John the Baptist

The Ancients

History Hit

History

4.7 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 April 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

From the wilderness of ancient Judea to the pages of the New Testament, John the Baptist is one of the most compelling and mysterious figures in biblical history. But who really was he? What was his message? And why did he choose to live in isolation, wearing camel hair and eating wild locusts and honey?

In this special episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes takes you to Bethany – the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism and the heart of John the Baptist’s ministry to uncover the life and legacy of this fiery preacher. Joining Tristan are two expert guests – Professors Joan Taylor and Helen Bond – to explore the archaeological and historical evidence surrounding John the Baptist. Together, they delve into his radical message, his clash with Herod Antipas, and his role in the broader world of Roman-occupied Judea. What emerges is a portrait of a man who defied authority, inspired movements, and helped shape one of the most influential stories in human history.

For more from Helen and Joan on The Ancients:

Jesus of Nazareth - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qFWoLLNQFgL0FmBhUoKe2

Mary Magdalene - https://open.spotify.com/episode/43gF3oTWEwz0pi3PLRmtGc

Pontius Pilate - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vZxK1dFIwspOoBOkpVLmA

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Tristan Hughes, and if you would like the ancient ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit.
0:08.1	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including my recent documentary all about Petra and the Nabatans, and enjoy a new release every week.
0:19.3	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe.
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1:09.0	So I'm currently standing on top a little hillock at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where the phrase
1:14.2	chariots of fire originates from. This is part of what we call the baptism site, the place where it is
1:21.1	believed that Jesus of Nazareth was baptized, and John the Baptist did his preaching, did his ministry. This was the place of his
1:30.4	ministry. Looking around this area of the world, first of all, there's no other tourists here,
1:35.7	so it's very special access we've got. It is a very barren, quite arid landscape. This is the
1:41.8	wilderness, and that corroborates with the literature, with the biblical
1:45.4	sources which mentions how John the Baptist he was preaching by the River Jordan in the wilderness
1:51.4	and he lived, well not in the loveliest of accommodations. He lived in a cave and he ate a diet
1:57.4	of wild honey and locusts and also wore camel skin or camel hair, I believe that's in the Gospel of Mark.
2:05.3	This is an extraordinary sight. I can see the remains of a few buildings, the foundation, stone foundation layers,
	...

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