Mary of Nazareth (29 page)

Some centuries later, under the Byzantine emperor Michael the Third, the great evangelist Cyril is said to have taken a copy of the scroll with him when he went to Khazaria with his brother Methodius in the year 861 on a mission to convert the Khazar Jews to Christianity. He hoped the fact that the scroll was the testimony of a Jewish mother would help him in his task.

Fortunately, the Holy God of Israel protected the king of the Khazars against temptation.

Cyril then decided to convert the pagan peoples who led a nomadic existence in the Caucasus and around the Black Sea. The contents of the scroll proved the existence of Jesus, which was something the pagans still doubted. Cyril translated the text into several languages: Adzhar, which was spoken in the mountains; Georgian, which was written using the Phoenician alphabet; and Slavonic.

It was because of this story that Solomon's son, my father Yakob, became a great professor of ancient languages. The best known and most respected at the universities of Vienna, Moscow, Budapest, and Warsaw, where he taught. He was still there when the Germans entered Poland.

It was he who recognized the language in the scroll our ancestor Abraham had handed down. It is Adzhar. No one should waste their time searching for another language.

My father could have become incredibly famous if he had revealed the existence of the scroll. Why did he not do so?

The only time I ever asked him the question, he replied that he had no need to be famous. Later, he added that what the text contained could give rise to pointless disputes. “There are enough conflicts in this world without adding to them. Especially for us, at the moment.” That was seven years ago, when Hitler was already stirring up the crowds. My father was always a very farsighted man. That was why he did not leave behind any translation of the scroll, even though he was the only one among us who had ever read it.

Nobody knows what became of the original scroll, the one that Helena brought back from Jerusalem. Destroyed in the sacking of Byzantium, my father assumed.

Warsaw, February 2, the year 5703 after the creation of the world by the Everlasting, blessed be He.

The organization of Jewish fighters is urging us to resist. Maria, may the angels of heaven protect her, brought me their pamphlet in Yiddish. “Jews! The occupier is speeding up our extermination! Don't go passively to your deaths! Defend yourselves! Take up axes, iron bars, knives! Barricade your houses to save your children, but let adult men fight by any means possible!”

They are right. We must fight. But with what? We don't have anything to fight with. We don't even have the axes and iron bars mentioned in the pamphlet, let alone real weapons and ammunition….

I beg you, O Almighty! May our persecutors be punished, may those who are causing us to perish end up in hell! Amen.

Warsaw, February
17
, the year
5703
after the creation of the world by the Lord, blessed be He.

Maria came again, even though it is dangerous and difficult to move around. She brought me two lumps of sugar, four walnuts and seven potatoes. I have no idea how she got hold of them. May God Almighty bless her! May He always protect her.

Yesterday, the Germans entered the hospital, shot those patients who could not stand, and dragged away the others through the snow to Umschlagsplatz, from where they were sent off to Auschwitz.

We fought, we resisted as no one had ever resisted before. Through the word that the Lord gave us so that it may enter the hearts of our tormentors; through the testimony which, if such is the wish of the Lord of Hosts, will preserve our breath among the nations. And now—Holy, Holy, Holy is Your name!—death is the only weapon we still have against those who bring death, so that Your name, Lord, and the name of Your people, may be glorified forever! Amen.

Tomorrow, I will no longer be here. The scroll of the Gospel of Mary, which the Prochowniks have handed down from generation to generation for more than a thousand years, is now in Maria's hands. She is free to do with it whatever she wishes. No one has better judgment than she does.

It is thanks to her, the most Righteous of the Righteous, that the name of the Prochowniks will remain. Amen.

THE GOSPEL OF MARY

I
Miriam of Nazareth, known as Mary in the language of Rome, daughter of Joachim and Anne, address this to Mariamne of Magdala, also known as Mary in the language of Rome, daughter of Rachel.

In the beginning the word,

God is Word, God, word that engenders the word.

In the beginning, without the word nothing has been of what was.

Word, the light of men, without any darkness.

The word of the beginning, the night never grasps it.

I address this to Mariamne of Magdala, the sister of my heart, faith and soul. I address this to all those women who are following her teaching on the banks of the Lake of Gennesaret.

In the year 3792 after the Lord, blessed be He, created the world, in the month of Nisan, in the thirty-third year of the reign of Antipas, son of Herod.

For those women who worry and who fear his death, I testify for my son, Yeshua, so that they are not deceived by the rumors spread as far as Damascus by the corrupt ones of the Temple of Jerusalem. This is my testimony.

He is among you, and you do not know him.

This is what happened in the days when Antipas cut off the head of John the Baptist. Thirty years had passed since the birth of my son, and for thirty years, since the death of his father Herod, Antipas had ruled over Galilee. He did not have power over the whole kingdom of Israel, because the Romans mistrusted him.

I knew John the Baptist, son of Zechariah and Elisheba, when he was still in his mother's womb. And Mariamne, the sister of my heart, also knew him, may she remember. According to the will of God, children came to us, first to Elisheba, and then to me. For both of us, it happened in Nazareth, in Galilee.

When he became a man, John went out on the roads. Wherever he went, he took the word and baptized those who came to him. That is why he was called the Baptist.

His reputation grew.

From Jerusalem, the priests of the Sanhedrin and the Levites came to him and asked him, Who are you?

He answered humbly and said, I am not the one you are waiting for. I come before. I am not he who opens the gates of heaven. I am the word before the word, crying in the desert.

That happened in Bethany near the Jordan.

For ten years, John the Baptist's fame grew.

For ten years, my son, Yeshua, studied and listened. He heard the word of John and approved of it. When he himself spoke, his word was heard only by a small number.

For ten years, the gates of heaven remained closed and did not open to him whom Israel awaited.

One day, John the Baptist said to me, Let your son come to be baptized. And I replied, You know better than anyone who he is. Why do you want to baptize him? When you put men and women in the water, it is to purify them. Of what do you want to purify my son, Yeshua?

My answer did not please him. And John the Baptist said to whoever would listen to him, We would like to hear Yeshua, the son of Miriam of Nazareth, but we do not hear him. We would like to see if he is as miraculous as his birth and can open the gates of heaven. But we do not see him. He speaks, but all that comes out are the words of man, not the breath of Yahweh.

Thus spoke John the Baptist. Let Mariamne, the sister of my heart, testify to that, for she was present. It happened in Magdala.

From that day, my son Yeshua was at Capernaum, on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret. He no longer saw John the Baptist. The fame of the word of John the Baptist continued to grow. It even reached Antipas, who took fright and said, The man they call the Baptist pours out words against me. He wants the end of my house. Everyone listens to him, in Galilee and beyond. He has more influence than the Zealots, the Essenes, and the thieves.

Antipas made up his mind to have John the Baptist arrested. Sharing the vice of his family, which had run in his blood since his father, Herod, Antipas offered the head of John the Baptist to his wife, Herodias, who was also his niece and his sister-in-law.

On the eve of the day when they were due to bury John, son of Zechariah and Elisheba, Joseph of Arimathea, the holiest of men and the most loyal of my friends, came to me and said, We must go to the tomb of John the Baptist. Your friend Mariamne is with your son, Yeshua, in Capernaum. They are too far and cannot come back in time for the burial. It is for you to be at the grave of him whom Antipas killed because he was afraid of him.

This happened in Magdala.

I answered Joseph of Arimathea and said, I did not like it when John the Baptist spoke against my son, Yeshua. But you are right: We must hold hands before the grave where Antipas wishes to bury the word of the Almighty beneath his vice.

At night, by boat, we went from Magdala to Tiberias.

In the morning, not many of us assembled before the open grave. Barabbas the thief was there. Since the first day he had loved me, just as I loved him. The Almighty had never wanted us to be separated by tribulations. Let my sister Mariamne testify, she who saw us as both friends and enemies.

Barabbas complained that we were few. He said, Yesterday, they ran to John the Baptist to wash themselves of their sins. Today, when we have to stand before his grave, watched by Antipas's mercenaries, they are nowhere to be seen.

He was wrong. When the earth covered the headless body of John the Baptist, thousand and thousands arrived to mourn him. The roads of Tiberias were full of people. No one could move. Everyone wanted to put a white stone on the grave and sing the greatness of the Almighty. It lasted until evening. By the end of the day, the grave of John the Baptist was a white mound that could be seen from afar.

Joseph of Arimathea and Barabbas took me aside for fear that I might suffocate in the multitude. Joseph of Arimathea said, The word of John the Baptist is gone. The people who are here today are lost again, like children in the dark. They thought they had found the one who would open the gates of heaven to them. They do not yet know that the one they must follow now is in Capernaum. They do not know it and again they doubt.

Barabbas agreed and said, Antipas kills, he cuts the head of the Baptist, and the anger of God is nowhere to be seen. And Barabbas turned to me and said, Joseph is right. How can we believe that your son is he who was announced by John if he does not give a sign? They will not rally behind Yeshua only by listening to him.

Hearing these words, I became angry and said, I am like them. My son was born thirty years ago, and for thirty years I have been waiting. I was a girl in the flower of her youth, now I am a woman who looks at the darkness of her time. Patience has an end. John the Baptist mocked Yeshua and me. Zechariah and Elisheba said to me before they died, We thought your son was like ours, but he is not. I listened to them and was humiliated. I was ashamed. I said, What is happening? Does God not know what he wants? Did God make me mother of Yeshua in vain? When will he give the sign, through the hand of my son, to open the gates of heaven? When will he give the sign that brings down Antipas and frees Israel? Is that not what we are living for? And have we not lived long enough in purity to deserve it?

From Joseph of Arimathea and Barabbas I hid nothing. I said to them, Today, I have no more patience. Seeing these thousands at the grave of John the Baptist does not comfort me. It is not a grave we should be celebrating, it is the light of life. That is why Yeshua was born.

My anger did not subside before I returned to Magdala. Joseph of Arimathea did not try to assuage it. He was like me, and even further on in years. His days were numbered, his patience had worn thinner than his tunic.

Two days passed, and Mariamne, the sister of my heart, returned from Capernaum. May she remember. She announced with great joy, I have wonderful news. Yeshua preached at Capernaum. Those who heard him said, Here is John the Baptist reborn. The rumor of his word reached the ears of a Roman centurion. He came to hear him, and everyone feared his presence. But Yeshua said to him, I know that your daughter is between life and death. Tomorrow, she will be on her feet. The centurion ran home. The next day, he returned and bowed down before Yeshua and said, My name is Longinus, and I must recognize before you that you spoke the truth. My daughter is on her feet.

And Mariamne also announced, Next week, there will be a big wedding at Cana, in Galilee. The bridegroom's father is rich and respected. He heard Yeshua and invited him.

Then Joseph of Arimathea looked at me. I knew he was thinking the same as me. I said, Let us go to Cana too. It is […]
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[…] named Claudia, wife of Pilate, governor of Judea. She said to me, I heard your son speak at Capernaum and I am here. I am a daughter of Rome, and my birth places me above the people, but please do not think that this makes me blind and deaf. I know what Antipas is doing in this country. I also know what his father did.

To the sister of my heart, Claudia the Roman said, I admire the wise teaching that you give in Magdala. They say you are the one who exalts the word of Yeshua among women. And Mariamne answered and said, Come to Magdala to be with me. There will be a place for you there, even though you are a daughter of Rome.

This is what happened at the wedding feast at Cana. Yeshua said to the bride and bridegroom, Let no one light a lamp and then bury it in a hole. The joy of marriage makes of the body a light that chases away all darkness. The flesh of the bride and groom is radiant and reveals how much my father loves the life that is in you.

A disciple of my son came to me, a small man, with thin cheeks and a direct look. His name was John in the language of Rome. His greeting surprised me, since the disciples of Yeshua do not like to show themselves to me. But he was friendly to me and said, At last, you have come to hear the word of your son. It is a long time since I last saw you with him. And I answered, How could I follow him when he chases me away? He keeps saying that he has no family, not even a mother. And John shook his head and said, No! Do not be offended. It is not a word against you but against those who doubt him. That will soon change.

The day was hot in Cana. Everyone drank for pleasure and to quench their thirst. The end of the wedding feast was approaching. There were many people. Some had come from Samaria, from Bethsaida. Geouel, who did not like me when I was in their house with Ruth, blessed be she, was present among the others. He came to me with respect and said, The time when I was against you has long gone. I was young and ignorant. Today, I know who you are.

When the sun began to set, Barabbas said to me, You brought us here, but nothing has changed. Your son speaks, and the others are thirsty from listening to him.

At that moment, Joseph of Arimathea came to me and said, There will soon be no more wine. The feast will be spoiled.

I understood what he meant. I stood up, with fear in my heart. It could be seen on my face. May my sister Mariamne remember. I went to my son and said, They have no more wine. You must do what is expected of you. It is time.

John the disciple was close to me. Yeshua looked me up and down as if I was a stranger and said, Woman, do not meddle in what I must do or not do. My hour has not yet come.

Then I, his mother, said, You are wrong, Yeshua. The sign is in your hands. You cannot hold back any longer. We are all waiting.

He again looked me up and down. He was not like a son looking at his mother. He turned to the bride and bridegroom, to John his disciple, to Joseph of Arimathea and Barabbas, and also to Mariamne, may she remember. He was silent. Then I asked the people serving at the wedding to approach, and said to them, Yeshua will speak to you. Whatever he orders you to do, do it.

Everyone looked at me in surprise, without understanding. There was silence at the wedding feast. Yeshua finally commanded the servants and said, Go to the jars intended for the purification and fill them. They said, We have only water to fill them, Rabbi, and this is a wedding day. He replied, Do as I say and fill the jars with water.

Once the jars were full, Yeshua ordered, Dip a cup in it and take it to the bridegroom's father. They did so, and the bridegroom's father exclaimed, This is wine! From the water has come wine, the best I have ever drunk.

Everyone wanted to see and to drink. They were given cups and they exclaimed, This is the wine of the Almighty! He is blessing our wedding! He is making Yeshua his son and his word!

Mariamne, the sister of my heart, was in tears. She went to Yeshua and kissed his hands, and he embraced her. She came to my arms and laughed through her tears, may she remember. Joseph of Arimathea embraced me and said, This is the first sign, God Almighty. Are you at last opening the gates of heaven?

John the disciple came to me and said, You are his mother, no one can doubt that.

All the wedding guests came to Yeshua and knelt before him and drank the wine. Claudia the Roman, the wife of Pilate, was in the front row, as humble before the Lord as a Jewess.

As for myself, I thought and I trembled. I prayed and said, It has happened. May the Almighty forgive me, I had no more patience, and I hurried up time. I pushed the word into the mouth of my son. But, Lord Everlasting, is it not for this that he was born: for the love of men to be revealed and to speak? God of Heaven, protect him. Follow him. Stretch your hand over him. Your breath.

Barabbas said to me, You were right, he may be our king. This time, I must believe it, or else I can no longer believe the evidence of my own eyes! From now on, Yeshua must take to the roads and give more signs like this one. The whole people of Israel will come to him.

That is what he did. For more than a year, the signs were plentiful. First in Galilee, then in Judea. Among the people, they were beginning to say, Here is Yeshua the Nazarene, he gives signs, he is in the hands of God. That was why one day he came to Jerusalem.

Thanks to the intercession of John, the disciples did not prevent me from following him. With me came Joseph of Arimathea, Barabbas, and Mariamne of Magdala, may she remember. In Jerusalem, we were joined by Yakov, known as James in the language of Rome, the son of Joseph, who was my husband at the time of the birth of Yeshua. He went to Yeshua and kissed him, and Yeshua said, Stay with me, you are my brother and I love you. It does not matter that we have neither the same mother nor the same father, we are brothers and sons of the Same Father.