John Becomes a Nazarite 

John the Baptist became a Nazarite at the decision of his parents when he was fourteen years old. The solemn ceremonies took place at Engedi. After he took his vows as a Nazarite, the family traveled to Jerusalem, where John completed his induction by making the appropriate offerings at the temple.

John followed an illustrious tradition in becoming a Nazarite, and he was looked upon with respect by all Jewry as a result of his life-long commitment to the Nazarite ways. His parents expected him to do great things.

Although we don’t know whether Elijah was a Nazarite, John was greatly impressed with this prophet of old; he emulated Elijah in the clothes that he wore, making him a very distinctive presence.

There was no synagogue school in the town where John grew up, so he was homeschooled by his parents, Zacharias and Elizabeth, who were both well educated. When John was fourteen years old, his parents decided that he would take the formal vow of a Nazarite. John and his parents went to Engedi for this ritual, which was the southern headquarters of the Nazarite brotherhood, and he was inducted into this order. His parents expected great things from John; a child of promise and a Nazarite for life.

The rules of the Nazarite order meant that John would not drink alcohol, that he would let his hair grow, and that he would never touch a dead body. Following the taking of these solemn vows, John and his parents traveled to the temple in Jerusalem, where he made the required offerings that completed his induction into the Nazarite order.

Samson and the prophet Samuel were among those notable persons who inspired John and who took the same vows. Being a Nazarite afforded John a great deal of respect, as those who committed themselves to this life-long vow were considered to be sanctified, almost equal to the veneration that was accorded to high priests. Like a high priest, a Nazarite was allowed to enter the holy of holies in the temple.

Following his vows, John returned to his village of the city of Judah and resumed tending his father’s sheep. He continued to grow in grace and to develop a strong character. When he was sixteen, John emulated another one of his heroes, Elijah, by adopting his mode of dress. Like Elijah, John wore a hairy shirt with a leather belt. At six feet tall, and with his long, flowing hair, he became quite a distinctive-looking young man.