How Much Do We Really Know About Adam & Eve?

ADAM & EVE

The story of Adam & Eve is foundational in various religious texts, from Christianity to Judaism and even Islam. Most prominently, their story appears in the book of Genesis from the Bible, where Adam & Eve were detailed to have been created by God in his own image. For millennia, the tale of the first man & woman, their life story in the idyllic Garden of Eden and their fall from grace, has inspired debate of its truth, interpretation and artwork.

Yet, despite its ancient origins, this foundational story continues to leave us with unanswered questions. Many aspects of Adam & Eve’s existence, from the serpent’s identity to the true nature of the forbidden fruit of apple, have endured as enigmas and mysteries of their story remained unsolved. Intrigued?

The original home of Adam and Eve, from where they were cast out by God, remains one of the mysterious locations in the Bible. It is true that the whole story can be interpreted as a metaphor, but what if one interprets it literally? Where would the Garden of Eden be located, after all? We can find some hints in Genesis 2. Genesis 2:10 says that, “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers” (the specific wording depends on the Bible translation). And then it mentions their names: Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel (the Tigris), and Phirat (the Euphrates). This hint has led to speculations that the Garden of Eden was located either in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and Kuwait), or modern-day Turkey or Armenia. Though the specific location has, thus far, not been located.

In the Bible, Adam & Eve initially lived in a utopian paradise known as the Garden of Eden, a lush and verdant land where no illness or death existed. At its center was the tree of knowledge of good and evil, laden with fruit that they were forbidden not to eat. In the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve enjoyed a life free of pain or death. The story tells that they were ultimately tempted by a serpent to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree, which marked humanity’s separation from divine perfection not taking orders. As a result, mortality & suffering was inevitably introduced into human existence at this paradise. One unsolved aspect of Adam & Eve’s story is the location of the Garden of Eden. Many scholars have attempted to unravel the elusive mystery of Eden trying to narrow the search.

Descriptions in the Book of Genesis say that the garden was planted in the east and there are references to the four rivers flowing into the region, including the Tigris & Euphrates. But even though these rivers exist on Earth, there is no place on our planet where they meet in the way described by the Bible. Some believe that the so-called Great Flooding, as recounted in the story of Noah, reshaped Earth’s landscape so drastically that any trace of Eden’s geography was erased, leaving its exact location eternally obscured. Some theologians have viewed the Garden of Eden not as a physical place but as a metaphor spiritual state, representing humanity’s original unity with God rather than an actual garden lost to history.

Where is Noah’s Ark? It is true that the Great Flood might have happened (though not on a global scale as the Bible mentions). But if Noah’s Ark did, too, what happened to it? Over the years, numerous theories have emerged, and 'evidence' has been found, though none was robust enough or indeed conclusive. One example includes wooden fragments discovered on Turkey's Mount Ararat. Being made of wood, it’s very possible that if the Ark ever existed, it rotted and disappeared over the years.

In Genesis 1, God creates male and female at the same time. But then, in the very next chapter, Genesis 2, God created a woman from a man’s rib. Another unsolved mystery revolves around Eve’s creation from Adam’s rib, which is widely interpreted as a believable symbolic rather than literal. The tale is also most likely responsible for the myth that men have fewer ribs than women, even though both tend to have 12 pairs naturally.

While Christian traditions symbolically link the tale of Adam’s rib to the Holy Trinity, Jewish interpretations associate it with modesty and wisdom, reflecting humanity’s interconnected nature. This symbolically also suggests, they shouldn’t be so unsympathetic to fellow human beings.

The tale is also the serpent in Genesis is the one responsible for tempting Eve into disobedience, but whether or not the identity of the serpent was actually Satan still remains heavily debated. Early Jewish & Christian texts differ with the association to Satan emerging centuries after Genesis was written. What’s the truth, though?

Some theologians argue that the serpent was not a unique symbolic tool in its ability to speak, as all animals in Eden might have had the ability to communicate. This perspective sees the serpent not as a supernatural being, but rather as nothing more than a literary device used for the sake of the tale.

Many theologians only connected the serpent to Satan by reading the Bible’s last book, the Book of Revelation. It speaks of a primordial serpent that is the adversary of God, which made many believe that Satan was a devil responsible for charming Eve in the garden. Another belief is that Satan and the serpent in the garden were not actually connected.

There are some theologians who still hold this claim. The presence of evil in the Garden of Eden is also a major theological conundrum that has confused scholars for centuries. If the garden was meant to be a paradise, why would God, a benevolent and all powerful being, allow evil spirit to exist in the Garden of Eden?

Many theologians have argued that the presence of evil in the garden only existed because God allowed Adam & Eve to have free will. The tale goes on to say, by giving them the freedom to choose, he unwittingly permitted evil to enter the world.  Others have made the interpretation that the presence of evil in paradise was supposed to serve as a test of both faith and obedience. Ultimately, Adam & Eve fell prey to their temptations and vulnerabilities, but the conditions surrounding the tale of the serpent’s existence remain a mystery.

Yet another aspect of Adam & Eve’s story that remains a mystery is regarding the forbidden apple fruit that they ate. Interestingly, the Book of Genesis mentions a fruit, not an apple, which has led to beyond debate surrounding the topic.

Historical translations and artistic depictions have popularized the apple interpretations, though some scholars have suggested alternatives like figs, grapes or citron as the actual forbidden fruit.

In Latin, the word malum means both ‘apple’ and ‘evil’ dual meanings, which likely reinforced the association of the forbidden fruit with apples in European art and literature. Ultimately, our association with an apple could be nothing more than a linguistic coincidence mixed with symbolic storytelling.

Another unsolved mystery is regarding Adam & Eve’s lineage. According to the Bible, all humans share ancestry with Adam & Eve, since they were the first and only people on Earth at the time coming from each other’s ribs. After being banished from the Garden of Eden, they set forth into a harsh world and were refused entry into the garden. The story tells, angels armed with flaming swords stood guard at the entrance and stopped them from seeing the garden ever again.

The Book of Genesis also notes that Adam & Eve had mysterious siblings of sons and daughters beyond Cain, Abel and Seth. However, their unnamed descendants remain unexplored in scripture, leaving their roles in humanity’s propagation a mystery. The Bible says that Cain and Seth went on to have children of their own, with Abel having died at the hands of Cain. It also notes that Adam & Eve had sons and daughters, but they are never mentioned in any scripture, and the details of their lives remain a mystery.

When Adam & Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, God installed angels called cherubim at the entrance, each of whom wielded flaming swords to guard against access as guardians of the Garden. However, the existence of these angels still remains a heavy mystery. In scripture, the cherubim are celestial beings with wings and are often associated with divine presence and protection. However, theologians have been unable to decipher whether they are meant to be a manifestation of divine wrath or whether they are a symbol of God’s unfathomable love. After Adam & Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, they were forced to live in an unknown land brimming with challenges and various uncertainties. But the details of their journey are relatively scarce and largely remain a mystery as a life of turmoil. Theologians have spent much time trying to garner an understanding of what happened to the duos life after leaving the garden. Their journey away from God’s divinity and his paradise must have been weighed down by guilt.

Nonetheless, theologians often debate whether humanity can metaphorically return to Eden through salvation or spiritual growth. They have done this in an attempt to frame the narrative as both a fall from grace and a hopeful journey toward redemption.

The Adam & Eve tale continues without end to provoke thought and has offered timeless questions about humanity’s origins, morality and destiny. This narrative will most likely endure for ages, as theologians and scholars continue trying to unravel the mysteries of our ancient ancestors.

How did humanity multiply? Okay, so Adam & Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and went on to have babies. But then for humans to multiply they had to intermarry, right? After all, there were no other humans around. Not only does it sound wrong, but scientifically speaking this wouldn’t have worked out. We need genetic diversity to thrive as healthy humans. So what gives? Well, one theory says that God either prevented genetic disorders that would likely happen from incestuous relationships, or that, indeed, he created more than two humans.

Comparatively, it’s a healthy impression to know how far society has come and how much do we know the true stories of our ancestors.

Bless you!

The Story of Virgin Mary & Partner Joseph, Father of Jesus

The so called and revered souls, Mary and Joseph, are the parents of named, Christ, Jesus; well, at least on Earth. Still, they are iconic religious figures that many of us don’t really know much about. Sure, Mary was branded a virgin when she became pregnant with Jesus, how on earth, and we know that Joseph accepted to be father, didn’t know what happened, in the end. But what are the other key moments in the relationship between Joseph and Mary, anyway? And what and how much do we know about them as individuals? How do they know their relationship was in the early stages, when & how Mary got pregnant?

Jewish relationships and, consequently, marriages are said essentially divided into two stages: Kiddush in (engagement) and Nisu’in (marriage ceremony). Of course, there are more layers of complexity to these stages. But essentially, a couple is married in the eyes of God in the Kiddush in stage. But cohabitation and intimate relationships are not part of this stage.

While nowadays many couples combine Kiddush in and Nisu’in rituals into one ceremony, back then the first stage would take a lot longer. The couple would read religious texts to prepare for life as husband and wife. However, all of a sudden Mary was pregnant!

They almost broke up, as in old marriages, religiously or not, it goes without saying that virginity was not only desirable, but expected. Divine intervention aside, all of a sudden showing up pregnant wasn’t quite what Joseph was expecting of Mary. How is that happened? In the book of Matthew 1:19 it reads: “Because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”

This course of action was actually pretty kind, more on that later. But he didn’t in the end, as he was visited by, another theory, angel Gabriel told him that, “She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Say what? Please, explain!

As mentioned previously, Joseph’s plans to leave Mary was to avoid exposing her to public disgrace. And public disgrace it would have been for Mary, who would have probably ended up being stoned to death in the ancient days. Deuteronomy 22:21 gives an example of what would happen to a woman who would have intimate relationships out of wedlock, in this case, still living with her parents: “She shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death.”

The story goes on, King Herod, hearing the news about the Messiah, ordered for all children in Bethlehem to be killed. Luckily, an angel gave Joseph the heads up, so he and his family managed to flee to save Jesus from being killed.

It reads in Matthew 1:25 being pretty explicit about this. It reads: “But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” Though, some people do believe that Mary never lost her virginity. The Bible does mention the brothers of Jesus, but again, some people interpret this as a form of expression, rather than in the literal sense of the word.

Many of us picture Joseph as a carpenter. This reinforces the idea of Jesus’ humble background. But what if Joseph worked more than just wood? Joseph wasn’t your average carpenter. Joseph is called a tektōn in Ancient Greek, which is the word used to describe an artisan/craftsman, not necessarily just a carpenter. If fact, according to author Adam Bradford, Joseph was actually a middle-class architect.

As Nazareth was a peculiar place, both Mary and Joseph came from Nazareth, a town that didn’t have a great rep. Even Nathanael, who went on to become a follower of Jesus, belittled it: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). But the truth is that Nazareth was indeed a unique place. Archaeological discoveries revealed that the people of Nazareth didn’t take the Roman invasion very well and were proud of their Jewish heritage and customs. Maybe this was why Mary and Joseph were chosen by God?

For a physical trait, Jesus has been depicted numerous times as having light hair and eyes, but this probably wasn’t the case. And, of course, his parents didn’t look like that either. Mary and Joseph were most likely short and had a darker complexion. Israeli Jews definitely didn’t look like Vikings. And depending on their background, if they had Egyptian or Middle Eastern ancestors, their complexion could have been even darker.

How was Jesus being delivered? Delivering a baby back then was a much higher risk event. Mary in particular was out of her comfort zone, with no midwives and no family around to support her. Joseph was the only person that could have probably helped her deliver baby Jesus. Thank you Joseph!

While the Bible does not mention the pain of Mary’s labor, the Quran does. In fact, Islam’s holy book dedicates a whole chapter to the story of Mary. Mary’s labor in the Surah Maryam Quran 19:23 reads: “And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, ‘Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.’”

As for Mary’s wearisome, Mary is often portrayed wearing blue. There are a few theories about this and indeed Israelite women wore colored clothing. But the color blue in particular has no proven historical background. It is believed that the use of blue implies purity and closeness to God. Blue (and white) has been used in Judaism for millennia. It’s one of the colors of Hanukkah, among many other things.

There’s also a story in apocrypha writings, texts that didn’t make it to the Bible, there is a mention that Joseph might have had a first wife called Melcha before Mary. The text says that Joseph was in fact a widower who had six children. He then married a much younger Mary after his wife died and became Jesus’ dad on Earth.

Mary most likely didn't deliver Jesus in a stable place. Most houses back then had two floors, with the ground floor also being used to keep animals. So there was no such thing as a separate stable, where Mary could have had Jesus. The nativity story places baby Jesus in a stable, surrounded by animals. But this was likely not the case. And then, of course, there is the theory that Jesus was born in a cave/grotto, where the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was built upon. These caves were commonly used as shelters by shepherds in those days.

What a story or theory of a different mortality that we didn’t have to worship for lifetime, but we thank everyone who helped humanity thus far & congregations for social connections.

The Life & Times of Virgin Mary

What do we really know about Mary, the Sacred Mother of Jesus?

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is depicted in the gospels as someone of serious spiritual intuition. She’s also described by God as “highly favored.” But the woman who conceived the Savior was of humble origins, a person of limited education who followed a simple lifestyle. Often promoted as a model of chastity and obedience as well as a figure of authority & respect, Mary’s life is documented up to a point in Scripture, but her later years are shrouded in mystery.

Mary was born c. 18 BCE, most likely in Nazareth, Galilee. When Mary was 3 years old, she was given to service as a consecrated virgin in the Temple in Jerusalem. She remained ensconced in the temple until she was 12.

Mary was actually known as Miriam, after the older sister of Moses. Her name in Arabic was Maryam.

Who were Mary’s parents?

There are only 150 manuscripts that refer to the parents of Mary, one of which is the Gospel of James. These surviving documents tell us that her father was Saint Joachim and her mother was Saint Anne.

Mary is believed to be a direct descendant of Abraham, a figure revered by the three great monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

According to the book of Luke, Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel while she was engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter. The angel told the young woman that she had found favor with God and would give birth to His son. This is known as the Annunciation.

A birth was foretold. Puzzled, Mary asked how this was possible, as she was still a virgin. The angel replied that the Holy Spirit would impregnate her and that she would conceive a son called Jesus.

Soon afterwards, Mary discovered that she was pregnant. In Christianity, Mary is commonly referred to as the Virgin Mary, in accordance with the belief that she was indeed impregnated by the Holy Spirit.

Mary & Joseph, who was also obedient to God and dissuaded from leaving her after he learned of the pregnancy, married each other in Bethlehem. It was also in Bethlehem that Jesus Christ was born.

The birth of Jesus

The birth of Jesus is only depicted in two of the gospels, Matthew & Luke. In Galatians 4 of the New Testament, reference is made to Jesus “born of a woman,” therefore confirming Jesus as both human & divine & Mary as the mother.

Mary & Joseph eventually returned home to Nazareth, where they lived quietly and for the most part, anonymously.

The Holy Family, the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary & Saint Joseph, probably lived in an extended family unit. The couple had four more sons: Joseph, James, Jude & Simon. The last three mentioned are not to be confused with those who were apostles of Jesus by the same name. The Bible also tells us that Jesus had sisters, but none are named.

Mary’s day life as the mother of Jesus would have been largely spent undertaking domestic chores, things like collecting and carrying water from a nearby well or stream and gathering wood for the fire.

Her household duties no doubt extended to cooking meals and washing utensils and clothes, as well as keeping the home clean and tidy.

Mary was probably illiterate sometimes depicted in a literary setting, a hand on an open book or prayer sheet. However, it’s doubtful that she knew how to read or write, since literacy was extremely rare among women of the time.

Mariology was the theological study of Mary. Mariologists pore over the life of the mother of Jesus in Scripture and the development of doctrine pertaining to her life and mission.

Mary is believed by Catholics to have been born without original sin. In fact, Mariology considers a view of Christ and his role incomplete without reckoning with the part Mary had to play. How is this so?

According to Roman Catholic Church dogma, Mary was the Immaculate Conception, in other words, she was the only person ever born without original sin. The Church argues that not once did Mary contract the guilt of Adam’s original sin, his eating of forbidden fruit that brought despair and death into the world.

But that all depends on how we read the Bible and how Scripture is interpreted. In Luke 1:47, Mary says, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Did Mary need saving?

The argument goes that if Mary needed a savior, she must have been a sinner and therefore couldn’t have been immaculately conceived.

Is Mary the mother of Jesus or the mother of God? The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus, is also the Mother of God. But why?

When Mary is described as the mother of God, it’s a reminder of the role she played in the salvation of the human race. The description can also be interpreted as meaning that Mary conceived a person within her womb and that person was the second divine person of the Trinity, after the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Joseph died before Jesus’ public ministry began. Mary, however, lived through the time of that ministry. We know this through Mark 3:31 and John 2:1-12.

John 19:25-27 tells us that Mary, her sister Mary, the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene were all present at Jesus’ crucifixion.

What happened to Mary after Jesus’ death? At that time of the crucifixion, Mary was probably close to 50 years old. That’s well beyond the age most women in that epoch lived.

In Acts 1:12–26, rare appearance of Mary is the only one referenced other than the 11 apostles to be mentioned by name who lived in the upper room when they returned from the Mount of Olives. The upper room, or cenacle, in Jerusalem is traditionally held to be the site of the Last Supper.

There is no reference in Scripture to tell us that Mary witnessed the Resurrection. The first woman to meet Jesus after the Resurrection was another Mary, Mary Magdalene.

At a general audience on May 21, 1997, Pope John Paul II offers an explanation declaring, “The gospels mention various appearances of the risen Christ, but not a meeting between Jesus and his Mother. This silence must not lead to the conclusion that after the Resurrection Christ did not appear to Mary; rather it invites us to seek the reasons.”

The account of Mary’s presence with the apostles during the Pentecost –the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks –is vague. And after the Pentecost, Mary’s life effectively disappears from history.

The belief of most biblical scholars is that Mary lived out her life in the company of the disciples. The truth is the rest of her life, disappearing from history, is shrouded in legend.

Her death remains a mystery. It isn’t known when Mary died and her passing is not recorded in the Scriptures. One tradition says she died in 43 CE, another in 48 CE.

However, Orthodox tradition, tolerated also by Catholics, has her first dying a natural death, known as the dormition of Mary and then, soon after, the assumption of the virgin Mary’s body itself also being taken into heaven.

Mary’s unwavering obedience to God as well as the virgin birth led to her being revered in Christianity across the world. As the Sanctified Mother, she remains in the official teachings of the Catholic Church as “the first dwelling place of God in the salvation history.”

Fact or Fiction, Do You Believe In Bible?

 The Bible remains the most ambiguous to this day scholars and theologists to debate on a number of discrepancies. Actually, all its entirety of the Bible, like other religious writings, is not scientifically confirmed, can be open to clarification. As for others, well, not quite. In fact, some parts of the Bible remain a complete mystery.

Are you curious to learn what the biggest unanswered questions in the Bible are?

Where’s the location of the Garden of Eden?

The original home of Adam & Eve, from where they were booted out by God, remains one of the mysterious locations in the Bible. It is true that the whole story can be interpreted as a metaphor, but what if one interprets it literally? Where would the Garden of Eden be located, after all? We can find mythicized some hints in Genesis 2. Genesis 2:10 says that, “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden and there it divided and became four rivers” (the specific fairy-tale wording depends on the Bible translation). And then it mentions their names: Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel (the Tigris) and Phi rat (the Euphrates). This hint has led to speculations that the Garden of Eden was located either in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq and Kuwait) or modern day Turkey or Armenia. Nevertheless, the specific location has, yet, not been traced.

Metaphorical interpretation aside, there are indeed two different versions of the creation story. Sure, these may have been an editorial mistake when putting the Bible together, but still, which story should we trust and why?

In Genesis 1, God creates male and female at the same time. But then, in the very next chapter, Genesis 2, God created a woman from a man’s rib, really? Not only that, but even God himself is described as having two different names as Elohim (one of the Hebrew words for God) in the first account and YHWH (“He Brings into Existence Whatever Exists” (Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh) in the second.

Who were the “Sons of God?” The Bible, however, doesn’t really tell us who they were for sure. Genesis 6:2 says that, “The sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful and they married any of them they chose.” So who were these “Sons of God,” after all? There are various interpretations of who the “Sons of God” were. Some theories point to fallen angels, while others say they might be the descendants of Seth (one of Adam and Eve’s children). The Bible, however, doesn’t really tell us who they were for sure.

It’s safe to say that most of us are familiar with at least some of the names and titles used to describe Jesus in the Bible. Names such as Christ, the Messiah, or Savior are commonly used to describe the ‘son of God’. It turns out, however, that there are a lot more names and titles for Jesus in the Holy Book. These range from names such as Immanuel to titles such as Head of the Church or Prince of Peace, to name a few. Delving into the New Testament and bringing you a list of names used for Jesus.

Immanuel is one of the names Jesus was known as. Please, behave if your name is Immanuel! The meaning of the name Immanuel is actually explained in a Bible verse. “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son and they shall call His name Immanuel’, which is translated ‘God with us’”, (Matthew 1:23).

What really happened to the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant, which is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, contains the Ten Commandments tablets. But, whatever happened to such an important piece of Biblical history? There is a theory that the Ark ended up in Ethiopia and it’s in Aksum today, where it’s guarded by a monk. Another theory of an old manuscript called GG 00039, held at the Gunda Gunde Monastery in Ethiopia, contains the first part of Matthew’s Gospel.  Other theories point to the Ark being hidden somewhere beneath Jerusalem. To this day, no one has found it.

Who is Lucifer? He’s Satan, right? Well, there’s more to it, actually. Isaiah 14:12-17 mentions the story of Lucifer; however, you won’t find any connection to Satan or the Devil. Just that he’s a fallen angel who was cast down to earth by God for wanting to be above him. But then Luke 10:18-20 mentions Satan falling “like lightning from heaven.” So, yes, it seems like Lucifer and Satan fell down from heaven, but are they the same? It is possible that the connection between the two was made after the Bible was written. So, who is Lucifer, after all? Some theories point to the hypothesis that Lucifer was a reference to a Babylonian ruler. Another theory says that Lucifer was simply the Latin word for “morning star,” but the truth is that no one knows for sure.

What has happened during the “Lost years” of Jesus?

Jesus of Nazareth?

Jesus is central to Christianity, the largest religion in the world. As a look at key historical facts and pivotal archaeological finds that relate to his life, most scholars agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure who lived in the 1st century CE. That said, there is “no definitive physical or archaeological evidence” of his existence. Scholars rely instead on detailed records of his life found in the four Gospels and New Testament writings, corroborated by other sources.

However, Jewish & Roman historians alike agree on the existence of Jesus, who was born and lived as a Jew in the region of Judea and Galilee, which were part of the Roman Empire. They also agree that his teachings were deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. It is only in later history that Jesus has been viewed as not a Jew.

Jesus is believed to have been born in Bethlehem, although some accounts suggest Nazareth as his hometown. Some archaeologists, however, believe there is “strong evidence that Christ was born in a different Bethlehem, a small village in the Galilee.”

According to three of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, though there is no hard archaeological proof. There is also some debate about where, exactly, along the river Jesus was baptized, with millions in tourist dollars at stake.

According to the New Testament, Jesus was an itinerant preacher who travelled around teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God, repentance, and ethical living. Scholarly works, such as The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant by New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan, attests to this aspect of Jesus’s life.

According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus performed miracles, such as healing the sick and raising the dead. There is no hard evidence of these miracles; however, there is speculation that people’s beliefs at the time may have contributed to this interpretation of Jesus’s acts.

As described in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus and his disciples shared a final meal to celebrate Passover. While there is no compelling evidence of this particular meal outside Biblical texts, two Italian archaeologists argue that the meal would likely have looked a bit different than the one depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, with attendees sitting on floor cushions, enjoying a feast of “bean stew, lamb, olives, bitter herbs, a fish sauce, unleavened bread, dates and aromatized wine.”

 THE LAST SUPER

According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus was sentenced to death by Jewish high priests and elders, and ordered to be crucified at Golgotha by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at the time. Archaeologists have since found physical evidence of Roman crucifixions similar to that of Jesus, lending credibility to the New Testament texts.

Contrary to popular depiction, at crucifixion Jesus was not nailed to the cross through his hands, but rather through his wrists. If his hands had been nailed to the cross, they would have torn from the weight of his body and he would have fallen.

His death on the cross could have taken up to six days. According to biblical reports, Jesus died six hours after. The crucifixion occurred at around 9 am and his death occurred at around 3 pm that afternoon. The Bible states that Jesus’ death occurred on Good Friday. Historians concluded that his death must have occurred in either 30 or 33 CE. Clues from Pontius Pilate and Tiberius indicate that 33 CE is likely the year that he died.

The name Mary is also mentioned, which led some to theorize that his wife was Mary Magdalene.

According to the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, Jesus was brought back to life by God three days after his death, and Mary Magdalene and his disciples witnessed his miraculous resurrection. While there is no hard non-Biblical evidence of this event, some scholars speculate that, as with Jesus’s miracles, belief in his resurrection may have taken root among people at the time due to their willingness to believe.

Not much is documented in the Bible about Jesus’ so called “Lost years.” So what was Jesus up to between the ages of 12 and 30, after all? Some theories say Jesus of Nazareth stayed in Nazareth, while others say he went to study elsewhere. Many archeological finds point to the possibility that Jesus existed. This includes houses from his period found in Nazareth and proof that Roman crucifixion practices matched the ones described in the Bible. Locations range from Alexandria in Egypt to India. It is possible that Jesus studied with the Jewish mystic group the Essenes or that he traveled as far as Britain with his uncle Joseph of Arimathea, who was a tin trader. The truth is that there is no solid evidence of any of these hypotheses. In 62 CE, Jewish historian Josephus made a reference to “James, the brother of Jesus who is called Christ,” who was executed. James also made his contribution to the New Testament. Jude was also the younger brother of both James and Jesus who became a believer after the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus is said to have had four brothers and at least two sisters. The brothers were James, Joseph, Jude and Simon. There are theories that they may have actually been his father’s sons from another marriage or even cousins. According to the Bible, Jesus’ brother James was stoned to death.

Okay, how did humanity multiply? So Adam & Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and went on to have babies. But then for humans to multiply they had to intermarry, right? After all, there were no other humans around. Not only does it sound wrong, but scientifically speaking this wouldn’t have worked out. We need genetic diversity to thrive as healthy humans. So what gives? Well, one theory says that God either prevented genetic disorders that would likely happen from incestuous relationships or that, indeed, he created more than two humans.

What happened to the lost tribes of Israel? Both the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah were formed by 12 tribes of Hebrew people. While there is historical evidence of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (which formed the Kingdom of Judah and are considered the ancestors of modern Jews), the remaining 10 tribes are not well documented. The tribes were reportedly overtaken by Assyria and exiled from the Kingdom of Israel. But where did they go? Some theories say they traveled to Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, Ethiopia and even as far as Asia and North America. It is also possible that they merged with other non-Hebraic cultures and their traditions faded away over the years. Despite all the theories, no one knows for sure what happened to the lost tribes of Israel.

Where is Noah’s Ark? It is true that the Great Flood might have happened (though not on a global scale as the Bible mentions). But if Noah’s Ark did, too, what happened to it? Over the years, numerous theories have emerged and evidence has been found, though none was robust enough or indeed conclusive. One example includes wooden fragments discovered on Turkey’s Mount Ararat. Being made of wood, it’s very possible that if the Ark ever existed, it rotted and disappeared over the years.

What happened to Enoch & Elijah? The Bible says that Enoch, the father of the 969 year old Methuselah, one of the two witnesses, “walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” But what does that mean? Did he die? Did he join God in heaven? According to Kings 2 2:1, Elijah, the other witness, who was a prophet, “Went up by a whirlwind into heaven” in a chariot of fire. If indeed this was a description of his death, why did he arise to heaven? He was a man, after all.

THE REAL REAWAKENING ROYAL STORY

FEW OF THE OLD & NEW WORLD MONARCHS

First and foremost, we wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on which we live & pay our respect to their elders of the past & present, from all nations who gave their lives for all their enduring praiseworthy causes.

Our story is not about blaming or condescending the successive families who are in the Royal system of pedigree that has been around for ‘millions of years’ around the world, but Revealing Real Royal Reformations of Amenities & Duties.

Inviting the Prince William & Princess Kate to visit Australia and the attention of the Australian people and government is becoming unstoppable like the rest of the Royals, again and again. How on earth these ancient novelties of Royal Receptions continue to occur expenses paid for, while the natives endure and live under extremely challenging mental and physical living conditions are so overwhelming with so little help from the Royal sympathizer, Australian government, who continues to bring the Royal families, honoring the commands of the bygone era pledges, buy AUKUS submarines...

Like the rest of Royals, Prince William’s brother, Harry has also been here before, costing the people, for the purpose of training with the Australian army no apparent significance except for routine Royal duties that attracted Media doing Hongi.

Honestly, the expenses paid were taken from so many who have lived in Struggle Street giving up their land and assets to receive bare or no essential benefits.

For those who complain trying to bury the truth must know that “if you shut up & try to bury the truth, it will but grow even bigger.” “No one is more hated than who speaks the truth.” –Plato

It’s time Australia should recognize all its past mistakes earnestly, not only in words and on paper, and respect the Indigenous people and all other black people that live here like all other immigrants who called Australia Home.

Brits also must accept changes; one thing we all should try to instigate in our lives is accepting and making changes if we have to see a better outcome. We can’t continue doing the same thing for generations and expect a miracle. One thing is for sure, all the Royals around the world have lived a lavish lifestyle without a real day jobs except timeless visits. It’s time for the new breeds to find a way to be independent without being restrained or live in iron curtailed structures for life.

Honestly, it is a mentality that is willing and able to reflect on past experiences, past actions and their outcomes. It is only through such reflections that one learns one’s strengths, weaknesses and the environment and conditions in which actions were undertaken and what could have been done differently that could have resulted in a positive outcome. It is not enough to admit collective failure. One needs to evaluate one’s role in the failure. Especially, so much fighting is happening around the world we live in.

No one can justify how the visits of Prince Williams and family will bring the changes required in Australia. Prime Minister Albanese was just softening his voice to be a loyal Royalist than being the true blue Aussie.

There are lots of our modern day messiahs. The trouble is they get killed as soon as people notice their passion and compassion restricting their individualism. And those saviors or advocates never demanded to be revered as they considered themselves as one of us. We must not forget civil rights advocates of our time like Martin Luther King, Jr. and all others as noble examples.

“How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever. How long? Not long, you shall reap what you sow… How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

Can any government, being elected to the office, come up with new policies that are completely different from the incumbent in order to preserve its rule of law rather than continuously doing the same thing over and over, again and again?

Another exceptional news is Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, the Duchess, were forsaking their palace life to live a simple life like that of the Buddha’s, but promised to become part time Royals. It’s hard to understand why their decision is a complicated issue to no longer live on people’s payments and search for their own identity and independence before they leave this planet to RIP.

It’s good to experience the lives of laypeople with no strings attached. What about if the people decided to completely abandon the system of Kingdoms in general like some other countries around the world that have done so. How complicated would that be? What are the benefits of keeping a primeval novelty namesake?

The Sussex finally understood their responsibilities thanks to the social media influences to feed them with vital information and to fulfil their humanistic duties like everyone without depending on the imperial livelihood.

How long do we continue to worship this bygone era system of government with no relevance to today’s changing hands on job for the Royals rather than someone (PM) is doing the required duty and the sitting family enjoy visiting and socializing in the name of diplomatic friendship. Really? We can still continue to have Santa Claus to keep tradition running Christian old dazzling with no other significance.

History told us that in any royal aristocracy nobility and prominence have always been the honored code of ethics before people.

However, as time goes by, the archaic UK’s Royal protocol has eventually gave way to the new unceremonious way of dealing with the new rules of the new generations, thereby, allowing Meghan’s long estranged parents to join the new Royally customized wedding gala, to give their daughter away as a deserving parents, officially.

The travel around the Royal ruled countries was nothing but an outdated Royal P.R. stunt doing no welfares for the impoverished people gathering to have fun with unlike foreign arrivals. Besides the presence of Royalty activity and diplomatic ventures, nothing has been accomplished to abolish people’s long standing ongoing lifestyle difficulties miss managed by the power and status hungry hippos.

What a decorated and various medal display of lifestyle with insignificant hard works and combat activities when the real work is done by the elected parliamentarians. Hey, that was every boy & girls dream to grow up and become Prince and Princesses, right? Unfortunately, my dreams like some of you weren’t a suckccessful one.

Please, don’t judge our shared opinions. It worked and awakened so many unsuspecting megalomaniacs and we’re not cynical but hoping for optimistic anticipation for the long standing iron curtain, HRH Royal titles & etiquettes of the aristocracies around the world to change for the better.

As we’ve continuously informed the public, change will come to every country to listen and accept it or suffer the consequences, because whether they like it or not the new breeds of generations are going to do what’s right and supporting everyone nevertheless.

Any valued information we’ve posted on the internet was showing significant change and reverberated by individuals who have the power, status, familiarity and all other impressions. We must remember that if we can’t think greater than how we feel, we can never change.

Australia, the Republic issue will happen, eventually and it will not be as hard as 1999, YES. This is not going to be life time subservience. We can’t change the ignorance, domination, invasion, or whatever you want to call it, of the past, but we can change the dirt to shape our future only by forgiveness, empathy, compassion & Real Reconciliation.

The truth might hurt but must be told regardless. To stand for the truth, what is good and right is the hardest choice of all because they require moral clarity and courageous acts of conscience. One must have fundamental convictions and moral principles to speak the truth and to do good and the right thing and in so doing define the moment instead of being defined by the moment & very few lingering prejudices.

In the face of evil, the question in our morality is always a clear one. We can choose to be silent; we can choose to be defenders and accomplices of evil, we can choose to blindfold ourselves in the face of evil or get in the faces of evil doers or we have a choice to damn evil, condone it or openly accept it.

We all have our own unique cultural predispositions while growing up in different social and educational settings that may not gratify everyone.   

We all have stories to tell regardless of their values. Those of us who have a story, it can be extremely helpful if we speak up, we can contribute that awareness to other people, because once again, when somebody gives up hope and being judged, that is when the unhappy thoughts start and if we can restore hope to people, it doesn’t take much.

It’s maybe upsetting to some, but the truth must be told without incriminating people. To determine what exactly happened during those times, one must see a documentary:

For those who complain trying to bury the truth must know that “if you shut up & try to bury the truth, it will but grow even bigger.”

Fundamental changes are necessary to live together without dividing the people and the country. We must speak the truth, do the right thing and proclaim that the powerful and political groups do not possess even a basic understanding of the country and that they do not represent any country in their conduct or decisions making. Enough is enough, what’s happened in the past, locally or globally, can’t be retrieved, let’s forgive and move forward by building bridges, as communal entity, not restrictive boundaries.

The unity and connections we are going to create and the strong, transparent relationships and communication wherever we live with all people, groups and individuals are what we need to build a robust and more secure society. In true unity we can achieve all our hopes and dreams

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” –Martin Luther King Jr.

You know what, man created the system, laws, rules…man can change anything. Therefore, it’s time to change the guiding lights that was built long time ago only to serve its creators.

“No amount of regret can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.”

Is that a Fair Dinkum assessment?

Let’s advance Australia Fair(ly)!

Let’s all not take sides or condone it, but stand up to the problem!

LET US ALL LIVE IN PEACE BEFORE WE RIP!

Read other reflections on leaders, Royalties, different business bogusness & immoral dealings time immemorial:  https://timeforchangesociety.blogspot.com/2019/08/who-can-we-trust.html

Also read more considerations & reconciliations: https://simenehmakonnen.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-is-australia-day.html