John 1:28

Bethabara. Textual evidence favors (cf. p. 146) the reading “Bethany,” called “Bethany Beyond Jordan” to distinguish it from Bethany near Jerusalem. “Bethabara” was adopted by Origen (c. 250 A.D.), who in his day found no town near the Jordan by the name Bethany, but did find one then known as Bethabara. Neither site has been identified in modern times. There is a ford called Abarah about 12 mi. south of the Lake of Galilee, but this is too far north. Bethabara may possibly represent a transposition of letters by which Beth-‘arabah became Beth-‘abarah. There was a town on the borders of Judah and Benjamin by the name of Beth-ha‘arabah (see Joshua 15:6, 61; 18:22), but it is not on the river. Bethabara, literally, “house [or place] of crossing,” would be an appropriate name for a village near any one of numerous fords across the Jordan. The traditional site of Jesus’ baptism is Mahadet el-Hajlah, not far from Bethoglah, now ‘Ain Hajlah, 4 mi. (6.4 km.) southeast of Jericho. See Early Ministry and Baptism to First Passover; Palestine In Biblical Times.