Bring Me the Head of John the Baptist! (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

John the Baptizer was a fascinating character. More attested to historically than Jesus, John was a genuinely big deal! One of the historically attested facts about John was his execution by Herod. Which Herod? You're going to be sorry you asked.

But John's death is fascinating- what do the gospels say about it? Do they agree with each other about how/why it happened (what a world that would be!)? And do the gospel accounts line up with other extra-biblical tellings of the story?

0:00 – Introduction to Data Over Dogma 

0:20 – Topic Overview: John the Baptist and His Death 

0:54 – Sources: Synoptic Gospels vs. John 

1:31 – Extra-Biblical Evidence: Josephus 

2:34 – Why the Story Shrinks Across the Gospels 

3:35 – John the Baptist as a Rival Figure 

4:37 – “He Must Increase, I Must Decrease” (Gospel of John) 

5:37 – Mark as the Earliest and Longest Account 

6:14 – Untangling the Herodian Dynasty 

8:29 – Herod Antipas and the Arrest of John 

9:12 – John Condemns Herod’s Marriage 

10:59 – The Daughter, the Dance, and Textual Confusion 

12:54 – The Fatal Oath and Head on a Platter 

13:41 – Literary Motifs: Esther, Elijah, and Jezebel 

15:31 – Birthdays and Biblical Villains 

16:45 – Mark’s Theology: Jesus as the Risen John 

17:17 – Matthew’s Version and Crowd Politics 

19:00 – Luke’s Minimalist Treatment 

21:09 – John’s Gospel and Narrative Erasure 

22:12 – Cultural Afterlife: Art, Opera, and Salome 

24:36 – Josephus’ Account in Antiquities 

26:39 – Political Motivation vs. Gospel Narratives 

28:14 – Comparing Gospel and Historical Portraits of Herod 

29:36 – Conclusions: History, Theology, and Tradition 

30:00 – Patreon, Outro, and Final Thanks

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/IXYzhxc6jx0?si=p1TTIBMBqPht0CUw