Which ruler of Galilee imprisoned John the Baptist during Jesus’ lifetime?

Herod Antipas was the ruler of Galilee who imprisoned John the Baptist during Jesus’ lifetime.

Antipas was a son of Herod the Great and governed Galilee and Perea from 4 BCE to 39 CE as a tetrarch under Roman authority. The Gospels describe John the Baptist criticizing Antipas’ marriage to Herodias, who had previously been married to Antipas’ brother. Antipas responded by imprisoning John.

According to Mark and Matthew, Herodias’ daughter danced at a banquet, and Antipas promised her a gift. At her mother’s urging, she requested John’s head, leading to John’s execution. Luke also connects Antipas with Jesus’ trial, reporting that Pilate sent Jesus to him because Jesus was from Galilee; Antipas questioned Jesus before returning him to Pilate.

Herod Antipas is distinct from Herod the Great, who ruled Judea when Jesus was born, and from Herod Agrippa I, who later persecuted early Christians.