John 13:10: An Archaeological Solution of a Textcritical Problem

The text of Jn 13:10 presents essentially two variant readings: the brevior one, preferred by many exegetes, does not mention the foot-washing, the longior one contains the foot-washing. This reading is supported not only by the majority of manuscripts, but also by the archaeological findings of the ritual baths (miqwa’ot), testifying to the Jewish practice of pursuing ritual purity through the entire body bath and moreover through the foot-washing. This reading goes together in a pertinent way with Jesus’ act.