The missing 18 years.
After Jesus turned 12 we don't see him again. until age 30. We can speculate that he worked with his step father but there is no evidence of that. In fact, there is no evidence what ever happened to his step father. He sure was not on hand at the crucifixion or the resurrection. Some speculate he died. Who knows? We have 18 year of absolutely nothing on Jesus.
We know that he was made MAN by God and as such, lived as a man. We do know that Jesus was involved with John "The Baptist". We do know that Jesus wore simple tunic and carried no money ( Matthew 17) . We know he was furious with the Temple Tax collectors ( which caused his crucifixion on the same day he threw them out of the Jerusalem Temple). and that he held materialism in the lowest esteem. We also know that he spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. He is not known to write in any languages. He was scholarly in the Old Testament.
God made Jesus a MAN. He was called the Son Of MAN for a reason. Despite his late display of miracle healing and turning water into wine, God had Him raised and educated and tortured just like any Man. Where did he learn Aramaic? Mary didn't speak this unusual language. Why did he not eat meat? Show me he did? Where was he influenced? and by whom? Jesus has a real disdain for the Sanhedrin "ruling 70" assembly at the Jerusalem Temple head quarters. They killed him for that and attaching the Temple tax collectors.
The answer lies in the little discussed facts that there were three denominations in the Hebrew faith. Of course,you are familiar with the Sadducee and the Pharisee. These were the lions share of Jewish practitioners. But there was a third large sect known as the Essenes although they were better known as the Therapudis or "Doctors" for their faith healing activity. I will refer to them as Essenes but the term was late developing long after their extinction in 70 A.D. They started their movement circa 200 B.C. and built the cult on purity of religious practice,celibacy ( although there were a sub group that did marry). and anti materialism and disdain for money. Any of this sound familiar?.
Of greatest impact on the group was repeated daily washing to wash away sins. " Baptism" . John the Baptist was dedicated and famous to this practice.There was another primary belief of the Essenes that was a basic tenant of their doctrine. They expected a Massiah.
It took 3 to 5 years to become a member. Otherwise ,you were a prospect ( pledge) and treated as one. During that time and depending on your mentor ,you studied the old testament orally. You may have been taught several languages and taught to read (very rare in those day).
The Essenes originally gathered any and every scripture and parchment they could lay their hands on. They originally started in QUMRAN , about 11 miles from Jerusalem on the road to the dead sea. They later spread throughout Israel, Greece, Turkey and some think Rome. They numbered an estimated 4000 during the time of Christ. They did not congregate in buildings. They worked and met in public squares and markets where all went for information and the "news of the day and they were all to willing to proselyte their Essene beliefs. Upon graduation to member status they were expected to teach and heal others.
They actually were within Qumran and matriculated to an oasis near the Dead Sea 11 more miles to the North East. There was an oasis known now as Engeda , just a couple of miles from the 9 caves discovered in 1946 containing the immense library of the Essene scholars. Engeda was a commune of students and teachers juxtaposed to the warehoused texts and scriptures. It is theorized that John The Baptist was influenced and thus Jesus Himself was influenced by,but did not join the Essenes as a member. John was much too flamboyant and public for the Essenes who held such display as irreligious along with public prayer or any public display. Essenes were a secret society . They had no buildings except a storefront in Jerusalem known as "The Gate "used for private conferences presumably with new converts. But above all , they were communists. All material goods or wealth or food ( never meat) or drink was shared communally. Those that were studying lived communally in or near the oasis at Engeda. manuscripts were ferried back and forth from the caves. Students were read to and memorized old testament laws and scriptures.
If you want to understand how the Essene could know the scriptures and not read them just look at the Masonic Lodge tradition of passing down the philosophy and rules by tutor and memory work by the student . None of it is written down. This may be how Jesus and John the Baptist were taught. Nether show evidence of reading or writing which was extremely uncommon 2000 years ago. Those that could read would read to a gathering of students.
Both Jesus and John the Baptist spent years as prospects and neither graduated to membership. Both stood out as classic Essene in piety and practices. That cost John his head. The cost to Jesus was the plan of God for salvation.
Jesus failed to adopt Baptism as elemental as we see in the fact that none of his disciples were baptized in water "Baptism" and , of course , the thief that died with Jesus on the cross was not required to be baptized. Jesus was baptized with water by John largely because all "chief priests" were water baptized and they saw Jesus as the new chief priest . Paul was baptized "in the spirit" in Damascus Syria at the home of Ananias-- not water.
Jesus adopted apparent celibacy although many believe that the constant companionship of Mary Magdalene indicated a relationship. God made Jesus a man subject to all attributes of a man. I don't have any doubt that they were a couple.
Jesus adopted the attribute of anti-materialism . He did not tolerate the tithe as He stated in Matthew ,"A king does not tax his children" He held no esteem in money. He prayed only to God and never in public. References to feeding to masses where he "Gave Thanks" do not address public utterance. All Essene attributed.
Like all Essene he was a healer. Jesus did not use buildings . "Church" was not used by him and he built none. He used the Jewish Temples but I think that is where he was placed to attack the legalism that he was about to destroy with his sacrifice for our sins if we accepted his deity. The Essense were all seen as doctors of their time and ,like them Jesus, healed the wealthy and the poor with no regard to economic status. But Jesus had miraculous powers of healing far beyond the Essenes.
He practiced eating no meat and eating and sharing with his group seen clearly in the Upper Room with His Disciples.
He may have worked with his step father through his teens and then left home and began His quest for knowledge in Jerusalem and found the Essenes or they found him in the places of public gathering. He undoubtedly survived in communal living.
None of this effects his deity. It was all Gods plan for the mortal side of His Diety. Son of God. His practices and life style show tremendous Essene influence far beyond mere coincidence,
After Jesus turned 12 we don't see him again. until age 30. We can speculate that he worked with his step father but there is no evidence of that. In fact, there is no evidence what ever happened to his step father. He sure was not on hand at the crucifixion or the resurrection. Some speculate he died. Who knows? We have 18 year of absolutely nothing on Jesus.
We know that he was made MAN by God and as such, lived as a man. We do know that Jesus was involved with John "The Baptist". We do know that Jesus wore simple tunic and carried no money ( Matthew 17) . We know he was furious with the Temple Tax collectors ( which caused his crucifixion on the same day he threw them out of the Jerusalem Temple). and that he held materialism in the lowest esteem. We also know that he spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. He is not known to write in any languages. He was scholarly in the Old Testament.
God made Jesus a MAN. He was called the Son Of MAN for a reason. Despite his late display of miracle healing and turning water into wine, God had Him raised and educated and tortured just like any Man. Where did he learn Aramaic? Mary didn't speak this unusual language. Why did he not eat meat? Show me he did? Where was he influenced? and by whom? Jesus has a real disdain for the Sanhedrin "ruling 70" assembly at the Jerusalem Temple head quarters. They killed him for that and attaching the Temple tax collectors.
The answer lies in the little discussed facts that there were three denominations in the Hebrew faith. Of course,you are familiar with the Sadducee and the Pharisee. These were the lions share of Jewish practitioners. But there was a third large sect known as the Essenes although they were better known as the Therapudis or "Doctors" for their faith healing activity. I will refer to them as Essenes but the term was late developing long after their extinction in 70 A.D. They started their movement circa 200 B.C. and built the cult on purity of religious practice,celibacy ( although there were a sub group that did marry). and anti materialism and disdain for money. Any of this sound familiar?.
Of greatest impact on the group was repeated daily washing to wash away sins. " Baptism" . John the Baptist was dedicated and famous to this practice.There was another primary belief of the Essenes that was a basic tenant of their doctrine. They expected a Massiah.
It took 3 to 5 years to become a member. Otherwise ,you were a prospect ( pledge) and treated as one. During that time and depending on your mentor ,you studied the old testament orally. You may have been taught several languages and taught to read (very rare in those day).
The Essenes originally gathered any and every scripture and parchment they could lay their hands on. They originally started in QUMRAN , about 11 miles from Jerusalem on the road to the dead sea. They later spread throughout Israel, Greece, Turkey and some think Rome. They numbered an estimated 4000 during the time of Christ. They did not congregate in buildings. They worked and met in public squares and markets where all went for information and the "news of the day and they were all to willing to proselyte their Essene beliefs. Upon graduation to member status they were expected to teach and heal others.
They actually were within Qumran and matriculated to an oasis near the Dead Sea 11 more miles to the North East. There was an oasis known now as Engeda , just a couple of miles from the 9 caves discovered in 1946 containing the immense library of the Essene scholars. Engeda was a commune of students and teachers juxtaposed to the warehoused texts and scriptures. It is theorized that John The Baptist was influenced and thus Jesus Himself was influenced by,but did not join the Essenes as a member. John was much too flamboyant and public for the Essenes who held such display as irreligious along with public prayer or any public display. Essenes were a secret society . They had no buildings except a storefront in Jerusalem known as "The Gate "used for private conferences presumably with new converts. But above all , they were communists. All material goods or wealth or food ( never meat) or drink was shared communally. Those that were studying lived communally in or near the oasis at Engeda. manuscripts were ferried back and forth from the caves. Students were read to and memorized old testament laws and scriptures.
If you want to understand how the Essene could know the scriptures and not read them just look at the Masonic Lodge tradition of passing down the philosophy and rules by tutor and memory work by the student . None of it is written down. This may be how Jesus and John the Baptist were taught. Nether show evidence of reading or writing which was extremely uncommon 2000 years ago. Those that could read would read to a gathering of students.
Both Jesus and John the Baptist spent years as prospects and neither graduated to membership. Both stood out as classic Essene in piety and practices. That cost John his head. The cost to Jesus was the plan of God for salvation.
Jesus failed to adopt Baptism as elemental as we see in the fact that none of his disciples were baptized in water "Baptism" and , of course , the thief that died with Jesus on the cross was not required to be baptized. Jesus was baptized with water by John largely because all "chief priests" were water baptized and they saw Jesus as the new chief priest . Paul was baptized "in the spirit" in Damascus Syria at the home of Ananias-- not water.
Jesus adopted apparent celibacy although many believe that the constant companionship of Mary Magdalene indicated a relationship. God made Jesus a man subject to all attributes of a man. I don't have any doubt that they were a couple.
Jesus adopted the attribute of anti-materialism . He did not tolerate the tithe as He stated in Matthew ,"A king does not tax his children" He held no esteem in money. He prayed only to God and never in public. References to feeding to masses where he "Gave Thanks" do not address public utterance. All Essene attributed.
Like all Essene he was a healer. Jesus did not use buildings . "Church" was not used by him and he built none. He used the Jewish Temples but I think that is where he was placed to attack the legalism that he was about to destroy with his sacrifice for our sins if we accepted his deity. The Essense were all seen as doctors of their time and ,like them Jesus, healed the wealthy and the poor with no regard to economic status. But Jesus had miraculous powers of healing far beyond the Essenes.
He practiced eating no meat and eating and sharing with his group seen clearly in the Upper Room with His Disciples.
He may have worked with his step father through his teens and then left home and began His quest for knowledge in Jerusalem and found the Essenes or they found him in the places of public gathering. He undoubtedly survived in communal living.
None of this effects his deity. It was all Gods plan for the mortal side of His Diety. Son of God. His practices and life style show tremendous Essene influence far beyond mere coincidence,