Archaeologists have found the five-sided pool of Bethesda, in Jerusalem. Since the first century BCE, it had been associated with the local temple of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. Evidence of its function is in a votive offering found near the pool, given to the temple by a woman who had been healed by Asclepius.
Gentiles who needed healing powers would have gone to the pool. However, its location in Jerusalem suggests that even Jews, when all other avenues of cure had failed, would go to the pool and wait for the god to disturb the waters, providing a healing opportunity for one lucky person. The man said to have been cured by Jesus was a Jew.
The healing of the man with an infirmity occurred at the pool in Bethesda.
Bethesda
The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring said to restore youth and vitality to those who drink from it, symbolizing the human desire for eternal life. In contrast, the Pool of Bethesda, from biblical tradition, is a healing site where the sick and disabled sought miraculous cures by entering the water when stirred. While both represent themes of healing and restoration, the Fountain of Youth emphasizes physical rejuvenation, whereas the Pool of Bethesda focuses on divine intervention and miraculous healing. Together, they reflect humanity's quest for health and longevity in different cultural contexts.
The pool of Bethesda was stirred occasionally, but the exact frequency is not specified in historical records.
Pool of Bethesda
As he healed him on a sabath.
The pool at Bethesda is now known to have been part of an Asclepium - a temple to the Greek god of healing, Asclepius. Whenever the god came by and disturbed the waters, whoever then first entered the water would be cured. Because the man whom Jesus cured was lame, he was never able to get into the water first, so someone else always got the healing powers of the water. According to John 5:5 he had been there for thirty eight years.
The five porches at the pool of Bethesda were named after the five colonnades that surrounded the pool. These colonnades were likely used by individuals seeking healing, as it was believed that an angel would occasionally stir the waters, granting healing to those who entered first. The specific names of the five porches are not explicitly mentioned in historical texts.
It means that God is always going offer you the opportunity to heal. It refers to the pool at Bethesda, where the water was thought to be stirred by an angel from time to time and the first one to step into the pool after it was "troubled" would be healed of any infirmity. Such an occurrence is mentioned in John: 5, 4 where Jesus heals one waiting for that chance but who is lame and not able to get to the pool first. The song "Wade in the Water" is a Negro spiritual that is meant to remind us of God's constant offering of the opportunity to be healed, never leaving us to find healing by ourselves.
There was a pool named Bethesda in Jerusalem which is the miracle pool mentioned in bible. The John chapter 5:1-10 describes the miracle done by Jesus to a man nearby the pool.
John 5:2 (NIV).
A:The pool mentioned in John's Gospel was the Pool of Bethesda. It formed part of what was known as an Asclepium, or temple to the Greek god of healing, Asclepius. People would go there to wait for Asclepius to come by and disturb the water (the Gospel avoids mention of Asclepius by saying "angel"), and whoever was then first to enter the water would be healed.