The wedding at Cana (also called the marriage at Cana, wedding feast at Cana or marriage feast at Cana) is the name of the story in the Gospel of John at which the first miracle attributed to Jesus takes place. [1] [2]
In the Gospel account, Jesus, his mother and his disciples are invited to a wedding at Cana in Galilee. When his mother notices that the wine (Ancient Greek : οἶνος ) has run out, Jesus delivers a sign of his divinity by turning water into wine at her request. The location of Cana has been subject to debate among biblical scholars and archaeologists; several villages in Galilee are possible candidates.
The account is taken as evidence of Jesus' approval of marriage and earthly celebrations, and has also been used as an argument against teetotalism.
The second chapter of the Gospel of John states that Jesus was at a wedding (Ancient Greek : γάμος ) in Cana with his disciples. [lower-alpha 1] Jesus' mother (unnamed in the Gospel of John) told Jesus, "They have no wine," and Jesus replied, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother then said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you". [lower-alpha 2] Jesus ordered the servants to fill containers with water and to draw out some and take it to the chief steward (household official, master of the feast). After tasting it, without knowing where it came from, the steward remarked to the bridegroom that he had departed from the custom of serving the best wine first by serving it last. [lower-alpha 3] John adds that: "Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and it revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him". [lower-alpha 4]
The Wedding Feast takes place in Cana shortly after the call of Philip and Nathanael. According to John 21:2, [lower-alpha 5] Cana was Nathanael's hometown. [3]
Although none of the synoptic Gospels mentions the wedding at Cana, Christian tradition based on John 2:11 [lower-alpha 6] holds that this is the first public miracle of Jesus. [4] It is considered to have symbolic importance as the first of the seven signs in the Gospel of John by which Jesus' divine status is attested, and around which the gospel is structured. Jesus will later return to Cana, where John 4:46–54 [lower-alpha 7] describes him healing a Capernaum official's young son; the second sign in the Gospel of John. [3]
The story has had considerable importance in the development of Roman Catholic theology. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen thought that it is very likely that it was one of Mary's relatives who was being married. This would mean Mary and her relatives would be embarrassed if they appeared inhospitable by running out of wine, giving Mary a reason to ask Jesus to intervene. Sheen further suggests that as Jesus arrived with additional guests, they may have contributed to the wines running short. [5] When his mother advises Jesus that their hosts are running out of wine, he says "Woman, what has this to do with me?" Sheen sees an echo of the Protevangelium of Genesis 3:15 "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers", [lower-alpha 8] marking the commencement of Jesus' redemptive ministry. [5] Jesus will again address her as "Woman" in John 19:26, [lower-alpha 9] when he entrusts his mother to his disciple John, "Woman, behold, your son." [3]
The gospel account of Jesus being invited to a wedding, attending, and using his divine power to save the celebrations from disaster are taken as evidence of his approval for marriage and earthly celebrations. It has also been used as an argument against the teetotalism practiced among certain Protestant Christian sects. [6]
Interpreted allegorically, the good news and hope implied by the story are in the words of the steward of the Feast when he tasted the good wine, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now" (John 2:10). [lower-alpha 10] This could be interpreted by saying simply that it is always darkest before the dawn, but good things are on the way. The more usual interpretation, however, is that this is a reference to the appearance of Jesus, whom the author of the Fourth Gospel regards as being himself "the good wine". [7] According to Bill Day, the miracle may also be interpreted as the antitype of Moses' first public miracle of changing water (the Nile river) into blood. This would establish a symbolic link between Moses as the first saviour of the Jews through their escape from Egypt and Jesus as the spiritual saviour of all people. [8]
Some commentators have speculated about the identity of the unnamed bridegroom. One tradition, represented by Thomas Aquinas among others, holds that the bridegroom was John the Evangelist himself, a tradition that goes back to Bede. [9] [10] Bishop John Spong suggests in his book Born of a Woman that the event was the wedding of Jesus himself to Mary Magdalene. [11] In 1854, at a time when polygamy was an element of mainstream practice of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Latter-day Saint elder Orson Hyde made a similar suggestion, arguing that Jesus was a polygamist and that the event at Cana was his wedding to Mary Magdalene, Martha and Mary of Bethany. [12] [13] [14] However, the idea that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene is usually dismissed by scholars as pseudohistorical. [15]
Studying Jesus in comparative mythology, the story of the transformation of water into wine bears some resemblance to a number of stories that were told about the ancient Greek god Dionysus, who among others was said to fill empty barrels that had been left locked inside a temple overnight with wine. [16] However, scholars generally agree that the Gospel of John was written by a community of Jewish Christians who had recently been excommunicated by the local synagogue for recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, leading some to conclude that it would be making it unlikely the possibility that the Gospel was influenced by ancient Greek mythology. [17] Bart Ehrman argues that the idea that the image of Jesus was influenced by ancient pagan mythology is usually dismissed by scholars as a fringe theory. [18]
The view of the valley looking out towards Nazareth, from Khirbet Qana, would have predominantly been of grape vines, as archeologists have found evidence of 1st-century wine production. [19] The early 6th-century writer Antoninus Placentinus observed about Nazareth in his day: "it excels in wine and oil, fruits and honey." [20] So, if a miracle of turning water into wine had actually occurred at the site, it would have likely have had allegorical significance for observers familiar with Greek mythology.
The German theologian Friedrich Justus Knecht (died 1921) points out three lessons that are to be drawn from this account at Cana: [21]
- The power of Mary's intercession. This first miracle, which confirmed the faith of our Lord's disciples, was wrought at Mary's intercession, for it was by her persuasion that He first manifested His glory by a striking miracle at Cana instead of at Jerusalem. Let us contemplate Mary's compassion on the distress of the poor bride and bridegroom, her living faith in the omnipotence of Jesus, and her confidence in His goodness.
- Matrimony. By His presence at the marriage-feast of Cana Jesus honoured and sanctified marriage, which had already been instituted in Paradise.
- Lawful pleasures. The fact of our Lord taking part in the marriage-feast teaches us that it is lawful and pleasing to God that we should take part in innocent recreations and harmless pleasures, rejoicing with those who rejoice.
The exact location of "Cana in Galilee" (Ancient Greek : Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, Kana tēs Galilaias) has been subject to debate among scholars. [22] Modern scholars [ who? ] maintain that since the Gospel of John was addressed to Jewish Christians of the time, it is unlikely that the evangelist would mention a place that did not exist.[ citation needed ] However, Dominican scholar Jerome Murphy-O'Connor cautions that Cana is a very common name, with no known text offering any clue as to which of the dozen towns going by the name would be the correct one, and calls the common choice of Kafr Qanna near Nazareth "probably just a pious guess". [23]
The main candidates for the town from the Gospel of John are:
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914, a tradition dating back to the 8th century identifies Cana with the modern Arab town of Kafr Kanna, in Galilee, about 7 km (4.3 mi) northeast of Nazareth, [26] in today's Israel.
The ruined village of Khirbet Qana (Kanet el-Jelil), about six miles (9.7 km) further north, [27] is an option presented as certain by William F. Albright in 1923, [28] whose name "Qana" is also etymologically closer to Cana than "Kanna". [24]
Some Lebanese Christians, especially the Lebanese Melkites (Greek Catholics), supported by their Church, believe the southern Lebanese village of Qana to have been the actual location of this event. [23]
The spring of 'Ain Kanah ("Kanah Spring") near the village of Reineh, immediately northeast of Nazareth, has been proposed as an equally likely site by Conder in 1878, [29] but has little going for it and has been rejected in more recent scholarship as a candidate. [25]
Many throughout history have sought to recover the lost jars. On 21 December 2004, archaeologists reported finding in Kafr Kanna "pieces of large stone jars of the type the Gospel says Jesus used when he turned water into wine". [30] But American scientists excavating the rival site of Khirbet Qana north of it, also claimed to have found pieces of stone jars from the time of Jesus. [30] Fellow archaeologist Shimon Gibson cast doubt on the value of such finds for identifying the town meant by John, since such vessels are not rare and it would be impossible to link a particular set of vessels to the miracle. [30] "Just the existence of stone vessels is not enough to prove that this is a biblical site." [30] Several stone jars of the type described by the Gospel of John were found for instance in Jerusalem: "At least six of them stood in the basement kitchen of the [1st-century CE] 'Burnt house'. They were shaped and finished on a very big lathe, given a pedestal foot and simple decoration. Such stone jars would hold large quantities of water for washing and kitchen needs. Flat discs of stone served as lids. The jars at Cana may have been similar to these", wrote Alan Millard. [31]
In the journal Biblical Archaeology Review , Michael Homan argued that biblical scholars had misinterpreted early texts, translating to 'wine' when the more sensible translation would have been 'beer'. [32] However, this has been dismissed by other writers, who pointed out that the Greek oinos always means wine, and that the word sikera was available if the gospel author wanted to refer to barley beer. [33] [34] [35]
The Coptic Orthodox Church, alone among the apostolic churches, teaches that the wine was non-alcoholic. [36] However, the second century Coptic Saint Clement of Alexandria would appear to indicate the opposite when he states that, although the Lord approved of drinking wine, he did not approve of drunkenness. [37]
The Coptic Church observes the feast of the Wedding of Cana three days after Epiphany, i.e. on the 13th of Tobi according to the Coptic calendar. [38] It is counted as one of the 7 Minor Feasts of the Lord. [39]
Depictions of The Wedding or Marriage at Cana are numerous in art history.
Sixth-century Irish missionary Saint Columba of Iona supposedly performed an identical miracle when he served as a deacon in Ireland under Finnian of Movilla, replenishing the supply of sacramental wine for a mass. [41]
Mark the Evangelist, also known as John Mark or Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Modern Bible scholars have concluded that the Gospel of Mark was written by an anonymous author rather than an identifiable historical figure. According to Church tradition, Mark founded the episcopal see of Alexandria, which was one of the five most important sees of early Christianity. His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and his symbol is the winged lion.
Cana of Galilee is the location of the Wedding at Cana, at which the miracle of turning water into wine took place in the Gospel of John.
The Gospel of Philip is a non-canonical Gnostic Gospel dated to around the 3rd century but lost in medieval times until rediscovered by accident, buried with other texts near Nag Hammadi in Egypt, in 1945.
The life of Jesus is primarily outlined in the four canonical gospels, which includes his genealogy and nativity, public ministry, passion, prophecy, resurrection and ascension. Other parts of the New Testament – such as the Pauline epistles which were likely written within 20 to 30 years of each other, and which include references to key episodes in the life of Jesus, such as the Last Supper, and the Acts of the Apostles, which includes more references to the Ascension episode than the canonical gospels also expound upon the life of Jesus. In addition to these biblical texts, there are extra-biblical texts that Christians believe make reference to certain events in the life of Jesus, such as Josephus on Jesus and Tacitus on Christ.
The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus since King Herod would seek the child to kill him. The episode is frequently shown in art, as the final episode of the Nativity of Jesus in art, and was a common component in cycles of the Life of the Virgin as well as the Life of Christ. Within the narrative tradition, iconic representation of the "Rest on the Flight into Egypt" developed after the 14th century.
John 2 is the second chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It contains the famous stories of the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine and Jesus expelling the money changers from the Temple. The author of the book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that John composed this gospel.
John 4 is the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The major part of this chapter recalls Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar. In verses 43-54, he returns to Galilee, where he heals a royal official's son.
Qana, also spelled Cana or Kana, is a town in southern Lebanon located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southeast of the city of Tyre and 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the border with Israel, in an area historically known as Upper Galilee. Qana is known for its antiquity, as well as being the place where Jesus Of Nazareth and his Mother Mary visited and attended a wedding. It is revered by Lebanese Christians and Muslims alike.
The Wedding Feast at Cana, by Paolo Veronese, is a representational painting that depicts the biblical story of the Wedding at Cana, at which Jesus miraculously converts water into red wine. Executed in the Mannerist style (1520–1600) of the late Renaissance, the large-format oil painting comprehends the stylistic ideal of compositional harmony, as practised by the artists Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo.
The New Testament narrative of the life of Jesus refers to a number of locations in the Holy Land and a Flight into Egypt. In these accounts the principal locations for the ministry of Jesus were Galilee and Judea, with activities also taking place in surrounding areas such as Perea and Samaria.
The ministry of Jesus, in the canonical gospels, begins with his baptism near the River Jordan by John the Baptist, and ends in Jerusalem in Judea, following the Last Supper with his disciples. The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry. A chronology of Jesus typically sets the date of the start of his ministry at around AD 27–29 and the end in the range AD 30–36.
Kafr Kanna is an Arab town in the Galilee, part of the Northern District of Israel. It is associated by Christians with the New Testament village of Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. In 2022 its population was 24,108. It has a religiously mixed population of Muslims and Christians from different denominations.
CANA or Cana may refer to:
The Jesus Trail is a 65 km (40 mi) hiking and pilgrimage route in the Galilee region of Israel that traces the route Jesus may have walked, connecting many sites from his life and ministry. The main part of the trail begins in Nazareth and passes through Sepphoris, Cana, the Horns of Hattin, Mount Arbel Cliffs, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, and the Mount of Beatitudes. An alternate return route passes by Tiberias, the Jordan River, Mount Tabor, and Mount Precipice.
Chorazin or Korazim was an ancient village in the Roman and Byzantine periods, best known from the Christian Gospels. It stood on the Korazim Plateau in the Upper Galilee on a hill above the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, 2.5 mi (4.0 km) from Capernaum in what is now the territory of modern Israel.
The Beit Netofa Valley, or Sahl al-Battuf is a valley in the Lower Galilee region of Israel, midway between Tiberias and Haifa. Covering 46 km2, it is the largest valley in the mountainous part of the Galilee and one of the largest in the southern Levant.
Khirbet Qana, is an archaeological site in the Lower Galilee of Israel. It has remains of a settlement from the Hellenistic period to the Early Arab period. Findings including Hasmonean coins and ostraca using the Jewish script indicate its population in ancient times was predominantly Jewish.
The Wedding Church at Cana or simply Wedding Church, also Franciscan Wedding Church, is a religious building of the Catholic Church located in the central part of the town of Kafr Kanna (Cana), in Lower Galilee, located in northern Israel. It is dedicated to the weddings of Christianity. Its name commemorates the event of the Wedding at Cana from the Gospel of John, thought by some Christians to have taken place on the site, during which Jesus performed his first miracle, by turning water into wine at the request or behest of Mother Mary.
Wedding at Cana also known as Wedding Feast at Cana and Le Nozze di Cana is an oil painting by Michael Damaskinos. He was active during the second half of the 16th century in Heraklion, Sicily, Venice, and different parts of Italy. Over 100 works are attributed to the artist. Most of his work resembled the Greek mannerisms prevalent at the time also known as maniera greca. He was clearly influenced by Venetian painting. His version of the Wedding at Cana was a copy of Tintoretto's massive painting of the Wedding Feast at Cana. The monumental canvas was 4.4 m x 5.9 m or 14.4 ft x 19.3 ft. The painting was originally in the dining hall (refectory) of the convent of the Crociferi in Venice. Refectories typically featured large paintings of biblical banquet scenes. The monks preferred biblical banquet scenes because they desired the impression of dining with Christ. Damaskinos probably saw the painting at the convent or a copy of the masterpiece in Venice. The Damaskinos version is much smaller than the original. The painting is very important because it is one of the few instances where Damaskinos broke from the traditional maniera greca prevalent in most of his works. In this instance, he strictly followed the lines of Venetian painting exhibiting his superior craftsmanship as a painter capable of changing his style. El Greco was another painter who also painted in both styles. The Damaskinos version is currently at the Museo Correr in Venice, Italy.