John the Baptist Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Religious views== ===Christianity=== The [[Gospel]]s describe John the Baptist as having had a specific role ordained by [[God in Christianity|God]] as forerunner or precursor of [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]], who was the foretold [[Messiah]]. The New Testament Gospels speak of this role. In Luke 1:17 the role of John is referred to as being "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|1:17}}</ref> In Luke 1:76 as "thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways"<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|1:76}}</ref> and in Luke 1:77 as being "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins."<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|1:77}}</ref> There are several passages within the [[Old Testament]] which are interpreted by Christians as being [[prophecy|prophetic]] of John the Baptist in this role. These include a passage in the [[Book of Malachi]] that refers to a prophet who would "prepare the way of the Lord": {{blockquote|Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the {{LORD}} of hosts.|Malachi 3:1<ref>{{bibleverse|Malachi|3:1|NRSV}}</ref>}} Also at the end of the next chapter in Malachi 4:5–6 it says, {{blockquote|Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the {{LORD}}: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.}} The Jews of Jesus' day expected Elijah to come before the Messiah; indeed, some present day Jews continue to await Elijah's coming as well, as in the Cup of Elijah the Prophet in the [[Passover Seder]]. This is why the disciples ask Jesus in Matthew 17:10, "Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?"<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|17:10}}</ref> The disciples are then told by Jesus that Elijah came in the person of John the Baptist, {{blockquote|Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.|Matthew 17:11–13 (see also 11:14: "...if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come.")}} These passages are applied to John in the [[Synoptic Gospels]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|3:3}} </ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|1:2–3}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|1:16–17}}</ref> But where Matthew specifically identifies John the Baptist as Elijah's spiritual successor,<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew 11.14, 17.13|multi=yes}}</ref> the gospels of Mark and Luke are silent on the matter. The [[Gospel of John]] states that John the Baptist denied that he was Elijah. {{blockquote|Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not deny, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."|John 1:19–21}} ====Influence on Paul==== Many scholars believe there was contact between the early church in the [[Apostolic Age]] and what is called the "[[Qumran]]-[[Essene]] community".<ref name=EDSS>{{Cite encyclopedia| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-508450-4| title = Paul, Letters of| encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls| date = 2008| doi = 10.1093/acref/9780195084504.001.0001| editor1-last = Schiffman| editor1-first = Lawrence H| editor2-last = Vanderkam| editor2-first = James C}}{{subscription required|[[OUP]]}}</ref> The [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] were found at Qumran, which the majority of historians and archaeologists identify as an Essene settlement.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-506512-1| title = Essenes | encyclopedia = The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East| date = 2011| doi = 10.1093/acref/9780195065121.001.0001}}{{subscription required|[[OUP]]}}</ref> John the Baptist is thought to have been either an Essene or "associated" with the community at Khirbet Qumran. According to the [[Book of Acts]], Paul met some "disciples of John" in [[Ephesus]].<ref>{{bibleref|Acts|19:1–7|NRSV}}</ref> ====Catholic Church==== [[File:Cappella tornabuoni, 12, Nascita di san giovanni battista.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''The Birth of John the Baptist'', a fresco in the [[Tornabuoni Chapel]] in [[Florence]]]] The [[Catholic Church]] commemorates Saint John the Baptist on two feast days: * 24 June – [[Nativity of Saint John the Baptist]] * 29 August – [[Beheading of Saint John the Baptist]] According to [[Frederick George Holweck|Frederick Holweck]], at the [[Visitation (Christianity)|Visitation]] of the Blessed Virgin Mary to his mother Elizabeth, as recounted in Luke 1:39–57, John, sensing the presence of his Jesus, upon the arrival of Mary, leaped in the womb of his mother; he was then cleansed from original sin and filled with the grace of God.<ref>{{citation-attribution|1=[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15480a.htm Holweck, Frederick. "Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 23 December 2018}}</ref> In her ''Treatise of Prayer'', Saint [[Catherine of Siena]] includes a brief altercation with the [[Devil in Christianity|Devil]] regarding her fight due to the Devil attempting to lure her with [[vanity]] and [[flattery]]. Speaking in the first person, Catherine responds to the Devil with the following words: {{blockquote|[...] humiliation of yourself, and you answered the Devil with these words: "Wretch that I am! John the Baptist never sinned and was sanctified in his mother's womb. And I have committed so many sins [...]"|[[Catherine of Siena]], ''A Treatise of Prayer'', 1370.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/catherine/dialog.iv.iv.ii.html Treatise of Prayer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123154819/https://www.ccel.org/ccel/catherine/dialog.iv.iv.ii.html |date=23 January 2022 }}. Retrieved 1-15-2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.catholictreasury.info/books/dialogue/diag51.php The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408164219/http://www.catholictreasury.info/books/dialogue/diag51.php |date=8 April 2022 }}. Retrieved 1-15-2012</ref>|title=|source=}} ====Eastern Christianity==== <!-- a number of articles redirect here --> [[File:Meister von Gracanica (I) 001.jpg|thumb|[[Serbo-Byzantine architecture|Serbo-Byzantine]] fresco from [[Gračanica Monastery]], [[Kosovo]], {{c.|1235}}]] The [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] faithful believe that John was the last of the [[Old Testament]] [[prophet]]s, thus serving as a bridge between that period of [[revelation]] and the [[New Covenant]]. They also teach that, following his death, John descended into [[Christian views on Hades|Hades]] and there once more preached that Jesus the Messiah was coming, so he was the Forerunner of Christ in death as he had been in life. Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches will often have an [[icon]] of Saint John the Baptist in a place of honor on the [[iconostasis]], and he is frequently mentioned during the [[Divine Services]]. Every Tuesday throughout the year is dedicated to his memory. The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers Saint John the Forerunner on six separate feast days, listed here in order in which they occur during the [[liturgical year|church year]] (which begins on 1 September): * 23 September – {{interlanguage link|Conception of the Honorable Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John|ru|Зачатие Иоанна Предтечи}}<ref>In late antiquity this feast in some churches marked the beginning of the [[Ecclesiastical Year]]; see Archbishop Peter (L'Huiller) of New York and New Jersey, "[http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/peter_archbishop_liturgical_matters.htm Liturgical Matters: "The Lukan Jump"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630055836/http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/peter_archbishop_liturgical_matters.htm |date=30 June 2017 }}", in: ''Newspaper of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey'', Fall 1992.</ref> * 12 October – [[Translation]] from [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta|Malta]] to [[Gatchina]]: of [[True Cross|a Particle of the Life Giving Cross]], [[Our Lady of Philermos|the Filersk Icon of the Mother of God]], and the [[relic]] of the {{Interlanguage link|Right Hand of John the Baptist|ru|Десница Иоанна Крестителя}} * 7 January – {{Interlanguage link|Synaxis of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John|ru|Собор Иоанна Предтечи}}. This is his main feast day, immediately after [[Epiphany (feast)|Theophany]] on 6 January (7 January also commemorates the transfer of the relic of the right hand of John the Baptist from [[Antioch]] to [[Constantinople]] in 956) * 24 February – {{Interlanguage link|First and second finding of the Honorable Head of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord, John|ru|Обретение главы Иоанна Предтечи}} * 25 May – {{Interlanguage link|Third Finding of the Honorable Head of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John|ru|Обретение главы Иоанна Предтечи}} * 24 June – [[Nativity of Saint John the Baptist#In Eastern Christianity|Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner]]<!--- Adapt if & when separate article is created ---> * 29 August – The [[Beheading of John the Baptist|Beheading of Saint John the Forerunner]]<!--- Adapt if & when separate article is created --->, a day of strict fast and abstinence from meat and dairy products and foods containing meat or dairy products In addition to the above, 5 September is the commemoration of [[Zechariah (New Testament figure)|Zacharias]] and [[Elizabeth (Biblical person)|Elizabeth]], Saint John's parents. The [[Russian Orthodox Church]] observes 12 October as the Transfer of the Right Hand of the Forerunner from [[Malta]] to [[Gatchina]] (1799). ====Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints==== [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] teaches that modern revelation confirms the biblical account of John and also makes known additional events in his ministry. According to this belief, John was "ordained by the angel of God" when he was eight days old "to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews" and to prepare a people for the Lord. Latter-day Saints also believe that "he was baptized while yet in his childhood."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/84?lang=eng|title=Doctrine and Covenants 84:27–28|publisher=churchofjesuschrist.org|access-date=14 February 2010|archive-date=20 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620141649/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/84?lang=eng|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Joseph Smith]] said: "Let us come into New Testament times – so many are ever praising the Lord and His apostles. We will commence with John the Baptist. When Herod's edict went forth to destroy the young children, John was about six months older than Jesus, and came under this hellish edict, and Zecharias caused his mother to take him into the mountains, where he was raised on locusts and wild honey. When his father refused to disclose his hiding place, and being the officiating high priest at the Temple that year, was slain by Herod's order, between the porch and the altar, as Jesus said."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boap.org/LDS/Joseph-Smith/Teachings/T5.html |title=Section Five: 1842–1843 |access-date=15 May 2014 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610161206/http://www.boap.org/LDS/Joseph-Smith/Teachings/T5.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{sourcetext|source=Teaching of The Prophet Joseph Smith Section Five 1842–43, p. 261}}</ref> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches that John the Baptist appeared on the banks of the [[Susquehanna River]] near [[Harmony Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania]], as a resurrected being to [[Joseph Smith]] and [[Oliver Cowdery]] on 15 May 1829, and ordained them to the [[Aaronic priesthood (LDS Church)|Aaronic priesthood]].<ref>[D&C 13]; D&C 27:7–8</ref><ref>Joseph Smith History 1:68–72</ref> According to the Church's dispensational view of religious history, John's ministry has operated in three dispensations: he was the last of the prophets under the law of Moses; he was the first of the New Testament prophets; and he was sent to restore the Aaronic priesthood in our day (the [[dispensation of the fulness of times]]). Latter-day Saints believe John's ministry was foretold by two prophets whose teachings are included in the [[Book of Mormon]]: [[Lehi (Book of Mormon)|Lehi]]<ref>{{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=1 Nephi|chapter=10|verse=7|range=–10}}</ref> and his son [[Nephi, son of Lehi|Nephi]].<ref>{{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=1 Nephi|chapter=11|verse=27}}</ref><ref>{{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=2 Nephi|chapter=31|verse=4|range=–18}}</ref> ====Unification Church==== The [[Unification Church]] teaches that [[God]] intended John to help Jesus during his public ministry in Judea. In particular, John should have done everything in his power to persuade the Jewish people that Jesus was the Messiah. He was to become Jesus' main disciple and John's disciples were to become Jesus' disciples. Unfortunately, John did not follow Jesus and continued his own way of baptizing people. Moreover, John also denied that he was Elijah when queried by several Jewish leaders,<ref>{{bibleverse|John|1:21|NKJV}}</ref> contradicting Jesus who stated John is Elijah who was to come.<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|11:14|NKJV}}</ref> Many Jews therefore could not accept Jesus as the Messiah because John denied being Elijah, as the prophet's appearance was a prerequisite for the Messiah's arrival as stated in Malachi 4:5.<ref>{{bibleverse|Malachi|4:5|NKJV}}</ref> According to the Unification Church, "John the Baptist was in the position of representing Elijah's physical body, making himself identical with Elijah from the standpoint of their mission." According to Matthew 11:11, Jesus stated "there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist."<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|11:11|NKJV}}</ref> However, in referring to John's blocking the way of the Jews' understanding of him as the Messiah, Jesus said "yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." John's failure to follow Jesus became the chief obstacle to the fulfillment of Jesus' mission.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unification.net/dp96/dp96-1-4.html |title=Exposition of the Divine Principle, 1996 Translation, Chapter 4 |publisher=unification.net |access-date=1 July 2018 |archive-date=17 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617175131/http://www.unification.net/dp96/dp96-1-4.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Divine Principle – PART I – CHAPTER 4. ADVENT OF THE MESSIAH|url=https://www.unification.net/dp73/dp73-1-4.html#1|access-date=23 July 2020|website=www.unification.net|archive-date=22 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200122005539/http://www.unification.net/dp73/dp73-1-4.html#1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>5. The Fact That Jesus of Nazareth Was Not Accepted as Messiah Was Not Due to the People's Lack Of Faith In God. https://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Publications/Other-Pub/Uc-jewsh.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120111754/https://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Publications/Other-Pub/Uc-jewsh.htm |date=20 November 2018 }}</ref> ====Syrian-Egyptian Gnosticism==== Among the early Judeo-Christian Gnostics the [[Ebionites]] held that John, along with Jesus and [[James the Just]] – all of whom they revered – were vegetarians.<ref name="Verheyden">J Verheyden, ''Epiphanius on the Ebionites'', in ''The image of the Judaeo-Christians in ancient Jewish and Christian literature'', eds Peter J. Tomson, Doris Lambers-Petry, {{ISBN|3-16-148094-5}}, p. 188 "The vegetarianism of John the Baptist and of Jesus is an important issue too in the Ebionite interpretation of the Christian life. "</ref><ref>[[Robert Eisenman]] (1997), ''[[James the Brother of Jesus (book)|James the Brother of Jesus]]'', p. 240 – "John (unlike Jesus) was both a '[[Rechabite]]' or 'Nazarite' and vegetarian", p. 264 – "One suggestion is that John ate 'carobs'; there have been others. Epiphanius, in preserving what he calls 'the Ebionite Gospel', rails against the passage there claiming that John ate 'wild honey' and 'manna-like vegetarian cakes dipped in oil. ... John would have been one of those wilderness-dwelling, vegetable-eating persons", p. 326 – "They [the Nazerini] ate nothing but wild fruit milk and honey – probably the same food that John the Baptist also ate.", p. 367 – "We have already seen how in some traditions 'carobs' were said to have been the true composition of John's food.", p. 403 – "his [John's] diet was stems, roots and fruits. Like James and the other Nazirites/Rechabites, he is presented as a vegetarian ..".</ref><ref>[[James Tabor]], ''[[The Jesus Dynasty]]'' p. 134 and footnotes p. 335, p. 134 – "The Greek New Testament gospels says John's diet consisted of "locusts and wild honey" but an ancient Hebrew version of Matthew insists that "locusts" is a mistake in Greek for a related Hebrew word that means a cake of some type, made from a desert plant, similar to the "manna" that the ancient Israelites ate in the desert on the days of Moses.(ref 9) Jesus describes John as "neither eating nor drinking," or "neither eating bread nor drinking wine." Such phrases indicate the lifestyle of one who is strictly vegetarian, avoids even bread since it has to be processed from grain, and shuns all alcohol.(ref 10) The idea is that one would eat only what grows naturally.(ref 11) It was a way of avoiding all refinements of civilization."</ref><ref name="Ehrman 2003 on Gospel of the Ebionites">{{Cite book|author=Bart D. Ehrman|title=Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew|pages=[https://archive.org/details/lostchristianiti00ehrm/page/102 102, 103]|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-19-514183-2|url=https://archive.org/details/lostchristianiti00ehrm/page/102}} p. 102 – "Probably the most interesting of the changes from the familiar New Testament accounts of Jesus comes in the Gospel of the Ebionites description of John the Baptist, who, evidently, like his successor Jesus, maintained a strictly vegetarian cuisine."</ref><ref>James A. Kelhoffer, [https://books.google.com/books?id=uzTcB8yMnrcC&q=The+diet+of+John+the+Baptist:+%22Locusts+and+wild+honey%22+in+synoptic+and+patristic+interpretation ''The Diet of John the Baptist''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406111305/https://books.google.com/books?id=uzTcB8yMnrcC&q=The+diet+of+John+the+Baptist:+%22Locusts+and+wild+honey%22+in+synoptic+and+patristic+interpretation |date=6 April 2023 }}, {{ISBN|978-3-16-148460-5}}, pp. 19–21</ref><ref name="Mead 2007">{{cite book|author=G.R.S. Mead|title=Gnostic John the Baptizer: Selections from the Mandæan John-Book|page=104|publisher=Forgotten Books|year=2007|isbn=978-1-60506-210-5|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/gno/gjb/gjb-3.htm|access-date=17 April 2011|archive-date=13 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313222252/http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/gno/gjb/gjb-3.htm|url-status=live}} p. 104 – "And when he had been brought to Archelaus and the doctors of the Law had assembled, they asked him who he is and where he has been until then. And to this he made answer and spake: ''I am pure; [for] the Spirit of God hath led me on, and [I live on] cane and roots and tree-food.''"</ref> [[Epiphanius of Salamis]] records that this group had amended their [[Gospel of Matthew]] – known today as the [[Gospel of the Ebionites]] – to change where John eats "locusts" to read "honey cakes" or "[[manna]]".<ref>Tabor (2006) ''Jesus Dynasty'' p. 334 (note 9) – "''The Gospel of the Ebionites'' as quoted by the 4th-century writer Epiphanius. The Greek word for locusts (''akris'') is very similar to the Greek word for "honey cake" (''ekris'') that is used for the "manna" that the Israelites ate in the desert in the days of Moses (Exodus 16:32)" & p. 335 (note 11) – "There is an old Russian (Slavic) version of Josephus's ''Antiquities'' that describes John the Baptizer as living on 'roots and fruits of the tree' and insists that he never touches bread, even at Passover."</ref><ref name="Ehrman 2003 Gospel of the Ebionites translation">{{Cite book|author=Bart D. Ehrman|title=Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament|page=[https://archive.org/details/lostscripturesbo00ehrm/page/13 13]|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-19-514182-5|url=https://archive.org/details/lostscripturesbo00ehrm/page/13}} p. 13 – Referring to Epiphanius' quotation from the ''Gospel of the Ebionites'' in ''Panarion'' 30.13, "And his food, it says, was wild honey whose taste was of ''manna'', as cake in oil".</ref> === Mandaeism === {{Mandaeism}} John the Baptist, or Yuhana Maṣbana ({{lang-myz|ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡍࡀ ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡀࡍࡀ|lit=John the Baptizer}} {{transliteration|myz|Iuhana Maṣbana}})<ref name="GR Gelbert">{{cite book |url=https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/ginza-rba/ |last1=Gelbert |first1=Carlos |title=Ginza Rba |year=2011 |publisher=Living Water Books |location=Sydney |isbn=9780958034630 |access-date=17 February 2022 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316031021/https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/ginza-rba/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is considered the greatest prophet of the [[Mandaeans|Mandaean]]s. Mandaeans also refer to him as {{transliteration|myz|Yuhana bar Zakria}} (John, son of Zechariah).<ref name="Gelbert 2017"/> He plays a large part in their religious texts such as the [[Ginza Rabba]] and the [[Mandaean Book of John]].<ref>''Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'' (Oxford University Press 2005 {{ISBN|978-0-19-280290-3}}), article ''Mandaeans''</ref> Mandaeans believe that they descend directly from John's original disciples<ref name = DrowerHaranGawaita>{{cite book|last=Drower|first=Ethel Stefana|title=The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa|publisher=Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana|year=1953}}</ref> but they do not believe that their religion began with John, tracing their beliefs back to their first prophet Adam.<ref name=Drower>Drower, Ethel Stefana. 2002. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran: Their Cults, Customs, Magic Legends, and Folklore (reprint). Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.</ref>{{rp|3}} According to Mandaeism, John was a great teacher, a [[Nazarene (sect)#Nasoraean Mandaeans|Nasoraean]] and renewer of the faith.<ref name=Buckley/>{{rp|24}}<ref>Drower. P3</ref><ref>Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer ''The Gnostic Bible: Revised and Expanded Edition'' Shambhala Publications 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-834-82414-0}} page 550</ref> John is a messenger of Light ({{transliteration|myz|nhura}}) and Truth ({{transliteration|myz|[[kushta]]}}) who possessed the power of healing and full [[Gnosis]] ({{transliteration|myz|[[Manda (Mandaeism)|manda]]}}).<ref name=BSN>{{cite web|author=Brikhah S. Nasoraia|title=Sacred Text and Esoteric Praxis in Sabian Mandaean Religion|year=2012|url=http://isamveri.org/pdfdrg/D201813/2012_I/2012_I_NASORAIAB.pdf|access-date=4 March 2022|archive-date=9 October 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://isamveri.org/pdfdrg/D201813/2012_I/2012_I_NASORAIAB.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|48}} Mandaean texts make it abundantly clear that early Mandaeans were extremely loyal to John and viewed him as a prophetic reformer of the ancient Mandaean/Israelite tradition.<ref name = BuckleyOrigins>Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). Turning the Tables on Jesus: The Mandaean View. In {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ncuQxl5Ate0C&dq=buckley+mandaean+turning+the+table+on+jesus&pg=PA109|title=''Christian Origins''|isbn=9781451416640|last1=Horsley|first1=Richard|date=March 2010|publisher=Fortress Press|access-date=31 March 2022|archive-date=26 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026090924/https://books.google.com/books?id=ncuQxl5Ate0C&dq=buckley+mandaean+turning+the+table+on+jesus&pg=PA109#v=onepage&q=buckley%20mandaean%20turning%20the%20table%20on%20jesus&f=false|url-status=live}}(pp94-111). Minneapolis: Fortress Press</ref>{{rp|108}} Scholars such as [[Mark Lidzbarski]], [[Rudolf Macúch]], [[E. S. Drower|Ethel S. Drower]], [[Jorunn J. Buckley]], and {{ill|Şinasi Gündüz|tr|vertical-align=sup}} believe that the Mandaeans likely have a historical connection with John's original disciples.<ref>R. Macuch, "Anfänge der Mandäer. Versuch eines geschichtliches Bildes bis zur früh-islamischen Zeit," chap. 6 of F. Altheim and R. Stiehl, Die Araber in der alten Welt II: Bis zur Reichstrennung, Berlin, 1965.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/26661213|title=Comparative Studies in Mandaean History and Theology|first=Samuel|last=Zinner|via=www.academia.edu|access-date=8 September 2021|archive-date=21 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121014745/https://www.academia.edu/26661213|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | last =Drower | first =Ethel Stephana | author-link =E. S. Drower | date =1960 | title =The secret Adam, a study of Nasoraean gnosis | location =London UK | publisher =Clarendon Press | page =xvi | no-pp =true| url=http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Secret-Adam-A-Study-of-Nasoraen-Gnosis.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306132110/http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Secret-Adam-A-Study-of-Nasoraen-Gnosis.pdf|archive-date=6 March 2014|url-status=live}}, p. xiv.</ref><ref>Thomas, Richard. "The Israelite Origins of the Mandaean People." Studia Antiqua 5, no. 2 (2007). https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua/vol5/iss2/4 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916223556/https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua/vol5/iss2/4/ |date=16 September 2021 }}</ref><ref name="Gunduz 1994">{{cite journal|title=The Knowledge of Life: The Origins and Early History of the Mandaeans and Their Relation to the Sabians of the Qur'ān and to the Harranians|first=Şinasi|last=Gündüz|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=1994|issn=0022-4480|isbn=0-19-922193-6|journal=Journal of Semitic Studies Supplement|volume=3}}</ref><ref name=Buckley>Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002), The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people (PDF), Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195153859</ref><ref>Lidzbarski, Mark 1915 Das Johannesbuch der Mandäer. Giessen: Alfred Töpelmann.</ref><ref>Macuch, Rudolf A Mandaic Dictionary (with E. S. Drower). Oxford: Clarendon Press 1963.</ref> Mandaeans believe that John was married, with his wife named Anhar, and had children.<ref>Smith, Andrew Phillip. ''John the Baptist and the Last Gnostics: the Secret History of the Mandaeans''. Watkins, 2016.(p155)</ref><ref name="Nasoraia 2021">{{cite book|last=Nasoraia|first=Brikha H.S.|author-link=Brikha Nasoraia|title=The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought|publisher=Sterling|publication-place=New Delhi|year=2021|isbn=978-81-950824-1-4|oclc=1272858968}}</ref> Enišbai ([[Elizabeth (biblical figure)|Elizabeth]]) is mentioned as the mother of John the Baptist in chapters 18, 21, and 32 of the [[Mandaean Book of John]].<ref name="ddy">{{citation |mode=cs1 |url=http://www.gnosis.org/library/The_Mandaean_Book_of_John_Open_Access_Ve.pdf |first1=Charles G. |last1=Häberl |author-link1=Charles G. Häberl |first2=James F. |last2=McGrath |author-link2=James F. McGrath |date=2019 |title=The Mandaean Book of John: Text and Translation |version=Open Access Version |publisher=De Gruyter |place=Berlin/Boston |access-date=17 February 2022 |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.gnosis.org/library/The_Mandaean_Book_of_John_Open_Access_Ve.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Gelbert 2017">{{cite book|last1=Gelbert|first1=Carlos|url=https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/john-the-baptist/|title=The Teachings of the Mandaean John the Baptist|isbn=9780958034678|location=Fairfield, NSW, Australia|publisher=Living Water Books|year=2017|oclc=1000148487|access-date=17 February 2022|archive-date=5 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305010539/https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/john-the-baptist/|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Islam=== {{Main|John the Baptist in Islam}} John the Baptist is known as Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyā ({{lang-ar|يحيى بن زكريا}})<ref>{{cite web|title=Prophet John|url=http://www.islam101.com/history/people/prophets/john.htm|access-date=12 June 2012|archive-date=10 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710095818/http://www.islam101.com/history/people/prophets/john.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> in Islam and is honoured as a [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|prophet]]. He is believed by [[Muslim]]s to have been a witness to the [[Revelation|word of God]], and a [[prophet]] who would herald the coming of [[Jesus in Islam|Jesus]].<ref>"Yahya", Encyclopedia of Islam</ref> His father [[Islamic view of Zechariah|Zechariah]] was also an Islamic prophet. [[Islam]]ic tradition maintains that John met [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]] on the night of the [[Isra and Mi'raj|Mi'raj]], along with Jesus in the second heaven.<ref>Ibn Ishaq, ''Sirat Rasul Allah'', Mi'raj</ref> John's story was also told to the [[Aksumite Empire|Abyssinian]] king during the Muslim refugees' [[Migration to Abyssinia]].<ref>''Muhammad'', Martin Lings, Abyssinia. etc.</ref> According to the [[Quran]], John was one on whom God sent peace on the day that he was born and the day that he died.<ref>{{qref|19|13-15|b=y}}</ref> ====Quranic mentions==== The [[Quran]] claims that John the Baptist was the first to receive this name ({{qref|19|7-10|b=y}}) but since the name Yoḥanan occurs many times before John the Baptist,<ref>A. Geiger, ''Judaism And Islam'' (English translation of ''Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judenthume aufgenommen?''), 1970, Ktav Publishing House Inc.: New York, p. 19.</ref> this verse is referring either to Islamic scholar consensus that "Yaḥyā" is not the same name as "Yoḥanan"<ref name="islamic-awareness.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/yahya.html |title=And No One Had The Name Yahya (= John?) Before: A Linguistic & Exegetical Enquiry Into Qur'an 19:7 |publisher=Islamic-awareness.org |access-date=20 October 2012 |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817034242/https://www.islamic-awareness.org/quran/contrad/external/yahya.html |url-status=live }}</ref> or to the [[Biblical]] account of the [[Miracle|miraculous]] naming of John, which accounted that he was almost named "Zacharias" (Greek: {{Lang|grc|Ζαχαρίας}})<ref>Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη (1894 Scrivener NT). {{bibleverse|Luke 1:59, 1:5|multi=yes}}, et al. https://biblia.com/books/tr1894mr/Lk1?embeddedPreview=False {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806100705/https://biblia.com/books/tr1894mr/Lk1?embeddedPreview=False |date=6 August 2021 }}</ref> after his father's name, as no one in the [[Lineage (anthropology)|lineage]] of his father [[Zechariah (priest)|Zacharias]] (also known as [[Zechariah (priest)|Zechariah]]) had been named "John" ("Yohanan"/"Yoannes") before him.<ref>''Bible'' {{Bibleverse|Luke|1:59–1:63|KJV}}</ref> In the [[Quran]], [[God in Islam|God]] frequently mentions Zechariah's continuous praying for the birth of a son. Zechariah's wife, mentioned in the New Testament as [[Elizabeth (Biblical person)|Elizabeth]], was barren and therefore the birth of a child seemed impossible.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Lives of the Prophets'', Leila Azzam, ''John and Zechariah''</ref> As a gift from God, Zechariah (or Zakariya) was given a son by the name of "Yaḥya" or "John", a name specially chosen for this child alone. In accordance with Zechariah's prayer, God made John and Jesus, who according to [[exegesis]] was born six months later,<ref name="ReferenceB">''A–Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism'', B. M. Wheeler, ''John the Baptist''</ref> renew the message of God, which had been corrupted and lost by the [[Israelites]]. As the Quran says: {{Blockquote|<poem>˹The angels announced,˺ "O Zachariah! Indeed, We give you the good news of ˹the birth of˺ a son, whose name will be John—a name We have not given to anyone before." He wondered, "My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have become extremely old?" An angel replied, "So will it be! Your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, just as I created you before, when you were nothing!'" Zachariah said, "My Lord! Grant me a sign." He responded, "Your sign is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three nights, despite being healthy."</poem>|{{qref|19|7-10|c=y}}}} John was exhorted to hold fast to the [[Scripture]] and was given wisdom by God while still a child.<ref>{{qref|19|12|b=y}}</ref> He was pure and devout, and walked well in the presence of God. He was dutiful towards his parents and he was not arrogant or rebellious. John's reading and understanding of the scriptures, when only a child, surpassed even that of the greatest scholars of the time.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> [[Muslim]] [[exegesis]] narrates that [[Jesus]] sent John out with twelve disciples,<ref>''Tabari'', i, 712</ref> who preached the message before Jesus called his own disciples.<ref name="ReferenceB" /> The Quran says: {{blockquote|˹It was later said,˺ "O John! Hold firmly to the Scriptures." And We granted him wisdom while ˹he was still˺ a child,|{{qref|19|12|c=y}}}} John was a classical prophet,<ref>[[Abdullah Yusuf Ali]], ''[[The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary]]'', Note. '''905''': "The third group consists not of men of action, but Preachers of Truth, who led solitary lives. Their epithet is: "the Righteous." They form a connected group round Jesus. Zachariah was the father of John the Baptist, who is referenced as "Elias, which was for to come" (Matt 11:14); and Elias is said to have been present and talked to Jesus at the Transfiguration on the Mount (Matt. 17:3)."</ref> who was exalted high by God for his bold denouncing of all things sinful. Furthermore, the Quran speaks of John's gentle piety and love and his humble attitude towards life, for which he was granted the Purity of Life: {{Blockquote|<poem>as well as purity and compassion from Us. And he was God-fearing, and kind to his parents. He was neither arrogant nor disobedient. Peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day of his death, and the day he will be raised back to life!</poem>|{{qref|19|13-15|c=y}}}} John is also honored highly in [[Sufism]] as well as [[Islamic]] [[mysticism]], primarily because of the Quran's description of John's chastity and kindness.<ref>Encyclopedia of Islam, ''Yahya ibn Zakkariya'', Online web.</ref> [[Sufi]]s have frequently applied commentaries on the passages on John in the Quran, primarily concerning the God-given gift of "Wisdom" which he acquired in youth as well as his parallels with [[Jesus]]. Although several phrases used to describe John and Jesus are virtually identical in the Quran, the manner in which they are expressed is different.<ref>Whereas the Quran itself gives blessings of peace to John ({{qref|19|15|b=y}}), Jesus, in contrast, gives himself the blessings of peace. ({{qref|19|33|b=y}})</ref> ===Druze view=== Druze tradition honors several "mentors" and "prophets", and John the Baptist is honored as a [[prophet]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Sacred Places, 2nd Edition [2 volumes]| first=Norbert |last= C. Brockman|year= 2011| isbn= 9781598846553| page = 259|publisher=ABC-CLIO|quote= They included Jesus, John the Baptist, Moses, and Mohammed—all teachers of monotheism}}</ref> [[Druze]] venerate John the Baptist and he is considered a central figure in [[Druzism]].<ref name="auto">{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of the Druzes| first=Samy|last= Swayd|year= 2015| isbn= 9781442246171| page = 77|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|quote=}}</ref> Druze, like some [[Christians]], believe that [[Elijah]] (al-[[Khidr]]) came back as John the Baptist,<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Cannabis and the Soma Solution| first=Chris|last= Bennett|year= 2010| isbn= 9781936296323| page = 77|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|quote=transmigration of the soul is a Druze tenet, and Druze believe that El Khidr and John the Baptist are one and the same. (Gibbs, 2008) The mythology of Khizr is thought to go back even further than the time of John the Baptist or Elija}}</ref> since they believe in [[reincarnation]] and the transmigration of the soul.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cannabis and the Soma Solution| first=Chris|last=Bennett|year= 2010| isbn= 9781936296323| page = 77|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|quote=transmigration of the soul is a Druze tenet, and Druze believe that El Khidr and John the Baptist are one and the same. (Gibbs, 2008) The mythology of Khizr is thought to go back even further than the time of John the Baptist or Elija}}</ref> ===Baháʼí view=== The [[Baháʼí Faith]] considers John to have been a prophet of God who like all other prophets was sent to instill the knowledge of God, promote unity among the people of the world, and to show people the correct way to live.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Epistle to the Son of the Wolf|last = Effendi|first = Shoghi|publisher = Baháʼí Publishing Trust|year = 1988|isbn = 9780877430483|location = Wilmette, Illinois|pages = 12}}</ref> There are numerous quotations in the writings of [[Bahá'u'lláh]], founder of the [[Baháʼí Faith]], mentioning John the Baptist. He is regarded by Baháʼís as a [[Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith)#Minor prophets|lesser Prophet]].<ref name="Compilations 1983 475" /> Bahá'u'lláh claimed that his forerunner, the [[Báb]], was the spiritual return of John the Baptist. In his letter to Pope [[Pius IX]], Bahá'u'lláh wrote: {{blockquote|O followers of the Son! We have once again sent John unto you, and He, verily, hath cried out in the wilderness of the [[Persian Bayán|Bayán]]: O peoples of the world! Cleanse your eyes! The Day whereon ye can behold the Promised One and attain unto Him hath drawn nigh! O followers of the Gospel! Prepare the way! The Day of the advent of the Glorious Lord is at hand! Make ready to enter the Kingdom. Thus hath it been ordained by God, He Who causeth the dawn to break.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bahá'u'lláh|author-link=Bahá'u'lláh|year=2002|title=The Summons of the Lord of Hosts|publisher=[[Baháʼí World Centre]]|location=Haifa, Israel|page=63|isbn=978-0-85398-976-9|url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-5.html#pg63|access-date=11 June 2007|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501021406/https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SLH/slh-5.html#pg63|url-status=live}}</ref>}} John is believed to have had the specific role of foretelling and preparing the way for Jesus. In condemning those who had 'turned aside' from him, Bahá'u'lláh compared them to the followers of John the Baptist, who, he said, "protested against Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus) saying: 'The dispensation of John hath not yet ended; wherefore hast thou come?'" Bahá'u'lláh believed that the Báb played the same role as John in preparing the people for his own coming. As such, Bahá'u'lláh refers to the Báb as 'My Forerunner', the Forerunner being a title that Christians reserve for John the Baptist.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Epistle to the Son of the Wolf|last = Effendi|first = Shoghi|publisher = Baháʼí Publish Trust|year = 1988|isbn = 9780877430483|location = Wilmette, Illinois|pages = 157–158}}</ref> However, Baháʼís consider the [[Báb]] to be a greater Prophet ([[Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith)|Manifestation of God]]) and thus possessed of a far greater station than John the Baptist.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page