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DEADSEA

AT THE DEAD SEA

 FOR LESSON 5 SECOND PAGE

      In lesson one of "Bible Codes 101" we learned what makes a code a CODE is that words can mean

MORE THAN ONE THING!

[This should not be a big surprise to anyone over 4 years old!]

WALKING on the WATER!

     The problem becomes much simpler by knowing about the Essenes, and that they loved to play-act like their own "temple" at KHERBIT MIRD was superior to the temple at Jerusalem, and it follows logically that they renamed other places nearby also.

Standing on the shore of the Dead Sea 6 Km south of Qumran, looking back towards where the water-gate was and into the "Synagogue" at Kherbit Mazin, the Essene "Capernaum".fished for men" with "Zebedee."

......Thus, the Dead Sea could be named the Sea of Galilee, and Khirbet MAZIN renamed "Capernaum" and Ain Feshkha, where Simon "the Leper" stayed was "Bethany", being the same distance from Jerusalem-Qumran as the other Bethany was from the city of Jerusalem 14 miles away up the wadis. 

     My drawing of what the little village at Mazin must have looked like 2000 years ago, after  visiting the site in November of 1992.   Married Essenes were not allowed to stay in the "monastery" at  Qumran, so Peter, James, John, and sometimes Jesus stayed here.   Whenever "Capernaum" is mentioned in the Gospels, it was really Kherbit Mazin that was being referred to!

........Of course, there were no real FISH in the Dead Sea, but tourists were always stopping by wanting the Holy Essenes to baptize them, so they baptized them in the DEAD SEA, renamed the SEA OF GALILEE by the Essene "fishermen", raising them out of the salty water "from death to life" ...And fulfilling the prophecy of Ezekiel 47:8,9 that someday the DEAD SEA would be full of living fishes! 

    In reality, Jesus "walking on the water" was sort of an Essene joke, especially the part about Peter fearing that he would drown!

     This is now the ultimate "walking-on-the-water" story, and by now Peter is the hero, not the villain! ...The Pesher history tells us why this is...By the time Matthew was written, Peter had taken over Qumran, and was in charge of the Scrollery, where these books were printed...Although Matthew was High Priest in Herod's Temple, he must give "honorable mention" to Peter, and walking-on-the water was the way to do it! 

    22 "And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side," As is usual with Matthew's stories, he feels no constraint to maintain any semblance of the real circumstances...we are headed not only towards the middle of the lake, but for the OTHER SIDE!...Jesus is now in charge of the boat, telling eveyone what they must do..."while he sent the multitudes away." There is no longer any hint there was a schedule, or a kirfew, or that people might be waiting for him to meet them less than two miles away!

     23 "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." Still in the vicinity of Ain Feshkha, not at Mazin, where he lived.

    24 "But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves," This is the first mention of any "waves", and waves are unusual of any size on the Dead Sea..but in Matthew we have a superb story-teller! . "for the wind was contrary." The boat is no longer a row-boat, there is no mention of the disciples "toiling in rowing" as in Mark...We assume that it is a sail-boat, but the wind is blowing against them, causing the late hours and delay!

    25 "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea." No longer is Jesus implicated as the cause of the delay...He becomes the ultimate hero, walking halfway across the Sea of Galilee to rescue his unfortunate disciples riding in this large sailing ship which cannot go anywhere because the wind won't let it!

     26 "And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear." Matthew recognizes the "spirit" thing makes the story better, so he copies it from Peter's version [Gospel of Mark].

     27 "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Still in charge, supportive, not threatening to walk on past them, as in Peter's version...

     28 "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." Here Peter is being promoted as the "chief" disciple, as elsewhere in Matthew...the spokesman for the others...No one else says anything....

    29 "And he said, Come." This should dispel any idea that walking-on-the-water was something only Jesus could do, but people don't generally see this clue, either! "And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." There is no clue here that Peter was not doing whatever it was that Jesus was doing!

    30 "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." This in line with the usual character of Peter in the Gospels, impulsive, wavering, the one who denied his Lord three times.

     31 "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Here, as in Mark 4, the whole Church of 2000 years is being addressed, not just Peter.

     32 "And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." As in Mark 4, we are at the END of the AGE, now in the "Age of Aquarius"...Matthew Annas was a Sadducee, an unbeliever in resurrection and angels of a non-physical kind, but he was also an early Kabbalist, and kept time, like other Essenes and well-educated Jews, with the Ages of the Zodiac.. Witness the last words of his Gospel ..."lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the AGE [mistranslated "WORLD" in the KJV]" The Greek word is aeon...look it up! As an Essene, and well-educted Jew of the famous Annas family, Matthew knew his Greek very well, and may have been responsible for much of the Greek "coding" of the "Gospel Pesher".

     33 "Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." The initial critical response to this is...here we go again, promoting an oversize rowboat, that several disciples were rowing in Mark 6 as a great ship, with some people in it besides the disciples...People so impressed by the walking-on-the-water, that they were now willing to worship Jesus!...However, the clues are adding up to a very different meaning here ...as I said..

.     Keep your eye on the DETAILS, and COMPARE, COMPARE, COMPARE!

    Essenism was not exclusive so far as theology and politics was concerned. Barbara Thiering PhD has learned that, but other supposed scholars have not yet caught up with her....Thus she has learned by close study of the "details" that most or all of the High Priests in Jerusalem in the early first century AD were Essenes, at least nominally. ..Even Caiphas was an Essene! ...Herod the Great held Essenes in high esteem, and Khirbet MIRD, the high temple of the Essenes was actually owned by the Herods, so these High Priests found it politically expedient to follow the leader....Whether or not they were as proficient in the SECRET CODE, the "Gospel Pesher", as Matthew Annas was, we do not know.

I took this photograph of Khirbet Mird in 1993, having some difficulty in reaching it on my first trip to the Judean Desert in 1992...The site is in the very center of the Judean Desert and some walking is involved...Taxi drivers can take you almost to it, if you can pursuade them to...Someone has set up  the square stone in the background as a sort of "altar", and in front of it is the remains of a mosaic in small square multi-colored stones...Here John the Baptist baptized "in the wilderness" as one of Herod's favored Essene preachers....And here was the Holy of Holies of the Essenes in the time of Jesus.

     Mark 1:4 "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism ofrepentence for the remission of sins." None of the baptismal sites involving the Jordan River are "in the wilderness" because there is vegetation and farming all along the Jordan valley...Not until it reaches the Dead Sea does the river reach "wilderness"...In the faded picture above, taken by archaeologists in the 50's one can see the mighty aqueduct that crosses the ravine near Mird to carry water in the rainy season to Mird's many cisterns and a small rock-hewn "lake"...John had many places to baptize people here in the very center of the wilderness..The small figure at top left, standing on the squared-rock aqueduct, is a man.

Dr. Thiering and her book

Gospel Pesher" Analysis of Matt. 14:24-33

     The "Pesher" meaning of the "midst of the sea" is quite different from that we have surmized above...To know what is really involved here you must know what the canal and entrance from the sea, the "water-gate" looked like 2000 years ago at Mazin, the Essene "Capernaum"....It helps to have visited the ruins at the site, as Barbara Thiering PhD did years ago, and I did in 1992 and 1993....A simple public bus ride from Jerusalem will get you there, but you'll be all alone when you get off the bus...It is not a tourist attraction.

       What Matthew 14:33 really means according to this "Gospel Pesher" scenerio is that Jesus, by walking on the jetty usually reserved for High Priests when they baptized Gentiles and non-priestly [married] Jews here, was acting as a High Priest.

     Josephus alludes to the fact that both Caiaphas and the Annas line of priests considered themselves to be more the "Sons of God" than the population in general, and worthy of worship like God is..

     Throughout the Gospel Pesher, Jesus is shown as trying on occasions to be accepted as a High Priest, a "Son of God" ...sometimes he accomplished this in the Gospel years, and at 3 am on March 22, 32 AD he was once more acting like a High Priest and getting away with it....Peter had his reservations....He might get in trouble once again!

Matthew 14:33 "Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." Barbara Thiering saw this as an allusion to Jesus's priestly ambitions....However, there is another LEVEL of PESHER here, one which Doctor Thiering did not even suspect!....It involves FLYING SAUCERS and TIME/SPACE travel....Matthew knew of this also, and of the scroll labeled 4Q491 ii.1.

We're not through with Matthew yet!

It is in Matthew 5:17, 18 and Matthew 24:35 that

Jesus describes "the Torah Codes"!

To Go now to the "Torah Code" Lessons lesson7.htm

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