Prophet & Righteous Mother

Holy Prophet Zachariah and Righteous Elizabeth

The holy parents of Saint John the Baptist, who remained faithful to God through childlessness, persecution and martyrdom.

Life and Witness

The Holy Prophet Zachariah and Righteous Elizabeth were descended from Aaron. Zachariah served as a priest in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth was the sister of Saint Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos. They lived according to God’s commandments, but remained childless into old age.

While Zachariah was serving in the Temple, the Archangel Gabriel announced that Elizabeth would bear a son who would prepare the people for the coming of the Savior. Because Zachariah doubted the message, he became unable to speak until the prophecy was fulfilled. At the child’s naming he wrote, “His name is John,” and his speech returned.

When King Herod ordered the infants of Bethlehem and its surroundings to be killed, Elizabeth fled into the wilderness with John. According to the ecclesiastical account, the mountain opened and sheltered them. Zachariah refused to reveal where his son was hidden, and Herod’s soldiers slew him in the Temple between the altar and the sanctuary.

Righteous Elizabeth died forty days after her husband, while Saint John remained in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to Israel. The Orthodox Church honors these holy parents for their faithfulness and for their place in God’s preparation of the Forerunner.

Feast Day

September 5 — Holy Prophet Zachariah and Righteous Elizabeth, parents of Saint John the Baptist.