It is not at all probable that John ever left Judæa, and it is exceedingly improbable that he would have gone into the Samaritan region to baptize. There is a little valley three or four miles northeast of Jerusalem which yet bears a name somewhat similar to Salim, where there are waters described by Dr. Barclay; but neither of these Biblical places has yet been satisfactorily identified.
7. Our Saviour now left Judæa and passed to Galilee upon the shortest road, which leads through Samaria, John 4:3. The season seems to have been in December, John 4:35, as it was “four months to harvest,” which began in April. On the way he sat down upon the well called Jacob’s, and the scene described in John 4 took place.
JACOB’S WELL, SYCHAR, John 4.
8. Jacob’s well has always been identified with that well cut in the solid rock which is about a mile and a half east by south from Shechem. It formerly had a small chapel built over it, in the fourth century, and was about 80 feet in depth when examined by the writer, but the original depth must have been greater, for there are many stones at the bottom. It is not now a well of constant supply, but varies with the season, and was dry when we examined it. Hence perhaps the remark of our Saviour, John 4:10, in which he alludes to “living water.”
Sychar was probably at the little village now called Askar, about one-half of a mile northeast from the well. Some have supposed that Sychar and Shechem were the same; but it is not probable that the woman spoken of in the context would have walked a mile and a half from Shechem, where there was an abundance of water, to draw water from this deep well. The probabilities are that Askar was the site of Sychar, where there are caves and remains of ancient tombs.
MATT. 4:12–17; MARK 1:14, 15; LUKE 4.
9. Jesus passed through Samaria to Galilee, stopping for a short time in Nazareth, Matt. 13:53–58; and then going to Capernaum, announced as he went the great object of his mission, and especially that the appointed time had arrived which had beenforetold for the appearance of the Messiah as spoken of in the prophets, Mark 1:14, 15. That he himself was this Messiah he distinctly asserted at Jacob’s well to the Samaritan woman, John 4:26.
10. Passing on from Nazareth he again visited Cana, where the miracle of the healing of the nobleman’s son was performed, John 4:46–54. He then went down to Capernaum, which hereafter seems to have been adopted as his favorite place of abode.
CAPERNAUM.
11. This place has not yet been certainly identified. Some have supposed that it was on the west side of the Sea of Galilee at a place called Khan Minyeh, which is on the plain of Gennesaret, five miles southwest of the mouth of the Upper Jordan; others have located it at a ruin farther north of this sea, called Tell Hum. To some this name seems to be all that remains of the ancient name Capernaum, which, as they think, means the village (caper) of Nahum (Naum).