Abstract
The scope of the present study is the symbolic analysis of the two interwoven Markan narratives about the healing of the woman with the flow of blood (5:25-34) and the raising of Jairus’ daughter (5:21-24.35-43). The principal thesis of this work consists in interpreting both women as symbols of Israel. The study begins with the presentation of the methodological premises of symbolic analysis. The main methodological premise of this work is the conviction that the literary sense of this pericope is in fact imbued with symbolism. Then there is a presentation of three criteria which help in detecting symbols in the biblical text: textual probability, conventions probability and contextual probability. Subsequently, in order to lend credence to the principal thesis of the article, seventeen literary elements found in Mark 5:21-43 are discussed; each of them meets the first two criteria and lends itself to symbolic interpretation of the two women as representations of Israel. The cumulative weight of these seventeen elements creates a rather strong cumulative argument in favor of the main thesis. Finally, the conformity between the symbolic interpretation of these women and both the immediate and global contexts of this pericope is discussed. The presence of this conformity meets the third criterion of contextual probability. The article thus offers a convincing case for the symbolic interpretation of the hemorrhaging woman and Jairus’ daughter in Mark 5:21-43 as representations of Israel.
Highlights
Seventeen different elements lend themselves to this symbolic interpretation and, taken together, produce a rather strong cumulative argument in favor of a symbolic reading of the two female figures
The third criterion of contextual probability is met because the message of the episode, revealed by means of symbolic analysis, is congruent with the message of the immediate literary context of the pericope and the global context of the entire Gospel of Mark
The lack of contradiction between the literal and symbolic meanings is an important premise in the process of evaluating the reliability of symbolic analysis
Summary
The present study aims at interpreting two Markan miracle stories, namely the healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of Jairus’ daughter, by means of an analysis sensitive to the presence of symbols. The main thesis. The present study aims at interpreting two Markan miracle stories, namely the healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of Jairus’ daughter, by means of an analysis sensitive to the presence of symbols.. Horsley (Hearing, 206) added: “When the hemorrhaging woman is said to have been suffering ‘for twelve years’ and the synagogue leader’s daughter is noted to be ‘twelve years of age,’ it could not be clearer that these women, while individual women, have greater significance in the story: they symbolize Israel itself, the people who are experiencing restoration and renewal in just such acts of healing by Jesus.”. Insights and arguments; and, third, to evaluate all of these in light of the established criteria
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