st influential men in Judea, and acquired much importance in
the general estimation.

[Footnote 1: Mark vii. 4; Jos., _Ant._, XVIII. v. 2; Justin, _Dial.
cum Tryph._, 17, 29, 80; Epiph., _Adv. Haer._, xvii.]

[Footnote 2: Jos., _B.J._, II. viii. 5, 7, 9, 13.]

[Footnote 3: Mishnah, _Pesachim_, viii. 8; Talmud of Babylon,
_Jebamoth_, 46 _b_; _Kerithuth_, 9 _a_; _Aboda Zara_, 57 _a_;
_Masseket Gerim_ (edit. Kirchheim, 1851), pp. 38-40.]

[Footnote 4: Matt. iii. 1; Mark i. 4.]

[Footnote 5: Luke iii. 3.]

[Footnote 6: John i. 28, iii. 26. All the manuscripts say _Bethany_;
but, as no one knows of Bethany in these places, Origen (_Comment. in
Joann._, vi. 24) has proposed to substitute _Bethabara_, and his
correction has been generally accepted. The two words have, moreover,
analogous meanings, and seem to indicate a place where there was a
ferry-boat to cross the river.]

[Footnote 7: _AEnon_ is the Chaldean plural, _AEnawan_, "fountains."]

[Footnote 8: John iii. 23. The locality of this place is doubtful. The
circumstance mentioned by the evangelist would lead us to believe that
it was not very near the Jordan. Nevertheless, the synoptics are
agreed in placing the scene of the baptisms of John on the banks of
that river (Matt. iii. 6; Mark i. 5; Luke iii. 3). The comparison of
verses 22 and 23 of chap. iii. of John, and of verses 3 and 4 of chap.
iv. of the same Gospel, would lead us to believe that Salim was in
Judea, and consequently in the oasis of Jericho, near the mouth of the
Jordan; since it would be difficult to find in any other district of
the tribe of Judah a single natural basin in which any one might be
totally immersed. Saint Jerome wishes to place Salim much more north,
near Beth-Schean or Scythopolis. But Robinson (_Bibl. Res._, iii. 333)
has not been able to find anything at these places that justifies this
assertion.]

[Footnote 9: Mark i. 5; Josephus, _Ant._, XVIII. v. 2.]

The people took him for a prophet,[1] and many imagined that it was
Elias who had risen again.[2] The belief in these resurrections was
widely spread;[3] it was thought that God would raise from the tomb
certain of the ancient prophets to guide Israel toward its final
destiny. Others held John to be the Messiah himself, although he made
no such pretensions.[4] The priests and the scribes, opposed to this
revival of prophetism, and the constant enemies of enthusiasts,
despised him. But the popularity of the Baptist awed t