e Baptist obtained his body and placed it in a
tomb, but the people were much displeased. Six years after, Hareth,
having attacked Antipas, in order to recover Machero and avenge the
dishonor of his daughter, Antipas was completely beaten; and his
defeat was generally regarded as a punishment for the murder of
John.[1]

[Footnote 1: Josephus, _Ant._, XVIII. v. 1, 2.]

The news of John's death was brought to Jesus by the disciples of the
Baptist.[1] John's last act toward Jesus had effectually united the
two schools in the most intimate bonds. Jesus, fearing an increase of
ill-will on the part of Antipas, took precautions and retired to the
desert,[2] where many people followed him. By exercising an extreme
frugality, the holy band was enabled to live there, and in this there
was naturally seen a miracle.[3] From this time Jesus always spoke of
John with redoubled admiration. He declared unhesitatingly[4] that he
was more than a prophet, that the Law and the ancient prophets had
force only until he came,[5] that he had abrogated them, but that the
kingdom of heaven would displace him in turn. In fine, he attributed
to him a special place in the economy of the Christian mystery, which
constituted him the link of union between the Old Testament and the
advent of the new reign.

[Footnote 1: Matt. xiv. 12.]

[Footnote 2: Matt. xiv. 13.]

[Footnote 3: Matt. xiv. 15, and following; Mark vi. 35, and following;
Luke ix. 11, and following; John vi. 2, and following.]

[Footnote 4: Matt. xi. 7, and following; Luke vii. 24, and following.]

[Footnote 5: Matt. xi. 12, 13; Luke xvi. 16.]

The prophet Malachi, whose opinion in this matter was soon brought to
bear,[1] had announced with much energy a precursor of the Messiah,
who was to prepare men for the final renovation, a messenger who
should come to make straight the paths before the elected one of God.
This messenger was no other than the prophet Elias, who, according to
a widely spread belief, was soon to descend from heaven, whither he
had been carried, in order to prepare men by repentance for the great
advent, and to reconcile God with his people.[2] Sometimes they
associated with Elias, either the patriarch Enoch, to whom for one or
two centuries they had attributed high sanctity;[3] or Jeremiah,[4]
whom they considered as a sort of protecting genius of the people,
constantly occupied in praying for them before the throne of God.[5]
This idea, that two ancient pro