Ethnicity Did Jesus of Nazareth?

Offspring Did Jesus of Nazareth? The success of the novel The Da Vinci Code has become a hot topic the question of whether there was a descent of Jesus. The author of a recent book, The Legacy of Mary Magdalene, has done a fascinating study of iconographic documentation that resulted in important discoveries unpublished. In this article we summarize some of their findings. Jose Luis Giménez My source of information, I had placed to make a mysterious journey. A journey that would lead me to discover unusual and unknown aspects of the figure of Mary Magdalene, the name Christian tradition gave the Myriam Migdal Jewish, or Myriam of Magdala, which plays such an important role in the New Testament of the Bible . Much has been written about Jesus of Nazareth, which some attribute to name the village of Nazareth. In contrast, other authors argue that indicate membership in the Jewish sect of the Nazarites or Nazarites, whose votes are included not cut his hair or beard. However, very little is known with certainty about his life. The New Testament contains some key moments in the life of Jesus in the four canonical Gospels.

But they only refer to his public life in order to prove he was the Messiah promised to Israel. and a biased manner with respect to their privacy. In other texts known as Apocrypha, we can obtain additional information. Among these are those discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi (Upper Egypt). In Cuno Gnostic apocryphal gospels speak of a Jesus intimately linked to Mary Magdalene, and even says that Peter showed some jealousy and envy of this woman, refusing to accept that after his death, had risen Christ entrusted his secret teachings and primacy over the community of his followers. According to some of these texts as the Gospel of Philip, Magdalene was the companion or consort of Jesus, and even mentions the existence of an offspring of both in clear terms: "there is the mystery of the Son of Man and the mystery of the son of Son of Man. " Moreover, this gospel develops this claim, holding that Christ had the ability to create and to bring forth, culminating suggesting that their union with Mary Magdalene was a "sacred marriage", which unlike the profane qualified real mystery calls.

No doubt apocryphal texts, persecuted and destroyed by the Church from the years following the Council of Nicea in the fourth century AD, gave rise to a legend that circulated widely during the Middle Ages. But to what extent it was possible to document the persistence of this tradition?

My initial findings were at "El Camino de Santiago", which I think is most appropriate to call of Priscillian, "Bishop heretic" born in Galicia, in the year 340 AD. Prisciliano preached a Gnostic doctrine, which had a notable success in the north of Spain and southern Gaul. Almost all the places related to the Way are peppered with references to toponymic Oc. It is no coincidence that one to Compostela with Mary Magdalene and the Secret of the Grail, in the Languedoc France, located in the vicinity of Rennes le Château, a key to the enigma. It was in the Monastery of Santa María de Oia, in his church XII century Cistercian monastery, where I found the first clue. There was an altarpiece depicting the coming of the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, I noticed its resemblance to the seal of the Knights Templars of the Abbey of Notre Dame du Mont Sion. Furthermore, the central figure surrounded by Magdalena representing the apostles, as the Holy Spirit like a dove descending upon them. (See photo on the website of the author) Images for: Monastery of Oia (Pontevedra), Altarpiece of Mary Magdalene with the apostles and Templar Seal of the Abbey of Notre Dame du Mont Sion very near where I lived I discovered another significant element.

It was the Monastery of Santes Creus Reial, belonging to the Cistercian order, located in Aiguamurcia, Alt Camp, Tarragona province. Apart from the undoubted quality of the different artistic styles represented in the monastic church, attracted my attention one of the two lateral chapels arranged in the temple, near the main entrance door. This chapel, called St. John the Evangelist, I would go big and pleasant surprises in store because, in the central image of the altarpiece, the figure of St. John the Evangelist with markedly feminine appearance, with long, curly red hair, lip color fleshy and sensual crimson and holding a cup or grail with the left hand at chest level. (See photo on the website of the author) Images: JUAN EVANGELISTA Note the color red hair As I got closer and looking closely at the altar, made of wood painted and painted in oil, I discovered that there were seven additional icons at the bottom of it and watching them closely, I saw that reproduce various biblical passages about Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

Although the central figure of the altar meant to be that of San Juan Evangelista, too many ways contradicted him. Traditionally it was represented with a look manly beard and old age, almost always with a book in their hands. Suffice it to recall the paintings of St. John the Evangelist of painters like El Greco, Titian and Velázquez. Instead, the central image of the altarpiece was certainly feminine. I identified as Mary Magdalene, the long mane of reddish-copper color and the type of clothing and most used color in their representation, with a predominance of red. Also by the fact in his left hand holding the urn where the oils are kept who anointed Jesus with an unequivocal fact, for that is how it has been largely represented. As mentioned, under the central icon iconography there are seven smaller, four of whose figures are identified with Mary Magdalene, and three larger plants, which represent episodes of Jesus' life: birth, crucifixion and the descent of the cross. Expose and describe in detail what the icons represented in all impossible in the present article, by the large amount of data and photographs.

But as the primary evidence that we've been talking about is right in some of these icons, we will refer specifically to the latter briefly. The central icon is the scene of the crucifixion of Jesus, with the two thieves and feet are the biggest surprise: Mary Magdalene pregnant! I watched the scene from every angle possible to exclude the possibility of an optical illusion. But this was no error of assessment. The Magdalena represented at the foot of the cross of Jesus, utterly desolate, with red hair and scarf loose in the left hand rinsing tears, had been mentioned as a pregnant woman with her breasts swollen, pointing nipples and her swollen belly in the manner characteristic of pregnancy. Belly is a very low, about to give birth in the position previously adopted Eastern women to give birth. Next to it appears a skull, traditionally associated with Magdalene iconography. To leave no doubt as to her pregnancy, the author of the icon painted a sort of girdle, as they were then to emphasize the breasts in pregnant women, as was to indicate my friend Manuel Perea, painter, goldsmith and sculptor and therefore able to provide such references, which runs from the shoulder to the waist, his chest puffed clearly stressing of the Magdalena.

(See photo on the website of the author) pregnant Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross in the icon appears only two women who are traditionally identified with the Virgin Mary (mother of Jesus) and Mary Magdalene, which dispels any doubt about the identity and status of pregnancy of the figure represented. The third character represented is the Apostle John. This was the final proof or evidence had been seeking. Is it possible that nobody had noticed it before? How long he had been hiding the message of the altar? Now beginning to fit all the pieces of the puzzle. Needed to carefully watch the rest of the iconography, challenging time since their triumphant performance at this time. A moment that could never have nor imaginar.En the next scene, corresponding to the icon to the right, we see the descent from the cross of Jesus and died, surrounded by various characters. From left to right are Mary, wife of Clopas and cousin of the mother of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, with a beard and wearing turban typical Pharisees, Magdalena, who appears with the urn of the oils in their hands-John Lazarus , holding his arms to the Virgin Mary, Jane, sister of the Virgin Mary and Jesus' aunt, who appears kneeling, picking up the feet of the crucified and risen, and finally in the ladder leaning on the cross, a character Nicodemus could well be.

(See photo on the website of the author) Icon descent of Jesus from the cross In the iconography of descent from the cross, the author gives us a very important detail: all the characters that appear in the icon, was bound to be relatives of Jesus. According to the Law of Moses was not allowed to touch the dead, unless they were relatives, as we can confirm Números1 9.11: "He who touches a corpse, the corpse of any man, I will be unclean for seven days", a taboo repeated contact with the corpse in Números19, 14 and 19: 16. In Leviticus 21, 1-3, we have greater accuracy: "The Lord said to Moses: 'Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say: No contamination with the corpse of one of them, except if one of their closest relatives: his mother, father, son, daughter, brother. may also be made unclean by the dead body of her sister, still a virgin, if not to have belonged to no man, was his close relative '" . A passage that corroborates Ezekiel 44, 25: "There is a dead person acercarn not be defiled, but the father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister has no husband, they may defile themselves."

As we see, was only allowed to touch the dead to the immediate family. In this case, the author of the icon once again made clear the close family relationship that Mary Magdalene bore concerning Jesus. The rest of the iconography also referred to the relationship between it and Jesus. In fact, re-emphasizes the same idea, as we see another icon where it appears with unequivocal signs of embarazo.Finalmente, possible descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene was witnessed by the author of the altarpiece in one of the icons, where we can watch together and Magdalena his two offspring, in this case, twin girls. (See photo on the website of the author) Mary Magdalene pregnant with the cross - Mary Magdalene with twin girls Magdalene iconography for the twin girls, led by the hand and arms. Does the evidence of the offspring of Jesus and Mary Magdalene? This altarpiece placed on record in iconographic form of an ancient tradition that, despite the hostility of the Church, was transmitted throughout the Middle Ages. Basically, pick up the following message: - social status of Mary Magdalene on the icon of the princess, with the inscription of IVSTICIA - Wife of Jesus, dressed in mourning after the crucifixion, with the palm of martyrdom, also witnessed the martyrdom to which he was submitted its report to be presented as a prostitute, when in the Bible there is no basis to identify with the character of the sinful gospel.

This arbitrary identification was consolidated in the V and VI, projecting an image of disrepute that veiled its true value and historical significance. - Living Grail as a carrier of the blood of Jesus, through its offspring (the icon that shows pregnant, bearing the cross, the load). - Confirmation of the offspring (icon with the twin boys in her arms, clearly showing its resemblance to the parent). It is not possible in an article detailing all the information collected for the author of the altar-board task in my book, but suffice to recall that the Monastery of Santa Creus belonged to the Cistercian Order founded by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who A decisive turn in the creation of the Order of the Knights Templar. Later, they arrived at the Monastery of Santa Creus, through the Military Order of Our Lady of Montesa, founded in 1319 by King James II of Aragon to host the Knights of the Order of the Temple who managed to escape the persecution of King Philip IV the Fair of France, with the approval of Pope Clement V. The Knights Templars who managed to flee from France, took refuge in other orders, like the Montesa and Calatrava.

With them come also the secret knowledge of the Order, which had been accused of heresy. These secrets have always emphasized the existence of a real blood (Holy Grail) who claimed a sacred ancestry goes back to Jesus and Magdalene. The altarpiece that we examined was made in the year 1603, as recorded in the same, using a hidden language of the initiate to transmit covertly considered heretical tradition, whose trustees in Western Europe were the Knights Templar, the Cathars above.

Honestly, I think the evidence speaks for itself. But if we consider that this is an altarpiece of the beginning of the seventeenth century and prior to that time, as there were several very well known iconography and images of San Juan Evangelista, among them those mentioned by Titian, El Greco and Velazquez , to name just a few examples, without exception projecting markedly virile image of this figure. This tradition mean that the character can be matched with the image of women depicted in the altarpiece of the church of the Monastery of them Santes Creus.

It seemed incredible that that had not previously known altarpiece anyone's attention (at least, I have no record of it). But say Hermes (my mysterious informant): "Everything has its time." And maybe now it was the right time. (Excerpted from the book The Legacy of Mary Magdalene, José Luis Giménez http://www.jlgimenez.es jlgimenez@jlgimenez.es