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| (Nativity of Saint John the Baptist) |
LiveScience reports that archaeologists discovered yet another reliquary (this one at the site of an ancient Bulgarian church) that allegedly contains some bones of John the Baptist’s.
When the DNA from this find was recently analyzed, results suggested “that the human bone is all from the same person, it’s from a male, and it has a very high likelihood of an origin in the Near East.” Radiocarbon dating of the knucklebone’s collagen “pegs its age to the early first century, consistent with the New Testament and Jewish histories of John the Baptist’s life.”
It is thought that a man named Thomas (whose name is also on the reliquary) was charged with bringing these relics to this island site (which is still called Sveti Ivan, meaning “Saint John”) in order for a church to be constructed there. Although this theory has not been conclusively proven (a feat which may never be possible), neither has it been discredited.
In any event, this find has served to reawaken general interest in John the Baptist. As his June 24th Nativity
approaches, it therefore seems appropriate to revisit some biblical details about his extraordinary birth. Luke (and only Luke) tells us that John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were elderly and childless when John was miraculously conceived. Zechariah, a Temple of Jerusalem priest, was visited by the Archangel Gabriel and told that he and his wife would soon have a son (to be named John).
Zechariah was rendered speechless for months to come because he discounted the Archangel’s message.
Once Zechariah upheld this message by later naming his son “John,” not only did his ordinary speech return,
but he was also given the gift of prophecy. Zechariah was then able to predict the greatness of John’s future ministry.
Saint John’s Feast Day uncharacteristically (for feast days) marks the date of his birth, rather than that of his
death. According to
Luke, John was born six months before Jesus – hence this Nativity date of June 24th.
Resources
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/15/mysterious-bones-may-belong-to-john-baptist/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_St._John_the_Baptist
Copyright June 24, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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