Lazarus

, painting by the Swedish artist Karl Isakson (c. 1920)]]

In the New Testament, Lazarus (אלעזר "God has helped", Standard Hebrew Elʿazar, Tiberian Hebrew ʾElʿāzār) is the name of a figure in one of Jesus' parables, recorded in the Gospel of Luke 16:19-31. Lazarus is the beggar at the rich man's table, who receives his reward in the Hereafter, in Abraham's bosom at the everlasting banquet, while the rich man craves a drop of water from Lazarus' finger.

Lazarus is also a man mentioned several times in the four Gospels, who lived in the town of Bethany with his sisters Mary and Martha. He is best known for being raised from the grave four days after his death by Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel of John ch. 11. Again according to this gospel, many Jews visited Lazarus after this and believed in Jesus in part because of Lazarus' resurrection, and some of the Jewish leaders made plans to kill him. The Gospels say no more of Lazarus.

According to Christian mythology recorded in the 13th century Golden Legend, Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary Magdalene, a Pharisee, but because of the rumoured plots fled for his life to Cyprus, where he later became a Christian bishop and lived another thirty years. Stories say that he would always include something sweet in every meal, but that he was only known to laugh once in that time. That was when he observed someone stealing a clay pot, causing him to smile and say with a laugh, "clay stealing clay". Medieval tradition also sent Mary, Martha, and Lazarus to France after the Crucifixion, and pilgrims visited their tombs at the abbey of VÃÂ©zelay in Burgundy. The cathedral of Autun, not far away is dedicated to Lazarus (Saint Lazaire).

Today Lazarus is honored as a saint by Christians who honor saints. The transfer of his relics from Cyprus to Constantinople in 898 is remembered each year on October 17. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Saturday before Palm Sunday is remembered as "Lazarus Saturday", and the scripture readings and hymns focus on Lazarus as a promise of the resurrection of all.