John the Baptist

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John the Baptist
John the Baptist Preaching in the Wilderness by
Anton Raphael Mengs, 1760
Prophet
Late 1st century BC[1]
Born
Herodian Judea, the Levant
AD 31 32[2][3][4]
Died
Machaerus, Perea, the Levant
Christianity
Islam
Venerated in
Bah' Faith
Mandaeism
Canonized Pre-Congregation

Church of St John the Baptist in

Ein Karem, Jerusalem

Shrine of Prophet Yahya,

Major shrine Umayyad Mosque in Damascus,
Syria

Nabi Yahya Mosque in Sebastia,

West Bank

June 24 (Nativity),
August 29 (Beheading),
Feast January 7 (Synaxis,
Eastern Orthodox),
Thout 2 (Coptic Orthodox Church)
Camel-skin robe, cross, lamb, scroll
with words "Ecce Agnus Dei", platter
Attributes
with own head, pouring water from
hands or scallop shell
Patron saint of Jordan, Puerto Rico,
Knights Hospitaller of Jerusalem,
French Canada, Newfoundland,
Patronage
Cesena, Florence, Genoa, Monza, Perth
(Scotland), Porto, San Juan, Turin, and
many other places.

1
John the Baptist (Ancient Greek: , Ionnes (h)o baptists or
, Ionnes (h)o baptzon,[5][6][7][8][9] known as the Prophet Yahya in the Quran),[10] also
known as John the Baptizer,[11][12][13] was a Jewish itinerant preacher[14] in the early first century
AD. John is revered as a major religious figure[15] in Christianity, Islam, the Bah' Faith,[16] and
Mandaeism. He is called a prophet by all of these traditions, and is honoured as a saint in many
Christian traditions.

John used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament[17] of his messianic movement. Most
scholars agree that John baptized Jesus.[18][19] Scholars generally believe Jesus was a follower or
disciple of John.[20][21][22] This idea is strongly controverted however by John the Baptist's own
words in scripture although several New Testament accounts report that some of Jesus' early
followers had previously been followers of John.[23] John the Baptist is also mentioned by the
Jewish historian Josephus.[24] Some scholars maintain that John was influenced by the semi-
ascetic Essenes, who expected an apocalypse and practiced rituals corresponding strongly with
baptism,[25] although no direct evidence substantiates this.[26]

According to the New Testament, John anticipated a messianic figure greater than himself.[27]
Christians commonly refer to John as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus,[28] since John
announces Jesus' coming. John is also identified with the prophet Elijah.[29]

Contents
1 Gospel narratives

o 1.1 In Mark

o 1.2 In Matthew

o 1.3 In Luke and Acts

o 1.4 In the Gospel of John

o 1.5 Comparative analysis

2 In Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews

3 Relics

4 Religious views

o 4.1 Christianity

4.1.1 Influence on Paul

4.1.2 Catholic Church

2
 4.1.3 Eastern Christianity

4.1.4 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

o 4.2 Gnosticism

4.2.1 Syrian-Egyptian Gnosticism

4.2.2 Mandaeans

o 4.3 Islam

4.3.1 In the Qur'an

o 4.4 Name

o 4.5 Syncretistic movements

4.5.1 Bah' view

4.5.2 Unification Church

5 In art

o 5.1 In poetry

o 5.2 In music

o 5.3 In film and television

6 Commemoration

7 See also

8 References

o 8.1 Citations

o 8.2 Sources

9 External links

Gospel narratives
See also: Baptism of Jesus and Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

3
John the Baptist is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels and the non-canonical Gospel of the
Nazarenes. The Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) describe John baptising Jesus; in
the Gospel of John it is implied in John 1:32-34.

In Mark

The Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

The Gospel of Mark introduces John as a fulfilment of a prophecy from the Book of Isaiah (in
fact, a conflation of texts from Isaiah, Malachi and Exodus)[30] about a messenger being sent
ahead, and a voice crying out in the wilderness. John is described as wearing clothes of camel's
hair, living on locusts and wild honey. John proclaims baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sin, and says another will come after him who will not baptize with water, but with the Holy
Spirit.

Jesus comes to John, and is baptized by him in the river Jordan. The account describes how; as
he emerges from the water, the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descends on him 'like a dove'. A
voice from heaven then says, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (Mark
1:1-8)

Later in the gospel there is an account of John's death. It is introduced by an incident where the
Tetrarch Herod Antipas, hearing stories about Jesus, imagines that this is John the Baptist raised
from the dead. It then explains that John had rebuked Herod for marrying Herodias, the ex-wife
of his brother (named here as Philip). Herodias demands his execution, but Herod, who 'liked to
listen' to John, is reluctant to do so because he fears him, knowing he is a 'righteous and holy
man'.

The account then describes how Herod's daughter Herodias (NRSV; other translations refer to
the girl as the daughter of Herodias) dances before Herod, who is pleased and offers her
anything she asks for in return. When the girl asks her mother what she should request, she is
told to demand the head of John the Baptist. Reluctantly, Herod orders the beheading of John,
and his head is delivered to her, at her request, on a plate. John's disciples take the body away
and bury it in a tomb.(Mark 6:1729)

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There are a number of difficulties with this passage. The Gospel wrongly identifies Antipas as
'King'[31] and the ex-husband of Herodias is named as Philip, but he is known to have been called
Herod.[32] Although the wording clearly implies the girl was the daughter of Herodias, many texts
describe her as "Herod's daughter, Herodias". Since these texts are early and significant and the
reading is 'difficult', many scholars see this as the original version, corrected in later versions and
in Matthew and Luke.[32][33][34] Josephus says that Herodias had a daughter by the name of
Salome.

Scholars have speculated about the origins of the story. Since it shows signs of having been
composed in Aramaic, which Mark apparently did not speak, he is likely to have got it from a
Palestinian source.[35] There is a variety of opinions about how much actual historical material it
contains, especially given the alleged factual errors.[36] Many scholars have seen the story of John
arrested, executed, and buried in a tomb as a conscious foreshadowing of the fate of Jesus.[37]

John the Baptist in The Gospel of Mark [show]

In Matthew

St. John the Baptist Preaching, c.1665, by Mattia Preti

The Gospel of Matthew account begins with the same modified quotation from Isaiah,[38] moving
the Malachi and Exodus material to later in the text, where it is quoted by Jesus.[39] The
description of John is taken directly from Mark ("clothing of camels hair with a leather belt
around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey"), along with the proclamation that
one was coming who would baptise with the Holy Spirit "and fire".(Matthew 3:1-12)

Unlike Mark, Matthew describes John as critical of Pharisees and Sadducees and as preaching
"the kingdom of heaven is at hand" and a "coming judgment".

Matthew shortens the account of the beheading of John, and adds two elements: that Herod
Antipas wants John dead, and that the death is reported to Jesus by his disciples.[40] Matthew's

5
approach is to shift the focus away from Herod and onto John as a prototype of Jesus. Where
Mark has Herod killing John reluctantly and at Herodias' insistence, Matthew describes him as
wanting John dead.[41]

John the Baptist in the Gospel of Matthew [show]

In Luke and Acts

Main article: Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

John the Baptist (right) with child Jesus, painting by Bartolom Esteban Perez Murillo

The Gospel of Luke adds an account of John's infancy, introducing him as the miraculous son of
Zechariah, an old man, and his wife Elizabeth, who was past the menopause and therefore unable
to have children.[42][43] According to this account, the birth of John was foretold by the angel
Gabriel to Zechariah, while he was performing his functions as a priest in the temple of
Jerusalem. Since he is described as a priest of the course of Abijah and Elizabeth as one of the
daughters of Aaron,[44] this would make John a descendant of Aaron on both his father's and
mother's side.[45] On the basis of this account, the Catholic as well as the Anglican and Lutheran
liturgical calendars placed the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist on June 24, six months
before Christmas.[46]

Elizabeth is described as a "relative" of Mary, the mother of Jesus in Luke 1:36. There is no
mention of a family relationship between John and Jesus in the other Gospels, and Raymond E.
Brown has described it as "of dubious historicity".[47] Gza Vermes has called it "artificial and
undoubtedly Luke's creation".[48] The many similarities between the Gospel of Luke story of the
birth of John and the Old Testament account of the birth of Samuel suggest that Luke's account
of the annunciation and birth of Jesus are modeled on that of Samuel.[49]

Post-nativity

Unique to the Gospel of Luke, John the Baptist explicitly teaches charity, baptizes tax-collectors,
and advises soldiers.

The text briefly mentions that John is imprisoned and later beheaded by Herod, but the Gospel of
Luke lacks the story of a step-daughter dancing for Herod and requesting John's head.

6
The Book of Acts portrays some disciples of John becoming followers of Jesus Acts 18:24-19:6
a development not reported by the gospels except for the early case of Andrew, Simon Peter's
brother John 1:35-42

John the Baptist in the Gospel of Luke and Acts [show]

In the Gospel of John

The fourth gospel describes the John the Baptist as "a man sent from God" who "was not the
light", but "came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that through him everyone might
believe".[50] John clearly denies being the Christ or Elijah or 'the prophet', instead describing
himself as the "voice of one crying in the wilderness".[51]

Upon literary analysis, it is clear that John is the "testifier and confessor par excellence",
particularly when compared to figures like Nicodemus.[52]

Matthias Grnewald, detail of the Isenheim Altarpiece

Jesus's baptism is implied but not depicted. Unlike the other gospels, it is John himself who
testifies to seeing "the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and rest on him". John
explicitly announces that Jesus is the one "who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" and John even
professes a "belief that he is the Son of God" and "the Lamb of God".

The Gospel of John reports that Jesus' disciples were baptizing and that a debate broke out
between some of the disciples of John and another Jew about purification.[53] In this debate John
argued that Jesus "must become greater," while he (John) "must become less"[54] (Latin Vulgate:
illum oportet crescere me autem minui).

The Gospel of John then points out that Jesus' disciples were baptizing more people than John.[55]
Later, the Gospel relates that Jesus regarded John as "a burning and shining lamp, and you were
willing to rejoice for a while in his light".[56]

John the Baptist in the Gospel of John [show]

Comparative analysis
7
The prophecy of Isaiah

Although Mark's Gospel implies that the arrival of John the Baptist is the fulfilment of a
prophecy from the Book of Isaiah, the words quoted ("I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way a voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the
Lord, make straight paths for him.") are actually a composite of texts from Isaiah, Malachi and
the Book of Exodus. (Matthew and Luke drop the first part of the reference.)[30]

Baptism of Jesus

The gospels differ on the details of the Baptism. In Mark and Luke, Jesus himself sees the
heavens open and hears a voice address him personally, saying, "You are my dearly loved son;
you bring me great joy". They do not clarify whether others saw and heard these things.
Although other incidents where the "voice came out of heaven" are recorded in which, for the
sake of the crowds, it was heard audibly, John did say in his witness that he did see the spirit
coming down "out of heaven". John 12:28-30, John 1:32

In Matthew, the voice from heaven does not address Jesus personally, saying instead "This is my
beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."

In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist himself sees the spirit descend as a dove, testifying about
the experience as evidence of Jesus's status.

John's knowledge of Jesus

John's knowledge of Jesus varies across gospels. In the Gospel of Mark, John preaches of a
coming leader, but shows no signs of recognizing that Jesus is this leader. In Matthew, however,
John immediately recognizes Jesus and John questions his own worthiness to baptize Jesus. In
both Matthew and Luke, John later dispatches disciples to question Jesus about his status, asking
"Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" In Luke, John is a familial relative of
Jesus whose birth was foretold by Gabriel. In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist himself sees
the spirit descend like a dove and he explicitly preaches that Jesus is the Son of God.

John and Elijah

See also: Matthew 3:4

The Gospels vary in their depiction of John's relationship to Elijah. Matthew and Mark describe
John's attire in a way reminiscent of the description of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8, who also wore a
garment of hair and a leather belt. In Matthew, Jesus explicitly teaches that John is "Elijah who
was to come" (Matt. 11:14 see also Matt. 17:1113); many Christian theologians have taken
this to mean that John was Elijah's successor. In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist explicitly
denies being Elijah.[57] In the annunciation narrative in Luke, an angel appears to Zechariah,
John's father, and tells him that John "will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God,"
and that he will go forth "in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:1617)."

In Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews

8
An account of John the Baptist is found in all extant manuscripts of the Antiquities of the Jews
(book 18, chapter 5, 2) by Flavius Josephus (37100):[58]

Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that
very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod
slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews irate, both as to righteousness towards
one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water]
would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the
remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul
was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. Now when [many] others came in crowds
about him, for they were very greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who
feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and
inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise,) thought
it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself
into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it would be too late.
Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I
before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction
of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him.[59]

According to this passage, the execution of John was blamed for the defeat Herod suffered. Some
have claimed that this passage indicates that John died near the time of the destruction of Herod's
army in 36 AD. However, in a different passage, Josephus states that the end of Herod's marriage
with Aretas' daughter (after which John was killed) was only the beginning of hostilities between
Herod and Aretas, which later escalated into the battle.[60]

Divergences between the passage's presentation and the biblical accounts of John include
baptism for those whose souls have already been "purified beforehand by righteousness" is for
purification of the body, not general repentance of sin (Mark 1:4).[61] Biblical scholar John
Dominic Crossan differentiates between Josephus's account of John and Jesus, saying, "John had
a monopoly, but Jesus had a franchise." To get baptized, Crossan writes, you went only to John;
to stop the movement one only needed to stop John (therefore his movement ended with his
death). Jesus invited all to come and see how he and his companions had already accepted the
government of God, entered it and were living it. Such a communal praxis was not just for
himself, but could survive without him, unlike John's movement.[62]

Relics
See also: Beheading of Saint John the Baptist Relics

9
Nabi Yahya Mosque, the traditional burial site in Sebastia, near Nablus, the West Bank, the
Levant.

Matthew 14:12 records that "his disciples came and took away [John's] body and buried it".
Theologian Joseph Benson refers to a belief that "it seems that [the body] had been thrown over
the prison walls, without burial, probably by order of Herodias.[63]

The burial-place of John the Baptist was traditionally said to be at the Nabi Yahya Mosque (Saint
John the Baptiste Mosque) in Sebaste in current Palestinian territories, and mention is made of
his relics being honored there around the middle of the 4th century. The historians Rufinus and
Theodoretus record that the shrine was desecrated under Julian the Apostate around 362, the
bones being partly burned. A portion of the rescued relics were carried to Jerusalem, then to
Alexandria, where on 27 May 395, they were laid in the basilica newly dedicated to the
Forerunner on the former site of the temple of Serapis. The tomb at Sebaste continued,
nevertheless, to be visited by pious pilgrims, and Saint Jerome bears witness to miracles being
worked there.

What became of the head of John the Baptist is difficult to determine. Nicephorus[64] and Symeon
Metaphrastes say that Herodias had it buried in the fortress of Machaerus (in accordance with
Josephus). Other writers say that it was interred in Herod's palace at Jerusalem; there it was
found during the reign of Constantine I, and thence secretly taken to Emesa where it was
concealed, the place remaining unknown for years, until it was manifested by revelation in 453.
However, the decapitation cloth of Saint John is kept at the Aachen Cathedral. The Coptic
Christian Orthodox Church also claim to hold the relics of Saint John the Baptist. These are to be
found in a monastery in Lower Egypt between Cairo and Alexandria. It is possible, with
permission from the monks, to see the original tomb where the remains were found.

10
Shrine of John the Baptist in the Umayyad Mosque.

Several different locations claim to possess the severed head of John the Baptist. The
current official place for the Catholic Church is the Shrine of Saint John the Baptiste
(Nabi Yahya in Arabic) inside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus;.[65] The place was
visited by Pope John Paul II in 2001 who "paused for a minute's silent meditation at the
tomb of St John the Baptist".[66] Previous to that the catholic Church used to believe that it
was kept in the San Silvestro in Capite in Rome;[67] and then that it was held by the
Knights Templar at Amiens Cathedral in France (brought home by Wallon de Sarton from
the Fourth Crusade in Constantinople), at Antioch in Turkey (fate uncertain). Other
traditions assume that it was in Residenz Museum in Munich, Germany (official
residence of the Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria from 1385 to 1918).[67] or even the parish
church at Tenterden in Kent, where it was preserved up until the Reformation.

A Calcutta Armenian kisses the hand of a priest of Saint John the Baptist, Chinsurah

The saint's right hand, with which he baptised Jesus, is claimed to be in the Serbian
Orthodox Cetinje monastery in Montenegro; Topkapi Palace in Istanbul;[67] and also in
the Romanian skete of the Forerunner on Mount Athos. The saint's left hand is allegedly
preserved in the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. John at Chinsurah, West Bengal,
where each year on "Chinsurah Day" in January it blesses the Armenian Christians of
Calcutta.[68] A crypt and relics said to be John's and mentioned in 11th- and 16th-century
manuscripts, were discovered in 1969 during restoration of the Church of St. Macarius at
the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes, Egypt;[69] Additional relics are
claimed to reside in Gandzasar Monastery's Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, in Nagorno
Karabakh.

Another obscure claim relates to the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, where,
as patron saint of the town, the Baptist's head appears on the official coat-of-arms.[70] One legend
(among others) bases the etymology of the town's place-name on "halig" (holy) and "fax" (face),

11
claiming that a relic of the head, or face, of John the Baptist once existed in the town.[71]
Also, in 2010, bones were discovered in the ruins of a Bulgarian church in the St. John the
Forerunner Monastery (4th17th centuries) on the Black Sea island of St. Ivan and two years
later, after DNA and radio carbon testing proved the bones belonged to a Middle Eastern man
who lived in the 1st century AD, scientists said that the remains could conceivably have
belonged to John the Baptist.[72][73] The remains, found in a reliquarium are presently kept in the
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Sozopol.[72][74]

Religious views
Christianity

John the Baptist, by Juan de Juanes (es), c. 1560

John the Baptist, Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Rome

Christians believe that John the Baptist had a specific role ordained by God as forerunner or
precursor of Jesus, who was the foretold Messiah. The New Testament Gospels speak of this
role. In Luke 1:17 the role of John is referred to as being "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the

12
Lord." In Luke 1:76 as "...thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways" and in
Luke 1:77 as being "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their
sins."

There are several passages within the Old Testament which are interpreted by Christians as being
prophetic of John the Baptist in this role. These include a passage in the Book of Malachi 3:1 that
refers to a prophet who would prepare the way of the Lord:

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom
ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye
delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." Malachi 3:1[75]

and also at the end of the next chapter in Malachi 4:56 where it says,

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of
the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children
to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

The Jews of Jesus' day expected Elijah to come before the Messiah; indeed, some present day
Jews continue to await Elijah's coming as well, as in the Cup of Elijah the Prophet in the
Passover Seder. This is why the disciples ask Jesus in Matthew 17:10, 'Why then say the scribes
that Elias must first come?' The disciples are then told by Jesus that Elijah came in the person of
John the Baptist,

"Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has
already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In
the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood
that he was talking to them about John the Baptist". Matthew 17:1113

(see also 11:14: "...if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come.")

These passages are applied to John in the Synoptic Gospels.[76][77][78] But where Matthew
specifically identifies John the Baptist as Elijah's spiritual successor (11.14, 17.13), the gospels
of Mark and Luke are silent on the matter. The Gospel of John states that John the Baptist denied
that he was Elijah.

"Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him
who he was. He did not deny, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." They asked him, "Then
who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."
John 1:1921

Influence on Paul

Many scholars believe there was contact between the early church in the Apostolic Age and what
is called the "Qumran-Essene community."[79] The Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran,
which the majority of historians and archaeologists identify as an Essene settlement.[80] John the

13
Baptist is thought to have been either an Essene or "associated" with the community at Khirbet
Qumran. According the Book of Acts, Paul met some "disciples of John" in Ephesus.[81]

Due to influence of Qumranic terminology and ideas in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, some
scholars believe that the "disciples" mentioned in Acts 19:1-7 were disciples of John the Baptist.
This view, which assumes that John was an Essene, is debated by scholars. While John the
Baptist practiced baptism, the Essenes used ritual washing, also called ablution, as a form of
spiritual purification.[79]

Catholic Church

A 'Head of St John', in Rome

Tomb of Saint John the Baptist at a Coptic monastery in Lower Egypt. The bones of Saint John
the Baptist were said to have been found here.

The Catholic Church commemorates Saint John the Baptist on two feast days:

June 24 Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

August 29 Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

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Some Catholics have held to a belief that John the Baptist never sinned,[citation needed] although this
has never been a point of doctrine[citation needed] and is not binding in belief upon any adherent as is
the sinlessness of Mary.[citation needed] In her Treatise of Prayer, Saint Catherine of Siena includes a
brief altercation with the Devil regarding her fight due to the Devil attempting to lure her with
vanity and flattery. Speaking in the first person, Catherine responds to the Devil with the
following words:

... humiliation of yourself, and you answered the Devil with these words: 'Wretch that I am! John
the Baptist never sinned and was sanctified in his mother's womb. And I have committed so
many sins ...

Catherine of Siena, A Treatise of Prayer, 1370.[82][83]

Eastern Christianity

Eastern Orthodox icon John the Baptist the Angel of the Desert (Stroganov School, 1620s)
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

The Eastern Catholic Churches and Eastern Orthodox faithful believe that John was the last of
the Old Testament prophets, thus serving as a bridge between that period of revelation and the
New Covenant. They also teach that, following his death, John descended into Hades and there
once more preached that Jesus the Messiah was coming, so he was the Forerunner of Christ in
death as he had been in life. Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches will often have an icon of
Saint John the Baptist in a place of honor on the iconostasis, and he is frequently mentioned
during the Divine Services. Every Tuesday throughout the year is dedicated to his memory.

The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers Saint John the Forerunner on six separate feast days,
listed here in order in which they occur during the church year (which begins on September 1):

September 23 Conception of Saint John the Forerunner[84]

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 January 7 The Synaxis of Saint John the Forerunner. This is his main ml day,
immediately after Theophany on January 6 (January 7 also commemorates the transfer of
the relic of the right hand of John the Baptist from Antioch to Constantinople in 956)

February 24 First and Second Finding of the Head of Saint John the Forerunner

25 May Third Finding of the Head of Saint John the Forerunner

June 24 Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner

August 29 The Beheading of Saint John the Forerunner, a day of strict fast and
abstinence from meat and dairy products and foods containing meat and/or dairy products

In addition to the above, September 5 is the commemoration of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Saint
John's parents. The Russian Orthodox Church observes October 12 as the Transfer of the Right
Hand of the Forerunner from Malta to Gatchina (1799).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) teaches that modern revelation
confirms the biblical account of John and also makes known additional events in his ministry.
According to this belief, John was "ordained by the angel of God" when he was eight days old
"to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews" and to prepare a people for the Lord. Mormons also
believe that "he was baptized while yet in his childhood."[85]

Joseph Smith said: "Let us come into New Testament timesso many are ever praising the Lord
and His apostles. We will commence with John the Baptist. When Herod's edict went forth to
destroy the young children, John was about six months older than Jesus, and came under this
hellish edict, and Zecharias caused his mother to take him into the mountains, where he was
raised on locusts and wild honey. When his father refused to disclose his hiding place, and being
the officiating high priest at the Temple that year, was slain by Herod's order, between the porch
and the altar, as Jesus said."[86][87]

The LDS Church teaches that John the Baptist appeared on the banks of the Susquehanna River
near Harmony Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania as a resurrected being to Joseph
Smith and Oliver Cowdery on May 15, 1829, and ordained them to the Aaronic Priesthood.[88][89]
According to LDS doctrine, John's ministry has operated in three dispensations: he was the last
of the prophets under the law of Moses; he was the first of the New Testament prophets; and he
was sent to confirm the Aaronic Priesthood in our day (the dispensation of the fulness of times).
Mormons believe John's ministry was foretold by two prophets whose teachings are included in
the Book of Mormon: Lehi[90] and his son Nephi.[91][92]

Gnosticism

In Gnosticism, John the Baptist was a "personification" of the Old Testament prophet Elijah.
Elijah did not know the True God (as opposed to the Abrahamic God), and thus had to be

16
reincarnated in Gnostic theology. As predicted by the Old Testament prophet Malachi, Elijah
must "come first" to herald the coming of Jesus Christ. Modern anthroposophy concurs with the
idea that the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah, (cf. Mark 9:1113),[93] Matthew 11:1314,[94]
Luke 7:27[95] although the Gospel of John explicitly denies this (John 1:21).[96][97]

Syrian-Egyptian Gnosticism

Among the early Judeo-Christian Gnostics the Ebionites held that John, along with Jesus and
James the Justall of whom they reveredwere vegetarians.[98][99][100][101][102][103] Epiphanius of
Salamis records that this group had amended their Gospel of Matthew, known today as the
Gospel of the Ebionites, to change where John eats "locusts" to read "honey cakes" or "manna".
[104][105]

Mandaeans

John the Baptist is considered the chief prophet of the Mandaeans, and plays a large part in some
of their writings,[106] including the Ginza Rba and the Draa D-Iahia (The Mandaean Book of
John). They view John as the only true Messiah, and are opposed to Jesus. The Mandaean
scriptures state: "If the carpenter [Jesus] has joined together the god, who then has joined
together the carpenter?"[107]

Islam

[hide] Part of a series on

Islam

Islamic prophets

Prophets in the Quran[hide]

Listed by Islamic name and Biblical name. The six marked with a * are considered

major prophets.

17
 dam* (Adam)

Idrs (Enoch)

N* (Noah)

Hd (Eber)

li (Salah)

Ibrhm* (Abraham)

L (Lot)

Isml (Ishmael)

Isq (Isaac)

Yaqb (Jacob)

Ysuf (Joseph)

Ayb (Job)

Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel)

Shuayb (Jethro)

Ms* (Moses)

Hrn (Aaron)

Dd (David)

Sulaymn (Solomon)

Ynus (Jonah)

Ilys (Elijah)

18
 Alyasa (Elisha)

Zakarya (Zechariah)

Yay (John)

s* (Jesus)

Muammad* (Muhammad)

Main events[show]
Views[show]

Islam portal

John is also honored as a Nabi (Arabic: , Prophet) as Yay ibn Zakary (Arabic:
), or "John, son of Zechariah". He is believed by Muslims to have been a witness to the word
of God, and a prophet who would herald the coming of Jesus.[108] His father Zechariah was also
an Islamic prophet. Islamic tradition maintains that John was one of the prophets whom
Muhammad met on the night of the Mi'raj,[109] his ascension through the Seven Heavens. It is said
that he met John and Jesus in the second heaven, where Muhammad greeted his two brothers
before ascending with archangel Gabriel to the third heaven. John's story was also told to the
Abyssinian king during the Muslim refugees' Migration to Abyssinia.[110] According to the
Qur'an, John was one on whom God sent peace on the day that he was born and the day that he
died.[111]

In the Qur'an

In the Qur'an, God frequently mentions Zechariah's continuous praying for the birth of a son.
Zechariah's wife, mentioned in the New Testament as Elizabeth, was barren and therefore the
birth of a child seemed impossible.[112] As a gift from God, Zechariah (or Zakaria) was given a
son by the name of "Yaya", a name specially chosen for this child alone. In accordance with
Zechariah's prayer, God made John and Jesus, who according to exegesis was born six months

19
later,[113] renew the message of God, which had been corrupted and lost by the Israelites. As the
Qur'an says:

(His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be
Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before."
He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite
decrepit from old age?"
He said: "So (it will be) thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: I did indeed create thee before, when
thou hadst been nothing!'"
(Zakarya) said: "O my Lord! give me a Sign." "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou
shalt speak to no man for three nights."

Qur'an, sura 19 (Maryam), verse 7[114]

John was exhorted to hold fast to the Scripture and was given wisdom by God while still a child.
[115]
He was pure and devout, and walked well in the presence of God. He was dutiful towards his
parents and he was not arrogant or rebellious. John's reading and understanding of the scriptures,
when only a child, surpassed even that of the greatest scholars of the time.[112] Muslim exegesis
narrates that Jesus sent John out with twelve disciples,[116] who preached the message before
Jesus called his own disciples.[113] The Qur'an says:

"O Yaya! take hold of the Book with might": and We gave him Wisdom even as a youth,

Qur'an, sura 19 (Maryam), ayah 12[115]

John was a classical prophet,[117] who was exalted high by God, for his bold denouncing of all
things sinful. Furthermore, the Qur'an speaks of John's gentle pity and love and his humble
attitude towards life, for which he was granted the Purity of Life:

And piety as from Us, and purity: He was devout,

And kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious.
So Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up
to life (again)!

Qur'an, sura 19 (Maryam), ayah 1315[111]

John is also honored highly in Sufism as well as Islamic mysticism, primarily because of the
Qur'an's description of John's chastity and kindness.[118] Sufis have frequently applied
commentaries on the passages on John in the Qur'an, primarily concerning the God-given gift of
"Wisdom" which he acquired in youth as well as his parallels with Jesus. Although several
phrases used to describe John and Jesus are virtually identical in the Qur'an, the manner in which
they are expressed is different.[119]

Name

20
It has been claimed that the Quran is mistaken in saying that John the Baptist was the first to
receive this name (Quran 19:710), since the name Yoanan occurs many times before John the
Baptist.[120] However, according to Islamic scholars, "Yay" is not the same name as "Yoanan".
[121]
Despite this, "Yay" is etymologically the same name as the Biblical figure Ychyh
(English rendering: "Jehiah") of the Books of the Chronicles.[122] Therefore, the Qur'an in Surah
19:7 is likely not claiming that "no one was ever given the name Yahya before this child". Rather,
this Qur'an verse is a clear reference to the Biblical account of the miraculous naming of John,
which accounted that he was almost named "Zacharias"[123][124] (Greek: )[125] after his
father's name, as no one in the lineage of his father Zacharias (also known as Zechariah) had
been named "John" ("Yohanan"/"Yoannes") before him.[126]

The exegetes frequently connected the name with the meaning of "to quicken" or "to make alive"
in reference to John's mother's barrenness, which was cured by God, as well as John's preaching,
which, as Muslims believe, "made alive" the faith of Israel.[127] This is the same meaning as the
Hebrew name Ychyh (" ; Jehiah") (lit.: "YHWH lives").[128] Ychyh was also the name of
one of the doorkeepers for the Ark of the Covenant during the reign of King David in the Bible.
[129]
Because of this, it is supposed that this name "Yay" was commonly used in the 6th-7th
centuries CE by Arab Christians as an allegorical honorific of John the Baptist (Arabic:
, Yanna al-Mamadan), who considered him to be a "doorkeeper" for the "Ark of the
, Yasu l-Mas).
[130]
New Covenant", Jesus Christ (Arabic:

The Quran also mentions a root used in the Hebrew name, 'Yohanan' ( Yahweh is gracious).
( And We
Sura Maryam: 1213 describes the virtues of Yahya:
gave him judgement, while yet a boy And affection from Us, and purity.) Here 'ann' (,
Affection) is an Arabic word corresponding to the same root used in the Hebrew/Aramaic
'Yohanan'.[citation needed][dubious discuss]

Syncretistic movements

Bah' view

Bah's consider John to have been a prophet of God who like all other prophets was sent to
instill the knowledge of God, promote unity among the people of the world, and to show people
the correct way to live.[131] There are numerous quotations in the writings of Bah'u'llh, Founder
of the Bah' Faith mentioning John the Baptist. He is regarded by Bah's as a lesser Prophet.[16]
Bah'u'llh claimed that his Forerunner, the Bb, was the spiritual return of John the Baptist. In
his letter to Pope Pius IX, Bah'u'llh wrote:

"O followers of the Son! We have once again sent John unto you, and He, verily, hath cried out
in the wilderness of the Bayn: O peoples of the world! Cleanse your eyes! The Day whereon ye
can behold the Promised One and attain unto Him hath drawn nigh! O followers of the Gospel!
Prepare the way! The Day of the advent of the Glorious Lord is at hand! Make ready to enter the
Kingdom. Thus hath it been ordained by God, He Who causeth the dawn to break."[132]

John is believed to have had the specific role of foretelling and preparing the way for Jesus. In
condemning those who had turned aside from him, Bah'u'llh, compared them to the followers

21
of John the Baptist, who, he said, protested against Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus) saying: The
dispensation of John hath not yet ended; wherefore hast thou come? Bah'u'llh believed that
the Bb played the same role as John in preparing the people for his own coming. As such
Bah'u'llh refers to the Bb as My Forerunner, the Forerunner being a title that Christians
reserve for John the Baptist.[133] However, Bah's consider the Bb to be a greater Prophet
(Manifestation of God) and thus possessed of a far greater station than John the Baptist.

Unification Church

The Unification Church teaches that God intended John to help Jesus during his public ministry
in Judea. In particular, John should have done everything in his power to persuade the Jewish
people that Jesus was the Messiah. He was to become Jesus' main disciple and John's disciples
were to become Jesus' disciples. Unfortunately John didn't follow Jesus and continued his own
way of baptizing people. John's failure to follow Jesus became the chief obstacle to the
fulfillment of Jesus' mission.[134]

In art

Puvis de Chavannes, The Beheading of St John the Baptist, c. 1869

Christ in the House of His Parents by John Everett Millais, 184950

Wood Sculpture of John The Baptists Head by Santiago Martinez Delgado.

22
Cristofano Allori's John the Baptist in the desert

The beheading of Saint John the Baptist is a standard theme in Christian art,[9] in which John's
head is often depicted on a platter, which represents the request of Herod's stepdaughter, Salome.
[135]
He is also depicted as an ascetic wearing camel hair, with a staff and scroll inscribed Ecce
Agnus Dei, or bearing a book or dish with a lamb on it.[14] In Orthodox icons, he often has angel's
wings, since Mark 1:2 describes him as a messenger.[136]

The Baptism of Christ was one of the earliest scenes from the Life of Christ to be frequently
depicted in Early Christian art, and John's tall, thin, even gaunt, and bearded figure is already
established by the 5th century. Only he and Jesus are consistently shown with long hair from
Early Christian times, when the apostles generally have trim classical cuts; in fact John is more
consistently depicted in this way than Jesus. In Byzantine art the composition of the Deesis came
to be included in every Eastern Orthodox church, as remains the case to this day. Here John and
the Theotokos (Mary) flank a Christ Pantocrator and intercede for humanity; in many ways this
is the equivalent of Western Crucifixions on roods and elsewhere, where John the Evangelist
takes the place of John the Baptist (except in the idiosyncratic Isenheim Altarpiece). John the
Baptist is very often shown on altarpieces designed for churches dedicated to him, or where the
donor patron was named for him or there was some other connection of patronage John was the
patron saint of Florence, among many other cities, which means he features among the
supporting saints in many important works.

A number of narrative scenes from his life were often shown on the predella of altarpieces
dedicated to John, and other settings, notably the large series in grisaille fresco in the Chiostro
dello Scalzo (it), which was Andrea del Sarto's largest work, and the frescoed Life by Domenico
Ghirlandaio in the Tornabuoni Chapel, both in Florence. There is another important fresco cycle
by Filippo Lippi in Prato Cathedral. These include the typical scenes:[137] the Annunciation to
Zechariah, John's birth, his naming by his father, the Visitation, John's departure for the desert,
his preaching in the desert, the Baptism of Christ, John before Herod, the dance of Salome, and
his beheading.

23
St John the Baptist, from a medieval book of hours

St. John the Baptist (c. 1513-16), Leonardo da Vinci

His birth, which unlike the Nativity of Jesus allowed a relatively wealthy domestic interior to be
shown, became increasingly popular as a subject in the late Middle Ages, with depictions by Jan
van Eyck in the Turin-Milan Hours and Ghirlandaio in the Tornabuoni Chapel being among the
best known. His execution, a church feast-day, was often shown, and by the 15th-century scenes
such as the dance of Salome became popular, sometimes, as in an engraving by Israhel van
Meckenem, the interest of the artist is clearly in showing the life of Herod's court, given
contemporary dress, as much as the martyrdom of the saint.[138] Salome bearing John's head on a
platter equally became a subject for the Northern Renaissance taste for images of glamorous but
dangerous women (Delilah, Judith and others),[139] and was often painted by Lucas Cranach the
Elder and engraved by the Little Masters. These images remained popular into the Baroque, with
Carlo Dolci painting at least three versions. John preaching, in a landscape setting, was a popular
subject in Dutch art from Pieter Brueghel the Elder and his successors.

24
As a child (of varying age), he is sometimes shown from the 15th century in family scenes from
the life of Christ such as the Presentation of Christ, the Marriage of the Virgin and the Holy
Kinship. Leonardo da Vinci's versions of the Virgin of the Rocks were influential in establishing a
Renaissance fashion for variations on the Madonna and Child that included John, probably
intended to depict the relative's reunion in Egypt, when after Jesus' Flight to Egypt John was
believed to have been carried to join him by an angel.[citation needed] Raphael in particular painted
many compositions of the subject, such as the Alba Madonna, La belle jardinire, Aldobrandini
Madonna, Madonna della seggiola, Madonna dell'Impannata, which were among his best-
known works. John was also often shown by himself as an older child or adolescent, usually
already wearing his distinctive dress and carrying a long thin wooden cross another theme
influenced by Leonardo, whose equivocal composition, reintroducing the camel-skin dress, was
developed by Raphael Titian and Guido Reni among many others. Often he is accompanied by a
lamb, especially in the many Early Netherlandish paintings which needed this attribute as he
wore normal clothes. Caravaggio painted an especially large number of works including John,
from at least five largely nude youths attributed to him, to three late works on his death the
great Execution in Malta, and two sombre Salomes with his head, one in Madrid, and one in
London.

Statue of St John carved out of a blackberry tree by Pietro Paolo Azzopardi - 1845. Xewkija

Amiens cathedral, which holds one of the alleged heads of the Baptist, has a biographical
sequence in polychrome relief, dating from the 16th century. This stresses the execution and the
disposal of the saint's remains.

A remarkable Pre-Raphaelite portrayal is Christ in the House of His Parents by John Everett
Millais. Here the Baptist is shown as a child, wearing a loin covering of animal skins, hurrying
into Joseph's carpenter shop with a bowl of water to join Mary, Joseph, and Mary's mother Anne
in soothing the injured hand of Jesus. Artistic interest enjoyed a considerable revival at the end of
the 19th century with Symbolist painters such as Gustave Moreau and Puvis de Chavannes
(National Gallery, London). Oscar Wilde's play Salome was illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley,
giving rise to some of his most memorable images.

In poetry

The Italian Renaissance poet Lucrezia Tornabuoni chose John the Baptist as one of biblical
figures on which she wrote poetry.[140]

25
In music

Guido D'Arezzo (991/992 after 1033) an Italian Benedictine monk founded the
standard music stave based on a hymn to Saint John the Baptist. The hymn that begins
with Ut Queant Laxis uses the first syllable for each line - Ut (later changed to Do), Re,
Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si. The teaching is also known as the solmization syllable.

This Is the Record of John, by English Tudor composer Orlando Gibbons is a well-known
part-setting of the Gospel of John for solo voice, choir and organ or viol accompaniment.

The reformer Martin Luther wrote a hymn based on biblical accounts about the Baptist,
"Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam" (1541), base for a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach
for the feast day on 24 June, Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7 (1724).

S. Giovanni Battista (scores) (St. John the Baptist) is a 1676 oratorio by Alessandro
Stradella.

John the Baptist (Jokanaan), Baritone, is a character in the opera Salome by Richard
Strauss, premiered 1905 in Dresden. The text is from Oscar Wilde's French poem,
translated into German by Hedwig Lachmann.[141]

In popular music, Bob Dylan dedicates four lines to John the Baptist in "Tombstone
Blues", the second track of his 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited. He songs: "John the
Baptist after torturing a thief / Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief / Saying,
Tell me great hero, but please make it brief / Is there a hole for me to get sick in?".[142]

The song "John the Baptist (Holy John)" by Al Kooper on his 1971album New York City
(You're a Woman) is about John the Baptist. In the same year the song was also recorded
by Blood, Sweat & Tears for their album Blood, Sweat & Tears 4.

On Al Stewart's "Love Chronicles" album, the song "In Brooklyn" (the album's opening
track) mentions, "Just John the Baptist in the park getting laid, thinking there's no one
looking."

In film and television

John the Baptist has appeared in a number of screen adaptations of the life of Jesus. Actors who
have played John include Robert Ryan in King of Kings (1961),[143] Mario Socrate in The Gospel
According to St. Matthew (1964),[144] Charlton Heston in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965),[145]
David Haskell in Godspell (1973),[146] Michael York in Jesus of Nazareth (1977),[147] and Andre
Gregory in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988).[148]

Commemoration

26
See also: Nativity of St. John the Baptist, St. John's Eve, Fte St-Jean-Baptiste, Festival of San
Juan, Saint Jonas Day, St John's Day (Estonia), Ivan Kupala Day, and Golowan

According to Armenian tradition, the remains of John the Baptist were laid to rest by Gregory the
Illuminator at the Saint Karapet Monastery.[149][150]

The Catholic Church in Ein Kerem on the site where John the Baptist is said to have been born

Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of Jordan: his beheading is said to have taken place in
Machaerus in central Jordan.

Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its capital
city, San Juan. In 1521, the island was given its formal name, "San Juan Bautista de Puerto
Rico", following the custom of christening a town with its formal name and the name which
Christopher Columbus had originally given the island. The names "San Juan Bautista" and
"Puerto Rico" were eventually used in reference to both city and island, leading to a reversal in
terminology by most inhabitants largely due to a cartographic error. By 1746, the city's name
("Puerto Rico") had become that of the entire island, while the name for the island ("San Juan
Bautista") had become that of the city. The official motto of Puerto Rico also references the
saint: Joannes Est Nomen Eius (Latin for "his name is John", from Luke 1:63).

He is also a patron saint of French Canada, and Newfoundland. The Canadian cities of St. John's,
Newfoundland (1497) and Saint John, New Brunswick (1604) were both named in his honor. In
the United Kingdom, Saint John is the patron of Penzance, Cornwall. His feast day of June 24,
celebrated officially in Quebec as the Fte Nationale du Qubec, and in Newfoundland as
Discovery Day.

In Scotland, he is the patron saint of Perth, which used to be known as St. John's Toun of Perth.
The main church in the city is still the medieval Kirk of St. John the Baptist and the city's
professional football club is called St Johnstone F.C.

27
Also, on the night of June 23 on to the 24th, Saint John is celebrated as the patron saint of Porto,
the second largest city in Portugal. An article from June 2004 in The Guardian remarked that
"Porto's Festa de So Joo is one of Europe's liveliest street festivals, yet it is relatively unknown
outside the country".[151]

He is also patron of the Knights Hospitaller of Jerusalem, Malta, Florence, and Genoa, Italy.
John is patron saint of Xewkija, Gozo, Malta, which remember him with a great feast on the
Sunday nearest to June 24.

Calamba City, Laguna, Calumpit, Bulacan, Balayan and Lian in Batangas, and San Juan, Metro
Manila are among several places in the Philippines that venerate John as the town or city patron.
A common practise of many Filipino fiestas in his honour is bathing and the dousing of people in
memory of John's iconic act. The custom is similar in form to Songkran[disambiguation needed] and Holi,
and serves as a playful respite from the intense tropical heat. While famed for the Black
Nazarene it enshrines, Quiapo Church in Manila is actually dedicated to Saint John.

He is also patron of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, which covers the whole of South
Carolina in the United States.

The Baptistines are the name given to a number of religious orders dedicated to the memory of
John the Baptist.

Along with John the Evangelist, John the Baptist is claimed as a patron saint by the fraternal
society of Free and Accepted Masons (better known as the Freemasons).[152]

In many Mediterranean countries, the summer solstice is dedicated to St. John. The associated
ritual is very similar to Midsummer celebrations in the Anglo-Saxon tradition.[citation needed]

See also

Christianity portal

Saints portal

Biblical and Quranic narratives

Chronology of Jesus

Historical background of the New Testament

Legends and the Quran

Matthew 3:1

28
 Messengers from John the Baptist

Church of St. John the Baptist (disambiguation)

St. John Baptist Church (disambiguation)

St. John the Baptist Church (disambiguation)

Statue of John the Baptist, Charles Bridge

References
Citations

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Metzger, Bruce Manning (1993). The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford University
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Metzger (2004). The Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible. Oxford University
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Kokkinos, The Herodian Dynasty, pp. 268, 277.
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198.
Florence Morgan Gillman, Herodias: At Home in that Fox's Den (Liturgical Press, 2003)
page 80.
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pages 81-83.
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Characterisation, (BRILL, 2008) page 107.
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30
 Steve Moyise (September 1, 2011). Jesus and Scripture: Studying the New Testament Use
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Luke: New Testament III, InterVarsity Press; p. 10. ISBN 978-0830814886 Luke 1:7
Luke 1:5
'Aaron', In: Mills, Watson E. (ed.) (1998) Mercer Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 5, Macon
GA: Mercer University Press, ISBN 0-86554-299-6; page 1
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Freed, Edwin D. (2001), The Stories of Jesus' Birth: a Critical Introduction Continuum
International, pp. 8790.
John 1:6-8
John 1:23, compare Isaiah 40:3
Vande Vrede, Keith (December 2014), Kostenberger, Andreas, ed., "A Contrast Between
Nicodemus and John the Baptist in the Gospel of John", Journal of the Evangelical Theological
Society, Louisville: Evangelical Theological Society, 57 (4): 715726, ISSN 0360-8808
John 3:2236
John 3:30
John 4:2
John 5:35
"Was John the Baptist really Elijah? | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry".
Carm.org. March 15, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
"Josephus, Flavius." In: Cross, F. L. (ed.) (2005) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian
Church, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press
Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiqities 18. 5. 2. (Translation by William Whiston). Original
Greek.
Hoehner, Harold W. Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. p. 101.
Mark 1:4
Crossan, John Dominic (2007), God and Empire, London: HarperCollins, p. 117 ff
Benson's Commentary on Matthew 14, accessed 17 Jauuary 2017
Nicephorus, Ecclesiastical History I, ix. See Patrologia Graeca, cxlv.cxlvii.
Lost Worlds: Knights Templar, July 10, 2006 video documentary on The History
Channel, directed and written by Stuart Elliott
"BBC ON THIS DAY - 7 - 2001: Thousands greet Pope in Syrian visit".
Hooper, Simon (August 30, 2010). "Are these the bones of John the Baptist?". Cable
News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
"Hetq Online " Pilgrimage to the oldest Armenian Apostolic Church in India". Hetq.am.
January 10, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.

31
 "The Monastery of St. Macarius the Great". Stmacariusmonastery.org. Retrieved
February 14, 2010.
"Heraldry of the World; Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom; Halifax (Yorkshire)". Ralf
Hartemink. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
Roberts, Kai (19 June 2010). "The Holy Face of Halifax". Omnia Exeunt In Mysterium.
Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
Ker Than (June 19, 2012). "John the Baptist's Bones Found?". National Geographic.
Moss, Candida. National Geographic: Search for the Head of John the Baptist. 19 April
2014.
Old Town Sozopol Bulgaria's 'Rescued' Miracle and Its Modern Day Saviors. Sofia
News Agency, October 10, 2011.
Malachi 3:1
Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Mar 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
which shall prepare thy way before thee. Mar 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Luk 1:1617 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And
he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord.
"Paul, Letters of - Oxford Reference". Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Oxford
University Press. 2008. ISBN 978-0-19-508450-4. Retrieved 2017-05-29.(subscription required)
"Essenes - Oxford Reference". The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near
East. Oxford University Press. 2011. ISBN 978-0-19-506512-1. Retrieved 2017-05-29.
(subscription required)
Acts 19:1-7
Treatise of Prayer. Retrieved 1-15-2012.
The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena. Retrieved 1-15-2012
In late antiquity this feast in some churches marked the beginning of the Ecclesiastical
Year; see Archbishop Peter (L'Huiller) of New York and New Jersey, "Liturgical Matters: "The
Lukan Jump"", in: Newspaper of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, Fall 1992.
"Doctrine and Covenants 84:2728". Scriptures.lds.org. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
"Section Five: 18421843". Retrieved May 15, 2014.
Teaching of The Prophet Joseph Smith Section Five 184243, p. 261
[D&C 13]; D&C 27:78
Joseph Smith History 1:6872
"1 Nephi 10:710".
1 Nephi 11:27
2 Nephi 31:4-18
Mark 9:1113
Matthew 11:1314
Luke 7:27
John 1:21
Sergei Prokofieff, The Mystery of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist Turning Point
of Time: An Esoteric Study, Temple Lodge Publishing 2005, ISBN 1-902636-67-8

32
 J Verheyden, Epiphanius on the Ebionites, in The image of the Judaeo-Christians in
ancient Jewish and Christian literature, eds Peter J. Tomson, Doris Lambers-Petry, ISBN 3-16-
148094-5, p. 188 "The vegetarianism of John the Baptist and of Jesus is an important issue too in
the Ebionite interpretation of the Christian life. "
Robert Eisenman (1997), James the Brother of Jesus, p. 240 "John (unlike Jesus) was
both a Rechabite or Nazarite and vegetarian", p. 264 "One suggestion is that John ate
'carobs'; there have been others. Epiphanius, in preserving what he calls 'the Ebionite Gospel',
rails against the passage there claiming that John ate 'wild honey' and 'manna-like vegetarian
cakes dipped in oil. ... John would have been one of those wilderness-dwelling, vegetable-eating
persons", p. 326 "They [the Nazerini] ate nothing but wild fruit milk and honey probably the
same food that John the Baptist also ate.", p. 367 "We have already seen how in some traditions
'carobs' were said to have been the true composition of John's food.", p. 403 "his [John's] diet
was stems, roots and fruits. Like James and the other Nazirites/Rechabites, he is presented as a
vegetarian ..".
James Tabor, The Jesus Dynasty p. 134 and footnotes p. 335, p. 134 "The Greek New
Testament gospels says John's diet consisted of "locusts and wild honey" but an ancient Hebrew
version of Matthew insists that "locusts" is a mistake in Greek for a related Hebrew word that
means a cake of some type, made from a desert plant, similar to the "manna" that the ancient
Israelites ate in the desert on the days of Moses.(ref 9) Jesus describes John as "neither eating nor
drinking," or "neither eating bread nor drinking wine." Such phrases indicate the lifestyle of one
who is strictly vegetarian, avoids even bread since it has to be processed from grain, and shuns
all alcohol.(ref 10) The idea is that one would eat only what grows naturally.(ref 11) It was a way
of avoiding all refinements of civilization."
Bart D. Ehrman (2003). Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We
Never Knew. Oxford University Press. pp. 102, 103. ISBN 0-19-514183-0. p. 102 "Probably the
most interesting of the changes from the familiar New Testament accounts of Jesus comes in the
Gospel of the Ebionites description of John the Baptist, who, evidently, like his successor Jesus,
maintained a strictly vegetarian cuisine."
James A. Kelhoffer, The Diet of John the Baptist, ISBN 978-3-16-148460-5, pp. 1921
G.R.S. Mead (2007). Gnostic John the Baptizer: Selections from the Mandan John-
Book. Forgotten Books. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-60506-210-5. p. 104 "And when he had been
brought to Archelaus and the doctors of the Law had assembled, they asked him who he is and
where he has been until then. And to this he made answer and spake: I am pure; [for] the Spirit
of God hath led me on, and [I live on] cane and roots and tree-food."
Tabor (2006) Jesus Dynasty p. 334 (note 9) "The Gospel of the Ebionites as quoted by
the 4th-century writer Epiphanius. The Greek word for locusts (akris) is very similar to the
Greek word for "honey cake" (ekris) that is used for the "manna" that the Israelites ate in the
desert in the days of Moses (Exodus 16:32)" & p. 335 (note 11) "There is an old Russian
(Slavic) version of Josephus's Antiquities that describes John the Baptizer as living on 'roots and
fruits of the tree' and insists that he never touches bread, even at Passover."
Bart D. Ehrman (2003). Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New
Testament. Oxford University Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-19-514182-2. p. 13 Referring to Epiphanius'
quotation from the Gospel of the Ebionites in Panarion 30.13, "And his food, it says, was wild
honey whose taste was of manna, as cake in oil".
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-
19-280290-3), article Mandaeans

33
 "Baptisms of Yeshu in ancient Mandaic scrolls The Order of Nazorean Essenes".
Essenes.net. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
"Yahya", Encyclopedia of Islam
Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, Mi'raj
Muhammad, Martin Lings, Abysinnia. etc.
Quran 19:1315
Lives of the Prophets, Leila Azzam, John and Zechariah
AZ of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, B. M. Wheeler, John the Baptist
Quran 19:710
Quran 19:12
Tabari, i, 712
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, Note. 905:
"The third group consists not of men of action, but Preachers of Truth, who led solitary lives.
Their epithet is: "the Righteous." They form a connected group round Jesus. Zachariah was the
father of John the Baptist, who is referenced as "Elias, which was for to come" (Matt 11:14); and
Elias is said to have been present and talked to Jesus at the Transfiguration on the Mount (Matt.
17:3)."
Encyclopedia of Islam, Yahya ibn Zakkariya, Online web.
Whereas the Qur'an itself gives blessings of peace to John (Quran 19: 15), Jesus, in
contrast, gives himself the blessings of peace. (Qur'an 19: 1633)
A. Geiger, Judaism And Islam (English translation of Was hat Mohammed aus dem
Judenthume aufgenommen?), 1970, Ktav Publishing House Inc.: New York, p. 19.
"And No One Had The Name Yahya (= John?) Before: A Linguistic & Exegetical Enquiry
Into Qur'an 19:7". Islamic-awareness.org. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
http://biblehub.com/topical/j/jehiah.htm
Young's Literal Translation of the Bible. Luke 1:59, 1:5, et al.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/ylt/luke/1.html
King James Bible. Luke 1:59, 1:5, et al. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Luke-
Chapter-1/
(1894 Scrivener NT). Luke 1:59, 1:5, et al.
https://biblia.com/books/tr1894mr/Lk1?embeddedPreview=False
Luke 1:59-63
A. Jeffrey, Foreign Vocab. of the Qur'an, Baroda 1938, 2901
http://biblehub.com/topical/j/jehiah.htm
I Chronicles 15:24
cf. I Chronicles 15:24 with Matthew 3:3
Effendi, Shoghi (1988). Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Wilmette, Illinois: Baha'i
Publishing Trust. p. 12. ISBN 9780877430483.
Bah'u'llh (2002). The Summons of the Lord of Hosts. Haifa, Israel: Bah' World
Centre. p. 63. ISBN 0-85398-976-1.
Effendi, Shoghi (1988). Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Wilmette, Illinois: Baha'i Publish
Trust. pp. 157158. ISBN 9780877430483.
"Divine Principle Chapter 4, Section 2". Webcitation.org. Archived from the original on
October 26, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
The story appears in Matthew 14:8 and Mark 6:25, without the name Salome

34
 "John the Baptist, St." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church.
New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
See Tornabuoni Chapel for further information on these scenes
"Engraving by Israhel van Meckenem". Artsmia.org. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
On this see Chapter V, "The Power of Women", in H Diane Russell;Eva/Ave; Women in
Renaissance and Baroque Prints; National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1990; ISBN 1-55861-
039-1
Robin, Larsen and Levin, p. 368
The Victor Book of the Opera, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1968.
"Tombstone Blues | The Official Bob Dylan Site" Check |url= value (help).
bobdylan.com. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
King of Kings, cast and crew
The Gospel According to St. Matthew, cast and crew
The Greatest Story Ever Told, cast and crew
Godspell, cast and crew
Jesus of Nazareth, cast and crew
The Last Temptation of Christ, cast and crew
Kharatyan, Lusine; Keskin, Ismail; Keshishyan, Avetis; Ozturk, S. Aykut; Khachatryan,
Nane; Albayrak, Nihal; Hakobyan, Karen (2013). Moush, sweet Moush: Mapping Memories
from Armenia and Turkey (PDF). The Institute for International Cooperation Of the German
Adult Education Association (dvv international). p. 69. ISBN 978-3-942755-12-2. Archived from
the original (PDF) on January 3, 2015. The Saint Karapet Monastery is one of the oldest
Armenian monasteries in Moush Valley, dating back to the 4th century when Gregory the
Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is believed to have buried the relics of
Saint John the Baptist (Karapet) here.
Avetisyan, Kamsar (1979). " [Historical
monuments of Taron]". [Armenian studies sketches] (in
Armenian). Yerevan: Sovetakan Grogh. p. 204. ... ,
.
Matthew Hancock (June 12, 2004). "There's only one So Joo". The Guardian. London.
Retrieved February 14, 2010.

1. "Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry". Freemasons-freemasonry.com.

Retrieved February 14, 2010.

Sources

Books on John the Baptist

Brooks Hansen (2009) John the Baptizer: A Novel. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-
0-393-06947-1

Murphy, Catherine M. (2003) John the Baptist: Prophet of Purity for a New Age.
Collegeville: Liturgical Press. ISBN 0-8146-5933-0

35
 Taylor, Joan E. (1997) The Immerser: John the Baptist within Second Temple Judaism.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. ISBN 0-8028-4236-4

W. Barnes Tatum (1994) John the Baptist and Jesus: A Report of the Jesus Seminar,
Sonoma, California: Polebridge Press, 1994, ISBN 0-944344-42-9

Webb, Robert L. (1991) John the Baptizer and Prophet: a Socio-Historical Study. Wipf
and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-59752-986-0 (first published Sheffield: JSOT Press,
1991)

Islamic view

Rippin, A. "Yahya b. Zakariya". In P.J. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van
Donzel; W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers.
ISSN 1573-3912.

J.C.L Gibson, John the Baptist in Muslim writings, in MW, xlv (1955), 334345

Passages in the Quran

Appraisals for Yahya: 6:85, 19:7, 19:12, 19:13, 19:14, 19:15

Yahya's prophecy: 3:39, 6:85, 19:12

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 Mandaean Book of John translation project

Saint John the Baptist at the Christian Iconography website

Caxton's translation of the Golden Legend chapters on The Decollation of John the
Baptist and The Nativity of Saint John Baptist

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GND: 118557858

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