41. Death of John the Baptist.
Many including Herod thought that Jesus was the reincarnation of one of the prophets
like Elijah or the return of the spirit of John the Baptist overshadowing his consciousness.
Hurt by John's criticism of her marriage, Herodias wanted to get rid of the Baptist.
However, during his imprisonment Herod liked to talk with John,
for he respected him for his honesty and spiritual wisdom.
As with Socrates' listeners he enjoyed conversation with this man,
and he found himself
in doubt about his beliefs because of the penetrating questioning of values.
Meanwhile Herodias discovered a cunning scheme to get rid of John, using her innocent
and obedient daughter; this macabre incident shows the decadence of this royal family.