Ænon
Aenon (
Aenon is the
The name Aenon is commonly used amongst
Identification attempts
Information from the Gospel
Neither "Aenon" nor "Salim" is a unique name, and the Gospel text offers only two additional hints about where Aenon might be located: the most direct information is that "there was plenty of water there" (John 3:22), and the second is that it was west of the River Jordan because at Aenon John's disciples talk of the site where John first encountered Jesus as being "on the other side of the Jordan" (John 3:26) which is taken to mean east of the river. We also know from John 1:28 that that first encounter happened at "Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan",[4] named relative to the entrance of the Hebrews from the desert during the Exodus.
'Ainun in Wadi Far'a
One possible location is near the upper source of the Wadi Far'a, an open valley extending from Mount Ebal to the Jordan River, which is full of springs. There is a place called 'Ainun four miles north of the springs.[5][4]
Eusebius: Saloumias south of Scythopolis
Another possible location, which is by Eusebius' description in his Onomasticon (written before AD 324), is at "a village in the (Jordan) valley, at the eighth milestone from Scythopolis (Beit She'an), ... called Salumias."[6] This view was already supported by the 19th-century Smith's Bible Dictionary and the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia[4] and is still favoured by some.[7][8][9]
Madaba Map: east of the Jordan near Jericho
In addition to Aenon near Salem, the 6th-century
See also
- Al Maghtas, the traditional site of Jesus' baptism
- Qasr el Yahud, the western (West Bank) side of Al Maghtas
- Baptism of Jesus
- Bethabara, a name used by some versions of the New Testament for the site of Jesus' baptism
- Chronology of Jesus
- Ministry of Jesus
- New Testament places associated with Jesus
References
Citations
- ^ Nichols (2009), p. 12.
- ^ Sloyan (1987), p. 11.
- ^ John 3:23
- ^ a b c "Aenon". BibleHub.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ Easton's Bible Dictionary
- ^ Piccirillo et al. (2000)
- ^ Noort (2004), p. 229.
- ^ Gibson (2004), quote: "About twelve kilometres (or eight miles according to Eusebius) to the south of Beth Shean (Scythopolis), there is a region which would fit Aenon perfectly. This location has numerous springs: I have counted thirteen of them in a small area four by four kilometres and, interestingly, Ambrose in his writings (II, 1432) claimed that there were twelve springs at 'Ennon'. On the north side of this area is Tell Shalem, which undoubtedly must be Salim/Salumnias (map ref. 2098-1998), and so the place where John baptised at Aenon may have been at any of the springs in the vicinity of Tell Shalem."
- ^ Bernard (2000) [1928], p. 128.
Bibliography
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Aenon". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
- ISBN 9780567050243. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ISBN 9780385503471. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- )
- Nichols, Lorna Daniels (2009). Big Picture of the Bible: New Testament. ISBN 1-57921-928-4. page 12.
- Piccirillo, Michele; Eugenio Alliata; Stefano de Luca (2000). "Aenon near Salem which is also Saloumias - (Kh. Khisas al-Dayr)". The Madaba Map: a virtual travel through the Holy Places. Studium Biblicum Franciscanum - Jerusalem. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- Sloyan, Gerard Stephen (1987). John. ISBN 0-8042-3125-7. page 11.