A dance. A king’s oath. A prophet’s head on a platter.

Two thousand years ago, at a birthday banquet in a desert fortress, Herod Antipas made a promise in front of his most powerful guests. Minutes later, a girl asked him for the head of John the Baptist, and he gave it to her.

In this episode of Blood Savage, the Bible true crime podcast, LaNyce investigates the beheading of John the Baptist the way a detective works a cold case: the victim, the suspects, the evidence and the verdict. Was the killer the king who gave the order, the wife who wanted John dead, or the girl who carried the platter? Or was it the family itself, a royal dynasty that had been killing its own for two generations?

In this episode:

• Why John the Baptist was arrested, and the eleven words that sealed his fate

• Herodias: granddaughter of Herod the Great, the king who executed her father

• The first wife who escaped through the same fortress where John died

• What Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, says about John’s death

• The dig at Machaerus in Jordan, where archaeologists believe they found the courtyard where Salome danced

• The bronze coin that carries the grown face of Queen Salome

• What this case reveals about truth, power and generational sin

Quick answers:

Who killed John the Baptist? Herod Antipas ordered his execution after Herodias’s daughter, prompted by her mother Herodias, asked for John’s head (Mark 6:14-29).

Why was John the Baptist killed? He condemned Herod Antipas’s marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife. Josephus adds that Antipas feared John’s influence could spark an uprising.

Where was John the Baptist beheaded? According to Josephus, at Machaerus, Herod’s fortress east of the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan.

What was the name of the girl who danced? The Gospels don’t name her. Josephus identifies Herodias’s daughter as Salome.

Scripture: Mark 6:14-29, Matthew 14:1-12, Luke 3:19-20

Historical sources: Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 18

New to Blood Savage? Start with Episode 1, Herod the Great: The King Who Killed His Own Family.

Next case: The King Eaten by Worms.

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This initial captivating episode uncovers the multifaceted legacy of Herod the Great, a ruler whose reign was marked by grandeur, political prowess, and chilling intrigues. Delve into the architectural wonders crafted by Herod, his intricate political maneuvers in the Roman Empire, and his enigmatic role in biblical narratives, particularly surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. Explore the depths of Herod's achievements, his quest for power, and the compelling historical context that shaped his tumultuous legacy as told by LaNyce.