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"And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee; and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and them that sat at meat with him; and 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 out, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptizer. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou forthwith give me on a platter the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat, he would not reject her. And straightway the king sent forth a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring his head: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the damsel; and the damsel gave it to her mother." Mark 6:21-28 ASV <p>Illustration of John the Baptist about to be beheaded. The daughter of Herodias stands in the background with a platter.

Beheading of John the Baptist

"And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the…

This illustration shows the trial of King Charles I. He was put on trial after a civil war, which lead to his beheading.

Charles I Trial

This illustration shows the trial of King Charles I. He was put on trial after a civil war, which lead…

"And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled." 1 Samuel 17:48-51 ASV <p>David holds a sword over Goliath and prepares to cut off his head. In the background, the men of Israel and Judah pursue the Philistines.

David Slays Goliath

"And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened,…

An illustration of two men, Egmont and Horn, being executed by beheading.

Execution of Egmont and Horn

An illustration of two men, Egmont and Horn, being executed by beheading.

"The guillotine is an apparatus for beheading persons at one stroke, adopted by the National Assembly of France during the first Revolution, on the proposals of a Dr. Guillotin, after whom it was named."&mdash;(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Guillotine

"The guillotine is an apparatus for beheading persons at one stroke, adopted by the National Assembly…

The guillotine was a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which a blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the victim's head from his or her body.

Guillotine

The guillotine was a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall…

"But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk. And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without before the chamber, and to watch: And Judith stood before the bed praying with tears, and the motion of her lips in silence, Saying: Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayst raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee. And when she had said this, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it. And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the hair of his head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God, at this hour." Judith 13:4-9 DRA <p>Having taken Holofernes' sword in hand, Judith stands by his bed before she beheads him. Her maid acts as lookout.

Judith Prepares to Behead Holofernes

"But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk. And Judith spoke to her maid to…