The Widow’s Offering

21 yJesus1 looked up and saw the rich zputting their gifts into athe offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two bsmall copper coins.2 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, cthis poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her dpoverty put in all eshe had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

5 fAnd while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, gthe days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, hwhen will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, i“See that you are not led astray. For jmany will come in my name, saying, k‘I am he!’ and, l‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be mterrified, for these things nmust first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10 Then he said to them, o“Nation will rise against nation, and pkingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great qearthquakes, and in various places rfamines and pestilences. And there will be sterrors and great tsigns from heaven. 12 But before all this uthey will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to vthe synagogues and wprisons, and you xwill be brought before ykings and zgovernors for my name’s sake. 13 aThis will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds bnot to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for cI will give you a mouth and dwisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or econtradict. 16 You will be delivered up feven by parents and brothers3 and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 gYou will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But hnot a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your iendurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

20 “But jwhen you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that kits desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are ldays of mvengeance, to fulfill nall that is written. 23 oAlas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and pwrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and qbe led captive among all nations, and rJerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, suntil the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “And tthere will be signs in sun and moon uand stars, and on the earth vdistress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For wthe powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see xthe Son of Man coming in a cloud ywith power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and zraise your heads, because ayour redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see bfor yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 cTruly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 dHeaven and earth will pass away, but emy words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34 “But watch yourselves flest gyour hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and hcares of this life, and ithat day come upon you suddenly jlike a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But kstay awake at all times, lpraying that you may mhave strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and nto stand before the Son of Man.”

37 And oevery day he was teaching in the temple, but pat night he went out and lodged on qthe mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning oall the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22 rNow the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called sthe Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes twere seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

3 uThen vSatan entered into wJudas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and xofficers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to ybetray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

7 zThen came athe day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus1 sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, b‘The Teacher says to you, Where is cthe guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you da large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it ejust as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 fAnd when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it2 guntil it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and hwhen he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 iFor I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine guntil the kingdom of God comes.” 19 jAnd he took bread, and hwhen he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, k“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, k“This cup that is poured out for you is lthe new mcovenant in my blood.3 21 nBut behold, the hand of him who betrays me is owith me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes pas it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

24 qA dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 rAnd he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles sexercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 tBut not so with you. Rather, let sthe greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, uone who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But vI am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stayed with me win my trials, 29 and xI assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 ythat you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and zsit on thrones judging athe twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, bSatan demanded to have you,4 cthat he might sift you like wheat, 32 but dI have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, estrengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter5 said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both fto prison and gto death.” 34 hJesus6 said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

35 And he said to them, i“When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that jthis Scripture must be fulfilled in me: k‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For lwhat is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two mswords.” And he said to them, n“It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 oAnd he came out and went, pas was his custom, to qthe Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 rAnd when he came to sthe place, he said to them, t“Pray that you may not uenter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and vknelt down and prayed, 42 saying, w“Father, if you are willing, remove xthis cup from me. yNevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him zan angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And wbeing in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.7 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and apray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 bWhile he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called cJudas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike dwith the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant8 of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and eofficers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When fI was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is gyour hour, and hthe power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

54 iThen they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, jand Peter was following at a distance. 55 kAnd when they had kindled a fire in the middle of lthe courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another minsisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and nlooked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, o“Before the rooster crows today, you will pdeny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

63 qNow the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 qThey also blindfolded him and kept asking him, r“Prophesy! rWho is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, sblaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council

66 tWhen day came, uthe assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their vcouncil, and they wsaid, 67 x“If you are ythe Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated zat the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you athe Son of God, then?” And he said to them, b“You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

Jesus Before Pilate

23 cThen the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man dmisleading our nation and eforbidding us to give tribute to fCaesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, ga king.” 3 hAnd Pilate asked him, i“Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, j“You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, k“I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, lfrom Galilee even to this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to mHerod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, nfor he had long desired to see him, obecause he had heard about him, and he was hoping pto see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers qtreated him with contempt and rmocked him. Then, sarraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And tHerod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and uthe rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man vas one who was misleading the people. And wafter examining him before you, behold, I xdid not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for yhe sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 zI will therefore punish and release him.”1

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

18 aBut they all cried out together, b“Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and cfor murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why? dWhat evil has he done? eI have found in him no guilt deserving death. fI will therefore punish and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison gfor insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, hbut he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

26 iAnd as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were jmourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, kthe days are coming when they will say, l‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 mThen they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For nif they do these things when othe wood is green, what will happen owhen it is dry?”

32 pTwo others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 qAnd when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, pone on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, rforgive them, sfor they know not what they do.”2 And they cast lots tto divide his garments. 35 And uthe people stood by, watching, vbut wthe rulers xscoffed at him, saying, y“He saved others; zlet him save himself, aif he is bthe Christ of God, chis Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and doffering him sour wine 37 and saying, e“If you are fthe King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 gThere was also an inscription over him,3 “This is fthe King of the Jews.”

39 hOne of the criminals who were hanged irailed at him,4 saying, “Are you not jthe Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me kwhen you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in lparadise.”

The Death of Jesus

44 mIt was now about the sixth hour,5 and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,6 45 while the sun’s light failed. And nthe curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, ocalling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, pinto your hands I qcommit my spirit!” And having said this rhe breathed his last. 47 Now swhen the centurion saw what had taken place, the praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home ubeating their breasts. 49 And all vhis acquaintances and wthe women who had followed him from Galilee xstood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

50 yNow there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he zwas looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and alaid him in a tomb cut in stone, bwhere no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of cPreparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.7 55 dThe women ewho had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and fprepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested gaccording to the commandment.

The Resurrection

24 hBut on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, itaking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found jthe stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, ktwo lmen stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were mfrightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, nwhile he was still in Galilee, 7 nthat the Son of Man omust be delivered into the hands of sinful men and pbe crucified and on qthe third day rise.” 8 And rthey remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they stold all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was tMary Magdalene and uJoanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and vthey did not believe them. 12 But wPeter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw xthe linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

13 That very day ytwo of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles1 from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 zBut their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was aa prophet bmighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and chow our chief priests and drulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was ethe one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now fthe third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. gThey were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and hwhen they did not find his body, they came back saying that ithey had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 jSome of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 kWas it not necessary that lthe Christ should suffer these things and enter into mhis glory?” 27 And nbeginning with oMoses and pall the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. qHe acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and rthe day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and sblessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 tAnd their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And uhe vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, v“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he wopened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they xfound the eleven and ythose who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and zhas appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and ahow he was known to them in bthe breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

36 As they were talking about these things, cJesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were dstartled and efrightened and fthought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. gTouch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, hhe showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved ifor joy and were marveling, jhe said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,2 43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, k“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, lthat everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then mhe opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus nit is written, othat the Christ should suffer and on the third day prise from the dead, 47 and that qrepentance for3 the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed rin his name sto all nations, tbeginning from Jerusalem. 48 uYou are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending vthe promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you ware clothed with xpower yfrom on high.”

The Ascension

50 And zhe led them out as far as aBethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, bhe parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they cworshiped him and zreturned to Jerusalem dwith great joy, 53 and ewere continually in the temple fblessing God.

John

Introduction

The Gospel of John was written to persuade people to believe in Jesus (20:30–31). The opening verses declare that Jesus is God, stressing his unique relationship with God the Father. The book focuses on seven of Jesus’ signs (miracles), to show his divinity. Jesus called people to believe in him, promising eternal life. He proved he could give life by raising Lazarus (ch. 11) and by his own death and resurrection. John features Christ’s seven “I am” statements, his encounters with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, his Upper Room teachings and washing of the disciples’ feet (chs. 13–16), and his high priestly prayer (ch. 17). It includes the most well-known summary of the gospel (3:16). The author was probably the apostle John, writing about a.d. 85.

The Word Became Flesh

1 aIn the beginning was bthe Word, and cthe Word was with God, and dthe Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 eAll things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 fIn him was life,1 and gthe life was the light of men. 5 hThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man isent from God, whose name was jJohn. 7He came as a kwitness, to bear witness about the light, lthat all might believe through him. 8 mHe was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 nThe true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet othe world did not know him. 11 He came to phis own,2 and qhis own people3 rdid not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, swho believed in his name, the gave the right uto become vchildren of God, 13 who wwere born, xnot of blood ynor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And zthe Word abecame flesh and bdwelt among us, cand we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son4 from the Father, full of dgrace and etruth. 15 (fJohn bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, g‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from hhis fullness we have all received, igrace upon grace.5 17 For jthe law was given through Moses; kgrace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 lNo one has ever seen God; mthe only God,6 who is at the Father’s side,7 nhe has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19 And this is the otestimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, p“Who are you?” 20 qHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? rAre you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you sthe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am tthe voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight8 the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, u“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, v“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even whe who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, xthe Lamb of God, who ytakes away the sin zof the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, a‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but bfor this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John cbore witness: d“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and eit remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but fhe who sent me to baptize gwith water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, hthis is he who baptizes gwith the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son9 of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, ithe Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, j“What are you seeking?” And they said to him, k“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.10 40 lOne of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus11 was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found mthe Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of nJohn. You shall be called oCephas” (which means pPeter12).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 qThe next day Jesus decided rto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now sPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found tNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom uMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus vof Nazareth, wthe son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, x“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, yan Israelite indeed, zin whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How ado you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, b“Rabbi, cyou are the Son of God! You are the dKing of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,13 you will see eheaven opened, and fthe angels of God ascending and descending on gthe Son of Man.”

The Wedding at Cana

2 On hthe third day there was a wedding at iCana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with jhis disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, k“Woman, lwhat does this have to do with me? mMy hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there nfor the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty ogallons.1 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted pthe water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested qhis glory. And rhis disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and shis brothers2 and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 tThe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus uwent up to Jerusalem. 14 vIn the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make wmy Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, x“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 So the Jews said to him, y“What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, z“Destroy this temple, and in three days aI will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,3 and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about bthe temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, chis disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed dthe Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name ewhen they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus fon his part did not entrust himself to them, because ghe knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for ghe himself knew what was in man.

You Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named hNicodemus, ia ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus1 jby night and said to him, k“Rabbi, lwe know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do munless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is nborn oagain2 he cannot psee the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born qof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 rThat which is born of the flesh is sflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.3 7 tDo not marvel that I said to you, ‘You4 must be born uagain.’ 8 vThe wind5 blows wwhere it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, x“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel yand yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, zwe speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but zyou6 do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 aNo one has bascended into heaven except che who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.7 14 And das Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man ebe lifted up, 15 that whoever believes fin him gmay have eternal life.8

For God So Loved the World

16 “For hGod so loved ithe world,9 jthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not kperish but have eternal life. 17 For lGod did not send his Son into the world mto condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 nWhoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not obelieved in the name of the only Son of God. 19 pAnd this is the judgment: qthe light has come into the world, and rpeople loved the darkness rather than the light because stheir works were evil. 20 tFor everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, ulest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever vdoes what is true wcomes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and xwas baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for yJohn had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over zpurification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, a“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, bto whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and call are going to him.” 27 John answered, d“A person cannot receive even one thing eunless it is given him ffrom heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, g‘I am not the Christ, but hI have been sent before him.’ 29 iThe one who has the bride is the bridegroom. jThe friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, krejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 lHe must increase, but I must decrease.”10

31 mHe who comes from above nis above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and ospeaks in an earthly way. pHe who comes from heaven nis above all. 32 qHe bears witness to what he has seen and heard, ryet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony ssets his seal to this, tthat God is true. 34 For he whom uGod has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit vwithout measure. 35 wThe Father loves the Son and xhas given all things into his hand. 36 yWhoever believes in the Son has eternal life; zwhoever does not obey the Son shall not asee life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

4 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and bbaptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed cagain for Galilee. 4 dAnd he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field ethat Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, fwearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.1

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, f“Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (gFor Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you hliving water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 iAre you greater than our father Jacob? jHe gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but kwhoever drinks of the water that I will give him lwill never be thirsty again.2 The water that I will give him will become min him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, ngive me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, ocall your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that pyou are qa prophet. 20 rOur fathers worshiped on sthis mountain, but you say that tin Jerusalem is uthe place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, v“Woman, believe me, wthe hour is coming when xneither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 yYou worship what you do not know; zwe worship what we know, for zsalvation is afrom the Jews. 23 But bthe hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father cin spirit and dtruth, for the Father eis seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that fMessiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, ghe will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, h“I who speak to you am he.”

27 Just then ihis disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man jwho told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, k“Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, l“Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, m“My food is nto do the will of him who sent me and oto accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that pthe fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that qsower and rreaper smay rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, t‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap uthat for which you did not labor. Others have labored, vand you have entered into their labor.”

39 Many Samaritans wfrom that town believed in him xbecause of ythe woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed zbecause of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, aand we know that this is indeed bthe Savior cof the world.”

43 After dthe two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified ethat a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, fhaving seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For gthey too had gone to the feast.

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

46 So he came again to hCana in Galilee, iwhere he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus jhad come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, k“Unless you3 see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down lbefore my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants4 met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour5 the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, mand all his household. 54 nThis was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath

5 After this there was a ofeast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by pthe Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic1 called Bethesda,2 which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and qparalyzed.3 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, r“Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 rAnd at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

sNow that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews4 said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and tit is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for uJesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! vSin no more, wthat nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews xwere persecuting Jesus, ybecause he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Jesus Is Equal with God

18 This was why the Jews zwere seeking all the more to kill him, abecause not only was he bbreaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God chis own Father, dmaking himself equal with God.

The Authority of the Son

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ethe Son fcan do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father5 does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For gthe Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And hgreater works than these will he show him, so that iyou may marvel. 21 For as the Father jraises the dead and kgives them life, so lalso the Son gives life mto whom he will. 22 nFor the Father judges no one, but ohas given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they phonor the Father. qWhoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, rwhoever hears my word and sbelieves him who sent me has eternal life. He tdoes not come into judgment, but uhas passed from death to life.

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, van hour is coming, and is now here, when wthe dead will hear xthe voice of the Son of God, and those who hear wwill live. 26 yFor as the Father has life in himself, zso he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he ahas given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for van hour is coming when ball who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, cthose who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Witnesses to Jesus

30 d“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and emy judgment is just, because fI seek not my own will gbut the will of him who sent me. 31 hIf I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is ianother who bears witness about me, and jI know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 kYou sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that lthe testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and mshining lamp, and nyou were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But lthe testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For othe works that the Father has given me pto accomplish, the very works that I am doing, qbear witness about me that rthe Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me shas himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, this form you have never seen, 38 and uyou do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 vYou search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and wit is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet xyou refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 yI do not receive glory from people. 42 But zI know that you do not have athe love of God within you. 43 I have come bin my Father’s name, and cyou do not receive me. dIf another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and edo not seek the glory that comes from fthe only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, gon whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for hhe wrote of me. 47 But iif you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Bronze Age

Tel Dan (called Laish at this time) was reoccupied during the Early Bronze Age II (ca. 3000–2700 bc) and for the first time a rampart was built up around the mound of Laish. In the Middle Bronze II A (2000–1750), a much larger fortification was built at Laish. The rampart was increased to about 30 feet high and 40 feet wide. The wall was created from mudbrick and laid on top of a stone foundation. A gate from this defensive complex was discovered on the eastern side of the mound; it is the best preserved example of mudbrick construction in Israel, mostly because the gate was filled in around 50 years after it was first built. Mudbricks usually do not last long in a climate as wet as northern Galilee, so the gate may have started to deteriorate rapidly. David Ilan “speculates that this oversight [of design] may suggest that the builders were foreigners who came to Dan from the upper Levant, where the climate was more conducive to Syro-Mesopotamian mudbrick edifices” (“Mudbrick Gate”). The gate featured three arched doorways, pushing the date for the use of arches in architecture to much earlier than previously thought.

Laish prospered during the Late Bronze Age, becoming “one of the main important cities in the Upper Galilee” (Arav, Cities, 75). A tomb from around 1400 bc was also uncovered, featuring Mycenaean (Greek) pottery and artifacts, showing that Dan had extensive contact and trade with such faraway places as Greece, and that Mycenaean culture even influenced the residents of Dan. The tomb was used for about 50 years and contained dozens of bodies.

In agreement with the biblical narrative, archaeologists found evidence suggestive of Israelite presence at Dan from this period. There is a distinct difference between two layers of remains at Dan from about the right time. The “material culture” discovered from this period is “so radically different from the strata preceding it that it represents in our view the first stage of the occupation of the site by the tribe of Dan” (Biran, “Collared-Rim Jars,” 82). One of the differences is the presence of distinctive Israelite “collared-rim jars” in numerous settlement pits all over the site.

Toward the end of the Late Bronze Age, Tel Dan fell into decline—following the pattern of the entire region. Dan may have even become uninhabited for a time, and it is possible it was even taken over as an Egyptian border fort for a short period. Dan’s decline was sealed with a massive destruction at the end of the 11th century which left a layer of ash two to three feet thick.

Iron Age

By the early Iron Age, Tel Dan prospered again. Excavators have uncovered both Israelite and Philistine pottery from this period, as well as numerous storage pits, including two large grain silos near the city gate.

The Gate Complex. Excavations have also revealed a huge stone gate complex at Dan, featuring four chambers and a raised platform for a judge or another leading government official of the city. Lawsuits were often adjudicated in the city gate (compare Deut 16:18; 17:8). This gate may have been built during the United Monarchy period (ca. 1000–922 bc).

The Religious Complex. A religious complex and the foundations of its altar dating to the Iron Age were uncovered during archaeological excavations, providing confirmation of the biblical account that a major Israelite shrine was built there. Archaeologists found a number of worship objects including: oil lamps, an incense stand, a bowl that was full of animal bones, clay figurines, and pottery decorated with snakes (Biran, “Sacred Spaces”). The complex was located on the northern edge of the tel, probably because it was a traditional religious site. Excavators found Egyptian cult objects under the later Israelite shrine, giving evidence that the area had been used as a shrine previously. In the centuries following its construction, the cultic complex was enlarged. Inside one of the rooms of the temple, excavators found two long-handled coal shovels (compare Lev 10:1), a jar of ashes, two incense altars, and the bronze head of a scepter. These objects date from the eighth century bc, around the time of the prophet Amos’ condemnation of idol worship at Dan (Amos 8:14).

Another interesting find from the cult complex is an inscription dating to the Hellenistic period, written in Aramaic and Greek, which says “To the god who is in Dan, Zoilos made a vow” (“Discoveries”). Even 800 years after it was built and the Northern Kingdom was annihilated by Assyria, the cultic complex was remembered. In addition to this, many other cultic objects have been found at Dan, including standing stones in the gate area of the city (Biran, “Sacred Spaces”).

The Tel Dan Inscription. In 1993, a basalt stele containing an Aramaic inscription was discovered at Tel Dan. The stele is an account of a king’s victory over the local populace. The stele mentions “Hadad” and says the unnamed person “[killed Jeho]ram son of [Ahab]” (Schniedewind, “Tel Dan Stele,” 77). Epigraphic and stratigraphic evidence has suggested the inscription originated in the mid-ninth century bc. Many have suggested it was written by Hazael or his son Ben-Hadad III, celebrating Syrian victories over Israel (2 Kgs 10:32; 13:3, 22; 2 Chr 22:5). The stele is thought to have been erected after the Aramean capture of the city, and was smashed when the Israelites reconquered the city. The stele was used in the construction of the city wall, remaining there until it was discovered over 2,700 years later.

Line 9 of the inscription contains the phrase “ביתדוד (bytdwd)” (“House of David”; compare Isa 7:2, mentioning Syria and “House of David”). While some have questioned reading this phrase as “house of David,” it is the most plausible reading, making this inscription the only archaeological evidence of David ever found. Prior to the “Tel Dan Inscription,” the most powerful argument of historical minimalists against the existence of David was the lack of any mention of him in archaeology. Shanks says, “Based on the fact that no one named David had ever been discovered from anywhere within centuries of David’s time, some Biblical minimalists argued that the biblical David was a fictional character with about the same claim to being historical as King Arthur” (Shanks, “Happy Accident,” 46). However, this argument is no longer valid. Unsurprisingly, minimalists have argued the most vigorously against reading byt dwd as “house of David,” but their alternative explanations are overly imaginative and speculative.

Destruction. Tel Dan’s defenses were destroyed, probably in 732 bc by Tiglath-Pileser III during his invasion of Galilee. Apparently the Assyrians did not consider Dan a threat, as they seem to have “stopped by long enough to destroy the city’s defenses” and moved southward (Biran, “Sacred Spaces”). The city remained intact until the Babylonian invasion of Israel in the fifth century, when it was destroyed. The Babylonians probably exiled the residents of Dan, as the site remained uninhabited until the late Persian period.

Hellenistic through Modern Periods

Dan was rebuilt during the Hellenistic period. Tel Dan continued to be occupied during the Roman period. Josephus says that the “delicious place” at the headwaters of the Jordan is in his time called Daphne, but that it is where the “temple of the golden calf” is still located (Jewish War 4.3). He mentions several other events that take place at Dan, including Mark Antony hearing accusations against Herod the Great (Antiquities 14.325), Herod himself staying there (Jewish War 1.328), and Titus putting down a revolt at Dan (Jewish War 4.1).

Dan continued to be inhabited through the Byzantine period as well. A bathhouse, water pools, coins, and other objects have been recovered by archaeologists from this time. By the fourth century ad, Dan was abandoned. The only other evidence of occupation at the site from then until the present is a small farmstead from the 15th or 16th centuries, and a Muslim cemetery located on the south edge of the tel (Glueck School, “Tel Dan”). In the mid 1800s, the Palestine Exploration Fund’s survey of Israel identified the site called Tell el-Qadi (“Mound of the Judge”) as Dan (“Dan” means judge in Hebrew). In 1968 that the site was excavated by Avraham Biran. The excavations have continued almost continuously since then. Today, the site of Dan lies in one of Israel’s most popular nature reserves.

Bibliography

Athas, George. The Tel Dan Inscription: A Reappraisal and a New Interpretation. New York: T&T Clark, 2003.

Biram, Avraham. Biblical Dan. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1994.

———. “The Collared-rim Jars and the Settlement of the Tribe of Dan.” In Recent Excavations in Israel: Studies in Iron Age Archaeology. Edited by Seymor Gitin and William G. Dever. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1989.

———. “Sacred Spaces of Standing Stones, High Places, and Cult Objects at Tel Dan.” Biblical Archaeology Review 24, no 5 (1998).

Biran, Avraham and Rachel Ben-Dov, eds. Dan 2: A Chronicle of the Excavations and the Late Bronze Age “Mycenaean” Tomb. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2002.

Biran, Avraham, David Ilan, and Raphael Greenburg. Dan I: A Chronicle of the Excavations, the Pottery Neolithic, the Early Bronze Age and the Middle Bronze Age Tombs. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1996.

Greenberg, Raphael. Early Urbanizations in the Levant: A Regional Narrative. New York: Continuum, 2002.

Greene, John T. “Urbanism in Galilee: A Study of Kinneret, Hazor, Dan and Tzer in the Iron Age.” Pages 65–81 in Cities Through the Looking Glass: Essays on the Historical and Archaeological. Edited by Rami Arav. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2008.

Schniedewind, William M. “Tel Dan Stela: New Light on Aramaic and Jehu’s Revolt.” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 302 (1996): 75–90.

Shanks, Hershel, “Happy Accident: David Inscription.” Biblical Archaeology Review 31, no. 5 (Sept—Oct 2005): 46.

R. L. Drouhard

Dan, Tribe Of (דָּן, dan; Δάν, Dan). One of the twelve tribes of Israel. Takes its name from the fifth son of Jacob by Rachel’s maidservant, Bilhah (Gen 30:1–6).

Origins

The name Dan, which means “judge,” (דָּ֖ן יָדִ֣ין, dan yadin), reflects Rachel’s vindication after her rival, Leah, taunted her for her barrenness (Gen 30:1–6). Wenham suggests the name is an abbreviation of “Daniel,” which means “the god El has judged/is my judge” (Wenham, Genesis, 245).

Jacob’s blessing of his sons in Gen 49:16–18 plays on the meaning of the name Dan. Jacob says, “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel,” perhaps hinting that Dan is a weaker tribe (Gen 49:16 ESV; Wenham, Genesis, 481) or that the tribe was not originally Israelite. These verses also describe Dan as “a serpent in the way” and “a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels” (Gen 49:17 ESV), causing the riders to fall. Mathews suggests this is an allusion to the surprise attack the tribe of Dan later makes on Laish in Judg 18:7–27 (Mathews, Genesis, 900). The Targum Neofiti understands the “venomous serpent” as the judge Samson. Sarna suggests the image of a viper alludes to the “guerrilla warfare to which the tribe of Dan was forced to resort” during the settlement period (Sarna, Genesis, 341).

The Tribe of Dan in the Old Testament

In Exodus, a Danite named Oholiab assists Bezalel in the construction of the tabernacle (Exod 31:6; 36:1). Another unnamed Danite profaned the name of the Lord (Lev 24:11). In Deuteronomy Dan is described as a “lion’s cub” (Deut 33:22 ESV). In Judges, Deborah describes Dan as “[abiding] by the ships” (Judg 5:17 NRSV). Yadin thinks this reference indicated the Danites were part of the Sea Peoples, the Danai (Yadin, “And Dan,” 22).

The tribe of Dan never controlled the territory originally assigned to them in Josh 19:40–48. No tribal boundaries are given in the passage, just a list of 18 cities along the Aijalon Valley between Manasseh and Ephraim, including Joppa on the Mediterranean coast. As early as Judg 1:34–35 the tribe of Dan struggled to secure its territory. They lost control of Aijalon (modern Yalo, 12.5 miles northwest of Jerusalem) when the Amorites forced the tribe of Dan into the hill country. Weakened by the Amorites, the “house of Joseph” or Ephraim oppressed the Danites, taking some of their territory and enslaving some of the population (Block, Judges, Ruth, 108). Eventually the tribe of Dan relocated itself by capturing the city of Leshem, renaming it Dan (Josh 19:47; Judg 18; Leshem is called Laish [לַיִשׁ, layish, λαΐς, lais] in Judg 18:29).

The judge Samson was from the tribe of Dan (Judg 13–16). In Judges 13:2 his father, Manoah, lives in Zorah, on the north side of the fertile Sorek Valley (Block, Judges, Ruth, 400). This identification anticipates Samson’s conflict with the Philistines. Manoah’s attempt to make a sacrifice to the Angel of the Lord (Judg 13:15–16) is perhaps an indication of the idolatry of the tribe.

After Dan migrated north to Laish, the tribe became associated with idolatry. In Judges 18:30–31 the Danites immediately installed carved images, including an idol taken from Micah, after the city was rebuilt. Block suggests this story has an “aetiological function of explaining the origins of the cult center at Dan” (Block, Judges, Ruth, 514). After Jeroboam split the kingdom, he established a cult center in Bethel and Dan by installing golden calves for the people of Israel to worship (1 Kgs 12:25).

The tribes of Dan and Zebulun are omitted from the genealogies in 1 Chr 2–8.

New Testament

The tribe of Dan is not included in the tribe list in Rev 7:4–8. This list has a unique order and does not correspond to any of the lists in the Old Testament. The tribes appear to be rearranged to place Judah at the top, likely because the Messiah was to come from the tribe of Judah (Smith, “Tribes,” 215). However, it is troubling that Joseph is included and Dan is omitted. The other northern tribes were also idolatrous, so it is unlikely the tribe of Dan was omitted because of their idolatry. Several theories have been proposed concerning the tribe’s omission:

• Bauckham suggests that the “list is an attempt to list the tribes in an intelligible order which failed owing to faulty memory” (Bauckham, “List,” 112).

• A Jewish tradition relates that Dan was the most apostate tribe (Aune, Revelation 6–16, 462).

• Some explain the omission of the tribe of Dan as a hint that the antichrist will come from the tribe. However, Bauckham suggests that the antichrist is imperial Rome and not a Jew from any particular tribe (Bauckham, “List,” 101).

• Since Dan is also missing from the genealogies in 1 Chronicles, the tribe of Dan may have failed to return from captivity and therefore lost its place among the tribes.

Bibliography

Amit, Yairah. “Hidden Polemic in the Conquest of Dan: Judges 17–18.” Vetus Testamentum 40 (1990): 4–20.

Bauckham, Richard. “The List of the Tribes in Revelation 7 Again.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 42 (1991): 99–115.

Block, Daniel. Judges, Ruth. New American Commentary 6. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999.

Demsky, Aaron. “The Boundary of the Tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:41–46).” Pages 261–84 in Sefer Moshe: The Moshe Weinfeld Jubilee Volume. Edited by Chaim Cohen, Avi Hurvitz, Shalom M. Paul Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2004.

Doak, Brian R. “ ‘Some Worthless and Reckless Fellows’: Landlessness and Parasocial Leadership in Judges.” Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 11 (2011): 1–29.

Globe, Alexander. “Muster of the tribes in Judges 5:11e–18.” Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 87 (1975): 169–84.

Hart, R. van der. “Camp of Dan and the Camp of Yahweh.” Vetus Testamentum 25 (1975): 720–28.

Hill, Charles E. “Antichrist from the Tribe of Dan.” Journal of Theological Studies 46 (1995): 99–117.

Ḳallai, Zekharyah. “ ‘Dan Why Abides He by Ships’—and the Rules of Historiographical Writing.” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 23 (1997): 35–45.

Malamat, Abraham. “The Danite Migration and the Pan-Israelite Exodus-Conquest: A Biblical Narrative Pattern.” Biblica 51 (1970): 1–16.

———. History of Biblical Israel: Major Problems and Minor Issues. Leiden: Brill, 2001.

Mathews, Kenneth A. Genesis 11:27–50:26. New American Commentary 1B. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2005.

Naʼaman, Nadav. “The Danite Campaign Northward (Judges XVII-XVIII) and the Migration of the Phocaeans to Massalia (Strabo IV 1,4).” Vetus Testamentum 55 (2005): 47–60.

Noll, Kurt L. “The God Who Is among the Danites.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 80 (1998): 3–23.

Rowley, H. H. “The Danite Migration to Laish.” Expository Times 51, no. 10 (July 1940): 466–71.

Nahum M. Sarna. Genesis. JPS Torah Commentary. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1989.

Smith, Christopher R. “The Tribes of Revelation 7 and the Literary Competence of John the Seer.” JETS 38 (1995): 213–18; 215.

Spina, F. “The Dan Story Historically Reconsidered.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 4 (1977): 60–71.

Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis 16–50. Word Biblical Commentary 2. Dallas: Word, 1998.

Yadin, Yigael. “And Dan, Why Did he Remain with the Ships?” Australian Journal of Biblical Archaeology 1 (1969): 9–23.

Phillip J. Long

Daniel, Additions To Daniel, Additions To. Two hymn-like prayers and two additional stories that the Greek versions of the book of Daniel add to the Hebrew/Aramaic version. These include: the Prayer of Azariah, the Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon. The Additions to Daniel supplement the existing narrative.

Reception

It is not just the Greek version of Daniel that includes the Additions; they are also included in the Syriac Peshitta and the Latin Vulgate. However, the Additions do not appear in the Masoretic Text (Hebrew Bible).

The Additions are canonical in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syriac church traditions. Since the Additions to Daniel are in ancient Greek Bibles (that would have been used by early Christians) but are not part of the Hebrew Bible (and as such are noncanonical for the Jewish tradition), they are categorized as apocryphal in the Protestant tradition and, as such, are often printed in a separate Apocrypha section when they do appear in Protestant Bibles. Each of the four Additions is often labeled according to its individual name, though the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men usually jointly occur under the singular heading of the latter. Additionally, notes are often included regarding the placement of the Additions in the text of Daniel, or at least regarding the placement of Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men.

Early on, by creating his work of textual criticism, the Hexapla, church father Origen (ca. ad 185–254) made obvious the differences in versions of Daniel. (The Syro-Hexapla, which contains the Additions to Daniel, is a surviving witness to one of the columns of Origen’s Hexapla, albeit as a manuscript translated from Syriac to Greek.) Origen then went on to defend the text of Susanna as an authentic work in a series of letters addressed to Julius Africanus. Church father Hippolytus also commented on the work of Susanna in his Commentary on Daniel, implying that he too viewed it as authentic. As these examples and others show, the early church fathers seem to have embraced the Additions to Daniel (e.g., Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, 4.5.2; Cyril, Hier., Cat. Lect. 14.25; compare Tertullian, De idol., 18; John Chrysostom, Hom. Heb., 26.8). This is likely because the Bibles the early church fathers read, in Greek and later in Latin, included the Additions. Regarding the Additions existence in Hebrew/Aramaic manuscripts, Jerome (translator of the Latin Vulgate) notes that he merely “repeat[s] what the Jews say against the Story of Susanna and the Hymn of the Three Children, and the fables of Bel and the Dragon, which are not contained in the Hebrew Bible,” thus acknowledging they were not in the Hebrew even though he included them in the Vulgate (Jerome, Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 2.33; Preface to Daniel). Jerome does not seem to doubt the importance of the Additions, even though he calls the stories of Bel and the Dragon “fables” (compare Jerome, Letter 3.1). There is at least, then, an acknowledgement that the Additions to Daniel are in fact additions, although this viewpoint may have been disputed by some who embraced the Greek edition.

Manuscript Attestation and Relationship to Other Texts

All of the Additions to Daniel exist in every extant Greek manuscript available, with some textual variants between them. The Additions were likely originally written in either Hebrew or Aramaic (Moore, Daniel, Jeremiah, Esther, 25, 30–33). There are currently no textual remains of any of the Additions to Daniel in Hebrew or Aramaic, unless the very late Aramaic Chronicle of Jerahmeel (14th century ad) is accepted as an edition. It includes the Prayer of Azariah, the Song of the Three Young Men, and Bel and the Dragon (Koch, Daniel 1, 316–18) but does not include Susanna.

The Additions to Daniel are commonly grouped into two major categories of Greek manuscript witnesses, with each having some disagreements with the others. The “Old Greek” category is represented by Codex Chisianus (Manuscript 88), the Syro-Hexapla, and the Chester Beatty Papyrus 967 (third century ad). The second manuscript witness category is represented by what is commonly known as the Theodotion Greek version. In addition to some textual variants, the ordering of the Theodotion Greek version differs from the Old Greek. (In overall agreement with the Syro-Hexapla, the Syriac language copies of Daniel generally follow the Old Greek.)

In the Theodotion version and the Old Greek version, the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men is inserted between Dan 3:23 and 24. The Syriac Peshitta and the Latin Vulgate also include these additions, as does one other (though not independent) Greek witness from the fifth century ad: P. Gr. Vind.29255 from the Fayum collection. Importantly, the Aramaic text 1Q72 (1QDaniel ^b) from the Dead Sea Scrolls (ca. 250 bc–ad 50), which contains Daniel 3:22–28, does not contain the addition of Prayer of Azariah or the Song of the Three Young Men. In all early manuscripts of Daniel that contain the Additions, the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men always occur in the same place in Daniel and always together.

In Greek versions of Daniel, Bel and the Dragon and Susanna are inserted in various places depending on the manuscript. In the Theodotion Greek version, as well as in Codices Vaticanus and Alexandrinus, Susanna is placed before the book of Daniel and Bel and the Dragon is placed at the end (after Daniel 12). It is then Theodotion that the Latin Vulgate follows in terms of manuscript family, as Jerome indicates that this was standard for the church of his time in regards to Daniel; Jerome even goes so far as to say the Septuagint version differs widely from the original and is rightly rejected (Jerome, “Preface to Daniel”; Commentary on Daniel, 4:6; Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 2.33). The Ethiopic translations followed this same decision. Which Septuagint version Jerome has in mind is hard to say; it seems that it likely resembled what is now called the Old Greek version but it may also no longer exist. Thus, the version of Daniel referred today as the “Old Greek” may not be synonymous with the Septuagint of Jerome’s day.

Although Jerome follows Theodotion in terms of manuscript family, the Vulgate ultimately agrees with the Old Greek on the order of the Additions. The Old Greek version aligns with the Theodotion version in placing Bel and the Dragon at the end of Daniel, but rather than place it immediately after Daniel 12 as the last part of the book, the Old Greek places Susanna just before it. Thus, the Old Greek order is: the book of Daniel in its entirety, Susanna, and then Bel and the Dragon.

Papyrus 967 disagrees slightly with the Old Greek order; it reverses the order of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon. Thus, in Papyrus 967, the order is Daniel 12, Bel and the Dragon, and then Susanna. (The Dead Sea Scrolls texts of Daniel do not contain the first or last chapter, leaving it a mystery whether or not they originally contained Susanna and/or Bel and the Dragon.)

The relevancy of the medieval Aramaic Chronicle of Jerahmeel to discussions regarding the Additions to Daniel is highly debated. Van der Horst and Newman summarize the debate well: Gaster has argued that the Chronicle of Jerahmeel represents the Vorlage (source version of the text) to Theodotion, but this assertion was reversed by other scholars who claim that the Chronicle of Jerahmeel is actually dependent on Theodotion. In addition, there may be points where the Chronicle of Jerahmeel is actually closer to the Old Greek than Theodotion, which could make the Chronicle of Jerahmeel a representation of a Vorlage to both Greek and Syriac translations (van der Horst and Newman, Early Jewish Prayers, 183–84).

Several texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls (ca. 250 bc–ad 50) may relate to the Daniel narrative (or cycle): the Aramaic texts Pseudo-Daniel (4Q243–245), Prayer of Nabonidus (4Q242), Four Kingdoms (4Q552–553), and Son of God (4Q246). This suggests the possibility that various stories related to the book of Daniel circulated in antiquity, with only a group of them being selected and edited into the Greek versions. However, only one of these Dead Sea Scrolls texts names Daniel (Pseudo-Daniel), casting some doubt on this hypothesis. Additionally, there are no fragments of the Additions to Daniel known from the Greek versions found among the Dead Sea Scrolls; this is especially odd if they were indeed Aramaic/Hebrew compositions. In addition to the Dead Sea Scrolls traditions, other attestation is found in the writings of Jewish historian Josephus, who records the tradition of Daniel building a tower in Ecbatana (Antiquities, 10.11.6). With such a wide array of traditions surrounding the figure of Daniel, it is possible that the additions were even part of the older circulating stories from which the Masoretic Text was selected. However, it should be noted that all 12 chapters of Daniel are attested among the Dead Sea Scrolls in some form and generally agree with the Masoretic Text version, placing the date for the proposed compiling of Daniel earlier than 250 bc (compare Newsom and Breed, Daniel, 3–4).

For further information on Dead Sea Scrolls texts that may be related to the book or character of Daniel, see these articles: Pseudo-Daniel, Dead Sea Scrolls Text; Nabonidus, Prayer of; Four Kingdoms, Dead Sea Scrolls Text; Son of God Text, Aramaic.

Dating

While the dates of each of the Additions to Daniel is debated, the general consensus is that the Additions were included in a version of Daniel early on—by the time of the Greek Septuagint transmission process, likely ca. second century bc (Montgomery, Daniel, 8–9; Collins, Daniel, 198, 412, 437; compare Di Lella, “Textual History”). Whatever date is proposed for the Additions, there were multiple versions of Daniel circulating in antiquity. 1Q72 from the Dead Sea Scrolls suggests three possibilities, at least for the Dead Sea Scrolls community, regarding the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men: either the texts were not considered part of Daniel, were unknown, or did not exist around the early or mid-first century bc (when 1Q72 is dated).

The Syro-Hexapla’s manuscript witness indicates that at least by the time of Origen, a version of Daniel existed with the Additions. This makes the mid-second century ad the latest date for a version of Daniel that included the Additions.