We have discovered there is evidence in the Gospels that Pontius Pilate did accept an Essene bribe, but to free Barabbas, not Jesus, whom the Essenes had determined would be crucified [over Pilate's recorded protests].

Now we will deal with the "It was Simon of Cyrene who was crucified" theory.

In the SUN TABLOID article, a supposed new author says that he has found records of a payment of about $30,000 in today's money into Pontius Pilate's personal account while Pilate was authorizing $750 to be paid to a "Cyrenian traveler". ..His assumption is that Pilate was paid a bribe to set Jesus free, and crucified Simon the Cyrenian instead.... And that Simon was then set free, and paid the $750 for "pain and suffering." There was indeed a man named Simon, who came from Cyrene, that was crucified at the same time Jesus was crucified!.

We know him in the Gospels as "the Good Thief" who was promised "Paradise" by Jesus!

It was the man called Barabbas in the Gospel stories of the crucifixion that received the benefit of the bribe paid to Pontius Pilate... Pilate was asked by the Essenes to "was his hands" because it was illegal for the Essenes to give so much money to a non-member. .."Baptism" of Pilate's hands, with the proper words said during this ceremony, would take care of this problem... And for perhaps $30,000 in tax-free money, 'Why not?'.

Pilate was willing to take another bribe to free Jesus, but Jesus and the Essenes had already agreed that Jesus would indeed go through a crucifixion, but hopefully not die... So it is true that the Jewish leaders insisted on Christ's crucifixion over the protests of a Pontius Pilate willing to set him free! ......The plain meaning of both the "Gospel Pesher", and the plain text of the Bible, and Josephus' later historical record of what happened!

So one of the three destined for crucifixion was freed -- that would be Barabbas. And another who Pilate would have freed was "crucified in his place" -- that would be Jesus. ...But the Bible clearly says three were crucified, not just one! And that these other two were "thieves", or malefactors... But one of the two was given a special promise by Jesus, the he would be with Jesus "in Paradise".

The "Gospel Pesher", made accessible world-wide by Dr. Barbara Thiering, PhD in 1992 in her landmark book Jesus and the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls, shows clearly who this man Simon of Cyrene was. ..And why it was that Jesus could confidently promise him "Paradise" that very day.....One of the various ways people's real identity was partially "covered up" in the magical Gospel stories was to give that person several names, with only hard to discover clues that these several names referred to only one real person!

Simon the Cyrene was also Simon the Canaanite, one of the twelve apostles. And Simon Zelotes or Simon the Zealot as that same apostle or disciple... And Simon the Leper as a Samaritan [Canaanite]. ........Samaritans were social and religious "lepers" to the orthodox Jews of that day. ....In some of the Gospels, Simon, whose historical name was Simon Magus, is also known as Zebedee, whose sons, James and John, were "fishermen" who also became Jesus' disciples. But in John's Gospel, Simon Magus is Jesus' close friend, named Lazarus....It is as "Lazarus" that Jesus is "giving away" the meaning of "Paradise for the Good Thief"......In Luke's "Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus", Lazarus after a life of poverty [and leprosy] gains "Paradise" in "Abraham's Bosom", while the "Rich Man" is tormented..... "Abraham's Bosom" was the knickname of a certain cave at Qumran [Cave 4] while "Paradise" was another cave [Cave 7 or 8, or a combination of the two]. ......Jesus in his saying to the "Good Thief" [Simon of Cyrene, Simon Magus, "Lazarus"] -- "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise ." -- Luke 23:43 -- is letting us all know [that desire to know the truth, that is] that he knows of the plan for Simon [not drugged] to resuscitate him in "Paradise" [Qumran caves 7 and 8].

. Jesus and Simon Magus, also known as "Simon of Cyrene", were part of a plan to see to it that Jesus was resuscitated. ..Simon was duly rewarded for his part in this "conspiracy", but not by Pontius Pilate. .....He later became a pope, calling himself "Pope John".

ANTIQUITIES Book 18:(63) Flavius Josephus

"Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works - a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. ..He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. ...He was [the] Christ; (64) and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principle men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."

These pages on the TRUE STORY of the Crucifixion in response to the SUN TABLOID article [ COVER DATE 9-30-2003] were completed and on line 9-27-2003 R. Holt, MD

At this time we will return you to the main FRONT PAGE where you can discover what Jesus did with the rest of his life! A LONG LIFE!

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