Jesus and an Adulteress in John 7:53-8:11

FAIN: FT-51520-03

Jennifer W. Knust
Boston University (Worcester, MA 01610-2395)

The story of Jesus and an adulteress (John 7:53-8:11) does not appear in the earliest gospel manuscripts. As a result, most New Testament scholars agree that this story was absent from the original version of John. Since the focus has been on reconstructing the primitive text, no scholar has yet asked why this story began to be included. Moreover, few have recognized the significance of manuscript witnesses as evidence of the concerns of those who produced them. This project places John 7:53-8:11 within a history of interpretation that includes manuscript witnesses, patristic exegesis, and liturgical use from the late antique through the medieval periods.