Category:Malchus (subject)
Malchus was, according to the Gospel of John, the name of a servant of the High Priest Caiaphas, who was wounded by Peter when Jesus was arrested.
Overview
The Gospel of Mark reports that when Jesus was arrested, "one of those who stood near," being armed with a sword, cut off the ear of the High Priest's servant. The same episode is repeated in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John with additional details. Matthew and John say that Jesus reproached his disciple for what he had done. Luke and John specify that the disciple struck the "right" ear of the servant. Luke only claims that Jesus "healed" the servant's ear. John only reveals that Peter was the disciple with the sword and that the servant's name was Malchus. John also claims that one of the people before whom Peter denied to be a disciple of Jesus, was "a relative" of Malchus.
The paucity of evidence and the literary nature of the narrative makes any evaluation of the historicity of the event virtually impossible.
Later Christian tradition
The relic of the "sword of Peter," likely a medieval artifact, is preserved in Poland at the Poznań Archdiocesan Museum. See Relics of Peter.
In Depth
- Malchus (sources) -- survey of ancient sources
- Malchus (arts) -- survey of fictional works
Related categories
External links
Pages in category "Malchus (subject)"
The following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total.