Sarcophagus Front of the "Bethesda" Type

This Late Antique fragment shows the Gospel healing at Bethesda: Christ, youthful and authoritative, gestures to the paralytic who rises, bedroll on shoulder, while a lidded pool or water personification denotes the site. The style is Roman—broad planes, deep drill, architectural screens—but the message is Christian grace over customary cures. A tomb’s promise is spelled in stone: ‘take up your bed and walk’ toward new life.