Life and ministry
The Gospels describe John as the son of the priest Zechariah and of Elizabeth, a relative of Mary. He lived for a time as a hermit in the Judean desert before beginning, around age thirty, to preach repentance and baptize people in the Jordan River, warning that "the kingdom of heaven is near." When Jesus came to him for baptism, John recognized him as the one who was to come and, according to the Gospel accounts, considered himself unworthy to perform the rite.
Imprisonment and death
John's public criticism of Herod Antipas's marriage to Herodias led to his arrest and imprisonment; the Gospel of Matthew recounts that he was beheaded at the request of Herodias's daughter, Salome. Catholic tradition marks the feast of his birth on June 24 and his beheading on August 29.
Syncretism
In Umbanda and Candomblé, the Orixá Xangô is commonly syncretized with Saint John the Baptist, one of many pairings between Catholic saints and Orixás that developed in Brazilian religious culture; the two figures remain distinct within their own traditions even where popular devotion links them.