A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
Related Post here. A very good paper by Dr. James Tabor is available in his Dropbox directory. The file name is Wadi-el-Yabis-Pella-in-John-1.pdf. The paper was written for an SBL group in 2011 and is titled Wadi el-Yabis and the Elijah “Wadi Cherith” traditions in Relationship to John and Jesus in the Gospel of John. Extracts […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 7/10/2025. The identification of “Bethany beyond the Jordan” (Greek: Βηθανία πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου) with Bethabara (Greek: Βηθαβαρά) [beth-a-bar-a] is a subject of debate among scholars and translators. While both names are associated with the baptismal ministry of John the Baptist, their identification as the same physical location is not certain. Below is […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai on 7/8/2025. Critical biblical scholars and archaeologists have reached a strong consensus on the location of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. The site is located at Al-Maghtas, Jordan, officially known as “Bethany Beyond the Jordan,” which was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2015. The site is situated on the eastern […]
Continue ReadingFrom OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com. 12/27/2024. Walking from Nazareth to Ein Kerem (traditionally associated with the village where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived) would be a significant journey, both in terms of distance and terrain. Here are the details: 1. Distance and Travel Time 2. Elevation Changes Elevation Changes Along the Way: Additional […]
Continue ReadingIn the Patreon Zoom Meeting on 11/30/2024 (see the primary post here) James Tabor pointed out that Matthew edited Luke to delete the references to John the Baptist potentially baptizing Roman soldiers; i.e. Gentiles. Luke 3:12-14 Matthew 3:7-10 7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of […]
Continue ReadingThe article by the same title as this page at the BAS Library provides pros and cons as well as “a way out” of the debate. It is by Otto Betz. Bible Review 6.6 (1990). It is also a great summary of the varying beliefs of the different Essene communities. This page is for our personal use […]
Continue ReadingStrike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered – Mark reports Jesus said that and it is in the DSS. Jesus, Paul, and the author of John spoke of Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness and that you all are sons of light. That is also cited in the DSS. I am the […]
Continue ReadingDid Jesus baptize people? YES “…according to the unique tradition preserved in the gospel of John, we could properly speak of “Jesus the Baptizer” in parallel with the better known designation of “John the Baptizer,” notice: “After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized. John […]
Continue ReadingThis page contains various extracts from articles, links to videos and collected thoughts by posters at BSA and other places. Thoughts and observations about John the Dipper by folks at BSA. A very good article about John the Baptizer and Jesus is at the BSA Library Why Jesus Went Back to Galilee by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. A pdf […]
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