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IN the moneth of Thisri, which answereth to our September, Annoo mundi, 3966, the Feast of the Tabernacles being then ce∣lebrated, the Archangell Gabriel told Zacharias the Priest, of the conception of Iohn the Baptist, which should be the voyce of a crier in the wildernesse. And a little after, that is, about the Autum∣nall Aequinoctiall, Iohn the Baptist was conceiued six moneths before our Sauiour. The next yeare after, about the moneth of
Iuly, he was borne. Six moneths after that, our Sauiour Christ was borne. In which yeare Zacharias che father of Iohn Baptist, was slaine in the vpper court betweene the Altar and the Tem∣ple, for saying, that our Sauiour Christ was borne, and, That Ma∣rie his mother was a Virgin, Matt. 33. Wherefore Elizabeth the wife to Zacharias, fearing the cruelty of Herod and of the Phari∣ses, about that time when the young infants of the Bethlehemites were slaine, shee fled from Ierusalem to Apumim, as Nicephorus faith, which was scituated in the wildernesse betweene Iericho and Ierusalem, where she priuatly brought vp her sonne, which was 32 miles.
In the 39 yeare of the natiuitie of Christ, and vpon the 24 day of Iune; Iohn the Baptist being then 30 yeares of age, by the com∣mandement of the Lord tooke vpon him the ministerie: for it was not lawfull for any to enter into that function before they were thirtie yeares, of age, Numb. 4. Wherefore vpon the eight and twentieth day of September, it being then the feast of the Ta∣bernacles, and about the middle of the last weeke spoken of by Daniel, Hee went from Adumim to Bethabara, where hee tooke vpon him the Ministerie of the New Testament: Hannas the chiefe Priest being then newly entred into that office, Luke 2. (which was about foure miles) and within a short time after, that is, vpon the seuenth day of October, beeing then the feast of Expiation, our Lord and Sauiour Iesuis Christ was baptised, when hee was fully thirtie yeares of age, Luke 3 Matthew 3. Iohn 1.
In the yeare following, which was the one and thirtieth yeare of the Natiuitie of Christ, a little before the feast of Easter, the Synedrion of Ierusalem sent messengers vnto Iohn, hee then remaining at Bethabara, to know whether hee was the Christ, or Elias, or some other Prophet, Iohn the first. Vpon the eigh∣teenth day of September, the same yeare Iohn entred vpon the second yeare of his ministerie: About which time Caiphas be∣gan to enter vpon the office of the high Priest, and the Sadduces and Pharises to persecute Iohn Baptist. Wherefore he departed from Bethabara and went to Aenon, a Citie in Galile, which was 24 miles.
After that Iohn had preached publikely and freely, by the space of a whole yeare and two moneths; about the moneth of December, and the end of the first yeare of the Ministrie of our Sauiour, by the commandement of Herod, hee was taken and led prisoner from Aenon to the Tower of Macheruntes, which was 28 miles; where he remained vntill his death. So all his Trauels were 88 miles.