BENEDICTUS

also called Song Of Zechariah, hymn of praise and thanksgiving sung by Zechariah, a Jewish priest of the line of Aaron, on the occasion of the circumcision and naming of his son, John the Baptist. Found in Luke 1:68-79, the canticle received its name from its first words in Latin (Benedictus Dominus Deus Israhel, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel"). The hymn is addressed to the Israelite people about their long-cherished messianic hopes, and to John the Baptist as the prophet and forerunner of the Messiah whose kingdom of peace is about to begin. Scholarly disputes regarding the origin of this canticle have suggested three possible composers: Zechariah, Luke, and followers of John the Baptist. The Benedictus was used as a hymn beginning in the 4th century in both Eastern and Western liturgies.