John The Baptist was a Jewish prophet and Christian saint who preached the imminence of God’s Final Judgment. Also known as John the Forerunner in Christianity, he was active in the early 1st century AD in the area of the Jordan River. He is considered a prophet of God and revered not only in Christianity but also in Islam, the Druze Faith, the Baháʼí Faith, and Mandaeism. According to Christian traditions, both John’s mother and Jesus Christ’s mother were expecting babies at the same time, making John a contemporary of Jesus Christ. According to some sources, John and Jesus were relatives. Even though revered as a prophet, John anticipated the coming of a messianic figure greater than himself and prepared the citizens for Jesus' ministry. John hailed from a Jewish sect that practiced ritual baptism and used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament. It is even believed that John baptized Jesus. As a prophet, John was the one who had to “come first to restore all things.” He led an austere life and lived in the wilderness as an ascetic. He criticized King Herod Antipas as he didn’t approve of his divorce and subsequent unlawful marriage. Due to this, Herod put John to death.
