Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-05-19
The Death of
John the Baptist
Sunday School Lesson for May 22, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

u city. 1889.
TIME.-John probably was behcadcd in
March A. n. 20. after spending "A year in
prison.
PLACE.-John was imprisoned nj
Machaerus. Herod's palace-fortres on the
east OF the Dead Sea,
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Herod: a Scoundrel on a Throne
Who was the Herod that imprisoned
John the Baptist? Four llerods are
mentioned in the New Testament, and
1t Is necessary to keep them distinct.
1. Hcrod the Great, king of .Judea
from 81 y. c. to 4 A. d.. the Herod
who ruled when Christ was born, and
massacred the babies Of bethlehem.
He was a cruel tyrant. He married
ten wives and had many children, one
of whom was
2. Herod the Tetrarch, called IIerod
Antipas. the ruler Of Galilce and
Peraea from 4 a. d. to 80 A. D., or
during our Lords ministry. lie was
the Herod to whom plate sent Christ
during his trial. and II was he who i'm.
prisoned John the Baptist.
3. Herod Agrippa L., grandson OF
Herod the Great. his father being
AIistobulus. was king OF Judca A. ID.
41.44, having a realm equal to that OF
Hcrod the Great. II was he that slew
James the brother Of John, Imprisoned
Peter. accepted divine honor, and was
miserably eaten up Of worms
q. Herod Agrippa H.. son of the fore
0ntnD UNA fhnrnfnrn grant U,.n ,,l,,v,
Of lIerod the Great. When Paul made
his famous plea before Fcstus this
iIerod was present. with his sister
wife Bcrnicc.
What was the character of IIcrOd
Antipas? He was q weak. sensual.
and t~reacherOus man. Our Lord spoke
Of him as that fox"
John: a Hero In a Dungeon. VS.. 80.
How did John the Baptist get into
the foxes den?" JOscphus says that
HerOd imprisoned him because he
feared that Johns vast audiences
might be used to fCment n revolution.
That may have been assigned In pub
lie as a pretcXt, but the reason given
by Matthew is certainly the real one
that John had openly rcbukcd iIcrod
for his unholy connection with his
brothers wife.
HerOlias: an Unnatural Mother
VS.. G-S. Who was iicrodlas. who was
plotting against the prophet? She
was the niece of Iierod and OF his
brother Philip.
What opportunity did IIerodias find
for gaining her desire against John?
Herod's birthday was kept with q bril-
liant feast Ito his lords, and the high
captains. n the chief men of Cali
lee" tMark). "A luxurious feast Of
the period was not regarded as com.
plete unless II closed with some gross
pantomimic representations; and
doubtless Herod had adopted the civil
fashion OF his day. But he had not
anticipated for his guests the rare lux.
ury of seeing n princess-his own
niece, n granddaughter OF IIcrod the
Great and Of Marianne, a descendant
therefore Of Simon the high priest and
the great line of Maccabaean princes
"A princess who aftcrward became
the wife OF a tctrarch and the mother
OI u klIP. -fdTThT.
Who was this degraded girl? Her
name was SalOmc, and she was the
daughter Of Herodlas and her first
husband. Philip.
What are we to think OF Herod's
promise, whatsoever she would ask?
1t shows that. weak and foolish as he
was, his wits were infamed and con.
fused by wine.
Why did Salome go out and ask her
mother what to ask (Mark)? This
feature of the story does not look like
a plot. or as If Herodias had not dared
to confde the whole Of It to her
daughter. Should she ask for Jewels,
beautiful clothes, a palace? Prof
Stalker puts these words into the
mothers mouth: Little fool, you
know not what you ask; what would
all these things be to you and me un
queened and outcast as we may be any
day II John the Baptist lives?" Sc
the girl went back "stralghtway with
haste" MARK and exclaimed; "My
wish Is that you give me here, immedi
ately, on a dish, the head Of John the
Baptist" "Her indecent haste, hel
hideous petition. show that she shared
the furies of her race."-Farrar.
The Transient Triumph of Wrong
VS.. 9.12. How did SalOme's request
affect Herod? 1.-The king was sorry
MARK: exceedingly sorry"). This
was not genuine repentance. or Herot
would have withdrawn his promise
,ta., r,l,,hAna thnIuh uIWavu N pla