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EspañolJOHN THE BAPTIST
(Redirected from St. John the Baptist)
'John the Baptist' (also called 'the Baptizer') was a 1st century Jewish preacher and ascetic regarded as a prophet by four religions: Christianity, Islam, Mandaeanism, and the Bahá'í Faith. The title of prophet is asserted in the Synoptic Gospels, the Qur'an, and the Bahá'í Writings.
According to , he was a relative of Jesus, although Geza Vermes describes this claim as 'artificial and undoubtedly Luke's creation'[1]. He is also commonly referred to as 'John the Forerunner' or 'Precursor' because Christians consider him as the forerunner of Christ.
Main articles: Zechariah (priest)
John (in Hebrew: ''Yochanan''), whose name means "Yahweh has shown favor," an indication of John's role in salvation history, is known as "the Baptist" from his practice of preaching and baptizing Jews in the River Jordan. Most notably, according to the Bible, he is the one who recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and, according to one version, on Jesus' request, baptised him. The baptism marked the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
Main articles: Beheading of John the Baptist
According to the Canonical Gospels, John the Baptist's public ministry was suddenly brought to a close, probably about six months after he had baptized Jesus. According to these Gospel narratives, Herod Antipas jailed him, with the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Mark arguing that Herod was punishing John for condemning Herod's marriage to Herodias, the former wife of Herod Philip I, Herod's own brother (). Wycliffe's Bible: "But Herod the tetrarch, when he was blamed of John for Herodias, the wife of his brother, and for all the evils that Herod did, he increased this over all, and shut John in prison." Some academics have argued that John was imprisoned in the Machaerus fortress on the southern extremity of Peraea, nine miles east of the Dead Sea. {Josephus ''Jewish Antiquities XVIII:5:1–2''}
Josephus states that Herod deliberately killed John to quell a possible uprising in around 36. According to some, Herod Antipas did not marry his brother's wife until his brother Herod Philip I died in 34, so as to make Josephus' dating plausible for the biblical account of John's death. His disciples, after consigning his headless body to the grave, told Jesus all that had occurred (). But John's death came just before the third and last Passover of Jesus' ministry, placed no later than 33.
Neither Josephus nor the Gospels state where John was buried, though the Gospels state that John's disciples took his body and placed it in a tomb. In the time of Julian the Apostate, however, his tomb was shown at Samaria, where the inhabitants opened it and burned part of his bones. The rest of the alleged remains were saved by some Christians, who carried them to an abbot of Jerusalem named Philip.[2]
Mark states that Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee came to the Prophet John and was baptized by him, whereupon a Spirit descended upon him and a voice from Heaven told him he was God's Son. This reflected the dilemma whether in the earliest stratum of historical Christianity Jesus was born God, became God upon baptism, or even later, became God upon crucifixion. Problematic is the fact that John's baptism was for the forgiveness of sins, which an already divine Jesus might be thought not to have. Other later sources tend to undercut the authority of John for the benefit of Jesus' theologically necessary supremacy.
Unlike the other Synoptic Gospels, which introduce John the Baptist into the narrative as an adult, the Gospel of Luke provides an account of his infancy. According to Luke, John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, who previously "had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years" (reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah ). His birth, name, and office were foretold by the angel Gabriel to Zacharias, while Zacharias was performing his functions as a priest in the temple of Jerusalem. According to Luke, Zacharias was a priest of the course of Abijah, and his wife, Elisabeth, was of the Daughters of Aaron ; consequently John automatically held the priesthood of Aaron, which, to the Jews' eyes, gave him authority to baptize in the name of God.
Luke states that John was born about six months before Jesus, and that Zacharias' disbelief over the birth of his son led to him losing his power of speech, which was only restored on the occasion of John's circumcision (Luke 1:64). On the basis of Luke's account, the Catholic calendar placed the feast of John the Baptist on June 24, six months before Christmas.
According to Luke, Jesus Christ and John the Baptist were related; their mothers, Mary and Elisabeth, were cousins. (Luke 1:36). Luke doesn't explicitly state that John baptized Jesus, the baptism only occurs after John is imprisoned.
By the time Matthew is written, the story goes that John respectfully refused to baptize Jesus, saying "I need to be baptized by you." Jesus has to convince him to do it. () According to () Salome, the daughter of Herodias danced for King Herod Antipas and delighted him so much that he vowed to give her anything she wanted: after consulting with her mother she requested the head of John the Baptist.
The Gospel of John portrays John the Baptist as being clearly superseded by Jesus. There is no mention of John baptizing Jesus. The Gospel states that when John was baptizing at Aenon, a debate broke out between some of the disciples of John () over the issue of ceremonial cleansing. The Jews pointed out that Jesus was also baptizing, but baptizing more people than John ().
John explained to them that Jesus “must become greater” while he, John, ''must become less'' (John 3:30). Although the Gospel later goes on to state that Jesus regarded John as a ''burning and a shining lamp,'' it also says that Jesus referred to John as something that people were ''glad to enjoy ... for a while'' (). The Gospel of John also portrays the disciples of John as eventually merging into the followers of Jesus, in contrast to the Synoptics where they remain two distinct groups as long as they are mentioned.
Some Christians believe that John the Baptist had a specific role ordained by God which was to be the forerunner or precursor to the Messiah, whom they believe to be Jesus. and also :
:''And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.''
There are several passages within the Old Testament which are generally interpreted by Christians as being prophetic of John the Baptist in this role.
These include a passage in the Book of Malachi 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''. -
Though the interpretation of this passage as referring to a forerunner of the Messiah was uncommon amongst Jews prior to the 2nd century BC, it became significantly more common under Hellenic, and later Christian, influences.
is interpreted by Christians as referring prophetically to John, based on John's own statement as written in :
:''He said "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias"''
Flavius Josephus in ''Jewish Antiquities'' book 18, chapter 5, paragraph 2 wrote the following:
: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 to exercise virtue, 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. (Whiston Translation) [1]
From the context, it would seem that in Josephus's account John was executed around 36. Divergences between Josephus's presentation and the Biblical accounts of John include the following:
★ Baptism for those whose souls have already been "purified beforehand by righteousness" is for purification of the body, not general repentance of sin ().
★ John's imprisonment and subsequent execution is described as being to prevent "mischief", rather than owing to Herod's wife's daughter's terpsichorean persuasion of a reluctant Herod. (Although it could be argued that Josephus is only offering a reason for John's imprisonment, then stating that he was executed there as well (and leaving the reason for execution unstated).)
Josephus's passage is quoted by Origen in ''Contra Celsum'' in the early third century, and again by Eusebius of Caesarea in the fourth century.
Josephus makes much greater mention of John than he does of Jesus. The contemporary Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan differentiates between them in ''God and Empire'' thusly: "John had a monopoly, but Jesus had a franchise." To get baptized, Crossan writes, you went only to John. Stopping the movement meant only stopping John. 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.[3]
The Eastern Orthodox 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. According to Sacred Tradition, John the Baptist appears at the time of death to those who have not heard the Gospel of Christ, and preaches the Good News to them, that all may have the opportunity to be saved.
Orthodox churches will often have an icon of St. 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 St. John the Forerunner
★ January 7 - The Synaxis of St. John the Forerunner. This is his main feast 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 St. John the Forerunner
★ May 25 - Third Finding of the Head of St. John the Forerunner
★ June 24 - Nativity of St. John the Forerunner
★ August 29 - The Beheading of St. John the Forerunner
In addition to the above, September 5 is the commemoration of Zechariah and Elisabeth, St. 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 Roman Catholic Church commemorates St. John the Baptist on three separate feast days:
★ June 24 The Nativity of St. John the Forerunner
★ August 29 The Decollation (Beheading) of St. John the Forerunner
★ September 23 Conception of St John the Foreruner
Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of Puerto Rico, and its capital city San Juan bears his name. In 1521, the island was given its formal name "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico", following the usual custom of christening the town with both its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island, honoring John the Baptist. The indistinct use of "San Juan Bautista" and "Puerto Rico" for calling both the city and the island led to a reversal in practical use by most inhabitants due largely to a map-making error. Therefore by 1746 the name for the city (Puerto Rico) had become that of the entire island, while the name for the island (San Juan Bautista) had become the name for the city. The official motto for the island of Puerto Rico also references the saint, ''Joannes Est Nomen Eius'' (translated, "John is his name").
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 honour. In the UK Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of Penzance, Cornwall. His feast day is June 24, celebrated in Quebec as the ''Fête nationale du Québec'' (''la Fête St-Jean-Baptiste'').
Also on the night from 23rd to 24th June, 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 São João is one of Europe's liveliest street festivals, yet it is relatively unknown outside the country"[4].
He is also patron of the Knights Hospitaller of Jerusalem, Florence, and Genoa, Italy.
The Baptistines are the name given to a number of religious orders dedicated to the memory of John the Baptist.
Saint John is also the patron saint of Lian, Batangas (see for details), and the entire state of South Carolina.
St. John the Baptist is (along with St. John the Evangelist) claimed as a Patron Saint by the fraternal society of Free and Accepted Masons (better known as the Freemasons).[5]
According to ancient tradition, the burial-place of John the Baptist was at Sebaste in Samaria, and mention is made of his relics being honored there around the middle of the fourth 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 that was 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 St. Jerome bears witness to miracles being worked there.
What became of the head of John the Baptist is difficult to determine. Nicephorus[6] 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, in Phoenicia, where it was concealed, the place remaining unknown for years, until it was manifested by revelation in 453.
Over the centuries, there have been many discrepancies in the various legends and claimed relics throughout the Christian world. Several different locations claim to possess the severed head of John the Baptist. Among the various claimants are:''Lost Worlds: Knights Templar'', July 10, 2006 video documentary on The History Channel, directed and written by Stuart Elliott
★ The Knights Templar. In medieval times it was rumored that they had possession of the saint's severed head, and multiple records from their Inquisition in the early 1300s make reference to some form of head being worshiped by the Knights.Sean Martin, ''The Knights Templar: The History & Myths of the Legendary Military Order'', 2005. ISBN 1-56025-645-1
★ San Silvestro in Capite in Rome
★ Amiens Cathedral, France, brought home by Wallon de Sarton from the Fourth Crusade in Constantinople.
★ Halifax, West Yorkshire, England,where it is said to be buried[7]
★ Turkish Antioch
★ The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus
Istanbul possesses the saint's arm and a piece of his skull in the Topkapi Palace, as does the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes, Egypt,[8] while John's right hand, with which he baptised Jesus ("the hand that touched God"), is said to be in the possession of the Serbian Orthodox monastery of Cetinje, and also at the Romanian skete of the Forerunner on Mount Athos.
Mandaeans believe John the Baptist, called Yahya in the Sidra d-Yahia (Book of John), was the last and greatest of the prophets. While Mandaeans agree that he baptized Jesus (Yeshu), they reject the latter as either a saviour or prophet.
And they view John as the only true Messiah.
According to the text of the Ginza Rba, John died at the hand of an angel. The angel appeared as a three-year-old child, coming to John for baptism. John knew the angel for what it was, and that once he touched its hand, he would die immediately. John performed the baptism, anyway, and died in the process. Afterwards, the angel covered John's body with mud.
John the Baptist is known as ''Yahya'' in Arabic and in the Qur'an. The Qur'an identifies John is the son of Zachariah and cousin of Jesus. John is described as "pure", "devout", "dutiful towards his parents" and as "not arrogant or rebellious" (Surah ).
John, whose tidings are foretold by the angel Gabriel, is exhorted to hold fast to the Scripture and was given wisdom by God while still child (Surah ) and called "a Prophet of the Righteous" coming "to confirm a word from Allah" (Surah )
There are numerous quotations in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá'í Faith mentioning John the Baptist. He is regarded by Bahá'ís as a lesser Prophet. [9] Bahá'u'lláh claimed that His Forerunner, the Báb, was the spiritual return of John the Baptist. In His letter to Pope Pius IX, Bahá'u'lláh wrote:
However, Bahá'ís consider the Báb to be a greater Prophet (Manifestation of God) and thus possessed of a far greater station than John the Baptist.
In Gnosticism, John the Baptist was a "personification" of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. As an Old Testament prophet, Elijah did not know the True God (the God of the New Testament), and thus had to be 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, initiated by Rudolph Steiner, concurs with the idea that the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah, in line with the Synoptic Gospels ''(e.g. ,,)'', although he himself explicitly denies this ''()''. Furthermore, after his beheading at Machaerus his soul is said to have become the inspiring group genius of Christ's disciples. According to Steiner the painter Raphael and the poet Novalis were more recent incarnations of John the Baptist.
The Unification Church teaches that God intended that John help Jesus during his public ministry in Israel. 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' greatest disciple. John's failure to do so was the chief obstacle to the fulfillment of Jesus' mission.Divine Principle Chapter 4, Section 2
Latter-day Saints believe John appeared in Pennsylvania, as a resurrected being, to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery on 15 May 1829, and gave them the Aaronic Priesthood. They also believe John's ministry was foretold by two prophets in the Book of Mormon: Lehi () and his son, Nephi (; ).
★ Maronite Catholic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, Beit Mery, Lebanon
★ Romanian Skete Prodromos (the name is the Greek for "The Forerunner") on Mount Athos, holding relics believed to be of John the Baptist
★ St John's College of The University of Oxford, Oxford, England
★ Puerto Rico was originally named San Juan Bautista; San Juan (then called Puerto Rico) is now its capital city.
★ St. John's, Newfoundland, was founded on his feast day June 24, 1497.
★ Exactly 34 years later San Juan del Río, Querétaro, Mexico was founded on June 24, 1531.
★ Saint John, New Brunswick was named after the Saint John River which was named by Samuel de Champlain
★ St. John's University located in Queens, NY; St. John's is the largest Catholic university in the United States.
★ Saint John's University located in Collegeville, MN; a Catholic-Benedictine liberal arts university.
★ Fête nationale du Québec - also known as 'la St- Jean-Baptiste' - is the provincial holiday of Quebec, celebrated on June 24 of every year.
★ Prince Edward Island, a Canadian province, was originally called ''Île de St-Jean'' or St. John's Island.
★ St. John's wort is named after St. John because it is traditionally harvested on his feast day, June 24.
★ 12th century cathedral in Kamien Pomorski (Poland) with a famous 17th century organ
★ St. Johns Road, in Bletchley of Milton Keynes, is the longest of the Roads in the Saints Estate
★ St. John's Regional College in Dandenong Melbourne (Australia)
★ St. John the Baptist Parish in southern Louisiana, USA. In Louisiana, a civil parish is equivalent to a county elsewhere in North America.
★ St. John's Avenue in Staten Island, New York, overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, Brooklyn, the Verrazano Bridge, New York Harbour, and Manhattan
★ St. John Ambulance and the Order of St. John.
★ Mission San Juan Bautista, one of the original 18th century missions, in northern California.
★ Two different Churches of St. John the Baptist in Ein Karem, traditional place of his birth
★ Basilica of St. John Lateran
★ St. John the Baptist of Coventry
★ St. John the Baptist at St. John's, Newfoundland (Basilica-cathedral)
★ San Giovanni Battista di Rimini (cathedral)
★ San Giovanni Battista di Torino (cathedral)
★ Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Audresselles
★ St. John's Cathedral of Valletta
★ Saint-John-Baptiste Located on Christian Quarter Road, Old City , Jerusalem
★ Church of St. John the Baptist, Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia
1. Geza Vermes, The Nativity, page 143.
2. Eccl. lib. iii. cap. 3 Chronic. Alex, p.686)
3. Crossan, John Dominic, God and Empire, HarperCollins, 2007, p.117ff
4. The Guardian, June 12 2004, "There's only one São João"
5. Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry
6. Nicephorus, ''Ecclesiastical History'' I, ix. See Patrologia Graeca, cxlv.-cxlvii.
7. http://www.halifaxparishchurch.org.uk/
8. http://www.stmacariusmonastery.org/eabout.htm
9. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File, Compilations, , , Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India, 1983, ISBN 8185091463
10. The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, Bahá'u'lláh, , , Bahá'í World Centre, 2002, ISBN 0853989761
★ Johannite
★ Baptism of Jesus
★ Prophets of Islam
★ Ebionites
★ Beheading of John the Baptist
★ Catherine M. Murphy, ''John the Baptist: Prophet of Purity for a New Age''. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8146-5933-0
★
★ John the Baptist in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
★ "John the Baptist" from the ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
★ Prophet Yahya (John) in the light of Islamic tradition.
★ Appraisals for Yahya: 6:85, 19:7, 19:12, 19:13, 19:14, 19:15
★ Yahya's prophecy: 3:39, 6:85, 19:12
Icon depiction of Jesus' baptism by the hand of John, Jordan River, Jordan
The excavated remains of the baptism site in "Bethany beyond the Jordan"
'John the Baptist' (also called 'the Baptizer') was a 1st century Jewish preacher and ascetic regarded as a prophet by four religions: Christianity, Islam, Mandaeanism, and the Bahá'í Faith. The title of prophet is asserted in the Synoptic Gospels, the Qur'an, and the Bahá'í Writings.
According to , he was a relative of Jesus, although Geza Vermes describes this claim as 'artificial and undoubtedly Luke's creation'[1]. He is also commonly referred to as 'John the Forerunner' or 'Precursor' because Christians consider him as the forerunner of Christ.
John the Baptist in the New Testament
Main articles: Zechariah (priest)
The Baptist
John (in Hebrew: ''Yochanan''), whose name means "Yahweh has shown favor," an indication of John's role in salvation history, is known as "the Baptist" from his practice of preaching and baptizing Jews in the River Jordan. Most notably, according to the Bible, he is the one who recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and, according to one version, on Jesus' request, baptised him. The baptism marked the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
John's imprisonment and beheading
Main articles: Beheading of John the Baptist
According to the Canonical Gospels, John the Baptist's public ministry was suddenly brought to a close, probably about six months after he had baptized Jesus. According to these Gospel narratives, Herod Antipas jailed him, with the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Mark arguing that Herod was punishing John for condemning Herod's marriage to Herodias, the former wife of Herod Philip I, Herod's own brother (). Wycliffe's Bible: "But Herod the tetrarch, when he was blamed of John for Herodias, the wife of his brother, and for all the evils that Herod did, he increased this over all, and shut John in prison." Some academics have argued that John was imprisoned in the Machaerus fortress on the southern extremity of Peraea, nine miles east of the Dead Sea. {Josephus ''Jewish Antiquities XVIII:5:1–2''}
Josephus states that Herod deliberately killed John to quell a possible uprising in around 36. According to some, Herod Antipas did not marry his brother's wife until his brother Herod Philip I died in 34, so as to make Josephus' dating plausible for the biblical account of John's death. His disciples, after consigning his headless body to the grave, told Jesus all that had occurred (). But John's death came just before the third and last Passover of Jesus' ministry, placed no later than 33.
Neither Josephus nor the Gospels state where John was buried, though the Gospels state that John's disciples took his body and placed it in a tomb. In the time of Julian the Apostate, however, his tomb was shown at Samaria, where the inhabitants opened it and burned part of his bones. The rest of the alleged remains were saved by some Christians, who carried them to an abbot of Jerusalem named Philip.[2]
In the Gospel of Mark
Mark states that Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee came to the Prophet John and was baptized by him, whereupon a Spirit descended upon him and a voice from Heaven told him he was God's Son. This reflected the dilemma whether in the earliest stratum of historical Christianity Jesus was born God, became God upon baptism, or even later, became God upon crucifixion. Problematic is the fact that John's baptism was for the forgiveness of sins, which an already divine Jesus might be thought not to have. Other later sources tend to undercut the authority of John for the benefit of Jesus' theologically necessary supremacy.
In the Gospel of Luke
Unlike the other Synoptic Gospels, which introduce John the Baptist into the narrative as an adult, the Gospel of Luke provides an account of his infancy. According to Luke, John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, who previously "had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years" (reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah ). His birth, name, and office were foretold by the angel Gabriel to Zacharias, while Zacharias was performing his functions as a priest in the temple of Jerusalem. According to Luke, Zacharias was a priest of the course of Abijah, and his wife, Elisabeth, was of the Daughters of Aaron ; consequently John automatically held the priesthood of Aaron, which, to the Jews' eyes, gave him authority to baptize in the name of God.
Luke states that John was born about six months before Jesus, and that Zacharias' disbelief over the birth of his son led to him losing his power of speech, which was only restored on the occasion of John's circumcision (Luke 1:64). On the basis of Luke's account, the Catholic calendar placed the feast of John the Baptist on June 24, six months before Christmas.
According to Luke, Jesus Christ and John the Baptist were related; their mothers, Mary and Elisabeth, were cousins. (Luke 1:36). Luke doesn't explicitly state that John baptized Jesus, the baptism only occurs after John is imprisoned.
In the Gospel of Matthew
By the time Matthew is written, the story goes that John respectfully refused to baptize Jesus, saying "I need to be baptized by you." Jesus has to convince him to do it. () According to () Salome, the daughter of Herodias danced for King Herod Antipas and delighted him so much that he vowed to give her anything she wanted: after consulting with her mother she requested the head of John the Baptist.
In the Gospel of John
The Gospel of John portrays John the Baptist as being clearly superseded by Jesus. There is no mention of John baptizing Jesus. The Gospel states that when John was baptizing at Aenon, a debate broke out between some of the disciples of John () over the issue of ceremonial cleansing. The Jews pointed out that Jesus was also baptizing, but baptizing more people than John ().
John explained to them that Jesus “must become greater” while he, John, ''must become less'' (John 3:30). Although the Gospel later goes on to state that Jesus regarded John as a ''burning and a shining lamp,'' it also says that Jesus referred to John as something that people were ''glad to enjoy ... for a while'' (). The Gospel of John also portrays the disciples of John as eventually merging into the followers of Jesus, in contrast to the Synoptics where they remain two distinct groups as long as they are mentioned.
Prophecies
Some Christians believe that John the Baptist had a specific role ordained by God which was to be the forerunner or precursor to the Messiah, whom they believe to be Jesus. and also :
:''And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.''
There are several passages within the Old Testament which are generally interpreted by Christians as being prophetic of John the Baptist in this role.
These include a passage in the Book of Malachi 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''. -
Though the interpretation of this passage as referring to a forerunner of the Messiah was uncommon amongst Jews prior to the 2nd century BC, it became significantly more common under Hellenic, and later Christian, influences.
is interpreted by Christians as referring prophetically to John, based on John's own statement as written in :
:''He said "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias"''
Josephus
Flavius Josephus in ''Jewish Antiquities'' book 18, chapter 5, paragraph 2 wrote the following:
: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 to exercise virtue, 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. (Whiston Translation) [1]
From the context, it would seem that in Josephus's account John was executed around 36. Divergences between Josephus's presentation and the Biblical accounts of John include the following:
★ Baptism for those whose souls have already been "purified beforehand by righteousness" is for purification of the body, not general repentance of sin ().
★ John's imprisonment and subsequent execution is described as being to prevent "mischief", rather than owing to Herod's wife's daughter's terpsichorean persuasion of a reluctant Herod. (Although it could be argued that Josephus is only offering a reason for John's imprisonment, then stating that he was executed there as well (and leaving the reason for execution unstated).)
Josephus's passage is quoted by Origen in ''Contra Celsum'' in the early third century, and again by Eusebius of Caesarea in the fourth century.
Josephus makes much greater mention of John than he does of Jesus. The contemporary Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan differentiates between them in ''God and Empire'' thusly: "John had a monopoly, but Jesus had a franchise." To get baptized, Crossan writes, you went only to John. Stopping the movement meant only stopping John. 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.[3]
Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox icon ''John the Baptist - the Angel of Desert'' (Stroganov School, 1620s) Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
The Eastern Orthodox 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. According to Sacred Tradition, John the Baptist appears at the time of death to those who have not heard the Gospel of Christ, and preaches the Good News to them, that all may have the opportunity to be saved.
Orthodox churches will often have an icon of St. 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 St. John the Forerunner
★ January 7 - The Synaxis of St. John the Forerunner. This is his main feast 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 St. John the Forerunner
★ May 25 - Third Finding of the Head of St. John the Forerunner
★ June 24 - Nativity of St. John the Forerunner
★ August 29 - The Beheading of St. John the Forerunner
In addition to the above, September 5 is the commemoration of Zechariah and Elisabeth, St. 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).
Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church commemorates St. John the Baptist on three separate feast days:
★ June 24 The Nativity of St. John the Forerunner
★ August 29 The Decollation (Beheading) of St. John the Forerunner
★ September 23 Conception of St John the Foreruner
Wood Sculpture of John The Baptist’s Head by Master Santiago Martinez Delgado, permanent Collection at the Museo Nacional de Bogota Colombia
John the Baptist as a patron saint
Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of Puerto Rico, and its capital city San Juan bears his name. In 1521, the island was given its formal name "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico", following the usual custom of christening the town with both its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island, honoring John the Baptist. The indistinct use of "San Juan Bautista" and "Puerto Rico" for calling both the city and the island led to a reversal in practical use by most inhabitants due largely to a map-making error. Therefore by 1746 the name for the city (Puerto Rico) had become that of the entire island, while the name for the island (San Juan Bautista) had become the name for the city. The official motto for the island of Puerto Rico also references the saint, ''Joannes Est Nomen Eius'' (translated, "John is his name").
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 honour. In the UK Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of Penzance, Cornwall. His feast day is June 24, celebrated in Quebec as the ''Fête nationale du Québec'' (''la Fête St-Jean-Baptiste'').
Also on the night from 23rd to 24th June, 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 São João is one of Europe's liveliest street festivals, yet it is relatively unknown outside the country"[4].
He is also patron of the Knights Hospitaller of Jerusalem, Florence, and Genoa, Italy.
The Baptistines are the name given to a number of religious orders dedicated to the memory of John the Baptist.
Saint John is also the patron saint of Lian, Batangas (see for details), and the entire state of South Carolina.
St. John the Baptist is (along with St. John the Evangelist) claimed as a Patron Saint by the fraternal society of Free and Accepted Masons (better known as the Freemasons).[5]
Relics
A head said to be John's, enshrined in Rome
St John's Shrine inside the Umayyad Mosque, Damascus
According to ancient tradition, the burial-place of John the Baptist was at Sebaste in Samaria, and mention is made of his relics being honored there around the middle of the fourth 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 that was 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 St. Jerome bears witness to miracles being worked there.
What became of the head of John the Baptist is difficult to determine. Nicephorus[6] 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, in Phoenicia, where it was concealed, the place remaining unknown for years, until it was manifested by revelation in 453.
Over the centuries, there have been many discrepancies in the various legends and claimed relics throughout the Christian world. Several different locations claim to possess the severed head of John the Baptist. Among the various claimants are:''Lost Worlds: Knights Templar'', July 10, 2006 video documentary on The History Channel, directed and written by Stuart Elliott
★ The Knights Templar. In medieval times it was rumored that they had possession of the saint's severed head, and multiple records from their Inquisition in the early 1300s make reference to some form of head being worshiped by the Knights.Sean Martin, ''The Knights Templar: The History & Myths of the Legendary Military Order'', 2005. ISBN 1-56025-645-1
★ San Silvestro in Capite in Rome
★ Amiens Cathedral, France, brought home by Wallon de Sarton from the Fourth Crusade in Constantinople.
★ Halifax, West Yorkshire, England,where it is said to be buried[7]
★ Turkish Antioch
★ The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus
Istanbul possesses the saint's arm and a piece of his skull in the Topkapi Palace, as does the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes, Egypt,[8] while John's right hand, with which he baptised Jesus ("the hand that touched God"), is said to be in the possession of the Serbian Orthodox monastery of Cetinje, and also at the Romanian skete of the Forerunner on Mount Athos.
Mandaean view
Mandaeans believe John the Baptist, called Yahya in the Sidra d-Yahia (Book of John), was the last and greatest of the prophets. While Mandaeans agree that he baptized Jesus (Yeshu), they reject the latter as either a saviour or prophet.
And they view John as the only true Messiah.
According to the text of the Ginza Rba, John died at the hand of an angel. The angel appeared as a three-year-old child, coming to John for baptism. John knew the angel for what it was, and that once he touched its hand, he would die immediately. John performed the baptism, anyway, and died in the process. Afterwards, the angel covered John's body with mud.
Islamic view
John the Baptist is known as ''Yahya'' in Arabic and in the Qur'an. The Qur'an identifies John is the son of Zachariah and cousin of Jesus. John is described as "pure", "devout", "dutiful towards his parents" and as "not arrogant or rebellious" (Surah ).
John, whose tidings are foretold by the angel Gabriel, is exhorted to hold fast to the Scripture and was given wisdom by God while still child (Surah ) and called "a Prophet of the Righteous" coming "to confirm a word from Allah" (Surah )
Bahá'í view
There are numerous quotations in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá'í Faith mentioning John the Baptist. He is regarded by Bahá'ís as a lesser Prophet. [9] Bahá'u'lláh claimed that His Forerunner, the Báb, was the spiritual return of John the Baptist. In His letter to Pope Pius IX, Bahá'u'lláh 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 Bayán: 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."[10]
However, Bahá'ís consider the Báb to be a greater Prophet (Manifestation of God) and thus possessed of a far greater station than John the Baptist.
Gnostic and anthroposophic views
In Gnosticism, John the Baptist was a "personification" of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. As an Old Testament prophet, Elijah did not know the True God (the God of the New Testament), and thus had to be 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, initiated by Rudolph Steiner, concurs with the idea that the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah, in line with the Synoptic Gospels ''(e.g. ,,)'', although he himself explicitly denies this ''()''. Furthermore, after his beheading at Machaerus his soul is said to have become the inspiring group genius of Christ's disciples. According to Steiner the painter Raphael and the poet Novalis were more recent incarnations of John the Baptist.
Unification church
The Unification Church teaches that God intended that John help Jesus during his public ministry in Israel. 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' greatest disciple. John's failure to do so was the chief obstacle to the fulfillment of Jesus' mission.Divine Principle Chapter 4, Section 2
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Latter-day Saints believe John appeared in Pennsylvania, as a resurrected being, to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery on 15 May 1829, and gave them the Aaronic Priesthood. They also believe John's ministry was foretold by two prophets in the Book of Mormon: Lehi () and his son, Nephi (; ).
Places and things named for John the Baptist
★ Maronite Catholic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, Beit Mery, Lebanon
★ Romanian Skete Prodromos (the name is the Greek for "The Forerunner") on Mount Athos, holding relics believed to be of John the Baptist
★ St John's College of The University of Oxford, Oxford, England
★ Puerto Rico was originally named San Juan Bautista; San Juan (then called Puerto Rico) is now its capital city.
★ St. John's, Newfoundland, was founded on his feast day June 24, 1497.
★ Exactly 34 years later San Juan del Río, Querétaro, Mexico was founded on June 24, 1531.
★ Saint John, New Brunswick was named after the Saint John River which was named by Samuel de Champlain
★ St. John's University located in Queens, NY; St. John's is the largest Catholic university in the United States.
★ Saint John's University located in Collegeville, MN; a Catholic-Benedictine liberal arts university.
★ Fête nationale du Québec - also known as 'la St- Jean-Baptiste' - is the provincial holiday of Quebec, celebrated on June 24 of every year.
★ Prince Edward Island, a Canadian province, was originally called ''Île de St-Jean'' or St. John's Island.
★ St. John's wort is named after St. John because it is traditionally harvested on his feast day, June 24.
★ 12th century cathedral in Kamien Pomorski (Poland) with a famous 17th century organ
★ St. Johns Road, in Bletchley of Milton Keynes, is the longest of the Roads in the Saints Estate
★ St. John's Regional College in Dandenong Melbourne (Australia)
★ St. John the Baptist Parish in southern Louisiana, USA. In Louisiana, a civil parish is equivalent to a county elsewhere in North America.
★ St. John's Avenue in Staten Island, New York, overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, Brooklyn, the Verrazano Bridge, New York Harbour, and Manhattan
★ St. John Ambulance and the Order of St. John.
★ Mission San Juan Bautista, one of the original 18th century missions, in northern California.
Famous churches
★ Two different Churches of St. John the Baptist in Ein Karem, traditional place of his birth
★ Basilica of St. John Lateran
★ St. John the Baptist of Coventry
★ St. John the Baptist at St. John's, Newfoundland (Basilica-cathedral)
★ San Giovanni Battista di Rimini (cathedral)
★ San Giovanni Battista di Torino (cathedral)
★ Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Audresselles
★ St. John's Cathedral of Valletta
★ Saint-John-Baptiste Located on Christian Quarter Road, Old City , Jerusalem
★ Church of St. John the Baptist, Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia
Notes
1. Geza Vermes, The Nativity, page 143.
2. Eccl. lib. iii. cap. 3 Chronic. Alex, p.686)
3. Crossan, John Dominic, God and Empire, HarperCollins, 2007, p.117ff
4. The Guardian, June 12 2004, "There's only one São João"
5. Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry
6. Nicephorus, ''Ecclesiastical History'' I, ix. See Patrologia Graeca, cxlv.-cxlvii.
7. http://www.halifaxparishchurch.org.uk/
8. http://www.stmacariusmonastery.org/eabout.htm
9. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File, Compilations, , , Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India, 1983, ISBN 8185091463
10. The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, Bahá'u'lláh, , , Bahá'í World Centre, 2002, ISBN 0853989761
See also
★ Johannite
★ Baptism of Jesus
★ Prophets of Islam
★ Ebionites
★ Beheading of John the Baptist
References
★ Catherine M. Murphy, ''John the Baptist: Prophet of Purity for a New Age''. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8146-5933-0
External links
★
★ John the Baptist in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
★ "John the Baptist" from the ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
★ Prophet Yahya (John) in the light of Islamic tradition.
References to John (Yahya) in the Qur'an
★ 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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