Icon of the "Mother of God of Jerusalem": the history of the image and its meaning

There are many various icons in the world that help in some kind of troubles. Among them is the Miraculous Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God. Prayers before her protect against numerous diseases, and also cure the already existing diseases, many of which are incurable. This is evidenced by stories of eyewitnesses. Most often they are cured of eye diseases, including blindness, paralysis. This icon protects travelers, making their way less difficult and safe for life. Before it pray for protection against natural disasters, mainly from fires, from the attack of enemies on the house or apartment.

How the icon appeared

The icon "Mother of God of Jerusalem" was first written by the Evangelist Luke. He created it after fifteen years after Jesus ascended to heaven in Gethsemane. By that time, the Christian community in Jerusalem had already formed, and this image, which in typology had a similarity with the image of the Hodigitria-Guide, was meant for her. The icon was placed in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. As the tradition says, while in prayer at this image, Mary of Egypt heard a voice calling for her to end the unjust life and devote the remaining years to the service of God.

The legend of how the icon fell into the temple of Pigii

In ancient times, near the Golden Gate of Constantinople was a grove, which was considered sacred. She bore the name of the Virgin. It was famous for its miraculous source. Over time, the grove became larger and thicker. In the end, this source was lost among the thickets and almost dried up. At that time, the future emperor Leo I was a simple warrior. Once in this grove he met a blind wanderer, exhausted from thirst. The lion heard a voice suggesting the location of the source. The same voice prophesied him to be an emperor. When this happens, he will need to clean the source and put a temple in honor of the Mother of God near him. He gave the traveler a drink. Subsequently, Leo became an emperor and fulfilled his mission: cleared the spring, built the temple of Pigia, in which the icon "Mother of God of Jerusalem" was transported.

Historical Journey Icons

A little more than a century later, when the Emperor Heraklin ruled here, the Scythian nomads tried to conquer Constantinople. All the townspeople gathered near the icon and prayed. As a result, the city was spared the attack. In honor of this wonderful event, the image was transported to Vlaherna Church. The icon "Mother of God of Jerusalem" in this temple was three centuries, until the moment when the emperor Leo VI the Philosopher, who was popularly called the Wise, began to rule. In 988, he transported the image to the city of Korsun (Chersonese), which was later conquered by Prince Vladimir. This icon was given to him as a gift and transported to Kiev.

The Jerusalem icon of the Mother of God was not here long. In honor of the baptism of the Novgorodians, Prince Vladimir transferred her to Novgorod. She was placed in the Hagia Sophia, where she was about 400 years old. In 1571, at the request of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the image was taken to the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow, where he stayed for more than two hundred years. During the war of 1812 the French destroyed the capital after the defeat. Among the numerous relics brought to Paris was the Jerusalem icon. She is now in France.

Lists from the icon and their location

The icon "The Mother of God of Jerusalem" has a sufficient number of local lists. In the capital there are two exact ones. One of them was transported to the Kremlin instead of the lost one. Its distinctive feature is the image on the fields of the holy apostles. The second is in the Intercession Cathedral.