1st century
Saint John the Baptist
The Forerunner of Christ, who baptised Him in the Jordan.
Biography
According to the Gospels, John was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth. He preached repentance in the Judaean desert and baptised Jesus in the river Jordan, which is why he is called the Forerunner and the Baptist.
He was imprisoned and beheaded on the orders of Herod Antipas. The Church commemorates him on several days: his Synaxis on 7 January, his Nativity on 24 June and his Beheading on 29 August.