The castle of Machzerus, where John was im prisoned and beheaded, was a fortress lying on the southern extremity of Perma, at the top of the lake Asphaltites, between the dominions of IIerod and Aretas, king of Arabia Petrima, and at the time of our history appears to have belonged to the former (Lardner, vi. 483). According to the Scripture ac count, the daughter of Herodias obtained the Baptist's head at an entertainment, without delay. HOW could this be, when Machmrus lay at a dis tance from Jerusalem ? The feast seems to have been made at Machmrus, which, besides being a stronghold, was also a palace, built by Herod the Great, and Herod himself was now on his route towards the territories of Aretas, with whom he was at war. Bishop Marsh (Lecture xxvi.) re marks, that the soldiers who, in Luke iii. 14, are said to have come to John while baptizing in the Jordan, are designated by a term (o-rparev61.cevot, not o-Tpconi.Zyl-a4) which denotes persons actually en gaged in war, not merely soldiers. In the same way, in Mark vi. 27, the officer sent to bring John's head bears a military title—o-m-eicouXcircop. These minute indications are quite accordant with the fact that Herod was then making war on Aretas, as ap pears from Josephus (Antic. xviii. s. 1), and afford a very strong evidence of the credibility of the sacred narratives, by shewing that the authors de scribed what was actually proceeding before their own eyes. We also see a reason why Herodias
was present on this occasion, since she was Herod's paramour, and had, like another IIelen,' led to the war.
John the Baptist is mentioned in the Koran, with much honour, under the name of Jahia (see Hottinger, Historia Oriental's, pp. 144-149, Tiguri 1660).
T h e literature connected with the subject of this article, to be found in foreigm writers, is very rich. Besides the works already named, the following may be consulted : Hase (Leben yem, 3 Aufl., Leipzig 184o, p. So), who, together with Wald' (Eibliotheca Theologica, 402), gives the chief authorities ; Witsii Exerc. de yoanne Bap/. in his Sacra, ii. 367 ; J. G. E. Leopold, ,o hannes der Tiinfer, Hannov. 182s ; Usteri, Nach richten von Yohannes dem ?Tinier, in the Studien und A'ritiken, 1829, part iii. p. 439 ; L. von Rob den, .7ohannes der Tinier, Litheck 1838 ; Nean der, Das Idol yesu, Hamb. 1837, p. 49, E. T., I,- 45, ff. The ecclesiastical traditions touching John may be found in the Acta Sanciorum, iv. 687-46; and, in a compendious form, in Tille mont, Me/noires, i. S2-108, 472-505.—J. R. B.