Jericho: Jesus as anti-Joshua?

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Giuseppe
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Jericho: Jesus as anti-Joshua?

Post by Giuseppe »


Mark 10:46-52

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving Jericho, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.


Jericho is mentioned so rapidly that the reader is surprised that a so famous name linked with... ...Jesus (!) is not the place of an event complete of actions, sayings and parables linked with Jesus (as new Joshua).

Maybe the same surprise awaits the reader when he sees the reaction of Jesus called as "Son of David" by the blind Bartimeus: he gives the sight to a blind, a fact not surprising per se but in relation to the possibility of a negation that Jesus is davidic.

Therefore the rapid mention of Jericho probably serves to the same function of the Bartimeus episode: a negation that Jesus is the new Joshua.

Jesus doesn't nothing where Joshua did a lot. Ergo he is not the Joshua redivivus.
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
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