Pools of Bethesda

There are still more sites right in Jerusalem from our trip to Israel.

Adjacent to the Church of Saint Anne

 are the two Pools of Bethesda,

(meaning "house of mercy" in Hebrew)

 surrounded by five colonnaded porches. 

The Upper Pool was dug during the 8th century BC

 and is mentioned in 2 Kings.

The pools were originally located near the Sheep Gate

 and were used to wash the sheep

 that were brought to the Temple for sacrifice.

This is in the Muslim Quarter

 of the Old City of Jerusalem

 right outside of Stephan's Gate.

A second pool was dug during the third century BC

 by Simon the High Priest.

Many Jewish people believed that the water

 held special power since

 it was used for religious purposes.

At the time of Christ,

 tradition taught that an angel would descend

 from heaven to stir the waters and the first

 to enter after the stirring received divine healing.

Recent excavations in the 1960's discovered

 the remains of Byzantine and Crusader Churches here.

(Crosses on the columns)

They were built here to preserve the location

 of the miraculous healing story.

Many invalids sat or lay under the porches

 waiting to be healed.

 The pools were fed by rainwater 

and underground springs.

This is the setting for John 5: 1-15,

 where Jesus encountered

 a paralytic who had been waiting for 38 years

 to be healed by the pool. 

Jesus demonstrated that he had the power

 to heal and the right to do it on the Sabbath.

God is a God who heals.

HE brings healing touches to our lives -

 even TODAY.