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Who was Salome?

Salome, the daughter of Herodias, is a figure that has fascinated scholars and the general public alike for centuries, largely due to her brief but dramatic role in the New Testament. She is most famously known for her involvement in the execution of John the Baptist, as recounted in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Despite her notoriety, the Bible does not explicitly name her, which has led to much speculation and debate over the years. However, historical sources outside the Bible provide us with crucial information that identifies her.

The Biblical Account

Salome’s story is found in Matthew 14:3-11 and Mark 6:17-29. In these passages, she is described as the daughter of Herodias, the wife of Herod Antipas. According to the narrative, Herodias harbored a grudge against John the Baptist because he had condemned her marriage to Herod Antipas, who was her former husband’s brother. During a birthday feast for Herod, Salome danced before him and his guests, greatly pleasing Herod. In response, he promised to give her anything she wanted, up to half his kingdom. Prompted by her mother, Salome requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Reluctantly, Herod complied, and John was executed.

How We Know Her Name

Interestingly, the Gospels do not directly name the girl in question. It is through the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus that we learn her name. In his work Antiquities of the Jews (Book 18, Chapter 5), Josephus mentions Salome as the daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip, who was Herod Antipas’s half-brother. This detail from Josephus allows us to confidently identify her as the same figure in the Gospel accounts, providing a fuller picture of her identity and background.

Differentiating Salome

There are other figures named Salome in the New Testament, and it’s important to distinguish Herodias’s daughter from them. The most prominent other Salome is a follower of Jesus, who is mentioned as one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion and later brought spices to anoint his body (Mark 15:40, Mark 16:1). This Salome is often believed to be the mother of James and John, two of Jesus’ apostles, and the wife of Zebedee. Her role is entirely different from that of the Salome associated with Herodias, as she is depicted as a pious woman devoted to Jesus’ ministry.

Salome’s Legacy

Salome’s role in John the Baptist’s death has led to her being depicted in various ways throughout history, particularly in art, literature, and music. Over time, she became an iconic figure, often portrayed as a femme fatale, a symbol of dangerous female seductiveness. One of the most famous representations of Salome is in Oscar Wilde’s 1891 play Salomé, which was later adapted into an opera by Richard Strauss in 1905. In these works, her dance, often called the “Dance of the Seven Veils,” is central, though this specific term does not appear in the Bible or Josephus’s writings.