Archive for March 24th, 2020
What is the story of this Walking Rabbi on Palm Sunday?
Note: A repost of my article of 2009 “From Palm Sunday to the Last Supper: what happened? (August 27, 2009)”
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a Sunday morning; he had chased out the money changers and those doing “business as usual” by the Temple the day before.
Jesus is received as a popular Rabi leader and messiah; he is mounted on a donkey (jahesh) that Jesus had already rented for the day.
For six months by now, Jesus advanced toward Jerusalem for the yearly celebration.
Thousands of pilgrims and followers were accompanying him. Jesus was not a desk Rabi; not an urban Rabi. Jesus was a walking Rabbi followed by thousands of long marching disciples.
On Thursday evening and after the Last Supper, Jesus is made prisoner and convicted of fomenting disruption by the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem according to 3 of the 4 formal testaments from bible authors and retained by Byzantium in 325 AC.
From Sunday till the Last Supper what happened?
This year celebration was not a run of the mill event: Jerusalem was swarmed by thousands of different brands of pilgrims and a walking Rabi entered preaching and speaking a new message.
A walking Rabi was lambasting the Pharisee and the other Jewish sects of the priesthood.
The Jewish Sanhedrin has been gathering intelligence on Jesus for over a year now and it has accumulated a thorough biography of Jesus and his messages.
More plausibly, the Roman governor Pilate and the King of Lower Galilee Herod Epiphany were tracking intensively Jesus progress toward Jerusalem: Both were very edgy of this non-violent movement:
1. Herod had decapitated John the Baptist, a very close relative of Jesus who is being followed by masses from Galilee, putting a serious dent on Herod political credibility…
2. Pilate was at ease with the current Jewish leaders and could not understand how to deal with this new unorthodox leader.
The Sanhedrin knew that Jesus of Galilee was the “son of Marie“; it was convinced and the rumors aided a lot that Joseph was not the genetic father of Jesus, and Mathew poured oil on the fire by relating a not convincing story 60 years later.
I don’t care one way or another who was the real father of Jesus, but everyone else at that period did care and must have known, especially the Sanhedrin.
The Jews named the eldest sons after the patriarch of the family. The Sanhedrin knew that Jesus was a “gentile” who was circumcised by law during the century old Maccabees Kingdom, and that he followed the Jewish rituals. Jesus of Galilee was attached administratively and juridically to the city of Tyr in Lebanon.
The Sanhedrin was highly upset and frightened that this walking Rabi knew more on the Book and the history of the Jewish priesthood than the most learned among them.
And yet, not a historian, not a document, not an anecdote recounted what happened between Sunday and Thursday, a land of scholars.
These four days are as blank as the period of Jesus between 12 and 30 years of age.
After Jesus was crucified, all the frightened apostles huddled in a remote house.
From the testimony of the apostles, all that they retained from Jesus’ message was that there is another “coming” and pretty soon. More probably 3 days after any apostol passes away.
After news of Jesus resurrection reached the apostles, the second coming was confirmed to the apostles with a twist: the second coming will take place during their lifetime. If they die before the “coming” then they will be resurrected within 3 days to participate in the final event.
Thomas would not be railroaded one more time: he wants to touch Jesus and check the wounds.
Jesus has been teaching his message in parabolas, the best technique for verbal retention.
These parabolas were in the Gnostic literature of the Land and the examples were extracted from the custom and tradition of the Land (Palestine, Syria and Lebanon).
The apostles had nothing else to teach of the spiritual message of Jesus: they didn’t even comprehend the message.
The apostles retained what differed from the Jewish daily rituals and customs. Maybe Jesus was funny and told his stories in a funny way, but the testimonies of the apostles were not that funny.
Most probably the funny apostles with a sense of humor were not taken that seriously and their accounts forgotten, burned, and destroyed.
From Sunday to Thursday we know nothing of the activities and whereabouts of Jesus or his apostles.
Were the disciples scattered to disseminate the new message?
Was Jesus preaching and meeting with the masses?
Has Jesus discussed with a few priests in the Sanhedrin?
What is certain is that the Roman Pilates had no facts or accounts on Jesus activities that may substantiate fomenting any civil revolt.
The Sanhedrin was reduced to asking Jesus abstract and metaphysical questions “Are you the son of God?”
The Sanhedrin would not be humiliated by convicting a “gentile” on Jewish religious grounds; it would not legally stick with the Romans who did not meddle in sect divergences.
The Sanhedrin would not bring troubles to its structure of interests by spreading an accusation that a popular movement was underway contesting its legitimacy.
The Sanhedrin was in a major predicament, but would not allow Jesus to freely resume his teaching: And Jesus was to die in Jerusalem before he gets out of their jurisdiction.
These events did not take place in pre-history. The Land was highly civilized and cultured.
The elites spoke Greek, Roman, Aramaic, and Hebrew.
The Land had been disseminating all sorts of philosophical schools, sciences, and literature.
And yet, nothing to account from Sunday to Thursday!
Could you say that we have a biography of Jesus? The Jews even created a biography for Noah! I love biographies and I am not at all satisfied with what I have gotten.
Thousands of Christian “heretics” who believed only in the human nature of Jesus were persecuted, imprisoned, and crucified for not abiding by Byzantium orthodox dogma. Why did they have to defy a stupid orthodox dogma since there were no confirmed documents describing the entire life of Jesus?
Thousands of Christian “heretics” who believed only in the spiritual nature of Jesus were persecuted and executed for not following the orthodox dogma; why did they have to revolt against the orthodox dogma since even the apostles did not care or comprehend that much about Jesus spiritual message?
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And how Julia, the undaunted, passed away at 92?
I decided to relate this story, with the intention of Not pressing “publish” for a long time.
It was urgent for me to recollect the fresh facts and impressions of the demise of mother Julie.
A week before she fell in the bathroom, Julie was Not feeling well. I could Not tell what was ailing her and she could Not express how she felt.
I knew she was Not well because she slept a lot and wouldn’t mind that I bring her the food tray at bed.
Julie used to feel dizzy more than usual.
When she fell, laying on the ground and waiting for someone to discover her, I used to help her stand on her feeble legs and walk her to bed. I cover her up and wait until she recovers from whatever ailing her. An hour later, she is up and giving me worries.
That evening, Julie fell in the bathroom when I was Not home. I discovered her laying on the floor and moaning. Moaning means she is in pain. I called on my nephew to help me out carry her up to her bed.
I figured out she was removing a top, got dizzy and fell on the lavatory.
Not knowing if anything was broken, I called the Red Cross to transport Julie to the emergency.
This time around, I decided to take her to Bhaness hospital and called the bone surgeon to be the main physician in this case.
Four hours later, the x-rays showed 3 broken chest bones. And mother was hospitalized and we returned home after midnight.
The next day, the bone physician told us that mother has also some kidney failure, but this can wait after she recovers and her bone heal within 3 months.
In the meantime, mother is to take Panadol for her pain and suffering. And we were dispatched home.
For 3 days and nights, Julie was in constant pain at home.
She barely slept a wink and I could Not sleep a wink.
She was unable to swallow any soup or drink
One night, she made room in the bed next her and wanted me to lie next to her and hug her. This was totally unusual for this prude and tough girl.
I wanted to hug her and then I felt that my side of the bed was wet. And I decided to let her sleep alone and in pains. Always alone.
Julia would never accept to wear any kind padding (couche) and would rather suffer moving to the restroom.
But she had to swallow her pride and let me clean her up and cook for her.
Three awful nights and days, Julie was in acute pain and I trying to believe that it was a case of just broken bones that need time to heal.
I felt totally helpless and suffering for her. This home treatment crap was no longer a valid option.
We managed to find an “excuse” that it is the dialyse physician who should be in charge.
My brother-in-law and I shouldered her and Julie descended the stairs patiently. This undaunted woman was so weak that she leaned her head on my shoulder for a few breaths.
We finally drove her to Beit-Chabab emergency because her condition was no longer sufferable or acceptable to be at home.
The physician looked at the blood test and the second item demonstrated that Julie had a urine infection. The physician was beside himself and said: “She should have been treated at the hospital for this infection”.
That was a total chock for me and I wondered if the bone surgeon had no communication with the blood test physician or if any serious communication was done before releasing the patient. No antibiotics were prescribed after Julie was released from Bhaness,
To the insurance request of what Julie is suffering from, the physician said: “She is in coma already”
Julie was hospitalized for 3 days and then moved to ICU section. Her urine output was very deficient and less than minimal: kidney not functioning anymore. For 7 days, Julie was Not allowed to eat or drink out of the risk of deficiency in swallowing.
The dialise physician decided to intervene with a dialysis session. Julia suffered in these procedure sessions as she never before. But all her organs were already failing.
At 11:30 am before she passed away, we connected Julie with her daughter and preferred niece in London. She moved her hand to kiss the picture. She even moved her hand downward to remove the padding that she couldn’t stand. And I said: this is a sign that she is improving.
At 1:30, we received the call that she died.
Julie decided it was no longer worth it to live totally dependent.
She was supposed to be able to walk to the restroom and to the refrigerator to find something to eat when she wakes up several time at night.
Even when she was functional, barely anyone would visit with her, and occasionally she would cry silently telling me that no visitors are showing up.
Actually, in my 20 years since I returned from USA, no one paid me a visit. I who lived with her and took care of her. Even when she had a hip surgery and could Not move. barely anyone visited to extend any help.
My sister was oversea, and only Hanane was available and we would have lunch in mother’s room, on a portable light table that I bought for these occasions.
All those cousins whom Julia did her best to help, accommodate, shelter and feed in order for them to finish their schooling and who did well.
Anyone who has a point of view of what happens after death, he must include all the living creatures, even the tiniest of insects, lest he is practicing the lousiest of racism of the charlatans.
Death is a continuation of “Life cycle” on earth, as it is everywhere else.
Note: You may read who was Julie https://adonis49.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/julia/
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