Nexus - 0503 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Greek manuscripts with their often-used Hebrew and Aramaic Jesus' brother James and St Paul were leaders of the sect of the words and phrases. And in so doing we discover that, just as with Nazarenes. the Nativity story, a good deal of relevant content has been mis- This definition of "Nazarene" is very important to the Grail represented, misunderstood, mistranslated or simply just lost in story because it has been so often misrepresented to suggest that the telling. Sometimes this has happened because original words Jesus came from the town of Nazareth. For the past 400 years, have no direct counterpart in other languages. English language Gospels have perpetuated the error by wrongly We've all been taught that Jesus’ father Joseph was a carpenter. translating "Jesus the Nazarene" as "Jesus of Nazareth". There "Why not? It says so in the Gospels." But it didn't say that in the was no connection between Nazareth and the Nazarenes. In fact, original Gospels. By the best translation, it actually said that the settlement at Nazareth was established in the AD 60s, thirty Joseph was a Master of the Craft. The word "carpenter" was sim- years or so after the Crucifixion. Nobody in Jesus' early life came ply a translator's concept of a craftsman. Anyone associated with from Nazareth—it was not there! modern Freemasonry will recognise the term "the Craft". It's got The Nazarenes were a liberal, Jewish sect opposed to the strict nothing whatever to do with woodwork. The text simply denoted Hebrew regime of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Nazarene that Joseph was a masterly, learned and scholarly man. culture and language were heavily influenced by the philosophers Another example is the concept of the Virgin Birth. Our of ancient Greece, and their community supported the concept of English-language Gospels tell us that Jesus' mother Mary was a equal opportunity for men and women. Documents of the time virgin; they keep telling us that she was a virgin. Well, let's con- referred not to Nazareth but to the Nazarene society. Priestesses sider the word "virgin". We understand the word; it tells us that existed in equal opportunity with priests, but this was so different this was a woman with no experience of sexual union. But this from what the male-dominated Hebrew society wanted and what was translated not from the Greek initially but from the Latin. the later, male-dominated Roman Church required. That was easy because the Latin called It has to be remembered that Jesus her virgo; Mary was a virgo. It didn't was not a Christian: he was a mean the same thing at all! Virgo in Nazarene—a radical, westernised Latin meant nothing more than "a Jew. The Christian movement was young woman". To have meant the So, have we been completely founded by others in the wake of his same thing as "virgin" does to us misguided by the Gospels? own mission. The word "Christian today, the Latin would have been was first recorded and used in AD virgo intacta, that is to say, "a young . . 44 in Antioch, Syria. woman intact”. No; we've been misguided by In the Arab world, the word used Let's look back beyond the Latin . . today, as then, to describe Jesus and text; let's see why they called her the English-language translations his followers is Nazara. This is con- virgo, a young woman. Maybe they of the Gospels. firmed in the Muslim Koran: Jesus actually got something right which is Nazara; his followers are Nazara. we've got wrong later on. We discov- er that the word translated to mean "Guardians". The full definition is virgo, a young woman, was the old Nazrie ha-Brit, "Keepers of the Hebrew word almah which meant "a young woman". It had no —- Covenant". In fact, the Brit aspect of that is the very root of the sexual connotation whatever. Had Mary actually been physically country name of Britain. Brit-ain means "Covenant-land". The word means "Keepers" or virgo intacta, the Hebrew word used would have been bethula, In the time of Jesus the Nazarenes lived in Galilee, and in that not almah. mystical place which the Bible calls "the Wilderness". The Wilderness was actually a very defined place. It was essentially we've been misguided by the English language translations to Mird and other places. It was where the Dead Sea Scrolls were S o, have we been completely misguided by the Gospels? No; the land around the main settlement at Qumran which spread out of the Gospels. We've also been misguided by a Church produced—discovered at Qumran in 1948. establishment that has done everything in its power to deny Somewhere after the Crucifixion, Peter and his friend Paul went women any normal lifestyle in the Gospel story. The New off to Antioch, then on to Rome, and they began the movement Testament's key women are virgins or whores or sometimes wid- that became Christianity. But as recorded in the other annals, ows—never everyday girlfriends, wives or mothers, and certainly Jesus, his brother James and the majority of the other apostles not ever priestesses or holy sisters. continued the Nazarene movement and progressed it into Europe. Notwithstanding that, the Gospels tell us time and time again It became the Celtic Church. The Nazarene movement as a that Jesus was descended from King David through his father Church is documented within the Celtic Church records as being Joseph. Even St Paul tells us this in his Epistle to the Hebrews. formally implemented as the Church of Jesus in AD 37, four years But we are taught that Jesus' father was a lowly carpenter and his after the Crucifixion. The Roman Church was formed 300 years mother was a virgin—neither of which descriptions can be found _later, after Paul and Peter's Christians had been persecuted for in any original text. So it follows that to get the best out of the three centuries. Gospels we've really got to read them as they were written, not as Through many centuries the Nazarene-based Celtic Church we decide to interpret them according to modern language. movement was directly opposed therefore to the Church of Rome. Precisely when the four main Gospels were written is uncertain. The difference was a simple one: the Nazarene faith was based What we do know is that they were first published at various on the teachings of Jesus himself. The guts of the religion, the stages in the second half of the first century. They were unani- moral codes, the behavioural patterns, the social practices, the mous initially in telling us that Jesus was a Nazarene. This is laws and justices related to Old Testament teaching but with a lib- actually upheld in the Roman annals; and the first-century chroni- eral message of equality in mind—this was the religion of Jesus. cles of the Jews and the Bible's Acts of the Apostles confirm that Roman Christianity is "Churchianity". It was not the message of So, have we been completely misguided by the Gospels? we've been misguided by the English language translations of the Gospels. We've also been misguided by a Church establishment that has done everything in its power to deny women any normal lifestyle in the Gospel story. The New Testament's key women are virgins or whores or sometimes wid- ows—never everyday girlfriends, wives or mothers, and certainly not ever priestesses or holy sisters. Notwithstanding that, the Gospels tell us time and time again that Jesus was descended from King David through his father Joseph. Even St Paul tells us this in his Epistle to the Hebrews. But we are taught that Jesus' father was a lowly carpenter and his mother was a virgin—neither of which descriptions can be found in any original text. So it follows that to get the best out of the Gospels we've really got to read them as they were written, not as we decide to interpret them according to modern language. Precisely when the four main Gospels were written is uncertain. What we do know is that they were first published at various stages in the second half of the first century. They were unani- mous initially in telling us that Jesus was a Nazarene. This is actually upheld in the Roman annals; and the first-century chroni- cles of the Jews and the Bible's Acts of the Apostles confirm that S o, have we been completely misguided by the Gospels? No; 22 - NEXUS APRIL - MAY 1998