Артур Задикян – Jesus and Christ (страница 25)

A light hum went through the hall.

– Again, I can cite the execution of Spartacus' companions as an example. Some of those executed were alive three days after the crucifixion. Remember, 6,000 people were crucified at that time, there is no reason to think that pity was shown to them before the crucifixion. The more time passed from the moment of crucifixion on the cross, the more strength the executed person lost, he had increasing cramps and muscle pain, more and more pronounced became the dislocation of the joints of the girdle of the upper limbs, more and more often he took a position that prevented normal breathing. Inhalation was carried out only at the expense of the diaphragm, which gradually led to the development of pronounced suffocation, from which eventually the crucified man died. Sometimes, in order to shorten the time of waiting for death, the bones of the shins were broken with a crucifixion hammer, as I have just mentioned. In this condition, the crucified person would quickly become asphyxiated. In about fifteen minutes. The theoretical assumption that the death of the condemned by this method of execution came from, shall we say, an inability to breathe, is now accepted by practically all those who study the matter scientifically. However, no one has been able to explain exactly how Christ died on the cross. And in this there is not only a secret, not only a mystery, but a mysterious secret, in which, however, I will not initiate you. Not yet. Perhaps you will understand, I will even say, calculate it yourself. Look, suffocation and heaviness to exhale make impossible all attempts not only to utter words, but also separate meaningful sounds. However, during the crucifixion, Jesus speaks until his last breath. This is stated in all four Gospels. For example, the Gospel of Luke says: "Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he gave up his spirit" (Luke 23:46). As I have already said, the crucified were on the cross until the moment of death a few days, and the death of Christ came three, at most six, hours after nailing to the cross, about what is clearly enough written in the Gospels: "It was the third hour, and they crucified Him" (Mk. 15:25) and "It was about the sixth hour of the day, and there was darkness over all the earth until the hour of the ninth hour (similar to an eclipse): and the sun was darkened, and the veil in the temple was rent in the midst (this I cannot logically comment on yet)." "Jesus, crying out with a loud voice…" Please pay attention to this. This is just before he died! Don't you think he's hinting that it's time to take me down? "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And when he had said this, he gave up his spirit." (Luke 23:44-46) Neither the judges, nor the executioners, nor the sympathizers, and most importantly, nor the Pharisees who watched the crucifixion, expected Christ to die so quickly.

Rangit in the form of Christ was silent for a moment, then continued again:

– There is a factor to consider. The Pharisees were faced with a difficult choice. Accordingly, so did the Sanhedrin, whose law they were guided by. They realized that the crucified would stay on the crosses for a day or more, so at first they wanted to postpone the execution to other days. The thing is that the next day was Saturday, and it also coincided with the Passover. Waiting for the death of the executed, which usually came on the second or third day, was a serious violation of Jewish law. But then the question arises again: why did they decide to execute them all on this day? Most likely they were afraid of Pilate's change of mind. They complained against Christ both secretly and openly many times before. Most likely this was the main argument, so they decided to speed up the execution. And they went, of course, under the leadership of the Sanhedrin, since they had obtained Pilate's decision with difficulty. Let's just say they put pressure on him. They intimidated the people, they shouted… I think it would be better if I quote part of chapter 19 of John's Gospel . From it you will learn, among other things, about the much shorter time between Jesus' crucifixion and death – less than three hours. And John in this case is a very reliable source: he was a friend, a relative and was present at the execution (unlike the other future apostles who scattered in fear). According to John, at the sixth hour Pilate was still interrogating Jesus.

10 Pilate said to him, "Do you not answer me? Do you not know that I have the power to crucify you and the power to release you?

11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over me unless it had been given to you from above; therefore more sin is on him who delivered me to you.

12 From that time Pilate sought to release Him. But the Jews cried out, "If you let him go, you are no friend of Caesar; anyone who makes himself king is an opponent of Caesar.

13 When Pilate heard this word, he took Jesus out and sat down at the judgment seat, at a place called Lithostroton, or Gabbatha in Hebrew.

14 Then it was the Friday before the Passover, and the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!

15 But they cried out, "Take him, take him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar.

16 Then at last he handed Him over to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him away.

I mean, he was also walking for a while. And the rest of the procedure also took time.

…Thus they themselves were faced with a difficult choice. To execute on Passover was to offend Jewish law. And they had to execute him quickly, before Pilate changed his mind. The fact is that Christ also had powerful supporters. Joseph of Arimathea, whom we shall soon remember. The rush factor was the reason why the Pharisees were forced to ask Pilate to allow an act of mercy for those being crucified – to break their shins so that the death of the executed would come soon. "But since it was then Friday, the Jews, in order that the bodies might not be left on the cross on the Sabbath – for that Sabbath was a great day – asked Pilate to break their shins and take them down" (John 19:31). Pilate authorized it, and the soldiers broke the shins of the robbers. But when the turn came to Christ, they found Him dead, so they did not break His shins. And then something unforeseen for the average person happens. Well, let's say, unforeseen for the uninformed in the rules of execution, elevated to a certain ritual. Unforeseen, I interpret the legionary guard's act as spontaneous to the uninformed. Not to the condemned, the witnesses to the execution, and certainly not to Jesus' colleagues in the rabbinate… yes, yes, Jesus was called a teacher not out of sight, not for the sake of a red word, not according to their own understanding of his role, but according to the fact of his professional activity: he really was a rabbi. So, his supporters knew about such a procedure as piercing the executed person with a spear as a method of checking whether he was alive or dead. Why I put some intrigue into this, you will have to understand in the course of the mission. This is my version, and I believe it is real.

Rangit stopped performing his magical ritual walk on the stage, looked at the invited experts and nervously, as it might seem, rubbed his beard with the fingers of his left hand. Suddenly he stopped, looked back at Rutra, went back on his trajectory, and continued his narration:

– As I have already said, the rapidity of Jesus' death surprised many people and, consequently, aroused suspicion, including the guards. For this reason, one of the Roman soldiers, wanting to be sure of the reality of Christ's death, pierced his body with a spear. Although, maybe not for this reason: they pierced the executed after they were declared dead, often, or rather, it was even in the rules. In this case, the suspicion that led to the desire to verify Jesus' death was weighty. The Gospel describes it this way, "But one of the soldiers pierced His ribs with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out…" (John 19:34-35) Here again I must remind you of the different translations and rewritings of the Bible. In particular, the Gospels. Even now the scriptures themselves differ according to denominational interpretation, albeit only slightly to the average person. I'm talking about the water. Many people here begin to interpret differently, almost to conduct forensic examinations, and I think here, as in many places, misinterpretation or translation. Let me give you an example. Perhaps it was not necessary to voice it now, as it is very shocking. I hope it doesn't detract from the topic. My point is this. Everyone… let's say, a lot of people are wondering what the numbers 666 mean, that is the number of the devil. Well, you'd be surprised…

Rangit cut his speech short.

– No, first I'll make an introduction. Let us think of a fearsome tyrant. Though he may be a benefactor to some. It's not like we live under the threat of his wrath. Okay, I'm talking about Stalin. Let me remind you, under him, you could go to hard labor just because you were needed there. And you were lucky if you weren't a laborer. Yes, yes. Guilt could be invented. For example, the reason of exile of the chief cognac master of "Ararat" factory was the need of a similar maestro somewhere else: where it was necessary to organize cognac production. A curious case is connected with this. Stalin sent Churchill, a lover of Armenian cognacs, a good drink. The latter was quite a great connoisseur in this part, preferred them. Once the British Prime Minister wrote to Stalin about the deterioration of the quality of cognac, and asked whether the master had not changed. Stalin checked the situation and ordered to return the master to his native enterprise. There are less romantic examples. I promise I won't rant for long. I will say this, you could get into disgrace, even if you smoked cigarettes with a filter (it was almost a luxury back then); did not have time to fix the tractor before the sowing season; three neighbors confirmed your idle lifestyle, so to speak, beyond your means, as it might seem; were more than 20 minutes late for work; did not hand over all the available grain after the harvest, even if the family is dying of hunger. By the way, you could have been shot for that. Though for any other reason you could have been fitted for a firing squad if you had to, and for many other similar things that now seem like idiotic reasons. If someone thought what this is about, I'll add: for such a thing you could get, not counting the shooting, of course, 10 years without the right to correspondence. Bourgeois ways and suspicion of a lifestyle beyond one's means were valued at that much. But there was a law, according to which you were shot, not in exile, not in prison, but shot for three spikelets. If you were found picking grain in the field, even after the harvest, you were guaranteed prison. And if you were caught with three spikelets plucked before the harvest – you were shot, and even from the age of twelve. Hard to believe, isn't it? You know why I'm digressing, don't you? I'll tell you why. Imagine those times, those mores. The Roman emperor had to be recognized as God's vicar on earth, a saint. Do you understand, whence the definition of the title of the Pope, and all other megalomaniacs, including the cult of personality of Stalin? Although the cult of Lenin was the leaven of his cult, and this baton goes all the way back to the Stone Age. Alas, such is the nature of man. So, naturally, the Jews had no love for the invaders, much less Christians for Nero. Let me explain. First, the method of writing. I will say this, all these punctuation marks, rules of writing, you understand, once appeared; many signs, for example, from mathematics at Archimedes did not exist. Not only that, but they were written in the same way – in a merged form and without capital letters. And there were also letters with numbers and numbers with letters. Remember the Roman letters. I will not delay with the solution of the rebus, I reveal the cards: in the Roman mathematical alphabet… that is, in the Roman mathematical alphabet 666 is arranged into letters in the same way as the word, or rather, the name is arranged… – the voice suddenly stopped. – I decided to leave the intrigue to the last moment," Rangit said playfully after a pause. – To explain: the Jews could not write about him openly and, observing conspiracy, encrypted the messages by a method of unsophisticated, but known only to a narrow circle of the initiated cryptography.