From: Bill Barton (phos@prodigy.net)
Date: Mon Feb 14 2000 - 23:08:05 EST
Jonathan Robie wrote:
JR>John 1:28 TAUTA EN BHQANIAi EGENETO PERAN TOU IORDANOU, hOPOU HN hO
IWANNHS BAPTIZWN. This can't be the same Bethany mentioned elsewhere in
John, e.g. John 11:18 HN DE hH BEQANIA EGGUS TWN hIEROSOLUMWN, hWS APO
STADIWN DEKAPENTE>
JR>Is the Bethany by the Jordan attested anywhere?>
The NT refers to a Bethany near Jerusalem and it also refers to a Bethany
beyond (east of) the Jordan. The location of the Bethany near Jerusalem is
known and the spot is a popular tourist stop. I'm not sure there is a firm
answer to the location of Bethany beyond the Jordan.
One suggestion/speculation is that Bethany "peran tou Iordanou" is
referring to OT Bashan. The area of ancient Bashan is described as "peran
tou Iordanou" in the Greek OT (Num 32:32; Deut. 3:8; 4:47) and in Josephus
(Ant. 8.37). In this interpretation the Greek name for Bashan would be
"Batanea" from which "Bethany" is derived.
The ancient Batanea area lay east of the Jordan and sea of Galilee; south
of Mt. Hermon; and north of the Yarmuk River (which is at the southern tip
of the sea of Galilee.
Bill Barton
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