Then what a complete jumbled up unreliable mess the scriptures are.
let's read them here>>
It begins with Herod hearing the stories of the wonder workings of Jesus, such as:
“And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them”.Mark 6:12-13. KJV
Herod’s response is;
“This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him”.Mathew14:2. KJV.
Here then Herod is recognising the now dead John as a doer of “mighty work’s” and harbouring great respect for John but we read nothing in the gospels at all about any miracles i.e. "mighty works" performed by John so what “mighty works” had John done to now be showing themselves in Jesus?
And from Mark;
But when Herod heard thereof, [Jesus] he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. Mark 6:16.KJV.
John the Baptist here then according to both these accounts is dead. We are not told before this point in the bible anywhere that John is dead or how he died but by these accounts we assume he has been beheaded and Herod is frightened, he believes Jesus is John come back to haunt him.
The story goes on to say;
And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
And when the daughter[Salome, not even named in the NT ] of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. Remember John is said to be already dead!
And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
Herod appears stunned and “sorry” at the request but, up until this point is John the Baptist dead or not? We can then go on to read;
And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
And when his [John’s] disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb” Mark 6:12-29.