Lesson plan
Stephaton
, from the Syriac Rabbula Gospels, 586. Unlike Longinus, he is not named here 's depiction. Here, the hyssop stick is used as a kind of straw, and "Stephaton" squeezes the sponge. ( , gouache over graphite on grey wove paper) Stephaton, or Steven, is the name given in medieval Christian traditions to the Roman soldier or bystander, unnamed in the Bible, who offered Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar wine at the Crucifixion. In later depictions of the Crucifixion, Stephaton is frequently portrayed with Longinus, the soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a spear. The sponge in this Biblical narrative is not to be confused with a Xylospongium, a sponge that is soaked in vinegar attached to a stick the Romans used after defecating.
Article summary
, from the Syriac Rabbula Gospels, 586. Unlike Longinus, he is not named here 's depiction. Here, the hyssop stick is used as a kind of straw, and "Stephaton" squeezes the sponge. ( , gouache over graphite on grey wove paper) Stephaton, or Steven, is the name given in medieval Christian traditions to the Roman soldier or bystander, unnamed in the Bible, who offered Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar wine at the Crucifixion. In later depictions of the Crucifixion, Stephaton is frequently portrayed with Longinus, the soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a spear. The sponge in this Biblical narrative is not to be confused with a Xylospongium, a sponge that is soaked in vinegar attached to a stick the Romans used after defecating.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.