can any christians help me with these questions about the book of john?

Question

1. is the ''sheep gate'' referred to in john 5:2 the same as the ''eye of the camel''?

2. what is the ''manner of purification'' referred to in john 2:6?

is mikvah ''manner of purification'' mentioned?

is mikvah *the* ''manner...''

for those of you who cite ''sheep market,'' i'm reading from the NKJV translation. should've mentioned that. sorry.

pugwashj- i didn't realize i wrote ''eye of the camel'' until you responded. you know what i meant though. LOL. good eye!and yes, the pun was intended. ; )

''eye of the needle,'' pugwashj. LOL

Answer 1

Hi Drew,

I too am reading from the NKJV. We must read everything in context, looking at the Scripture surrounding the verse(s). The Sheep Gate is just that, a gate in the wall of Jerusalem. When we think of a walled city we think of a crowded built up area with narrow streets with no provision for livestock. Many of the sheep owners (not the poor underpaid shepherds) would have homes in Jerusalem with courtyards. Sheep would have been kept in the courtyards when not being pastured in the surrounding countryside. This would be done during periods of adverse weather and times of war.

The Sheep Gate is the only place where people would be allowed to bring sheep in or out of the City. The Jews, particularly the more observant ones where always concerned about "purity" and cleanliness. If you were a fastidious Jew, you would use another gate so you didn't have to step in sheep s*h*i*t. (I grew up on a farm. It is what it is.)

I went to college with a Jew who explained the ritualistic cleansing referred to in the Bible.

A Mikvah is a pool or a stream used for this type of purification. In order for a Mikvah to be a Mikvah it must be "Living Water"; that is it must flow. Any flowing water may be used for purification.

My friend worked in a Jewish Funeral Home. The preparation room had a Mikvah for cleansing the dead before anointing.

Tap water was brought in the bottom flowing continuously, draining through a drain near the top. There was also a drain at the bottom of the tank that would be used to drain it for cleaning.

The pots in John 2:6 would have been used to bring purifying water from a Mikvah, home. Purification could be done at home without venturing to the nearest "living water". This would be particularly important on the Sabbath as going to the Mikvah could be construed as work by the most observant of Jews. (These pots were empty at the time).

The pool called Bethesda does indeed appear to be a Mikvah, however it may have been unreliable, or at least it may have been a time of drought, with little rain, because the sick (unclean) were waiting for the water to begin flowing (John 5:3). My guess would be the former. (Why would you put a dirty sheep gate near a good cleansing pool). The NAB Catholic edition calls it a "Sheep Pool". Certainly, if unreliable and near the gate it was most likely used to water sheep. This would most certainly defile the pool until the water again flowed. (If you have ever seen a pond or creek where livestock water you would not want to swim there; they don't just drink there, they also defecate and urinate in the water, walking in it as stirring up silt). This pool was apparently recently excavated at a site north east of the temple.

Christ also makes reference to living water, but usually in reference to Gods word, and faith in his works of salvation yet to occur.

I hope this helps.

Your friend in Christ,

Mark

Answer 2

Sheep Gate and Camel's Eye:
"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches" (John 5:2). We believe the reference here is to the sheep "gate" of Nehemiah 3:1. At first glance Nehemiah 3 does not seem to be very interesting reading, and yet there is much in it that is precious. It describes the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in the days when a remnant of Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity. Various portions in the work of reconstruction were allotted to different individuals and companies. These portions or sections were from gate to gate. Ten gates are mentioned in the chapter. The first is the sheep gate (verse 1) and the last is "The gate Miphkad" which means "judgment," and speaks, perhaps, of the judgment-seat of Christ; and then the chapter concludes by saying, "And between the going up of the comer unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants." Thus the circle is completed, and at the close we are brought back to the point from which we started—"The sheep gate." This is the gate through which the sacrificial animals were brought to the temple—the "lamb" predominating, hence its name. The sheep gate, then, points us at once to Christ, and tells of His Cross.

Now in the light of what we have just said, how exceedingly significant and blessed to note that we are here told the pool which was called Bethesda, meaning mercy, was by the "sheep" (gate). It is only in Christ that the poor sinner can find mercy, and it is only through His sacrifice on the Cross that this mercy is now obtainable for us in Him.

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)

So I don't think it is the same exactly...

Manner of Purification:
2:6 livqinai uJdrivai e}x Significantly, these stone jars held water for Jewish purification rituals. The water of Jewish ritual purification becomes the wine of the new Messianic Age (on the Messianic Age, cf. chronology of chapter 1 and the note above at 2:1).

It may also be, after the fashion of Johannine double meanings, a reference to the wine of the Lord’s Supper. A number have suggested this, but there does not seem to me to be anything in the immediate context which compels this; it seems more related to the frequency of references to the sacraments which a given exegete sees in the gospel as a whole.

Each of the pots held 2 or 3 metrhtai. A metrhth'" (literally, “measure”) was approximately 9 gallons (39.39 liters); thus each jar held 18-27 gallons (78.8-118.2 liters) and the total volume of liquid involved was 108-162 gallons (472.7-709 liters)!

I hope that is a help....

Answer 3

2.
(John 2:6) As it was, there were six stone water jars sitting there as required by the purification rules of the Jews, each able to hold two or three liquid measures.

The ' purification rules' of the jews was simply the washing of the handsd and arms up to the elbows. A bit ' over the top' but basically just cleanliness prior to eating.
We have water from pipes and taps. The Jews had to store their water.

1.
(John 5:2) Now in Jerusalem at the sheepgate there is a pool designated in Hebrew Beth·za′tha, with five colonnades.

BETHZATHA

(Beth·za′tha).

The name occurs with reference to a pool bearing this name at which Jesus healed a man who had been ill for 38 years. (Joh 5:1-9) In John 5:2, some manuscripts and translations (KJ, NE) read “Bethesda.” The pool is described as having five colonnades, in which large numbers of sick, blind, and lame persons congregated, evidently attributing healing powers to the waters, particularly so immediately after the waters were disturbed. The last seven words of verse 3 as found in the King James Version and verse 4 of this chapter, attributing the disturbing of the waters to an angel, are not found in some of the oldest Greek manuscripts and are viewed as an interpolation. Thus the Bible does not give any indication as to the cause of the water disturbance but merely shows the people’s belief in the curative powers of the waters.

The location of the pool is indicated by the evident reference to the “sheepgate” (although in the original Greek the word “gate” must be supplied), which gate is generally held to have been in the north part of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 3:1 shows that this gate was built by the priests, and hence it is assumed to have been an entrance near the temple area. Additionally, the name Bethzatha is associated with the section of ancient Jerusalem called Bezetha, located to the north of the temple area. In Jesus’ day this sector lay outside the city walls, but Herod Agrippa I (who died 44 C.E.) added a third northern wall to the city during the rule of Claudius (41-54 C.E.), and this placed Bezetha within the city walls, so that John could properly speak of the pool as being “in Jerusalem,” as he had known the city before its destruction in 70 C.E.

In 1888 excavations just to the N of the temple site revealed a double pool divided by a rock partition and embracing an overall area about 46 by 92 m (150 × 300 ft). Evidence of colonnades existed and a faded fresco portraying an angel moving the waters, although the painting may well have been a later addition. The location seems to fit the Biblical description.

" eye of the camel' is not accurate. Here is the scripture;

(Mark 10:25) It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

(Luke 18:25) It is easier, in fact, for a camel to get through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.”

Hope this clarifies your question.

Answer 4

Question One: No

[The sheep-market] This might have been rendered the "sheep-gate," or the gate through which the sheep were taken into the city for sacrifice. The marginal rendering is "gate," and the word "market" is not in the original, nor is a "sheep-market" mentioned in the Scriptures or in any of the Jewish writings. A "sheep-gate" is repeatedly mentioned by Nehemiah (Neh 3:1,32; 12:39), being that by which sheep and oxen were brought into the city. As these were brought mainly for sacrifice, the gate was doubtless near the temple, and near the present place which is shown as the pool of Bethesda.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Question Two: A ceremonial cleansing or washing.

[Of the purifying] Of the "washings" or ablutions of the Jews. They were for the purpose of washing the hands before and after eating (Matt 15:2), and for the formal washing of vessels, and even articles of furniture, Luke 11:39; Mark 7:3-4.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Answer 5

Jhn 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep [market] a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

KJV translates it as "market". And that market was next to a pool.

Jhn 2:6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

These were stone waterpots holding about 80-120 liters of water each - they were merely for washing like we use a sink.

Answer 6

1. the sheep gate referred to in John 5 is a minor part of the story. the pool is really the main feature. this story that john tells has to do with a miracle that jesus performed in which he heals a man who is very close to a healing pool but cannot get in by himself. jesus orders the man to get up and walk and the man does. like many other stories of jesus healing people, the moral of this one is that through jesus all things are possible, that faith alone can heal someone, and that the merciful God will always provide. the eye of the needle story is a parable that jesus told about how difficult it is for a rich man to get into the kingdom of god. it is as difficult as it is for a camel to get through the eye of a needle, which refers to the name of a really low/narrow gate into the city of jerusalem. so the first story is something that jesus actually did and the second is one that He told.

2. so, i remembered many instances in the bible when jews would purify themselves with water (jesus washing the feet of the disciples, a former prostitute washing jesus's feet with her tears and drying them with her hair, etc) but i had no idea how much jews were into ritual cleansing and all that went with it. i knew a little bit of the rituals that muslims go through before praying and the jewish ritual washing reminds me of that, kind of. i found this page on wikipedia that's really interesting. there are many types of rituals that those water pots could have been used for, so im directing you to that page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism

hope that helps and very interesting question!

Answer 7

howdy, i visit't seem to decide what you're quite asking, yet on the difficulty of the remark: "Going decrease back on the all effectual God. God suffers and dies? Is that your idea of all effectual?" this is observed as sacrifice. Christians believe that without Jesus' sacrifice lets no longer pass to heaven. this is not any longer that He couldn't have stopped it, yet that preventing it might want to have meant damnation for us. for instance, childbirth is, by utilizing all money owed, painful and unsafe. And yet females who've had children pass get pregnant back on purpose. Why? because the sturdy outweighs the undesirable, in spite of the actual incontrovertible truth that it destroys her body and infrequently even motives her lack of existence. I say the sacrifices a mom makes instruct her to be reliable and effectual. How a lot extra so even as every person lays down his existence for his acquaintances. extremely actually, i'm shocked to hearken to you, of every person, mocking yet another faith's beliefs this way. And re: "What about the Jews who reject the Bible?" one can absolutely counter, what about the Jews who reject the Quran? And the Christians? And the pagans? We both understand diverse human beings in worry-free words joined Islam because they couldn't have sufficient money the taxes levied hostile to non-believers in conquered lands. What about the Muslims who reject the religion? human beings believe what they prefer. quite, i'm so shocked at your tone and your ideas-set right here. you're commonly a lot extra logical and honest minded. i do not mean that i'm shocked you disagree :) only the way you're doing this is out of personality (or a minimum of, out of the nature i understand).

Answer 8

mikkah is not the manner.
they are not the same.
The book of John has a respectable Tamil version as the CHINESE JOHN.Careful that the needle does not get into the eye so that the rich man can bring himself down to earth and contribute to God"S mission.

Answer 9

you can say so,because you can only enter the kingdom of heaven through Jesus teachings and it is not as easy as to just walk up straight.the eye of the needle was the main entrance into jerusalem,and to enter with a camel.the person had to climb down,and help the camel with bended knees through

Answer 10

I suggest if you don't have an expositors's Bible you check out JSM.org, that's Swaggarts web site. He has a special on his Exp Bible for $30 (normally$125), over 2,500 pages and it should answer a ton of stuff. Haven't got time now, but will check it out. Take care.