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For other uses, see Nicodemus (disambiguation). is mostly a reworking of the earlier Acts of Pilate, which
Nicodemus (/nkdims/; Greek: ) is a recounts the harrowing of Hell.
Although there is no clear source of information about
Nicodemus outside the Gospel of John, the Jewish En-
cyclopedia and many Biblical historians have speculated
that he could be identical to Nicodemus ben Gurion, men-
tioned in the Talmud as a wealthy and popular holy man
reputed to have had miraculous powers. Others point out
that the biblical Nicodemus is likely an older man at the
time of his conversation with Jesus, while Nicodemus ben
Gurion was on the scene forty years later, at the time of
the Jewish War.[1]
Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in Nicodemus (left) talking to Jesus, by Henry Ossawa Tanner
three places in the Gospel of John:
As is the case with Lazarus, Nicodemus does not belong
He rst visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus teach- to the tradition of the Synoptic Gospels and is only men-
ings (John 3:121). tioned by John,[2] who devotes more than half of Chapter
The second time Nicodemus is mentioned, he re- 3 of his gospel, a few verses of Chapter 7 and lastly men-
minds his colleagues in the Sanhedrin that the law tions him in Chapter 19.
requires that a person be heard before being judged The rst time Nicodemus is mentioned, he is identied as
(John 7:5051). a Pharisee who comes to see Jesus at night. John places
Finally, Nicodemus appears after the Crucixion of this meeting shortly after the Cleansing of the Temple and
Jesus to provide the customary embalming spices, links it to the signs which Jesus performed in Jerusalem
and assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the during the Passover feast. Rabbi, we know that you are
body of Jesus for burial (John 19:3942). a teacher who has come from God. For no one could
perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him
An apocryphal work under his name the Gospel of (John 3:2).
Nicodemus was produced in the mid-4th century, and Then follows a conversation with Nicodemus about the
1
2 3 LEGACY
3 Legacy
temporary interest in Nicodemus as a character in me- National Park Service indicates that it was more likely
dieval Europe. based on a 1864 song Wake Nicodemus by Henry Clay
Work used to promote settlement in the area.[10]
In August 16, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. invoked
3.2 Nicodemus in music Nicodemus as a metaphor concerning the need for the
United States to be born again in order to eectively
In the Lutheran prescribed readings of the 18th century,
address social and economic inequality. The speech
the gospel text of the meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus
was called Where Do We Go From Here?, and deliv-
at night was assigned to Trinity Sunday. Johann Sebas-
ered at the 11th Annual SCLC Convention in Atlanta,
tian Bach composed several cantatas for the occasion, of
Georgia.[11]
which O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165, com-
posed in 1715, stays close to the gospel based on a libretto
by the court poet in Weimar, Salomo Franck.
Ernst Pepping composed in 1937 an Evangelienmotte 4 Gallery
(motet on gospel text) Jesus und Nikodemus.
In popular music, Nicodemus name was guratively used
in Henry Clay Work's 1864-written Civil-War-Aera piece Nicodemus in Art
Wake Nicodemus,[6] which at that time was popular in
minstrel shows. In 1978 Tim Curry covered the song on
his debut album Read My Lips (Tim Curry album).
6 References
Cornel Heinsdor: Christus, Nikodemus und die
Samaritanerin bei Juvencus. Mit einem Anhang
zur lateinischen Evangelienvorlage (= Untersuchun-
gen zur antiken Literatur und Geschichte, Bd.67),
Berlin/New York 2003
8 External links
Jewish Encyclopedia: Nicodemus
Tanner -
Nicodemus coming to Christ II
5 Notes
[1] Carson, D.A. The Gospel according to John. Leicester:
InterVarsity, 1991. 186.
[6]
9.2 Images
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