Jeremy M. Hutton, «'Bethany beyond the Jordan' in Text, Tradition, and Historical Geography», Vol. 89 (2008) 305-328
Origen selected e0n Bhqabara|~ in John 1,28 as the superior reading in his Comm. Jo., an assessment challenged by modern critics. Although the text-critical data seem to indicate e0n Bhqani/a|~ as the preferable reading, this claim may be
questioned on literary and redactional grounds. Those same observations provide evidence for intentional literary commemoration of John’s ministry at the Jordan. Origen’s gloss of Bhqabara|~ as “House of Preparation” (oi]koj kataskeuh~j) leads to an examination of Mk 1,2-3, and its lexical divergence from LXX Mal 3,1.22-23 [=MT vv. 23-24]; Isa 40,3. Mark anomalously uses the verb kataskeua/zw, the nominal counterpart of which (kataskeuh~) renders Heb. hdfbo(j “work, preparation” (LXXAB Exod 35,24), which is graphically similar to hrb( tyb. When combined with historical-geographical study of the area surrounding Jericho,
these data allow us to trace the process of textual and traditional development whereby the toponym hbr( tyb (Josh 15,6.61; 18,22), preserved at the modern H}. ( E!n el-G.arabe, served as the toponymic antecedent of both Bhqabara|~ and Beth Barah (Judg 7,24). This process of development provides additional defense
for the traditional localization of John’s ministry in the southern Jordan River Valley near the el-Mag.tas and H9ag]la fords.
“Bethany beyond the Jordan†309
Finally, there is no other evidence in the OT that a locale named Beth
Bara (arb tyb) ever existed. Thus, I am hesitant to follow this proposed
emendation too readily. The solution seems to me to be far more of a
textual and traditional nature than of an exegetical one, and is probably
simpler than that suggested by Blanc and his predecessors.
Multiple Greek manuscripts (e.g., LXXAB) at Exod 35,24 use the
nominal form kataskeuh' “preparation†to render Heb. hd:bo[} “work,
preparationâ€, a word that is graphically similar to hr:b;[} “crossing.†This
potential for graphic confusion then should focus our attention on the
only OT occurrence of the toponym Baiqabara', in Josh 18,22, where
the LXXB transcription renders MT hb;r:[}j; tyB´ “House of the Plain,†a
city in the territory of Benjamin (cf. LXXA Bhqarabav at Josh 15,61
and Baiqarabav at Josh 18,22; and LXXB Baiqaraba at 15,6;
18,18)(14). One might envision two more economical understandings of
the evidence presented by these textual witnesses in combination with
the tradition preserved by the minority texts at John 1,28 (e.g., Syrsc,
etc.).
In the first reconstruction, an original hrb[ tyb “House of
Passageâ€(15) was inadvertently transcribed as hbr[h tyb in the MT of
Josh 15,6.61; 18,22 (cf. also 18,18) (16), and as hrb tyb in MT of Judg
7,24(17), while in Mark’s source it had become conflated with the
graphically similar, but otherwise unknown, hdb[ tyb. Graphically
represented, this would appear as:
(14) Eusebius (Onom. 50.21 nr. 233) lists a Bhqarabav, but describes it only
as “in the regions near the uninhabitable area†(ejn toi'" peri; th;n ajoivkhton), fol-
lowing Symmachus; translation from the convenient recent edition with Greek
and Latin text, and English translation: Eusebius, Onomasticon. The Place
Names of Divine Scripture (eds. R.S. NOTLEY – Z. SAFRAI) (Jewish and Christian
Perspectives 9; Boston – Leiden 2005) 52.
(15) For the history of this etymology of Bhqabara/', see RIESNER, Bethanien,
35, and bibliography there.
(16) Note the similar instances of metathesis (i.e., Bhqaraba'/) that occurred
in manuscripts of Origen’s Comm. Jo. and in LXX cb Syrhmg; METZGER, “ejn
a
bhqaniva/ ejgevneto {C}â€, 200 n. 6; WIEFEL, “Bethabaraâ€, 72; G. L. PARSENIOS,
“Bethanyâ€, NIDB I, 436-437; RIESNER, Bethanien, 43; LAGRANGE, “Origèneâ€,
505.
(17) W. BORÉE, Die alten Ortsnamen Palästinas (Leipzig 1930) 76 n. 5;
although cf. J.K. LOTT, “Beth-Barahâ€, ABD I, 682-683.
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