Category:Adulteress (subject)
According to Christian tradition, an unnamed Adulteress was brought before Jesus of Nazareth, who saved her from stoning.
The Adulteress in ancient sources
The episode of Jesus of Nazareth and the Adulteress is recorded solely in the Gospel of John.
Gospel of John
John 7:53-8:11 -- [7:53] Then each of them went home, [8:1] while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. [2] Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. [3] The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, [4] they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. [5] Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" [6] They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. [7] When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." [8] And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. [9] When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. [10] Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" [11] She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."
Cf. Gospel of Barnabas
[201a] Jesus having entered into the temple, the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. They said among themselves: 'If he saves her, it is contrary to the law of Moses, and so we have him as guilty, and if he condemn her it is contrary to his own doctrine, for he preacheth mercy.' Wherefore they came to Jesus and said: 'Master, we have found this woman in adultery. Moses commanded that [such] should be stoned: what then sayest thou?' Thereupon Jesus stooped down and with his finger made a mirror on the ground wherein every one saw his own iniquities. As they still pressed for the answer, Jesus lifted up himself and, pointing to the mirror with his finger, said: 'He that is without sin among you, let him be first to stone her.' And again he stooped down, shaping the mirror. The men, seeing this, went out one by one, beginning from the eldest, for they were ashamed to see their abominations. Jesus having lifted up himself, and seeing no one but the woman, said: 'Woman, where are they that condemned thee?' The woman answered, weeping: 'Lord, they are departed; and if thou wilt pardon me, as God liveth, I will sin no more.' Then said Jesus: 'Blessed be God! Go thy way in peace and sin no more, for God hath not sent me to condemn thee.'
<The parables of the Lost Sheep follows>
The Adulteress in Scholarship
The lack of evidence and the literary nature of the pericope make it impossible to evaluate the historicity of the episode. Scholarly research has concentrated on the philological aspects of the passage and on its theological meaning within the Early Christian tradition.
It is generally recognized that the passage, although in line with many stories in the Gospels and probably primitive, was not part of the original text of the Gospel of John. Its origin and authorship are disputed.
The identification of the Adulteress with Mary Magdalene belongs to later Christian tradition and is not supported by textual evidence.
See Chris Keith, "Recent and Previous Research on the Pericope Adulterae (John 7.53—8.11)," Currents in Biblical Research 6.3 (2008) 377–404; "Pericope adulterae", in F.L. Cross (ed.), The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005).
The Adulteress in Fiction
The episode of Jesus and the Adulteress is a popular one both in traditional Christian iconography and in modern fictional works. Sometimes the Adulteress is identified with Mary Magdalene, sometimes she is not. Very often in movies the part is the opportunity for a cameo for popular actresses. More than a woman "caught in adultery," the protagonist is generally portrayed as a beautiful courtesan.
Related categories
External links
This category currently contains no pages or media.