Christian Pictures: John the Baptist

after dancing at her stepdad’s (King Herod) birthday feast, he was so pleased with her performance that he offered her whatever she wanted, “up to half of his kingdom” (as the saying went).

Her mom, Herodias, (who was beforehand married to Herod’s brother, thus going against God’s law - that a man cannot marry his brother’s wife)… (the brother was still living, so it was an unlawful re-marriage, the King not being exempt)… The Prophet John the Baptist spoke openly against this unlawful union, calling out King Herod to his face, convicting him of having his brother’s wife.

Herodias absolutely hated John for this.

So she managed to have John imprisoned in the palace, where he continued to preach even from his dark cell.

So, knowing the king would be pleased with her teenage daughter’s dancing (ew, poor girl, who knows what else she had to put up with under her manipulative mother), Salome was instructed beforehand to ask for John the Baptist’s head in a charger (platter) when the king offered her whatever she asked for.

I am sure the poor girl had unspeakable trauma afterwards.

I do hope she managed to escape the grip of her wicked mother, eventually.

Herodias, King Herod’s wicked wife who used her daughter Salome to have John the Baptist beheaded

…it was because He confronted the King about being unlawfully married to her, because she was his brother’s wife

There is a brief mention in the New Testament, after John’s death, not sure exactly when but the name Salome comes up again, when referring to some Early Church Christians.

It doesn’t say anything more, but I do hope it’s the same Salome, years later, who got out of the wicked world she was brought up in, and turned to Christ.

That would be awesome!