St. John the Baptist (ca. 4 BC-ca. 31 AD) is important in Christian tradition as the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. The two ancient sources that speak of John are the Gospels and the Antiquities of the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius....

JOHN THE BAPTIST. Born of a poor priestly family in the hill country of Judea, John renounced the priesthood and entered upon an ascetic existence in the wilderness surrounding the Jordan River. There he inaugurated a baptism rite so unprecedented that...

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Saint John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer) was a 1st century Jewish preacher and ascetic regarded as a prophet by four religions: Christianity, Islam, Mandaeanism and the Bahá'í Faith. The title of prophet is asserted in the Synoptic...

It pains me greatly to report that the most salient question in "Some Interesting Facts About Peter Cook", next Tuesday's Omnibus, is put by Alan Titchmarsh. In a clip from 1994, the smarmy host of Pebble Mill asks Cook if he feels his potential...

Damascus, Syria When Pope John Paul II made history May 5 by being the first pope to enter an Islamic mosque, he did so in a spot uniquely suited to symbolize interreligious dialogue. The Grand Mosque of Omayyadi, located in the...

Hundreds of white-robed Christian pilgrims from Brazil entered the gently flowing waters of the Jordan River on Monday, some so overcome with emotion that they sobbed and collapsed on the shoulders of friends even before it was their turn to be immersed.The Brazilians, more than...

The suicide bombings that ravaged the Yazidi sect in Iraq underscored the fears of violence and insecurity binding many of the nation's religious minorities, ranging from Christians who are fleeing their ancient enclaves to a dwindling sect that follows the teachings of John the Baptist.The...