Samaritan Woman at the Well
Encyclopedia
The Samaritan woman at the well is an episode in the life of Jesus
that appears only in the Gospel of John
, in . In Eastern Orthodox Church tradition, she is known as Photina.
According to the John 4
:
This episode takes place after the return of Jesus to Galilee
according to Andrew Lincoln. Culturally there was great enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, who were considered a half-breed
race by the Jews.
This Gospel episode is referred to as "a paradigm
for our engagement with truth", in the Roman Curia
book A Christian reflection on the New Age
, as the dialogue says: "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know" and offers an example of Jesus Christ the bearer of the water of life.
The passages that comprise John 4:10-26 are sometimes referred to as the Water of Life Discourse
which forms a complement to the Bread of Life Discourse
.
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
that appears only in the Gospel of John
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 . In Eastern Orthodox Church tradition, she is known as Photina.
According to the John 4
John 4
John 4 is the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.- Jesus Surpasses John :The Pharisees learn that Jesus is baptizing more people than John the Baptist, although it says that "...in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples." Jesus learns...
:
Now he had to go through SamariaSamariaSamaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
. So he came to a town in Samaria called SycharShechemShechem was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as an Israelite city of the tribe of Manasseh and the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel...
, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's wellJacob's WellJacob's Well is a deep well hewn of solid rock that has been associated in religious tradition with Jacob for roughly two millennia...
was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
This episode takes place after the return of Jesus to Galilee
Return of Jesus to Galilee
The Return of Jesus to Galilee is an episode in the life of Jesus that appears in three of the Canonical Gospels: , and . It relates the return of Jesus to Galillee upon the imprisonment of John the Baptist.According to the Gospel of John:...
according to Andrew Lincoln. Culturally there was great enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, who were considered a half-breed
Half-breed
Half-breed is an historic term used to describe anyone who is mixed Native American and white European parentage...
race by the Jews.
This Gospel episode is referred to as "a paradigm
Paradigm
The word paradigm has been used in science to describe distinct concepts. It comes from Greek "παράδειγμα" , "pattern, example, sample" from the verb "παραδείκνυμι" , "exhibit, represent, expose" and that from "παρά" , "beside, beyond" + "δείκνυμι" , "to show, to point out".The original Greek...
for our engagement with truth", in the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
book A Christian reflection on the New Age
A Christian reflection on the New Age
A Christian reflection on the New Age refers to a six year study by the Roman Catholic Church on the New Age movement. The study, published in 2003, is highly critical of the New Age movement and follows the 1989 document Aspects of Christian meditation in which the Vatican warned Catholics against...
, as the dialogue says: "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know" and offers an example of Jesus Christ the bearer of the water of life.
The passages that comprise John 4:10-26 are sometimes referred to as the Water of Life Discourse
Water of Life (Christianity)
In Christianity the term Water of Life is used in the context of living water, specific references appearing in the Book of Revelation , as well as the Gospel of John. In these references, the term Water of Life refers the Holy Spirit....
which forms a complement to the Bread of Life Discourse
Bread of Life Discourse
The Bread of Life Discourse is an episode in the life of Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John 6:22-59.The title Bread of Life for Jesus is based on this Biblical episode which takes place in the Gospel of John shortly after the Feeding the multitude episode after which the crowds follow...
.
See also
- Gospel harmonyGospel harmonyA Gospel harmony is an attempt to merge or harmonize the canonical gospels of the Four Evangelists into a single gospel account, the earliest known example being the Diatesseron by Tatian in the 2nd century. A gospel harmony may also establish a chronology for the events of the life of Jesus...
- Jesus' interactions with womenJesus' interactions with womenJesus' interactions with women is an important element in the theological debate about Christianity and women. Women are prominent in the story of Jesus—he was born of a woman, had numerous interactions with women, and was seen first by women after his resurrection.The Gospels describe two miracles...
- List of names for the Biblical nameless
- Parable of the Good SamaritanParable of the Good SamaritanThe parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus and is mentioned in only one of the Canonical gospels. According to the Gospel of Luke a traveller is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a...
- The bearer of the Water of Life
- Water of Life (Christianity)Water of Life (Christianity)In Christianity the term Water of Life is used in the context of living water, specific references appearing in the Book of Revelation , as well as the Gospel of John. In these references, the term Water of Life refers the Holy Spirit....