John the Baptist
After John’s beheading at Machaerus, his disciples recovered his body for burial. During Julian the Apostate’s reign, pagans reportedly desecrated his tomb and burned some remains. His relics became highly prized, with his purported head claimed by Constantinople, Rome, and Amiens Cathedral. The Knights Hospitaller adopted him as their patron. Islamic tradition reveres him as the prophet Yahya. June 24 celebrations of his birth replaced earlier pagan midsummer festivals.
