus, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem. Refer to the Gospels of Matthew (chapters 1-2) and Luke (chapter 2) for the account of the Lord's birth...

After the Resurrection, the Myrrh-bearing Women came to the tomb. They found the soldiers fallen as dead, the stone rolled away, and an angel sitting on it. He showed them the Lord’s empty grave clothes, and told them to tell the Disciples of the...

This fresco, from the Mileševa Monastery in Serbia, depicts the scene at the Lord's tomb on the morning of the Resurrection. The Myrrh-bearing women encounter the Angel in brilliant white robes, who shows the Lord's grave clothes in the...

This icon is used in the Russian tradition for the feast of Pentecost, and in many churches it appears above the Holy Doors. It bears two meanings.  On its surface, this icon depicts a scene from the Bible. The image of three angels grouped around...

This icon, the Apostles' Communion, is often seen in the sanctuaries of Orthodox Churches. In it, Christ is depicted as the High Priest and prototypical celebrant the Mystical Supper of the Holy Eucharist, distributing it to his Apostles. In the words...

  This incredible 19th century fresco is from the Church of St. John the Baptist in Kratovo, Macedonia. It depicts the Angelic Host of Heaven: Archangels, Cherubim, and Seraphim, after the vision of Ezekiel.

Joachim and Anna were the parents of the holy Virgin Mary. They were childless, and for this they were derided by their fellow Jews, who believed they must have been cursed. They both devoted themselves to prayer, and they each vowed to dedicate their...

This icon depicts the Lord Jesus as Judge at the Last Judgment, coming in glory with the angelic host. With the Theotokos and Saint John the Baptist in poses of supplication, this is also a deësis icon, as they pray for the souls of those facing...

After the Resurrection, Christ met Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. They did not recognize His resurrected body, and they invited Him to come and eat with them. At the table, Christ broke bread and gave it to them, and they recognized Him as...

This famous Hagia Sophia mosaic features Christ, the Theotokos, and Saint John the Baptist in a Deesis (Supplication) scene. The Lord Jesus is enthroned while his Mother and Forerunner pray in behalf of the world. The mosaic was completed in the 13th...

This beautiful is from the Monastery of St. Nicholas, one of the clifftop monasteries in Meteora, Greece. It depicts the scene from Genesis 2:19-20, where Adam the first-formed man named the animals which God had created. "Out of the ground...

The Sunday before the beginning of Lent is known in the Orthodox Church as Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, we commemorate the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Through this, we remember that we are far from God because of sin, but we can be...

This incredible Russian icon is a stylized map of Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, featuring numerous Old and New Testament scenes as well as famous saints who lived near Jerusalem. Dominating the center is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,...

In this Greek icon, Noah and his family are depicted preparing to board the ark, together with animals of every kind.

In this beautiful detail from a massive 17th century fresco at Slivnichki Monastery in Macedonia, the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove, perched on a royal throne. He holds the Holy Gospel, and is surrounded by the instruments of the passion: the...

The Prophet Jonah (or Jonas) lived in the 8th century before Christ. He prophesied to the Israelites and the Ninevites, calling all to repentance. He also foretold of the coming Messiah. Jonah was eaten by a sea creature and spent three days in...

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Christ's triumphal entry into the royal city of Jerusalem. Riding on a young donkey, he was met by a massive crowd who publicly hailed Him as king. They waved palm branches and laid their cloaks on the road before Him...

The first Great Feast of the ecclesiastical year, the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8) is also the first Great Feast of our salvation. The Mother of God is born to Saint Anna, after a miraculous conception following a lifetime of barrenness.

This event is recorded in all four of the Gospels. At the time of the Passover, shortly after the Entry into Jerusalem, the Lord entered into the Temple and drove out the merchants who had turned the House of God into a den of thieves.

This 6th-century mosaic is from the apse of the Basilica of Saint Apollinare in Ravenna, Italy. The holy Cross is jeweled (crux gemmata) and appears in the center, surrounded with the Taboric light. Moses and Elias appear on either side, and...

In this radiant icon, we see Moses and Aaron standing within the Tabernacle of Witness. Moses holds a chalice and a text of the Law, while Aaron the high priest holds a censer and the budded rod. The orb with the seven-branch candle stand contains an...

This 13th century icon known as the Suzdal Deësis is from the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow. It features a simple Deësis (supplication) row with Christ in the center and the Theotokos and Saint John the Forerunner turned towards Him.

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Christ's triumphal entry into the royal city of Jerusalem. Riding on a young donkey, he was met by a massive crowd who publicly hailed Him as king. They waved palm branches and laid their cloaks on the road before Him...

Mid-Pentecost is celebrated on the Wednesday 25 days after Pascha, the halfway point between Pascha at Pentecost. This feast celebrates Christ as the Holy Wisdom of God, as the Gospel describes Him teaching in the temple to the astonishment of the...