Icons

The Three Holy Youths Ananias, Misael, and Azarias were among the Jews who were taken to Babylon in the sixth century BC. King Nebuchadnezzar took them into his royal household where they served, along with the Prophet Daniel. They were given Persian...

The Church has received the tradition of the conception of the Mother of God from the ancient Fathers of the Church. The Virgin Mary was born to her parents about 16 or 17 years before the birth of Christ. Her father Joachim was descended from the...

The Apostle Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel/Nathanael) was from Cana of Galilee, but the Gospels tell us little else about his early life. After Pentecost, he preached throughout Asia and India, and was martyred brutally. His feast is celebrated...

This historic Russian icon depicts Christ blessing childrenl. Demonstrating his love for “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” this icon is painted in the realistic Academic style, popular in Russia in the 17th-early 20th centuries...

This 19th century icon of Christ Pantocrator (the Almighty) is painted in the traditional Russian style. The Slavonic text reads Gospod Vsederzhitel: "Lord Almighty" or Pantocrator. The genre of Pantocrator icons of Christ is ancient and common...

This beautiful mosaic icon of the Crucifixion of Christ captures the humility and glory of the culmination of Holy Friday.  In this mosaic, the Lord is crucified in the presence of the Theotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary) and St. John the beloved...

This 17th century icon features the Prophet Elias (Elijah, Iliya) and the Patriarch Enoch (Enokh). What these Old Testament men have in common is that they never died. According to Genesis, Enoch walked with God for 365 years "and he was no more;"...

Job was a descendent of Abraham, and righteous in every way. For this, he was richly blessed with wealth and power. God saw fit to test Job. All at once, he lost his children and his wealth. His body was afflicted with painful sores. Job's few...

This icon is from the very Cave of the Apocalypse itself, on the island of Patmos, Greece, where the book of Revelation was written. It depicts the following passage:  I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation...

The feast of All Saints is commemorated on the Sunday After Pentecost by Eastern Christians and November 1 by Western Christians. This 18th century Russian icon features 80 representatives of all the ranks of Saints: Apostles, Prophets, Hierarchs,...

This exquisite set of two Russian Old Believer style icons portrays the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) and Jesus Christ, the glorified Son of God. The subtle brown background sets off each icon’s vivid colors and attentive detail. The Greek and Slavonic...

Saint Vladimir was the grandson of Saint Olga, who became a Christian at Constantinople. Vladimir's father Svyatoslav divided his kingdom among his three sons. Vladimir, at that time a fierce pagan, was granted the principality of Novgorod. He...

Saint Polycarp was a disciple of Saint John the Theologian, the apostle and author of the New Testament books of John and Revelation. He was ordained by Saint John as the fifth bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor. He suffered in the persecutions of Marcus...

In the Lord's parable of the Ten Virgins, he speaks of five foolish virgins and five wise, who are awaiting the bridegroom to enter his wedding feast. The wise brought enough oil for their lamps to keep watch all night, while the foolish had to go into...

This 19th century Byzantine icon of the Apostle John the Theologian uniquely depicts him contemplating the stories of Christ in silence. Whether writing or reading his own Gospel account, his face reflects the depth of love that he shared with the Lord...

This 19th century Russian “Academic” icon depicts the Archangel Gabriel. In this icon, Gabriel wears white, the color of purity, and blue, the color of humanity and especially the Virgin Mary. He holds a bouquet of lilies, which are...

In this unique Russian icon of the Crucifixion, we also have a window into Hades below the earth. Here, the righteous of the Old Testament are looking up with anticipation, as Christ is about to descend into Hades and set them free from their eternal...

Saint Gregory was born in 329 in Cappadocia. After his studies, he suffered in a shipwreck and feared for his soul, as he was unbaptized. God spared him, and arriving in Athens, he joined his friend Basil the Great. They lived as monastic brothers in...

This is a modern recreation of the historic icon known as "the Black Madonna." The famous original has a deep connection to Poland, which became known in the 15th century, but is likely far older. The feast of the holy icon is celebrated on March 6.

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

Saint Onuphrius lived in the fourth century. He was a hermit in the deserts of Egypt, living alone. He had a wild appearance, covered in hair and naked except for a small garment made of leaves. Saint Paphnuitus was mystically sent to bury Onuphrius,...

The holy Virgin Martyr Paraskevi (or Paraskeva) was born in Rome in the 2nd century to Christian parents. From her earliest years she was devout, spending much of her time in prayer and reading the Scriptures. After her parents' death, she dedicated...

St. Jude is another Apostle whose role in Jesus’ ministry is not elaborated on in scripture.  When he is named among the Apostles, he is also called Thaddeus or Lebbaeus. It is not known how he was called to Jesus or exactly what he achieved...

This rare icon illustrates the Lord's words, "I am the Vine." He is enthroned on a church altar, with grapevines springing forth from the throne. He squeezes the grapes into the chalice of his Blood, which stands on the altar. Two priests are seen...

Aaron was the brother of Moses. While God assigned the task of Israelite leadership directly to Moses, Aaron became an important leader in his own right.  At his first encounter with God, Moses expressed concern that he was not well-spoken enough...

Saint John (surnamed Mansur, later called Chrysorroas, "the Golden Stream" for his writing) was born in Damascus, Syria, late in the 7th century. (This was soon after the Umayyad dynasty took control of the region from the Eastern Roman Empire.) His...

Saint Nicholas II reigned as the last Tsar (Emperor) of Russia from 1894 to 1917. His rule saw the liberalization and eventual fall of the Russian Empire in the Bolshevik Revolution, which ushered in the Soviet communism which was incredibly...

Emmanuel means "God with us," and is often used to refer to Christ as a youth. Yet He appears as an adult, showing that the God Who was before all time came in the form of a young child. Icon by the hand of Georgi Chimev.

Christ is seen among the Jewish scholars, teaching them. The Theotokos and Saint Joseph are seen on the left, having searched for the young Jesus after He disappeared from their traveling party. This event is commemorated on Mid-Pentecost, twenty-five...

This unique Ethiopian Orthodox icon depicts Christ Pantocrator as the "Ancient of Days." It is flanked by the four creatures/symbols of the Four Gospels (Matthew=Angel, Mark=Lion, Luke=Bull, John=Eagle) in the traditional Ethiopian iconography colors of...

Saint Tikhon was the first Patriarch of Moscow after the patriarchate was restored in 1917. But before this, he served as Bishop of the Aleuts and North America, and became an American citizen. He worked tirelessly to establish new churches in America,...

The equals-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, who legalized and defended Christianity in the Roman Empire, and his mother Helen, who discovered the precious Cross of the Lord, are celebrated together on May 21.

This 19th century Russian icon portrays the synaxis (assembly) of the holy Angels and Archangels. In the center is an orb containing Christ as Emmanuel. Behind Christ, holding orbs reading IC XC ("Jesus Christ"), is the chief Archangel,...

In this 16th century Cretan icon, the Theotokos is praised by Old Testament figures, from the Patriarch Jacob (holding the ladder), to Moses, the Prophets, and finally John the Forerunner, the last of the Old Testament prophets. The iconographer...

After the Church was rocked by the heresy of Iconoclasm in the 8th century, the 7th Ecumenical Council proclaimed the ancient truth that images were a worthy and necessary part of Christian doctrine and worship, as they are proof of the incarnation of...

Saint James was a high-ranking official in the Persian Empire in the early-5th century. He and his wife were secret Christians, and in fear of being discovered, he offered a sacrifice of incense to the Emperor Barakhranes after a victory in battle. He...

Complete Set Available Here The Stations of the Cross is a powerful Western Christian devotion used during Lent and Holy Week. Also called "The Way of the Cross" (or in Latin, Via Crucis), it follows the journey of Christ from His condemnation by...

This historical icon of The Great Commission powerfully displays Christ's command to His disciples to spread the Gospel throughout the world. Depicting the words of Matthew 28:19-20,    Therefore go and make disciples of all...

The holy, glorious Apostle Thomas is celebrated on October 6, and his "excellent unbelief, which led the hearts of the faithful to knowledge" is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on the Sunday after Pascha.

Barachiel in the Hebrew language means Blessing of God. One of the eight traditional archangels, he is depicted holding roses. He is considered to be a leader of the Guardian Angels, and a patron of married couples and families. This icon is...