CHAPTER IX

JESUS ENTERS THE PRIESTHOOD V
#—| HE ONE definite comment made on the early life of Jesus in the popular stories of His life, especially those of churchly Fe3| origin, tells about the wonderful impres- sion which the child made upon the learned Doctors and Masters at the time of His visit to Jerusalem in His thirteenth year. Even among the most advanced of Christian theologians and in nearly all of the extensive histories of His life, the real facts pertaining to this visit to Jeru- salem are misunderstood or misrepresented through a lack of knowledge of what actually occurred.
I have already said that Jesus and His parents lived as Gentiles in the Gentile section of Palestine but had to obey the Jewish customs and regulations of the land. One of these regulations was that in accordance with strict Jewish law, it devolved upon each boy in his thirteenth year to attend one of the feasts at Jerusalem. He had to appear offi- cially under certain conditions and at a certain place for a definite ceremony, and then become what was called ‘“‘a Son of the Commandment,”
or “of the Torah.” The usual time for such a [ 159 }
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visit was on the first Paschal Feast after the boy had passed his twelfth birthday. According to the story, the parents of Jesus took Him with their other children in the company of other Nazarenes to Jerusalem. The text of the Christian version seems to indicate that it was “their wont to go” up to the temple. This is evidently a mistake on the part of the writers or translators, because as Gentiles, the parents of Jesus were not accustomed to attending all of the feasts and ceremonies of the Jewish church, for the law did not require that of any but those who were strictly orthodox and wholeheartedly affiliated with the Jewish religion. Since Jesus was the first born of the children in the family and, therefore, the oldest, He was the only one of the children of Mary and Joseph who had attained the age when such visits were com- pulsory, and so this must have been their first obe’ dience to this law of the land. I find that even some of the highest critics of Christian literature agree that the phrase “it was their wont” to go, should be read in that sense which puts the parti- ciple in the present tense and not in the aorist. Hence we understand how glad Mary and Joseph were to avail themselves of this opportunity to visit the Holy Sanctuary in Jerusalem, and bring their wonderful child before those officials who
would conduct a formal examination. [ 160 ]
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This Paschal Feast in Jerusalem was held in the spring and Caponius was acting as Procurator, and Annas ruled in the temple as High Priest. Out of Galilee walked this holy family, accompanied by a host of other Gentiles, Nazarenes, Nazarites, Es- senes, and some Jews, chanting as they went, and making of the event a gala occasion. The ranks of these travelers were swelled by other festive bands who united in chanting the Psalms of Ascent to the accompaniment of the flute, and unquestion- ably discussing the spiritual principles involved in the ceremonies to be held. It was a long journey as we would view it in these days. Recently I made the trip in a very fast automobile from Naza- reth to Jerusalem, and found that it required the better part of a day to do it. All through the beau- tiful section of Palestine which these pilgrims had to traverse, composed of hills and valleys, magnifi- cently tinted with the beautiful green of that coun- try and spotted with flowers, one could still see the ancient trail of footpaths that led up over the hills and down into the valleys in almost a straight line from the present site called Nazareth to Jeru- salem and over which the pilgrims walked in their journeys to and fro. Even today the natives of that country walk these same paths or ride on their
donkeys garbed as in the times of Christ, present- [ 161]
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ing a picture that carries one back hundreds of years.
When the tired pilgrims finally reached the gates of Jerusalem, the problem of being housed and cared for must have been a serious matter, for the Feast brought nearly the entire population of Palestine into the environs of Jerusalem for three or four days. The Essenes, Nazarites, and Naza- renes were fortunate inasmuch as at the city gate, and in places nearby, there were special houses and structures owned by the Essenes and Nazarenes for the care of their own people and for pilgrims and strangers who needed their care.
The scene must have been a glorious one for the youthful child, making perhaps the first long trip in His life. The school at Carmel is but a short distance from the villages of Galilee, as compared with the long distance that stretches between them and Jerusalem, and we may easily realize how im- pressed the child must have been with the sight of so many pilgrims, the chanting, the music of the flute, the wayside prayers, the excitement, and finally the greetings and preparations at the city gate.
. So little has been told about the Temple and Sanctuary where Jesus attended the Feast that perhaps a few words about this place will be of
interest to my readers. As the pilgrims reached [ 162}
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the place of the Temple, they found it necessary to ascend a mount crested by beautiful buildings symmetrically proportioned and gigantic enough to hold within their walls not fewer than two hun- dred thousand persons. The mount on which the structures stood rose abruptly from out of the valley, much like an island that rises out of the sea. And around it, in the greenness of the valley, was a mass of walls, palaces, houses, and streets reflecting the bright sunlight from the snowy mar- ble and glittering gold. About one thousand square feet of the mount was occupied by the Sanctuary and Temple. At the northwestern angle and con- nected with the main structure was the Castle of Antonia held by the Roman garrison. The lofty walls were pierced by massive gates. One unused gate known as the Tedi was on the north; on the: east was the Susa gate which opened on the arched roadway to the Mount of Olives. There were also the two Huldah gates, which led by tunnels from the priest-suburb Ophel into the outer court, and on the west were four other gates.
Within the gates the court was surrounded by double colonnades with benches here and there for those who resorted to prayer, or for confer- ences. The southern double colonnades, with a wide space between, were the most magnificent.
The eastern colonnade was the most venerable, [ 163 ]
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and was known as the ancient “Solomon’s Porch.” Entering the court from the bridge under the tower of John, the pilgrim would pass along the southern colonnade to the eastern extremity over which rose a tower known as the Pinnacle, and referred to in the history of the Temptation. From this lofty pinnacle, the priests each morning watched and announced the sunrise, and four hun- dred and fifty feet beneath this tower yawned the Kedron valley. Within these colonnaded areas were the meeting places of the first and lowest of the three Sanhedrins, known as the Temple; the second or intermediate court of appeal usually held in what was called the Court of the Priests; and the highest of the courts known as the Great Sanhedrin, which was often referred to as the “hall of hewn square stones.”
Passing out of the colonnades and porches, one would enter the court of the Gentiles, or what the Jews called the Mount of the House, which was the widest on the west side. This was called the chol, or profane place to which the Gentiles retired during the Feast, and it was here also that the mar- ket place was located for the sale of various need- ful articles, along with the money changers. Be- yond this Gentile section was a wall which marked a space beyond which no Gentile or person not
strictly orthodox might proceed. Thus, the Gen- [ 164 ]
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tiles, which included the Essenes, Nazarites, the Nazarenes, and those who had not adopted the Jewish faith completely, had to assemble in a spe- cial place set aside for them.
The Sanctuary itself was on a higher terrace than the Court of the Priests. Twelve steps led up to its porch, and here in separate chambers was kept all that was necessary for the sacrificial serv- ices. A two-leaved gate opened into the Sanctuary which was divided into two parts. The holy place had the golden candlestick in the south, and the table of the Shewbread in the north, with the golden altar of incense between them. The mysti- cal Veil referred to so often in the ceremonies of the mystery temples of Egypt, from which the Veil in the Jewish sanctuary was derived, con- cealed the entrance to the most Holy-Place, which was an empty place in the temple containing noth- ing but the piece of rock, the Eben Shethiyah, or foundation stone, which, according to tradition, covered the mouth of the pit, and on which the world was founded.
These few details cannot give an adequate idea of the vastness of the temple buildings, for all around the sanctuary and colonnaded courts were various chambers and outbuildings which served
different purposes connected with the services. [ 165]
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It was in the Gentile section of the entire en- closure that Joseph and His parents along with the others of their class assembled. It was necessary for the Gentiles to be present only for the first two days of the Feast. On the third day, therefore, were held the special ceremonies for the strictly orthodox, and for the rest of those in attendance, the third and following days were so-called “half- holy days” when it was lawful for all in attendance to return home if need be. It was at this time that Joseph was brought before the learned doctors im- mediately after the ceremony for examination and questioning. Undoubtedly there were many other children of His age present on this occasion, and undoubtedly the questioning was the same for all of them, but we are told that the answers which Joseph gave provoked intense interest in Him, and that after the usual questions had been asked of all the children, and the parents and children had proceeded on their way, young Joseph was re- tained for further questioning and a special ex- amination.
We are told in old records that on the last days of the Feast, and when the actual Feast itself had been celebrated and the usual ceremonies com- pleted, it was customary for the doctors of the Temple-Sanhedrin to come out upon the terrace of
the Temple and there to preach or discuss certain [ 166 }
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doctrines and conduct a forum, or ask questions of those in whom they were especially interested. It was in such an audience as this, out on the terrace and informally conducted, that Joseph was found after His parents had started on their way home with their other children and missed Him, accord- ing to the Christian version of the story.
As I have intimated, there was nothing extraor- dinary about the fact that one or more children had been retained by the doctors for special ex- amination. Many writers of the life of Jesus, and many Christian authorities who have analyzed this incident in His life, have attempted to speculate upon the nature of the questions and answers which brought Jesus to the attention of these doc- tors. Some of them seem to have come to the con- clusion that Jesus was taking part in one of the usual scientific classes designated as Kallah, at which time not only the doctors but the most ana- lytical of the Jewish scholars discussed the doc- trines, practices, customs, and habits of the Jewish church. Such sessions required considerable prepa- ration on the part of the lecturing Rabbis or doc- tors, and considerable Talmudic knowledge on the part of the attendants.
Many of these discussions dealt with the estab- lishment of new rules and regulations, and the
authoritative interpretation of Jewish rules. For [ 167 }
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instance, the great Hillel took part in a discussion in this court regarding the propriety of offering the Passover on the Sabbath, and by his great logic proved that it was appropriate to do so, and was honored for his services in this regard. It is hardly to be believed that the youthful Joseph could or would participate in such discussions as were com- mon to the Kallah, even if the learned doctors had considered Him old enough or wise enough to be present. Furthermore, the fact that Joseph was a Gentile, and not of the strictly orthodox faith, would have prevented Him from participating in this class. And there is another consideration: these classes were held in the last month of sum- mer (Elul) before the feast of the new year, and in the last winter month (Adar) immediately be- fore the feast of the Passover, but it was in the spring that Joseph attended the Paschal Feast. Another speculation on the part of some theo- logical writers is to the effect that perhaps the parents of Joseph, realizing that the boy was about to enter into a new cycle of His life, informed Him regarding His Divine Birth and Sonship and that He in turn presented these facts to the learned doc- tors at the temple and discussed the important principles involved. This explanation is more un- sound than any other, for the simple reason that
the young man was on His way to the temple in [ 168 ]
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obedience to a law which definitely outlined the procedure and the purpose of the occasion, and it would have availed Him nothing to have argued in behalf of His special appointment from on high. It is very doubtful, indeed, if the doctors assembled at the court would have permitted Him to make any plea or explanation in behalf of His own Divine place in life, and certainly would not have set aside other tasks to listen to any such unique presentation.
We can thoroughly understand just what did happen when we examine the facts in the case, and reenact the entire scene. The youths of Palestine were called upon to come to the temple in their thirteenth year in order to partake of the Paschal Feast, and thereby acknowledge obedience to the Jewish religious law. It was a purely formal regis- tration intended to supply the church with a com- plete list of those who had attained that age where they could be counted as of the faith or out of it. It was natural, therefore, that before being per- mitted to partake of the Feast, every young man was questioned in a categorical manner, being asked a list of questions, which would reveal the religious faith and ideas of each applicant. These questions had been asked for many years, and con- sidered a standard catechism. The catechism for
Gentiles was different from that used for those [ 169 }
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who were strictly orthodox, and born in the faith. In other words, the questions asked of those who were assembled in the Gentile section of the court were quite different from those asked of the youths assembled in the orthodox section.
Our records indicate that Joseph had been some- what prepared by His education at Carmel and by His contact with the orthodox Jews to answer the questions that would be asked of a Gentile regis- trant at the Feast. It was the belief that only such questions would be asked of Him as were asked of other youths, and that He would answer them in proper manner, that made the parents leave their child alone in the class for youths while they went into an adjoining building where adult Gentiles were given a different examination, pre paratory to participating formally in the Paschal Feast. It was probably the plan that after young Joseph had finished His examination and had en- tered the Sanctuary along with the other youths in the Gentile class, He would meet His parents out in the general court and proceed with them on their return.
According to the story, the parents proceeded homeward with their other children, and with a large band of others who were returning to Gali- lee, and it was not until they were half-way home
that they discovered that young Joseph was not in [170]
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the large party of pilgrims. The fact that His ab- sence was not noticed during the first part of the trip plainly indicates that young Joseph was relied upon to take care of Himself and to look after His own interests, and that the parents were more concerned with the care of the younger members of the family.
That young Joseph was well educated, unusu- ally alert of mind, and in every sense well prepared to take care of Himself is not only indicated by this incident but by what actually happened in Jerusalem. It is recorded that during the formal examination, and while young Joseph was answer- ing the categorical questions put to all of the youths, He gave explanations in regard to some doctrinal points that involved a new angle, a broader insight, and a higher idealism regarding the mystical side of the theological points. This so surprised the learned doctors that they asked young Joseph to remain after the class had com- pleted its work, and after they had all partaken of the Paschal Feast. He was then called before a group of the learned men of the Great Sanhedrin and further questioned, and then requested to remain within the temple grounds until the fol: lowing day, when He would be interviewed by a
court composed of the highest officials, High 171}
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Priests, and learned teachers. It was here that young Joseph was found on the third day.
According to the records, I find that young Joseph did not put any particular emphasis upon His Divine appointment as a Messenger of God, nor refer in any particular manner to the pre- ordained mission of His life. He did reveal the fact that He was a special student of the Essenes at Mount Carmel, and that it was His intention to carry out the plans of the Brotherhood and visit the higher schools of instruction in foreign lands, including the academy and mystery school at Heli- opolis. What this may have indicated to the minds of the learned Jewish doctors is not definitely stated. One question put to young Joseph does indicate that they immediately suspected Him of being a selected leader for the future work of His Brotherhood. However, this in itself would not have aroused any curiosity or particular interest on the part of these doctors, and evidently it did not antagonize them, inasmuch as they did not express any idea regarding young Joseph’s ap- parent refusal to do otherwise than accept merely the formal commandment making Him an adopted Jew of the country.
Their surprise and keen interest centered around the unusual insight that young Joseph had regard- ing religious, theological, and mystical principles,
(1
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and His very clear exposition of spiritual laws. For this reason they were amazed at His ‘“‘com- binative insight” or unusual spiritual intelligence and “discerning answers.” If young Joseph had revealed to these doctors some of the principles taught by the Essenes, and was the apt student which the Brotherhood records in its reports, then He must have astounded these doctors who were learned only in the traditional teachings of their own faith, and unaccustomed to the newer and higher ideas taught in the Brotherhood schools. Young Joseph did reveal, however, in very posi- tive terms, that in a few months He would finish the preliminary courses of instruction at the school at Carmel, and that in accordance with the rules and regulations of the organization, He would leave Galilee early in the fall to go to the schools in foreign lands, and that He would not return to Palestine for many years. Thus He explained His reasons for not doing more than formally obeying the command to appear for registration, and not promising to attend the Synagogues, regularly, or become a true disciple of the Jewish faith. The fact that He had been circumcised made Him potentially a Jew so far as fundamental prepara- tion for admission into the Jewish faith as a Gen- tile was concerned, and there was no way by
which the Jewish church could force this young (av73'
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man, or any other of the Gentile youths, to be- come an orthodox follower of the Jewish religion.
Young Joseph was not the first ambitious youth of the country who had gone to Egypt and other lands to acquire a higher education or to make more successful contacts with the larger things in life, and the fact of His determination to travel for the betterment of His education did not cause any surprise in the minds of these doctors. How- ever, His entire attitude and the free and easy manner in which He spoke of His plans did sur- prise these men who were accustomed to having the youths of the land show them greater consider- ation and less independence.
So when the parents of young Joseph found Him sitting in the midst of a group of learned men, and succeeded in calling Him aside and re- minding Him of their concern and sorrow when they missed Him, He may have made the reply which Christian literature has made very famous, and which our records do not reveal at all. But if He did say that He had been very busy attending to His Father’s business, we can understand that He was referring to the entire scheme of His life. Certainly He must have felt that He was about His Father’s business when He was making plain to His inquisitors the nature of His beliefs and
convictions, the reason for His contemplated jour- [1744
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neys to other lands, and His inability to become a devout attendant at the Synagogues in Palestine.
After young Joseph and His parents returned to their home village, He was sent again to the school on Mount Carmel, there to live and finish His term of preliminary instruction.
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