The coastal road along the Mediterranean passes through Galilee and meets the King’s Highway at Damascus. Along this route, one can see Mount Hermon, whose triple-peaked summit remains snow-capped year-round, offering a breathtaking view. This mountain has been revered as sacred since ancient times and was once referred to as Mount Zion in the time of Moses. Although the term "Mount Zion" now refers to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Hermon was a significant mountain back then.
The Jordan River originates from the snow and rain that seep into the limestone of Mount Hermon and then flow out. The second-largest source of the Jordan is located near the city of Caesarea Philippi. This city was rebuilt and made into a capital by Philip, a son of Herod the Great, after he inherited the territory from his father. Philip’s mother, Cleopatra, was Herod’s seventh wife. Caesarea Philippi and its surrounding region were regarded as among the most beautiful and prosperous in Israel.
Originating near Caesarea Philippi, the Jordan River flows into Lake Huleh, then into the Sea of Galilee, and finally into the Dead Sea. The surrounding area is lush with low shrubs and thickets, maintaining a vibrant green hue throughout the year. This is why the Jordan River can be considered a life-giving force in the otherwise arid land of Israel. It makes sense that David sang about the dew of Hermon and the blessing of eternal life:
"As the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the mountains of Zion: for there Yahweh gives the blessing, even life foreverore."
And now, by this life-giving river, another voice proclaimed eternal blessings:
"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heavenis at hand!"
Dressed in camel hair with a leather belt, he resembled the prophets recorded in the Bible. After taking a vow, he never cut his hair, which flowed in the wind as he baptized people with water. His name was John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. He spent his early years in the wilderness, growing up under his parents' care. From the womb, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and through his parents' teachings, he learned much about God and his mission.
Zechariah often told him:
"You, my son, will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. You will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord. That is the mission God hasgiven you."
Elizabeth also urged him:
"The Lord has come as the son of Joseph and Mary. You have not seen Him, but when the time comes, you will surely recognize Him. Until then, live for the mission entrustedto you."
Both Zechariah and Elizabeth passed away before John became a man, but they left him with a lifelong mission: to prepare the way for the Lord by teaching people about forgiveness and salvation. For this mission, John lived as a Nazirite, eating locusts and wild honey, abstaining from strong drink and wine.
* * *
After Herod's death, Israel underwent significant changes in the following decades. One of the most significant changes was that Archelaus, who ruled Judea, Idumea, and Samaria, was exiled, and Rome began to govern these regions directly.
Archelaus traveled to Rome to seek recognition as king but faced opposition from a delegation from Judea. The Judean envoys petitioned Emperor Augustus to allow them to live according to their ancestral laws, effectively seeking the abolition of the monarchy. The Jews, who had been treated unfairly by King Herod, initially welcomed the accession of Archelaus, but after the incident in which three thousand people were killed in the temple, they came to think that it would be better to be directly ruled by Rome and took action accordingly.
Augustus listened to both sides and decided to divide the territories according to Herod's final will: Judea, Samaria, and Idumea went to Archelaus; Galilee and Peraea to Antipas; and Batanea, Trachonitis, and Auranitis in northern Galilee to Philip. However, cities like Gaza, Gadara, and Hippus were incorporated into the Roman province of Syria.
Upon returning to Judea, Archelaus replaced the high priest again, citing rebellion as the reason. He suppressed most uprisings with Roman forces and executed those involved. However, his rule did not bring better times; instead, he became even more tyrannical and oppressive. After ten years of his rule, prominent figures in Judea and Samaria complained to the Roman emperor, resulting in Archelaus being stripped of his wealth and exiled to Vienne in Gaul. Thus, Archelaus disappeared from history, having killed many people.
Following this, Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, now part of the Syrian province, were governed by equestrian officials who served as prefects. The high priest regained his former status, and the Sanhedrin began to function as an autonomous body. The Sanhedrin was dominated by aristocrats and high-ranking priests, the Sadducees, while Pharisees from commoner backgrounds could only hold a few positions. As the southern regions found stability, northern Galilee under Antipas began to simmer with rebellion once more.
When Quirinius became governor of Syria, he ordered a second census, which was met with resistance in Galilee, unlike the relatively smooth process in the south. Judas from Gamala, along with a Pharisee named Sadduc, incited people by claiming the census would enslave them. These zealots, driven by a strong sense of chosenness and nationalism, adopted extreme doctrines and fervent attitudes, plunging Galilee into greater chaos. They attracted many followers and killed not only enemies but also fellow Jews. The plundering and destruction of cities continued unabated, turning Galilee into a hotbed for those seeking national liberation. As a result, Jews developed a more negative stereotype of Galileans.
While such events were unfolding in Galilee, problems also arose in the south. The position of the high priest, which had once held great authority, had fallen under the control of the Roman prefect. As the high priest was appointed based on the prefect’s opinion, wealthy and influential families made every effort to curry favor with the prefect to gain power. Following Joazar, the person who caught the eye of the Roman prefect was Annas, the son of Seth. When he became the high priest, the temple’s power structure underwent significant changes. His family subsequently became an influential ruling family in Jerusalem, with his sons and son-in-law Caiaphas also serving as high priests.
The relationship between Jews and Samaritans deteriorated further. Although their relations had always been strained, Samaritans had previously been allowed to enter the temple. However, an incident during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where some Samaritans secretly entered the temple and scattered corpses in the colonnades, exacerbated tensions. From then on, Samaritans were barred from the temple.
Even during the tenure of relatively stable Roman prefects, significant challenges arose when Pontius Pilate took office. As the fifth prefect, Pilate caused problems from the start, unlike his predecessors who respected Jewish law. During his first week in office, he ordered his troops to march into Jerusalem at night, carrying standards with the emperor’s image. The Jews, who were forbidden from creating any images, were shocked to see these banners displayed in the morning. Many people rushed to Caesarea, where Pilate was staying, and demanded that he remove the standards. However, Pilate ignored their pleas. On the sixth day, he surrounded them with armed soldiers and threatened to kill them if they did not disperse. Yet, he was moved by the large crowd that lay down on the ground, stretching out their necks and crying out that they would rather die than violate their law. Thus, he withdrew the standards.
However, Pilate continued to provoke the Jews by attempting to hang shields with pagan symbols on the western gate of Jerusalem, among other forms of persecution.
During this tumultuous period, many in Israel began to yearn for the Messiah. Depending on whether they were moderate or extreme in their views, people envisioned different types of Messiahs, but they shared the hope that God's promised Messiah would free the Jewish nation from oppression. Not only John the Baptist, who was divinely appointed, but the entire world was preparing to receive the Messiah.
* * *
John grew up in the wilderness and became acquainted with the nearby Essene community. The Essenes were divided into several sects, generally characterized by their ascetic and apocalyptic tendencies. They lived celibate, secluded lives, adhering to all Jewish laws except those related to temple sacrifices, striving to live virtuously. Through his interactions with the Essenes, John learned much about living a righteous life. Hearing their stories about the Messiah they awaited, he associated them with the Messiah his parents had spoken of. The Essenes looked forward to two Messiahs: one as a high priest anointed with oil and another as a king descended from David.
John had wondered which of these Messiahs his parents referred to, but he concluded that it must be the king descended from David. Simultaneously, he realized that the Essenes held the priestly Messiah in higher esteem, so even if the royal Messiah came, they would still await another priestly Messiah.
Thus, John did not know everything. His mission was to awaken people to their sins and prepare a repentant people to receive the Lord through baptism for forgiveness. Any further fulfillment was left for God to accomplish through others.
God's plan for the Messiah was hidden everywhere. It was not only in the words of God in the Bible and the prophecies of the prophets, but also in history and culture. God fulfilled His plan not only through people of high status, but also through those in the lowest positions. Moreover, God did not use only good people in this process; He also worked through wicked individuals like King Herod. In this way, God carried out His plan step by step for the salvation of the entire world.
In this situation, God’s word came to John in the wilderness, and John emerged from the wilderness to the Jordan River, proclaiming repentance loudly. This occurred in the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was prefect of Judea, Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, and Caiaphas was high priest.
The passages from Psalm 133:3 and Matthew 3:2 quoted in this narrative are taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation. The passage from Luke 1:16-17 is adapted from the WEB translation for narrative context.
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