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in Bethsaida, Galilee, Roman Empire, to Zebedee, a fisherman, and Salome, who is the sister of Mary, mother of Jesus, according to some traditions. John the Baptist was not the only one to preach in the wilderness. The early Christian traditions that form the Gospel material on John are also the focus of modern research. His disciples, having consigned the headless body to the grave, went and told Jesus all that had occurred ( Matthew 14:3-12 ). Even Sapir (near Jerusalem), Israel- Wikimedia. As was the case with Jesus, his birth was meticulously recorded ( Luke 1:5-25 ). One of these was Addai, who became Addal's successor. The fact that Jesus was not an ascetic, and that he actively sought the fellowship of publicans and sinners may have been an offense to John and his disciples ( Matt 9:9-17 ; Matt 11:18-19 ; Luke 7:33-34 ).Jesus may have rebuked John in this regard when he said, "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me" ( Matt 11:6 ; Luke 7:23 ). Their mother was Salome. Both of these positions required cooperation with the Roman Empire, and they were wondering if they had to quit their jobs. Anne Lamott. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Certain problems about the meaning of Johns message continue to be debated: In Matthew 3, John says, He who is coming after me is mightier than I; this might refer to God himself, a human messiah, or a transcendent divine being. John the Baptist (c. 1st century BC - c. AD 30) was a Roman born Judaean mission preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early 1st century AD. Addal cured Abgar and converted the king and his people to the faith. Also, to what extent did John influence the life and ministry of Jesus? John was filled with the Holy Spirit, even before he was born, and the Holy Spirit in John bore witness to the fact that the Messiah was nearby. A Nazarite was a person who gave up certain things to commune with God in a state of holiness. Zechariah and Elizabeth recognized the clear calling of . was of the priestly race by both parents, for his father, Zacharias, was himself a priest of the course of Abia or Abijah, ( 1Chronicles 24:10 ) and Elisabeth was of the daughters of Aaron. Set apart in the womb and filled . Jesus himself came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of John. 29 AD. I am going to tell how he did this, and why he is so . c. 1635. But occasionally, we may get things wrong, or information becomes outdated. St. John the Baptist was an ascetic Jewish prophet known in Christianity as the forerunner of Jesus. The Woman Caught in Adultery. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. His austere camels hair garment was the traditional garb of the prophets, and his diet of locusts and wild honey represented either strict adherence to Jewish purity laws or the ascetic conduct of a Nazirite (a Jew especially vowed to Gods service). The Gospel According to John reduces the Baptist from an Elijah to a model Christian preacher, a mere voice; it omits any description of Jesus baptism. Image Credit: National Gallery via Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain. The axe is laid to the roots and God will thoroughly purge his threshing floor ( Matt 3:10-12 ; Luke 3:9 Luke 3:17 ). He served as the forerunner or herald of the Messiah and was to prepare for him by fulfilling an Elijah-like role by calling the nation to repentance. Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. Piero della Francesca: The Baptism of Christ. Acts 3:1; 4:13; 8:14 Jusepe Leonardo: Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness. 3 "Into what then were you baptized?" he asked them. Most likely, it was a blood relationship, but neither a particularly close or distant one. Indeed, the Gospels and Josephus clearly support each other. Bibliography. What made John even more dangerous was his announcement of a Coming One, who could have been interpreted as a political figure and, therefore, a direct threat to Herods authority. He found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?". 20 Brief Facts about the Life and Death of St. John the Baptist. St. John the Baptist, (born 1st decade bce, Judaea, Palestine, near Jerusalemdied 2836 ce; feast day June 24), Jewish prophet of priestly origin who preached the imminence of Gods Final Judgment and baptized those who repented in self-preparation for it; he is revered in the Christian church as the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, The Meat of the Matter: St. Patricks Day and the Lenten Fast, Pope Francis Inexhaustible Font of Words: 10 Gems From the Heart Over 10 Years. According to the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth was barren due to her age. Wilkinson is the author of Louis XIV, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Princes in the Tower, Anne Boleyn, Mary Boleynand Richard III (all published by Amberley), and Katherine Howard (John Murray). St. John the Baptist was born to a childless elderly people whose names were Zachariah and Elisabeth. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. 1. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the Sign up for 6 Free IssuesTry us out with a free trial subscription. The model for the painting was probably Leonardo's main assistant. He got me a cup of tea with honey, toast with honey, yogurt with honey, like I was John the Baptist with the flu. 9. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. Zacharias did not believe what he had been told, and therefore because of his disbelief, the Angel Gabriel made him mute. After baptizing Jesus, John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas for denouncing his marriage, which was illegal under Jewish Law. But there was a . Jam packed with symbolism. Lukes account of the infancy of John and of Jesus uses material perhaps transmitted by former disciples of the Baptist. Its name has been attributed to the Nativity of John the Baptist, when John Cabot was believed to have sailed . Also there appears to have been an early tradition that John had been raised from the dead ( Mark 6:14-16 ). Daily Readings for Friday, March 03, 2023, St. Katharine Drexel: Saint of the Day for Friday, March 03, 2023, Lenten Prayer: Prayer of the Day for Monday, February 27, 2023. Johns baptism probably symbolized not so much anticipated entrance into the kingdom of God as an anticipatory submission to the coming world judgment, which was represented as a coming second baptism by the Holy Spirit in a river of fire. The wilderness held great significance for the people of the Second Temple period, for whom it served several functions. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-the-Baptist, Jewishencyclopedia.com - John the Baptist, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - John the Baptist. In other words, he asked them to repent. Is Jesus Birthday Really On December 25th? John the Baptist appears in the Gospels, certain extra-canonical Gospels, and in two works by the Romano-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. 5. While John was in prison, he heard of all the things Jesus was doing. His father, Zechariah is also seen as Islamic Prophet. Ado's holiness made him enemies, and he was forced to leave Prum. Learn John the Baptist facts for kids. Rockefeller suffered from alopecia and lost all hair from his body and head. He was the eldest son of wealthy parents. Known for: John the Baptist was a forerunner and prophet of the Messiah who prepared people for the coming of Jesus Christ.He preached a gospel of forgiveness of sins and offered a baptism symbolizing repentance. The first location is the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. But for all of his greatness, John was merely human. In keeping with that, he baptized people as a sign of their repentance. With the treaty now broken Aretas waged the war that his daughters marriage had been intended to prevent. The painting was highly influential to contemporary artists. John's special office ceased with the baptism of Jesus, who must now "increase" as the King come to his kingdom. 1. He did not want to baptize Jesus, but rather desired to be baptized by Jesus ( Matt 3:13-14 ).John allowed his disciples to leave his own leadership and follow after Jesus ( John 1:35-39 ). When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly (Mark 6:20). He did not hesitate to expose the immorality of Herod and chose to die a martyr's death rather than compromise his convictions ( Matt 14:3-12 ; Mark 6:17-29 ). 33 f. was felt very clearly by people of the time who maintained that John was an ascetic, while . Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. 11:26-30), John the Baptist (John 3:26-30), Jesus (Luke 9:46-50), and; Paul (Phil. This is important for us today as so many are required to cooperate with employers, states, and corporations that are in part engaged in immoral actions. As time went on, these rites were adapted and reinterpreted by some; although ritual purity remained significant, ascetic concerns also came to be addressed. He was famous in his own day, even before he became the herald of Christ. According to the New Testament, he was a preacher who baptized people. Eventually, after her daughter Salome delighted Antipas with a special dance at his birthday party, Herodias was able to manipulate him into giving the order for Johns death by beheading (Mark 6:21-28). According to the New Testament, Elizabeth was a relative of Mary the mother of Jesus. We have information about him from outside the New Testament. Zachariah was skeptical and for this he was rendered mute until the time his son was born and named John, in continue reading, A disciple of Christ sent by St. Thomas to the court of King Abgar the Black, the second century Osroene ruler. John is known as the son of Zebedee and the brother of James. He is also known as John the Evangelist, the Beloved Disciple, John of . He was often included in the innermost inner circle of Jesus, along with Peter and James. 4. For Herod, it was imperative to deal with him as the other desert preachers had been. What do we know about the mysterious John the Baptist? Jesus Affirms He is the Son of God. Professor of Christian Origins, Harvard University. He ate locusts and honey in the desert. John is one of a kind. John 10. The fate of John the Baptist's remains is a topic of much speculation among biblical scholars, but what is known is that, in the third and fourth centuries, reports began to appear of his bones . How the Phoenician Alphabet Revolutionised Language. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias whilst in a temple, and told him that Elizabeth would bear a child. In this sense his message and ministry marked the culmination of the law and the prophets, but heralded the inbreaking of the kingdom of God ( Matt 11:12 ; Luke 16:16 ). The second location is the Residenz Museum in Munich, Germany claims to have Johns head among other relics collected by Duke Wilhelm V in the 16th century. Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. Herod gave instructions to an officer of his guard, who went and executed John in the prison, and his head was brought to feast the eyes of the adulteress whose sins he had denounced. Elijah himself was not to return and go about Judaea, ministering to people. ), a fortress on the southern extremity of Peraea, 9 miles east of the Dead Sea, and here he was beheaded. Zechariah is from the tribe of Levi. Lustration rites had always been important in Judaism. Truth - God's timing in our lives is perfect. The covenanters at Qumran also observed strict ritual purity and even built a complex system of pools, cisterns and aqueducts to accommodate this need. There were several other baptizing groups found about the same time and place, but none of these various and little-known baptisms can be shown to have inspired Johns. Although some might have still called him nuts, John the Baptist set his life aside for Jesus and remains inspirational. According to the Gospels, he baptized many people in the river of Jordan and often foretold of Jesus coming. This figure would judge and restore the people, he would be mightier than John, he would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and his ministry could be described using threshing floor imagery. He willingly confronted the hypocrisy of the religious establishment ( Matt 3:7 ; Luke 3:7 ). John, who had spoken out against immorality, targeted Herod Antipas, who had repudiated his wife in order to marry Herodias. The place of his confinement was the castle of Machaerus, a fortress on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. Superbook appears and takes Chris, Joy, Gizmo, AND Charlie to witness the birth of John the Baptist. Nothing but the death of the Baptist would satisfy the resentment of Herodias. 2023 The Fact Network Ltd | All Rights Reserved |. St. John was born into a family of priests and was the ancestor of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. ( Psalms 81:16 ) And now the long-secluded hermit came forth to the discharge of his office. by Sharla Guenther. At the age of eleven, La Salle was committed becoming a priest. Catholic Church. Joy has a hard time with the tyke, and she doesn't want to help take care of him - "No way. Herod Antipas arrested, imprisoned and executed John for several reasons. Jamie Ward is a web developer and part-time blogger. PDF to print for family reading. Saint John is depicted with remarkable use of chiaroscuro and sfumato. All rights reserved. Scripture presents us with several reasons. For example, the scathing accusations and warnings of John are associated with the ministry of Jesus ( Luke 3:7-18 ), but in the end are not typical of his message. Pieter Brueghel the Elder: The Sermon of Saint John the Baptist. What Was the Atlantic Wall and When Was It Built? John continued to work in Judaea, while Jesus took his mission to Galilee. 7) How famous was John the Baptist in his own day? John the Baptist's crisis of faith. According to the Gospels in the New Testament, John baptized Jesus himself in the river Jordan. The Father of History: Who Was Herodotus. He continued, however, for a while to bear testimony to the Messiahship of Jesus. Born in the late 1st century (circa 5 B.C. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. Abbot Lupus Servatus, an outstanding humanist of the time, trained Ado, and was impressed with the obvious holiness of the young man. Most were peaceful, and their sole aim appeared to be to prompt God to intervene once again and rescue the people from the oppressive Roman rule. The central theme of his ministry was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" ( Matt 3:2 ).He was called "The Baptist" because his practice was to baptize those who responded to the message he proclaimed and sincerely repented of their sins ( Matt 3:1 ; Mark 6:14 ; Luke 7:20 ). However, there were at least three Nazirites in Scripture who were dedicated from birth Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist. Even the topographical setting of John's ministry may be of theological significance. The tense period between Herods divorce and the subsequent war was intensified by Johns preaching of judgement and the removal of unrepentant sinners, which included Herod as an impure Torah breaker. Zebedee and his sons fished in the Sea of Galilee. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. After this no more is recorded of him for thirty years than what is mentioned in Luke 1:80 . It is said that both John the Baptist and Jesus were in the second heaven. The brothers were firstly disciples of John the Baptist. Inspiration Faith & Prayer Health & Wellness Entertainment Love & Family. He taught that judgment is at hand. He had a circle of disciples, and Jesus was among the recipients of his rite of baptism. John fully accepted his subordinate role to Christ. 4. According to the Gospels, Johns death preceded Jesus; any greater chronological precision depends on the dates of Jesus ministry and death. It is interesting to note that four of the greatest men in the Bible faced this problem of comparison and competition: Moses (Num. Equally unprovable is that it was a rite symbolizing mans reunion with divinity and return to his heavenly homea sacrament of salvation and rebirth. The sum of his preaching was the necessity of repentance. According to Bruce Gourley, who served as executive director of the Baptist History & Heritage Society, there are four prominent opinions on how Baptists originated. In the Canonical Gospels, John the Baptist is the herald of Christ and the Christian era. John was arrested and beheaded by Herod Antipas around AD 29, while Jesus was still alive and ministering. According to the Bible, John the Baptist was killed at a birthday party for Herod Antipas, which was attended by his future wife, Herodias, and her . Pope Francis, Biden Commend Peacemaker Bishop OConnell as Memorial Services Begin. The message of Christ's love for each of us set to scenes of the Superbook episode "The Birth of John the Baptist". If he wasnt so afraid of what his dinner guests would think, would Herod have embraced the message of John the Baptistand ultimately the message of Jesus the Messiah? 3. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. See ( John 3:23 ; 4:1 ; Acts 19:3 ) We gather also that John instructed his disciples in certain moral and religious duties, as fasting, ( Matthew 9:14 ; Luke 5:33 ) and prayer. 4 Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance . 32 Interesting Facts About Noah and His Ark. So John was truly a transitional figure, forming the link between the Old and New Testaments. the "forerunner of our Lord." John's responsibility was to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah. The Gospel According to Matthew emphatically identifies John as a new or returning Elijah, herald of the kingdom of God (Matthew 3). R. E. Brown, New Testament Essays; M. Cleary, IT Q54 (1988): 211-27; M. Faierstein, JBL100 (1981): 75-86; R. C. Kazmierski, Bib 68(1987): 22-40; J. Lambrecht, NTS38 (1992): 357-84; P. J. Meier, JBL99/3(1980): 383-405; J. R. Miller, NTS 34 (1988): 611-22; S. J. Nortje, Neotestamentica23 (1989): 349-58; P. Parker, Perspectives in Religious Studies8 (1981): 4-11;J. John baptized Jewish people in the river Jordan on their confession of their sins. The ascetic, Bannus, lived in the desert and practiced ritual bathing in order to be pure as he took his meals. Among the three of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved had been with Him the longest (Luke 5:4-11, ESV). Legendary accounts claim Abgar wrote to Christ asking Jesus to cure him of an intolerable and incurable illness. John was an end-times prophet. Herod had married (illegally, by Jewish Law) Herodias, the divorced wife of his half brother, after divorcing his first wife, the daughter of King Aretas IV of the Nabataeans, an adjacent Arab people. Apollos was from Alexandria in North Africa and at one point knew only of the baptism of John ( Acts 18:24-25 ). In Bible times, the Jews traced their ancestry back to one of Jacob's twelve sons. 3. There once was a man named John the Baptist, who actually was one of Jesus' cousins. A noble by birth, Ado renounced his inheritance and became a Benedictine, in time assigned to the monastery of Prum, near Trier, Germany. 11) Where do we learn of John the Baptist outside the New Testament? The incident was also described by ancient writer Flavius Josephus, who wrote that the execution took place at Machaerus, a fort near the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan, which dates back to 90 B.C. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization In the Jewish historian Josephus. In Luke 1:36, while telling Mary about her future son, the angel Gabriel said, Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. Later in Luke 1:41, Mary left to see Elizabeth soon after receiving Gabriels message, and when Elizabeth heard Marys voice, the baby leaped in her womb.. We even know about him from outside the New Testament. Synopsis. Jesus was among the recipients of his rite of baptism. 1:15-18). The wilderness, however, was also associated with the expiation of sins, such as the ritual of sending a scapegoat bearing the sins of the nation to the desert demon, Azazel. ), Saint John the Baptist was a Jewish prophet who preached the imminence of God's final judgment. Here are 10 facts about John the Baptist. In fact, some contemporaries of John inquired if he were Elijah ( John 1:21 ). John's death occurred apparently just before the third Passover of our Lord's ministry. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him (Mark 6:17-20). John the Baptist was a contemporary of Christ who was known for evangelization and his baptizing of Jesus Christ. He was an ascetic living in the wilderness, clothed in camel hair and subsisting on locusts and wild honey ( Matt 3:4 ; Mark 1:6 ). This is important also because Luke suggests that Jesus ministry began shortly after Johns did, which places the likely date of Jesus baptism in A.D. 29 or early A.D. 30. John is clearly a pivotal figure in the salvation history of God. His public ministry was suddenly (after about six months probably) brought to a close by his being cast into prison by Herod, whom he had reproved for the sin of having taken to himself the wife of his brother Philip ( Luke 3:19 ). It is not the business of religion in these days to isolate herself from the world like John the Baptist. 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 honor. J.C. Ryle said, "Duties are duties. Johns execution certainly preceded Aretass victory over Herod in 3536, a defeat popularly considered to have been divine vengeance on Herod for killing John. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, As a result, God would forgive them their sins. Until they became apostles, they remained to be the primary ones. John is also seen as a Prophet in Islam. c. 1566. Baptism is important to celebrate because its the date of our rebirth as children of God, Francis said, and he gave those present the homework of finding the date of theirs during the coming week. Herodias asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and sadly her wish was granted, and he was beheaded in 31AD. While Philip was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, little is known about him from the New Testament. Jesus declared that no greater man than John had been born of a woman. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! While the Gospels may appear to differ from Josephus, upon closer examination, it becomes obvious that the differences are of perspective and focus, not of facts. John stated that Jesus was greater than he, and that Jesus had a more powerful ministry and baptism ( Mark 1:7-8 ; Luke 3:16 ; John 1:26-27 ). What Was the Sudeten Crisis and Why Was it So Important? 1:19-61 John is mentioned three times in the Book of Acts, and each time it is association with Peter. It is thought that John was born about six months before Jesus. . . For Matthew, Johns death, like that of Jesus, illustrates the old Israels hostility to Gods offer of salvation. Results are God's.". So, what is the sense of this feast? What possible sources may have given rise to these traditions? ( Matthew 3:5 ) Many of every class pressed forward to confess their sins and to be baptized. In the end, his life was cut short because he criticized a king for sinning. In this light, Matthew's use of Isaiah 40:2-3 in 3:7-10 may seek to justify John and endorse the legitimacy of his ministry. This meant that they had to express sincere sorrow for their sins, pledge to treat their neighbours justly and to show piety towards God. John the Baptists parents were Zacharias and Elizabeth. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia ( 1Chronicles 24:10 ), and his mother, Elisabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron ( Luke 1:5 ). John the Baptist was a preacher and a major religious figure mentioned within the Gospels of the New Testament. John 13:5 says that Jesus began to wash their feet: the washing was interrupted by Peter's initial refusal to allow Jesus to wash his feet, but John 13:12 suggests that the task was later completed and the feet of all the Disciples were washed, including those of Judas, as Jesus then took back His garments and reclined. John the Baptist was a fascinating man. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are considered the Synoptic Gospels because they share much of the same content in a similar order. A multiple-choice quiz by Cowrofl . At one point Jesus was discussing John the Baptist and said, if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come (Matthew 11:14). 29 AD. Similarly, upon arriving in Ephesus, Paul encountered about a dozen disciples of John. Elizabeth in the Bible is the wife of Zechariah, mother of John the Baptist, and a relative of Mary the mother of Jesus. Most Jews only took a Nazirite vow for 30 to 100 days. John the Baptist's birth was a divinely orchestrated foil, used by God to reignite remembrance and longing in the hearts of God's people for the day of the Messiah's coming. In 27/28 or 28/29 John attained prominence, not as a priest but as a prophet. "No," they told him, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.". Zechariah is from the tribe of Levi, the same tribes that Moses, Aaron, Ezra, and Asaph hail from. The movement he began ended up having followers in distant lands. John the Baptist. Mormons also believe that on May 15, 1829, appeared as a resurrected being to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and ordained them to the Aaronic Priesthood. In Jesus day, the scribes predicted that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah. Speech is completely original and produced exclusively by Grace Digital Network Music licensed through Artlist.io Footage licensed through Filmpac.com and S. Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon Brilliant Rivals, Hitler vs Stalin: The Battle for Stalingrad, How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Humanity, Hasdrubal Barca: How Hannibals Fight Against Rome Depended on His Brother, Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage, Bones in the Attic: The Forgotten Fallen of Waterloo, How Climate and the Natural World Have Shaped Civilisations Across Time, The Rise and Fall of Charles Ponzi: How a Pyramid Scheme Changed the Face of Finance Forever. John is often considered the youngest of the twelve. There he baptized thousands unto repentance. If you believe something to be incorrect, please leave us a message below. The letters 'X' and 'Y' are combined for one question. Jesus came and, being baptized by John, was recognized by him as the son of God. 2) When did John the Baptists ministry begin? The Coming One was due to arrive very soon (as per the synoptics) or was already present but was as yet unannounced (per the Fourth Gospel). His birth, which took place six months before that of Jesus, was foretold by an angel. Because of this, many of Jesus followers started out as followers of John. John flatly denied that he was Elijah reincarnated ( John 1:21 John 1:25 ). [JESUS] From incidental notices we learn that John and his disciples continued to baptize some time after our Lord entered upon his ministry. After a period of desert solitude, John the Baptist emerged as a prophet in the region of the lower Jordan River valley. His dress was that of the old prophets --a garment woven of camels hair, ( 2Kings 1:8 ) attached to the body by a leathern girdle. The gospels indicate that the early ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus both took place in Judea, in the southern portion of Israel, near Jerusalem. Although he had John in custody, and although his wife hated John and wanted him dead, Herod Antipas served as Johns protector and had an unusual fascination with the fiery preacher: Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe.