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Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist because John criticized Herod’s marriage to Herodias, the former wife of his brother Philip. This marriage was deemed unlawful under Jewish law, and John’s public condemnation presented a political and religious challenge to Herod’s rule.
The execution of John occurred during a banquet when Herodias’ daughter danced for Herod. Pleased with her performance, Herod promised her anything she desired. Prompted by her mother, she asked for John’s head on a platter (Mt 14:8). Despite his distress, Herod complied to save face before his guests.
The decision to execute John seemed to have been made hastily and impulsively, motivated by Herod’s desire to maintain his reputation and honor in front of his court. The biblical account does not explicitly mention Herod seeking Roman approval for this act.
Was Herod allowed to execute someone without Rome's explicit approval?
The high priest had to ask Pilate to execute Jesus because he lacked the authority to carry out capital punishment. However, Herod was a tetrarch with limited authority to execute individuals within his jurisdiction, especially if they were perceived as threats to his rule. As long as he did not go too far, Rome would not investigate him.
Josephus gave a different reason for executing John. He wrote:
The execution of John occurred during a banquet when Herodias’ daughter danced for Herod. Pleased with her performance, Herod promised her anything she desired. Prompted by her mother, she asked for John’s head on a platter (Mt 14:8). Despite his distress, Herod complied to save face before his guests.
The decision to execute John seemed to have been made hastily and impulsively, motivated by Herod’s desire to maintain his reputation and honor in front of his court. The biblical account does not explicitly mention Herod seeking Roman approval for this act.
Was Herod allowed to execute someone without Rome's explicit approval?
The high priest had to ask Pilate to execute Jesus because he lacked the authority to carry out capital punishment. However, Herod was a tetrarch with limited authority to execute individuals within his jurisdiction, especially if they were perceived as threats to his rule. As long as he did not go too far, Rome would not investigate him.
Josephus gave a different reason for executing John. He wrote:
John was becoming too popular for Herod's liking. Herod feared that John might incite a rebellion, so he executed him preemptively. There was no mention of Rome's reaction to this capital punishment. As a tetrarch, he had the authority to carry out executions.