The Greek dekapente is the number fifteen (deka = ten + pente = five). It appears in a small number of New Testament passages where the precise number carries narrative or theological significance.
Numbers in Scripture are rarely incidental. Dekapente (fifteen) appears in notably significant contexts. In John 11:18, Bethany is described as 'about fifteen stadia from Jerusalem' — placing the setting of Lazarus's resurrection just a short distance from the holy city, underscoring that Jesus's most dramatic sign of resurrection power happened at Jerusalem's doorstep, within sight of those who would soon seek to kill Him. In Galatians 1:18, Paul stayed with Peter 'fifteen days' — a deliberate, numbered fellowship that anchors Paul's apostleship in historical relationship with an eyewitness. These precise numbers are the signature of a genuine historical record, not myth, inviting trust in the reliability of the Gospel accounts.