Dimensions of Baptism Biblical and Theological Studies

EVANS The Baptism of John in a Typological Context 47

With regard to the Jewish man from Egypt, Josephus says:

At this time there came to Jerusalem from Egypt a man who said that he

was a prophet and advised the masses of the common people to go out with

him to the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which lies opposite the

city... For he asserted that he wished to demonstrate from there that at his

command Jerusalem's walls would fall down, through which he promised

to provide them an entrance into the city. (Ant. 20.169-70)

The Roman governor Felix (52-60 CE) promptly dispatched the cavalry,

which routed and dispersed the following, though the Egyptian himself

escaped and was never heard from again. Once again, Joshua typology

was apparently at work, with the Egyptian's promise of the collapse of the

walls an unmistakable allusion to what befell Jericho after the people of

Israel entered the Promised Land (cf. Josh. 6.20). We probably have here

another example of restorative theology based on exodus/conquest

typology, in which a number of Palestinian Jews hoped to effect political

and economic change in their country.^4 The Egyptian's actions are rightly

described in Acts 21.38 as 'stirring up a revolt' (avaoTaxcooas).

Broadly speaking, the activities and preaching of John the Baptizer fall

into the same category as those of Theudas and the Egyptian. Because we

actually have reports of what John said, as well as descriptions of his

appearance, we are in a position to undertake a more detailed analysis of

the scriptural antecedents that may have inspired and motivated him. The

evidence suggests that John was thought of in prophetic terms, possibly—

even probably—as the eschatological Elijah. Besides details from the

Elijah narrative of 1-2 Kings and the story of Israel's crossing of the

Jordan under the leadership of Joshua, clusters of words and themes from

oracles in Malachi and Isaiah also suggest themselves. We begin with the

Elijah and Joshua traditions and then we shall consider the possible con-

tributions from the prophets.

4. Trumbower, 'Malachi and John the Baptist', pp. 31-32, rightly supposes that
   for political reasons Josephus was reluctant to draw parallels between Israel's national
   hero Joshua and Theudas (and I would add the Egyptian Jew as well). Although he
   tells his readers precious little about these two men, the Joshua typology still shines
   through. See also McKnight, 'Jesus and Prophetic Actions', pp. 214-18. For discussion
   of this typology and hopes for a new 'exodus', see N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory
   of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, 2; London: SPCK; Philadelphia:
   Fortress Press, 1996), pp. 160-62; idem, The New Testament and the People of God
   (Christian Origins and the Question of God, 1; London: SPCK; Philadelphia: Fortress
   Press, 1992), pp. 299-301.