Salome | stepdaughter of Herod Antipas | Britannica.com stepdaughter of Herod Antipas John Hyrcanus I Salome, (flourished 1st century ad), according to the Jewish historian Josephus, the daughter of Herodias and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas , tetrarch (ruler appointed by Rome) of Galilee , a region in Palestine. In Biblical literature she is remembered as the immediate agent in the execution of John the Baptist . Josephus states that she was twice married, first to the tetrarch Philip (a half brother of her father, Herod , and a son of Herod I the Great) and then to Aristobulus (son of Herod of Chalcis). She is not to be confused with Salome, sister of Herod I the Great.

Salome presenting the head of John the Baptist to her mother, Herodias, bronze relief panel by … MM According to the Gospels of Mark (6:14–29) and Matthew (14:1–12), Herod Antipas had imprisoned John the Baptist for condemning his marriage to Herodias, the divorced wife of his half brother Herod Philip (the marriage violated Mosaic Law), but Herod was afraid to have the popular prophet killed. Nevertheless, when Salome danced before Herod and his guests at a festival, he promised to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, Herodias, who was infuriated by John’s condemnation of her marriage, the girl demanded the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and the unwilling Herod was forced by his oath to have John beheaded. Salome took the platter with John’s head and gave it to her mother. This story proved popular in Christian art from an early period and became especially popular during the Renaissance, exemplified by the work of the painter Masolino da Panicale . Salome has also been strikingly portrayed by the 19th-century artists Gustave Moreau and Aubrey Beardsley .

Oscar Wilde’s one-act play Salomé (published in 1893, first performed in 1896) was translated by Hedwig Lachmann as the libretto for Richard Strauss’s one-act opera of the same name (first produced in 1905), in which Herod is portrayed as lusting after Salome, while Salome, in her turn, desires John the Baptist; she finally satisfies her corrupt wishes by kissing the lips of the severed head of John, who had spurned her. Hence, Salome has become an erotic symbol in art, and it is likely that it is her provocative “Dance of the Seven Veils” in the Strauss opera that most people connect with her name, although no such dance is mentioned in the Bible. Learn More in these related articles: Salome - Modernism Lab Essays Salome by Elizabeth Pugh Salome by Richard Strauss is an operatic retelling of the Biblical story of John the Baptist’s martyrdom, which focuses on the daughter of Herodias. Her strange fascination with John the Baptist ultimately leads to the demise of her and her father in this tragic opera.

Strauss based his opera on the one-act play written by Oscar Wilde in 1884. [1] Salome debuted in early December 1905 in Dresden, German. The score for the opera made modernist strides through the use of unique instruments and dissonance, and the story created controversy among music and theater critics. Summary of the Work Salome, the mystical daughter of Queen Herodias and step-daughter of King Herod, is entranced by John the Baptist, because of his prophesies that she hears echoing up through the floor as well as his dislike for her mother. Later, her fascination with him attaches to his appearance. Narraboth, the captain of the guard who is infatuated with Salome, orders that he be brought up to the great dismay of the Page and contrary to his orders after Salome pleads with him. [2] When he refuses to let her come near him, her obsession escalates, and she becomes determined to have him (69-114). She does not take notice when Narraboth kills himself, but instead continues in her pursuit of John the Baptist (102).

John’s rejection and retreat into the cistern lead her to revenge. Herod struggles with many different conflicts throughout the opera, as he fears and admires John, resents his wife and the constant bickering of the religious officials who surround him, and obsesses over his step-daughter. Salome, knowing these varying pressures, takes advantage of the situation. She twists the king’s fixation with her by using a dance (the “Dance of the Seven Veils”) to get what she wants: the head of John the Baptist on a platter, with which she can do whatever she desires without John’s protests (142-350). Terrified and scandalized by such behavior, King Herod orders her death (351). Biblical and Legendary Background In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the story of John’s death is written similarly, though the Gospel of Mark has more details as to the specific circumstances, such as how Herod felt about John (Matt 14:3-12; Mk 6: 17-29). Curiously enough, neither Gospel ever mentions the daughter of Herodias by name.

In early commentaries, both this character was called Herodias until she was given the name Salome by Isidor of Seville, due to the name's repeated occurrence in Herod’s family line. [3] Salome has also been known as Boyzia and Pharaildis in different legends as well. [4] The works of Strauss and Wilde are not alone in their interpretation of Salome’s strange attraction to John the Baptist. In one particular legend, Salome “vows not to belong to anyone but John, and her infuriated father has him decapitated." [5] This particular legend differs from the Biblical story in several key details, such as the fascination felt by Herod and the bitterness felt by his wife (Herodias) toward John the Baptist. Strauss’ Musical Strides in the Opera Described as “thunder,” “noise,” and “orchestral cacophony,” Strauss’ music in Salome managed to shock the audience, which had never before heard this type of music on stage or perhaps even in their lives.

[6] Quite complex, the arrangement includes forty-nine instrument and voice parts weaving with each other to create a score that changed the scene of opera, compared to much smaller numbers of parts within its predecessors. [7] The dissonance, bitonality, and even effects created by the orchestra all help to create the feelings expressed in the opera. from terror to infatuation. [8] For example, the mystical quality of the music matches that quality of John the Baptist as he emerges from the cistern. These concepts like bitonality would have been unheard of in an opera before Salome, indicating that Strauss turned towards modernity by leaving the older models of opera behind in favor of trying something new. Strauss even brought in strange instruments that were rarely used in operatic or orchestral works before, such as the heckelphone and even kettledrums. The use of these instruments shows a departure in Strauss’ mind from the traditional concept of what an orchestra should be, and consequently another modernist leaning.

It also shocked with its dance scene, the “Dance of the Seven Veils," which brought in oriental elements in a dramatic shift from the traditional, as well as from the other parts of the opera (202-241). One critic railed that the opera “rattled and banged until the emotions are worn out; it no longer wants anything but explosions, and the dynamics of these has no effect but that of dynamite." [9] Analysis Throughout the opera, there are some interesting sections that could use further investigation by the viewer. One example of this is Salome’s obsession with John the Baptist. After he initially rejects her, she begins to admire just parts of him, showing an objectification of John as she sings to his mouth, his skin, etc (69-114). In light of this objectification, his beheading can be more clearly understood. She could not have all of John while he was living, so she wanted him dead.

She has, as Paul Banks writes, “no interest in him as a prophet." [10] His beheading furthers this theme of objectification: even in his martyrdom, she only has a part of John the Baptist with which to do her bidding. Another interesting idea that both Strauss and Wilde bring forth is that Salome acts in John’s death of her own will and pleasure. This reading diverges from the Biblical interpretation, in which she acted more as her mother’s pawn or in revenge for things John said about her mother. Strauss's portrayal, deemed one of “demonic feminine sexuality” by Banks, placed Salome in a femme fatale position. The men who are involved with her (Narraboth, John, and Herod) all meet tragedy in one way or another. She herself meets her demise after her obsession escalates to a point beyond what the society of her time deems appropriate and Herod orders her death. Repeatedly, this theme of obsession comes forward, and each time it leads to the character’s destruction. For instance, the character of Narraboth is infatuated with Salome, and even allows the guards to bring up John the Baptist at her request (against his own orders).

Yet as she grows more obsessed with John, Narraboth’s warnings and pleadings to her go unheeded. He kills himself in despair of her lack of attention to him and the danger she is in. Controversy and Backlash Even before this opera was staged, it was controversial. The original play by Wilde did not make it to opening night in England because “a license for its production was refused by the Lord Chamberlain’s office." [11] The cast of the opera also had some scruples due to the material, especially their roles within it. The actress playing Salome in the production reportedly cried “That I won’t do; I am a respectable woman”! [12] Because of the controversial nature of the subject matter with Biblical characters, such as suicide and necrophilia as well as the sexual nature of the material, like the obsession of Herod with his step-daughter and a femme fatale in the character of Salome, the opera was widely denounced by clergy and those of conservative values. [13] This opera clearly contrasted with the cultural and traditional ideals of Strauss’ time. The cast’s trouble with the material shows how provocative these portrayals are.

The opera raises crucial questions involved in the taboo topics of obsession, revenge, necrophilia, incest, and suicide, questions that society cannot ignore. It also shows a dissent for religious authority, as can be seen through the ever-bickering religious figures, repudiating that traditional value of following dogma and doctrine. [14] The opera premiered just as Biblical criticism was emerging, which was not embraced in its early stages by church authority (in the broadest sense), but instead was seen as modernist encroachment upon faith. Because of this, any questioning of Biblical characters (their motives, their stories, etc.) by the modernist movement especially would have been seen as a particular danger, which explains the protests and denunciations. Conclusion Through its innovative use of themes, music, and reinterpretation, Strauss’ Salome managed to shock audiences with its modernist way of departing from and questioning the traditional cultural values of its day. Refusing to be still, it rouses the audience to think about how they see the world through music and taboo issues to this day. ↑ Ernest Newman, "Salome," in Great Operas, vol. 1. 1943 (New York: Vintage, 1959), p.

372. ↑ Richard Strauss, Salome [1905] (Berlin: Adolph Fürstner, 1916), 5, 37-48. All subsequent parenthetical citations refer to this edition. ↑ Herbert Haag et al., "Herodias and Salome," in Great Women of the Bible in Art and Literature, ed. Emil Bührer, trans. Joe H Kirchberger (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1994), p. 256. ↑ Ibid. ↑ Ibid. ↑ Petra Dierkes-Thrun, "'The Brutal Music and the Delicate Text'? The Aesthetic Relationship between Wilde's and Strauss's Salome Reconsidered," Modern Language Quarterly 69.3 (2008), p. 376. ↑ Ibid., p. 376. ↑ Ibid., p. 377. ↑ Dierkes-Thrun, p. 378. ↑ Paul Banks, “Richard Strauss and the Unveiling of Salome," in Salome/ Elektra, ed. Nicholas John (New York: Riverrun, 1988), p.

19. ↑ Newman, p. 372. Salome and John the Baptist SALOME and JOHN THE BAPTIST Anonymous (Investigator 149, 2013 March) SUMMARY Did Salome dance naked for her uncle to get the head of John the Baptist cut off? Modern opera, theatre and movies often depict Salome as an erotic seductress caught up with others in a clash of motives ranging from lust, hate and obsession to politics and religion. The biblical story summarized is this: Religious preacher John the Baptist condemned the marriage of Herod Antipas (ruler of Galilee) and Herodias because Herodias was the former wife of Antipas' half brother Philip. Antipas imprisoned John but Herodias wanted John dead and seized the opportunity when Salome — her daughter with Philip — danced at Antipas' birthday. Antipas promised to give his niece whatever she requested. At her mother's instigation Salome requested John's head on a platter. Is it history or myth?

BIBLE CHARACTERS Herod the Great 74BC – 4BC (or 1BC — Steinmann 2009): King of Palestine (who had the boy babies of Bethlehem slaughtered after Jesus' birth). He married ten wives and had 14 children including Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas 22BC - 40AD: Tetrarch (ruler) of Galilee and a son of Herod the Great. Antipas divorced his first wife in order to marry Herodias the former wife of his half-brother Philip. Antipas is the Herod who interrogated Jesus on the morning of the crucifixion. (Luke 23:6-12) Archelaus died 16AD: Another son of Herod the Great, mentioned in the Bible only in Matthew 2:22, who succeeded Herod as ruler of Judea. Herodias (granddaughter of Herod the Great): Herodias married her half-uncle Philip but divorced him to marry Antipas.

John the Baptist c.3BC - c.32AD: A prophet who baptized Jesus and declared Antipas' marriage to Herodias a sin. Salome: The daughter of Philip and Herodias, hence niece and stepdaughter of Antipas. PAINTINGS; OPERA; MOVIES There are hundreds of paintings depicting Salome. The more-famous ones include: 1515 Tiziano Vercelli (1488-1576) 1887 Georges Rochegrosse (1859-1938) 1918 Fedrico Beltran Masses (1885-1949) The painting of the last-named has Salome completely nude and caused a scandal when exhibited in London in 1929. In a production at Sydney Opera House in 2012 Salome is infatuated with religious fanatic John who rejects her and tells her she's doomed. Salome's obsession turns to hate and she extracts a promise from Antipas to give her whatever she asks if she'll dance for him. After John is beheaded Salome talks to and sings to the severed head.

A 19th century opera titled Herodiade (1884) by Jules Massenet (1842-1912) also had Salome in love with John (and wanting to die with him). The Sydney opera interpretation follows the 1892 play by Oscar Wilde which was banned in London because of its display of sexual perversity. Paris allowed it on stage in 1896 and it finally premiered in London in 1931. Wilde's play inspired the opera Salome by Richard Strauss which emphasized Antipas' lust for Salome and premiered in Germany in 1905. Strauss' opera featured Salome's "Dance of the Seven Veils" which got the opera banned in Austria until 1918. Maud Allen (1873-1956) performed the Dance of the Seven Veils in Vienna in "Vision of Salome" in 1906 and in England in 1908 and faced obscenity charges. A ballet titled The Tragedy of Salome premiered in 1907 and subsequent ballets in 1948 and 1978.

Movies and actresses depicting Salome include: Salome Jessica Chastain (1977- ) THE BIBLE Salome is unnamed in the Bible but 1st century historian Josephus lists many Herod-family members and names "Salome" as the daughter of Herodias. Herod Antipas is called "Herod" and "Herod the Tetrarch" in the Gospels. Here is the biblical narrative from the Good News Bible: 14 Now King Herod heard about all this, because Jesus' reputation had spread everywhere. Some people were saying, "John the Baptist has come back to life! That is why he has this power to perform miracles!" 15 Others, however, said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago." 16 When Herod heard it, he said, "He is John the Baptist! I had his head cut off, but he has come back to life!" 17 Herod himself had ordered John's arrest, and he had him chained and put in prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, whom he had married, even though she was the wife of his brother Philip.

18 John the Baptist kept telling Herod, "It isn't right for you to be married to your brother's wife!" 19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because of Herod. 20 Herod was afraid of John because he knew that John was a good and holy man, and so he kept him safe. He liked to listen to him, even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him. 21 Finally Herodias got her chance. It was on Herod's birthday, when he gave a feast for all the chief government officials, the military commanders, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodias came in and danced, pleased Herod and his guests. So the king said to the girl, "What would you like to have? I will give you anything you want." 23 With many vows he said to her, "I swear that I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half my kingdom!" 24 So the girl went out and asked her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered.

25 The girl hurried back at once to the king and demanded, "I want you to give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a dish!" 26 This made the king very sad, but he could not refuse her because of the vows he had made in front of his guests. 27 So he sent off a guard at once with orders to bring John's head. The guard left, went to the prison, and cut John's head off; 28 then brought it on a dish and gave it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. 29 When John's disciples heard about it, they came and took away his body, and buried it. (Mark 6; Matthew 14) In the common imagination Salome discarded seven veils, finally dancing naked. Most paintings of Salome depict her looking in her 20s or 30s. Movie actresses who played her ranged in age from 17 (Brigid Bazlen) to 44 or 45 (Alla Nazimova and Imogen Claire).

Mark 6:22 & 28 calls Salome a "girl" — Greek "korasion" which occurs 8 times in the New Testament. The King James Bible translates it "damsel" six times and "maid" twice. In the previous chapter (Mark 5:39-42) "korasion" is used of a 12-year-old girl whom Jesus raised after she apparently died and who is also called a "child" (Greek "paidion"). The other two mentions of "the girl" (Mark 6:24-25) in the Good News Bible are added and the Greek text actually says "She". Salome appears completely subservient to her mother, therefore unmarried. If Salome was, like the other "girl", only 12 then the opera and film interpretations of her as a seductress obsessed with John would be ludicrous. Her dance would not be a striptease to titillate lecherous drunkards but more likely a child's performance for dignitaries charmed by her innocence. Josephus doesn't give Salome's year of birth.

One estimate is 14 AD which would make her about 17 at Antipas' party. But whether she was 12 or 17 her uncle would have lost dignity to have his princess-niece do a strip-dance watched by "government officials, military commanders, and leading citizens". I suggest the operas and movies are wrong. What about John's head? Would a national ruler have a newly severed head publicly handed to his teenage niece? Gruesome, yes — but the head would likely have been covered, not openly displayed. DID IT HAPPEN?

Josephus, 1st century Jewish historian, writes: Herodias…was married to Herod, [Philip,] the son of Herod the Great, who was born of Mariamne, the daughter of Simon the high priest, who had a daughter, Salome; after whose birth Herodias took upon her to confound the laws of our country, and divorced herself from her husband while he was alive, and was married to Herod, [Antipas,] her husband's brother by the father's side, he was tetrarch of Galilee; but her daughter Salome was married to Philip, the son of Herod, and tetrarch of Trachonitis : and as he died childless, Aristobulos, the son of Herod, the brother of Agrippa, married her; they had three sons, Herod, Agrippa, and Aristobulus… (Antiquities: Book 18, Chapter 5, Paragraph 4) Other ancient writings as well as archaeology and coinage confirm the historicity of all the named persons and locations. Herod the Great authorized huge construction works of which ruins still remain, and even his tomb has been discovered.

His son Archelaus was also a builder, confirmed by archaeology. (Hizmi 2008) Antipas ruled Galilee from 4 BC until 39 AD. For a summary of Antipas' reign and associated archaeology see Jensen (2012). John the Baptist is historical too. Josephus identifies the location of his prison as Machaerus, a mountain-top palace-fortress on the east side of the Dead Sea. Josephus narrates that Antipas fell in love with Herodias when in Rome and she agreed to live in Galilee if Antipas divorced his current wife a daughter of the King of Arabia. A war with Arabia resulted and Antipas' army was destroyed near Machaerus.

(Antiquities Book 18, Chapter 5, Paragraph 1) In Paragraph 2 Josephus continues: 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. Machaerus was the most eastern of seven palace-fortresses. From its high elevation the other six fortresses, located west of the Dead Sea, could be signalled as could Jerusalem. Machaerus was lost to history after the Jewish-Roman wars and forgotten until 1807 when German explorer Ulrich Seetzen rediscovered it. Excavations of Machaerus were conducted in 1978-1981 and 1992-1993.

Vörös (2012) whose team resumed excavations in 2009 supplies a ground-plan and illustration of the palace, plus a photo of where Antipas' throne once stood and where Salome would have danced. The prison was probably located in the lower city, north east of the palace. A stairway connects the palace with the lower city and is probably the route taken to carry John's head from the prison to Salome. AFTERWARDS According to Josephus Salome later had a childless marriage with a half brother of Antipas named Philip — not Philip her father, but a different half-brother of same name. After her husband's death Salome married a cousin, Aristobulos, ruler of Chalcis in what is now Lebanon. Coins minted in 56-57 AD depict Salome on one side, Aristobulos on the other. She bore him three sons and died sometime near 70 AD. Antipas was banished by Emperor Claudius of Rome in 39 AD to Lyon (France) where Herodias accompanied him and he died the following year.

John the Baptist's story is now available in over 2000 languages as part of the Bible. Jesus interpreted John as the prophet "Elijah" (Matthew 11:14) foretold in the Old Testament in Malachi 4. CONCLUSION Archaeology and Josephus confirm the historicity of the Bible characters and locations but not that Salome danced. The phrase "When John's disciples heard about it…" (Mark 6:29) suggests an informer/observer inside the palace — possibly Chuza, Antipas' steward. (Luke 8:3). Josephus would have lacked this source and therefore limits his analysis to Antipas' political motives for John's execution. Operas, paintings and films often present lurid if entertaining nonsense, but the Bible when the evidence is discovered routinely turns out either plausible or confirmed. REFERENCES: Hizmi, H. Archelaus Builds Archelais, Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 2008, pp 48-59, 78 Jenson, M. H.

Antipas The Herod Jesus Knew, Biblical Archaeology Review, September/October 2012, pp 42-46 Steinmann, A. E. Novum Testamentum Volume 51, Number 1, 2009, pp 1-29 00000001/art00001 Vörös, G. Machaerus Where Salome Danced and John the Baptist was Beheaded, Biblical Archaeology Review, September/October 2012, pp 30-41 Whiston, W. (Translator) 1960 Josephus Complete Works, Kregel Publications, p. 382. SALOME and HEROD'S DEATH (Investigator 149, 2013 March) The year of death of Herod the Great comes up in my article about Salome (#149). The standard conclusion of historians of the past century is 4 BCE. Andrew Steinmann challenges 4 BCE in Novum Testamentum and argues for 1 BCE, claiming that historians have misunderstood certain paragraphs in Josephus and ignored others.

(Volume 51, Number 1, 2009, pp 1-29) 01/art00001 I too argued against 4 BCE (#81) because 2 BCE plausibly identifies the Star of Bethlehem, agrees with Luke 3:1-2, and fits with an astronomical calculation for the date of Christ's crucifixion (at age 33 in CE 33) by astronomer Duncan Steel. (#145, p. 33) Steinmann gives more detail on Josephus than I did and is worth reading. Anonymous Salome: Was the “dancing” daughter of Herodias a child? A Thrill of Hope: Jesus’ First and Second Advents » Salome: Was the “dancing” daughter of Herodias a child? Most people think of Salome as a conniving, dangerous seductress, but is her reputation as a seductress deserved? In this post I look at the daughter of Herodias who “danced” for Herod Antipas in order to discover what kind of person she was, and what she did that resulted in John the Baptizer being beheaded.

Preamble: Young Woman or Little Girl? I was reading 1 Samuel chapter 9 today, in the Greek, and I came across a word which is translated in 1 Samuel 9:11 (NIV) as “young women”. The word is korasia (plural). Korasion (the singular form) is the diminutive form of the word korē. Korē means “girl” or “young woman”.[1] When I think of “young women” I think of women around the ages of 18–25, but the “young women” in 1 Samuel 9 were probably girls whose chore it was to get water for the household. I decided to look into this word korasion—its meaning and its usage—and while studying I found that there are two girls, mentioned in the New Testament. Jairus’ daughter is identified as a korasion in Matthew 9:24 & 25 and Mark 5:41 & 42.[2] And we are given her age. She was twelve years old (Mark 5:42; Luke 8:42). The other korasion in the New Testament is the daughter of Herodias.

(See Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6:1-29).[3] Josephus tells us that the daughter’s name was Salome.[4] In the past I was led to believe that Salome was a sexy woman, an experienced temptress, and that she danced in a deliberately provocative manner for her stepfather Herod Antipas, but in real life Salome was possibly just a kid. This photo is of actress Brigid Bazlen portraying the clichéd Salome performing the “dance of the seven veils” in the movie King of Kings (1961). This actress is clearly not a child. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons) Salome’s Seductive Dance or Endearing Play? So what exactly did young Salome do to entertain her audience? Admittedly the rich did sometimes indulge in some pretty salacious entertainment, which sometimes involved children, but it is possible that Salome’s dance was amusing and endearing rather than erotic. Moreover, the word for “dance” (orcheomai) used in verses Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:22 can refer to children at play.

So it is possible that Salome was playing in an amusing way to entertain her audience, and was not just dancing.[5] Orcheomai is used in the context of children and dance in a quote from Jesus in the only other occurrences of this word in the New Testament (Matt. 11:16-17; Luke 7:32). Ominously, Jesus’ quote about children dancing is in two passages about John the Baptist who would later be killed because of a girl’s “dance”. Some suggest that Herodias put her daughter up to dancing provocatively for Herod with the hope he would, in appreciation, make some sort of offer or promise, but the text does not support this assumption. How could Herodias have predicted that Herod would make such an outlandish oath? (Note: Herod’s oath to give up to half his kingdom is an idiom indicating a very liberal gift, but is not meant to be taken literally (Mark 6:22-23; Matt. 14:6-7; cf. Esth.

5:3).) I suggest that when Herod made his oath to Salome, Herodias simply saw her opportunity to exact revenge on John the Baptist, and she took the opportunity when it presented itself. Moreover, rather than being a willing temptress, young Salome may well have been an innocent pawn in her mother’s revenge (Matt. 14:3-4; Mark 6:17-21). Children playing ball games. 2nd century AD relief in marble, probably Roman. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Salome and Delilah: Misconceptions and Stereotypes The unfounded sexualisation of Salome in art and literature reminds me of the treatment of Delilah. Delilah, like Salome, is typically portrayed in art and literature as a manipulative, sexual temptress, but when you actually read Judges chapter 16, Delilah sounds much more like a nagging wife (Judg. 16:16). There is no evidence that Delilah flirted or used her sexuality to coerce Samson into revealing his weakness.

The narrative has Delilah simply asking, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued” (Judg 16:6). There is no sneaky or sexy subtlety here. Of course Delilah probably didn’t tell Samson that she had been richly bribed by the Philistines to discover the secret of his strength, but he should have figured this out pretty quickly.[6] It saddens me that I have been misled into thinking that Salome and Delilah were seductive temptresses even though the Bible never states this. It saddens me that people, including Christians, have been too presumptuous and have cast these two women, and others, in this negative and nasty stereotype.[7] Real women and real men should not be type-cast; they should be seen for who they really are. This is true for Bible characters and it is true for people today. Salome was probably a girl of around twelve years of age, perhaps even younger, who played or danced in front of an appreciative stepfather and his dinner guests, and was prompted by her mother Herodias to ask for John the Baptist’s head on a silver platter.

Who was Herodias really? . . . That’s an interesting story for another time. Endnotes I’ve used BDAG as the main source for definitions of Greek words in this post. Walter Bauer’s A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition, revised and edited by F.W Danker (University of Chicago Press, 2000), is known as BDAG for short. [1] As well as meaning “girl”, korē also means the pupil of the eye. Metaphorically korē refers to someone held dear and cherished: the darling, the favourite, the “apple” of one’s eye. (BDAG 560) [2] In Luke’s account, Jesus calls the girl a pais (Luke 8:54). BDAG (750) gives the definition of pais as a young person normally below the age of puberty with the focus on age rather than social status. [3] The word korasion is used eight times in the New Testament, only of Salome and Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 14:11; Mark 6:22 & 28 twice, and Matt.

9:24, 25; Mark 5:41, 42) [4] “Salome” is derived from the Hebrew word shalom (“peace”). This is the passage where Josephus provides the name of Herodias’s daughter. But Herodias, their sister, was married to Herod [Philip], the son of Herod the Great, who was born of Mariamne, the daughter of Simon the high priest, who had a daughter, Salome; after whose birth Herodias took upon her to confound the laws of our country, and divorced herself from her husband while he was alive, and was married to Herod [Antipas], her husband’s brother by the father’s side, he was tetrarch of Galilee; but her daughter Salome was married to Philip, the son of Herod, and tetrarch of Trachonitis; and as he died childless, Aristobulus the son of Herod [of Chalcis], the brother of Agrippa, married her; they had three sons, Herod, Agrippa, and Aristobulus . . .

Josephus, Jewish Antiquities ( Book XVIII, Chapter 5, 4) (Underline added.) Salome became queen of Calchis and Armenia Minor. This coin shows an image of Salome as queen. (Source: Wikimedia Commons.) [5] I read the book Early Christian Families in Context last October in which there was a disturbing chapter about delicia children who were kept by some rich Roman men and women for the purpose of amusement and entertainment. These children, who were usually procured when they were very young, were often treated as pampered pets. Their main “job” was to play for the amusement of their owner. (It is not clear how common is was for delicia children to be involved in erotic entertainment and games.) I’m not all suggesting that Salome was a delicia child. I only mention this to show that wealthy Romans viewed the play of children, including innocent play, as real entertainment. [6] Delilah asked Samson four times to reveal the secret of his strength. Three times Samson replied by lying to her, but the fourth time he told the truth.

After the first three times, when the Philistines suddenly appeared on the scene after Delilah had bound him, Samson must have been aware that Delilah was allied with the Philistines. [7] As well as the possible misrepresentations of Salome and Delilah by both Bible commentators and artists, Eve is sometimes portrayed as a sexual temptress, Bathsheba is commonly thought to have been an adulteress (but was more likely a victim of rape), the samaritan woman of Sychar is regarded as a loose woman, and poor Mary Magdalene has been unjustly identified for centuries as a whore.

Question: What relation to King Herod was Salome?
Answer: STEP-DAUGHTER