JOHN THE BAPTIST (Gr. n /Saw TLCI-ThS, or simply 'Icacivz,nr, when the reference is clear, as in Matt. iii. 4 ; iv. 12). This eminent individual commonly bears the honourable title of forerunner of the Lord '—antecursor et prparator viarum Domini (Tertull. adv. Marc. iv. 33); in Greek, irp6Spoi.tos, irpodyreXos Kvplou. 7he ac counts of him which the gospels present are frag mentary and imperfect : they involve too, some difficulties which the learned have found it hard to remove ; yet enough is given to show that Ile was a man of a lofty character, and that the relation in which Ile stood to Christianity was one of great importance.
His parents were Zacharias and Elisabeth, the latter a cousin of Mary,' the mother of Jesus, whose senior John was by a period of six months (Luke i.) The exact spot where John was born is not determined. The rabbins fix on Hebron, in the hill-country of Juchea ; Paulus, Kuinoel, and Meyer, after Reland, are in favour ofJutta, a city of Judah.' According to the account contained in the first chapter of Luke, his father, while engaged in burning incense, was visited by the angel Gabriel, who informed him that in compliance with his prayers his wife should bear a son, whose name he should call John—in allusion to the grace thus accorded. A description of the manner of his son's life is given, v..hich in effect states that he was to be a Nazarite, abstaining from bodily indul gences, was to receive special favour and aid of God, was to prove a great religious and social re. form er, and so prepare the way for the long-expected Messiah. Zacharias is slow to believe these tidings, and seeks some token in evidence of their tnith. Accordingly a sign is given which acts also as a punishment of his want of faith—his tongue is sealed till the prediction is fulfilled by the event. Six months after Elisabeth had conceived she received a visit from Mary, the future mother of Jesus. On being saluted by her relation, Elisabeth felt her babe leap in her womb, and, being filled with the Holy Spirit, she broke forth into a poetic congratu lation to Mary, as the destined mother of her Lord. At length Elisabeth brought forth a son, whom the relatives were disposed to name Zacharias, after his father—but Elisabeth was in some way led to wish that he should be called John. The matter
was referred to the father, who signified in writing that his name was to be John. This agreement with Elisabeth caused all to marvel. Zacharias now had his tongue loosed, and he first employed his restored power in praising God. These singu lar events caused universal surprise, and led people to expect that the child would prove a distinguished man.
The parents of John were not only of a priestly order, but righteous and devout. Their influence, in consequence, in the training of their son, would be not only benign but suitable to the holy office which he was designed to fill. More than this— the special aids of God's Spirit wcre with him (Luke i. 66). How thoroughly Zacharias was penetrated with his parental responsibility and the future dig nity of his son, appears from the divine song' to which he gives utterance ; the following words de serve notice :—` And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest ; for thou shalt go be fore the face of the Lord to prepare his ways ; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.' As a consequence of the lofty influences under which tie was nurtured, the child waxed strong in spirit. The sacred writer adds that he was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel ' (Luke i. 8o). The apocry phal Protev. 7ae., c.h. states that his mother, in order to rescue her son from the murder of the children at Bethlehem, which Herod commanded, fled with him into the desert She found no place of refuge • the mountain opened at her request, and gave the needed shelter in its bosom. Zacha rias, being questioned by Herod as to where his son was to be found, and refusing to answer, was slain by the tyrant. At a later period Elisabeth died, when angels took the youth under their care (Fabricius Cod. Apochry,M., p. 117, seq. ; comp. Kuhn, Lel:en yam, i. 163, remark 4).