BRENTAN, BERNARD E. OVERBERG Y WILLIAM WESENER
THE VISIONS AND REVELATIONS OF SAINTLY
ANNA CATERINA EMMERICK
VOLUME III
THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS BLESSED MOTHER
From the Beginning of Jesus' Public Life to the First Passover
In accordance with the vision of Sh. Ana Catalina Emmerick
Edited by the Journal Cristiandad.org -
The Beginning of Jesus' Public Life
Jesus left Capernaum, passing through Nazareth, and went to Hebron. He passed through the beautiful region of Gennesaret, near the warm baths of Emmaus.
These lie between Magdala, toward Tiberias, perhaps an hour's drive, and this last point on a hillside. In the fields, there was much tall grass and on the slopes of the mountains, villages and houses between rows of fig trees, date trees and orange trees.
A popular feast was held by the road. Groups of men and women, separated from each other, played various games with consistently high prizes on fruits of various classes. There Jesus saw Nathanael of Chased among the group of men who were under a fig tree. Nathanael was struggling against a strong temptation to sexuality as he looked at the group of women. As Jesus passed by, he gave him a warning look. Nathanael felt a strong impression at the point, and, not knowing Jesus, he thought to himself: "This man has an overwhelming look". He had the impression that this man was superior to the common of mortals. He felt moved, he reconcentrated on himself, he overcame temptation, and he has been more severe with himself ever since.
I thought I saw Naftali, called Bartholomew, who was also impressed by the gaze Jesus directed at them. Jesus was walking with two childhood companions through Judea toward Hebron. These companions and disciples did not believe him; they soon left him, and only after the resurrection and after appearing to the disciples on Mount Thebez in Galilee did they truly convert and join the Christian community.
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, he went to Lazarus' home. Lazarus looked older than Jesus; he would have been at least eight years older. He had a big house with lots of people, farm, orchards and gardens. Martha had a house apart, and another sister, who lived alone as reconcentrated in herself, also had a separate dwelling from the rest of the house. Magdalena resided at that time in her castle of Magdala. I knew Lazarus was a friend of the Holy Family for a long time.
On other occasions, he helped Joseph and Mary with many pledges and from beginning to end he helped the Christian community. All the money that Judas brought came from his donations, just as the expenses that Jesus' disciples needed to make were paid for by the donations of Lazarus. From Bethany Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem.
Lazarus' Family
Lazarus' father was called Zarah or Zerah and was of noble lineage originating in Egypt. He had also lived in Syria, on the borders of Arabia, and had a kinship and friendship with a king of Syria. For his merits in a war, he was awarded by the Roman Emperor land and possessions near Jerusalem and Galilee. He was like a prince among his countrymen and very rich, and by his marriage to a Jewish woman of the Pharisees' class he had increased his material possessions. His wife's name was Jezebel.
Lazarus became a Jew and was a law-abiding, pious man in the manner of the Pharisees of his day. He had a right over part of the city, near Mount Zion, where the stream runs through the ravine, next to the temple hill. But most of his rights had been ceded to the temple. However, an old right had remained in the family over the part where I later saw the apostles ascending to the Upper Room, although not belonging to their possessions. The land of Bethany was very large, with many gardens, wells, and terraces, and was surrounded by a double moat. Lazarus' family was aware of the prophecies of Simeon and Hannah.
They were expecting the Messiah and in Jesus' childhood they had friendships with the Holy Family, so that even today noble families are friends of other humble ones. Lazarus' parents had fifteen children, six of whom died early, nine reached adulthood, and only four were alive at the time of Christ's preaching. These four were: Martha, two years younger; a Mary, called the Silent One, two years older than Martha; and Mary Magdalene, five years younger than Mary, the Silent, who was held by someone short-sighted. This Mary is not named in the Scriptures, but she was very valuable to God. She was isolated from her family and thus unknown. Madeleine, the youngest of all, was very beautiful and from the early years she showed herself full-looking, vigorous and slender; she was full of vanity, flirtation and seduction.
By the time she was seven, her parents had already died. She didn't suffer them, because of the severe fasts they practiced at home. From a young age she was vain, proud, docky and capricious and overly sweet. She was loyal to no one and only looked for the one who flattered her. She was a spanking and moved by natural compassion and given to all that was bright and to outer magnificence. Her mother had some of the blame for her mimes; she also inherited from her her natural and sensitive compassion. The mother and nanny falsified Madeleine's training because they made her appear everywhere to exhibit themselves, let her cocktails and seduction arts be applauded, and often spent a lot of time with her in the window and in public. That habit of sitting by the window to peek was the beginning of his moral ruin.
I saw her in the window and on the terrace of her house in a seat of carpets and pillows, so that she could be seen from the street in all her beauty and seduction. Since then, he has been stealing candy to present to other creatures in the garden, and since the age of nine he has been fantasizing about affection and love. As the years went by, as her talent grew, so did the noise around her and the admiration of people. He's got a lot of fans. She was educated and could write love verses on small scrolls of parchment. I realized I was counting on my fingers as I wrote. She then sent these letters to her admirers, and so she was known everywhere and talked about a lot. But I did not see in her that she really loved anyone or that she was loved by another: in everything she proceeded from vanity, sensuality, self-love and charms.
It was considered a scandal for his sisters. She was deviating from her sisters by the simple life they led. When, with the death of her parents, her father's inheritance was divided by lot, Magdalene inherited the Castle of Magdala, which was very beautiful. Since childhood I had been there several times and felt a special fondness for the place. He was only eleven years old when he retired to this castle with much attendance from servants and servants of the house and great pomp. Magdala was a place of strongholds and amphibious buildings made up of castles, fortified houses, public offices, porticoed squares, walks, and gardens. It was eight hours east of Nazareth, three hours to Capernaum and about one and a half hours to Bethsaida, a mile up the lake of Gennesaret, and partly in the valley that ran to the Sea of Galilee, ending on the road that stretched around the lake. One of the castles belonged to Herod, who had another larger one in the fertile field of Gennesareth, so Herod's soldiers were there, who were the cause of the greater release of customs. Many of the officers had dealings with Madeleine. Besides these soldiers, there would be a hundred more people in all of Magdala, mostly servants, castle keepers, servants and stewards. There was no synagogue there, and the pious people went to Bethsaida.
The Castle of Magdalene was the most beautiful and was situated on higher ground than the others in the vicinity: from its terraces one could contemplate the plain of the Sea of Galilee to the opposite shore. The five paths joined the Magdalene: on each one of them, about half an hour later, the corresponding castle, a tower on a vault like a pit from which the watchman could observe the horizon at a great distance. These towers were disconnected from each other and surrounded by gardens, meadows, and pastures. And Madeleine had bondmen and bondwomen; for she had her cattle there; but the administration was flawed, and everything was in decay.
Through the valley and rugged canyons, from where the construction of Magdala began to the height, a stream ran toward the sea, where wild animals came to shelter and came to hide from three deserts connected to the Valley of Magdala. Herod used to hunt large game there, as well as at Genesaret Castle, where he owned a zoo. The field of Gennesaret began between Tiberias and Tarichea, about four hours from Capernaum, and extended from the sea to three hours in the region, and south from Tarichea to the mouth of the Jordan. This beautiful valley, like the artificial lake and the bathing site of Betulian, formed by a stream, was part of a splendid set of streams that gushed into the sea. This water flow formed several artificial waterfalls and ponds in the beautiful valley, filled with gardens, summer houses, castles, zoos, orchards with forest trees and fruit trees of all kinds. Throughout the year, vegetation and flowers were seen there. The wealthy of the country, especially of Jerusalem, had their summer residences there, with gardens, parks, and walks. The place was full of huts, walks, and swamps, with green meadows and tree-lined paths shaped like pyramids, showing hills and elevations of different aspects. Outside Magdala, no other populations were seen in the surrounding area. The year-round stable inhabitants were mostly gardeners and castle keepers, and shepherds who guarded the livestock of sheep and goats of selected breeds. I also saw that they looked after all kinds of animals and birds that were rare in the gardens. No major road passes through Magdala, but it was surrounded by two that came from the sea and the Jordan River.
Jesus at Hebron, Dotaim, and Nazareth
When Jesus arrived in Hebron, he sent his companions to tell them that he should visit a friend. Zechariah and Elizabeth were no longer alive, and Jesus went to the wilderness where Elizabeth had taken the boy John. This desert was between Hebron and the southern Dead Sea. First, you would cross a high mountain of white stones and enter a fine palm valley. Jesus went there and was in the cave where Elizabeth had taken John.
Then I saw him passing by a stream through which John had also passed with Elizabeth. I saw him alone and in prayer, as if preparing for his public life. From this desert he returned again to Hebron. He helped in every situation where it was necessary: I saw him by the Dead Sea helping people who were going over the sea on ferries and stretching a canvas over the barge, as men, animals and cargo loaded were going up on the ferry. Jesus called them, and from the shore a drawer reached for them and helped them to load and straighten the boat.
People could not imagine who he was, for though he did not distinguish himself from others by his outer dress, his size was so dignified, his treatment so kind, and his admired person, that everyone felt moved without knowing why. At first they believed that it was John the Baptist who had appeared in those places; but they were soon disappointed, for John was broader and had more fondness for the life of the desert.
While in Hebron, he kept the Sabbath and released his traveling companions. He went into the homes of the sick and comforted them, and served them, and lifted them up and laid them on their beds. But I did not see any one of them cured of their diseases. His appearance was a blessing to all and they were amazed at his presence. He went to some of those who had demons and who were troubled by them, but he did not see them being delivered from evil spirits. Where he appeared, he collaborated when opportunity presented itself: he lifted up the fallen, gave drink to the thirsty, and accompanied travelers through difficult roads. Everyone desired his presence, loved him well, and admired such a traveler. From Hebron he went to the mouth of the Jordan, to the Dead Sea. He crossed the river and headed east toward Galilee.
I saw him walking through the region of Gergesa. He made his way in small steps, helping, however, where the occasion offered itself. He visited the sick and the lepers, comforted them, lifted them up, put them to beds, urged them to pray, and suggested remedies and care. Some who knew about Simeon and Anne asked him if this was the boy they had spoken about. Usually, a few would accompany him willingly, who would do so out of pleasure. He was also at the beautiful stream Hieromax that flowed into the Jordan, not far from that steep mountain from which he later threw the pigs into the sea; this place was under the Sea of Galilee. And there were a number of small houses on the shore, dug in the ground, like shepherd's huts, where dwelt the people who worked with their canoes and their ships; and I saw that they did not understand the trade, and did not go forward much. Jesus went to them, kindly helped them by taking them posts and hangers, giving them a hand in their tasks and indicating certain conveniences in the way of work, while urging them to be patient and charitable to one another in the task. Later I saw him in Dothaim, a small isolated village northeast of Sephoris.
There was no synagogue there, and people lived carefree lives, although they were not bad. Abraham had shepherds there for the animals of the sacrifice. And Joseph and his brethren had their flocks there, and Joseph was sold there. In modern times, Dothaim was a small village, although the meadows were good and there was cattle up to the Sea of Galilee. There was a large house in this place, a kind of a mental asylum, where many demon-possessed people were. They were furious and beat each other, until they thought they were killing themselves when Jesus came. The guards couldn't even tie them up. Jesus went in and talked to them, and they immediately calmed down. And he exhorted them and admonished them, and I saw that they went out from there in peace, every one to his own house. The locals were very surprised to see this fact, they did not want to let him leave and eventually invited him to a wedding. At that party, he appeared only as a man to be honored. She spoke kindly, and with wise words she exhorted husbands as well. I saw that these, after Jesus appeared at Thebes, entered the Christian community.
Jesus' Return to Nazareth
When Jesus returned to Nazareth, he found his relatives and acquaintances in the surrounding area, and they welcomed him. He tried to enter the synagogue and teach, but they would not let him. Then he spoke in the public square before many people, Sadducees and Pharisees, referring to the Messiah who was to come, very different from what they had imagined according to their desires. He called John "the voice that cries out in the wilderness".
Two young men from the region of Hebron were following him, dressed in long robes like those of the priests, though they were not always with him. You celebrated your Saturday party here. Jesus saw Mary, Cleopas, and the parents of Parmenas, about twenty men, leaving Nazareth for Capernaum. They had donkeys loaded with packages. The house of Nazareth was clean, adorned and lined with carpets and blankets, which gave me the impression of a chapel. Thus the little house of Nazareh was emptied. Mary's third husband, Cleopas, who worked at Anne's home, was caring for the house with his children. This Mary Cleophas, her younger son Joseph Barsabbas and Simon, now lived very near the house that the man named Levi had given Jesus to live near Capernaum. Parmenas' parents also lived not far from there. Jesus went from one small village to another, visiting especially the places where John had been when he returned from the wilderness.
He went into the synagogues and taught and comforted the sick. On one occasion, while teaching in the synagogue of a small village about John's baptism, about the nearness of the Messiah, and about the need for repentance, the inhabitants murmured, saying: "About three months ago his father, the carpenter, was living, and he worked with his father; then he went on a little journey, and now he has found himself a teacher". I also saw him at Cana, where he was with relatives, whom he visited, and I saw him teaching. I have not yet seen him with any of his future apostles. It seems that he is busy getting to know people, and that he helps only the work that John is busy doing.
From town to town, he was always accompanied by a good local man. I saw four men, one of them an apostle, waiting in the shadow on the road between Samaria and Nazareth, where Jesus was passing. He was walking with one of the disciples. The men went to meet him and told him how they had been baptized by John, and he told them about the coming of the Messiah. They told him that they had spoken harshly to the soldiers and that he had baptized a few of them. They also told him that he could take stones from the Jordan and baptize them, and they told him other things about John. So they continued on their way to their goal. Then I saw him walking along the Sea of Galilee, northward.
He was speaking more clearly about the Messiah, and in various places the demon-possessed cried out after him. He drove out a demon from a man and began to teach in the synagogue. Six men came to Jesus from John's baptism. Among them was Levi, who was called Matthew, and two widows of Elizabeth's relatives. They knew something about Jesus by his relatives and by his ears, and they were unsure if he might be the one John the Baptizer was talking about.
They told Jesus about John, Lazarus and Mary Magdalene, thinking that she was demon - possessed. By this time Mary was already living in her castle at Magdala. These men followed Jesus, marveling at his teaching. The disciples who had come to John from Galilee and heard about Jesus told him. Then they went to Aenum, where John was baptizing. They told him about John. After this, I saw Jesus walking alone by the lake, surrounded by a fence and five boats anchored there. On the coast there were several fishing huts. Peter was the owner of that fishing spot.
Peter and Andrew, John and James, and their father Zebedee, and others with them, were in the boat. In the middle boat was Peter's father-in-law with his three sons. I knew the names of all those men and I forgot them. His father was called Zelotes because he had once disputed with the Romans about fishing rights in the Sea of Galilee and won the lawsuit. I saw about 30 men on the boats. Jesus approached and walked between the huts and the boats through the enclosed space. He spoke to Andrew and other fishermen; I don't know if Peter too. They gave no sign of who he was. He told them about John and the nearness of the Messiah. Andrew was a disciple of John and had been baptized by him. Jesus told them he would return.
Jesus goes through Lebanon, to Sidon and Zarephath
Jesus went from the shore of the Sea of Galilee to Lebanon because of the noise and the stirring around the country. Many were saying that John was the Messiah, and others were saying that another was pointed out by John himself. Now about six or twelve of them were on their way, rejoicing at his teaching, and they thought it might be the one about whom John was speaking. Jesus had not yet chosen anyone and was walking alone, as if he were sowing and preparing the ground for his mission. All of these routes were related to the travels of the prophets, especially Elijah.
Jesus and his companions headed to the mountains of Lebanon, toward the great city of Sidon, on the sea shore. From these heights, you could enjoy a splendid panoramic view. The city seemed to be very close to the sea, but when you were inside it you could see that it was still three-quarters of an hour's drive from the coast. It was a fairly large and moving city: when you looked from a height down, it seemed as if you could see an endless series of boats, because on the flat roofs of the houses there was like a forest of mast sticks with large coloured flags and other shades and some unpainted fabrics, placed and hung, and beneath a crowd of men working.
I saw them make all kinds of shiny containers in the houses. The surroundings were filled with small orchards with fruit trees. There were big trees and around them were seats. Some of these seats were on tree branches, to which he climbed stairs, and there many people were sitting and resting as in aerial houses. The plain on which the city was located, between the sea and the mountain, was quite narrow. Heathen and Jewish merchants traded in the city, where idolatry was rampant. The Savior was teaching and preaching as he walked among the small people, under the big trees, talking about John and his baptism and the need for repentance. Jesus was welcomed in the city. I'd been there again. He spoke at the city school about the proximity of the Messiah and the need to abandon idolatry. Queen Jezebel, who had so much persecuted Elijah, was from this city. Jesus left his companions in Sidon and moved further north to a secluded place by the sea. He wanted to separate himself from the others and devote himself to prayer. This place is surrounded on one side by forests; there were thick walls and many vineyards around it. It was Zarephath, the city where Elijah was fed by the widow.
The Jews also had a superstition that was shared by the Gentiles of that place: They sought to dwell in the walls of godly widows, so that they might commit sin and be sure that no harm would come to them. In those days there lived old men. Jesus lived on the property of the widow, who now belonged to an elderly man. These men were a sort of lonely people who by ancient custom and veneration for Elijah retired to live there, devoted to meditation, to the explanation and interpretation of the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and to prayer. Jesus told them about the Messiah and John's baptism. Though pious, they had wrong ideas and thought that the Messiah would come with temporal power and outward magnificence. Jesus often retired to the forest of Zarephath to devote himself to prayer. At other times he went to the synagogue and also taught children. In places where many pagans lived, he warned them to stay away from their customs.
I saw there were good people there and some very wicked people. He usually saw him go alone, unless accompanied by some of the neighbors. I often saw him teaching under the shade of trees, at the foot of the hills, surrounded by men and women. The time of year was like this when we were here in May, because on this earth the second harvest is similar to that of May, among us. And I saw that they cut not the wheat as low as we; but they cut it with their hand under the thorns, and cut it to a height of a height, and they did not pluck it.
They would leave the small beams standing and pass over a roll pulled by two oxen. Wheat was much drier and fell more easily than ours. The work they did was in the open field or under a straw roof, open on the sides. From Zarephath Jesus went northeast to a place not far from the field of the dead seen by Ezekiel in vision, when the bones of the dead gathered together, taking flesh and nerves, and coming a breath they received life and movement. I explained this: as if by the preaching and baptism of John the bodies were covered with flesh and nerves, and by the Spirit of the Redeemer Jesus, later by the Holy Spirit they would receive life and movement. Here Jesus comforted the people who seemed downcast, and he spoke to them and explained the vision of the prophet Ezekiel". And he went further north, to the region where John had gone out of the wilderness. There was a small town there where Naomi and Ruth had stopped for a while. The fame of these women was such that they were still talked about with praise. Later, he retired to Bethlehem.
The Lord preached here with great zeal. The time was drawing near when he would go south to be baptized through Samaria. Jacob also had pasture fields here. A stream ran through the Prado, behind which stood the well of John, quite high, from which opened a path to the field of the dead seen by Ezekiel. From there it went down to the place where Adam and Eve were driven out of Paradise, going down every time. At this descent the trees became smaller and smaller and more stubborn, until they reached the middle of thick shrubs, where everything was already wild and warped. Paradise was high, like the sun, and it was descending like behind a mountain, which seemed in turn to rise.
The Savior walked the same way that Elijah did when he went from the river Carith to Zarephath. He was back in the shepherds' field heading for Zarephath. He was teaching on the way and was passing by Sidon non-stop. He was going south from Zarephath to be baptized, but he stopped at Zarephath for the Sabbath. After the Sabbath, I saw him going to Nazareth and teaching somewhere, alone or with others. He always saw him barefoot. He wore his sandals, which he would wear when he reached a certain population. I saw him through the valleys near Carmel, and again on the way, very close to where he was going to Egypt. Suddenly, he headed east. I also saw Mary the mother of God, Cleopas, the mother of Parmenas, two from Jerusalem to Serafia (Veronica), Joanna the Chussian, and the son of Serafia, who later joined the apostles. These were going to meet with Mary; they were known to her at the annual Jerusalem trips.
There were three places where godly families, including Mary and Joseph, used to perform their devotions each year: the temple in Jerusalem, the terebinth tree near Bethlehem, and Mount Carmel. Hannah's family and other godly people usually came to this place in May when they returned from Jerusalem. There was a well there and Elijah's cave that looked like a chapel. There were at one time godly Jews who were waiting for the coming of the Messiah; there were others who lived there as lonely ones, and later there were Christians. East of Mount Tabor, Jesus taught the baptism of John at the school of a small village. I saw five companions with Jesus, some of whom later became disciples. They sent letters to all the synagogues and the chief places of worship in Palestine, warning the people against the one John had said was coming and was about to be baptized. The rulers were told to watch this person, to be aware of his movements, adding that if he was the Messiah he did not need baptism.
These scribes and Pharisees were very concerned, since they learned that he was the same one who confused them as a child in the temple. And I saw these messengers coming to a city four hours from the way of Hebron to the sea; it was the same city from which the messengers of Hebron brought forth those great clusters of grapes. The city was called Gaza. I saw a long line of shops and rooms that stretched all the way to the sea, where silk and other merchandise were sold. Jesus went there and began to teach in many places, even to the well of Jacob. Then he held a sabbath. When Jesus returned to Nazareth, he saw the mother of God coming out to meet him. When he saw her and her disciples, he stood at a distance and did not go near Jesus.
I was impressed by his spirit of sacrifice, depriving himself of that taste. While Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, holy women were there. When a few days later, with his five companions and some twenty young men anxious for his childhood, he taught in the synagogue before many of Nazareth, the holy women were no longer present. The people who heard him murmured against him, saying that perhaps he wanted to take the place of the baptism that John had given up, and that he wanted to be baptized like another like John; but that he could not, because John came from the desert, and they knew him well, and he could not deceive them.
Jesus at Bethsaida and Capernaum
Jesus left Nazareth for Bethsaida, where he wanted to awaken some by his teaching. The holy women and other companions remained in Nazareth. Jesus had been at his mother's house, where other friends had gathered, and he had told them that he was thinking of going away because there had been a murmur against him: that he was going to Bethsaida, to return to Nazareth later.
With Jesus was a son of the woman named Veronica, whose name was Syracuse, and a relative of Peter, who later became a disciple. In the synagogue at Bethsaida, Jesus preached with much enthusiasm on the Sabbath. He told them that they should confess their sins and go to the baptism of John and be cleansed by repentance, lest they shout, 'Alas, alas!' The other apostles, who were from Bethsaida, were in another synagogue on that Sabbath. Jesus and his men lived in a house near the fishermen in Capernaum. While Jesus was preaching in Bethsaida, I prayed that people would come to John's baptism and repent. Then I had a vision where I saw John washing and removing the larger and more serious stains from those people, as a forerunner of the one who was to come.
I saw how he worked with ardor in his work, so that sometimes his skin fell from one shoulder to the other shoulder; this seemed to me a figure of what happened to the baptized, whom I saw falling like tin and scales, and from some it came out like a black smoke; while on others more disposed came rays of light. He also taught at the school in Capernaum.
They came from everywhere to hear: they saw Peter, Andrew, and many others who had been baptized by John. As he left Capernaum, about two hours south of the town, a crowd surrounded him, teaching. Three disciples were with him. The other apostles who had followed him and heard him in Capernaum turned to their occupations, since Jesus had not yet spoken to them privately. The theme of Jesus' preaching was, again, John's baptism and the nearness of the fulfilled promise. Afterward I saw him in the southern part of the town of Galilee, teaching, and on his way to Samaria. He celebrated the Sabbath in a small village between Nazareth and Sephorus. There were the holy women from Nazareth, Peter's wife, and other women who later became apostles. The place was made up of a few houses and a school, in a space separated from Anne's house by a field.
Of the future apostles, Peter, Andrew, James the Younger, Philip, all of John's disciples, had gone to hear their preaching. Philip was from Bethsaida, had a distinctive appearance, and was a Bible student. Jesus did not stop here or eat food; he just taught. It is possible that the apostles had observed the Sabbath in some nearby synagogue. It was the custom of the Jews to visit different synagogues. When they heard Jesus speak privately, they left.
The Demon-Hunged of Sephorus
Jesus and three disciples went out of the mountains to Sephorus, a four-hour drive from Nazareth. He entered the home of an aunt, Ana's younger sister, named Maraha. She had a daughter and two sons, dressed in long white robes, named Arastaria and Cocharia, and later they became disciples.
Mary, the mother of God, Mary Cleopas, and other women went to the same place. There I saw that Jesus' feet were washed and a meal was prepared. He slept at the house of Maraha, who was the ancestor of Santa Ana. Sephorus was a very large city, with three communities: one of the Pharisees, one of the Sadducees, and one of the Essenes, and three schools. She suffered much because of wars, and at that time there was almost nothing left of her. Jesus stayed for several days teaching and exhorting John to baptize. On the same day he was teaching in two synagogues, one superior to the other. At first the Pharisees were murmuring against him; the holy women were there.
In the other, the Essenes, there was no room for women, and it was well received. When he began teaching in the synagogue of the Sadducees, something wonderful happened. There was a place in Sephorus where many demon-possessed, retarded, insane and unbalanced people gathered. They gathered in a square near the school, where they were taught; and when there was an explanation to the others in the synagogue, they were brought in to hear it. They were standing behind others and listening to the preaching. Among them were guards who beat them to death to keep quiet when they went about.
Before Jesus entered the synagogue, I saw these people, troubled and angry with each other, torn apart and stricken with confusion, teaching the Sadducees and having the guards subjected to the force of flogging. When he entered, the crowd was filled with alarm. "This is Jesus of Nazareth, " they said", who is visiting the Magi in Bethlehem, and whose mother is in Mara. He is teaching a new teaching, but they do not listen to him". So they cried out as they told the story of Jesus' life, either one or the other of the demon - possessed men, despite the beatings of the guards.
Jesus ordered them to go to the town. He sent two of his disciples to the town to bring the others who had been demon-possessed. Soon after, about fifty of them were gathered, accompanied by many curious ones. The demon-possessed ones kept shouting more than before, until Jesus intervened and said: "The spirit that speaks through them comes from the depths and must return to the depths from which it came". To the point where they all found themselves healthy and good, some falling to the ground by the spirits leaving. A riot broke out in the city because of this miracle, and Jesus and his family were in great danger. The noise grew so loud that Jesus ran to a house. At night he and three of his disciples, Aristarchus and Kocharchus, the sons of Anne's sister, went out of the city. The holy women came out, too. Mary was distressed and distressed at the sight of Jesus being persecuted for the first time. Outside the city, they gathered under trees and headed for Betuliah.
Jesus in Betulian
Most of those whom Jesus healed there went to John's baptism and later followed Jesus as disciples. Betulian was that city in whose defense Judith killed Holofernes. It was located at noon, east of Sephorus, on a high plateau extending over a large area. It was not far from there to the Castle of Magdala, where Mary Magdalene lived in all her splendor. In Betulia there was a castle and there were abundant water wells. Jesus and his companions took refuge at the entrance of the city, and the holy women gathered there again. I heard that Mary was telling Jesus not to teach there, for she was too afraid of a riot.
Jesus replied that he already knew and that he should carry out his mission. "Now must we go to the baptism of John? " she asked". Now must I go and get some of my disciples to me? " Jesus replied", I am going to the baptist of John, but I will tell you when". Mary was silent, as at the wedding at Cana.
It wasn't until after Pentecost that I saw women being baptized at Lake Bethesda. These holy women went to the town of Bethulia, and on the Sabbath Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. Many people from the region gathered to hear his explanation. I also saw many demon-possessed men and other sick people walking in the streets and on the streets where Jesus was passing. They were silent in his presence, and they were silent, and Jesus freed them from their evil. People exclaimed: "This man must have a prodigious strength, like the prophets of old, because these furious ones are silenced in his presence". These felt relieved, even though he had not directly touched or spoken to them, and they approached the hostel to thank him.
Jesus taught and urged them with strong words and told them to come to John's baptism. The people of Bethulia appreciated Jesus and did not allow him to continue living outside the city. They disputed the honor of hosting him in their homes, and those who could not wanted to host at least one of the five disciples who were with him. These did not want to leave Jesus; so the Savior told the guests that he would go to the various houses they offered him.
This love and enthusiasm for Jesus was not without interest, and Jesus kept making it evident during the synagogue teachings. They had the unconfessed intention of regaining, with the attention of the new prophet, the fame they had lost by their trade and their mingling with pagans and Gentiles. So there was no true love of truth in them. When Jesus left Betuliah, I saw him preaching in a nearby valley under the trees. Five of the five disciples and about twenty others followed him.
The holy women set out for Nazareth. Jesus left Betuliah because he was too urged there. They had gathered many possessed and sick people around him, and he still did not want to exercise his power to heal so publicly. When he left, the Sea of Galilee was behind him. The place of which he spoke was a place long ago destined for the teaching of the prophets to the Essenes. It was covered in green grass and had archbeds to sit and listen more relaxedly.
About thirty people were surrounding Jesus. In the afternoon I saw him and his companions near Nazareth, about an hour from a small town with a synagogue, where he had been before leaving for Sephorus. They received him kindly and took him to a house with an adjacent courtyard. They washed his feet and those of his companions, stripped them of their clothes and wiped them with batons and brushes, while they prepared food for them. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, while holy women came to Nazareth.
Jesus at Kedes and Jezreel
After a few days, Jesus went a mile away to the Levitical city of Kedes, or Kishon. Seven possessed by Satan followed him, and they proclaimed their message and their story with a voice even louder than that of Sephorus. Out of the city came out priests, elders and young men, dressed in white robes, to meet him. Some of his disciples went ahead and announced his arrival. Jesus did not cure or release the demons there, and the priests locked them up in a place so that they would not disturb them. He cured and delivered those unfortunate ones only after his baptism.
They welcomed him and served him. When he wanted to teach them, they asked him what he was doing and by what authority. He was known only as the son of Mary and Joseph. He answered, saying in general terms, who sent him, who was he to whom he sent him, and that in baptism they knew better who sent him. He taught for a long time about the baptism of John on a hill in the middle of the town, where there was, as at Thebez, a place laid out with a roof covered with reeds and branches.
From there Jesus went to the Shepherds' Place, where after the Passover he healed a leper and taught in the streets. And it came to pass on the sabbath day, that he came with his men to Jezreel, and there were houses spread out among the gardens, and ruins, and towers fallen down. He crossed through a main road called The King's Path. Some of his companions had gone before him, and Jesus went with only three of his disciples. In that city lived a group of Jews who were strict observers of the law. They were not Essenes, but Nazarenes. They vowed for a certain time and lived in a certain contentment.
They owned a school with several rooms. The boys lived in community in one of these buildings and the girls in another. Married people used to take vows of continence for a time, during which time men resided in the children's homes and women in the girls' homes. Everyone wore white or gray. The chief wore a long gray robe, the wheel with drawings of white fruits and spices, and wore a wide gray belt with white letters. On one arm was a ribbon of a very thick, gray, white woven material, similar to a folded napkin. I hung a tip of it finished in strips.
They also wore a short cloak around their necks, like that of the chief of the Arches, grey, and instead of being open from the front the one was behind. On his chest was a bright shield closed behind him with ropes. Over their shoulders, they wore some cuts of cloth. Everyone wore a bright dark turban: letters on the forehead and three bands on the crown of the head forming an apple-like button. The edges of the turban were white and gray. The men wore long beards and hair without a cut. They reminded me of the apostles, among whom I thought I found some resemblance; but especially of Paul, who had his hair and clothes like these when he persecuted the Christians.
Later I saw Paul among them, for he was a Nazarene. And they let their hair grow until they had vowed; and they cut them off, and offered them up by fire. They also offered pigeons. One could enter as part of another's vote. Jesus kept the Sabbath among them. Jezreel was separated from Nazareth by a mountain. Nearby was a well, where Saul was for a time with his army. Jesus taught on the Sabbath about John's baptism. He told them, among other things, that piety was a very good thing; but that exaggeration offered some danger; that the ways of salvation were diverse; that the alienation of one another could degenerate into sects; that one easily looked with pride and self-complacency at the other brothers and the poor not, who, however, should be helped and led by the strongest.
This teaching was very convenient, for there were people living around them mixed with the Gentiles, without a leader or counselor, because the Nazarenes were far from them. Jesus visited these poor neighbors and urged them to go to John's baptism. He was at a Nazirite meal the next day. They talked about circumcision, linking it to baptism. There I first heard Jesus discuss circumcision. It was impossible to reproduce his words. He said, more or less, that the precept of circumcision had a foundation that should soon cease; that is, when the people were no longer so carnally united to the seed of Abraham, but were reborn by the baptism of the Holy Spirit into a spiritual life. Many of these Nazarenes became Christians; but they generally became so attached to Judaism that many sought to mix Christianity with Judaism, and thus fell into heresy and error.
Jesus Among the Tax Collectors
When Jesus left Jezreel, he headed east, circumnavigated the mountain between Jezreel and Nazareth, and two hours from Jezreel he remained in a small group of houses on either side of the royal road. There were many tax collectors and other poor Jews living a little further down the road. The road that passed between the houses was guarded with bars and closed to entrance and exit. There were wealthy publicans who had other payment stations under their command, who in turn subjugated those posts to others. One of those subordinate publicans was Matthew, who had his post elsewhere.
There lived this Mary, a daughter of Elizabeth's sister, who after being a widow went to Nazareth, then to Capernaum, and later was present at the death of the most holy Mary. This was the royal road that went from Syria, Arabia, Sidon to Egypt. They drove along this road, on camels and donkeys, large loads of white silk, in bundles like linen, white and colorful fabrics, thick carpets intertwined, and many spices and herbs. When the camels came with their cargo, they were arrested, locked up and forced to show off their goods.
Passengers had to pay duty there in goods or money. The coins were triangular or square pieces, yellow, white or red, with a figure engraved on one side in low relief and the other in high relief. I saw other kinds of coins with towers, or a virgin, or a child inside a canoe. The fine coins brought by the Magi and offered in the manger, I saw again among some foreigners who were going to John's baptism.
These publicans were mutually understanding, and when one of them could trick travelers into cash or spices, the profits were distributed. They were wealthy and lived comfortably. The houses were adorned and furnished with courtyards, gardens and walls all around: they reminded me of the farms of our great peasants. Its inhabitants lived far away from others. They had a school and a teacher. Jesus was well received by them.
Some women have come, including Peter's, I think. One of them spoke to Jesus and then they left. Perhaps they came from Nazareth and brought some message from Mary to Jesus. Jesus was already with one of the tax collectors and teaching at the school. He showed them that they sometimes extorted travelers by taking more than was fair. They were ashamed, not knowing how to explain how he could know. Yet, they received his teachings better than others and showed themselves very humble in his presence. He urged them to go to John's baptism.
Jesus at Kisloth Tabor
Jesus left the tax collectors' seat after teaching all night. Many of them wanted to give him gifts, but he did not accept them. Some followed him to John's baptism. Jesus arrived at Dotaim, near the house where those angry people had been staying on his first trip from Nazareth.
As they passed by, they began to call out the name of Jesus and tried to get out. Jesus told the guard to let them go, that He was responsible for the consequences. They were freed, calmed down, freed from their evil, and followed him. At about noon Jesus arrived at Kisloth, a town near Mount Tabor.
Many Pharisees who lived there were shocked to see Jesus in the company of tax collectors, demon-possessed people and all kinds of humble people. Jesus went to the school of the city and taught about the baptism of John. He told his companions to think carefully before following him, if they could, for their way and way of life were certainly not comfortable or pleasant. He gave them examples of builders. If anyone wanted to build a house, he should consider whether the owner of the land would allow it; first he should make friends and make penance; and if anyone wanted to construct a tower, he should first calculate its cost. He said other things that the Pharisees did not like.
They did not hear him, but pursued him before; then I saw them arguing among themselves that they would give him a meal to spy on his words and expressions. In fact, they prepared a great dinner for him in an open space. There were three tables together and on the right and on the left there were light bulbs on. Jesus was at the center table with some of his people and the Pharisees; the middle of the room had an open roof; others were at the side tables with Jesus.
There must have been an old custom in this city that when someone prepared a banquet for a stranger, the poor were invited, many of whom had been forgotten in the city; for when Jesus sat down at the table he immediately asked the Pharisees where the poor were who were entitled to partake.
The Pharisees were confused and said that this had not been observed for a long time. And Jesus commanded his disciples, Aristareh, and Kochareh, the sons of Mara, and Kolaiah, the son of Sheba the widow, to go and seek out the poor of the city. This caused a great scandal among the Pharisees and the whole city was amazed. Many of these poor people were already asleep. I saw the messengers awakening these poor people in their huts, and I saw many expressions of joy among them, who responded to the call. Jesus and his disciples welcomed them and served them as he taught them beautiful teachings. The Pharisees were angry, but they could do nothing at the time because Jesus was right and the people were happy about it. There was a great stir throughout the city because of this news. After eating, these poor ones still carried something with them for those who had stayed home. Jesus blessed those meals and, after praying with them, urged them to go to John's baptism.
Jesus in the place of the shepherds called Kimki
While he was passing night between two valleys, he was seen talking with his disciples, sometimes late, kneeling and praying, and they came to him. The next day, I saw Jesus coming to a place where shepherds had houses spread out. There was a school there, though they had no priests. They used to come from somewhere far away. The school was closed.
Jesus gathered the shepherds to an inn and taught them. As the Sabbath was approaching, some of the priests and Pharisees from Nazareth came to Jesus. Jesus spoke about John's baptism and the nearness of the Messiah.
The Pharisees opposed Jesus, referring to his humble background and trying to discredit him. Jesus spent the night there. On the Sabbath he spoke in parables: He asked for a mustard seed, and when he got it, he said that if they had faith as small as a mustard grain, they could throw a mustard plant into the sea. There was indeed a large, fruitful perch there. The Pharisees mocked these teachings, who considered them pueri. Jesus explained his words better; but I forgot the explanation. He also told them about the unfaithful butler. The people, both here and in the surrounding area, marveled at him and said what they had heard from their forefathers about the prophets and their teachings.
They thought that this man was like those prophets in his way and in his teaching, but more kind than the first. That shepherd's place was called Kimki. From there you could see the mountains of Nazareth, about a two - hour drive away. The houses were scattered, just around the synagogue was a set of houses. Jesus took refuge among the poor. The housewife was sick, hydrophic. Jesus felt sorry for her, healing her only by placing his hand on her head and stomach. Suddenly, he was completely well and began to serve the table. Jesus forbade her to speak of that miracle until she returned from baptism. She asked why I shouldn't tell everyone. Jesus replied, "If you speak this, you will be silent".
In fact, she was mute until Jesus came back from her baptism. It was, I believe, about 14 days before his baptism, because while in Betuliah or Jezreel he spoke of a three-week term. On the third day Jesus was teaching there, and the Pharisees were bitterly opposed to him. Jesus spoke of the nearness of the coming of the Messiah and told them: "You were expecting the Messiah in worldly glory; yet he has already come and appeared as a poor one, and he will bring truth; he will gather more contempt than praise, for he loves righteousness. Then he spoke only to his disciples: "Do not turn away from me, as Lot turned away from Abraham, who, looking for the best pastures, turned away toward Sodom and Gomorrah; do not look upon the splendor of the world, which will be destroyed by fire from heaven, that you may not become like salt statues. These and other things I told them. The Pharisees were increasingly angry, and they said: "What can this man promise them, if he has nothing in himself? Are you not from Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph? ... " Jesus told them secretly who He was the Son and how this would be known at His baptism. The Pharisees asked him, "How can you speak of the Messiah in all the places where you have taught? Do you think, perhaps, that we should believe that you speak of the Messiah? - I 'm not . "You cannot answer that question at this time", Jesus said, "but this is your answer: Yes, you do.
There was a riot in the synagogue. The Pharisees put out their lamps, and Jesus and his disciples left at night. Later I saw them resting under a tree. The next morning, I saw a large crowd waiting for Jesus on the streets. I hadn't been with him in the previous location, in part they had preceded him. They saw Jesus leave with them and, about three o'clock in the afternoon, they came to a field where there were some straw huts where shepherds lived at certain times of the year. I didn't see any women. The shepherds went out to meet him.
They certainly knew their next arrival by those who had arrived before. As some went out to meet him, others slaughtered and prepared birds, set fire and prepared a meal in his honor. This was done in an open hallway of the inn; inside was the fireplace separated from the rest of the house by a wall. Around there were seats with their backs covered in green. They brought Jesus in, and his companions with him, who were about twenty-two shepherds. Everybody washed their feet. Jesus had a source aside. He asked for a little more water and told them not to pour it. As they were preparing for the meal, Jesus saw that they were a little embarrassed and asked what was their concern, and if there were any missing. They told him that they were distressed because they had two lepers with them. They said they were afraid that Jesus might not come near them because they were lepers. So they both hid. Then Jesus ordered his disciples to bring the two sick.
And they saw these two wrapped from head to foot in rags, so that they could barely walk, each one accompanied by two companions. Jesus warned them and told them that their leprosy was not coming from within, but from outside. I knew then that their leprosy was not from their wickedness and wickedness, but only from seduction. He ordered them to wash themselves in the water that had been served to him, and in doing so I saw that they fell like scales from their sick bodies and only a few red spots remained. That water was poured into a hole and covered with earth. Jesus commanded these people not to tell anyone about what had happened until he had returned from his baptism.
Then he told them about John and the nearness of the Messiah. Then they asked plainly, "Which of you should follow me?" He explained that the greatest was the one who humbly served; and the one who humbled himself the most in love was the greatest. He also urged them to go to John's baptism. He told them of the difficulties of following him and released all his companions except the five disciples. And he led the rest of them to a place in the wilderness, not far from Jericho, which seemed to me near Ophrah. Joachim had a pasture in these places.
One part of this people left him permanently; another part went to John's baptism; and the rest went first to their home to prepare to go after John's Baptism, Jesus and the five going to Nazareth already very late, only an hour's drive away. And they went not into the city, but came near by the gate that looked toward the east, and went by the way to the sea of Galilee. Nazareth had five gates; there was one small one, a quarter of an hour from the city, at a time of turmoil from which they once sought to plunge Jesus himself. There were some huts by the side. Jesus told them to seek refuge in one of these houses, while he stayed overnight in another. All were given water to wash their feet, a piece of bread to eat, and a place to rest. Anne had a property near Nazareth, looking east. I saw the shepherds put bread on the ashes to bake it on the fire. They had a water well, but it wasn't walled.
Jesus with the Essence Eliud mysteries of the Old Testament and the incarnation
The valley through which Jesus walked during the night from Kisloth Tabor was called Aedron, and the field of shepherds with the synagogue where the Pharisees of Nazareth mocked Jesus so much was called Kimki. The people to whom Jesus spoke near Nazareth were Essenes, friends of the Holy Family. They dwelt in gardens by the ruined walls of the city; there dwelt single men and few women apart from them.
They cultivated small orchards; men wore long white robes and women wore mantles. They had previously lived in the valley of Zebulun, near Herod's castle; but, because of their friendship with the Holy Family, they had moved to these places of Nazareth. The Essene with whom Jesus stayed was called Eliud, an elderly man with a long beard and a very venerable appearance. He was a widower and was cared for by a daughter. He was the son of a brother of Zechariah. This people lived in seclusion: he went to the synagogue of Nazareth, was friends with the Holy Family, and had been entrusted with the care of the little Nazarene home while Mary was away.
The next morning, Jesus' five disciples went to Nazareth, visiting their relatives and the local school. Meanwhile, Jesus remained with Eliud, the Essene. With this elder he stopped praying and conversing familiarly. Many divine secrets had been revealed to this elder of extreme simplicity. There were four women in Mary's house besides her: her niece Mary, the cousin of Anne, and Joanna, the cousine of Simeon, and Mary the mother of John Mark, and the widow Leah. Veronica was no longer there, nor Peter's wife, whom he had seen in the place of the tax collectors.
Early the next morning I saw Mary of Cleopas with her, beside Jesus. Jesus gave his hand to Mary, his mother. His behavior toward her was loving, though it seemed serious and quiet. Mary expressed deep concern for Jesus, telling him that she was not willing to go to Nazareth, for there was much animosity against him. The Pharisees from Nazareth, who had heard him in the synagogue, were furious with him and had stirred up the crowd.
Jesus told Mary that he would leave his companions until he went to John's baptism and that he would only go to Nazareth. He said several other things, for Mary returned to her son's side two or three times that day. He also told her that he would go to Jerusalem three times for the Passover and that on the last one she would feel great sorrow. He revealed to you other secrets, which I forgot at this moment. Mary of Cleophas was a beautiful and attractive woman; she spoke to Jesus in the morning about her five sons, begging him to make them his disciples.
One of them was a scribe, a sort of Justice of the Peace named Simon; two were fishermen, James the younger, and Judas Thaddeus. These were the sons of their first husband, Alpheus, who had given him a stepson named Matthew, who was very sorry for being a tax collector. She had a son by her second husband, Sabbas, who was a fisherman by the name of Joseph Barsabas, and finally had another son by her third husband, Jonah, a fisherman: this boy was Simeon.
Jesus comforted her by telling her that her sons would come with him, and about Matthew (who had already been with Jesus on the road to Sidon) he told her that he too would come and be one of the best. Mary, meanwhile, left Nazareth for her home in Capernaum with some of her friends. And there came from thence servants with their donkeys to accompany them. And they took other things which had been left at Nazareth the last time, blankets and sacks of utensils; all they had put in baskets of vime, and carried on the asses.
Mary's little house in Nazareth looked during this absence like a well-ornate chapel and the home resembled an altar. On top of it was a small coffin and over it a vase of immortals. During Mary's absence some Essenes lived in the house. During the day Jesus was in a close conversation with the elderly Eliud. He asked Jesus about his mission, and he explained many things to him. He told him that he was the Messiah and told him of the entire lineage of his descendants, clarifying the mystery of the Ark of the Covenant. I heard how this mystery entered into Noah's ark, and how it perpetuated itself from generation to generation; how from time to time it was subtracted and given again.
He explained that Mary, at her birth, was the mysterious Ark of the Covenant. Eliud often consulted his scrolls of Scripture and pointed to fragments of the prophets, which Jesus explained better to him. Eliud asked Jesus why He had not come before, and Jesus explained that He could not have been born except from a Virgin who had been conceived the way men conceive, but without original guilt, and that no one has been found since Adam and Eve, as poor as Joachim and Hannah.
Jesus uncovered this and showed them all the obstacles and difficulties that caused his delay in coming. On this occasion I understood many mysteries that contained the Ark of the Covenant. When the Ark fell into the hands of the enemies, the priests had already taken away its mystery, as they used to do in every danger. Yet, the Ark was so holy that enemies were punished for its desecration, being forced to return it to the Israelites.
I saw that a caste, to whom Moses had entrusted the care of the Ark in a special way, survived until King Herod. When Jeremiah hid the Ark, along with other sacred things, on Mount Sinai in Babylonian captivity, he did not find it again; but the mystery was no longer inside. Later, an ark was made similar to the first, but it no longer contained all that it had previously contained. Aaron's staff, as part of the mystery, was with the Essenes of Mount Horeb, and the sacrament of blessing returned to be again in it, I do not remember for what ministry of a priest. At the lake, later called Bethesda, the sacred fire was kept. Many of the things that Jesus revealed to Eliud, part of me saw them in pictures and part of me heard them in words; but it is impossible for me to reproduce all that I then understood about these mysteries.
Jesus spoke to Eliud explaining how he took flesh to become Man from that seed of blessing that God had given Adam and taken from him before he fell into guilt. He told him that that seed of blessing must have passed through many generations, so that all Israel would be partakers of it, and that often this seed of blessings was blurred and held by the sins of men. I saw these things in reality and I saw how the patriarchs, when they died, actually gave their firstborn this mysterious blessing, in a sacramental way, and I understood that the bit and swallow of the cup that the angel gave to Abraham when he promised his son Isaac was a figure of the Most Holy Altar of the New Testament, and that this force received by Abraham was in reference to the flesh and blood of the future Messiah. I saw how the lineage of Jesus' offspring received this sacrament to cooperate in the incarnation of Christ and that Jesus instituted this same flesh and blood, received from his ancestors, into a higher sacrament and mystery for the union of man with God.
Jesus Speaks to Eliud About Jehoiakim and Hannah
Jesus spoke much with Eliud about the holiness of Joachim and Hannah and Mary's supernatural conception under the Golden Gate of Jerusalem. He told her that he was not born of Joseph, but according to the flesh, is of the Virgin Mary, and that she was conceived from that pure germ that was taken from Adam before falling into guilt, a germ that came through Abraham, from Joseph in Egypt, and through him to the Ark of the Covenant and from there to Joachim and Hannah. Jesus declared that to save men He had appeared in all man's inherent weakness, feeling and testing everything. and that he was to be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness on Mount Calvary, where the body of the first man was buried.
He told him what he should suffer and how ungrateful men would be to their Redeemer. Eliud asked with a naive and simple spirit. He understood these things better than the apostles at first and understood everything more spiritually. However, he could not understand how events would unfold. So he asked Jesus where his kingdom would be, whether in Jerusalem, Jericho, or Engaddi. Jesus answered that where He was, His kingdom would also be, and that, moreover, He would have no outside kingdom. Elder Eliud spoke to Jesus in a very simple and natural way and told him many things about Mary as if Jesus did not know them. Jesus listened to him with great love.
The old man also told him about Joachim and Anne, their holy life and death. Jesus added on this occasion that no woman had hitherto been purer than Hannah, and that after Joachim's death he married two more times by heaven's will. He had to fulfill and fill the set number of fruits of the blessing received. When Eliud referred to the death of Anne, I had a vision. I saw Anne in a somewhat elevated bed, as I later saw Mary, at the back of her great house; I saw her very lively, speaking as if she were not to die. I saw her blessing her daughters and the others who were in the front of the house. Mary was at the head of the bed and Jesus at her feet. I saw her bless her daughter Mary and ask for the blessing of Jesus, who was already a man and had a beard to do. I saw her later talking cheerfully.
I saw her look up: she became as white as snow and some drops appeared like pearls on her forehead. Then I went out of my way and cried out, "She's dying, she's dying...!" and in my anguish I tried to hold her. It seemed to me that she was coming into my arms, and when I came out of my ecstasy I thought I still had her in my arms. Eliud still told many things about Mary's youth in the temple. I've seen all this in pictures and figures. I heard that her teacher Naomi was a relative of Lazarus; this woman, about fifty years old, and all the others who were in the temple were women of vision. Mary learned with her to embroider and weave, since she was a little girl she always went with Naomi when she purified the vessels of the blood of the sacrifice and received part of the meat of the sacrifices, which she then broke off and prepared for those who served at the temple and for the priests; for these received their food from the sacrifices.
Later, I saw Mary help with all those tasks. While he was standing in the temple courts, I saw a young woman named Mary, whom Simeon knew. So I saw Mary walking and serving in the temple as Eliud told Jesus about it. They also spoke of the conception of Jesus and Eliud told of Mary's visit to Elizabeth, and said that Mary had found a well, which I could see too. Indeed, Mary went with Elizabeth, Zechariah, and Joseph to a small property of ZechariaH, where water was lacking. Mary went away alone before the garden with a wand, and prayed; as she touched the ground with the stick, a stream of water sprang, which soon grew fat, surrounding a small hill. And they went to the place, and removed the hill with the sheath, and the water gushed forth in great quantity, and they found a fountain and a well of excellent water. Zechariah lived about noon from Jerusalem, about a five-hour drive east. In these and similar conversations Jesus and Eliud were present, and this honored Jesus with joy and simplicity, but only as an elected and extraordinary man. One of Eliud's daughters lived in a cave nearby. And the Essenes that dwelt on this mountain were about twenty; the women lived separately, five or six, grouped together.
All revered Eliud as their chief and gathered with him every day for prayer. Jesus ate with him bread, fruit, honey, and fish, all in small quantities. The Essenes were engaged in gardening and weaving. The mountain they inhabited was the highest point of the complex where Nazareth was built, although it was still separated from the city by a valley. On the other side was a slope, full of vegetation and vineyards.
At the bottom of the slope, where the Pharisees intended to throw Jesus, there was a lot of debris, bones, and garbage. Mary's house was facing the city, on a hill, so that part of it entered as a cave on the same hill. However, the house was visible to stand out from the hill, where other scattered houses were seen. Mary and the holy women, accompanied by Colaia the son of Leah, came to their home in the valley of Capernaum. The friends went out to meet. Mary's home in Capernaum belonged to a man named Levi, who lived not far from there in a large house. Through Peter's family it was rented and left to the Holy Family, for Peter and Andrew already knew the Holy Family by fame and by John the Baptist, of whom they were disciples. The house had other rooms where disciples and relatives could be lodged; so it seemed that they had chosen it. At evening Jesus left the room and went with him to Nazareth. In front of the city walls where Joseph had his workshop, lived several poor and good people, known to Joseph, with children who had been Jesus' childhood companions.
They gave the travelers bread and fresh water, for Nazareth had truly good water. I saw Jesus sitting in the middle of the crowd on the ground, urging them to go to John's baptism. These people treated Jesus with some reservation, for they knew him as one of them, and now they saw him being respected by the elderly Eliud, whom all honored by seeking his advice and direction. They knew that the Messiah was to come, but they could not conceive that he might be the one who had lived among them.
New Conversations of Eliud with Jesus
Jesus was walking with Eliud of Nazareth at noon on the road to Jerusalem through the valley of the Ezzrael. After two hours they crossed the Kishon River and came to a small place made up of a synagogue, an inn, and a few houses. It was a forward outpost of the nearby town of Endor, and not far from there was a famous well. Jesus entered the inn; the people were cold to him, though not an enemy. Neither did Eliud, who was more Pharisee, have much respect for them.
Jesus told the synagogue ruler that he wanted to teach, and they replied that it was not customary to allow such things to be done to strangers. He declared that he had a mission to do so, and entering the school, he spoke of the Messiah, that his kingdom was not of this world and that he would not appear with outer brilliance; then he spoke of John's baptism. The local priests were not for him. Jesus brought some scrolls of the Scriptures and explained several passages of the prophets. I was particularly moved to see how confident and familiar Eliud was to talk about Jesus, and how he believed in Jesus' mission and his supernatural coming; but apparently he could not have any idea that Jesus was God.
She told Jesus, with all naturalness, as they walked together, many episodes of Jesus' own childhood, What Anne, the temple one, had told her and what she knew of the things told by Mary after her return from Egypt, since she had visited her several times in Jerusalem. Jesus, in turn, told him other things that the elder did not know, all with deep reflection. This conversation was conducted in a very natural and moving way, as a venerable elder would speak to a trusted young close friend. As Eliud told these things I saw them in pictures and was very glad to prove that they were the same ones I had seen and heard on other occasions, except for what I had sometimes forgotten in part. Jesus also told Eliud of his journey to John's baptism. This one had gathered a lot of people, citing her instead of Ofra. But Jesus said that he intended to go by himself to Bethany, for he wanted to speak to Lazarus first.
On this occasion he mentioned Lazarus by another name, which I have forgotten, and he spoke of Lazarus' father and his position in a war. He said that Lazarus and his people were rich and would offer all their credit for the work of redemption. Lazarus had three sisters: the older Martha, the younger Magdalene, and a middle sister, also called Mary. The latter lived in seclusion, hidden in the house, because she was considered a fool: she was called Mary the Silent. Jesus told Eliud that Martha was a good and godly woman and that she would follow him with her brother Lazarus. Of Mary, the Silent, she said that she had a spirit and great understanding of the things of God; that for her good her understanding of the world had been taken away from her; that she was not of the world, that she had an inner life and did not commit sin. "I will speak to her and she will understand the great mysteries. She will not live long after Lazarus and the rest of them have left all their possessions for the community". He added that the youngest was now lost, but that she would return and be more than Martha herself. Eliud "talked also of the baptism of John, though he was not yet baptized. On the one hand there were palaces and beautiful houses, and the other was ruined like a sink. From where very early the next day they could tell me that there was a special caste of Israelites walking down Mount Hermon to the city of Endor.
Yesterday they could see the remains of walls so wide that carts could have passed over them; the city itself was full of ruins, surrounded by gardens and gardens. Then on the one hand they saw palaces and fine houses, and on the other hand they were ruined like an inn. It seemed to me that there lived here a special caster of Israelites, who had their own custom under their arms. There was no such thing as a cloak. In this conversation I also heard that Naomi, who was Mary's teacher in the temple, was Lazarus' aunt and the sister of Lazarus' mother. Lazarus' father had been the son of a Syrian prince; he had served in the war and received in prize vast possessions. His wife had been a distinguished Jewish from the priestly family of Aaron of Jerusalem, related to Hannah through Manasseh. They had three castles: one in Bethany, one in Herodion, and one in Magdala, on the Sea of Tiberias, not far from Gabar. There was talk of the scandal that Mary Magdalene was causing and the pain that she caused her family. Jesus stayed with Eliud in a house where they met the five disciples, other Essenes, and several people who were thinking of going to John's baptism. There were other tax collectors from Nazareth who wanted to be baptized by John. Some groups have set off in that direction.
Jesus at Nazareth
In the morning Jesus began teaching again. Two Pharisees from Nazareth came to him, and they invited him to join them in the Nazareth school, since they had learned many things from him, begging him to explain to them about the prophets and his words. Jesus followed them to the house of a Pharisee, where many others had gathered. He was taking his five disciples with him.
The Pharisees were so pleased that Jesus spoke to them in such beautiful parables that they were so glad they brought him into their synagogue. He told them about Moses and explained to them many of the prophets' words about the Messiah. But when he made it clear to them that he was the Messiah, they were stunned. However, they prepared food for him and spent the night with his disciples in a shelter near the synagogue.
The next day he taught a group of tax collectors who were coming to be baptized by John and told them the parable of the wheat grain that was to be buried. The Pharisees were again shocked and began to refer to Joseph, the carpenter's son. His company of tax collectors and sinners were put before him, and he was harsh with them.
They also told him about the Essenes, saying that they were hypocrites who did not live by the law. Jesus replied that they followed the law better than the Pharisees, adding that hypocrites could be called Pharisees. The conversation about the Essenes arose because Jesus blessed children, and it was the custom of the Essenes to bless things and people. Whenever Jesus went out or entered the synagogues, women brought their children to him to be blessed by him.
The children remained quiet and calm when I blessed them, although they had cried before uncomfortably. Mothers asked him to bless their children and observed if he was proud to see them shut up. They brought some children, who suffered spasms, and could not calm themselves, and I barely blessed them if they were calm.
I saw it come out of some of them like a dark mist. Jesus placed his hands on them and blessed them, as the patriarchs did, with three lines from the head and from both shoulders to the heart, where the lines converged. And he blessed the little girls, but laid not his hands upon them; he put a sign over their mouths. I thought it was to keep you from talking so much, but I think I should close some mystery. He slept with his disciples at the house of a Pharisee.
Jesus Confuses the Wise Men of Nazareth
To the five disciples were added four relatives or friends of the Holy Family. One of them was a descendant of Ruth, who had married Boaz in Bethlehem. There were three young men from wealthy families in Nazareth, known to Jesus, who were gentle and well-educated. The parents, who had heard Jesus preach, convinced of his wisdom, persuaded their children to give Jesus a try; they offered him money so that he would receive them with him, that they could hear him and learn his science. These parents held their children in high esteem and thought that Jesus would not hesitate to receive them as their tutor and instructor. The young men went to the synagogue that day.
Through the Pharisees and these same young men, all who were distinguished or wise in Nazareth went to school to witness a proof of Jesus' wisdom. Among them was a lawyer and a doctor. This was a fat man, with a broad back and a long beard; he wore a strip of signs on his robe, at the height of his shoulders. When Jesus came in, he saw the children brought to him and healed some of the lepers. When he preached, the wise men interrupted him, trying to involve him in his questions and questions. But everyone was confused by his answers and clarifications.
The lawyer's claims were answered with quotes from Moses, and when it came to divorce, it was decisive. If a man cannot live with his wife, or vice versa, they may separate, but remain one body and cannot remarry as long as one of the two lives. This doctrine did not please the Pharisees or the Jews in general. The doctor asked if Jesus knew who was wet or dry in nature, in what constellation each was born, what kinds of herbs each should give to each other according to its temperature, and how the human body was made up. Jesus answered him with great wisdom: He spoke of the various complexities of gifts, their diseases and remedies, and he referred to the composition of the human body in terms totally unknown to the new physician. He spoke of the soul and how it acts on the body; he dealt with diseases that can only be cured by prayer and life improvement, and others that are cured by human herbal remedies and medicines.
All this was so deeply and graciously treated that the doctor declared himself defeated, confessing that the ear far exceeded his knowledge. It even seemed to me that I wanted to follow Jesus Christ. He described to the physician the whole human body: its limbs, muscles, veins, nerves, and intestines; its importance and properties, so accurately and at the same time so briefly that the wise pretender was completely humiliated and admired. An astrologer was present, and Jesus began to speak of the path of the stars, how one star influenced another, and how the various stars exert different influences.
He was referring to comets and the signs of the sky. He also spoke to an architect about building and told him very meaningful things about the subject. In dealing with trade and foreign trade, he said harsh things about the vanities, fashions and luxuries coming from Athens. Certain games and magical arts had been introduced into the country through these foreigners, who had also passed through Nazareth and other nearby villages. He added that certain evil arts are unforgivable because they are not considered evil and are not forgiven or penitential.
They were amazed at his wisdom and began to ask him to stay with them and build a house for him and provide for him. They asked him why he had settled with his mother in Capernaum. He simply replied that he did not think of staying there, telling them about his mission and his destiny; that, moreover, he had settled in Capernaum because he wished to be in the center of the country. They didn't understand the reference to their mission, and they were offended by not wanting to stay. They believed that they offered him a very advantageous position and that he refused out of pride and presumption. At dusk, they left the school premises. The three young men, about twenty years old, asked Jesus to come to them privately, but he refused to take them until the nine disciples who had followed him arrived. This distressed them. Jesus said that he did so so that they might be witnesses of what he would tell these young men.
They then, with all their heart, told him what their parents' wish was, that they wanted to be his disciples, that their parents would give him money for his travels, that they would accompany him and help him in all his works. Jesus was saddened to have to give them a refusal, either for themselves or because of the disciples, for he was to expose reasons they could not yet understand. He told them that those who offer money want to profit from that same money, and that, on the contrary, those who want to follow him must renounce all human convenience. And whoever would follow him would have to renounce even his relatives and friends. He added that his disciples neither sought nor sought marriage comforts. I told them things so serious that they were very upset. They even went so far as to say that the Essenes also lived partly married. Jesus answered that the Essenes were doing well to follow his laws, and that, moreover, they were preparing the way for things he was establishing more perfectly. So he sent them away, and advised them to consider what they were doing. The disciples were afraid of what he was saying, and they could not understand what he was talking about.
They were dismayed. Jesus went with them out of Nazareth; he went to the house of Eliud and on the way told them not to faint or to be discouraged; that the causes for which he spoke thus to these young men were secret, and that some would follow him later and others never; that they should follow him without worrying. He caused a great tumult in Nazareth. They could not forgive him for not wanting to be among them, and they said that everything he knew he learned going from one side to the other. They added: "It is true that he is good at answering and teaching, but he is too proud for the poor carpenter's son". I saw the three young men come home. His parents misunderstood the difficulties Jesus had placed on them, and the young men thought the same: so that the whole world was there against Jesus.
However, the three young men returned the next day and promised Jesus to obey and serve him. Again Jesus sent them away, and he was saddened that they could not understand why he refused. Then he spoke to his nine disciples, and they followed him some distance, just as he had told them, to go immediately to the baptism of John. Regarding the young men, he added that they thought they would make some profit, but that they were not willing to give up everything for love, that the disciples would give up everything and receive, in return, much more. He told them very profound things about the baptism of John, and he ordered them to go to Capernaum and tell his mother that he was going to be baptized by John, and to speak to the disciples John, Peter, and Andrew, to go to be bapticed, and to tell the Forerunner that he was also on his way to be baptified.
A Leper's Hospital on the River Kishon
I saw Jesus walking at night with Eliud towards Midday and West. They did not make a straight path, because Jesus wanted to go to Chim, a leper's place. When they came at dawn, I saw that Eliud wanted to prevent Jesus from entering so that he would not commit uncleanness. They would not let him go to the baptism if his procedure were known. Jesus replied that he should do his job: he wanted to go in because there was a good man there who wanted to see him.
To get there, they had to cross the Kishon River, for the place was in a lake that received the waters of Kishon, where lepers were cleansed. That water didn't go back into the Kishon River. The place was completely isolated and no one could get there. Lepers lived in isolated huts. Except for the people who served them, no one else lived there. Eliud stood at a distance and waited for Jesus, who entered a lonely hut where a sick man was lying on the floor wrapped in linen. Jesus spoke to him. He was a good man, and I don't remember why he got the disease. He recovered, deeply moved to see that Jesus wanted to visit him. Jesus told her to get up and bathe in a container next to her little house.
The man obeyed, and Jesus placed his hands on the waters. Suddenly the man found himself healthy and flexible, dressed in other clothes, and Jesus ordered him not to speak of his healing until he had returned from His baptism. This man followed Jesus and Eliud for a distance until Jesus sent him back.
Later I saw Jesus and Eliud walking through the valley of Esdrelon at noon. They often spoke to one another; at other times they walked alone, as if busy in meditation and prayer. The weather was not good: often there was fog in those valleys and the sky was cloudy. Jesus did not use a staff; he never carried it; others used a curved staff for the use of shepherds. Jesus wore only a few soles, while others wore a more complete shoe made of tree bark or fabric. Once, at noon, I saw them resting by a spring, eating bread.
Jesus Transfigured Before Eliud
At night, I saw them walking again. Then I saw a beautiful scene: As Jesus walked before Eliud, he began to marvel at the correction of his ways and the perfection of his body. Jesus said to him: "If you saw this body in a few years, you would not find anything beautiful in it; men will deform it and mistreat it".
Eliud could not understand this. He could not imagine how Jesus could in such a short time constitute his kingdom, for always believing in a temporal kingdom, he thought he could do so only in ten or twenty years, until he gave it form and consistency. As they walked, Jesus told Eliud, who was walking thoughtfully behind him, to come closer, for he wanted to show him what he really was, what his body was, and what his kingdom would be like. Eliud was just a few steps from Jesus. Jesus looked up to heaven, praying. Suddenly a cloud came down and enveloped them in a whirlwind. From the outside, you couldn't see them. Over their heads the sky opened and light seemed to descend upon them.
I saw a city with bright walls, the heavenly Jerusalem. The interior of this apparition was surrounded by a splendor like a rainbow; inside I saw a face, as of God the Father, and Jesus with him, in a communication of light and splendor. Jesus was shiny and transparent. Eliud was astonished at first, looking up; then he threw himself upon his face, until the light and sight were lost. Jesus went on his way and Eliud remained silent, amazed at what he had beheld. It was a picture like the Transfiguration; but Jesus did not rise.
I believe Eliud did not survive until Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus was more familiar with him than with the apostles themselves, for the elder was very enlightened in the things of heaven and the secrets of the Holy Family. Eliud honored Jesus as a companion and friend, gave him everything he could and did much for Jesus' community. He was one of the most learned Essenes. The Essenes in Jesus' day lived almost scattered around cities, not on the mountains. This apparition and Transfiguration took place at night, about eleven o'clock.
The next morning, I saw Jesus and Eliud coming to a shepherd's field. And the shepherds went out to meet Jesus, and they knew him, and they bowed down before him, and brought them both into the tent, where they had their vessels. There they washed their feet, prepared a place for them to rest, and set before them loaves and cups; they baked a few little chickens that had nests in the same huts and that walked about familiarly like the chickens. Then I saw that Jesus sent Eliud, blessing the old man, who was on his knees. The shepherds were present at this scene. He told her that he agreed to end his days in peace and tranquility, because his mission was too heavy and impossible for him to follow. He told him that he considered him out of his community, since he had done his part in the Lord's vineyard, and that he would receive the prize in his kingdom. He stated this with the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Eliud was very serious and quiet from the beginning of the night.
I believe he was later baptized by the apostles. Eliud followed Jesus a distance from this place of shepherds; finally Jesus embraced him and they left with a manly emotion. From here you can see where Jesus is going to spend the Sabbath. At one time Jesus' relatives lived there. The place where the Savior is now heading is called Gur and is above a height. A brother of Joseph, who later retired to Zebulun, closely related to the Holy Family, was living here. Jesus inadvertently entered a tavern, where they washed his feet and gave him food. He had a piece for himself; he brought a scroll from the synagogue and prayed, standing up a few times, bending his head, looking up in a secluded place. He didn't go to school.
I saw some trying to talk to him, but he fired them. The five disciples whom Jesus had sent to Capernaum, the five closest to him, came. They spoke to Mary, and the two went to Bethsaida to get Peter and Andrew. James the younger, Simon, Thaddeus, John and James the elder were also present. The disciples told many things about Jesus' mildness, kindness, and wisdom. The others spoke commendably of John, his austerity, and his teaching, adding that they had never heard another similar expounder of the prophets and the Law. John himself spoke enthusiastically of the Baptist, although he already knew Jesus, for his parents had lived a few hours from Nazareth and Jesus loved him from childhood.
They celebrated here on Saturday. A few days later the nine disciples, led by the men who had been called before, went down the road to Tiberias, going through Ephron and the desert near Jericho, where John the Baptist was. Peter and Andrew spoke with greater enthusiasm of the Baptist: that he was of priestly lineage; that he was instructed by the Essenes in the wilderness; that he had the same severity as wisdom and could tolerate no disorder. The disciples, on the other hand, commended Jesus' mildness and wisdom. Others claimed that their indulgence promoted disorder and gave some examples. They said that he too had been instructed by the Essenes when he had traveled. John didn't hear you talk about this trip. They didn't always go together: sometimes for a stretch or for a few hours. I thought, "Men were then what they are now".
Jesus in Goffna
The place called Gur, where Jesus prayed alone in the inn, was not far from the town of Magdala and the place of the same name. I had seen that at the end of time there would be a great battle in this place against the Antichrist. Early in the morning Jesus got up, took his mat and wrapped the cloth around him, left a coin behind him, and went out.
And he went through many cities, and made no covenant with us, and came into no village; and he went to his left side by mount Gerizim in Samaria. I was on my way to noon. From time to time he ate cherries and other fruits, and with the hollow of his hand or with some leaf he drank water from the spring. And he came to a city in the mountains of Ephraim, which is called Gophnah, which is on a low and high ground, with many gardens and fields. There were some relatives of Joachim who had no close relationship with the Holy Family. Jesus was in a tavern, where they washed his feet and gave him a meal.
Then some relatives of the chief Pharisees came and took him to one of the best houses. The town was of some importance and was the seat of a village district. Jesus' relative was a labourer and a scriptural man. I think the city belonged to Samaria. Jesus was treated with respect. They had a meal while walking under a kind of gazebo. Jesus spent the night there. From Jerusalem there was a day's journey. A stream ran through the site.
When Mary and Joseph lost the boy in the temple, they had arrived here: they believed that Jesus could have gone ahead to the house of these relatives since they lost him in sight at Michmas. Mary was afraid that she might even fall into the water. Jesus asked for some scrolls from the prophets and taught about baptism and the Messiah. He explained a prophecy that the Messiah had already arrived. He spoke of events that have already been fulfilled and of others that should be fulfilled in an eight-year term, I do not remember whether it was a war or whether the scepter of Judah was to be taken away. He gave various testimonies of events that would precede the coming of the Messiah and spoke of the sects in which they were divided and of many observances that had become vain ceremonies.
He said that the Messiah would be among them and they would not recognize him. He alluded to John and added more or less: "He will point out the Messiah and they will not recognize him as such; they will want to see a triumphant, a brilliant warrior, surrounded by splendor and wise and distinguished people; they will not want to recognize as Messiah the one who will appear without brilliance, without beauty, without riches, without outward appearance; to one who will walk among the poor, the peasants and the artisans and will mingle with the beggars, the lame, the lepers and sinners". He spoke long and hard about prophecies and declared what would happen to the Messiah and John. In all this, I never said "me", but I spoke like someone else. These teachings filled up almost all day and people and their relatives eventually believed that he was a messenger, a messenger of the Messiah. When Jesus returned to his room, they brought a scroll in which they had written about the twelve-year-old Jesus, son of Mary, who had been in the temple.
They remembered certain things he said then and those he said now and upon noticing the resemblance they were astonished and strangers. The owner of the house was an old widow with two daughters, also widows, who were talking to each other recalling what they had seen at Joseph and Mary's wedding reception: how those feasts at the temple in Jerusalem had been made clear; pondering Hannah's wealth, and adding how the family had fallen into splendor. These things were said, as is customary in the world, with a certain air of disapproval and contempt for the social decay of such families.
As they talked, as women they were, of Mary's wedding and her costumes, I saw an admirable picture of the ceremony and Mary's dress of wedding, with its meaning. They were reading from the book about the boy Jesus in the temple area, and their parents were looking for him with great eagerness. The news of how and when they found him at the temple spread easily as far as relatives were concerned. As the disciples marveled at the similarity of his teachings and began to be enthusiastic, Jesus said that he should leave them, and he departed, despite many requests for more time. Several men followed him.
They passed a creek over a walled bridge where trees grew. For some hours they accompanied him to a pasture where the patriarch Joseph was when his father Jacob sent him to see his brothers in Shechem. Jacob also spent a long time in this region. Late in the evening Jesus went to a place where shepherds were being kept, and his followers left him. On the other side was a wider area; the synagogue was on this side. Jesus stayed at an inn. Two groups of people were there, going to be baptized by John in the desert. They told the people about Jesus. He talked to them in the afternoon and they left in the morning. They washed the feet of the Savior, who ate a meal and set aside for prayer and rest.
Jesus Speaks Against the Vices of Herod
In the morning Jesus went to the school where a large crowd had gathered. He spoke as usual of John's baptism and the nearness of the Messiah, whom they did not want to acknowledge. He threw them in the face of their harsh judgment on matters of old customs, which was a lack of place proper.
They received the reproof well, for they were simple in their habits. Jesus was taken to the ten-year-old ruler of the synagogue, where there were some sick people. He did not heal anyone, because he had told Eliud and his disciples that he would not heal any sick people near Jerusalem until he was baptized. These patients were mostly hydrophic and arthritic, and there were some women among them. He exhorted them all in general and in particular told each one what he should do spiritually, for their diseases were for the most part punishment for their mismanagement and sins.
He ordered some to go to be cleansed and baptized by John. A meal was prepared at the tavern, which was attended by many men from the neighborhood. Before the meal some of them spoke of Herod's conduct, rebuking him for his bad conduct in his forbidden marriage and wanting to know what Jesus thought of it.
Jesus condemned bad conduct with harsh words, but he added that each should judge himself first and spoke harshly about sins that targeted marriage. There were many sinners, and Jesus spoke privately to each condemning his sins and infidelities in marriage. He confessed to many of his hidden sins in this regard, so that they were impressed and promised repentance. From there he went to Bethany, about six miles away.
Once again I saw him walking down the mountain. Now the winter was reigned; there was mist, the sky was cloudy, and at night the frosts fell. Jesus covered his head with a cloth. I saw him walking east. I saw Mary and the holy women walking down a meadow near Tiberias, after they left their homes. They were accompanied by two servants from the local fishermen, one going ahead and the other behind. They carried their bags in two sacks, one on the chest and one on the back, supported by a dagger on their shoulders. Among them were Joanna of the Chaldean League, Mary Cleopas, one of the three widows, and Mary Salome. They also headed to Bethany by the usual road to Sychar, on their right.
Jesus left this place to his left. The holy women usually walked in line one after the other, separated a few steps, perhaps because the roads, outside the real ones, were narrow, sometimes mountainous and with difficult steps. They walked quite lightly, with safe steps, not as women do today, for then they got used to small to long journeys on foot. They wore their robes a little raised, belted, their legs strapped, their sandals full of linen, tied to their soles; over their heads a veil, bound with a narrow, long cloth, which ran through their chest and from behind to their waist. Sometimes they used their hands resting inside that fabric. The man walking ahead removed roadblocks, opened fences, removed stones, and made transportation as well as lodging easier for travelers. The one who walked back would close the fences and doors and leave things as before.
Jesus in Bethany
She saw Jesus on the mountain six miles to Bethany. At evening he came to a town about a half hour's drive north of Jerusalem. Bethania was three hours from here. You could see the place in the distance, because it was in a valley. From the mountain, a three-hour desert extends northeastward to the Efron Desert.
Between the two deserts, I saw Mary and her companions camping that night in a hostel. And it was in that mountain that Joab and Abishai fled after Abner, when he told them. The mountain was called Amma, and it was north of Jerusalem. The place where Jesus stood had looked toward the east and north: it seemed to me that his name was Giah, and he looked toward the wilderness of Gibeon which began at the foot, and he faced that of Ephron.
It was a three-hour drive. When evening came, Jesus went into a house and asked for some refreshment. They washed his feet, gave him a drink, and set bread before him. When the crowds heard that he was from Galilee, they asked him about the Teacher of Nazareth, about whom John had spoken in the desert. They asked if John's baptism was good. As usual, Jesus taught and urged them to come to John's baptism and to repent. Referring to the prophet from Nazareth and the Messiah, he told them that he would appear among them, and that they would not recognize him but would persecute and mistreat him. That they might look carefully and consider that the signs had already been fulfilled; that he would not appear with outward splendor and magnificence, but poor and that he would walk among the simple.
The people did not recognize him, although they welcomed him, and they maintained a certain fear and reverence in his presence. Some people went to be baptized by John and told the news about Jesus. After he had rested for about two hours, some people followed him along a stretch of road.
Jesus arrived at Bethany during the night. Lazarus, who had been days earlier in his possession in Jerusalem near Mount Zion, west of Mount Calvary, had returned to Bethany; he had learned of Jesus' coming forth through some disciples. The castle at Bethany actually belonged to Martha. Lazarus, however, spent more time there and enjoyed his sister's company. They were waiting for Jesus, with the food ready. Martha used to live in the apartments located next to the main building. There were guests at the house. With Martha were Serafia, Mary of Mark, and another woman from Jerusalem. She had been with Mary in the temple; she would have stayed there forever, but by God's will she had to get married. With Lazarus were Nicodemus, John Mark, a son of Simeon, and another elderly man, Obed, a brother or son of a brother of the temple-going husband of Anne. All were friends, though secret, of Jesus, partly by John the Baptist, partly from family relationships and partly from the prophecies of Simeon and Anne. Nicodemus was a truth-seeking thinker, and he had hopes in Jesus.
They had all come to be baptized by John and had come to see Jesus. Since then, Nicodemus has secretly served Jesus and his community. Lazarus had sent some servants to meet Jesus. Half an hour before he arrived at the house, he met Lazarus' former and faithful servant, who later became a disciple of Jesus. The servant fell at Jesus' feet and said, "I am a servant of Lazarus. If you have found favor in my presence, I beg you to come with me to my master's house". Jesus told him to get up and follow him. He proved familiar with him, maintaining his own dignity as a person.
This was precisely what attracted Jesus: They loved him as a man and felt something of his divinity. The servant took Jesus to the castle gate, near a well, where everything was arranged. He washed Jesus' feet and put on other sandals. I saw Jesus' sandals. They were thick, linen and green. He left these sandals there and put on some leather with leather straps, which he then took on his journeys. The servant cleaned Jesus' clothes. When he washed, Lazarus arrived with his friends. They then brought a drink and a meal. Jesus embraced Lazarus and extended his hand to the others. Everyone served him kindly and accompanied him home. Lazarus accompanied him to Martha's room. The women, gathered there, lay on the ground covered with a veil.
Jesus lifted them up and told Martha that Mary, her mother, was to come and wait for her return from baptism. After that, they went into the house and sat down at the table. I saw a roasted lamb and doves, honey, fruits, bread crumbs, vegetables and glasses. They lay down at the table, in back-up seats, two by two. The women ate in a separate front room. Jesus prayed before the meal and blessed the food. He showed up with a serious, sad face. He said that difficult times were approaching, that a very difficult road would begin, and that the end of it would be very regrettable and bitter. He urged them to remain faithful, and they were his comfort, and he told them that they too would suffer much. He spoke to them so tenderly that they wept, but they did not understand everything: they could not imagine that such a man was God. I could never understand this misunderstanding of His divinity, for I have an intimate and sure persuasion of His divine Person. I thought, 'Why don't you show these people what I see so clearly and so confidently? "I saw how man was made by God, how he took Eve from man and gave her as his companion, and how they both fell. I saw the promise of the Messiah, the dispersion of men and the marvelous Providence and the mystery of God until the formation of the Virgin Mary. I saw the path of the blessing from which the Word became flesh, like a line of light that ran through all Mary's ancestors.
I saw the angel's message to Mary and the goddamn godliness that penetrated her when the Savior became man. And after all this, it is impossible for me to conceive of myself as a miserable creature, like these holy people, contemporaries and friends of Jesus, who were in his presence, whom they loved and honored, still believing that his kingdom was temporary, had love and reverence for him and created the Messiah, and not all thought that it was God himself speaking to them. He was the son of Joseph and Mary. No one even imagined Mary to be a virgin; they knew nothing of a pure and immaculate conception; they ignored the mystery contained in the Ark of the Covenant.
It was long, however, and a sign of election that they loved him and recognized him as the Messiah. The Pharisees, who had heard the prophecies of Simeon and Hannah at the temple presentation, and had heard their teaching at the temple at the age of twelve, were completely hardened by pride. They were interested in knowing the child's family, but everything seemed so poor and so small that they despised him: they wanted a Messiah with all glory and majesty. Lazarus himself, Nicodemus and many of his friends always believed in silence that he and his disciples were called to take Jerusalem, to free it from the yoke of the Romans, and to establish the splendor of the kingdom of Israel. It happened as now that each one imagines a God who should give his homeland freedom and splendor. So, as now, they did not know that the realm that should interest us is not this realm of earthly penance. They were cheering, thinking that somehow they would have to end the eternal charlatans around them. But no one dared speak openly to him.
They stood in awe and fear of him, because they could not see any sign in his words or in his own that he was going to do the work they had imagined. After the meal, they went to the place of prayer. Jesus recited an action of grace, saying that his time and his mission were already beginning. He said it in such a moving tone that everyone cried. The women were in the back, present at the scene. They prayed a few general prayers and Jesus blessed them all.
Then Lazarus took Jesus to his room. There were isolated places in a large room where men could rest. Everything was well arranged: the bed was not here, as elsewhere, spread on the floor, but more raised and fixed, with a fence edge where there were ornaments of blankets and blankets. On the wall, where the bed was laid, there was a very delicate rug that could be lowered or raised at will, forming a ceiling to hide the empty bed. Next to it was a drainage basin and in an open hole in the wall was a basin and another small vessel for carrying water. A lamp and a towel hung from the wall, and Lazarus lit the lamp, knelt down, and blessed Jesus, and they departed.
Mary the Silent
Mary the Silent, sister of Martha and Lazarus, who was thought to be a leper, was not present at all this time: she never spoke publicly. When she was alone in her room or in the garden, she spoke out loud to herself, relating her words to her surroundings. To her things seemed to have life: she kept quiet, stood still, looked down at the floor, and remained ecstatic and silent like a column, though waving, bending, and showing deference.
When I was alone, I worked on dresses and packed things. She was pious, didn't go to school, prayed in her room alone. I think she had visions and talked to the people who showed up to her. She felt a great love for her sisters, especially for Madeleine. She had been like this since childhood and although she had a caregiver, she did not need anyone, nor did she show any sign of not being in her perfect judgment. Mary Magdalene had not been spoken of until now in the presence of Jesus: she now lived in the Castle of Magdala amid the splendor and faust.
On the same night Jesus came to the house of Lazarus. He saw Mary, Joanna of Tarsus, Mary of Cleopas, the widow Leah, and Mary Salome, in a manger about five o'clock from Bethany, between the desert of Gibeah and Ephraim. They slept in a shed closed on all sides with very light dividers. It was divided into two parts: the front part, in two rows of beds, which the holy women took; the back part, the kitchen.
In front of the house was an open place, like a hut, where there was a fire. The men who were accompanying them spent the night there, near the inn owner's house. The next day Jesus went around the courtyards and gardens of the palace teaching. He spoke seriously, very bitterly; he always showed himself worthy, kind, and reserved, without saying a useless or vain word. Everyone loved and followed him, but they were shy and supportive in his presence. Lazarus was more familiar to him: others showed respect, mixed with a certain reverential fear. Jesus accompanied Lazarus to the women's place, and Martha took him to her sister, Mary the Silent One, because Jesus wanted to speak to her.
They went through an open door on the wall of the large house to a smaller one, though also spacious, with a closed courtyard and garden, to which was attached the room of Mary the Silent. Jesus stayed in the garden and Martha went to get her sister. The garden was very beautiful: a date-tree stood in the middle; there were other plants and shrubs. There was a fountain with a edge and in the middle of it a stone seat, to which Mary, the Silent One, used to go always, passing by there she sat surrounded by water, under a roof that covered the fountain. Martha told her to enter the yard, for someone was waiting for her. Mary, the Silent One, who was very obedient, covered herself with a veil and, without saying a word, headed alone to the courtyard. Mary, the Silent One, was beautiful and slender, about thirty years old; she almost always looked up at the sky, and when she happened to look where Jesus was, her gaze was uncertain, sideways, as if looking away.
When I spoke of you, I never said I was, but you were, like you were looking at someone else and talking to yourself. He didn't speak to Jesus or throw himself at his feet. Jesus spoke to him first, and so they walked through the garden conversing properly with one another. The Silent Woman always spoke of things from heaven as if she saw them, and Jesus, in the same way, spoke of his father and his father. She did not look directly at Jesus and sometimes on the side. His conversation was rather a praise, a prayer to God, a meditation, a clarification of mysteries. Mary seemed to realize that she was not living in this world, but in another.
I remember she spoke of the Incarnation of Christ as if she were seeing it in the lovely Trinity. It is impossible for me to reproduce your naive and yet profound and mysterious conversation. He said as if he was watching him:" the father said to the Son to come down to earth and a Virgin be his mother", adding that all the angels rejoiced at this and that Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary. He spoke as if through angels he saw, as a child would speak before a procession, and rejoice and rejoice with each one who passed by, for his piety and devotion. Then, as if looking into Mary's chamber, he spoke to her urging her to accept the motherhood of God, receiving the angel's message, and seeing the angel come down and announce the incarnation, he spoke as if he was witnessing everything at some distance, loudly to himself. He stopped by saying that Mary had thought before answering, and added: "You had a vow of virginity; had you refused, how would all this have happened?... would you have found another Virgin worthy of being the mother of God"... Israel would have long wept and sighed for the Messiah! "He again referred to the happiness that Mary had consented; he praised the Virgin spoke of the birth of Jesus and, turning to the boy, said: 'Bread and honey you have to eat, boy.'
He recited prophecies, recalling those of Simeon and Hannah, all this as if he saw it before his eyes and spoke to them as if he were present in these events. "and the whole world. In all these conversations she was as absent from the body and spoke to people invisible to others, and addressing Jesus she spoke to him as she did to others around her. Jesus finally interrupted her with prayers and praises to her father, begging for all the men from the place where they had stood. This scene was moving and mysteriously beautiful.
Jesus left her and she stood still, silent, and slowly withdrew to her room. When Jesus returned to the place where Lazarus and Martha were, he said something like this: "She is in full reason and understanding; but she is not of this world, not of this one; her soul is absent from it, and the world does not understand her, nor does the world understand her. This silent creature with the gaze set on the supernatural, did not really know what was going on around him, for he was always as absent in spirit. Before no one had she spoken as before Jesus; before others she kept silent, not because she was proud or ill-made or despised, but because she seemed to see no people or had no relation to the things she saw in spirit about redemption and salvation.
Sometimes godly and learned men spoke to him, and then he spoke some words aloud; but no one understood her, for what he said was a continuation of an inner conversation or of things he saw and the wise ones themselves did not understand. So she was seen as a mentally ill and trapped, isolating her from other beings. She did not live with her soul in this world, but abstracted into higher, supernatural realms.
He did manual work; weaved for the temple works that Martha had entrusted to him; he was right in these works, which he did while his mind was in godly considerations. When I didn't do those tasks, I worked in the garden and the orchard. He prayed much and earnestly, and suffered for sinners with great suffering. Often she felt such a weight on her soul as if the sins of the world were burdening her alone. Although she had all the comforts of home, in beds, seats, and rests, she always ate alone and very little. He died of pain and compassion for the sufferings of Jesus in his passion, which he saw in advance vision".
The Arrival of Mary and the Holy Women
Martha spoke on this occasion of Magdalene, exposing her great sorrow over her sister's misconduct. Jesus consoled her by saying that she would return to the good way, that they would not tire of exhorting her, praying for her and admonishing her. About the second and a half o'clock Mary the Most Holy arrived, with Mary the Virgin, Leah, Mary Salome and Mary of Cleopas.
The servant who was ahead of them announced their arrival, and Martha, Serafia, Mary of Mark and Susanna went out to meet them with the necessities and food, and received them at the front door of the castle where Lazarus had received Jesus yesterday.
They greeted each other and the housewives washed the feet of the travelers, who changed their clothes and veils. They had white, yellow, or brown clothes. They ate some food and retired to Martha's rooms.
Jesus and the men went to greet them, and Jesus remained alone talking to his mother. He told her, full of love and seriousness, that his heavy journey would begin, that he would go to the baptism of John and see her again for a while near Samaria. Then he would go into the desert to fast forty days in the wilderness. Mary asked her son not to go to that horrible place, so as not to faint from hunger and poverty; but Jesus asked her not to make representations of caring humans, since she was to fulfill her mission; she was to begin to do what was necessary, because her way was beginning, and those with him were to suffer with him: they were to fulfill their mission and renounce all human conveniences.
He said he loved her and always loved her, but now she belonged to all men. She asked him to make the sacrifice that the eternal Father would reward her. He added that Simeon's prophecy was beginning to be fulfilled: A sword would pierce his heart and soul. Mary was sad and very serious, but resigned to the will of God, and strong and trusting in God. Jesus was full of love and kindness. At the evening meal, a Pharisee named Simon was invited to the house of Lazarus. The women ate in a room separated by a fence so that they could listen to Jesus' teachings about faith, hope, charity, and obedience. He said that those who would follow him should not turn back, but keep his word and his teaching, suffering what he should suffer; that he would never leave them. He spoke again of the difficult road he had to walk on: how he would be mistreated and persecuted; that his friends would suffer and suffer with him.
All listened to him with awe and wonder, but what he said about him that he would be persecuted and mistreated seemed to them more like a way of prophesying, not to be understood in writing. Neither did the Pharisees find his words scandalous or unacceptable; but they kept on watching and listening more curiously than the others.
Jesus Walks With Lazarus to John's Baptism
After eating and resting a short time, Jesus and Lazarus went to Jericho to be baptized by John. One of Lazarus' servants followed them with a torch, for it was night. After half an hour they arrived at a hostel, where Lazarus's disciples were staying. It was not the same inn, more distant, in another direction, which I had spoken of other times and which the disciples used often.
The gallery where Jesus and then Mary were received by Lazarus was the same where Jesus later stayed and taught before resurrecting Lazarus, from where he went out to meet Magdalene. When they arrived at the inn, Jesus took off his sandals and walked barefoot.
Jesus begged him to remove the stones, but Jesus said, "Let it be so, for I know that I must do it". In this way, they followed their march. This desert extended for a five-hour road, with mountain gorges, to Jericho, and then for two hours through the rich Valley of Jericho - though through wilder, difficult-to-travel places.
Two hours later they arrived at the place where John was baptizing. Jesus was much lighter than Lazarus, sometimes an hour ahead of him. A crowd, including publicans, was returning from the baptism that Jesus himself had sent them. They passed by Jesus some distance down the road through the wilderness to Bethany.
Jesus left the city of Jericho, and he did not enter. There were a few small towns along the way, but you didn't get into any of them. Lazarus' friends: Nicodemus son of Simeon and John Mark spoke little to Jesus; but they marveled at his wisdom and mannerisms, pondering the qualities of his soul and body. They used to exclaim: "What a man! No one has ever appeared like him, and no one will ever be like him... so meek, so sweet, so serious, so simple at the same time as worthy... With depth he knows everything!..." And they added:" I cannot understand him at all, and yet I must believe. You cannot look him in the face because he reads the thoughts.
What a presence, what a face, what a way to walk, so light and without haste! No one can walk like him! How he must walk distances and how to reach a point, suddenly while preaching and speaking and walking again! What an extraordinary man!..." Then they talked about his childhood, his teachings in the temple with the doctors of the law and what they had heard about his first voyage, when he helped the sailors and killed a thousand other things. But no one suspected that Jesus was God. They thought him greater and wiser than all men, and they revered him; but they were astonished before him.
They only had him for an extraordinary man. Obed was an old man, the son of a brother of the temple husband of the old woman Anne; he was one of the elders of the temple, of the Sanhedrin; he was a pious and secret disciple of Jesus, and while he lived he helped the community of Jesus.
The Story of John the Baptist
John received a revelation about baptism and, because of it, he came out of the wilderness and dug a well in the vicinity of the Promised Land. I saw him on the western side of a steep mountain. To your left was a river, perhaps one of the sources of the Jordan, that sprang from a cave in Lebanon, between two mountains: it could only be seen flowing when you were nearby. To his right was a plain, surrounded by the wilderness, where a fountain was to be dug. John was bent with one knee; on the other was a long scroll of bark, on which he wrote with a pen. The sun shone brightly over him; he looked toward Lebanon, toward the west. As I was writing, I felt like I was in ecstasy. When I saw him so absorbed, a man appeared before him, who wrote many things and drew signs on the scroll. When John returned to his senses, he could read what the man had written and began to work on the well with great energy. While I was doing the work, I had the parchment scroll written on the floor, bound to two stones, to keep it open, and I often looked at the drawing, for it seemed to me that the work I was to do was drawn there. In connection with the well that John was making, I had a vision of Elijah.
I saw him upset by a mistake he had made in the desert, discouraged and sleepy. He dreamed that a little boy was pushing him with a stick into a well by him, and that he was about to fall; for he saw how a stretch of the place where he stood was moved. Then the angel woke him up and gave him a drink. This happened at the same place where John was going to make the fountain and the well. While John was working, I learned the explanation of every layer of soil he pulled and the mystery of every job he did. This had to do with the hardness and stubbornness of men, and with the characteristics that had to be folded so that the grace of God might reach them.
This work, like all his work and all his life, was a figure and anticipation that indicated not only that he was being led by the Holy Spirit, but in reality that he was doing what he should do and what his work meant, for God saw the goodwill he put into his task. In all this work, like the prophets of old, they were led by the Spirit of God. He began by gently cutting the vegetation of the surface around the well roundly, and then he dug a rather wide round vessel, and surrounded it with chosen stones, less in the middle, where he dug until he found a water source. With the earth he was taking he was thickening the edge of the spring, leaving five places cut off. In front of four of these openings, he planted four trees at equal distance. These trees had the green cap, they were of four different classes, with their particular meaning.
In the middle of the spring he planted a special tree, with fine leaves and pyramidal branches with shoots and thorns. This tree was long ago dried up in front of his cave. The other four looked like bushes and had berries and made them around a reinforcement, piled up earth. When he reached the water, where he planted the tree, he began to make a canal that ran from the river next to his cave to the well dug. And I saw him gather in the field many reeds, which he joined together, and brought them to the well, and then he covered the channels with earth.
I could close these canals or open them. He had made a path through the cuttings to the opening of its source, a path that ran around the well, between the four trees and the openings. In front of the opening left as entrance there had been no trees planted. Only this side of the fountain was open; the others were closed with mortars or stones. Around the four trees he planted a herb which I had not been unfamiliar with: I had it since childhood for much appreciation and when I found it I planted it near my home. It had a tall, juicy stem, dark red shoots, and was very medicinal against thorns and sore throats, as I understand today. He also planted other trees and various herbs. During his assignment, he occasionally looked at the drawn scroll and measured distances with his staff. It seemed to me that everything he did and even the trees were drawn on the written and drawn scroll. I remember seeing the figure of the tree he put in the middle of the fountain. He worked for several weeks and only when he finished his work did a little water appear at the bottom of his fountain. The tree in the center, which looked like a rotting and dry one, grew green. John went to fetch water from another source and poured it in. The container he used looked like it was made of thick, bag-shaped crust and capped with fish or resin. This water came from a spring that sprang up near his cave, which in another time he had made sprout by wounding the stone with his cross-shaped staff. I heard on this occasion that he couldn't have dug the well in that place, because it was all stone and that had its meaning. He let as much water in as he needed; when he passed the measure, he went out through the openings and watered the plants around the well.
I saw afterward that John went into the water half-in-body; he was embracing the tree that stood in the middle of the spring with one hand and with the other holding a staff to which he had added a cross and a small banner and with which he was beating the water making it jump over his head. As he was doing this, I saw light coming down on him and the Spirit pouring on him. Two angels stood by the fountain and spoke to him. All of this was the last thing he did in the desert. The well was in use even after Christ died. When Christians fled persecution, I saw that they continued to bring the sick and travelers to be baptized where they used to pray. In Peter's day, the well was surrounded by a siege. When John had finished this, he went out of the desert to where the people were waiting for him. His presence was impressive: tall, though slender and slender in the face of the fast; strong in musculature; of noble, attractive, pure, simple, and compassionate stature; the color of his face was tan, his face thin, and his face serious and energetic; his dark brown hair and crepes and short beard. Half of the body had tissue that reached the knees. He was wearing a dark cloak, which looked like it was made of three pieces. A skin, tied with a handle, covered their backs. His arms and chest were exposed; his chest was weather-covered and covered with the hair of the color of his cloak. He carried a knife with a curve like the one used by shepherds.
John the Baptist's Preaching and Travels
On his return from the desert he built a bridge over a river. He didn't care if there was a pass at a certain distance: he did his job where it suited his mission. An old royal road ran through the site. He had taught in Cedes, whose inhabitants were the first pagans to attend his baptism.
These people lived abandoned and in caves. They were descendants of several castes that settled there since the destruction of the temple. One of the last prophets told them to stay there until one, whom he pointed out as John, came, who would tell them what to do. Later, they returned to Nazareth. John was not impressed by anything that surrounded him and spoke only of one thing: repentance as the Messiah approached.
Everyone admired him, remaining absorbed in his presence. His voice was piercing like a sword, powerful and severe, yet still gentle. He was associated with all kinds of people and with children. Everywhere he went straight to his goal: he cared nothing, asked nothing, or needed nothing from anyone.
I saw him wander through the wilderness, and enter into the forests; I saw him digging, removing stones, plucking trees, or planting them, preparing seats. He called the men who saw him to help him, and they obeyed him. Sometimes he would take them out of their huts. Everyone respected him. He didn't stop anywhere much and was constantly changing places. He walked along the roads of Galilee, around the lake, over Tarkeia and the Jordan, through Salem, in the wilderness toward Bethel, and near Jerusalem, which he did not want to touch all his life, for his complaints and lamentations were often directed against the depraved city. He was always full of his mission and his destiny: earnest, severe, simple and zealous, calling out in one voice, "Repentance! Prepare the ways of the Lord! The Savior is coming!" Then he returned to his place by the valley of the shepherds. His parents were already dead. Among his first disciples were some young men who were related to Zechariah. After Joseph's death, he rarely went out, but some of his family heard his words and even accompanied him for part of the way. Three months before John began to baptize, he toured the country twice, announcing who was to come after him. His walk was fast, with light steps, without rest, but without agitation.
I did not remember the Savior's quiet walk where he had nothing to do, I saw him running from field to field to teach; people in the squares and streets to talk to them, I have seen that the Pharisees and the nobles of the people sometimes stopped him, to stop his preaching, but then they were amazed and amazed, and left him alone. "Prepare the ways of the Lord" were not mere figures of speech. I saw that John went all the way that Jesus and the apostles went afterward, removing obstacles and softening difficulties. He cleared bushes and rocks from the roads and opened new paths. He set stones in certain places of habitation, cleaned canals, dug wells, repaired clogged springs, made seats and comforts, which the Lord later used in his travels. He built rooftops where Jesus later gathered his listeners or where he rested from his work. In all his work, this simple and serious man aroused the admiration of all who watched or helped him, even in the huts from which he drew them to lend him tools. Everywhere it was surrounded, and fearlessly he urged them to repent for the nearness of the Messiah, calling himself the one who prepared his ways.
I often saw him pointing the direction where Jesus was going at those times. Nevertheless, I never saw him with Jesus, although they were sometimes no more than an hour's journey away from each other on their journeys. John once told people that he was not the expected Savior; that he was nothing more than a humble preparer and forerunner, and that "there" (indicated at a short distance) was the Savior. John, in fact, saw the Savior only three times in his life. The first, in the wilderness, when the Holy Family, on their flight to Egypt, passed near where John was, and this one, guided by the Spirit, came to greet his master who had sanctified him from his mother's womb; John felt the closeness of his then thirsty Savior: he prayed and touched with his staff the rock, from which abundant water gushed forth. At that time the young man John ran ahead and found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. I saw him dance and jump from contentment where the fountain sprang, as he played with the flag he was carrying with him.
The second time you saw him baptizing him. The third time, when he crossed the Jordan and gave his testimony to his disciples. I heard that Jesus was pondering before his disciples the mortification of John: that at baptism he performed the ceremonies of the rite only to fulfill his duty, though his heart was broken with love for his Savior, by the desire to be with Him and follow Him. Jesus also said that John was moving away from his presence because of humility and mortification, because his taste would have been to visit him often and stay with him. On the other hand, John always saw the Savior in spirit, for he was often in a supernatural and prophetic state. He saw in Jesus the fulfillment of the promise and the fulfillments of prophecies about his mission. Jesus was to him, not a contemporary and a fellow citizen: he was the Savior of the world, the Son of God made man, the Eternal appeared in time; and so he could not even think of living with him and becoming acquainted with his presence. On the other hand, John himself felt disconnected from men and was not involved in any of their customs.
From the womb she was preached and governed by the Eternal, placed in supernatural relationship by the Holy Spirit with her Redeemer. From childhood he was like being taken from the world and remained in the wilderness, knowing nothing but the things of his Redeemer, until he came out, as a born again, from the wilderhood to fulfill his mission seriously, enthusiastically, energetically, without worrying about what was happening in the world. His wilderness was now Judea; and as before he had spoken to beasts and birds and stones and plants and trees, while he lived among them, so now he did so to men and sinners, not taking care of himself or what was happening around him. He didn't speak, he didn't know, and he didn's not seeing anything but Jesus. He said, "Look!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Repent and be baptized". Pure and clean, as a child in his mother's womb, came forth out of the wilderness; pure and simple was he now, as a baby in his mother. I heard Jesus say to his apostles: "He is pure as an angel; no impurity, no sin has come upon him; no falsehood has been found in his lips"..
Places Where John the Baptist Baptized
John baptized in various places. First at Ainon, near Salem. And he went to On, opposite Beth-habara, west of the Jordan, not far from Jericho. Third place was east of Jordan, further north. Then he baptized again at Ainon, where he was captured by Herod. The water with which he baptizes belonged to a tributary of the Jordan, which made a one-hour-long diversion to the east. This arm of Jordan was there sometimes so narrow that it could be overtaken by a jump.
The riverbed seemed to have changed course, for he saw that some places were running out of water. The diversion of the Jordan formed springs and wells that received their water from the Jordan tributary. One of these springs was separated from the main arm: it was the place of baptism called Ainon.
Under this seal were channels that could be opened and closed at will, thus arranged by John himself. And there was a swamp on the shore, and several earthly grooves entered into it. The baptisms were placed between two of these grooves in the water up to the waist, leaning on one edge. On a tongue of earth stood John, who collected and poured water with a shell over the head of the baptisman, while on the other side stood one of the already baptized, who laid his hand on the shoulders of the neophyte. The first of these witnesses was John himself who had laid his hands on his shoulders.
The Baptists had no completely exposed upper body: a white cloth was put over them, leaving only men exposed. There was a cabin there where they dressed and undressed. I didn't see any women baptized there. When John baptized, he wore a long white robe. The region was a beautiful and rich region of water, called Salem, the population of this name was on both sides of the river. Ainon was located across the Jordan, north of Salem, nearer the Jordan and larger.
I've seen many animals peacefully on the prairies, especially donkeys. There is a kind of ancient law in Salem and Ainon, according to which no one can be expelled from his place, for he is declared free. John built his hut in Ainon on the ruins of an ancient building, the walls of which were already covered with vegetation and other huts were seen built over it. These ruins were the ancient foundations of tents erected by Melchizedek. I've had a lot of visions about this place, from ancient times. I remember that Abraham had a vision there and set up two large stones: on one he bowed down to pray and on the other he lifted it up on the altar.
I saw your own vision. It was a city like heavenly Jerusalem, from which it sprang like rays of shining water downward. He was told that he should pray for the coming of God's city upon the earth. This water, coming from the heavenly City, spread out all around.'" Abraham had this vision five years before Melchizedek raised his tent. This castle consisted of a series of rooms with galleries and stairs, similar to the rooms of King Menzor in Arabia; only the foundations were of stone. I now seemed to recognize, in John's day, the four corners where the columns of the building were planted. And over these walls, which looked like a fortress, John built his hut of reeds. Melchizedek had built these houses because there were many foreigners and travelers gathered there, for it was a place of abundant waters.
I think that Melchizedek had built up there too because, as always I saw him appear as a leader and leader of peoples, he gathered them together to advise them and guide them and host them until he left. From that time on, however, it was already related to the baptism of John, and it was for Melchizedek the place where he was going to build Jerusalem, and to go to where Abraham was. From there, they distributed the families and tribes that stayed at the site. Jacob also had plenty of time at his camp at Ainon. The baptism well cistern already existed and I saw Jacob renovating it. The remnants of the building of Melchizedek were near water and the place of baptism; and I saw that the first church was built in Jerusalem at the place where John was baptizing. This church still existed when Mary of Egypt went into the wilderness to live a penitent life. Salem was a beautiful city, devastated by wars before Christ, when the temple was destroyed. The last prophet also walked through these places.
John the Baptizer and Herod
John had already been famous for his preaching a few months earlier when some of Herod's messengers from Calliarchus came to see him. Herod lived in the castle east of the Dead Sea, where there were sea baths and hot baths. Herod wanted to see John, but he said to them, "I have many things to do.
If he wants to see him and talk to him, he can come to him". After this I saw Herod riding on a very low chariot, with wheels, but on a high throne around him. His seat had a roof, and around the chariot there were soldiers guarding the king. He was going to a village about five hours' drive south of Ainon and sent to tell John that he could get there. John entered and was outside the city, waiting for Herod in a hut. He was running away.
I remember Herod asking him why he lived in such a miserable hut in Ainon; that he, the king, wanted to make it a good home. John replied that he did not desire a house, that he had everything he needed and thus fulfilled the will of the one who is greater than kings. He spoke seriously and vigorously and went back to his seat. He spoke at a certain distance from Herod, with his eyes turned to the other side. I saw the sons of the late Alphaeus and Mary Cleophas: Simon, James, the Younger, and Thaddeus, and Joseph Barsabas, the son of Zebedee's second marriage.
All these were baptized by John at Ainon. Andrew and Philip were also baptized at Ainon. Later, they returned to their occupations. The other apostles and many disciples were already baptized. One day many of the elders and priests from the surrounding nations came to Paul and asked him about his message, about his teaching and other questions. He answered them by referring to the nearness of the Messiah and his coming and rebuked them, courageously pointing out their hypocrisy and their obstinacy in not making penance.
Some time later all the elders, priests, Pharisees from Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Hebron came to inquire about his mission, complaining that he had taken the place where he was baptizing. I saw many tax collectors being baptized by John after he had rebuked them for their wrongdoing. Among them was the tax collector Levi, later Matthew, the son of the widow Alpheus, who was the husband of Mary of Cleopas. He left there very moved, and his life improved: until then he had been in great disrepute among his relatives. Many tax collectors were rejected by John as unrepentant.
The Motion Produced by John's Baptism
At Doth-ain, where Jesus would appease the angry demon-possessed, many pagan Jews had been living in mixed company with the Jews since the time of Babylonian captivity. The unbelievers once had an idol with an altar nearby. The Jews, hearing about the nearness of the coming of the Messiah, no longer wanted to live in association with these idolaters.
This movement was aroused when John went through the whole region and when John's baptized men returned. A prince of Sidon had to send soldiers to protect the pagans. Herod also sent soldiers to appease the people. Those soldiers were the worst class. They went first to Calliarchus, where Herod was meeting, and to ask him to be baptized by John. They did this mostly for politics and to make a good impression among people. But Herod said to them, "No miraculous sign has been performed by John, and you cannot prove the divinity of his name. " So they went to Jerusalem and asked him about the things he should do. I've seen them in Jerusalem. They were with three chiefs asking about the individual, so I knew they were divided into three sects. All this happened in the courtyard, where Peter later denied Christ.
There were many sitting there before the judge, surrounded by spectators. The priests answered with the sum that they could do it or not do it, which was the same. I saw that about thirty of them went to John, and he rebuked them sternly because they did not want to repent. Some of them were baptized willingly, having fled from them because of their hypocrisy and bad conduct. The crowds that came to Ainon were very large. For a few days he let John baptize, and he employed them to preach and rebuke vigorously. I saw a large crowd of Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles sitting on hills and on the plains, under rooftops and in the shade, listening to John's preaching.
There were many hundreds. They listened to his word, got baptized, and then left. I saw many Gentiles from Arabia and the Orient, bringing with them many donkeys and sheep, because they were relatives in those places and were coming to hear from John. There was a meeting of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem because of John the Baptist. Nine men were sent to question John, three by one of the three officials. And he sent Joseph the Arimatheaite, the eldest of Simeon's sons, and another priest, who was over the sacrifices and the offerings. Three envoys were sent by the Council, and three other civilians were representing the people. They should ask John who he is and tell him to come to Jerusalem. If his mission was true, he should have presented himself to the temple first.
They asked him about his dress and why he baptized the Jews too, when he was only used to baptizing the Gentiles. There was no shortage of people who believed that John was Elijah returning to the world. I just saw Andrew and John the Evangelist with John. Most of the future apostles were with John, along with many other disciples, besides Peter, who was baptizing now, and Judas the traitor, who had been with the fishermen at Bethsaida and had heard all that was said about Jesus and John. When they arrived, John had not been baptizing for three days.
The messengers wanted him to hear them immediately. He told them that he would listen to them when he had finished his work, and with short, harsh words he left them waiting. They rebuked him for taking the authority, saying that he was to go to Jerusalem and not to dress so wildly. When they left, Joseph of Arimathea and Simeon's son stayed with them and were baptized by John. There were many people whom John did not want to baptize. These men joined the Sanhedrin and accused John of partiality and hostility.
The future apostles were now returning to their homes, talking about John and paying attention to Jesus, of whom they had heard about by John the Forerunner. Joseph of Arimathea was on his way back to Jerusalem and met Obed, a relative of Seraphia, a temple servant. Joseph told Obed much about John, and Obed went to be baptized. As a temple attendant, he was one of Jesus' secret disciples and later declared himself a Christian.
John receives a warning to withdraw to Jericho
I saw later that John came to baptize some sick people. He wore his robe and his cloak hanging from his shoulders. On one side was a basin of baptism water and on the other side was the shell I used to baptize. They brought many sick people to him on stretchers and cartons, and laid them on the bank of the Jordan where John was baptizing. Since they could not be taken to the opposite shore, they begged John to go out to where they were.
John went with some of his disciples. He had prepared there a beautiful spring surrounded by a fence made by himself. He was carrying a shovel. He let water in through a canal he made and mixed it with the one he brought in his container. He catechized the sick and baptized them, and ordered them to be placed by the well as he went on pouring water on them. After he had baptized them, he went back across the Jordan to Ainon.
And I saw an angel appear to him, and tell him to go over the Jordan to Jericho; and as he approached him, he and his disciples had set up their tents, and had gone up a few hours east of the Jordan, and had crossed over to the other side, and had made a journey. There were baths, dug and encircled, of white brick, with canals opening and closing at will to bring the water from the Jordan; there was no island in the river.
This second place of baptism was between Jericho and Beth-agla, on the west side of the Jordan, opposite Beth-Abar, on the east side of the river. It was about five miles from Jerusalem. The straight road passed through Bethany, through the wilderness, until it reached an inn, a little off the road, somewhere between Jericho and Beth-agla. The waters of the Jordan there were very clear, very calm. The delicious scent of aromatic plants and flowers, whose petals fell into the water, was felt. At some points the river was so narrow and shallow that you could see the bottom; on the banks you could see fissures dug by the water over time. I was very glad when I found myself in the Holy Land; but I was surprised by the changes in the weather compared to ours. When it was winter, everything flourished there, and when it was summer, the plants were already sprouting for the second harvest. Then came a time when there was a lot of fog and a lot of rain. I saw about a hundred people with John, including his disciples and many Gentiles. They were working to improve the Baptistry and repair the cabin. They were bringing things from Ainon. The patients were transported in cages. This was the place of the Jordan where Elijah cut the waters with his cloak, to pass over; and Elisha did the same when he passed over again. Elisha rested there from his journey. The children of Israel also passed through it when they entered the holy land. Then a group of Pharisees and Sadducees were sent from Jerusalem to John. An angel announced this to the Baptist.
When they came near the Jordan, they sent a messenger to John to tell him to draw near. Without giving up his work, he replied that if they wanted to talk to him they could do so by approaching where he was baptizing. They came near, but John continued preaching and baptizing in the presence of the apostles. When John had finished his work, he welcomed the messengers and sent his disciples to the house, and many of the people who heard him were with him.
The apostles asked about him who the prophets had said would come. John replied, "A man has risen up against them whom you do not know. He added that he had not seen him either, but that from before he was born he had commanded him to prepare his way and that he should baptize him. He told them to come back at a certain time when he was to come to be baptized. He then spoke harshly to them, telling them that they had not come to be baptized but to spy on him. They replied, "Now we know who he is, that he baptizes without a license, and that he is a hypocrite, and he wears such strange clothes. " And they returned to Jerusalem. A short time later, another group of about twenty priests from various cities came from the Sanhedrin, carrying mitres, long ribbons and long ribbons. They told him that they had come from the Grand Council, that he should present himself to him to account for his mission and his conduct; that it was a sign that he had no mission because he did not obey the Sanhedrin. I heard John say to them, "Wait a little longer. The one who sent me is coming. He was born in Bethlehem and brought up in Bethlehem. Nazarene, who had fled to Egypt and he had not yet seen him.
They cast him on his face as he was acquainted with Jesus; they sent messengers one to another. John replied that the men were blind and could not see. The messengers were displeased and displeased. Crowds of Jews and pagans came from everywhere. Herod himself sent men to hear what he had to say, ordering them to tell him what they had heard about him. I saw that the place of baptism was better organized. John and his disciples built a large roof where the sick and the tired on the journey were laid and where they gathered to hear his preaching.
At times they sang psalms; so, for example, I heard the psalm speaking of the crossing of the Red Sea by the sons of Israel. At times it seemed as if they had improvised a small population of tents and huts; these huts were covered with furs and reeds that grew on the banks of the river. A great influx of travelers from the regions of the Magi came, riding on camels, on donkeys, and on beautiful, very agile horses.
They were on their way to Egypt. Now all the people were coming to John, hearing him preach about the Messiah, and they were being baptized. From there they used to go in groups to Bethlehem. Not far from the grotto of the manger, opposite the shepherds' field, was a well, where Abraham had lived with Sarah, and being sick he yearned to drink water; having brought him a jar of water from the well, he did not want to drink it at once, leaving it for God, and in reward God delivered him from his evil. Because of its great depth, it was very difficult to draw water from the well.
There was a very large tree there and not far away was the cave of Maraha. As the nurse was very old, she used to take her on her travels on a camel. By these events it became a place of pilgrimage for godly Israelites, as Mount Carmel and Mount Horeb were. This is where the holy Magians prayed. Only the disciples of John had come from Galilee. More people came from Hebron, including many Gentiles. So as Jesus went through Galilee, he urged the people to come to John's baptism.
Herod at the baptistery. A traditional party
The place where John taught was about half an hour from the Baptistery. It was a sacred place full of memories for the Hebrews and surrounded like a garden. Inside were huts, and in the middle a large stone indicating where the sons of Israel had passed with the Ark of the Covenant, and where they had placed it to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. On this rock had John raised up his teaching seat; he had built a large shed with a junk roof; at the foot of the stone was John's chair.
He was surrounded by his disciples teaching when King Herod came, but John was not troubled by his preaching. Now Herod was in Jerusalem, where he married his brother's wife, whose daughter was named Solomon, about sixteen years old. He had intended to join this woman and had tried in vain to gain the favor of the Sanhedrin. So there was a lively discussion between them. The king was afraid of the people and thought to hide himself with some word of permission from John.
I thought the Baptist, to please the king, would say something according to his plan. Now Herod was on his way to the Jordan, with the young woman, Solomon the daughter of Herodias, and her maidens, and about thirty men with him. He was going with the women in a chariot and had sent a messenger to John the Baptist 'did not want to receive the king in the holy place, as he was coming with these women.
Then he withdrew from the place where he preached, and spoke boldly about the things Herod wanted to know. He told him to wait for the one who was to come; that he would not stay long baptizing, that he should give his place to the one whose only predecessor was him. He spoke to Herod in this way, so that Herod realized that he was being questioned and that he knew his intentions. Herod presented him a very large scroll containing his procedure; but John refused to touch the scroll to stain his hands as a baptist. Then I saw Herod, very upset, leaving the place with his entourage.
He was living at that time near the baths of Kallirrohe, a few hours from the Baptistery. Herod had sent some delegates with the scroll for John to read, but in vain: John returned to the place of baptism. And I saw the women that went with the king, and they were dressed in fine clothes, but with decency. Madeleine was more fantastically adorned at the time. A three-day festival was now being held at the Hebrew Passover Stone. John's disciples decorated the place with plants, crowns, and flowers. I saw Peter, Andrew, Philip, James the Younger, Simon, and Thaddeus, and many of Jesus' future disciples among them. The place was still sacred to the godly Israelites; but this veneration was very fallen away and John renewed it. I saw John and some of his companions wearing priestly robes.
The Baptist had on a long, dark white robe; he was belted with a yellow band, intertwined with white bands, from which slopes hung. And on the two shoulders he carried a great precious stone, with six names engraved on each side of the twelve tribes of Israel. And he had a square shield on his breast, yellow and white, and was bound at the four ends with gold chains. On the shield were twelve stones inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes. From his shoulder hung a strip of yellow and white stripes that went downward and ended in bumps. On the outer garment at the bottom was sewn fruit buds of white and yellow silk. He had his head uncovered, but he had a kind of hood hanging from his back that he could lift over his head to his forehead and end up on the tip.
And before the stone where the ark of the covenant was, there was a small altar, almost square, empty in the midst, and covered with a net; and underneath it was a hole for the ashes, and on the four sides were hollow horns. John and several of his disciples were dressed in robes that reminded me of what I saw when the apostles celebrated the mysteries of the early days. These helped with the sacrifice. The place was incense and John burned several aromatic herbs, plants and I believe also grain of wheat on the altar, which was portable. Many had gathered to be baptized. The priestly garments were prepared at this place for the baptism. Now there were women living by the Jordan and making all kinds of ornaments and utensils for John. However, they were not baptized there. It seemed as if John was starting a new church with a cult of his own.
I could no longer see him working with his own hands as before and he dressed for a long white robe. I saw him also preparing the place for Jesus' baptism by himself, while the disciples brought him the necessary provisions. John gave a very lively sermon on this feast day. He was, in his priestly robes, on the tent, which had a gallery around it as he had seen in the tents in the land of the Magician Kings.
They had built up a number of platforms around the place where we were staying for the feast; there was an uncountable crowd. And he spoke of the Savior that had sent him, whom he had not yet seen; and he spoke of Israel's crossing the Jordan. Then inside the tent there was again incense offering and weeds burned. From Maspha to Galilee the news spread that John was going to preach a great sermon, and so a great crowd gathered. The Essenes were all present. Most of the audience wore long white robes. Men and women came, the women usually on donkeys, in the midst of the plowshares, with doves and edibles, while the men led the animals. Men offered bread as a sacrifice, and women, pigeons.
John was standing behind a net and receiving the loaves: they were placed on a grilled table, they were purified with flour, and then, when they were piled up, they were blessed by John and offered up to God. These loaves were then broken and distributed: to those who came from farther away he touched larger parts because they were most in need. The fallen flour and broken bread pieces were passed through the grill and burned at the altar. The pigeons were distributed among the needy. That lasted almost half a day. The whole party lasted, with Saturday, three days. Then I saw John at the baptism.
The island is set to be the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River
The Baptist told his disciples about the nearness of the Messiah's baptism. Again he insisted that he had not seen him. "I will show you where you were baptized, " he said", and the waters of the Jordan will be divided into an island". At that moment, the waters of the Jordan were split in two and a small, round, whitish island rose to the surface.
It was the same place where the sons of Israel crossed the Jordan with the ark of the covenant and where Elijah divided the waters with his robe. And there was a great uproar among those that were present, and they prayed and gave thanks to God. John and his disciples brought large stones and put them in the water. Then they put branches, trees and plants on a bridge to the island and covered the passage with small white stones.
When they finished the work, the water was seen running under the bridge. John and his disciples planted twelve trees around the island and joined their cups together to form a roof with the leaves. Among these trees were fences of various plants that were often born on the banks of the Jordan. They had white, colorful shoots, and yellow fruits, with a small crown, like a nipple. The island that had arisen at the place where the Ark of the Covenant had been deposited at its crossing over the Jordan looked like a rock, and the bottom of the river was higher than in the days of Joshua. The water, on the other hand, seemed deeper to me; so that I could not tell whether the water had receded more or whether the island had risen above the water when John came to form Jesus' baptism.
To the left of the bridge, not in the middle, but on the edge of the island, he dug a hole, to which clear water flowed. To this spring some steps were taken; on the surface of the water was a triangular, flat, red-colored stone, where Jesus should be before Baptism. To the right stood a slender palm tree with fruit, which Jesus was to embrace. The edge of this fountain was delicately worked and the whole ensemble had a beautiful appearance. And it came to pass when Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan, that the river was very much increased.
The Ark of the Covenant was taken far from the people to the Jordan. Among the Twelve who led and accompanied her were Joshua, Caleb, and another character whose name sounded like Enoch. Arriving at the Jordan, one took the front of the Ark which used to carry two; the others held back and the moment the Ark's foot touched the waters, these became calm, like gelatin climbing over each other, forming a wall or rather a mountain that could be seen from the city of Zarthan. The waters that ran into the Dead Sea were lost in the sea, and it was possible to walk across the Jordan River bed. And the children of Israel that were far from the ark went over the riverbed. The ark was carried by the Levites into the inner court, where four square stones were placed regularly.
These were blood-colored stones, and on each side were two rows of six triangular, flat, and worked stones. And the twelve Levites set the ark of the covenant upon the four stones in the midst, and passed twelve on each side upon the other triangular stones, whose cone was in the waters. And twelve other triangular stones were set in the distance: they were very thick, of various colors, engraved with figures and pictures with flowers. And Joshua chose twelve men out of the twelve tribes, to carry these stones upon their bare backs, and a series of two rows for a memorial of the passing. Later, a population rose up there. The names of the twelve tribes and the names of those who carried the stones were engraved on the stones. And the stones upon which the Levites stood were larger; and when they had passed over the river, the stones were turned with their tips upward. The stones that had been out of the water were no longer visible in the days of John the Baptist: I do not know whether they were destroyed by wars or they were simply covered with earth and rubble. John raised his tent in their place. Later, there was a church there, I think in St. Helena's time.
The place where the Ark of the Covenant was is exactly the same as the island and the spring where Jesus was baptized. And it came to pass when the children of Israel had passed over the ark, and had lifted up the twelve stones, that the Jordan returned to its course as before. The water from the spring of Jesus' baptism was so deep that from the shore one could only see from the chest when a man was inside. The somewhat stepped depth and this octagonal fountain, measuring about a meter and a half in diameter, was surrounded by a border, cut into five places, from where some people could witness the act. The twelve triangular stones upon which the Levites stood were erected on either side of Jesus' baptismal font with their tips upward out of the water. At the water source of baptism lay those four colored square stones upon which the Ark of the Covenant had rested, beneath the surface of the water. These stones appeared with their tips out of the water in times of downspouts.
Very near the edge of the fountain was a triangular stone, shaped like a pyramid, with the tip down, on which Jesus was when the Holy Spirit came upon him. On his right was the palm tree, by the edge, which Jesus held by the hand, while on his left was the Baptist. The triangular stone where Jesus stood was not the twelve; it seems to me that John removed it from the shore. There was a mystery there because I saw it marked with flower and striped designs.'" The other twelve stones were also of various colors, drawn with flowers and branches.
They were greater than those taken to the earth: it seems to me that they were at first precious stones that Melchizedek planted from childhood, when the Jordan did not pass over them. I have seen him do this in many places; he laid the foundations of works that soon became sacred places or where remarkable events took place, although for a long time they were in swamps or hidden among swamps. I also believe that the twelve stones that John wore at the feast on the breastplate were pieces of those twelve precious stones planted by Melchizedek.
Herod Again with John
When John returned to the Baptistery, a group of about twenty people came to see him again to ask him about his mission. They came from Jerusalem. They were waiting for the wedding feast and invited John to the house, but he did not move. The next day I went to see them again about half an hour, where John was baptizing, but John did not let them enter the marketplace.
I saw that John, when he had finished his work, was speaking to them from a distance. He was telling them the things of the beginning, referring to one who was about to come to baptism, one who was greater than he, and whom I had not yet seen in person. Some of your questions, he didn't answer.
Afterward I saw Herod, riding on a horse, seated in a sort of coffin seat, and his brother's wife, with whom he lived, also riding on the horse, proud and bold, dressed in luxury and disgraceful, coming near the place where John was baptizing. The woman stood at a distance. Herod came down from his horse and approached John and began to speak to him. Herod was arguing with John because he had excommunicated him, forbidding him from sharing in the baptism and salvation of the Messiah unless he left scandalous company.
The king again presented him with that written statement in defense of his conduct. "Do you know anything about Jesus of Nazareth? " Herod asked. "He is the one about whom everyone is talking, and he has heard many reports. " He demanded that he tell him clearly, as he wanted to deal with his matter with the Messiah. John replied that Jesus would not listen to him, as he would not listen his request; that he was an adulterer and would be treated as such; that in one way or another it was always an adultery. When Herod asked him why he was speaking to him from afar and did not come near, John replied, "You are blind! You have become blind because of your adultery.
The closer I come to you, the more blind you will become. When I am brought before you, you will do to me what you later will hear about". By doing so, he prophesied his impending death. Herod and his wife returned very upset. The time for Jesus' baptism was approaching. I saw John very sad. It seemed that his time was going to end very soon: he was no longer traveling so vigorously in his work and I see him pursued from all sides. They came from Jericho, Jerusalem, from Herod to drive him out of the place where he was baptizing. His disciples occupied a rather considerable part of the area around baptism, so they asked John to leave and cross over to the other side of the Jordan.
Then Herod's soldiers broke down the siege and drove the people out, but they could not disturb John's tent, among the twelve stones. John spoke with his disciples, saddened and lowly in spirit, wanting Jesus to come and be baptized; but he would soon withdraw from his presence across the Jordan and not stay long in his place. His disciples were very saddened by what he was saying and did not want him to leave them.
Jesus Is Baptized by John
When John received warning that Jesus was approaching, he regained new courage to baptize. There came a crowd of those whom Jesus had told to be baptized, including tax collectors. I saw Parmenas with his relatives from Nazareth. John told his disciples about the Messiah and humbled himself before him in such a way that they were saddened.
Then the disciples who had been rejected by Jesus came to John. I saw them talking to him and doing all that Jesus was doing. John was so burning with love for Jesus that he almost expressed impatience that the Messiah would no longer openly declare himself. When John baptized them, he received the assurance that Jesus was approaching. He saw a bright cloud surrounding Jesus and his disciples, and he saw them in vision coming near.
ince then, he has been extremely happy and anxious and has often looked to the side where he was coming from. The island with the baptismal font was all green and no one went out to it John, when he had something to fix: the road leading to it was normally closed. Jesus walked lighter than Lazarus and arrived two hours before him at the place of baptism. It was dawn when Jesus arrived at the same time as others. But they did not know him and went about with him, but they looked at him with a strange eye, because they saw something wonderful in him that they could not explain. There was an extraordinary crowd of people. John preached with greater enthusiasm the nearness of the Messiah and the need for repentance.
He said he'd soon disappear. Jesus was in the midst of the audience. John felt his nearness, saw him, and was very glad and excited; but he did not stop speaking about it, and then he began to be baptized. He had baptized many people. It was about the tenth hour of the morning, when Jesus came down to the well.
Then John bowed down before him and said, "I must be baptized by you, and you come to me?... Jesus answered him, "Let it be done now; it is we who must do all justice: that you baptize me, and I shall be baptized of you". Jesus added:"You must be baptified with the Holy Spirit and with blood". Then John told him to follow him to the small island. Jesus said that he would do so by adding that he wished that the waters with which they were baptized would be allowed to flow to that place; that all who should be baptized should be brought to the place, and that the tree that he was baptizing would be transplanted to the place where the others were baptized. Jesus added:"you must receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost and with blood" Then John said to him to follow until the small island".
Then John said that he should do so by saying that he would add that he wishing that the waters were baptized with you, some others would be baptized if they were allowed to flow into that place, that all who were to be baptized would rise there, and that a tree that he would baptize would be baptified by I do not remember exactly whether these last three words were; but they were Three Graces or gifts to Spirit, soul and body, and there was contained everything each one needed to present to the Lord a renewed spirit, soul and flesh.
As Jesus came up out of the water, the disciples Saturn and Andrew, standing on the right side of the Baptist on the triangular stone, were holding a cloth and putting it on him to dry and a long white robe. When Jesus stood on the red triangular stone, to the right of the entrance of the fountain, they placed their hands on his shoulders, and John on his head. Until then, only a small cloth was put on the baptized; but after Jesus' baptism he used a wider one.
The Father's Voice After Baptism
As they were about to climb the stairs to get out of the well, the voice of God was heard about Jesus, standing alone on the stone in prayer. It came from heaven like a gust of wind and thunder; so that all who were present were terrified and looked up. A bright white cloud came down, and I saw a winged figure over Jesus, which filled it like a stream. I saw heaven open, and I saw the appearance of the Father in the form and face of the common man. And I heard a voice say, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased". It was a voice like inside thunder. Jesus was completely surrounded by light and could hardly be looked at: his face was transparent.
I saw angels around him. At a distance, over the waters of the Jordan, I saw Satan in a dark form, like a black cloud, where a confusion of worms and reptiles of all kinds was waving: it was the representation of how all evil, all sinful, all sinless of the region was concentrated there, in its origin, fleeing the presence of the Holy Spirit that had spread in Jesus. It was a startling and horrible thing, totally contrasting with the clarity and light that spread around Jesus and the place of baptism. The same source shone down to the bottom; everything was as if transfigured.
And there were four stones, upon which was the ark of the covenant, shining with joy at the bottom of the fountain; and on the twelve stones where the Levites stood there appeared angels in prayer; for the Spirit of God had testified before all men that he was to be the living stone, the precious stone chosen, the cornerstone of the church. Thus we, like living stones, must form a spiritual sacrifice and a spiritual priesthood, so that we may offer acceptable sacrifices to God, as on an altar, through His divine Son in whom he alone finds his pleasures. After that, Jesus went to the tent. Saturnino brought him his robes, which Lazarus had kept in guard, and Jesus put them on again. Jesus left the tent, dressed, and surrounded by his disciples, and sat on the island's deserted spot by the middle of a small tree. Then John spoke boldly and joyfully, testifying that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah.
To confirm his testimony, he recalled the prophecies of the patriarchs and prophets and observed their fulfillment, saying what he had seen and what all had now heard, adding that as soon as Jesus returned after an absence, he, John, would disappear from the place. He also said that the Ark had been in that place when Israel inherited the Promised Land and that the fulfillment of the covenant was now taking place, of which God the Father himself bore witness in his divine Son. He recommended that they follow Jesus, calling the day of fulfillment of the promise to Israel happy. Meanwhile, others came, including Nicodemus, Obed, Joseph of Arimathea, John Mark, and several others who had seen Jesus in the crowd. John told Andrew to tell in Galilee about Jesus' baptism as the Messiah.
Jesus, in turn, testified to John, saying that he spoke the truth. He added that he would be away for a while, but that soon all the sick and afflicted should come to him, because he wanted to comfort and help them. He said that he was going away for a time and then entered the kingdom that his father had entrusted to him. Jesus expressed this as in the parable of the King's Son, who before fulfilling his father's will, wanted to recline, beg His help, and prepare himself. There were among the listeners some Pharisees, who took these words in a mocking sense, saying: "Perhaps he is not the carpenter's son, as we think, but the son of some king, and now he wants to go there to gather people and then come and take Jerusalem".
They thought all this was very curious and foolish. As for John, he continued that day baptizing those present on the island where Jesus was born; they were, for the most part, the few men who later became Jesus' disciples. They were going into the water around the well, and John baptized them at the edge.
Then Jesus left that place with his nine disciples and others who had been with him. Lazarus, Andrew, and Saturn followed him. They had filled a jar with water from Jesus' baptism, as Jesus had commanded, and they took him with them. The crowd fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to stay with them. Jesus promised them that he would return very soon, and he left.
Jesus Preaches in the Synagogue of the Light
Jesús and his companions headed for a small place a couple of hours from Jerusalem: the name looked like Bethel. There was a hospital with a lot of patients. Jesus went in and ate with his disciples. Many people came and greeted him as a prophet, for they already knew what John had said about him. Jesus took the sick and the sick around their beds and comforted them, telling them that if they believed in him, he would come back and heal them.
He healed only one sick man who was in the third chamber: he was very sick, with spots and thorns on his head. Jesus blessed him and told him to get up. The man stood up and bowed down before the Savior. Saturn and John baptized some people there. Jesus commanded that a large jar of water be brought, where a little boy could sit. He put it on a table, blessed the water, and spread a sponge in it. I think it was the water that came out of the spring. The baptisers covered themselves to the chest, leaned to the fountain, and Saturn baptized them. He spoke words that Jesus had taught him; but I no longer remember them clearly. Jesus held a Sabbath there and then sent Andrew to Galilee. Jesus entered a city called Luz; he went into the synagogue, where he gave a long discussion explaining hidden things from the holy Scriptures, which were figures of gifts.
I remember what I said to the Israelites, who had crossed the Red Sea and wandered through the wilderness for their sins, and after they had crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land. Then it was just a figure: they were now to stay and keep God's commandments, to enter the promised land of heavenly Jerusalem and the city of God.
They were thinking of a Jerusalem freed from the yoke of the Romans. He spoke of the Ark of the Covenant and the severity of the old law, for anyone who approached the Ark would be put to death. Now the time of the Law is fulfilled, and the time of grace has come for the Son of Man to be brought forth. He said that now was the time for the angel to take Tobias to the Promised Land, who had long lived faithful to God's commandments as a prisoner.
He also spoke of the widow Judith, who cut off the head of the drunken Holofernes and delivered the oppressed Bethulia: now that Virgin, who had existed from eternity, would grow and prosper, and many proud Holofernes who oppressed Betulia would fall. He alludes to the Church and her triumph over the superb princes of this world. Jesus recalled many similar events that would now have fulfillment. I never said, "I'm that one".
I always spoke in the third person. He also referred to the standards for following the Law, so that they should leave everything and not have much concern for the temporal, because it was far more important to be regenerated and born again than to walk in the search for food; that, moreover, if they were regenerated by water and the Holy Spirit, the same one who had them born again would take care of their food and clothing. He said that those who wanted to follow him should leave their relatives and abstain from women, because it was not time to sow but to reap. He also spoke of the bread of heaven. Everyone listened to him with respect and admiration, but everything was understood in a material and physical way. Lazarus went there; Jesus' other friends went to the Jordan. The holy women who were in Jerusalem, at Susannah's house, set out through the wilderness.
Jesus and his disciples left Luz and headed south through the desert. During the feast, as Jesus and his disciples passed through a row of palm trees, they hesitated to pick and eat the fruit that had fallen to the ground. Jesus told them to eat them calmly and not be so fearful and meticulous; to be careful of the cleanliness of the soul in their speech and actions, and not so much in what is served to be eaten. On this journey I saw that Jesus visited about ten sick people in some scattered houses: some he comforted and others he healed. Some of them followed him later.
Jesus in the Ensemes
He saw Jesus coming to a small village called Ensemes, where people met him. Many surrounded him, holding their children in their hands, greeted him solemnly and humbly bowed down at his feet. Jesus raised them up familiarly, kindly. He was taken to his homes by people of noble family. The Pharisees brought Jesus to their school.
They were happy that a prophet was among them. When the disciples learned that he was the son of Joseph, the carpenter from Nazareth, they began pointing out details that they did not think were right. They believed him to be a prophet, and when Jesus spoke of baptism, they asked him, in order to be right about which baptism to murmur, which of the two was better: John's baptism or theirs. Jesus repeated to them what the Baptist had said about His baptism and the baptism of the Messiah, adding that he who despised John's baptism despised the baptism also of the Messia. Yet, he never said, "I am", but he spoke in the third person, or as the Gospel says, "the Son of man". In the house where he stayed, he took his food and prayed with his disciples before going to rest.
And he departed from En-semes, and went with his companions, through the torrent of Cedar, in Judah. He almost always took the few trails and crossed the valleys that Mary and Joseph had traveled to Bethlehem. Now there was much mist in the country and it was very cold: I sometimes saw snow or dew and frost in the valleys; but in the part where the sun hurt most everything was presented green and beautiful. They were still hanging fruit from the trees. Along the way, I saw Jesus and his disciples eating the fruit.
He was afraid to go into the city, because the news about John's baptism and the testimony of John was going around everywhere. Jerusalem was also alarmed by these developments. Jesus wanted to present himself only after his return from the wilderness of Galilee, and whether he was now walking through these places was for the sake of the sick or to take others to baptism. He did not always go with all his disciples. Sometimes he saw only two of them with him. Others were scattered in the streets and rebuked what was said about him.
They were generally enthusiastic about John and believed that Jesus was only a helper of the Baptist; and so they called him their helper. The disciples told them the revelation of the Holy Spirit and the voice they had heard from the Father. They repeated John's words about himself: "He was only a forerunner and a road-maker, and therefore he was as hard and hard as the one who made the way". For this reason, shepherds and weavers from these valleys sometimes came to Jesus, who heard Jesus under the trees or shelves, and bowed down at his feet, as Jesus blessed them and exhorted them to do good. As they were walking along, Jesus explained to his disciples that the words they had heard from the Father, "This is my Son, whom I love", should also be spoken to all who were receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit without sin.
This region was the same as that traveled by Joseph and Mary when they went to Bethlehem. Joseph knew these places better because his father had pasture fields. Joseph had been away from Jerusalem for about a day and a half to avoid the large cities and by small steps preferred to pass through these places, where the shepherds' huts were more united. It was very difficult for Mary to ride for a long time, as well as to walk. The main population to which Jesus was now going was made up of two shepherds' houses, which Joseph and Mary had arrived at earlier. He stopped first in that house where the Virgin had been ill received. The owner of the house was a rude old man. Now she didn't want to receive Jesus either. It sounded like some of our farmers today, who seem to say, "What does all this matter to me? I pay the dues and I go to church". Besides, they live afterwards as they please.
So those people say, "Why did they need all this?" They had the law of Moses, which God had given them, and they needed no more. Jesus spoke to them about the hospitality and charity to neighbor that the ancient patriarchs had shown. Where, indeed, would the blessing and the Law be if Abraham had not received the angel who brought them? . . . And he told them this parable: "Whoever rejects a mother who brings her weary child to the door, and whoever calls on her kindly, rejects the Son. Jesus said this so clearly that it sounded like lightning that would strike the heart of the hard man. This was the house where Joseph and Mary had been ruthlessly dismissed.
I recognized the house very well. Her parents were greatly confused, because without Jesus naming Joseph and Mary, he explained to them everything they had done with the Holy Family. One of the disciples fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to stay with him, saying, "He is a prophet, " and" He knows all that has happened here for thirty years. " Jesus did not take food in his house as the man desired, and he said, teaching the gathered shepherds that many things that are done are the seed preparation of others that will be done, and that repentance and penance can destroy the roots of bad feelings by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which makes a man be born again and bear fruit of everlasting life.
From there he went out and began to teach in many places. Some possessed men shouted in his way, but they were silent when he commanded them. Jesus arrived at another shepherd's house, about a time when the Holy Family had also been on their way to Bethlehem. The owner had a lot of cattle. Along the valley lived shepherds and tentmakers.
They had put up large pots as curtains and worked outdoors by common accord. There were cattle and wild animals; and the doves were in large flocks, like the chickens, round about the house, and also other large birds of long tails. In the field there were many small-horned cranes: domestic and mixed with cattle.
There Jesus was received very kindly. The people in the house, the neighbors and the children came out to meet him and knelt before him. And there were young men in the house, the sons of the old man who was still alive, and who had lodged with Joseph and Mary; and he was small in stature, and sloping, and walking with a cane. Jesus took some foods, fruits and vegetables, which were soaked in a sauce, and ate breadcrumbs by the fire. These people were very pious and educated. They took Jesus to the same room where Mary had been staying, which they had converted into a holy place of prayer. It was only a partition of the house, but they had isolated it by making a path for it; they had broken off the four corners of the house to form an octagon, and the roof had gathered it in a truncated cone.
I hung a lamp and in the middle of the ceiling was an opening that could be opened at will. In front of the lampstand was a small table resembling a communion bench, between us, where one could pray supported by the bench. Everything was clean and tidy like a chapel. The old man took Jesus and showed him the place where his mother had rested and where his grandmother Anne had also stayed on her way to Bethlehem when she visited Mary in the cave of Bethlehem. These people knew of Jesus' birth, the worship of the Magi, the prophecy of Simeon and Hannah at the temple, the flight to Egypt, and the teaching of the Child Jesus at the temple. Some of these days were celebrated with prayers in this place, believing, hoping and loving faithfully. They asked Jesus simply: "What is this? Is it said among the Gentiles in Jerusalem that the Messiah will be king of the Jews, who will restore the glory of the kingdom and deliver him from the yoke of the Romans?" Jesus explained everything to them in the parable of a king who sends his son to sit on the throne and restore and deliver his brothers from the york, but they will not recognize the son whom he sent, but will persecute and mistreat him. but that he would be raised up and draw them all to the heavenly kingdom of his Father if they would keep his commandments. A large crowd gathered with him, and he taught and healed some of the sick.
The old shepherd took Jesus to the home of a neighbor who had been bedridden with gout for years. Jesus took her by the hand and told her to get up. She immediately obeyed, bowed down, and accompanied him to the door. She was curving like Peter's mother-in-law. At that moment Jesus was led to a deep ravine where many sick people were. He healed some of them and comforted them. The cured were only ten. John was still baptizing, and many people came to him. The tree that Jesus touched during his baptism was transplanted into the middle of the great spring and was green and beautiful.
This baptismal font had steps from the shore and several earthen watering floors that extended to the lake. People passed one after another; they went in one way and out the other. When Jesus left the herder's house, about five hours away, some men, relatives of the shepherds who had visited Jesus at the manger, followed him. That is why they were so good to Jesus. The Savior and his disciples walked through many corners and gathered, here and there, groups of shepherds and workers, whom he taught with parables and comparisons of their own crafts. He also urged them to go to John's baptism and to repentance, and he spoke to them about the nearness of the Messiah and salvation. On a hillside, in a good place on the way of Jesus, I saw people working in the fields: in the vineyards and in the fields. I saw them carrying wheat, plowing and sowing, for that region was very fertile, although in other places I saw frost and snow in the valleys. The wheat was not in bundles, but was cut under the spike a half foot, and the bundles were bound so that the spikes came out on both sides. These straps were stacked together. The peasants did not take these tied up to their homes, as in the time of the finished harvest: they stood there forming small mountains, and now, as the rainy season began, they were covered with hay as they re-prepared the fields. The grains were cut with a curved blade, the hay piled up and then parched. When they brought him in, they would do it in carts that were pulled by four men.
The hay was laid in rows and wrapped in packs, perhaps to be burned. Elsewhere, they would plough with plowshares without wheels and the men would throw it out. The plough I saw was like a sled with three slices of weights; between them was the yoke; it was not usually led, and was pulled by men or donkeys. They were from the sides and the middle. His tracks were triangular, with the wide part forward and they walked very well. Where the land was rocky, they grazed a little, and something grew there too. The seed-seeders had the seed sacks in front and behind, sometimes on their necks with the two ends dropped on their chest. I saw them plant garlic and a plant with big leaves, which I think they called hard. When the disciples gathered them on the road, Jesus spoke to them in parables about sowing, sowing and reaping.
He told the disciples that they should sow by means of baptism, and he appointed some, including Saturnino, to baptize in the Jordan for a time. He told them that this would be the seed and then they would harvest them after two months, like the people who were sowing there. He said about the straw, which was going to be for the fire. While Jesus was teaching, a crowd of workers came from Sychar, with sickles, axes, and long staffs; they looked like slaves working in one of the public works and were now heading home. They were very impressed, for they dared not join the Jews, and heard from a distance. Jesus called them saying that his heavenly Father was calling them all through him, speaking of the equality of all before God, of those who were making penance and being baptized, these poor men were so moved to see Jesus' meekness and kindness that they knelt down to beg him to go with them to Samaria to help them. Jesus replied that he would come later, that he now had to isolate himself to prepare himself for the kingdom that his heavenly Father had commanded him.
The shepherds took him along other paths that his Holy Mother had taken. Jesus knew better than they did, so they said to him: "Lord, you are a prophet and a good son, for you know the steps of your holy mother and walk in them". After teaching and exhorting, Jesus addressed the people of Beth-habara. It was late when he arrived with his disciples, and out in the open air he went up on a platform to teach under the shade of the trees. Many listeners gathered and showed good feelings for Jesus.
Jesus in the Shepherds' Valley of Bethlehem
Jesus, accompanied by a large crowd, went to the Shepherds' Valley about three and a half hours away. I saw him with his disciples under a roof where they ate colorful berries and grains they had harvested. The disciples were scattered to different directions, and Jesus indicated to them the place where they would meet him again.
The disciples urged the people to be baptized and told them about Jesus; some men went with them to the place where Jesus was. Jesus walked through paths and shortcuts. I have often seen him spend midnight in prayer on lonely hills; so he occupied the time of his travels. I heard the disciples tell Jesus not to ruin his health by his hard life, by his bare feet walking, by his fasting and night-time vigil, in those cold and wet times.
Jesus listened to them kindly, but he continued his mortified life as always. At dawn I saw Jesus and his disciples climbing a mountain in the Shepherds' Valley. Local residents had already heard of your arrival. All were being baptized by John, and some of them had visions and warnings of Jesus' coming and were always watching where the Savior was coming. They saw him shining, full of light, coming down from the mountain into his valley.
Many of these simple people had extraordinary gifts. They immediately sounded a horn, calling the attention of those far away to gather together. They followed this custom on all solemn occasions. And all went out to meet Jehovah, and threw themselves in their way, humbly lifting up their necks in submission, while they held their long shepherd's staffs in their hands. They wore short, sheepskin gowns, some open in their chest; they reached their knees. They had stuffed bags over their shoulders. They saluted the Savior with the words of the Psalms, which referred to the coming of the Messiah and Israel's thanksgiving for the fulfillment of prophecies.
Jesus was very kind to them and told them about their happy condition. He taught in one or another of the huts along the Shepherds' Valley; his teachings were accompanied by comparisons of the shepherd and the sheep. Then they went with them to the Shepherds' Tower in Bethlehem, built in the middle of the Valley, on a high place, with a thick stone foundation. It was made up of a rather high parapet of tirants and was reinforced with perennial leaf trees. They hung mattresses on it and had stairs outside to climb the galleries and so there were small observation caves. In the distance it looked like a tall ship with outstretched sails and bore a resemblance to the towers I saw in the land of the Magi used to observe the stars. From that tower they could see the whole region, distinguishing Jerusalem and even the mountain of Jesus' temptation. From this tower, shepherds watched the road and the cattle and watched for possible burglaries, as they warned the inhabitants of the Valley. The other shepherds lived with their families in a circuit five hours' walk from the tower; they had their fields, gardens, and orchards. The tower was the place of the general meetings; they had a toolbox there and were to receive food.
Along the hill were huts and huts and a very large house or shed where the women who prepared the food for the shepherds lived. These women did not go out with them to meet Jesus; later they received his visit and his teachings. There were about twenty shepherds, to whom Jesus spoke of his blessed condition and told them that he was visiting them because they had wanted to visit him in his manger and had shown love to him and his parents. He told them in parables of the shepherd and the sheep, saying that he was also a shepherd who had other shepherds who were to gather the sheep, care for them, heal them, and lead them to the end of time.
The shepherds, in turn, told of the announcement of the angels, of Mary and Joseph and of the newborn Child. They had also seen the image of the Child in the star that was above the manger. They related of the Magi and how they of their country had seen the tower in the stars and referred to the many gifts that the kings had left when they came; that they had employed many things of the things received by them here in the tower, in the huts and in their houses. There were also some older men who had gone to the inn in Bethlehem and told the people about the things they had seen.
Jesus and his disciples were led by the shepherds near Bethlehem to the home of the sons of the three elderly shepherds, who had already died, to whom the angel first appeared and who were going to worship the newborn child. The tombs of these were not far from their homes, about an hour's drive from the cave of the presbytery. Three of these older sons lived there and were highly respected. This family was like a guardian of the others, as were the Three Wise Kings among their people. They received Jesus with great humility and took him to the tomb of his fathers in a vineyard where the vine grew: it stood isolated and underneath which one could walk in underground; above was the tomb of the elders, which was illuminated by an opening above. The three tombs were on the floor in these positions, and they had doors.
The shepherds opened the doors, and I saw the bodies wrapped up and their faces dried up and blackened. The space between the three tombs was filled with well-arranged stones. Inside the graves were his shepherd's coffins. The shepherds showed Jesus the treasure they had kept there, consisting of valuables given by the Magi, which had remained to them. This common treasure consisted of gold insert and gold interlaced genres.
They asked Jesus if they should take him to the temple, and Jesus told them to keep him for the Christian community, which would be the new temple, adding that one day a church would be built over that tomb. That was done by St. Helena. The hill was the beginning of a series of vineyard mountains that extended to Gaza and served as a common grave for the local shepherds. From there the shepherds took him to his birthplace in the cave of the presbytery, about an hour's journey, through a beautiful valley through which three paths ran among fruit trees.
Along the way, the shepherds were telling the Gloria In excelsis scene. This time I saw those revamped scenes. The angels appeared at three places: first to the three shepherds; the next night in the shepherds' tower, and then at the well where the shepherded Jesus had been received. Next to the shepherd's tower appeared a greater number of beautiful angels and great people without wings. The shepherds also took Jesus to the cave of Mara, Abraham's mother, near the great terebinth.
The Grotto of the Presbytery, Place of Prayer and Pilgrimage for Shepherds
And the way to the cave of the valley went by the side of the midday, because it was not easy to come to Bethlehem; for there was no straight way. The city could hardly be seen from this side: it was as if separated by thick, ruined walls and rubble, where there were deep depressions between it and the Shepherd's Valley.
And the nearest entrance to the city was by the midst of the gate that led to Hebron. From this point one should walk eastward round the city, if any one would come to the region of the cave, joined to the valley of the shepherds, from which, without touching Bethlehem, he entered this region.
The cave of the fortress, like the adjacent caves, belonged to the shepherds, and from the beginning they used them as a refuge for the animals and for their crop-making utensils, and none of the people of Bethlehem had property in this place, nor rights of passage, nor paths. Joseph, who had his mansion in the southern part, had often dealt as a boy with these shepherds, either to hide from the evils of his brothers or to give himself more calmly to prayer. By the time the shepherds went to the cave with Jesus, she was already quite different.
They had made the place a place of prayer and devotion, no one should enter, and so they had made a fence around the presbyterous, and the cave itself was enlarged. Since the entrance they had made several rooms inward, on the rock, like convent cells. Some of the Magi's mantles hung from the walls, and on the floor were carpets of the same origin; they were of various colors and ornaments, especially pyramid and tower figures. From these lateral passages of the cave, they made two stairs leading to the roof, from where they removed the two-window roof, turning it into a dome that let light in. From one of these stairs, they could climb the mountain and continue on to Bethlehem.
These changes and amenities were made with the gifts the Magi left them on their journey through the region. It was the beginning of the Sabbath. They lit the lamps that were in the cave. The presbytery has been preserved as before. Jesus pointed out to them what they did not know: the exact place where he was born. He had an instructive conversation with them, and they celebrated the Sabbath. He told them that their heavenly Father had pre-chosen this place from eternity when Mary bore him, and I had knowledge of several foreknowledgeable Old Testament facts concerning this place.
Abraham and Jacob had been in this same place, and Seth, the promised son in Abel's place, was born in this cave of Eve, who had done seven years of penance. Right there the angel appeared to Eve announcing that Abel would give him Seth. And Seth was hid here long, by the envy of his people, and was kept in the cave of the midwife of Maraha, and fed long, because his brethren pursued him, as the sons of Jacob pursued the innocent Joseph. The shepherds also took Jesus to the other cave where Mary had been hiding for some time because of Herod's soldiers.
The fountain that had sprung at the birth of Christ had arranged it and used its waters in sickness. Jesus told them to take that water with them. After that, I saw him visit every one of the shepherd's huts.
I saw Saturn baptize several elders who could not go to John's baptism. I saw that at the water of the spring of Jesus' baptism on the island of Jordan, they mixed this water from the manger cave. At John's baptism there was always before a general confession of sins. At Jesus' new baptism, one confessed one's sins in particular, repented, and received forgiveness. The elders bowed and received the water of baptism half naked. They bowed their heads over a large container where water was poured. In this baptism they used the words of John, because I heard the name of Jehovah and the gift of the Three Graces, but they added the name of the Messiah.
Jesus visits the hostels where the Holy Family rested on their flight to Egypt
Jesus spent the nights in solitary prayer. As he prepared to say goodbye to the shepherds he told his disciples that he wanted to visit the people who had sheltered and helped Mary and Joseph when they fled to Egypt; that he had to heal some sick and convert some sinner. He said that no step of his parents would be left without being blessed and visited.
To all those who then helped them, helped and showed love, I wanted to visit them and bring them salvation. Every act of kindness was part of the work of redemption and would remain forever. He added that just as he now visited and thanked those who had shown love and benevolence toward Mary and Joseph, so his heavenly Father will think of all who benefit one of his least brothers. He called his disciples to meet at a place near Mount Ephraim, where he would meet them after his journey. I saw Jesus walking alone through the confines of Herod's territory toward the wilderness of Anim and Eganim, a few hours from the Dead Sea, through a region somewhat wild but neither fruitless nor barren. And there were many camels that grazed there; and I counted about forty, and they were as in the fields. There was an inn for travelers who traveled through the wilderness to where Jesus was going. On the way, I saw shelves and huts, next to each other.
This place had been the last place of lodging in Herod's territory that used the Holy Family in their flight to Egypt, and although there were people of bad living and even thieves among them, they welcomed the Holy Family well. In the neighboring town also lived many Avars, who had retired after a war. Jesus asked to stay in a house owned by a man named Reuben, about fifty years old, who had already been there on the flight to Egypt.
When Jesus spoke to him and looked at him, it was as if a lightning flash penetrated his chest. Jesus' Word was to him as a blessing and the greeting as a salvation. The man said, "Lord, I think you're coming to my house like the promised land". Jesus told her that if she believed in the fulfillment of the Messiah's coming and did not reject its reality, she would be a partaker of the promised land. He told her about good deeds and their consequences. He added that he had come to his home to bring him health, since he had received well his mother and his adoptive father in the same house thirty years ago, on his flight to Egypt. Just as every good work always brings its reward, so also the bad ones bring their bad consequences. The man humbly fell at Jesus' feet, saying: "Lord, how is it that you come into my house while I am a lost and miserable man?..." Jesus declared that he came to take away sins and cleanse the man.
The other kept talking about his moral misery, and how everyone in the place was more or less of the same class. He added that his grandchildren were sick and counterfeit and in a miserable condition. Jesus replied that if she believed in him and was baptized, she would also save her grandchildren. The man washed Jesus' feet and presented him with something to eat. When his neighbors approached, he told them who Jesus was and what he had promised.
Among them was a relative named Issachar. Then he brought Jesus to his grandchildren, one of whom was leper, and another crippled and ill-formed. He also visited some sick women. He ordered them to stand up, and when they did, they found themselves healthy. He ordered a bath to be prepared; they brought a jar of water and put it under the roof. Jesus took a jar of water, two of which were tied to the waist of his cloak, and poured it out on the great vessel of the Jordan, and blessed it. And the men washed themselves, and came out clean of their diseases, and gave thanks to Jehovah. Jesus did not baptize them, but he was baptizing them in the Jordan. When asked whether the waters of the Jordan had the virtue of curing diseases, he replied: "The way of the Jordan is measured and founded, and all the holy places of this land are predestined before there was man and before the Jordan and the earth were, by my Eternal Father".
He added some very admirable things to all of this. He spoke to the women about marriage, and recommended to them the continence and the purity of manners. He told them that the poverty of the people of the region and the diseases of children were the consequences of bad unions. He spoke of the guilt and responsibility of parents for the miseries and evils of their children: he stated that these sins and evils should be avoided and eliminated with penance. Then he spoke of the rebirth of man through the baptism of penance. Then he spoke to all about what their parents had done to the Holy Family when they passed by and taught them where they had lodged and fed them. They had a donkey and a donkey on their flight to Egypt. Jesus showed them these facts as signs of his present passage from sin to salvation. The people prepared a meal for Jesus in the best possible way.
I saw that they presented a thick milk like fresh cheese, honey, bread, poultry and grapes. Accompanied by some local people, Jesus left Anim by another road and at night arrived at a mountainous place where a rugged valley with many ravines stretched out. The place and the mountain were called Ephraim or Ephron. The mountain was on the way to Gaza. Jesus was leaving the region of Hebron. A little further down the road, you could see a half-ruined population with a tower, something called Malaga. (Perhaps it is Molada; Flavius Josephus calls her Malatha). About an hour's drive away, the forest of Mambre was nearby, where the angels brought their son Isaac to Abraham.
Nearby were the cave that Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite, where his tomb was, and the place where David fought the giant Goliath. Jesus, whom they had already left with them, went around the place where the city was built, and in the wilderness, where the disciples whom he had designated met him. He took them to a wild but spacious cave, where they spent the night. It was the sixth stop of the Holy Family on their flight to Egypt. Jesus said these things to his disciples as they were gathering together a piece of hardwood and putting sparks into the fire. And he said to them, That place is holy; and there a prophet stood often to pray: I believe Samuel. And David had kept his father's sheep, and prayed in the cave, and there he received orders of an angel; and as he prayed, the command came to him to slay Goliath the giant.
The Holy Family had arrived very tired and oppressed; Mary was so sad that she had wept. They suffered from all kinds of hardship because they fled on unwelcome roads, avoiding cities and townhouses on public roads. There they spent an entire day resting from their toil. There some miracles took place to comfort them: water jumped from a rock in the cave, and a wild goat came near, letting itself be milked. Jesus told his disciples of the great hardships that awaited them and all who followed him, of the sufferings his mother suffered, and of the goodness and mercy of his heavenly Father. He announced that a church would one day be built there, and blessed the place as if to consecrate it. They had the fruit and the loaves that the disciples had brought, and they ate.
Jesus goes to Maspha to the house of a relative of St. Joseph
When Jesus and his disciples left the cave, they went to Bethlehem; they entered some houses across from Ephron and in an inn they ate and rested, washing their feet. People were nice and curious. Jesus taught about repentance, the coming of salvation, and following it. They asked him why his holy mother had made the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, having spent it so well at her home.
Jesus told them of the promise that he was to be born in poverty in Bethlehem among the shepherds, as a shepherd who was to gather the sheep; so he himself now walked through these shepherding regions since his father had given testimony of himself. From there he passed into the center of Bethlehem, a few hours' journey, cut short the way to the Shepherds' Valley, passed west of Bethlehem and left Joseph's noble house on his right.
At dusk he arrived at the small town of Maspha, a few hours from Bethlehem, which was visible from afar. On the streets they burned torches placed inside iron containers. It had walls and towers and several paths through it. This city had long been a place of prayer. Judas Maccabeus had long prayed here before the battle, presenting to God the oppressive decrees of the enemy, despicable of divine power, reminding God of His promises of protection.
There were also the priestly robes placed before the people. After he had prayed, five angels appeared before the city, promising it complete victory over its enemies. And Israel gathered themselves together against the tribe of Benjamin, to avenge the wrath and the death of the wife of the Levite that sojourned. This evil happened under a tree. The place was surrounded and no one dared to approach. Samuel judged at Maspha, and here was the convent of the Essenes, where Manahem dwelt, who prophesied the kingdom to Herod as a boy. A Essence named Charioth had built it. This one had lived about a hundred years before Christ; he was a married man, from the region of Jericho, but he had separated himself, by mutual consent, and both of them built several communities of Essenes, he for men and she for women. Not far from Bethlehem he had built another monastery, where he died. He was a holy man, and at Jesus' death he was one of the first to rise and appear in Jerusalem.
In Maspha there were several hostels and people knew when a stranger arrived. When Jesus arrived at the inn, the crowd gathered around him. He was taken to the synagogue, where he explained the Law.
Some spies tried to catch him by his words. They heard that he was trying to lead the Gentiles into God's kingdom and salvation, which he had spoken of when he treated the Magi and the shepherds of Bethlehem. Jesus spoke with severity saying that the time of salvation had come, that the time for the promise had come to pass, that all who were born again by baptism and believed in him who was sent by the Father and kept his commandments would be partakers in the kingdom of God, and that they would be heirs of that kingdom. He added that if the Jews did not believe, the promise and salvation would pass to the Gentiles, moving away from them. I can't reproduce everything he told them. He knew that they were trying to spy on him. So they went to Jerusalem and reported the word there.
He also spoke of Judas Maccabeus and other events that took place there. They wanted to talk about the greatness of the temple in Jerusalem and the Jewish superiority over other peoples. Jesus told them that the end of being chosen, as well as the object of the temple, had ended their reason for being, for the one whom the heavenly Father now sent had come to found, according to the prophets, the kingdom and the temple of His heavenly Father. After this, Jesus left Maspha and went east about an hour's journey. He first passed through a row of houses and entered one that belonged to a relative of Joseph. A stepson of Joseph's father, by means of a widow, had settled down and married, and his descendants lived there.
They had children; they had been at John's baptism, and they accepted Jesus with a humble heart. Other neighbors have come. Jesus taught and ate some food. After the meal, he went with the two men alone, whose names were Aminadab and Manasseh. They asked if he knew the circumstances in which they were and if they should follow him immediately. Jesus replied, "No, but now they are content to be his secret disciples".
They bowed down, and he blessed them. Even before Jesus' death, these men were his ostensibly disciples. Jesus spent the night with them. Jesus and his disciples went a few hours ahead to the place that was Mary's penultimate inn opposite Bethlehem, about four hours away. Some men came to him and knelt at his feet and invited him to their homes. They welcomed him with great joy. These people often went to the place of John's baptism, and they knew what happened at Jesus' baptism. They prepared a meal, a warm bath and a well-commodated resting place for him. Jesus taught there.
The woman who had received and served Mary and Joseph thirty years ago was still alive. She lived in the main house alone, and the children next door sent her food. When Jesus had washed, he went to the woman who had been blind and crippled for several years. Jesus spoke to him of mercy and hospitality, of imperfect works and of self-love and selfishness, and he showed him that his wretched state from now on was a punishment for all these faults.
The woman was very sorry, and she confessed her mistakes. Jesus healed her from her illness. Jesus told him to lie down in the water he had washed himself with. So much so that he regained his sight and stood up. Jesus told him not to publish the suit. People asked again, very naively, who was older, whether he or John. He replied: "The one about whom John gives witness". They also spoke of John's strength and zeal, and they pondered the beautiful and vigorous face of Jesus. Jesus said to them that after four and a half years they would not find any beauty in him and would not recognize him. He spoke of John's strength and zeal as of a knocker at the door of a sleeping man who does not attend to the coming of the Lord; as of a man who prepares the way through a desert so that the king may pass through it, and as of a stream that runs to take the garbage out of the bed of a river.
"Look, the Lamb of God is here"
Early in the morning Jesus went to the Jordan, where he could stay for three hours or more, with his disciples and a crowd that had gathered. The Jordan swirled in a wide valley that rose for half an hour on its way from both sides.
The Stone of the Ark of the Covenant that stood in that enclosed space where the feast described was celebrated was perhaps an hour from the place of John's baptism, heading to Jerusalem. The Baptist's hut among the twelve stones was in the direction of Bethabara, a little further north than the Ark Stone. The twelve stones stood half an hour from the place of baptism toward Gilgal, a place located west of the height from which a new decline began.
A beautiful view stretched from John's fountain to the slopes of both banks that were very fertile and green. A truly beautiful vegetable strip, full of fruits and riches, bordered the Sea of Galilee; but there, as in Bethlehem, were more garlic, cucumber, hard plant and meadows, Jesus had already passed the Ark Stone and was about a quarter of an hour from John's hut, where he stood teaching.
At that moment he was passing through a narrow opening, from which John could be seen from afar. Jesus was only visible to John for a few minutes. When John was moved by the Holy Spirit, he pointed to Jesus as he passed by, and he said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Jesus went along with his disciples, one at the front and the other behind. Those who were recently added were last.
The scene was early in the morning. When they heard the cry of John, they rushed to Jesus. But Jesus had already passed by, and they cried out and gave him life and glory, but could not reach him. When the crowd came back, they told John that many had followed Jesus and that his disciples had also been baptizing them. John again told them that he would soon leave that place to Jesus, adding that he was but his forerunner and his servant.
This did not please his disciples, who were a little jealous of Jesus. Jesus made his way to the northwest, left Jericho on the right, and headed for Gilgal, about two hours from Jericho. He stayed in some of these places, where children came out to meet him singing praises, and entered the houses where their parents were taken.
Jesus at Gilgal
Gilgal was the name of the whole high plain that was over the deepest valley of the Jordan, surrounded by streams that ran into the river within a five-hour road span. The city was spread out over many gardens about an hour before the time of the baptism of John. Jesus first went to a holy place in front of the city, where prophets and great teachers were often taken. And there Joshua told the children of Israel the things which Moses had shared with him and with Eliezer before his death. There were six blessings and six curses. The Mount of Circumcision of the Israelites was near this place surrounded by a wall.
On this occasion, I saw Moses die. He died on a small steep hill that was in the heart of the mountains of Nebo, between Arabia and Moab. The tents of the Israelites were far away; only a few watch posts were in the valley around the mountain. The hill was covered with vegetation, like ivy, which grew there like a forest resembling a ginger. Moses had to climb up high, clinging to these plants. Joshua and Eliezer were with him.
Moses had a vision there that the others did not see. He gave Joshua a scroll containing six curses and six blessings that he was to make known to the Israelites when they were in the Promised Land. Then he embraced them and told them to move away from the place without turning their faces. Then he bowed down, raised his arms in prayer, and fell down dead, leaning to one side. I saw the earth opened up right there and closed itself again in a beautiful tomb. When Moses appeared beside Jesus in the transfiguration, I saw him leave this place to go to Tabor.
The six blessings and the six curses were read out by Joshua to the people. At Gilgal Jesus was awaiting many friends - Lazarus, Joseph of Arimathea, Obed, the widow's son from Nazareth, and others. There was an inn there, where they washed the feet of Jesus and his companions and prepared a meal for them. Jesus preached to the many people who had gathered there, including many who were going to John's baptism. The site was a bathing and cleaning post built on the river bank on terraced land. It was covered with a canvas and there were places of leisure, with trees, forests and various plants all around.
After Jesus had spoken to them about the Holy Spirit and taught them about various gifts and signs, two of John's disciples were baptized with him. John's baptism usually preceded a general exhortation and a declaration of repentance of sins with the promise of amending; but in Jesus' baptism there was not only the general confession, but that each one individually confessed and acknowledged his principal and most serious sins.
Jesus exhorted this, and those who did not want to do so, out of fear or shame, told them their sins in their own face, so that they might repent. Jesus was teaching about crossing the Jordan and about the circumcision that had taken place there, so that people were being baptized there; and he told them to let themselves be circumcised in the heart by renouncing sin and keeping the commandments. The baptized did not go into the water; they simply bowed their heads, and they did not receive a full towel, but only a white cloth over their shoulders. The disciples who were baptizing had no vessel with three holes, as John had, but a common vessel.
They poured it three times with their hands on their heads. Jesus had blessed the water and poured some of the same water on it. When about thirty of them were baptized, they were filled with joy and were moved and said they had received the Holy Spirit. After these things Jesus went out, with many with him, to Gilgal, to hold the Sabbath at the synagogue, which was on the east side of the city, and was very large and old. It was square, with its angles cut off, and had three floors, where the three classrooms of the school were installed. Each of these floors had an outer gallery to circulate and the stairs ran up to the side of the outer walls. At the top, and precisely at the cutting corners, there were some niches where one could stand and see the landscape in great distance. The synagogue was open on both sides and had gardens all around.
In front of the entrance was a hallway with a chair to teach, as in the temple in Jerusalem, and then a courtyard with an outdoor altar where sacrifices were usually offered. There were covered seats for women and children here. There were traces of the Ark of the Covenant being there and of sacrifices being offered, by the similarity of the arrangements to those of the temple in Jerusalem. In the best-arranged classroom of the first floor school, an octagonal column was seen at one of the corners, with a box around it containing several scrolls.
This place reminded me of the Sancta Sanctorum of the Temple. At the bottom of the column was a table, and the vault where the Ark of the Covenant was was seen. That column was very beautiful, polished white stone. Jesus taught in the lower part of the school, in the presence of the people, the priests and the elders and the wise. He told them that the first foundations of the promised Kingdom had been laid there, and that then horrible idolatry sins were committed; so that there were only seven righteous people in the city; that Nineveh was five times greater, and five righteous people were found there; that Gilgal was forgiven by God, but that they would not now reject the fulfillment of the promise and the promised Messenger; that they would repent and let themselves be renewed by baptism. While preaching, he took some scrolls and read and explained them. Then she started teaching the youngest kids on the second floor and then the kids on the third floor.
When he came down, he also taught under an arch, the women, and then the young women. He spoke of chastity and continence, of the conquest of desires, of decency in clothing, of covering the head and hair in the temple and in school. He spoke of the presence of God, especially in the holy places, and of the presence and reverence of the angels who cover their faces in those same places. He said that there are many angels in the temple and school around the men present there and explained why women should cover their hair and head.
The children were very familiar with Jesus: he blessed them and lifted them up, and they showed great affection for him. There was great joy and contentment with Jesus, and when he left the school, all the people, both those who went ahead and those who followed, cried out: "The promise that remains with us has now been fulfilled; may this blessing never be taken away from us".
The Sanhedrin of Jerusalem
After Jesus had taught, the people wanted to bring him sick. Jesus told them that it was not the right place nor suitable for now; that he should go away, because his presence was required elsewhere. Lazarus and his friends returned from Jerusalem, and Jesus told the Most Holy Mary where they should meet before they left for the wilderness.
The Jerusalem Sanhedrin once again had a long session about Jesus. He had established everywhere paid spies who were to report everything they knew about him. This Sanhedrin was composed of 71 members, among priests and scribes; some twenty of them had been elected and distributed into groups of five, with the mission of discussing and finding out everything concerning Jesus and his course.
They searched the genealogical records and could not help recognizing that Joseph and Mary were David's descendants and that Mary's mother was of the race and tribe of Aaron; but they said that these families had fallen apart and that Jesus mixed with all kinds of bad people; that he was staying with tax collectors and sinners and bailing slaves. They knew that Jesus had recently dealt familiarly with the Shechemite slaves returning from work near Bethlehem; and they presumed that he was not plotting some spell with these people. Some said to one another that he might be a bastard son of some king and that he was therefore talking about a kingdom and the possibility of regaining it.
Others thought he should have a secret teaching that could be proved only by the devil, because, they said, he sometimes retreats alone and spends the nights in the wilderness or on a mountain. All of this has been spied on and investigated. Among these were about twenty members who knew Jesus and his family better; they had already been touched by his treatment and were secretly his friends.
They did not stand up to contradict others, so that they could secretly help Jesus' friends better by means of messages and warnings. Finally, the council of twenty members decided to adopt a definitive conclusion: Jesus could only be mastered by the devil. On the other hand, the baptism at Gilgal was also announced to John as an intrusion into his rights. He replied, as always, with a deep humility, that he would soon have to leave his place before his Lord. He was only his forerunner and his announcer. John's disciples were not satisfied with this answer.
Jesus left Gilgal with about twenty companions and walked across the Jordan afterward on a plank. Inside the raft were benches for passengers and in the middle a large moat for camels; otherwise they might fall into the water through the boards. Up to three camels could be put there at once, but now there were none. Only Jesus and his people were on the raft. It was night, so it was lit by torches. Jesus taught by means of the parable of the sower, which he continued to explain the next morning. The crossing of the river lasted a quarter of an hour, because it was current at this point; they went up first and then let themselves be carried by the current. The Jordan had curious features: In some places it was impossible to pass because of the steep rocks on both sides.
Often it followed in a way that seemed to cross a city and then divert its course. It ran among rocks and stones, sometimes muddy, sometimes clear, according to the terrain it passed through; and it had many islands in its course. It also had some waterfalls. Its waters were gentle and temperate. On the opposite bank were houses inhabited by tax collectors, for one of the main streets came from the county of Kedar, where a valley opened. Jesus went into the houses of tax collectors who had already been baptized by John. Many of his companions were surprised by their familiarity with such people and kept their distance for fear of contamination. Jesus and his household were very humbly served by these tax collectors. The houses were on the way to the Jordan Valley; and there were shelters for the merchants and camels at a distance. They were calm because the next day the Feast of Tabernacles began and they could not leave or travel, and although they were mostly pagans they were obliged to observe the rest. The tax collectors asked Jesus what they should do with their unlawful profits.
He told them to take them to the temple; that they should be spiritual associates of their church and Christian community; that they would buy with them a field for the poor widows near Jerusalem. He explained the reason for this, linking it to the parable of the sower that he again expounded. The next day Jesus went with them around the beach teaching various applications of the parable of the sower and the future harvest.
He said this because it was also a feast of fruit harvest and grape harvest. Jesus continued his way through the valley. On both sides, for half an hour's journey, up and down, were huts or huts where the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated. The road led to Dibon, from which these seemed to be the first houses. Next to them were green huts erected with branches of trees, adorned with leaves, fruits, and grape clusters. On one side of the way were the dwellings of the women, separate, and on the other side the dwelling places for the sacrifices of animals.
They brought all kinds of food and saw children in groups going from one hut to another, playing musical instruments and singing. They were adorned with crowns and flowers and played triangular instruments with rings that sounded; others, a triangular instrument with strings and blowing instruments that had twisted pipes. Jesus went from one place to another teaching. They brought him and his disciples some food; for example, grapes on sticks. At the end of this row of houses, Jesus entered a stable near the large and beautiful synagogue of Dibon, which was located between these houses and the city, on a broad roadway surrounded by trees.
A few days later Jesus again taught with the parable of the sower; he spoke about baptism and the nearness of God's kingdom; about the Feast of Tabernacles and how to celebrate it there, telling them that they mixed some pagan things with the ritual of the feast. Indeed, there lived Moabites and they had mixed with that race. When Jesus left the synagogue, he found many sick people brought to him on sick cats and cartons. "Sir, " they said", you are a prophet. You are an angel of God. Help us!" He's cured many. In the evening, Jesus and his family were given a large meal at the tavern. Many pagan merchants were present, for he spoke of the calling of the Gentiles and of the star that appeared to call the Magi who had come to worship the newborn child. At evening Jesus left the place and went to a mountain to pray. He called his disciples to meet the next morning on the road across Dibon.
This town was six hours from Gilgal: a region with many water sources and meadows, and so many gardens and terraced houses were visible. It was in the valley, but you could see buildings on the slopes of the mountain. From there, Jesus went to Sukkot. When evening came, a large crowd gathered around him, as well as many sick people from the surrounding area. Jesus taught in the synagogue and by means of Saturnino and other disciples made people baptize. These baptisms took place at the source of a rock opening in a cave facing west toward the Jordan.
The river couldn't be seen because there was another mountain in the middle. But this water was from the Jordan, for its waters ran deep down there. Light entered that cave through an opening at the top. In front of the cave was a rather large recreation area adorned with trees, plants and grass and a stone, I remembered a Melchizedek appearing to the patriarch Abraham. Jesus spoke of John's baptism, saying that it was of repentance, that he should give his place to another baptism of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins. He asked them first for a kind of general confession and then private confession.
To some he told his sins to humiliate his stubbornness. He would lay his hands on them as a sign of acquittal. The baptized were not immersed in water; there was a vessel on the stone, and they, uncovered to their shoulders, bowed their heads over the spring and received the water.
The baptist poured out three times the water he drew from the fountain. That is how many people were baptized. Abraham lived in Sukkot with his mistress Maraha and had fields in three places. In that same place he had the opportunity to share lands with his relative Lot, and Melchizedek first came to see Abraham as the angels they used to come to him. Melchizedek commanded him to make a triple sacrifice of doves, birds with long beaks, and other animals. And he told him that he would come to him to offer a sacrifice of bread and wine; and he taught him what he should pray for, and he made known to him what was to come upon Sodom and Gomorrah. I saw that Jacob also had his tents in this place.
Jesus in Corazin, Aruma, and Bethany
From Sukkot Jesus directed his steps to the great Heart, which was the place where he had quoted Mary and the holy women, in a nearby hostel. On the way, Jesus went through the town of Gerasa, where he had a Sabbath, and went to a place near the desert, about a few hours' journey from the Sea of Galilee. This inn was adorned for the Feast of Tabernacles, and the owners lived nearby. The holy women had already rented it in advance and adorned it.
The food was Gerasa's. Peter's wife was present, and there were others with her, including Susanna, a woman from Jerusalem. Jesus spoke privately to his mother, telling her that he was going to Bethany and then to the desert. Mary was worried and serious, and she begged him not to go to Jerusalem because she knew what the Sanhedrin was plotting against him. Later I saw Jesus teaching from the height of a small manger where he used to do it, for whom a seat had been arranged.
There were many gathered from the surrounding area, and I saw about thirty women sitting in a separate place. After the teaching, he told his own that he would be away from them for a while; that they might part until they saw him return. He said the same thing to the women. He spoke of John's baptism, which was to cease very soon, and foretold the severe persecution that he and all who followed him would suffer. Jesus left this inn, accompanied by about twenty others, and walked about twelve hours southwest toward the town of Aruma, near which he had definitely rented a hostel for himself and his family. Martha, whom I first saw with the holy women on this journey to Gerasa, had already arranged for her passage. The owners lived nearby, and the expenses were borne by the friends of Jerusalem. The women pointed to Jesus this inn before he left. Aruma is about nine hours from Jerusalem and six hours from Jericho. Around this inn there were some Essenes whose rooms, who came to see Jesus, spoke and ate with him.
Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach about the baptism of John. He said that it was a baptism of repentance, a first purification, a preparation, and a ceremony of many that are in the Law; but that it was different from the baptism that John preached. I saw that John's baptism was not given until after Jesus' death and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Bethsaida. The Pharisees asked him what sign they could use to identify the Messiah.
Jesus answered them, In this place he spoke of mixed marriages with the Samaritans. There I saw Judas Iscariot among those who were listening to Jesus. He came only to hear their preaching, not with the disciples. After hearing Jesus' preaching for two days and having talked about it with the Pharisees who were opposing it, he went to a somewhat despised village, where he talked about the preaching against a godly man who lived in this place and who later invited Jesus into his home. Judas was busy with various business and scriptures and was doing all kinds of services everywhere.
When Jesus and his disciples arrived at this despised place, although it had new buildings, Judas was no longer there. Herod had a castle around it. There must have been something going on with the Benjaminites there, for there was a tree surrounded by a wall, to which no one dared to approach. There they had offered sacrifices to Abraham and Jacob, and Esau and Jacob separated after their differences over the issue of firstborn. Isaac then lived at Shechar. The man Jesus was visiting now was Jairus, and he was a married Essene, having a wife and several children. The men's names were Amon and Caleb. She also had a daughter whom Jesus later healed. This was not the Jairus to whom the gospel refers: He was a descendant of the Essenes Chariot, who had founded the monasteries of Bethlehem and Mizpah; he knew much about Jesus' parents and his childhood. She went out to meet Jesus with her children, humbly.
This man was regarded as the leader of this despised people and ruled them with love. He took care of the sick; he taught the ignorant on certain days, because there was no school or priest in charge. He also cared for children and the poor. Jesus spoke there as usual of John's baptism, as a baptism of penance, and of the nearness of God's kingdom. Then he went to the sick and comforted them, although he did not heal anyone. He promised them that he would return in four months and cure them of their diseases. In his teaching he recalled some events that took place there, such as the angry separation of Esau from his brother Jacob and the reasons why this place was despised.
He pointed to the goodness of the heavenly Father, who has promised and has fulfilled himself, salvation to all who believe in the Messenger, if they repent and make penance, indicating how repentance removes the consequences of evil deeds. In the afternoon, he took Jairus and his sons to Bethany. Then Jairus and his sons returned to the road, and the disciples followed Jesus. At a shelter near Bethany Jesus spoke at length to his disciples about the dangers and tribulations that awaited him, as well as all who would later follow in his footsteps. He told them that they could leave him now and, meanwhile, seriously consider whether they could follow him and persevere with him in the future. When Jesus' companions had gone out, Lazarus went to meet him, except Aaron and Themeni, who had gone with him to Bethany.
There many of Jerusalem's friends were waiting for Jesus, including the holy women Veronica. And Aram and Themeni were the nephews of Joseph the Arimatheaite's mother. They were John's disciples and followed Jesus as he passed through Gilgal, near the place where John was baptizing. Jesus was teaching in the house of Lazarus, speaking of the baptism of John and the Messiah, the law and its fulfillment, the sects of the Pharisees and their way of being. Two of Jesus' friends brought him several scrolls of Scripture, and he explained to them some passages of the prophets that referred to the Messiah. Not everyone was present, except Lazarus and some close friends. Jesus spoke of his future residence, and his friends told him not to settle in Jerusalem, where everything he said and taught was distorted. They proposed Salem, where there were few Pharisees. Jesus said something about these places and about Melchizedek, whose priesthood was now to have its fulfillment; he said that Melchizedegek had measured and visited all the places that his Eternal Father had set for his Divine Son to travel. He told them that he would often be by the shore of Lake Genesaret. That conversation took place in a retired place, where there were rooms and bathrooms. Jesus also spoke to the women in a room that had been Magdalene's, whose windows faced the street leading up to Jerusalem. Lazarus, by Jesus' desire, brought Mary the Silent One, and left her there with the other women, and went away. The others were walking in the front row, however.
Silent's conduct on this occasion was different from the previous one: she threw herself at Jesus' feet and kissed them. Jesus let her do it and then picked her up by the hand. He spoke again, looking up, very high and deep things, in a very simple way. He spoke of God and his Son and his Kingdom as a peasant daughter would speak of her master's father and his inheritance. His speech was like a vision, for everything he said was ahead. He spoke of the great sins and wrongs committed by the servants and the maidservants, and how now the Father sent his own son to make amends and pay back those of his servants; how they would receive him badly and put him to death with great pains; and how he should by his blood save and establish his kingdom, and repay the debts of his servants to make them heirs of the kingdom and sons of God. She said all these things in a very natural way. The Silent One rejoiced at times, and others lamented that she too was a worthless and evil servant, sympathetic to the early works of the Son of the gracious God who sent him.
He regretted that the servants did not understand this, that it was so natural and that it should be so. Jesus spoke of the resurrection: how the son would visit those in underground prisons to comfort and release them, and once redeemed, go up with them to the heavenly Father, and how all who would not recognize this redemption and continue to do evil would be thrown into the fire when he comes again to judge. Then he spoke of Lazarus and his death and resurrection. He shall go out of this world and see all; and they shall weep as if he had not returned; but the Son of God shall call him again, and he shall return to the vineyard of Jehovah. He spoke of Magdalene saying: "The servant girl is in the most terrible wilderness, where the sons of Israel were, in a bad place where darkness reigns and where no man's plant has trodden; but she will come out of this darkness and will make all her errors right in another lonely wilderness".
Speaking of Mary, she said that her body was like a prison; that she did not know what her life was and longed to go to her father's house; that the land was narrow for her; that no one understood her way of being, because they were like blind. He added that he still wanted to stay here for God's sake and wait; he deserved nothing better. Jesus spoke to her, full of love, and, comforting her, he said, "You will go to my father's house after the Passover, when I return here". He blessed her as she bowed; he put his hands on her head and I think he poured something on her from a bottle, I don't know whether oil or water This Mary, the Silent One, was a very holy person. No one knew her or understood her. She lived on in a continuous supernatural vision of the work of the Redemption which she understood in a very simple and natural way. She was considered retarded or a simple person. Jesus told him the time of his death and how he was going to his heavenly Father's house, and he anointed his body for the grave.
From this, it must be understood that it is better to pay more attention to the body than to what men think. Jesus appealed to Mary, the Silent One, because being considered retarded might deprive her of the care with which the dead were often embalmed. The holiness of that person was hidden and mysterious. Jesus left the Silent Woman and she went back to her rooms. Jesus was still speaking to the people about the baptism of John and the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I do not remember that there was much difference between John's baptism and that of Jesus' first disciples: only the latter had more to do with the forgiveness of sins. I also did not see any baptized by John until the Spirit came. Before the Sabbath, these friends of Jesus returned to Jerusalem. Aaron and Themeni departed with Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus had told them that he would be away from them for a time in order to prepare for his difficult mission. He didn't talk to them about his fast.