I recently
bought and am currently reading a book called Christ's Ventriloquists: The
Event that Created Christianity, written by Eric Zuesse.
The premise of
the book is this: Modern Christianity is based largely on the teachings of the
Apostle Paul, (or is it the self-appointed (un)apostle Paul) rather than the
teachings of Jesus.
Zuesse suggests
that James, Jesus’ brother was left to take the place of Jesus after the demise
of Judas Iscariot. He points out that a rift developed between James and the
remaining original apostles and Paul, who claimed apostleship after being
struck and temporarily blinded by something approximating a bolt of lightning
while pursuing his job of killing heretical followers of Jesus the Jewish Rabbi. And
that, in the end, Paul won.
Zuesse proffers
that Jesus did not intend to start a new religion, that instead he came to fix
an ancient but flawed one, that of Abraham.
Left out of
Zuesse’s argument (at least to the point I have read) is the story of Matthias,
chosen by Peter and a group of believers to replace Judas as described in the
Acts of the Apostles.
Some might ask
why any of this matters. Other books, including the book of Revelations
describe the New Jerusalem. It is said to have 12 gates, each to be manned by
one of the 12 apostles. Not 13, or 26. 12.
So is the 12th
apostle Judas? James? Paul? Mathias? Who mans that 12th gate?
Allow me to
further muddle the equation.
There could be
another, none of the above.
A woman.
Mary of Magdala: Perhaps, Jesus’
closest confidant. Perhaps also his wife.
Her book was
excluded from the Bible. Most Christians don’t even know the book exists.
According to her, the remaining Apostles could not accept that Jesus would return first to
a woman, and furthermore, to instruct her with teachings that appear to supersede
their own understanding.
It was Mary,
Jesus’ mother, and Mary of Magdala to which Jesus first appeared, according
even to the books accepted into the Bible.
The more I
learn, the less I know.
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