Rome and Jerusalem, 64-70 AD
The Father looked at the Mother, smiled and asked, “Mind if I cover this part? And then you can take over afterwards?”
“Sure. I know you had a hand in this next section of the story anyway,” she answered, with her usual wink.
The Father smiled at her. She intrinsically knew his every vibratory thought. Once again he reminded himself how good it was to have her around. He had felt vulnerable all those years without her. He needed her presence above all things. She balanced him in every facet of his being.
He allowed his mind to wander for a moment. To contemplate the existence of the Mother of all things, and himself.
He thought about the gross misperception that the Galaxy had of them. Of this all knowing, all seeing, creators of all things. Which was all true of course. But that description didn’t cover the human aspect of the Mother and Father of all things. That by their very essence, they were human beings. Advanced highly evolved humans to be sure. Nevertheless, they were human. The architects of all human feelings and emotions. Together they compromised themselves of the complete human being.
All feelings and emotions. Which included guilt. Which included the feeling of Abraham’s loneliness.
He didn’t allow his mind to drift for too long. He had a story to tell. Scanning the audience of the faithful host, the Father resumed their story, “Between the years of 64 to 70 AD, two events happened which would change human history on planet earth. Therefore, I think it’s important to cover both of these dramatic occurrences.”
“On the evening of July 19th, 64 AD, in the sweltering heat, a massive fire broke out in Rome near the area that is known as the Circus Maximus. Known in history as ‘The Great Fire of Rome.’ An inferno that was so vast, that it engulfed ten of the fourteen districts of the capitol of the Roman Empire. Displacing hundreds of thousands of people. It would take years for the city to recover. But once it did, it turned itself into the marble and stone city that Nero envisioned.”
“This rapid moving fire lasted for six days, was briefly controlled, and then went on to burn for another three days further. The flames seemed to have a mind of their own, moving this way and that. Burning hotter and higher, looking for new oxygen to fuel its lust for destruction.”
“The fire brigades would set up a barricade in an attempt to control the flames, only to watch helplessly as the hungry flames would overrun all attempts to contain her. It seemed as if the flames of hell itself had been set loose on Rome.”
“Those fire brigades also ran into resistance. The early first responders ran into armed gangs, disabling the fire fighters from any progress of neutralizing the flames. Arsonists, who were hell bent on the destruction of the capitol of the Roman Empire. Effectively blocking any chance of containment.”
The Father looked up at the viewer displaying a burning Rome at the zenith of the catastrophe. A horrific sight. The flames seemed to reach for the skies. It showed the temple of the vestal virgins completely engulfed. The forum in ruins. People screaming, and running for their lives. Many lay dead, burnt to a crisp.
The Father looked away from the awful scene and continued, “There is widespread speculation as to the cause of the blaze. Many Romans blamed Nero, and there is good cause of this.”
“Nero Caesar had been trying to convince the Senate for years to rebuild a good majority of Rome. Earnestly trying to turn its many wooden structures to marble and stone. The same types of material that the elite reside in. Nero had plans for the renovation for the majority of the city. Not just new palaces for himself, but new structures for its many shops and housing. It was an old city, and Caesar knew that renovations would create much employment for the underclass of Rome.
“Yet the Senate held firm in its opposition to Nero’s rebuilding efforts. They preferred things just the way they were. Meeting in their forum, and discussing ideas which would undermine their Caesar. Rightfully believing that Nero was a tyrant, they challenged his authority at every turn. The Senate knew that the restructuring of Rome was dear to Nero’s heart. And they denied him his wish of rebuilding that eternal city.
“So when the flames began at Circus Maximus, and then turned toward the Senate’s forum, the people believed that Nero was striking at the heart of Senatorial rule. By taking away the very place where they made their plots to undermine him.”
The Father paused, cleared his throat, and resumed, “So the Roman populace, and the Roman Senate believed that Nero had motive to set their city to the torch.”
“But the flames also engulfed Caesar’s palace. So why would Nero want to burn his own estate? It made no sense.”
“The truth is that Nero did not set fire to the city. He was elsewhere at the time of the burning. In Antium, at his coastal estate. He was there to escape the sweltering heat of mid-July. And the cooler breezes off the Mediterranean were a welcome relief to him. But when he heard the news of the great fire, he set off at once with break neck speed for Rome.”
“When Caesar arrived, he immediately put himself in charge of the fire brigades. Working feverishly around the clock to try and quell the onslaught of what seemed like hell itself. He also helped, housed, and fed thousands of refugees who were fleeing the flames. Every available resource at his disposal was utilized by him in his attempt to neutralize the fire. The saying ‘Nero fiddled whilst Rome burned’ was a myth propagated by the Senatorial class. Namely, historian writers who would write of this tragedy a generation later. After Nero was long dead, and the aristocratic writer’s memory remaining bitter of him. The history of the fire of Rome was based on political fiction.”
The Father thought of the memory of Nero, and resumed his story, “Truth be told, Nero did not start the fire of Rome. It was the Christians who were the guilty party.”
Shock from the audience of the angelic host. Many of the angels expressed a collective gasp at this new found revelation. Although there were a few angels in Rome at the time of the fire. And knew the truth. Many of the host were elsewhere, and attending to other matters of the spirit.
The Father, satisfied that he had their full attention, resumed his story of Rome, “It is true, the followers of Jesus set fire to Rome. And now I will tell you what led them to that grave act which sealed their doom, and led their way to centuries of persecution.”
“The Christians in Rome were a newfound religion. Many of the followers of this faith were from the eastern Mediterranean area. Most of them were of Jewish descent, but not all. Of these Christians, some of them were zealots. Many believed in the downfall of Rome, and the eternal reign of their new messiah that they were preaching of.
“So how did they come about this belief in Rome’s doom? It’s simple. No less than five prophecies were circulating at the time, describing the downfall of the empire, and the lifting up of the messiah. This downfall would be precipitated by the burning of the city.
“In those prophecies, Babylon was the code word used for Rome. This was done, so that the people of Rome had no idea what the Christians were talking about. So those whom were prophesying at the time, were describing the fall of Babylon, when they were actually talking of Rome. The prophecies had been circulating for two decades before the fire broke out. Stirring up the zealots of Christianity.
“The Christians in Rome saw the empire as a decadent, and morally corrupt way of life. That the Romans had abused the power given to them. They had stolen the wealth of the world, and used it to enslave entire nations. Creating a military industrial complex to defeat nations such as their Judean homeland.
“Meanwhile, pagan Rome looked upon these Christians as a peculiar lot. Only believing in one God. A God who was a carpenter from Nazareth that was crucified in Jerusalem, didn’t quite fit in with Rome’s philosophies, which believed in numerous gods.
“The Christian sect set themselves apart from the rest of the Romans. They refused to bow down to Caesar, or any other god. They didn’t partake in the circus, nor any of the games that the Romans enjoyed. Their lifestyle, and that of the Romans didn’t mesh well. The Christians lived in Rome, but weren’t of Rome.
“Yet the Christian message of salvation appealed to many of the Roman underclass. In the twenty years of Christians living in Rome, their numbers multiplied.”
The Father looked at the image of the star of Sirius onscreen, and resumed his lecture on history, “There had been a prophecy began in Egypt, a long time before Rome was even a small village. Centuries before Romulus would establish his city of seven hills. This prophecy stated that ‘the great evil city would be extinguished by flames on the day that the Dog Star rises.”
“The Dog Star meaning my own star of Sirius,” interrupted the Mother of all things.
“Yes,” replied the Father. “And on July 19th, 64 AD, Sirius rose in the sky for the first time that year. It was the sign for the Christians to strike, and fulfill prophecy.”
“July 19th was also the perfect date for them. Because exactly 400 years prior, on that same date, Rome had suffered from its worst fire up to that point in time.”
“So the Christians struck on the night of the 19th of July. Setting fire to the Circus Maximus, the Forum, and various other locations at the same time. They left nothing for chance, creating arson in twelve different locations. As I stated previously, when the fire brigades showed up, they were met by Christians who impeded their progress.
“After nine days, the fire subsided, and was eventually put out.”
The Father paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and continued, “The Roman population, led by the Senate, blamed Nero. After all, they reasoned, it was primarily his enemy’s estates that were burnt to the ground.”
“Nero knew what the people were thinking, and had to act quickly. He knew that if blame fell to him, he would be deposed of his rule. So he sent out his personal investigators to find out what happened. It didn’t take long for them to come back to Caesar and inform him of their findings. He was repeatedly told that it was the Christians who set fire to their city.
“As Nero learned of the true events that led to the great fire of Rome, his anger turned into rage. Immediately, he rounded up as many of these Christians that he was able to. He would make an example of them.
“Thousands were thrown into prisons, as Nero decided their collective fate. After torturing many into confession, he made his decision. Then he performed the following on them.
“1. He covered some with animal skins, and fed them to the wild beasts.
2. He nailed some to the cross, and then set them on fire.
3. He impaled some, setting fire to them to be used as torch lamps for the evening.
4. He roasted many over a slow burning fire.
5. Some were beaten to death.
6. Many were beheaded.
“And many other various tortures were inflicted upon the Christian faithful.”
The viewer showed image after image of Christians dying in the most excruciating ways. It was a parade of horrific images on display from the enormous sized viewer. And extremely difficult for the angelic host to witness. Many turned their heads away from this evil. Not wanting to focus their minds on this extreme form of negativity.
The Father resumed, “This was the first wave of persecutions against the Christian church via the Romans, but certainly not the last. The great fire of Rome would make the Christian movement public enemy number one in the empire for many generations. The persecution would go on for another 250 years. Creating many martyrs, and effectively driving the Church of Rome underground.”
“We shall get back to the evolution of the Christian movement in Rome, but let us now talk of the second event which shaped history.”
“In 66 AD, the entire region of the Galilee, Samaria, and Judea was a hotbed for religious fanaticism. Zealots, spurred on by the Essenes and the prophets, were tired of Roman occupation. And fed up with its heavy handed rule. But this was all quelled by the Roman boot, until one incident ignited an uprising which had serious and long lasting consequences.”
“A Roman soldier had tried to set fire to the holy Temple. He didn’t have orders to do so. He was just a troublemaker, who was filled with hatred towards the Jews. So he imagined he would strike at the heart of their nation. The Temple itself.
“When the temple guards, along with the zealots found out about this abomination, they attacked the Roman legion which was stationed in Jerusalem. Thus killing many, and driving the rest of the legionnaires out of the city, and eventually the country.
“Their liberation would be very short lived.”
“The Roman general Vespasian would lead four legions to stamp out this insurrection. The Romans felt that an example must be made of the Jews, lest further uprisings spring up along the empire. So Rome sent twenty thousand of its finest soldiers to annihilate this opposition.
“The Galilean region was especially troublesome to the Romans, therefore they struck there first. City after city were put to the torch in the Galilee. No mercy shown, no quarter given. Thousands were slaughtered in the most brutal of ways. The zealots were specifically targeted. Vespasian lined the roads with crucified zealots. To let the local populace know who was the master, and who was slave.”
“The Romans also wanted Jerusalem to know what lie in wait for them. They wanted the elders of Israel to know that they had made a grave mistake by attacking the Roman garrison of Jerusalem.”
The Father looked at the viewer which displayed thousands of crucified Jews. Martyrs for their faith. Believers who refused to live under Roman rule. He thought about those dark days of Israel, and continued onward with his sermon, “Once the Romans were through terrorizing the Galilee, they proceeded southward to the area of Qumran, and the Dead Sea.”
“The reason they went to Qumran before Jerusalem was because the Romans perceived that these Essenes of Qumran were the instigators in this Jewish uprising. They were half correct.
“It is true that the Essenes were fanning the flames of revolution. But the main culprit of Jewish zealotry were the prophets. The latest prophets being John the Baptist, and Jesus. Both of whom spoke of the downfall of both Jerusalem, and Rome. And the beginning of a new age of Israel led by the anointed one. Basically the same message that many prophets had spoken of down through the centuries. The destruction of this world, in favor of a newer and better one. Led by the chosen one.
“The chosen one being the Holy Grail,” added the Mother.
The Father once again smiled at her and continued, “Yes my love. The Holy Grail. The anointed one.”
He resumed, “The zealots, were Jewish extremists who believed that only the God of Abraham was entitled to rule the nation of greater Israel. Neither the high priests, nor any foreign occupier was allowed. Only the God of Abraham, through the laws of Moses, was rightfully their king. And this Roman occupation had been an abomination to the zealots for over 120 years. It was time to strike.
“Therefore, the zealots had been agitators to the Romans for generations. They weren’t about to wait for prophecy to be fulfilled. They were going to usher in the Messianic age themselves. And with the latest preaching’s of John the Baptist and Jesus fresh in their ears, the time for a rebellion was ripe.”
“It didn’t have to happen, yet it did. I allowed the passion of the zealots, and the sacking of Jerusalem was the end result of that. The destruction of the Temple, as John and Jesus both had prophesied.”
The Father thought about the Essenes. Keepers of sacred scriptures, and the writings of the prophets. Teachers of the zealots. He said, “After sacking the region of Galilee, the Romans dealt the Essenes a lethal blow at Qumran. But before they did, the Essenes buried their sacred scriptures in the caves around that particular area. These scriptures would be found in the 20th century AD. They will forever be known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Essenes may have perished, but their words live on forever.”
“Once Qumran was destroyed, the Romans finally turned their attention to the capital of Israel, Jerusalem. The heart of the Jewish nation.”
“The Romans threw the full weight of four legions at Jerusalem. After a lengthy siege, Jerusalem fell. And when it did, the Romans put the city of David to the torch. As Jesus had said, ‘they didn’t leave one stone left upon another’ when they were through. No less than one hundred thousand Jewish souls were massacred in the taking of the city. A holocaust of blood, the Romans slew young and old, male and female alike. Their swords didn’t discriminate between the righteous and the unrighteous.
“The Romans made the Jews an example for the rest of the world to see what happens when one rises up against Rome.”
“The remaining Jews who survived the massacre were sold into slavery, and scattered to the four winds. The sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were no longer allowed to live in their homeland. They wouldn’t return en force and become a country again until 1948 AD. For 1878 years, the Jews would be a people without a country. Unwelcome strangers in strange lands.
“They would not fare well in their new homelands.”
“That is the greatest understatement of all time,” added the Mother of all things.
He looked at her. Only seeing the beauty and majesty of her presence. He smiled and asked, “Would you like to take over for a while my dear?”
“Certainly, my love. Should I tell them about the treasure?” she asked.
“Oh please do,” he said with a wink.
Then she picked up where he left off, “Before the Romans sacked the city of Jerusalem, the high priests of Israel were very busy. Very busy indeed. They had been busy for months.”
“When the Jews originally threw out the Roman garrison of Jerusalem, the high priests knew the Romans would be back. With massive reinforcements. Therefore they began placing valuable religious objects underneath the great temple. In man-made caves originally excavated by King Solomon. Among these sacred items were the Ark of the Covenant, and the breast plate of the high priest. These two items would have to be buried together.
“And the reason for that is because the breast plate, with its twelve jewels, was used to activate the Ark of the Covenant. The high priest would know the sequence of which stones to push in order to activate the Ark. It was a secret handed down through the ages.”
“Other items were buried as well. But the most important was the Ark of the Covenant, and the breast plate of the high priest. This treasure would remain buried for over a thousand years.”
“But many other items were not buried. After all, the Romans knew that the Temple contained many treasures. The high priests would have to hand over many sacred items which were dear to their hearts. They had to leave many objects in the temple to make their story believable that the entire treasure was located within the temple. Which was false. About a third of the treasure was buried deep under Jerusalem. Two thirds was left for the Romans to take.”
“Among the items that weren’t buried included the sacred Menorah, the Visionary Table, and the Mercy Seat.”
“So in effect we had two different treasures in Jerusalem,” added the Father.
“Indeed. Which is extremely important information in our story of the grail,” said the Mother.
She continued, “So before the Romans put Jerusalem to the torch, they carted off two thirds of Jerusalem’s treasure. The other third was buried deep under the city. The plans of the high priests worked. The Ark of the Covenant and the breast plate of the high priests were saved from the Romans.”
“One of those priests was a man named Nicodemus. In fact, he was the only priest who knew the location of the Ark to have survived the Roman onslaught. The secret of the Ark of the Covenant lie solely with him. The other priests had all been massacred. If it wasn’t for divine intervention, Nicodemus would have perished as well.
“With the help of our Father, and some members of his angelic host. Nicodemus survived the invasion, fled to Gaul, and found his long lost friend, Lazarus. And then told him of the great secret of the location of the Ark of the Covenant, and the breast plate of the high priest. Along with the other valuable treasures buried. These two, along with a couple others, would begin a group which would eventually lead up to the organization known as the Order of Zion. This order would evolve into the Knights Templar. The order which would end up locating the buried treasure hidden beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.”
“But once again, I am getting ahead of myself.”
The Father laughed and said, “It’s good to know I’m not the only being capable of doing that.”
She winked at him, and continued her story, “So as the Father pointed out, we now have two treasures. One that was taken by the Romans, and the other which was buried deep under the temple.”
“We will get back to those treasures in a while, but first let us talk of Mary Magdalene, and what happened in Gaul after the Holy Grail arrived there.”