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35-456: The daughter of Aristobulus IV and his wife Berenice , Herodias was a full sister to Herod V (king of Chalkis ), Herod Agrippa (king of Judea ), Aristobulus Minor , and Mariamne III (wife of Crown Prince Antipater ). Following Antipater's execution by Herod the Great , she was possibly the first wife of Herod Archelaus , principal heir of Herod the Great and ethnarch of Judea. Herod

70-458: A Roman counter-offensive was ordered by Tiberius, but abandoned upon that emperor's death in 37 AD. In 39 AD Antipas was accused by his nephew/brother-in-law Agrippa I of conspiracy against the new Roman emperor Caligula , who sent him into exile in Gaul . Accompanied there by Herodias, he died at an unknown date. It is uncertain if Herodias had any children by her second husband, Herod Antipas. In

105-450: A non-Biblical source, Jewish historian Josephus also recounts that Herod had John imprisoned and killed due to "the great influence John had over the people", which might persuade John "to raise a rebellion". Josephus also writes that many of the Jews believed that Herod's later military disaster was God's punishment for his treatment of John. According to the synoptic Gospels , Herod, who

140-451: A personal grievance to previous disputes with Aretas over territory on the border of Perea and Nabatea. Aretas sent an army to punish Antipas, and was joined in this endeavor by auxiliary troops from the province of Syria. Josephus calls these troops 'fugitives', while Moses of Chorene says they were the army of King Abgarus V of Edessa, under the command of commander Khosran Ardzrouni. The result of this war proved disastrous for Antipas;

175-509: 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

210-731: Is primarily based on the New International Version (NIV) English translation of the New Testament. The account of Flavius Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews was translated by William Whiston. John 10:40–42 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

245-415: Is unclear when they were divorced. According to the historian Josephus : Herodias took upon her to confound the laws of our country, and divorced herself from her husband while he was alive, and was married to Herod Antipas Herodias' second husband was Herod Antipas (born before 20 BC; died after 39 AD) half-brother of Herod II (her first husband). He is best known today for his role in events that led to

280-674: The Julian Calendar , used by the Russian , Macedonian , Serbian and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches , corresponds in the twenty-first century to 11 September in the Gregorian Calendar . 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 commemorates the Decollation of St. John on

315-721: 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 churches. According to the New Testament , Herod Antipas , ruler of Galilee under the Roman Empire , had imprisoned John the Baptist 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 . As

350-488: The Baptist were to be put to death, his followers would riot. The Gospel of Luke amplifies the role of Herod by omitting these details. Some biblical scholars have questioned whether the Gospels give historically accurate accounts of John the Baptist's execution. Some exegetes believe that Antipas' struggle with John the Baptist as told in the Gospels was some kind of a remembrance of the political and religious fight opposing

385-666: The Eastern and Western liturgies to honour a saint. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast on 29 August, as does the Lutheran Church . Many other churches of the Anglican Communion do so as well, including the Church of England , though some designate it a commemoration rather than a feast day. The Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches also celebrate this feast on 29 August. This date in

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420-474: The Gospels of Matthew and Mark , Herodias plays a major role in the execution of John the Baptist , using her daughter's dance before Antipas and his party guests to ask for the head of the Baptist as a reward. According to the Gospel of Mark, Antipas did not want to put John the Baptist to death, for Antipas liked to listen to John the Baptist preach (Mark 6:20). Furthermore, Antipas may have feared that if John

455-491: The Great executed his sons Alexander and Aristobulus IV in 7 BC, and engaged Herodias to Herod II (born ca. 27 BC; died AD 33), her half-uncle. The marriage was opposed by Antipater II , Herod the Great's eldest son. Antipater's execution in 4 BC for plotting to poison his father left Herod II as first in line. However, when Herod the Great discovered that his wife Mariamne knew about the poison plot but did not try to stop it, he divorced her and dropped her son Herod II from

490-491: The Israelite monarchs Ahab and Jezebel to the prophet Elijah . In medieval Europe , Herodias, or just her name, became associated with beliefs about witches, in particular their supernatural leader they would join at night to ride with or visit in a "play" or other gathering. Thus she became synonymous with figures who performed the same function, such as Diana , Holda , and Abundia . Together with Salome, Herodias

525-648: The Saturday of Easter Week , while the Syriac Orthodox , Indian Orthodox , and Syro-Malankara Catholic Churches commemorate his death on 7 January. There are two other related feasts observed by Eastern Christians: John the Baptist is said to have been buried at the Palestinian village of Sebastia , near modern-day Nablus in the West Bank . Mention is made of his relics being honored there in

560-411: The events around the death of John were an extremely common subject in the treatment of 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

595-466: The executions of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth . Antipas divorced his first wife Phasaelis , the daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea , in favor of Herodias. According to biblical scholars, the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke , it was this proposed marriage which John the Baptist publicly criticized. Aside from provoking his conflict with the Baptist, the tetrarch's divorce added

630-603: The fourth century. The historians Rufinus and Theodoretus record that the shrine was desecrated 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 bears witness to miracles being worked there. Today, the tomb is housed in the Nabi Yahya Mosque ("John the Baptist Mosque"). What became of

665-544: The head of John the Baptist is difficult to determine. Nicephorus and Symeon Metaphrastes 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 , in Phoenicia , where it was concealed, the place remaining unknown for years, until it

700-452: The household of Augustus himself. Aristobulus was only 3 years old when his paternal aunt Salome contrived to have his mother executed for adultery. When the attractive young brothers returned to Jerusalem in 12 BC, the populace received them enthusiastically. That, along with their perceived imperious manner, picked up after having lived much of their lives at the very heart of Roman imperial power, often offended Herod. They also attracted

735-538: The jealousy of their older half-brother, Antipater II , who deftly incited the aging king's anger with rumors of his favored sons' disloyalty. After many failed attempts at reconciliation between the king and his designated heirs, the ailing Herod had Aristobulus and Alexander strangled on charges of treason in 7 BC, and raised Antipater to the rank of his co-regent and heir apparent. Herod, however, retained affection for Aristobulus' children, three of whom, Agrippa I , Herod and Herodias , lived to play important roles in

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770-478: The line of succession, just days before he died. Both the Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Mark state that Herodias was married to Philip, therefore some scholars have argued his name was "Herod Philip" ( not to be confused with Philip the Tetrarch , whom some writers call Herod Philip II , Josephus account says Herodias married Herod, the grandson of Simon Boethus and that Salome married Phillip. This Herod

805-483: The next generation of Jewish rulers. A fourth, Aristobulus' eldest daughter Mariamne , was the wife of Antipater II at the time of his execution and, thereafter, may have been the wife of Ethnarch Herod Archelaus . This biographical article about a person notable in connection with Judaism is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Beheading of John the Baptist The beheading of John

840-418: The people might put it into his [John's] power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise), [so Herod] thought it best [to put] him 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. None of

875-461: 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. Scenes from

910-414: The sources gives an exact date, which was probably in the years 28–29 AD ( Matthew 14:1–12 ; Mark 6:14–27 ; Luke 9:9 ) after imprisoning John the Baptist in 27 AD ( Matthew 4:12 ; Mark 1:14 ) at the behest of Herodias his brother's wife whom he took as his mistress. ( Matthew 14:3–5 ; Mark 6:17–20 ); According to Josephus, the death took place at the fortress of Machaerus . The following comparison table

945-614: The traditional crypt in the Palestinian 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 to the Basilica of San Silvestro in Capite in Rome . The Catholic German theologian, Friedrich Justus Knecht wrote that: St. John died a martyr to his calling. Having been called by God to be

980-641: Was tetrarch , or sub-king, of Galilee 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 . On Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter (whom Josephus 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

1015-560: Was a frequent subject in depictions of the Power of Women topos in the later Medieval and Renaissance periods. The most common moment shown including Herodias is the Feast of Herod , showing Salome presenting John's severed head on a platter as Herodias dines with her husband and others. Aristobulus IV Aristobulus IV (31–7 BC) was a prince of Judea from the Herodian dynasty , and

1050-434: 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 relates (xvii. 10). Moreover, the head of the dancing daughter was cut off by means of ice. Hear what 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

1085-429: 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: Other purported relics include: On 29 August 2012, during a public audience at the summer palace of Castel Gandolfo , Pope Benedict XVI mentioned

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1120-595: Was married to his cousin, Berenice , daughter of Costobarus and Salome I . He was the son of Herod the Great and his second wife, Mariamne I , the last of the Hasmoneans , and was thus a descendant of the Hasmonean Dynasty. Aristobulus lived most of his life outside of Judaea , having been sent at age 12 along with his brother Alexander to be educated at the Imperial court of Rome in 20 BC, in

1155-445: Was only named Herod in the text). Many scholars dispute this, however, and believe it was an error, a theory supported by the fact that the Gospel of Luke drops the name Philip. Because he was the grandson of the high priest Simon Boethus he is sometimes described as Herod Boethus, but there is no evidence he was called by that name. There was one daughter from this marriage, Salome . Herodias later divorced Herod II, although it

1190-430: 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

1225-401: 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 . Jewish historian Josephus also relates in his Antiquities of the Jews that Herod killed John, stating that he did so, "lest the great influence John had over

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