Mystery Files TV - Rivals of Jesus TV - Jesus: The Missing Years TV - Candida Moss - Mysteries of the Bible TV - Head of John the Baptist TV - Matthew 3:1-6 - Matthew 3:11 - Matthew 3:13-17 - Matthew 11:2-13 - Matthew 21:24&25&32 - Mark 1:1-9&14 - Mark 6:14-28 - Mark 9:11-13 - Mark 11:28-33 - Luke 1:5-7&13&15&60 - Luke 3:2-4&16&20&21 - Luke 7:18-20&24-28 - Luke 9:7-9 - John 1:6-9&15&21-23&25-36 - John 3:24-28 - Gospel of the Ebionites - Gospel of the Nazoreans - Koran 3:36-49 - Book of Mormon I Nephi 10:8-10 – Jesus Code: The Bones of John the Baptist TV - In Search of … TV -
According to Luke, John the Baptist surfaces in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius. The year 29 C.E. So if Jesus is 30 in 29 C.E. this suggests the year 1 B.C.E. as a possible birth date. Jesus would need to be at least three years older to live in the time of Herod the Great, or seven years younger to be subjected to the Roman census. Therefore, at least a decade’s discrepancy is evident within Luke’s conflicting version of events. Mystery Files s2e1: The Birth of Christ, National Geographic 2011
The practice begins around 30 A.D. when the Bible says a charismatic figure emerges from the desert. John calls for the Jewish people to gather at the Jordan River. There he baptises them to wash away their sins. He has hundreds, perhaps thousands, of followers. Among them is one very important man: Jesus of Nazareth. Rivals of Jesus, National Geographic 2006
Scholars believe Christ chose to align himself with John the Baptist because John preached the need for radical change. Jesus: The Missing Years, National Geographic 2010
Why is he [Jesus] getting baptised if he is without sin? What does Jesus need from John? Professor Candida Moss, University of Notre Dame
He came out of the desert preaching redemption and repentance. Mysteries of the Bible s5e5: John the Baptist, A&E 1998
He was venerated above all other prophets. ibid.
John the Baptist mysteriously disappears from the Biblical texts until he is an adult. ibid.
Was he considered a rival messiah? ibid.
His teachings were in the Apocalyptic tradition. ibid.
His cousin from Nazareth – Jesus. ibid.
What made the promise of a coming messiah so relevant at the time? ibid.
The Holy Land in the year 30 A.D. More popular than Jesus – his name is John the Baptist. Head of John the Baptist, National Geographic 2012
Could the bones of John the Baptist, potentially the most valuable relic in all of Christianity, have survived to this day? ibid.
Bulgaria: a year earlier ... they uncover a marble reliquary ... He reads the name St John ... The fact that the reliquary was buried in the ground only a few hundred years after John’s death is promising. ibid.
At least seven different countries claim to have a piece of him. ibid.
Was there something about John that posed a threat to the ministry of Jesus? ibid.
Dating the bones to the first century. ibid.
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Matthew 3:1-6
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matthew 3:11
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:13-17
Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. Matthew 11:2-13
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.
And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. Matthew 14:1-12
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. Matthew 21:24&25&32
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.