Ladder

John Climacus — a Byzantine philosopher, abbot of St. Catherine's Monastery. He is venerated as a saint by both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.

His main work, «Ladder», was created in the mid-6th century at the request of John, the abbot of Raifa Monastery. The book belongs to ascetic spiritual literature and consists of 30 chapters, representing the «steps» of virtues that a Christian must ascend on the path to spiritual perfection. The number of steps is symbolic: thirty years — the age at which Jesus Christ began his public ministry. The image refers to the biblical vision of Jacob, to whom a ladder appeared, reaching to heaven, by which angels ascend and descend, and at the top stands the Lord Himself.