16. Ant. xviii. 5. 2: 'But to some of the Jews it appeared, that the destruction of Herod's
army came from God, and, indeed, as a righteous punishment on account of what had
been done to John, who was surnamed the Baptist. For Herod ordered him to be killed, a
good man, and who commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness
towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism. For that the
baptizing would be acceptable to Him, if they made use of it, not for the putting away
(remission) of some sins, but for the purification of the body, after that the soul had been
previously cleansed by righteousness. And when others had come in crowds, for they
were exceedingly moved by hearing these words, Herod, fearing lest such influence of
his over the people might lead to some rebellion, for they seemed ready to do anything by
his counsel, deemed it best, before anything new should happen through him, to put him
to death, rather than that, when a change should arise in affairs, he might have to repent.',
Comp. also Krebs. Observationes in Nov. Test. e Fl. Jos. pp. 35, 36.
Leaving for the present the Baptist, we follow the footsteps of the Master. They are only
traced by the disciple who best understood t heir direction, and who alone has left us a
record of the beginning of Christ's ministry. For St. Matthew and St. Mark expressly
indicate the imprisonment of the Baptist as their starting-point,17 and, though St. Luke
does not say this in so many words, he characteristically commences with Christ's public
Evangelic teaching in the Synagogues of Galilee. Yet the narrative of St. Matthew18 reads
rather like a brief summary;19 that of St. Mark seems like a succession of rapid sketches;
and even that of St. Luke, though with deeper historic purpose than the others, outlines,
rather than tells, the history. St. John alone does not profess to give a narrative at all in
the ordinary sense; but he selects incidents which are characteristic as unfolding the
meaning o f that Life, and records discourses which open its inmost teaching;20 and he
alone tells of that early Judĉan ministry and the journey through Samaria, which
preceded the Galilean work.
17. St. Mark i. 14; St. Mark iv. 12.
18. See specially St. Matt. iv. 13 to end.
19. I am so strongly impressed with this, that I do not feel sure about Godet's theory, that
the calling of the four Apostles recorded by the Synoptists (St. Matt. iv. 18-22; St. Mark
i. 16-20; St. Luke v. 1-11), had really taken place during our Lord's first stay in
Capernaum (St. John ii. 12). On the whole, however, the circumstances recorded by the
Synoptists seem to indicate a period in the Lord's Ministry beyond that early stay in
Capernaum.
20. St. John xx. 30, 31; xxi. 25.
The shorter road from Judĉa to Galilee led through Samaria; 21 and this, if we may credit
Josephus,22 was generally taken by the Galileans on their way to the capital. On the other
hand, the Judĉans seem chiefly to have made a détour through Perĉa, in order to avo id
hostile and impure Samaria. It lay not within the scope of our Lord to extend His personal
Ministry, especially at its commencement, beyond the boundaries of Israel, 23 and the
expression, 'He must needs go through Samaria,'24 can only refer to the advisability in the
circumstances of taking the most direct road,25 or else to the wish of avoiding Perĉa as
the seat of Herod's government.26 Such prejudices in regard to Samaria, as those which
affected the ordinary Judĉan devotee, would, of course, not influ ence the conduct of
Jesus. But great as these undoubtedly were, they have been unduly exaggerated by
modern writers, misled by one -sided quotations from Rabbinic works.27