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Jesus and the Essenes - 돌로레스 캐논
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SECTION TWO The Life ofjesus

191

192 CHAPTER 17 The Prophecies There were many ways this regression material could have been presented. The incidents in the life of Christ were actually dispersed throughout the entire three months that we worked on this. I could have left them in context and written the life of Suddi in chronological order. But I felt the story of Jesus would have been diluted, lost among the tremendous wealth of material. I feel the life of Christ is too important for that. I believe it should stand alone, so I decided to combine all of that material into one section. It could have been a book by itself, but then it would have lacked the basis I have tried to present. I wanted to show what life was like in that desolate community and let the reader come to know the personality and wisdom of one of the Essenes. Thus, with the life of Jesus presented against this background, we can have a better idea of the environment in which he lived and studied. And to see some of the beliefs and knowledge he was exposed to during his most vulnerable years. Only in this way can the missing parts of his life take on new emphasis. Only then can he be seen in a new light and hopefully be understood as the great human being that he was. It has already been shown in the earlier chapters that some of the Christian beliefs and rituals have come directly from the Essenes, notably the rite of baptism and the passing of the cup. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were translated, these two rituals were mentioned as being part of the Essenic daily life. Many writers have commented on this after studying the translations. The similarity between these facts and what Katie recalled surprised me and was something I would have never suspected. I was amazed again by the accuracy she had shown in the reliving of Suddi's life. In his book, Ginsburg says as the Essene advanced through the different stages of development within the community, he or she came to the highest level he could attain. "At that point he became the temple of the Holy Spirit and could prophesy. Above all things

193 192 Jesus and the Essenes the gift of prophecy was regarded as the highest fruit of wisdom and piety. Then he advanced again to that stage in which he was enabled to perform miraculous cures, and raise the dead." I think this passage leaves little doubt where Jesus learned these abilities. It sounds to me as if these studies would come under the teachings of the Master of Mysteries. Suddi, being taught foremost in the Torah, the Law, had only minimal training in other fields. But Jesus had to learn everything from all of the different masters. The Scrolls are still being studied today, but reports ceased immediately after the translations began. Why? What did they discover in the ancient writings that they did not want the world to know? Did they find the same things I have? Were they afraid the Christian world would be shocked by the findings that Christianity was not created with the ministry of Jesus, but was born out of the teachings of these apparently self-denying men and women who devoted their lives to loving all mankind and preserving knowledge for future generations? I am not the first to bring forth this idea. I was surprised that many other writers have come to the same conclusion after examining the evidence. One of the first was Dean Prideaux, who wrote The Old and New Testaments Connected in the 1600s. He said that people in his day were inferring from the agreement between Christian religion and the documents of the Essenes, that Christ and his followers were none other than a sect branched out from that of the Essenes. In 1863, Graetz wrote in his second edition of the third volume of his History of the Jews, that Jesus simply appropriated to himself the essential features of Essenism, and that primitive Christianity was nothing but an offshoot from Essenism. Again from Ginsburg's 1864 book I quote: "Those who style themselves the true evangelical Christians are very anxious to destroy every appearance of affinity between Essenism and Christianity, lest it should be said that the one gave rise to the other." This idea has been brought out more and more by the writers of the books on the Dead Sea Scrolls, that the connection is very evident and very real. One author stated that most of the theologians know this and only the layman is ignorant. In the December 1958 issue of National Geographic, there was an in-depth article about the discovery and translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls. I quote: "Certain striking parallels exist between the beliefs and practices of the Essenes and those of the early Christians

194 The Prophecies Scholars of all faiths recognise these parallels. They are facts." Still, everything that is known about this wonderful group has been obtained from the ancient writers and the excavations of Qumran. I hope that what I have found will open another door and allow a glimpse for the first time of their lifestyle and beliefs. A glimpse that is impossible to attain from the sifting and dating of remains and artefacts found in a silent ruin. I hope the scientists will use this book as a valuable tool to understand these mysterious people and Jesus' association with them. Maybe at last the whole story has been revealed and Jesus emerges even more wonderful and glorious than before. We can appreciate him as a living, breathing human being as seen through the eyes of one of his loving teachers. D: You said that you spend time with the defining of the prophecies. Can you explain what you mean? S: Throughout the Torah there are many prophecies given. More than half of them upon his birth. They say the Messiah is coming. For us, we must know the time, and show that we may know him. It isfor us to keep this knowledge so that in the future it may be shared with others who have gained understanding. We are studying how that... it is said that out of whose House that he shall come. He shall be of my house. He shall be of the House of David. And he shall be born in the city of David, which is Bethlehem. It is said that he shall be spurned by others because he comes from Nazareth. And nothing good comes out of Nazareth. D: Why? What is wrong with Nazareth? S: At one time it wasfitfor nothing but cutthroats and no-accounts. And it is said that nothing good comes from there. D: Then why do you think he will come from there? S: Because the prophecies say. D: Do your prophecies say when this will happen? S: It is said that the time is soon, very soon. D: Will he be born or will he just appear? S: He shall be born of woman. D: Is anything known about the parents? S: It is said that they will know her when they see her. D: What about the father? S: Only that he shall be of the tribe of David. D: Is there anything else you can share with us?

195 194 Jesus and the Essenes S: It is said that Elias shall have to come before to pave the way. D: What do you mean? S: He shall be reborn. He is to pave the way. To let those know who are listening that the Messiah comes. D: Do you know who he will be reborn as? S: I do not know. D: What about the Messiah, is he going to be the rebirth of someone else? S: He is Moses or Adam, it is the same. D: Can you tell me how long the Essene sect has been here? How long it has been formed? S: It is said that thefirst ones were not even Jews, but were known as the men of Ur. It wasfar in the past. They brought the knowledge of some of the prophecies and the symbol of the cross. D: Is that one of the symbols that the Essenes use? S: Yes. D: What type of cross is it? I've seen many kinds and they're all shaped differently. S: It has two short arms, a loop for a head and it goes down. D: Some of the crosses have all the arms the same length. S: This is not. (It sounded rather like an ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life.) D: What does it symbolically stand for? S: It is the symbol of salvation. D: Can you explain that? S: It is said that it shall be understood when the prophecies have been fulfilled. D: Salvation to me indicates saving from something. What or who is to be saved? S: It is somehow bound up with the fate of the Messiah. Of all this I am not sure.

196 CHAPTER 18 The Star of Bethlehem There has been much discussion and controversy about the Star of Bethlehem. Many think it never existed, that it was merely a myth or legend. Others think it may have been an extremely rare conjunction of stars or planets. A conjunction occurs when two or more planets happen to cross paths in the sky and appear from our vantage point on Earth to have merged into one great star. This has occurred many times throughout history, but rarely of the magnitude described in the Bible. According to Werner Keller in his book, The Bible As History, many experts place the occurrence in 7 BC, when a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter was observed in the constellation of Pisces. Chinese records also refer to a bright nova (a sudden burst of light from a distant exploding star that may take millions of years to reach us) being seen in 6 BC. There are also old records of bright comets appearing about this time in the Mediterranean area: Halley's Comet, for example, visited in 12 BC. Many, many explanations have been presented, even that the star was really an alien spaceship. It is a known fact that Jesus was not born in 1 AD at the beginning of our Christian calendar because of many inaccuracies in the early dating system. The only thing certain about this controversy is that no one is certain about what the Star of Bethlehem was or when it occurred. I was certainly not thinking about any of this and it was the last thing I expected to come forth while working with Katie. This episode occurred during our first session when we had just encountered Suddi and I was trying to find out more about who he was. I feel extremely honoured that we were allowed to participate in such a glorious event. I had merely asked him to move forward to an important day in his life. This is a routine command to keep the subject from bogging down in the boring mundane things that compose everyone's life. Moving them to an important day is a way of moving the story of their life forward. What is important to one person is not necessarily important to another and this adds

197 196 Jesus and the Essenes to the validity of the account. Thus this was the last thing I expected when I asked him to move to a day that he considered important, counted him there, and asked him what he was doing. He said he was with his father and they were watching the stars. Not an unusual thing to be doing, but there was something different about her voice. A quiet excitement, a feeling of wonder and awe that alerted me to the fact that this was not a normal night. He took several deep breaths and said, "It is the beginning of everything. To be able to see this for myself. It is all that I could ask. To know that the prophecy is being fulfilled." Katie (as Suddi) clasped her hands together in front of her and her body seemed alive with excitement. Suddi continued, "It is the coming together of the four tonight." See Chapter 3. Suddi's father had told him there would be a sign in the heavens when the Messiah was coming. "It is said that from four corners that stars will rise together and when that they meet, it will be the time of his birth." There were many of the Essenes with Suddi and they were watching from the 'waiting point of the hills', which was probably above Qumran. He could hardly contain his excitement, "Never in my wildest hopes!" His voice contained so much awe it was almost a whisper. I asked him to describe what he was seeing. S: It is like the heavens themselves have opened up and all of the light is just shining down upon us. It is like the sun of day! It is so bright! They are... they come together. They have not met so that it is larger than it will be. He formed a large ring with her thumbs and forefingers touching, to show how the stars appeared as they moved in to merge. It was clear that he was seeing something very unusual. His excitement was contagious and his voice gave me goosebumps. This was only one of many times I wished I could see what she was seeing, but we would have to settle for the second-best of Suddi's eyewitness description. It seemed there were four stars coming in together to one point. S: And it is said when that it becomes as one, in that moment he will take his first breath. D: Do you know where he will be born? S: He is in Bethlehem. It is of the prophecies.

198 The Star of Bethlehem 197 D: How are the other people with you reacting? S: They are all joyous. It is... everyone is beside themselves. They are filled with joy and... the energy that is coursing around us. It is as if the whole world holds its breath in expectation. His voice was vibrating with emotion. There was no doubt in my mind that he was witnessing something extremely out of the ordinary. D: What do you plan to do? Are you going to try to find the Messiah? I assumed anyone at the time who would have knowledge of what this strange astral phenomenon meant, would naturally want to go and see him. It would really be a breakthrough to get that story. I didn't know at the time that there would be plenty of time later to learn of the Messiah. S: We shall not. It shall befor them to come. D: Do the prophecies say who will find him? S: It is said that he shall befound by others and then they shall leave. D: So you're not going to go to Bethlehem and see if you can find him? S: No,for there will be dark years which shall come soon. Then he shall come to us. We shall be prepared for him. D: This has been prophesied that he will come to your people? S: Yes, it is known. D: Will he learn from your people? S: Not so much that he will learn from us, as to be awakened to what is inside. D: And you have the ability to help awaken this? S: We can but try. This was the first indication that Suddi might be able to give us first-hand knowledge aboutjesus. I fully realised the importance of this and intended to follow it wherever it led. She was taking big, deep breaths as Suddi watched the stars move closer together. I asked if he knew what time of the year it was. S: It is the beginning of the year. The new... year has just passed. It is interesting to conjecture here that he may be referring to Rosh Hashanah (or 'Rosh Shofar', as he called it), the beginning of

199 198 Jesus and the Essenes the Jewish New Year, which now occurs in the fall. The experts say there were three conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter during 7 BC, and taking many other variables into consideration they think the Star may have been the conjunction that occurred on October 3rd, which would have been shortly after the beginning of their new year. Of course, when I was asking these questions I had no idea their year was any different from ours and I asked if it was during the season we call spring. He answered, "The season of growth is coming, yes." D: What year of Herod is this now? S: It is the twenty-seventh, I believe, I don't... He seemed to wish we would stop talking and go away and leave him alone. He was so involved with what he was watching that he seemed perturbed by my questions. He showed his impatience, "You don't see it?! It is so... beautiful!" There was so much emotion in those words. He seemed surprised that we couldn't see it also. D: Are you going to do anything in particular whenever the strs all meet? S: We will watch... and give homage to him,for he is our king. This could have taken quite a while, for the stars were obviously slow-moving, so I decided to speed things up by moving him ahead to when the stars had all come together and then I asked him what he was doing. S: We give praise to Yahweh for his granting us that we be here. And we know that it is the great Ya (?) honour for we have lived in the time ofthefulfilment of all prophecies. We are letting him know that we are striving to do our best, to be prepared. For this is a great honour that is being bestowed upon us. And, though we know we are unworthy, we hope to rise to the honour. His hands were clasped, and the foregoing seemed like a prayer. I asked for another description of the stars now that they had all four come together. S: There is a beam... it is like a tail. It comes down with all of the light. It is like afocus that drops straight from the star. And it is said that in this light shall he be born. (Or was the word 'bore'? There is

200 The Star of Bethlehem 199 an interesting difference in definition here and it opens up speculation.) Suddi said they were within perhaps fifty miles from Bethlehem so they could not see the exact spot where the beam of light touched the earth. D: Is it brighter now that they are all together? S: It is like most of the light is being focused. In that it is no longer scattered about, but in a precise point. It is about the brightness of a very large, full moon. I was preparing to ask him another question, when I noticed Katie's lips were moving quietly as though in prayer. I could almost see Suddi on his knees with his hands clasped toward the star and praying with an enormous heart-felt emotion. D: You can say it aloud. We would like to share this moment with you. S: No! (Emphatically) Would I tell my soul to others? I tell my soul to Yahweh. I was quiet for a few moments in reverence and allowed him to continue until it looked as if he had finished. I was not rushing him to go on to another scene. This must have been such a dramatic moment, I wanted to let him savour every drop of it. D: Has Elias also come again? S: He has been born also. It was a few months before. His father is known to us, for he is of us. Thus this prophecy had also been fulfilled. There are many references in the New Testament to this prophecy that verify that the people of the time accepted the fact that John the Baptist was the reincarnation of Elias. When Jesus was speaking of John to the multitude: Matthew 11:10,14. "For this is he, of whom it is written. Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee... And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." When the angel was telling Zacharias that he was to have a son named John, we see in Luke 1:17: "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make

201 200 Jesus and the Essenes ready a people prepared for the Lord." D: This must be a very exciting moment. I really thank you for sharing it with us. This is something that happens once in a lifetime, to see something as beautiful as this. S: It is more than a once in a lifetime, it is once in forever. D: That's true. And something we would never have been allowed to share if you hadn't talked to us about it. It was such a tremendous experience I thought Katie would surely bring the remembrance back with her. When I brought her forward to the present time and awakened her, it was a bit sad that she had no memory of what Suddi had seen. I had been very tempted to suggest that she bring this memory forward. But we had decided in the beginning of our work together that it would be advisable to allow these experiences to stay in the past where they belonged. Can anyone imagine how confusing it would be in your normal waking life to carry around the conscious memories of so many different lives? I think it would be extremely difficult to get on with the business of everyday living. There had been times when Katie said she would later remember fleeting glimpses of scenes. But these would be similar to the fading fragments of dreams that we all experience upon awakening from a night's sleep.

202 CHAPTER 19 The Magi and the Baby We had gone forward in the life of Suddi and came to a time when he was visiting his cousins in Nazareth. He was sitting in the square watching the children play in the fountain. I wished to question him further about the phenomenon of the Star of Bethlehem in hopes of understanding it better. I also hoped to get more information about the birth ofjesus. D: Before when I talked to you, you said you knew all the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah, and you were looking for him. Why is the Messiah so important? S: He is important because it is he who will bring light to the world. He will deliver and give hope to those who are without. He will show us and others how that we may gain our souls. D: Then he will be a very special person. S: He is a very special person, though he is but a child. D: Have you seen him? S: Once, when his parents came to us, asking us to help. For they knew of Herod's plans and they had to leave. They sheltered with us for many days while things were gathered so that they might make their journey in safety. D: Do you know what Herod's plan was? S: To slay all children born within a two year span. Because it was said that the Messiah had been born and he thought in this manner he would capture him in his net and rid himself of this worry. D: How did Herod know that the Messiah had been born? S: When the Magi came and stopped at the palace. They thought, mistakenly, that if a king was to have been born, surely it would have been born in the palace of the king. They spoke to Herod, and through them he learned that the Messiah had been born and he would be called King of the Jews. And this Herod could not bear. Therefore he, when the wise men had left, he ordered that this edict be followed. Because if there were a King of the Jews born, then

203 202 Jesus and the Essenes being as he was known as King of the Jews, it would alsofollow that he would no longer be king. D: I imagine that if the Magi had known this, they probably wouldn't have gone to the palace. S: (sigh) It was their destiny. For was it not written that this would occur? It was foreseen many, many years ago and therefore everyone knew of it, so that we would be preparedfor this. They were but following their destiny, as we must allfollow our own. D: Some people have said that when the wise men came to Herod, it was a long time after the Messiah was born. S: No, for when that the Magi came to the Messiah, he was still at the place of his birth. He had not left. D: Do you know how many wise men came? S: There were three. They were men of Ur. D: Isn't that a city in Babylon? S: Barchavia (phonetic.) This is another name for, as you call, Babylon. Ur is more of a people than a country or any place. They are of Ur. This is their descent. D: I see. I have heard so many different stories. If you were there, you would know the truth. S: I was not with them when they spoke to Herod. But I have heard of this, and I know it to be true. D: How did the wise men know it was time to come? S: It was foretold in the heavens. It was the coming together of the planets and the stars, and they used this to guide them. They saw the star and knew it for what it was. D: Once when I talked to you, you said you saw the star on the night the Messiah was born. S: (Emotionally) Yes. D: Do you think the wise men saw the same star? S: All saw the same star! I attempted to find out, if possible, which celestial bodies were involved in the forming of the Star of Bethlehem. I thought he might possibly know the names of the various bodies. S: There are different names for them, and the different... (he searched for the right word) constellations have names. It is more that they are named in this manner than just individual stars to have names. It is said that each one of the stars that came together had a

204 The Magi and the Baby 203 name, but I know it not. This is not my best study. D: Were they stars that are normally in the sky? S: Yes. It was just that they grew together. That their paths in the heavens crossed, as it were. D: Some people have said it may have been a strange star that had never been seen in the heavens (referring to the possible nova.) S: It was not one that was created in that instancefor that, no. There are many who try to explain it in many different manners. They tried to say that it was a warning of the gods that Rome was about tofall. That it was a comet. It is said that there were points of light where the heavens opened up and shone through. They have many explanationsfor it. But it was God showing that this was his son, and giving us a way to know. There are many people who say that these things are impossible, and all things are impossible without faith. But when one believes, all things are possible. I cannot doubt it,for I saw it with my own eyes. All I know is that when it came together, that the light was great enough to cast shadows. And it was strong enough that you could not sit and stare at itfor any length of time. It was something that had never in the known memory of man ever occurred before. Who am I to judge God's ways of doing things? The wise men - it is said that there was possibly a fourth. It is said that each of the wise men followed one of the stars, and at this point they met. D: You mean they did not meet each other until they were in the area of Bethlehem? S: It was at least within a short travelling distance. Almost when the stars came together, the Magi met. All coming from directions. And it is said that one of them never made it, for there was one for each star. D: Do they know what might have happened to the fourth one? S: If they do, it is unknown to me. D: Do they think they came from four different countries? S: It could be said that they came from very distant lands, yes, four different points of origin. D: Do you know which countries? S: It was not spoken of, no. D: People have said that if the wise men saw the star in far away countries it would be hard to see the same star, and by the time they got to Bethlehem the star would have been gone.

205 204 Jesus and the Essenes This has been one of the arguments. If the star was one single bright light, it couldn't have been seen because of the curvature of the earth. S: This is true. The tales grow longer with each telling. But, they followed the stars who were growing together, for they knew what would occur. And they had been watchingfor hundreds and hundreds of yearsfor this very happening. When that the star became one, it was seen... everywhere. D: The magi must have known the prophecies, too, or at least knew how to read the stars. S: It is said that the men from Ur were the ones who gave us many of our prophecies. They also gave us Abraham. The original combined star was extremely bright on that night, and could still be seen in the sky for almost a month afterwards, but the light could not be seen during the day. S: It was only afocusfor one night. It was... how do I explain this? The light was not quite the same. It was as if, after they had initially come together, they were again separating and going their ways, so it grew less and less bright. It was perhaps a month for the light to be gone totally, yes. People have often wondered why Herod gave the order for all male children of two and under to be slain. Some say this is proof that it took the Wise Men that long to journey from their countries to Bethlehem. But according to Suddi's version, that could not have been true. He said the Wise Men found the Babe while he was still in the place of his birth. I realise the Bible is open to many interpretations, but I think Herod waited for a while for the Wise Men to return to him with information of the child's whereabouts. Then I think he probably sent soldiers to find them. All this would have taken time. When he discovered the Magi had left the country, he angrily proclaimed that all the children within a two-year span be included so that the Child would not 'escape his net'. D: What do you call the Messiah? S: (He hesitated.) We call him not. D: He has no name yet?

206 The Magi and the Baby 205 S: He has name, but to name him would be to name his death, and he must be protected. This was unexpected. Apparently if people knew his name, word might leak back to Herod or his soldiers, and they would know whom to look for. It would seem that Herod would feel sure he had killed him in his slaughter of the children and he wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. But the Essenes thought he should remain anonymous until the time to reveal his identity arrived. This caution might present problems for my gathering of information. I asked if he had heard any stories of his birth, hoping to get something akin to the Bible version. S: We know the story of his birth. He was born in Bethlehem, this is all that is needed to be known. It fulfilled the prophecy. At some later date he will again fulfil another prophecy in which, where he comes out of, it will be known. And an object of disbelief because of this. But to tell too much would be foolish. He was apparently referring to the prophecy he had mentioned earlier about nothing good ever coming out of Nazareth. Still pressing for some sort of information, I thought Suddi may have heard of the Virgin Birth. Surely it would not endanger the Messiah if he told me of any unusual happenings connected with his birth. S: He was born in a cave, if this is considered unusual. This sounded strange but there are many references in the Lost Books of the Bible to Jesus' birthplace as a cave. The ancient Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is built over the sacred grotto or cave that is recognised as the supposed birthplace. Caves were also used as stables in those days. S: There are many stories about his birth. There will be many more in the years to come. But this is for a later time for this to be known. To know where he was born exactly would be to name who his parents are. People are traceable. You may hunt for them and if you know enough about them, you will find them. That, of course, made sense. I was still fishing when I assumed that if they had come to the Essenes for hiding, then they were probably not even in the country anymore. It would seem that the

207 206 Jesus and the Essenes safest thing to do would be to leave the land of his birth. But he only parroted my remark, "It would be a safe thing." So, it was obvious I was not going to make him reveal any names. Maybe the next best would be to try for a description of the parents. S: His mother was but a child. She was maybe sixteen, no more. With such beauty and calmness, it was to be marvelled at. Thefather was older, a very pious man. He loved his wife very much: you would see this in a glance. They had been together many times in other lives. D: Was there anything unusual about the baby? S: (His voice held so much adoration.) His beautiful eyes. And thefact that he was the calmest child. He would look at you and it is like he knew all of the secrets of the universe andjust gloried in them. D: Then he was different from the normal child? S: How would I know of normal children? (A natural answer, Suddi was a bachelor.) They all cry and nurse and need their napkins changed. What can one say? It was as if he watched everything... to learn of it, to experience all at once. I assumed that if Suddi had seen him, it would have been such an emotional experience that he would have remembered every detail. D: You said he had beautiful eyes. What colour were they? S: They were never the same. One look they were gray, and the next time blue, maybe green. You were never sure. D: What colour was his hair, or did he have any? S: What he had was a light shade of red, a very sandy red. This was a strange response that does not agree with the usual picture people have of the Christ Child. They always assume he was dark or at least brown-haired. However, this description agrees with the ones given by Taylor Caldwell in Jess Steam's book, Search For A Soul and Edgar Cayce's writings about Jesus. When the Messiah came to the Essenes for protection he was just a little baby, but Suddi knew it would be his destiny to see him again. This was another positive indication that we might get more of his story. I changed tactics and decided to ask about John the Baptist. Maybe he would not be so protective of him and I could get

208 information in a round-about way. The Magi and the Baby 207 D: You told me about the prophecy of Elias returning and being born again a few months before the Messiah. You said that his father was known to you because he was one of you. (Suddi was nodding.) I have heard that his father was a priest, but I don't know of what religion. S: There are always the Roman religions, but it is said that the Romans believe in what is convenient. He was a priest of God. There is no other religion other than this. He was not a rabbi. He served at the temple. I was really unaware that there was a difference between the temple and the synagogue. In the Bible they are both referred to, but we are not taught that they could be different places and have different functions. I had always thought they referred to the same place. This is covered in Chapter 5 when Suddi explained the difference. D: Can you tell me what happened to that child? S: The child and his mother are with us. He is in danger,for he also fits into the category that Herod wants slain. The father was killed. Unfortunately this edict occurred right after a census was taken, therefore they knew of the babes that had been born. And when they came to his house and asked, "Where is your child?" He told them, "I know not." And they believed him not. D: Was the baby there? S: No. The mother is very unhappy, for she feels that she should have been stronger with him, and to be sure that he had come. But he spoke to her and said, no, that he was an old man and would die in his duty to God. This was his wish. D: Did he know where she had gone? S: He knew to whom, he did not know to where. D: He probably wouldn't have told anyway. S: No, he would have died, and did. I assumed that the verification or the nullification of Katie's accounts would rest with the Bible since it is the most complete record we have of the life of Christ. But I was surprised to find many gaps and half-stories in the Biblical accounts. One case in point is this one about Zacharias. He is mentioned in the Bible as

209 208 Jesus and the Essenes the father of John but the story of his fate is not. I found that the story of his murder is faithfully recorded in The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ and one of the apocryphal Lost Books of the Bible called The Protevangelion, supposedly written by James. When I read in these stories that Elizabeth had taken the baby and fled to the hills, it was as though a bright light went on in my mind. "Of course she went to the hills," I thought. "What woman with a baby is going to be wandering around in the wilderness? She knew where she was going all the time. She was headed for the Essene community in the hills, where she knew she would be safe." It was utterly amazing how the story coming through Katie in deep trance made so much sense and was tying up so many loose ends that are left dangling in the Bible. So far Suddi had mentioned no names except that this baby was the reincarnation of Elias. I asked if he knew the father's name. I said I wanted to know because I thought he was a very brave man. S: The time is not nowfor it also to be known. Was itjust not so that his child also was in danger? Therefore to name the father is to name the son. A tinge of fear and secrecy always seemed to creep in when I got too close to forbidden topics. There were many things he felt honour-bound to protect. I was going to have to find ways to get him to release information. This protectiveness was very deeply ingrained, as witnessed in the earlier chapters. But now it became almost an obsession that he must protect the Messiah and John from any danger. D: But they're not babies anymore, are they? S: They are children. They have several years. D: You said that this child (John) is with you. Does he seem to be any different from the other children? S: (smiling) He is fierce like a lion. He is strong and lets everyone know exactly what he is thinking. They don't have to agree, but they are sure to know his point of view. D: (I laughed.) Is he mischievous? S: No, he is a good son. He looks much like his cousin (Jesus). Only he is perhaps of more blood and more like his father in strength. Whereas his cousin is calmer and finer. D: Does he have the same colour of hair?

210 The Magi and the Baby 209 S: His is definitely very, very red. It glows like fire around his head. D: Some people think that those living in your country are dark-skinned with black hair. S: Those who told you this, perhaps they have only met those who are from the south or maybe another area. But those who live here, (at Nazareth)for the most pan they are light of skin andfair of hair and light of eye. There is much intermarriage with people from the south. Therefore, it is more and more being lost. There arefewer children that are born with red or yellow hair. There are more born with brown or dark. D: Well, do you know, are there any other prophecies concerning what will happen to this child, the Messiah, in his life? S: It is said that he shall spread the word and he shall take the suffering of the world upon his shoulders. And through his suffering we shall be saved. We have heard this term, 'we shall be saved', all our lives. But I wondered what it really meant, especially what it meant in Suddi's time. We shall be saved from what? S: From ourselves. With the way that it is now, the way that it stands, one must always, through unstriving, say, gain the step up the ladder, as it were. Whereas, with divine intercession and asking for assistance or blessing, you may take the steps up the ladder easier. I'm not explaining this very well. My father explains much better. D: Well, saved, up the ladder, does this have to do with reincarnation, rebirth? S: To rebirth, yes. Of reaching the perfection of the soul, yes. For it says that a man must again be born. This is in some of the prophecies. D: In order to attain perfection? S: To attain heaven. D: Well, let me tell you one thing that I have heard and you can tell me what you think. Some people say that when you're saved, it means you are saved from your sins and you will not go to Hell. S: (Interrupted) There is no Hell other than that that you create yourself. It is the image that you project, that you foresee. This has always to have been known. That the suffering that occurs, for the most part, is here. So that when you die, what you suffer is through

211 210 Jesus and the Essenes your own need or desire to suffer. Why would God, who creates all things perfect, create something that was so horrid to him? This to me does not make sense. D: They say that he will send you to Hell to punish you. S: No one punishes you but yourself! You are your own judge. Does it not say, "Judge not others, lest ye yourself be judged'? It says, judge not others, it does not say self-judging. You are your own selfs judge. (He seemed tofeel very strongly about this.) D: Well, I've always believed that God was a good and loving God. He would not do things like that, but others don't agree with me..~ - 5~~~~~~~~ r.-.,r St Mary's Well in Nazareth

212 CHAPTER 20 Jesus andjohn: Two Students at Qumran During another session I came across Suddi while he was teaching. Again, this would not have been an unusual situation except that his hesitancy to answer alerted me that something special was going on. There was the same undercurrent of secrecy that was present so many times. The question was always how to get around this built-in guard. He admitted only that he had two students, and from his carefully worded answers I sensed who the students might be. I would have to proceed cautiously to find the answers. I asked him what he was teaching them. S: I teach the Law. (He paused and smiled tenderly.) This to me seems very odd. How can one teach the Law to someone who knows it better than I know it myself? (He gave a gentle laugh.) D: Are you speaking of your students? S: I am speaking of one of them, yes. Now I felt certain I knew whom he was teaching. But how to get him to admit it? S: They are both very intelligent. One is more of the fire temperament, and the other one just sits there and looks at you. And sometimes you feel so incredibly stupid because he puts a point across, and it is like you have been shown this for the first time. And you look at it with new light and new eyes. I told him I was surprised because I wondered what a child could teach a teacher. S: A child can teach many adults many things. How to love, how to be open, how to love others without considering perhaps what they will attain from the other person. I asked for an example of something he had shown him and Suddi gave me the following.

213 212 Jesus and the Essenes S: He is very observant. He watches everything as if to learn from everything. He said that when a plant is growing, it knows when to put out new branches, and it knows when to blossom and when to seed. And it knows when to do all these things without any apparent guidance. It seems to know these things out of thin air, so to say. So, in the heart of things man can know things out of thin air, the way the plants do with the more basic things. Because man is a more advanced creature, he could know more advanced things out of thin air, and use these thingsforguiding his life and actions. I can not tell it the way he did. He has a beautiful way with words. D: Are these things that he has told you that you had not thought of by yourself? S: Not necessarily that hadn't been thought of. But it is like a breath of spring clearing the dust and the cobwebs away so that you may see it clearly. Perhapsfor thefirst time. D: He must be an unusual child. Are your students very old? S: They are not yet to their Barmitzvahs. They are twelve and a half. Since I did not have knowledge ofjewish customs, I thought the Barmitzvah was celebrated when the boy reached the age of twelve, but Suddi said it was at thirteen. I wanted a little more information about what he was teaching them. By the law, did he mean the Torah? S: It is part of the Torah, but the Law is those laws given to us by Moses. The things that we must daily live by, in order to be considered holy and on the right path. These are guidelines, as it were. It is just part of the Torah. It is just one of the sections, as it were. D: Can you tell me, briefly, some of the laws that are important? S: There are all the dietary rules. There are the laws of... of course, the Commandments. The, Honour thy father and mother, and keep the Sabbath day holy, and do not commit adultery or sin, or steal or lust or any of those. Those are part of the Law. How you must treat those who work with you. How you must deal with... say, like if a husband dies, who then that the wife would become wife to. There are these laws. Everything about day-to-day existence is down in the law. Then there is the law that goes into... such as, how long that you may have a slave as part of your possession. The laws of slaves andfreedmen and such useless things.

214 Jesus and John: Two Students at Qumran 213 D: What do you mean, useless things? S: If there are no slaves, why should there be laws of them? This was true. There were no slaves in Qumran. But Suddi said even though it was useless, it was tradition to learn these things. Of course, they would be important for someone living outside the walls to know. I asked him to explain the law of the slave and the freedman. S: Well, after seven years the Hebrew is no longer a slave. You must be bound by law to set this slavefree and make him afree man. Unless under certain circumstances. There are differences in this, but they are veryfew. It is very complicated and very involved, but this is the basis of it. D: Are the Essene laws different from the Torah? S: You would not consider them Essene laws. They are laws of nature. The law of manifestation. Where that, to desire and then to know that it shall be fulfilled, and the need shall be fulfilled. These laws are the basic laws of nature. This is what is also being taught, but there are others who would teach them this. How to utilise every part of oneself,for what is the purpose of one's life. What is the goal to ultimately reach. Thatgoal, so that one may becomefulfilled with this life. D: These Essene beliefs are not found in the Torah? S: It is not that it is not there. The laws are therefor all to see. It is just that they are not paid any particular attention. D: Well, to many people it's just words anyway. They don't really understand. S: But these are the words of the Lord our God. I mean, they are holy, they must... it is beyond me how men, and there are many, go on in their day-to- day existence denying that God exists. For these I feel great sorrow, for they are going through life blinder than one born without eyes. For they have closed the eyes of their soul. I thought I would try again to get the names of the students. He hesitated but finally answered, "There is young Benjoseph and then there is Benzacharias." Finally I had got through. He did not realise that I had tricked him. He could not tell me the names of the Messiah and the Way-preparer, but it was all right to reveal the names of his students since he thought I would not be able to associate the two. He could not be aware that these names would

215 214 Jesus and the Essenes be enough for me to identify them. Apparently 'Ben' in front of a name means 'son of, and the names Joseph and Zacharias made it clear he was speaking of Jesus and John. He had no way of knowing that I knew the significance of their fathers' names, and that I would be able to put two and two together. Now I would have names to use that might elude the barrier of protectiveness. He could talk freely about his students without realising he was giving anything away. He said these were their fathers' names. They had two names: "This is their second name, as you would word this, yes." He still refused to give me their first names. That was all right. He did not realise he had told me enough already. D: Have these students been studying with you very long? S: Since perhaps they were eight years old, about, yes. Aboutfive, four orfive years. I now knew I could ask questions about Benjoseph and he would answer, unaware that I knew Benjoseph and the Messiah were one and the same. This method proved very effective. D: Where did Benjoseph live before he came to you? S: For a while he sojourned in Egypt, andfar offfrom there, to learn. D: Some people say that a child cannot think for themselves and learn anything when they are that young. S: This is because they are not treated as though they have any intelligence, therefore they have no need to show that they have powers of thought and assimilation. It is said that the first seven years of a child are what makes the man. He is a very unusual student. Therefore, yes, I would say they taught him. It is said that he went with his cousin to see many placesfarther away. This I do not know, I have not questioned him upon this. I do notfeel it is my right. D: Do you know which cousin that was? S: It is one of his mother's cousins. I'm not sure, I believe it is his cousin. His name is also Joseph. I was surprised that his mother would have allowed him to go so far away, but Suddi said that she also went with them on these journeys. D: Is his mother living with you now?

216 Jesus and John: Two Students at Qumran 215 S: No, they live in their home. They did at one time live in the community, but they have other children to take care of. And there are many things that must be done in order to live day to day. They felt that he will benefit from our knowledge and our teachings. They come here quite frequently and visit. And he goes home with as great a frequency. They live in Nazareth. It is a few days' journey. Maybe once a month they come to see him and again then he goes and sees them. Therefore the contact has not been broken. D: Is the Law the only thing that you teach these boys? S: Yes, but they study with all of the teachers here. They learn mathematics, the study of the stars, the study of the prophecies, the mysteries. Everything that we could possibly teach them. D: Do you think they are good students? S: Yes, I would say that they are. Every time he spoke of them, there was affection in his voice. They were Suddi's only students. He had been devoting his time exclusively to teaching them, thus the elders at Qumran must have considered their education a very important project.

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