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John the Baptist
27 CE – 30 CE · Judeaapocalyptic
Description
John the Baptist was a religious preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Catholicism, and Oriental Orthodoxy, Saint John the Immerser in the Baptist tradition, and as the prophet Yahya ibn Zakariya in Islam. He is sometimes referred to as John the Baptiser.
Facts
| Born | c. 6 BC, Herodian Kingdom of Judea, Roman Empire |
| Died | c. AD 30, Machaerus, Province of Judaea, Roman Empire |
| Cause of death | Decapitation |
| Venerated in | Christianity (all denominations which venerate saints), Islam, Baháʼí Faith, Druze faith, Mandaeism |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Major shrine | Church of Saint John the Baptist in Jerusalem Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Nabi Yahya Mosque in Sebastia Aachen Cathedral in Aachen, Germany |
| Feast | 24 June (Nativity) 29 August (Beheading) 7 January (Synaxis—Byzantine) 30 Paoni (Nativity—Coptic) 2 Thout (Beheading—Coptic) 1 Hitia (Birthday—Mandaean) |
| Attributes | Camel-skin robe, cross, lamb, scroll with words Ecce Agnus Dei-, platter with own head, pouring water from hands or scallop shell |
| Patronage | See Commemoration |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Gospel narratives | John the Baptist is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels and the non-canonical Gospel of the Nazarenes. |
| In Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews | 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 (37–100): |
| Relics | 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 they managed to do so because "it seems that the body had been thrown over the prison walls, without burial, probably by order of Herodias." |
| Religious views | The Gospels describe John the Baptist as having a specific role ordained by God as forerunner or precursor of Jesus, who was the foretold Messiah. |
| Scholarship | Scholars studying John the Baptist's relationship with Jesus of Nazareth have commented on the differences in their respective approaches. |
| In art | The earliest depictions of St John are found in the Baptism of Christ, 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 fifth century. |
| Commemoration | Christian festivals associated with Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner are celebrated at various days by different denominations and are dedicated to his conception, birth, and death, as well as in correlation to the baptism of Jesus. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to John the Baptist, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| Repent, the kingdom of the heavens is at hand | Matt 3:2 |
| Every tree not bearing good fruit cut down and thrown into the fire | Matt 3:10 |
| One mightier comes after me; he baptizes with Holy Spirit and fire | Matt 3:11 |