How was John the Baptist beheaded?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:This depends entirely on one's definition of 'shortly.' Since the Gospel accounts after the Baptism of Jesus are focusing on Jesus and not John, it is difficult to get an exact time frame. However, it certainly was within the three year time period of Jesus' ministry as it occurred before Jesus' own death. John also spent some time in prison before being executed. There was also a period of time between John's being executed and Jesus being crucified. So, it would appear to have been anything from 6 months to 2 or slightly more years after.

According to the Gospel records, it would appear that John may have been arrested relatively soon after Jesus was baptized. However, we do not know the length of his imprisonment. We know that there were gaps in the chronological record and we also know that we do not know how long these were. There is of course nothing unusual in this in either the Gospels or in other ancient writings which tended to focus on key events rather than strict chronology.

Answer 2

Another answer from our community:

John the Baptist was beheaded at the latest in 32 AD. This is so since historical chronology and evidence indicates Jesus was probably crucified in 33 AD, and Jesus was clearly crucified after John was beheaded.

Answer

Tradition states that John the Baptist was probably beheaded on or around 29 August AD 30. There is no way to verify the actual date, but several pointers give some indication.

During AD 30, John was imprisoned by the king Herod Antipas, whom he had reproved for having sexual relations with Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother Philip. Matthew 14:3-12 relates the story of how on Herod's birthday, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, danced for Herod. She pleased Herod so much that he promised her whatever she asked for. At her mother's instigation she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Answer 3

AnswerChristians traditionally believe that Jesus was crucified in 30 or 33 CE.

The Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed because he publicly objected to Herod Antipas marrying his brother's former wife, Herodias. The marriage took place in 34 CE and John seems to have been executed about 36 CE.

Answer 4

A:According to the gospels, John the Baptist was arrested and held in prison early in the mission of Jesus, probsbly 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. On this view, John was beheaded, although Herod would have allowed him to live.

This account differs from that of the Jewish historian Josephus, who says that Herod Antipas had the Baptist arrested and killed in the castle of Macherus, east of the Dead Sea, because he disapproved of Antipas' marriage to his own brother's wife, who divorced her husband in order to marry Herod Antipas. The wedding took place in 34 CE and the execution of John would have been in 35 or 36 CE. 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."

Since the gospels are in error as to the place and year of John's execution, as well as the reason for his execution, it is at least possible that he was not beheaded. We do not know the method of execution.

Answer 5

The gospels indicate that John the Baptist was beheaded right at the beginning of the mission of Jesus. For example, Matthew 4:12 says that John was imprisoned before Jesus began his ministry and Matthew 14:1-2 says that John was already dead some time before the feeding of the five thousand. On the other hand, the Jewish historian, Josephus, indicates that John was not imprisoned and executed until 35 CE, usually assumed to be long after the crucifixion of Jesus.

Answer 6

A:We have three different answers, depending on the source used.

The synoptic gospels say that John the Baptist was beheaded at the request of Herodias' daughter, shortly after the baptism of Jesus, perhaps in 29 CE.

John's Gospel delays this, its author possibly being aware that John was still alive long after the baptism of Jesus (John 3:24: "For John was not yet cast into prison.") However, it indicates that John was executed well before the crucifixion of Jesus.

The historical account provided by Josephus is somewhat different and suggests John may not have been beheaded, certainly not at the request of Herodias. He was executed on the orders of Herod Antipas in the castle at Macherus, sometime after the wedding of Herod Antipas to Herodias and shortly before the attack from Aretas in 36 CE, so probably in 35 or early 36 CE. This would be around 6 or 7 years after the baptism of Jesus in the gospels. 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."

Answer 7

In Matthew 14 you can read about John's death.

Herod, who was tetrarch, or sub-king, of Judea under the Roman Empire, had imprisoned John the Baptist because he rebuked Herod for divorcing his wife (Phasaelis) and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I. On Herod's birthday, Herodias's daughter (traditionally named 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 the daughter 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 in the prison.

It is not said exactly how John was beheaded, many artists over the years have depicted John being beheaded by someone with a sword.

Answer 8

According to the canonical Gospels, John died shortly after Jesus began his ministry. According to tradition, this would place his death about 29 or 30 CE.
However, the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, seems to place his death much later, at about 36 CE. Josephus says that John criticised the marriage of Antipas to his brother's former wife, Herodias, which he places at the same time as, or shortly after, the death of Philip II, who he says died in the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius (34 CE). Josephus says Antipas feared that John's words would cause an insurrection, and so wanted him executed as quickly as possible:

"Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise) thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he 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 he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death."

Josephus makes it clear that Antipas intended to execute John, and it seems most improbable that he would long delay the execution if he feared an insurrection by John's supporters. The execution would have quickly followed the imprisonment. Additionally, King Aretas attacked and defeated Antipas in 36 CE in revenge for the slight to his daughter, whom Antipas divorced in order to marry Herodias. We can expect a delay during which time the news reached Aretas and he considered a diplomatic solution or demanded compensation, then raised an army, but an angry father is not likely to have waited ten years to take action. Some of the Jews believed that Antipas' defeat was divine retribution for his execution of John: "Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him."

This association makes it most likely that John's death was a quite recent event at the time of the defeat - closer in time to the battle than to the wedding, and certainly not something that occurred 8 or 10 years earlier. Unless the commencement of Jesus' ministry was much later than commonly accepted, John was executed around 10 years afterwards.

Answer 9

According to the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), John the Baptist was executed at a party in Galilee by Herod Antipas, on a whim of his wife. This took place around 29 CE, shortly after the beginning of the mission of Jesus. The author of John's Gospel appears to have been more fully aware of Jewish history and culture than were the other authors, and could have known that John the Baptist was really executed much later than this. He is ambiguous as to whether John was executed during the lifetime of Jesus, and provides evidence that John was alive longer than in the synoptics.

The Jewish historian Josephus said that Herod Antipas had the Baptist killed far away from Galilee and in quite different circumstances, because he disapproved of Antipas' marriage to his own brother's wife, who divorced her husband in order to marry Herod Antipas. The wedding took place in 34 CE and the execution of John would have been in 35 or 36 CE. 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."

To help verify the year in which John the Baptist died, King Aretas of the Nabateans attacked Herod Antipas in 36 CE because of the insult to his daughter whom Antipas had divorced in order to marry his brother's wife, leading the Jews to believe that this was God's way of punishing Antipas for the death of John the Baptist. From the decisive action Aretas took, and from the reaction of the Jews, this must have been shortly after the death of John.

Thus, we can reliably say that John the Baptist died in 35 or 36 CE.

Answer 10

Yes, he was dead long before Jesus.