Holy Sponge
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The Holy Sponge is one of the Instruments of the Passion of Jesus.[1] It was dipped in vinegar (Template:Langx; in some translations sour wine), most likely posca,[2] a regular beverage of Roman soldiers,[3] and offered to Jesus to drink from during the Crucifixion,[2] according to Matthew 27:48,[4] Mark 15:36,[5] and John 19:29.[6]
History
Jerusalem
An object thought to be the Holy Sponge was venerated in the Holy Land, in the Upper Room of the Constantinian basilica, where Sophronius of Jerusalem spoke of it c. 600 AD:
Rome
In the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome, a brown sponge is venerated. Other pieces of sponge are present at the following:
- the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
- the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
- St. Mary in Campitelli[citation needed]
The Chapel of the Relics at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme houses another piece of sponge:
Constantinople and France
In the 7th century, Nicetas took part in the conquest of Egypt from Phocas. He was famed[citation needed] for bringing items he claimed were the Holy Sponge and the Holy Lance (the "Lance of Longinus") to Constantinople from Palestine in 612. From 619 to 628/9 he may anecdotally have been exarch of Africa.[dubious – discuss]
This sponge remained in Constantinople until it was bought from the Latin emperor Baldwin II by Louis IX of France among the relics he needed for the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Participants in the French Revolution dispersed these relics (including the Crown of Thorns and a bit of the True Cross). Some went briefly to the Bibliothèque Nationale. Later, however, they were restored to Notre-Dame de Paris.[citation needed]
Other claimants
Other parties also claiming access to the Holy Sponge include:[7]
- the church of St. Jacques de Compiègne in France
- Aachen's cathedral (Charlemagne's sample)
See also
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Manseau, Peter (April 11, 2009). "Faith, Proof and Relics". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Davis, C. Truman (4 November 2015). "A Physician's View of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ". The Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wija, Tantri (September 18, 2019). "Oh, sure. Now it's trendy. But drinking vinegar was the taste that originally refreshed an ancient empire". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Exposition Relics of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ" (PDF). nationalshrine.org. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
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