The Crucifixion The common idea that Jesus was crucified at age 30 comes from early dating errors. Originally, according to the Gregorian calendar Jesus was supposed to have been born in the year 1 with BC meaning Before Christ and AD meaning Anno Domini (year of our Lord), there is no year 0. It was taught that Jesus started his ministry at age 30 and died that same year. Hence 30 or 31 has long been the assumed date of the crucifixion. However, a dating error by a 6th century monk, named Dionysius Exiguus, who lacked astronomical data, has thrown the calculations off by no one knows exactly how many years. One way to establish the date of the crucifixion is to examine the history of those individuals known to have been participants. We know that Jesus is supposed to have died within a year of the death of John the Baptist. According to Slavonic Josephus, John survived the death of Philip who died 33-36 CE. Caiaphus was deposed in 36 CE the same year that Pilate was recalled to Rome. So, the crucifixion must have occurred as late as 36 CE and no earlier than 34 CE. Today, when we view the events of the first century, our opinions are skewed by the effects of both Christianity and anti Jewish Roman propaganda. However, back in the days when the documents that we refer to were written, people had a different view of current events. Although there was no mass communication as there is today, people would have heard rumors as to the factual truth. As I have described, much of what we know about the real Jesus (Yeshai) comes from both the Safed scroll and the early Gnostic writings now in the possession of the Mandaeans. From everything the documents that we examined say, it becomes obvious that Jesus would have been over 50 at the time of the crucifixion, which is attested to by Irenaeus. Yet, the Safed scroll describes him as a young Essene in his 30s. It has often been claimed that someone other than Jesus was crucified. According to, no less skeptical person than, Michael Shermer, this person was actually Apollonius of Tyana. We have already demonstrated that according to Galatians Paul was in Jerusalem in 30 CE meeting with Peter and James. According to Robertino Solarion the image on the shroud of Turin matches a bust of Apollonius of Tyana including a scar in the configuration of the number 11 above Apollonius' left brow. (Of course there were numerous false religious relics created by the Church including several shrouds) "Yeshai was tall slender, not erect, little bent. Brows arched and dark; a high-ridged lofty head. Thin temples,veined and delicate, large eyes, sad, very serious...Thin high arched nostrils quivering constantly. Long nose, full lips."--Raymond W. Bernard, "The Secret Life of Jesus the Essene." His followers were John (John of Gamala), Peter (Simon), James (James the Less?), and Judas (Theudas). These were all the younger brothers of Jesus (Yeshai), whom Paul (Apollonius) met on his first visit to Jerusalem. We have just seen that John the Baptist was still alive as late as 34/35 CE, and it ways in the scriptures that Jesus' ministry began after the demise of John the Baptist who was beheaded by Herod Antipas for criticisizing his affair with his brother's wife, but this took place no earlier than the year 34 CE. Enter Apollonius:"I was born, according to the Christian calendar,on the 16th day of February, A.D. 2, of wealthy parents; was educated, until my 26th year, in general philosophy and literature,...On account of some wonderful physical manifestations of spirit power taking place through my then young mediumship, which persons living in Jerusalem had heard of, my entrance to that city was hailed, an it has been alleged the entrance of Jesus of Nazareth was hailed, with hosanntus and songs of praise to one who came in the name of the Lord. And now, mark particularly what I say; this took place when I was thirty-three years of age."--J.M. Roberts, "Antiquity Unveiled", Testimony of Apollonius of Tyana. So, Apollonius not Jesus Christ was the one who came on the scene, in the year 35 CE, shortly after John was beheaded. According to the Safed scroll, Yeshai conceived of and convinced the Jews to try and convert the Roman followers of the Promethean religion to worship the God of Israel. However, the Romans believed in the superstition of a vicarious atonement much in the sense of Decius Mundus. The Safed Scroll, which depicts a 6 hour crucifixion much like the gospels, claims that Yeshai was chosen to be this Jewish expiator of sins. The story about Jesus and the crucified Jesus (who was known as Yeshai beth Halachmee) may be stories about 2 distinctly different people. The first, the Jewish Nazorean 'Son of God' was never crucified, the second the Greek Nazarene 'Sun of God' (Apollonius) was the one who was crucified. Even though it was a staged crucifixion, it was still brutal and a successful outcome was not guaranteed. All three victims survived, but Judas died soon after from the poison. This is why there was so much confusion as to the dates of birth and the dates of the crucifixion among the Early Church Fathers and explains why they wound up replacing Jesus, who was much older, with his younger half brother John who was closer to the age of Apollonius. "Now, dear friend, you must realize that Hebrew writers of the time, realizing the fiasco of the whole enterprise (the crucifixion etc.) abstained from recording anything about it. The only few fragmentary records we find are in letters from Roman officers stationed in Palestine which they sent home to Rome."--Raymond W. Bernard, "The Secret Life of Jesus the Essene." Although Christians have often accused Philostratus and Julia Domna of creating Apollonius to compete with Jesus, it must be noted that he tried to keep Apollonius out of Israel. For this reason he has Apollonius entering Alexandria to shouts of Hosannas while according to the testimony of Apollonius in 'Antiquity Unveiled' that event actually took place, c 35 CE, in Jerusalem. He then set out for India. The miraculous conversion, of Paul, is a conflation of the lives of Apollonius and the Jewish apostate Rabbi Elisha ben Abuiah, who was a generation younger than Apollonius, created during the second century by the heretic Marcion. "In order to calm the Romans, Yeshai was taken out from the country and, with his faithful Mary Magdalene (Miryai), left for India and traveled like Moses through the Asiatic continent, seeking culture, knowledge, and the truth."�Raymond W. Bernard, "The Secret Life of Jesus the Essene." It must be noted here that Apollonius' first trip to India, on which he was not accompanied by Damis, took place 36-38 CE. According to the Cornwall tradition, Jesus remains in England until the late 20s when he returned to Israel to begin his ministry, or whatever, with some of his brothers serving as Apostles. The crucifixion takes place not at Jerusalem which is often claimed to heighten the drama, but at Qumran which explains how he could have been on the cross for 6 hours when he was crucified at high noon and taken down at 3 pm. Because of the heat of the searing sun in the dessert at Qumran, on the Dead Sea, 9 am was considered high noon. Herod Antipas is a part of the the plot and convinces Pilate to go along. Those crucified were Jesus, Simon the Zealot (Simon Magus) and Judas Iscariot (the Sicarii leader). These events parallel those outlined by Barbara Thiering in her pesher analysis of the crucifixion. "...it was growing darker although the full moon ought to shine in the sky. From the Dead Sea was perceived a thick, reddish fog..."--Raymond W. Bernard, "The Secret Life of Jesus the Essene" Only Simon's legs were broken. Jesus and Judas were offered poison to shorten their suffering. They both accepted it. When they appear dead Herod wants to remove them from the cross, but Pilate is bound by duty and fears the consequences of a botched crucifixion. Herod convinces him that they have an air tight room and even if Jesus and Judas are still alive they would soon suffocate. They are taken down and brought to the prearranged location where there is ample amounts of Aloe and Myrrh. Although Simon's legs are broken he is still able to tend to Jesus. He feeds him the Aloe which acts as a purgative causing him to regain consciousness and vomit out the poison. He then treats his wounds with both herbs. Traces of both can still be found on the Shroud of Turin. According to the testimony of Sejanus, who ruled Rome during Tiberius' early retirement, the only Jesus whom he recalls being crucified was the Essene Jesus Malatheel (in Hebrew this name could be Malachi simply meaning 'my messenger'). He also states that he, Sejanus, died not in 31 CE as recorded, but in 36 CE. Simon is dressed in his white linen gown common to the Essene. In the morning Jesus arises and staggers out of the room. When Mary arrives she sees Simon sitting on the empty slab where Jesus' remains were placed to rest. She assumes that Simon is an angel and that Jesus has risen. Of course, the Jesus in question is described as an Essene priest and not Jesus Christ. It was actually Simon who was at the center of the crucifixion not Jesus. After this Judas who was not purged by the Aloe has his stomach explode from the poison. Jesus (Simon the Magician, who would become known as Paul) is seen alive by numerous startled people who only a few days earlier had seen his limp seemingly dead body removed from the cross. The elders among the Essene feel it better that Jesus (Simon) and Mary flee, which is what they do using the 'Silk Road' (not called such at that time) which starts in Baghdad and was accessible by a route just north of Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee where Jesus is once again seen, but not recognized. They travel to the areas north and east of the Jordan or modern day Iraq and Syria first stopping in Damascus. According to some Arab accounts Jesus spends a few years in Damascus which, according to scripture, is where Paul has his miraculous conversion. Continued Table of Contents