Bible Review

It is interesting to note that the Jordan is actually formed from the waters of four smaller streams (compare the four rivers of paradise), which converge in the plain of Lake Huleh, and eventually ends in the Dead Sea. See Nelson Glueck, The River jordan (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968), for a survey of this river’s history and importance to the life and geography of Palestine and Israel.

See Ambrose, de Sacramentiis 1.18, trans. Roy J. Deferrari, Saint Ambrose: Theological and Dogmatic Works, FOC 44 (Washington: Catholiv Univ. of America Press, 1963), p. 275, text in CSEL 73, p. 23; and Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians 18.2, trans. Kirsopp Lake, The Apostolic Fathers, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1912), vol. 1, pp. 191–193.

Jerome, Homily 89, trans. Marie L. Ewald, The Homilies of Saint Jerome, FOC 57 (Washington: Catholic Univ. of America Press, 1963), vol. 2, p. 230. There was also a tradition that the Jordan waters miraculously fled back and then rose in a heap as an annual display for visiting pilgrims.

This is symbolized in the liturgy by the catechumens entering the baptistry. See the long and detailed discussions by Franz Josef Dolger, “Der Durchzug durch den Jordan als Sinnbild der christlichen Taufe,” AC 2, 70f; Per Lundberg, La typologie baptismale (Leipzig: A. Lorentz, 1942), pp. 146–166; and Jean Danielou, The Bible and the Liturgy (Notre Dame, IN: Univ. of Notre Dame Press, 1956), pp. 99–113.

For Joshua parallels, see Cyril of Jerusalem, Catacheses 10.11, trans. McCauley, The Works of Saint Cyril, pp. 202–203; Greek text in Migne, PG, vol. 33, col. 676D–677A; and Gregory of Nyssa, In Diem Luminum, in NPNF, ser. 2, vol. 5, pp. 520–521; Greek text, Jagar, Gregorii, pp. 232–235;.

Gregory of Nyssa, In Diem Luminum, trans. William Moore, NPNF, ser. 2, vol. 5, p. 522; Greek text, ed. Werner Jaeger, Gregorii Nysseni Opera (Leiden: Brill, 1967), part 1, vol. 9, pp. 232–233.