A view of the interior of the Pool of Bethesda, near the Sheep Gate, Jerusalem.  In John 5 Yeshua heals a man ill for 38 years.  There seems to have been a healing cult based here which had obviously failed to succeed with this man!

In the centuries that followed this healing cult was to develop to the point where a shrine to Aesculapius, the god of healing, whose cult had spread from Epidaurus throughout the ancient world, was built in the second century.

This healing took place on the Sabbath, a source of anger to the authorities.  This was especially  so as Yeshua had instructed the man to carry his bed.  Once again the relationship between Yeshua and his Father is to be emphasised.

There is a problem with identifying the Feast mentioned here.  John’s Gospel is carefully dated throughout and Yeshua’s teaching are very carefully linked to the Torah readings in the Synagogues  at the time.  The two festivals this could be referring to are Pentecost / Shavout and Trumpets / Rosh HaShanah.  Both festivals shared similar themes in their Torah readings at the time. 

There are a number of internal evidences that suggest this was Rosh HaShanah;  although there are some problems with the timescale of what followed if this is the case.  The theme of judgement in Yeshua’s teaching ties in with both the Torah readings and the tradition of this time of year being preparation for the last great Day of Judgement in Rabbinic teaching.  Equally, the Rabbis also linked Rosh Hashanah with witnesses:  it is taught that a Father and son cannot be the pair of witnesses needed to confirm a new moon.  However, each could combine with another witness to make the required pair.  In this chapter Yeshua cites his Father, God, as his witness.  For the rabbinic authorities this pairing of witnesses would not be valid and Yeshua goes on to quote both John the Immerser and Moses as another pair of witnesses to himself.

Thus, despite the problems, the festival refered to could very well be Rosh Hashanah.