Merry Christmas and Happy Holy Days from Josephus

There are two threads on this blog currently; the fictionalized autobiography of Nerva Josephus, and the organic open source review of the past 3,000 years of world history, with an emphasis on the Mediterranean (Middle Earth) royal family. And so we continue with Josephus...

December 25th; Celebration of the Light

It doesn't bother me that my this historically pagan celebration has been re-invented as the birthday of my father. My understanding was that dad was born on January 6th but some say January 7th; in any case Jeshua Aristobulus personified Living Light so December 25th is an excellent choice as a date for this wonderful remembrance event and symbolic festivities. I don't appreciate the fringe that wants the cross to represent everything, so those celebrating birth and life are fellow travelers.

Rashnu and Sraosha will not always be waiting, for a New Kingdom will arise that cleanses as it heals. The Eye of Horus will not always be crying, for the Great Grandson of the King inspires and unifies and Lights up the Path.

Peace 2 All

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.

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

We Offer Peace to ALL THE WORLD

With tribute to the wisdom of Solomon and the knowledge of Ashoka, I declare that Rome, its citizens and its army offer peace and goodwill to all nations, and I would like it known that our roads and communities shall be open to all peace-loving people of all cultures, from all the shores of the Middle Earth Sea and beyond.

I am at an advanced stage in this life, and have been fortunate to have lived through one of the most tumultuous eras in recorded history. I lost many relatives in the Judaean war, and give thanks to Our Lord Above when I think of the times when my own life was spared...

On a personal note, though I overstand the need for Our Church to raise funds to help the poor and maintain places of worship, some of the rumours of pagan conversions for mercenary reasons are disconcerting, and it is crucial that the family of Believers be genuine and solid to the core. We can grow the community honestly, and may God give Us the strength to do so with integrity and justice in Our hearts.

Peace 2 All!

On Convincing Vespasian of His Kingship

At a time when Israel and Judea were in turmoil and Rome felt threatened from several angles, I was falsely imprisoned for being treasonous to the Empire. Though it was true that in my youth I led many a brigade in defense of Galilee, this was widely known and never held against me during the peace talks. To be accused of being a double agent was shocking to me, so I appealed directly to Vespasian's sense of self-worth and destiny.

I was brought before Vespasian, his son Titus (my 2nd cousin from my dad's side), and two friends of Titus. My only hope for survival meant looking beyond Nero's deepening travesty in Rome. I waxed as eloquently as I could:

Uncle Vespasian, you have the House of Aristobulus in your captivity but how long can Nero fiddle? You and your son here are each destined to lead the Empire, to restore Her Glory and bring peace and prosperity to many a nation. If the Descendants of Mariamme Unite, nobody can stop us. I have already prepared a route to Egypt for you, and from there you will arrive in Rome as a Champion.

A friend of Titus who was mental muscle (the other was brawn...) asked why I had not been able to predict the fall of Jotapata and my own imprisonment, and I quickly countered that I had indeed prophesied both of these events. Vespasian knew me from birth, and waved off the thug.

He leaned in close to my ear, and almost whispered: "What happens when I get to Egypt"

Early Days in Galilee; Josephus recalls his childhood

There was always a lot of fanfare around my older brother Herod Timothy because of his adoption by Agrippa the Younger, but my brother and I had our share of opportunity and blessings.

My first given name was Agrippa Josephus Aristobulus (often called Yuya by my folks); my little brother Jeshua Justus Aristobulus was the third son born to Ari and Salome, at least by the official story. The inner core let people believe that the first son was from Philip Jahn...few knew the full story.

It was customary for royal women of this era to have their first child out of wedlock or with an arranged husband, as this was one way to ensure a multiplicity of regal, in this case Herodian / Maccabean, bloodlines. Regardless, I was there; Herod Timothy was raised as if he were Ari’s own son, and he was my true brother unto his untimely death.

My dad had been adopted at a relatively young age, and he was a toddler when his mother married Prince Joseph Polli (later King Herod of Chalcis), so he knew how important family would be to Tim’s life and career. When my brother Timothy was appointed Crown Prince at nine years old by being officially adopted by Prince Agrippa, he still lived wth Us and was generally treated no differently than Justus and myself.

To all observers and to themselves, Ari and Salome had three sons, and together with our sisters we were a tight family for over two decades. My aunt Berenice often took Tim to Jerusalem, and sometimes myself or Justus got to go, with her or with mom and dad.

If you have read otherwise just disregard the nonsense for Tim was my brother and one of the most devout disciples of the Way, and carried on his father's teachings in a most respectable and straightforward manner. As much as anyone, Timothy’s allegiance was always to our dad Aristobulus, and later, to brothers James and Paul and the community that followed Jeshua's creed of healing, sharing, peace, freedom and equality.

If I May Leave A Legacy; My Life and Rome's Progress

The past century has been a tumultous time for Romans, yet if we do not understand how we got in such a mess, we will have little opportunity to build upon the progress of recent years. I envision a succession of quality Emperors who rise to their position not by virtue of the birth of their father, though some of Us have been blessed in this regard, but rather by the wisdom of their leadership and ability to handle governance.

I, your Emperor Nerva Josephes, have lived a long and fruitful life, and I have learned from the masters of this past century and our foreparents before Us; may I share some wisdom with you? I wrote out the history of my people for posterity, for a clear and positive view on the Chosen from the days of Egypt and Ethiopia, unto Babylon and Persia, Israel and Palestine, Greece and Rome. My versions were challenged publicly two decades later by my brother, who had more orthodox leanings than myself and had a clear axe to grind. I love Jeshua Justus Junior as much as anyone, but my brother can be emotional and anybody who feels it knows it.

Though my mother was among the earliest and strongest of the faithful, her teachings are already being obscured and women are not fully being credited for their contributions to the emerging Christian canon. In the coming pages I will take you back to Our upbringing in Galilee, schooling in Rome, Athens and Alexandria, and best of all, Our family trips to Briton! Further along, I will shed some light upon the origins of some of my father's teachings, re-describe some of the events I wrote about in Antiquities in a more personal way, and discuss the fall of Jerusalem and how Our family saved many thousands of lives with peace treaties, even though we were unable to save JeruSalem Herself.

I will write about the madness of growing up in Nero's era (I still love the fool but it's sad that he was corrupted by power before being able to grow into the man he could have become...), being favoured by Vespatian (the good uncle...) and then persecuted by Domitian (the difficult uncle). It may not be polite in Roman social circles to discuss our failures openly but we know everyone does it privately, so let's air it out and make Rome and the Empire into a truly just society, worthy of our noblest efforts and a joy for all her citizens. you may feel this is utopian, but even four hundred years ago Ashoka proved in India and Kushan that a powerful country could have a non-aggressive stance and enjoy prosperity through productivity and trade. The medicinal gardens and watering stations along public roadways did much to endear Ashoka to his own people and to international travellers.

Finally, this business of halakah, The Way, The Life. Many are embracing the newer version of The Way that has merged with many other people's and faiths (Mandeans, Theraputae, Essenes) to become what are now called Christians. Even among the hardcore orthodox brethren, many are accepting the victory of The Way over the Temple worship and other formalities of Palestinian Judaism, as the emerging Rabbinical traditions have grown out of Pharisaic perception while obliterating both Pharisee and Sadducee residue; the Chosen of the Torah are also reborn, and the emerging Talmud is explicit proof of that. I always felt good about helping bury those scrolls, as things had grown bitter and even as a teenager I knew it was time to find God and good in the world we live in.