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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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<strong>the</strong>refcMre, <strong>of</strong> his joy. Hours <strong>of</strong> doud <strong>and</strong> darknees<br />

were to follow.<br />

2. <strong>The</strong> scene has changed, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Baptist has<br />

become <strong>the</strong> prisoner cl Herod Antipas. <strong>The</strong><br />

dominions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> latter embraced, in <strong>the</strong> north:<br />

Galilee, west <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jordan <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lake <strong>of</strong><br />

Galilee; <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> south: Penea, east <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jordan.<br />

To realise events we must bear in mind that,<br />

crossing <strong>the</strong> Lake eastwards, we should pass from<br />

<strong>the</strong> possessions <strong>of</strong> Herod to those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tetrarch<br />

Philip, or else come upon <strong>the</strong> territory <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ' Ten<br />

Cities,' or Decapolis, a kind <strong>of</strong> oonfederation <strong>of</strong><br />

townships, with constitution <strong>and</strong> liberties, such as<br />

those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Grecian cities.* By a narrow strip<br />

northwards, Persea just slipped in between <strong>the</strong><br />

Decapolis <strong>and</strong> Samaria. It is impossible with<br />

certainty to localise <strong>the</strong> ^non, near Salim, where<br />

John baptized. Anci^it tradition placed <strong>the</strong> latter a<br />

few miles south <strong>of</strong> Scythopolis or Bethshean, on<br />

<strong>the</strong> borders <strong>of</strong> Galilee, or ra<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong> Decapolis,<br />

<strong>and</strong> Samaria. But as <strong>the</strong> eastern part <strong>of</strong> Samaria<br />

towards <strong>the</strong> Jordan was very narrow, one may

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