The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
On Mount Morgenkopf near Kis
- Chapter 151 -
Mountaineering. About Canaan's mountains. Kisjonah's questioning of the temple spies. The mountain's quaking answer and its effect. First overnight stay on Kisjonah's alp.
The superiors however appointed others and sent them after Me. But these also had much battle with the storm; for it was nearly early autumn, called the canine days and there were nearly constant storms in Galilee and that much more upon this land's sea. The former therefore did not arrive at the place of My stay until the fifth day, requesting to speak with Me. But I did not admit them, knowing what they were after, letting them know that I shall be staying longer and then visit nearby localities, - and would they keep quiet or suffer serious consequences!
2
It was however the day after Sabbath just then, what is today Sunday, and a most clear and beautiful day at that and Kisjonah came to Me to suggest to Me and all present the scaling of a very high nearby mountain.
3
This was as yet an unnamed mountain, because geography in this time was still in its infancy and hence most mountains, valleys, plateaus, seas, brooks and rivers had no official names, but only such as they were referred to by neighbouring folk. The biggest problem was with mountain names.
4
Mountains that did not stand isolated, such as a Tabor, Lebanon, Ararat or Sinai, but being part of an extensive mountain chain, generally had no names of their own, except an occasionally local or temporary one, named not seldom after some wealthy alpine owner who grazed his herds there. If the property changed hands, then such mountain was renamed after its owner.
5
Hence this place, situated on the border between Galilee and Greece, was a central toll-gate, because from there a fairly well-laid alpine mule-track led from Galilee to Greece, used by thousands of diverse trading folk, transporting their many wares by camels, mules and donkeys.
6
When the newly-arrived Pharisees heard that we were about to scale the lofty mountain, they asked Kisjonah whether they could join the company. Kisjonah said, 'If you are or can be of good will, then this mountain, being my sole property and extending twenty hours in length and five hours wide, shall be sufficiently roomy to receive you too. But as hostile spies of the Capernaumian and Jerusalemite priesthood, I could not as a Greek and now fervent follower of the holy and by my conviction the only true teaching, of this holy master of all masters, find any use for you at all and would avoid your company with every means at my disposal. Ask your hearts! If they are pure then you have clear passage; if impure, then you may depart to whence you came!'
7
Say the Pharisees, 'We are pure and without guile. We are confessors of Moses and are Jews, as Jesus also is a Jew, not being able to destroy Moses' law. But as there is powerful renown about his deeds and teaching, we have to be very much concerned about whether his teachings and deeds do not undo Moses. If they confirm Moses and the prophets, then we too shall accept them; but if they are contrary, then it speaks for itself that we have to be against them!'
8
Says the tax-collector, 'The way you just spoke your forefathers also spoke to the prophets and then stoned them as God-deniers; and to my knowledge very few only were not stoned. Yet you put on your prophets at every opportunity to boast them. Yet your forefathers were exactly what you are and none of you is better by a hair's breadth than your forefathers who stoned the prophets. Hence I do not trust you in the presence of this holy prophet of all prophets.
9
You indeed call yourselves confessors of Moses; but in your doings you are further from Moses than this earth is from heaven! Hence examine yourselves as to whether you are worthy of scaling this my mountain with us!'
10
Say I to Kisjonah, 'Let them come with us! When it gets too much for them then they will indeed turn back; for none of their kind has climbed a mountain yet! Perhaps this high mountain's pure air shall somewhat clean their hearts.'
11
Kisjonah was happy with this and we commenced our journey up, with all care.
12
And the five daughters were not missing either and were about Me like chicks, asking Me all kinds of things about the primordial creation and the coming into being of such mountains; and I explained all to them in accordance with their grasping ability. The disciples too, as well as the large crowd accompanying us listened in on our discussions, to their delight.
13
And Nathanael, who was the most taken in with My Deity, talked to the mountain from time to time, saying, 'Oh mountain! Do you feel Who it is that is setting His foot upon You?' And each time Nathanael put such exalted question to the mount, its reverberation was perceivable to all.
14
But the Pharisees became most fearful and started to induce the people not to venture up further, - this could be a holy mountain from antiquity, not to be climbed by the unworthy and the mountain starting to quake and rage and ruin all for the sake of the one.
15
But the people said, 'Then you better turn back yourselves; because this mountain, which we have often climbed, has never yet quaked on our account!'
16
To this the Pharisees started to grumble about the people. And the mountain shook with the Pharisees' grumbling and these turned around and ran as fast as they could from the mountain back to the plain and we were rid of tiresome company.
17
We then quietly continued our journey, reaching Kisjonah's extensive alpine ranch towards the evening, where we also settled in for the night. Only on the second day, on account of fatigue among the women, did we set out to scale this mountain's highest peak, from where an uncommonly glorious view was to be had over all of Judea, Samaria, Galilee and a large portion of Greece.