JOHN (̓Ιωάννης, G2722, from Heb. Johanan, Yahweh has been gracious). Five men in the Apoc. bear this name, and five bear this name in the NT.

1. John the Baptist (q.v.), son of Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-25) and cousin of Jesus of Nazareth (1:36 KJV), so named because of his emphasis on baptism with water (Matt 3:1-12). He was designated as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi with reference to Elijah (Mal 4:5; Matt 11:14). John was hated by some and revered by others (Matt 11:18; 21:26). He is one of the few persons of the NT mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus (Jos. Antiq., XVIII. v. 2). Jesus spoke of him in terms of highest praise (Matt 11:11). See John the Baptist.

2. John the son of Zebedee and brother of James (see John, the Apostle).

3. John Mark, mentioned ten times in the NT, a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10), who accompanied Saul and Barnabas for the first part of their missionary journey, forfeited Paul’s confidence in doing so, but later was a colleague of the apostle (2 Tim 4:11).(See John Mark.)

4. John, or Jonas; father of Andrew and Peter (Matt 16:17; John 1:40-42; 21:15-17). It is not unlikely that he, like Zebedee, was a commercial fisherman, living in Capernaum (Mark 1:19, 20).

5. John, a kinsman of the high priest Annas, who, along with Annas, Caiaphas and Alexander participated in the cross-examination of Peter and John following the healing of the lame beggar at the Temple (Acts 4:6).

6. John, son of Simeon and father of Mattathias (1 Macc 2:1). Mattathias was the father of five sons who were leaders in the war of independence against the Syrians (168-142 b.c.). This Mattathias led the revolt by killing an apostate Jew as he was about to sacrifice on a pagan altar; thus John was grandfather of the Maccabees, as they came to be called.

7. John or Joannan, surnamed Caddis, eldest son of Mattathias. He was “a captain of the people,” later captured by the people of Medeba and presumably executed by the “children of Jambri” (1 Macc 9:35, 36).

8. John, son of Accos and father of Eupolemus (1 Macc 8:17). He is said to have been successful in negotiating with the Romans for “friendship and alliance.”

9. John, surnamed Hyrcanus, a son of Simon and nephew of Judas Maccabaeus. He was made a captain by his father, the governor, and later became governor himself (1 Macc 13:53). As commander he was victorious against a superior force W of Jerusalem (1 Macc 16:2-11). He married the daughter of the high priest and eventually became high priest himself, combining this office with that of governor. As leader of the nation, he extended his borders to the greatest extent since the days of Solomon.

10. John, who with Absalom was sent by Maccabeus on a mission to Lysias to arrange a treaty of peace (2 Macc 11:17).