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The Call of the Wilderness
Rotman, M.
2019
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Rotman, M. (2019). The Call of the Wilderness: The Narrative Significance of John the Baptist's Whereabouts.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ... V
Table of Contents ... VII
Abbreviations ... XIII
Illustrations ... XIV
Chapter 1: Introduction
... 1A. Status Quaestionis ... 1
The Dominance of History in John the Baptist Research ... 1
History of Research ... 3
Contribution of the Present Study ... 9
B. Reading Narrative Texts ... 11
Narratology and Narrative Criticism ... 11
Umberto Eco, the Model Reader, and the Encyclopaedia ... 14
Narrative Criticism and Historical-Critical Methods ... 17
C. Interpreting Geographical Setting ... 19
Defining Geographical Setting ... 19
Thematised Space ... 21
The Spatial Turn and Ancient Narratives ... 22
Geographical Settings and the Real World ... 24
Geographical Settings and Anterior Texts ... 26
D. Scope and Outline of This Study ... 29
Scope ... 29
Outline ... 32
Chapter 2: The Jordan Valley in History and Narrative
... 34A. In the Environs of the Jordan ... 35
Introduction and Terminology ... 35
The Ghor and the Zor ... 36
Crossing the River Jordan ... 37
VIII Table of Contents
B. Life in the Jordan Valley ... 41
C. The River Jordan in the Old Testament ... 45
D. A Volatile Mix? ... 47
The Jordan – A Border? ... 49
First Maccabees ... 53
Theudas ... 56
Alexander Janneus and Ptolemy Lathyrus ... 56
Between Bethennabris and Jericho ... 57
Conclusion ... 58
E. Conclusion ... 59
Chapter 3: John’s Geographical Setting in Mark
... 61A. John in the Gospel of Mark ... 62
B. John in the Wilderness ... 66
John as the Forerunner in the Wilderness ... 67
Old Testament Background ... 68
The Way in the Wilderness and a New Exodus ... 70
Eschatological Renewal and the Kingdom of God ... 75
John as Elijah in the Wilderness ... 76
Allusions to Elijah in Other Markan Wilderness Stories ... 78
Conclusion ... 81
C. John’s Execution in Galilee ... 82
Herod, John, and Jesus ... 82
The Galilean Setting of John’s Execution ... 84
Significance of John’s Execution in Galilee ... 84
D. Conclusion ... 86
Chapter 4: John’s Geographical Setting in Q
... 88A. Narrative Elements in a Reconstructed Text ... 88
Table of Contents IX
C. In the Environs of the Jordan ... 96
John in the Environs of the Jordan (Q 3:3) ... 96
Significance of John’s Presence in the Environs of the Jordan... 98
D. John in the Wilderness ... 101
The Wilderness of Q 7:24–26 ... 102
Significance of John’s Presence in the Wilderness ... 104
E. Conclusion ... 107
Chapter 5: John’s Geographical Setting in Matthew
... 109A. John in the Gospel of Matthew ... 109
B. John in the Wilderness of Judea ... 114
John in the Wilderness ... 115
The Wilderness of Judea ... 116
Significance of John’s Presence in the Wilderness of Judea ... 118
C. John’s Imprisonment and Execution in Judea ... 122
John’s Imprisonment in Judea ... 123
The Judean Setting of John’s Imprisonment and Execution ... 123
Significance of John’s Execution in Judea ... 126
D. Conclusion ... 126
Chapter 6: John’s Geographical Setting in Luke
... 128A. The Infancy Narratives as Part of Luke’s Gospel ... 129
B. John in the Lukan Writings ... 132
C. Settings Associated with John’s Birth ... 137
The Temple ... 138
A City in the Hill Country of Judah ... 140
D. John in the Wilderness ... 142
X Table of Contents
The Jordan Area and Luke’s Baptist in Scholarly Literature ... 146
Significance of the Geographical Setting of Luke 3 ... 148
F. Conclusion ... 150
Chapter 7: John’s Geographical Setting in the Fourth Gospel
.... 152A. John in the Fourth Gospel ... 153
B. Bethany across the Jordan ... 159
Bethany, Bethabara, or Betharaba? ... 160
The Model Reader’s Topographical Encyclopaedia ... 161
Significance of the Reference to Bethany across the Jordan ... 163
Bethany across the Jordan in Contrast with Judea ... 167
Excursus – Locating Bethany across the Jordan ... 169
C. Aenon near Salim ... 174
The Location of Aenon near Salim and the Model Reader ... 174
Significance of the Reference to Aenon near Salim ... 176
D. John, Jesus, and Judea in the Fourth Gospel ... 180
E. Conclusion ... 182
Chapter 8: John’s Geographical Setting in Josephus
... 183A. Authenticity and Sources ... 184
B. John in Josephus ... 187
C. John’s Execution at Machaerus ... 192
The Herodian Fortress Machaerus ... 192
Significance of John’s Execution at Machaerus ... 194
D. John and the Prophets in the Wilderness ... 196
Who Were These Wilderness Prophets? ... 196
Josephus’s Characterization of John and the Wilderness Prophets ... 199
Symbolic Actions in the Wilderness ... 200
Table of Contents XI
E. Conclusion ... 208
Chapter 9: Summary and Conclusions
... 209A. Summary ... 209
B. Conclusions ... 213
C. Suggestions for Further Study ... 216
Bibliography
... 219A. Critical Editions and Translations ... 219
B. Lexical Aids, Concordances, etc. ... 221
C. Secondary Literature ... 221
Index of Ancient Sources
... 254Old Testament ... 254
Apocrypha ... 256
New Testament and Q ... 257
Pseudepigrapha... 262
Dead Sea Scrolls ... 262
Josephus ... 263
Rabbinic Literature ... 264
Ancient Near Eastern Texts ... 265
Graeco-Roman Literature ... 265
XII Table of Contents
