Over the centuries, the head of John the Baptist has ranked high on the list of the most sought-after relics in Christianity.  The Jewish preacher and prophet, celebrated as one of the earliest Christian saints, is believed to have paved the way for his distant cousin, Jesus, whom John famously baptized in the Jordan River.

According to all four canonical gospels of the New Testament, as well as the account of the Jewish historian Josephus, John the Baptist was killed on the orders of a local ruler sometime before Jesus’ crucifixion.  The gospels claim the king had him beheaded, and his head put on a platter.  But no one gives any clue about where John the Baptist’s head—or the rest of his body—ended up.

This is something that’s common with Biblical legends, anytime it doesn’t specifically say what happened to someone’s body, it lends itself to all kinds of traditions about where it could be.

John the Baptist’s preparatory message attracted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of followers from Jerusalem and Judea.  He made it clear that he himself was not the Messiah, and foretold the coming of Jesus: “one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” (Matthew 3:11) have been.

Most Christian denominations view Jesus’ baptism as a major milestone, and the basis for the Christian rite of baptism that has survived through the centuries.