The Secret of Augustus' Valley of the Kings

I know that I am revealing more than many living would like, yet still I have avoided cryptic notation wherever possible. What if I were to infer that in my place in the mausoleum you may find my father...

The intelligentsia let wise guys believe the body went to Egypt for a Valley of the Kings burial, but his remains were in Galilee all along. I made some moves just a few months in office and arranged for my dad to be brought to Rome. The custodians agreed that dad and I were to be the last two interned there, and only my burial would be public.

Josephus the Roman, Justus the Judaen; My Brother and I

Simply put, Romans think of myself as a patriot and my brother Justus as a rebel or a zealot, while the Jews think of Justus as a hero and myself as a traitor. I understand the sentiment, but I don't believe that either case is correct. Let's start with me.

While it is true that I negotiated with many village and regional leaders on behalf of the Romans, and even tried to mediate in Jerusalem, all of this was done with the goal of preserving the lives of the Chosen. Our integration into and acceptance in Roman society and governance was being threatened by a few over-enthusiastic yahoos who ran Jerusalem's most crowded neighborhoods. Though I don't doubt that they represented many of their local followers with all the intensity and passion they could muster, I believe they gave little thought to the damage they were doing to Judaic communities in Alexandria and Rome. I make no apologies for working with Titus; I made sure Galilee's defences were strong and bargained from a position of strength. My mother and I were able to arrange the peaceful surrender of many towns, sparing tens of thousands of lives and more livestock and acreage escaped the torch than otherwise would be the case. Now that I am Emperor and the sons of Jesus and John have control of the Senate (through Jews, Christians and fellow travelers alike) and significant influence in all of Rome's major families, one can argue that I helped the Chosen establish a permanent home in Europe.

It's true that the Way has been divided and moves forward along two paths, one that runs a straight and narrow route from the Garden to the Kingdom and is rooted on the southeastern shores of the Middle Earth Sea, and a New Way that meanders through the fields and over the mountains with arms wide open, welcoming and uniting believers from the four corners of the earth. In summary, it is my belief that history will show that I not only rebuilt Rome, but also brought dignity and respect to the Sons of Moses all over the world.

I remember being in Briton with my brother Justus when we were helping dedicate the shrine to mom and dad, and it makes me realize that people do not comprehend how close we were. Yes I disputed some of the facts in his books, but as a close blood soul I am not among those seeking to suppress his works. Even though I find his Judaic history perfunctory and incomplete, there are gems of heritage there that make me hope his words remain forever. Why should my voice be the only one documenting the drama preceding and unfolding in this century?

Justus deserves his high standing in Tiberias, Jerusalem and Armenia, and if you never experienced it you couldn't comprehend how much our family is loved in Briton and Gaul. As for his reputation in Roman society, the depth of this man is unknown to most of these imbibers. While I concerned myself mostly with physical health and safety of my family, relatives and neighbors in Israel and abroad, Justus focused on preserving the cultural and spiritual integrity and heritage of our faith, and his remains the more difficult struggle. His sons are fine spirits and exhibit exemplary humanity, and will rise up and lead the people to many great things.

Though we have had significant disagreements over his recording of the war, and minor disputes over Hasmonean and Levi lines, it should not be news that love my brother and his family and believe that they are both worthy Jews and exemplary Romans.

Peace 2 All.

Names of I Josephus; Emperor Marcus Nerva shares Light

Perhaps you are intrigued by the recently published list of names and titles Jesus my father is known by, and yet this is a small portion. If you add Armenia, Ethiopia, Macedonia and Briton, the list would double again. In the spirit engendered by the compilation and distribution of that list, here are some of the names I am now known by or have been known as:

Emperor Nerva Caesar Augustus

Marcus Cocceius Nerva

Titus Flavius Josephus

Yosef ben Matiyahu

Agrippa Aristobulus

Agrippa Josephes

Joseph of Arimathea

Barnabbas

Barnabus

Bran the Blessed

Marcus Licinius Crassus Scribonianus

Josephus Junius Silanus

Arrius Calpurnius Piso

The Names of My Father; Jesus Christ

If you have penetrated my books you will know that I have no qualms about playing the name game, but somehow in my fading years I want to reveal something and let herstory beautiful herstory let all the earthlings overstand what is and what was.

Dad was and is known to the Romans as:

Marcus Licinus Crassus Frugi II

Decimus Junius Silanus Torquatus

Gaius Calpurnius Piso (whom some feel was "crass")

Jesus Christus

Son of Mary

To the Greeks

Alexander II of Armenia

Aristobulus of Chalcis

Jah Zeus Chrystos

Son of Joseph

Messiah

Son of God

The LORD

Iesous (Jesus)

Chrystos (Anointed)

Theou (God's)

Uios (Son)

Soter (Saviour)

ICTUS or ICHTHYS, Fish of Christ

Hebrews / Armenians

Jeshua / Yehoshua

Aristobulus Herod

Aristobulus III

The Galilean

Mathias

Mattityahu

Messiach

Yeshuah ben Pandera

Son of David

Monbazus

Syrians / Arabs / Egyptians / Persians

Tigranes II of Armenia

Azizus* King of Emesa

Izates II of Edessa

Isa

These are the names** of my father.

My hope is that there will be room for I soul in the Mausoleum of Augustus, and that the teachings of Our family will be guidance to Church and to government. May the Sons of John and Jeshua reign in Harmony, and may the citizens and officials of the Empire thrive and spread Peace, generosity and goodwill whever we meet and greet our fellow man.

Peace 2 All

Author notes:

1. * (brother of Soemus; note Irish Seamus = James)

2. Many of the above names provided with much respect to Charles Pope, the world's leading researcher into historical identities of Biblical characters.

3.** If readers know of very early names of Jesus of Nazareth that are not in the list above, feel free to post them with their geographical and cultural origins in the comments section below.

Why I reformed the Jewish tax; Josephus explains

When Vespatian brought in the Jewish Tax I knew that it didn't smell right, that there was potential for this thing to be very dangerous. His brother Domitian proved my point, intensifying the persecution of Jews and also becoming paranoid about Christians.

By repealing this legislation and replacing it with laws more respectful, I have honoured Our foreparents and blazed a trail for much greater progress to come. I have educated the people, so now there is understanding of the Jewish Revolt and how the immigration has brought many wonders to Rome and the Empire.

When I first heard that Domitian was taxing senior citizens, women, children, the poor, I was sick to my stomach. My first nine or ten months as Emperor involved cleaning up the economic, political, military and social mess left by Domitian, may God bless his weary soul. By exempting the aged, the Christians (who had been perceived as "Judaized" by Domitian), and Jewish Christians the tax remained for those openly believing in and practicing Judaism. Even though it was purportedly for the Jupiter Temple in Rome and was designed to replace the historic Temple Tax, I was aware that many if not most Jews did not consider it voluntary or even spiritual in Nature. Still, I had to create legislation that would pass in the Senate.

As my earthly father once spoke, Give unto Jah that which belongs to Jah, and give to Caesar that which is Caesar's. To commemorate the reform of the Fiscus Judaicus, I have issued a coin with the following inscription:

FISCI IVDAICI CALVMNIA SVBLATA

(The calumny of the Jewish Tax is Removed)

Peace 2 All

Barnabus Josephus; A Testament to Our Father

I offer peace to my brother Justus and all who support the House of Aristobulus. People ask why I should be so blessed to be a son of Jeshua, and to those I can only say read my works and ponder life. I have written and published thirty manuscripts in four volumes and have helped with both scripture and legislation for decades. My mother was also a truly great human being, a persona so deep and profound that scared followers have recast her writings as those of a man.

Everyone asks about the Messianic Secret, and why dad always told people not to spread the word of his good works and his healings. Think about it; my father was cast as Messiach before he was born, the royal family of Middle Earth awaiting the mystery and intrigue like the rising sun. So yes, it is a true story, it happened many times, but it didn't really matter, nobody could resist coming out to see dad. Crowds welcomed us wherever we went in Judea, Galilee and Samaria. New territories were added to Our Kingdom by Nero, and my mother and father were loved and respected by royalty and commoner alike. There was an element of genius in the double-headed coin my parents released, Of King Aristobulus / Queen Salome, and my mom claims the whole thing was my dad's idea.

Someday human beings will have access to almost everything that has been written, and they will overstand how much my dad, the one you call Jesus Christ, was a believer in the equality and dignity of women and children. My grandmother had five husbands in her life (my own mother was married three times), and even though these were all royal men, they did not always treat her with the love and respect she so sorely needed. She clung to my father, her Golden Son, and even though she battled him over philosophical and safety issues sometimes, there was not a soul that she loved so dearly nor felt so close to. Aristobulus and Salome were the premier couple of their time, and my parents felt that the involvement of women in religious, social and political matters made for a healthy and educated populace.

My dad said that someday "all things will be revealed" and even though I am telling it here as best as I can, some of these things have to await the end of times and the opening of the books and the contemplation and the Judgment. May you all live in Peace, spread goodwill among your Sistren and Brethren, and carry Goodness and Faith to the edges of the Empire and through all the lands of the world.

Blogosphere Definitions; Blogger, Blotter, Clogger, Clotter

I originally posted this a couple of years ago but as there are now about 70 spammy comments on there (many now deleted), I have decided to repost the meat of these definitions here...they just came to me one day a few years back.

Blogger - One who posts once or twice daily or more, this probably describes most of you ultra-hyper cybersouls who make up the bulk of the incestuous blogworld ... at least in the first few months of your blog.

Blotter - If you post once or twice per week, you are almost a blogger, but perhaps your reticence categorizes you as something of a blot on the landscape, to puritans anyway ... still, Blots can be useful and even kewl if the posts revitalize and move us forward ...

Clogger - For many of my blogs (mostly clean energy investing info) I am happy to be a Clog, and if you see me posting once or twice a month, be happy, I never intended to be much more than a Clog in the machine ...

Clotter - bloodclo ... , if U can only post once or twice per year, you are truly a Clot needing to be broken open ... oh alright, if you upload something meaty (proteiny???) or crucial, then you can be an integral clot in the biosphere, but U R still a Clot ... blood

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House of Aristobulus; A Plea for Unity and Strength

Some may say that the enmity between myself and Father Simon from the days of the war will limit our ability to work together for the good of our communities in Galilee and Palestine and in Rome and throughout the Roman Empire. My Uncle James and brother Justus were able to provide many bridges between us, and many now believe that Father Simon Gamaliel is the rock upon which Our Church in Rome is built. Paul solidified the communities in Egypt, Greece and Persia, but Pater Simon was the glue between Jerusalem and Rome.

My father made Simon a fisher of men, and only Timothy, James, Paul and my mother rival him as a most crucial disciple. Pater Simon Gamaliel was a direct descendant of King David, and was a Nasi who went on to lead the post-Jerusalem Way community and published memoirs that have influenced many Gospel writings over the past fifteen years.