EVANS The Baptism of John in a Typological Context 49
expect reference to the prophet's well known mantle (cf. 1 Kgs 19.13,19;
2 Kgs 2.8,13-14) and a closer correspondence in the other details.
Another feature of John's ministry that appears to have been influenced
by, if not modeled after, the ministry of Elijah is his association with the
Jordan River (Mk 1.5). Elijah is commanded by God to hide himself 'by
the brook Cherith, that is east of the Jordan' (1 Kgs 17.3, 5; 2 Kgs 2.6).
The prophet Elijah even divides the Jordan River, in an action that was
probably meant to recall Israel's original crossing to enter the Promised
Land:
Then Elijah said to him, 'Tarry here, I pray you; for the LORD has sent me
to the Jordan'. But he said, 'As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I
will not leave you'. So the two of them went on.^7 And fifty men of the sons
of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by the
Jordan.^8 Then Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the water,
and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of
them could go over on dry ground. (2 Kgs 2.6-8)The Jordan River is parted again by Elijah's disciple and successor Elisha:
(^13) And he took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went
back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.^14 Then he took the mantle of
Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, 'Where is the
LORD, the God of Elijah?' And when he had struck the water, the water was
parted to the one side and to the other; and Elisha went over. (2 Kgs 2.13-
14)
Not only did John locate at the Jordan River, he chose the very location
from which Elijah was taken up to heaven (2 Kgs 2.8).^5 But the general
Jordan River parallel between John and Elijah/Elisha takes on added signi-
ficance when we remember that Elisha commanded Naaman the Syrian to
dip himself in the river, in order to be restored and clean:
(^10) And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, 'Go and wash in the Jordan
seven times, and your flesh shall be restored (ETTIexpels i), and you shall be
clean'...^14 So he went down and dipped (e(3aTrnoaTo) himself seven
times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh
was restored (eireoTpEvpev) like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
(2 Kgs 5.10,14)
- That is, in Perea on the east side of the river. See the discussion in J. Murphy-
O'Connor, 'John the Baptist and Jesus: History and Hypotheses', NTS 36 (1990), pp.
359-74, here p. 360 n. 7.1 side with Trumbower ('Malachi and John the Baptist', pp.
36-77), against Murphy-O'Connor, in arguing that John's deliberate choice of this site
indicates that the Baptist probably did see himself as Elijah redivivus.