Page 58 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies

For John the Baptizer, preaching at the Jordan River had a
geographical advantage all its own. If John realized the
religious leadership in Jerusalem intended to arrest him, he
could escape into the wilderness and hide the same way
David had once hidden from Saul. Once in the wilderness, a
man can practically disappear! Despite his precautions,
John was eventually captured, held in the fortress of nearby
Machaerus and there executed by Herod Antipas.

To the men of Qumran, the geographic description in Isaiah’s prophecy was critically important. They
would go to the wilderness and live in the desert as they prayed for the Messiah to come. And indeed,
Jesus chose to begin his public ministry by being baptized a short walk away from the Qumran
community by a man who was just as passionate for holiness.

In the meantime, the “Zealot” movement gained momentum among the people of the land. Zealots
were Jewish individuals who campaigned openly and subversively for Jewish independence. Gaining
support in the Galilee, these “zealous” individuals became an open threat by 60 AD. In 66, the
movement exploded into violence and a full-scale Jewish revolt against Rome.

For a while, Jewish forces held off the Roman troops. A Jewish commander named Josephus won an
early battle in the revolt. But when Rome sent Vespasian and thousands of new troops into the land,
Josephus and his forces were vastly outnumbered and beaten rather quickly. Given an opportunity to
surrender, Josephus began writing a history of the war for the Romans. His account of Jewish life during
this time period is one of the most valuable external sources we have for understanding the
environment of the New Testament.

In the meantime, Vespasian kept fighting pockets of resistance, working his way slowly toward
Jerusalem.

In 68 AD, Emperor Nero was assassinated, and Vespasian was recalled to Rome as the empire’s new
ruler. Titus, the son of Vespasian, took his place in the war against the Jews.

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