The Bethesda mentioned in John 5:2 is where Mandeville states that JESUS commanded the crippled man to "take up his mat and walk." Mandeville seems confused here; the miracle of the crippled man (MATT 9:1-8, MK 2:1-12, LK 5: 17-26), by scriptural account, is that he was carried by four friends, and then lowered from the roof to be presented in front of JESUS for healing(1).
The Pool of Bethesda is thought to be 100 feet northwest of St. Anne's Church (St. Anne's Church was built over the sheepgate to the temple), where a large tank was discovered. The Pool was a large reservoir or "swimming bath" with five porches, closed to the sheepgate or market. Under these porches the infirmed waited for the water to be stirred -- the "troubling of the water" (stirred by an angel) -- before entering the pool for healing(2).
In Jean d'Outremeuse' Mirror of Histories it is said that the tree of the cross was at one time in the Pool of Bethesda. Upon its removal from the pool, its waters were cured after it was stirred(3).
(1) NIV
(2) Gosen - Easton's bible dictonary www.
(3)Early English text society :Mandevilles travels, edited from Ms. Cotton Titus in the British Museum by Hamelius, Volume ii, Intro. and notes
