The Woman at the Well as a Witness in John Revisited

Abstract

Abstract There is a major emphasis on testimony and witnesses in the Gospel of John, and scholars have analysed this trait in the context of a literary trial, or a cosmic lawsuit. The Samaritan woman (John 4) who testifies concerning Jesus is an unexpected witness. Could the author expect his contemporary readers to receive her testimony? This article surveys the status of women as witnesses in in the Graeco-Roman world in general and first-century Judaism in particular. There was a strong expectation that women should not testify in law-courts, where they were instead represented by male guardians with few exceptions. An analysis of John 4:4–42 gives further clues for the evaluation of the Samaritan woman as a legal witness. First, she expresses surprise that Jesus talks with her as a Samaritan. Second, the disciples are astonished that Jesus speaks to a woman. Third, the information about her previous marriages would likely further diminish her status as a witness. In conclusion, the presentation of the Samaritan woman as a key witness in John does not reflect the convention of contemporary culture, whether Graeco-Roman or Jewish. On the contrary, in regard to divine law, she is elevated to a status equal to male witnesses. A two-level reading of the Fourth Gospel further suggests that this feature reflects a different attitude toward women in early Christianity, if not a particular community connected with the Johannine writings.