St. John the Evangelist
(Apostle) is a disciple of Christ; he followed Jesus after the miraculous
draught of fishes on the Sea of Galilee and was with him at the most important
moments. At the foot of the Cross he supported the failing Virgin. After
the Apostles scattered, he traveled to Asia and settled in Ephesus with
the Virgin. There he was arrested and thrown into burning oil, but was unhurt.
Under Emperor Dominitian he was exiled to island Patmos, where in the company
of an eagle he wrote the Revelations. After amnesty he returned to Ephesus,
where he composed his Gospel. There he survived an ordeal set by the high
priest of Ephesus: he was unaffected by a beverage concocted from snake’s
venom, when offered a chalice, St. John blessed it, and the venom in the
form of a snake, was miraculously drawn from the liquid. A legend also says
that he was lifted up in an Assumption by an angel. He is the patron saint
of booksellers. In fine arts he is often depicted with an Eagle, book (Gospel
or Revelation), snake or dragon emerging from a cup or chalice. |
