According to the Gospel of Luke, in the days of the birth of Jesus' (Luke 1:5), Judaea was described as being subjected to the rule of a foreign power, under the reign of Herod. Although Jesus' birth was by far the most significant of all time, his was not the only of note to take place during that same period in history. On one June 24th (year uncertain), another child, who was Jesus' cousin was born at Ain-Karim, to a temple priest in the order of Abia, named Zacharias and his elderly wife Elisabeth (Luke 1:57-79), who was one of the daughters of Aaron and kinswoman of Mary (Jesus' mother). This birth was predicted by the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:5-25) and it was told that the child would be filled with the Holy Ghost, even while in his mother womb. Because his father (Zacharias) doubted the proclamation of the angel, he was struck dumb until the child's birth. The child born to the couple, who came to be named John, would play important part in Jesus' life and it was he that announced to the world that the Lamb of God had come. It would be John who would turn many of the children of Israel back to God and he gained a tremendous amount of influence in the region, but also drew the ire of some.
             The prophesies that a "voice" should precede the coming Messiah were made by the prophets Isaiah and Malachi and their predictions were brought to fruition in John the Baptist's role in the great events that were foretold (Isaiah 40:1-8, Malachi 3:1-4, and Matthew 3:1-3). John the Baptist was also known as the Precursor, John the Forerunner, John the Baptizer, and Joannes Baptista. While he was preaching the coming of the Messiah, he was asked, "Who are you?" John replied, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Although John calls himself the voice, which would only last for a time, the Word is eternal and Jesus is also known as the Word. John also said when ...