The preaching activity of the Holy Apostles Peter and John the Theologian, before their departure to preach the gospel outside of Palestine, was concentrated mainly in the cities close to Jerusalem. Among other places, they also visited the city of Lydda, later called Diospolis. There they converted many to Christ and erected a temple in the name of the Most Pure Mother of God.
At that time, the persecution of Christians, after the murder of the Holy Archdeacon Stephen, ceased for a time. Tiberius Caesar, who had heard much about Christ, even forbade the persecution of Christians, which is mentioned in the Book of Acts: “Now the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace" (Acts 9:31).
Having established a community of new Christians in Lydda, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and begged the Virgin Mary to come to Lydda, see the temple and bless it. The Virgin Mary answered them:
"Go with joy: I will be there with you."
The apostles returned to the Lydda temple and on one of its pillars they saw an image of the Virgin Mary, made not by human hands. Her face and clothing were depicted in complete similarity to reality.
At that time, the persecution of Christians, after the murder of the Holy Archdeacon Stephen, ceased for a time. Tiberius Caesar, who had heard much about Christ, even forbade the persecution of Christians, which is mentioned in the Book of Acts: “Now the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace" (Acts 9:31).
Having established a community of new Christians in Lydda, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and begged the Virgin Mary to come to Lydda, see the temple and bless it. The Virgin Mary answered them:
"Go with joy: I will be there with you."
The apostles returned to the Lydda temple and on one of its pillars they saw an image of the Virgin Mary, made not by human hands. Her face and clothing were depicted in complete similarity to reality.
In the 4th century, the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate, who persecuted the Church of Christ, sent his relative to Lydda to destroy the image of the Virgin Mary not made by human hands. The stonecutters tried to chip and cut out this image with various tools, but the paints only cut deeper into the pillar. This forced them to abandon their unsuccessful work.
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| Photo of the destroyed image of the Mother of God on a pillar in the Church of St. George in Lydda. |
The news of this miracle and the countless other signs from the icon quickly spread to all ends of the universe, and believers from everywhere began to flock to Lydda to venerate the image of the Mother of God not made by hands.
In the 8th century, the Patriarch of Constantinople Germanos (714–730), before accepting the patriarchate, came to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Sepulcher and, having visited Lydda, ordered a copy of the image of the Mother of God not made by hands on a board to be taken. He brought this copy to Constantinople and kept it as a precious relic, praying before it daily. When the iconoclastic heresy broke out, Patriarch Germanos was deposed from his cathedra and dishonorably expelled from the temple by the heretics for his zealous defense of icon veneration.
They say that during his exile, the Patriarch sensed his imminent death. He, having written a letter to Pope Gregory of Rome and having put it in the board of the icon, threw the icon itself into the sea and with many tears exclaimed:
"Go, O Lady, and be saved now not from Herod to Egypt, but from the beast-named enemy (namely, the iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian) to the pious in Rome, so that there you may hide with the Eternal Child from the vile hands of the iconoclasts; cross this great and spacious sea on a carefree voyage."
In the 8th century, the Patriarch of Constantinople Germanos (714–730), before accepting the patriarchate, came to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Sepulcher and, having visited Lydda, ordered a copy of the image of the Mother of God not made by hands on a board to be taken. He brought this copy to Constantinople and kept it as a precious relic, praying before it daily. When the iconoclastic heresy broke out, Patriarch Germanos was deposed from his cathedra and dishonorably expelled from the temple by the heretics for his zealous defense of icon veneration.
They say that during his exile, the Patriarch sensed his imminent death. He, having written a letter to Pope Gregory of Rome and having put it in the board of the icon, threw the icon itself into the sea and with many tears exclaimed:
"Go, O Lady, and be saved now not from Herod to Egypt, but from the beast-named enemy (namely, the iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian) to the pious in Rome, so that there you may hide with the Eternal Child from the vile hands of the iconoclasts; cross this great and spacious sea on a carefree voyage."
The next day the icon miraculously reached Rome. Holy Pope Gregory II (715–731) was informed from above of its arrival that same night. In the morning he went out with his clergy to the seashore and saw the icon of the Mother of God standing on the water at the mouth of the Tiber River. The icon was lifted by an invisible force and lowered onto the outstretched hands of the Pope. With great joy, Saint Gregory carried the icon into the city, pondering and marveling at the wondrous works of God. But he was even more surprised when he found a letter from Saint Germanos and learned from it that the icon had been launched into the water only the day before. The icon was solemnly brought into the Church of Saint Peter and placed inside the altar. Here, our Lady granted many miraculous healings through her icon.
A little over a hundred years later, icon veneration was restored in the East and the heresy was finally defeated under Emperor Michael (842–867). At that time, the inhabitants of Rome were alarmed and surprised by the repeated shaking of the icon of the Mother of God. During one service of Pope Sergius (844–847), the icon shook especially violently. Then, in full view of all, she moved from her place and traveled out of the church over the heads of the faithful. The people, led by the Pope, mournfully accompanied the holy icon. Meanwhile, the miraculous image descended onto the waters of the Tiber River and floated across the sea. Then Pope Sergius cried out with tears:
"Woe to us, O Queen and Lady! Where are you going from us! We fear that the iconoclastic heresy, because of which you left Constantinople, will overtake us; and is it not for this reason that you yourself are leaving Rome? O Almighty One, how long will you not calm the heretical storm that is disturbing the Church of Christ?"
For a long time, the Romans watched the icon as it moved away and dispersed only when it was completely out of sight. Pope Sergius ordered that this miracle be recorded.
The holy icon soon arrived in Constantinople and stopped at the pier opposite the royal chambers. There they took it and brought it to Empress Theodora. Everyone thought that it was one of those icons that were thrown into the sea by the iconoclasts with stones tied to them. The tied stone apparently broke off and the icon floated to the surface.
Meanwhile, Emperor Michael and Patriarch Methodios (842–846) sent ambassadors to Rome with news of a local synod held in Constantinople that had restored the veneration of icons. The ambassadors who returned from Rome told the Emperor and Patriarch about the miraculous removal of the icon of the Mother of God from the Roman Church of Saint Peter. Then they remembered the icon that had recently been found near the royal chambers, and everyone involuntarily asked the question: did it come from Rome? This important question for believers was resolved by the Roman ambassadors who came from the Pope to the Emperor and Patriarch in Constantinople. When they were shown this icon, they immediately and without hesitation declared that this was the very same image of the Mother of God that had miraculously left Rome not so long ago. Then the Patriarch, led by his clergy and accompanied by the Emperor and his dignitaries, solemnly transferred the icon of the Lady from the royal chambers to the square of Chalkoprateia and placed it in the Church of the Mother of God there.
From that time on, this miraculous image was called "the Roman", and its feast day was established on June 26, while the Lydda icon of the Mother of God was celebrated on March 12.
Tradition says that in Lydda there was also another image of the Mother of God not made by human hands. It was there in the temple that was erected by Aeneas, who had been healed by the Apostle Peter (Acts 9:32-35). When the Jews and pagans wanted to take this temple from the Christians, it was locked for three days by order of the ruler, so that a sign would appear to resolve the dispute. After three days, the temple was opened and they saw in it the image of the Mother of God not made by human hands.
Three Eastern patriarchs (Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria) wrote about the two images of the Virgin Mary from Lydda in their epistle to the iconoclast Emperor Theophilos (829-842). This epistle is mentioned by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos (912-959) in his historical work on the image of the Savior not made with hands in Edessa.
A little over a hundred years later, icon veneration was restored in the East and the heresy was finally defeated under Emperor Michael (842–867). At that time, the inhabitants of Rome were alarmed and surprised by the repeated shaking of the icon of the Mother of God. During one service of Pope Sergius (844–847), the icon shook especially violently. Then, in full view of all, she moved from her place and traveled out of the church over the heads of the faithful. The people, led by the Pope, mournfully accompanied the holy icon. Meanwhile, the miraculous image descended onto the waters of the Tiber River and floated across the sea. Then Pope Sergius cried out with tears:
"Woe to us, O Queen and Lady! Where are you going from us! We fear that the iconoclastic heresy, because of which you left Constantinople, will overtake us; and is it not for this reason that you yourself are leaving Rome? O Almighty One, how long will you not calm the heretical storm that is disturbing the Church of Christ?"
For a long time, the Romans watched the icon as it moved away and dispersed only when it was completely out of sight. Pope Sergius ordered that this miracle be recorded.
The holy icon soon arrived in Constantinople and stopped at the pier opposite the royal chambers. There they took it and brought it to Empress Theodora. Everyone thought that it was one of those icons that were thrown into the sea by the iconoclasts with stones tied to them. The tied stone apparently broke off and the icon floated to the surface.
Meanwhile, Emperor Michael and Patriarch Methodios (842–846) sent ambassadors to Rome with news of a local synod held in Constantinople that had restored the veneration of icons. The ambassadors who returned from Rome told the Emperor and Patriarch about the miraculous removal of the icon of the Mother of God from the Roman Church of Saint Peter. Then they remembered the icon that had recently been found near the royal chambers, and everyone involuntarily asked the question: did it come from Rome? This important question for believers was resolved by the Roman ambassadors who came from the Pope to the Emperor and Patriarch in Constantinople. When they were shown this icon, they immediately and without hesitation declared that this was the very same image of the Mother of God that had miraculously left Rome not so long ago. Then the Patriarch, led by his clergy and accompanied by the Emperor and his dignitaries, solemnly transferred the icon of the Lady from the royal chambers to the square of Chalkoprateia and placed it in the Church of the Mother of God there.
From that time on, this miraculous image was called "the Roman", and its feast day was established on June 26, while the Lydda icon of the Mother of God was celebrated on March 12.
Tradition says that in Lydda there was also another image of the Mother of God not made by human hands. It was there in the temple that was erected by Aeneas, who had been healed by the Apostle Peter (Acts 9:32-35). When the Jews and pagans wanted to take this temple from the Christians, it was locked for three days by order of the ruler, so that a sign would appear to resolve the dispute. After three days, the temple was opened and they saw in it the image of the Mother of God not made by human hands.
Three Eastern patriarchs (Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria) wrote about the two images of the Virgin Mary from Lydda in their epistle to the iconoclast Emperor Theophilos (829-842). This epistle is mentioned by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos (912-959) in his historical work on the image of the Savior not made with hands in Edessa.
In Rus', in the middle of the 16th century, the history of the Lydda icon received a new interpretation. This icon began to be identified with the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God. One of the versions of the "Tale of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God" tells that shortly before the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, the Lydda icon disappeared from the church in Constantinople and appeared in the Novgorod region.
The Lydda icon of the Mother of God enjoyed special attention in the Muscovite kingdom in the second half of the 16th century. This is evidenced by the creation of several works with illustrations of the Tale of the Lydda icon during this period. Currently, five such monuments are known:
- a fresco cycle of the Trinity Church of the Alexandrova Sloboda (1560s),
- a hanging shroud with engraved images on the shards from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (1560-90s, now in the Moscow Kremlin Museum),
- an icon of 1588 with hallmarks from the Rostov Borisoglebsky Monastery (now in the Rostov Kremlin State Museum-Reserve),
- a fresco cycle in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow (16th century),
- a fresco cycle in the Annunciation Cathedral of Solvychegodsk (1600, under the entry).
All cycles present a detailed version of the narrative and differ from each other only in some details, the exception being the painting of the Smolensk Cathedral, which has an abbreviated version of the same story.
Russian historian Nikodim Pavlovich Kondakov suggested that the Lydda icon could be related to the icon of Our Lady of the Salvation of the Roman People (6th century) from the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Historian Andrei Nikolaevich Grabar identified the Lydda icon with an encaustic image of Our Lady from the late 7th – early 8th century from the Church of Santa Francesca Romana in Rome.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
The Lydda icon of the Mother of God enjoyed special attention in the Muscovite kingdom in the second half of the 16th century. This is evidenced by the creation of several works with illustrations of the Tale of the Lydda icon during this period. Currently, five such monuments are known:
- a fresco cycle of the Trinity Church of the Alexandrova Sloboda (1560s),
- a hanging shroud with engraved images on the shards from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (1560-90s, now in the Moscow Kremlin Museum),
- an icon of 1588 with hallmarks from the Rostov Borisoglebsky Monastery (now in the Rostov Kremlin State Museum-Reserve),
- a fresco cycle in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow (16th century),
- a fresco cycle in the Annunciation Cathedral of Solvychegodsk (1600, under the entry).
All cycles present a detailed version of the narrative and differ from each other only in some details, the exception being the painting of the Smolensk Cathedral, which has an abbreviated version of the same story.
Russian historian Nikodim Pavlovich Kondakov suggested that the Lydda icon could be related to the icon of Our Lady of the Salvation of the Roman People (6th century) from the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Historian Andrei Nikolaevich Grabar identified the Lydda icon with an encaustic image of Our Lady from the late 7th – early 8th century from the Church of Santa Francesca Romana in Rome.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
