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John the Baptist
Known as being rather eccentric for his day, John the Baptist was preacher and, according to some religions, a prophet during the time of Jesus. Questions about John the Baptist can be directed here.
593 Questions
Did Jesus and John the Baptist grow up in the same town?
A:
According to Luke's Gospel, Jesus probably would have known John the Baptist, although Jesus lived in provincial Galilee while John must have lived in or near Jerusalem. However recent scholarship has cast doubts on this relationship. For example, John Shelby Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus) says that neither of the nativity stories contains any historical truth. Uta Ranke-Heinemann (Putting Away Childish Things) says that the nativity accounts are, with respect to time, place, and circumstances, a collection of legends. She even says that both Zacharius and Elizabeth, supposedly John's parents, were literary creations by the author of Luke's Gospel.
Who painted st John the Baptist?
Hundreds of artists have painted scenes from the Bible with John the Baptist, or paintings depicting him only. This has gone on at least from the 5th century. If you want to know about a specific painting, you have to give more details.
Who represented john the baptist at the transfiguration?
John the evangelist and his brother James with Peter.
How long did John the Baptist stay in prison?
A:
Based on the writings of of the first- century Jewish historian, Josephus, it seems likely that John spent very little time in prison. John was imprisoned after the wedding of Herod Antipas to Herodias in 34 CE, and executed before King Antipas of Nabatea attacked and defeated Herod in 36 CE, an event which the Jews believed was divine retribution for the execution of John the Baptist. This places John's arrest no earlier than 35 CE and his execution no later than 36 CE.
There would have been some urgency on Herod's part in carrying out the execution, since Josephus says Herod feared that John could stir up a rebellion among the Jews. The relevant passage in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18 says:
"Now many people came in crowds to him, for they were greatly moved by his words. Herod, who feared that the great influence John had over the masses might put them into his power and enable him to raise a rebellion (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise), thought it best to put him to death. In this way, he might prevent any mischief John 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 John was sent as a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I already mentioned, and was put to death."
Why did John the Baptist never say Jesus was his cousin?
A:
Probably because he was not really the cousin of Jesus. It is only in Luke's Gospel that we are told they were related, because John's mother Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, Uta Ranke-Heinemann (Putting Away Childish Things) says that Elizabeth was a literary creation by the author of Luke's Gospel. So, on the scholarly view, John and Jesus were not cousins.
Saint John the Baptist was strengthened by the Holy Spirit to?
John the Baptist was a special gift from God so that John could go with good news to the world and evangelize about Jesus. He also was to go to different cities and baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
How was John the Baptist related to Jesus?
John prepared people for Jesus. He taught them the basics, and baptized them, getting people used to some of the new ideas and changes that Jesus was bringing, and also telling them that he (John) wasn't the Christ, but that he was preparing the way for him.
Why did John the Baptist eat locusts and wild honey?
There has been a longstanding confusion in the etymological origin of the word locust. Locust is both a bean from the carob plant and an insect. The greek word for cakes or bread made from the flour of the carob bean is 'egkrides' and the Greek word for locust the insect is 'akrides'.
The insect locust is approved to be clean for consumption in Leviticus. It was a delicacy in those days and was usually consumed by the upper and/or priestly class.
John the Baptist belonged to a group of ascetics who believed in repentance and in leading an austere lifestyle. The carob bean was seen as the diet of the lower class who normally endured hardship and exploitation from the priestly class. So we can conclude that JTB ate (locust plant) seed from the carob tree.
The same can be said of honey. It could be anything from saps of certain trees to juice of the crushed dates. Carob flour and crushed dates made a good damper or sweet rustic cake, hence the word 'egkrides' in the Greek version of the Bible.
Some Church Fathers circa 400AD put forth an injunction to change the word 'egkrides' (in the Bible) meaning cakes to 'akrides' the insect locust, not realising that locust the insect was a delicacy enjoyed by the priestly upper crust from whom JTB and the likes distanced themselves from.
Was John the Baptist filled with the Holy Ghost?
I believe the Bible says that he was filled with the Holy Ghost while still in his mothers womb. Elizabeth said to Mary that she felt the babe leap within her at the sound of the voice of Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus. He recognised Jesus presence even though they had not yet been born.
Were Elisabeth the mother of John the Baptist and Mary the mother of Jesus related?
Mary (the mother of Jesus) and Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) were cousins:-
Luk 1:34-36, 57, 59-60 MKJV [v.34] ThenMary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? [ie a virgin] [v. 35] And the angel answered and said to her [Mary], The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you [Mary] shall be called Son of God. [v. 36] And behold, your cousinElizabeth also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
[v.57] And the time was fulfilled toElizabeth for her to bear. And she bore ason. [v. 59] And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and were calling itZacharias, after his father's name. [v. 60] And his mother answered and said,No, but he shall be called John.
How are Elijah and John the Baptist different?
John the Baptist baptised Jews for forgiveness of sins. He was never a follower of Jesus, although the Gospels say that he foresaw the coming of Jesus.
John, son of Zebedee, was a disciple and apostle of Jesus in the gospels. Many believe that he was the author of the fourth gospel, which is consequently known as John's Gospel. The gospel authors are generally called the 'evangelists'.
Others point out that the fourth gospel was written anonymously and was only attributed to John late in the second century, on the basis of speculation. They say that the name of the fourth evangelist remains unknown.
What is the phone number of the St. John the Baptist Parish Library in Laplace?
The address of the St. John The Baptist Parish Library is: 2920 New Highway 51, Laplace, 70068 3705
What is St John the Baptist the patron saint of?
John the Baptist is the patron saint of:
•against convulsions
•against epilepsy
•against hail
•against hailstorms
•against spasms
•baptism
•bird dealers
•converts
•convulsive children
•cutters
•epileptics
•farriers
•French Canadians
•lambs
•monastic life
•motorways
•printers
•tailors
•Jordan
•Puerto Rico
•Charleston, South Carolina, diocese of
•Dodge City, Kansas, diocese of
•Genoa, Italy, archdiocese of
•Ndalatando, Angola, diocese of
•Nicolet, Québec, diocese of
•Paterson, New Jersey, diocese of
•Portland, Maine, diocese of
•Saint John's, Newfoundland, diocese of
•Savannah, Georgia, diocese of
•Albera Ligure, Italy
•Alice bel Colle, Italy
•Avigliana, Italy
•Badiangan, Philippines
•Bistagno, Italy
•Bonavigo, Italy
•Borgia, Italy
•Brenzone, Italy
•Camerano, Italy
•Campobello di Licata, Italy
•Campodolcino, Italy
•Canale d'Agordo, Italy
•Caprese Michelangelo, Italy
•Ceccano, Italy
•Cenadi, Catanzaro, Italy
•Cesena, Italy
•Ciutadella, Menorca, Spain
•Colletorto, Italy
•Cortale, Italy
•Dagupan City, Philippines
•Fabriano, Italy
•Faicchio, Italy
•Fürstenberg, Germany
•Garbagna, Italy
•Genoa, Italy, city of
•Gizzeria, Italy
•Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Italy
•Herve, Belgium
•Igbaras, Iloilo, Philippines
•Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines
•Leioa, Spain
•Lucoli, Italy
•Macau, China
•Monte San Giovanni Campano, Italy
•Montepulciano, Italy
•Monza, Italy
•Palermo, Sicily, Italy
•Penzance, Cornwall, England
•Poggio Bustone, Italy
•Pontecorvo, Italy
•Pozzallo, Sicily, Italy
•Pula, Italy
•Quebec, Canada
•Racconigi, Italy
•Ragusa, Sicily, Italy
•Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, Loiret, France
•San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
•San Juan Indian Pueblo
•San Juan, Puerto Rico
•San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, Mexico
•San Juan Cosala, Mexico
•San Juan Tecomatlan, Mexico
•Sassano, Italy
•Sassello, Italy
•Teising, Germany
•Torino, Italy
•Umbria, Italy
•Vicchio, Italy
•Xewkija, Gozo, Malta
•Wenden, Germany
•Wenings, Germany
•Wroclaw, Poland
•Knights Hospitaller
•Knights of Malta
•Maltese Knights
What year was St. John the Baptist born?
John the Baptist was born , according to the record in Luke chapters 1 -2, up to 6 months before Jesus. This is deduced from the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, John's mother, when Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant. The suggestion is that Mary was already with child by this time (see Luke 1:41-43). Knowing the date of Jesus birth as being around 4-5 BCE (a while before the death of Herod the Great) we would suggest a birth date for John in 5 or 6 BCE.
On the other hand, Uta Ranke-Heinemann (Putting Away Childish Things) believes that Elisabeth was not a real person and that the author of Luke created the story of John's birth.
We can look at the evidence to see which of those views is most likely to be correct. Luke's Gospel is known as a 'synoptic' gospel because when laid alongside Mark's Gospel (and Matthew's) and read synoptically ('with the same eye') in the original Greek language, it can be established that Luke was based on Mark. The 'Missing Block' demonstrates that where Luke's source was incomplete, he was unable to fill the gap with information from any other source or inspiration. Other evidence shows that Lukewas written no earlier than the 90s of the first century.
What this means is that the author of Luke could not have known anything about the life of Jesus other than what he read in Mark, yet he confidently reported private family events that occurred at least a hundred years before the time of writing, providing the only gospel account of the birth of John the Baptist. Ranke-Heinemann would seem to have good grounds for assuming that Luke's story of the birth of John the Baptist was not really true, in which case we do not really know when or where he was born.
Another Answer:
John was born in the year 1 AD, give or take a few years based on calendar adjustments. The date is not known but it is celebrated on June 24.
Another Answer:
Although the Bible does not state his birth date directly as it was not the custom of the time, it tells us he was related to Jesus and was born six months before His birth. As some scholars place the birth of Christ to mid-September to mid-October in 5-4 BC, this then would make John the Baptist's birth circa mid-March to mid-April 5 BC.
As many calendar adjustments occurred after 1 BC, they have no bearing upon the above timeframes. The dates given in 'another answer' are according to the Hebrew calendar year.
Another AnswerJohn the Baptist was born in 2BC at Passover, which corresponds to April 19-20 .Was John the Baptist at the foot of the cross?
No John the Babtist was beheaded long ago by king herod . And it was the John the disciple who was at the cross.
How many books did John the Baptist write?
John the Baptist was not one of the writers of the New Testament. The fourth gospel is ascribed to the Apostle John and so is the book of Revelation or Apocalypse. John the apostle however is a different person than John the baptist.
Why is John the Baptist important in the season of Advent?
Because at Advent, we prepare for Our Lord's Coming, which is what St. John's ministry was for.
Why is John the Baptist the patron saint of freemasonry?
Actually, St. John the Baptist is only one of the patron Saints of Freemasonry: the other is St. John the Evangelist. Some theorize that they were chosen because their saint's days are very close to the summer (Baptist) and winter (Evangelist) solstices.
What is the name of the king that had John the Baptist arrested?
A:
John the baptist was executed on the orders of Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch in the Roman Empire, not a king. The gospels say that John had been arrested for publicly criticising the marriage of Herod Antipas to his own brother's former wife, but that Herod did not wish to harm John. The daughter of Herodias danced for Herod Antipas at a party in Galilee, after which he offered her anything she wished. Prompted by her mother, Herodias, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. This could hardly be more different to the account told by the first-century historian, Josephus.
Josephus tells us that Herod Antipas had John arrested and taken to faraway Macherus and executed, for fear that he would raise a rebellion among the Jews. Although John's criticism of the marriage was a factor, Herod was chiefly concerned about the possibility of John sparking an uprising. For this reason, he had John executed as quickly as possible. We are not told whether John the Baptist was actually beheaded, or executed in some other way. The relevant text from Book 18 of Antiquities of the Jews:
"Now many people came in crowds to him, for they were greatly moved by his words. Herod, who feared that the great influence John had over the masses might put them into his power and enable him to raise a rebellion (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise), thought it best to put him to death. In this way, he might prevent any mischief John 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 John was sent as a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I already mentioned, and was put to death."
Did John the Baptist eat bugs?
Yes, Matthew tells us:
Mat 3:4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair; he wore a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
The Jews were permitted to eat locust, crickets and grasshoppers according to God's laws. (Lev. 11:22) This was, and still is, a common practice among desert dwellers. Some modern scholars, however, disagree that he ate bugs and argue that the reference to locust was meant as being the fruit of the locust tree. Linguistically, however, this argument doesn't hold, primarily due to the fact that it has been translated from the Greek. The Greek word for locust is "akrida." The word akrida, unlike its English counterpart, has no other meaning than locust, crickets and grasshoppers. Once again scripture has been misinterpreted by some due to the lack of knowledge of the original language.
What are difference between Jesus and John the Baptist?
John the Baptist was the "voice in the wilderness" that spoke of the coming messiah. John asked people to repent and baptized people in the Jordan river. When Jesus came to him, John told his followers to follow him instead. John said "he must increase and I must decrease".
John was an apostle of Jesus who traditionally wrote the Book of John (Fourth Gospel). John was the brother of James, known as the sons of Zebedee and also Sons of Thunder because they had tempers. John writes of John the Baptist in the Gospel starting with John 1:6.
How did John the Baptist prepare for Jesus' coming?
John was born about six months before Jesus [see Luke 1]. But neither John nor his cousin, Jesus, began their missions until later in their lives, so they were both alive at the same time when John began to "prepare the way" for Jesus.
How he "prepared" the way was through the preaching of "repentance"... the first step toward "salvation" [Jesus' mission].
"I indeed baptize you with water unto REPENTANCE: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and with fire: whose fan is in His hand, and he will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matt.3:11-12)
John's "baptism with water unto repentance" was to: "...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." (Malachi 4:6)
"Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary" explains it this way:
"John the Baptist preached repentance and reformation, as Elijah had done. The turning of souls to God and their duty, is the best preparation of them for the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord. John shall preach a doctrine that shall reach men's hearts, and work a change in them. Thus he shall prepare the way for the Kingdom of Heaven...".
Many people aren't aware that all of Judaea was "looking for the Messiah" to appear around that time. Many understood what John was doing... and John had upwards of 10,000 followers of his own.
Because of his popularity, even the hypocritical Pharisees visited him on occasion to witness some of his baptisms... hoping to find some reason to criticise him... and possibly initiate his public stoning.
A group of these Pharisees ANGERED JOHN... they were the ones to whom he spoke about his mission of water baptism UNTO REPENTANCE.
"...when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O GENERATION OF VIPERS [YOU SLITHERING SNAKES! strong words for these judges and leaders of the Jews], WHO HATH WARNED YOU TO FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME? BRING FORTH THEREFORE FRUITS MEET FOR REPENTANCE..." (Matt.3:7-8).
The "baptisms" he told them the Messiah had for them was "two-fold": one; the baptism of the Holy Spirit -- and two; the baptism of FIRE. These are two DIFFERENT baptisms. The Holy Spirit would go to those whose "hearts were turned to God"... and the "baptism of fire" was the "Lake of Fire" for those with the "hardened hearts."
You hear people of some modern denominations of professing Christianity shouting in ignorance to be "baptised with the baptism of fire"... not understanding what it truly means.
But John's mission was to prepare the people for Jesus' appearance. To cause some to "change their ways"... to get them thinking about God, their miserable lives, how they should be conducting themselves before God... turning some people's attitudes in the right direction to meet their Maker. John the Baptist tried to set people on the right spiritual path to the first step of salvation: repentance.
Until a person takes the first step: repentance through faith... then they are not prepared to receive God's gift of the Holy Spirit.
"...Peter said unto them, REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED [John's preparatory baptism] every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION OF SINS, and YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [Jesus' baptism]" (Acts 2:38)
"...it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that REPENTANCE [John's preparatory mission] and REMISSION OF SINS [Jesus' followup mission] should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-47)
John the baptist was the preparer of the way for the messiah.
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by having the people repent their sins and baptizing them.
When did John the Baptist become the patron saint of Puerto Rico?
When Columbus landed on the island during his second voyage, he named it San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). That made St. John the patron of the island.
The main port was initially named Puerto Rico, but the names of the island and the port eventually switched, so the island is now called Puerto Rico and the port is called San Juan.
Why was Zechariah punished with loss of speech during the months leading to john'sbirth?
When angel Gabriel said his Elizabeth is going to have a baby, Zachariah didn't believe it. That's why he was punished with the loss of speech
What was the age difference between Jesus and John the Baptist?
John the Baptist was approximately six months older than Jesus.
A:Luke 1:36 says that Elizabeth, mother of John, was six months pregnant when the angel came to Mary. If this was when Mary conceived, then John was about six months older than Jesus.
However, the story of Elizabeth and Zacharias appears only in Luke's Gospel, with some puzzling aspects if it is to be considered historical. Scholars such as Uta Ranke-Heinemann (Putting Away Childish Things) believe that Elizabeth and Zechariah were literary creations by the gospel author, purely to create a close family relationship between Jesus and the popular Jewish preacher, John the Baptist. On this view, we do not know who John's parents were or how old he was.
