ne _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 ins