Arts and Humanities Commons^™

In this paper I argue that the Foot Washing of John 13:1–17, as literary composition, is a creative imitation of the Foot Washing and Anointing of Luke 7:36–50. Comparison of the respective settings, action descriptions, dialogs, and transitions brings to light a large array of mostly unexplored literary connections between these two texts. Analysis of the parallel features reveals a high level of density, order, and distinctiveness that clearly establishes an intertextual relationship of creative imitation, that combination of mimēsis and zēlōsis widely practiced by authors in antiquity. Key markers of directionality arising from the evidence points to Luke's text …