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BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • The Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots were the four sects of Judaism.  In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees were the controlling “denomination” of Jews.  However, soon after Jesus’ death, the Sadducees began to rise in power.  The Essenes had communes and emphasized abstinence to honor God.  The Zealots were the opposite with militia tactics used against the occupation government, the Romans.
  • John 9:22 – The man’s parents said these things, because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders had already agreed that if anyone said that Jesus was the Messiah, then that person would be thrown out of the synagogue. 
  • John 9:7 – Jesus said to him, “Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” (This word means “Sent.”) Then the blind man went away and washed himself and came back with sight!
  • John 9:38 – The man said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Jesus.
  • Ancient coins, inscriptions and dedications from the middle of the first century feature the names of King Herod and even Caiaphas, the High Priest.
  • John 9:13 – They brought the man who was once blind to the Pharisees. 
  • John 9:18-21 –The Jewish leaders didn’t believe that the man had really been blind and could now see, until they called the man’s parents. 19The leaders asked them, “Is this man your son? Do you claim that he was born blind? How come he now sees?” 20Then his parents answered, “We know he is our son and that he was born blind, 21but we don’t know how he can see now. We don’t know how somebody opened his eyes. Ask him. He is a grown man; he can speak for himself.” 
OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Leviticus 12:3 – On the eighth day, the little boy must be circumcised. 4Then 

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS:
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BK. 15, 11:3, 5 – Now the temple was built of stones that were white and strong…the royal cloister was on each side much lower, but the middle was much higher till they were visible to those that dwelt in the country for a great many furlongs….This cloister…if you looked from above into the depth [of the valley on the other side of the wall] the valley was very deep and its bottom could not be seen if you looked from above into the depth…insomuch that if any one looked down from the top…he would be giddy while his sight could not reach to such an immense depth….[Columns] were made with sculptures after the Corinthian order….four rows of pillars included three intervals for walking in the middle of this cloister…the breadth of each of them was thirty feet, the length was a furlong, and the height fifty feet….The front was all of polished stone, insomuch that its fineness to such as had not seen it, was incredible, and to such as had seen it, was greatly amazing.  Thus was the first enclosure…the second to be on up to by a few steps.