Beth-barah

Beth-barah (Bethabara) was a place where Gideon stationed men to intercept the fleeing Midianites, and where John the Baptist baptized.

Beth-barah, also known as Bethabara, is mentioned in two different contexts in the Bible. In Judges 7:24, during Gideon's battle against the Midianites, he sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, asking the Ephraimites to intercept the fleeing Midianites at the waters of Beth-barah and the Jordan. The Ephraimites captured and killed the two Midianite princes, Oreb and Zeeb.

In Jhn.1.28, Bethabara is mentioned as the place where John the Baptist was baptizing people. This Bethabara is described as being "beyond the Jordan," indicating that it was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Some manuscripts mention "Bethany" instead of "Bethabara" in this verse, which has led to some confusion. However, the Bethany mentioned here is not the same as the village near Jerusalem associated with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

The exact location of Beth-barah/Bethabara is uncertain, but it was likely a ford or crossing point along the Jordan River, possibly in the vicinity of the Jabbok River. The name Beth-barah means "house of the crossing" or "house of the ford" in Hebrew, which supports this interpretation.