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[[image:Johnforerunner.jpg|right|thumb|St John the Forerunner, the cousin of Christ and last of the prophets.]]The glorious[[Prophet]] and Forerunner '''John the Baptist''' is also refered to as '''John the Forerunner''' because he was the forerunner of [[Christ]]. He was an [[ascetic]] and great prophet, who [[baptism|baptized]] Christ and became one of the most revered [[saint]]s in the [[Orthodox Church]]. John is a cousin of Christ through his mother [[Elizabeth]] who was the daughter of Zoia. Zoia is the sister of Christ's [[Anna|grandmother]]. He was later beheaded by Herod in the first century to statisfy the request of Herod's stepdaughter, Salome, and wife Herodias. Because he baptized Christ, he is the [[patron saint]] of [[godparent]]s. He is sometimes called the ''Angel of the Desert''; because of this title, he is sometimes depicted with wings.

[[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 40:3-5 is commonly read as a prophecy of John. His father, [[Zacharias]], was a [[priest]] of the course of Abia ([[I Paraleipomenon|1 Chr.]] 24:10), and his mother, Elizabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron ([[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 1:5). John held the priesthood of [[Aaron]], giving him the authority to perform baptisms of God.