On September 5, the Orthodox Church commemorates St. Prophet Zachary and Righteous Elizabeth, parents of St. John the Baptist. Zachary was the son of priest Barachias, Elizabeth - sister of Anna, mother of St. Virgin Mary.
Zachary was killed in the temple between the altar and the altar of Herod's soldiers, because he did not say where his son - the child John was, so that they could kill him according to the order to kill the Bethlehem babies. Saint Elizabeth, protected by God, lived with her son in the mountain that had opened up.
By God's command, a cave was built for them there, a spring of water gushed out, and a date palm grew above the cave, laden with abundant fruit. When the mother and son wanted to eat, the tree bent down, giving them its fruits for food, and then stood up again.
Forty days after the murder of Zacharias, Saint Elizabeth, the mother of the Forerunner, appeared in this cave, and Saint John was fed by an angel until he reached adulthood and guarded in the desert until the day of his appearance to the Israelites.
On September 5, Zachary and Elizabeth have a name day, as well as the derivatives Zarko, Svetlozar, Svetlozara, Eli, Elsa, Isabella, and Harry, writes edna.bg.