From what year does the Holy Fire descend? Exposing the "Holy Fire"

THE HOLY FIRE: THE HISTORY OF A MIRACLE

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Descent of the Holy Fire

Introduction The Resurrection of Christ is Easter, before which the described event takes place - the greatest event for Christians, which is a sign of the Savior’s victory over sin and death and the beginning of the existence of the world, redeemed and sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ. For nearly two thousand years, Orthodox Christians and representatives of other Christian denominations have been celebrating their greatest holiday - the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Resurrection) in Jerusalem.

In this greatest shrine for Christians, there is the Tomb where Christ was buried and then resurrected; Holy Places where the Savior was condemned and executed for our sins. Every time, everyone who is inside and near the Temple on Easter witnesses the descent of the Holy Fire (Light).

Story

The Holy Fire has been appearing in the temple for more than a millennium.

The earliest mentions of the descent of the Holy Fire on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ are found in Gregory of Nyssa, Eusebius and Silvia of Aquitaine and date back to the 4th century. They also contain descriptions of earlier convergences. According to the testimony of the Apostles and Holy Fathers, the uncreated Light illuminated the Holy Sepulcher shortly after the Resurrection of Christ, which one of the Apostles saw: “Peter believed, he saw not only with his sensual eyes, but also with the lofty Apostolic mind - the Sepulcher was filled with light, so that, although and the night was, however, two images I saw internally - sensually and spiritually,” we read from the church historian Gregory of Nyssa. “Peter presented himself to the Sepulcher and the light in the tomb was in vain terrified,” writes St. John of Damascus. Eusebius Pamphilus narrates in his " Church history"that when one day there was not enough lamp oil, Patriarch Narcissus (2nd century) blessed to pour water from the Pool of Siloam into the lamps, and the fire that came down from heaven lit the lamps, which then burned throughout the Easter service. Among the early mentions are the testimonies of Muslims and Catholics The Latin monk Bernard, (865) writes in his itinerary: “On Holy Saturday, which is the eve of Easter, the service begins early and after the service, Lord have mercy is sung until, with the coming of the Angel, the light is lit in the lamps, hanging over the Tomb."

Ceremony

The litany (church ceremony) of the Holy Fire begins approximately one day before the start of Orthodox Easter, which, as you know, is celebrated on a different day than other Christians. Pilgrims begin to gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, wanting to see with their own eyes the descent of the Holy Fire. Among those present there are always many heterodox Christians, Muslims, and atheists; the ceremony is monitored by the Jewish police. The temple itself can accommodate up to 10 thousand people, the entire area in front of it and the enfilade of surrounding buildings are also filled with people - the number of people willing is much greater than the capacity of the temple, so it can be difficult for pilgrims. “The day before, all the candles, lamps, and chandeliers in the church had already been extinguished. Even in the recent past (at the beginning of the 20th century - editor’s note), this was carefully observed: the Turkish authorities carried out a strict search inside the chapel; according to the slander of Catholics, they even went as far as to audit pockets of the officiating metropolitan, the vicar of the Patriarch...” In the middle of the bed of the Life-Giving Sepulchre, a lamp filled with oil, but without fire, is placed. Pieces of cotton wool are laid out throughout the bed, and tape is laid along the edges. Thus prepared, after inspection by the Turkish guards, and now by the Jewish police, the Edicule (Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher) is closed and sealed by the local Muslim key keeper. “And so on the morning of Holy Saturday, at 9 o’clock local time, the first signs of Divine power began to appear: the first rumbles of thunder were heard, while it was clear and sunny outside. They continued for three hours (until 12). The temple began to be illuminated with bright flashes of light. In one place or another, lightning began to shine, foreshadowing the descent of the Heavenly Fire,” writes one of the eyewitnesses. "At half past two o'clock, the bell rings in the Patriarchate and the procession begins from there. The Greek clergy enters the temple with a long black ribbon, preceding His Beatitude, the Patriarch. He is in full vestments, a shining miter and panagias. The clergy slowly walks past the "stone of anointing" goes to the platform connecting the edicule with the cathedral, and then between two rows of armed Turkish army, barely holding back the onslaught of the crowd, disappears into the large altar of the cathedral,” says the medieval pilgrim. 20-30 minutes after the sealing of the Edicule, Orthodox Arab youth run into the temple, whose presence is also an obligatory element of the Easter celebrations. Young people sit on each other's shoulders like riders. They ask Mother of God and the Lord, so that he would grant the Holy Fire to the Orthodox; “Ilya din, ilya vil el Messiah” (“there is no faith except the Orthodox faith, Christ is the true God”) - they chant. For European parishioners, accustomed to other forms of expression of feelings and calm worship services, it can be very unusual to see such behavior of local youth. However, the Lord reminded us that He accepts such a childishly naive, but sincere appeal to God. “During the time when Jerusalem was under the British Mandate, the English governor once tried to ban these “savage” dances. The Patriarch prayed in the Edicule for two hours: the fire did not go down. Then the Patriarch, of his own will, ordered the Arabs to be allowed in...

And the fire descended.

“The Arabs seem to be addressing all nations: the Lord confirms the correctness of our faith by bringing down the Holy Fire on the eve of Orthodox Easter. What do you believe in?” Suddenly, a small cloud appeared inside the temple above the Edicule, from which a light rain began to drizzle. I stood not far from the Edicule, and therefore small drops of dew fell on me, a sinner, several times. I thought, probably, there was a thunderstorm and rain outside, and the roof of the temple was not tightly closed, so the water was getting inside. But then the Greeks shouted: “Dew, dew...” The blessed dew descended on Edicule and moistened the cotton wool lying on the Holy Sepulcher. This was the second manifestation God's Power"- writes the pilgrim. A procession enters the Temple - the hierarchs of the confessions celebrating Easter. At the end of the procession Orthodox is coming The Patriarch of one of the local Orthodox churches (Jerusalem or Constantinople) accompanied by the Armenian Patriarch and clergy. In its procession of the cross, the procession passes all the memorable places in the temple: the sacred grove where Christ was betrayed, the place where he was beaten by Roman legionnaires, Golgotha, where he was crucified, the Stone of Anointing - on which the body of Christ was prepared for burial. The procession approaches the Edicule and circles it three times. After this, the Orthodox Patriarch stops opposite the entrance to the Edicule; he is stripped of his vestments and remains in only a linen cassock, so that it can be seen that he does not bring matches or anything else capable of lighting a fire into the cave. During the reign of the Turks, close “control” of the patriarch was carried out by the Turkish Janissaries, who searched him before entering the Edicule. Hoping to catch the Orthodox in a fake, the city's Muslim authorities placed Turkish soldiers throughout the temple, and they drew scimitars, ready to cut off the head of anyone who was seen bringing or lighting a fire. However, in the entire history of Turkish rule, no one has ever been convicted of this. At the present time, the Patriarch is being examined by Jewish police investigators.

Shortly before the patriarch, the sacristan brings a large lamp into the cave, in which the main fire and 33 candles should flare up - according to the number of years of the Savior’s earthly life. Then the Orthodox and Armenian Patriarchs (the latter is also unmasked before entering the cave) go inside. They are sealed with a large piece of wax and a red tape is placed on the door; Orthodox ministers put their seals. At this time, the lights in the temple turn off and a tense silence sets in - waiting. Those present pray and confess their sins, asking the Lord to grant the Holy Fire. All the people in the temple are patiently waiting for the patriarch to come out with Fire in his hands. However, in the hearts of many people there is not only patience, but also a thrill of expectation: in accordance with the tradition of the Jerusalem Church, it is believed that the day when the Holy Fire does not descend will be the last for the people in the Temple, and the Temple itself will be destroyed. Therefore, pilgrims usually take communion before coming to holy place. The prayer and ritual continue until the expected miracle occurs. IN different years The tedious wait lasts from five minutes to several hours.

Convergence

Before the descent, the temple begins to be illuminated with bright flashes of the Holy Light, small lightning flashes here and there.

In slow motion, it is clearly visible that they come from different places in the temple - from the icon hanging above the Edicule, from the dome of the Temple, from the windows and from other places, and fill everything around with bright light. In addition, here and there, between the columns and walls of the temple, quite visible lightning flashes, which often pass through without any harm. standing people. A moment later, the entire temple turns out to be surrounded by lightning and glare, which snake down its walls and columns, as if flowing down to the foot of the temple and spreading across the square among the pilgrims. At the same time, candles light up among those standing in the temple and in the square. A luminous pillar appeared next to the Edicule; a chain of lights appearing in the air is visible from below on the left; the lamps located on the sides of the Edicule light themselves up (with the exception of 13 Catholic ones), as do some others within temple. "And suddenly a drop falls on the face, and then a cry of delight and shock is heard in the crowd. The fire is burning in the altar of the Catholicon! The flash and flame are like a huge flower. And the Edicule is still dark. Slowly - slowly, along the candles, the Fire from the altar begins to descend to us And then a thunderous cry makes you look back at Edicule. It shines, the whole wall shimmers with silver, white lightning streams along it, and from the hole in the dome of the Temple a wide vertical column of light descended from the sky. The temple or its individual places are filled with an unparalleled radiance, which is believed to have first appeared during the Resurrection of Christ.

At the same time, the doors of the Tomb open and the Orthodox Patriarch emerges, blessing those gathered and distributing the Holy Fire.

The patriarchs themselves talk about how the Holy Fire ignites.

“I saw how the Metropolitan bent over the low entrance, entered the den and knelt down before the Holy Sepulcher, on which nothing stood and which was completely naked. Not even a minute passed before the darkness was illuminated with light and the Metropolitan came out to us with a flaming bundle candles."

Hieromonk Meletius quotes the words of Archbishop Misail: “When I entered inside the Holy Sepulcher, I saw light shining on the entire lid of the Tomb, like scattered small beads, in the form of white, blue, scarlet and other colors, which then copulated, turned red and turned into the substance of fire ... and from this fire the prepared kandil and candles are lit."

Messengers, even when the Patriarch is in the Edicule, spread Fire throughout the temple through special holes, the circle of fire gradually spreads throughout the temple.

However, not everyone lights the fire from the patriarchal candle; for some, it lights up on its own."Everything is brighter and stronger flash Heavenly Light. Now the Holy Fire began to fly throughout the entire temple. It scattered with bright blue beads over the Edicule around the icon of the “Resurrection of the Lord,” and after that one of the lamps flared up. He burst into the temple chapels, onto Golgotha ​​(he also lit one of the lamps on it), sparkled over the Stone of Confirmation (a lamp was also lit here). For some, the wicks of candles were charred, for others, lamps and bunches of candles flared up on their own. The flashes became more and more intensified, sparks spread here and there through the bunches of candles." One of the witnesses notes how the woman standing next to him had candles that lit up on their own three times, which she twice tried to extinguish.

The first time the Holy Fire does not burn at all. The first time - 3-10 minutes, the ignited Fire has amazing properties - it does not burn at all, regardless of what candle and where it is lit. You can see how parishioners literally wash themselves with this Fire - they rub it over their faces, over their hands, scoop up handfuls of it, and it does not cause any harm, at first it does not even scorch their hair. At first, the Holy Fire does not burn at all." Having lit 20 candles in one place and burned his candles with all of them, and not a single hair curled or burned; and having extinguished all the candles and then lit them from other people, he lit those candles, and did the same On the third day, those candles lit up for me, and nothing touched my wife, not a single hair was singed or writhed...” - one of the pilgrims wrote four centuries ago. Parishioners call the droplets of wax that fall from the candles the Graceful Dew. As a reminder of the Miracle of the Lord, they will remain on the clothes of witnesses forever; no amount of powder or washing will remove them. The people who are in the temple at this time are overwhelmed with an indescribable and incomparable in its depth feeling of joy and spiritual peace.

According to those who visited the square and the temple itself when the fire descended, the depth of feelings that overwhelmed the people at that moment was fantastic - eyewitnesses left the temple as if reborn, as they themselves say - spiritually cleansed and regained their sight.

What is especially remarkable is that even those who are uncomfortable with this God-given sign do not remain indifferent. Rarer miracles also happen. One of the videotapes shows the healings taking place. Visually, the camera demonstrates two such cases - in a person with a mutilated rotting ear, the wound, smeared with Fire, heals right before our eyes and the ear returns to normal appearance, and also shows a case of a blind man gaining insight (according to external observations, the person had cataracts on both eyes before “washing” himself with Fire).

In the future, lamps throughout Jerusalem will be lit from the Holy Fire. , the Fire will be delivered by special flights to Cyprus and Greece, from where it will be transported around the world. Recently, direct participants in the events began to bring it to our country. In areas of the city close to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, candles and lamps in churches light up on their own."

Is it only the Orthodox?

Many non-Orthodox people, when they first hear about the Holy Fire, try to reproach the Orthodox: how do you know that it was given to you? But what if he was received by a representative of another Christian denomination? However, attempts to forcefully challenge the right to receive the Holy Fire from representatives of other denominations have happened more than once. Only for several centuries was Jerusalem under the control of Eastern Christians; most of the time, as now, the city was ruled by representatives of other teachings that were unfriendly or even hostile to Orthodoxy. In 1099, Jerusalem was conquered by the crusaders, the Roman church and local city officials, considering the Orthodox as apostates, boldly began to trample on their rights. The English historian Stephen Runciman gives a story about this chronicler in his book western church : “The first Latin patriarch Arnold of Choquet started unsuccessfully: he ordered the expulsion of the heretical sects from their territory in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then he began to torture Orthodox monks, trying to find out where they kept the Cross and other relics... A few months later, Arnold was replaced on the throne by Daimbert from Pisa, who went even further. He tried to expel all local Christians, even Orthodox, from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and allow only Latins there, completely depriving the rest of the church buildings in or near Jerusalem... God's retribution soon struck: already in 1101. On Holy Saturday, the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in Edicule did not occur until Eastern Christians were invited to participate in this rite. Then King Baldwin I took care of returning their rights to local Christians...” The chaplain of the Jerusalem Crusader kings, Fulk, says that when Western fans. (from among the crusaders) visited St. city ​​before the capture of Caesarea, for the celebration of St. Easter came to Jerusalem, the whole city was in confusion, because the holy fire did not appear and the faithful remained in vain expectations all day in the Church of the Resurrection. Then, as if by heavenly inspiration, the Latin clergy and the king with their entire court went... to the Temple of Solomon, which they had recently converted into a church from the Omar Mosque, and meanwhile the Greeks and Syrians who remained with St. The coffins, tearing their clothes, called upon the grace of God with cries, and then, finally, St. descended. Fire." But the most significant incident occurred in 1579. The owners of the Temple of the Lord are simultaneously representatives of several Christian Churches. The priests of the Armenian Church, contrary to tradition, managed to bribe Sultan Murat the Truthful and the local mayor to allow them to individually celebrate Easter and receive the Holy Fire. The column from which the Holy Fire emanated still stands as a reminder of the will of God. At the call of the Armenian clergy, many of their co-religionists came to Jerusalem from all over the Middle East, so that the Orthodox, together with Patriarch Sophronius IV, would be removed not only from the edicule, but also by themselves. but also from the Temple in general. There, at the entrance to the shrine, they remained to pray for the descent of the Fire, grieving over the excommunication from Grace. The Armenian Patriarch prayed for about a day, however, despite his prayerful efforts, no miracle followed. a ray struck the sky, as usually happens during the descent of Fire, and hit the column at the entrance, next to which was the Orthodox Patriarch. Splashes of fire splashed out from it in all directions and a candle was lit by the Orthodox Patriarch, who passed on the Holy Fire to his co-religionists. This was the only case in history when the descent took place outside the Temple, actually through the prayers of the Orthodox, and not the Armenian high priest. “Everyone rejoiced, and the Orthodox Arabs began to jump for joy and shout: “You are our one God, Jesus Christ, our one true faith is the faith of Orthodox Christians,” writes monk Parfeniy. At the same time, in the enfilades of buildings adjacent to the temple square there were Turkish soldiers. One of them, named Omir (Anvar), seeing what was happening, exclaimed: “ One Faith Orthodox, I am a Christian" and jumped down onto stone slabs from a height of about 10 meters. However, the young man did not crash - the slabs under his feet melted like wax, imprinting his traces. For accepting Christianity, Muslims executed the brave Anwar and tried to scrape off the traces that so clearly testified about the triumph of Orthodoxy, however, they did not succeed, and those who come to the Temple can still see them, as well as the dissected column at the door of the temple. The body of the martyr was burned, but the Greeks collected the remains that before. late XIX centuries were in convent Great Panagia, exuding fragrance. The Turkish authorities were very angry with the arrogant Armenians, and at first they even wanted to execute the hierarch, but later they had mercy and decided to edify him about what happened at the Easter ceremony to always follow the Orthodox Patriarch and henceforth not take direct part in receiving the Holy Fire. Although the government has long since changed, the custom continues to this day. However, this was not the only attempt by Muslims who deny the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord to prevent the descent of the Holy Fire. Here is what the famous Islamic historian al-Biruni (IX-X centuries) writes: “...once the governor ordered to replace the wicks with copper wire, hoping that the lamps would not light up and the miracle itself would not happen. But then, when the fire died down, the copper caught fire.” . It is difficult to list all the numerous events that occur before and during the descent of the Holy Fire. However, one thing deserves special mention. Several times a day or immediately before the descent of the Holy Fire, icons or frescoes depicting the Savior began to stream myrrh in the Temple. This first happened on Good Friday in 1572. The first witnesses were two Frenchmen; a letter about this from one of them is kept in the Central Paris Library. Five months later, on August 24, Charles IX carried out the St. Bartholomew's Massacre in Paris. In two days, a third of the population of France was destroyed. In 1939 on the night of good friday On Holy Saturday she again cast myrrh. Witnesses were several monks living at Jerusalem Monastery. Five months later, on September 1, 1939, II began world war. In 2001 it happened again. Christians did not see anything terrible in this (see the description of the witness)... but the whole world knows about what happened on September 11 of this year - five months after the myrrh streaming. Over the years, different people Other names were also used for the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire: Holy Light, Sacred Light, miraculous Light, Grace. How the Holy Fire lights up in the Holy Sepulcher Sometime soon after Easter days I, among several newly arrived pilgrims, accompanied the Patriarch on the way to Jericho and the Jordan. Halfway through the journey we were invited to his tent for lunch. One of these skeptics, choosing a convenient moment, suddenly posed the question: “Where, your Beatitude, do you deign to receive Fire in the edicule?” The elderly Archpastor, not paying attention to what was heard in the tone of the question, calmly answered like this (I wrote down what I heard almost word for word): “I, dear sir, if you please know, am no longer a reader without glasses.” When I first entered the Angel’s chapel and the doors closed behind me, there was twilight. Light barely penetrated through two openings from the rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre, also dimly lit from above. In the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, I could not discern whether I had a prayer book in my hands or something else. One could barely notice a whitish spot against the black background of the night: then, obviously, the marble plaque on the Holy Sepulcher was white. When I opened the prayer book, to my surprise, the seal became completely accessible to my vision without the help of glasses. Before I had time to read three or four lines with deep emotional excitement, looking at the board, which was becoming more and more white and so that all four of its edges were clearly visible to me, I noticed on the board what looked like small scattered beads different colors, or rather, it looked like pearls the size of a pinhead and even smaller, and the board began to positively emit light. Unconsciously sweeping away these pearls with a large piece of cotton wool, which began to merge like drops of oil, I felt a certain warmth in the cotton wool and just as unconsciously touched it with a candle wick. It flared up like gunpowder, and the candle burned and illuminated the three images of the Resurrection, as it illuminated the face of the Mother of God and all the metal lamps above the Holy Sepulcher. For this I leave it to you, dear sir, to judge my emotional emotion at that moment and to deduce the answer to the question asked"). Quoted from: Nilus S. Shrines in hiding. Sergiev Posad, 1911, pp. 183-187. ... Most vivid description(the burning of the Holy Fire by the Patriarch - editor's note) dates back to 1892, where a wonderful picture of the burning of the Holy Fire is given from the words of the Patriarch, he said that sometimes, having entered the Edicule, and not having had time to read the prayer, he already saw the marble The coffin slab was covered with small multi-colored beads, similar to small pearls. And the stove itself began to emit an even light. The Patriarch swept away these pearls with a piece of cotton wool, which merged like drops of oil. He felt the warmth in the cotton wool and touched the candle wick with it. The wick flared up like gunpowder - the candle caught fire. By the way, cotton wool is first placed on the stove. According to eyewitnesses, sometimes this is done by people of other faiths in order to eliminate doubts on this matter. There is also other evidence. The Metropolitan of Trans-Jordan, who received the Holy Fire more than once, said that when he entered the Edicule, the lamp standing on the Tomb was burning. And sometimes - no, then he fell and with tears began to ask for mercy from God, and when he rose, the lamp was already burning. From it he lit two bunches of candles, carried them out and gave the fire to the people waiting for him. But he himself never saw the fire light up. Viceroy Peter Meletius said that for thirty years now God has vouchsafed him to receive heavenly fire: “Now (1859) grace has already descended on the Tomb of the Savior, as soon as I entered the Edicule. Apparently you all prayed earnestly, and God heard your prayers. Sometimes I pray for a long time with tears, and the fire of God does not descend from heaven until two o’clock, but this time I already saw it, as soon as they locked the door behind me! After the Patriarch leaves the Edicule, or rather he is taken to the Altar, the people rush inside the Tomb to venerate.

Why are we convinced that the Holy Fire is from God?

Many miracles happen in the world, but, without a doubt, nothing comparable to the descent of the Holy Fire in scale, unusualness - healing people, giving them a feeling of spiritual rebirth, the condescension of Fire without the help of a person possessing miraculous properties; The Holy Dew, the Holy Light and much more are unknown. I would like to warn heterodox Christians against trying to attribute the miracle of the Lord to the works of the devil, because we have been given true guidance on how to distinguish the works of God’s hands from the wiles of the tempter: “Then they brought to Him a man possessed with a demon, blind and dumb; and He healed him, so that the blind and dumb He began to speak and see. And all the people marveled and said, “Is this not the Christ, the son of David?” When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “He does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons... But Jesus, knowing.” their thoughts, he said to them... every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven to men... Either judge the tree to be good and its fruit to be good; or judge the tree to be bad and its fruit to be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit (Matt. 12:22-33). Therefore, we also ask those who dare to say this about the Holy Fire: do they recognize the healing of the crippled and terminally ill as a bad deed, then who is the only one who could do such a thing to Christians who do not confess? Orthodoxy, it does not hurt to remember that the events described take place in the Holy of Holies of the entire Christian world - the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (see. guide to the Temple). Would the Lord allow the evil one to build his machinations in the place where, by the Resurrection, He proved His Divine nature and won victory over death and the powers of darkness? As life shows, the described miracle does not lead to the spiritual fall of the people who saw it; on the contrary, the pilgrims testify (see 1, 2, 3, 4) about the feeling of peace and grace that overwhelms them during the descent, incomparable in depth, people repent of their sins and cry with joy, the memory that the Lord has granted them His mercy will remain with these people forever and is unlikely to make them worse, and many atheists who have seen the sign of the Lord become believers. Moreover, over the course of many years and to this day, the descent of the Holy Fire has strengthened faith in the Savior in Christians who are under the yoke of infidels. So in 1580, when the Holy Fire descended once outside the Temple, where the Orthodox, local Christian Arabs were expelled, in a city where the death penalty was imposed for preaching Christianity, they shouted: “Thou art our one God, Jesus Christ, one Our true faith is the faith of Orthodox Christians." And the Muslim Turk who saw him accepted Christianity, paying for his decision with his life. Well, it will not hurt the most ardent critics to know that for the first time the Holy Fire (Light) kindled on the Holy Sepulcher at the moment of the resurrection of Christ, as the apostles already testified to. There is little doubt that among the hierarchs of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church that received the Holy Fire was its first head, the Apostle James. The symbolic connection between the Holy Fire (Light) and the Resurrection of Christ was accurately noted by Nikolai Lisovsky: “It is no coincidence that the Slavic enlighteners Saints Cyril and Methodius translated the Greek word “Anastasis” (“rebellion”) with the Slavic word “Resurrection.” “Resurrect” in the original and basic sense means “to kindle, to resurrect fire.” The Resurrection of Christ is thus not just the rising from the grave of his deified flesh, but also the resurrection of the New Fire and the New Light. As Heraclitus said, the world, the cosmos, is nothing more than “fire, kindled in moderation and in moderation. going out." And as long as there is a Church and there are believers, while the annual sacrament of the Holy Fire on Holy Saturday is celebrated in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, it means that God has not yet left us completely, has not left the earth and the world, redeemed by the Sacrifice of Calvary from the slavery of sin and death. "

I would like to know from atheists and believers of other faiths, if the events occurring during the descent of the Holy Fire were accidental, and not given with a specific purpose from above, how to explain such an obvious favor of miraculous events specifically towards the Orthodox (see 1, 2, 3a, 3b )? Why is nothing like this given to anyone else? If the children of the Orthodox Church were mistaken, would the Lord give them such a strong reason to strengthen themselves in their “delusion,” while such undoubted evidence not only strengthens Orthodox Christians in the faith, but also converts atheists and people of other faiths to the true faith. In addition, the descent of the Holy Fire does not now have any remote resemblance (with the exception of the Light of Tabor) - after all, this is not an episodic event which, once occurring, cannot be seen and verified by skeptics. This Miracle occurs annually (for almost 2000 thousand years - see early evidence - in known time and in famous place, so everyone can see it with their own eyes, regardless of religion or beliefs. I would like to remind convinced atheists that not a single person has yet been able to present an explanation of at least part of the events we described that does not contradict the facts. If such attempts were made, they were more likely explained by ignorance of the scale and essence of the events taking place (see the analysis by E. Barsukov. “Easter Fire”, the theories of O. Sleznyak, as well as the Response to the article by V. Kiselevich “A flame will ignite from a drop”). Those same learned men who are well aware of the miraculous events or have seen them with their own eyes, perfectly understood the futility of attempts to explain the Holy Fire by “the mischief of nature” or “the machinations of priests.” So we will simply advise skeptics to take a closer look at the supposed “object of criticism.” However, the Lord always leaves room for choice. As they say, “Free will...” Answers to typical accusations of falsification Lightning-like flashes are made using light equipment and mirrors by the priests themselves

1) On the slow motion tapes you can see how the source of the flashes was the icon of the Savior; in some cases the light came from the windows of the Temple dome located at a high altitude (helicopters with priests, according to eyewitnesses, do not fly around the dome either). 2) It is doubtful that such a “show of light,” if it actually took place, would not have been exposed by the Turkish guards (who were ordered to cut off the head of anyone bringing Fire or objects for its ignition into the temple) and the Turkish administration, under whose control Easter had previously taken place . The Patriarch brings something into the Edicule with which one can get fire and lights it there. 1) It is appropriate to recall that the Patriarch is searched before entering, and if now this is more of a symbolic action, then during the reign of Muslim Arabs and Turks it was a real search (the death penalty was imposed for bringing in such objects).

2) It is very doubtful that more than a hundred Patriarchs, who chose serving God as their destiny, I believe, well understanding that a lie cannot benefit the truth, unanimously deceived their flock, so much so that no one could notice or find out anything.

3) Similar accusations in general special meaning they don’t, because usually some pilgrims’ candles light up on their own (which is documented on videotape), and often the lamps hanging in the temple also light up on their own.

Non-burning fire is obtained using ether, so it does not burn

1) Candles with the Holy Fire are not burned anywhere in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, incl. on its upper tiers 1.1) It is impossible to fill a huge room with ether

1.2) In addition, a certain concentration is required. How do Orthodox priests establish it, given that the temple belongs to several confessions and such actions are not observed.

2) Fire retains its non-burning properties outside the temple. How is the ether stored there? why doesn't the wind blow it away?

3) Where did the priests receive and received ether in huge quantities?

4) Why does the ether burn with an atypical flame?

5) How is it that the candles light up on their own?

6) Why, if, as some critics claim, the temple is filled with ether, does it not explode when a fire ignites (imagine a spark arising in a gas cylinder)? Why doesn’t the entire space or some of its individual volumes light up, but only candles and lamps burn? 7) Why don’t pilgrims notice an unusual smell? Believers simply move their hands quickly and therefore do not get burned. Some special chemical composition burning material (option - a special atmosphere is created), with the help of which a non-burning (warm) flame is achieved.

1) Most pilgrims bring ordinary candles from home or buy them from Arabs on the street; there is no special trade in the temple at all. However, Fire does not burn no matter what kind of candle it is lit from.

2) The Orthodox received the Holy Fire for thousands of years under the rule of Muslim Arabs, Turks, Latins, and Jews who were hostile to them, yet no one was able to convict the Orthodox clergy of any fraud.

3) According to eyewitnesses, the temperature of Fire is about 40-45 degrees C. Chemistry does not know substances that burn under normal conditions with such a flame temperature.

4) It’s interesting to hear what special atmosphere they could create Orthodox priests, for example, in the 12th century, when there was no dome as such (when it rained, it dripped on the parishioners), especially taking into account the fact that the keys to the temple are owned by a Muslim family, the temple itself is closed every day at night. Believers anoint body parts special composition so that it doesn't burn.

1) What kind of composition is this, who will make science happy with its formula?

2) I wonder why beards don’t burn (and they are also washed with Fire).

3) Would all 10,000 pilgrims annually attending the Festival in the Temple, who arrived from different parts of the world, would do something like this together, and in such a way that no one still knows about this trick? Would they really agree to wait impatiently for a Miracle for 24 hours in terrible cramped conditions?

The Holy Fire is a natural phenomenon. Easter Day was specially calculated by the Orthodox, who knew astronomy, and a special place was chosen.

1) The date of celebration of Orthodox Easter is set according to Julian calendar, in such a way as to always be after the Jews, as happened in the time of the Savior. 2) From year to year, the position of the planets and even the phase (age, distance, position in the sky) of the Moon on Easter changes significantly (see table), which indicates the complete failure of the hypothesis about any connection between the descent of the Holy Fire and astronomical phenomena.

3) This “natural phenomenon” must have been very picky and disobedient if it descended outside the Temple in 1580, when there was no Orthodox priest in it; "awaited" the Orthodox hierarchs, who were removed from the Temple by the Latins on Easter 1101.

4) If we agree with these assumptions, it turns out that the composition " natural phenomenon"includes a) the descent of Fire from nowhere, b) spontaneous combustion of lamps, candles and even non-burning objects (water, iron) c) lightning-like flashes of light, d) lightning, e) healing of people (recorded on films), etc. Holy Fire- a reminder of the Resurrection of Christ, according to the Russian Orthodox Church. The descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on the eve of Orthodox Easter annually reminds of the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ, and believers are free to perceive it as a sign or as a miracle, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church said on Tuesday at an online meeting. conference at RIA Novosti. Every year, thousands of pilgrims come to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, founded in the 4th century on the site where the earthly journey of Jesus Christ ended, to witness the miracle. Until now, the annual appearance of the Holy Fire in this temple on the eve of Orthodox Easter has not been explained from a scientific point of view. And many Christians believe in its divine origin in response to the prayers of pilgrims and the Orthodox patriarch.

"The descent of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem, in the main temple of the entire Christian world, in the place where the miracle of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ took place - this is an image that goes back to the prototype. This is an extraordinary, supernatural or close to supernatural event, which does not matter in itself on its own, but as a reminder that the Lord has risen and the laws of nature are being overcome,” said Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, first deputy chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, rector of the Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University. He called the established one good recent years the tradition of bringing the Holy Fire to Russian churches. “You just don’t need to make it absolute and transfer the center of the Easter celebration - touching the Resurrection of Christ - to the expectation of the Holy Fire. There is no need to be upset if it is not delivered to your church.

There is no need to create a hustle and bustle to get closer to this lamp and light your personal candle from it,” said the archpriest.

In this section I would like to publish photographs that depict the miracles of Orthodox life. Many non-believers may say that this is a photo montage, a fake, etc. But let us remember how Christ spoke about such people: that even if “a dead man gets up and walks, it will not be enough for their faith.” Let us remember that nothing is impossible for God and perhaps these photographs are signs sent by God from above.

Miracle of the Holy Fire.

The Descent of Fire on Easter has been happening for about 2 thousand years. It is believed that the year when the Fire does not ignite will be the last in the history of mankind.

In the 4th century, by order of Saint Helen Equal to the Apostles, a magnificent temple - the Basilica - was erected over the place of the crucifixion and burial of our Lord Jesus Christ. Under its arches were both Golgotha ​​and the Holy Tomb. The basilica was rebuilt several times, destroyed (614), restored and is now known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Since ancient times, directly above the burial cave of the Savior there has been a chapel - Kuvukpia, which means “royal bedchamber”, where the “King of kings and Lord of lords” was laid up for a three-day sleep. The Holy Tomb consists of two rooms: a small “burial chamber” almost half occupied by a stone bed - arcosapium, and an entrance room called the chapel of the Angel. In the middle of the Angel's chapel there is a pedestal with a part of the sacred stone, which was rolled away from the Holy Tomb by the Angel and on which he sat, addressing the myrrh-bearing women.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is a huge architectural complex that includes several churches and chapels belonging to different Christian denominations. For example, the Altar of Nails - to the Catholic Order of St. Francis, the Church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen and the chapel of the "Three Marys" - the Armenian Apostolic Church, the grave of St. Joseph of Arimathea - Ethiopian (Coptic) Church. But the main shrines - Golgotha, Edicule, Kaphopicon (cathedral Temple), as well as the general management of services in the Temple, belong to the Jerusalem Orthodox Church.

During the descent of Fire, the presence of three groups of participants is necessary. First of all, the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem or one of the bishops of the Jerusalem Patriarchate with his blessing (as was the case in 1999 and 2000, when the Fire was received by the Guardian of the Sepulcher, Metropolitan Daniel). Only through the prayers of this obligatory participant in the sacrament does the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire take place.

History remembers two cases when representatives of other Christian denominations tried to obtain Fire. "The first Latin Patriarch Arnopid of Choquet ordered the expulsion of the heretical sects from their territory in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then he began to torture Orthodox monks, trying to find out where they kept the Cross and other relics. A few months later, Arnold was replaced on the throne by Daimbert of Pisa, who went even further. He tried to expel all local Christians, even Orthodox ones, from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and allow only Latins there, completely depriving the rest of the church buildings in or near Jerusalem. God's retribution soon struck: already in 1101, on Holy Saturday, the miracle of the descent did not occur. Holy Fire in Edicule, until Eastern Christians were invited to participate in this rite. Then King Baldwin I took care of returning their rights to local Christians."

In 1578, the Armenian priests agreed with the new mayor to transfer the right to receive the Holy Fire to a representative Armenian Church. The Orthodox Patriarch and the clergy in 1579 on Holy Saturday were not even allowed into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. standing at closed doors Orthodox priests prayed to the Lord in the temple. Suddenly a noise was heard, the column located to the left of the closed doors of the Temple cracked, Fire came out of it and lit candles in the hands of the Patriarch of Jerusalem. With great joy, the Orthodox priesthood entered the Temple and glorified the Lord. Traces of the descent of Fire can still be seen on one of the columns located to the left of the entrance. Since then, none of the non-Orthodox has attempted to repeat such attempts, fearing inevitable shame.

Mandatory participants in the sacrament of the descent of the Holy Fire are the abbot and the monks of the Lavra Saint Sava Sanctified. Of all the ancient monasteries of the Judean Desert, which once flourished with great ascetics, only this monastery, seventeen kilometers from Jerusalem, in the Kidron Valley, not far from the Dead Sea, has been preserved in its original form. In 614, during the invasion of Shah Hasroi, the Persians killed fourteen thousand monks here. IN modern monastery fourteen monks, including two Russians.

And finally, the third group of obligatory participants are local Orthodox Arabs. On Holy Saturday, shouting, stomping, and beating drums, Arab Orthodox youth rush into the Temple on top of each other and begin singing and dancing. There is no evidence about the time when this “ritual” was established. The exclamations and songs of Arab youth represent ancient prayers on Arabic, addressed to Christ and the Mother of God, Who is asked to beg the Son to send Fire, to St. George the Victorious, especially revered in the Orthodox East. They literally shout that they are “the most eastern, the most Orthodox, living where the sun rises, bringing with them candles to light the Fire.” According to oral traditions, during the years of British rule over Jerusalem (1918-1947), the English governor once tried to ban “savage” dances. The Patriarch of Jerusalem prayed for two hours, but to no avail. Then the Patriarch ordered with his will to let in the Arab youth. After they performed the ritual, the Fire descended.

Around ten o'clock on Holy Saturday, all the candles and lamps in the Temple are extinguished. After this, the procedure for checking Kuvukpiya for the presence of sources of fire and sealing the entrance to it with a large wax seal takes place. The representatives of the Jerusalem mayor's office, the Turkish guards, and the Israeli police who carried out the inspection put their personal seals on the large wax plaque. And soon, first occasionally, and then more and more, the entire space of the Temple is pierced by flashes of light. They have a bluish color, their brightness and size increase in waves. At about thirteen o'clock the litany ("prayer procession") of the Holy Fire begins - religious procession from the altar of the Katholikon through the entire Temple, going around the Edicule three times. In front are the banner bearers with twelve banners, behind them are the youths with ripids, the crusader cleric and, finally, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem himself. The abbot and the monks of the Monastery of Saint Sava the Sanctified also take part in the procession. Then the Patriarch is unmasked, remaining in only a white cassock. The Patriarch is searched, and he enters the Edicule. The tension reaches its highest point. The intensity and frequency of light flashes increases.

Finally, the Fire descends. Even before the Patriarch appears at the door of Kuvukpia with candles lit from the Holy Fire, the light-bearers-fast-walkers, who received the Fire through the windows in the chapel of the Angel, are already spreading it throughout the Temple. And the joyful ringing of the bell informs everyone about the miracle that has taken place. The fire spreads like lightning throughout the Temple. Moreover, Fire does not burn: and not only from the Patriarchal candle, but also from all ordinary candles bought not in the Temple (there is no trade here), but in ordinary Arab shops in the Old City.

The Easter candle of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is thirty-three connected candles. Those present often carry two or three bunches of candles from other places in the Holy Land. In the Temple, people stand so densely that if the Fire were ordinary, someone would definitely catch fire. However, people are literally washed by the Holy Fire, which at first does not burn at all. Everyone's flame is so vast that it can be seen touching nearby people. And in the entire history of the descent of Fire - not a single accident, not a single fire.

Then a solemn procession with Fire begins in the Old City, which, by the way, is carried at the head of each column by Muslim Turks. The entire Christian and Arab community of Jerusalem (more than 300 thousand people) participates in the processions, and even Muslim Arabs consider it necessary to bring the Holy Fire into the house and light household lamps from it. They have a legend that in the year when Fire will come down, the end of the world will come. This day in Jerusalem is not celebrated only by Jews who prefer not to leave their homes. It is the Jews who mainly write about the imitation of the descent of the Holy Fire by “dishonest” priests, calling it Greek “tricks.” And this despite the fact that in the last almost fifty years the Jews have been participating in both the sealing of the Edicule and the search of the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

It should be noted here that the land on which the Temple is built belongs to a Turkish family. Happens every morning interesting ritual: the priests hand over the rent established long ago and are then accompanied by the members Turkish family go to the Temple. Any procession in the Temple, including the procession of the cross on Easter, is accompanied by kawas - Turks who protect the processions from provocations of Muslims and Jews. Before entering the Edicule of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, it stands sealed, under the supervision of two Turkish guards and the Israeli police. Safety of the seal on entrance doors The Edicule is checked before the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Armenian High Priest enter it. To receive Fire, two people enter the Edicule - the Patriarch of Jerusalem and a representative of the Armenian Church. The latter, waiting for the Fire, remains in the Angel’s chapel, sees all the actions and has the opportunity to intervene. Therefore, the version of forgery can only bring a smile to people living in Jerusalem.00" hspace="20">

The question of how the Holy Fire descends interests many. In the letter of Arefa, Metropolitan of Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia, to the Emir of Damascus (beginning of the 10th century) it is written: “Then suddenly lightning appears and censers are lit, from this light all the inhabitants of Jerusalem flee and light a fire.” Hieromonk Meletius, who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1793-1794, recounts the story of the descent of the Fire from the words of Archbishop Misaip, Epitrope of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who received the Fire for many years. “When I went inside to the Holy Sepulcher, we saw on the entire” lid of the Tomb a shining light, like scattered small beads in the form of blue, white, scarlet and other colors, which then, copulating, turned red and transformed over time into the substance of fire; but this fire does not burn over the course of time, as soon as one can slowly read “Lord, have mercy” fourty times, and from this fire the prepared candlesticks and candles are kindled.”

All sources report either the condensation of liquid small drops of “fire beads” directly on the arcosalia of the Holy Sepulcher with the existing dome above the Edicule, or the fall of rain drops above the Edicule and the presence of “small beads” on the lid of the Holy Sepulcher due to rain with the open dome of the Temple and about bluish flashes - lightning that precede the descent of the Holy Fire. Both of these phenomena simultaneously take place during the kneeling prayer of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and at the present time. At the same time, the wicks of candles or lamps on the lid of the Holy Sepulchre are also spontaneously lit. It is also possible to light the wicks of Orthodox lamps hanging near the Edicule. In front of everyone possible options during the Miracle, the descent of the Holy Fire remains absolutely inexplicable from the point of view modern science the following phenomena.

The presence of flashes of light. These lightning flashes can flare up in any

rule and sparkle without a visible source, never blind anyone, and do not have the sound characteristic of ordinary lightning. All this gives eyewitnesses the impression that the source of the flashes is, as it were, outside our world. It is not difficult to distinguish them from camera flashes. I filmed the waiting and descent of Fire on a video camera, and, using the frame-by-frame viewing mode, I noticed that the flashes from the camera were shorter in time and had white, and lightning flashes last longer and have a bluish color.

The phenomenon of the appearance of liquid droplets. On Holy Saturday, only the clergy participating in the litany can see the Holy Tomb, and official representatives Jerusalem authorities, sealing the Edicule and ensuring order. Therefore, information can come either directly from them, or in retellings from loved ones. Let us cite the notes of a pilgrim of the 19th century, who wrote down the Patriarch’s story word for word: “I, dear sir, if you please know, am no longer a reader without glasses. When I first entered the chapel of the Angel and the doors closed behind me, twilight reigned there. The light barely penetrated through two openings from the rotunda of the Holy Sepulcher, also dimly lit from above. In the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, I could not discern whether I had a prayer book in my hands or something else. I could barely see a whitish spot on the black background of the night: it was obviously white marble. board on the Holy Sepulchre. When I opened the prayer book, to my surprise, the seal became completely accessible to my vision without the help of glasses. Before I had time to read three or four lines with deep emotional excitement, I looked at the board, which was becoming more and more white. so that all four of its edges were clearly visible to me, I noticed on the board there were, as it were, small scattered beads of different colors, or rather, like pearls the size of a pinhead and even smaller, and the board began to positively emit light. Unconsciously sweeping away these pearls with a large piece of cotton wool, which began to dry off like drops of oil, I felt a certain warmth in the cotton wool and just as unconsciously touched it with a candle wick. It flared up like gunpowder, and - the candle burned and illuminated three images of the Resurrection, just as it illuminated the face of the Mother of God and all the metal lamps above the Holy Sepulcher" (Nilus S. Shrine under a Hidden. Sergiev Posad, 1911).

For hundreds of years, the debate has been going on about the nature of the descent of the Holy Fire on the eve of Orthodox Easter. There are works that classify this event as a hoax and response attempts by Orthodox orthodoxies to defend the divine nature of the phenomenon. The expert working group of the Russian Orthodox Church on the description of miraculous events, distinguished by a rather balanced approach, conducted research in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem back in 2008, but only recently presented the final results in the journal Science and Religion.

We have already talked about the previous experiment of the group, which includes Professor of the Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences P. V. Florensky and other scientists close to the scientific world on our website. To study the next miracle of A.A. Volkov, A.V. Moskovsky, S.A. Soshinsky, P.V. Florensky, and T.A. Shutova developed a comprehensive scientific research program, and also manufactured and tested highly specialized equipment.

Facts indicate that the very moment of the descent of the Holy Fire, although it happens on a certain day, is always on different times. The second action that is repeated annually before this event is a strictly regulated procedure for the performance of chants and certain rituals. The third accompanying phenomenon – the appearance of “flashes”, “lightning” or a “column of light” – is questioned by many and explained by the flashes of numerous cameras. However, for now it is considered one of the links in the chain of events preceding the spread of the Easter fire. The hypothesis of a “non-burning” flame is by far the most shaky and the task of studying this feature was not set this time, especially since previous attempts by the same group to determine the temperature of the fire were not successful.

The Internet is flooded with all sorts of photographs of “lightning” at the moment of fire, however, such photographs are often the result of long exposure times when taking photographs.

The hypothesis accepted as working was the following: the fire occurs due to an electrical discharge. In the light of this assumption, the light clots chaotically flowing down the walls are explained, which can be nothing more than low-temperature plasma. The plasma moves due to the potential difference between the floor and the ceiling in the temple. As proof, scientists refer to “St. Elmo’s fire,” which, however, has a slightly different nature, and occurs at moments when the electric field strength in the atmosphere reaches a value of about 500 V/m (during thunderstorms, blizzards, volcanic eruptions, etc.). d.). Based on the voiced version, it was decided to register the long-wave spectrum of radiation during the service and directly at the moment of the Holy Fire. If there is an increase in intensity electromagnetic radiation at the moment of passing electric charge, this may indicate in favor of the proposed hypothesis.

Since the appearance of the Holy Fire is preceded by the patriarch's entry into the Edicule - the chapel directly above the cave where Jesus Christ was buried, one of the main requirements was to conduct radiophysical measurements in the immediate vicinity of it. In addition, for comparative analysis, electromagnetic radiation spectra were recorded directly in the Temple on the eve of Saturday - April 25, 2008 at 17:00 local time and on Sunday - April 27, 2008 at 10:00 local time for comparative analysis. The entire mobile measuring complex was developed by the head of the Laboratory of Ion Systems of the Kurchatov Scientific Center, Andrei Aleksandrovich Volkov.

The autonomous hardware complex was divided into three blocks: an antenna unit, a digital oscilloscope, and a compact computer (laptop). As the authors point out, the first block (antenna) must not allow frequencies of electromagnetic radiation of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 Hz to pass through (in order to exclude frequencies that arise during the operation of conventional electrical networks from the recorded spectrum). the appearance of voltages above three volts at the input of a digital oscilloscope (due to the possibility of significant electrical potentials) and ensure high sensitivity. The second unit (oscilloscope) must consume a minimum of energy during operation and be compact. The requirement for the third block (laptop) is the ability to record electromagnetic spectra for a long time and extreme compactness. The authors tested the finished prototype of the device in the laboratory of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", as well as in the premises of two Orthodox churches Moscow, at concert venues and in natural conditions.

During preliminary tests, it was revealed that any electronic equipment (computers, photo and television cameras, microphones, etc.) has its own characteristic spectra of electromagnetic radiation, which lie either in the medium region (about 10–50 kHz) or in the region high frequencies (above 100 kHz). These signals are significantly different from electrical discharges, which in turn have an extremely low frequency - from 0 to 10 Hz.

The main part of the experiment took place on April 26, 2008, 15–17 meters from Edicule from 9:10 am to 15:35 local time. As the authors point out, the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation was recorded every minute in automatic mode in the frequency range from 0 to 360 kHz, in parallel with this, an oscillogram of the radiation was recorded. Particular hopes were placed on the low frequency region.

The descent of the Holy Fire occurred between 15:04 and 15:08. Subsequent analysis of the oscillograms made it possible to detect three obvious bursts in the electromagnetic spectrum of radiation during this period of time, which could be interpreted as signals of the long-wave radiation spectrum, or as traces of electrical discharges. A powerful radio pulse came from the Kuvuklia area.

Thus, for the first time, a powerful radio pulse was recorded at the moment of the descent of the Holy Fire. The authors suggest that the auditory resonance they noted during the performance of chants could cause a piezoelectric effect and lead to the emergence of a significant electrical potential. The resulting charges, flowing to the surface, could cause spontaneous combustion of candles and other light anomalies. The published conclusion is preliminary and requires repetition of the experiment at a higher technical level over several years.

We discussed the results of the experiment with technical specialists and found that the study lacked a significant amount of data necessary in this case in order to reliably interpret the results obtained. The experiment is repeated once, which means its reliability is extremely low. The version presented to the public contains a lot of redundant information for the average person not familiar with electronics, and too little data for a radio engineer.

For an electrical discharge, a potential difference must arise between two surfaces, in the presence of a conductive path between which current will flow. The candle wick cannot light up from electrical discharges since it will not be a point with low potential. In addition, the main energy of a spark discharge (lightning) is concentrated in the range of 10-200 MHz, which cannot be called long-wave. Therefore, the commission's conclusions can be no more than preliminary, since it is very unlikely to cause the piezoelectric effect with the help of chants. But involuntarily recording the work of some technical device, now installed in Edicule, the group could well (even the authors themselves talk about the similarity of the spectra with a piezo lighter or a small welding machine). Therefore, the results obtained require additional interpretation by unbiased independent groups.

The Holy Fire is considered one of the miracles Orthodox Christianity. Now, unlike in the past, his appearance can be watched not only by pilgrims in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, where he appears, but also by television viewers all over the world.

The earliest mentions of the descent of the Holy Fire on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ are found in Gregory of Nyssa, Eusebius and Silvia of Aquitaine and date back to the 4th century. However, they also describe earlier convergences.
The day before, all candles, lamps, and chandeliers are extinguished in the temple. The procedure for the descent of Fire is always carefully monitored. The Turkish authorities, for example, at one time carried out a strict search inside the chapel; According to the slander of Catholics, it even came to the revision of the pockets of the officiating patriarch. That is why, to this day, the patriarch undresses to his cassock, so that it can be seen that he does not bring matches or anything else into the cave that can light a fire. Of course, now this is more of a symbolic action, but during the reign of Muslim Arabs and Turks it was a real search, and the death penalty was imposed for bringing in any objects to draw fire. During the time of the Turks, the patriarch was controlled by the Janissaries, who searched him before entering the Edicule (the chapel above the place where, according to legend, Jesus was laid in the tomb), but currently the patriarch is examined by Jewish police.

Shortly before the arrival of the patriarch, the sacristan brings into the cave a large lamp in which the main fire should flare up, and 33 candles - according to the number of years of Christ's earthly life. Then the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and the Supreme Patriarch - Catholicos of all Armenians (the latter is also unmasked before entering the cave) enter inside. They are then sealed there with a large piece of green wax and the door is secured with red tape. The Patriarch of Constantinople must remain in the cave until the moment of the condescension of the Holy Fire. By the way, the presence of the Armenian patriarch at the ceremony is a tradition that goes back to the time when Jerusalem was under Muslim rule. Then the Armenians, for a lot of money, managed to buy from the local Muslim ruler the right to individually perform the ritual preceding the descent of Fire, without the participation of representatives of other churches, who were not even allowed into the temple and remained outside in the square. The Armenian patriarch stood in the Holy Sepulcher for more than 24 hours, but no miracle followed. At the same time, the Patriarch of Constantinople stood next to the temple and prayed for the appearance of Fire.

At one fine moment, a ray struck from the sky, as usually happens during the descent of Fire, and hit the column next to which the patriarch stood. Splashes of fire splashed out from the column in all directions, and all the people standing in the square with extinguished candles in their hands caught fire.
After this, the ruler of Jerusalem ordered only the Patriarch of Constantinople to perform the ritual, and the Armenian Catholicos, as a reminder of what had happened, to stand next to them. The custom has survived to this day.

After the sealing of the Edicule, young people run into the temple, whose presence is also an obligatory element of the Easter celebrations. Young people, like riders, sit on each other's shoulders. They ask the Mother of God and the Lord to grant the Orthodox the Holy Fire. “There is no faith except the Orthodox faith, Christ is the true God,” they chant.

Everyone in the temple is waiting for the patriarch to come out with Fire in his hands. According to legends, a lot depends on the descent of the Fire: it is believed that the day when the Holy Fire does not descend will be the last for the people in the temple, and the temple itself will be destroyed. That is why pilgrims take communion before coming to the holy place - no one knows how the service will end this year.

The agonizing wait lasts from five minutes to several hours. Before the descent of the Fire, the temple begins to illuminate with bright flashes. They come from different places in the temple: from the icon hanging above the Edicule, from the dome, windows and from other places - and fill everything around with bright light.

After some time, which the pilgrims spend in intense anticipation and prayer, light appears inside the Edicule, and bells ring in the temple.
Burning bunches of candles appear from the windows of the Edicule, served by the Patriarch of Constantinople and Armenian Catholicos. The doors of the Edicule open, and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople emerges from them, blessing those gathered and distributing the Holy Fire.
The walkers light the Fire from their candles, after which the Fire quickly spreads throughout the temple. Moreover, not all pilgrims light the fire from the patriarchal candle; for many people standing in the church and in the square, the candles light themselves, and the lamps located on the sides of the Edicule also light themselves.
During the first 3-10 minutes, the ignited Fire has amazing properties - it does not burn at all, regardless of which candle and where it is lit. Parishioners literally wash themselves with this Fire, rub it over their faces, over their hands, scoop up handfuls of it, and it does not cause any harm, at first it does not even scorch their hair.
Later, on a special direct flight, the Fire is delivered to Cyprus and Greece, and from there it is distributed throughout the world.

The service on Holy Saturday is performed in accordance with a special charter established in 1852 by the former Turkish administration in Palestine, which is adhered to by all churches sharing the temple. In addition, a special calendar is published annually Easter services in the Church of the Resurrection, it is printed alternately by the Armenian and Greek Patriarchates. Strict regulation was introduced due to constant disagreements regarding rights and powers between various Christian churches who have been serving here for a long time. Today, each patriarchy has its own rights and responsibilities, and every action of the clergy is clearly tied to the time specified in the regulations.
For several centuries now, visitors to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ can see a marble column cut by an unusual crack. This column is the middle of three columns on the left side of the portal of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. The crack itself, a little more than a meter in length, runs along the column and expands downward, reaching approximately 7-8 centimeters in width and depth. Many pilgrims revere this column, pray near it, and leave notes in the crack.

There are various legends explaining the origin of such an unusual crack.

The oldest known legend about the Holy Fire and burnt columns, supported by the Armenian apostolic church, recorded in writing no later than 1635 in “ Travel notes» Simeon Lekhatsi. This legend connects the miracle of the Holy Fire emerging on the columns with the mercy of God shown in caring for the poor, as well as the sign given for their sake to the Gentiles, who at that time owned Jerusalem and established a fee for Christians to enter the temple. The legend is not tied to a specific date, but refers the event to an indefinite period.

This phenomenon has had numerous critics since ancient times, pointing out the artificiality of the appearance of fire.

Spontaneous combustion is inherent in many substances in nature. For example, spontaneous combustion white phosphorus outdoors is the principle of the Molotov cocktail.

The Catholic Church also does not recognize the miraculous nature of the Holy Fire. In 1238, Pope Gregory IX officially opposed the interpretation of the Holy Fire ritual as miraculous.

A number of Arab authors give their interpretation of this phenomenon. Ibn al-Kalanisi, who wrote about the events of 1007, left the following message: “When they are there on Easter... they hang lamps in the altar and arrange a trick so that the fire reaches them through the oil of balsam wood and devices made from it, and its properties is the emergence of fire when combined with jasmine oil. It has a bright light and brilliant shine. They manage to place a stretched iron wire like a thread between neighboring lamps, running continuously from one to the other, and rub it with balsam oil, hiding it from view until the thread passes to all the lamps. When they pray and the time of descent comes, the doors of the altar are opened; and they believe that there is the cradle of Jesus, peace be upon him, and that from there he ascended to heaven. They enter and light a lot of candles, and the house becomes hot from the breath of so many people. Someone standing tries to bring the fire closer to the thread, he catches on it and moves along all the lamps from one to another until he lights everything. Whoever looks at this thinks that fire came down from heaven and the lamps were lit.”
The 13th century author al-Jaubari speaks of this phenomenon as follows: “But the fact is that this lamp is the greatest of the tricks performed by the first generations; I will explain it to you and reveal the secret. The fact is that at the top of the dome there is an iron box connected to a chain on which it is suspended. It is strengthened in the very

vault of the dome, and no one can see her except this monk. On this chain there is a box, inside of which there is emptiness. And when the evening of the Sabbath of Light comes, the monk goes up to the box and puts sulfur in it like a “sanbusek”, and under it a fire, calculated until the hour when he needs the descent of the light. He anoints the chain with oil of balsam wood, and when the time comes, the fire ignites the composition at the junction of the chain with this attached box. Balsam oil collects at this point and begins to flow along the chain, down to the lamp. The fire touches the wick of the lamp, and it is previously saturated with balsam oil, and lights it. Understand all this."

And here is the description of Mujir ad-din, recorded around 1496: “They play tricks on him, so that the fools among their ignorant people think that fire is coming from the sky. In fact, it comes from the oiling of balsam on high-stretched silk threads, rubbed with sulfur and other things.”

There are also critical reviews from our contemporaries. According to Evgeniy Barsukov, candidate of chemical sciences, the miracle is easily explained: “The “cold” ignition itself is quite simple. The chemistry here is different. Many esters of organic and inorganic acids have cold fire. In particular, one of these esters (boric acid ethyl ester) is easy to obtain at home. The ester of boric acid burns with a very voluminous, slightly greenish flame, which not only does not burn, but does not even heat noticeably; you can calmly hold your hand in it. By the way, this method of producing a cold flame has something in common with the “descent of fire” in that after the boric acid ester has completely burned out, the alcohol can begin to burn, and its flame really burns.”
However, according to eyewitnesses, the temperature of Fire is about 40-45 °C. Chemistry does not know substances that burn under normal conditions with such a flame temperature. Pilgrims do not notice any unusual odor characteristic of foreign substances. The entire space or some of its individual volumes do not ignite, but only candles and lamps burn, and many of them light up on their own.

Yes and long history this phenomenon under the critical gaze of opponents and skeptics is a good argument in favor of its miraculous nature. The Orthodox received the Holy Fire for more than a thousand years, under the rule of Muslim Arabs, Turks, Latins, and Jews who were hostile to them, however, no one was able to convict the Orthodox clergy of any fraud.
For many centuries, the mystery of the Holy Fire has been the subject of study and debate, and for many - one of the evidences of faith. If this riddle has an unearthly origin, it is unlikely that an exact answer will be given - that’s why it’s a miracle.

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Representatives of the Kremenchug city authorities and clergy will specially go to the Boryspil airport to pick him up. The Holy Fire will be delivered to the Holy Dormition cathedral(Kryukov), where he will be met by Bishop Nikolai of Kremenchug and Lubensky, as well as priests of the Orthodox churches of the city. As the press service of the diocese reported, it is assumed that the Fire will be brought before the start of the festive service, i.e. around 10-11 pm. After the meeting, the priests - representatives of the churches - will light special lamps from him and take the Fire to other churches of the diocese.

Why is it so important for the Holy Fire to descend? What happens if this doesn't happen? We asked Bishop Nikolai of Kremenchug and Lubensky to answer these and other questions.

— Vladyka, every year believers watch with transfixation the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. When did this first happen?

There are references to the descent of heavenly fire in Old Testament. There are several cases described there when the Lord sent fire from heaven as a sign that the sacrifice was pleasing to Him, that He accepted it. Nowadays, in the days of the New Testament, the very first information about the descent of the Holy Fire is found in Gregory of Nyssa, Eusebius and Silvia of Aquitaine. They date back to the 4th century. Although there are earlier mentions. According to the testimony of the Apostles and Holy Fathers, the uncreated Light illuminated the Holy Sepulcher shortly after the Resurrection of Christ. One of the apostles, Peter, saw this. However, it is impossible to name a specific date. We can only say that the Fire began to descend from the time of the first Christians, and this is already more than two thousand years ago.

- What does the very fact of the descent of the Holy Fire mean?

With this miracle, the Lord seems to confirm the favor and grace of God towards people. This is when God favors us, our prayers, our repentance.

- If the Fire does not come down, could this mean the end of the world is approaching?

Actually, there are three beliefs that can foretell the approaching end of the world. And we can say that the end of the world is near only if all three come true. The first is if Noah's Ark is found on Mount Ararat. The second is when the Oak of Mamre, under which Abraham met the Three Angels - the Holy Trinity, dries up. And third - if not Blagodatny will do fire. There is already historical evidence that Noah's Ark has been found. As for the Mamre oak, there was a time when it dried up. However, in the 90s, during the revival Orthodox faith, when churches opened and services began to be fully conducted, the oak tree came to life again. So in 1996, green leaves were seen on it, and in 1998, living shoots appeared near the root trunk. But this tree is already about 5000 years old. Now the oak trunk, unfortunately, has dried up; it is supported by metal supports.

The third evidence of the approaching end of the world will be if on the eve of Easter, on Holy Saturday, Heavenly fire does not descend on the Holy Sepulcher. But everything depends on us. While people in churches pray and repent, the Lord endures and sends Grace, as evidenced by the descent of the Holy Fire.

- And yet, if the Fire suddenly does not come down, what should the world expect?

Today you can no longer ask anyone and you cannot clarify what will happen if the miracle of the descent of Fire does not happen. There are church traditions, there is Holy Letter. According to Holy Scripture, if the Fire does not descend, it will be a sign that the end of the world is near, that the Antichrist will reign. Terrible days will come for the people of God, for those who do not want to worship darkness. As the Scripture says, all the signs that we receive about the approaching end of the world will be confirmation last days life on earth.

The descent of the Holy Fire occurs only on Orthodox Easter and only in the presence and prayer of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. How do you explain this?

Only the truth of the Orthodox faith. There is evidence that one day the Orthodox Patriarch was kicked out of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, closing the doors to the church. The Patriarch remained on the porch at the entrance. He stood with candles in his hands and prayed. And through his prayer, the Fire of God descended on the column near which the patriarch stood. This happened in 1579. Now this column still stands at the entrance.