St. Anne Church & Pool of Bethesda
St. Anne ChurchSeptember 4, 2009
“…me and Jeff went to St Anne’s Basilica where the pool of Bethesda is. It was kind of hard to figure out exactly where the pool was because there were so many layers of history uncovered by excavations but it was really fun to walk around and explore inside it all and to try and imagine what it would have looked like thousands of years ago. The church next to the excavations was very nice and very old. Inside the area dedicated to Mary was an Italian group and we got to hear them sing Christian songs in Latin. I also saw the Arabic writing above the church door put there when it was turned into a Muslim theology school.” Pool of BethesdaHere I mainly remember layers and layers of deep excavated history – stairs, walls, cisterns and it was not easy to see where the actual pool of Bethesda was. Nearby photos helped however. When I think of the Pool of Bethesda I think of the many miracles Christ performed for others during His ministry. Particularly I remember the one that took place at this very location. I quote from John 5:2-9:
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. |