Jacob's well

[sylvius]

John 4:6 mentions "pègè tou Iakob" = Jacob's Well.

Jacob's Well is never mentioned in the Jewish bible.
It seems to be a New Testamentical invention:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob's_Well


Jacob's Well situated on the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

Genesis 33:18-19

And Jacob came safely [to] the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan aram, and he encamped before the city. And he bought the part of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitas.

"and he encamped before the city" וַיִּחַן אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר, "vayichan et penei hair"

Midrash Rabbah B'rei[color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color][color=red]EDITME[/color] 79:6

He entered [on the eve of the Sabbath] at sunset and appointed his boundaries while it was yet day. This proves that Jacob kept the Sabbath before it was given.

Note from the editor:

He appointed the place (probably within the outskirts of the city, not in the city itself) where he was to spend the Sabbath. This permits one to go anywhere within a radius of 2,000 cubits from that spot on the Sabbath. "wayichan" is rendered: he appointed the place of his resting.

Sabbath boundary:

http://torahsearch.com/page.cfm/1666

A person who is in an uninhabited region when the Sabbath begins may walk anywhere within a radius of 2004 cubits from his initial position, but is not allowed to go outside that region

So the plot of land that Joseph inherited from his father Jacob, and in which his bones are buried (Joshua 24:32) seems to be the principle Sabbath area !

And more : It is established right at the entrance of Sabbath.

Isaiah 58:13-14,

If you restrain your foot because of the Sabbath, from performing your affairs on My holy day, and you call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honored, and you honor it by not doing your wonted ways, by not pursuing your affairs and speaking words. .
Then, you shall delight with the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the land, and I will give you to eat the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Rashi:

the heritage of Jacob your father: An inheritance without boundaries, as it is said (Gen. 28:14): “And you shall spread to the west and to the east, etc.” Not like Abraham, about whom it is stated (ibid. 13:15): “The land that you see…” And Jacob indeed kept the Sabbath, as it is said (ibid. 33:18): “And he encamped before the city,” i.e., he established the Sabbath limits at twilight. So did Rabbi Samson explain it.

And what is the import of this?

Jesus was buried on the eve of Sabbath at sunset ...

The central theme of John 4 being the well, Greek "pègè".

LXX translates the "ed" of Genesis 2:6 with "pègè"; John seeming to allude to that.

The "ed" being the principle of resurrection.

Rashi on Genesis 2:7,

formed: [וַיִּיצֶר, with two “yuds,” hints at] two creations, a creation for this world and a creation for the [time of the] resurrection of the dead, but in connection with the animals, which do not stand in judgment, two“yuds” are not written in [the word וַיִּצֶר describing their creation. — [from Tan. Tazria 1]

John 4:14,

but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The Sabbath area being an inheritance without boundaries ...

[sylvius]

Genesis 33:20 reads:
.

There he erected an altar, and he named it "God is the God of Israel."
וַיַּצֶּב שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

so "there" = "sham", is the entrance of Sabbath which is the centre of the Sabbath area he bought from the sons of Chamor, the father of Shechem.

Interesting:

Rashi:
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_...showrashi/true

Our Rabbis (Meg. 18a) interpreted it to mean that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Jacob God [rendering: and the God of Israel called him God].

Interesting since NT Jesus was put into the grave at the entrance of Sabbath.

And Mark 2:28 might allude to that ...

His Sabbath area being an area without boundaries!
(That's why his dsiciples could begin making the way by plucking ears of corn)

Rashi on Isaiah 58:14,
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_...showrashi/true

the heritage of Jacob your father: An inheritance without boundaries, as it is said (Gen. 28:14): “And you shall spread to the west and to the east, etc.” Not like Abraham, about whom it is stated (ibid. 13:15): “The land that you see…” And Jacob indeed kept the Sabbath, as it is said (ibid. 33:18): “And he encamped before the city,” i.e., he established the Sabbath limits at twilight. So did Rabbi Samson explain it.

[Salverda]

The story of Jacob's well may not have been featured in the Old Testament, but there may be evidence for the antiquity of the story to be found recorded in Greek mythology. Read the myth of Sisyphus and Asopus, with Sisyphus as Joseph, Asopus as Jacob, Corinth as Shechem, and the Acrocorinth as Mt. Ebal. In the Greek myth, which is older than Ezra, Asopus grants Sisyphus a spring on the mountain for revealing to him certain divine secrets. See http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showthread.php?143784-Joseph-us-Compared-to-Sisyphus there are many mysterious "coincidences" between the two stories that you may find intriguing. If you find these similarities compelling, then you may have cause to believe that the story of Jacob's well was not lately invented by the writers of the New Testament, but was, in fact circulating already in Old Testament times. Check it out, and see what you think.