Difference between revisions of "Category:Lazarus (subject)"

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Lazarus was, according to Christian tradition, a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, the brother of Martha and Mary.

Overview

Lazarus is mentioned in the Gospel of John as a friend of Jesus who was miraculously resurrected by him (see the Raising of Lazarus). Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary, and all were residents of Bethany.

According to the Gospel of John, Lazarus was the one who "six days before the Passover" and before the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem hosted the banquet in his house at Bethany when his sister Mary anointed Jesus' feet provoking the reaction of Judas Iscariot (see Anointing at Bethany). In Mark and Matthew, on the other hand, the dinner happened after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, the host was "Simon the leper" and an unnamed woman anointed Jesus.

The Gospel of John also suggests that there was a Plot to Kill Lazarus by the High Priests, but does not say if it was carried out.

Lazarus is mentioned, however, only in John 11 and 12. Outside of those two chapters, there is no further mention of him.

In the Gospel of Luke a certain Lazarus is mentioned (Luke 16:20ff) in Jesus' story of the death of the rich man and Lazarus and their interaction in Hades. There is, however, no reason to equate the Lazarus of Luke with the Lazarus made famous in the Gospel of John.

Few scholars have adopted the position of Ben Witherington III that suggests that Lazarus is the 'Beloved Disciple'. There is scant evidence for such a position. Indeed, few scholars are willing to say much about Lazarus at all given the paucity of evidence in the Gospels and given the fact that the Gospels are not interested in the life of Lazarus apart from its intersection with Jesus.

In Depth

• Lazarus (sources) -- survey of ancient sources

• Lazarus (arts) -- survey of fictional works

• Lazarus (research) -- survey of scholarly works

Related categories

• Jesus of Nazareth

External links

• Wikipedia

Selected Bibliography (articles)

A brief bibliography of the most recent materials follows:

Kim, Stephen S. "The significance of Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11." Bibliotheca sacra 168/669 (2011) 53 - 62.

Nordsieck, Reinhard. Das Geheimnis des Lazarus. Zur Frage nach Verfasser und Entstehung des Johannes-Evangeliums. Theologie 98. Berlin [u.a.]: Lit, 2010.

Roose, Hanna. "Umkehr und Ausgleich bei Lukas: Die Gelichnisse vom verlorenen Sohn (Lk 15.11-32) und vom reichen Mann und armen Lazarus (Lk 16.19-31) als Schwestergeschichten." New Testament studies 56/1 (2010) 1 - 21.

Greenspoon, Leonard J. "Lazarus lives again...in print." Biblical archaeology review 36/1 (2010) 15.

Hunt, Steven A. "Nicodemus, Lazarus, and the fear of "the Jews" in the fourth gospel." Pages 199 - 212 in Repetitions and variations in the fourth gospel. Style, text, interpretation. Edited by Gilbert Van Belle, Michael Labahn, and Petrus Maritz. Bibliotheca Ephemeridum theologicarum Lovaniensium 223. Leuven [u.a.]: Peeters, 2009.

Bauckham, Richard. "The Bethany family in John 11-12: History or fiction?" Pages 185 - 201 in John, Jesus, and history, Volume 2: Aspects of historicity in the fourth gospel. Edited by Paul N. Anderson, Felix Just, and Tom Thatcher. Early christianity and its literature 2. Leiden [u.a.]: Brill [u.a.], 2009.

Witherington, Ben. "What's in a name? Rethinking the historical figure of the beloved disciple in the Fourth Gospel." Pages 203 - 212 in John, Jesus, and history, Volume 2: Aspects of historicity in the fourth gospel. Edited by Paul N. Anderson, Felix Just, and Tom Thatcher. Early christianity and its literature 2. Leiden [u.a.]: Brill [u.a.], 2009.