Bethesda

BETHESDA (bĕ-thĕs'da, Gr. Bēthesda, house of grace). A spring-fed pool at Jerusalem, surrounded by five porches and mentioned only in John.5.2. Sick people waited to step down into these waters that were thought to have healing properties. Here Jesus healed a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years (John.5.1-John.5.16). John.5.4, though appearing in most Greek MSS and in some versions (e.g., jb, kjv, mlb, mof), is omitted by most other modern versions because some early MSS and versions omit it.