Bethabara
“House of the ford or crossing”
Summary
A place beyond the Jordan River where John the Baptist was baptizing, possibly the location where Jesus was baptized.
☩Location and Identification
Bethabara appears in John 1:28 in some manuscripts as the place 'beyond Jordan' where John was baptizing. The name means 'house of the ford' and suggests a crossing point on the Jordan River. Some identify it with Beth-barah, where Gideon's men captured the fords of the Jordan. The oldest manuscripts read 'Bethany' rather than 'Bethabara,' leading to debate about which reading is original.
☩Significance in Jesus's Ministry
This location marks the beginning of Jesus's public ministry, where He was baptized and first declared by John to be 'the Lamb of God.' Jesus later returned to this place across the Jordan where 'many believed in Him.'
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Bethabara," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Bethabara," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Bethabara," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).