The Holy Forefathers & Foremothers, Prophets & Prophetesses of Christ

Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Christ (Sunday between 11th-17th of December) – the Commemoration of the Ancestors of the Lord.

Sunday before the Nativity (Sunday between 18th – 24th of December) – the Commemoration of the Genealogy of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, in which we include not only His ancestors according to the flesh from Adam to Joseph the Betrothed of the Mother of God, but all the Righteous and the Prophets, who, by their words or deeds, announced the Coming in the Flesh of the Son of God.

Prayers

Apolytikion: You justified the Forefathers by faith, and through them Betrothed Yourself, aforetime, to the Church taken from out of the Gentiles. The Saints boast in Glory, for from their seed, there exists a Noble crop, who is she who without seed has given You Birth. By their intercessions, O Christ our God, save our Souls.

Holy Prophets in Icons of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God

Righteous Forefather Adam and Righteous Foremother Eve

Righteous Abel, the son of Adam

Prophet Noah

Tower of Babel

Righteous Melchizedek King of Salem

Patriarch Abraham and Righteous Sarah

Patriarch Isaac and Righteous Rebecca – Isaac is the son of Abraham and Sarah

Patriarch Jacob – son of Isaac and Rebecca, husband of Leah and then Rachel

Patriarch Joseph – son of Jacob and Rachel

Righteous Lot – nephew of Abraham

Righteous Miriam – elder sister of Aaron and Moses

Righteous Aaron – younger brother of Miriam and elder brother of Moses

Prophet Moses – younger brother of Aaron.

Prophet Joshua

Prophet Gideon

Righteous Naomi is the mother-in-law of Ruth by her first marriage. Righteous Ruth then married Boaz and they had a son Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse and grandfather of David the King.