house of dates.

The Revised Version in John 1:28 has this word instead of Bethabara, on the authority of the oldest manuscripts. It appears to have been the name of a place on the east of Jordan.

A village on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives ( Mark 11:1 ), about 2 miles east of Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho. It derived its name from the number of palm-trees which grew there. It was the residence of Lazarus and his sisters. It is frequently mentioned in connection with memorable incidents in the life of our Lord ( Matthew 21:17 ; 26:6 ; Mark 11:11 Mark 11:12 ; 14:3 ; Luke 24:50 ; John 11:1 ; 12:1 ). It is now known by the name of el-Azariyeh, i.e., "place of Lazarus," or simply Lazariyeh. See n from a distance, the village has been described as "remarkably beautiful, the perfection of retirement and repose, of seclusion and lovely peace." Now a mean village, containing about twenty families.

These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.