X907.] LAMBERTON— NARRATIVE OF WALKING ON SEA. 81 



assigned) our Lord takes them with him and withdraws to *' a 

 desert place of a city called Bethsaida," or according to the better 

 text '* into a city called Bethsaida " : in any case there is no boat, 

 no crossing of the lake; the place is apparently in Bethsaida (its 

 territory, of course) on the zvest shore: this at once raises the ques- 

 tion, as to which scholars are not at one, whether there was really 

 such a second Bethsaida ; for Bethsaida Julias was on the east shore. 

 The crowds notice the withdrawal and follow : again, how is not said. 



In John 6 :i we read : Thereafter (a quite indefinite note of time) 

 Jesus departed across the sea of Galilea, and a large crowd followed 

 him, because they saw the signs he had wrought upon those that 

 were sick. 



The disagreement of Matthew with all the others is very notice- 

 able and is emphasized by the word aTrrjyyetXav which appears both 

 in his account and in that of Mark as well as by the difference of 

 subject — John's disciples in Matthew, Jesus's disciples in Mark. 

 To be noted also is the fact that the story of John's taking off im- 

 mediately precedes both in Matthew and Mark, but in the latter is 

 detached from any connection with what follows ; while in Luke 

 what precedes is a parenthetical account of Herod's perplexity be- 

 cause of the news he had begun to hear of Jesus : " Herod said : 

 John I beheaded : but who is this," and also (which is significant, 

 as we shall see) the speculations of others : ' John has risen from the 

 dead ' ; '' Elias has appeared " ; " one of the ancient prophets has 

 risen again." In John's account this feature of John the baptist 

 does not appear : no reason at all is assigned for our Lord's with- 

 drawal with his disciples. 



Now we come to the getting away from the " desert place " : We 

 will take Mark's account first, 6 45 : Instantly he compelled 

 (rjvdyKaae) his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead across the 

 lake to Bethsaida (in Luke they were in or near Bethsaida), and 

 leave him to dismiss the crowd : Then, having dismissed the crowd, 

 he went away into the mountain to pray. At a late hour they in 

 their boat were in the midst of the sea and he was on the land. 

 They were having a hard time (he saw them) with their rowing, 

 for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the 

 night (3 a. m.) he approached them, walking on the sea. — So far 



PROC. AMER. PHIL. SOC, XLVI. 185F, PRINTED JULY 15, I9O7. 



