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113-501: Lloyd C. Douglas began his literary career after leaving the ministry at the age of 52. All of his novels, essays, and short stories relied on his spiritual background for thematic and creative inspiration. At the height of his popularity, Douglas was receiving on average 100 letters a week from fans. One of these letters provided the inspiration for The Robe . Hazel McCann, a department store clerk from Ohio, wrote to Douglas asking what he thought had happened to Christ's garments after

226-412: A rock-hewn tomb , with Nicodemus assisting. The three Synoptic gospels also describe Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross, a crowd of people mocking Jesus along with the other two crucified men, darkness from the 6th to the 9th hour, and the temple veil being torn from top to bottom. The Synoptic Gospels also mention several witnesses, including a centurion , and several women who watched from

339-447: A "signs source" (a collection of miracles) for chapters 1–12, a "passion source" for the story of Jesus's arrest and crucifixion, and a "sayings source" for the discourses, but these hypotheses are much debated. The author seems to have known some version of Mark and Luke, as John shares with them some vocabulary and clusters of incidents arranged in the same order, but key terms from those gospels are absent or nearly so, implying that if

452-517: A conclusion (20:30–31); to these is added an epilogue that most scholars believe was not part of the original text (Chapter 21). Disagreement does exist; some scholars, including Bauckham, argue that John 21 was part of the original work. The structure is highly schematic: there are seven "signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the resurrection of Jesus ), and seven "I am" sayings and discourses, culminating in Thomas's proclamation of

565-489: A distance, two of whom were present during the burial . The Gospel of Luke is the only gospel to omit the detail of the sour wine mix that was offered to Jesus on a reed, while only Mark and John describe Joseph actually taking the body down off the cross. There are several details that are only mentioned in a single gospel account. For instance, only the Gospel of Matthew mentions an earthquake, resurrected saints who went to

678-489: A highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus , with seven "signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the resurrection of Jesus ) and seven " I am " discourses (concerned with issues of the church–synagogue debate at the time of composition) culminating in Thomas 's proclamation of the risen Jesus as "my Lord and my God". The gospel's concluding verses set out its purpose, "that you may believe that Jesus

791-485: A literary and theological creation. Geza Vermes noted the verse is cited in Aramaic rather than the usual Hebrew, and that by the time of Jesus, this phrase had become a proverbial saying in common usage. Compared to the accounts in the other Gospels, which he describes as "theologically correct and reassuring", he considers this phrase "unexpected, disquieting and in consequence more probable". He describes it as bearing "all

904-426: A number of analytical scenarios of that topic. In the 20th century, forensic pathologist Frederick Zugibe performed a number of crucifixion experiments by using ropes to hang human subjects at various angles and hand positions. His experiments support an angled suspension, and a two-beamed cross, and perhaps some form of foot support, given that in an Aufbinden form of suspension from a straight stake (as used by

1017-552: A place popularly called the Garden Tomb , has been promoted since the 19th century. The Gospels describe various women at the crucifixion , some of whom are named. According to Mark, many women were present, among them Mary Magdalene , Mary, mother of James and Mary of Clopas , commonly known as " the Three Marys ". The Gospel of Matthew also mentions several women being present, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of James and

1130-501: A reconciliation, e.g., based on the use of Roman timekeeping in John, since Roman timekeeping began at midnight and this would mean being before Pilate at the 6th hour was 6 a.m., yet others have rejected the arguments. Several scholars have argued that the modern precision of marking the time of day should not be read back into the gospel accounts, written at a time when no standardization of timepieces, or exact recording of hours and minutes

1243-564: A savior but a revealer of knowledge. The gospel teaches that salvation can be achieved only through revealed wisdom, specifically belief in (literally belief into ) Jesus. John's picture of a supernatural savior who promised to return to take those who believed in him to a heavenly dwelling could be fitted into Gnostic views. It has been suggested that similarities between the Gospel of John and Gnosticism may spring from common roots in Jewish Apocalyptic literature . The Gospel of John

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1356-553: A sign above his head stating "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" which, according to the Gospel of John , was in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek), and then divided his garments and cast lots for his seamless robe. According to the Gospel of John, the Roman soldiers did not break Jesus's legs, as they did to the two crucified convicts (breaking the legs hastened the onset of death), as Jesus

1469-420: A statement that Jesus was 72 hours in the tomb, and that the many references to a resurrection on the third day do not require three literal nights. In Mark 15:25 crucifixion takes place at the third hour (9 a.m. ) and Jesus's death at the ninth hour (3 p.m.). In John 19:14 Jesus is still before Pilate at the sixth hour. Scholars have presented a number of arguments to deal with the issue, some suggesting

1582-528: A wise man, ... He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles ;... And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross ... Most modern scholars agree that while this Josephus passage (called the Testimonium Flavianum ) includes some later interpolations , it originally consisted of an authentic nucleus with a reference to

1695-503: Is Jesus as the source of eternal life, and the Kingdom is only mentioned twice. In contrast to the synoptic expectation of the Kingdom (using the term parousia , meaning "coming"), John presents a more individualistic, realized eschatology . In the Synoptics, quotations of Jesus are usually in the form of short, pithy sayings; in John, longer quotations are often given. The vocabulary

1808-818: Is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem . It is marked by nine of the fourteen Stations of the Cross . It passes the Ecce Homo Church and the last five stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . There is no reference to a woman named Veronica in the Gospels, but sources such as Acta Sanctorum describe her as a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead. The precise location of

1921-534: Is also different, and filled with theological import: in John, Jesus does not work "miracles", but "signs" that unveil his divine identity. Most scholars consider John not to contain any parables . Rather, it contains metaphorical stories or allegories , such as those of the Good Shepherd and the True Vine , in which each element corresponds to a specific person, group, or thing. Other scholars consider stories like

2034-545: Is based on the New International Version . An early non-Christian reference to the crucifixion of Jesus is likely to be Mara Bar-Serapion's letter to his son, written some time after AD 73 but before the 3rd century AD. The letter includes no Christian themes and the author is presumed to be neither Jewish nor Christian. The letter refers to the retributions that followed the unjust treatment of three wise men: Socrates , Pythagoras , and "the wise king" of

2147-605: Is believed to be a more accurate historical depiction of the Pharisees, who made debate one of the tenets of their belief system. In place of the communal emphasis of the Pauline literature, John stresses the personal relationship of the individual to God. The Gospel of John and the three Johannine epistles exhibit strong resemblances in theology and style; the Book of Revelation has also been traditionally linked with these, but differs from

2260-472: Is closely related in style and content to the three Johannine epistles – most scholars treat the four books, along with the Book of Revelation , as a single corpus of Johannine literature , albeit not by the same author. The Gospel of John, like all the gospels, is anonymous. John 21:22 references a disciple whom Jesus loved and John 21:24–25 says: "This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony

2373-416: Is crucified, entombed , and resurrected from the dead. In each Gospel these five events in the life of Jesus are treated with more intense detail than any other portion of that Gospel's narrative. Scholars note that the reader receives an almost hour-by-hour account of what is happening. After arriving at Golgotha , Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh or gall to drink. Both the Gospel of Mark and

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2486-538: Is not called "the Baptist." John the Baptist's ministry overlaps with that of Jesus ; his baptism of Jesus is not explicitly mentioned, but his witness to Jesus is unambiguous. The evangelist almost certainly knew the story of John's baptism of Jesus, and makes a vital theological use of it. He subordinates John to Jesus, perhaps in response to members of John's sect who regarded the Jesus movement as an offshoot of theirs. In

2599-498: Is significantly different from the synoptic gospels in the selection of its material, its theological emphasis, its chronology, and literary style, with some of its discrepancies amounting to contradictions. The following are some examples of their differences in just one area, that of the material they include in their narratives: In the Synoptics, the ministry of Jesus takes a single year, but in John it takes three, as evidenced by references to three Passovers. Events are not all in

2712-414: Is that as a place of public execution, Calvary may have been strewn with the skulls of abandoned victims (which would be contrary to Jewish burial traditions, but not Roman). Another is that Calvary is named after a nearby cemetery (which is consistent with both of the proposed modern sites). A third is that the name was derived from the physical contour, which would be more consistent with the singular use of

2825-414: Is the 2014 film The Gospel of John , directed by David Batty and narrated by David Harewood and Brian Cox , with Selva Rasalingam as Jesus. The 2003 film The Gospel of John was directed by Philip Saville and narrated by Christopher Plummer , with Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus. Parts of the gospel have been set to music. One such setting is Steve Warner 's power anthem "Come and See", written for

2938-529: Is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." John reached its final form around AD 90–110, although it contains signs of origins dating back to AD 70 and possibly even earlier. Like the three other gospels, it is anonymous, although it identifies an unnamed " disciple whom Jesus loved " as the source of its traditions. It most likely arose within a " Johannine community ", and – as it

3051-422: Is therefore unlikely to have been the work of a simple fisherman. Rather, these verses imply that the core of the gospel relies on the testimony (perhaps written) of the "disciple who is testifying", as collected, preserved, and reshaped by a community of followers (the "we" of the passage), and that a single follower (the "I") rearranged this material and perhaps added the final chapter and other passages to produce

3164-433: Is to assume that Gnosticism had developed to a level that required the author to respond to it. Bultmann, for example, argued that the opening theme of the Gospel of John, the preexisting Logos, along with John's duality of light versus darkness, were originally Gnostic themes that John adopted. Other scholars (e.g., Raymond E. Brown ) have argued that the preexisting Logos theme arises from the more ancient Jewish writings in

3277-500: Is true". Early Christian tradition, first found in Irenaeus ( c.  130  – c.  202 AD), identified this disciple with John the Apostle , but most scholars have abandoned this hypothesis or hold it only tenuously; there are multiple reasons for this conclusion, including, for example, the fact that the gospel is written in good Greek and displays sophisticated theology, and

3390-555: The Eucharist . In fact, there is no institution of the Eucharist in John's account of the Last Supper (it is replaced by Jesus washing the feet of his disciples), and no New Testament text that unambiguously links baptism with rebirth. Compared to the synoptic gospels, John is markedly individualistic, in the sense that it places emphasis more on the individual's relation to Jesus than on

3503-556: The IHS monogram and a cross to symbolize the crucifixion. The placing of the nails in the hands, or the wrists is also uncertain. Some theories suggest that the Greek word cheir ( χείρ ) for hand includes the wrist and that the Romans were generally trained to place nails through Destot's space (between the capitate and lunate bones ) without fracturing any bones. Another theory suggests that

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3616-558: The Nazis in the Dachau concentration camp during World War II ), death comes rather quickly. The Gospels describe various last words that Jesus said while on the cross, as follows: The only words of Jesus on the cross mentioned in the Mark and Matthew accounts, this is a quotation of Psalm 22 . Since other verses of the same Psalm are cited in the crucifixion accounts, some commentators consider it

3729-501: The Passion , Jesus's suffering and redemptive death by crucifixion are the central aspects of Christian theology concerning the doctrines of salvation and atonement . Paul is the earliest surviving source (outside of the Gospels ) to document Jesus's crucifixion. Scholars have used Paul's chronology as evidence for the date of the crucifixion. However, the earliest detailed accounts of

3842-739: The Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse , and the exorcisms of demons are not mentioned. John does not list the Twelve Disciples and names at least one disciple, Nathanael , whose name is not found in the Synoptics. Thomas is given a personality beyond a mere name, described as " Doubting Thomas ". Jesus is identified with the Word (" Logos "), and the Word is identified with theos ("god" in Greek);

3955-520: The Tacitus reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate to be genuine, and of historical value as an independent Roman source. Eddy and Boyd state that it is now "firmly established" that Tacitus provides a non-Christian confirmation of the crucifixion of Jesus. Another possible reference to the crucifixion ("hanging", cf. Luke 23:39 ; Galatians 3:13 ) is found in the Babylonian Talmud : On

4068-407: The double entendre at work in John's theology of the cross, for Jesus is both physically elevated from the earth at the crucifixion but also, at the same time, exalted and glorified. Scholars disagree on whether and how frequently John refers to sacraments , but current scholarly opinion is that there are very few such possible references, and that if they exist they are limited to baptism and

4181-604: The historicity of Jesus's crucifixion, although there is no consensus on the details. According to the canonical gospels, Jesus was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin , and then sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged , and finally crucified by the Romans . The Gospel of John portrays his death as a sacrifice for sin . Jesus was stripped of his clothing and offered vinegar mixed with myrrh or gall (likely posca ) to drink after saying "I am thirsty". At Golgotha , he

4294-511: The 1st century AD, the time when the gospel accounts of the death of Jesus were written, likened it to the letter T (the Greek letter tau , which had the numeric value of 300), and to the position assumed by Moses in Exodus 17:11–12 . Justin Martyr (100–165) explicitly says the cross of Christ was of two-beam shape: "That lamb which was commanded to be wholly roasted was a symbol of the suffering of

4407-613: The 1st century AD, is an unidentified heel bone with a spike discovered in a Jerusalem gravesite, now held by the Israel Antiquities Authority and displayed in the Israel Museum . There is no consensus regarding the exact date of the crucifixion of Jesus, although it is generally agreed by biblical scholars that it was on a Friday on or near Passover ( Nisan 14), during the governorship of Pontius Pilate (who ruled AD 26–36). Various approaches have been used to estimate

4520-478: The 20th century, scholars interpreted the Gospel of John within the paradigm of a hypothetical " Johannine community ", meaning that it was held to have sprung from a late-1st-century Christian community excommunicated from the Jewish synagogue (probably meaning the Jewish community) on account of its belief in Jesus as the promised messiah. This interpretation, which saw the community as essentially sectarian and outside

4633-585: The Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:4), Jesus was raised from the dead ("on the third day" counting the day of crucifixion as the first) and according to the canonical gospels, appeared to his disciples on different occasions before ascending to heaven. The account given in Acts of the Apostles says that Jesus remained with the apostles for 40 days, whereas the account in the Gospel of Luke makes no clear distinction between

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4746-586: The Feast of Unleavened Bread, and his arrest in the garden occurring after the accompanying deliberation of Jewish authorities. Recent scholarship has argued for a more favourable reappraisal of the historical value of the Gospel of John and its importance for the reconstruction of the historical Jesus, based on recent archaeological and literary studies. The gospel has been depicted in live narrations and dramatized in productions, skits , plays , and Passion Plays , as well as in film. The most recent such portrayal

4859-459: The Gospel of John, Jesus and his disciples go to Judea early in Jesus's ministry before John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed by Herod Antipas . He leads a ministry of baptism larger than John's own. The Jesus Seminar rated this account as black, containing no historically accurate information. According to the biblical historians at the Jesus Seminar, John likely had a larger presence in

4972-417: The Gospel of John. The Gospel of John also states that, after Jesus's death, one soldier (named in extra-Biblical tradition as Longinus ) pierced his side with a spear to be certain that he had died, then blood and water gushed from the wound. The Bible describes seven statements that Jesus made while he was on the cross, as well as several supernatural events that occurred. Collectively referred to as

5085-450: The Gospel of Luke as the penitent thief and the impenitent thief . The Gospel of John mentions the soldiers and "the disciple whom Jesus loved ", who is with the women. The Gospels also tell of the arrival, after the death of Jesus, of Joseph of Arimathea (in the four Gospels) and of Nicodemus (only in John). Whereas most Christians believe the gibbet on which Jesus was executed

5198-433: The Gospel of Matthew record that he refused this. He was then crucified and hanged between two convicts. According to some translations of the original Greek, the convicts may have been bandits or Jewish rebels. According to the Gospel of Mark, he endured the torment of crucifixion from the third hour (between approximately 9 a.m. and noon), until his death at the ninth hour, corresponding to about 3 p.m. The soldiers affixed

5311-432: The Greek word for hand also includes the forearm and that the nails were placed near the radius and ulna of the forearm . Ropes may have also been used to fasten the hands in addition to the use of nails. Another issue of debate has been the use of a hypopodium as a standing platform to support the feet, given that the hands may not have been able to support the weight. In the 17th century Rasmus Bartholin considered

5424-658: The Holy of Holies. The portrayal of Jesus's death in John is unique among the gospels. It does not appear to rely on the kinds of atonement theology indicative of vicarious sacrifice but rather presents Jesus's death as his glorification and return to the Father. Likewise, the Synoptic Gospels' three "passion predictions" are replaced by three instances of Jesus explaining how he will be exalted or "lifted up". The verb for "lifted up" ( Ancient Greek : ὑψωθῆναι , hypsōthēnai ) reflects

5537-475: The Jews. Some scholars see little doubt that the reference to the execution of the " king of the Jews " is about the crucifixion of Jesus, while others place less value in the letter, given the ambiguity in the reference. In the Antiquities of the Jews (written about AD 93) Jewish historian Josephus stated ( Ant 18.3 ) that Jesus was crucified by Pilate, writing that: Now there was about this time Jesus,

5650-545: The Latin word for skull ( calvaria ), which is used in the Vulgate translation of "place of a skull", the explanation given in all four Gospels of the Aramaic word Gûlgaltâ (transliterated into the Greek as Γολγοθᾶ (Golgotha)), which was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified. The text does not indicate why it was so designated, but several theories have been put forward. One

5763-448: The Logos of the prologue (the Word that is with God from the beginning of creation), for example, was derived from both the Jewish concept of Lady Wisdom and from the Greek philosophers, John 6 alludes not only to the exodus but also to Greco-Roman mystery cults, and John 4 alludes to Samaritan messianic beliefs. John lacks scenes from the Synoptics such as Jesus's baptism, the calling of

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5876-514: The Roman period roughly according to the manner in which the crucifixion of Jesus is described in the gospels. The crucified man was identified as Yehohanan ben Hagkol and probably died about AD 70, around the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome. The analyses at the Hadassah Medical School estimated that he died in his late 20s. Another relevant archaeological find, which also dates to

5989-517: The Son's "revelation" of the Father, the continuity between the Father and the Son. Dunn sees this as intended to serve the Logos Christology, while others (e.g., Andrew Loke ) see it as connected to John's incarnation theme. The idea of the Trinity developed only slowly through the merger of Hebrew monotheism and the idea of the messiah, Greek ideas of the relationship between God, the world, and

6102-499: The Synoptics make no such identification. In Mark, Jesus urges his disciples to keep his divinity secret, but in John he is very open in discussing it, even calling himself "I AM", the title God gives himself in Exodus at his self-revelation to Moses . In the Synoptics, the chief theme is the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven (the latter specifically in Matthew), while John's theme

6215-542: The Temple is torn in two. Matthew follows Mark, but mentions an earthquake and the resurrection of saints. Luke also follows Mark, although he describes the rebels as common criminals, one of whom defends Jesus, who in turn promises that he (Jesus) and the criminal will be together in paradise. Luke portrays Jesus as impassive in the face of his crucifixion. John includes several of the same elements as those found in Mark, though they are treated differently. The comparison below

6328-514: The Twelve, exorcisms, parables, and the Transfiguration. Conversely, it includes scenes not found in the Synoptics, including Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana, the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, and multiple visits to Jerusalem. In the fourth gospel, Jesus's mother Mary is mentioned in three passages but not named. John does assert that Jesus

6441-555: The appearances of a genuine cry". Raymond Brown likewise comments that he finds "no persuasive argument against attributing to the Jesus of Mark/Matt the literal sentiment of feeling forsaken expressed in the Psalm quote". Gospel of John The Gospel of John ( Ancient Greek : Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην , romanized :  Euangélion katà Iōánnēn ) is the fourth of the New Testament 's four canonical Gospels . It contains

6554-621: The author did know them they felt free to write independently. The Hebrew scriptures were an important source, with 14 direct quotations (versus 27 in Mark, 54 in Matthew, 24 in Luke), and their influence is vastly increased when allusions and echoes are included, but the majority of John's direct quotations do not agree exactly with any known version of the Jewish scriptures. Recent arguments by Richard Bauckham and others that John preserves eyewitness testimony have not won general acceptance. For much of

6667-431: The author drew these from an independent source called the " signs gospel ", the speeches of Jesus from a second "discourse" source, and the prologue from an early hymn. The gospel makes extensive use of the Jewish scriptures: John quotes from them directly, references important figures from them, and uses narratives from them as the basis for several of the discourses. The author was also familiar with non-Jewish sources:

6780-431: The believer "abides" in Jesus and Jesus in the believer. John's individualistic tendencies could give rise to a realized eschatology achieved on the level of the individual believer, but this realized eschatology is not to replace "orthodox", futurist eschatological expectations, but to be "only [their] correlative". John's account of John the Baptist is different from that of the synoptic gospels. In this gospel, John

6893-473: The childbearing woman or the dying grain to be parables. According to the Synoptics, Jesus's arrest was a reaction to the cleansing of the temple; according to John, it was triggered by the raising of Lazarus. The Pharisees , portrayed as more uniformly legalistic and opposed to Jesus in the synoptic gospels, are portrayed as sharply divided; they frequently debate. Some, such as Nicodemus , even go so far as to be at least partially sympathetic to Jesus. This

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7006-404: The city and that Roman soldiers were assigned to guard the tomb, while Mark is the only one to state the time of the crucifixion (the third hour, or 9 a.m. – although it was probably as late as noon) and the centurion's report of Jesus's death. The Gospel of Luke's unique contributions to the narrative include Jesus's words to the women who were mourning, one criminal's rebuke of the other,

7119-407: The command of the Roman garrison at Minoa , a port city in southern Palestine . In Jerusalem during Passover , Marcellus ends up carrying out the crucifixion of Jesus but is troubled since he believes Jesus is innocent of any crime. Marcellus and some other soldiers throw dice to see who will take Jesus' seamless robe. Marcellus wins and asks Demetrius to take care of the robe. Following

7232-449: The corporate nature of the Church. This is largely accomplished through the consistently singular grammatical structure of various aphoristic sayings of Jesus. Emphasis on believers coming into a new group upon their conversion is conspicuously absent from John, and there is a theme of "personal coinherence", that is, the intimate personal relationship between the believer and Jesus in which

7345-417: The cross which Christ would undergo. For the lamb, which is roasted, is roasted and dressed up in the form of the cross. For one spit is transfixed right through from the lower parts up to the head, and one across the back, to which are attached the legs of the lamb." Irenaeus , who died around the end of the 2nd century, speaks of the cross as having "five extremities, two in length, two in breadth, and one in

7458-417: The crowd of mourners following him, quoting Jesus as saying "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do these things when

7571-500: The crucifixion of Jesus." Another preferred date among scholars is Friday, 3 April, AD 33. The consensus of scholarship is that the New Testament accounts represent a crucifixion occurring on a Friday, but a Thursday or Wednesday crucifixion have also been proposed. Some scholars explain a Thursday crucifixion based on a "double sabbath" caused by an extra Passover sabbath falling on Thursday dusk to Friday afternoon, ahead of

7684-414: The crucifixion remains a matter of conjecture, but the biblical accounts indicate that it was outside the city walls of Jerusalem, accessible to passers-by and observable from some distance away. Eusebius identified its location only as being north of Mount Zion , which is consistent with the two most popularly suggested sites of modern times. Calvary as an English name for the place is derived from

7797-432: The crucifixion, Marcellus takes part in a banquet attended by Pontius Pilate . During the banquet, a drunken centurion insists that Marcellus wear Jesus' robe. Reluctantly wearing the garment, Marcellus apparently suffers a nervous breakdown and returns to Rome. Sent to Athens to recuperate, Marcellus finally gives in to Demetrius' urging and touches the robe, and his mind is subsequently restored. Marcellus, now believing

7910-580: The crucifixion. In Western Christianity , before the Renaissance usually four nails would be depicted, with the feet side by side. After the Renaissance most depictions use three nails, with one foot placed on the other. Nails are almost always depicted in art, although Romans sometimes just tied the victims to the cross. The tradition also carries to Christian emblems , e.g. the Jesuits use three nails under

8023-514: The crucifixion. Douglas immediately began working on a novel based on this concept, sending each chapter to McCann as he finished it. Douglas and McCann finally met in 1941, and it is to her that Douglas has dedicated the book. The book explores the aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus through the experiences of the Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio and his Greek slave Demetrius. Prince Gaius, in an effort to rid Rome of Marcellus, banishes Marcellus to

8136-479: The death of Jesus are contained in the four canonical gospels . In the synoptic gospels, Jesus predicts his death in three separate places. All four Gospels conclude with an extended narrative of Jesus's arrest , initial trial at the Sanhedrin and final trial at Pilate's court , where Jesus is flogged, condemned to death, is led to the place of crucifixion initially carrying his cross before Roman soldiers induce Simon of Cyrene to carry it, and then Jesus

8249-488: The definitive revelation of a God with whom they were in close contact through the Paraclete . The majority of scholars see four sections in the Gospel of John: a prologue (1:1–18); an account of the ministry, often called the " Book of Signs " (1:19–12:50); the account of Jesus's final night with his disciples and the passion and resurrection, sometimes called the Book of Glory or Book of Exaltation (13:1–20:31); and

8362-653: The eighth chapter of the Book of Proverbs , and was fully developed as a theme in Hellenistic Judaism by Philo Judaeus . The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran verified the Jewish nature of these concepts. April DeConick suggested reading John 8:56 in support of a Gnostic theology, but recent scholarship has cast doubt on her reading. Gnostics read John but interpreted it differently from non-Gnostics. Gnosticism taught that salvation came from gnosis , secret knowledge, and Gnostics saw Jesus as not

8475-523: The eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy . Anyone who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf." But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover. Although

8588-520: The events of Easter Sunday and the Ascension. Most biblical scholars agree that the author of Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a follow-up volume to the Gospel of Luke account, and the two works must be considered as a whole. In Mark, Jesus is crucified along with two rebels, and the sun goes dark or is obscured for three hours. Jesus calls out to God , then gives a shout and dies. The curtain of

8701-522: The execution of Jesus by Pilate. James Dunn states that there is "broad consensus" among scholars regarding the nature of an authentic reference to the crucifixion of Jesus in the Testimonium . Early in the second century another reference to the crucifixion of Jesus was made by Tacitus , generally considered one of the greatest Roman historians. Writing in The Annals (c. AD 116), Tacitus described

8814-405: The final gospel. Most scholars estimate the final form of the text to be around AD 90–110. Given its complex history there may have been more than one place of composition, and while the author was familiar with Jewish customs and traditions, their frequent clarification of these implies that they wrote for a mixed Jewish/Gentile or Jewish context outside Palestine . The author may have drawn on

8927-463: The first century but which give evidence of preserving early material), the concept of the divine Word was used in a manner similar to Philo, namely, for God's interaction with the world (starting from creation) and especially with his people. Israel, for example, was saved from Egypt by action of "the Word of the L ORD ", and both Philo and the Targums envision the Word as manifested between the cherubim and

9040-523: The former term meant an upright stake or pole, but in Koine Greek it was used also to mean a cross. The Latin word crux was also applied to objects other than a cross. Early Christian writers who speak of the shape of the particular gibbet on which Jesus died invariably describe it as having a cross-beam. For instance, the Epistle of Barnabas , which was certainly earlier than 135, and may have been of

9153-544: The gospel and letters in style and even theology. The letters were written later than the gospel, and while the gospel reflects the break between the Johannine Christians and the Jewish synagogue, in the letters the Johannine community itself is disintegrating ("They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out..." - 1 John 2:19). This secession

9266-475: The header of the future Kingdom and that a number of criteria- the criterion of multiple attestation and criterion of dissimilarity - establishes the crucifixion of Jesus as an enemy of state. Although almost all ancient sources relating to crucifixion are literary, in 1968, an archeological discovery just northeast of Jerusalem uncovered the body of a crucified man dated to the 1st century, which provided good confirmatory evidence that crucifixions occurred during

9379-463: The historical Jesus, the baptism of Jesus and his crucifixion are considered to be the two most certain historical facts about Jesus. Various criteria are used to determine the historicity of the elements of the New Testamentical narratives, and help to establish the crucifixion of Jesus as a historical event. The criterion of embarrassment argues that Christians would not have invented

9492-580: The historicity of the crucifixion, but contend that Jesus did not foretell his own crucifixion and that his prediction of the crucifixion is a "church creation". On the other hand, Michael Patrick Barber argues that the Historical Jesus predicted his violent death. Tucker Ferda argues that the Historical Jesus did believe he might die. Geza Vermes also views the crucifixion as a historical event, but provides his own explanation and background for it. Bart Ehrman states that Jesus portrayed himself as

9605-478: The mainstream of early Christianity, has been increasingly challenged in the first decades of the 21st century, and there is currently considerable debate over the gospel's social, religious and historical context. Nevertheless, the Johannine literature as a whole (made up of the gospel, the three Johannine epistles, and Revelation), points to a community holding itself distinct from the Jewish culture from which it arose while cultivating an intense devotion to Jesus as

9718-526: The material world. According to Stephen Harris , the gospel adapted Philo's description of the Logos, applying it to Jesus, the incarnation of the Logos. Another possibility is that the title logos is based on the concept of the divine Word found in the Targums (Aramaic translation/interpretations recited in the synagogue after the reading of the Hebrew Scriptures). In the Targums (which all postdate

9831-513: The mediating Saviour, and the Egyptian concept of the three-part divinity. But while the developed doctrine of the Trinity is not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament , the New Testament possesses a triadic understanding of God and contains a number of Trinitarian formulas . John's "high Christology" depicts Jesus as divine and preexistent, defends him against Jewish claims that he

9944-421: The middle, on which [last] the person rests who is fixed by the nails." The assumption of the use of a two-beamed cross does not determine the number of nails used in the crucifixion and some theories suggest three nails while others suggest four nails. Throughout history, larger numbers of nails have been hypothesized, at times as high as 14 nails. These variations are also present in the artistic depictions of

10057-770: The mother of Zebedee's children. Although a group of women is mentioned in Luke, neither is named. The Gospel of John speaks of women present, among them the mother of Jesus , Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas. Aside from these women, the three Synoptic Gospels speak of the presence of others: "the chief priests, with the scribes and elders", two crucified criminals, to Jesus's right and left, "the soldiers", "the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus", passers-by, "bystanders", "the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle", and "his acquaintances". The two criminals are described as λῃσταί (variously translated as robbers, rebels or thieves) and further discussed in

10170-523: The new emperor, Caligula . Marcellus arranges that the robe be given to " The Big Fisherman " ( Simon Peter ). Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion of Jesus was the death of Jesus by being nailed to a cross . It occurred in 1st-century Judaea , most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels , referred to in the New Testament epistles , and later attested to by other ancient sources . Scholars nearly universally accept

10283-459: The normal weekly Sabbath. Some have argued that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday, on the grounds of the mention of "three days and three nights" in Matthew 12:40 before his resurrection, celebrated on Sunday. Others have countered by saying that this ignores the Jewish idiom by which a "day and night" may refer to any part of a 24-hour period, that the expression in Matthew is idiomatic, not

10396-591: The other elements of the gospel's "high" Christology. Jesus's teachings in the Synoptics greatly differ from those in John. Since the 19th century, scholars have almost unanimously accepted that the Johannine discourses are less likely to be historical than the synoptic parables, and were likely written for theological purposes. Nevertheless, they generally agree that John is not without historical value. Some potential points of value include early provenance for some Johannine material, topographical references for Jerusalem and Judea , Jesus's crucifixion occurring prior to

10509-425: The painful death of their leader. The criterion of multiple attestation is the confirmation by more than one source, including multiple non-Christian sources, and the criterion of coherence argues that it fits with other historical elements. Although scholars agree on the historicity of the crucifixion, they differ on the reason and context for it. For example, both E. P. Sanders and Paula Fredriksen support

10622-445: The persecution of Christians by Nero and stated ( Annals 15.44 ) that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus: Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus. Scholars generally consider

10735-503: The prologue, the gospel identifies Jesus as the Logos or Word. In Ancient Greek philosophy , the term logos meant the principle of cosmic reason. In this sense, it was similar to the Hebrew concept of Wisdom , God's companion and intimate helper in creation. The Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo merged these two themes when he described the Logos as God's creator of and mediator with

10848-421: The public mind than Jesus. In the first half of the 20th century, many scholars, especially Rudolph Bultmann , argued that the Gospel of John has elements in common with Gnosticism . Christian Gnosticism did not fully develop until the mid-2nd century, and so 2nd-century Proto-Orthodox Christians concentrated much effort in examining and refuting it. To say the Gospel of John contained elements of Gnosticism

10961-462: The question of the equivalence of the identities of Yeshu and Jesus has at times been debated, many historians agree that the above 2nd-century passage is likely to be about Jesus, Peter Schäfer stating that there can be no doubt that this narrative of the execution in the Talmud refers to Jesus of Nazareth. Robert Van Voorst states that the Sanhedrin 43a reference to Jesus can be confirmed not only from

11074-516: The reaction of the multitudes who left "beating their breasts", and the women preparing spices and ointments before resting on the Sabbath. John is also the only one to refer to the request that the legs be broken and the soldier's subsequent piercing of Jesus's side (as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy), as well as that Nicodemus assisted Joseph with burial. According to the First Epistle to

11187-747: The reference itself, but from the context that surrounds it. Sanhedrin 43a relates that Yeshu had been condemned to death by the royal government of Judaea – this lineage was stripped of all legal authority upon Herod the Great 's ascension to the throne in 37 BC, meaning the execution had to have taken place close to 40 years before Jesus was even born. Muslims maintain that Jesus was not crucified and that those who thought they had killed him had mistakenly killed Judas Iscariot , Simon of Cyrene , or someone else in his place. They hold this belief based on various interpretations of Quran   4:157–158 , which states: "they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it

11300-480: The risen Jesus as "my Lord and my God" (the same title, dominus et deus , claimed by the Emperor Domitian , an indication of the date of composition). Scholars agree that while the Gospel of John clearly regards Jesus as divine, it just as clearly subordinates him to the one God. According to James Dunn , this Christology does not describe a subordinationist relation but rather the authority and validity of

11413-542: The robe has some sort of innate power, returns to Judea , follows the path Jesus took, and meets many people whose lives Jesus had affected. Based upon their experiences, first Demetrius and then Marcellus become followers of Jesus. Marcellus then returns to Rome, where he must report his experiences to the emperor Tiberius at Villa Jovis on Capri . Marcellus frees Demetrius, who escapes. However, later on, because of his uncompromising stance regarding his Christian faith, both Marcellus and his new wife Diana are executed by

11526-574: The same order: the date of the crucifixion is different, as is the time of Jesus' anointing in Bethany and the cleansing of the Temple , which occurs in the beginning of Jesus' ministry rather than near its end. Many incidents from John, such as the wedding in Cana, the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well, and the raising of Lazarus , are not paralleled in the synoptics, and most scholars believe

11639-419: The wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" The Gospel of Luke has Jesus address these women as "daughters of Jerusalem", thus distinguishing them from the women whom the same gospel describes as "the women who had followed him from Galilee" and who were present at his crucifixion. Traditionally, the path that Jesus took is called Via Dolorosa ( Latin for "Way of Grief" or "Way of Suffering") and

11752-578: The word, i.e., the place of "a skull". While often referred to as "Mount Calvary", it was more likely a small hill or rocky knoll. The traditional site, inside what is now occupied by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter of the Old City , has been attested since the 4th century. A second site (commonly referred to as Gordon's Calvary ), located further north of the Old City near

11865-406: The year of the crucifixion, including the canonical Gospels, the chronology of the life of Paul, as well as different astronomical models. Scholars have provided estimates in the range AD 30–33, with Rainer Riesner stating that "the fourteenth of Nisan (7 April) of the year 30 AD is, apparently in the opinion of the majority of contemporary scholars as well, far and away the most likely date of

11978-463: Was "making himself equal to God", and talks openly about his divine role and echoing Yahweh 's " I Am that I Am " with seven " I Am " declarations of his own. At the same time there is a stress like that in Luke on the physical continuity of Jesus's resurrected body, as Jesus tells Thomas : "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." In

12091-408: Was available, and time was often approximated to the closest three-hour period. The three Synoptic Gospels refer to a man called Simon of Cyrene whom the Roman soldiers order to carry the cross after Jesus initially carries it but then collapses, while the Gospel of John just says that Jesus "bears" his own cross. Luke's gospel also describes an interaction between Jesus and the women among

12204-483: Was dead already. Each gospel has its own account of Jesus's last words, seven statements altogether. In the Synoptic Gospels , various supernatural events accompany the crucifixion, including darkness , an earthquake, the tearing of the sanctuary's veil and the resurrection of saints (in the Gospel of Matthew). Following Jesus's death, his body was removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and buried in

12317-467: Was known as the "son of Joseph " in 6:42 . For John, Jesus's town of origin is irrelevant, for he comes from beyond this world, from God the Father . While John makes no direct mention of Jesus's baptism, he does quote John the Baptist 's description of the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove , as happens at Jesus's baptism in the Synoptics. Major synoptic speeches of Jesus are absent, including

12430-439: Was made to appear to them [or it appeared so unto them], ... Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself". Some early Christian Gnostic sects, believing Jesus did not have a physical substance, denied that he was crucified. In response, Ignatius of Antioch insisted that Jesus was truly born and was truly crucified and wrote that those who held that Jesus only seemed to suffer only seemed to be Christians. In scholarship on

12543-432: Was over Christology , the "knowledge of Christ", or more accurately the understanding of Christ's nature, for the ones who "went out" hesitated to identify Jesus with Christ, minimising the significance of the earthly ministry and denying the salvific importance of Jesus's death on the cross. The epistles argue against this view, stressing the eternal existence of the Son of God, the salvific nature of his life and death, and

12656-461: Was the traditional two-beamed cross, the Jehovah's Witnesses hold the view that a single upright stake was used. The Greek and Latin words used in the earliest Christian writings are ambiguous. The Koine Greek terms used in the New Testament are stauros ( σταυρός ) and xylon ( ξύλον ). The latter means wood (a live tree, timber or an object constructed of wood); in earlier forms of Greek,

12769-522: Was then hung between two convicted thieves and, according to the Gospel of Mark , was crucified at the 3rd hour (9 a.m.), and died by the 9th hour of the day (at around 3:00 p.m.). During this time, the soldiers affixed a sign to the top of the cross stating " Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews " which, according to the Gospel of John (John 19:20), was written in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek). They then divided his garments among themselves and cast lots for his seamless robe, according to

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