Etymology and Location:
Bethabara, meaning "house of the ford," is a site mentioned in the New Testament, traditionally identified as a place of crossing or a ford on the Jordan River. The name itself suggests a location where the river could be crossed, which aligns with its biblical significance. The exact location of Bethabara has been a subject of debate among scholars and archaeologists. Some identify it with the site known today as Al-Maghtas, located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, while others suggest it may be near the modern-day village of Bethany beyond the Jordan.

Biblical Significance:
Bethabara holds a significant place in the New Testament as the location where John the Baptist conducted his ministry of baptism. It is notably mentioned in the Gospel of John:

· John 1:28 : "All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."

While some manuscripts and translations use "Bethany," others, including early Christian tradition, refer to the site as Bethabara. This has led to some confusion and debate over the correct name and location. However, the spiritual significance remains unchanged, as it is the place where John the Baptist proclaimed the coming of the Messiah and baptized Jesus.

Theological Importance:
Bethabara is the setting for the pivotal event of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. This event marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry and is a profound moment of divine revelation. According to the Gospel accounts, as Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove, and a voice from heaven declared, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). This theophany underscores the Trinitarian nature of God and affirms Jesus' divine sonship and mission.

Historical and Archaeological Insights:
The identification of Bethabara has been influenced by historical writings and archaeological findings. Early Christian writers such as Origen and Eusebius referred to Bethabara as the location of John's baptisms. Modern archaeological efforts have focused on sites along the Jordan River, with Al-Maghtas being a prominent candidate due to its ancient baptismal pools and proximity to the traditional route of the Israelites' crossing into the Promised Land.

Cultural and Religious Impact:
Bethabara, as the site of Jesus' baptism, holds immense cultural and religious significance for Christians worldwide. It is a place of pilgrimage, where believers commemorate the baptism of Jesus and reflect on the sacrament of baptism as an outward expression of faith and repentance. The event at Bethabara serves as a model for Christian baptism, symbolizing purification, the washing away of sins, and the believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In summary, Bethabara is a site of profound biblical and theological importance, representing the intersection of divine revelation, prophetic fulfillment, and the inauguration of Jesus' earthly ministry. Its legacy continues to inspire and shape Christian faith and practice.Bethabara

the house of confidence

Bethabara

(house of the ford), a place beyond Jordan, in which according to the Received Text of the New Testament, John was baptizing. (John 1:28) If this reading be correct, Bethabara is identical with Beth-barah (fords of Abarah) the ancient ford of Jordan on the road to Gilead; or, which seems more likely, with Beth-nimrah, on the east of the river, nearly opposite Jericho. The Revised Version reads BETHANY, which see below.

House of the ford, a place on the east bank of the Jordan, where John was baptizing (John 1:28). It may be identical with Bethbarah, the ancient ford of Jordan of which the men of Ephraim took possession (Judges 7:24). The Revised Version reads "Bethany beyond Jordan." It was the great ford, and still bears the name of "the ford," Makhadhet `Abarah, "the ford of crossing over," about 25 miles from Nazareth. (see BETHBARAH.) BETHABARA

beth-ab'-a-ra beth`abharah; (Bethabara, "house of the ford"): According to the King James Version (following Textus Receptus of the New Testament) the place where John baptized (John 1:28). the Revised Version (British and American) (with Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek following Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Ephraemi) reads BETHANY. It is distinguished from the Bethany of Lazarus and his sisters as being "beyond the Jordan." The reading "Bethabara" became current owing to the advocacy of Origen. Various suggestions have been made to explain the readings. G. A. Smith (HGHL) suggests that Bethany ("house of the ship") and Bethabara ("house of the ford") are names for the same place. Bethabara has also been identified with Bethbarah, which, however, was probably not on the Jordan but among the streams flowing into it (Judges 7:24). It is interesting to note that LXXB reads Baithabara for Massoretic Text Beth-`arabhah, one of the cities of Benjamin (Joshua 18:22). If this be correct, the site is in Judea.

Another solution is sought in the idea of a corruption of the original name into Bethany and Bethabara, the name having the consonants n, b and r after Beth. In Joshua 13:27 (Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus) we find Baithanabra for Bethnimrah (Massoretic Text), and Sir George Grove in DB (arts. "Bethabara" and "Beth-nimrah") identifies Bethabara and Beth-nimrah. The site of the latter was a few miles above Jericho (see BETH-NIMRAH), "immediately accessible to Jerusalem and all Judea" (compare Matthew 3:5 Mark 1:5, and see article "Bethany" in EB). This view has much in its favor.

Then, again, as Dr. G. Frederick Wright observes: "The traditional site is at the ford east of Jericho; but as according to John 1:29, 35, 43 it was only one day's journey from Cana of Galilee, while according to John 10:40; John 11:3, 6, 27 it was two or three days from Bethany, it must have been well up the river toward Galilee. Conder discovered a well-known ford near Beisan called Abarah, near the mouth of the valley of Jezreel. This is 20 miles from Cana and 60 miles from Bethany, and all the conditions of the place fit in with the history."

See also BETHANY (2).

S. F. Hunter

962. Bethabara -- Bethabara.
... 961b, 962. Bethabara. 963 . Bethabara. Transliteration: Bethabara Phonetic
Spelling: (bay-thab-ar-ah') Short Definition: Bethabara. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/962.htm - 6k

The Name of the Place Where John Baptized is not Bethany, as in ...
... Sixth Book. 24. The Name of the Place Where John Baptized is Not Bethany,
as in Most Copies, But Bethabara. Proof of This. Similarly ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/24 the name of the.htm

Message of the Sanhedrim to John at Bethabara.
... Section 111. Message of the Sanhedrim to John at Bethabara. Meanwhile
John, with his disciples, had been traversing both shores ...
/.../section 111 message of the.htm

John's First Testimony to Jesus.
... immaterial."] 28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan [Owing to
variation in the manuscripts, we may read "Bethany" or "Bethabara," or even ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xx johns first testimony to.htm

The Witness of John.
... (John 1:28). 28. These things were done in Bethabara, beyond Jordan, where John
was baptizing. The Revision substitutes Bethany for Bethabara. ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the witness of john.htm

His Decision on the Question of Divorce. --Celibacy. (Matt. , xix,
... CHAPTER XIV. JESUS IN PERAEA (BETHABARA). Section 224. His Decision on the Question
of Divorce."Celibacy. (Matt., xix,. 2-12; Mark, x., 3-12.) ...
/.../section 224 his decision on.htm

John the Baptist --visit of Jesus to John, and his Abode in the ...
... neighborhood of the Dead Sea.[4] At the periods when he administered baptism, he
went to the banks of the Jordan,[5] either to Bethany or Bethabara,[6] upon ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter vi john the baptistvisit.htm

The Twofold Testimony of John - the First Sabbath of Jesus's ...
... But in that first time of his trial at Bethabara he overcame, the first temptation
by the humility of his intense sincerity, the second by the absolute ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iii the twofold testimony.htm

List of Illustrations
... Child at prayer. The shepherd's care (2nd version). The shepherd's care (3rd version).
The Jordan near Bethabara. Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. Gethsemane. Calvary ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/the good shepherd/list of illustrations.htm

Jesus Begins his Work
... One day, when the fight of Jesus with the devil in the wilderness was over, He came
to Bethabara, where John was baptizing, and when John saw Jesus coming ...
/.../anonymous/the good shepherd/chapter v jesus begins his.htm

The Prodigal Son, and Other Stories.
... 'And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay
the debt. [Illustration: The Jordan near Bethabara.]. 'So ...
/.../anonymous/the good shepherd/chapter x the prodigal son.htm

Bethabara (1 Occurrence)
...BETHABARA. ... GA Smith (HGHL) suggests that Bethany ("house of the ship") and
Bethabara ("house of the ford") are names for the same place. ...
/b/bethabara.htm - 10k

Bethany (13 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary House of dates. (1.) The Revised Version in John 1:28
has this word instead of Bethabara, on the authority of the oldest manuscripts. ...
/b/bethany.htm - 14k

Ford (3 Occurrences)
... which must have been very numerous; about fifty perhaps. The most notable
was that of Bethabara. Mention is also made of the ford of ...
/f/ford.htm - 11k

Peter (181 Occurrences)
... At Bethabara (RV, John 1:28, "Bethany"), beyond Jordan, John the Baptist had borne
testimony concerning Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29-36). ...
/p/peter.htm - 101k

Bethanath (2 Occurrences)

/b/bethanath.htm - 7k

Bethbarah (1 Occurrence)
... (see BETHABARA.). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BETH-BARAH. ... See BETHABARA.
SF Hunter. Multi-Version Concordance Bethbarah (1 Occurrence). ...
/b/bethbarah.htm - 8k

Beth-barah (1 Occurrence)
... (see BETHABARA.). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BETH-BARAH. ... See BETHABARA.
SF Hunter. Multi-Version Concordance Beth-barah (1 Occurrence). ...
/b/beth-barah.htm - 8k

Andrew (12 Occurrences)
... a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, but on learning of the fame of John the Baptist,
he departed along with a band of his countrymen to Bethabara (the Revised ...
/a/andrew.htm - 20k

Herod (45 Occurrences)
... Of these, Philip had the land east of Jordan, between Caesarea Philippi and Bethabara,
Antipas had Galilee and Peraea, while Archelaus had Judea and Samaria. ...
/h/herod.htm - 57k

Beth (115 Occurrences)

/b/beth.htm - 40k

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