In the New Testament, John the Baptist’s father is named Zechariah. Luke identifies him as a priest from the division of Abijah and names his wife as Elizabeth, who is a relative of Mary in Luke’s account.
Luke says an angel announces John’s future birth while Zechariah is serving in the Jerusalem Temple. Because Zechariah doubts the announcement, he becomes unable to speak until the child is born. At the naming ceremony, he confirms that the child will be called John and his speech returns.
Zechariah is sometimes confused with the prophet Zechariah from the Hebrew Bible. They are different figures separated by many centuries and appear in different historical contexts.
The story presents John’s birth as part of a pair of linked annunciations in Luke, followed by the announcement of Jesus’s birth to Mary. John later becomes the prophetic preacher who prepares people for Jesus.