Was John the dipper Elijah? ~ Cross reference of Matthew 3:3 to Isaiah 40:1
John the dipper is portrayed very differently in the Greek text than what Josephus and Roman documents say about him. Some historical documents say that people thought he was the messiah and many followed him into the desert. Talmud even refers to John and his teachings. During the 1st century CE a sect of Jews called the Essenes moved away from Jerusalem due to the corruption in the Temple and kept themselves pure and awaited the messiah. It is believed John was influenced by this group and hence he we went about preaching that the kingdom of G-d is at hand and people should repent. Incidentally Jesus also starts his mission with these same words "Repent, the kingdom of G-d is at hand" Tanakh has a reference in Isaiah that talks about a voice in the wilderness that is calling out for the way to be prepared for G-d. Malachi 3 talks about an Angel of G-d coming and purifying the Levites and making them fit for the sacrifices before the messianic age sacrifices are resumed. I...