I was alerted to this story by a radio journalist’s enquiry about my views on Jesus’ hidden years. I know nothing more about the mentioned film than is reported in the story, so I’m going to limit my comments about it, until (and unless) I get a chance to see it – if I ever do.
There are two things in the report, however, where I would love to know what (they believe) the evidence is, or, indeed, whether people make the statements attributed to them in the report.
First is this.
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. [i.e. the first century]
I have no idea what that is based on. As far as I am aware there was no suburb of Alexandria called Britain. Does anyone have any idea what the basis for such a claim might be?
Second is this.
St Augustine heard the legend of Jesus’s visit when he came to England around 597AD. He heard that Jesus built a chapel in Glastonbury and wrote to the Pope to tell him about it.
Mr Harrison said: ”The concrete evidence is this reference by St Augustine that at Glastonbury there was a small building or church that was put up by Jesus, built by the hand of the Lord himself.
I’m no Augustine expert, but as far as I can tell this letter of Augustine’s is of at least questionable provenance. I can’t find any internet access to primary sources. One site which clearly believes the legends of Glastonbury have some historical basis can only trace versions of this quotation back to William of Malmesbury in the twelfth century.
Neither of these assertions – for that is what they appear to be in this report – suggests a significant attachment to the idea of historical evidence. When you are trying to overthrow what must be the normal historical assumption that Jesus grew up a normal first-century Jewish boy, then something really remarkable in the way of evidence is needed.
And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
Jesus saith unto him: “That is as nothing. Thou shouldest have seen Stonehenge!”
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I’ve not a it but came across this review of a book in a fairly serious journal (it’s a pdf file): http://www.sacredtribesjournal.org/images/Articles/Vol_4/Missing_Years_of_Jesus.pdf
I like the quote in that review:
“With notable creativity, he occasionally exegetes the biblical narrative of Jesus’ life with frequent eisegetical commentary to fit the folklore.”
OK, it appears I momentarily forgot how to write in coherent sentences. Apologies.
“And did those feet”, eh? No, almost certainly not. Let’s not forget that the heart of what is now England was entirely populated by Celts then. And St Peter was accused of being a Galilean by the girl in the courtyard. She didn’t say – “You must be with Jesus, because you’re clearly Welsh”.
Surely not Galilean but Gaullian.
It was mentioned on the World Service and they spoke to someone who had written in a book called `Jesus the Master Builder` I did not quite catch the author`s name. He seemed to speculate (that is all this I think) that the Greek that is used of Jesus` profession is `teknon` and from this the speaker speculated that Jesus came with his uncle Joseph of Arethemia for tin for building work in Sepphoris. My only comment would be straws and clutching. I do not know why the BBC did not go to a reputable scholar on this, even myself with a B.A. in Theology and studying for an M.A. would have given greater clarification, but then that would be the common sense approach.
The book is, I think, by the same Scottish architect Gordon Strachan, who is behind much of this film. As I understand it, he’s currently unable to speak for himself having suffered a stroke. I hope he makes a speedy recovery.
This is an ancient legend not a new claim. For more accessible and interesting information I recommend a day out at Glastonbury Abbey – but wait until it has stopped raining!
Are you sure it’s not Gordon Strachan the football coach who has a rather interesting approach to questions:
Reporter: So, Gordon, in what areas do you think Middlesbrough were better than you today?
Strachan: What areas? Mainly that big green one out there…
rofl
Come on folks, nobody who’s really done Glastonbury can remember a thing about it afterwards.
sorry, I’ll stop trying to use html tags, that was just supposed to be the ‘really’ in italics. CAPS NEXT TIME
It would have worked if you’d closed the tag. I’ve fixed it now!
David, that’s it! That’s why it’s not in the bible!
I can recommend “Jesus the master builder” By Dr Gordon Strachan.
If anyone has read it and would like to discuss the points made, I’d be interested in reading that.
In taking on this book, it is necessary to open the mind and set aside preconceptions. The reader must be prepared to come away with a different point of view than may have been held on approach! If the reader isn’t confident about that, there may well be a sort of intellectual “Fight/Flight” reaction.
Strachan isn’t trying to prove the standard Christian doctrines accepted by conventional religion like (e.g.) Virgin Birth, Miracles, The Resurrection, or wacky ones like ‘Jesus went to other planets.
The book’s purpose is to explore the range of meanings the writers of the scriptures were putting in. It is necessary to concede that there is a literal meaning to the words and also a figurative meaning. There are also hidden meanings that may or may not be encoded, and that is the area for exploration. It is necessary to come to Dr Strachan’s work with at least a passing familiarity with Plato and an earlier Pythagorean tradition. Pythagoreans and Plato believed that natural truths could be revealed through number. The people who wrote the Bible could well have been communicating, sending information forwards for us to discover in a symbolic way: not through “Magic” or fumbled numbers but in ratios and number squares that cross-check in different languages and dimensional analysis. They described virtual worlds in the cosmos, and mapped these via a knowledgebase to their own concrete 3D world using Number, Name, musical note and relationships between numbers. “As above, so below”. These numbers and the mathematics were seen as beyond human, transcending human. Therefore they might have seemed to be a likely door to higher knowledge, and perhaps a means of controlling the concrete world. The Square of 11 and the factors of the earth-moon ratio are fascinatingly explored and tested against the dimensions of the Temple and also rippled out through the Gothic Cathedrals in Britain.
I commend it to anyone who is ready to embark on the journey it takes you on.
Strachan is no mug, neither is he a writer of fiction like Dan Brown. Obviously, the marketing and publishing mill puts him on the same shelf as some very odd writers, but Strachan is the genuine article, and has quite a refreshing rebellious streak for someone who is a retired Church Minister. The book was written 10 years ago, and was a result of 10 years of work at the end of a long career.
I commend it to anyone with a serious interest in Maths, Architecture or Divinity. I don’t think there is a serious attempt to prove some belief that Jesus actually came to Britain, but just to ask “Given this context revealed here (that’s been thoroughly simplified out of the New Testament), why wouldn’t Jesus have wanted to come to Britain? Strachan gives a compelling read and leads the reader beyond conventional received wisdom.
May your quest be fruitful and result in enlightenment.
Davex
OTOH – if you have a serious interest in facts and reality you might give it a miss.
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