| John the Baptist,
Saint (between 8 and 4 BC-about AD 27), according to all four
Gospels the precursor of Jesus Christ, born in Judea, the son of the priest
Zacharias and Elisabeth, cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. John was
a Nazarite from birth and prepared for his mission by years of self-discipline
in the desert. At about the age of 30 he went into the country around the
Jordan River preaching penance to prepare for the imminent coming of the
Messiah. He baptized penitents with water as a symbol of the baptism of
the Holy Spirit that was to come. With the baptism of Jesus, his office
as precursor was accomplished, and his ministry came to a close soon afterward.
John angered Herod Antipas, the Judean ruler, by denouncing him for marrying
Herodias, the wife of his half brother Herod, and was imprisoned (see Luke
3:1-20). At the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias and Herod, John
was beheaded (see Matthew 14:3-11). In art, John the Baptist is represented
as wearing a garment made of hair and often carries a staff and a scroll
with the words "Ecce Agnus Dei," or "Behold the Lamb of
God," a reference to John 1:29. The feast of his birth is celebrated
(in the West) on June 24; the feast of his death, on August 29. "John
the Baptist, Saint," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c)
1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. |
TEMPLE
OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
