HERE IS WHERE JOHN THE BAPTIST LOST HIS HEAD!

Salome With the Head of John the Baptist, by Caravaggio, c. 1607 (National Gallery, London).  Located in Jordan about 15 to 20 miles from and over looking the Dead Sea, roughly 12 miles from the famous place where Moses breathed his last breath at Mount Nebo, was a fortified hilltop palace called Machaerus, in Jordan                                                                                                                                Machaerus by APAAME  Built originally in 104 BC-78 BC as stated by Wikipedia, Josephus, The Wars of the Jews 7.6.2. the date varies from different sources.                                                               Machaerus by APAAME This place was built by the ruling dynasty of Judea the Hasmonean King, Alexander Jannaeus and destroyed by Pompey's General Aulus Gabinius, Roman statesman and General, supporter of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, in 57 BC, as stated by Wikipedia, Josephus, The Wars of the Jews 1.8.5.                                                             Machaerus by APAAME In 30 BC the Roman King Herod came to the throne . He was a complex character, his insecurity in his position led him to be paranoid and obsessive about maintaining his authority. His inner fears led him to order murder and atrocities on a huge scale. As with many figures that rise to power he also had gifts and one of those was that he was known as one of the greatest builders of all human history.                                                                    Photo by www.romanaqueducts.info     If we understand the psychological make up of Herod's character then we have a better understanding of why he ordered the murder of innocent babies. To hear that there was another who would be destined to rule and reign tapped into his deepest fear and once he had pinpointed the place he set in motion his plan to rid himself of this threat to his Kingship. His strategies were varied and included the manipulation of the three wise men as told in Mathew 2. Herod did of course suffer himself in the end, dying a grisly, slow and ultimately painful death.  It is said that King Herod built Machaerus which is in Jordan as a military base to safeguard his territories east of the River Jordan. He then gave it to his son  Herod Antipas, in 4BC until 39Ad. Machaerus became the place where Salome who was both Herod's grand-niece and stepdaughter danced seductively before the drunken King Herod. Her feminine wiles worked and so enthralled was he by her erotic dance Herod then promised her anything she wanted. Salome then, on instruction from her mother Herodias, demanded the Baptist's head on a platter which then was her opportunity for revenge for Johns preaching against her marriage to Herod. The Head of JOHN THE BAPTIST 17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."   Mark 6:17 - 19.  How do we know that John the Baptist was beheaded at Machaerus? Well, we know a lot about Herod and his sons thanks to our good friend Josephus's books The Jewish Antiquities. The historian Flavius Josephus faithfully recorded in extraordinary detail the life of Herod the Great.  Josephus gives a full description of Machaerus in The Wars of the Jews 7.6.1, and Jewish Antiquities (book 18, chapter 5, 2) by Flavius Josephus (37-100) Josephus on John the Baptist  An account of John the Baptist is found in all extant manuscripts of the Jewish Antiquities (book 18, chapter 5, 2) by Flavius Josephus (37-100):[51] "Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were very greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise,) thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it would be too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him. Again we have overwhelming evidence of Bible Archaeology walking side by side with one another including two Biblical Kings as a surviving witness to a time when Jesus walked on the earth.  Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I pray it has been of interest and that you will be blessed.  I am Simon Brown, may God bless those who seek him, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.