Was Jesus Married?

Here's an article on CNN about the reported forgery of a sentence in an Coptic document. 

Miriam of Migdal (Solari) 

"How a mysterious man fooled a Harvard scholar into believing the 'Gospel of Jesus' Wife' was real" 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/13/us/jesus-wife-gospel-forgery-sabar/index.html

By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor Sun September 13, 2020

(CNN) In 2012 Karen King, a prestigious scholar at Harvard Divinity School, announced the academic discovery of a lifetime: a scrap of papyrus, purportedly from the early days of Christianity, in which Jesus refers to a woman as "my wife."

The text also includes the words "Mary" and "she is able to be my disciple." It seemed, at first, like a blockbuster finding for feminist scholars and an existential threat to the Catholic Church's all-male priesthood. King, who unveiled her find just steps from the Vatican, thought the fragment could validate her life's work: claiming a place for women in the early days of Christianity.

But instead of overturning years of religious scholarship, King's "discovery" capsized her career.

The author goes on to quote a recent book that trashes King's career.  It's the equivalent of the Vatican sending experts into the field to upend some heresy - only in this case, instead of an Inquisition, it's just a firing squad.... (from the article and interview:)

"What's the thinking now on the Gospel of Jesus' Wife? Are we 95% sure it's fake? Higher than that?

It's safe to say that there is no scholar that I know of anywhere who is defending the Gospel of Jesus' Wife as authentic, not even Karen King. She was the last holdout, and after my piece in The Atlantic about its provenance (history of ownership), King said it "tips the balance towards forgery."

What's the sentence in question?

That Jesus referred to his "wife" and then that "Mary was also a disciple." 

"The Gospel of Jesus' Wife squared that circle for King. In its central lines, "Jesus said to them my wife ... she is able to be my disciple.""

This CNN article cites the article in Atlantic, which  cites the book written by Ariel Sabar, ("Veritas") reports the fellow who claimed that he found or got the document (which was sent to King at Harvard) is a "pornographer" (his wife too, because she was in the films) who has claimed to "talk to angels."

Talk about preaching to the choir.

There's a problem here, and it jumped out at me like a mis-thrown horse shoe.

Wait a second. This woman's crime was believing a man (pornography aside, can't really be called a pornographer if you're filming one's wife - that's a voyeur), who "claimed to talk to angels" and that he is somehow a master forger as well.  

Coptic ain't that easy a language to forge sentences in - but indeed, as reported, this fellow was "busted" for selling a similar document from the "Gospel of Thomas."

But what this article doesn't say - and doesn't bother reporting - is that the original Gospel of Thomas didn't come from some forgery - it came from a cave where the Essenes hid those documents. There's no argument whether the Gospel of Thomas is actually a scroll - it is.  In that scroll (more specifically the "Acts of Thomas") Thomas claims a number of mind bending things, including being forced to sail to India by Jesus, forced to preach his gospel in a land he didn't want to go to - but did, and died there. (I've been to the place where he supposedly landed, and the ruins of his original "church" are next to the massive cathedral built in his honor.)

So it's not that the Gospel of Thomas is a dubious document, but it's that the supposed copy that was sold by the same fellow was. Minor detail, but paints a broad brush of "forgery" across the article.

But what about this detail that Jesus had a wife, and heaven forfend, it was likely his follower, pal and reported author of the Gospel of Mary (left out of the texts gathered by the Vatican officials who deemed it heretical)?  Is it possible that Jesus was married to Magdalene - and how does that upend Christianity (the all male club that it pretends to be)?

In that document - the Gospel of Mary - she refers to Jesus in a number of ways that appear to point to a closer relationship than previously reported. (Kissing, being closer, Peter being jealous, etc.)

And Ms. King is here being accused of "wishful thinking" that by proving that Jesus was married, and that his wife was a "disciple" would give women more standing... where? Where are they supposed to stand? 

Any of these guys look like they're from Palestine? Maybe the fellow 

with the beard and turban. 

I have an answer for this. But scholars won't like it.

Talk to those involved. They're still available.  Mary Magdalene, his mother Mary, Jesus himself. All available.  One doesn't need a pyramid hat, need to "believe in angels" (funny that the religion writer for CNN would mock the idea) or need a Coptic document to ask Jesus directly what the heck the sentence means.

Ask him.

Iconic photo of a fellow who looks vaguely European.

I've been filming people talking to "him" for over a decade.  Some were under hypnosis, some were not - some were via mediums who work with law enforcement agencies nationwide on missing person cases.  Some proved efficacy in other ways - speaking directly to friends of mine on the flipside and proving their ability to do so ("Talking to Bill Paxton" on Gaia) but some were just old friends who are not religious at all. ("I don't even believe in him, and yet here I am saying that I can see or hear him speak!")

I have - I've heard, I've reported. He makes appearances in the film and book "Flipside" in "Hacking the Afterlife," and most recently "Architecture of the Afterlife." Again - I'm not seeing or hearing him or claiming to - I'm speaking to someone who says "He's here" or "I'm seeing Jesus!" or "This is weird, but when you said that someone who looks just like Jesus appeared and I don't believe in Jesus!" 

 

And then I ask him the same questions I ask everyone.  "Who was there to greet you when you crossed over?" "Why are you still hanging around?" "What is the story about you, and what happened and what did not?"  The answers - mind bendingly - are the same.  Doesn't matter if they come via people I've known decades, people I've never met - they all say the same confounding-ly contrary-to-the-good-book (or scholars of the good book) things.

I've never personally "spoken to him" - because I'm a filmmaker. I've filmed these over a dozen people who claimed to "see him" "talk to him" "hear his voice" "see his face" and describe him - on camera - or on a recorder, where they claim that he "contradicts what's in the bible."

He often mentions "radiating at the same frequency" as many "avatars."

It's not my opinion, theory or belief that occurs. I'm filming or recording. The story "he tells" is consistent and contrary to what's been said for centuries. The story is the same and is also contrary to all scholarship in the arena.  

I'm not trying to prove the provenance of these claims - not trying to prove that Ms. King had an epiphany that turned her in this direction, that despite the men chasing her with torches - she is on the right track.  She may not be able to prove it in this lifetime, but it's exactly what these people say.

And what he says actually mirrors, is exactly what that sentence reportedly says.

I wouldn't be commenting on it if it didn't. 

Nat Geo photo. What archeology tells us about Jesus. 

I'm not interested in generating debate, arguing about it, or trying to change anyone's beliefs or dis-beliefs.  The title of the book cited trashing her is "Veritas" about the truth - and by doing so tearing Ms. King "a new one" - claiming she's been deluded, is delusionable, has been duped - because she's a woman, she got too invested, too emotional over her discovery, didn't do the due diligence real "scholars" would do. 

Because she wants Jesus to be married?

My challenge to scholars - do a little science experiment. Find a hypnotherapist (I recommend Newton Institute trained ones as I've filmed many, they have a searchable database). But any good one will do.  

From Popular Mechanics no less.

Ask them to help you see your family or friends no longer on the planet (think up trick questions to prove it's them) ask if it's possible to visit one's "life planning session" (I've filmed many) and ask "So what's up with this biblical obsession I have?  Why did I choose this lifetime?" And then the big Magilla question "Is Jesus available for a conversation?"  

I'd be surprised if he said "No."  

From a vivid dream of seeing Jesus, Akiane Kramirik painted this as a child,

has painted other portraits of the "person she saw in a vision."  These are the kinds of "visions" I film - but people aren't under hypnosis or dreaming. Just having coffee. ("Architecture of the Afterlife.")

As of yet anyway, I've yet to film or record him turning down an interview request. 

(I've filmed 100 cases by the way, compared those results to the 2750 clinical cases from Dr. Helen Wambach, clinical psychologist working in the 70's, or Michael Newton and the Newton Institute's reports of thousands of cases which are identical in scope.) 

Because he is "outside of time" - even though he's always "incredibly busy" (imagine having to turn up every time someone calls out his name) - he's happy to take questions and answer them.

While it's accurate that Ms. King appears to have been "taken in" by someone who lied about the provenance of where the Coptic document came from - the fact that the document fits with the same story line is mind bending.  Why would a forger be aware of what the Alpha and Omega has said to others about his relationship with Mary?  Did someone really hatch this elaborate scheme just to snare Ms. King? 

Defies logic.

What I've heard (filmed, recorded, published in "Hacking the Afterlife") was that indeed, he married Mary Magdalene.  (Secretly, without others than his closest pals present. I've interviewed more than one who claimed to be there.)

(Filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici made the exact same claim in his documentary:  that Magdalene and Jesus were married).

From Patheos.com and the Guardian.com

Reportedly Jesus was aware (through a close friend who was a medium in that era) of the events that were about to occur in Jerusalem, and stuck around because he felt it was "preordained" he do so.  

However, via close associates, he claims he carried out a "how to survive a crucifixion" plan - the same way David Blaine might carry out a "survive the fall from 28K" - with knowledge of meditation and yoga (which he learned from his many trips along the silk road to and from Hemis) with the ability to shift consciousness away from his mind (something he learned in Hemis) with the help of Joseph of Arimathea, who paid a handsome bribe to the very bribable Pilate, who took him down after an ordeal that normally lasted a week, but in this instance, lasted a few hours. 

That Nicodemus did bring 75 pounds of aloe and myrrh to the cave - restoratives then and now (no body is anointed in any Jewish death ritual, never has been) - that the part of the Gospel that claims followers came and took his body to "another cave" is accurate - it's where he was nursed back to health (note; none of the 75 pounds of aloe and myrrh were reportedly in the cave two days later) before he made the 80 mile (115 km) trek to see the Apostles in Galilee. 

Where they were reportedly in shock to see he survived - and ultimately helped him leave (not knowing where he vanished to which was to pick up his wife and child and head back to Kashmir where he'd been before a few times).  

That Mary Magdalane and her daughter Sara were hidden on a ship that took them to France after the crucifixion, where Jesus (Issa, or as his pals called him Esiah or "Essie") met up with her a year later, and took her and his family off to Kashmir (Srinigar) a place he was returning to. 

\

I've interviewed a number of people who claim to have witnessed this event. All

claim his arms were bound with straps, feet nailed. No nails in his hands, no sign over his head. ("Architecture of the Afterlife")

That she had her own following on the coast of France, because she was considered an equal to him in terms of the teaching. Not an "apostle" - but as she described in the Gospel of Mary "the favorite." The one who "kissed him on the lips." Again - I'm reporting. I don't care about the outcome - I was baptized then dropped the church the day my science teachers (Sister Daniel) reported the bible was metaphor. I got that it was subject to interpretation in 8th grade, and never went back.)

It's not my opinion, theory or belief that people say these things about him - or claim that "he" says these contrary things. I'm just reporting them. 

If someone could figure out how complete strangers, some from as far away as India, some as close as down the block, would suddenly, spontaneously without hypnosis claim to be able to "see him" hear him speak, answer my questions - who've never met, never read any of my books, or "Hacking the Afterlife" I'm happy to entertain a hypothesis of how that could be. 

"I'll meet you in France, is that okay?"

(Shy of claiming "Satan" is involved - the fellow who was reportedly on "God's council" in the book of Job, who tricked God into playing his game with God not being very omniscient in the outcome of the game - he doesn't appear in any of the thousands of sessions I've examined or 100 I've filmed) aside from claiming that it must be evil demons, devils or Diogenes, I'm open to any logical explanation.)

Until then - here's the news flash (which no one, aside from those who have reported the same, will ever take seriously as news) :

The sentence in the forged document in Coptic - no matter who wrote it - is accurate. 

I'm speaking up because I think Ms. King knows why she's on the planet, and she got blasted for reporting something she "already knows." 

Early portrait of our pal.  "Tell them you saw that I wasn't here."

Based on the filmed, recorded reports; Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married, had a child, then later after his miraculous recovery, they had at least two more, perhaps more, moved to Kashmir and lived happily ever after.  (Well - as happily as one could, with holes in his feet.) 

The miracle of this story is that he's the only human to ever survive a Roman crucifixion and he gets zero credit for that alone - despite crosses bearing his image across the planet.  

"Son, that fellow on the cross? He survived that. It was a miracle. He lived to teach us that we are all connected, all like the beings we've always been in the afterlife - which he called "the kingdom." All equal. Love your neighbor as yourself because your neighbor was likely a mom or pop in a previous lifetime. But for now, just make the sign of the cross to remember his message of "unconditional love" for everyone as we are all just walking/driving each other home."

"I know it sounds odd. But it's going to be fine.  I promise."

Aside from the Qur'an saying he survived the crucifixion (or is mentioned more often than Mohammed in that book), I've filmed a dozen people who claim he survived (except one - who claimed he was an "astral body" who ate, drank and slept with the Apostles - when challenge about this "memory" he said "You believe what you believe.") He believed that then, and continues to do so.  It's just not what the others have said.   

All claim he survived - they saw him as a human being, walking, talking, eating, etc after the event - claimed he was "other wordly" as a person who generated a feeling of "unconditional love" when he was nearby. (More than one bursts into tears recalling him and repeating this "pressure" around their heart.) 

"You were supposed to only point Judas. Now go write your own Gospel, friend, you've done what I asked of you.  Good news, you'll go down in history as the one who did what I asked; but some may rewrite that story... sad to say."

Again - I'm not trying to stir the pot here. (Maybe a little.)

Just pointing out the article presupposes Jesus was not married to Magdalene, that he didn't consider her an equal partner in his ministry of teaching "unconditional love" is for everyone. Reportedly he was, she was his equal, and he did come back as promised. 

I'm as far from a scholar as anyone could get.. I did go to Harvard, to only to buy a tee shirt in the book store and take it back to BU where I graduated Magna cum Laude in Humanities - got my Masters in writing from USC film school. But enough about me - it's not about me. It's about him. I'm only reporting. 

The good news is: he never left.  He's always been available (as are all of our loved ones, relative, pals, etc.) The bad news; very few have bothered to ask him.

So ask him. Worst that he can do is confirm it.

                        My two cents.