Volume 2

22 Life of Jesus Christ
them to the Baptist. It was near midday when Jesus
taught here.
After the Sabbath Jesus commissioned several of the
disciples to cross the Jordan and go up the river to the
distance of about one hour from Bethabara, there to prepare
a pool for Baptism. The site chosen by Jesus was
that upon which John, when going down from Ainon,
had baptized before he had crossed to the west bank of
the river opposite Bethabara.
The people of this place wanted to give Jesus an entertainrrlent,
but He would not stay. He crossed the Jordan
and returned to Bethabara where He celebrated the Sabbath
and taught in the synagogue. He ate with the principal
of the school and slept in his house.
The baptismal pool which John had used just before
he removed near Jericho was soon put in order again by
the disciples. It was not quite so large as that just mentioned.
It had an elevated margin and a projecting tongue
of land on which the baptizer could stand. A small canal
surrounded it, and from this the water could be turned
into the basin.
There were now as many as three pools for Baptism:
that above Bethabara, that of Jesus on the lately formed
island in the Jordan, and that in use by John.
On Jesus' arrival, He poured into the baptismal pool
some of the water from the well on the island where He
Himself had been baptized, and blessed it. Andrew had
brought the water with him in a flask. The neophytes
became unusually touched and agitated. Andrew and
Saturnin administered Baptism, but not by complete immersion.
The neophytes stood in the water near the edge
of the pool, the sponsors' hands upon their shoulders,
while the baptizers, dipping the water up in the hollow of
their hand, poured it thrice over them, baptizing in the
nanle of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost. John baptized somewhat differently. He used a