Life of St. John the Baptist

Saint John the Baptist (Latin Io(h)annes Baptista, Hebrew Jochanan ben Sacharja, Arabic يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, Aramaic Yohanoun) (died c. 30)^[1] was a Jewish preacher and ascetic. He drew large crowds on the banks of the Jordan River, demanding from them repentance and baptism in view of the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God.^[2] Jesus was one of those whom he baptized. He was killed by Herod Ántipas, whom he had denounced for his (incestuous) marriage.^[2] The historian Josephus writes that Herod had John killed for fear that John might raise a rebellion.^[3] Jesus' own ministry followed John's, and some of Jesus' early followers had been followers of John.^[4] John, like Jesus, preached at a time of political, social, and religious conflict, and he prophesied that fire was coming to destroy the wicked.

Christians commonly refer to John as the Precursor or Forerunner of Jesus Christ,^[5] since in the gospels, John announces Jesus' coming. He is also identified with Elijah,^[4] and as related to Jesus (Luke 1:36). In view of Luke 1:41, Early Church tradition describes John as endowed with prenatal grace, so the feast day of his birth (June 24) is celebrated more solemnly than that marking his martyrdom and death (August 29).^[2]

Muslims, following the Quran, regard John as a prophet^[6].

Mandaeans, a tiny Gnostic religion, consider John a divine prophet but reject Jesus as a false prophet.

In the Bahá'í Faith, John is also regarded as a prophet.^{[citation needed]}

John followed the example of previous Hebrew prophets, living austerely, challenging sinful rulers, calling for repentance, and promising God's justice. He also conferred baptism as a purification rite for repentant sinners ("baptism of John"), which the Bible clearly differentiates from baptism as practiced by Christians after Pentecost.

Herod's stepdaughter, to whom the name Salome was later attributed, is said in Matthew 14:8 and Mark 6:25 to have asked him for John's head on a platter, and the presentation of his severed head often appears in art. Another theme of Christian art is his beheading,^[1] which is mentioned not only in these two gospels, but also in Luke 9:9. He is also depicted as an ascetic wearing camel hair and with a staff and scroll inscribed "Ecce Agnus Dei" (Latin, "Behold the Lamb of God" - John 1:29) or bearing a book or dish with a lamb on it.^[2] In Orthodox icons, he often has angel's wings, since Mark 1:2 applies to him a prophecy about an ἄγγελος (angelos), a word that can mean a messenger, but also an angel.