Jesus and the Paralytics. Memorializing Miracles in the Greco-Roman World of the Gospels

Abstract

This study explores the Greco-Roman memorialization of healings through material culture as a point of comparison for the Gospels’ miracle traditions. Special attention is given to the ex-votos left at healing shrines and especially the Iamata inscriptions connected with the Asclepius cult. This corpus of evidence brings into focus a series of dynamics that help illuminate the stories of Jesus’ two healings of a paralytic (John 5:1-15; Mark 2:1-10). The comparisons help clarify both the common memorializing supports that informed and sustained the memory of Jesus transmitted in the Gospels, as well as the distinctive relationship of the Christian cult to certain specific places where memories of Jesus where preserved.

Keywords

• ex-votos
• Asclepius
• miracles
• healing shrines
• Iamata
• paralytics