This was not a form of capital punishment in the O.T. Ishbosheth was beheaded by his murderers that his head might be carried to David, 2 Samuel 4:7,8; as Goliath's head had been carried to Saul. In the N.T. John the Baptist was killed in the Roman manner of beheading with the sword. Matthew 14:10; Mark 6:16,27; Luke 9:9 . In Revelation 20:4 , those 'beheaded' for the witness of Jesus, may be killed in other ways, for the word πελεκίζω signifies 'to cut with an axe,' having no particular reference to the head.
Originally published with the title A New and Concise Bible Dictionary by George Morrish (London), the Morrish Bible Dictionary is more than a dictionary of Bible words.Wikipedia
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