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Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead?: The Origins of Mark 6:14-29
Open accessAbstract
In the vox populi of Mark 6:14-16 (cf. 8:28), we find the puzzling claim that some believed Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. The presentation of John in the Gospel is similar to Jesus: Mark depicts John as a prophetic figure who is arrested, executed, buried by his disciples, and—according to some—raised from the dead. This paper reviews scholarship on the question of whether the tradition concerning John's resurrection—as well as the tradition concerning his death to which it is prefixed (6:17-29)—originated outside of the early Christian community. We examine the possibility that sects or individuals in the ancient world believed John had indeed been raised from the dead—as well as figures supposedly connected to John (Dositheus, Simon Magus). We conclude on the basis of internal evidence from the Gospel that the report in 6:14-16 likely originated in a Christian context. At the same time, it may also provide a glimpse into first-century CE attitudes concerning the resurrection from the dead.
Overview
CoChat Summary
TL;DR
This article argues that the report in Mark 6:14–16 that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead most likely originated in an early Christian context, though it may preserve a glimpse of first-century CE resurrection attitudes. It finds no independent contemporaneous evidence for a popular belief in John’s resurrection and concludes that the John execution episode is compatible with Markan authorship.
Key findings
- The claim “John has been raised” in Mark 6:14–16 is best read as resurrection, not reincarnation, possession, or mere succession: Mark uses ἐγείρω as in 16:6, and the burial in 6:29 forms an inclusio with 6:14 showing John remains entombed.
- Outside Mark, there is “no contemporaneous evidence of a popular belief concerning John’s resurrection”; later Mandaean texts, traditions about Dositheus and Simon Magus, Matthew, Luke, and Rev 11:3–14 do not provide clear independent confirmation. The paper concludes, “we have no way of knowing whether the claim in 6:14 reflects popular belief.”
- The claim in Mark 6:16 that Herod believed Jesus was John raised is unlikely to come from the Herodian court: Mark calls Antipas “king” rather than tetrarch, names Herodias’ first husband as Philip instead of Herod (II), has Herod promise “half of his kingdom” though he had a tetrarchy, and conflicts with Josephus, *Ant.* 18.116–119.
- The execution episode (6:17–29) shows signs of Christian influence and prefigures Jesus’ suffering and resurrection, while its verbal features are “more than compatible with Markan authorship”; the idea that resurrection brings new miraculous powers makes most sense in a Christian context.
Methods
- The study is a historical-critical and exegetical review of scholarship on Mark 6:14–29, combining close reading of the Greek text, narrative structure, and synoptic comparisons.
- It examines internal Markan evidence alongside external traditions: Josephus, Mandaean texts, Dositheus, Simon Magus, Revelation, and possible Esther and Elijah–Elisha allusions.
- The main analysis is qualitative and argumentative, culminating in six tentative conclusions rather than new quantitative data.
Limitations
- The paper states that there is no independent contemporaneous evidence for John’s resurrection and that “we have no way of knowing whether the claim in 6:14 reflects popular belief”; it also notes that Mandaean and later Christian traditions about Dositheus and Simon Magus are late and of “questionable historical value.”
- The text makes evident that the argument depends heavily on internal evidence from Mark and on judgments about Markan authorship, source traditions, and historical plausibility, so its conclusions are explicitly tentative.
- No quantitative sample or statistical analysis is present; the study’s findings rest on textual and comparative interpretation.
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Claims the paper makes
0 Valid · 3 Not valid · 7 Not checked · 33 Own results and interpretations
A result the paper states — it cites no source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The placing of John in a tomb by his disciples in 6:29 forms an inclusio with 6:14, so that the reader knows that John has not been raised.”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 11
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In the extant literature of the period, miraculous powers do not tend to be a feature of post-resurrection life 54 -with the notable exception of Jesus.”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 5. Who authored the tradition?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
A result the paper states — it cites no source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Moreover, the following narrative does not suggest intimate knowledge of the Herodian court.”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 4. Did Herod believe in John's resurrection?
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“The episode includes many other features reminiscent of Esther, often corresponding to the Greek text: the occasion of a banquet (Mark 6:21; cf.Est 2:18; 5:6; 7:2,7-8: δεῖπνον/,)התשׁמ the pleasing young girl (Mark 6:22; cf.LXX Est 2:9: κοράσιον . . .ἤρεσεν) and the execution that follows (Mark 6:23-28; cf.Est 7:3-10).”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 51
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Est 2:18; 5:6; 7:2,7-8
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites LXX Est 2:9
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Est 7:3-10
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
A result the paper states — it cites no source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“But this assumes logical consistency on behalf of Mark's crowds, whereas Mark often attributes false opinions to the crowds, as when bystanders misconstrue Jesus' cry from the cross as an invocation of Elijah (15:35).”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 1. The meaning of the claim
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
21 more claims
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- Probably not a substantial claim. 16
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Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 5. Who authored the tradition?
“"Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him" (9:11).”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 5. Who authored the tradition?
“Jesus says that unnamed people "did to [Elijah] whatever they pleased (ἔθελον)" (9:13);”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 11
“Elijah does indeed receive Elijah's prophetic mantle and a double-portion of his spirit, so that the prophets declare, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha" (2 Kgs 2:15).”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 11
“Perhaps the claim can be compared to Elisha succeeding Elijah.”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > 5. Who authored the tradition?
“See also J. Gnilka, "Das Martyrium Johannes' des Täufers (Mk 6,17-29)"”
§ Was John the Baptist Raised from the Dead? The Origins of Mark 6:14-29 > References
“60. Goodacre M., "Fatigue in the Synoptics", New Testament Studies 44 (1998) 45-58. 61. ____________, "Das Martyrium Johannes' des Täufers (Mk 6,17-29)"”
Citations
Cites
The Genesis of Secrecy: On the Interpretation of Narrative
Rudnytsky, P., & Kermode, F. (1980) · World Literature Today · doi:10.2307/40135039 · Cited by 526
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia
Sanders, J. A., Elliger, K., & Rudolph, W. (1979) · Journal of Biblical Literature · doi:10.2307/3265771 · Cited by 523
The History of the Synoptic Tradition
Grant, F., Bultmann, R., & Marsh, J. (1964) · Journal of Biblical Literature · doi:10.2307/3264911 · Cited by 508
Constructing Jesus: memory, imagination, and history
(2011) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.48-4410 · Cited by 223
Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross
Collins, A. Y., & Gundry, R. H. (1994) · Journal of Biblical Literature · doi:10.2307/3266728 · Cited by 182
Aune, D. E. (1980) · De Gruyter eBooks · doi:10.1515/9783110860436-016 · Cited by 179
The Homeric epics and the Gospel of Mark
(2000) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.38-2120 · Cited by 152
Mark: A Reader-Response Commentary
Liew, T. B., & van Iersel, B. M. F. (2000) · Journal of Biblical Literature · doi:10.2307/3268539 · Cited by 83
The immerser: John the Baptist within Second Temple Judaism
(1998) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.35-2664 · Cited by 83
Aramaic Sources of Mark's Gospel
Casey, M. (1999) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511487903 · Cited by 77
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- Bock, D., Mark (NCBC; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2015).
- ____________, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (trans. G. R. Beasley-Murray, R. W. N. Hoare and J. K. Riches) (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster 1971; Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock 2014).
- ____________, “Prophetic Identity and Conflict in the Historic Ministry of Jesus”, Israel’s God and Rebecca’s Children: Christology and Community in Early Judaism and Christianity: Essays in Honor of Larry W. Hurtado and Alan F. Segal (ed. D. B. Capes, A. D. DeConick, H. K. Bond and T. Miller) (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press 2007) 121-134.
- ____________, John the Baptist in History and Theology (Studies on Personalities of the New Testament; Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press 2018).
- Wink, W., John the Baptist in the Gospel Tradition (SNTSMS 7; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1968).
Cited by
Still being checked.
Metadata
- Authors
- Vette, N., & Robinson, W.
- Affiliations
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- Macquarie University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Robinson, Will
- ORCID
- Vette, Nathanael
- Venue
- The Biblical Annals
- Published
- 2019-03-11
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 335-354
- ISSN
- 2083-2222 (ISSN-L)
- 2451-2168
- OpenAlex
- W2946826029
- Cited by
- 0
- References
- 55
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- The Biblical Annals (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Historical and Linguistic Studies
- Keywords
- John the Baptist, early Christian tradition, Simon Magus, Gospel of John
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