part in the council of Nice, in 325 A.D., when

most of the important traditions of the Christian church were discussed and decided, brought the matter of the birthplace of Jesus before the council for a positive decision, and in his discussions he said little about a house or a manger being the reputed birthplace of the holy child, but said that the infant Jesus had been born in a cave instead. And he referred to the fact that at the time of Constantine a magnificent temple had been erected on the site of the cave, so that Christians might
worship the place where the Saviour was born. [114]
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In the apocryphal gospel called Protevangelion, written by James, a brother of Jesus, we find refer- ence to the cave again in the following words:
“But on a sudden the cloud became a great light in the cave, so their eyes could not bear it.”
Of the prominent Fathers of the Holy Christian church in the early days, we find that Tertullian (A.D. 200), Jerome (A.D. 375), and others, said that Jesus was born in a cave, and all the heathens of Palestine point to the cave in their land to this very day as the birthplace of the Christian child.
We find also that Canon Farrar said: ‘That the actual place of Christ’s birth was a cave, is a very ancient tradition, and this cave used to be shown as the scene of the event, even so early as the time of Justin Martyr in A.D. 150.”
Now the facts of the matter are that Matthew was nearly correct when he said that Jesus was born in a house, for the cave in which the child was born was more than an empty excavation under a rock, or a hollow place in the mountain- side. The Rosicrucian records and the Essene records have always contained the statement that the child of Mary and Joseph was born in an Essene grotto on the highway near Bethelehem.
I have previously referred to the fact that the
Essenes possessed certain rescue houses and hos- [115 J
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pices in various parts of Palestine, and three of these were grottos. Usually such grottos were partly natural and partly artificial, and we know that grottos of this kind were quite common throughout Palestine and adjoining lands, for in early Christian days it was found safer and better to build grottos than large structures above ground when the purpose of such places was protection, isolation, and safety. The number of grottos still existing in Palestine always surprises the investi- gating tourists, and many of them are large enough to contain from ten to twenty rooms of a fair size, free from moisture, dampness, heat, or cold.
The Essenes made their three grottos very large, very convenient in location, and well protected from casual observation and attack by Bedouins or tribesmen. Such grottos were located from twenty to sixty feet below the earth’s surface, with rooms that were approached by well-cut stone stairways descending at a wide angle and well lighted by apertures in the side of the rock or rocks that protected the entrance way. Some of the rooms were carefully hewn out of solid rock while others were partly natural in their formation. In most cases, the surface of the rock walls of the rooms was covered with a mud cement over which decorations or paint of some kind were applied in
an artistic manner. Oil lamps, hung from the ceil- [116 J
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ings or set in niches in the walls, furnished ample illumination, and small apertures between the rooms, or rising upward into traversed channels, provided a proper circulation of air. Seats, or the foundations for lounges, were cut in the sides of some of the walls, or were formed of rocks in the center or end of the rooms. There was always a well close to each of these places, and provision was made in each room for a large jar of fresh water. The floor of these rooms was usually finished with partly smoothed stones, much like flagging, and only in one or two of the smaller rooms used for storage or some other purpose, was the floor left with its ground finish.
These grottos were usually furnished with con- venient places for sleeping, eating, rest, recreation, and the care of the sick. In every way the appoint- ments and equipment within these grottos were equal to those found in the mud, stone, or clay structures that were built above ground, and a grotto home, or hospice, was not considered less costly or less elegant than one that was built above the surface.
It was into the Essene grotto near Bethlehem that Joseph and Mary went for the birth of the child. A few references in the ancient Essene and Rosicrucian records regarding the event would
indicate that it had been quite common for the Pin
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women of the Essene organization to go to one of the Essene hospices for the delivery of their chil- dren, for a number of these places were prepared to take care of the sick, the injured, and the needy, as hospitals do, and it was traditional among the Essenes as it is today among the Jewish people, to give considerable thought and to provide unusual facilities for their women at the time of delivery. We might almost say that some of these early hos- pices were the originals of the present-day lying-in hospitals so well established in various parts of the world.
I recently visited this Essene grotto near Bethle- hem, and carefully investigated the size, shape, and arrangement of the rooms, and I cannot see how any one of the millions of persons who have seen the birthplace of the Holy Child, can believe that there ever was any justification in calling it a manger. The large reception room in the center of the grotto, surrounded by many private rooms, immediately indicates that it was either a very large home, much larger than any home commonly found in Palestine, or a public place of some kind. The stone stairway descending to the rooms would certainly suggest that the place could not have been used as a stable, and when one sees the careful carving of the stones, the decorations still visible
in many places, the care with which the floors were [ 118 ]
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finished and the arrangement of the rooms leading off from the central room, one is impressed at once with the fact that this was undoubtedly a very well-planned and cared for hospice of some kind. Even today, the rooms are dry enough, warm enough, and comfortable enough for pleasant liv- ing, and when one sees the crude structures above ground that are usually provided for cattle (when any structures are provided at all) it is quite evi- dent that no one would have gone to such trouble and expense for the sake of providing a stable for cattle.
At one of the famous Christian councils held by the early Church Fathers, when so many of the doctrines, teachings, and disputed points of tradi- tion were being discussed and definitely settled, it was finally voted that the best way to end all of the argument about the birthplace of Jesus was to arbitrarily determine that a manger was the nature of the enclosure in which He was born. This arbi- trary decision settled the matter for all time, so far as the Holy Church was concerned, and regardless of the many authentic records that still exist, it is probable that the story of the birth occurring in a lowly manger will remain a part of the Christian traditions.
One other important point in connection with
the place of birth and the event of the birth of the [119]
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Holy Child is likewise interesting. This pertains to the visit of the Magi and the homage they paid to the Holy Child. According to the authorized Christian versions the three Magi were led by a great star which caused them to journey “from the East” to the very locality in which the child was born. And they carried with them treasures and gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The story of the star appearing in the heavens at this particular time has always been a fascinat- ing one, and is also one that skeptics or doubters of the Christian traditions have looked upon as a fantastic element, introduced in the account merely to make it picturesque. But long ago scientific astronomers, who investigated this matter with their charts of the periodicity of famous comets and moving bodies like unto stars, discovered that at or about the time of the birth of the Holy Infant, there was a great star or heavenly body that was making its rapid movement across the heavens above these lands. Not only did this dis- covery, which has been substantiated by many scientists for many years, tend to verify the story of a symbol that could have led the Magi in their journey, but the many ancient traditions regarding similar stories reveal the fact that it was a common belief among the Magi, the astrologers, the Chal-
deans, and the mystics of the Oriental countries, [ 120 }
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that whenever a great comet appeared in the sky and moved across the heavens, a leader or great Avatar was about to be born who would prove himself to be a Saviour or Redeemer. So well established was this belief, and so many interesting mystical points are involved in it, that I believe it worth while to take a little time at this point to speak of these matters.
It is true that in the story told in the Book of Luke, the writer says nothing about Magi from the “East,” but he says that shepherds came and wor- shipped the young child, and that these shepherds had been keeping their flocks by night, and that the angel of the Lord appeared before them saying, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy—for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
That statement in the Book of Luke was evi- dently written for the purpose of trying to explain the ancient belief that when a great star appeared, moving across the heavens, it was a message from God that a Saviour was born, and the writer of Luke reduces the idea to a definite statement made by the Lord to the shepherds in the field.
In investigating the origin of this belief, we find from the old Essene and Rosicrucian records that when the Divine child called Chrishna was born,
a great star in the heavens proclaimed the fact, and [121]
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Chrishna was immediately adored and honored by the Magi, who brought gifts unto him. The old records state that the gifts consisted of sandalwood and perfumes.
At the time of the birth of Buddha, a great moving star in the heavens proclaimed his divinity, and the wise men again visited the place of birth and paid homage and presented gifts.
The birth of Confucius in 551 B.C. was heralded by a great star moving across the heavens which was observed by the wise men, who found the location of the great child through the move- ment of the star, and who went to the place of birth and paid homage. We find the same story in regard to Mithras, the Persian Saviour, Socrates, Aesculapius, Bacchus, Romulus, and a host of others.
We must remember that astrology was the one highly developed science among the Magi and mystics of the Oriental lands, and that out of this science grew the present-day science of astronomy. It may be inappropriate, but I cannot fail to take this opportunity of stating that the ancient practice or art of astrology was more highly developed than it is today and did not deal with the petty things of luck and misfortune with which our present- day astrology deals, and which so shamefully blas-
phemes an ancient and honorable mystical science. [ 122}
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The Magi referred to in the Bible were not just astrologers, or mediocre philosophers, who might have also been shepherds in the field, or ordinary persons of everyday affairs, but were the learned instructors and high representatives of the great academies and mystery schools of the Orient. The title of Magus was granted only to one who had attained the very high degree of initiation in the mystery schools, and who had proved himself a master of the arts and sciences, and who was a highly evolved mystic in every sense. The Magi were consulted by the kings, potentates, and learned people of all lands, not only in regard to matters of astrology or astronomy, but in regard to history, medicine, natural law, spiritual law, and hundreds of other subjects which required pro- found thinking and unusual learning to explain or comprehend. They were the great oracles for the learned. They even occupied the position of the highest advisers in courts and councils of last appeal in disputes of many kinds.
That a few of these Magi should have observed the symbolic star and noted its significance was but natural in their time. But we must not presume that their observance of the star occurred only a few hours before the birth of the Holy Child, and that they hurriedly left their sanctums or their
places of occupation and journeyed rapidly across [123]
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lands to the birthplace. According to the ancient records at our disposal, we find that, as in all other cases, where the symbolic star had been noticed, the movement of this particular star had been observed for many months prior to the birth of the Holy Infant. For several weeks prior to the birth, close and careful tabulations had been made regard- ing the movement of the star, and the probable time of its ultimate significance. And those who had been selected by the mystery schools to jour- ney to the place of birth and represent the Essene Brotherhood and the Great White Brotherhood had started on their way to Palestine several weeks prior to the time of the birth.
We find from the records, also, that these Magi knew the story of the selection of Mary as the preordained mother of the Holy Child, the location of the home of Mary and Joseph in Palestine, and the arrangements that Mary should go to the grotto hospice of the Brotherhood near Bethlehem for the delivery of her child. The record states that Mary was at the hospice three days before the child was born, awaiting the important hour. The Magi were in the vicinity of Bethlehem, also await- ing the hour. When the star appeared in the heavens at its highest point and then began its sudden and rapid descent toward the horizon, the
Magi knew that the day and hour had come—and [124]
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they had but to journey a short distance to the grotto to see the child that had been expected. They brought not only the things that are itemized in the Christian account, but greetings from the highest officials of the Great White Brotherhood, jewels of a symbolic nature for the mother and father, and a rosary containing a rare emblem for the Infant to wear about its neck, that it might ever after be identified as the anticipated Son of God.
The Magi, after having officially visited the child and formally presented their gifts and greet- ings, journeyed on to Mount Carmel and there made a report of the birth, and left official instruc- tions for the keepers of the monastery and school at Carmel in regard to the education and care of the child throughout its infancy and childhood. Then these Magi went on to Egypt and made their report to the High Priests and the Supreme officers of the Brotherhood.
[125 J
CuaprTer VII THE BIRTH DATE OF THE HOLY CHILD
V
| HERE has always been considerable dis BalNe| cussion regarding the year in which Jesus ..4))| was born, and it is not my purpose to f¢3| participate in this dispute at this time. ' The fact of the matter is that the actual year, according to the various calendars then exist- ing and now existing, is of little consequence, for a definite year in one calendar would be a different year in another calendar. It would be very difh- cult for the average person to work out a calendar which would enable him to figure correctly the true year of birth. That the writers of the Books of the Bible were confused in regard to the actual year is very apparent after even a casual examina- tion of their statements. For instance, in the Book of Matthew, we are informed that Jesus was born in the days of Herod, the king, and the writer of the Book of Luke states that Jesus was born when Cyrenius was governor of Syria or later. These two statements have caused a great deal of discus sion, for the days of Herod ended 4 B.C., and Biblical authorities state that Cyrenius was gov-
ernor of Syria from 4 B.C. to 1 B.C., and again in [127]
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6 A.D. Even the matter of the taxing referred to in the stories indicates that a different year is re- ferred to than is commonly accepted as the year of the birth of Jesus.
The very interesting point in regard to the time of birth, however, pertains to the day of the month and the month itself.
For many centuries after the life of Jesus, the Holy Fathers of the early Christian church, and the eminent ecclesiastical authorities were unable to decide as to the birth date of Jesus. Among the early Christians, the anniversary of the Nativity was celebrated with a great festival in May, some- times in April, and on other occasions in January. Some of the earliest traditions in the Christian church definitely stated that the 20th of May was the correct date, while some of the Holy Fathers insisted that the 19th or 20th of April was the true and correct date. Even up until the fifth century after the life of Jesus, the matter was still in dispute, but in that century, the community at Rome held one of its famous Councils and made a definite decision and selected the 25th, or midnight of the 24th of December, as the true time. And in this decision we find a very beautiful and im- portant mystical story.
It must be understood by my readers that the
many facts revealed in this book which are differ- [ 128 }
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ent from the authorized Christian versions of the life of Jesus are not facts which were concealed during the early Christian days, but were known to all of the Holy Fathers of the Christian church and to the high ecclesiastical authorities who gath- ered in Councils from time to time and established the doctrines, traditions, and forms of ceremony to be officially a part of the Christian theology. What motives these early authorities and Holy Fathers had for disregarding facts known to them, and for withholding from the mass certain facts of intense interest to us at the present time, and in changing other facts to symbolical falsehoods, must be left to the intuition of my readers. The popular state- ment that “the end justifies the means” was un- questionably one of the thoughts in their minds. We find in the writings of these early authorities a statement made many times that certain changes and inventions which they established in connec- tion with the traditions of the life of Jesus were “theological necessities.” In other words, in order to utilize many of the ancient, mystical ceremonies, which the Holy Fathers derived from the temples of Egypt and from the doctrines and practices of the Essenes and the Great White Brotherhood, they had to invent certain points and principles in connection with the life and work of Jesus, in order
to make these ceremonies adaptable and consistent. [129 ]
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In order to establish a new theology and many new doctrines, they had to ignore and set aside many facts which would have been inconsistent with their decisions.
When, however, it came to some important points that had to be definitely decided, they were forced to rely upon the ancient principles and doc- trines that had been established, and were known to be true spiritual laws so that they would have some foundation upon which to base their deci- sions. The decision that midnight of the 24th of December was the actual birth time of Jesus, was one such case, and the reason for this is intensely interesting from a mystical point of view. This decision, however, conflicted with one of the points in the traditional story of His birth, namely, the story that at the time of the birth shepherds were in the field caring for their flocks. It has always been said by those who knew the conditions in Palestine at that time that the latter part of De- cember is not a season when shepherds are in the fields caring for their flocks at night, or at any other hour of the day, and that this incident was introduced in the story when the belief was common that Jesus was born in the month of April or May.
However, the great fact which the Holy Fathers
had to take into consideration in reaching their [ 130]
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decision was that throughout all the centuries pre ceding, all the other great Avatars who had been born of Virgins, who were Sons of God, and who were known as Redeemers or Saviours, had been born on or about the 25th of December. The other fact that they could not fail to consider was that there was a spiritual law or a Cosmic law for the birth of these great men on the 25th of December, and that no Redeemer of the world could have been born at any other time.
We must bear in mind that the birth of a great Avatar or a Son of God among men is not a simple incident in the scheme of things, nor a casual acci- dent of conditions. The birth of an Avatar is the result of certain laws preordained and established in the Cosmic scheme, and coincident with a series of events leading up to and culminating in the Divine Birth. The Cosmic birth of Jesus, as of every other Avatar, is an interesting story in it- self, and has no place in this chapter, but in order that my reader may be familiar with the manifes- tations of this great Cosmic law, I will present the following facts from the historical records of the Great White Brotherhood.
In the first place, there is a correspondence be- tween the Spiritual law, Cosmic law, and Mun- dane law, pertaining to a universal condition mani- festing about the 23rd, 24th, or 25th of each De-
hiss)
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cember. It is at this time that a Cosmic change occurs called the Birth of the God Sol, and this event was always celebrated by the ancients as The Accouchement of the Queen of Heaven or the Celestial Virgin of the Sphere.
In India this period was one of great rejoicing everywhere. Many centuries before the Christian Era, this period in December was celebrated as a religious festival, at which time the people deco- rated their homes with garlands and they were prolific in their gifts and presents to friends and relatives. So far back in antiquity can this reli- gious festival in December be traced that its origin is lost in obscurity.
In China, also, long before the Christian period, the people recognized this period of the winter solstice as a holy time, and on December 24th, or 25th, they closed all their shops, their courts, and their places of business activities. Among the an- cient Persians, their most splendid ceremonials were in honor of Mithras, whose birthday was recorded as having occurred on the 25th of De cember.
Among the ancient Egyptians for many centu- ries, the 25th of December was celebrated as the birthday of several of their gods. We find this referred to in all of the histories of the religions
of ancient peoples, as, for instance, in the book [ 132}
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entitled, “Religion of the Ancient Greeks,” by De Septehenes, who says: “The ancient Egyptians fixed the pregnancy of Isis (the Queen of Heaven and the virgin mother of the Saviour Horus) on the last days of March and towards the end of December they placed the commemoration of her delivery.”
In some cases the celebration of the birth dates of some of these ancient gods was changed by high proclamation, just as the birth date of Jesus was changed from May to December. The birth date celebration of Chrishna is now held in July or August.
In Bonwick’s “Egyptian Belief” we find a veri- fication of what is contained in the Rosicrucian records. He says in regard to Horus: “He is the great god—loved of Heaven. His birth was one of the greatest mysteries of the Egyptian religion. Pictures representing it appeared on the walls of temples. One passed through the holy adytum to the still more sacred quarters of the temple known as the birthplace of Horus. He was presumably the child of deity. At Christmas time, or that an- swering to our festival, his image was brought out of that sanctuary with peculiar ceremonies, as the image of the infant Bambino is still brought out
and exhibited in Rome.” [133]
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It is interesting to note here that the word “Bambino” is now a sacred word among the for- eign Christians, and is a term used for repre- sentations of the infant Christ Jesus in swaddling clothes. It is customary in Rome to bring out to public view early on Christmas morning, an image of the Bambino carried with great ceremony for the public to salute and greet, in honor of the original birthday. This little incident of Roman Christian ceremony is just a continuation of the ancient customs established in the mystic lands by the Great White Brotherhood.
Osiris, son of the holy virgin, or Neith, was born on the 25th of December; and the Greeks celebrated this day as the birthday of Hercules.
Bacchus and Adonis were also born on the 25th of December. ‘Tertullian, Jerome, and other Fathers of the early Christian church who la- bored so diligently in the formation of Christian doctrines, ceremonies, and creeds, inform us in their early writings that the ceremony of the cele- bration of the birthday of Adonis on the 25th of December, took place in a cave and that the cave in which they celebrated this mystery was in Bethlehem, and was, in fact, the same cave in which the child Jesus was born. This is but an- other verification of the fact that the Essene grotto
in which the Holy Child of Mary and Joseph was [ 134}
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The Christian figure of the Bambino, or the Christ child. It is this form carved in marble or stone that is exposed in the churches on Christmas morning and kept on view from Christ- mas to Epiphany. It is claimed that Saint Francis of Assisi was the originator of this statue in the thirteenth century, but re- search has revealed that a similar statue of a Holy Child was exhibited on Christmas Day in many lands before the Christian Era.
{ 135 ]
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born had been used for the celebration of previous Avatars, such as Adonis. This is why the Magi knew where to find the new Avatar on His birthday.
The fact that the 25th of December was cele- brated generally as a day associated with the birth of Sol, or the Cosmic birthday of certain laws and principles manifested by the Sun, is shown in many ancient records of the early Christian cele- brations in Rome. We can turn to the writings of the Reverend Mr. Gross, who has written very thoroughly and authentically in regard to these matters, and read as follows: “In Rome, before the time of Christ, a festival was observed on the 25th of December, under the name of Natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of Sol, the Invincible). It was a day of universal rejoicing illustrated by illumina- tions and public games. All public business was suspended, declarations of war and criminal exe- cutions were postponed, friends made presents to one another, and the slaves were indulged with great liberties.”
It is interesting to note, also, that among the ancient Germans centuries before the birth of Christ, these people celebrated annually, at the time of the winter solstice, an ancient, sacred peri
od which they called their Yule-feast. On this oc- [ 136]
\
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casion all agreements were renewed, the gods were consulted as to the future, sacrifices were made to the various gods, and the people indulged in jovial hospitality. Of this ancient ceremony the word Yule still survives as the old name for Christmas, and the ancient custom of burning the Yule log on Christmas Eve is still the usual practice. It is interesting to note also that the word Yule in French is called Noel, which is the equivalent of the Hebrew or Chaldee word Nule. Among the ancient Scandinavians there was a yearly celebra- tion at the winter solstice that was observed as the mother-night, and the feast was called Jul. It was in honor of Freyr, the Holy Son of the supreme god and goddess. The celebration included all sorts of demonstrations of joy and happiness, and the bestowing of gifts.
In Great Britain and Ireland the Druids cele- brated the 25th of December as a holy day, and burned great fires and lights on the tops of hills. Even in ancient Mexico, the last week of Decem- ber was celebrated as a sacred feast, in honor of the birth of a god.
The use of evergreens and mistletoe at Christmas time is derived from ancient practices, and Ter- tullian, the Holy Father to whom I have referred previously, writing from a distant land to his holy
brethren at home, described this custom of Decem- [137 J
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ber 25th and the use of evergreens and mistletoe, and said that it was “rank idolatry.” He went on to describe how they decked their doors “with gar- lands of flowers and evergreens.”
From the foregoing we see that when the Great White Brotherhood in Egypt set down in its rec- ords the statement that the day and hour of the winter solstice was the Cosmic period for the births of Avatars, as observed in all the ancient notations, it was not ordaining a time or arbitrarily establish- ing by decree a period for the celebration of the birthdays, but was merely proclaiming what it had observed and proceeded to state how the Cosmic law had made itself manifest. Just why Avatars should be born in the winter solstice and why so many of the great leaders of men were actually born at such a time, is a matter that deals with the principles of reincarnation, Cosmic cycles of existence, and Cosmic laws, relative to the peri- odicity of the stages of advancing civilization. Such points as these have no place in the present volume.
Of course, those who are interested in the pro- found mystical principles and spiritual laws of the universe, and who are anxious to know just how these affect every man and woman in his or her personal development and attunement with the
Cosmic Consciousness, will make contact with [ 138 }
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some school or system which deals with these sub- jects thoroughly, conscientiously, and without bias or prejudice. Naturally such information is never sold and never put into book form for public sale at any price. For this reason the seekers will vain- ly search among book stores or in the offerings of private publishers or commercial movements for the information desired. Only such organizations as the Rosicrucians, for instance, or branches of the Great White Brotherhood operating in foreign lands, will give the seeker this information with- out price in a private, personal way, and with no other motive than the benefit that each individual will derive from the instruction, if he or she is found worthy to have such knowledge.
[139 ]
Cuapter VIII THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS
V
+] E FIND two periods in the authorized // Christian version of the life of Jesus which are passed over without comment and without detail. These are the years constituting His childhood and up to and including His appearance before the learned men in the Synagogue, and the period from that time until the beginning of His mission in the Holy Land as an adult.
The silence in Christian literature regarding these two periods has unquestionably been respon- sible for a great many discussions that have led to severe criticism of the entire story of His life. Aside from the orthodox version of His birth, which so many reject because they do not understand it, the two gaps in the story of His life referred to above have constituted excellent reasons for the rejection of the story of the remainder of His life. Those who cannot accept the Immaculate Conception and Divine Birth of Jesus do not hesitate to point out the two gaps in the early part of His life as proof that the real story of the life of Jesus has never been told.
Rn a j
[141]
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The highest critics of the authorized version of the life of Jesus point out with some justification that if the Biblical accounts did not go into such detail and put such great stress upon the events of His conception and birth, the absence of details regarding His childhood and youth would be im- material, and would cast no reflection upon the entire story of the latter part of His life. But when every important and casual event leading up to His birth, and the events of the birth itself, are recorded by so many witnesses, and glorified in such detail, there appears to be some significance in the silence regarding His youth. Surely those who felt it their duty to gather, record, and pre- serve the essential and nonessential points regard- ing the birth, and all that led up to it, must have had access to the facts pertaining to His childhood, and these facts must have been more definitely re- corded and better known to a larger number of persons than the events pertaining to the concep- tion and birth of Jesus. Why, then, the silence and the complete absence of those details which would have been highly interesting and extremely illuminating to those who would adore the man and seek to worship every phase of His life?
Be it known, therefore, that the facts regarding the childhood and youth of Jesus are not lacking
and are not absent in those records which were [ 142}
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kept and are still preserved by those groups of per- sons and organizations which have not been influ- enced by the rulings of religious councils or the dictates of synods and who do not find in those facts any event or any incident belittling to the greatness and supreme mastership of Jesus the Christ.
I am aware that some of the facts pertaining to the childhood and youth of Jesus have become public in various lands at various times and that some of these facts have found their way into the mystical writings of the occidental world. But the complete story and the most important details have been withheld by those organizations who know them well in the belief that until the Western world was ready to understand them in their rich- ness and illuminating significance, it would be bet- ter to withhold them. There is no reason why these facts should not be revealed at this time, and I am glad to say that the authorities who have the records in their archives and with whom I have recently held consultations in this regard, agree that the present restlessness throughout the West- ern world in regard to religious matters, and espe- ' cially the desire on the part of so many millions of persons for a more complete outline of the life
of Jesus, warrants the publication of the facts [143 J
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now given for the first time in Western sacred literature.
That Jesus must have had some unusual prepa- ration and very thorough education is quite ap- parent to any student of Christian doctrines, and to every analyst of the life of this great man. The mere fact that at an early age He could astound the learned men of His country by His ability to answer and ask profound questions, proves that during the first ten or more years of His life, He was carefully educated and carefully trained. We may assume with perfect reason and logic that as a Son of God or a messenger of God, He was in- spired continuously, and could find in His imme- diate contact with the Consciousness of God the illuminating thoughts which He expressed. But with the same reasonable logic, we must believe that He had to receive that education and training in the mundane schools of this world, which would make it possible for Him to express those ideas and those thoughts in the words and tongue, in the images and pictures, understood by the multitude.
The greatest of the masters in art have un- doubtedly painted their masterpieces under inspira- tion. Nevertheless, each of these masters had to be trained in the technique of expressing that inspira- tion in a medium that would convey the thought,
the idea, the picture, from one mind to another. [ 144]
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The greatest of the composers have unquestionably written under inspiration, and by their own ad- mission found that the most beautiful passages in their music came to them as from Heaven; never- theless, these men had to be trained in the tech- nique of expressing that which was inspired with- in their souls.
No matter how completely and perfectly Jesus may have been in spiritual contact with the Cos- mic Mind and with the Consciousness of God, He had to have that training, that education, and that practice in the use of words and in the expression of thought which enabled Him to say the most beautiful things in the most beautiful language ever spoken by man. We cannot conceive of an uneducated, untrained, unprepared instrument speaking such thoughts and doing such things as He did, even under the most perfect inspirational contact, without preparation and training.
The argument that any such training and prepa- ration in mundane schools and at the hands of earthly advisers, instructors, and guardians would weaken the claim of Divine preparation and unique Sonship, is absolutely absurd. Have we any reason to believe that the mother of Jesus did not teach the little child to walk, or to eat? Or shall we assume that these things were Divinely inspired in
Him, and that from the moment of birth such [145]
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things were known to Him? After all, is not the matter of walking upright, instead of crawling about, a matter of earthly wisdom and regulation, and not a rule of the Cosmic or an establishment of God, which God would inspire in the minds or consciousness of all beings? Is not the use of cer- tain words, of certain languages, and the grouping of these words into grammatical phrases, a result of man’s regulations and rules rather than Cosmic laws and principles? If these things are earthly products, then they must be acquired at the hands of men on earth, and must be taught by men. Most certainly Jesus was taught to speak the Hebrew, the Aramaic, and the Greek languages, for we cannot conceive of God's having inspired the knowledge of these languages in the consciousness of Jesus without earthly education; for why should these three languages have been selected by God as the modes of expression on the part of one who was to be a Redeemer of all peoples in all lands, with many tongues? If Jesus was taught how to speak and teach several languages, with the ability to interpret the inspiration of His soul into sounds and words that would convey a meaning to man, there is no reason to believe that He was not taught other things necessary to carry out His great mission in life. All this is for the purpose
of presenting the logic and reasonableness of His [ 146 J
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education, and not for the purpose of attempting to prove that He must have had such education. There are ample records to show how and where He was educated, and these we will deal with at this time.
In the first place, I have already shown that Jesus was born in the family of two devout Essenes and in a community of Essenes. This in itself was sufficient to guarantee the young child the very highest education obtainable in any land at that time. Not only were the preparatory schools con- ducted by the Essenes sufficient to give every child an excellent education at the hands of teachers and masters who had been trained in many lands and raised to the highest degree of ethical and literary attainments, but the associations and connections which the Essenes maintained with their other branches in foreign lands guaranteed a very liberal education to this special Son of God, and this special charge of the Essene Brotherhood.
We are told in the accounts of His birth how the Magi, who were the learned wise men of the mystery temples and the chief instructors of the highest principles of education, came to the birth- place of Jesus to pay homage to Him, as the pre- ordained Avatar of the new cycle. This acknowl- edgement on the part of the great Magi indicates
that the little child was anticipated and expected [147]
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by the Brotherhood and by the Great White Lodge in all lands, and would be guided and protected throughout His life. To assume that these Magi paid such homage and adoration to one whom they knew to be the great and expected leader of hu- manity, and then did not show any further in- terest in His education, development, and training, and played no part in the development of His life, is to assume something that would be more of a mystery than any other phase of the life of Jesus as it appears in the authorized Christian version.
I have said that at the time of the Birth of Jesus, the Essenes constituted a large community in Galilee, and that they had hospices and refuge houses in various parts of Palestine for the care of the poor and needy. They also maintained the Supreme Temple in distant Egypt and minor tem- ples in Palestine and other places. I must point out now one other fact that has been held in secrecy for many centuries, and that will prob- ably explain many strange references in the sacred literature of the Christians and other sects.
The Nazarenes, the Nazarites, and the Essenes had united their interests in regard to one essential work, and it was this that is referred to by many authorities in religious and sacred histories and en- cyclopedias as being one of the common interests
which bound the Nazarenes, the Nazarites, and { 148 ]
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the Essenes. This work was the maintenance of a great school, college, and monastery on Mount Carmel. The introduction of this historical place into the life of Jesus may seem surprising to a great many of my readers, and for this reason a brief résumé of the history of Mount Carmel may be not only appropriate, but of value to those who wish to make further research in this regard. Just when the Mount of Carmel became the secret, sacred place for the maintenance of an iso- lated, protected school of mystics, and of the Great White Brotherhood, is not definitely known. The earliest historical incidents of a religious nature connected with Mount Carmel are those associ- ated with the lives of Elijah and his son. The ancient Jewish documents, as well as many of the writings preserved by the Roman Catholic Church, which in later years became greatly interested in the Mount of Carmel, show that from the earliest known period of the history of this Mount, a tabernacle, monastery, or temple of some kind was located there, and that when Elijah went to this mountain to carry out the many marvelous things recorded of him, he found a temple and an altar there. We also know, from references in various records, that many of the great masters of the Great White Brotherhood spent part of their
lives on this mountain in the temple or monastery. [ 149}
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Even Pythagoras spent part of his life there, and in the history of his life this retreat of Mount Car- mel is referred to as “sacred above all mountains and forbidden of access to the vulgar.” We find even in the Roman Catholic records, which have traced the history of Mount Carmel very carefully, references to the fact that “in ancient times the sacredness of Carmel seems to have been known to other nations besides Israel; thus in the list of places conquered by the Egyptian King, Thothmes the Third, there is a probable reference at Number 48 to the ‘Holy Headland’ of Carmel.” Those who are students of Rosicrucian history know that Thothmes the Third was one of the great found- ers of the early mystery schools of Egypt, and a leader in the movement that became the Great White Brotherhood. The Rosicrucian records also point out that Thothmes the Third in the year 1449 B.C., conquered Carmel and released it to those who sought to maintain in this out-of-the- way place a school and monastery for the mystery teachings.
Now it is well know that Elijah was a Naza- rite and an Essene, and that both the Jewish and Roman Catholic records refer to him as such. This one fact alone would be sufficient to indicate the nature of the demonstrations which Elijah per-
formed on Mount Carmel and the nature of the [ 150}
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monastery and temple maintained on the summit of the mountain.
In many of the old stichometrical lists and writ- ings and papers of the ancient ecclesiastical writers, mention appeared of an apocryphal “Apocalypse of Elias,” from which some citations are said to be found in Corinthians (1) 2:9, and elsewhere in the Bible. This old book or Apocalypse of Elias was known to the mystics of the Great White Brotherhood and is known to all of the Oriental Rosicrucians as a very sacred record of the early history and teachings of the Essenes and the Naza- renes. In the early Christian centuries and during the lifetime of the Master Jesus, the Apocalypse of Elias was well known and used in the sacred classes of the most advanced members of the organization. But like many other very valuable and illuminating records of early periods dealing with the more secret teachings, it was withdrawn from public use and became “‘lost.”. However, in 1893, Maspero, the famous historical writer, connected with the Rosicrucian Order of Egypt, found a Coptic trans- lation of it in one of the Brotherhood’s monasteries in Upper Egypt. Since then several other trans lations in other languages have been discovered in the archives of the Great White Brotherhood, and parts of these have been used in the recently issued higher teachings of the Rosicrucians. From this
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Apocalypse of Elias and from the other Rosicru- cian records, we learn much about the establish- ment of the monasteries and schools at Carmel, which were known as “the school of the prophets” or “the school of the Essenes.”
As years passed by, the attendance at the school and monastery at Carmel became so large that a community was established there, composed of those who were students, and they adopted a dis- tinct form of dress and remained within the monas- tery grounds throughout their entire lives except for the periods that they went forth to other lands as missionaries. It was here that many of the most ancient manuscripts were translated and illumi- nated on parchment and sent to the various ar- chives of the Great White Brotherhood through- out the world. A wonderful library was also main- tained at Carmel for many centuries. Members of this community were present at Saint Peter’s first sermon on Pentecost, and they built a chapel in honor of this occasion. Many other historical struc- tures existed there, such as El-Khadr, the school of the prophets, El-Muhraka, the traditional spot of Elias’ sacrifice, Elias’ Grotto, and the monastery itself.
About four hundred years after the Christian period, the monastery and school at Mount Carmel
were abandoned as the principal place of education [ 152]
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for the Great White Brotherhood, and the won- derful library and the thousands of manuscripts and records were transferred to the secret monas- tery of Tibet, where these things are now pre- served, and where the greatest school of mysticism and sacred literature in the world is maintained. Some centuries after this abandonment, an Order of a monkish nature was established in Carmel, and the members of this organization claimed to be descendants of those of the original organization, but likewise claimed to be Roman Catholic in faith. This contention caused much dispute for several centuries and was finally settled when Pope Inno- cent XII in 1698 decided that the claim of direct succession was not correct, and that the new or- ganization had no connection with the early Car- melite Brotherhood. Out of this decision grew the present organization known as the Carmelites, or White Friars, as they are called in England, which is a Roman Catholic organization popularly known as the Carmelite Order. Today in the midst of the ruins of the ancient Essene structure can be seen the Roman Catholic convent of the Carmelite or- ganization.
According to the Rosicrucian records, we find that in the sixth year of His life, the youthful Jesus was placed in the school at Carmel and began his preparation and training as a Son of God and
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an Avatar. There is no question about the authen- ticity of this statement. It is recorded in too many places and in too many different ways, and verified by so many later incidents in His life, that any question of this fact cannot be reasonably raised. The records further intimate that while He was an apt and perhaps unusually bright student, He was given every special advantage that the entire organization, not only in Palestine, but in Egypt as well, could give to one that was known to be their special charge and the greatest among them. It is also recorded that young Jesus was not en- tered in the school under the name of Jesus, but under the name of Joseph, and this presents an- other interesting fact for those who desire the most intimate details of His life.
It is commonly believed by Biblical students that the name of Jesus was given to the child at the time of His circumcision, in accordance with the custom of the land. This is based upon the fact that He was called Jesus later in His life, and that before His birth it was said that His name would be or should be Jesus. The Gospel of St. Luke tells us the familiar story of how an angel appeared to Mary and told her that the unborn child would be called Jesus. But this statement and that in St. Matthew are really prophecies. They say sim-
ply that Mary shall bring forth a child who shall be { 154 ]
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known as Jesus. In the historical record presented in Chapter V of this book, we find that Mary was told that the “holy life which shall be born to thee, shall be called the Son of God, and He shall attain the name of Jesus.”
Nowhere in the Christian Bible do we find the statement that He should be christened Jesus at the time of the circumcision, but we do find reference to such naming at His circumcision in the Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus. But these statements were added to these Gospels on the presumption that the name He bore later in life was the name that was given to Him at circumcision. The Gospels were written long after the lifetime of Jesus, and con- tained similar assumptions and inferences without foundation. From the time that the disciples knew Jesus or came in contact with Him, until the close of His life, He was known as Jesus and bore that name. Since they never knew him or contacted Him before He bore that name, they had no reason to believe that He ever had any other name. The fact that such a name was predicted for Him and that He eventually attained such a name, causes us to investigate the meaning of the name Jesus.
We know that the word “Christ” comes from the Greek word “Christos” which means “Mes siah.” We find that the word “Christos” was in-
troduced to other nations when the Septuagint [155]
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was prepared about 100 B.C., and that it was used to translate the word Mashiach which means “the anointed one,” or, in its more complete form, Meschiach, meaning ““Jahveh’s Anointed.” Cyrus is called “the anointed,” and in Psalm CV:15, the plural form “anointed ones” is used to apply to the patriarchs. In the Old Testament, the word “anointed” is limited to mean a Jewish King, ex- cept in the case of Cyrus and the patriarchs, which exceptions prove that it could mean a man great in more ways than one. The word or title “Christos” had been used in the mystery schools and in the Orient for the name and title of many of the for- mer Avatars.
Going back to the Septuagint, we find that the Greek word “Christos” originally came from the name of one of the Egyptian deities. There was old Hermes, whose name has been corrupted or translated into “Hiram of Tyre,” who built the temple without the noise of axe or hammer. The Latin form of this name is Mercury, while the Greek form is Hermes, and the Egyptian form was Tachut. Now in Hebrew, the word “Tachath,” which is called “Thoth” occasionally in Greek, means “under” and “beneath.” Thoth was the Lord or God of Maa, or the Egyptian Maa or
Maat, meaning “truth.” And Maa kHeru, mean- [ 156 ]
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ing “true words” is the basis from which came the Greek form “Merkury” or “Mercury.”
The Egyptian letter or diphthong “kH” is a highly aspirated H and by the Greeks is usually transcribed as X and, vice versa, the value of the Greek X is usually transcribed as “‘ch.” The kHeru of the Egyptians would be therefore, ““cheru” or “ChR.” These latter letters form the famous “XP,” or the cryptogram of the early Christians, which I personally saw and traced on several stones of the tombs in the Catacombs of Rome. It is generally accepted in all Christian historical records that this ““XP” referred to Christ, and in the Greek Gospel of John, Jesus is called the Logos, which is a word having a similar meaning. There- fore, we see that the term “Christ” was a title to be specifically applied to and attained by one who had been especially born and deified as a messenger of God.
Now the word “Jesus” presents the same under- standing. The old Hebrew form of the word as found in the Old Testament is Joshua, or Jeshua, and was often rendered as Jesu. The Greek form of the name is responsible for the final s. Origi- nally, the Hebrew form of Jeshua meant “helped of Yahveh,” while the later Hebrew form means “to deliver” or “to save.” Therefore, Jesus came
to be known as meaning “saviour.” [157]
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In the Synoptic Gospels we do not find the disciples at first calling their master by the name of Jesus, but they did call him “Rabbi” meaning “teacher” and “Adonai” meaning “master,” and other titles of respect and love.
The record of His entrance into the school at Carmel shows that He was entered as Joseph, the son of Mary and Joseph, and the reincarnation of Zoroaster, the “Son of God.” When and how He attained the name of Jesus is explained in another part of this work.
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