Beheading of St. John the Baptist
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The beheading of John the Baptist, also known as the decollation of Saint John the Baptist or the beheading of the Forerunner, is a biblical event commemorated as a holy day by various
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
churches. According to the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
, Herod Antipas, ruler of
Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
under the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
, had imprisoned
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
because he had publicly reproved Herod for divorcing his first wife and unlawfully taking his sister-in-law (his brother’s wife) as his second wife Herodias. He then ordered him to be killed by
beheading Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...
. As a non-Biblical source, Jewish historian
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...
also recounts that Herod had John imprisoned and killed, stating, however, that the real reason Herod had for doing so was "the great influence John had over the people", which might persuade John "to raise a rebellion (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise)". Josephus further states that many of the Jews believed that the military disaster that later on fell upon Herod was God's punishment for his unrighteous behavior towards John.


Traditional accounts

According to the
synoptic Gospels The gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Mark, and Gospel of Luke, Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical ...
, Herod, who was
tetrarch Tetrarch, Tetrarchs, or Tetrarchy may refer to: * Tetrarchy, the four co-emperors of the Roman Empire instituted by the Emperor Diocletian * Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs - a sculpture of the four co-emperors of the Roman Empire * Herodian Tetrarc ...
, or sub-king, of
Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
under the Roman Empire, had imprisoned John the Baptist because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife (Phasaelis, daughter of King Aretas of Nabataea) and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother
Herod Philip I Herod II (ca. 27 BC – 33/34 AD) was the son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II, the daughter of Simon Boethus the High Priest. For a brief period he was his father's heir apparent, but Herod I removed him from succession in his will. Some wri ...
. On Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter (whom
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...
identifies as Salome) danced before the king and his guests. Her dancing pleased Herod so much that in his drunkenness he promised to give her anything she desired, up to half of his kingdom. When Salome asked her mother what she should request, she was told to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Although Herod was appalled by the request, he reluctantly agreed and had John executed by beheading in the prison. In art, the episode is known as ''
The Feast of Herod The Feast of Herod refers to the episode in the Gospels following the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, when Salome presents his head to her parents. The account in the Book of Mark describes Herod holding a banquet on his birthday for his high ...
''. Jewish historian
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...
also relates in his '' Antiquities of the Jews'' that Herod killed John, stating that he did so, "lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his ohn'spower and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise),
o Herod O, or o, is the fifteenth Letter (alphabet), letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in ...
thought it best o puthim to death." He further states that many of the Jews believed that the military disaster that fell upon Herod at the hands of Aretas, his father-in-law (Phasaelis' father), was God's punishment for his unrighteous behavior.Flavius Josephus
''Jewish Antiquities''
XVIII, v, 2.
None of the sources gives an exact date, which was probably in the years 2829 AD (; ; ) after imprisoning John the Baptist in 27 AD ( Matthew 4:12; ) at the behest of Herodias his brother's wife whom he took as his mistress. (; ); According to Josephus, the death took place at the fortress of
Machaerus Machaerus (Μαχαιροῦς, from grc, μάχαιρα, , makhaira sword he, מכוור; ar, قلعة مكاور, translit=Qala'at Mukawir, lit=Mukawir Castle) was a Hasmonean hilltop palace and desert fortress, now in ruins, located in ...
.


Feast day

The liturgical commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is almost as old as that commemorating his birth, which is one of the oldest feasts, if not the oldest, introduced into both the Eastern and Western liturgies to honour a saint. The
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
celebrates the feast on 29 August, as does the
Lutheran Church Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
. Many other churches of the
Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
do so as well, including the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
, though some designate it a commemoration rather than a feast day. The
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
and
Byzantine Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...
churches also celebrate this feast on 29 August. This date in the
Julian Calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...
, used by the
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
, Macedonian, Serbian and
Ethiopian Orthodox Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
es, corresponds in the twenty-first century to 11 September in the
Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
. The day is always observed with strict fasting, and in some cultures, the pious will not eat food from a flat plate, use a knife, or eat round food on this day. The
Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
commemorates the Decollation of St. John on the Saturday of
Easter Week The Octave of Easter is the eight-day period, or octave, that begins on Easter Sunday and ends with the following Sunday. In Christian churches that celebrate it, it marks the beginning of Eastertide. The first seven of these eight days are als ...
, while the Syriac Orthodox,
Indian Orthodox The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an Autocephaly, autocephalous Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Malankara ...
, and Syro-Malankara Catholic Churches commemorate his death on 7 January.


Related feasts

There are two other related feasts observed by Eastern Christians: *First and Second Finding of the Head of St. John the Baptist (24 February). According to church tradition, after the execution of John the Baptist, his disciples buried his body at Sebastia, except for his head, which Herodias took and buried it in a dung heap. Later,
Saint Joanna Joanna ( grc-x-koine, Ἰωάννα, translit=Iōanna, also el, Ἰωάνα), the wife of Chuza (), is a woman mentioned in the gospels who was healed by Jesus and later supported him and his disciples in their travels. She is one of the women ...
, who was married to Herod's steward, secretly took his head and buried it on the
Mount of Olives The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
, where it remained hidden for centuries. :The ''First Finding'' is said to have occurred in the fourth century. The property on the Mount of Olives where the head was buried eventually passed into the possession of a government official who became a
monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
with the name of Innocent. He built a church and a
monastic cell A cell is a small room used by a hermit, monk, nun or anchorite to live and as a devotional space. Cells are often part of larger cenobitic monastic communities such as Catholic and Orthodox monasteries and Buddhist vihara, but may also form sta ...
there. When he started to dig the foundation, the vessel with the head of John the Baptist was uncovered, but fearful that the
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
might be abused by unbelievers, he hid it again in the same place it had been found. Upon his death, the church fell into ruin and was destroyed. :The ''Second Finding'' is said to have occurred in the year 452. During the days of
Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
, two monks on a
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
to Jerusalem reportedly saw visions of John the Baptist, who revealed to them the location of his head. They uncovered the relic, placed it in a sack and proceeded home. Along the way, they encountered an unnamed potter and gave him the bag to carry, not telling him what it was. John the Baptist appeared to him and ordered him to flee from the careless and lazy monks, with what he held in his hands. He did so and took the head home with him. Before his death, he placed it in a container and gave it to his sister. After some time, a
hieromonk A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church an ...
by the name of Eustathius, an Arian, came into possession of it, using it to attract followers to his teaching. He buried the head in a cave, near Emesa. Eventually, a monastery was built at that place. In the year 452, St. John the Baptist appeared to Archimandrite Marcellus of this monastery and indicated where his head was hidden in a water jar buried in the earth. The relic was brought into the city of
Emesa ar, حمصي, Himsi , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title = Ethnicities , population_blank1 = , population_blank2_t ...
and was later transferred to Constantinople. *Third Finding of the Head of St. John the Baptist (25 May). The head was transferred to Comana of
Cappadocia Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Revo ...
during a period of Muslim raids (about 820), and it was hidden in the ground during a period of
iconoclastic Iconoclasm (from Ancient Greek, Greek: grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών + wi ...
persecution Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...
. When the veneration of
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
s was restored in 850,
Patriarch Ignatius of Constantinople St. Ignatius or Ignatios ( el, Ιγνάτιος), (c. 798 – 23 October 877) was a Patriarch of Constantinople from July 4, 847, to October 23, 858, and from November 23, 867, to his death on October 23, 877. In the Catholic Church and Eas ...
(847–857) saw in a vision place where the head of St. John had been hidden. The patriarch communicated this to the
emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
Michael III Michael III ( grc-gre, Μιχαήλ; 9 January 840 – 24 September 867), also known as Michael the Drunkard, was Byzantine Emperor from 842 to 867. Michael III was the third and traditionally last member of the Amorian (or Phrygian) dynasty. ...
, who sent a delegation to Comana, where the head was found. Afterwards, the head was again transferred to Nyc, and here on 25 May, it was placed in a church at the court.


Relics

John the Baptist is said to have been buried at the
Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
village of Sebastia, near modern-day
Nablus Nablus ( ; ar, نابلس, Nābulus ; he, שכם, Šəḵem, ISO 259-3: ; Samaritan Hebrew: , romanized: ; el, Νεάπολις, Νeápolis) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a populati ...
in the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
. Mention is made of his
relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
being honored there in the fourth century. The historians Rufinus and
Theodoretus Theodoret of Cyrus or Cyrrhus ( grc-gre, Θεοδώρητος Κύρρου; AD 393 –  458/466) was an influential theologian of the School of Antioch, biblical commentator, and Christian bishop of Cyrrhus (423–457). He played a pivo ...
record that the
shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
was
desecrated Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful, contemptuous, or destructive treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual. Detail Many consider acts of desecration to ...
under Julian the Apostate around 362, the bones being partly burned. The tomb at Sebastia continued, nevertheless, to be visited by pious pilgrims, and
St. Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is com ...
bears witness to miracles being worked there. Today, the tomb is housed in the
Nabi Yahya Mosque The Nabi Yahya Mosque ( ar, جامع النبي يحيى, Jama'a Nabi Yahya), literally the Mosque of the Prophet John, is a mosque containing the traditional tomb of John the Baptist. The mosque also contains the tombs of Elisha and Obadiah, pr ...
("John the Baptist Mosque").


John the Baptist's head

What became of the head of John the Baptist is difficult to determine. Nicephorus and
Symeon Metaphrastes Symeon, called Metaphrastes or the Metaphrast (; ; died c. 1000), was a Byzantine writer and official. He is regarded as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and his feast day falls on 9 or 28 November. He is best known for his 10-volume Greek ...
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 and thence secretly taken to
Emesa ar, حمصي, Himsi , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title = Ethnicities , population_blank1 = , population_blank2_t ...
, in
Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
, where it was concealed, the place remaining unknown for years, until it was manifested by a revelation in 453. Over the centuries, there have been many discrepancies in the various legends and claimed relics throughout the world. Several different locations claim to possess the severed head of John the Baptist. Among the various claimants are:''Lost Worlds: Knights Templar'', 10 July 2006 video documentary on
The History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
, directed and written by Stuart Elliott
*A
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
tradition holds that the head on display in
San Silvestro in Capite The Basilica of Saint Sylvester the First, also known as ( it, San Silvestro in Capite, la, Sancti Silvestri in Capite), is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome dedicated to Pope Sylvester I (d. AD 335). It is located on t ...
in Rome is that of John the Baptist. *In medieval times, it was rumored that the
Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
had possession of the head, and multiple records from their
Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
in the early 14th century make reference to some form of head veneration.Sean Martin, ''The Knights Templar: The History & Myths of the Legendary Military Order'', 2005. In
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Catholic
Amiens Cathedral , image = 0 Amiens - Cathédrale Notre-Dame (1).JPG , imagesize = 200px , img capt = Amiens Cathedral , pushpin map = France , pushpin label position = below , coordinates = , country ...
contains what it claims to be the head of John the Baptist, brought as a relic from
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
by the French leaders of the
Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
. *
Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
tradition maintains that the head of Saint John the Baptist was interred in the once-called Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
, now the
Umayyad Mosque The Umayyad Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأموي, al-Jāmiʿ al-Umawī), also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus ( ar, الجامع الدمشق, al-Jāmiʿ al-Damishq), located in the old city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the ...
.
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
visited the Mosque during his visit to
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
in 2001. *The
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
of John the Baptist in Jerusalem displays a purported fragment of the Skull of John the Baptist. *A reliquary at the Residenz in Munich, Germany, is labeled as containing what previous Bavarian rulers thought was the skull of John the Baptist. *It is also believed by some that a piece of his skull is held at the
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n skete Prodromos on
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
.


John the Baptist's right arm

*According to some traditions,
Luke the Evangelist Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...
went to the city of Sebastia, the place of John's burial site, from which he took the right hand of the Forerunner (the hand that baptized Jesus) and brought it to
Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
, his home city, where it performed miracles. It is reported that the relic would be brought out and shown to the faithful on the Feast of the
Exaltation of the Cross In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. Unlike Good Friday, which is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, these ...
(14 September). If the fingers of the hand were open, it was interpreted as a sign of a bountiful year; if the hand was closed, it would be a poor harvest (1 September was the beginning of the
liturgical year The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and whi ...
and the harvest season). *The arm is then said to have been transferred from Antioch to
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
in 956. On 7 January, the Orthodox Church celebrates the "Feast of the Transfer of the Right Hand of the Holy Forerunner" from Antioch to Constantinople and the Miracle of Saint John the Forerunner against the Hagarines at
Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...
. **In 1204, after the
Sack of Constantinople The sack of Constantinople occurred in April 1204 and marked the culmination of the Fourth Crusade. Crusader armies captured, looted, and destroyed parts of Constantinople, then the capital of the Byzantine Empire. After the capture of the ...
by the
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
, the Frankish emperor Baldwin allegedly gave one bone from the wrist of Saint John the Baptist to Ottonus de Cichon, who in turn gave it to a
Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
abbey in France. *Having been brought from
Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
to Constantinople at the time of Constantine VII, the arm was kept in the Emperor's chapel in the 12th century, then in the
Church of the Virgin of the Pharos The Church of the Virgin of the Pharos ( el, Θεοτόκος τοῦ Φάρου, ''Theotokos tou Pharou'') was a Byzantine chapel built in the southern part of the Great Palace of Constantinople, and named after the tower of the lighthouse (''pha ...
, then in the Church of Peribleptos in the first half of the 15th century. Spanish envoy Clavijo reported that he saw two different arms in two different monasteries while on a visit to Constantinople in 1404. *When the Fall of Constantinople, Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453, they seized possession of the relic. In 1484, Bayezid II, Sultan Bayezid II sent it to the Knights Hospitaller, knights of Rhodes, who held his brother Cem captive in order to obtain the relic back. Two different accounts then exist as to the fate of the relic: **The Turks allege that in 1585, Murad III, Sultan Murad III managed to retrieve the relic from the Knights Hospitaller, Christian Knights and had the arm brought back to Constantinople (presently Istanbul, Turkey), where it remains up to this day at the Topkapı Palace. The arm is kept in a gold-embellished silver reliquary. There are several inscriptions on the arm: "The beloved of God" on the forefinger, "This is the hand of the Baptist" on the wrist, and "belongs to (monk) Dolin Monahu" on the band above the elbow. **The Orthodox Christians, nonetheless, claim that, when in 1798 Napoleon conquered the island of Malta, then the Knight's siege, John's arm was one of the few treasures that Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, Ferdinand von Hompesch was allowed to take with him. On 12 October 1799, after the resignation of Hompesch, it was presented to Russian emperor Paul I of Russia, Paul I, who had been elected the Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller, new Grand Master of the Order, and taken to the chapel of the Priory Palace at Gatchina in Russia. After the October Revolution, Bolshevik Revolution of 1917,
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
authorities had it transferred from the church in Gatchina to the Ostrog Monastery, Ostrog monastery in Montenegro, and from there to its current location at Cetinje Monastery, also in Montenegro, where it is displayed up to this day. **According to a third version, however, the last Byzantine emperor managed to save the relic from the conquering Ottomans, and sold it to Pope Pius II, who bequeathed it to his hometown, Siena, in whose Siena Cathedral, Cathedral the relic is exposed once a year up to this day. Other purported relics include: *It has also been claimed that the right hand is reputed to be kept at the Dionysiou Monastery, Dionysiou monastery on
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
, Greece. *Relics of John the Baptist are said to be in the possession of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes, Egypt. *Aachen Cathedral, in Germany, contains a robe supposedly worn by John the Baptist, adored as a relic. *In July 2010, a small reliquary was discovered under the ruins of a 5th-century monastery on St. Ivan Island, Bulgaria. Local archaeologists opened the reliquary in August and found bone fragments of a skull, a hand and a tooth, which they believe belong to John the Baptist, based on their interpretation of a Greek inscription on the reliquary. The Bulgarian Orthodox Bishop (Eastern Orthodox Church), bishop who witnessed the opening speculated that the relics might have been a gift from an 11th-century church on the island possibly dedicated to the saint. The remains have been carbon-dated to the 1st century. *A reliquary with a purported finger of Saint John the Baptist is displayed in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. On 29 August 2012, during a public audience at the summer palace of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI mentioned the traditional crypt in the
Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
town of Sebastia, where relics of the Baptist have been venerated since at least the fourth century. The Pope also noted that a religious feast particularly commemorates the transfer of John's head
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
to the San Silvestro in Capite, Basilica of San Silvestro in Capite in Rome.


Biblical Commentary

The Catholic German theologian, Friedrich Justus Knecht wrote that:
''St. John died a martyr to his calling.'' Having been called by God to be a preacher of penance, he represented Herod’s sin to him, and reminded him of the law of God. On this account he died a violent death at the age of thirty-two. To him applies the eighth beatitude: “Blessed are they who suffer persecution, for justice’ sake.” His soul passed directly into Limbo, where he, like St. Joseph, awaited the arrival of the Messias, and the speedy accomplishment of the work of Redemption. When our Lord ascended into heaven, he was taken up with Him into everlasting happiness. The Church honours him as a great Saint, and on the 24th of June celebrates his nativity, because he was born without original sin.
The subsequent history of Herod and Salome is related in the ''great commentary'' of Cornelius a Lapide:
Wherefore the just vengeance of God burned against all who were concerned in this crime. Herod was defeated by Aretas. Afterwards he was banished with Herodias to Lyons, and deprived of his tetrarchy and everything by Caligula, at the instigation of Herod Agrippa, the brother of Herodias, as
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...
relates (xvii. 10). Moreover, the head of the dancing daughter was cut off by means of ice. Hear what Nikephoros I of Constantinople, Nicephorus says, “As she was journeying once in the winter-time, and a frozen river had to be crossed on foot, the ice broke beneath her, not without the providence of God. Straightway she sank down up to her neck. This made her dance and wriggle about with all the lower parts of her body, not on land, but in the water. Her wicked head was glazed with ice, and at length severed from her body by the sharp edges, not of iron, but of the frozen water. Thus in the very ice she displayed the dance of death, and furnished a spectacle to all who beheld it, which brought to mind what she had done.


Depictions of Salome, Herod, and the death of John the Baptist

Scenes from the events around the death of John were an extremely common subject in the treatment of John the Baptist#In art, John the Baptist in art, initially most often in small predella scenes, and later as a subject for larger independent works. The following list does not attempt completeness but begins with works with their own articles, then includes many of the best-known depictions in chronological order (to see each work, follow the link through the footnote):Web page titled "Links to images of Salome/Herod/the Death of John the Baptist" at ''The Text This Week'' Web site, accessed February 11, 2007
/ref> With articles *''The Feast of Herod (Donatello), Herod's Banquet'', Donatello, 1427 *''The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (Giovanni di Paolo), The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist'', Giovanni di Paolo, 1455–1460, Art Institute of Chicago *''Salome (Titian, Rome), Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist'', Titian, c. 1515, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome *''Salome with the Head of John the Baptist (Caravaggio), London, Salome with the Head of John the Baptist'', Caravaggio, c. 1607–1610, National Gallery, London *''Salome with the Head of John the Baptist (Caravaggio), Madrid, Salome with the Head of John the Baptist'', Caravaggio, c. 1609, Palacio Real, Madrid *''The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (Caravaggio), The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist'', Caravaggio, 1608, Valletta Co-Cathedral, Malta *''Feast of Herod with the Beheading of St John the Baptist'', Bartholomeus Strobel, c. 1630–43, Prado ;Other: *''Herod's Feast'', Daurade Monastery, c. 1100, Musée des Augustins, Toulouse. *''Death of John the Baptist'', Gilabertus, Saint-Etienne Cathedral, 1120–1140, Musee des Augustins, Toulouse *''Feast of Herod'', Giotto di Bondone, 1320 *''The Feast of Herod and the Beheading of the Baptist'', Master of the Life of Saint John the Baptist, c. 1300–1330, Metropolitan Museum of Art *''Entombment of the Baptist'', Andrea Pisano, 1330 *''St. John the Evangelist and Stories from His Life'', Giovanni del Biondo, 1360–70 *''Feast of Herod'', Spinello Aretino, 1385 *''The Banquet of Herod'', Lorenzo Monaco, c. 1400 *''The Beheading of St. John the Baptist'', Masaccio, 1426 *''Banquet of Herod'', Masolino da Panicale, 1435 *''Herod's Banquet'', Fra Filippo Lippi, 1452–65 *''The Head of John the Baptist Brought to Herod'', Giovanni di Paolo, 1454, National Gallery, London *''The Feast of Herod and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist'', Benozzo Gozzoli, 1461–62, National Gallery of Art *''The Head of St John the Baptist (painting), The Head of St John the Baptist'', Giovanni Bellini, 1464–68 *''The Beheading of St. John the Baptist'', Lieven van Lathem, 1469, Getty Center, The J. Paul Getty Museum *''Herod's Feast'', Heydon, Norfolk, c. 1470, wall painting in an English parish church *''St. John Altarpiece'', Hans Memling, 1474–79 *''Beheading of John the Baptist'', Andrea del Verrocchio, 1477–80 *''Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist'', Sandro Botticelli, 1488, Uffizi, Florence *''Salome with the Head of John the Baptist'', Cornelis Engelbrechtsz, c. 1490, Getty Center, J. Paul Getty Museum *''The Head of St. John the Baptist, with Mourning Angels and Putti'', Jan Mostaert, early 16th century, National Gallery, London *''St. John Altarpiece'' (left wing), Quentin Massys, 1507–08 *''The Beheading of St. John'', Albrecht Dürer, 1510, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis *''The Daughter of Herodias'', Sebastiano del Piombo, 1510, National Gallery, London *''Salome'', Tilman Riemenschneider, 1500–1510 *''Salome'', Casare da Sesta, 1510–20, National Gallery, London *''Salome'', Giampietrino, c. 1510–30, National Gallery, London *''The Head of St. John the Baptist Brought to Herod'', Albrecht Dürer, 1511 *''Salome'', Alonso Berruguete, 1512–16, Uffizi Gallery, Florence *''The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist'', Hans Fries, 1514, Kunstmuseum Basel *''Salome with the Head of John the Baptist'', Titian, c. 1515 *''Head of John the Baptist'', Hans Baldung Grien, 1516, National Gallery of Art *''Salome with the Head of John the Baptist'', Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam *''Herodias'', Bernardino Luini, 1527–31 *''Salome'', Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1530 *''Beheading of John the Baptist'', Vincenzo Danti, 1569–70 *''Salome'', Giovanni Battista Caracciolo, 1615–20 *''The Feast of Herod'', Frans Francken the Younger, c. 1620, State Hermitage Museum *'' Head of Saint John the Baptist'', Juan de Mesa (ca. 1625) Seville Cathedral *''Herodias with the Head of St. John the Baptist'', Francesco del Cairo, c. 1625–30 *''The Beheading of John the Baptist'', Matthäus Merian, Matthaeus Merrian the Elder, 1625–30 *''Decapitation of St. John'', Unknown British, 17th century, Tate Gallery *''Salome Dancing before Herod'', Jacob Hogers, c. 1630–55, Rijksmuseum *''Salome Presented with the Head of St. John the Baptist'', Leonaert Bramer, 1630s *''The Beheading of St. John the Baptist'', Massimo Stanzione, c. 1634 *''Salome Receives the Head of John the Baptist'', Guercino, 1637, Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes, French Wikipedia :fr:Salomé recevant la tête de saint Jean-Baptiste, page *''Salome with the Head of John the Baptist'', Guido Reni, 1639–40 *''The Beheading of John the Baptist'', Rembrandt, 1640, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco *''The Beheading of John the Baptist'', Rombout van Troyen, 1650s, State Hermitage Museum *''St John Reproaching Herod'', Mattia Preti, 1662–66 *''St John the Baptist Before Herod'', Mattia Preti, 1665 *''Decapitation of St John'', British School, 17th century, Tate Gallery *''John the Baptist Beheaded'', Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1851–60, World Mission Collection *''The Daughter of Herodias Receiving the Head of John the Baptist'', Gustave Doré, 1865 *''Head of St. John the Baptist'', , 1869, Getty Center, The J. Paul Getty Museum *''The Beheading of John the Baptist'', Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, c. 1869, National Gallery, London *''Salome'', Henri Regnault, 1870, Metropolitan Museum of Art *Gustave Moreau: **''Salome Dancing before Herod'', 1874–76 **''L'Apparition, The Apparition'', 1874–76 **''Salome'', 1876 *''Hérodias'', Gustave Flaubert, 1877 *James Tissot, 1886–96: **''The Daughter of Herodias Dancing'' **''King Herod'' **''The Head of John the Baptist on a Platter'' *''Salome'', Franz von Stuck, 1906 *''Salome'', Nikolai Astrup *''Salome With the Head of John the Baptist'', Aubrey Beardsley,


See also

* Chronology of Jesus * Messengers from John the Baptist


Notes


Further reading

*


External links


Beheading of the Forerunner
Icon and Synaxarion of the feast (Eastern Orthodox)
The Decollation of Saint John Baptist
from ''The Golden Legend'' (1275)

from the ''Prologue from Ochrid''
First and Second Finding of the Head of the ForerunnerThird Finding of the Head of the ForerunnerJanuary 7
Synaxis of John the Forerunner – accounts of various relics {{DEFAULTSORT:Beheading Of St. John The Baptist Deaths by person in Asia, John the Baptist Eastern Orthodox liturgical days Saints days Gospel episodes John the Baptist Individual human heads, skulls and brains August observances People executed by decapitation Salome