John 20:7
Encyclopedia
John 20:7 is the seventh verse of the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John
in the Bible
. In this verse, Peter
is standing in Jesus
's empty tomb
. The Beloved Disciple and perhaps Mary Magdalene
are outside. This verse describes the arrangement of the grave clothes they see.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
The translation and meaning of this verse are much debated. The napkin/cloth in Greek is a soudarium, from the Latin sudarium, literally a "sweat rag", a piece of cloth used to wipe the sweat
from one's brow. Most scholars believe it refers to a cloth wrapped around the head of the deceased, perhaps to keep the mouth from falling open. Ader has a different reading, seeing soudarium as meaning the same thing as the word sindon, which in the synoptic gospels
refers to any of the burial cloths. The word soudarium is used in a different context in Luke 19:20, where a servant uses one to wrap his money.
The exact relationship between this headpiece and the other clothes is not certain. The passage can be read either as meaning the cloth is not in the same location of the others or as meaning the cloth is not lying in the same manner of the others. Is the cloth separated from the others, and if so where is it? One interpretation is that this separation merely reflects the distance from the head to the torso. Others see the cloth as being moved to a part of the burial place or tomb well away from the other cloths. Those who believe the phrase is closer to "not lying like" believe that it simply refers to the head cloth being in a ball rather than lying flat like the others.
The two different readings imply two visions of the resurrection, an event which is never directly described in the Bible. (Though it is described in the Gospel of Peter
) If the head cloth remained in the same location where Jesus' head had lain, it suggests that the resurrection process saw Jesus lifted through his clothing or that he dematerialized while in them. If the head cloth had been balled up and put to the side, it suggests that Jesus returned to life while lying in the clothes and himself removed the wrapping from his head leaving it beside him.
Schnackenberg compares this to the resurrection of Lazarus
. The revived Lazarus needed aid in removing his grave goods while Jesus transcended them.
A side issue is that if the grave clothes were abandoned by the risen Jesus, what was he then wearing? To Kastner, this is evidence that Jesus was naked upon his resurrection. Most other scholars reject this theory, arguing that providing a new set of clothing would be a comparatively minor issue beside raising Jesus from the dead. Alternatively, there could have been multiple layers of cloth wrapping Jesus and he kept wearing one of these while abandoning the others.
The level of detail the author of John adds to this section is to Westcott
evidence that the author was an eyewitness to the events described. Proof to Westcott that the Beloved Disciple was the author of John. C.K. Barrett disagrees. He argues that such details are exactly what a modern author adds to a fictional account to give it a feeling of verisimilitude, and there is no reason to believe an ancient writer would not have these same skills. To Dodd, the level of detail reflects the narrative arc of the Gospel of John. Dodd argues the crucifixion
is the climax
of the work and that these later sections are the dénouement and that the author thus deliberately slows the pace of the narrative. Schnackenberg sees the level of detail as apologetic in origin. To him, the detailed description is an attempt to disprove the allegation that Jesus's tomb had simply been robbed.
It should also be noted that the Shroud of Turin
is said to be one of the linens Peter observes, while the head cloth is said to be the Sudarium of Oviedo
, though the veracity of these claims is doubted by many. In the work Asarim, the Sudarium is described as a Turban. It can be seen in the Cathedral of Oviedo, Spain.
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. In this verse, Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
is standing in Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
's empty tomb
Empty tomb
Empty tomb most often refers to the tomb of Jesus which was found to be empty by the women who were present at Jesus’ crucifixion. They had come to his tomb to anoint his body with spices...
. The Beloved Disciple and perhaps Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
are outside. This verse describes the arrangement of the grave clothes they see.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- And the napkin, that was about
- his head, not lying with the
- linen clothes, but wrapped
- together in a place by itself.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- and the cloth that had been
- on his head, not lying with
- the linen cloths, but rolled
- up in a place by itself.
The translation and meaning of this verse are much debated. The napkin/cloth in Greek is a soudarium, from the Latin sudarium, literally a "sweat rag", a piece of cloth used to wipe the sweat
SWEAT
SWEAT is an OLN/TSN show hosted by Julie Zwillich that aired in 2003-2004.Each of the 13 half-hour episodes of SWEAT features a different outdoor sport: kayaking, mountain biking, ice hockey, beach volleyball, soccer, windsurfing, rowing, Ultimate, triathlon, wakeboarding, snowboarding, telemark...
from one's brow. Most scholars believe it refers to a cloth wrapped around the head of the deceased, perhaps to keep the mouth from falling open. Ader has a different reading, seeing soudarium as meaning the same thing as the word sindon, which in the synoptic gospels
Synoptic Gospels
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in the same sequence, and sometimes exactly the same wording. This degree of parallelism in content, narrative arrangement, language, and sentence structures can only be...
refers to any of the burial cloths. The word soudarium is used in a different context in Luke 19:20, where a servant uses one to wrap his money.
The exact relationship between this headpiece and the other clothes is not certain. The passage can be read either as meaning the cloth is not in the same location of the others or as meaning the cloth is not lying in the same manner of the others. Is the cloth separated from the others, and if so where is it? One interpretation is that this separation merely reflects the distance from the head to the torso. Others see the cloth as being moved to a part of the burial place or tomb well away from the other cloths. Those who believe the phrase is closer to "not lying like" believe that it simply refers to the head cloth being in a ball rather than lying flat like the others.
The two different readings imply two visions of the resurrection, an event which is never directly described in the Bible. (Though it is described in the Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Peter
The Gospel According to Peter , commonly called the Gospel of Peter, is one of the non-Canonical gospels which were rejected by the Church Fathers and the Catholic Church's synods of Carthage and Rome, which established the New Testament canon, as apocryphal...
) If the head cloth remained in the same location where Jesus' head had lain, it suggests that the resurrection process saw Jesus lifted through his clothing or that he dematerialized while in them. If the head cloth had been balled up and put to the side, it suggests that Jesus returned to life while lying in the clothes and himself removed the wrapping from his head leaving it beside him.
Schnackenberg compares this to the resurrection of Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
. The revived Lazarus needed aid in removing his grave goods while Jesus transcended them.
A side issue is that if the grave clothes were abandoned by the risen Jesus, what was he then wearing? To Kastner, this is evidence that Jesus was naked upon his resurrection. Most other scholars reject this theory, arguing that providing a new set of clothing would be a comparatively minor issue beside raising Jesus from the dead. Alternatively, there could have been multiple layers of cloth wrapping Jesus and he kept wearing one of these while abandoning the others.
The level of detail the author of John adds to this section is to Westcott
Brooke Foss Westcott
Brooke Foss Westcott was a British bishop, Biblical scholar and theologian, serving as Bishop of Durham from 1890 until his death.-Early life and education:...
evidence that the author was an eyewitness to the events described. Proof to Westcott that the Beloved Disciple was the author of John. C.K. Barrett disagrees. He argues that such details are exactly what a modern author adds to a fictional account to give it a feeling of verisimilitude, and there is no reason to believe an ancient writer would not have these same skills. To Dodd, the level of detail reflects the narrative arc of the Gospel of John. Dodd argues the crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
is the climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
of the work and that these later sections are the dénouement and that the author thus deliberately slows the pace of the narrative. Schnackenberg sees the level of detail as apologetic in origin. To him, the detailed description is an attempt to disprove the allegation that Jesus's tomb had simply been robbed.
It should also be noted that the Shroud of Turin
Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin or Turin Shroud is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, northern Italy. The image on the shroud is...
is said to be one of the linens Peter observes, while the head cloth is said to be the Sudarium of Oviedo
Sudarium of Oviedo
The Sudarium of Oviedo, or Shroud of Oviedo, is a bloodstained cloth, measuring c. 84 x 53 cm, kept in the Cámara Santa of the Cathedral of San Salvador, Oviedo, Spain. The Sudarium is claimed to be the cloth wrapped around the head of Jesus Christ after he died, as mentioned in the Gospel of...
, though the veracity of these claims is doubted by many. In the work Asarim, the Sudarium is described as a Turban. It can be seen in the Cathedral of Oviedo, Spain.