Chapter 23
The votive statue that Publius and Secunda erected stood on the gatepost of her house for more than three hundred years, for it was seen by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea when he visited Paneas. Local legend affirmed that the figure of the healer actually bore a resemblance to Jesus. Naturally, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire and official patronage for pagan sanctuaries ceased, this statue became even more famous - a focus both for Christian devotion and pagan discontent.
In 365 AD Julian the Apostate became emperor and did his best to restore the worship of the old gods. Emboldened by his protection, a mob of pagans rioted in Paneas and as well as sacking the church building, they tore down the statue and broke it into fragments. The pieces were lovingly collected by the Christians and stored in the church. They may have had some intention of sticking them all back together again, but history tells us nothing further.
Publius, Geta, Secunda and Antiope are obviously figments of my imagination, however the setting of the story is as accurate as I can make it, based on contemporary writings and the findings of archaeology. The basis for the story is a statement in Eusebius' History of the Church Book VII, chapters 17 and 18.
At Caesarea Philippi, which the Phoenicians call Paneas, springs are shown at the foot of the Mountain Panius, out of which the Jordan flows. They say that on a certain feast day, a victim was thrown in, and that through the power of the demon it marvelously disappeared and that which happened was a famous wonder to those who were present. Astyrius was once there when these things were done, and seeing the multitude astonished at the affair, he pitied their delusion; and looking up to heaven he supplicated the God over all through Christ, that he would rebuke the demon who deceived the people, and bring the men’s delusion to an end. And they say that when he had prayed thus, immediately the sacrifice floated on the surface of the fountain. And thus the miracle departed; and no wonder was ever afterward performed at the place.
Since I have mentioned this city I do not think it proper to omit an account which is worthy of record for posterity. For they say that the woman with an issue of blood, who, as we learn from the sacred Gospel, received from our Saviour deliverance from her affliction, came from this place, and that her house is shown in the city, and that remarkable memorials of the kindness of the Saviour to her remain there.
For there stands upon an elevated stone, by the gates of her house, a brazen image of a woman kneeling, with her hands stretched out, as if she were a suppliant. Opposite this is another upright image of a man, made of the same material, clothed decently in a double cloak, and extending his hand toward the woman. At his feet, beside the statue itself, is a certain strange plant, which climbs up to the hem of the brazen cloak, and is a remedy for all kinds of diseases.
They say that this statue is an image of Jesus. It has remained to our day, so that we ourselves also saw it when we were staying in the city.
Nor is it strange that those of the Gentiles who, of old, were benefited by our Saviour, should have done such things, since we have learned also that the likenesses of his apostles Paul and Peter, and of Christ himself, are preserved in paintings, the ancients being accustomed, as it is likely, according to a habit of the Gentiles, to pay this kind of honor indiscriminately to those regarded by them as deliverers.
Eusebius' statement is interesting because it tells us more about the woman than is actually stated. Eusebius tells us that she came from Paneas, now known as Banias but then as Caesarea Philippii. We deduce that she was both wealthy and a gentile.
A bronze statue was not cheap: even a small one would be beyond the financial competance of the ordinary day-labourer. The fact that she could afford one after her healing while the gospels tell us that she had "spent all her living" gives us the further clue that her wealth was in land from which she drew a regular income in either produce or rent. This enabled her at any one time to have spent all her money and yet to have more to spend when the next year's rent came in.
We conclude that she was a gentile from the fact that she followed the decidedly non-Jewish custom of making a votive statue as a way of giving thanks. No Jew would dream of erecting a "graven image": although first century synagogues were decorated in a suprisingly lavish manner, considering the later strict prohibition against "images", none of the pictures or mosaics depicted a living person.
On the other hand, gentiles frequently dedicated statues to the heroes or gods who had answered their prayers. Excavations at healing sanctuaries such as Corinth or Pergamon have turned up hundreds of such votive offerings made of metal, pottery or even wax. Frequently they depict the body part that had been healed - legs and hands predominate, but other offerings include images of ears and even breasts.
Images of the benefactors are less common, but it may be embarrassment that led Secunda to erect an image of Christ rather than one of the afflicted part!
Sozomen, in his Ecclesiastical History, Book V, chapter 21, tells us what happened to the statue:
Having heard that at Caesarea Philippi, otherwise called Paneas, a city of Phoenicia, there was a celebrated statue of Christ which had been erected by a woman whom the Lord had cured of a flow of blood, Julian commanded it to be taken down and a statue of himself erected in its place; but a violent fire from heaven fell upon his statue and broke off the parts contiguous to the breast; the head and neck were thrown prostrate, and it was transfixed to the ground with the face downwards at the point where the fracture of the bust was; and it has stood in that fashion from that day until now, full of the rust of the lightning. The statue of Christ was dragged around the city and mutilated by the pagans; but the Christians recovered the fragments, and deposited the statue in the church in which it is still preserved. Eusebius relates, that at the base of this statue grew an herb which was unknown to the physicians and empirics, but was efficacious in the cure of all disorders. It does not appear a matter of astonishment to me, that, after God had vouchsafed to dwell with men, he should condescend to bestow benefits upon them.
This is repeated by the church historian Philostorgius, whose work is lost, but a summary of it was prepared by Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople. This is his precis of Book VIII chapter 3 of the history.
Concerning an image of our Saviour erected by the faith of a pious woman in grateful remembrance of her cure from a bloody flux, Philostorgius writes, that it was placed near the fountain in the city among other statues, and presented a pleasant and agreeable sight to the passers-by. And when a certain herb, which grew up at the foot of this statue, was found to be a most effectual remedy against all diseases, and especially against consumption, men naturally began to inquire into the cause of this matter; for by lapse of time all memory of the fact had been lost, and it was even forgotten whose statue it was, and on what account it had been erected. Inasmuch as the figure of our Saviour had long stood exposed in the open air, and a great part of it was covered over by the earth which was perpetually carried down against the pediment, especially during seasons of heavy rain, the notice contained in the inscription upon it was well nigh obliterated. A diligent inquiry was consequently made, and the part of the statue which had been covered up being brought to light, the inscription was discovered which explained the entire circumstances of the fact ; and the plant thenceforth was never again seen either there or in any other place. The statue itself they placed in the part of the church which was allotted to the deacons, paying to it due honour and respect, yet by no means adoring or worshipping it; and they showed their love for its great archetype by erecting it in that place with circumstances of honour, and by flocking thither in eager crowds to behold it. During the reign of Julian, however, the heathen who inhabited Paneas were excited by an impious frenzy to pull down this statue from its pediment, and to drag it through the midst of the streets with ropes fastened round its feet; afterwards they broke in pieces the rest of the body, while some persons, indignant at the whole proceeding, secretly obtained possession of the head, which had become, detached from the neck as it was dragged along, and they preserved it as far as was possible. This transaction Philostorgius declared that he witnessed with his own eyes.
The two accounts are not contradictory: Eusebius saw the statue in his youth, when it may well have stood in a public place: later, after Christianity came to power under Constantine, the locals may have moved it to a church - or built a church over it - as Philostorgius states.
I hope that you have enjoyed this retelling of a familiar story and also that it helps you picture life in first century Palestine, the massive building projects, the civilising power of Rome, even the Jewish terrorists - the al-Qaeda of their day - fighting back with sudden attacks and random murders. Nothing seems to change in that unhappy part of the world!
