Difference between revisions of "Wedding at Cana"

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#REDIRECT [[:Category:Wedding at Cana (subject)]]
* This page is edited by [[James E. West]], Quartz Hill School of Theology, United States of America.
*LIST OF SCHOLARLY AND FICTIONAL WORKS: see [[:Category:Wedding at Cana (subject)]]
 
 
The '''Wedding of Cana''' refers to an episode in the lives of [[Jesus of Nazareth]] and [[Mary of Nazareth]]. The episode is narrated only in the [[Gospel of John]] (2:1-11).
 
==Overview==
 
According to the Gospel of John, the [[Wedding at Cana]] was the 'first of Jesus' miracles.'  The only Gospel to record this miracle is John and it is never referenced elsewhere in the New Testament at all.  This suggests that the story had a particular significance to the author of [[The Gospel of John]].
 
The miracle itself consists of the filling of six large water jars with water and those jars then being delivered to the 'head-waiter' of the marriage celebration where he announces that he has never had such excellent wine.  There is no explicit mention of Jesus changing the water into wine.  There is only the suggestion that he had done so.
 
In terms of the meaning of the event, the jars used were large purification jars, made of stone, and each containing a fairly substantial sum of water.  If 6 large purification jars were at hand, and were filled with water, a huge crowd could have been rendered ritually pure since, according to Rabbinic tradition (admittedly later than the first century) the amount of water required for purification was, in volume, the amount that would fit in an egg (or about an ounce to an ounce and a half).  Six large jars each holding 20-30 gallons of water could thus provide purification for a countless multitude.
 
When the water for purification was changed to wine, John simply implies that Jesus will provide purification for all comers (by his blood, represented, naturally, by that wine).
 
==Wedding at Cana in ancient sources==
 
==Select Bibliography==
 
'''Shea, M.C.''': Cana : a scriptural basis for the immaculate conception? / M.C. Shea. - In: _The_ Downside review. - 95. 1977, 319. - S. 124-132
 
'''Wimmer, Gertrud''': Joh 2,1-11: der Anfang der Zeichen Jesu / Gertrud Wimmer. - In: Katechetische Blätter. - 103. 1978, 6. - S. 454-455
 
'''Cooper, Karl T'''.: The best wine : John 2:1-11 / Karl T. Cooper. - In: Westminster theological journal. - 41. 1979, 2. - S. 364-380
 
'''LaPotterie, Ignace de''': La Madre di Gesù e il mistero di Cana / Ignace de LaPotterie. - In: _La_ Civiltà cattolica. - 130. 1979, 3107. - S. 425-440
 
'''Fiederlein, Friedrich M'''.: Die Hochzeit zu Kana (Joh 2,1-11) : ein Unterrichtsentwurf zur gleichnamigen Dia-Serie, herausgegeben von der Württembergischen Bibelanstalt Stuttgart / Friedrich Fiederlein. - In: Katechetische Blätter. - 104. 1979, 10. - S. 812-820
 
'''Busse, Ulrich''': Das Weinwunder von Kana (Joh 2,1-11) : erneute Analyse eines "erratischen Blocks" / Ulrich Busse ; Anton May. - In: Biblische Notizen. - 1980, 12. - S. 35-61
 
'''Collins, Raymond F'''.: Cana (Jn. 2:1-12) - the first of his signs or the key to his signs? / Raymond F. Collins. - In: _The_ Irish theological quarterly. - 47. 1980, 2. - S. 79-95
 
'''Giblin, Charles H'''.: Suggestion, negative response, and positive action in St John's portrayal of Jesus : John 2.1-11; 4.46-54; 7.2-14; 11.1-44 / Charles H. Giblin. - In: New Testament studies. - 26. 1980, 2. - S. 197-211
 
==External links==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_at_Cana Wikipedia]
 
 
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Events]]

Revision as of 08:13, 24 October 2011


The Wedding of Cana refers to an episode in the lives of Jesus of Nazareth and Mary of Nazareth. The episode is narrated only in the Gospel of John (2:1-11).

Overview

According to the Gospel of John, the Wedding at Cana was the 'first of Jesus' miracles.' The only Gospel to record this miracle is John and it is never referenced elsewhere in the New Testament at all. This suggests that the story had a particular significance to the author of The Gospel of John.

The miracle itself consists of the filling of six large water jars with water and those jars then being delivered to the 'head-waiter' of the marriage celebration where he announces that he has never had such excellent wine. There is no explicit mention of Jesus changing the water into wine. There is only the suggestion that he had done so.

In terms of the meaning of the event, the jars used were large purification jars, made of stone, and each containing a fairly substantial sum of water. If 6 large purification jars were at hand, and were filled with water, a huge crowd could have been rendered ritually pure since, according to Rabbinic tradition (admittedly later than the first century) the amount of water required for purification was, in volume, the amount that would fit in an egg (or about an ounce to an ounce and a half). Six large jars each holding 20-30 gallons of water could thus provide purification for a countless multitude.

When the water for purification was changed to wine, John simply implies that Jesus will provide purification for all comers (by his blood, represented, naturally, by that wine).

Wedding at Cana in ancient sources

Select Bibliography

Shea, M.C.: Cana : a scriptural basis for the immaculate conception? / M.C. Shea. - In: _The_ Downside review. - 95. 1977, 319. - S. 124-132

Wimmer, Gertrud: Joh 2,1-11: der Anfang der Zeichen Jesu / Gertrud Wimmer. - In: Katechetische Blätter. - 103. 1978, 6. - S. 454-455

Cooper, Karl T.: The best wine : John 2:1-11 / Karl T. Cooper. - In: Westminster theological journal. - 41. 1979, 2. - S. 364-380

LaPotterie, Ignace de: La Madre di Gesù e il mistero di Cana / Ignace de LaPotterie. - In: _La_ Civiltà cattolica. - 130. 1979, 3107. - S. 425-440

Fiederlein, Friedrich M.: Die Hochzeit zu Kana (Joh 2,1-11) : ein Unterrichtsentwurf zur gleichnamigen Dia-Serie, herausgegeben von der Württembergischen Bibelanstalt Stuttgart / Friedrich Fiederlein. - In: Katechetische Blätter. - 104. 1979, 10. - S. 812-820

Busse, Ulrich: Das Weinwunder von Kana (Joh 2,1-11) : erneute Analyse eines "erratischen Blocks" / Ulrich Busse ; Anton May. - In: Biblische Notizen. - 1980, 12. - S. 35-61

Collins, Raymond F.: Cana (Jn. 2:1-12) - the first of his signs or the key to his signs? / Raymond F. Collins. - In: _The_ Irish theological quarterly. - 47. 1980, 2. - S. 79-95

Giblin, Charles H.: Suggestion, negative response, and positive action in St John's portrayal of Jesus : John 2.1-11; 4.46-54; 7.2-14; 11.1-44 / Charles H. Giblin. - In: New Testament studies. - 26. 1980, 2. - S. 197-211

External links