2020/12/22

Unknown years of Jesus - Wikipedia

Unknown years of Jesus - Wikipedia

Unknown years of Jesus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
"Jesus in India" redirects here. For the book, see Jesus in India (book). For the film, see Jesus in India The Movie.
Part of a series on
Jesus
Jesus teaching in the temple

The unknown years of Jesus (also called his silent years, lost years, or missing years) generally refers to the period of Jesus's life between his childhood and the beginning of his ministry, a period not described in the New Testament.[1][2]

The "lost years of Jesus" concept is usually encountered in esoteric literature (where it at times also refers to his possible post-crucifixion activities) but is not commonly used in scholarly literature since it is assumed that Jesus was probably working as a carpenter in Galilee, at least some of the time with Joseph, from the age of 12 to 29, so the years were not "lost years", and that he died on Calvary.[2][3][4]

In the late medieval period, there appeared Arthurian legends that the young Jesus had been in Britain.[5][6] In the 19th and 20th centuries theories began to emerge that between the ages of 12 and 29 Jesus had visited Kashmir, or had studied with the Essenes in the Judea desert.[4][7] Modern mainstream Christian scholarship has generally rejected these theories and holds that nothing is known about this time period in the life of Jesus.[4][8][9][10]

The use of the "lost years" in the "swoon hypothesis", suggests that Jesus survived his crucifixion and continued his life, instead of what was stated in the New Testament that he ascended into Heaven with two angels.[11] This, and the related view that he avoided crucifixion altogether, has given rise to several speculations about what happened to him in the supposed remaining years of his life, but these are not accepted by mainstream scholars either.[11][12][13]

The 18 unknown years[edit]

Jesus Discourse with His Disciples, James Tissot, c. 1890

New Testament gap[edit]

James Tissot's depiction of a young Jesus at the Temple (Luke 2:46), c. 1890 Brooklyn Museum

Following the accounts of Jesus' young life, there is a gap of about 18 years in his story in the New Testament.[4][8][14] Other than the statement that after he was 12 years old (Luke 2:42) Jesus "advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men" (Luke 2:52), the New Testament has no other details regarding the gap.[4] Christian tradition suggests that Jesus simply lived in Galilee during that period.[15] Modern scholarship holds that there is little historical information to determine what happened during those years.[4]

The ages of 12 and 29, the approximate ages at either end of the unknown years, have some significance in Judaism of the Second Temple period: 13 is the age of the bar mitzvah, the age of secular maturity,[2] and 30 the age of readiness for the priesthood, although Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi.[16]

Christians have generally taken the statement in Mark 6:3 referring to Jesus as "Is not this the carpenter...?" as an indication that before the age of 30 Jesus had been working as a carpenter.[17] The tone of the passage leading to the question "Is not this the carpenter?" suggests familiarity with Jesus in the area, reinforcing that he had been generally seen as a carpenter in the gospel account before the start of his ministry.[17] Matthew 13:55 poses the question as "Is not this the carpenter's son?" suggesting that the profession tektōn had been a family business and Jesus was engaged in it before starting his preaching and ministry in the gospel accounts.[18][19]

Background of Galilee and Judea[edit]

See also: Cultural and historical background of Jesus

The historical record of the large number of workmen employed in the rebuilding of Sepphoris has led Batey (1984) and others to suggest that when Jesus was in his teens and twenties carpenters would have found more employment at Sepphoris rather than at the small town of Nazareth.[20]

Aside from secular employment some attempts have been made to reconstruct the theological and rabbinical circumstances of the "unknown years", e.g., soon after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls novelist Edmund Wilson (1955) suggested Jesus may have studied with the Essenes,[21] followed by the Unitarian Charles F. Potter (1958) and others.[22] Other writers have taken the view that the predominance of Pharisees in Judea during that period, and Jesus' own later recorded interaction with the Pharisees, makes a Pharisee background more likely, as in the recorded case of another Galilean, Josephus studied with all three groups: Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes.[23]

Other sources[edit]

See also: New Testament apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha

The New Testament apocrypha and early Christian pseudepigrapha preserve various pious legends filling the "gaps" in Christ's youth. Charlesworth (2008) explains this as due to the canonical Gospels having left "a narrative vacuum" that many have attempted to fill.[24]

Claims of young Jesus in Britain[edit]

The story of Jesus visiting Britain as a boy is a late medieval development based on legends connected with Joseph of Arimathea.[5][failed verification] During the late 12th century, Joseph of Arimathea became connected with the Arthurian cycle, appearing in them as the first keeper of the Holy Grail.[5] This idea first appears in Robert de Boron's Joseph d'Arimathie, in which Joseph receives the Grail from an apparition of Jesus and sends it with his followers to Britain. This theme is elaborated upon in Boron's sequels and in subsequent Arthurian works penned by others.[5]

Some Arthurian legends hold that Jesus travelled to Britain as a boy, lived at Priddy in the Mendips, and built the first wattle cabin at Glastonbury.[25] William Blake's early 19th-century poem "And did those feet in ancient time" was inspired by the story of Jesus travelling to Britain. In some versions, Joseph was supposedly a tin merchant and took Jesus under his care when his mother Mary was widowed.[26][27] Gordon Strachan wrote Jesus the Master Builder: Druid Mysteries and the Dawn of Christianity (1998), which was the basis of the documentary titled And Did Those Feet (2009). Strachan believed Jesus may have travelled to Britain to study with the Druids.[28]

Claims of Jesus Christ in India and/or Tibet before crucifixion[edit]

Louis Jacolliot, 1869[edit]

The idea of Indian influences on Jesus (and Christianity) has been suggested in Louis Jacolliot's book La Bible dans l'Inde, Vie de Iezeus Christna (1869)[29] (The Bible in India, or the Life of Jezeus Christna), although Jacolliot does not claim travels by Jesus to India.[30]

Jacolliot compared the accounts of the life of Bhagavan Krishna with that of Jesus Christ in the gospels and concluded that it could not have been a coincidence that the two stories have so many similarities in many of the finer details. He concluded that the account in the gospels is a myth based on the history of ancient India. However, Jacolliot was comparing two different periods of history (or mythology) and did not claim that Jesus was in India. Jacolliot used the spelling "Christna" instead of "Krishna" and claimed that Krishna's disciples gave him the name "Jezeus," a name supposed to mean "pure essence" in Sanskrit.[30] However, according to Max Müller, that is not a Sanskrit term at all and "it was simply invented" by Jacolliot.[31]

Nicolas Notovich, 1887[edit]

Main article: Nicolas Notovitch
Nicolas Notovitch

In 1887, a Russian war correspondent, Nicolas Notovitch, claimed that while at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, he had learned of a document called the "Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men" – Isa being the Arabic name of Jesus in Islam.[32][33][34] Notovitch's story, with a translated text of the "Life of Saint Issa", was published in French in 1894 as La vie inconnue de Jesus Christ (Unknown Life of Jesus Christ).[7][34]

According to the scrolls, Jesus abandoned Jerusalem at the age of 13 and set out towards Sind, “intending to improve and perfect himself in the divine understanding and to studying the laws of the great Buddha”. He crossed Punjab and reached Puri Jagannath where he studied the Vedas under Brahmin priests. He spent six years in Puri and Rajgirh, near Nalanda, the ancient seat of Hindu learning. Then he went to the Himalayas, and spent time in Tibetan monasteries, studying Buddhism,[32] and through Persia, returned to Jerusalem at the age of 29.

Notovitch's writings were immediately controversial and Max Müller stated that either the monks at the monastery had deceived Notovitch (or played a joke on him), or he had fabricated the evidence.[32][35][36] Müller then wrote to the monastery at Hemis and the head lama replied that there had been no Western visitor at the monastery in the past fifteen years and there were no documents related to Notovitch's story.[37] J. Archibald Douglas then visited Hemis monastery and interviewed the head lama who stated that Notovitch had never been there.[37] Indologist Leopold von Schroeder called Notovitch's story a "big fat lie".[38] Wilhelm Schneemelcher states that Notovich's accounts were soon exposed as fabrications, and that to date no one has even had a glimpse at the manuscripts Notovitch claims to have had.[7]

Notovich responded to claims to defend himself.[39] But once his story had been re-examined by historians – some even questioning his existence – it is claimed that Notovitch confessed to having fabricated the evidence.[38] Bart D. Ehrman states that "Today there is not a single recognized scholar on the planet who has any doubts about the matter. The entire story was invented by Notovitch, who earned a good deal of money and a substantial amount of notoriety for his hoax".[40] However, others deny that Notovich ever accepted the accusations against him – that his account was a forgery, etc. Although he was not impressed with his story, Sir Francis Younghusband recalls meeting Nicolas Notovitch near Skardu, not long before Notovitch had visited Hemis monastery.[41]

Swami Abhedananda, 1922[edit]

Main article: Swami Abhedananda

In 1922 Swami Abhedananda, the founder of Vedanta Society of New York 1897 and the author of several books, went to Himalayas on foot and reached Tibet, where he studied Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan Buddhism. He was one of the skeptics who tried to debunk Nicholas Notovitch and disprove the existence of the manuscript about Jesus in India. However, when he reached Hemis monastery he found the manuscript which was a Tibetan translation of the original scrolls written in Pali. The lama said that it was a copy and the original was in a monastery at Marbour near Lhasa. After Abhedananda's death in 1939, one of his disciples inquired about the documents at the Hemis monastery, but was told they disappeared.[42][43]

Levi H. Dowling, 1908[edit]

Main article: The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

In 1908, Levi H. Dowling published the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ which he claimed was channeled to him from the "Akashic Records" as the true story of the life of Jesus, including "the 'lost' eighteen years silent in the New Testament." The narrative follows the young Jesus across India, Tibet, Persia, Assyria, Greece and Egypt.[44] Dowling's work was later used by Holger Kersten who combined it with elements derived from other sources such as the Ahmadiyya beliefs.[12]

Nicholas Roerich, 1925[edit]

Main article: Nicholas Roerich

In 1925, Nicholas Roerich recorded his travels through Ladak in India. This portion of his journal was published in 1933 as part of Altai Himalaya. He recounts legends of Issa shared with him by the Ladak people and lamas including that Issa (Jesus) traveled from Israel to India with merchants and taught the people. An extended section of this text parallels sections of Notovitch's book and Roerich comments on the remarkable similarity of the accounts of the Ladak to these passages, despite the Ladak's having no knowledge of Notovitch's book. He also recounts that the stories of others on his travel refer to various manuscripts and legends regarding Jesus (Issa) and that he personally visited the "abbot" of Hemis.[45]

Rejection by modern mainstream New Testament scholarship[edit]

Modern mainstream Christian scholarship has generally rejected any travels by Jesus to India, Tibet or surrounding areas as without historical basis:

  • Robert Van Voorst states that modern scholarship has "almost unanimously agreed" that claims of the travels of Jesus to Tibet, Kashmir or rest of India contain "nothing of value".[9]
  • Marcus Borg states that the suggestions that an adult Jesus traveled to Egypt or India and came into contact with Buddhism are "without historical foundation".[10]
  • John Dominic Crossan states that none of the theories presented about the travels of Jesus to fill the gap between his early life and the start of his ministry have been supported by modern scholarship.[8]
  • Leslie Houlden states that although modern parallels between the teachings of Jesus and Buddha have been drawn, these comparisons emerged after missionary contacts in the 19th century and there is no historically reliable evidence of contacts between Buddhism and Jesus.[46]
  • Paula Fredriksen states that no serious scholarly work places Jesus outside the backdrop of 1st century Palestinian Judaism.[47]

Claims of life after surviving crucifixion[edit]

Further information: Swoon hypothesis and Islamic view of Jesus' death

The swoon hypothesis in critical western literature concerns later years of Jesus after the crucifixion, with a range of hypotheses that suggest later death in Kashmir,[32] Rome, Japan, or during the Siege of Masada in Roman Judea.[11][12]

The traditional Islamic views on Jesus' death don't propose later years of Jesus, since based on the statements in Quran 4:157-4:158, most Muslims believe Jesus was raised to Heaven without being put on the cross and God transformed another person (at times interpreted as Judas Iscariot or Simon of Cyrene) to appear exactly like Jesus who was crucified instead of Jesus.[48] Some interpretations of Hadith and other traditions have Jesus' life continuing on earth. Ibn Babawayh (d.991 CE) in Ikhmal ad Din recounts that Jesus went to a far country.[citation needed]

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, 1899[edit]

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Movement
See also: Jesus in Ahmadiyya Islam, Jesus in India (book), and Roza Bal

According to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the further sayings of Muhammad say that Jesus died in Kashmir at the age of one hundred and twenty years.[32] They identify the holy man Yuz Asaf buried at the Roza Bal shrine in Srinagar, India as Jesus on the basis of an account in the History of Kashmir by the Sufi poet Khwaja Muhammad Azam Didamari (1747) that the holy man Yuz Asaf buried there was a prophet and a foreign prince.[32][49] Paul C. Pappas states that from a historical perspective, the Ahmadi identification of Yuz Asaf with Jesus relies on legends and documents which include clear historical errors[32] (e.g., Gondophares' reign) and that "it is almost impossible to identify Yuz Asaf with Jesus".[50]

In his 1957 book The Wisdom of Balahvar, David Marshall Lang presented evidence of how confusion in diacritical markings in Arabic texts transformed Budhasaf (Buddha-to-be) into Yudasaf, Iodasaph, and then Yuzasaf, and resulted in the Ahmadiyya assertions;[32] also confusing Kashmir and Kushinara, the place of Buddha's death.[32][51] The Swedish scholar Per Beskow in Jesus in Kashmir: Historien om en legend (1981) also concluded that Ahmad had misidentified traditions about Gautama Buddha in the Bilawhar wa-Yudasaf legend as being about Jesus. Beskow updated his conclusions in English in 2011.[52]

Meher Baba, 1925[edit]

Meher Baba (1894-1969)

According to Indian spiritual master Meher Baba, when Jesus was crucified, he did not die physically. But, he entered the state of Nirvikalp Samadhi (the I-am-God state without bodily consciousness). On the third day, he again became conscious of his body, and he travelled secretly in disguise eastward with some apostles, most importantly with Bartholomew and Thaddeus, to India. This was called Jesus' resurrection. After reaching India, Jesus travelled further east to Rangoon, in Burma, where he remained for some time. He then went north to Kashmir, where he settled. After Jesus's spiritual work was completed, Jesus subsequently dropped his body, and the body was buried by the Two Apostles in Harvan, at Kan Yar, district of Kashmir.[53]

Holger Kersten, 1981[edit]

In 1981, Holger Kersten, a German writer on esoteric subjects popularised the subject in his Christ Lived in India.[32][54] Kersten's ideas were among various expositions of the theory critiqued by Günter Grönbold in Jesus in Indien. Das Ende einer Legende (Munich, 1985).[55] Wilhelm Schneemelcher states that the work of Kersten (which builds on Ahmad and The Aquarian Gospel) is fantasy and has nothing to do with historical research.[12] Schneemelcher and other historians state that Kersten combines elements from various previous authors such as Notovitch, Ahmadiyya sources, and Levi Dowling.[12][32] Gerald O'Collins also states that Kersten's work is simply the repackaging of a legend for consumption by the general public.[13]

Among texts cited by Kersten, following Andreas Faber-Kaiser, is the third khanda of the Pratisarga Parvan in the Bhavishya Mahapurana which contains discussion of "Isa Masih" and Muhammed. However Indologists such as Grönbold note that this section postdates not just the Quran,[56] but also the Mughals. Hiltebeitel (2009) establishes 1739 as the very earliest possible date for the section.[57]

Other theories[edit]

A number of other theories have been proposed, e.g., in 1992, in her book Jesus the Man, Dr. Barbara Thiering suggested that Jesus and Judas Iscariot had been crucified together but Jesus survived, married Mary Magdalene, travelled around the Mediterranean area and then died in Rome.[11][58]

Teacher of Righteousness[edit]

In 1995, Kenneth Hosking also suggested that Jesus survived crucifixion, but stated that Jesus was the Teacher of Righteousness mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls and decades later (73-74 AD) died as the leader of the Jewish forces which unsuccessfully fought the Romans during the Siege of Masada.[11][59]

Japan[edit]

The burial ground to what some claim is Jesus' final resting place

Some people in Japan have believed that Jesus visited them during the lost years and possibly survived the crucifixion to remain in Japan for the rest of his life. The legend exists in a village named Shingō, Aomori.[60]

Claims of visits after the resurrection[edit]

Christ visiting ancient Americans, called Nephites
Christ's visit to the Nephite people

Book of Mormon[edit]

According to the Book of Mormon, Jesus visited an Israelite people (called the Nephites, led to the Americas around 600 BC to avoid the Babylonian conquest[61]) after his resurrection. Evidences of Christ in the Americas are claimed in the Book of Mormon in the book of 3 Nephi, chapters 11-18.[62] According to the account, Jesus taught the ancient Americans similar things that he had taught during his ministry in Jerusalem.[63]

Although not the official beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some individuals compare Christ's visit to legends of Viracocha in South America, and Quetzalcoatl [64] in Central America. While some Latter-day Saint scholars have interpreted Quetzalcoatl legends to represent Jesus, Latter-day Saint author Brant Gardner, after investigating the link between Quetzalcoatl and Jesus, concluded that the association amounts to nothing more than folklore.[65] In a 1986 paper for Sunstone, he noted that during the Spanish Conquest, the Native Americans and the Catholic priests who sympathized with them felt pressure to link Native American beliefs with Christianity, thus making the Native Americans seem more human and less savage in the eyes of the Spanish. Over time, Quetzalcoatl's appearance, clothing, malevolent nature, and status among the gods were reshaped to fit a more Christian framework.[66]

Russian Orthodox Church[edit]

Painting of Christ visiting Russia
"Holy Russia" by Mikhail Nesterov

A 1905 painting by Russian artist Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov[67] depicts a resurrected Christ appearing to the Russian people, along with who is thought to be the apostles Peter, James, and John. It is influenced by a folk tale about Jesus visiting the ancient Russians following his resurrection.[68]

Artistic and literary renditions[edit]

Jesus in the workshop of Joseph the Carpenter, by Georges de La Tour, 1640s.

In 1996, the documentary Mysteries of the Bible presented an overview of the theories related to the travels of Jesus to India and interviewed a number of scholars on the subject.[69]

The boy Jesus represented as the Good Shepherd; image above the North door of the Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania)

Edward T. Martin's book King of Travelers: Jesus' Lost Years in India (2008) was used as the basis for Paul Davids' film Jesus in India (2008) shown on the Sundance Channel. The book and film cover Martin's search for Notovitch's claimed "Life of Issa."[70]

The book Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore, is a fictional comedy which tells the story of Jesus' adolescence and his travels to India and China from the point of view of Jesus' best friend Biff.[71]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ E.g., see Emil Bock The Childhood of Jesus: The Unknown YearsISBN 0863156193
  2. ^ Jump up to:a b c James H. Charlesworth The Historical Jesus: An Essential Guide 2008 ISBN 0687021677 "From twelve to thirty then are "Jesus' silent years," which does not denote he was silent. It means the Evangelists remain silent about what Jesus did." ... "Only Luke reports that Jesus was in the Temple when he was twelve, apparently for his bar mitzvah (2:42), and that he began his public ministry when he was "about thirty years of age" (3:23). What did Jesus do from age twelve to thirty?".
  3. ^ E.g., see Lost Years of Jesus Revealed by Charles F. Potter ISBN 0449130398
  4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f All the People in the Bible by Richard R. Losch (May 1, 2008) Eerdsmans Press ISBN 0802824544 209: "Nothing is known of the life of Jesus during the seventeen years from the time of the incident in the temple until his baptism by John the Baptist when he was about thirty. Countless theories have been proposed, among them that he studied in Alexandria in the Jewish centers there and that he lived among the Essenes in the Judean desert...there is no evidence to substantiate any of these claims and we have to accept that we simply don't know.... The most likely thing is that he continued to live in Nazareth and ply his trade there..."
  5. ^ Jump up to:a b c d The Cambridge Companion to the Arthurian Legend by Elizabeth Archibald and Ad Putter (10 Sep 2009) ISBN 0521677882page 50
  6. ^ "The Passion - Articles - Judas". BBC. 15 September 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b c New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. 1: Gospels and Related Writings by Wilhelm Schneemelcher and R. Mcl. Wilson (Dec 1, 1990) ISBN 066422721X page 84 "a particular book by Nicolas Notovich (Di Lucke im Leben Jesus 1894) ... shortly after the publication of the book, the reports of travel experiences were already unmasked as lies. The fantasies about Jesus in India were also soon recognized as invention... down to today, nobody has had a glimpse of the manuscripts with the alleged narratives about Jesus"
  8. ^ Jump up to:a b c Crossan, John Dominic; Richard G. Watts (1999). Who is Jesus? : answers to your questions about the historical Jesus. Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0664258425.
  9. ^ Jump up to:a b Voorst, Robert E. Van (2000). Jesus Outside the New Testament : an introduction to the ancient evidence. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. p. 17. ISBN 0-8028-4368-9. ... Jesus' putative travels to India and Tibet, his grave in Srinagar, Kashmir, and so forth. Scholarship has almost unanimously agreed that these references to Jesus are so late and tendentious as to contain virtually nothing of value for understanding the Historical Jesus.
  10. ^ Jump up to:a b Borg, Marcus J. (2005). "The Spirit-Filled Experience of Jesus". In Dunn, James D. G. (ed.). The Historical Jesus in Recent Research. Winona Lake, [IN]: Eisenbrauns. p. 303. ISBN 1-57506-100-7.
  11. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Voorst, Robert E. Van (2000). Jesus Outside the New Testament : an introduction to the ancient evidence. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. pp. 78–79. ISBN 0-8028-4368-9.
  12. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. 1: Gospels and Related Writings by Wilhelm Schneemelcher and R. Mcl. Wilson (Dec 1, 1990) ISBN 066422721X page 84. Schneemelcher states that Kersten's work is based on "fantasy, untruth and ignorance (above all in the linguistic area)" Schneemelcher states that ""Kersten for example attempted to work up Notovitch and Ahmadiyya legends with many other alleged witnesses into a complete picture. Thus Levi's Aquarian Gospel is pressed into service, along with the Turin shroud and the Qumran texts."
  13. ^ Jump up to:a b Focus on Jesus by Gerald O'Collins and Daniel Kendall (Sep 1, 1998) ISBN 0852443609 Mercer Univ Press pages 169-171
  14. ^ Maier, Paul L.; Yamauchi, Edwin M. (1989). "The Date of the Nativity and Chronology of Jesus". In Vardaman, Jerry (ed.). Chronos, kairos, Christos : nativity and chronological studies presented to Jack Finegan. Winona Lake, [IN]: Eisenbrauns. pp. 113–129. ISBN 0-931464-50-1.
  15. ^ Lloyd Kenyon Jones The Eighteen Absent Years of Jesus Christ "as a skilled and dutiful artisan and as a loving son and neighbor, Jesus was using those qualities which were to flame forth...was the work which He was to do that He did not leave that home and that preparation until the mature age of thirty."
  16. ^ :Reiner, Edwin W. (1971). The Atonement. Nashville: Southern Pub. Association. ISBN 0812700511. OCLC 134392. Page 140 ""And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph." Luke 3:23. But Christ, of course, did not belong to the Levitical priesthood. He had descended neither from Aaron nor from the tribe of Levi."
  17. ^ Jump up to:a b The Gospel According to Mark: Meaning and Message by George Martin (Sep 2005) ISBN 0829419705 Loyola Univ Press pages 128-129
  18. ^ The Gospel of Matthew (Sacra Pagina Series, Vol 1) by Daniel J. Harrington, Donald P. Senior (Sep 1, 1991) ISBN 0814658032Liturgical Press page 211
  19. ^ The Gospel of Matthew by R.T. France (Jul 27, 2007) ISBN 080282501X page 549
  20. ^ W. D. Davies, Dale Allison, Jr. Matthew 8-18 2004 ISBN 0567083659T&T Clarke Page 456 "For the suggestion that Jesus worked not only in a wood-worker's shop in Nazareth but perhaps also in Sepphoris, helping to construct Herod's capital, see R. A. Batey, 'Is not this the Carpenter?', NTS 30 (1984), pp. 249-58. Batey also calls ..."
  21. ^ Menahem Mansoor The Dead Sea Scrolls: A College Textbook and a Study Guide Brill Publishers; 1964, Page 156 "Edmund Wilson suggests that the unknown years in the life of Jesus (ages 12-29) might have been spent with the sect, but there is no reference to this in the texts."
  22. ^ Charles F. Potter The Lost Years of Jesus Revealed Random House 1958 "For centuries Christian students of the Bible have wondered where Jesus was and what he did during the so-called "eighteen silent years" between the ages of twelve and thirty. The amazing and dramatic scrolls of the great Essene library found in cave after cave near the Dead Sea have given us the answer at last. That during those "lost years" Jesus was a student at this Essene school is becoming increasingly apparent. .."
  23. ^ Brennan Hill Jesus, the Christ: contemporary perspectives 1991 ISBN 1585953032 Page 6 "than about the people with whom Jesus lived. Josephus (d. 100 C.E.) was born just after the time of Jesus. He claims to have studied with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes as a young man"
  24. ^ James H. Charlesworth The Historical Jesus: An Essential Guide2008 ISBN 0687021677 The New Testament apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha preserve many legends concocted to explain Jesus' youth. Tales have him ... The Evangelists have left "a narrative vacuum," and many have attempted to fill it. Only Luke reports that Jesus ...
  25. ^ Camelot and the vision of Albion by Geoffrey Ashe 1971 ISBN 0434034010 Page 157 "Blake may be referring to one of the odder offshoots of the Arthur-Grail imbroglio, the belief that Jesus visited Britain as a boy, lived at Priddy in the Mendips, and built the first wattle cabin at Glastonbury. This tale seems to have arisen quite ..."
  26. ^ Milton, A Poem (The Illuminated Books of William Blake, Volume 5)by William Blake, Robert N. Essick and Joseph Viscomi (Sep 4, 1998) ISBN 0691001480 Princeton Univ Press Page 214 "The notion that Jesus visited Britain may have been reinforced for Blake by the name 'Lambeth' (house of the lamb - see 4:14-15 note). Compare Isaiah 52.7 ('How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that ..."
  27. ^ Jesus: A Life by A. N. Wilson 1993 ISBN 0393326330 page 87 "One such legend, which haunted the imagination of William Blake and, through Blake's lyric 'Jerusalem', has passed into British national legend, is the story that Jesus visited Britain as a boy. Though written sources for this folk-tale are ..."
  28. ^ "Jesus 'may have visited England', says Scottish academic". (Film review) "And Did Those Feet". BBC News. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2013. St Augustine wrote to the Pope to say he'd discovered a church in Glastonbury built by followers of Jesus. But St Gildas (a 6th-Century British cleric) said it was built by Jesus himself. It's a very very ancient church which went back perhaps to AD37
  29. ^ L. Jacolliot (1869) La Bible dans l'Inde, Librairie Internationale, Paris (digitized by Google Books)
  30. ^ Jump up to:a b Louis Jacolliot (1870) The Bible in India, Carleton, New York (digitized by Google Books)
  31. ^ Max Müller (1888), Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute Volume 21, page 179
  32. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k Korbel, Jonathan; Preckel, Claudia (2016). "Ghulām Aḥmad al-Qādiyānī: The Messiah of the Christians—Peace upon Him—in India (India, 1908)". In Bentlage, Björn; Eggert, Marion; Krämer, Hans-Martin; Reichmuth, Stefan (eds.). Religious Dynamics under the Impact of Imperialism and Colonialism. Numen Book Series. 154. Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 426–442. doi:10.1163/9789004329003_034. ISBN 978-90-04-32511-1. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  33. ^ The Unknown Life Of Jesus Christ: By The Discoverer Of The Manuscript by Nicolas Notovitch (Oct 15, 2007) ISBN 1434812839
  34. ^ Jump up to:a b Forged: Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are by Bart D. Ehrman (Mar 6, 2012) ISBN 0062012622 page 252 "one of the most widely disseminated modern forgeries is called The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ"
  35. ^ Simon J. Joseph, "Jesus in India?" Journal of the American Academy of Religion Volume 80, Issue 1 pp. 161-199 "Max Müller suggested that either the Hemis monks had deceived Notovitch or that Notovitch himself was the author of these passages"
  36. ^ Last Essays by Friedrich M. Mueller 1901 (republished in Jun 1973) ISBN 0404114393 page 181: "it is pleasanter to believe that Buddhist monks can at times be wags, than that M. Notovitch is a rogue."
  37. ^ Jump up to:a b Bradley Malkovsky, "Some Recent Developments in Hindu Understandings of Jesus" in the Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies(2010) Vol. 23, Article 5.:"Müller then wrote to the chief lama st Hemis and received the reply that no Westerner had visited there in the past fifteen years nor was the monastery in possession of any documents having to do with the story Notovitch had made public in his famous book" ... "J. Archibald Douglas took it upon himself to make the journey to the Hemis monistry to conduct a personal interview with the same head monk with whom Müller had corresponded. What Douglas learned there completely concurred with what Müller had learned: Notovitch had never been there."
  38. ^ Jump up to:a b Indology, Indomania, and Orientalism by Douglas T. McGetchin(Jan 1, 2010) Fairleigh Dickinson University Press ISBN 083864208Xpage 133 "Faced with this cross-examination, Notovich confessed to fabricating his evidence."
  39. ^ D.L. Snellgrove and T. Skorupski (1977) The Cultural Heritage of Ladakh, p. 127, Prajna Press ISBN 0-87773-700-2
  40. ^ Ehrman, Bart D. (February 2011). "8. Forgeries, Lies, Deceptions, and the Writings of the New Testament. Modern Forgeries, Lies, and Deceptions". Forged: Writing in the Name of God—Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are (First Edition. EPub ed.). New York: HarperCollins e-books. pp. 282–283. ISBN 978-0-06-207863-6.
  41. ^ The Heart of a Continent, a Narrative of Travels in Manchuria, Across the Gobi Desert, Through the Himalayas, the Pamirs, and Hunza (1884-1894), 1904, pp. 180-181.
  42. ^ Chaitanya, Brahmachari Bhairab; Swami Abhedananda's Journey into Kashmir and Tibet; Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, Calcutta, 1987 (first published in Bengali in 1929) pp.119-121, 164-166; ISBN 0874816432
  43. ^ Richard, Hooper; Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu; 2012 p. 176 ISBN 1571746803
  44. ^ The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling by Levi H. Dowling (original publication 1908) ISBN 1602062242 pages 12 and 65
  45. ^ "Altai-Himalaya by Nicholas Roerich". www.roerich.org. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  46. ^ Jesus: The Complete Guide 2006 by Leslie Houlden ISBN 082648011X page 140
  47. ^ Fredriksen, Paula. From Jesus to Christ. ISBN 0300084579 Yale University Press, 2000, p. xxvi.
  48. ^ What You Need to Know about Islam and Muslims, by George Braswell 2000 ISBN 978-0-8054-1829-3 B & H Publishing page 127
  49. ^ Günter Grönbold Jesus In Indien – Das Ende einer Legende. Kösel, München, 1985
  50. ^ Jesus' Tomb in India: The Debate on His Death and Resurrection by Paul C. Pappas 1991 ISBN 0895819465 ; page 155: "Al-Haj Nazir Ahmad's work Jesus in Heaven on Earth, which constitutes the Ahmadi's best historical defense of Jesus' presence in Kashmir as Yuz Asaf, appears to be full of flaws, especially concerning Gondophares' reign", page 100: "The Ahmadi thesis can rest only on eastern legends recorded in oriental works, which for the most part are not reliable, not only because they were written long after the facts, but also because their stories of Yuz Asaf are different and in contradiction", page 115: "It is almost impossible to identify Yuz Asaf with Jesus"
  51. ^ In The Journal of Ecclesiastical History Volume 18, Issue 02, October 1967, pp 247-248, John Rippon summarizes the work of David Marshall Lang on the subject as follows: "In The Wisdom of Balahvar Professor Lang assembled the evidence for the Buddhist origins of the legends of the Christian saints Barlaam and Josephat. He suggested the importance of Arabic intermediaries, showing that confusion of diacritical markings turned Budhasaf (Bodhisattva, the Buddha-to-be) into Yudasaf, Iodasaph, Yuzasaf and Josaphat. By a curious roundabout journey this error reappears in once-Buddhist Kashmir where the modern Ahmadiyya Muslims, well known for their Woking mosque, claim that a tomb of Yus Asad was the tomb of Jesus who died in Kashmir, after having been taken down live from the cross; though the Bombay Arabic edition of the book Balahvar makes its hero die in Kashmir, by confusion with Kushinara the traditional place of the Buddha's death."
  52. ^ Per Beskow in The Blackwell Companion to Jesus ed. Delbert Burkett 2011 ISBN 140519362X "During the transmission of the legend, this name underwent several changes: to Budhasaf, Yudasaf, and finally Yuzasaf. In Greek, his name is Ioasaph; in Latin, Josaphat, ..."
  53. ^ Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher, The Biography of the Avatar of the Age, Meher Baba, Bhau Kalchuri, Manifestation, Inc. 1986, p. 752
  54. ^ Jesus Lived in India: His Unknown Life Before and After the Crucifixion by Holger Kersten 1981 ISBN 0143028294 Penguin India
  55. ^ Gregorianum Page 258 Pontificia università gregoriana (Rome) "The whole story of how this legend was simply created (without a shred of evidence in its support), spread widely among a gullible public and still finds such latter-day exponents as Holger Kersten is splendidly told by Günt[h]er Grönbold."
  56. ^ Die Jesus-in-Indien-Legende - Eine alternative Jesus-Erzählung? by Mark Bothe 2011 ISBN 3640439791 Page 29 "... schließlich in Srinagar niedergelassen habe, liest Faber-Kaiser Mahapurana.85 Aus seinem Gespräch mit Professor Fida Hassnain entwickelt er zudem die ... aus einem Werk namens Tarikh-i-Kashmir und dem Bhavishya
  57. ^ Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics by Alf Hiltebeitel 2009 ISBN 0226340511 Univ Chicago Press Page 276 "Thus 1739 could mark a terminus a quo for the text's history of the Mughals. If so, the same terminus would apply to its Genesis-Exodus sequence in its first khanda, its Jesus-Muhammad diptych in its third (the Krsnam&acaritd) , and the history ..."
  58. ^ Jesus the Man by Barbara Thiering ISBN 0552154075
  59. ^ Yeshua, the Nazorean, the Teacher of Righteousness by Kenneth V. Hosking 1995 ISBN 1857561775 Janus Publishing
  60. ^ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-little-known-legend-of-jesus-in-japan-165354242/
  61. ^ "The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 1". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  62. ^ "The Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 11". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  63. ^ "The Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 12". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  64. ^ Diane E. Wirth (1993-07-08). "Quetzalcoatl, the Maya Maize God, and Jesus Christ - Diane E. Wirth - Journal of Book of Mormon Studies - Volume 11 - Issue 1". Maxwellinstitute.byu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  65. ^ Blair 2008
  66. ^ Gardner, Brant (1986). "The Christianization of Quetzalcoatl"(PDF). Sunstone. 10 (11).
  67. ^ "Holy Russia".
  68. ^ Mark J Stoddard. "Did Jesus Visit Russia After His Resurrection?".
  69. ^ National Geographic Channel (25 May 1996) Mysteries of the Bible, "The Lost Years of Jesus".
  70. ^ W. Barnes Tatum Jesus: A Brief History 2009 Page 237 "On the site, there appears the title in English with eye-catching flourishes: Jesus in India.50 Instead of a narrative retelling of the Jesus story, Jesus in India follows the American adventurer Edward T. Martin, from Lampasas, Texas, as he ..."
  71. ^ Maass, Donald (Mar 14, 2011). The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Strategies for Career Fiction Writers. p. 222. ISBN 978-1582979908.

Further reading[edit]

  • Fida Hassnain. Search For The Historical Jesus. Down-to-Earth Books, 2006. ISBN 1-878115-17-0
  • Tricia McCannon. Jesus: The Explosive Story of the 30 Lost Years and the Ancient Mystery Religions. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., 2010. ISBN 978-1-57174-607-8.
  • Charles Potter. Lost Years of Jesus Revealed., Fawcett, 1985. ISBN 0-449-13039-8
  • Elizabeth Clare Prophet. The Lost Years of Jesus' Life: Documentary Evidence of Jesus's 17-Year Journey to the East. Gardiner, Mont.: Summit University Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0-916766-87-0.
  • Paramahansa Yogananda. "The Unknown Years of Jesus—Sojourn in India." Discourse 5 in The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You: A Revelatory Commentary on the Original Teachings of Jesus. 2 vol. Los Angeles, CA: Self-Realization Fellowship, 2004. ISBN 0-87612-555-0
Posted by at
Labels: ,

Documentary Review: "Last Days of Jesus" ~ Laura L. Zielke

Documentary Review: "Last Days of Jesus" ~ Laura L. Zielke


Documentary Review: “Last Days of Jesus”

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Laura Zielke
In the documentary, The Last Days of Jesus, a few well-known (thanks to the History Channel H2) liberal scholars collaborate to weave a “new” narrative about the Crucifixion based on extra-biblical sources: secular historical records, select pseudepigraphal writings, and recent archaeological discoveries.
Last Days of Jesus

Produced by Simcha Jacobovici, The Naked Archaeologist—featuring local UNC Professor James Tabor and numerous international scholars—this documentary approaches the story of Jesus from a Scripturally skeptical, yet historically intriguing, point of view.

Although I do not agree with each of their conclusions (which is my right based on my own research), the documentary is saturated with excellent historical reminders and re-enactments, fantastic footage filmed throughout the Holy Land and the ancient Roman Empire, and an extra-biblical perspective on the story of Jesus.

I rather enjoyed this documentary. As an INTJ and lifelong learner, I prefer to gather information from a variety of scholars and perspectives—especially when their views are filmed on-site in Jerusalem, Galilee, Caesarea Maritima, and Rome! I always learn something and gain interesting insights into the culture and time of Jesus and His followers.

 PLEASE NOTE
This is NOT a Scripture-centered approach to the Passion story, so only watch it if you’re interested in understanding how some skeptics explain the crucifixion of Jesus in first-century Judea.

The last 30-minutes of the documentary gives Jacobovici a platform to weave together a fanciful theory of the Passion based on nothing but speculation and potentially correlative events. (They only correlate provided you completely disregard the timeline presented in the Gospel accounts—most of which were written either by eyewitnesses or based on eyewitness testimony.) Jacobovici’s theory rests on the expansion of the Passion timeline: placing Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem six-months prior to Passover. In other words, “Holy Week” becomes “Holy Six-Months.”


The Last Supper may very well be that ‘doomed’ strategy meeting where they were looking for a way out and they couldn’t find one.” Jacobovici

His theory is that Jesus was arrested after the Temple cleansing during the Feast of Tabernacles (not Passover, as Scripture clearly states in ALL four Gospel accounts) and left to rot in jail for six months, thus losing popularity with the masses.By tossing out the Bible, liberal scholars create a new Passion narrative based on pure speculation and improbable correlations.CLICK TO TWEET

Expanding the timeline provides these scholars ample room to invent attractive, completely unnecessary theories to explain the “sudden” change of heart of the crowd towards Jesus.

Click here to hear my explanation for the crowd’s supposed “sudden” change of heart during Holy Week:

From “Hosanna!” on Sunday to “Crucify Him!” on Thursday:
What happened? Was it really the same crowd?
My Opinion on the “Last Days of Jesus” Documentary

When it all comes down, the conclusions reached by Jacobovici and the other scholars are based on a logical fallacy: argumentum ex silentio (argument from silence). The unnecessarily expanded timeline, the Triumphal Entry dated to six-months earlier than every recorded account places it, Jesus’ six-month imprisonment (nowhere mentioned or hinted at) and subsequent loss of popularity (again, nowhere mentioned or hinted at), the critical role of Aelius Sejanus in the politics of Judea—ALL of this is based on speculation and conjecture. I’m so disappointed with the ending of this documentary.

Oh well. It is what it is. I enjoyed most of the documentary, learned a couple new things, and LOVED seeing some of my favorite places in the Holy Land .
Be encouraged by the following facts:

Many knowledgeable, liberal scholars used to deny vehemently that Jesus ever actually existed—they don’t deny it anymore! Many intelligent, liberal scholars also used to deny that He was crucified (or that anyone was ever crucified, for that matter)—they don’t deny that anymore either! Many liberal scholars still deny that He was raised from the dead—stay tuned…


Click here to purchase the DVD: Last Days of Jesus DVD



Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Facebook Comments


You might also be interested in:

Mark 14-16 ~ What Really Happened?

Book Review: The Coming Apostasy

Book Review: "First Words of Jesus" by Stu Epperson, Jr.

Share the knowledge!






3 thoughts on “Documentary Review: “Last Days of Jesus””

David Lee says:
April 1, 2018 at 5:02 pm


Their time line requires the crucifixion to be around 31 AD. They theorize the Sejanus death resulted in a change of fortunes for Jesus resulting in his crucifixion. It is generally agreed that the old Herod died around 4 BC. Jesus was apparently born prior since the old Herod tried to kill him. If we agree that Jesus was born before 4 BC, and that Jesus was crucified at around 33 years of age, their theory could not work since he would have been gone well before to Sejanus death.

Laura Zielke says:
April 1, 2018 at 5:03 pm


Another excellent observation!

george scott says:
December 18, 2018 at 9:49 pm


I watched this so-called documentary and found it to be so much typical libspeak by a gaggle of self impressed tongue wagggers. It’s really hard to believe they are paid educators.
Posted by at

Documentary Review: "Last Days of Jesus" ~ Laura L. Zielke

Documentary Review: "Last Days of Jesus" ~ Laura L. Zielke
Posted by at

Martin Trench - YouTube"And Did Those Feet...?" part 1 (Jesus Lost Years, the Essenes, and Glastonbury)

Martin Trench - YouTube






21:08NOW PLAYING



"And Did Those Feet...?" part 2 (Jesus Lost Years, the Essenes, and Glastonbury)
11K views5 years ago

CC




23:09NOW PLAYING


WATCH LATER
ADD TO QUEUE

"And Did Those Feet...?" part 1 (Jesus Lost Years, the Essenes, and Glastonbury)
19K views5 years ago

CC
Posted by at

The missing years of Jesus | Guide

The missing years of Jesus | Guide

The missing years of Jesus


Source: Supplied

/

VIDEO
AUDIO
There’s a serious gap in the bible that omits almost 20 years of Jesus’ life. So where did he go and what did he get up to during this time?
By
James Mitchell

21 APR 2017 - 12:06 PM UPDATED 21 APR 2017 - 12:07 PM


It’s one of the greatest mysteries in history. What happened to Jesus when he all but disappeared from the scriptures at 12-years-old only to resurface at around 30 to begin his ministry?

Of course, the widely accepted Christian belief is that he spent these years plying his trade as a carpenter in Galilee, but there’s little reference to that in the bible.

This gaping hole in Jesus’ life has led to several theories. The most prevalent ones range from somewhat credible, to questionable, to bat sh*t bonkers. Could Jesus have studied Hinduism and Buddhism in India, communed with Druids in Great Britain, become an adopted son of Japan, or travelled throughout the Americas?

These alternate histories, or alternate facts if you like, are an industry in themselves. If any or some were true, it would shatter the beliefs and foundation of Christianity.

But there’s such a lack of irrefutable evidence for each one that they need to be taken with a big sack of salt. Here’s a look at these nonetheless fascinating theories.
Jesus studies Hinduism and Buddhism in India








Could a hidden manuscript be proof of Jesus’ time in India?
Source: Supplied

One of the most prevalent theories is that Jesus trained with mystics in the Himalayas. “Russian aristocrat, Cossack officer, spy, and journalist” Nicolas Notovitch claimed in an account of his 1894 trip to the Himis monastery in Tibet to have seen the 3rd Century AD manuscript, the Life of Saint Issa, Best of the Sons of Men, detailing Jesus’ missing years. It claimed Jesus, called Issa by monks, studied under yogis in India, Nepal and Tibet.

Others have also claimed to have set their eyes upon the manuscript, said to remain hidden by Buddhists in a Himalayan monastery. Adding to the theory is the idea that Jesus survived the crucifixion and returned to India, and is in fact buried there.
Jesus visits Great Britain with his uncle








This theory posits that Jesus communed with Druids in Glastonbury, Britain
Source: Supplied

The theory that Jesus visited Britain as a young man gained momentum with the poem Jerusalem written by William Blake with the verses “And did those feet in ancient time / Walk upon England’s mountains green? And was the Holy Lamb of God / On England’s pleasant pastures seen?”

As legend would have it, Jesus travelled some 2,000 years ago to the West Country with Joseph of Arimathaea, a tin trader who some believe was Jesus’ uncle. Jesus is said to have studied with Druids in Glastonbury, the idea being that Druidism held some similarities to the Christian faith. The theory has it that Jesus built a chapel there.

Documentary And Did Those Feet posits that Jesus may have come to Britain to further his learning.

"If somebody was wanting to learn about the spirituality and thinking not just of the Jews but also the classical and Greek world he would have to come to Britain, which was the centre of learning at the time,” the film’s director and producer Ted Harrison told The Independent, but admitting there’s no archeological finds that he knows of to back this up.

Of course, Britain is at the heart of the Holy Grail legend, the cup said to be used by Jesus at the Last Supper, and in one theory used by Joseph of Arimathaea to collect Jesus’ blood during his crucifixion. As one Arthurian legend would have it, the medieval military order the Knights Templar seized the holy grail during the Crusades.
Jesus goes to Japan








This whacky theory claims that Jesus visited Japan at 21, was never crucified, and returned to Japan where he is buried in the hamlet of Shingo.
Source: Mike Raybourne/Creative Commons

Here’s a fascinating idea; at 21-years-old legend has it that Jesus became a disciple of a Buddhist master near Mount Fuji, immersing himself in Japanese culture and learning the language.

But it’s what supposedly happened later that is really bonkers. As Smithsonian Magazine reports, a variation on one of the many ‘Swoon’ theories (which argue that Jesus never died) posits that his younger brother Isukiri took his place on the cross.

Jesus then returned to Japan with his brother’s severed ear and a lock of the virgin Mary’s hair, settling down in the northern mountain hamlet of Shingo with a farmer’s daughter named Miyuko, and fathered three daughters. He grew garlic!! He died aged 106!!

It’s a legend that has a huge following. Every year some 20,000 people visit Shingo, also known as Kirisuto no Sato (Christ’s Hometown) to the supposed site of Jesus’ burial (cared for by a local yoghurt factory!), a modest mound with a cross on top. His brother’s ear is said to be interred next door.
Jesus visits tribes in The Americas








Jesus was a busy man according to this theory, “the White Prophet” travelling across the American continents
Source: National Geographic Channel

Is this one’s true, then Jesus really must have got around. Archeologist L. Taylor Hansen in her book He Walked the Americas explores Native American legends that say a “White Prophet” visited tribes throughout Peru, South and Central America, Mexico and North America in his missing years.

According to the legends, this “White Prophet” had the ability to speak in a thousand languages, raise the dead and heal the sick, not unlike biblical descriptions.

Explore the later days of Jesus with the documentary series The Last Days of Jesus, airing on SBS Sunday nights at 7:35pm. You can stream earlier episodes in this fascinating series on SBS On Demand:

Posted by at

Last days – Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension - Christian beliefs - Edexcel - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Edexcel - BBC Bitesize

Last days – Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension - Christian beliefs - Edexcel - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Edexcel - BBC Bitesize

Last days – Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension

The crucifixion

Jesus was crucified on a Friday alongside two robbers, one on each side of him. A sign above his head read “King of the Jews”. As he was being crucified, Jesus cried out: Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).

One of the robbers confessed to Jesus that he had sinned and said that he and the other robber deserved to die for their crimes. The robber also acknowledged that Jesus was innocent. Jesus told this robber that they would meet again in Paradise.

Christians believe that Jesus’ crucifixion was a crucial moment in his life as this act brought humans salvation from sin.

The resurrection

After the crucifixion, Jesus’ body was buried in a tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. Early on the Sunday morning, three days after the crucifixion, some of Jesus’ female followers went to anoint his body with spices. However, the tomb was empty. Two men in gleaming white clothes appeared and told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead. The women informed Jesus’ disciples that the tomb was empty.

For most Christians, the resurrection is the most significant event. It is the ultimate miracle which proves the divinity of Jesus as well as indicating that death is not the end.

The ascension

The Gospel of Luke states that 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples that they must stay in Jerusalem and that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, Jesus was taken up into a cloud. Two men in white appeared and told the disciples that Jesus had gone to Heaven.

The ascension reminds Christians that Jesus has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for them, so they do not need to fear death. As Jesus is no longer restricted by time, he is always with them. Christians also believe that because Jesus didn't die again before ascending to heaven, the Ascension shows Jesus’ divinity.

Visual representation of the Easter story.
Posted by at

Namgok Lee 억압된 개인의 욕망을 해방하는 과정이 근대 이후의 대세다.

(9) Facebook

Namgok Lee
 
억압된 개인의 욕망을 해방하는 과정이 근대 이후의 대세다.
그것이 개인주의ㆍ자유주의ㆍ자본주의ㆍ자유민주주의의 심층의 바탕이다.
이것을 거스르는 실험들은 실패하거나 왜곡되었다.
국가와 시장도 이 바탕에서 운영된다.
그런데 지금 개인의 욕망을 마음껏 분출하는 것이 되돌아와 자신이 그 일원인 전체의 생존을 위협하고 있다.
생태계의 파괴로 이어지고 생명의 위기로 되고 있다.
국가와 시장이라는 주류 흐름에도 큰 변화가 요구되고 있고, 새로운  인간ㆍ사회ㆍ문명을 지향하는 운동들이 주류의 변화를 이끌어갈 추동력으로 발전할 것이 요구되고 있다.
생명ㆍ평화ㆍ생태ㆍ마을ㆍ협동 ㆍ자치 ㆍ개벽 등의 운동들이 단지 틈새운동에 머무르지 않고 주류 흐름을 바꾸는 동력으로 되기 위해서 무엇이 중요할까?
철학적 사변적 관념적 테마가 아니라, 절박한 실존적 위기와 만나고 있다.
개인의 욕망을 억제하는 방향은 실패한 실험들의 전철을 밟게 될 가능성이 크다.
그리고 공멸을 막기 위해 생태전체주의나 독재가 불가피하게 출현한다면 그것은  디스토피아의 괴기한 모습일 것이다.
과연 인간의 보편적 의식이 자기 중심적 욕망을 넘어서는  것이 진정한 자유의 길이라는 자각에  이를 수 있을까?
억압된 욕망을 해방하는 과정을 지나 그 자기중심적 욕망 자체로부터 해방하려는 의식으로 나아갈 수 있을까?
나는 억압된 개인의 욕망을 해방하는 과정을 거치지 않으면 그 욕망 자체의 부자유를 보편적으로 자각하는 것은 어렵다고 보았다.
다른 말로 하면 물질적 자유와 사회적 자유가 그 억압되었던 자기중심적 욕망을 풀어놓는  과정과 결합되어 상당한 수준으로 진척되는 것이 인간의 궁극적 자유 즉 관념계의 자유가 현실적이고 보편적으로 실현될 수 있는 조건으로 보았다.
축의 시대의 성현들이 도달한 자유가 보통사람들의 삶 속에서 실현되는 역사의 진행, 한 때 나는  이것을 '보통 사람들의 성인화'라고 생각하면서 유토피아는 현실이 될 수 있다는 믿음을 가져왔다.
그런데 시간이 기다려주지 않는다는, 즉 그렇게 되기 전에 공멸하거나 디스토피아의 모습이 나타날  가능성이 커지는 현실에 직면하고 있다.
과연 자기중심적 욕망 그 자체가 자유의 질곡이라는 자각이 상당히 발전한 물질적ㆍ사회적 토대 위에서 보편적 흐름으로 나타날 수 있을까?
욕망의 억압이 아니라 욕망의 해방이 새로운 사회와 문명의 바탕으로 진전될 수 있을까?
21세기의 2차 르네상스(축의 시대의 르네상스에 이어서)가 이 땅에서 발흥하는 꿈은 한낱  몽상으로 그치고 말 것인가?
나는 어떤 경우라도 비록 몽상으로 그칠지 몰라도 그 꿈을 안고 그것을 향해 한걸음이라도 가까이 걸으면서 여생을 보내고 싶다.
하늘이여, 그런 복을 저에게 허용해 주옵소서.

Posted by at
Labels:

불교언론-7. 보살관 - 법보신문

불교언론-7. 보살관 - 법보신문

7. 보살관


이제열 법사
승인 2014.04.08 16:02

멈춰 선 성불보다 실천하는 보살이 필요


▲ 그림=김승연 화백

보살은 부처의 진리를 깨닫기 위해 노력하는 수행자이며 세상의 괴로움을 없애기 위해 활동하는 구원자다. 누구든지 부처가 되기를 서원했다면 반드시 보살의 길을 밟아야 한다. 보살의 길은 바라밀의 실천에 있다. 바라밀은 ‘방편’과 ‘완성’이라는 두 가지 의미를 지니고 있으며 보살이 행해야 할 실천덕목이다. 보시·지계·인욕·정진·선정·지혜·자비·출리·결단·서원 등 열 가지를 비롯해 자신과 중생을 이롭게 하는 갖가지 행위들이다. 부처님이 불과에 이룰 수 있었던 원인은 바라밀의 실천을 통한 보살도에 있다. 단순히 계행과 선정과 명상을 닦아 최고의 깨달음을 얻은 것이 아니라 헤아릴 수 없는 세월동안 보살도를 닦았기 때문이다. 아라한과 부처가 번뇌를 멸진하고 일체의 속박으로부터 벗어나기는 했지만 아라한을 부처라고 부르지 않는 것은 보살도를 통한 공덕을 구족하지 못했기 때문이다. 석가모니 부처님의 경우 부처가 되기 위해 결심한 시간만 9띤쩨이였다. 1띤쩨이는 10의 140제곱으로 상상을 초월하는 숫자다. 그 뒤로 부처님이 부처가 되겠다고 남들에게 말로 한 시기가 7띤쩨이, 바라밀을 행하면서 몸과 입과 마음으로 행동한 시기가 4띤쩨이, 여기에다 우주의 성주괴공이 10만 번 되풀이 되는 과정을 더 보태어 바라밀을 닦은 끝에 마침내 부처로 세상에 출현 할 수 있게 되었다.

초기불교 보살은 인간 속성
대승의 보살은 부처와 동격

초기불교는 성불로 끝나지만
대승은 성불 이후 보살의 길

성불 목표로 보살행 권함은
모든 중생 성불 가능함 의미

초기불교에서 보살은 부처를 이루기 위해 바라밀을 실천하는 구도자의 모습으로 그려진다. ‘본생담’이나 ‘대방광장엄경’과 같은 경전을 살펴보면 부처님의 수행자 시절을 보살로 부른다. 초기경전에는 많은 보살이 등장하지 않는다. 한 시대에 한 부처님이 출현하는 것처럼 보살도 특별한 시대 특별한 장소에 나타난다고 가르친다. 석가모니 부처님의 뒤를 이어 세상에 출현한다는 미륵보살이 대표적이다. 초기경전에서는 부처님이 번뇌를 끊고 다시는 태어나지 않는 경지에 대해서만 가르칠 뿐 보살이 되어 중생들을 구제하고 미래세에 부처가 되라고 가르치지 않는다. 누구도 부처님 앞에서 자신도 부처가 되겠다고 서원을 세운 사람은 찾아보기 힘들다. 물론 초기경전을 중심으로 하는 상좌부 불교에서도 간혹 성불을 목적하는 수행자들이 있기는 하다. 어찌됐든 초기불교의 보살관은 보살에 대한 신심이나 존경심을 갖기 힘든 구조다. 부처님이 곧 보살도의 완성자이기 때문에 부처님 한분에 대한 존경심으로 충분하다고 보는 것이다.

이와 달리 대승불교에서의 보살은 성격이 판이하게 다르다. 초기불교에서 보살은 부처를 이룸과 동시에 종식되는 과거형의 인물이다. 바라밀을 행하여 공덕이 충족해지면 부처를 이루게 되고 보살이 부처를 이루면 보살의 활동은 끝이 난다. 그러나 대승불교의 보살은 그렇지 않다. 보살이 부처가 되었다 해도 보살행이 끝나지 않고 중생이 세상에 존재하는 한 미래에도 계속된다. 대승불교의 보살은 과거·현재·미래에 걸쳐 항상 활동하는 삼세형 인물인 것이다. 보살의 종류를 살펴보면 더욱 분명해진다. 대승불교에서는 보살을 세 가지로 분류한다. 첫째는 지전보살(地前菩薩)이다. 수행을 하고는 있지만 어떠한 수행의 결실도 맺지 못한 보살이다. 대승불교에서는 보살의 수행단계로 열 가지를 둔다. 이를 보살십지라 하는데 지전보살은 첫 단계인 초지에도 오르지 못한 수행자이다. 둘째는 지상보살(地上菩薩)이다. 초지에서 십지를 향해 올라가고 있는 보살이다. 셋째는 권현보살(權現菩薩)이다. 대승보살의 극치로 십지를 통과해 수행을 완성한 부처가 부처의 자리에 머물지 않고 중생들을 제도하기 위해 몸을 나타낸 보살이다. 관음보살, 문수보살, 지장보살 등이 이에 속한다. 앞의 지전보살과 지상보살들이 범부의 보살들이라면 권현보살은 성현의 보살들이라 할 수 있다. 비록 보살로 호칭되지만 경지는 부처님과 동격이다. 권현보살은 부처님의 깨달음 속에 내재하는 갖가지 공덕과 위신력을 인격화 해 만들어진 방편적 존재들이다. 문수보살은 부처님의 깨달음에 내재하는 지혜를 인격화한 것이며 관음보살은 자비를 인격화 한 것이다. 만약 부처의 깨달음 속에 중생을 이익 되게 하는 공덕이 있다면 그에 합당한 보살을 얼마든지 만들어 낼 수 있다고 보는 것이 대승불교의 관점이다. 일부 상좌부 불교수행자들의 생각처럼 대승불교의 보살들은 힌두의 신들이 아니다. 누구라도 부처님과 같은 깨달음을 이루고 세상에 내려와 중생을 제도한다면 모두가 권현보살이다. 관음보살이나 문수보살만 권현보살이 아니라 중생 모두가 권현보살이 될 수 있다. 이것이 바른 권현보살의 의미다. 부처님의 깨달음과 공덕은 육신이 소멸한다고 해서 함께 사라지는 것이 아니다. 부처의 깨달음은 무위(無爲)이며 또한 불괴(不壞)이다. 그렇다면 보살과 바라밀, 그리고 보살들의 행위도 사라져서는 안 된다.

초기불교의 보살이 인간의 속성을 띤다면 대승불교의 보살은 부처의 속성을 띤다. 대승불교에서의 보살은 성불로 끝나는 것이 아니라 성불에서 다시 보살로 회향한다는 점이다. 성불은 곧 보살의 적극적 활동인 셈이다. 이렇게 본다면 석가모니 부처님도 석가모니 보살이라 호칭한다고 해서 하등 달라질 것이 없다. 대승불교의 보살관은 보살에 대한 서원과 신심을 발하도록 요구한다. 중생들에게 성불을 목표로 보살도를 닦을 것을 권하고 있는 것이다. 한 시대 특정한 인물만이 보살이 되는 것이 아니라 불도에 귀의한 모든 중생들이 다 보살이 되기를 원한다. 부처님께 귀의하듯 시방의 모든 보살도를 걷는 이들에게 귀의할 것과 공양예배 할 것을 당부한다.

보살은 세상에 필요한 인물이다. 세상은 성불에 그친 사람보다 보살도를 실천하는 사람을 원한다. 부처님의 전생인 선혜동자와 부처님의 권화보살인 문수동자 과연 다른 인물이었을까?

이제열 법림법회 법사 yoomalee@hanmail.net




[1240호 / 2014년 4월 9일자 / 법보신문 
Posted by at
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)