The Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem
 Photo: BiblePlaces.com |
In John's Gospel, chapter 5 verses 1 to 15, the author describes a pool in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, called Bethesda, surrounded by five covered colonnades. Until the 19th century, there was no evidence outside of John's Gospel for the existence of this pool. |
| Skeptical scholars said that the gospel was written later, probably by someone whoe did not have first-hand knowledge of the city of Jerusalem, and that the pool had a metaphorical or symbolic, rather than actual, significance. Then in the nineteenth century, archaeologists discovered the remains of a pool exactly matching the description in John's Gospel. Yet again, archaeology confirms that the Bible talks about real people and real places. |
 Photo: BiblePlaces.com |