Background info
So I am trying to get my head around the background information available. Reading heaps and taking notes galore.
I created a time line to understand what happened when... so I would remember things like the present edition of the Bible was re-written in the 4th Century. So happens, the 4th Century was the beginning of the Dark Ages when those damn Franks, Visigoths, Celts, Huns and Norse swept through Europe.
Let me bring you to speed.
Jesus dies (perhaps)
Mary (our heroine), teacher in her own right, disciple of Jesus, who apparently had liked to kiss on the mouth and was his most favored companion (see Gospel of Thomas and perhaps even Luke), escapes to Egypt. Possibly pregnant to the said Jesus.
Note here: Said Jesus, who may or may not be dead (TBC) - was crucified. This is a Roman punishment for sedition. Sedition is "conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state (Rome) or monarch." That is, Jesus was a political prisoner, perhaps even perceived as a terrorist. His crime was not blasphemy, for that he would have been stoned. .... can you see a discrepancy here?
So, Mary is in danger because her partner was a political rebel. She flees to Egypt, births a daughter and sails in 42 AD to the South of France.
How are you going with all this?
In 66-74 AD there is a Jewish revolt against the Romans and the Christian community of Jerusalem is wiped out. There is no authoritative version of Christianity.
Jump to 277 AD and Saint Augustine, having had 31 years of debauchery, finally discovers God. There is also some group called the Manichean Heresy (Mani) who combine their power and perspective to create an awful misogynist culture. IN this context, circa AD 325 the Council of Nicae proclaim that Jesus was the "only begotten son of the Father. So begins the "Father, Son and the Holy Ghost" speel that is decreed the orthodox creed and no variations were tolerated. Except of course, this gave rise to the Arian Heresy who denied the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and divinity of Jesus, claiming he was in fact a human bloke. This belief was wide spread in the 5th-6th C.
By 380 AD Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. To encourage conversions there were many persecutions and alternative teachings were destroyed.
By the 5th C Black Madonnas started appearing in places of worship throughout Europe. At this point there is no reference to Mary, mother of Jesus - that comes later. There is substantial data however, to suggest our heroine is being acknowledged, even venerated. Black symbolises her being hidden, "not recognised in the street."
So finisheth the history lesson to date ....
Three interesting articles connected to this research are
MM face reconstruction
I created a time line to understand what happened when... so I would remember things like the present edition of the Bible was re-written in the 4th Century. So happens, the 4th Century was the beginning of the Dark Ages when those damn Franks, Visigoths, Celts, Huns and Norse swept through Europe.
Let me bring you to speed.
Jesus dies (perhaps)
Mary (our heroine), teacher in her own right, disciple of Jesus, who apparently had liked to kiss on the mouth and was his most favored companion (see Gospel of Thomas and perhaps even Luke), escapes to Egypt. Possibly pregnant to the said Jesus.
Note here: Said Jesus, who may or may not be dead (TBC) - was crucified. This is a Roman punishment for sedition. Sedition is "conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state (Rome) or monarch." That is, Jesus was a political prisoner, perhaps even perceived as a terrorist. His crime was not blasphemy, for that he would have been stoned. .... can you see a discrepancy here?
So, Mary is in danger because her partner was a political rebel. She flees to Egypt, births a daughter and sails in 42 AD to the South of France.
How are you going with all this?
In 66-74 AD there is a Jewish revolt against the Romans and the Christian community of Jerusalem is wiped out. There is no authoritative version of Christianity.
Jump to 277 AD and Saint Augustine, having had 31 years of debauchery, finally discovers God. There is also some group called the Manichean Heresy (Mani) who combine their power and perspective to create an awful misogynist culture. IN this context, circa AD 325 the Council of Nicae proclaim that Jesus was the "only begotten son of the Father. So begins the "Father, Son and the Holy Ghost" speel that is decreed the orthodox creed and no variations were tolerated. Except of course, this gave rise to the Arian Heresy who denied the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and divinity of Jesus, claiming he was in fact a human bloke. This belief was wide spread in the 5th-6th C.
By 380 AD Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. To encourage conversions there were many persecutions and alternative teachings were destroyed.
By the 5th C Black Madonnas started appearing in places of worship throughout Europe. At this point there is no reference to Mary, mother of Jesus - that comes later. There is substantial data however, to suggest our heroine is being acknowledged, even venerated. Black symbolises her being hidden, "not recognised in the street."
So finisheth the history lesson to date ....
Three interesting articles connected to this research are
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| Mary Magdalene |
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| A controversial restoration |
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