Starting from the figures of Hector and Empedocles, as well as their reincarnation in post-Christian times, along with Zarathustra and the Old Testament prophets, Rudolf Steiner particularly depicts the mystery of the Baptizer and his continued influence, as well as the secrets surrounding the twelve disciples. The Gospel of Mark, appealing to the will, leads in its sublime simplicity and dramatic progression from the personality of John the Baptist to that of Christ Jesus.