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Bethesda, Jerusalem
This photo is a view of the pools and cisterns in the
excavations near St. Anna. This is the traditional location
for the pools of Bethesda. This site is located in the Old
City near the Lion's gate, north of the Temple Mount. These
pools supplied water to the temple during the times of the
first and second temple (until Herod). There are
references in the Old Testament to the "Upper Pool", which
may have been the name of the northern pool.
Adjacent to the pools were baths and a healing center.
These baths are the site of the healing miracle of Jesus
in the pools of the sheep market, which was also called
"Bethesda".
Later,
a Byzantine basilica was built over parts of the pools.
The Crusaders built a small chapel over its ruins, and
later a larger Basilica nearby (St. Anna) was built by the
Crusaders, dedicated to the birthplace of Mary.
Click
here to read more about Bethesda pools.
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Jn 5:2-16: "Now there is at
Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in
the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In
these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind,
halt, withered, 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. And a certain man was there,
which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When
Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long
time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made
whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no
man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the
pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down
before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed,
and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and
took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the
sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was
cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee
to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me
whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto
thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed
wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself
away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus
findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold,
thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing
come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that
it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
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Jesus heals crippled man in the pools of Bethesda
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