FLORENCE AND JOHN THE BAPTIST — SON OF ISRAEL. Historical investigation by Lazar Ardov
Historical investigation by Lazar Ardov,
translated to English by Asya Ardova
Listen to the soundtrack “Hebrew Hymn, Orlando Lasso and Peter Philips”(From Hymns of Ancient Israel to Orlando Lasso’s Madrigals arranged for Harpsichord by Peter Philips) compiled and performed by Asya Ardova (piano) on the page ardSOUND of ardisonata.net especially for the chapters "Etruscans and Romans in Toscana", "Mars — God of War without Weapon", "Prophet in His Own Country".
Listen to the soundtrack “Ardova Asya. Jehudah Kevesh’s Parasonata” composed and performed by Asya Ardova on the page ardSOUND of ardisonata.net especially for the chapter "John and Jesus — Forerunner and Messiah" — continuation of the historical serial investigation by Lazar Ardov.
Listen to the soundtrack “Picchi. Musica Barbaresca” performed by Asya Ardova on the page ardSOUND of ardisonata.net especially for the chapter "FAITH and POLITICS" of the historical serial investigation by Lazar Ardov.
Listen to the soundtrack “Frescobaldi and Florence Medieval” compiled and performed by Asya Ardova on the page ardSOUND of ardisonata.net especially for the chapter “John the Baptist — Protector of Florence” of the historical serial investigation “Florence and John the Baptist — Son of Israel” by Lazar Ardov.
Etruscans and Romans in Toscana
Florence is amongst the cities, truly recognized to be historical and cultural landmarks of humanity itself. Florence is located in Toscana, historical region of Italy, having got its name from the Etruscans (Tuscans), ancient inhabitants of that place.
Subsequently this region became the part of the Roman Empire. There exist different versions of Florence to have appeared. According to the first opinion, Florence was founded by the Etruscans about 2500 years ago, while the other hypothesis refers to the Roman formation of the city in the 1st century B. C. 
According to the “Roman” theory Julius Caesar established the settlement for his veterans in April, 59 B. C., during the festival “Floralia” — hence the name “Florence” , meaning the blooming one. Supposedly the Roman settlement was founded on the place of the Etruscan one.
Mars — God of War without Weapon
Etruscans inculcated their spirit in Romans so firmly and comprehensively as to come in touch with their religion, meanwhile Etruscans were undergoing the influence of the Greek and local Italian beliefs. He, whom both peoples worshipped most eagerly, was called Maris by Etruscans and Mars by the Romans. Initially Mars protected abundance and Nature itself, being simultaneously the defender of Rome as the father of Romulus and Remus.
Greek mythological influence turned Mars to the god of war, imparting the features and functions of the Greek god Ares to him. Ferocious Ares was a second-rate god in ancient Greek hierarchy. He was not liked by the Greeks. On the contrary, terrible cruel Mars was appointed among the Roman leading gods, for war itself took most exceptional place in the history and life of Rome. The same worship of Mars (Maris) is noticed at the Etruscans having imbibed the Grecian culture and religion. However, both Etruscans and Romans kept accepting Mars as the protector of Nature and its abundance, so as the guardian of herds and households, defender of the cities —not only Rome.
Mars was often depicted without weapon, his posture — most free. Here the photo is adduced depicting the statue of Maris, so-called “Mars from Todi”, referring to the 4th century B. C., the epoch of Etruscans.
Good-humoured Mars was the personage of ornaments on the mirrors, decorations and other home utility. The scenes depicted this way were far from Mars’ military entity, e. g. one of the subject was the love of Mars and Venus — goddess of love herself, whom Etruscans called Turan.
Though other mythological heroes and gods were also represented similarly on the household goods. It wasn’t indecent to describe some intimate situations with mighty valorous Heracles, or menacing archer Apollo.
Supposedly ancient people considered a mirror to be the weapon of females. However, there is an essential correlation (maybe, the true continuity) between the Mars cult at both Etruscans and Romans. Hence it looks natural for Florentines to make Mars their protector, especially after the military settlement had been laid there. The statue of Mars was standing on the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) in Florence during the centuries up to 1333 AD.
Mythological heroes and gods were also represented similarly on the household goods. These are mirrors:
Heracles and Hera
Apollo and Artemis
Adonis and Turan (Venus)
Paris, Turan (Venus) and Helen
Change of Religions — Change of Protectors
When Christianity was officially recognized in Italy, Florence had to change pagan protector for the Christian one. John the Baptist (or Forerunner), one of the Gospel heroes, was chosen instead of Mars. Why exactly John the Baptist? This is the question.
Zippori, Israel (the 2nd–3rd centuries AD)
This is interesting to analyze, why this or that city or state is used to be connected with this or that saint, its heavenly protector. Meanwhile, it’s rather natural for any city to have its Christian patron. However, the reasons of such choice seem to be rather vague sometimes, while the choice itself could be rather accidental.
Zippori, Israel (the 2nd–3rd centuries AD)
According to the Old Russian legends and apocrypha, Andrew the First-Called wandered all over the North and visited the future Russia, where he happened to wash in the Russian baths of Novgorod. However, he was not appointed Russia’s protector, being simultaneously acclaimed the patron of Scotland. The Scottish flag resembles the Russian naval St. Andrew’s flag by its ornament. Virgin Mary became the protector of Georgia (this circumstance is mentioned in the verses of the Georgian poet Akakiy Tseretely) and Spain (see the book “Land of Chaste Virgin Mary” by Vasily Nemirovich-Danchenko). Wales chose St. David (is he not, but David, King of Israel himself?). And who is the patron of Russia? Most worshipped Virgin Mary, glorified by both official gospel and apocrypha, so as St. Nicholas Bishop of Myra of Lycia, while official patron is St. George, being also the protector of England and Genoese Republic.
Zippori, Israel (the 2nd–3rd centuries AD)
However, trying to comprehend John the Baptist’s ties with Florence, it would be most expedient to learn more about John the Baptist’s personality and native land, where his mind was cradled.
Prophet in His Own Country
Let’s travel to Israel, birth-place of Christianity and John the Baptist himself.
View to Jerusalem from Ein Karem, birth-place of John the Baptist, Israel.
Imagine the end of the 1st century B.C. and the first centuries AD. The Kingdom of Judah was the epicenter of fierce social and religious fighting. People were suppressed by the Roman invaders and suffered of local exploiters and rulers. The struggle against them turned to religious war.
Remember the manuscripts found nowadays in the Judean Desert.
Scroll of Qumranite hymns
Supposedly they belonged to the sect of Essenes, having formed their community in opposite of the unfair society. The Essenes are also used to be called Qumranites because of the area Khirbet Qumran, where they found their dwelling in the caves.
Ancient fortress in the Judean Desert, Israel
St. John is known to have been tightly connected with Qumranites (Essenes).
The majority of scientists consider St. John to be the real historical personality. So as the other Hebrew prophets, he condemned moneyed men and landed gentry. He preached Messiah would come soon, and the kingdom of kindness and justice would be stated, while the evil would be punished and eliminated all over the Earth. St. John called people for repentance and purification, bringing in the rite of baptism (from the Greek “baptizo” — to immerse) — hence the name “John the Baptist” given to him in the New Testament.
Unlike the underground Qumranites John the Baptist dared to sermonize openly, manifesting his principles most resolutely and rather effectively like all the ancient prophets of Israel did before him. Therefore he was sometimes taken for Prophets Elijah or Jeremiah themselves. Actually John the Baptist was the last prophet of the Hebrews before Christianity. As for John the Baptist, he considered himself simply the forerunner of the true Messiah.
John and Jesus — Forerunner and Messiah
Listen to the soundtrack “ARDOVA Asya. Jehudah Kevesh’s Parasonata” composed and performed by Asya Ardova on the page ardSOUND of ardisonata.net especially for the chapter "John and Jesus — Forerunner and Messiah" — continuation of the historical serial investigation by Lazar Ardov.
Never did John the Baptist have any idea of his own messianic predistination. According to John’s passionate conviction the true Messiah was coming after him. Hence there appeared such utterances of John:
“I do not deserve to untie shoes on the coming Messiah’s feet.”
“He ought to rise, while I should play down.” (John, 3: 28-30)
When Jesus came to John for to be baptized, the Forerunner realized it was impossible for him to baptize the Messiah. “That is you to baptize me.”—John replied.
Jordan River in Israel, where Messiah was baptized by his Forerunner
However, Jesus insisted that John should baptize him, for the Messiah was ready to take the blame of the world. John obeyed and, as he witnessed the Holy Spirit to have cast upon Jesus, he confirmed once more, that Jesus was the true Messiah. Some faint disparagement of John is quite evident here, that was to praise Jesus, thus making the Messiah more superb than his Forerunner.
However, this may be just a legend inserted to the Gospel long after the events described in our sketch. The reason was to show Jesus as the almighty Messiah, while John the Baptist — the great Messiah’s forerunner.
There were other contradictions between Christ and John the Baptist. When Jesus and John met, Peter and Andrew the First Called —both John’s disciples — left their teacher and followed Jesus quite of a sudden. Actually the yawning chasm showed between the Messiah and his Forerunner. The role of Jesus’ forerunner was initially most honorable for John the Baptist. However, as time passed his position was slowly turning to some secondary state. Finally John the Baptist is characterized by the Messiah as follows: “Among the creatures given birth by a woman no human being has ever risen as great as John is, nevertheless the least in the heavens is greater than he is.” (Matthew 11:11)
The following tragic destiny of John the Baptist is known from the Bible itself. The Forerunner was thrown into prison for tirades revealing the incestuous marriage of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Judea, to Herodiade, wife of the tetrarch’s brother Philip. According to the Gospel legend, Antipas gave an oath to Salome, daughter of Herodiade, to fulfill anything she wished as a reward for her beautiful dance. Being instigated by her mother, Salome demanded the head of John the Baptist, and the prophet was killed.
Ruins of the Roman stadium in Caesarea, Israel
However, there is the detail, most significant in all this tragic history of John the Forerunner. Being already imprisoned, John learned about Jesus’ activity at large and wished to make sure everything was true and sacred. Jesus answered him, enumerating all his wonderful deeds, as if proving his deity to his forerunner. Isn’t it but the evidence of John the Baptist’s doubts in Jesus’ divinity and simultaneously his expectations of something, able to convince that Jesus was the messiah in the flesh?
Kinnereth Lake in Galilee, Israel, still remembers those wonders of Messiah.
All these facts point to most contradictory relations between the Christians and the successors of John the Baptist. Consequently some part of Johannites mingled with Christians, while the others formed their own sect. It looks really mystifying, but nowadays there exists the sect of Mandaeans, rejecting Jesus and worshipping John the Baptist.
FAITH and POLITICS
Listen to the soundtrack “Picchi. Musica Barbaresca” performed by Asya Ardova on the page ardSOUND of ardisonata.net especially for the chapter "FAITH and POLITICS" of the historical serial investigation by Lazar Ardov.
Now it’s time to study the questions rising straightly around Jesus Christ himself. The first centuries AD were marked by hot debates burning about relations between Jesus and his Father — the God.
According to the orthodox doctrine, God the Son, Jesus, and his Father-the-God, are consubstantial, having common nature. Therefore Jesus was not created by the God.
It was the beginning of the 4th century, when Archbishop Arius of Alexandria suggested the statement — as any son by definition is created by his father, the nature of a son can’t be defined as consubstantial with his father. On the contrary, the son’s nature is similar-substantial to his father. Consequently in the year of 325 the doctrine of Arius was censured at the Nicaea Ecclesiastical Council. There exactly the orthodox creed of both the eastern and western Christianity was publicly accepted. However, as the barbarians penetrated inside the empire boundaries and their relations with local inhabitants grew, the influence of arianism was strengthened.
Architectural example of the 6th century AD (Theodorich’s Mausoleum, Ravenna).
Of course, barbarian patriarchal state of mind could better understand that any father was the creator of his son; hence paternal nature was mightier, than his son’s nature.
When barbarians had evenly conquered the Roman Empire and founded their kingdoms on its territory, it happened so, that the ruling stratum of barbarians confessed arianism, while the local people confessed orthodox catholic church. That was the situation in Italy — possession of the German tribe of langobards, or lombards, that dwelled on its area since 568 AD, having established their barbarian kingdom on its territory.
Jewelry example of the langobards epoch. Fibula (fastener) from Cesena, the 7th century.
After the long struggle between religious parties in 680 the Lombard kingdom turned to the catholic state that caused the Pope’s (Bishop of Rome) power to have been increasingly strengthened during the following centuries.
Calligraphic example of the 8th century. Fragment of the Gospel.
There was neither religious doctrine like arianism, nor secular power able to become the banner in the struggle against the Papacy.
John the Baptist — Protector of Florence
Listen to the soundtrack “Frescobaldi and Florence Medieval” compiled and performed by Asya Ardova on the page ardSOUND of ardisonata.net especially for the chapter “John the Baptist — Protector of Florence” of the historical serial investigation “Florence and John the Baptist — Son of Israel” by Lazar Ardov.
The beginning of the 12th century in Italy was marked by rapid flourishment of self-ruled communities — urban and rural centres. Florence referred to such urban areas. Although undergoing terrible inner political struggle, Florence strived for independence of outward influences, including mighty Papacy. However, as the Pope’s power was most strong that time, any religious opposition was impossible. Probably, John the Baptist could have become the symbol of independence and self-determination.
Baptistery
John the Baptist was rather an opposition to Jesus; meanwhile, it was considered inside the Catholic system and couldn’t lead to religious conflicts, nor could it cause schisms. As to some extent John the Baptist was true opposition to Christ, who came after him, the name and figure of this saint were suitable as the symbol of young Florentine commune’s independence of the Papacy that considered Christ’s authority to be above all. Pallazo Vecchio (to the right)
However, John the Baptist was the figure of catholic official church and was worshipped rather officially. That’s why the Florentines coudn’t be accused in heresy and violation of religious directives.
An interesting event refers to the short-term Roman Republic of the 14th century, when the Pope’s residence was located in Avignon (France). Leader of the Republic Cola di Rienzi made an attempt to unite a number of Italian cities around Rome, but failed, having met resistance of those cities. Florence was the first to have rejected Rienzi’s plan of being subordinated to Rome, that centre of Catholic Europe. Meanwhile it occurred all the same for Florence, whether Rome was governed by the Pope, or was Rome a republic. Such circumstances became the pre-condition for John the Baptist to have been elected the patron of Florence.
Scampering over the internet I found the site “Florence Art Guide”, where the author utters two reasons of St. John’s election as the patron of Florence:
“1. St. John, with his courageous and warlike character, must have seemed a worthy substitute for Mars.
2. Secondly, because the teachings of St. John were short and direct.”
I can’t agree with these opinions, for actually all the Antic gods, Biblical prophets and Christian apostles seemed very often really warlike. Utterances of apostles and Christ himself were brief and rigid, due to the genre of proverbs and parables, chosen by them as the most precise expression of their ideas. Besides, Mars was very often depicted defenseless, absolutely without weapon (as I mention before), while the feats of Mars were more his love affairs, such as his liaison with Venus, therefore it would be wrong to consider him the too severe military man. Meanwhile, John the Baptist’s blaming tirades were not the obstacle for mercantile affairs, usury and the spirit of commercialism to be developed in Florence.
Much more apparent is the conception expounded in the mentioned above article from the site “Florence Art Guide”: “ St. John the Baptist had already been chosen by the Longobards as their patron saint and they probably "imported" him to Florence on their arrival; they also founded or refounded the Baptistery (VI-VII secolo), "beautiful San Giovanni" (as Dante called it), which, according to legend, was originally a temple to Mars (this was where the statue of the god that stood on the Ponte Vecchio until 1333 came, when it was swept by the flood).”
Why not to remember of most religious people, probably having made for the flood to sweep off the statue of Mars, for the church authorities, i. e. Rome itself, could blame Florentines for the eagerful endeavor to preserve the pagan beliefs and the Antic god worship. Italy did not part with the Antic world even after being Christianized.
Therefore when John the Baptist was announced the protector of Florence, it was inspired by diverse phenomena: Antic, Longobardian, early Christian of different trends and new strivings for the community’s independence.
Everything happened rather evenly, and only since the 13th century Florence started cherishing the honour of its mutinous protector — John the Baptist.
No doubt, that John the Baptist was also honoured by Rome. The Laterana Cathedral in Rome is dedicated to this saint. However, only the Pope is allowed to celebrate mass near its altar. Meanwhile Florentines accept John the Baptist as their bosom open saint.
It looks rather interesting, that while Catholic Church tried to disparage John the Baptist (“the least in the heavens is greater than he is.” (Matthew 11:11)), the Orthodox church adored him a great deal constructing the hierarchy so as to consider him together with Mother of God, straight after Christ. According to folk beliefs, the name of John the Baptist is connected with medicinal herbs, especially with St. John’s Wort, alias Hypericum.
Basilica Santa Croce with Mogen David on the front portico
So we have discovered why John the Baptist became the protector of the great city of Florence. For us it’s important, that John the Baptist is the Jew, son of Zachariah, who always preached the Good and condemned the evil, being the foreteller of the new, sinless humanity.
John the Baptist is the last great Biblical prophet of Israel — his native land.
Italian glass medallion with Mogen David