John the Baptist

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Born c. 6-2 BCE Died c. 30 CE Saint John
the Baptist was a 1st-century Jewish preacher
regarded as a prophet by four religions
Christianity, Islam, Mandaeanism and the Bahá'í
Faith. The title of prophet is asserted in the
Synoptic Gospels, the Qur'an, the Bahá'í writings
and the Book of Mormon. He is commonly referred
to as John the Forerunner or Precursor by
Christians who consider him the forerunner of
Jesus Christ
Connotations holiness, martyrdom, good things to
come
John the Baptist
Some Christians believe that John the Baptist had
a specific role ordained by God which was to be
the forerunner or precursor to the Messiah, whom
they believe to be Jesus. According to the
canonical Gospels, John the Baptist's public
ministry was brought to a close when he was
imprisoned on orders of Herod Antipas, probably
about seven months after he had baptized Jesus.
Matthew links John's death as well with Herodias,
as he related that her daughter Salome so much
delighted Antipas with a dance that he vowed to
grant her any wish to which, after being prompted
by her mother, she demanded the head of John the
Baptist.
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(c.1650-1540 BC) Joseph or Yosef is a major
figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible
(Old Testament). He is also mentioned favorably
in the Quran.
Connotations jealousy (brothers), betrayal
(brothers), forgiveness (Joseph)
Joseph and his brothers
Joseph, son of Jacob, is one of the best-known
figures in the Torah, famous for his coat of many
colors (although this may be a mistranslation of
the Hebrew word for "sleeves") and his God-given
ability to interpret dreams. Due to jealousy, his
brothers sold him into slavery. When they were
reunited in Egypt he forgave them.
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(c.1650-1540 BC) Joseph or Yosef is a major
figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible
(Old Testament). He is also mentioned favorably
in the Quran.
Connotations wisdom, trouble in distant future,
faithfulness
Joseph in Egypt
While living in Egypt Joseph firmly kept his
faith. His masters evil wife denounced Joseph
before her husband. Potiphar believed his wife
and put Joseph in prison. God saw the innocence
of Joseph and helped him. Joseph read the dreams
of two fellow prisoners and all came true. Two
years later Pharaoh had two dreams in the same
night. In the morning Pharaoh called in all the
wise men of Egypt, but none of them could explain
the dreams to him. They brought Joseph to
Pharaoh, and he explained the dreams. "Both
dreams," he said, "signify the same thing. In the
land of Egypt there will be seven years of great
plenty after this there will come seven years of
famine." At the same time, Joseph advised Pharaoh
to prepare during the plentiful years enough
grain to supply for the entire time of the
famine. Pharaoh understood that God Himself had
revealed the meaning of the dreams to Joseph and
made him his chief minister in the land of Egypt.
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Connotations disobedience, retribution,
forgiveness, personal safety
According to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and
Quran, Jonah was a prophet.
Jonah
God orders Jonah to prophesy to the city of
Nineveh. Not wanting to, Jonah tries to avoid
God's command by going to Joppa and sailing to
Tarshish. A huge storm arises and the sailors
learn that Jonah is to blame. Jonah admits this
and states that if he is thrown overboard the
storm will cease. The sailors try to get the ship
to the shore but in failing feel forced to throw
him overboard, at which point the sea calms.
Jonah is miraculously saved by being swallowed by
a large fish. In chapter two, while in the great
fish, Jonah prays to God and asks forgiveness. As
a result, God commands the fish to vomit Jonah
out.
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According to the New Testament he was one of the
twelve original apostles of Jesus.
Connotations betrayal, broken friendship,
abandonment
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New
Testament, one of the twelve original apostles of
Jesus. Among the twelve, he was apparently
designated to keep account of the "money bag" but
he is most traditionally known for his role in
Jesus' betrayal into the hands of Roman
authorities.
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The Iliad (24.2530) alludes to the Judgment as a
story which was familiar to its audience, and a
fuller version was told in the Cypria, a lost
work of the Epic Cycle, of which only fragments
remain.
Connotations bribery, beauty, competition,
judgment, rewards with consequences
Judgement of Paris
Eris threw a golden apple (the Apple of Discord)
into the proceedings, upon which was the
inscription ?a???st? ("for the fairest one").
Three goddesses claimed the apple Hera, Athena
and Aphrodite. They asked Zeus to judge which of
them was fairest, and eventually Zeus, reluctant
to favor any claim himself, declared that Paris,
mortal, would judge their cases. Thus it happened
that, with Hermes as their guide, all three of
the candidates appeared to Paris on Mount Ida.
After bathing in the spring of Ida, each
attempted with her powers to bribe Paris Hera
offered to make him king of Europe and Asia,
Athena offered wisdom and skill in war, and
Aphrodite offered the love of the world's most
beautiful woman. This was Helen of Sparta, wife
of the Greek king Menelaus. Paris accepted
Aphrodite's gift and awarded the apple to her,
receiving Helen as well as the enmity of the
Greeks and especially of Hera.
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