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3D model of the Pool of Bethesda

Pool of Bethesda as visited by Jesus.
Contributed by Immersive History
1
The Pool of Bethesda was situated to the north of Herod’s temple. The Aramaic word Bethesda means ‘house of mercy’ or ‘house of grace’ in English. In this scene you can see the northern wall of the temple and the Fortress of Antonia in the background. – Slide 1
2
When Jesus heals the paralytic in the Gospel of John, the Bethesda Pool is described as having five porticoes—a puzzling feature suggesting an unusual five-sided pool, which most scholars dismissed as an unhistorical literary creation. Yet when this site was excavated, it revealed a rectangular pool with two basins separated by a wall—thus a five-sided pool—and each side had a portico. – Slide 2
3
So why a pool with two basins? The archaeological evidence shows that the southern basin had broad steps with landings, indicating that it was used as a ritual cleansing bath known as a mikveh. The northern basin provided a reservoir, or otzer, to continually replenish and repurify the mikveh with fresh water flowing south through the dam between them. – Slide 3
4
This is the northern basin reservoir pool which was larger than the southern basin. There are sections of the pool up to 40 feet deep. – Slide 4
5
There was a dividing wall between the two pools with underground channels for water to flow between the two. The southern pool nearest the temple is believed to have been used throughout history for ritualistic baths as well as a place where invalids waited to step into the pool for healing. Hopeful, diseased people at the poolside believed that the first person to step into the water after it was stirred by an angel was healed (John 5:1-4). – Slide 5
6
There were steps down into the water of this southern pool which is why the invalid complained to Jesus he has no-one to help him down into the water when they were stirred. <br/>Today the remains of the Pool of Bethesda can be seen in Jerusalem close to the Church of Saint Anne and near the Sheep Gate, true to its location described in John 5:2. – Slide 6
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Slide 7