Athos Holy Mount

Seals Of The Monasteries	17.4 Seal of the Dionysiou Monastery 1636 Dionysiou Monastery Silver alloy, diameter 4.5 cm, height 7.3 cm
	The matrix of this seal is divided horizontally into two half circles, each of which bears a scene from the life of John the Baptist. The upper half contains, on two planes, the Birth of St John the Baptist, with the monograms IΩ(ANNHΣ) ('John') above the figure of the infant and Z(A)X(APIAΣ) ('Zacharias') behind the seated figure on the far right of the scene; the lower half contains the scene of the beheading of the prophet, with the legend H AΠOTOMH IΩANN(OY) ('Beheading of John'). The words ΣΦPAΓIΔA ΔIONYΣIOY ('Seal [of the Monastery of] Dionysiou') appear to either side of the second scene, and beneath it the date 1636. Around the perimeter runs the legend: + TO ΓENEΘΛION TOY TIMIOY ENΔOΞOY ΠPOΔPOMOY KAI ΠPOΦHTOY BAΠTIΣTOY IΩANNOY ('Birth of John, Baptist, Prophet and Forerunner'). Although the monastery and its katholikon are dedicated to the Birth of John the Baptist (June 24), the presence of the two scenes may well indicate the parallel celebration of the two great feasts of the Prophet.
	Bibliography: Unpublished.
	K.Ch.
	Index of exhibits of Monastery of Dionysiou 17th century

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