Caesar's Messiah: The Roman Conspiracy to Invent Jesus:Flavian Signature Edition (30 page)

Knowing that the unnamed “certain young man” who was “pruned” in the Mount of Olive passages was named “Eleazar,” as was Mary’s unnamed child in
Wars of the Jews
, completes a composite picture of “Eleazar.” Josephus and the New Testament “state” that Eleazar could expel demons, was a son of Mary, had his flesh eaten as a Passover sacrifice, was captured on the Mount of Olives, was stripped naked and scourged, was plotted against by the high priests, miraculously escaped death by crucifixion, and “rose” from the dead. Further, in the next chapter I will show that Lazarus and Jesus also have parallel tombs. Their tombs occur in the same location, at the same time; both have their stones removed and have the same burial clothes left behind.

Eleazar, like Simon and John, had his identity stolen by the Romans. He was the historical “Christ” who had been captured on the Mount of Olives and “rose” from the dead. As he was only human, however, Eleazar could not return to life.

Note the impact this analysis has on the historicity of “Jesus Christ.” Was the New Testament character of Jesus based on a real individual? Since the Apostles Simon and John were based on historical characters, it is therefore possible that Jesus was as well.

I am certain, however, that even if the New Testament character of “Jesus” were based on a historical individual, virtually nothing he said and none of the events from his ministry are recorded in the New Testament. The authors of the New Testament created their character’s dialogue and ministry in order to create a “true” prophet, one who had “accurately” prophesied events from Titus’ triumphant campaign. Jesus did not, for example, envision his disciples becoming “fishers of men” or “eating his flesh.” Nor did he see his contemporaries as a “wicked generation” or advocate that they “turn the other cheek.” Like his “Apostles” Simon and John, the real “Savior Messiah” would have been completely in accordance with the messianic movement that fought against Rome. He would have been a militaristic Zealot.

At the time the New Testament was being created, the events of 30 C.E. were more than 40 years past and of little or no importance to its authors. Their focus was solely on Titus’ triumph in the recently completed war against the Jews. The “Savior” they created was a Roman fantasy, a literary figure they used to “prophetically” chasten the “wicked generation” and to set up their satire regarding the Messiah that Titus had “pruned”—Eleazar. If there had been a messianic leader named Jesus who ran afoul of the Roman authorities around 30 C.E., all that is visible of him in the New Testament is his name.

If Eleazar was the Messiah captured on the Mount of Olives, who was the individual who was mistaken for Jesus following his “resurrection”? In the next chapter I will show the method by which the New Testament and
Wars of the Jews
reveal the identity of the true ”Jesus” of Christianity, the “gardener.”

CHAPTER 7
 
The Puzzle of the Empty Tomb

As noted by many scholars, the four Gospels each give a different time for the first visit to Jesus’ tomb, though they all agree that a character named Mary Magdalene is the first visitor. The four Gospels also contradict one another about whether Mary Magdalene is alone when she first comes to the tomb, and about how many individuals are either inside or outside the tomb when she arrives. Since I had already realized that there was nothing inadvertent in the Gospels, I wondered about the purpose of these contradictions. My efforts to answer this question led me to discover another, more logical, way to understand the New Testament stories of Jesus’ resurrection than any I had heard of previously: that the four different versions create one story that should be read intertextually. Keeping in mind the ancient Hebrew tradition of reading their literature intertextually, it is congruent that the Romans would use this technique for their lampoon. 

The puzzle is ingenious because it allows the uncritical reader, who would accept the contradictions, to come to the conclusion that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead.  Whereas the reader who reads critically and uses logic, the cognoscenti, will see that the tomb is empty. This reading resolves all the contradictions between the four Gospel stories, and reveals that Jesus does not rise from the dead. Rather, Mary Magdalene simply mistakes Lazarus’ empty tomb for the tomb of Jesus. This misunderstanding then sets off a comedy of errors during which the disciples mistake one another for angels and thereby delude themselves into believing that their Messiah has risen from the dead. This combined story also completes the scornful joke I discussed in the previous chapter—that since the real Messiah, Lazarus, has been eaten, his tomb is therefore empty. To understand this combined story is quite simple, requiring only that the reader think logically.

The four Gospels’ depictions of who visits Jesus’ empty tomb, and when, are as follows:

MATTHEW

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

And the angel answered and said unto the women, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

“And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”

And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

Matt. 28:1–8

MARK

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

And they said among themselves, “Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?”

And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

And he saith unto them, “Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

“But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”

And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

Mark 16:1–8

LUKE

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?

“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

“Saying, ‘the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

And they remembered his words,

And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the Apostles,

but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down he saw the linen clothes lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself what had happened.

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.

Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.

“But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.

“Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

“Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”

Luke 24:1–24

JOHN

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.”

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb;

and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where me you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

John 20:1–15

My analysis revealed that these four versions were intended to be read as a single story. This combined story is divided into two halves. One half consists of the visits to the tomb described in the Gospel of John. The other consists of the visits to the tomb described in the other three Gospels. In the combined story, the individuals described in the Gospel of John meet the individuals described in the other three Gospels and, in their emotional state, the different groups mistake one another for angels. This comedy of errors causes the visitors to the empty tomb to mistakenly believe that their Messiah has risen from the dead.