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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
When did John the Baptist became a saint?
When the mother of Jesus Christ went to visit Elizabeth and told her that she was with child the babe within Elizabeth "Leaped within her womb" John, even before he was born received a knowledge that the Christ was soon to be born, and the it was he who was to prepare the way for his coming.
Did saint Elizabeth mother of john the baptist practice any special virtues?
Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah were fine examples of faith and patience. They continued to serve God faithfully even though they had to wait on God, and their greatest blessings came only when they were well advanced in years.
Yet, what blessings Elizabeth and Zechariah enjoyed! Under the influence of God's spirit, both of them prophesied. They were privileged to become the parents and instructors of the Messiah's forerunner, John the Baptizer. Moreover, God viewed them as righteous.
What did the John the Baptist compare Jesus to?
John began his ministry around the Jordan River in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:1-3). He preached repentance to the people of Jerusalem and Judea who came to him.
Did John the Baptist loose his head?
A:
According to the gospels, John the Baptist was arrested and held in prison early in the mission of Jesus, probably around 29 CE. Herod Antipas' wife, Herodias, had a quarrel with John the Baptist and would have killed him if she could but, at a royal party in Galilee for the senior men of the kingdom, told her daughter to ask for his head on a platter. In this account, John was beheaded because Herodias tricked Herod, although he would have allowed him to live.
We have one other source of information on John the Baptist. The Jewish historian Josephus said that Herod Antipas had the Baptist killed in quite different circumstances and several years later than the gospel story would allow, because he disapproved of Antipas' marriage to his own brother's wife, who divorced her husband in order to marry Herod Antipas. 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. In this historian's account, there is no provision for anyone to ask for John's head on a platter. Moreover, the party described in the gospels would have been held in Galilee, if at all, but Josephus says that John was imprisoned and executed in faraway Macherus. He might have been beheaded, if that suited Herod Antipas, but not in Galilee and not at anyone else's request.
Did any of the disciples have their head cut off?
John the Baptist may have been considered to be a disciple.
Is Saint John the Baptist a patron saint of teachers?
John the Baptist is not the patron saint of teachers.
Is John the Baptist still alive?
NO ... John was beheaded before the Crucifixion.
See Matthew 14:10-13
When and where did Saint John the Baptist die?
John was jailed for his vigorous attacks on Herod and later beheaded. You could probably say he died for his beliefs but not as a martyr, a term which was usually use to describe those who were willing to die rather than recant their faith in Jesus Christ.
What did Salome do to John the Baptist head?
The gospels say that Salome demanded the head of John the Baptist during a feast held by King Herod Antipas in Galilee for the chief men of Galilee. This happened towards the beginning of the mission of Jesus, and could not have been later than about 29 CE. The gospels are silent on Salome's subsequent feelings about this.
The Jewish historian, Josephus antiquities of the Jews, published in 93 CE) tells us that John the Baptist was imprisoned and then executed in the castle of Macherus for publicly condemning his marriage to his own brother's former wife in 35 CE. The execution must have taken place in 36 CE, since many Jews thought his defeat by the Nabataeans in 37 CE was divine retribution for the killing of John. Macherus is to the east of the Dead Sea and too far from Galilee for a messenger to arrive from Galilee and return with John's head during the course of a feast.
It appears probable that the gospel story of the execution of John the Baptist was a literary creation, so we can only look for Salome's response within the gospels, not in actual history.
Who is the last prophet before John the Baptist?
Malachi 465 BC, Jesus was 0 to 33 AD, Hosea was 758 to725 BC
How old was John the Baptist when he was circumcised and named?
John the Baptist, just like all Jewish boys, was circumcised and named on the 8th day after his birth.
Was John the Baptist jealous of Jesus?
Of course, it may be that John did not intend to herald the coming of Jesus, and that he had really founded a sect that was in competition with the Christians. If so, it would have been in the interests of the gospel authors to write a story that John was fervently awaiting Jesus and that he enthusiastically supported the Christian movement. The present-day Mandaeans say that John the Baptist founded their religion.
Did John the Baptist have kids?
John's birth was miraculous in that his mother Elizabeth had been barren (unable to conceive), and both she and his father Zacharias were well beyond normal childbearing years when John was born (Luke 1:7). Scripture gives no indication that they had any children other than John.
What was the Jewish monastic community that may have strongly influenced John the Baptist and Jesus?
We know very little of what John taught, but this seems to have been in line with mainstream Jewish teaching, not just that of the Essenes. Herod Antipas decided to have John executed, lest he stir up a rebellion (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18) after he publicly criticised Herod's marriage in 34 CE to Herodias, because she had previously been married to his own brother. The gospels describe him as baptising for the forgiveness of sins, whereas Josephus, in his own account written without apparent knowledge of the Christian gospels, quite clearly says that he did not baptise for the remission of sins. While the Essenes had elaborate washing rituals, these were distinct from John's baptism in either the gospels or the historical account.
We have much more detailed reporting about what Jesus taught, and scholars have researched this extensively. Of course the major influence was the mainstream Jewish teachings of his time. The other major influence in the teachings of Jesus seems to have been the Greek philosophers, rather than the Essenes. Much of what he taught would have been at home in the Greek milieu where the gospels were eventually written.
Who did people say John the Baptist was?
The priests thought that John was either the Messiah or one of the old prophets who had already come and died earlier.
What is the main symbol of st John the Baptist?
an eagle according to my research.
AnswerThe Astronomical symbol Aquarius the water bearer.
The answer is actually that he has many symbols, the chief being:
The Head, the Lamb, the Shell [for Baptism], the Holly [for the Passion of Christ which he prefigured], the Maltese Cross, the Reed, from which his own cross was made, the Grasshopper and Camel's Hair. This came from http://www.catholictradition.org/Passion/john-baptist.htm I found this answer while researching for a crossword puzzle in which the answer in the puzzle was lamb.
What did John the Baptist's diet consist of?
We are told in scripture that he ate 'locusts and wild honey'. John was a Nazirite - a Jewish sect whose members were set apart either for life or for a set time to serve God in a special way. To mark them out from others they never cut their hair, wore srange clothes and ate strange food. Samson was also a Nazirite - who famously lost his strength when one of Delilah's servants cut off his hair, making him lose his identity as a Nazirite and thus demoralising him in the extreme so that his strength went.
There has been a lot of debate about John's food. Some think that he could not possibly eat locusts as they are insects and inedible, preferring to believe that there was an error in the story in that he ate locust beans instead - something that is quite tasty. However, knowing someone who has eaten locusts regularly in the Middle east, he tells me that, when cooked, they are quite delicious - with a savoury nutty flavour - and very nutritious. So, it is likely that John ate well on locusts. They were plentiful, tasty, full of protein, minerals and vitamins, and, coupled with the carbohydrate and trace elements present in wild honey, he would have had a very balanced diet, if a slight monotonous!
Matthew 3:4 (KJV) And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Mark 1:6 (KJV) And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
Who were John the Baptist's followers?
Andrew (Simon Peter's brother) was originally a follower of John the Baptist (John 1:35-41). Presumably the other disciple of John the Baptist mentioned in John 1:35 was John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) who is never explicitly named in the John's gospel.
The following passages have direct references to disciples of John the Baptist:
- Matthew 9:14
- Matthew 11:2
- Acts 19:1-3
- Acts 18:24-26 (Apollos)
Did Malachi foresee the ministry of John the Baptist?
Both passages are written by Malachi as warnings to the people of Judah, and it is indeed possible to read Malachi 3:1 as referring to John the Baptist, who is is portrayed in the gospels as a messenger for Jesus. The word 'Malachi', used in the title of the book, actually means 'messenger' and the book's author was the messenger prior to the advent of Christianity.
Malachi 4:5 is less clear. Mark's Gospel was the first New Testament gospel to be written, and likens both John and Jesus to Elijah, so it is not certain which of the two the author of Mark really wanted to portray as Elijah.
On the one hand, Mark 1:6 describes the appearance of John the Baptist as reminiscent of Elijah in the Old Testament, and Mark 1:1-8 portrays him as a messenger for the coming of Jesus. On the other hand, several passages in the Gospel draw parallels between Jesus and Elijah, including the 40 days in the wilderness, the Transfiguration, the people believed Jesus to be Elijah (Mark 8:27-28). Another possibility is that when the Gospel describes Elijah appearing at the Transfiguration, this was intended to fulfil the promise in Malachi 4:5 to send Elijah.
The gospel genre relies on events described in words reminiscent of Old Testament passages that appear to be prophecies of Jesus. It is not only possible, but intended by the gospel authors themselves, that we accept the Old Testament as foreshadowing the life of Jesus. Christians may therefore consider the Book of Malachi as foreseeing the ministry of John the Baptist.
Did John the Baptist go to school?
Scripture is nearly silent regarding John's formative years. Matthew and Mark introduce him in adulthood as the preacher and baptizer, with no account of his past; the Apostle John's gospel account also begins with John's ministry and highlights his aspect as a prophet. Luke is the lone gospel to relate John's birth, and he gives only this passage to conclude the account:
Luke 1:80 - So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. [NKJV]
The next time we see John in Luke's account, God is calling him to his ministry (Luke 3:2), parallel to the other gospel accounts.
Where did Saint John baptize people?
He baptized them in the River Jordan. People still go there to this day for pilgrimages.
Where is the first mention of John the Baptist?
As Scripture reveals, the first mention of John the Baptist was in the Old Testament, by the prophet Isaiah, as is so stated in Matthew 3:3, Luke 3:4, and John 1:23, and in the same book of Isaiah, the virgin birth of Jesus is mentioned as well. The specific New Testament references can be easily traced back to Isaiah 40:3, but the reference to John the Baptist can be found even earlier in Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 8, God told Isaiah to take a large scroll and write what He would tell him. Isaiah had two witnesses to the writing, Uriah(Jehovah is my light) and Zechariah(Son of Jeberechiah/Barachias), whom Jesus said was martyred in Matthew 23:35, and is so written in the Protoevangelium of James, but most refuse to read about it. In any regard, once Isaiah was provided with the two witnesses(Isaiah 8:2), as was required by Mosaic Law(Deuteronomy 17:6 and other verses), Isaiah wrote in 8:3 specifically what God told him. In the original Hebrew, the direct translation of the beginning of verse 3 should read "I am coming unto the prophetess", and the I is not Isaiah, it was to be the angel Gabriel, who was sent by God. The prophetess isn't identified by name, and many wrongly assume that John took time out of his writing to go to her, impregnate her, wait nine months for the birth of a son, and then return to writing what God was telling him to write/prophesy/foretell, which is precisely what prophets do. Elisabeth became pregnant by Zacharias, her husband, and she bore the Son(Luke chapter 1). Isaiah just wrote about it, as he was told by God to do. John the Baptist's mother Elisabeth was a direct descendant of Aaron, who was the prophet of Moses(Exodus 7:1), as God declared. God was telling Isaiah in 8:3 that He would be coming to Elisabeth, a prophetess, and she would become pregnant and bear a son, and his name would be Mahershalalhashbaz, which literally means speedy is the prey and the spoil, and is precisely why John the Baptist himself said that "i must decrease, but He must increase"(John 3:30), when he was talking about Jesus, because common sense tells anyone that prey is hunted and killed, and the spoil is distributed and consumed by the victor. John was the prey and the spoil, and Jesus was the victor, who destroyed death by becoming the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. John the Baptist even told everyone that he was not the light, but only a witness to the light, as was foretold in Isaiah 8, and in the New Testament in John 1, specifically verse 7.
In Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah wrote as God told him, concerning the virgin birth of Jesus, and he wrote it, because God spoke to Ahaz(he who understands), and Ahaz was told to ask for a sign, but he refused to tempt the Lord(Isaiah 7:12), which was very unlike the Jews mentioned in the New Testament, because they always wanted a sign(Matthew 12:38-39), and even His Apostles wanted Jesus to show them, as Philip asked in John 14:8, and Thomas wouldn't even believe that Jesus was raised from the dead(John 20:25). I could go on, but the Scripture is so wonderful that it is so much better if you read it for yourself and let the Holy Spirit guide you to the Truth of God's Word, as Jesus so stated in John 14:26.
Another Answer:
Chronologically, the first mention of John the Baptist comes before his birth, when his birth is foretold, in Luke 1:5 - 25. In the Gospels, the first mention is in Matthew 3:1 - "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea..."
What was John the Baptist's childhood?
John spent the early years of his life in the hill country of Judea, where his parents lived. He "went on growing and getting strong in spirit, and he continued in the deserts until the day of showing himself openly to Israel." (Luke 1:39, 80)
Was John the Baptist a Levite?
John the Baptist was a layperson in that he was not a priest like his father but more important John was a prophet (Luke 7:26) who prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1:17).
Both of John's parents Zechariah and Elizabeth were from the priestly line of Aaron so John the Baptist was also a Levite.
When was Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist born?
A:
The story of the birth of John the Baptist to the elderly Zacharius and Elizabeth is found only in Luke's Gospel, which does not mention the birthplace of Elizabeth. The majority of New Testament scholars dismiss the story of the birth of John the Baptist as unhistorical, with Uta Ranke-Heinemann (Putting Away Childish Things) saying that both Zacharius and Elizabeth were literary creations by the author of Luke's Gospel. So, on the scholarly view, we can never say where Elizabeth was born.
