When the man did so, he was healed (John 9:6-7). This historical drama set in Judaea and Galilee in the first century CE follows Jesus and those whom He met and ministered to. In John 5:1, we learn that he was a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. ", VERSE 7: "The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me. We need only to trust in Him, because Jesus paid our way by what He did on the cross.THE FUTURE, INTERWOVEN WITH THE PRESENTVerse 25: "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. It was a cultural staple throughout the Hellenized world. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Exploring the Connections Between Pagan and Christian Spirituality, Follow Sabbats and Sabbaths on WordPress.com. Karl, I am so glad you are enjoying the groups interaction and content. In another words this case is part of the big picture that the Gospel of John paints. Asclepeions were typically built over or near water sources such as underground springs. The Pool of Bethesda - Drive Thru History Adventures Now let's contrast the Pool of Shiloah (Siloam). These guidelines make entering your articles and information on the Trusting in Jesus website easy. Updated: Jan 23, 2022 The Apostle John is the only gospel writer to record the healing of a lame man at the pool of Bethesda and a man born blind at the pool of Siloam. Those who are unsaved face two deaths, the death of the body and the spiritual death, (at the last day). These same colonnades were visible to John at the time of Jesus. Notice that Yeshua did not tell this man to go and wash in the Pool of Bethesda like he told the blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam. Because of this easy and gentile movement and because of its proximity to the City of David it came to be associated with the House of David, and thus the Kingdom of God. Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. The Greeks had created a cult around Asklepius, the pagan god of healing. This depiction doesnt come from the Gospels, but it provides a beautiful idea of how this could've occurred. These are the Pools of Bethesda. The site is in Jerusalem, close to the Church of Saint Anne and near the Sheep Gate, true to its location described in John 5:2. However, both pools mentioned in the Gospel of John were identified the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2 and the Pool of Siloam in John 9:7. Model of Bethesda Pool, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. The pool of bethesda is a pool in jerusalem known from the new testament account of jesus miraculously healing a paralysed man, from the fifth chapter of the gospel of john, where it is described as being near the sheep gate, surrounded by five covered colonnades or porticoes. John 5:1-5 explains that the pool of Bethesda was by one of Jerusalem's gates, known as the sheep gate, and was surrounded on five sides by colonnades. Deliverance. Commentary on John 5 (Jesus Heals at the Pool of Bethesda) Both pools mentioned in the Gospel of John have now been identified - the Pool of . So often readers only see the text from a 21st century, non-Jewish/Greek/Roman perspective and thus miss the original message and authorial intent. I believe the physical death of those trusting in Jesus is a doorway to Heaven that we simply pass through. Going to the Synagogue on the Sabbath could indicate the man had knowledge of the Ten Commandments and it also fits with worshiping other Gods and repentance. The Pool of Bethesda ("House of Mercy/Loving Kindness"), located in ancient Jerusalem, was the site of a famous healing miracle performed by Jesus during His public ministry (John 5:2-9). The lame man, for 38 years, had been lying at this pagan pool when Yeshua finds him. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, [a]Bethesda, having five porches. God doesnt dole out first-come, first-served miracles! Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. Many people at the Pool of Bethesda believed that it was the churning of the water or the pagan spirits in natural springs that could possibly heal them. Sir, the invalid replied, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. Votive offering to Serapis and Asklepius, pagan healing gods, were found in the excavations . It is most likely that a scribe from a later time period inserted this portion of the text to try and bring meaning to something that he did not understand or based upon a tradition that he had heard circulating. In the Angel app users can watch full episodes, cast to their television, pay-it-forward to fund future seasons of shows they love and buy official merchandise. The Pool of Bethesda, and consequently John 5, has been reinterpreted in Jewish circles as an Asclepius-Pagan Temple due to a heavily Hellenistic influence in Jerusalem in the first century. "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov 22:6). The first fountain was built as a dent in the stone, which collected the rainwater and from this pool, the water was directed to the temple through an open channel. If it was a Passover, then we can date four Passovers in Jesus' ministry and we know it lasted about 3 years. We can hear in their Greek names our modern words for hygiene and panacea key concepts associated today with medicine and health. On the contrary. So it would appear that the Pool of Bethesda did a magical dance starting as a Pagan holy site that morphed into a Jewish holy site. b. Acc no. A Holy Pool For Everyone: Bethesda | Sabbats and Sabbaths Other Saints might suffer from the isolation . (Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 55a)., Pool of Bethesda/Asclepion (Jerusalem branch) was, probably, a part of Hellenization of Jerusalem along with several other important projects such as Roman theater, Roman sports complex, Roman baths and Roman fortress Antonia (near the pool). In his Gospel account, John describes Jesus going to such a pool, surrounded by five covered colonnades. When it comes to determining the level of the gospels historical reliability, the story that will end in the healing of a paralyzed man is one of the most fascinating textual units in the Gospel of John. By opening the pipes from one pool, the water would mysteriously begin to stir on the other. '"The "Feast of Tabernacles," translated from the word meaning "tent," or booths, was a seven-day feast held each year in Jerusalem, in October. This is a very interesting article. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In the words of the sick man I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me. (vs. 7) The stirring up of the water was likely happening when the priests of the Asclepius cult, would open the connecting pipes between the higher and the lower portions of the pool of Bethesda. All of our earliest manuscripts omit this verse. In Johns Biblical account, the pool is described as having five porticoes (roofs supported by columns), and modern archaeological digs have found a five-sided basin with these porticoes. Hartelijk bedankt voor deze boeiende en overtuigende uitleg bij dit bekende verhaal, Many many thanks for this very interesting article; it gave me a lot!! How You Decide What Scenes are Angel Golden Scenes. The phrase in verse 3-4, waiting for the moving of the water, for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water; whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had is not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts and thus should be excluded from the reading of the story. An argument for the sake of heaven will endure - Pirke Avot 5:17, The Early & the Latter Rains - sukkoth October 2014 by hraysman, Hycastle 58 Loop Street, cnr Loop & Castle Streets Cape Town What was the significance of this location? (buh-THEZ-duh), means, "House of Mercy" in Greek - "House of Grace" in Aramaic. The Pool of Bethesda: A Pagan Cult? - Postcard From Israel A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, [a]Bethesda, having five porches. It is believed that the waters of Siloam were used to anoint the Kings of Judah and it became associated with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Roman medicinal baths constructed at the Bethesda Pool only a century or two later reflect this continued tradition. ", We aren't told that Jesus helped him up, do you think He did? One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Optio nam nihil ipsum magni, sint ex officiis quos voluptatum ducimus quidem, dicta natus, ipsam. Maybe this can be one of the ties that binds us together instead of pulling us apart. 6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives"(Heb.12:5-6, ESV).Perhaps this is the message/warning Jesus was giving the man He had just healed.VERSE 15: "The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. In Hebrew and Aramaic it could also mean shame or disgrace. But what is the meaning of this location? Although some believe Jesus slipped away to escape danger and the uproar from the religious leaders, others think He was avoiding the applause of the audience. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem () by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, [] Bethesda, having five porches. Snakes were a key attribute of Asclepiuss cult of health and healing. 1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. There were more than 400 Asclepions throughout empire functioning as healing centers and dispensers of the gods grace and mercy towards those in need. In these lay a multitude of invalidsblind, lame, and paralyzed (John 5:1-4).Both pools mentioned in the Gospel of John have now been identified the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2) and the Pool of Siloam. Here we find the lame man lying by the pool of Bethesda which means house of mercy. "They were just spiritually blind, weren't they? In these lay a multitude of invalids - blind, lame, and paralyzed (John 5:1-4). The pagan sanctuary was first destroyed and then built over. It is possible that Bethesda was the site of an asclepeion. It has long been understood and accepted that copyists often caused less clarity than that they clarified a text or a portion of a text. To begin with: I believe the Pool in Bethesda was a "mineral spring" aka "hot spring" or "spa" coming from the Latin words "Sanus Per Aquam " meaning "Health Through Water." Hydrotherapy meaning "water therapy" has been since ancient times believed in and practiced. Bible Study: The Pool of Bethesda - Charlie Taylor Ministries While trying to help his readers, the scribe, unfortunately, sent all subsequent generations of readers in the wrong interpretive direction, missing the whole point of the story. The Pools of Bethesda and Siloam | Hope Channel Australia The institutionalized man was there for a long time as the Gospel tells us in the context of a deeply religious albeit Greek religious environment. "Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD and is thought to be before John's writing, but his description of the site is accurate.Verse 3: "In these lay a multitude of invalidsblind, lame, and paralyzed. Now stop and think for a moment. They considered it to be a healing shrine for pagan gods,Verse 4: "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. Participants would wait by the water, praying, fasting, chanting, etc., until Asklepius or his helpful serpent spirits churned the water. I wonder if this miracle put this man in positions he was not prepared for? This is when the people would jump in. Paganism in Jerusalem (Pool of Bethesda) | Beit Ariel The Pools of Bethesda. Isaiah probably refers to the same . As the spot of one of Jesus' miracles, the Bethesda Pool was built over in subsequent periods with chapels and churches that are still visible today. The Pool of Bethesda is mentioned only once in the New Testament. Although the Codex Sinaiticus renders . In that case, the pool of Bethesda (house of mercy in Hebrew) does not have to be a Jewish site at all, but rather a Greek Asclepion-affiliated facility. Narrative [ edit] John's Gospel account describes how Jesus, visiting Jerusalem for a Jewish feast ( John 5:1 ), encounters one of the disabled people who used to lie here, a man who had been paralysed for thirty-eight years. The Bethesda Pool, Site of One of Jesus' Miracles - Biblical Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. "In a previous study we attempted to discussthe greatness of God, and the 325, billion and counting galaxies, He has created. Pool of Bethesda - Bible History He meets the man later in the Temple and tells him, Go and sin no more.. In either case, Jesus had healed a crippled man, something the pagan gods had been unable to do.Jesus Heals the cripple by the Pool of BethesdaVERSE 5-6: "One man was there by the Pool of Bethesda who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. "Stirring of Water" in the Pool of Bethesda - Early Church History geographical, and historical setting of Biblical history. Why Did the Pool of Bethesda Heal People? - Crosswalk Jesus never told the man to get into the pool. 9:6-7) It therefore appears that while the pool of Bethesda was a pagan place (an Asclepion), the pool of Siloam was indeed connected with the Jerusalem Temple. Betty, we do our research and then we rely on the feedback or many people. Can I assume that those who were institutionalized in this culture would not have been well educated in the Torah or social/cultural customs? In these lay many invalidsblind, lame, and paralyzed(waiting for the stirring of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred up the water; whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well from whatever disease that person had.) 3In these lay a multitude of invalidsblind, lame, and paralyzed. Did the pool of Bethesda have healing powers? [closed] The second century Christian apologist Justin Martyr mentions a popular obsession with Asclepius among his contemporaries, saying: When the Devil brings forward Asclepius as the raiser of the dead and healer of all diseases, may I not say that in this matter likewise he has imitated the prophecies about Christ? (Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, the Jew, 69), Likewise, in a statement attributed to the second century Jewish sage, Rabbi Akiva, we read: Once Akiva was asked to explain why persons afflicted with disease sometimes returned cured from a pilgrimage to the shrine of an idol, though it was surely powerless. (Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 55a) The Pool of Bethesda (Asclepion in Jerusalem branch) was probably part of the Hellenization of Jerusalem, along with several other important projects which included a Roman theater and a Roman bathhouse. The addition only added to the misunderstanding of the passage. The gospel was thought to be either allegorical (truthful only in the sense similar to apocalyptic literature) or simply inaccurate (written by someone who was not from Judea and was wholly unfamiliar with Jerusalems geography and topography). We often refer to the end times as The Rapture, and the second coming:"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. John 5 NKJV - A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda - Bible Gateway This pool likely dates from the 1st century BC with artifacts attesting to its identity. [NRSV]. The cult of Asclepius became very popular from the fifth century BCE onward. So it would appear that the Pool of Bethesda did a magical dance starting as a Pagan holy site that morphed into a Jewish holy site. Bethesda - Jesus Heals a Cripple by Pool of Bethesda - John 5:1-30 Pool of Siloam/Pool of Bethesda/Major Differences - Our Ancient Paths These astonishing accounts of Dreams and visions of Jesus are shared on the Trusting in Jesus website. There are two ways we can look at this. Further, how this information can elucidate our interpretation of the following discourse of the chapter where Jesus dialogues with the Pharisees. Both of these men have a miraculous encounter with Yeshua (Jesus) and yet, the situations surrounding their healings are completely different. John 5 describes the Pool of Bethesda as a place where the sick, blind, lame and paralyzed would hope to recieve their healing. The man at the pool was an outcast in society, left by the side of a pool with no one to help him into the pool. This paper seeks to explore this possibility. They slept on mats laid out in a section of the inner sanctum of the temple called the abaton. The abaton was supposed to be the place of divine dreams, where Asklepius or his serpents might appear to give the sick clues about their healing.