Home

The memory of the just is celebrated with hymns of praise, but the Lord’s testimony is sufficient for thee, O Forerunner; for thou hast proved to be truly even more venerable than the Prophets, since thou wast granted to baptize in the running waters Him Whom they proclaimed. Wherefore, having contested for the truth, thou didst rejoice to announce the good tidings even to those in Hades; that God hath appeared in the flesh, taking away the sin of the world and granting us great mercy.
Dismissal Hymn, Tone 2

The divine Baptist, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the forerunner of Christ’s coming into the world was made a sacred victim for the divine Law at the hands of a transgressor.

Soon after the baptism of the Lord, John was put in prison by Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee. John upbraided King Herod because he put aside his lawful wife and had married his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. Herodias became embittered against John for this and wanted Herod to kill him. But Herod would not agree to this because he considered John to be a great prophet and feared the people. However, to appease her, he put him in prison. Herodias was not satisfied with this. About a year passed after the Forerunner’s imprisonment and Herod, celebrating his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers. Salome, the daughter of Herodias also came to this banquet. She danced for Herod, which pleased him and his guests. Herod said to her, “Ask me for whatever you wish, even up to half of my kingdom.” She consulted with her mother as to what to ask for. Herodias told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. Salome with haste returned to Herod and said, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” Herod was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word, and he sent a soldier to the prison to fulfill the deed. The soldier followed the order and returned with the head of John the Baptist on a platter and gave it to Salome, and Salome gave it to her mother Herodias. When his disciples heard of the death of John the Baptist, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.