John the Forerunner
| John the Baptist | |
|---|---|
John the Baptist Preaching in the Wilderness by Anton Raphael Mengs, 1760
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| Prophet | |
| Born | Late 1st century BC Herodian Judea, the Levant |
| Died | AD 31 – 36 Machaerus, Perea, the Levant |
| Venerated in |
Christianity Islam Bahá'í Faith Mandaeism |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Major shrine |
Church of St John the Baptist, Jerusalem Tomb of Prophet Yahya, Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria |
| Feast | June 24 (Nativity), August 29 (Beheading), January 7 (Synaxis, Eastern Orthodox), Thout 2 (Coptic Orthodox Church) |
| Attributes | Camel-skin robe, cross, lamb, scroll with words "Ecce Agnus Dei", platter with own head, pouring water from hands or scallop shell |
| Patronage | Patron saint of Jordan, Puerto Rico, Knights Hospitaller of Jerusalem, French Canada, Newfoundland, Cesena, Florence, Genoa, Monza, Perth (Scotland), Porto, San Juan, Turin, and many other places. |
Church of St John the Baptist, Jerusalem
John the Baptist (Ancient Greek: Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής, Ioánnes (h)o baptistés or Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων, Ioánnes (h)o baptízon, known as the prophet Yahya in the Quran), also known as John the Baptizer, was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the early first century AD. John is revered as a major religious figure in Christianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith, and Mandaeism. He is called a prophet by all of these traditions, and is honoured as a saint in many Christian traditions.
John used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament of his messianic movement. Most scholars agree that John baptized Jesus. Scholars generally believe Jesus was a follower or disciple of John and several New Testament accounts report that some of Jesus' early followers had previously been followers of John. John the Baptist is also mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus. Some scholars maintain that John was influenced by the semi-ascetic Essenes, who expected an apocalypse and practiced rituals corresponding strongly with baptism, although no direct evidence substantiates this.
According to the New Testament, John anticipated a messianic figure greater than himself. Christians commonly refer to John as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus, since John announces Jesus' coming. John is also identified with the prophet Elijah.
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