St. John is the last prophet who forms the connection and bridge between the Old and New Testaments. Miraculously conceived, he was the son of the prophet Zechariah and Elizabeth, a relative of the Virgin. At the age of 30 he began penitence: he was a great ascetic, living in the desert, wearing a fur garment and eating grasshoppers. The presence of wings symbolizes John's status as a divine messenger.