Yes — although the most common allegorical readings of Rudyard Kipling’s 1888 novella (and John Huston’s 1975 film) The Man Who Would Be King revolve around British imperialism, Freemasonry, hubris, and the “White Man’s Burden,” a smaller but persistent minority of interpreters have seen strong parallels to John the Baptist and, less often, Isaiah . These readings are not mainstream, but they appear in theological journals, literary criticism, and some Christian/Islamic esoteric commentary. Below are the main published sources that explicitly make these connections: Interpreter / Source Year Allegorical Reading Key Parallels Cited Fr. Edward J. Dowling, S.J. – “Kipling’s ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ as a Johannine Parable” ( The Month , Catholic journal) 1976 Dravot = a dark, inverted John the Baptist figure - Comes out of the wilderness (Kafiristan = desert) - Preaches a new law/order to pagans - Wears camel-hair-like robes (film version) - Is beheaded by the very people ...