Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-12
3rai1H ann Eta. Tttttra
5FauH ann Eta UmRa
John the Baptist Was a Sacrifice
To the Luxurious Court of Herod
By DANIEL-ROPS
CHAPTER 8

News of John the Baptists death was
rumored along the shores Of the lake to-
ward the end of March in the year 20,
just before the miracle of the loaves and
fishes.
According to St. Matthew this explains
the sudden departure Of Jesus into the
territory Of the more benevolent tetrarch
Philip; he would not desire to remain any
longer within the power Of Antipas, the
murderer of the Baptist.
For 10 months, the Baptist had been in
solitary confinement in the fortress Of
MachaeruS.
Herod Antipas, however, continued to
watch John with that singular mixture of
disquiet and respect suspicion and fear,
which has already been mentioned.
He was weak man, heSitating in judy
ment, guided certainly by innate craft but
also just as much by his passions and
superstitious fears.
The cause of the murder of John was
the bitter hatred Of him borne by Herodias,
whom he had denounced as an adulteress
and who intended at any cost to silence
the voice which had asserted her guilt.
Lovers Of Luxury
Herodias was proud that she could hold
royal court at last with her daughter
.Salome, young girl in her early teens.
HerodianS loved luxury. Herod the Great
ate from gold plate and the Roman custom
OF wearing wreathS Of flowers had been
adopted by these cosmopolitan princes
Stretched out on their ltterS, perfumed
with altar Of roses and wearing sleeveless
tunics to leave their arms free, the guests
would eat through lavish and protracted
banquet of rich and heavy food.
There would be great deal of drinking
During these feasts musicians would play
on the knnar, Jewish harp with a deep
grave sound, on the either, which had
higher pitch and on various kinds Of flutes
and shrill reed pipes. During the pauses
for the service of the innumerable courses,
dancers would entertain the guests And
among these, at Machaerus, was Salome.
Many artists have been moved to depict
this strange girl who materializes from the
brief indications in the Gospel story as a
diSquieting figure. Perhaps Luini has sue
ceeded as well as anybody. His canvas in
the Louvre portrays an enigmatic counte-
nance in which vice combines with grace, q
red-haired beauty with green eyes, an am
biguous maiden who looks at the head
which she bears on platter, without pity
and without a tremor
She would be about IS or H. "She danced
and pleased Herod and them that sat with
him." says the Gospel
Bedouin Descendants
Bedouin dances-and it should be re-
membered that the Herodians were Of
Idumean origin and thus descended from
Bedouin tribes-can be seen today in Syria
and in the Transjordan. The dances of
the Ouled-Nail in Africa are similar. The
dancer in her heavy blue-black draperies,
almost as dense as a crinoline, comes
slowly forward; her hair unbound, her arms
straight by her side, she walks toward fire
which men are tending She then begins
to sway her head to the rhythm Of the
orchestra and the singers by night on my
bed sought him whom my soul loveth; I
sought him, but found him not. The
watchmen that 90 about the city found
me, to whom said saw ye him whom
my soul loveth?" tSong Of Songs ill., 1-3J
Then the beat quickens. The girl bends
her neck backward, as far as it will go, she
twists and turns, her face seems drawn in,
her head weighted down by the heavy
tresses. The arms now begin to raise them
selves and to stretch out imploringly, Offer
ing themselves. The upthrust chin defes
the unseen partner. For long time she
pivots thus, top with sweeping ravens
wings, endlessly fleeting and returning, the
dark name of hair whips her loins; and as
the pace slackens the spectators catch sight
Of her face, the nostrils taut, the mouth