John was the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, he was following the tradition for half a year before Jesus was born. The gentle old priest Zacharias, whose long marriage was childless, sacrificed in the temple and received by the Archangel Gabriel the promise that he had a son is born. Zacharias doubts, asked for a sign from the Angels and was beaten with dumbness. The then actually in old age Elizabeth became pregnant, the pregnancy of Mary visited with her until the birth of John. Elizabeth, after the birth of the naming interviewed knew of their intuition that the boy against the family tradition should be called John, while Zacharias wrote the name on a wax tablet, his language was now back and broke in the Gospel of Luke (1, 67 -- 79) from traditional hymn.

 
Leonardo da Vinci: John, 1513-16, Musée du Louvre in Paris
John first appeared in the autumn of the year 28 as a publicly Bußprediger on, also reported by the Roman historian Flavius Josephus. He lived as an ascetic in the desert, where he "with rough camel hair wearing of locusts and wild honey nourishes" (Gospel of Mark 1, 6, Matthew 3, 4) stories, which is reminiscent of Elijah. He announced at the coming of the Jordan from the Jews awaited Messiah, was to prepare this Bußtaufe with the water as a symbol of salvation in the next world court and gathered a crowd of supporters around him. He has been helped by the Prince Herod spied preventive and surrounded by soldiers from speaking to the Pharisees asked whether he was the Messiah (Gospel of Luke 3, 1-20). The Christian Church sees in him the last great prophet of the biblical tradition.

John baptized Jesus in Jordan, with the specific mission of Jesus and his divinity for the first time in public apparently was: "From the heavens a voice yell: 'Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I have found pleasure.'" (Gospel of Luke 3, 24 )

 
Dietrich Bouts, the Younger: John in the countryside, around 1470, Alte Pinakothek in Munich
By King Herod Antipas John was then taken prisoner because of his illegal connection with his sister Herodias had publicly accused. The hateful Herodias moving her daughter Salome, such as the dance of her delighted father had a wish, Johannes' main demand. He was beheaded, their mother Salome brought the head on a dish (Mark's Gospel 6, 14-29).