Jesus’ Missing Years!
By Edgar on Mar 16, 2006 | 4417 views
All the basics for this type of stories come from Nicholas Notovitch’s The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ. In his 1894 book, Notovitch retells his visit to a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery where he finds ancient manuscripts that tell of Jesus’ studies as a Buddhist monk. Years later, Levi Dowling and Elizabeth Clare Prophet followed suit; and the rest, as they say, is history (ibid, pp. 217-219). What follows are some highlights from Jesus’ “so called” Missing Years.
Jesus in Tibet Though people have tried to prove the authenticity of Notovitch’s claims, all have failed. In 1895, Archibald Douglas, Professor at Government College in Agra, India, retraced Notovitch’s steps. No monk at the named monastery had heard of Notovitch, the manuscripts, or Jesus. “It is impossible that he [Notovitch] could have “faithfully reproduced” [any manuscripts] (ib., 222)”. Notovitch never cared to challenge Douglas’ findings.
Years later, others tried to produce evidence. In 1939, Elizabeth Clare Prophet reproduced a parchment photo captioned “These Books says your Jesus was here (ib., 220).” However, the parchment photo was unreadable, and no one else could find the parchment. Some supporters argued that the monks might have hidden the manuscripts. However, this would go against the monks’ integrity making them liars of convenience (ib., 222). Finally, there are historical flaws with Notovitch’s account. For example during the time of Jesus, Tibet practiced Bon [Shamanism] not Buddhism as he claimed (ib., 222). Regarding the ancient manuscripts, Notovitch changed his story at least once saying there was “one” manuscript. Later, he said there were “two” manuscripts from which he based his book (ib., 222).
Jesus in India Another theory has Jesus in India. Yogananda, Sai Baba, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and Edgar Cayce are some of the advocates of this theory (ib., 224). Though this theory is mostly based on Notovitch’s book, Edgar Cayce is said to have tapped into the “universal mind known as the Akashic Records (ib., 224).” These Akashic Records claim to be the ultimate source of truth (ib., 226). However as stated before, the Akashic Records are based on subjective trances. There are no reliable sources or historical data (ib., 227) that says Jesus was in India.
Jesus in Japan According to the Kirisuto legend, a 21 year old Jesus arrives at Japan and studies Shintoism for 10 years. Upon his return to Judea, Jesus is opposed and his brother Isukiri takes Jesus’ place on the cross. Jesus then comes back to Herai Japan to die a happy 106 year old man (ib., 227). Again, there is no primary historical source for this story that began circulating in the 1930s mimicking other myths (ib., 227).
Jesus the Essene As we know, the Essenes were a Jewish group typically famous since the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery in 1947. However, the scrolls make no mention of Jesus nor is there any evidence to link Jesus with the scrolls as some people claim. Most scholars, believers and unbelievers, have dismissed any theory connecting the scrolls to Jesus, John the Baptist or the New Testament (ib., pp. 230-231).
Jesus the Gnostic The Gnostic gospels, found in Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945, have no historical link to Jesus either. The dating, authorship, and reliability of these Gnostic gospels are vague and unreliable (ib., 232). On the other hand, the four canonical gospels reliability is insurmountable. Besides, Jesus would have never suggested that women must become men before they could be worthy of life as the Gospel of Thomas claims (ib., 232).
Jesus the pagan myth According to this myth, the apostle Paul invented Jesus by combining mystery religions, symbols, and figures such as Dionysius, Mithras, and Osiris (ib., 233). However, evidence from the first and early second century tell us that Jesus was a real man who died on the cross.
Jesus, the Lamb of God Let us suppose: if Jesus indeed visited all these lands, would that not authenticate his claims to being the TRUE enlightened way to God (ib., pp. 239-40)?
For more details, check out JESUS AND THE gods OF THE new age book. It has much more details.
References:
- Clifford, Ross and Phillip Johnson. JESUS AND THE gods OF THE new age. A Response to the Search for True Spirituality. 2003.
- Notovitch, Nicolas. The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ.
- Jesus' Tomb in Japan
13 comments
I think what is interesting is that so many go to great lengths to show who Jesus never claimed to be, when they would be much better off just believing who He showed Himself to be. In other words, just accept the Jesus who is, and quit giving Him fancy window dressings.Good post.
It's also interesting that non-believers usually try to claim Jesus for themselves rather than trashing him. It seems to me much easier to dismiss Jesus than attempt to remodel him. 
I watched an hilarious documentary about these claims. There is even a tomb, (in India I think), that supposedly holds the body of Jesus. They have imprints of his feet beside it and they have holes in them... lol Interesting link. I can't say as I'm too impressed by the "evidence". It's all speculation really.
What do you guys think?
Thanks for the link Johnny. I think it is pretty cool if it references the New Testament Jesus. From the sounds of it, it looks like "scholars" are still ironing their "O GOISTAIS" interpretation.
Well from what I understand of my Ancient Greek, (pffftt), Christ means "anointed one", so although Jesus has the Christ attached to his name, it could refer to anyone held in high esteem within a certain sect or cult or society. So may not necessarily be Jesus. It is interesting though
Hi All,Saint Isha or Issa (misspronounced as Jesus, same as Yusuf is called Jozef and yeruslam is called Jesruslam) was a Pagan (or Jew) who, after his first realisation, travelled the far east (age 13-29), He went to India and Tibbet (and as far as Japan). In fact he was given the name Isa in India. Isha is a short form of Ishwar (word for God in Sanskrit). He learned Hinduism and Budhdhism (and the limiitation siof these two) went back to Jeruslam and preached his new findings here. His new teachings were very similar to the Hindu and Bodh ways of life and spirituality, (but without the flaws which the fundamentalists and selfish people had added to these relegions). People were not able to get what he exactly said, It was a new experience for them. Sain Isha learned Yoga, Reki and Magic from India and used it before the needy in his homeland. People were impressed but most of them (like a normal Europian people were having a superiority complex and were not ready to accept the eastern way of living) were not convinced with his thoughts.
Later on people realised what Issa said was right, But by then Saint Issa was crucified and a sympathy wave converted a millions of people as Christians. People noted down his teachings (which they heard with half brains). They took down his teachings as a holy book but missed the meanign of his words. (for example he said: One cannot go to God except through me, It simple means he asked people to attain the level which he attained and it did not mean to worship Saint Issa to attain God's mercy). He never wanted people to worship him, he was a holy saint and not God.
Christians are trying to ddeny everything which tells the truth and are again behaving like they behaved with Saint Issa in the past , when he was killed for telling the truth.
This superiority complex is taking you nowhere guys, please grow up.
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SO WHATSAY???
Professor J. Archibald Douglas opposed the view expressed by Notovitch, But it is not true that Notovitch never answered. In fact he did and after that Douglas had no further comment to make, read below the answers to useless questions raised by Douglas and their answers : Some of the objections against Notovitch are so feeble that they well deserve to be included in a skeptics’ encyclopedia as an example of how not to debunk things.
[edit] Himis doesn’t exist
One of the early charges made against Notovitch was that the monastery at Himis doesn’t exist, since it wasn’t marked on the maps. It is certainly marked on the maps now, and debunkers as well as believers have visited it, as will be seen below.
[edit] Notovitch never went to Tibet
Many of Notovitch’s early critics denied that he had visited Tibet at all. A look at the next subsection below will show that this charge isn’t true.
[edit] Dr Karl Marx
When challenged on his story, Notovitch named, amongst others who could confirm that he had, at least, travelled in Tibet, one Dr Karl Marx or Marks (no relation, of course, to the famous Communist). Notovitch’s critic, Professor J. Archibald Douglas, writes:
Careful inquiries have elicited the fact that a Russian gentleman named Notovitch was treated by the medical officer of Leh Hospital, Dr. Karl Marks, when suffering not from a broken leg, but from the less romantic but hardly less painful complaint----toothache.
But Notovitch does not claim that Dr Marx treated him for the broken leg which kept him laid up at the monastery at Himis, he just says that Dr Marx could testify that he was in Tibet. This, as Professor Douglas says, was confirmed by Dr Marx --- at least, the doctor treated a Russian called Notovitch, which is not that common a name, especially in Tibet.
[edit] Too many carnivores
Another of Professor Douglas’ complaints is that:
During his journey up the Sind Valley M. Notovitch was beset on all sides by 'panthers, tigers, leopards, black bears, wolves, and jackals.' A panther ate one of his coolies near the village of Haïena before his very eyes, and black bears blocked his path in an aggressive manner.
The claim to be “beset on all sides†by such a quantity of large carnivores, on the part of Notovitch, would seem remarkable if Notovitch had made any such claim; but he did not. What he actually says is:
The defile of the Sind, sixty miles long, is above all famed for its inhospitable inmates, among whom are found panthers, tigers, leopards, black bears, wolves, and jackals. [our emphasis]
This is merely information about the fauna of the region, not a claim to have been “beset on all sides†by the carnivores named. Notovitch does recount a close night-time encounter with a panther which ate one of his coolies; he also says that he shot two of a family group of bears (which only turned “aggressive†after he started shooting at them). He never claims to have seen a tiger, a leopard, a wolf, or a jackal, and after his encounter with the bears he says that “my sporting escapades came to an end: from that time I only met with wild goatsâ€.
[edit] The missing photographs
Another critic snidely writes:
It is no doubt unfortunate that M. Notovitch lost the photographs which he took on the way, but such a thing may happen, and if an author declares that he has travelled from Kashmir to Ladakh one can hardly summon courage to doubt his word.
Given the evidence of Dr Marx and others that Notovitch did indeed visit Tibet, we may say that it is indeed unfortunate that his photographs were ruined by premature exposure to light: however, Notovitch visited Tibet, and the absence of the photographs says nothing for or against his story.
[edit] The Life of St Issa is not in the catalogues
There are two standard Tibetan catalogues of Buddhist manuscripts, the Kangyur and the Tengyur, and the Life of St Issa does not appear in either of them.
It is hardly surprising that the Life of St Issa doesn’t appear in the Kangyur, since this is a catalogue of texts spoken, or supposed to be spoken, by the Buddha. The Tengyur is a catalogue of commentaries on the Buddha’s words. The Life of St Issa, if it exists, would not appear in either of these catalogues, since it falls into neither category
i love yeshu very much, pls come here in my heart plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 
@Ashok Harsana Mr.Ashok you have supported all you ideas but they are baseless.Do you know when Buddhism came to Tibet.Well,it was in 7 th century.So it was way 600 years of Jesus' Birth.If you support Mr.Nicoles Notovitch's version of story which will make tons of money at Box-office when made into a movie,then you are wrong.He was just a journalist who was looking for fame and money and came up with such a story.If you have any doubts please verify the History of Tibettian Buddhism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhism
Well you were also wrong in many aspects.
Forget all about past.You have not lived neither I to know who was right.
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