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The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (also known as: Decollation of Saint John the Baptist or Beheading of the Forerunner) is a holy day observed by various Christian churches that follow liturgical traditions. The day commemorates the martyrdom by beheading of Saint John the Baptist on the orders of Herod Antipas through the vengeful request of his step-daughter Salome and her mother. On August 29, 2012, during a televised public audience at the summer palace of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI maintained the discovery of Saint John the Baptist's fragmented head for the second time attested to the historical veneration of his sanctity dating back to the Apostolic Age. In addition, the Pontiff also noted that the religious feast particularly commemorates the transfer of this relic, now enshrined in the Basilica of San Silvestro in Capite in Rome. ==Traditional accounts== According to the Synoptic Gospels, Herod, who was tetrarch, or sub-king, of Galilee under the Roman Empire, had imprisoned John the Baptist because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife (Phasaelis) and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I. On Herod's birthday, Herodias's daughter (whom Josephus identifies as Salome) danced before the king and his guests. Her dancing pleased Herod so much that in his drunkenness he promised to give her anything she desired, up to half of his kingdom. When the daughter asked her mother what she should request, she was told to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Although Herod was appalled by the request, he reluctantly agreed and had John executed in the prison.〔, , 〕 The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus also relates in his ''Antiquities of the Jews'' that Herod killed John, stating that he did so, "lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his () power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise), (Herod ) thought it best (put ) him to death." He further states that many of the Jews believed that the military disaster that fell upon Herod at the hands of Aretas, his father-in-law (Phasaelis' father), was God's punishment for his unrighteous behavior.〔Flavius Josephus. (''Jewish Antiquities'' ) XVIII, v, 2.〕 None of the sources gives an exact date, which was probably in the years 28-29 AD (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-27; Luke 9:9) after imprisoning John the Baptist in 27 AD (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14) at the behest of Herodias his brother's wife whom he took to be his mistress (Matthew 14:3-5; Mark 6:17-20);〔Harmony of the Gospels, The People's New Testament Commentary〕 and according to Josephus, the death took place at the fortress of Machaerus. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Beheading of St. John the Baptist」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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