The answer is: John the Baptist's head

Matt 14:8

Salome’s request for John the Baptist's head is a chilling moment in the Gospels. It comes after an elaborate dance that was so mesmerizing it captivated King Herod while he was hosting a feast. Herod, caught up in the revelry and feeling the need to impress his guests, rashly pledged to grant her anything she desired—up to half his kingdom. The fact that she chooses such a macabre offering shows just how steeped in drama and intrigue the story is.

Interestingly enough, Salome’s mother, Herodias, had a significant role behind-the-scenes. She harbored a vengeance against John the Baptist for speaking out against her marriage to Herod. Rather than viewing Salome’s request merely as the wish of a dancer, it can be seen as a culmination of a family vendetta interwoven in the political tensions of the time.

As for John the Baptist, prejudices among both political and religious frontiers have left his head in literal and metaphorical terms—a symbol of righteousness executed for truth in a corrupt world. Over the years, interpretations of Salome have varied, too; she can symbolize innocent bystander complicit in violence or be seen merely as a figure caught within family crises far beyond her understanding.

Fun trivia: Salome's dance and John's execution inspire numerous artworks—from Oscar Wilde’s play, which poses moral themes, to sumptuous variations by Gustave Moreau—likely owing to the dramatic essence packed into this singular event.