Bethesda

house of pity or mercy

Bethesda

(house of mercy, or the flowing water), the Hebrew name of a reservoir or tank, with five "porches," close upon the sheep-gate or "market" in Jerusalem. (John 5:2) The largest reservoir - Birket Israil - 360 feet long, 120 feet wide and 80 feet deep, within the walls of the city, close by St. Stephen's Gate, and under the northeast wall of the Haram area, is generally considered to be the modern representative of Bethesda. Robinson, however, suggests that the ancient Bethesda is identical with what is now called the Pool of the Virgin, an intermittent pool, south of Birket Israil and north of the pool of Siloam.

Bethesda

House of mercy, the name of a pool or fountain near the temple in Jerusalem, with an open building over or near it, for the accommodation of the sick who came to try the healing efficacy of the water, John 5:2. Tradition locates this pool in what is now a large dry reservoir, along the outside of he north wall of the temple area. Robinson, however, shows the probability that this is but a portion of the trench, which separated Mount Moriah from the adjacent hill on the north. He suggests that the true Bethesda may perhaps be "The Fountain of the Virgin," so called, in the lower part of the valley of Jehoshaphat, eight hundred and fifty feet south of the temple area. This pool is of great antiquity, and seems to be fed from ancient reservoirs under the temple. Two flights of steps, sixteen and thirteen in number, with a platform of twelve feet between them, lead down to the pool; this is fifteen feet long, and five or six feet wide. Its waters rise and fall at irregular intervals, and flow down by a subterraneous channel to the pool of Siloam. It is supposed to be the "king's pool" of Nehemiah 2:14. Bethesda, even if known and accessible to us, has lost its healing power; but the fountain Christ has opened for sin, guilt, and death, is nigh to all and of never failing virtue.

House of mercy, a reservoir (Gr. kolumbethra, "a swimming bath") with five porches, close to the sheep-gate or Market (Nehemiah 3:1; John 5:2). Eusebius the historian (A.D. 330) calls it "the sheep-pool." It is also called "Bethsaida" and "Beth-zatha" (John 5:2, R.V. marg.). Under these "porches" or colonnades were usually a large number of infirm people waiting for the "troubling of the water." It is usually identified with the modern so-called Fountain of the Virgin, in the valley of the Kidron, and not far from the Pool of Siloam (q.v.); and also with the Birket Israel, a pool near the mouth of the valley which runs into the Kidron south of "St. Stephen's Gate." Others again identify it with the twin pools called the "Souterrains," under the convent of the Sisters of Zion, situated in what must have been the rock-hewn ditch between Bezetha and the fortress of Antonia. But quite recently Schick has discovered a large tank, as sketched here, situated about 100 feet north-west of St. Anne's Church, which is, as he contends, very probably the Pool of Bethesda. No certainty as to its identification, however, has as yet been arrived at. (see FOUNTAIN; GIHON.)BETHESDA

be-thez'-da (Bethesda; Textus Receptus of the New Testament, John 5:2 (probably beth chicda', "house of mercy"); other forms occur as Bethzatha and Bethsaida):

1. The Conditions of the Narrative: John 5:2:

The only data we have is the statement in John 5:2-4: "Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered." Many ancient authorities add (as in the Revised Version, margin) "waiting for the moving of the water: for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water," etc.

The name does not help as to the site, no such name occurs elsewhere in Jerusalem; the mention of the sheep gate is of little assistance because the word "gate" is supplied, and even were it there, its site is uncertain. Sheep "pool" or "place" is at least as probable; the tradition about the "troubling of the water" (which may be true even if the angelic visitant may be of the nature of folk-lore) can receive no rational explanation except by the well-known phenomenon, by no means uncommon in Syria and always considered the work of a supernatural being, of an intermittent spring. The arrangement of the five porches is similar to that demonstrated by Dr. F. Bliss as having existed in Roman times as the Pool of Siloam; the story implies that the incident occurred outside the city walls, as to carry a bed on the Sabbath would not have been forbidden by Jewish traditional law.

2. The Traditional Site:

Tradition has varied concerning the site. In the 4th century, and probably down to the Crusades, a pool was pointed out as the true site, a little to the Northwest of the present Stephen's Gate; it was part of a twin pool and over it were erected at two successive periods two Christian churches. Later on this site was entirely lost and from the 13th century the great Birket Israel, just North of the Temple area, was pointed out as the site.

Within the last quarter of a century, however, the older traditional site, now close to the Church of Anne, has been rediscovered, excavated and popularly accepted. This pool is a rock-cut, rain-filled cistern, 55 ft. long X 12 ft. broad, and is approached by a steep and winding flight of steps. The floor of the rediscovered early Christian church roofs over the pool, being supported upon five arches in commemoration of the five porches. At the western end of the church, where probably the font was situated, there was a fresco, now much defaced and fast fading, representing the angel troubling the waters.

3. A More Probable Site:

Although public opinion supports this site, there is much to be said for the proposal, promulgated by Robinson and supported by Conder and other good authorities, that the pool was at the "Virgin's Fount" (see GIHON), which is today an intermittent spring whose "troubled" waters are still visited by Jews for purposes of cure. As the only source of "living water" near Jerusalem, it is a likely spot for there to have been a "sheep pool" or "sheep place" for the vast flocks of sheep coming to Jerusalem in connection with the temple ritual. See Biblical World, XXV, 80.

E. W. G. Masterman

964. Bethesda -- Bethesda, a pool in Jer.
... 963, 964. Bethesda. 965 . Bethesda, a pool in Jer. Part of Speech: Proper
Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Bethesda Phonetic ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/964.htm - 6k

Jesus at Bethesda.
... Chapter V. Jesus at Bethesda. Thus far in ... his return. The location of the
pool of Bethesda cannot be certainly determined. There ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/jesus at bethesda.htm

The Pool of Bethesda.
... CHRIST; HIS CHARACTER AND OFFICES. 221. " The Pool of Bethesda. 221.
LM6l. Barton. The Pool of Bethesda. 1 Around Bethesda's ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/adams/hymns for christian devotion/221 the pool of.htm

Sabbath Cure at Bethesda.
... XII. SABBATH CURE AT BETHESDA. ... Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a
pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. ...
/.../xii sabbath cure at bethesda.htm

Bethesda and the Sanhedrin
... The DESIRE of AGES Chapter 21 Bethesda and the Sanhedrin. ... For this reason He had
chosen the Sabbath upon which to perform the act of healing at Bethesda. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 21 bethesda and the.htm

The Pool of Bethesda. Jn 5:2-4
... JOHN Hymn 113 The pool of Bethesda. Jn 5:2-4. John Newton 8,6,8,6. The pool of
Bethesda. John 5:2-4 [15]. Here at Bethesda's pool, the poor,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/olney hymns/hymn 113 the pool of.htm

The Pool of Bethesda. Jn 5:2-4
... JOHN Hymn 112 The pool of Bethesda. Jn 5:2-4. John Newton 6,6,8,6. The pool of Bethesda.
[14] Jn 5:2-4. Beside the gospel pool. Appointed for the poor; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/olney hymns/hymn 112 the pool of.htm

CM Bulfinch. The Pool of Bethesda.
... III. JESUS CHRIST. 116. CM Bulfinch. The Pool of Bethesda. 1 The aged sufferer
waited long Upon Bethesda's brink; Till hopes, once ...
/.../various/book of hymns for public and private devotion/116 c m bulfinch the.htm

The Miracle at the Pool of Bethesda. --The Words of Christ in The
... CHRIST'S SECOND JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM. Section 143. The Miracle at the Pool of
Bethesda."The Words of Christ in the. Temple to the Man that was healed. ...
/.../section 143 the miracle at.htm

At the Unknown' Feast in Jerusalem, and by the Pool of Bethesda.
... THE ASCENT: FROM THE RIVER JORDAN TO THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. CHAPTER XII.
AT THE UNKNOWN' FEAST IN JERUSALEM, AND BY THE POOL OF BETHESDA. (John 5. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xii at the unknown.htm

In the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles.
... he? [It was now eighteen months since Jesus had visited Jerusalem, at which
time he had healed the impotent man at Bethesda. His ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxxviii in the temple at.htm

Bethesda (1 Occurrence)
... Anne's Church, which is, as he contends, very probably the Pool of Bethesda. ... (see
FOUNTAIN; GIHON.). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BETHESDA. ...
/b/bethesda.htm - 11k

Market (24 Occurrences)
... See BETHESDA; SHEEP GATE. ... John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market
a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. ...
/m/market.htm - 19k

Sheep (413 Occurrences)
... See JERUSALEM. For the "sheep gate" of John 5:2, see BETHESDA; SHEEP MARKET.
SHEEP MARKET. ... See BETHESDA; SHEEP GATE. SHEEP TENDING. ...
/s/sheep.htm - 52k

Pool (25 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 22:9, 11). The "pool of Bethesda" (John 5:2, 4, 7) and the "pool
of Siloam" (John 9:7, 11) are also mentioned. Isaiah (35:7 ...
/p/pool.htm - 40k

Gate (248 Occurrences)
... near the northeast corner. See JERUSALEM. For the "sheep gate" of John
5:2, see BETHESDA; SHEEP MARKET. VALLEY GATE. (sha`ar ha-gay ...
/g/gate.htm - 63k

Impotent (5 Occurrences)
... be without strength," and derivatives of it are used in John 5:3, 7 the King James
Version and Acts 4:9 to characterize the paralyzed man at Bethesda and the ...
/i/impotent.htm - 9k

Gihon (6 Occurrences)
... In New Testament times it was, as it is today, credited with healing virtues. See
BETHESDA. Its position is clearly defined in the Old Testament. ...
/g/gihon.htm - 16k

Reservoir (1 Occurrence)
... 11 has, "Ye made also a reservoir (miqwah) between the two walls for the water of
the old pool (berekhah)." Kolumbethra is used of the pool of Bethesda (John 5 ...
/r/reservoir.htm - 12k

Porches (13 Occurrences)
... Porches (13 Occurrences). John 5:2 Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is
a pool, which is called in Hebrew, "Bethesda," having five porches. ...
/p/porches.htm - 10k

Pond (2 Occurrences)
... 11 has, "Ye made also a reservoir (miqwah) between the two walls for the water of
the old pool (berekhah)." Kolumbethra is used of the pool of Bethesda (John 5 ...
/p/pond.htm - 12k

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