A geographical proper noun from Hebrew (בֵּית עֲבָרָה), meaning 'house of crossing' or 'place of crossing.' This location appears as a variant reading in John 1:28 in the Received Text, identifying where John was baptizing. The name itself suggests a river crossing point or ford, fitting the context of John's baptismal ministry. Modern critical texts often prefer 'Bethany' at this location, making Bethabara a textually disputed reading that reflects early scribal traditions about the geographical setting of John's work.