Last Supper Site

The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper is commemorated by Christians especially on Maundy Thursday. Furthermore, it provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as “Holy Communion” or “The Lord’s Supper”. The First Epistle to the Corinthians is the earliest known mention of the Last Supper. The four canonical Gospels all state that the Last Supper took place towards the end of the week, after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. They additionally mention the shared meal between Jesus and his Apostles that took place shortly before he was crucified later that week. During the meal, Jesus predicted his betrayal by one of the Apostles present and foretells that, before the next morning, Peter will deny knowing him. The three Synoptic Gospels and the First Epistle to the Corinthians include the account of the Eucharist institution. Jesus takes bread, breaks it, and gives it to the Apostles, saying: “This is my body which is given for you.” The Gospel of John does not include this episode, but tells of Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles, giving the new commandment “to love one another as I have loved you.” They then proceed to have a detailed farewell discourse by Jesus, calling the Apostles who follow his teachings “friends and not servants”, as he prepares them for his departure. Scholars have looked to the Last Supper as the source of early Christian Eucharist traditions. Others believe Last Supper derived from the 1st-century eucharistic practice as Paul described in the mid-’50s.