The Greatest Physician

John 9 in its Ancient Medical Context

Abstract

The story of the man born blind in John 9 is incontrovertibly presented as a miracle story. Nevertheless, this essay argues that the above healing narrative can additionally be read as a doctor-patient encounter. Medical imagery abounds throughout John 9. Bringing said medical imagery to the fore clarifies otherwise curious elements of the story and uniquely illumines the character of Jesus. Physicians and healers occupied overlapping spheres of philosophy and praxis in the ancient world, but these disciplines and traditions present as clearly distinct by late antiquity. In the story of the man born blind, Jesus appears to take on the role of doctor proper in a way that should shape the text’s interpretation.