Christ and St. John Ary Scheffer 140

  The Last Supper Benjamin West 156

  In Gethsemane Gustave Dore 163

  The Valley of Jehoshaphat Old Engraving 165

  Christ Before Caiaphas Old Engraving 167

  Christ Before Pilate (Ecce Homo) H.  Hofmann 170

  Christ Bearing His Cross H.  Hofmann 185

  The Virgin and St. John at the Cross Old Engraving 192

  The Descent from the Cross Rubens 195

  In the Sepulchre H.  Hofmann 199

  Jesus Appearing to Mary Magdalene
        (Easter Morning) B.  Plockhorst 202

  The Descent of the Spirit Old Engraving 206

  St. Peter and St. John at the Beautiful Gate Old Engraving 211

  Ephesus From Photograph 227

  The Isle of Patmos Old Engraving 231

  Smyrna Old Engraving 234

  Pergamos and the Ruins of the
        Church of St. John Old Engraving 242

  Ruins of Laodicea Old Engraving 246

[Illustration:  MAP OF THE LAND WHERE ST. JOHN LIVED]

A Life of St. John

CHAPTER I

A Home in the Blest Land, by the Sacred Sea

“Blest land of Judaea!  Thrice hallowed in song,
Where the holiest of memories pilgrim like throng,
In the shade of thy palms, by the shores of thy sea,
On the hills of the beauty, my heart is with thee.”

          
                                                          —­Whittier.

A Galilean boy, a fisherman, a follower of Jesus, one of the twelve Apostles, one of the favored three, the beloved one, the Apostle of love, the Apostle of childhood, the one of all men who gave to mankind the clearest view of Jesus Christ—­such was St John.

For young people he is a fitting study.  To aid such is the purpose of this volume.

Let us first glance at the land where he lived, surrounded by influences that directed his life, and moulded his character.

Palestine was called by God Himself “The Glory of All Lands.”  He made it the home of His people the Jews, who long waited for the promised time when it should have greater glory by becoming the home of the Messiah, the Son of God.  Before He was born the Jews were conquered by the Romans, and governed by them instead of the Jewish judges and kings.  The country was divided into three parts.  The southern was called Judaea; the middle, Samaria; and the northern, Galilee, which was the most beautiful part.  It contained the hills of Galilee, and the plain and sea of Gennesaret, hallowed by the presence of Jesus, and what He there did.