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LAST week, we reached two possibilities about temptations. Either the scriptural temptations of Yahoshua the Nazarene were a direct adoption by the scribes of the long existing narratives of ancient Egypt, India and Persia; or that Yahoshua was a mysteries initiate and he went through a universal experience as that of the priestly hierophants of ancient Egypt, Brahman sages of India, Zoroastrian magi of Persia, Chaldeans of Babylonia, Essenes of Palestine and Neoplatonic philosophers of Alexandria.
Found only in the Gospel of Matthew 2:1–12, we are told the baby Yahoshua was visited by some unnamed “wise men” from the east of Jerusalem who had come to pay respect to him. East of Jerusalem is today central Asia or eastern Iran, then known as Persia.
The term “learned and wise men” was translated from Greek “magos”.
This had been derived from Persian “magi” (plural for “magus”), as a reference to the Zoroastrian priestly-astronomers “who paid attention to both the consistencies and the unusual phenomena of the (skies)”.
They “observed the stars and interpreted dreams, signs and omens for kings.
As such, the magi became known as fortune-tellers in the classical world, and their practices were collectively referred to as “magic”.
The Roman Pliny the Elder later described magic as attempts at divination and necromancy, which was “practiced with water, for instance, with balls, by the aid of the air, of the stars, of lamps, basins, hatchets, and numerous other appliances”.
Pliny saw two schools of such magic, one which originated with Zoroaster in Persia and the other, much younger strains which “derive their origin from Moses, Jannes, and Lotapea, Jews by birth”. (Christopher Jones, “Magi from the East”, 2011)
What were the magi looking for?
Christopher Jones, a PhD student in Ancient Near Eastern History at Columbia University (New York), said one possibility lies in Zoroastrian theology.
The “Gathas” (Hymns) attributed to Zoroaster, speak of a future figure called the Saoshyant or “future benefactor” to lead righteousness to triumph over wickedness. (Ibid)
This means the possible historicity of Yahoshua was connected to astronomy and “philosophia/sophia perennis” (perennial philosophy/wisdom), which exhorted that each human being can be a “saviour” of the world in the epic dualistic struggle between right and wrong, and good and bad.
Astronomically, every 2 000 years there was a precession of the equinoxes.
The first century of the Common Era brought an end of the Age of Aries, introducing the Age of Pisces and now the Age of Aquarius. The Age of Pisces figuratively marked by the birth of Yahoshua and was a moment of sudden human insight.
The magi are said to have brought three expensive gifts for Yahoshua – “gold as a precious metal, frankincense as incense, and myrrh as anointing oil”.
In Zoroastrian theology and in the ancient world, these three gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) were symbolic of royalty, priesthood and immortality. They were linked to “Vohu-mana” (Good Mind), “Asha Vahista” (Good Truth) and “Shahrivar” (Righteous Law).
These were also presented as “(think) Good Thoughts, (speak) Good Words and (do) Good Deeds.”
Human consciousness of good thoughts, words and deeds was put to a test during “Lower Initiation” and this lasted a figurative 40 days (refer, the article on temptations of last week).
The first symbolic test for a candidate for initiation was with regard to the “Good Mind,” that is the use of the power of the mind in the righteous way.
Ordinary people use mind power only for earning a living represented by bread. Yahoshua as an initiate of the mysteries says that the mind should not be used just to feed oneself, instead it should be used in the good way as desired by the higher and sublime life.
The second test is when the candidate’s “Good Truth” was tested, a test with regard to the laws of nature and represented by the law of gravity. Yahoshua was figuratively taken to the pinnacle of temple. He knew the truth and that the force of gravity will pull him down and no power or force could stop it.
Whatever one wishes to achieve, there are constant laws of nature that cannot be violated.
The third and final test was on good rules. Yahoshua was figuratively given the choice of making bad laws and reaping the personal or selfish advantage. He preferred to live by the “Righteous Law”.
The “passion of Christ” was an allegory of the universal experience of the “Human Spirit.” Such an experience is exemplified by initiates of the “Higher Initiation” when candidates voluntarily entered into the belly of the Earth in a very dark cave assisted by a hierophant (symbolised by Judas Iscariot), as a lonely anguish (symbolised by the desertion by Yahoshua’s disciples) agonisedly suffered by the human body (“O my divine, how thou hast glorified me, how thou hast brought me out of darkness into the light!”).
The initiate went into the tomb and faced “the dread regions of the nether world and conquer all.” It was “an act of pure compassion – that the ideal of spiritual conquest might be firmly enshrined in the consciousness of (a person).
This does not imply a promise of victory without merit; each must achieve self-mastery by individual effort. Chains of selfishness bind us fast, going through (‘crucifixion and death’ is when a) rare beauty enters the heart, giving fresh courage and a deepening of hope”. (Grace F Knoche, “To Light a Thousand Lamps, 2001).
In conclusion, Yahoshua was as human as we are and he became as we all can be!
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