Jesus Died In Kashmir By A. Faber-kaiser.pdf

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JESUS DIED IN KASHMIR Jesus, Moses and the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel

A. Faber-Kaiser

GORDON & CREMONESI

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© Andreas Faber-Kaiser J976 © English translation Gordon Cremonesi Ltd 1977

AU rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publishers. Designed by Heather Gordon Set in 12 on 14 Times by Preface Graphics Ltd., Salisbury, England and printed in Great Britain by Anchor Press Ltd. ISBN 0-86033-041-9

Gordon Cremonesi Ltd New River House 34 Seymour Road London N8 OBE

CONTENTS page

List Of Illustrations Introduction

vii

Are the Child Jesus and Jesus Christ One and the Same Person? The Silence Of the Gospels The Discovery Of Nicolai Notovitch Jesus's First Journey to India

7 8 10 15

2

From the Cross To Kashmir Pilate Sympathises With Jesus Jesus Dici Not Die On the Cross The Turin Shroud Jesus Was Alive When He Left the Sepulchre

21 22 26 28 36

3

Jesus's "Second Life" In Search Of the Lost Tribes Of Israel Books That Testify To the Israelite Origins Of the Afghans and Kashmiris Linguistic Parallels Between Names Occurring In Kashmir and Neighbouring Lands and Names Found In the Bible

39 52

4

Jesus's Objective: Kashmir Mary Was Buried in Pakistan The Meadow Of Jesus: Gateway To Kashmir Jesus Settled In Kashmir Jesus's Conversation With Shallewahin Jesus, Family Man The Death Of Jesus In Kashmir The Tomb Of Jesus In Kashmir The Official Decree Referring To the Rozabal

v

57

59 75 82 84 86 88 90 96 98 104

Ladakh, Land Of Jesus and Of Christians The Crucifixion Of Sandiman Chronological Proof

5 Moses: Buried In Kashmir? The Tomb Of Moses Places In Kashmir That Bear the Name Of Moses The "Stone Of Moses" The "Staff Of Moses" - Also Known As the "Staff Of Jesus"

106 109 Ill

119 123 128 129 133

6 The Parallel Natures Of Jesus and Buddha

135

7 The Ahmadiyya Movement

141

8 People Connected With the Subject of This Book

149

9 My Personal Testament

159

Location Of Principal Sites and Monuments In Relation To Srinagar

167 169 170 181

Notes Bibliography Index

vi

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

(Maps and Illustrations In Text) page The position of Kashmir in Asia Route of Jesus's first journey to India Route of Jesus's second journey to India Sahibz.ada Basharet Saleem's letter .Plan of Srinagar Plan of Jesus's tomb in the Rozabal Moses's tomb and surrounding area Plan of the enclosure of Moses's tomb

II 17

78 93 99 101 124 126

{Illustrations between pages 88 and 89)

I Sahibz.ada Basharet Saleem, Jesus's descendant 2 The carving of Jesus's footprints showing the crucifixion scars 3 Jesus's tomb in the Roz.abal in Srinagar 4 & 5 The interior of the Rozaba l 6 The sign marking Jesus's tomb outside the Roz.abal 7 The decree of 1766 by the Grand Mufti of Kashmir 8 The exterior of the Rozabal 9 The main entrance of the R ozabal 10 Aishmuqam ("Jesus's Resting Place") II The entrance to the shrine at Aishmuqam 12 The st reets of Khanyar near the Rozabal 13 Srinagar, Kashmir's floating capital 14 The view of Srinagar from the "Throne of Solomon" 15 & 16 Two pages from the diaries of Dr Marx and Dr Franke 17 The lamasery of Hemis near Leh in Ladakh vii

18 The original Sanskrit ms. of the Bhavishya Mahapurana 19 Verses describing Jesus in a modern edition of the Bhavishya Mahapurana 20 The "Throne of Solomon" 21 The inscription on the "Throne of Solomon" announcing Jesus's presence in Kashmir before 78 AD Mount Nebo where Moses is buried 22 23 Moses's grave 24 The author with the custodian of Moses's grave 25 The carved names of the succession of Jewish custodians of Moses's grave 26 The "Stone of Moses" 27 The river where Moses bathed 28 The view of the Promised Land from Moses's grave 29 Lake Nagin on which Srinagar is situated 30 The Bani Israel or "Children of Israel" 31 Yusmarg ("The Meadow of Jesus"), Jesus's· entry point into Kashmir

viii

INTRODUCTION

Why seek ye the living among the dead? (Luke 24:5.)

Jesus was crucified at about noon on a Friday, and before sunset on that same day his body was taken down from the cross and la id to rest in Joseph of Arimathaea's rock sepulch re . A large stone blocked off the entrance. On Sunday, his body disappeared from the tomb. The Biblical prophecy had been fulfilled: Jesus had risen from the dead. After a short interval with his disciples on earth, he then ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. This is the accepted Christian dogma. But is not the whole story, for J esus's body is said to lie in the crypt of the "Rozabal" in the Khanyar district of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. How can this be possible if the Biblical account of Jesus's crucifixion, death and resurrection is correct? The fact is that there is no historical evidence that Jesus did die on the cross, and there is no record that anyone witnessed the resurrection. There is, though,

considerable evidence that a man with the same ideas and philosophy as Jesus set out eastwards at precisely this time, leaving behind him a trail of proof of his life and acts. This man made his way to Kashmir, where he remained until his death. This evidence forms the basis of the hypothesis that 1 put forward in this book: that Jesus did not die on the cross, and that, once his crucifixion wounds had healed, he travelled eastwards in search of the ten lost tribes of Israel, who lived thousands of miles east of Palestine. 1 suggest that he departed from Palestine with his mother Mary and his disciple Thomas, who accompanied him on the long trek east to Kashmir, the land known as "Heaven on Earth". Mary did not survive the rigours of the journey, but died in Pakistan, near the border with Kashmir. Her reputed tomb there is still venerated as the burial place of Jesus's mother. Jesus settled down in Kashmir, began a new life, and finally died a natural death at a ripe old age. Thomas, who was with Jesus when he died, returned to visit Mary's tomb, then made his way to southern India, where he died. Numerous legends, traditions and ancient texts indicate that Jesus came to Kashmir from Palestine and died there. They also tell us that he fathered children in Kashmir. A man now living in Srinagar, Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, has in his possession a genealogical table tracing his descent directly from Jesus. There is also evidence that Jesus visited Kashmir during his youth, of which the Bible says virtually nothing more than that he visited Jerusalem when he 2

was twelve. At the end of the last century, Nicolai Notavich, a Russian traveller, discovered copies of some ancient documents in the lamasery of Remis in Ladakh, near the Kashmir-Tibet border. These manuscripts, preserved for centuries by the Himalayan lamas, recorded Jesus's early trip to India, accounting for precisely the eighteen years of his life of which the Bible says nothing. If we accept only the Biblical version of Christ's life, this long gap would occasion serious doubts about whether the child and the man Jesus are the same person. Not only the New Testament, but also the Old Testament, seems to have links with Kashmir. A small Jewish community living in the mountains near Lake Wular claim to have been custodians of the tomb of their ancestral leader Moses for the past 3,500 years. This tradition too helps to fill in a gap in the Biblical narrative, since the account in Deuteronomy states that no one knows precisely where Moses is buried. Moreover, whereas the places to which the Bible refers in connection with Moses's death have not been certainly identified in the area of Palestine, their names do occur in connection with places near the reputed tomb of Moses in Kashmir. Similarly, there are numerous places in Kashmir whose names incorporate the names of Jesus and Moses. These too bear witness that Jesus and Moses were there. None of this is new. Persian and Kashmiri historical works and Kashmiri traditions make reference to these matters, and an Islamic sect founded at the end of the last century (the Ahmadiyya movement) has taken a 3

particular interest in the subject of Jesus's tomb in Srinagar, publishing numerous works on Jesus's links with Kashmir. In addition , a distinguished archaeologist, Professor Fida Hassnain, director of the archives , libraries and monuments in the care of the Kashmiri state government, has closely researched , and is still researching, the subject, as well as that of Moses's links with the area. However, despite the attention that these matters have received, the vast majority of the public know nothing of them. I feel that the time has now come to inform the world at large that it is probable that Jesus did not die on the cross, and that he died a natural death at a ripe old age, after having travelled east from Palestine to find and preach to the lost tribes of Israel, in Kashmir. In the pages that follow I have tried to compile a concise documentary dossier of all that is known about Jesus's "second" life and about the possibility that Moses died in Kashmir. This book therefore seeks to complement the Holy Scriptures by offering logical explanations to fill out and clarify parts of the Biblical narrative. It should be noted that the names Yusu, Yuza, Yuz Asaf, Issa, Issana, lsa and so on, which appear in Kashrniri and other oriental sources, are all local equivalents of the name Jesus. Thus, when 1 refer to Jesus, I may be translating any one of the many versions of his name. Toponymic prefixes such as Yus-, Ish- or Aish- also refers to Jesus, and Musa is the Arabic name by which Moses is known in Kashmir. I feel I must stress at the outset that this book is 4

not an Ahmadiyya tract, and that it owes its origins to no sect, group or movement. lt is merely the result of my personal efforts to investigate various facts that may shed new light on the mysterious aspects of Jesus's life. A.F.K. July 1976

5

Chapter I

ARE THE CHILD JESUS AND JESUS CHRIST ONE. AND THE SAME PERSON?

The Silence Of the Gospels After recounting various events associated with Jesus's birth, the four canonical gospels are almost completely silent about the events of his life up to the time when he was thirty years old. The only account of the intervening years is given in Luke 2:39-52 (all Biblical quotations are taken from the King James version, as being still the most widely circulated): And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem according to the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the 8

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midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. The next event of Jesus's life to be recounted is his baptism by John at the age of thirty, at which time he began his ministry (see Luke 3:23). This occurred eighteen years after the incident at the temple, leaving a considerable gap in the Biblical account of Jesus's life. We must not be satisfied with this silence, and, indeed, may fairly ask if the man who emerged into public life at thirty is actually the same as the child born in Bethlehem.

9

The Discovery Of Nicolai Notovitch On our first visit to Professor Hassnain, at his home in Srinagar, he told us about the origins of his belief that Jesus went to Kashmir. One bitter January he was snowbound in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, a mountainous region between Kashmir and Tibet. In order to kill time, he began perusing old texts and manuscripts preserved in the libraries of the lamasery (monastery) of Leh, and in so doing he came across diaries kept by the German missionary doctors Marx and Francke, missionaries of a religious group who visited remote parts of the world. They did not go to the chief towns, such as Srinagar and New Delhi, but to the most isolated places, such as Leh in Ladakh. The diary was in forty volumes and dated 1894. Professor Hassnain, who does not read German, the language in which the diary was written, was nonetheless curious about the manuscript and started looking through its pages. In it he came across a name written in red - San /ssa and opposite it the name Nicolai Notovich. As he was unable to read the text, he photographed the two pages in question (pp.118 and 119) and on his return to Srinagar had them translated. He found out that they referred to some manuscripts discovered by Notovich at the lamasery of Hemis, twenty-four miles south-east of Leh. According to these manuscripts, Jesus had been in India and in the most northerly regions of Tibet and of Ladakh precisely during these eighteen years of which the Bible says nothing of his 10

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whereabouts. The two German missionaries did not believe Notovich's information, and neither do those in charge of the Ahmadiyya movement; but Professor Hassnain is convinced of the authenticity of Notovich's testimony and believes not only that Jesus travelled to Kashmir in his early manhood, but also that he was saved from death on the cross and fled to Kashmir afterwards. But let us examine Notovich's text. Nicolai Notovich was a Russian traveller who at the end of the last century explored the region known as "Little Tibet", bordering Kashmir and Ladakh. After visiting Leh (the capital of Ladakh), Notovich continued his journey as far as the lamasery of Hemis, which is one of the principal lamaseries of the region and houses a vast library of religious books. In talking to the head lama there, Notovich mentioned that on a recent visit to the lamasery of Moulbeck, situated among the peaks that soar over the town of Wakha, very stirring things about a prophet called Isa had been related to him. The lama told him that the name Isa was highly respected among the Buddhists, but that the only ones familiar with the prophet's activities were those lamas who had read the scrolls relating his life. In all there were 84,000 scrolls full of details about the prophets, of whom Isa was but one, and very few people had read even a hundredth part of these voluminous records. However, it was the custom that each pupil or lama who visited Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, had to present a copy of one or more of these scrolls to the monastery to which he be belonged. The lamasery of Hemis had 12

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built up a large library of these scrolls, and among them were descriptions of the life and work of the prophet Isa, who was said to have spread the sacred doctrines in India and among the sons of Israel. The lama went on to explain that the scrolls in which the life and work of Isa were narrated had been brought to Tibet from India and Nepal. The originals were written in the Pali language and rested in Lhasa, but copies in Tibetan existed in Hemis. This was not common knowledge, for, apart from the great lamas who had dedicated their entire lives to the study of the scrolls relating Isa's life, hardly anyone knew anything about Isa. As his doctrine was not an essential part of Buddhism, and as the worshippers of Isa, the Christians, did not accept the authority of the Dalai Lama, Isa, like many other prophets, was not recognised by the Buddhists as one of their principal saints. At this point Notovich asked the lama if a stranger might be permitted to see the lamasery's copies of the scrolls about Isa; and in reply the lama said that what belonged to God belonged also to men, and that it was his duty to assist the dissemination of the scriptures. However, he went on to say that he had no idea exactly where in the library the scrolls were kept, but that, if Notovich should visit the lamasery again, he would have the scrolls ready and be delighted to show them to him. Notovich then had to return to Leh, but he was determined to find an excuse to revisit Hemis and shortly afterwards sent fhe principal lama there a present of an alarm clock and a thermometer, with a 13

message that he would probably revisit the lamasery before finally leaving Ladakh and that he hoped that the lama would then show him the scrolls of which they had talked. He was concerned not to arouse the lama's suspicions by showing too great an interest in the scrolls, but chance came to his rescue. Near the mountains on which the lamasery of Pittah is situated, his horse stumbled, with the result that Notovich was hurled to the ground and fractured his leg. Not feeling inclined to return to Leh, he ordered his porters to take him to Hemis, where he was made welcome and cared for. While he was immobilised, a young man chanted unceasing prayers by his bedside and the old lama entertained him with interesting stories. He often spoke of the alarm clock and thermometer, asking Notovich how to use them correctly. Notovich, for his part, constantly asked about Isa, and eventually the lama capitulated and brought him two large packets of books, whose pages were yellow with age. He then read the biography of Isa to Notovich, who took notes as his interpreter translated for him. This strange document is written in verse form, and often the verses do not form a continuous narrative.

14

Jesus's F'irst Journey To India One of the most interesting parts of this life of Isa is the account of his first journey to India. The following passage, beginning at verse 5, section 4, of the biography, is as Notovich reports it from the manuscripts at Hemis, Not long after, a beautiful child was born in the country of Israel; God himself spoke through this child, explaining the insignificance of the body and the greatness of the soul. The child's parents were poor, and belonged to a family who were distinguished for their piety and had forgotten their ancient grandeur on earth, celebrating the name of the Creator and giving thanks for the misfortunes that had been bestowed upon them. In order to reward this family for having remained firm in the path of truth, God blessed their first-born and chose him to redeem those who had fallen into disgrace and to heal those who were suffering. The divine child, to whom they gave the name of Isa, started talking of the one and indivisible God even while a child. He exhorted the great misguided masses to repent, and cleansed them of their sins. People came from everywhere to listen to him and were amazed at the wisdom that flowed from his youthful lips; the Israelites 15

maintained that the Holy Spirit dwelt in this child. When Isa reached the age of thirteen, the time at which an Israelite takes a wife, the house in which his parent's earned their modest living became a meeting place for the rich and noble who wished to have Isa for a son-in-law, for, owing to his edifying discourses in the name of the Almighty, his fame had spread far and wide. It was at that time that Isa disappeared secretly from his parent's house. He abandoned Jerusalem and set out towards Sind, joining a caravan of merchants, intending to improve and perfect himself in the divine understanding and to study the laws of the great Buddhas. These verses end the fourth section of the manuscript that relates !sa's life. As I mentioned in the Introduction, "Isa" is equivalent to "Jesus". Thus, in summarising the rest of the manuscript transcribed by Notovich, I shall refer to Jesus where the manuscript refers to lsa. The manuscript continues its narration of the life of Jesus by saying that at the age of fourteen he crossed Sind and established himself in the chosen land of God. His fame spread rapidly throughout the region north of Sind, and, when he traversed the Ainjab, the land of the five rivers, the devotees of the God Jaina implored him to stay with them. But he left them and walked towards Jagannath in the land of Orissa, where the remains of Vyasa-Krishna were. There he was 16

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received with great joy by the priests of Brahma, who taught him to read and understand the Vedas, to redeem himself through prayer, to explain the Holy Scriptures to the people, and to expel the spirit of evil from the human body and return it to human form. Jesus lived six years in Jagannath, Rajagriba, Benares and other holy cities; everybody liked him and he lived in peace with the Vaishyas and Shudras, to whom he taught the Holy Scriptures. Jesus made his first enemies when he talked about the equality of men, as the Brahmins held the Shudras as slaves and maintained that only death would free · them. They invited him to abandon the company of the Shudras and to embrace the Brahmin religion, but Jesus refused and went to preach to the Shudras against the Brahmins and the Kshtriyas, combatting idolatry and speaking of a unique, all-powerful god. He gravely condemned the doctrine that gives men the power to rob other men of their human rights, and taught that God had not established differences between his sons, all of whom he loved equally. The Brahmin priests hated him for this and, with the intention of capturing him and putting him to death, sent their servants in search of him. But Jesus was warned of the danger by the Shudras. He left Jagannath by night, reached the mountains, and established himself in the land of the Gautamites, where the great Buddha Shakyamuni was born, among the people who worshipped the one and only sublime Brahma. Having perfectly mastered the Pali language, he devoted himself to the study of the sacred scrolls of the 18

Sutras, and within six years was qualified to explain them. He then left Nepal and the Himalayan mountains, descended the valley of Rajputana, and set out towards the west, proclaiming the one and only indivisible god and urged the people to abolish slavery and abandon idolatry. When he entered Persia, the priests were alarmed and forbade the people to listen to his words; but, as the people did listen to him, the priests had him taken and brought before them. They then spoke with him at length, and Jesus tried to convince them to abandon the cult of the sun and the cult of the Good God and Evil God, explaining to them that the sun was only an instrument created by God, and that the supreme god was a god of goodness and that no god of evil existed. The priests listened to him and resolved not to do him any harm; but during the night, while all the people slept, they arrested him and took him beyond the city walls, abandoning him there in the hope that he would be a prey to wild beasts. But Jesus continued on his journey safe and sound, arriving back in Israel when he was twenty-nine years old. The next part of the Tibetan ·version of Jesus's life, as reported by Notovich, largely coincides with the Biblical account of Jesus's ministry. Thus what the Tibetan manuscripts offer, to this point, is a logical explanation of Jesus's activities during his adolescence and early manhood, of which the Bible says absolutely nothing. During our stay in Kashmir, we were unable to visit Leh and the monastery ·of Hemis, as it was April and the roads there were completely snowbound. 19

However, the testimony of Notovich concerning the relevant manuscripts, and our own studies of the evidence taking into account legends and traditions, the historical background, and so on persuade us to take very seriously the hypothesis that Jesus lived and died at the foot of the Himalayan mountains. In what follows, the evidence for the hypothesis is presented and consideration is given to the possibility that Jesus survived the ordeal of the cross and, once healed of his wounds, set out on a second journey to Kashmir. As we shall see, there are historical and Biblical reasons for believing that Kashmir was settled by the lost tribes of Israel, who, if these hypotheses are correct, became the Messiah's final objective in his sojourn upon earth.

20

Chapter 2

FROM THE CROSS TO KASHMIR

Pilate Sympathises With Jesus

As is well known, Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea at the time of the crucifixion, argued against putting Jesus to death. The following verses from John and Matthew summarise the Biblical account of Pilate's role. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. (John 19:12.) When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. (Matthew 27:19.) When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (Matthew 27:24.) An interesting light on Pilate's opmwns about Christ is provided by a letter that he wrote to Tiberi us Caesar in 32 AD. Th"' original of the letter is preserved 22

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To Tiberius Caesar. A young man appeared in Galilee and, in the name of God who sent him, preached a new law, humility. At first I thought that hi.s intention was to stir up a revolt among the people against the Romans. My suspicions were soon dispelled. Jesus of Nazareth spoke more as a friend of the Romans than as a friend of the Jews. One day I observed a young man among a group of people, leaning against the trunk of a tree and speaking quietly to the crowd that surrounded him. They told me that he was Jesus. This was obvious because of the great difference between him and those around him. His fair hair and beard gave him a divine appearance. He was about thirty years old, and never before had I seen such a pleasant, kind face. What a vast difference there was between him, with his fair complexion, and those, wearing black beards, who were listening to him. As I did not want to disturb him, I went on my way, telling my secretary, however, to join the group and listen. Later my secretary told me that he had never read in the works of the philosophers anything that could be compared with the teachings of Jesus, and that he was neither leading the 23

people astray nor an agitator. That is why we decided to protect him. He was free to act, to talk, and to call a gathering of the people. This unlimited liberty provoked the Jews, who were indignant; it did not upset the poor but it irritated the rich and powerful. Later I wrote a letter to Jesus asking for an interview at the Forum. He came. When the Nazarene appeared I was taking my morning stroll, and, looking at him, I was transfixed. My feet seemed fettered with iron chains to the marble floor; I was trembling all over as a guilty person would, although he was calm. Without moving, I appraised this exceptional man for some time. There was nothing unpleasant about his appearance or character. In his presence I felt a profound respect for him. I told him that he had an aura around him and his personality had an infectious simplicity that set him above the present-day philosophers and masters. He made a deep impression on all of us, owing to his pleasant manner, simplicity, humility and love. These, worthy sovereign, are the deeds that concern Jesus of Nazareth, and I have taken time to inform you in detail about this affair. My opinion is that a man who is capable of turning water into wine, who heals the sick, who resuscitates the dead and calms rough seas is not guilty of a criminal act. As others have said, we must admit that he is really the son of God. Your obedient Servant, Pontius Pilate. 24

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Evidently Pilate did not wish the death of Jesus, but the Jews declared Jesus a rebel who wanted to be king and warned Pilate that if he set Jesus free he would show himself disloyal to Caesar. Pilate could not afford to jeopardise his high rank, and it did not suit him in any way to make an enemy of Caesar, whom the Jews would immediately have advised had he given Jesus his liberty. What, then, was he to do? Other than to do exactly as the Jews wished, his only option was to carry out the execution in such a way that Jesus might survive it, unknown to his enemies. In this context, it is particularly interesting that he arranged the crucifixion for shortly before the commencement of the Jewish Sabbath - sunset on Friday - as, under Jewish law, criminals could not be left hanging after the Sabbath had begun. Considering that the two thieves who were crucified with him were still alive when the soldiers broke their legs and took them down, it is improbable that Jesus was then already dead. Note too that Joseph of Arimathaea, a rich man and a secret disciple of Jesus, then appeared on the ·scene, and, with Pilate's permission, took Jesus to a private tomb. As all these details are consonant with the possibility that Jesus survived the ordeal on the cross, let us now examine the evidence in detail.

25

Jesus Did Not Die On the Cross

At Hebrews 5:7, Jesus is referred to as he "Who in the days of his flesh . . . offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared." This comes close to saying that Jesus did not die on the cross; but for firmer evidence we must look elsewhere. The first thing that we must consider is that Jesus did not remain on the cross for very long: he was nailed to and lowered from it on the same day as he was sentenced -as was necessary if the crucifixion were to be carried out before the commencement of the Sabbath, as noted earlier. Now, crucifixion was supposed to be not a quick death, but a prolonged torture lasting several days 1• Death eventually came through hunger and thirst, the inclemencies of the weather, or attacks by birds of prey or other beasts. On some occasions it was speeded up by breaking the criminal's legs, and at other times the ordeal of hanging on the cross was considered sufficient punishment and the victim was taken down after a day or so and allowed to live. If the crucifixion wounds were carefully treated, it was possible to recover2. Bear in mind that Jesus was crucified with two thieves, who, as we read in Luke 23:39-40, suffered the same torture as he: And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on [Jesus], saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 26

But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

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As has already been pointed out, Jesus and the thieves were taken down from their crosses at the same time, and the thieves were then still alive. Thus, seeing that they suffered the same torture as Jesus, it seems unlikely that Jesus was then already dead, especially as shortly before he had "cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'' Another point to be borne in mind is that the Bible tells us that when Joseph of Arimathaea petitioned Pilate for Christ's body, Pilate, who knew by experience that death by crucifixion takes a long time, "marvelled if he were already dead" (Mark 15:44). Moreover, when the centurion pierced Jesus's side with a lance, in order to test if he were dead, "forthwith came there out blood and water" (John 19:24). If Jesus had been dead, only thick drops of blood would have passed from the wound. Relative to this, it is iJtt;gresting to consider the evidence brought to light by tbi~,recent analysis of the so-called Turin Shroud, wbieh is reputed to be the one in which Jesus's body was wrapped while in the sepulchre.

27

The Turin Shroud

Since 1969 Professor Max Frie, distinguished criminologist and director of the scientific laboratory of the Zurich police, has tested the Turin Shroud for the pollen adhering to it, and, after years of meticulous analysis, using the most advanced techniques, has been able to build up a detailed picture of the Shroud's history and origins. In particular, he discovered on the shroud tiny grains of fossilised pollen that, after detailed tests, turned out to be from plants existing only in Palestine twenty centuries ago. After this he had no doubt at all about the authenticity of the shroud, which was also found to carry traces of pollen from plants in the area of Constantinople and the Mediterranean. Pollens from fifteen different plants were discovered: six Palestinian, one from Constantinople, and eight Mediterranean. Summing up the results of the investigations initiated in 1969 and commissioned by the Church, a press notice issued early in 1976 says: After seven years of investigations concerning the shroud that covered [Christ's] body, many scientists have come to the conclusion that Jesus was buried alive. The experts affirm that the Holy Shroud preserved in Turin lay on a crucified body that suffered exactly the same passion as Jesus, but state that this person did not die on the cross, but was buried while still alive. The twenty-eight bloodstains on the shroud prove this. The investigators assure us 28

that a corpse wrapped in a shroud certainly could not bleed in that manner. Jesus was buried alive, unless a second Jesus existed and he was made to suffer the same agony. •

Records of the Turin Shroud go back to the ninth century, when it was in Jerusalem. In the twelfth century it was in Constantinople, and in 1474, after a brief period in Belgium, it became the property of the House of Savoy. It was damaged by a fire in 1532 and moved three years later to Turin. From 1536 to 1578 it was moved to Vercelli, Milan, Nice, Vercelli again, and Chambrey, returning to Turin in 1706 (during which year it was briefly transferred to Geneva). In 1946 Hubert II of Savoy formally entrusted it to the custody of the Archbishop of Turin, but without relinquishing the right to ownership of it. The first photographs of the shroud were obtained in 1898. The official photographs of it were taken by G. Enrie in 1931, when serious studies of the shroud were started. The shroud is three feet seven inches (110 Centimetres) wide and fourteen feet three inches (436 centimetres) long. According to Mr Ricci, a technical expert at the Vatican, the imprint of the body on the shroud shows the body to have been five feet four inches (162 centimetres) long. However, Professor :~renzo Ferri, a sculptor from Rome, has calculated length of the shrouded body as nearly six feet two ,DICnes (187 centimetres). In 1957 Kurt Bema's boo'k Jesus nicht am Kreuz 'fi!Biorben ("Jesus Did Not Die on the Cross") 29

appeared. Bema is a Catholic and secretary of the German institute at Stuttgart that, since the publication of Enrie's photographs, has undertaken intensive studies of the Turin Shroud. The results of these investigations have been published by Bema in two books: Das Linen (The Shroud) and Jesus nicht am Kreuz gestorben. These books, especially the second, caused a sensation at the time of their publication and became the subject of a great deal of controversy. On the 26 February 1959 Bema wrote to Pope John XXIII appealing to him to set up a committee of doctors to investigate the Turin Shroud and so bring to an end the controversy about it. At first the recmest was refused, through the papal nuncio in Germany; but in 1969 the Vatican set up a committee, which, as we have already seen, reached the same conclusions as Berna. The following is Bema's letter to Pope John. Your Holiness, Two years ago the German Institute of Investigations of the Holy Shroud submitted to the Holy Office and the general public the results of investigations of the shroud preserved in Turin. During the past twenty-four months different specialists from German universities have tried to refute these extraordinary discoveries, but to no avail. Though they pretended that their scientific knowledge enabled them easily to refute our conclusions, they have had to admit defeat and now 30

recognise and admit the validity of this investigation and its importance for both the Christian and the Jewish religion. It would be superfluous and out of place here to enumerate the many comments that have appeared in the international press. Since nobody can convincingly deny the results of its investigations, the Institute is convinced that the discoveries constitute an open challenge to the entire world. It has been proved beyond doubt that Jesus Christ was laid to rest in this shroud, after the crucifixion and the removal of the crown of thorns. The tests carried out so far have established that the body of the crucified person was wrapped in this cloth, and left for some time. From a medical point of view, it has been proved that the body that lay in the shr(}ud was not dead, as the heart was then still heating. The traces of blood fluid, its position and nature, give positive scientific proof that the socalled execution was not legally complete. This discovery suggests that the present and past teachings of Christianity are incorrect. Your Holiness, this is h.ow the case staftds scientifically. It is undeniable that the present investigation of the Holy Shroud is extremely important, as it deals with scientific and historical fact. The photographs of the Holy Shroud that were prepared m 1931 with the exJKess 31

permission of Pope Pius XI provide additional material to verify the results of the present investigation. To refute these, it will be necessary to carry out the following tests: (a)

(b)

(c)

a modern chemical examination (using analysis by microscope and similar tests) of the traces of blood fluid found on the Holy Shroud and produced by a heart that was still beating; an examination using X-rays and infrared and ultra-violet rays, as well as other modern methods; dating by means ofthe atomic clock and the carbon 14 method. For a precise analysis of the shroud, only 300 grammes are needed. This would not damage the Holy Shroud, as it would require only a small strip two centimetres wide from the sides of the shroud, which is 4.36 metres long. In this way, the important parts of the cloth would not be damaged at all.

No Christian on earth, except Your Holiness, as Pope of the Church, can manage this sacred relic. The results of the investigations by the Institute and other agencies can be refuted only if scientific tests are carried out. I cannot understand why the Church does not allow these tests of the Holy Shroud. I do not believe that it is because the 32

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Church is afraid: why should it be? Nor does the Institute harbour any fear, because it has carried out the investigations in an honest and sincere way, using all available methods. We can, with absolute confidence, state that no one and nothing on earth can refute these discoveries, which constitute an open challenge by the Institute. As has already been suggested, only a direct verification of the facts and a full scientific analysis can furnish the desired results. In view of these extremely sound motives, we humbly ask Your Holiness to give your consent, so that the Church can bring the case to a conclusion. Numerous followers of the Church and other associations are prepared to respond to the call if the Church so pleases. On behalf of the German Institute of Investigations of the Holy Shroud, and in the interest of certain other bodies of investigation, we, as followers of the Roman Catholic Church, beg Your Holiness to grant the order whereby the necessary proof may be obtained. Humbly greeting Your Holiness Kurt Berna, Catholic author and secretary, internal affairs of the German Institute Before discussing Jesus's life after the healing of the .wounds caused by the crucifixion, I shall outline a few of the conclusions that Berna reaches in his book. 33

Berna says that analysis of the shroud shows that Jesus's head and hands were placed higher than the rest of his body. Had Jesus been dead when wrapped in the shroud, this would have meant that no fresh blood could have flowed from these parts and left traces on the cloth. However, Bema maintains that the cloth shows traces of blood running from the wounds caused by the crown ofthoms that the Romans wound round Jesus's head, mocking him as "King of the Jews", and that, once the body was lowered from the cross and the "crown" removed, the wounds caused by the thorns started to bleed. If Jesus had been dead for some time, all the blood would have congealed in the lower -part of his body. It is nature's law that, provided the heart continues to pump, the blood will continue to circulate, even in a vacuum. Once the heart has stopped beating, the blood will cease to circulate and will begin to retract in the veins, the capillary blood vessels below the skin surface will drain, and tjle pallor of death will appear on the body. Thus, as fresh blood could not have flowed from Jesus's head wounds if his heart had stopped beating, there is medical evidence that Jesus was not dead when he was wrapped in the shroud. He may have stopped breathing, and so appeared to be dead; but, provided the heart is still beating, it is possible, in such circumstances, to revive the person by intensive medical treatment. A thin line on the shroud shows where blood from the nail wound in the right hand flowed along the right arm when the hand was unnailed. Seeing that the blood was fresh and soaked into the Shroud, this provides additional evidence that Jesus's heart was 34

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still active when he was lowered from the cross. The shroud also provides evidence of where the lance that the Roman soldier used to test that Jesus was dead entered and left the body. Bloodstains show that the lance pierced the right side of the chest, between the fifth and sixth ribs, and emerged on the upper left-hand side, making an angle of twenty-nine degrees. Since this means that the lance passed close to the heart, but did not damage it, the "blood and water" that John (1 9:34) tells us flowed from the wound could not have been drawn from the heart. This shows that the heart was still beating, however faintly, and that Jesus was still alive. The apostle Paul recorded and adopted the doctrine that Jesus died on the cross and later was resurrected, and this was the doctrine confirmed by the Christian Church. Because of this, the results of the investigations of the Turin Shroud put the Church in a difficult position, and consequently on 30 June 1960 Pope John XXIII issued a proclamation, printed in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano on 2 July, entitled "The Complete Salvation of Jesus Christ's Body". In this the Pope told the Catholic bishops, who accepted and spread the news, that the complete salvation of the human race was effected through the blood of Jesus Christ, and that death was not essential to this end.

35

Jesus Was Alive When He Left the Sepulchre

After Jesus had been taken down from the cross, a series of incidents took place that show that he received treatment and left the sepulchre alive. We have already noted Pilate's sympathy towards Jesus, and that Jesus was delivered not to his enemies but to his friends. According to John 19:9, Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hpndred pound weight. Contrary to the usual Jewish custom, Jesus was not laid in a grave and buried, but laid in a spacious sepulchre the entrance to which was afterwards blocked by a large stone or rock, and within which there would have been sufficient air with which to breathe. In order to leave the tomb, Jesus had to move aside the stone blocking the entrance. This indicates that he left as a human being and not as a spirit, which presumably would not have needed to remove a physical obstacle. Similarly, the fact that we are told that he was going ahead of his disciples into Galilee 36

suggests a journey by a man. The following is the account at Mark 15:46-7, 16:1-7: And [Joseph of Arimathaea] bought fine linen, and took [Jesus] down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus beheld where he was laid. And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified; he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there 37

shall ye see him, as he said unto you. The statement that the three women entered the tomb shows how large it must have been. To return to the passage from John cited earlier, it will be noted that this contains an indication that Nicodemus may have been the one who treated Jesus's wounds, and that he did so with a special ointment. Numerous oriental treatises refer to this ointment, calling it Marham-1-/sa ("the ointment of Jesus") or Marham-1-Rosu/ ("the ointment ofthe prophet"). The most famous of these is the Qanun of Shaikh-ul-Rais Bu Ali Sina (generally known in the West as the "Canon of Avicenna"). Among other such works is the Quarabadin-i-Rumi, which was compiled at about the time of Jesus and later translated into Arabic. In conclusion, it is interesting to note that, as Mircea Eliade in Le Mythe du retour eternel (Paris, 1951) points out, two folk charms current in England .in the sixteenth century and used when sage and verbena were about to be gathered claimed for these herbs the distinction of having grown first on Calvary and helped to heal Christ of his wounds, which thus consecrated these herbs as effective healing agents. The charms were thought to unloose the herbs' healings powers, by giving proper recognition to their sacred origins.

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Chapter 3

JESUS'S "SECOND LIFE"

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ; whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. (1 Corinthians 15:14-15.) We shall now see how Jesus, having been cured of his wounds and having left the sepulchre, fled from his enemies and began a new phase in his life on earth. As the Bible itself tells us, Jesus, following his departure from the sepulchre, appeared in human form, and ~ot as a divine being, to his disciples. When he left the tomb, he had to roll away the stone across the entrance; and in the days that followed he met his disciples, travelled to Galilee, ate bread and fish, showed the wounds on his body and, we shall argue, escaped secretly from Pilate's jurisdiction and emigrated to the East. First, however, it would be appropriate to consider the subject of the Ascension, reviewing the information on it in an effort to gauge whether it happened and how to understand it. In order to treat the subject as objectively as possible, I shall begin by quoting directly from the article on the Ascension in Dr Herbert Haag's Bibel- Lexicon (1951): Christ's visible ascent from the Mount of Olives, forty days after his resurrection, is related by Luke at the beginning of the Acts and summarised at the end of his gospel (Luke 40

24:51 ). It is not possible to consider the first of these accounts as a later interpolation, as some critics would like, for the literary structure of Acts I :1-Il is entirely in accord with the theory that Luke wrote the whole work. Nor is it possible to argue that Acts I :2 and Luke 14:51 should not contain any reference to the Ascension at all, because the fact that certain manuscripts of the Western family omit it seems to be owing to later alterations to the text. Therefore, it is Luke himself who is the source of both accounts, and who, after briefly mentioning the Ascension at the end of his gospel, goes on to tell us, at the beginning of Acts, that forty days elapsed between the Resurrection and the Ascension. The topographical precision with which he presents the scene on the Mount of Olives (Acts I :12), in the vicinity of Bethany (Luke 24:50), gives us clearly to understand that for him this is a specific historical recollection. Local tradition spontaneously fixed the scene at the highest point of the Mount and, beginning in the fourth century, honoured it as a sanctuary. However, Luke is the only New Testament writer who presents Christ's ascension to heaven as a visible and recognisable manifestation in time and space. The other New Testament writers are content to affirm that, as an immediate consequence of the Resurrection, the resurrected Christ ascended into heaven - where he seated himself at the 41

right hand of God, in glory, above the celestial powers - and that from there he must return at the second coming. This stay in heaven after a life on earth naturally suggests an ascension of Christ, though this is generally passed over in silence; and even those who specifically mention it offer more a confession of faith than the description of a phenomenon that had been witnessed by them. The uniqueness of Luke's testimony had an influence on the early Christian tradition, which, it seems, was at first uncertain and fluctuating. Not until the fo'tlrth century do we find that the account in Acts is universally known among the priests. Before that, some do not metion it at all (Clement of Rome, Didache, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Hermas), and even those who do mention it do not agree as regards its nature and date. In fact, only a few attempt to speak with any precision of the nature of the Ascension, and then they do so with amplifications disproved by historical fact. More numerous are the testimonies that give a date for the Ascension, but here too there are some notable divergencies. Luke 24:51 and John 20:17 appear to place it on Easter day, as do the Gospel of StPeter 56, Barnabas 15:9, the Codex Sinaiticus on Matthew 16:4, the Testament of Benjamin 9:5, and the Apology of Aristides 15:2. Others place it eighteen months later (Ascension of Isaiah 9:16, and the Valentinians and Ophites, according to 42

Irenaeus I 3:2, 30:14) and even twelve years later (Sophia Pistis 1:2, Book of Jeu 44). Some early Fathers, such as Justin, Tertullian, Eusebius and Jerome, sometimes place the Ascension on the day of the Resurrection, and sometimes forty days later. Many critics have seen these deviations in the early Christian tradition on the nature and date of the Ascension as a reason for considering the Ascension a legend that grew up belatedly, as a new kind of faith in the triumph of Christ in heaven gradually developed. According to this theory, Christ's magnificent triumph over death would at first have been understood in a purely spiritual way, as affecting only his soul, and thus as immediately following his death (Gospel of StPeter 19). Only later, and rather apologetically, was an attempt made to give this triumph a more concrete Form, by extending it to include Christ's body and representing that body as something that was perceptible to the senses and ate and drank. From this would have followed the legend of the empty sepulchre, and, finally, the story of the body's visible ascent into heaven. Apart from the fact that such theories do not do justice to the historical value of the New Testament accounts, they fall down in that they assume an idea of immortality that is more Greek than Semitic. For the Hebrews, and thus for the apostles, Christ's triumph over death was inconceivable without the triumph of his 43

body, as they saw death as a punishment of sin, and sin as something that affects the body as much as the soul, or, better, affects the soul via the body. Christ's redemptive work consisted in his victory over sin, and by this he restored body and soul to their original integrity. It is beyond doubt that, if the first disciples believed absolutely in Christ's triumph over sin and death, they believed in the triumph of his body, in its resurrection and entry into divine glory a faith that follows inescapably from the resurrected Christ's appe'l.fances in palpable human form. Moreover, faith that the resurrected body of Christ was raised in glory to heaven is no more than the necessary consequence and inevitable complement of faith in the Resurrection. However, if it is true that the uncertainty of the New Testament and early Christian traditions do not justify the negative thesis put forward by the critics, it nonetheless merits attention and invites one to penetrate deeper into the mystery. In this regard, it would appear that there are two moments that we must distinguish clearly: (a) the exaltation of Christ to the side of God the Father in Heaven; and (b) the external manifestation of Christ's ascension from the Mount of Olives. (a) The exaltation or glorification in heaven is an inherent part of this article of faith. The entry of Christ's body into the glory of the eschatological realm effectively represents the 44

first fruits, the promise, and even the cause of our own glorification, and, hence, of our final salvation. It forms the germ of a new world regenerated even in its physical essence by the sacrifice of Christ - a world in which the glorified body of Jesus constitutes, as it were, the primary cell, as the prime and efficient cause of the bodily regeneration of Christ's followers, and, through that, of the entire universe. It is not enough that the body of Christ should emerge victorious from the sepulchre: it must also enter into the divine world, into which it introduces us all. This world is for all time and, unavoidable for our human imagination, the world of heaven above. But this entry into glory is absolutely supernatural, and thus cannot be experienced by the senses - for which reason the New Testament writers, including Luke, decline to describe it. Nonetheless, it is a real, "historical" event, something that occurred at a specific moment in time. Evidently, this moment is none other than that· of the Resurrection. As soon as the body of Jesus leaves the sepulchre, through the power of the Holy Spirit, it belongs to the eschatalogical world of glory and enters it with full rights. This is how it is expressed in most of the relevant New Testament texts, in which Christ's resurrection and his taking place at the right hand of God are presented as two, inseparable aspects of one and the same glorious triumph. Such is the 45

message of John 20:17, in which Christ implies to Mary Magdalene that he is no longer in the same condition as before, when she could freely touch him; and in which he charges her to notify his apostles that his ascension is close at hand. Indeed, it is clear that when he appears to his apostles (John 20:19-29) it will be after his ascension: that is, after a return to his Father, confirming his immortality. From this passage one can deduce that between the Resurrection and the Ascension there was, at most, a brief interval, which is sufficientlY explained by the pedagogical purpose of the dialogue. (b) The visible manifestation on the Mount of Olives is thus in no way a contradiction of this first and decisive triumph, which had to take place on Easter day. Indeed, as Luke's account shows, it belongs to a completely different order. Far from intending to describe to us a triumphal entry into heavenly glory, as do certain pagan legends about the ascension of persons or demigods (Romulus, Hercules, Mithras, and so on), and apocryphal accounts of Christ's ascension, Luke merely wants to narrate Christ's final departure precisely. His discreet and traditional narrative tries to convey that the time for familiar conversations with Jesus has ended and that he will not return until the second coming. The angel's and disciples' words and the cloud- a traditional image in eschatalogical manifestations (see Luke 21:27, Mark 14:64; Revelation 1:7-11, 12, 46

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14:14and 1 Thessalonians4:17)-donotmean anything else. Likewise, the forty days can be considered as a traditional element and must not be taken too literally. Perhaps Luke was thinking of the forty days that Christ spent in the desert before commencing his ministry (Luke 4:2), for what principally concerned him about the last manifestation of the resurrected Christ was that this departure preceded and prepared the way for Pentecost, when, fifty days after the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit was poured out and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth was inaugurated. Seen in this way, Christ's appearance on the Mount of Olives, related by Luke alone, is not a contradiction of the first and definite ascent to glory, which had to happen on the same day as the Resurrection. On the contrary, it is its complement and seal. For that reason the Christian tradition, principally in its liturgy, has been completely justified in seeing this last act of Jesus's visible life as the final manifestation of his triumph over death and his presence in heaven, and in glorifying it, like Easter day, as also looking forward to the pouring out of grace at Pentecost. The Spanish edition of the Bibel-Lexikon was prepared by Professor R.P.Seraphin de Ausejo, who, in summarising Haag's views on the Ascension, says that, "As an event, the ascension to heaven on the same day as the Resurrection is somewhat supernatural, not 47

percepitible by human senses, but absolutely certain, real and historical." From an objective point of view, however, no human being can affirm as "certain, real and historical" what is "not perceptible by human senses". After reading and re-reading the analysis presented above, I have come to the conclusion that the human need for a "happy" ending to the mystery personified by Christ demanded that the Resurrection be followed by an ascension, so transferring Christ's abode from earth to heaven. Indeed, without an ascension, the Resurrection would lack meaning, for the former is the logical consequence of the latter. Therefore the ascension seems not an effectively proved act, but a phenomenon created by a process of logical deduction in the human mind. On the other hand, Christ cannot have ascended if he had not previously been resurrected, and he cannot have been resurrected if, as we are arguing, he had not died on the cross. At this juncture, it is appropriate to quote from what the Bibel- Lexikon says of the Resurrection. The only proof of Jesus's resurrection central point of the apostolic teachings, which are decisive for Christianity -is to be found in Christian sources. The four gospels refer not to the actual resurrection, which we are told took place without earthly eye-witnesses, but to the discovery of the empty tomb, and, above all, to the resurrected Christ's appearances to his disciples. These stories present problems, 48

showing little uniformity and contammg numerous apparent discrepancies of detail. St ·Thomas says that, even for the disciples, the resurrection was manifested only through certain reliable signs (as predicted by the Old Testament and the angels) and other visible evidence, which did not demonstrate the resurrection in itself, but the authenticity of the appropriate signs; the faith of the Christians was based on what the apostles preached. Thus, the resurrection is real, but, as a mystery of faith, is not something that can be demonstrated with certainty by the methods of historical science. Only the disciples' faith in the resurrection is historically demonstrable. Let us return and follow the trail of Jesus after his departure from the sepulchre. First, he met Mary Magdalene and her companion, who were on their way to tell the disciples that they had found the tomb empty and that they had been told by an angel that Jesus had risen and was on his way to Galilee: And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. (Matthew 28:8-10.) 49

Note the women's fear, and Jesus's attempt to allay it. It would seem that they were afraid that Jesus would be discovered. Jesus then set out on a sixty-mile journey to Galilee. Subsequently, on a number of occasions, he appeared to his disciples; but he always did so in a place where they were not likely to be observed. All this suggests that Jesus continued as a human being, and that he took pains to avoid discovery and arrest. What other evidence is there that Jesus had not become a spirit? The clearest indication is provided by Luke 24:36-9: And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, affd supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit hath no flesh and bones, as ye see me have. Two verses further on, Jesus suddenly shows himself to be hungry -something quite inconceivable in a divine or spiritual being. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye any meat? 50

And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. (Luke 24:41-3.) In John we read that Jesus showed his disciples his wounds and that he allowed Thomas to touch them: Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. (John 20:27-8.) Clearly, if our theory is correct, sooner or later Jesus had to leave Palestine, where he was in danger. Indeed, it seems that he even resorted to disguise, for, according to Mark 16:12, "After that he appeared in another form unto two of them as they walked, and went into the country." It seems reasonable to envisage Jesus during this period as a man mentally and physically exhausted, for whom flight was now the only option. However, as we shall see in the next section, he still had part of his mission to fulfil: that is, to seek out and save the lost tribes of Israel. Had he died on the cross, his mission would not have been completed; and, thus, after taking final leave of his disciples, he set out for the East. 51

In Search Of The Lost Tribes Of Israel According to the Gospels, Jesus's principal mission was to fulfil the law and to save the ancient lost tribes of Israel. His mission to the lost tribes is what will principally concern us in this section. In Luke 19:10 we are told that "the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost", and at Luke 22:29-30 Jesus says to his disciples, "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." At Matthew 10:5-6 he specifically instructs them, "Go not into the way of the 1 Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel". Evidently he himself was to go in search of the lost tribes; but where were they? Let us look back over the history of the Israelites. Israel, the Bible tells us, is the name that was given to Jacob by a mysterious being with whom he wrestled one night beside the brook of Jabbok (Genesis 32:2232.) or by God when he appeared before Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 35:9-10.). The sons of Israel are thus the descendants of Jacob. Joshua, who led the Israelites into the Promised Land after the exodus from Egypt, divided the land among the twelve tribes, Judah and Benjamin occupying the south, and the remaining ten tribes occupying the north and the east bank of the Jordan. After being governed for a while by judges, of whom Joshua was the first, the Israelites 52

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chose their first King, Saul. He was succeeded by David, who conquered, and then established the capital at, Jerusalem; and David was succeeded by his son Solomon, who built there the splendid temple dedicated to Yahweh or Jehovah (the Biblical name of God). Towards the end of his reign, Solomon became an increasingly oppressive ruler; so, when his son Rehoboam ascended the throne. and promised to be even more oppressive, the kingdom split in two, with Judah and Benjamin (the Kingdom of Judah) remaining loyal to Rehoboam, and the other ten tribes forming the breakaway Kingdom of Israel, with its capital at Samaria and Jeroboam as its first King. Naturally, the relationship between these two Kingdoms was hostile; within a few years they were at war, and hostilities continued intermittently for as long as Israel continued as an independent kingdom. The penultimate King of Israel, Pekah, formed an alliance with Rezin of Syria and invaded Judah, winning a great victory and taking a vast number of prisoners. In response Ahaz of Judah paid TiglathPileser of Assyria to come to his aid, and Pekah and Rezin were killed. As Israel began to fall under the Assyrian yoke, the Assyrians, in accordance with their usual custom, began to transport the conquered people en masse and to resettle the conquered region with people from other parts of the Assyrian empire. These newcomers came to form the Samaritan nation, for whom the Jews- the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah - developed a profound antipathy. However, a century and a half later, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, which in the meantime had gained the 53

ascendancy over Assyria, conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. "And them that had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the Kingdom of Persia" (2 Chronicles 36:20). With this, a new stage in the history of Jews began. Once Cyrus had captured Babylon, he issued a proclamation allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple there (Ezra I :1-4). However, only a comparatively small number went; and these, it must be remembered, remained subject to the Persian empire, which included Palestine. Cyrus's successor, Darius, further extended the empire, which at its zenith stretched from the Greek archipelago to as far east as India, which Darius invaded with a vast arm)~, and from the Indian Ocean to as far north as Bactria (Afghanistan). The disintegration of the empire was brought about by the Greeks, Bactrians, Scythians and the Parthians, whose empire extended as far east as the river Jhelum in Kashmir. Though the Old Testament describes how a remnant of Jewish exiles returned to Palestine, it nowhere speaks of a similar return to the ten tribes of the former Kingdom of Israel (as distinct from Judah). As Thomas Holditch writes in his book The Gates of India, with the destruction of the Assyrian empire the ten tribes, who for over a century had intermixed with the inhabitants of Mesopotamia and Armenia, vanish (it seems) from sight. However, though the canonical books of the Old Testament do not speak of what happened to the ten 54

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tribes after their deportation, we are told in the Apocrypha, at 2 Esdras 13:29-36, that they never returned to their own country, but journeyed even further east. It also says here that it took them a year and a halfto reach the region where they settled, which was called Asareth. Al-Has Khawaja Nazir Ahmad, author of the exhaustive study Jesus in Heaven on Earth, reminds us that in the Ta-baqat-i- Nasiri it is said that at the time of the Shansabi dynasty a people called Bani Israel (the sons of Israel) lived in Asareth, and were dedicated to commerce. He then cites Thomas Ledlie, who in his "More Ledlian" (Calcutta Review, January 1898) suggests, in discussing the origin of the Afghans, that Asareth is connected with the Hazara district of northern Pakistan. This district borders on Kashmir, but in ancient times it stretched over the Indus and up to Chilas, in what is now Kashmiri territory. Nazir Ahmad then goes into a long explanation of how, in those times, conquering nations often resettled their new dominions with people from other parts of their empire, so as to open up new centres of civilisation and commerce. Having said this, he argues that it is perfectly feasible that Tiglagh-Pileser, and I or one or more of his successors, transplanted part of the Israelite nation to the east. It is noteworthy, that the great conquerors (Tiglath-Pileser, Darius and Alexander the Great) penetrated as far as, but no further than, the western borders of India -that is, to the Punjab and the valley of the Indus; so that, if members of the ten tribes had moved east with the advancing armies, or had been resettled in the eastern 55

frontier regions, we may expect to find evidence of them in precisely this area. In conclusion, Nazir Ahmad says that there is every reason to believe that descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel may be found in Afghanistan, Gagh, Bukhara, Khurason, Kokand, Samarkand and Tibet, and also in western China and India, northern Pakistan, and Kashmir. Naturally, people of Hebrew origin survive also in Mesopotamia and further west; but, whereas those in Palestine, Arabia, Turkey, Mesopotamia and Persia call themselves Jews, those who live east of Persia call themselves Bani Israel, or the sons of Israel. This is in itself extraordinarily significant. Let us consider some of the texts th~ attribute Israelite origins to the Afghans and Kashmiris.

56

Books That Testify To the Israelite Origins Of the Afghans and Kashmiris

In his world history Mirat-ul-Alam Bukthawar Khan vividly narrates the journeys of the Afghans from the Holy Land to Gor, Gazni, Kabul and other places in Afghanistan. Two works analysing the history of the Afghans Niamatullah's Tarikh-i-Afghana ("History of the Afghans") and the Tarikh-i-Hafiz Rahmatkhani of Hafiz Mohammed Zadeek - come to the conclusion that the Afghans are the Bani Israel. George Moore, in his book The Lost Tribes (1861) writes that many of the characteristics of the ancient Israelites reappear among the peoples who call themselves the Bani Israel and claim to be the descendants of the lost tribes. The ancient and modern nomenclature of their tribes and districts serves to confirm this tradition. Additional evidence is provided by the route of the Israelites from Media to Afghanistan and India: various places through which they passed bear the names of some of the tribes, indicating clearly not only that they passed that way, but also that their journey was long and arduous. Moore says that, after a thorough investigation, Sir William Jones, Sir John Malcolm and Chamberlain share his opinion that the ten tribes migrated to India, Tibet and Kashmir across Afghanistan. The two first Kashmiri historians Mulla Nadiri, who wrote the Tarikh-i- Kashmir ("History of Kashmir"), and Mulla Ahmad, who wrote the Waqaya-i-Kashmir ("Events of Kashmir") 57

- categorically affirm that the Kashmiris were descended from the sons of Israel; and Abdul Qadir bin Qazi-ul Quzat Wasil Ali Khan says the same in his book Hashmat-i-Kashmir. Finally, the Jesuit father Catrou writes in his General History of the Moghul Empire that the Kashmiris are descendants of the Jews. In addition to works cited above, there are numerous others that attest the Israelite origins of the Afghans and Kashmiris. However, one of the most conclusive peices of evidence appears in Nazir Ahmad's book, which contains a comprehensive list of tribal, caste and place names that occur in Kashmir and neighbouring lands and have linguistic parallels in the Bible. An abbreviated version of this list makes up the next section.

I 58

-Linguistic Parallels Between Names Occurring In Kashmir and Neighbouring Lands and Names Found In the Bible

Names of tribes, castes and sub-castes Kashmir

:;\_\

Tribe etc.

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Abri Akwan A mal Assaul Asheriya Attai Azri Bal BaJa, Balah Bakru Baktu Banniya Basaya Bellu Bera, Bara, Bura Beroth Betya Bilgai Buhana Butt Caleb Dand, Dangar Dar, Dhar, Darku Dara Dattu Dum

lbri Achan A mal Asahel Asher Attai Azriel Baal Balah Bocheru Baca Baanah Baaseiah Bela Beerah Bee roth Betah Bilgah Bohan Bath Caleb Dan Dor Dara Dathan Dumah

I Chronicles 24:27 Joshua 7:1 I Chronicles 7:35 2 Chronicles 17:8 Genesis 30: 13 I Chronicles 12:11 I Chronicles 5:24 I Chronicles 5:5 Joshua 19:3 I Chronicles 8:38 Psalm 84:6 I Chronicles I I :30 I Chronicles 6:40 I Chronicles 7:6 I Chronicles 5:6 2 Samuel4:2 2 Samuel8:8 Nehemiah 12:5 Joshua 15:6 I Kings 7:26 I Chronicles 2:18 I Chronicles 2: I I Kings 4:I I I Chronicles 2:6 Numbers I6:1 I Chronicles I :30

59

Tribe etc. Gabba Gad dar Gadha Gaddi Gaggar Ganai, Gani Gareb Gomer Gunzo, Gundu Hahput Haqqaq Iqqash Ishai Israel Kahan-Masu Kahana,Kan Kalkul Kanaz, Kunzru Kanjuit Kar Karrah Katju Kitchiu Kotru Laddu Lavi,Laveh Lilian Maikri Malla,Maula Mallak Matri Meer,Meresh

Biblical Name {Gabbai Gab a Gedor Gad (Heb. Gadh) Gaddi Gerar Guni Gareb Gomer { Ginnetho Gimzo Hatipha Hukok Ikkesh lshui Israel Kanah (Heb.Kanah or Cohen Cal col (Heb.Kalkul) Kenaz Kirjath Careah Korah Cuth (Heb.Kath) Kithlish Keturah Lud Levi Lebana Machir Maaleh-acrabbim Malluch Matri Meres 60

Biblical Reference Nehemiah II :8 Joshua 18:24 I Chronicles 4:4 I Chronicles 2:2 Numbers 13:11 2 Chronicles 14:13 I Chronicles 7:13 I Chronicles II :40 Genesis I 0:2 Nehemiah I2:4 2 Chronicles 28:I8 Nehemiah 7:56 I Chronicles 6:75 I Chronicles II :28 I Samuel I4:49 Genesis 32:28 Joshua I9:28 I Chronicles 2:6 Judges 3:9 Joshua I8:28 2 Kings 25:23 Nurn bers 26:9 2 Kings I7 :30 Joshua I6:40 Genesis 25:4 I Chronicles I: I7 I Chronicles 2: I Nehemiah 7:48 I Chronicles 7:I4 Joshua I5:3 I Chronicles 6:44 I Samuel I0:2I Esther I :I4

Biblical Name

Tribe etc. Mir Mahsa, Mahsi Minto Moza Mush ran Mathu,Mattu, Mauthan Musa Nehru Nephzu Opal,Upal Ogar,Ogrey Padhe,Paddar, Paudh Pareh Phalu Pau Poot,Put Raina Raphu Rathar Razdon Reshu,Resh, Res hi Reu Reu-wai,Reual Sachu Sam Sapru,Sapra Seh

.

Shahmiri Shaul Shavi

Mearah Massah (Heb.Mahssa) Minnith Moza Muchi Matthat Moses Nahor Nepheg (Heb.Nephez) Ophel Og Pad on Paruah Phallu (Pauh Pua Put Rinnah Raphu Rithmah Rezon Rhesa (Aramaic, Resha) Reu Reuel Sechu Shem Saphir {Sia Siaha Shamir Shaul Shaveh 61

/

Biblical Reference Joshua 13:4 Exodus 17:7 Judges II :33 I Chronicles 8:36 I Chronicles 6: 19 Luke 3:29 Exodus 2:10 I Chronicles I :26 I Chronicles 3:7 2 Chronicles 27:3 Deuteronomy 3:1 I Nehemiah 7:47 I Kings 4:17 Genesis 46:9 Chronicles 7:1 Numbers 26:23 Chronicles I :8 I Chronicles 4:20 Numbers 13:9 Numbers 33:18 I Kings I I :23 Luke 3:27 Genesis I I :I 8 Numbers 2:14 I Samuel I 9:22 Genesis 5:32 Micah 1:1 I Nehemiah 7:47 Ezra 2:44 I Chronicles 24:24 I Chronicles 4:24 Genesis 14:17

Ifl

li

Tribe etc. Shuah Suliamanish Tamar Tellah Thabal Thapal Tiku Toh Tola Voppha Wain,Wani Yadu Zadu Zartan Zaru Zattu Zebu

Biblical Name Shuah Solomon Tamar Telah Tubal (Heb.Thebhal) Top he! (Heb. Thophel) Tekoa {Tou Tohu Tola Vophsi Vaniah Jahdo (Heb.Yahdu) Zadok Zaretan Zarah Zattu Zebah

Biblical Reference I I 2 I { I

Chronicles 4: II Kings 1:34 Samuel 13:2 Chronicles 7:25 Genesis 10:2 Chronicles I :5 Deuteronomy I: I Chronicles 2:24 Chronicles 18:9 Samuel 1:1 Chronicles 7: I Numbers 13:14 Ezra 10:36

I Chronicles 5:14 I Chronicles 24:3 Joshua 3:16 Genesis 46:12 Ezra 10:27 Judges 8:10

Afghanistan and Pakistan Ajan Ama-Zye Amon-Zye Aya-Zye Ayub-Khel Ayub-Zye Aziel-Khel Azorees Baboo-Zye Barak-Zye Bezak-Zye Biroo-Zye Daud-Khel, Daud-Zye

Ajah Ammah Amon Ava Job (Heb. Iyobb) Aziel Azor Bebai Barak Bezek Be era

Genesis 36:24 2 Samuel 2:24 I Kings 22:26 2 Kings I 7 :24

David

I Samuel 16:13

62

Job I :I I Chronicles 15:20 Matthew I : 13 Ezra 2:10 Judges 4:6 I Samuel II :8 I Chronicles 5:6

,j I

j

Tribe etc. Gadha Ghaznees Hamor-Khel Haroon-Khel Hoti-Wal lbrahim-Khel, Ibrahim-Zye lssa-Khel lssa-Zye Ilyas-Khel lsaq-Khel Karak-Zye Mallak Malhi Malla-Zye Maikri-Khel Mano-Zye Mattru Mered-Zye Milo-Zye Mosa-Khel Maryam-Khel Muhib-Wal Nadab-Zye Nassarees, Nazarees Sam-Khel _ Shami-Khel Shauvi-Khel Soories Suiaiman-Khei, Sulaiman-Zye Teko-Zye

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Gad (Heb.Gadh) Gaza Hamor Aaron (Heb. Aharon) Hittites Abraham

Chronicles 2:2 Joshua 15:47 Genesis 33: 19

Jesus (he~ )

Matthew I :21

Exodus 4:14 Judges 3:5 Genesis 17:5

YcshvQ

Elijah (Heb. Eliyas Isaac Karkaa Malluch Maaleh-acrabbim Machir Meonothai Matri Mered Millo Moses (Heb. Mosheh) Mary (Heb. Miryam) Moab Nadeb Nazareth, Nazarene Shem Shaveh Shur (Heb.Suryia) Solomon Tekoa 63

I Kings 17:1 Genesis 17:19 Joshua 15:3 I Chronicles 6:44 I I I I 2

Joshua 15:3 Chronicles 7:I4 Chronicles 4:40 Samuel 10:21 Chronicles 4:I7 Samuel 5:9 Exodus 2:IO

Matthew I : 16 Genesis 19:37 I Chronicles 6:3 Matthew 2:23 Genesis 5:32 Genesis 14:17 Exodus 15:22 I Kings I :34 I Chronicles 2:24

Tribe etc. Yahya-Khe1 Yakub-Khe1, Yakub-Zye Yunus-Khe1 Yusuf-Zye Zabdees Zaka-Khel Zakaria-Khel Zazees

Biblical Name John (Heb. Yohanan) Jacob (Heb. Yaaqob) Johan (Heb. Yonas) Joseph Zabad Zaccai Zechariah Zaza

Biblical Reference Luke 1:13 Genesis 25 :26 Jonah 1:1 . Genesis 30:24 l Chronicles 7:21 Ezra 2:9 Zechariah l : l I Chronicles 2:33

Baltistan, Gilgit, Ladakh, Pamir, Tibet and Neighbouring Regions Achan Ahir A1iahi Bedhani Dard Doru Gab our Likiri Makhri Oshmar Raispian Rakemah Rezai Sared Sharzuir Shuahshaki Yuday Zuari

Achan A her A1iah Bedan (Heb. Bedhan) Dara Dor Geber Likhi Machir Ishmaiah Resheph Rakem Rezia Sered Sherezer Shashak { Shuah Judah Zuar

Joshua 7:1 I Chronicles 7: I2 1 Chronicles I :51 l l l l l l l l l l

Chronicles 7: 17 Chronicles 2:6 Kings 4:11 Kings 4:13 Chronicles 7:19 Chronicles 7: 14 Chronicles 27:19 Chronicles 7:25 Chronicles 7:16 Chronicles 7:39 Numbers 26:26 Zechariah 7:2 I Chronicles 8:14 l Chronicles 4: ll l Chronicles 2: I Numbers 10:15

64

j j

j

Biblical Name

Tribe etc.

I Chronicles 7:21 Joshua 7:1

Zabad { Zabdi

Zerbad

Biblical Reference

Names of places Kashmir and Neighbouring States Name of

Place Ach-bal (Anatnag) Ach-hame (Palwama and Srinagar) Ach-Kot (Baramula) Ach-nambal (Anantnag) Ach-pur (Handwara) Aguru (Kulgam) Ajas (Srinagar) Amanuh } (Kulgam) ~ Amonu (Anantnag) Amariah (Srinagar) Aner-wan (Srinagar)

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Ash bel

Genesis 46:21

Agur

Proverbs 30: I

Ajah

Genesis 36:24

Amon

I Kings 22 :26

A mariah

I Chronicles 23:19

Aner

I Chronicles 6:70 65

Name of Place Ara-ham (Anantnag) Ara-guttru (Kulgam) Ara-Mullat (Kulgam) Arah-bal (Kulgam) Arch (Srinagar)

Biblical Name

•

A
Aru (Anantnag and Handwara) A'am

(M uzaffarabad) As ham (Srinagar) Assu (Anantnag) Astor (Kulgam and Gilgit) Avend (Anantnag) Babel ' (Anantnag) Bahan (Kulgam) Balpura (Awantipur) Baman (Handwara) Bani-ruth (meaning "tribe of Ruth") (Kulgam)

Ara

Chronicles 7:38

Arah

I

Biblical Reference

l Chronicles 7:39

Archi

Joshua 16:2

Aroer

Joshua 12:2 2 Kings 11:5

}

As him a Ashur

l Chronicles 2:24

Ashtoreth

l Kings ll :5

Aven

Amos 1:5

Babel

Genesis ll :9

Bohan

Joshua 15:6

Baalpear

Numbers 25:3

Bamah

Ezekiel 20:9

Ruth

Ruth 1:4

66

Name of Place

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Barzilla (Kulgam and Srinagar) Ben-hara (meaning ''tribe of Ham") (Baramula and Handwara) Berat (Anantnag) Behatpoor (Handwara) Beyar (Uri) Birsu (Avantipur and Srinagar) Bona (Baramulla) Dan-sok (Kulgam) Doru (Anantnag and Gilgit) Gadha-bara (meaning "bazaar of Gadh") (Srinagar) Gochan (Anantnag) Hara-mo}( (Anantnag) Harwan (a lake near Srinagar)

Barzillai

2 Samuel 17:27

Ham

Genesis 5:32

Beriah

I Chronicles 7:23

Bethpeor

Deuteronomy 34:6

Be or Birsha

Genesis 36:32 Genesis I4:2

Baana

Nehemiah 3:4

Dan

I Chronicles 2:2

Dor

I Kings 4:II

Gad

I Chronicles 2:2

Goshen

Joshua II:I6

Hara

I Chronicles 5:26

Haran

2 Kings I9:I2

67

Name of Place

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Heshba (Handwara) Hosiah (Anantnag) Kahan (Awantipur) Kalkol (Kulgam) Keran (Kemah) Kir-gam (Kulgam) Kirouth (Kulgam) Kashy (Kulgam) Kashi (Jammu) Kashtwar (Kulgam and also a district in Jammu) Koh-i-Hama (mountain near Handwara) Koh-i- Maran Lasharoun (Srinagar) Lavi-pura (Handwara)

Heshbon

Deuteronomy 4:46

Hosea

Hosea I :I

Kanah

Joshua 19:28

Lidde< (Anantnag)

Loderu (Awantipur) Lyddan (Palwana)

l

Calcol (He b. Kalkul) Cheran (Heb.Keran)

I Chronicles 2:6 I Chronicles I :41

Kir

Amos 9:7

Kirjuth

Joshua 18:28

Cush

Genesis I 0:6

Ham

Genesis 5:32

Mara

Ruth 1:20

Lasharon

Joshua 12:18

Levi

I Chronicles 2:1

Lobedar

2 Samuel9:4

Lydda

Acts 9:32

68

r Name of Place

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Mahora (Uri) Mamre (Srinagar) Mattan (Anantnag) Median-pura (Kulgam) Nabudaal (Handwara) Nine-wa (Anantnag) Nekanur-pura (Kulgam) Paru (Anantnag) Pattan (Baramula) Perah (Udampur) Phallu (Kulgam) Pishgah (Handwara) Rei (Kulgam) Rissi-pura (Awantipur) Shopeon (Kulgam) So pur (Handwara) Sukait Suru (near Bhawan) Taharan (Kulgam) Takht-i- Sulaiman (Srinagar)

Mehir

I Chronicles 4: II

Mamre

Genesis 14:13

Mattan

2 Kings II :18

Mid ian

I Chronicles I :46

Mount Nebo

Deuteronomy 34:1

Nieveh

Genesis 10: II

Nicanor

Acts 6:5

Paruah

I Kings 4:17

Pad on

Nehemiah 7:47

Parah

Joshua 18:23

Phallu

Genesis 46:9

Pisgah Rei

Deuteronomy 3:27 I Kings I :8

Rissah

Numbers 33:21

Shopan

Numbers 32:35

Shapher Succoth

Numbers 33:23 Genesis 33: 17

Shur {Tahan Tahrea

Genesis 16:7 Numbers 26:35 I Chronicles 9:41

Solomon 69

I Kings I :34

Name of Place

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Tarelu (Awantipur) Teman-Kot (Handwara) Tedru (Awantipur) Tema-pura (Kulgam) Terich (Uri) Uri (Uri) Yus-maidan (Kulgam) Yus-margh (Handwara) Yusu-nag (Kulgam) Yus-para (Kulgam) Zelu (Awantipur)

Taralah

Joshua 18:27

Taman

Jeremiah 49:7

Tekoa

I Chronicles 2:24

Tema

Genesis 25: 15

Teresh Uri

Esther 2:21 Exodus 31:2

Jesus

Matthew I :21

Zelah

Joshua I8:28

Afghanistan and Adjoining States Agrur (Hazara and Swat) Asret (Swat) Bajor Beora-wai Dober (Swat) Dor (river in Hazara) Ghazni

Agur Ashtoreth Besor { Bezer Be or Debir Dor

Proverbs 30: I I Kings II :5 I Samuel 30:9 Joshua 2I :36 Genesis 36:32 Joshua 2I :I5 I Kings 4:II Genesis IO: 19

Gaza

70

--Name of Place Gaur } Gur-nai (Swat) Hazara Havellian He rat Hie! (District Hazara) Ilai (district, Hazara) Jalala Jamrud Jared Kabul Kaidon (Swat) Karakorum Khaibar Kohollah Kohat 'Koh-iSulaiman Kulla hi (Swat) Mansehra Mossa-Kai Pakhaur Sadoom (district, . '. (Mardan) · .Samarkand

Biblical Reference

Biblical Name Gur Hazeroth Havilah {Hara Hirah

2 Kings 9:27 Numbers 12:16 Genesis 25: 18 I Chronicles 5:26 Genesis 38: I

Hie!

I Kings 16:34

Ilai

I Chronicles II :29

Galilee Jarmuth Jared Cabul Kidron Karkor Chebar(Heb. Khabur) Kolaiah Kohath

Matthew 3: 13 Joshua 21:29 Genesis 5: I 5 Joshua 19:27 2 Samuel 15:23 Judges 8:10

Solomon

I Kings I :34

Kallai { Mosera Moseroth Moses (Heb. Mosheh) Peshur (Heb. Parkhaur)

Ezekiel I :I Nehemiah II :7 Joshua 21:5

Nehemiah 12:20 Deuteronomy 10:6 Numbers 33:31 Exodus 2:10 Ezra 2:38 Deuteronomy 29:23

Sodom

I Kings 16:32

Samaria

71

Name of Place

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Shaul (district, Hazara)

Shaul

I Chronicles 4:24

Terah Tyre Tekel Zidon

Genesis II :24 2 Samuel 5:1 I Daniel 5:27 Judges 18:28

Terah

Toru Tikaal Zaida

Baltistan, Gilgit, Ladakh, Pamir, Tibet and Adjoining Regions Alit~Shur

I Kings 4:16

A loth

(Pamir)

Alash (Pamir)

Alush

Astor (Dardistan) Babel (Gilgit) Balta! (Ladakh) Barzillah Bushan (Pamir)

Ashtoreth

Butta!

(Baltistan) Dardistan Dottan (Baltistan) Gilgit Gilgatta (local name for Gilgit)

Numbers 33:13 I Kings 11:5

Babel

Genesis 11 :9

Bethul

Joshua 19:4

Barzillai Bas han

2 Samuel 17:27 Deuteronomy 3:1

Bethel

Genesis 12:8

Dara Dathan

1 Chronicles 2:6 Numbers 26:9

Gil gal

Joshua 4:19

Golgotha

Matthew 27:33

72

''

'

Name of Place

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Gur-aie (Gilgit) Guzana Haait (Pamir) Hadattah (Pamir)

Gm

2 Kings 19:27

Gozan Hai

2 Kings 19:12 Genesis 12:8

Hawah

(Yarkand) Hussor

}

Hadid(Heb. Haddidh) Hazor

Ezra 2:33 Joshua 15:23

(Ladakh)

Ham is

Hamath

l Chronicles 18:9

Hie!

I Kings 16:34

Jehiel

I Chronicles 15:20

(Ladakh)

Hue! (Ladakh) Jehial (Gilgit) Kirjuth

Kirjath

Joshua 18:28

•··.·

Kegiz (Pamir) Ladakh Lhasa (Tibet)

Keziz Laadah { Lasha Laish

' '·;

Leh (Ladakh)

{Leah Lehi Likhi

Joshua 18:21 1 Chronicles 4:21 Genesis JO: 19 Judges 18:14 Genesis 28: 16 Judges 15:9

3·;

e

(Ladakh)

Liker (Tibet) Lots on (Pamir) Me lie hi (Pamlr)Minat (Iskardu) Moserah (Kenskar)

I Chronicles 7:19 1 Chronicles I :39

Lotan Malachi

Malachi l;l

Minnith

Ezekiel 27:17

Moseroth

Numbers 33:31

73

Name of Place Oduhy (pass in Tibet) Pishon (river in Zenskar) Rabath (Pamir) Rezin (Zanskar) Samaryah (Zanskar) Tibet Zanuja (Kanskar) Zojilah (pass in Baltistan)

Biblical Name

Biblical Reference

Oded

2 Chromcles 15:1 Genesis 2: II

Pi~ on

2 Samuel II :I

Rabbah

Nehemiah 7:50

Rezin

I Kings 16:32

Samaria

Esther 2:16 Chronicles 18:8 Joshua 18:28

{ Tebeth Tibhath Zelah

Joshua 15:34

Zanoah

74

'';-

Chapter 4

JESUS'S OBJECTIVE : KASHMIR

Let us now return to Jesus. We have seen evidence that he survived the crucifixion and appeared in the flesh to his disciples, whose incredulity that he had retained the same body as before the crucifixion had led them to suppose him a spirit, which he in turn demonstrated that he was not. Clearly, though, he could not remain in Palestine indefinitely (for one thing, there was the danger of a second betrayal); so in due course he set out to complete his mission by finding the ten lost tribes of Israel, in Kashmir. In Volume 2 of his book Kanz-al-Ummal, Hazrat Abu Huraira informs us that God guided Jesus out of Jerusalem so that he would not be identified and pursued. Thereafter he set out for Galilee, and, to judge from the difficulty that his followers had in recognising him when he appeared to them (see for example the accounts at John 20:14-16, Luke 21:1331, and John 21 :1-7), frequently went disguised. According to Imam Abu Ja'far Muhammed atTabri, in his famous Tafsir-Ibn-i-Jarir at-Tabri, "[Jesus] and his mother, Mary, had to leave Palestine and travel to a distant land, wandering from country to country" (vo1.3, p.l97). In this context, it is interesting that on leaving the sepulchre Jesus made for Galilee, for this lay on the caravan route to Syria, and thence, through the Fertile Crescent, to the East. Had Jesus set out along this route, he would inevitably have visited Damascus. Indeed, just two miles from the city is a place called Maqam-1-Isa, which means ("the place where Jesus stayed"). Various accounts support the view that Jesus spent some time in Damascus; and it will be recalled that it was on the 76

road to Damascus that Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus, who as a result of this ceased to be a rabid persecutor of Christians and became the apostle Paul. If our hypothesis is correct, it may be that Jesus was actually living in Damascus at the time, and that he deliberately set out to confront Saul on his way to the city and to attempt his conversion. We are told that during his stay in Damascus Jesus received from the King of Nisibis a letter telling him that the king was gravely ill and requested his help. Jesus sent a reply saying that he would send one of his disciples and that he himself would follow later (3). He knew that some members of the lost tribes had settled in Nisibis - a circumstance also mentioned by Josephus (Antiquities, XVIII, 9) - and realised that the time to leave Damascus had arrived. Saul's conversion had infuriated the Jews, who were planning to arrest him. Mohammed bin Kh§.vendsh
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CEYLON (SRI LANKA)

but neither this nor either of the last two sources mentioned explained why Jesus did not spend longer in Nisibis. However, according to the Tafsir-Ibn-iJarir at-Tabri, it was because the people of Nisibis showed themselves hostile to Jesus and wanted to kill him. Nazir Ahmad informs us that in Jesus's time there were three cities known as Nisibis (or Nasibain): one between Mosul (a great commercial centre on the upper Tigris) and Syria; one on the banks of the Euphrates; and one near Jalalabad in Afghanistan. In volume 8 of the Majma-ul- Bul-dan of 1207 (by Shaikhul-lmam Shahab-un-Din-Abi Abdullah Yaqub bin Abdullah al-Hamdi al-Rumi a!-Baghdadi) it says. that the first of these is situated six days' journey from Mosul, along the great caravan route from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and the east. This description would fit modern Nusaybin, which lies just in Turkey, near the Syrian border. On leaving Nisibis, Jesus seems to have travelled under the alias of"Yuz Asaf', which is associated with him by the writings and oral traditions of the regions through which he subsequently passed. The Farhang-iJahangiri and the Anjuman-i-Arae Nasiri of Raza Quli (xxiv, col.l) speak of Asaf as one of the great Arabic countries, while in the Burhan-i-Qate (XXXIV, col.2) Asaf is the name given to the son of Barkhi
means is provided by the Farhang-i-Asafia, which says (vol.l) that Haz-Rat lsa [Jesus] cured lepers, who, once freed of all infirmity, were called "Asaf'. Thus, if Yuz means "leader", Yuz Asaf means something like "leader of the healed lepers", which would have been a most fitting by-name for Christ. Confirming that the two names signify the same person, Faizi, the poet of the court of Akbar, apostrophises Jesus as "Ai Ki Nami to: Yus o Krista" ("You whose name is Yuz or Christ"). Continuing on his way, Jesus came to Iran. Local tradition tells us that a man called Yuz Asaf came there from a country in the west, and that he preached, and converted many. Again, the details of these traditions make clear that Yuz Asaf was Jesus (see, for instance, Agha Mustafai, Ahwali Ahalian-i-Paras). Similar traces of Jesus are to be found in Afghanistan: in the west, and at Ghazni and Jalalabad, in the east. Following Jesus's trail further east, we find traditions that he passed through the locality of Taxila, in Pakistan, not far from the border of Kashmir. According to the Apocryphal Actae Ihomae ("Acts of Thomas"}, Thomas was there for the wedding of a son of Gad, brother to King Gondafras, and, after the ceremonies had finished, ... Thomas left his place. The bridegroom then drew back the curtain that separated him from his bride, and saw Thomas, as he tought, talking to her. Surprised, he asked him, .. How is it that you are here? Did I not see you Ieaver' And the Lord answered, "I am not Judas Thomas, but his brother."4. 80

The significance of this is that John, at John 20:24, gives Thomas the by-name Didymus, which is the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic lama - "twin" and thus suggests that Thomas bore a strong physical likeness to Jesus. More important, though, is that the Actae Thomae place Thomas and Mary with Jesus in Taxila, and not with the disciples in Jerusalem. According to this tradition, Thomas accompanied Jesus to Kashmir, via Damascus and Magdonia (Nisibis) (see the Rauzat-usSafa, vol.l, p.l24); was in Kashmir with Jesus at the latter's death (see Shaikh Al-Sa'td-us SAdiq, Kamalud-Din); and then, after retracing his steps to Taxila, travelled to Kerala, in southern India, and died and was cremated at Milapore, Madras.

81

Mary Was Buried In Pakistan

Leaving Taxila, Jesus, Mary and Thomas travelled on towards Kashmir; but Mary was not to experience the so-called "Heaven on Earth". Not being able to bear the hardships of the long journey, Mary died at what is now the small town of Murree, which was named in honour of her (5) and is situated about forty miles from Taxila and thirty from Rawalpindi. The place where she is buried is known as Pindi Point, and the sepulchre itself is called Mai Mari da As than, meaning ''resting place of Mother Mary". According to Jewish custom, the tomb is oriented eastwest, as are the tombs of Jesus and Moses (discussed later). This contrasts with the customary orientation of Moslem tombs, which is north-south. Mumtaz Ahmad Faruqui writes in his book The Crumbling of the Cross that, at the time when Mary died and was buried in Murree, the country was governed by the Hindu rajahs. Hindus, who worship many deities, are superstitious by nature, and, when they saw the new tomb at the top of the hill, began to venerate it and pray there, so that the tomb became a recognised shrine. When the Moslems took possession of the country, they realised that, though the Hindus venerated the tomb, the person buried there must have been one of the ..people of the Book" (Jewish or Christian), since the Hindus cremate their dead. The Moslems too began to venerate Mary's tomb. In 1898 the British colonial government had a defensive tower built next to the tomb, which the people of the district continued to visit. In 1916-17 the 82

engineer of the garrison, Captain Richardson, wanted to have the tomb demolished, so as to keep people away from the area; but the people raised such an outcry that the municipal council intervened to stop the demolition, and instituted an official investigation. The result of this is given by a document (dated 30 July 1917) that is preserved in file no. 118 of the Muree Municipal Council; this recognises, on the basis of the testimony of dozens of old-established residents, that the sanctuary of Pindi Point is the tomb of a person possessed of saintly qualities, that it is venerated both by Hindus and by Moslems, and that, in times of drought, prayers and offerings at the tomb have generally succeeded in bringing rain. This was confirmed by the official in charge of the investigation, who reported that, at the time of the severe drought of 1916-17, prayers and offerings were made at the tomb, with the result that almost immediately it began to rain and snow, persisting for three days. It was decided not to destroy the tomb; and when, some time later, Captain Richardson was fatally injured in a severe accident, there were those who said that this was a judgement upon him. In 1950 the tomb was repaired, thanks to the efforts of Khwaja Nazir Ahmad, author of the book Jesus in Heaven on Earth. The defensive tower has since been demolished, as having no real use, and in its place a television tower has been erected.

83

The Meadow Of Jesus: Gateway To Kashmir

From Murree, Jesus continued on his way into Kashmir, which he entered through the valley known as Yusmarg, the .. Meadow of Jesus". This is a beautiful green valley with wooded slopes, and is inhabited by the Yadu race, descendants of the ten tribes of Israel. These people live a mainly pastoral life, supported by their herds and flocks, and the valley in which they live lies along the ancient route taken by merchants travelling between Afghanistan and the valley of Kaghan, in Kashmir. Following this route eastwards, one comes to Aishmuqam - A ish- being a prefix derived from /sa (Jesus), and muqam meaning "place of rest". Here, then, -is a place where Jesus rested on his journey, as the Nur Nama confirms. Aishmuqam is today Mohammedan. On our visit there we found that the horns of "the Ram of God" were preserved there, under lock and key, and that a staff also kept there was said by some to have belonged originally to Jesus. However, as those responsible for the custody of the staff told us (and as Professor Hassnain later confumed), this is an error, for the staff originally belonged not to Jesus but to Moses, whose links with Kashmir we shall consider in the next chapter. Before going on to consider the various historical documents that testify to Jesus's presence in Kashmir, I give here, for convenience, a short list of Kashmiri historical and geographical names that contain some reference to Jesus. 84

1:

lssa-Brari

Yusu-dha

lssa-eil

Yusu-dhara

lssa-Kush

Yusu-gam

lssa-Mati

Yusu-hatpura

Issa-Ta

Yusu-kun

1-yes-Issa

Yusu-maidan

1-yes-th-Issa-vara

Yusu-para

Kal-Issa

Yusu-raja

Ram-Issa

Yusu-varman

Arya-lssa

Yus-marg

Aish-muqam

Yus-nag

Yusu

Yus-mangala

85

Jesus Settled In Kashmir Let us now consider some of the texts that testify to Jesus's sojourn and death in Kashmir. Mulla Nadiri, the first Moslem historian of Kashmir, who wrote in Persian, says in his Tarikh-iKashmir that Yuza Asaf began to proclaim his message in Kashmir in the year 54 (precisely what this date means is discussed later). The relevant passage is as follows: The king took the name of Gopananda and started his activity in the valley of Kashmir. During his reign many temples were built and restored. He invited Sulaiman of Persia to undertake the necessary repairs to the Throne of Solomon on the mount. The Hindus objected, saying that, as he was not a Hindu, and as he followed another religion, he could not restore the holy tomb. In the same period Yuza Asaf arrived from Palestine and began to proclaim himself as a prophet in the valley of Kashmir. He dedicated days and nights to his work and was very pious and saintly. He brought the words of God to the people of Kashmir. Many were converted and became his disciples. The king asked him to guide the Hindus in the right direction. Sulaiman restored Solomon's Throne and erected four pillars with the following inscriptions: 86

The builders of these pillars are Bhisti Zargar, Year 54. And Khawaja Runkun, the son of Mirjan. Yuza Asaf proclaimed himself as a prophet. Year 54. He is Yuzu, of the tribes of Israel. These inscriptions were still extant and legible when Khwaja Haidar Malik Chadura wrote his own Tarikhi- Kashmir, during the reign of Jahangir (see also Pirzada Ghulam Hasan's Tarikh-i-Kashmir, vol. 3). The sanctuary known as Solomon's Throne is situated on top of a hill dominating the east side of Srinagar, and offering an impressive panorama of the city.

87

Jesus's Conversation With Shalewahin

In the ancient Bhavishya Mahapurana, which was written in Sanskrit in the year 3191 of the Laukika era (115 AD) and is attributed to Viyas, we are told (verses 17-32) that rajah Shalewahin went out one day to walk in the mountains, and in Voyen, near Srinagar, saw a distinguished person dressed in white and with a fair complexion. The rajah asked him his name. Jesus answered that he was known as the son of God and was born of a virgin. The rajah was surprised, but Jesus explained that he was telling him the truth and that his mission was to purify religion. When the rajah renewed his questioning, Jesus told him that he had proclaimed his ministry in a country far beyond the Indus, and that the people had made him suffer. He had preached of love, the truth and purity of heart, and that for this reason he was known as the Messiah. The following is a translation of the relevant verses. Shalewahin, grandson of Bikramajit, assumed the government. He fought off the Chinese hordes, the Parthians, the Scythians and the Bactrians. He defined the frontier between the Aryans and the Amalekites, ordering them to keep to the other side of the Indus. One day Shalewahin set off towards the Himalayas, and there, in the middle of the land of the Hun, the powerful king saw a distinguished person sitting near a mountain. The saint had a fair complexion and wore white 88

1. Jesus's living descendant. Sahibzada Basharat Saleem. who celebrated healer.

IS

a poet and whose father was a

2. An ancient tablet bearing Jesus' s footprints showing the precise location of his crucifixion scars.

3. Jesus·s Simple stone tomb found

1n

the Rozabal (Rauza Bal=''prophet's tomb").

4. & 5. The finely carved screen inside the Rozabal which encloses Jesus"s tomb and t hat of a samt who worshipped Jesus. Nazir Ud-Din.

6. (left) Th e green tablet in the Rozaba l whic h proclaims that J esus li es w ithin . 7. (right) The decree made in 1766 by the Grand Mufti of Kashm ir co nfirming offi cially th at the Rozabal is the tomb of Yuz As af (J esus) .

8. The ex tenor of the Rozabal (Rauza Bal =··prophet's tomb''). the shnnc whrch houses Jesus's tomb.

9. The sacred rnscription on the bronze medallion hanging rn the marn entrance of Jesus's shrine.

10. (abo o;e} "Jesus's resti ng pl ace" (A ishmuqam) a holy place 1n Kashm ir, so called because Jesus stopped here to res t on his en try into Kas 11mir. It is here th at the "Staff of M oses" (also called the "S taff of J esus"} IS ke pt. 11. (left} Th e en trance to the A 1shmuqam shrine.

12. (below } The streets of the Kh anyar d istrict of Srinagar adjo ining the Rozab al.

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13. Srinagar. the rtoating capital or Kashrrm. also called the "Paradise On Earth," "a land of h1lls and valleys" that "drinketh the ram of heaven" (Deuteronomy 11 :11 ). It was here that Jesus began his second life.

14. & 15. Pages 118 and 119. dated 1894. from the d1aries of Dr Marx and Dr Francke. the two German m1SS1onanes who red iscovered N1coln1 Notovllch's aston1shmg report of a Tibetan scroll dcsc 11b10g Jesus's life 1n the Orient.

16. An early Nestonan Chnst1an 1nscnpuon carved on the g1ant rock face at Tankse. sixty miles from Leh. the cap1tal of Ladakh. It comprises crosses of St George and Arama1c mscriptlons.

17. The Lamasery o f Hemis near Leh. the capttal of Ladakh. where a wealth of manuscripts is to be found attesting to the presence and death of Jesus in Kash mir.

18. (above) The original manuscript of the Bavishya Mahapurana. dated 115 AD, which recounts Jesus's encounter before 78 AD with the great Rajah Shalewahin. who recognized Jesus's wisdom and saintliness and is said to have advised him to marry. 19 (below) The text of a modern edition of the work showing verses 17-32. in whjch the encounter is described.

20. (above ) Th e " Throne of Solomon" res tored by Gopadatta of Persia 1n 78 AD. It stands on the eastern most peak overlooking Snnagar and the Ben1 Israel ("Children o f Israel") of Kashmir bel1eve It to be a replica of Solomon's throne in Jerusalem. destroyed by Nabuchadnezzar.

21. (below) A Persian inscnptton on the columns of the Throne of Solomon confirms Jesus's presence 1n Sronagar before 78 A D.

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22. A vi ew o f Mount Nebo on which Moses lies buried. This is the first phase or the ascent to th e tomb. "And he buried him 1n a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor; bu t no man knoweth of h1s sepulcher unto th1s day" (Deu teronomy 34:6).

23. (above) Moses's grave. overgrown Wi th greenery as the Kashmm custom. The g1ant tree was planted by Hazrat Makhdoom Shaikh Hamza m honour of the Jews' great lawg,ver. The Bem Israel ("Children of Israel") who nhab1t the area have worshipped the tomb for over 3000 years.

24. (below) The author wi th Wali Resh1. custo dian or Moses's tomb. Tho tomb of Sang Bibi can be seen adJOining Moses's grave.

2 5. Wali Resh1. the Jew1sh cus tod1an of Moses's tomb. H s fam1ly has guarded the shnne for 900 years. On the woooen door bes1de him are carved the names of h1s family's predecessors.

26. (nghc) The " Ka Ka Pal" or "S to ne o r M oses" at BiJabhara. 27 miles southwest o r Srin agar. It is behoved to have magical properties. " Ka" means "eleven" - a reference to the twelve tnbes of Israel excludmg the Levites. It is believed that the stone can only be hfted by eleven people placing one finger beneath It wh1le chanting "Ka Ka Ka Ka . . .." 27. (below) The author's w 1fe w1th Jew1sh Kashm1ri women bes1de the river where Moses ba thed. according to the Rauzat-us-Saufa. an anc1ent Persian text. The "Stone of Moses" lies close by.

28. (above) A view of Lake Nagin. whose waters provide the thoroughfares of Snnagar. 29. (below) The view from Moses's bunal place. wh1ch he would have seen before he d1ed. It IS mdeed a v1ew of the Promised Land. "a land that floweth with milk and honey'". Nearby Lake Wular. on whose shores hes Behatpoor (the Biblical '"Bethpeor'"). Near it. too. are Hashba (Biblical '"Heshbon'"), Pisgah ("Pisgah'") . the Plains of Moru ('"Moab'"). and Mount Ablu ('"Abanm'") m perfect correspon dence with the Biblical description of Moses's burial place and the Promised Land.

\

30. & 31. The Jews of the Yusmarg (=""Meadow of Jesus··). They call themselves the ··seni Israel"·. the Children of Israel. They hold the Yusmarg sacred as they believe that Jesus here accomplished his mission on earth to find the Ten Lost Tnbes of Israel.

clothes. King Shalewahin asked him who he was. He replied pleasantly, "I am known as the son of God and born of a virgin." As the king was astonished by this answer the saint added, "I preach the religion of the Amalekites and follow the principles of truth." The king questioned him about his religion and He answered, "Oh king, I hail from a faraway land, in which the truth no longer exists, and in which evil knows no limits. I appeared in the land of the Amalekites as the Messiah. Through me the sinners and the delinquents suffered, and I also suffered at their hands." The king begged him to explain his teaching of his religion more fully, and the saint told him, "Teach love, the truth, and purity of heart. Teach men to serve God, who is at the centre of the sun and the elements. And God and the elements will exist forever." The king returned after having promised obedience to the saint.

89

Jesus, Family Man

This section could well be the most controversial in this book, because it deals with the delicate matter of whether Jesus took a wife and had children in Kashmir. Professor Hassnain and Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, who may be a direct descendant of Jesus, both told me that he did, but the answers that they gave to my questions on the matter tended to be evasive, though proceeding from a clear conviction. Both treat this subject with great caution and with an obvious determination to prevent the story from becoming sensationalised and distorted. As my intention in this book is to report on all aspects of what I call the "second life" of Christ, I am obliged to report on this aspect as well. However, because of my respect for the two gentlemen who supplied my information, both kind and showing the finest human qualities, I must appeal to the good judgement of the reader not to exaggerate anything contained in the following lines. On hearing that a descendant of Jesus was living in Srinagar, I obtained an interview with him; but, as I did not know of any texts stating that Jesus had had children, I first consulted Professor Hassnain, who had no vested interest in the matter. He told me that to his knowledge the only written source on this subject was the Negaris- Tan-i- Kashmir, an old Persian book that had been translated into Urdu, and that relates that king Shalewahin (the same king as met and conversed with Jesus in the mountains) told Jesus that he needed a woman to take care of him, and offered 90

him his choice of fifty. Jesus replied that he did not need any and that no one was obliged to work for him, but the king persisted until Jesus agreed to employ a woman to cook for him, look after his house and do his washing. Professor Hassnain told me that the woman's name was Maryan, and that the same book says that she bore Jesus children. Sahibzada Basharat Saleem received us in his house in Srinagar. He is a keen photographer, an art lover and a poet - in short, an unusually sensitive person. When we asked him whether he considered himself a descendant. of Jesus, he replied that, whenever he questioned his father on the subject, his father used to reply that the grandfather of his grandfathers (i.e. a distant ancestor) was a prophet named Yuza Asaf. He also used to say that, close to the tomb of that ancestor, in the district of Khanyar, was a sanctuary in ·which lay the remains of a great saint of Kashmir, venerated by all the inhabitants of Srinagar. This saint, so greatly venerated and so important in Kashmir, was, his father told him, absolutely nothing compared with the prophet buried in the tomb known as the "Rozabal". Sahibzada Basharat Saleem also told us that, whenever his father was asked whether he was a descendant of Jesus, his answer was, "Yes indeed, but we call him Yuza Asaf." Sahibzada Basharat Saleem is the son of Sahibzada Ghulam Mohiyuddin, who was the son of Sahibzada Abdul Ahad, son of Sahibzada Abdus Samad, son of Sahibzada Abubekr-and so on, back to Yuz Asaf, or Jesus. Sahibzada Basharat Saleem possesses a 91

genealogical table detailing his ancestry back to Jesus. When asked the name of the woman who bore Jesus's children, he confirmed that it was Maryan, (Mirjan, Marjon) and said that she came from one of the enchanting shepherd villages that abound in the valley of Pahalgam, in Kashmir. Another tradition about Jesus that is of interest in the present context is contained in the Persian historical work Rauzat-us-Safa, which relates, (part 1, vol. 2, pp.182-3), "It is said that, after his descent from the world above, lsa (Jesus] will live forty years more, will marry and have children, will fight the enemies of the Moslems, and will destroy all nations that follow other religions." While this appears to relate to a second coming, it is significant that it contains a tradition of Jesus's marriage. To return to Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, it is worth noting that both his father and grandfather are remembered in Kashmir as men with exceptional healing powers. Basharat Saleem, who is known by everyone in Srinagar, told us that one day a man, knowing whose son he was, knelt down before him and told him that he had a son who had once been gravely ill and whom the doctors could not cure. He had asked Basharat Saleem's father for advice, and he had said that he would pray for the boy and that the man should go home and do likewise. Although at the point of death, at midnight the boy suddenly asked for milk, and by morning was so well that he got up. Basharat Saleem recalled also that a woman whom the doctors had given up as a hopeless case was visited in hospital by his father, who ordered her to be 92

Part of a letter sent by Sahibzada Basharat Saleem to the author and specifying that the name of the woman said to have lived with Yuza Asaf {Jesus) in Kashmir was Marjan.

93

removed from the hospital and taken home. After a few days she was completely recovered. Talking about his own life, Basharat Saleem told us that previously he was interested in politics, but that he found politicians dishonest. He believed that one can help the poor when one has power, but that politicians generally use their power only for their own ends. Basharat Saleem writes poetry, but not for his own financial gain: he has the money distributed among the poor. He also told us that, by tradition, the eldest son of each generation of his family is in charge of the maintenance of the "Rozabal", the building in Srinagar that houses the body of Jesus. His brother lives next to this building. Basharat Saleem petitioned the government for help in laying out a garden around the building, but was refused. The pressure of his own affairs prevents him from personally looking after the tomb, but he pays a man to do so and to attend to visitors, and, along with his entire family, visits the tomb frequently. Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, descendant of Jesus, is listed in the Asian edition of Who's Who, which says of him that he was born in Srinagar on 14 August 1934; that he has been editor of a daily newspaper and is now a hotelier; and that, as a political leader, he has been arrested and imprisoned many times. The last time this happened was in 1965, during the Indo-Pakistani conflict. . On the day before of our departure from Kashmir, we spent most of the afternoon c:Q.atting with Basharat Saleem and in the evening dined at Professor 94

Hassnain's house. Three hours later, after sharing an excellent Moslem-style meal, we noticed that we had left our camera behind at Basharat Saleem's. On returning there, we were told that he was out looking for us with our camera, so we began walking back to our taxi, which had run out of petrol about a quarter of a mile away. In so doing we ran into Basharat Saleem, who was returning home with our camera still in his hand. It turned out that, knowing no more than that we were living on a houseboat on Lake Nagin, he had gone on foot (like most Kashmiris, he did not possess a car) and inquired for us along lakes Nagin and Dal, rowing from boat to boat in the pouring rain for four hours. After taking all this trouble without success, he was returning home with the intention of later taking the camera to the airline company's office and, if necessary, to the airport itself, which was a long way from the city. The concern he showed even over such a small matter bears witness to the splendid character of this most remarkable man. In conclusion, it is appropriate to note that Basharat means "message" and Saleem means "good", which is to say that this living descendant of Jesus is known, most fittingly, by the name "good news".

'I•'

~"

95

The Death Of Jesus In Kashmir

Al-Shaikh-us-Sftdiq Abi Ja'far Muhammad ibn'Ali ibn Hasain ibn Miis§ ibn Baibuyah al-Qummi. the great oriental writer and historian knows also as Shaikh Al-Sa'id-us-Sftdiq, who died in Khurasan in the year 962 AD, relates the journeys ofYuz Asafin his famous book Kamtil-ud- Din vas Tmtim-un- Ni'mat fi Asbtit-ul-Ghaibut was Ksf-ul-Hairet, also called Ikrntil-ud- Din. This book, which is considered extremely valuable by western orientalists, was first published in 1882 by Aga M'lf Baqar at the Sayyid-usSamad Press in Iran, and was later translated into German by Professor Muller of Heidelberg University. The author travelled widely in order to amass information for this book, which is strictly factual and mentions both Jesus's first journey east (to Ceylon and other places) and his second, which ended in Kashmir. The book also gives a brief account of Jesus's teachings on these journeys, and these turn out to be similar to his teachings as recounted in the four gospels. In addition to all this, Shaikh Al-Sa'id-us-Sftdiq describes the traditions concerning Jesus's death. According to these (see pp.357-8 of his book), Jesus sent for his disciple Ba'bat (Thomas) when he felt death approaching, and expressed it as his last wish that his work should continue and that a tomb should be raised over him at the exact spot where he expired. Thomas did as he asked. Jesus was buried with his feet pointing west, and his head to the east. Similarly, the prophet Mohammed said that God 96

would take charge of his soul at the place where he expired. That is why he was buried in the small dwelling of his wife Hadrat Ayesha (see Mumtaz Ahmad Faruqui, The Crumbling of the Cross, p. 70).

97

The Tomb Of Jesus In Kashmir

The tomb that Thomas is reputed to have raised over the body of Jesus is located in the district of Khanyar in the centre of the Kashmiri capital, Srinagar. Attached to a post in the street outside the tomb is a blue notice bearing in white the legend "Rozabal", which is a contraction of "Rauza Bal". Rauza is the word signifying a prophet's tomb, as opposed to that of Saint (which is called a ziarat). The building is rectangular and has a small entrance hall attached to it. Behind the building is a Moslem cemetery, in which the tombs, by Moslem custom, are oriented northsouth. On passing into the Rozabal through the entrance hall (where, the place being sacred to Hindus and Moslems, one must remove one's shoes) one comes first to a gallery. This surrounds the inner chamber, which is entered through a small opening on the left of which is an inscribed wooden tablet (substituting for the original tablet, which has disappeared) headed by the words "Ziarat Yuza Asaf Khanyar": "the tomb" (it is striking that the word used here is ziarat, which, as we saw earlier, applies to saints) "of Yuza Asaf, Khanyar". The rest of the inscription indicates that Yuza Asaf arrived in the valley of Kashmir many centuries ago and that he dedicated his life to preaching the truth. The existing tablet was presented by the Department of Archaeology of the state of Kashmir. On the floor of the inner chamber are two tombstones, both of which are enclosed by a carved 98

Plan of Srinagar showing the location of the "Rozabal" containing Jesus's tomb.

99

wooden framework. The larger of the two is Jesus's and lies at the further end of the chamber. The smaller one, lying near the entrance, is that of a Moslem saint of the fifteenth century, Syed Nasir-ud-Din. His devotion to Jesus knew no limits, and in accordance with his wishes he was buried next to Jesus. The two tombstones are oriented north-south, according to Moslem custom, but the real tomb of Jesus, which lies in the crypt underneath, is oriented east-west, in the Jewish manner. Formerly the crypt could be reached by a stairway from the street, on the west of the building; but the entrance has now been blocked up, except for a small aperture. Placed on the floor in the north-east corner of the main chamber is a stone block used as a base on which to stand candles. Because of this it was always covered with wax; but when, one day, Professor Hassmain started peeling the wax away, he found encrusted in it first a crucifix, then a rosary, and after clearing the surface of the stone more thoroughly, found what appeared to be the impression of two feet bearing traces of the crucifixion wounds. On our visit to Jesus' tomb, we were able to prove that these "footprints" were no more than carvings, done by some old, unknown artist. However, the fact that these carvings represent feet bearing crucifixion wounds shows that whoever fashioned them saw Yuza Asaf and Jesus as the same person, and was testifying to that. During our visits to the Rozabal we were always accompanied by the custodian, who had charge ofthe keys. The following is a conversation that we had with 100

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1 Tombstone of Yuza Asaf (Jesus?) 2 Tombstone of Syed Nasir-ud-Din 3 Carved footprints 4 Explanatory tablet 5 Access to crypt {now blocked, except for a small window)

6

Gallery

7 8 9

Entrance hall Patio Moslem cemetery

10 Street 11

Post with the "Rozabal" notice

Plan of the "Rozabal", the tomb of Yuza Asaf (Jesus?). 101

him on one of these visits (Q =question; A= answer): Q. A. Q. A.

Why are you the keeper of the Rozabal?

By family tradition. My father was, and his father, and his father before him. But are you not a relative of Basharat Saleem? Yes, I am a distant relative of Baharat Saleem. [I must make it quite clear that

Basharat Saleem emphatically denied Q. A. Q.

A

Q.

A. Q.

this. He said that the keeper was simply an employee.] Do you believe this is the tomb of Jesus? It is the tomb of Yuza Asaf. Can you tell me whose is the second tombstone, the smaller of the two? Yuza Asaf was an exalted person, so it was not sufficient to give him only one tombstone: he had to have two. [Other people in Srinagar assured us the second tombstone was that of an Egyptian emissary sent to Kashmir in olden times. Both versions are wrong, the keeper's answers being typically those of a humble man who, though responsible for looking after the bnilding, was largely ignorant of the history of the place.] What is your religion? I am a Moslem. For what religions ts this building a sanctuary? 102

l

A.

Q.

A.

Q. A.

For Moslems, Christians, Jews and Hindus. It is said that from ancient times many people of many denominations have come to pay homage in this place. The signatures in the visitors' book of Rozabal bear witness to this. Who do you think is the most important person who has visited this place? Many extremely learned people and professors have been here, but, for me particularly, I think the most important person who has visited Rozabal is the uncle of our Prime Minister, Indira Ghandi. Many great cinema stars have been too. Do you remember any Christian priests who have been here? It is possible that some may have come, as there are various Christian schools here, but I do not remember anyone in particular.

Our interpreter during this interview was Professor Hassnain's son, Mr Fida, who assisted during most of our stay in Kashmir. In conclusion, it is worth noting that the people of Kashmir who visit the tomb and leave offerings there know it as the tomb of Hazrat Yuz Asaf or of Nabi Sahib ("the prophet"), Shahzada Nabi ("the prophet prince") or Hazrat lsa Sahib (that is, Jesus). 103

The Official Decree Referring To the Rozabal

The custodian of Jesus's tomb has in his keeping an old decree that establishes the tomb as that of Yuz Asaf or Jesus. It is a decree granted in favour of Rahman Mir by five muftis Gudges) of Srinagar. It is signed and sealed by them and is dated 1766. The complete text is as follows. In this kingdom, in the Department of Instruction and Religion and in the Court of Justice, Rahman Mir, son of Bahadur Mir, declares that nobles and ministers and kings and other dignitaries and the general public come from all directions to the holy building of Yuz Asaf the prophet, blessed by God, to render him homage and make offerings; and he asserts that he is absolutely authorised to receive and utilise these offerings, and that no one else has this right, and that all others must be prevented from interfering with these rights. After confirming the evidence, it was established that in the reign of rajah Gopadatta, who restored the building on Mount Solomon and built many temples, a man named Yuz Asaf came. He was a royal prince and renounced all worldly claims and became a legislator. He used to spend his nights and days in prayer to God, and passed long periods in solitary meditation. This happened after the first great flood of Kashmir when people had abandoned themselves to the 104

;_,,

worship of idols. Yuz Asaf was sent as a prophet to preach to the people of Kashmir. He preached the oneness of God until death overcame him and he died. He was buried in Mohall Khanyar on the side of the lake, in the place known as "Rauzabal... In 1451 Syed Nazir-ud-Din Rizvi, a descendant of Imam Moosa Ali Raza, was buried next to Yuz Asaf. As the place is regularly visited by everyone, the high and the low, and the aforementioned Rahman Mir is the hereditary keeper of the place, he is authorised to receive the offerings that are deposited there, and no one else has any right to or connection with these offerings. Given under our hand, this eleventh day of Jumada-al-Thania, 1184 AI Hegira [1766]. Signed and sealed: Mulla Fazal, Mu/ti-Azam Abdul Shakur, Mufti-Azam Ahmadullah, Mufti Muhammad Azam, Mufti Hafiz Ahsanullah, Mufti Signed and sealed: Muhammad Akbar, Khadim Raza Akbar, Khadim Khizar Muhammad, Khadim Habihullah, Khadim

105

Ladakh, Land Of Jesus and Of Christians It is only comparitively recently that Ladakh, which lies in the eastern part of the state of Jammu and l(ashmir and is one of the highest inhabited regions on earth, has begun to open its doors to strangers. It is a land where earth and heaven seem to meet, a land of vast sandy deserts and huge dark mountains of granite. The capital of the region is Leh, which lies just a few miles from the lamasery of Hemis, where Nicolai Notovich found the manuscripts that speak of Jesus's first journey east, to India, Ceylon and Kashmir. Lady Henrietta Merrick, in her book In the World's Attic (p.215), confirms that the monastery of Hemis possesses documents written in Tibetan and Pali that speak of the days when Jesus was in Leh, where he was received with gladness and preached. Ladakh and her neighbour Tibet were lands chosen by the early Christians. In Tankse, about sixty miles from Leh, there are rocks with inscriptions carved by the ancient Nestorian Christians, mystics who came from Syria and who settled in Tankse. Next to inscriptions are carved St George crosses. It is worth considering why the Nestorian Christians, whose founder was Nestorius, patriach of Constantinople in the years 428 to 431 AD, should have settled precisely here. Nestorius held that Jesus had two distinct natures, the human and the divine, and that his divine nature only "inhabited" his human form. By the same token, Nesorius claimed that Mary was mother to only the man, not the divine, Jesus. This 106

doctrine was condemned by the Council of Ephesus in 431, but became, under the leadership of a katholikos, the national church of Persia. In addition, it was enormously successful in India, where the Nestorians developed links with the Christians of St Thomas; in Turkestan; in China; and among the Mongols. However, owing to the persecution that it suffered at the hands of Tamburlaine (or, more properly, Timur i Leng) in the fourteenth century, the sect was practically annihilated. In the sixteenth century the Chaldean Nestorians united with the Church of Rome, and in 1914-17 the Nestorians suffered further terrible persecution, at the hands of the Turks. Survivors of this persecution may be found in northern Iraq. Writing about the Nestorians in her book Les Religions du Tibet (1974), Marcelle Lalou says that during the Middle Ages the Nestorians could have made contact with the Tibetan tribes encamped in Central Asia, where they were endeavouring to establish an empire. Jean Dauvillier refers to a Chinese inscription, carved on a stone tablet now preserved in the Ueno Museum in Tokyo, that suggests that a Chinese general, a Nestorian Christian following the Chaldean rites, attempted the conversion of the Tibetan tribes he governed between 656 and 661. Traces of Christianity according to the Chaldean rites have been found in Tibet proper at Drang-tse, near the lake of Pang-Kong, on the caravan route to Lhasa. Carved on the rock there, there were discovered three Chaldean crosses, accompanied by inscriptions in various languages. Those in Tibetan are at present indecipherable, but the one in Sogdian (an 107

ancient language from the area of Samarkand) includes Jesus's name and a date, equivalent to 825 or 826 AD. The Chaldean communities of Tibet must have been fairly important, as in two of his letters (dated between 792 and 798) Patriach Timothy I mentions the Tibetan Christians and declares himself willing to consecrate a metropolitan bishop "for the country of the Tibetans". This suggests a well-established clergy in Tibet, with several bishops. Particularly interesting is the evidence that Marcell Lalou finds of Christian beliefs in an important Buddhist manuscript found by Pelliot in the grotto of the thousand Buddhas at Ten-huang. This manuscript, the Exposition of the Road of Death: Guide to the Saintly Dwelling of the Gods, dates from the period 800-1035, but is a recompilation of earlier texts. It deals with the salvation of the dead through the prayers and invocations of the Bodhisattvas, and thus introduces an element of compassion and forgiveness into the harsh law of the Karma -that a person's actions in life determine his future after death. Marcelle Lalou argues that, "In view of this, it does not seem absurd to see in this document traces of the Christian belief in the redemption." Further parallels between Buddhism and Christianity will be discussed in a later chapter.

108

The Crucifixion Of Sandiman

Despite India's long history, only one crucifixion is recorded as having taken place there, and that, significantly, is said to have taken place in Srinagar. The event is related in the twelfth-century Rajatarangini, which was written in Sanskrit by Pandit Kalhana and connects the event with Jesus. ''

~ '.

San Issana [Jesus] lived in Ishbar on the bank of Lake Dal in Kashmir. He was a saint of great renown: everyone listened to his sermons, and he had many followers. One of his principal disciples, Sandiman [known also as Sandimati] was imprisoned for ten years. In the end he was crucified. San lssana attended, and saw three sentences written in front of Sandiman: l. This man will live a humble life. 2. He will be crucified after ten years' imprisonment. 3. And, after his resurrection, he will be king. Sandiman was crucified in a fenced enclosure, and many were present at the crucifixion. During the night, saintly women approached him and surrounded his body. San lssana became sad; he went to the place and on the third day Sandiman returned to life. The people came in astonishment to see him and offered him the throne of Kashmir. He refused 109

the offer, but the people would not leave, and so finally he agreed to be king. The author goes on to say that this extraordinary account of a crucifixion, the only one recorded in the ancient history of Kashmir, merits proper attention because of its close similarity to the story of Jesus's crucifixion. Clearly, he says, the renowned saint Issana can be none other than Jesus. It is noteworthy too that Issana lived at lshbar, which means ..the place of lssa", and that it was through him that Sandiman was resurrected. This story also occurs in various other histories of Kashmir.

110

Chronological Proof

In order to prove from chronology that Yuz Asaf was probably Jesus, it is necessary to determine the dates of his arrival and death in Kashmir. To do this, one must fix the periods covered by the reigns of kings Gondafras, Gopadatta and Shalewahin. Apart from inscriptions and coins, the only valid guide is the historian Pandit Kulhana, who compiled the Rajatarangini during 1148 and 1149. This is the oldest historical document dealing with the dynasties that from the earliest times dominated Kashmir or had connections with it. All the ancient chronicles used by Kulhana have been lost, and his Hindu and Moslem successors had to take their evidence for the earliest periods largely from him. The first three tarangs of the Rajatarangini are chiefly legendary, but the fourth is based firmly on historical fact. Historians such as Fleet, Ferguson, Lassen, Levi, Prinsep, Wilfred and Wilson have tried to verify Kulhana's chronology by various tests, checking their calculations against what is known of who reigned and when. Unfortunately, the ancient history of India is mostly legendary, and many mythical persons (such as evil spirits) are treated as real people. The Western writers mentioned above continually ran up against such problems, which were aggravated by the fact that the eras referred to in ancient sources are very numerous and are often of uncertain significance. In the following comparative table are listed the eras that concern us here, along with the dates in those eras that, according to the Ill

calculations of Nazir Ahmad, correspond to the dates 1 and 1950 AD. (the Hebrew and Moslem equivalents are, of course, not in doubt). Era

Christian Era (AD) Hebrew Era (AM) Kalyugi Era Laukika Era Bikrami Era Shalewahin Era Moslem Era (AH) Kashmir Era

Year

Year

4004 3101 3076 57 - 78 -622 -1324

1950 5954 5051 5026 2007 1877 1369 626

On the basis of this, let us now calculate the dates of events connected with the life of Jesus or Yuz Asaf (again, we make use of evidence collected by Nazir Ahmad). To take first the stay of Jesus and Thomas in Taxila, we find that the Acta Tho mae places this in the reign of king Gondafras. An old inscription discovered in Taxila and now preserved in the Museum of Lahore, records that "In the year 26 of the great king Gondafras, in the year Samvat 103, and on the fourth day of the month of Baisakh ... " ( see The Archaelogical Reports of India, 1903-4). To what event the inscription went on to refer is not certain, as it is now incomplete, but it may have been the wedding of Abdagases, which is the one Jesus and Thomas are said to have attended in Taxila. The mention of the year Samvat and the month Baisakh suggest that the Bikrami Era, which commenced in about 57 BC, is 112

I

'

being used. This would date· the event commemorated by the inscription to about 46 AD and the commencement- of Godafras's reign to about 20 AD. Confirming this, Professor Rapson, in his book Andent India (p. 174), dates the reign of Godafras as 21-50 AD. and V.A. Smith, in his Early History of India (p. 217). as approximately 20-60 A D. This would date the stay of Jesus and Thomas in Taxila to sometime before 60, and possibly 50, AD. Now let us consider when Jesus's meeting with Shalewahin at Voyen, near Srinagar, could have taken place. To do this, we must look first at the historical background. In about 60 AD, Kadephsis I became the selfappointed lord of the north of India (V.A. Smith, op. cit., p.235). Kanishka, his viceroy in Purushpura (Peshawar), obtained the submission of Kashmir, and, some time later (in 73 AD), of the kings of Kashgar. Neither Kadephsis or Kanishka deposed the reigning monarchs in these countries. They were satisfied with the payment of tribute, since their principal objective was Central Asia. During this period, Shalewahin emerged as the Brahmins' charripion against the Saktas (Rapson, op. cit., p.582). He expelled the Saktas from northern India, including Kashmir, and in about 78 AD left Kashmir for the Deccan, in southern India, to suppress a rebellion. He celebrated his victory over the Saktas by dating a new era from it and named this era after himself. The Shalewahin Era (or, as it is known in southern India, the Sakta Era) commenced on I Baisakh in the year 3179 of the Kalyugi Era, which 113

corresponds to 14 March 78 AD (J.H. Wheeler, History of India, p.239). Clearly then, Jesus's meeting with Shalewahin could have taken place only within a comparatively short period, and can be dated no later than about 78 AD. Next we come to the inscriptions on the pillars of the "Throne of Solomon", recorded in the Tarikh·i· Kashmir of Mulla Nadiri. The year these inscriptions give for the construction of the pillars and for Jesus's presence in the valley of Kashmir is 54 ~or 154, as Pirzada Ghulam Hasan suggests in his Tarikh·iHasan, vol. I. The inscriptions are in the Khat-i-sulus script, not the Nastaleeq, which was introduced into India and Afghanistan by Mir Ali Tabrezi in 1398 AD. Since the inscriptions do not specify which dating method is being used, it is necessary to consider all alternatives. Nazid Ahmad lists these as follows: Moslem Era

I = 622 AD

54 = 676 AD 154 = 776 AD

Kashmir Era

I = 1324 AD

54 = 1378 AD 154 = 1478 AD

Shalewahin Era

I =

78 AD

54 = 132 AD 154 = 232 AD

Bikrami Era

=

57 BC

54 = 154 =

3 BC 97 AD

Laukika Era

= 307 BC

3054 = 3154 =

22 BC 78 AD

Kalyugi Era

I = 3101 BC

3054 = 3154 =

47 BC 53 AD

114

·~

'!

(As will be noted, the possibility that an abbreviated form of the Laukika or Kalyugi date 3054 or 3154 is being used is taken into account.) Major Cole states (Illustrations of Ancient Buildings in Kashmir, p.8), without giving reasons, that the year meant is 1054 of the Moslem Era, i.e. 1676 AD. Pandit Ram Chand Kak is of the same opinion, and says that the inscriptions were made during the reign of the Mongol emperor Shah-Yahan (Ancient Monuments of Kashmir, p.74). However, there is no record that repairs to the temple were carried out at this time, and neither writer offers any reason why the Nastaleeq script, which at this period was used for all inscriptions in Kashmir, was not employed. Chaduarah Khwaja Hasan Malak also believes that a Moslem Era date is intended, but he puts the year at 54 AH, 676 AD (see his Tarikh-i-Kashmir). This would appear more reasonable if it were not that he says the pillars were erected in the reign of Ghazi Shah Chak, for the Chaks did not dominate Kashmir until 1554 AD! Mulla Ahmad, the historian of the court of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, helps to put things in a clearer perspective. He tells us that the Kashmir Era was introduced by Sultan Shams-ud-Din, who dated it from the reign of Ratanju (Sultan Sadr-ud-Din), the first governor of Kashmir to embrace Islam; that in the intervening period the Moslem Era was used; and that prior to that the Haptrakesh-waran, or Laukika, Era was in general use. The Laukika Era is the one that was used by Pandit Kulhana. 115

Pirzada Ghulam Hasan opts for the Kashmir Era and dates the inscriptions to the reign of Sultan Zainul-Abidin. This is impossible, as the Kashmir Era dates 54 and 154 correspond to 1378 and 1478 AD, neither of which fall within that reign (1424-71 AD). We do know that Zain-ul-Abidin repaired a temple, but this was the Panj Mukhia ("Five Doors"), which, though in Srinagar, is not the Throne of Solomon. Various other alternatives fail for lack of evidence, or because the "evidence" added in their favour turns out to be erroneous. However, with the help of the hint given by Mulla Ahmad, and the accounts that various Kashmiri historians give of when the repairs were carried out and the pillars erected, it is possible to reach a reasonable hypothesis. The historians unanimously agree that the repairs were carried out during the reign of Gopadatta (or Gopananda). Statements to these effect may be found in works by Mulla Nadiri (Tarikh-i-Kashmir), Mufti Ghulani Nabi Khaniyari (Wajeez-ut-Tawarikh, vol. I, p.36) and Mirza Saif-ud-Din Baig (Khulasat-utTawarikh), while further confirmation is provided by Pandit Narayan K.aul Ajiz, who says in his Tarikh-iKashmir that "Thousands of years ago Rajah Gopadatta repaired the temple of Koh-i-Sulaiman"; by Haider Malak, who says in his own Tarikh-iKashmir that "Rajah Gopadatta . . . built many temples and repaired Koh-i-Sulaiman. Two thousand years have passed, but the temple is intact. He governed for seventy years"; and in the Tarikh-i-Jadul, where it says that "He [Gopadatta] repaired the temple called Zishi Shore, on the Koh-i-Sulaiman .... 116

Sandi man [Sulaiman] was Gopadatta's minister and was given charge of restoring the temple". Pirzada Ghulam Hasan also says that the temple was repaired at the time of Rajah Gopadatta, but, as we saw earlier, his conclusion about the inscriptions is unsound. Sandiman or Sulaiman was a Persian of Syrian origin, so there is good reason why the inscription was in Khat-i-sulus script, which stems from Persia. The next step is to determine when Gopadatta ruled in Kashmir. Wilson calculates that Gopadatta's reign began in 82 BC, but he makes an error of I3I years in his calculations. This he does by skipping three reigns (about ninety-four years), by miscalculating (by twenty-five and four years respectively) Laukika and Kalyugi dates, and by confusing Gopadatta of Kashmir with Gopadatta of Gandhara (which accounts for the rest). Gopadatta reigned for sixty years and two months; so, after making allowance for Wilson's errors, we can date the beginning of Gopadatta's reign to 49 AD and the end of it to I 09 AD. Checking the possible dates for the inscriptions at the Throne of Solomon, we find that two, the Bikrami year I54 (97 AD) and the Laukika year 3I54 (78 AD) fall within this period. The Laukika date seems the more likely, as it fits in with Mulla Ahmad's summary of the dating methods used in Kashmir, and 97 AD would be far too late for the reference to Yuz Asaf or Jesus to make sense. Finally we need to consider the date of Jesus's birth. The traditional date for this is of course, I AD; but the evidence points to its having occurred some years earlier. In his Bibel-I..exikon, Dr Herbert Haag puts ll7

forward the opinion that the most probably date is 6 or 7 BC, and, though estimates vary somewhat, this cannot be far from the truth. The implication of this for the chronology discussed above, and for our general picture of Jesus's "second life", is that Jesus was well on in years by the time he had completed his journey east, and that he died at a ripe old age. If we have correctly dated his encounters with Shalewahin, the latter would have been talking (in 78 AD) to a man of about eighty-five years old.

118

Chapter 5

MOSES: BURIED IN KASHMIR?

And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. (Deuteronomy 34:6.) Tell me, does not the body of Moses lie buried in some far-away place in the East? (St John Chrysostom, Homily 26, on Hebrews 3.) According to the account in Deuteronomy, Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt, was not permitted to enter the Promised Land: And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto they people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people. Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of MeribahKadesh, in the winderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but 120

thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 32:48-52.) Bible scholars have not firmly located many of the places associated with Moses's death; indeed Peake, in this Commentary on the Bible, states categorically that they are unknown. Strikingly, however, the relevant names appear in Kashmir, where, as we shall see, there is a "tomb of Moses"; and the places that these names refer to closely resemble the ones identified in the Bible. Bethpeor (Deuteronomy 4;46, 34:6) means "house [or place] of the opening" (see Cruden's Concordance). The river Jhelum, called Behat in Persian and Vehath in Kashmiri, flows out of Lake Walar near Bandipur or Bandipoor, which formerly was known as Behatpoor (Rajatarangini, VIII). Heshbon (Deuteronomy 4:46) was renowned for its fishpools (Song of Solomon 7 :4). In Kashmir there is a small town called Hashba (Hazbal), which is famous for its lakes rich in fish, and lies about twelve miles north-east of Bandipur. Pisgah (Deuteronomy 4:49) is mentioned for its springs. The town of Pisgah or Pishnag is about a mile north-east of Aham-Sharif, a small town at the foot of mount Niltoop or Nebo. Its waters are famous for their medicinal properties. The plains of Moab would seem to correspond to plains of Movu, about four miles north-east of mount Nebo. 121

Mounts Nebo and Abarim (Deuteronomy 32:49) have been thought to be one and the same, but it would (see Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible, p.l15) seem that really mount Nebo is one of the peaks of mount Abarim. In Kashmir there is a mount Niltoop (Baal Nebu) about eight miles north-east of Bandipur. Newall, in The Highlands of India, vol. 2, calls it Naboo Hill. Nearby is mount Ablu, from which, as from Niltoop, a marvellous view over the Kashmir valley can be had. This last detail is important, as from Abarim or Nebo Moses was able to look out over the Promised Land--"a land that floweth with milk and honey", "a land of hills and valleys" that "drinketh the rain of heaven" (Deuteronomy II :9, 11). There is indeed a mount Abarim in Palestine, but the view from it is hardly a wide panorama of a fertile land, as the view from mount Ablu is. Mohammed Yasin, author of the book Mysteries of Kashmir, which has the sub-title "Kashmir: The Promised Land", says that from Palestine eastwards there is no land that has so many springs and rivers, such an abundance of fruit and flowers, or such fine meadows and green valleys as Kashmir, which he asserts is justly called Jannat-ut- Duniya ("The Paradise ~f the World") and Bagh-i-Jannat ("The Garden of Paradise").

122

The Tomb Of Moses Kashmiri traditions, written as well as oral, affirm that Moses came to Kashmir and was buried there. In the Hashmat-i- Kashmir by Abdul Qadir, we read (p. 7) that "Moses arrived in Kashmir and people listened to him. Some believed in him, others did not. He died and was buried there. The people of Kashmir call his tomb 'The Sanctuary of the Prophet of the Book'." The tomb referred to here is the one on the top of mount Niltopp, which is said to ·have been venerated for about 3,500 years. Visible from there are the places discussed in the previous section, and in the vicinity are several places known as Muqam-i- Musa, "the place of Musa"- "Musa" being the Arabic equivalent of "Moses". The prophet Mohammed said that, when he felt death was near, he prayed to God to allow him to see the Promised Land. His prayer was answered. Hazraf Abu Hurairah tells us (Bokhair, vol. 2) that Mohammed added, "Moses died there. Were I there, I could point out his tomb on the path up a steep hill". The reputed tomb of Moses on mount Niltopp, about thirty-eight miles north-west of Srinagar, is in precisely such a location. The climb up to the tomb from Aham Sharif takes about two hours. It is a tortuous climb, owing to the broken ground at the beginning of the ascent and the slipperiness of the path in its upper stages. There are no signposts, so one must take care not to miss the way. Near the tomb, on the summit of the mount, there is 123

HAZBAL

0

YAL WOOD

0 AUTHWUT

RAINAR WOOD

N

l S

PONAR WOOD

.

BOOTH WOOD AHAM~ SHARIF BOTH NILTOOP : ............~ • TOMB OF l. ..• ·~~tn to 5llrn~i; ~ MOSES

·.....

MOUNT ABLU

- - . ro

SRiNAGAR

Map showing the "tomb of Moses" and surrounding area. 124

a small Jewish community. The people who live there are completely isolated from the other inhabitants of the region, and it is they who take responsibility for tending the tomb of their ancestral leader Moses. Wali Reshi is the present custodian of the tomb. Just off the main path and near the village is the enclosure within which the tomb is located. A low wall surrounds the area, and entrance is by a wooden gate. On this gate are carved the names of the successive custodians, who, says Wali Reshi, have been drawn from his family for the past 900 years. He also told us that there are forty-five families in the village, and that they are not on good terms with the people of Aham Sharif, who, fearing that it would disrupt the tranquillity of _the area, do not want the tomb's existence publicised. 400 years ago Hazrat Makhdoom Shaikh Hamza of Kashmir, who prayed at the tomb for forty days, planted two trees there, one on either side of it. These two trees are now enormous, and give the site of the tomb great prominence. The tomb is oriented eastwest, in accordance with Jewish custom; but in the same enclosure are three other tombs, all of which are oriented north-south, in the Moslem manner. These are the tombs of Sang Bibi, a hermit disciple of Shaikh Noor-ud-Otn Reshi, who is buried on the left of the road leading to Yusmarg, and of Nakraez Reshi and Navroz Reshi, disciples of Sang Bibi. Kashmiri literature contains a number of references to presence of Moses in Kashmir. In the Tarikh-iAzami of Khwaja Muhammad Azam we read, "Sang Bibi was also a renowned recluse and surpassed men in 125

-------------------------~the Path up to un1.t'{ .... down to

~a~·~~-~S:h:a~ri~f_____________:Je~w~is_h_c_o_m_m~ p..~a("(\

~

Tomb of Nakraez Reshi

~ Moses Tomb% of Navroz Reshi

Plan of the enclosure in which the "tomb of Moses" is located

126

meditation and prayer. Near her tomb there is a place which is known as the sepulchre of Moses, the prophet of God, and those who know it assure us that this place is a source of many blessings". The Guldara-i- Kashmir (by Pandit Har Gopal) says, "The Moslems call this place [Kashmir] 'a replica of heaven on earth' and 'the Garden of Solomon'. There are many sanctuaries in this land. They say that Hazrat Sulaiman came here and that Hazrat Musa [Moses] came to and died in this country". Similar references occur in the Wajeez-utTa.warikh by Khaniyari (vol. I, p.28) and the Tarikh-iHasan of Pirzada Ghulam Hasan (vol. I). In addition, a number of European travellers and writers mention the traditions linking Moses with Kashmir. Among the best known are Francis Bernier (Travels in India, p.l74) and George Moore (The Lost Tribes, p.l37).

127

Places In Kashmir That Bear the Name of Moses

In Kashmir, Musa (Moses) is a common masculine personal name. Apart from this, however, there are many place names that incorporate the name of Moses. In Awantipur there is Gund-i-Khalil or Gund-iMusa, and Sir Aurel Stein mentions Khona-i-Musa near Shadipur and Rampur (Rajataraughi, vol. 1, p.70, and The Ancient Geography of Kashmir, p.l66). Nazir Ahmad attests that there are at least four places called Muqam-i-Musa ("Moses's resting place") in Kashmir. One is near Auth Wattu (in Hadwara Tehsil), which is also called Ayat Maula, "the sign of God"; there is one near Pisgah and one near Bandipur; and there is one at the confluence of the rivers Jhelum and Sindh, near Shadipur. This place is also known as Kohna-i-Musa (the one referred to by Sir Aurel Stein), and the "rock of Moses" is preserved there. This rock must not be confused with the "stone of Moses", which we shall consider in the next section.

128

The "Stone Of Moses"

The people of Bijabhara, which lies about twentyseven miles south of Srinagar, have from time immemorial been hereditary guardians of the so called "stones of Moses" (Sang-i-Musa), the famous Ka Ka Pal. The stone weights about 108 pounds. Tradition says that, if eleven people each put one finger on the lower edge of the stone, and together chant "ka ka ka ka ka ka ... ",the stone will rise; but, if any other number of people should do this, nothing will happen. The number eleven, it is said, is symbolic of the eleven tribes that received and maintained a definite land inheritance in Israel. (Levi and Simeon did not, but both tribes stemming from Joseph-Manasseh and Ephraim-did. There were thus thirteen tribes in all, and eleven of these had a definite territory. Levi, the priestly tribe, is the one generally omitted in reckonings of the number of tribes.) In part I, volume 2, of the Persian historical work Rauzat-us-Saufa, the origins of the "stone of Moses" are explained as follows: It is said that Moses was so timid and bashful of showing his naked body that no one had ever seen it. Nakedness was not forbidden among the sons of Israel, who did not shrink from appearing naked in front of others. But, as Moses was averse to this practice, the more evilminded among his people began to rum our that he had a foul disease. The rumours became so 129

strong that God, in order to demonstrate Moses's innocence, ordered a stone, on which Moses had placed his clothes while taking a bath, to move away. When Moses saw the stone moving away with his clothes on it, he rushed stark naked from the water and pursued it. So concerned was he about his clothes, that he did not notice the people watching him until he had passed them. Those who saw him pass noticed nothing about him except the purity of his imposing body, and this made them more cautious of false rumours, and impelled them to .recognise the purity of his body and spirit. After this incident God ordered Moses to preserve the stone, which he would need later. It is said that this stone has four faces, and that, on being struck by a staff, four streams of water pour forth from each. At first the water only trickled out, but gradually the flow increased and became great enough to supply all the tribes of Israel. This recalls the Biblical account at Numbers 20:213. In verses 2-6 we hear how the Israelites complained of having no water, and how Moses and Aaron took the matter before God. Verses 7-13 read: And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring 130

forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them. This offers many interesting parallels with the account in the Rauzat-us-Safa. The stone at Bijibhara is situated only about fifteen yards from a fast-flowing river, which, according to the legend of the stone's origin, would be the spot where Moses bathed. Next to the stone is a Hindu sanctuary, in the central chamber of which a precious mantra is preserved. This consists of eleven lingams (the lingam is the Hindu phallus, a symbol of Siva), encircled by a fertility symbol. The eleven lingams 131

correspond to the eleven fingers needed to perform the miracle of raising the stone, and so suggest some sort of fertility rite. Finally, with reference to the chant said to assist in raising the stone, it is interesting to note that a name by which Moses is known in Ladakh, and that the peasants of the area give to older people and saints, is Ka Ka.

132

The "Staff Of Moses" - Also Known As the "Staff Of Jesus"

In Aishmuqam ("Jesus's resting place"), which we have already come across in tracing Jesus's route into Kashmir, is preserved a dark brown staff made of olive wood. It is eight feet three inches long, and varies in diameter from one and a quarter to one and threequarter inches. This staff is known both as the "staff of Moses" (Asa-i-Musa) and as the "staff of Jesus" (Asa-ilsa), but its keepers claim that it is properly Moses's, and that it was the staff he used to cause water to flow from the "stone of Moses", discussed in the previous section. The staff is kept under lock and key, and is brought out only at the time of great natural disasters-drought, plague, and so on. It is said that it has brought rain in times of drought and has proved effective also against other disasters - for which reason it is also known as Balagir ("attacker [or preventer] of calamaties"). According to Kashmiri traditions, the staff changed hands many times before coming into the possession of the sanctuary of Hadrat Zain-ud-Din Wali in Aishmuqam.

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Chapter 6

THE PARALLEL NATURES OF JESUS AND BUDDHA

In this book we have developed the hypothesis that Jesus made two journeys to India: the first during his youth, in the period of what may be called his apprenticeship; and the second - consisting of his flight from Palestine and his trek in search of the lost tribes of Israel - following his crucifixion, which we have argued that he survived. In this context it is significant that numerous similarities between Jesus and Buddha, and between their respective teachings, may be observed. In 1897 there appeared in Germany a book called Vergleichende Obersicht der vier Evangelien ("Comparative Study of the Four Gospels"), by S.E. Verus. Verus notes that' the Biblical record of Jesus's life contains many parallels with the accounts of the life of Buddha, of whom it is related that he was an incarnate god; that he was conceived and born in a marvellous way, following a supernatural annunciation of his birth; that gods and kings worshipped the newborn babe and brought him gifts; that an old Brahmin immediately recognised the infant as the one who would prove to be the saviour from all evils, and through whom peace and joy would appear on earth; that in his youth he was persecuted, and then saved in a wonderful way and solemnly presented at the temple; that when he was twelve his parents searched for him anxiously and found him among priests; that his intelligence was outstanding and that he surpassed his teachers in wisdom; that he fasted and was tempted; that he consecrated himself by bathing in the holy river; that some disciples of a wise Brahmin became followers of his when he told them "Follow 136

s,

me"; that among his disciples there were three model ones and one wicked one; that the disciples' original names were subsequently modified; and that, after instructing them, he sent his disciples out in pairs to preach to the world. In addition, we find that Buddha was a bearer of glad tidings and that his teachings were remarkably similar to Jesus's. He liked to talk in parables, worked miracles, denied worldly riches, and advocated humility and peace, forgiveness of one's enemies, celibacy and asceticism. Poor and stateless, he wandered from place to place, as doctor, saviour, redeemer; his enemies reproached him as preferring the company of sinners. When he felt his death approaching, he said that he was going home, to heaven; and in his farewell sermons he exhorted his disciples to announce the coming destruction of the world. His death was attended by miraculous signs: the earth shook; the far corners of the earth were aflame; the sun dimmed; and a meteor fell from the sky. All these details are related in the accounts of Buddha's life, and they all closely resemble things that are related about Jesus. In 1899 appeared Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's extraordinary study Masih Hindustan mein, which treats in detail the similarities between Buddha and Jesus. These, as judged by the accounts of their lives, are found to be many, and the author draws attention to the similarity between the names associated with Buddha and those associated with Jesus. "Buddha" (his original name was Siddhartha Gautama) means "the enlightened one", and, similarly, Jesus calls 137

himself "the light of the world" (John 8: 12). Jesus was called "master" by his disciples, and Buddha has been called "Sasta", which means the same. Both have been called "prince" and "king". Jesus was called "refuge of the weary", Buddha "the refuge of those who have no shelter" ("Asam Sarn"). There are further correspondences of this type. Rhys Davids, in his book Buddhism , notes that the mother of Buddha is said to have been a virgin when she gave birth to him, and to have been the best and purest of women. In the gospels we are told exactly the same of Mary, mother of Jesus. It seems, says Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as though the Buddhists had reproduced in their books the entire contents of the four gospels. Clearly, the similarities between what we are told of Buddha and what we are told of Jesus are manifold; but what conclusions can we draw from this? Naturally enough, opinions differ: whereas some see Jesus as having been influenced by Buddhism (during his reputed first journey to India), others see him as having influenced it. Among the latter group is Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He and those of like mind argue that, when Jesus arrived in India, it may have been at a time when the Buddhist priests there were expecting the Messiahlike appearance of a new Buddha. Jesus's titles and teachings resembled those of Buddha, and he was fairskinned, as Gautama Buddha had said his successor would be. Or were such titles and "prophecies" a late innovation? The stories of Buddha's life did not begin to be written down until Jesus's time, so, in theory, the 138

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priests could have ascribed to Buddha whatsoever they pleased. Doubtless, many of the moral teachings of Buddhism predate this period; but, say those who argue for Christian influence on Buddhism, those aspects of Buddha's life and Buddhist teachings that recall Jesus's life and teachings, as related in the gospels, could very well stem from Jesus's stay in India. It is all there, they say: Buddha's trek to Benares, where he performed miracles; a sermon on the mount, akin to Jesus's. There are the parables, in which spiritual themes are expounded in everyday terms and there is even a decalogue, recalling the Mosaic Ten Commandments. The Buddhist version (see Sir Monier Williams, Buddhism, p. 126) is as follows:

I. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. I

8. 9.

10.

You must not kill any live animal. You must not steal. You must not commit adultery. You must not tell lies. You must not drink excessively strong beverages. You must eat only at the established times. You must not wear necklaces, ornaments or perfumes. You must notsleep in high, luxurious beds, but sleep on a mattress on the floor. You must abstain from dancing, smgmg, making music or attending worldly performances. You must not appropriate gold and silver in any form, nor accept any. 139

The Buddhist texts say that Gautama Buddha prophesied that he would have a successor Maitreya. Many of the prophecies concerning Maitreye (whose name is derived from mitra, meaning "friend") place his arrival in the far-distant future, but there are indications that he was expected about 500 years after Gautama's death. This would bring us to about the time when, we have suggested, Jesus arrived in Kashmir after his second journey east. Prophecies concerning Maitreya occur in, among other works, the Laggawati Sutatta, the Pitakkatayan and the Atha Katha. He is spoken of as "Bagwa Maitreya" "White Maitreya", indicating that he would be fairskinned, .as Jesus was. It is also said that he would come from a foreign land. The name Maitreya may be etymologically related to the Hebrew mashiahh ("Messiah," "anointed"). In this connection, it is interesting to note that there are seventh-century Buddhist Tibetan books containing the name Mi-Shi-Hu, apparently with reference to Jesus. More concrete data about these texts are to be found in A Record of the Buddhist Religion, by I. Tsing. In his book Buddhism, Sir Monier Williams writes (p.45) that it is said that the sixth disciple of Buddha would be a man called Yasa-a name that appears to be a version of "Yasu" (Jesus). Similarly, Doctor Hermann Oldenberg, in his book Buddha, says that in the first section of the M ahawaga it is said that Buddha's successor would be a man named Rahula, who is also described as a disciple. "Rahula" is cognate with "Ruhullah", which in Hebrew is one of Jesus's titles. 140

Chapter 7

THE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT

The Ahmadiyya movement was created in 1888 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, from Qadian, but the name Ahmadiyya was not adopted until about a decade later. In a manifesto dated 4 November 1900, the founder explained that the name referred to Ahmad, the alternative name of the prophet Mohammed. "Mohammed", which means "the praised one", refers to the glorious destiny of the prophet, who adopted the name from about the time of the Hegira; but "Ahmad" stands for the beauty of his sermons, and for the peace that he was destined to establish in the world through his teachings. These names thus refer to two aspects of Islam, and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad says that in later times it was the latter aspect that commanded greater attention. In keeping with this, his object was to establish peace in the world through the spiritual teachings of Islam, which, he believed, offered the only means of restoring peace to the mind of man, and, thus, of helping him to live at peace with others and with God. The message of the Ahmadiyya movement is thus indicated by its name. It is a message for Moslems, telling them that they can conquer the world through the two great spiritual forces given to them: the Koran and the prophet Mohammed. At the same time, it is a message for the non-Moslem world, and especially for the Western world, which, with the growth of civilisation, has fallen into an exaggerated materialism. For Westerners the message is that it is only through the spiritual strength of Islam that man can reach peace. From the movement's foundation, its attention has been focused on revealing the felicities of the Koran's 142

and Mohammed's teachings, and on spreading the message of Islam in the West. In his book JztJ/ah Auham, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad expressed his desire to see the Koran translated into English, so as to assist in this task. He was convinced that the Koran was the major spiritual force in the world, and that it could bring about not only an awakening of the Moslems, but also a change in the material aspect of the Western world. The only thing that he claimed for himself was the title "Imam", and his chief wish was that his followers should broadcast across the world the truths of the Koran, correcting error, and that they should present an authentic image of Mohammed, who had so often been defamed. Ghulam Ahmad died in May 1908 and was succeeded as leader by Nur-al-Din, who died in March 1914. Under Nur-al-Din's leadership the movement went from strength to strength, and, in particular, attracted enormous popularity among the Moslems. However, though there were no outward signs of division within the movement, there were tensions under the surface, and it was only the strength of Nural-Din's personality that prevented these from showing themselves. , The main point over which there was controversy was whether those who did not accept Ghulam Ahmad as a prophet should be considered infidels; and it was this that, after Nur-al-Din's death, caused the movement to split. Those who were of the opinion that the movement's founder was not a prophet (he had not claimed to be one) broke away from the rest of the movement, which was centred on Qadian, and established themselves at Lahore as the "Ahmadiyya 143

Anjuman Isha'at-I-Islam". They keep to the original doctrines of the movement and continue to work for the spiritual awakening of the world, proclaiming Mohammed and the Koran, and translating the Koran into foreign languages. The Ahmadiyyas, knowing of the existence of Jesus's reputed tomb in Srinagar, have published numerous studies of the matter and have broadcast to the Western world the things that they have discovered linking Jesus with Kashmir. However, according to information that I received on the last day of my stay in Kashmir (but have not yet been able to verify), the Ahmadiyyas have now been expelled from the Islamic community, on the grounds that they place too much emphasis on Jesus. Further information on the movement may be had from its headquarters in Lahore, or from any of the movement's representatives abroad. The relevant addresses are as follows:

Headquarters Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at-I-Islam, Ahmadiyya Buildings, Brandreth Road, Lahore, Pakistan.

Federal Republic of Germany Die Moschee, Briennerstrasse 7, 1 Berlin 31. 144

Nfir Moschee, Babenhauser Landstrasse 25, 6 Frankfurt-am-Main 70. Fazle-Omar- Moschee, Weickstrasse 24, 2 Hamburg 54. Fiji

G.N. Dean, PO Box 597, Suva.

Ghana Allama S.P. Tayo, PO Box 1330, Kumasi.

Guyana Guyana Ahmadiyya Anjuman, PO Box 491, 32 James Street, Georgetown. India M. Abdul Razak, I7 Maulana Azad Road, Bombay II (BC).

Indonesia Gerakan Ahmadijah Indonesia, I4 Djl Minangkabau 29, Jakarta. 145

Kashmir Abdul Aziz Shora, Editor, "Roshni", Srinagar. Netherlands Maulana G.H. Bashir, 54 Ruychrock Laan, Den Haag. Nigeria Maulvi Abdur Rahman Dunmoye, 54 Aroloya Street, PO Box 1664, Lagos. Philippines AI- Hajj Abdul Rasheed Tajala, Orchid Compound Sercabon, Zamboanga. Republic of China Al- Hajj Ishaq Hsino Yung Tao, 3 Salaw 18, 178 Lane, Roosevelt Road, 3rd Section, Taipei, Taiwan. South Africa Dawood Sydou, 49 Kwe per Laan, Athlone, Capetown. 146

Sri Lanka Dr M. M. Zavahir, People's Clinic, 85 Main Street, Dehiowita.

...

Surinam Al-Hajj Abdur Rahim B. Jaggoe, PO Box 926, Paramaribo.

Trinidad Al-Hajj Aziz Ahmad, PO Box 105, San Fernando.

United Kingdom Maulana S. Mohammed Tufail, MA, 3 Orchard Close, Woking, Surrey.

United States Mohammed Abdullah, 1540 "C" Street, Hayward, California 94541. In the USA, the Ahmadiyya movement is represented also by the following agents: M/S Specialty Promotions Co. Inc., 147

6841 Cregier Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60649. M/S Books and Things, 117 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10026 There is also an f\hmadiyya delegation in Madrid, Spain.

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Chapter 8

PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH THE SUBJECT OF THIS BOOK

For the benefit of anyone who wishes to investigate in depth the subject of this book, I give here the names and addresses of the two people most directly in contact with the evidence: Professor Fida M. Hassnain, I Gogji Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, (Tel. 5096.) Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, "Nashaiman", 7 Raj Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir, India. As a special gesture to Professor Hassnain, and in appreciation of his courtesy and co-operation, I have compiled the following list of people who have contacted him on the subject of Jesus's tomb in Kashmir, and related matters. People who have personally visited Srinagar

Erich von Daniken, Im Schachen, 8906 Bonstetton (Zurich), Switzerland. 150

Klaus Liedtke, Stern Magazine, 60 East 56th Street, New York, NY I0022, USA. Dr Walter Schmuckli, 8047 Zurich, Altweg 10, Switzerland. Jay Ullal, Stern-Redaktion, 2 Hamburg 36, Warburgstrasse 50, West Germany.

People who have published papers on the subject

Erich von Daniken and Klaus Liedtke, mentioned above. Dr Ladislaw Filip, MD, Charles University, 29001 Podebrady, 654-11 Czechoslovakia. Dr Franz Sachse, 54 Koblenz, Arzheim, West Germany. 151

Rolf D. Schurch, Cameron Press, 3027 Bern, Wsioimatistrasse 20, Switzerland.

Others

A.Z. Abdeen, 30 Mews Street,

Colombo 2, Sri Lanka. Marie Cooper, PO Box 2193, Redding, California 9600 1, USA. J. Roose van Den, Endelaan 48, Hillegom, Netherlands. Hans Joachim Doring, 1 Berlin 47, Lipschitzallee 48, West Germany. James W. Douglas, Box 174, Hedley, British Colombia, Canada. 1_52

Al-Hajj M.M.A. Faruqie, 20-I 1Oth Street, Section F 6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan. Dr F. Fernando, Dispensary and Surgery, Wennappuwa, Sri Lanka. Mary A. C. Fiske, Editorial Department, Walker and Co., 720 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019, USA. Dr Lambert J. Fonseca, Muniswappa Block, 2, Lingarajapuram, Bangalore 560005, Karnataka State, India. Dr William George, PhD, 4 Lefrey Street, Coat bridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Dipl. Kfm. Christa Gerland, Gerland Verlag, 6 Frankfurt-am-Main 70, West Germany. 153

Maria F. Gilodi, Schiebstattgasse 49, 8010 Graz, Austria. Professor Dr 0. V. Hinuber, Seminar fiir Indiologie, Johannes Gutenbergs Universitat, 65 Mainz, Postfach 3980, West Germany. M. M. Ibrahim, 637 Randolph Street, Dayton, Ohio, USA. Adegoroye lranlade, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of lfe, Western State, Nigeria. Dipl. lng. lrmann K., 33701 Rokycany, 214-11 Czechoslovakia. K. Kanailis. 295 Stoney Lane, Birmingham, B12 8AP, England. Lothar Kompatzki, Sender Freies Berlin, 1 Berlin 19, West Germany. 154

Werner Krauss, I Berlin 47, West Germany. Bruce McLeod's Antiques, La Seiva and Saddle Road, Mara val, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

F. Matouscheck, 8049 Ziirich, Ottenberg 25,

Switzerland. Mrs M. O'Connor, Cj o 70 Cecile Park, London N8,

England. Gene M. Phillips, Ancient Astronaut Society, 600 Talcott Raod, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068, USA. P.M. Poole, 17 Carmelite Road, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England. Dipl. lng. Egon Pullamann, Persthoferstrasse 28/14, 1180 Wien, Austria. 155

Charly Sadenklee, Frundbergstrasse 62, Miinchen, West Germany. Rolf Schettler, D-3415 Hattorf-am-Harz, Heinrich Heine Strasse 1, West Germany. Peter Stoddard, 9 Sunset Strip, Deanland Wood, Golden Cross, Hailsham, Sussex, BN27 25J, England. Werner Strauss, 7272 Altensteig, Bahnhofstrasse 2, West Germany. Arthur Tarnowski, 16 Augustus Road, London SW19, England. Emma Theiss, 4 Dusseldorf 1, Suitbertusstrasse 48, West Germany. 156

Norah Warner, 44 Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW 5, England. Dr Hans Georg Weidner, Lichthort-Verlag, Dornham 5, Brunnenstrasse 212, West Germany. In addition, the following periodicals have shown an interest in the subject: Bunte, West Germany. Colombo Weekend, Sri Lanka. Horzu, Hamburg, West Germany. Illustrated Weekly of India. Mundo Desconocido, Barcelona, Spain. Panorama, Netherlands. Stern, Hamburg, West Germany. Sucesos, Mexico. The Sunrise, Lahore, ·Pakistan. Weekend, London, England.

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Chapter 9

MY PERSONAL TESTAMENT

In conclusion to this report, I give here my own opinion on the matters discussed, and, as prelude to this, a statement of the way in which I came to write this book. To begin with, and like many other people, I heard. rumours: that Jesus had not died on the cross, and that he had fled to, and may have been buried in, the East. These were suggestions that I was not, at first, inclined to take seriously, and it was not until I heard that there existed in Spain a photograph of Jesus's reputed tomb in Kashmir that my interest was truly aroused. After acquiring a print of this photograph, I began to assemble some basic facts. I was in the process of so doing when a friend showed me an article in Stern (a German magazine) that discussed the hypothesis of Jesus's flight to, and eventual death in, Kashmir, and outlined the problems that this theory presented. After reading this article, I contacted the author, Klaus Liedtke, at Stern's New York office, and the photographer, Jay Ullal, at the magazine's Hamburg office. These, with extreme kindness, sent me all their information and material. This led me to make contact with the Ahmadiyya movement in Germany, and then with the movement's headquarters, in Pakistan. It also put me on the track of Professor Fida Hassnain, a learned Kashmiri who was researching precisely the subject discussed in the Stern article; and Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, who may be a descendant of Jesus. As my investigations progressed, I realised that I was not treading on unknown territory, but, on the contrary, that the subject had already received a great 160

deal of attention, and not only from the Ahmadiyya movement. At the end of the last century, a book by Nicolai Notovich, a Russian traveller, was published in Paris, and later, under the title The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ, in an English edition. This discussed the possibility that Jesus had visited India in his youth. In 1938-9, the Lahore weekly The Sunrise published in serial form the book Masih Hindustan mein (originally published in 1908) by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. This work introduced the question of whether Jesus had really died on the cross, and was found so convincing by the rector of Al-Azhar University in Cairo that he dictated afatwa (verdict) declaring that, in accordance with the holy Koran, Jesus had died a natural death. More recently, articles on Jesus's links with Kashmir, and related matters, have appeared in a number of periodicals. In addition to the article in Stern - "Jesus starb in Indien" ("Jesus Died in India"), which appeared in 1973 - there have been, for instance, J.N. Sadbu's "Is Jesus Christ Buried in Kashmir?", published in ·The Illustrated Weekly of India in April 1972; an article in Weekend (London) in July 1973; and "Fllichtete Jesus nach Indien?'' ("Did Jesus Flee to India?'') and "Das Geheimnis des Grabes von Srinagar" ("The Secret of the Tomb in Srinagar"), both of which were written by Erich von Daniken and published in the German weekly Horzu. Von Daniken heard about the tomb while travelling in the region in summer 1975. In view of these articles and the length of time that 161

l has passed since the studies by Notovich and Ghulam Ahmad appeared, it is remarkable that the questions of whether Jesus travelled in India in his youth, survived the cross and, after a second journey east, died of natural causes in Kashmir, where he is reputed· to lie buried, have not become matters of public debate. Indeed, there still seems to be very little public awareness that these possibilities exist. From my own point of view, this meant that the only way in which I could resolve the doubt clinging to my investigations was by myself going to Kashmir. Thus it was that I and my wife, Mercedes, boarded an Air India jet for Bombay. From Bombay we flew to Delhi, where we found useful maps and books dealing with the history, monuments and legends of India, and, in particular, Kashmir; and from Delhi we flew to Srinagar. During this last leg of our journey we obtained magnificent views of the Himalayas, and began to realise that we should find Kashmir a world apart, quite alien to the rest of India. This was confirmed after we had set foot on the small airfield of Srinagar and spent a few days looking around and chatting to the Kashmiris, the vast majority of whom would prefer Kashmir to be joined to the Moslem state of Pakistan. There is considerable tension between India and Pakistan in this area, as shown by the frequent police patrols on the border roads. Yet though the majority of Kashmiris are Moslem (albeit, as we have argued, of Israelite origin), there is little intolerance of other religions. Moslems, Jews, 162

Hindus, Buddhists and Christians all live together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and tolerance, though steeped in religious fervour. Here, as anywhere, the rules of the power game apply in public life; but harmony continues. For the first few days of our stay in Srinagar, we lived in a first-class hotel, of international standing. However, as we wanted to be in close touch with the people, and get to know them, we left the hotel and moved to a house boat right in the middle of Lake Nagin. We soon found ourselves part of a thriving community. As our stay progressed, so did our conviction grow that it was truly worthwhile. Not only did we see the tomb in which Jesus is said to be buried but in addition we saw the reputed tomb of Moses. We found strong traditions of the presence of both Jesus and Moses in Kashmir, and numerous places bearing their names. Added to this, there was the invaluable help that we received from Professor Hassnain, director of the archives, libraries and monuments of Kashmir, professor of three Japanese universities, archaeologist, anthropologist and dedicated researcher. He never ceases to scour the land for evidence of its past and that of its people, and, with the exception ofNazir Ahmad, author of Jesus in Heaven on Earth (1952), is the person who has most thoroughly studied and sifted through the evidence and traditions that make one seriously wonder whether here, right in the heart of Kashmir, Jesus lies buried. Also during our stay we experienced the unusual 163

sensation of shaking hands with, and talking cordially and at length to, a man who may be a direct descendant of Jesus, Sahibzada Basharat Saleem. The preceding pages are the result of those discussions, of the numerous other contacts we made · and interviews we had in the course of our investigations, and of our own visits to the places associated with the traditions that Moses came to Kashmir, that part of the ten lost tribes of Israel settled there, and that Jesus eventually settled and died there. Our most startling conclusion from all this is that there are very few respects in which these traditions are at all at variance with the relevant Biblical accounts, and that they actually help to explain and complete the Biblical narrative. Of all that l saw and found there, I testify here. I testify that the "Rozabal", the tomb of Yuz Asaf(or, as it may be, Jesus), exists, and that I have visited it. I testify that I saw and touched the "stone of Moses". I declare that I went to Yusmarg, the "meadow of Jesus", by which he is said to have entered Kashmir. I swear that I visited Aishmuqam, "Jesus's resting place", where the so-called staff of Jesus or Moses is preserved. I swear that the people questioned answered with absolute honesty - some in the conviction that it was Jesus and Moses, others that it was Yuz Asaf and Musa, who had been there. The guardians of the reputed tomb of Moses swore that it had been in their keeping and that of their forefathers for 3,500 years. These people, we note in passing, had become so cut off from the outside world that they believed Hitler to be a great and honourable king, and 164

did not realise that he had long since died and that he had conducted a terrible persecution against the very people to whose stock they belonged. This ignorance of the outside world was typical of many with whom we talked of their history and traditions, and indicates that their traditions about Jesus (or Yuz Asaf) and Moses are hardly likely, seeing how well they fit in with the historical context of these persons and the Biblical accounts about them, to be the result of pure invention. Indeed, it would seem that these traditions must have some firm basis in fact. This is the conclusion that Professor Hassnain has come to, after years and years of painstaking research. He may be mistaken on some points, but not wittingly, and it is quite certain that his belief in the basic theories propounded in this book is sincerely held and firmly founded. Likewise, Sahibzada Basharat Saleem gave us absolutely no cause to suspect him of insincerity in what he told us. He reported to us his family's traditions as they had been passed down to him by his father, and seeks no publicity as a possible descendant of Jesus. Having been to Kashmir, having examined the texts, the legends and the tombs, and having spoken to Professor Hassnain, Sahibzada Basharat Saleem and many other Kashmiris, it is my personal opinion that the hypothesis of Jesus's two journeys to India and Kashmir, the hypothesis of his death and burial there, and the hypothesis of Moses's death and burial in the same country have a strong probability of being right. Definitive proof is lacking, and for this reason I believe 165

that the tombs in question should be opened for scientific investigation. In addition, I propose that, in order to search out the truth in a scientifically objective manner, a world congress of Bible scholars, linguists, orientalists, and specialists in Islam and · ancient history should be convoked. Only by these means is it possible to arrive at a firm, unbiased conclusion. The aim of this book has been to inform as wide a section of the reading public as possible of matters that are still not widely enough known, seeing how important a bearing they have on beliefs about Jesus, who is indisputably the person who, through the various forms of Christianity, has had the strongest influence on the evolution of Western culture. This book is a dossier of what is today said, known and believed about the possibility that Jesus did not die on the cross and did not ascend physically into heaven.

166

Location Of Principal Sites and Monuments In Relation To Srinagar

Tomb of Moses Situated about thirty-seven miles north-north-west of Srinagar, by way of Shalateng, Shadipur, Sumbal, lake Manasbal, Safapur and Bandipur. From Bandipur it is just a few miles to Aham Sharif, where the path to the tomb begins. The ascent takes about two hours.

Stone of Moses, or Ka Ka Pal Located at Bijbihara, about twenty-seven miles southsouth-east of Srinagar. The route there from Srinagar passes through Pandrattan, Pampur, Awantipur, Sethar and Sangam. The stone lies close to the river and about fifty yards from the road (i.e. off to the left).

Aishmuqam Situated about forty-five miles south-east of Srinagar, by way of Bijbihara (route as described above), Khanabal, Anantnag artd Bawan. The sanctuary where the "staff of Moses" is preserved lies·a twentyminute walk from the road, by way of a gentle slope and then a long stairway.

Yusmarg, or the Meadow of Jesus Situated about twenty-five miles south-south-west of Srinagar, by way of Naugam and Nilnag.

167

Pahalgam

Situated about sixty miles from Srinagar, by way of Bijbihara (route described above) and Salar. Tomb of Mary

Situated near Murree (Pakistan), about 100 miles west of Srinagar. While the Kashmir-Pakistan frontier remains closed, it is necessary to go down to Amritsar, cross the India-Pakistan frontier there, then travel up to Murree by way of Rawalpindi. The tomb is situated at the summit of a small hill, at the place known as Pindi Point.

168

Notes

1.

2. 3. 4.

5.

Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible, p. 717; Hanna, The LifeofChrist, vol. 3,.pp.3289; Stroud, On the Physical Cause of Death of Christ, pp.123-4. Stroud, On the Physical Cause of Death of Christ, p.55. Biblioteca Christiana Ante-Nicena, vol. 20 (Syrian Documents, 1). Actae Thomae, in Biblioteca Christiana AnteNicena, vol. 20. S~e also V.A. Smith, Early History of India, p.219. Kashmir Postal Rules, in Punjab Gazette, no. 673, 1869. See also Drew, Jammoo and Kashmir Territories, p.527.

169

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