John the Baptist

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, was the son of the priest Zacharias and Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, the mother of our Lord. He was a Nazirite from his birth, and he prepared himself for his mission by years of self-discipline in the desert, until at length he appeared to startle his hearers with the preaching of repentance. The rite of baptism which he administered was a token and symbol of repentance and forgiveness of sins, preparatory to that baptism to follow, the distinctive quality of which was to be the gift of regeneration through the power of the Holy Spirit. With the baptism of Jesus the more especial office of the forerunner ceased, and soon after his ministry came to a close. He had fearlessly denounced Herod Antipas for taking Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and was accordingly flung into prison, where ere long he was executed at the request of Salome, the daughter of the abandoned Herodias. The Mandæans or Zabians (q.v.) still claim to be his disciples. John the Baptist was from an early date regarded in England as the patron saint of the common people, and great masonic festivals continue to be held on St John's Day, the 24th of June. For the Knights of St John, see HOSPITALLERS.