396 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
the supposed site of the Bethabara of the New Testament, a place 
where John the Baptist met our Lord, and where it is supposed 
that the baptism of Christ occurred. 
Since the fourth century a.d., the traditional site of Bethabara has 
been always shown at the most southern ford of Jordan, due east of 
the present Jericho. This spot is annually visited by crowds of 
devout Russian or Syrian Christians, and the scene of their 
immersion in the river is' 1 extremely picturesque and has often 
been described by travellers. There is not, however, any conclusive 
evidence that the site so pointed out is genuine ; the name Beth- 
abara does not survive in the vicinity, nor is the place mentioned by 
any writers before the fourth century. 
There is, moreover, a fatal difficulty in identifying the true and 
the traditional site ; for it is clear from the Scripture narrative that 
Bethabara lay at not more than a day’s journey from Cana of 
Galilee, which was situated north of Nazareth. We are thus limited 
to a distance of about twenty miles from Cana (which is probably the 
present village called Kefr Kenna ), whereas the traditional site is no 
less than eighty miles from Cana, a distance representing three days’ 
journey rather than one. 
The name Bethabara is a compound of Beth “ a house ” and 
Abara 11 a passage ” or ford. The village stood beyond Jordan, and 
apparently took its name from a neighbouring ford of the river. 
The fords of Jordan were carefully examined during the course 
of the survey in the Jordan valley. No less than forty fords were 
found between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, of which only 
six are marked on former maps. Their names, which are mainly 
descriptive, were obtained, and care taken to ascertain as far as 
possible the exact positions. Some of the fords are only passable 
in summer or autumn, but others, to which the main roads lead, are 
practicable at all times except during heavy floods. 
Among the fords, one and one only was found having the name 
’Abarah, identical in form and in meaning with the name of the 
ford whence Bethabara took its title. This passage of the river, 
discovered by Sergeant Black in the ordinary course of the survey 
work, is situated about twelve miles south of the Sea of Galilee, 
at the place where one of the main roads from Lower Galilee crosses 
over into the district of Bathania or Bashan, 
