Prophet living at the time of the New Testament

John the Baptist

Luke 1:5–25, 57–80; 3:1–20; Mark 6:14–29

The son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, born to them in their old age, and the forerunner of Jesus (Luke 1:5–25, 57–80). He lived in the wilderness, dressed in camel’s hair, and ate locusts and wild honey, and “came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins”; all Judea and Jerusalem went out to him (Mark 1:4–6). He said of Jesus, “After me comes he who is mightier than I,” and baptized Jesus in the Jordan, and pointed to him: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Mark 1:7; Matthew 3:13–17; John 1:29). He said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

He told Herod Antipas that it was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife Herodias; Herod put him in prison and, at Herodias’ prompting, had him beheaded (Matthew 14:3–12). Jesus said that among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11).

Six months older than Jesus (Luke 1:26, 36). Ussher dates his birth to 5 BC, the start of his preaching to AD 26, his imprisonment to AD 30, and his beheading by Herod Antipas to early AD 32, shortly before the Passover at which Jesus fed the 5,000 (John 6:4). Josephus also records his death, at the fortress of Machaerus.

Family

Father

Zacharias

Mother

Elizabeth

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