An Odd Work In Process

The narrative is incredible . . . but true.  

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FINDING THE SCROLL .

Last summer a farmer discovered an old pottery jar as he plowed a  field on Degania Bet land in Israel.  He opened the jar and found an musty and apparently ancient fabric scroll someone had rolled on a wooden dowel and placed in the  jar.  His plow exposed it and fortunately  didn't break it. He wrapped the scroll in his coat and at the end of the work day he called the Israel Artifact Museum (I.A.M.). He was put through to  Julie Crawford the new Curator and after telling her how and where he found the scroll she asked him to carefully package it and send it to I.A.M. immediately. It arrived the next morning and laid it on her inspection table in the lab where she took a  picture of it. Then she removed the contents and unrolled about a yard of the fabric.  The characters printed on the scroll were of a language she didn't recognise. She stopped unrolling and  took more pictures. The text had faded and was difficult to read but she knew instinctively the scroll was both ancient and important. She called the farmer, confirmed it's arrival and thanked him.  She promised to call him again with more information as it developed. 

Next, Julie called the university and asked to be connected to Professor Jacobs. He had been her archaeology professor and was an ancient language specialist.  When he came on the line she told him of the discovery and he said he would visit her at the museum the next morning. He arrived early and asked Julie many questions as they walked down the hallway toward the lab.  When they arrived they went to the lab work table where the container and unrolled yard of fabric was waiting. 

As the Professor studyed the faded text printed on the fabric he  became increasingly excited. He knew the scroll was an important find and studied it slowly and carefully in an attempt to determine just how important.  Finally he looked up, smiled, and told Julie what she hoped to hear; that the scroll appeared to be genuine,  not a forgery, and the text appeared to have both theological and historical significance. Together they decided  that their friend Rabbi Egen should be present before they unrolled and studied more of the scroll. Julie called him and described the situation.  

Rabbi Frederick Egen arrived at the I.A.M. that same afternoon.  Julie and  Professor Jacobs reviewed the descovery with him and showed him the unrolled yard of printed fabric. The Rabbi stood by the table,  studied the fabric, then stepped back and suggested that the Professor resume his effort to translate it. The Professor  did so at  a  slow and deliberate pace. He read a for a moment then went back and read it again. Then he moved ahead once more.  He translated what he recognized,  word by word.  Each character was either a letter or a word depending on how it fit in the text. Julie did her best to transcribe the words exactly on a note pad . . .  but the sentences formed were not  making sense. Some of the individual characters had more than one meaning and when they were strung together they didn't immediately form a readable sentence. The Professor slowed down and concentrated on forming complete sentences before Julie wrote them in her notes.  The change of technique made translating slower but it worked. The Professor was able to piece together the characters and words and it wasn't long before a story began to immerge.

THE STORY OF THE SCROLL  (Translated in english)

Before time began space was empty, limitless, colorless and void. No physical matter of any kind existed in it. There were no suns, stars nor plants, and there was no person or animal to look upon the empty.  Space had existed forever but had no history until the vastness became energized and time began.  As time advanced the energizing power increased and eventually a vapor  was introduced. When the increasing energy and gas vapors reached a precise moment, GOD introduced physical matter. The word God is used to represent an unknown first force.

Huge masses were  infused with physical dimensions, energies, and  gravity - all rotating in the limitless space.  Gigantic explosions caused the mass or matter to scatter in large and small pieces, spinning away from the explosion. The pattern was the same throughout the far reaches of the universe.  

WHEN MATTER WAS SCATTERED IN THE VASTNESS OF SPACE

Most human beings believe the motivator and only architect guided the masterwork that was forming - and continues to form every day. Explosions are followed by lighning and turbulence. All  celestial bodies were born in this manner and  placed in  motion. They were settled in position relative to one another by gravity.  Interestingly, matter is in no place twice as it is believed that there is constant movement in every part of the universe, and beyond our own solar system are others that continue to be formed. There is no ending to the process.

In our own solar system matter is in motion relative to our  (SUN) star that provides heat and light and energy to everything within our solar system. For human beings, planets are perhaps the most significant objects that  circle our SUN on a definite but changing orbit. The Earth is the only planet we know of that supports life.  The earth has all of the necessary components to develop and sustain life. This may change as our range of space exploration increases. 

Our planet Earth is but a small round iota in the context of our solar system as well as the limitless  emensity of the expanding universe, but as of this moment it is the most important planet of them all . . . to us .

Professor Jacobs stopped at this point and looked up at Julie who was rapidly  transcribing.  He asked if she would mind getting him a glass of water.  Rabbi Egen nodded and asked her for another. Julie nodded and smiled and left the room.  When she returned, Professor Jacobs and Rabbi Egen were sitting at a side table with a chair pulled out for Julie. She sat, gave each a glass of water,  and the Professor began talking about what he had interpreted so far. When he finished he asked the others for their comments.  

Each thought the text contradicted established history and shed new light on all religions, particularly the story of the creation.

Jacobs asked Julie and the Rabbi if they could join him again the next day to proceed with the translation.  Julie looked to the Rabbi and they both agreed. but the Rabbi also suggested that  perhaps they should  authenticate the discovery and age date it  before exposing more of the fragile fabric.  The Professor and Julie agreed that was a very good idea. Then the Rabbi said there was yet one more thing he should say; the content of the scroll appeared to be a record of a time in history that has been completely unknown to mankind. If the text proved to be authentic it would fundamentaly affect each of the major religions.  With that in mind he suggested the three of them treat this knew knowledge as  a  closely held secret until  they were certain it was not a hoax or forgery. Again, they agreed.

The authentication experts, each known and trusted, were  specialists  in carbon dating, ancient fabrics, chemical marks, and dna testing.  The authentication took several months during which the scroll remained rolled and in the jar. Finally  everyone involved was summoned to a meeting at the Institute. They sat at the same work table with Rabbi Egen in a chair at one end and the Professor at the other.  Julie rapped on the table and asked for quiet. She offered a short prayer of grace and Amen was said. Then Rabbi Egen, in something of a more festive spirit, announced to everyone at the table that the scroll was genuine.

At that moment a cab pulled up in front of Julie's home. A tall man got out, paid the driver, and walked briskly to the front door and  knocked.  Julie answered. He introduced himself as Joseph Oftyre, and told her that he had come to help interpret the scroll.  She was shocked for a moment . . . but quickly recovered. She smiled and asked him to wait just inside the door while she told the others in the lab.  She told the group of their visitor and his purpose. There was a stunned silence around the table.  Rabbi Egen recovered first and said they should give the stranger an audience and they all nodded agreement. Julie then returned to the visitor and led him into the lab.  

Before Julie could do so he introduced himself to each person. He knew the name of every one there.  He let them digest that for a moment and then went on to say that  he was joining them to confirm the authenticity of the scroll. He would also assure that the text was interpreted correctly. He said that it was very important as the text would  change mankind's vision of God and the Universe.

The group collectively gasped. Silently, they looked at the visior with disbelief. It was Rabbi Egen that finally asked him to continue.

Joseph Oftyre proceeded to tell them: "the Son of God known to you as Jesus, or the Christ, or perhaps as Jehovah, was my brother. I am God's other Son. I was born of Joseph and Mary in the city of Tyre just over one year before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. God had a plan for each of us to follow.  I was  to live in the shadows and observe all of the people that Jesus touched while on earth. My purpose was left unsaid until recently. When Jesus died on the cross, I was told to remain in the shadows until again called upon, and that would be the instant this scroll was discovered."

He paused while the incredulous group at the table silently looked at each other. Rabbi Egen asked him to continue. Joseph then told them he was to explain three things:

      1. Why did Jesus encourage people to follow him?
      2. The facts of the begining.

       3. The nature of the creator.

The good Rabbi held up his hand to halt Joseph. Speaking for the group he told Joseph that mankind expected that Jesus would again appear on earth, "his second coming,"  but we were never told that Jesus had a brother named Joseph who would show up first.  Joseph replied that it was never intended for Jesus to come back. There was never to be a "second coming" of Christ.  The plan was to have God's other son, myself,  make himself known when the scroll was discovered.

AND HERE I AM!


[2]  THE DISCOVERY TEAM LEADERS

Jullie Crawford is 32 years old amd single. She had married at 22 and divorced amicably at 26. There were no children. She was born and raised near London, and went abroad to Dartmouth in America for her Batchelor of Science degree. She majored in Geology almost by accident. Her grades were exceptional. She married a fellow student, also from Great Britian, and returned with him to London as a married woman. But it was over by then. He wanted a home and children, and she did not. They  separated and she was accepted at the London School of Economics where she ultimately earned an advanced degree in Business Administration. During her final year she made the decision to go to Israel and get a job related to archeology. Her resume was powerful and impressive. Following an interview in London with Professor Hal Jacobs,  she was hired by the newly established Israel Artifact Museum as the Curator.

Professor Hal Jacobs was now in his 47th year, already a highly regarded researcher and teacher at the University in Tel Aviv, and the motivating force behind the establishment of the Israel Artifact Museum. His specialties are archeology and ancient languages.

Rabbi Frederick Egen was born in Israel. He was a bit heavier than he liked, 38 years old, and black hair prematurely going grey at his temples. He was happily married and the father of two girls, one 10 years old and the other 12. Fred Egen had been a brilliant student at the university where he majored in religious history. He was now teaching at the same university.

[3]   JOSEPH of  TYRE BEGINS BY EXPLAINING GOD

Human beings generally think of God as a having a physical form like their own. Each person has a different mental picture of God, and they are all incorrect.  Just as infinity has no substance or image and is impossible to visualize, so God also casts no shadow.  Like space, God surrounds us all. Despite having no physical form, God continues the creation of the universe. What we call the creation . . . never stops.  

It was God that created our physical environment, giving it distinct parameters we refer to generally as nature, and God populated the environment with human beings and all other living things. As far as we know, human beings are the most intelligent living matter in our solar system. We tend to believe that God created human beings them with the ability to design and develop their habitat in the known universe. To make the creation work with enough harmony to provide for growth and improvement, God permitted human beings to choose, or in other words, to have their own free will.