The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second Journey of the Lord: Nazareth - Cave at Bethabara (First Feeding of the People) - Mountain of Prayer - Walking on the Sea of Galilee (Peter's test of faith) - By ship to Genneseret in the bay with the same name
- Chapter 97 -
Judas praises the Essenes" miracles.
Says Judas: "If I were to believe this without reservation I would have to be as weak as yourself and several of your likes! It is hardly a half year altogether since we have been with Him and heard and seen things which without doubt are most extraordinary and wonderful, and you who are simple people, having never seen or heard anything other than this Jesus Who of course exceeds us by hight of sky, have to ascribe the full Deity to Him. For you, His works and speeches suffice of course; but matters stand differently with me because I have gotten around a great deal and seen and heard many a marvellous thing. Go to the Essenes and see what works they accomplish and I will wager that you shall take all of them for gods, just as do the Romans and Greeks, who even make rich sacrifices to them, thinking them to be gods.
2
Behold all this and even more extraordinary things than does Jesus, you can see with the Essenes. If however there are a great many people upon earth who accomplish what our Master Jesus accomplishes then I don't see why we should ascribe to Him the exclusive divine prerogatives and then say and be able to believe; this is Jehovah as He was from eternity.
3
Yes, if he were the only one on earth whom the elements obey, then believing in his divinity would be easy; but as there are, according to my only too lively experience, several of such people on our dear earth who wear a seamless coat on their body, our Jesus has to achieve much more so that we can attach to him the exclusive divine prerogatives and then say and believe without doubt: This is Jehova as He has been from all eternity!
4
You regard the awakenings from the dead, the sudden multiplying of foods and drinks, the production of buildings and working of signs into the moon as divine miracles. But this is far from adequate for proving the Deity of a person who is capable of effecting such, because such and the like I have seen quite often with the Essenes. There the healing of the sick is carried on just as a sideline, yet I was witness to how the Essenes" Chief wrote into the moon in three tongues. Thus I was witness of how he once eclipsed the sun completely in broad daylight. He drew up his signs and a calculation and then said: 'In an hour I am going to present mankind with a curse; I shall completely darken the Sun for a few moments, and it shall be dark upon the entire earth.'
5
To this malediction we others made wide eyes, awaiting the threatened curse with trepidation, as it was every moment gaining credence because it was constantly getting darker. When the sand in the hour glass was about to run out, the Chief stretched out his arms, saying with measured pathos: 'It is my will! Sun, let you be dark!' Whereupon the sun darkened and it was dark upon the entire earth as at nighttime. After a few moments, and moved mostly by our vehement pleading, he stretched out his hands again, whose fingers seemed aglow, saying to the sun: 'The curse is sufficient for mankind; hence ignite by and by and light up and warm up the globe. 'And behold, upon this his command, the sun immediately became shining and, after half an hour, with all its warming power.
6
There was also not too far from the Essenes' residential palace and within the high-walled garden a considerable slope of about double the height of the palace. I used to go there with cooking utensils about four times a year. On one occasion one of the Essenes said to me: 'If you would like to witness another miracle from our Chief's willpower and how even mountains have to respond to his call, then stay here today. Behold, that mountain is an obstacle to us; to day you still see it as a slope, but tomorrow you shall see a splendid palace in its place!'
7
I looked at the mountain, which was hardly four hundred paces from the residential palace away, and my eyes not deceiving me, it was a bare rock, grown over sparingly with a bit of moss and small bushes. I sad to the Essene with a smile: 'If this truly is a rocky slope which I don't doubt, then your Chief must be imbued with divine power, if he is capable of creating a palace from this marble mount overnight!'
8
Said the Essene thereto: 'Are you in doubt perhaps that the mount is a huge lump of stone? If in doubt then come with me to convince yourself. But I said: 'Friend, what my sharp eyes can see, that I do not need to touch with my hands for I can distinguish the smallest objects from four hundred paces.' Said the Essene: 'Very well then. Stay here, and I shall produce many marvellous sights.' I still can't get over all that I saw there.
9
The Essene escorted me to a large, dark chamber, inside where at least a hundred corpses lay about in their death beds, and the powerful reek told me only too clearly that the people laying about in a wide area were living ones no longer. Whilst we two paced about among the many corpses, running our hands over the occasional one, four carriers brought in two more, laying the lifeless ones unto further empty beds and then leaving the chamber.
10
I asked my escort how he was not scared of so many dead. And he replied: "Why should I be? Whilst dead they can do nothing to us, and once I call them back to life they will only thank me for awakening them from certain death. Behold, there are men, women and girls among them. What a pity there are no children among them this time. But be steadfast and not be frightened when they rise from their beds upon my bidding."
11
I stood in nice proximity to the exit, to gain open ground in case of trouble.
12
The Essene then raised his hands, calling with a mighty voice; 'Awaken, all ye dead and continue living thereafter and earning your bread with your living hands honestly. But give God the honour for teaching us humans such wisdom and power!'
13
Upon these words of the Essene all the dead rose, fervently thanking the Essene for the awakening and for being fully whole, with exceeding friendliness. He too greeted them most amicably and then dismissed them.
14
This surely is going to be an awakening of the dead too, if a hundred and two corpses are called back to life all at one time. I then asked the miracle man whether this took place more often during the year, and he said; 'It happens once every week. The Chief is also able to revive completely bare skeletons, so that they then live again like those I have just awakened. But I won't possess such power for a long while yet.'
15
Thereupon he escorted me to another and still darker chamber and showed me a huge number of mere skeletons, which too were laid in rows of benches. Only a feeble light lighted this terrible chamber, but one could make out the skeletons quite well.
16
We were viewing these lifeless bones for a while, when the Chief came with terribly stern appearance, asking the guide whether he was successful in re-awakening the corpses. And he replied with much deference; 'Yes, exalted and exceedingly wise master', to which the Chief said: "Well then, pay attention to everything, for I want to initiate you, in this stranger's presence, so that you too shall be capable of awakening bare skeletons to life. Go, and with the thumb and middle finger of each hand touch the chest and skull of the skeletons, then counting slowly to seven, after which call out aloud, wrap yourself in flesh and skin, and you, life-fire, come forth from the walls and enliven you to proper humans!'
17
This my guide did at once, and upon his last call, powerful and pure flames actually shot forth, and the former skeletons of whom no trace could now be discovered, stood then as complete humans full of life and animation, also about a hundred in number, in front of us, greeting us and thanking the Chief for this grace. The latter directed them out into the fresh air, which should do good above everything else.
18
What do you say to all that? Does not that leave our Master far behind?
19
Thereupon I was invited to dine, and we sat down to a long, empty table. The Chief said thanks in some foreign tongue, looking towards heaven, and we all followed his example. Suddenly it banged as if the ceiling were crashing down. And watch it, neither I nor probably anyone else could make out how the thing came about - we indeed still sat at the same table, but it was no longer bare but brimming with the choicest foods and drinks, fit for a regal super. After supper I had another look at the mount that was to be transformed into a palace overnight, after which I betook myself to rest in a separate room, in line with Essene practice.
20
My guide came to me early morning already, saying: 'Come and see.' Burning with curiosity I went with him, and there was not the remotest trace of the rock. In its place stood a great kingly place in whose wide chambers I was taken around, convincing myself that this wonder was no deception.
21
I would ask you whether our Master Jesus has presented us with something loftier and more astonishing. Yet you already declare Him for Jehovah Himself.
22
Hence you not in future, if we have the fortune of seeing Him again, be incensed at my putting questions from time to time which are bound not be palatable to you or Him, for I have seen and heard much that is miraculous; and if you properly consider this, and you have some vifituly, then you should not be angered and amazed if I occasionally behave somewhat strangely."