Simeon the Righteous, known as the God-Receiver, lived during the reign of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy II who was the pharaoh between 285 and 246 (245) BC. Ptolemy assigned 72 scholars, including Simeon, with translating the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek. This translation became known as the Septuagint. During the translation, Simeon was working on the Book of Isaiah. Having read the words “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son”, he decided that “virgin” must be a scribal error and wanted to correct the word to “woman”. However, an angel appeared and held back his writing hand, telling Simeon that he would not die until he had seen Christ and believed the prophecy.

According to one version of the legend, Simeon the Righteous doubted the prophecy and threw his ring into a river, saying that he would only believe the prophecy of Isaiah if he found the ring again. The next day he bought a fish and found his ring inside it. After that, he was visited by an angel. The Presentation of Jesus Christ, or the meeting between Simeon and Jesus, happened when the saint was 360 years old. On the fortieth day after the birth of a child, it was customary to bring the infant into the temple and offer sacrifices. The Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph did likewise. The very same day Simeon the Righteous also decided to go to church. According to the Protoevangelium of James, he was chosen to replace Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, as the priest after he had been murdered. According to the church tradition, the old man recognized the Child held by the Virgin Mary as the Messiah and understood that both the angel’s promise and Isaiah’s prophecy had come true.

Simeon took the Child Jesus into his arms and asked for his blessing. Later, a hymn was written based on his words “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.” Simeon blessed Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary, telling them that a sword would pass through her soul and reveal the thoughts of many hearts. Later, this prophecy inspired the icon “Softener of Evil Hearts”. Having finally met the Savior, Simeon died the very same day.

This feast also symbolizes the meeting of the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Law and Grace.

The saint’s face is highly detailed, reflecting the agitation and reverence experienced by Simeon. The clothes of the old man are painted with various hues of green which is often interpreted as the symbol of renewal in iconography. This is how the icon painter emphasized the long anticipation of this meeting and the strength of the saint’s faith. The Child’s clothes, on the contrary, are adorned with shining gold hatching. His image embodies the Word of God and the self-sacrifice of the Lamb of God who is led to the slaughter.