Blood on the dance floor – Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist – Mk 6:17-29

At first the news that trickled out of Herod Antipas’ imposing fortress, Machaerus, was met with disbelief.  His disciples refused to believe that Herod Antipas had beheaded a man whom he considered ‘righteous and holy’; but then again Herod was a people pleaser and a spineless ruler.

John’s body now had to be prepared for burial according to Jewish customs but getting his body was not going to be an easy walk in the park; literally!  Machaerus was a fortified hilltop palace on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. It was special to Herod Antipas for His father; Herod the great had built this palace in 30 BC over the ruins of the earlier Hasmonean fortress.

It was designed to be a defence outpost; its smoke signals of warning could be seen all the way to Jerusalem. It was Herod the great who extensively renovated this defence centre into a lavish palace now inherited by his son, Antipas.

Herod the great chose the peristyle courtyard to be his pièce de résistance. Set within beautiful ionic columns with capitals draped in volutes, this courtyard which saw many great banquets also became the court where treachery and cunningness played out.  It was here that Herod Antipas watched his step daughter, Princess Salome, dance the deadly dance that cost him the life of a man he feared yet protected.

But that day, in 32 AD, saw the blood of an innocent man drip off the platter on which his head was carried. It was a prized but bloody trophy that Herodias had longed to have and now that blood matched the tiles of the roof of the courtyard. It seemed like the colour of blood was everywhere except on the soul of Herodias; for that had long been blackened by sin.

Perhaps if Herod had only anticipated the deviousness that he knew his wife to have, he might have not committed to such a reckless oath. Herod must have surely been intoxicated with power if not with wine for he swore on oath to give even half his kingdom as a prize for a dance that so enchanted him and his guests.

It was an awful affair, for Herod’s birthday was to be John’s death day and while Galilee and Perea were plunged in mourning for John the Baptist, Herodias was planning a victory party. Her long time enemy was dead and she would not have to hear his condemnation of her illicit relationship.

Had John towed the line that many ‘local prophets’ did, he might have been alive; after all her Husband greatly respected Him and never really wanted him dead. But John insisted on speaking truth to power insisting that Herodias be sent back to her lawful husband Philip, who had made his Rome his home.

Now all that was too late! The dance ended in death  and Herod would be forever know as Herod the spineless. Backbones, it seemed, were in short supply in Palestine, for a few years later Pilate would shed the blood of Jesus to please the religious establishment, knowing fully well that he was innocent. One wonders why rulers don’t come designed with a spine.

John’s disciples had hoped for his release. For two years they had seen him languish in the dungeon. It was from here that they had carried a message to his cousin, the one people hailed as the Messiah. It was here that they reported to John the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecy; for the blind could see, the lame could walk, lepers were cleansed, the deaf could hear and the dead were raised to life.

Now it was time to bury this great prophet and Herod consented to the body being handed over to his disciples. He was more afraid of the consequences he might have to face from the people than from Herodias’ wrath who would rather see John’s body burn than buried.

John was no reed that could be shaken by the wind. He preferred to face death at the hands of Herod than have to face his God with a life of compromise. He was no soft robed prophet that could be bought over by political will for he had submitted his will to the Divine. He was the messenger who faithfully bore the message he was sent to deliver. This poor prophet, died rich in the eyes of His God.

Fr Warner D’Souza

The core details of this narration are based on Biblical archaeology and historical research.

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