Home



“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)

Joseph Raymond author page
on Amazon.com

rolex replica

Grandson of Herod
Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm

Novel of historical fiction that is the companion book to Herodian Messiah (2010). Grandson of Herod is built upon the premise that Jesus (Yeshua) was the grandson of both King Herod and King Antigonus, the last Hasmonean king. We meet the flesh and blood father of Jesus, Crown Prince Antipater ben Herod. He was Herod’s eldest son, who Herod executed five days before this own death. Antipater’s royal wife Mariamne was already pregnant with Jesus at the time of his execution. Through a miracle Mariamne and the infant Jesus escaped to Egypt despite Herodian attempts to kill mother and child. Jesus returned to Jerusalem one last time in 36 CE to reclaim the Hasmonean throne and expel the Romans but the revolution did not go off as planned. Follow this link for more info.

Herodian Messiah
Case for Jesus as Grandson of Herod

Non-fiction book presenting the author’s painstakingly collected evidence supporting a shocking theory, that Jesus was the grandson of both Herod the Great and the last Hasmonean king (Antigonus). The analysis begins with one loose thread in the official biography of Jesus Christ, the claim by the Sanhedrin that it lacked authority to execute him. Why didn’t the Sanhedrin execute Jesus after convicting him of blasphemy? The same legal body executed Stephen and James the brother of Jesus for the same crime. During Roman times, the Sanhedrin lacked authority to execute only one class of Jew–Roman citizens. All descendants of Herod were Roman citizens. The book presents Paul of Tarsus as another Herodian prince one generation behind Jesus and of lesser Hasmonean blood. Follow this link for more info.


Most Popular Articles
on JJRaymond.com in 2012
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach (book review)
The Alchemist, A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho (book review)
Mary The Mother of Jesus, Who Was She? (JJR)
Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera, Father of Jesus? (JJR)
Was Jeff Gannon The Victim of A Pedophile Ring? (JJR)
Paul, Descendant of Herod (JJR)
The Textbook CIA Coup That Failed, Hugo Chavez (JJR)
The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway (book review)
King Jesus by Robert Graves (book review)
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (book review)
Generic Valium Cost

Joe’s other blogs:
Reality Is Illusion (spritual)
LLC Operating Agreements
Business Plans
Your Last Will and Testament
VidExplorer

Prof. Schiffman on Judaism, Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls, a lecture from 2008. I have his book Reclaiming The Dead Sea Scrolls. He is a great antagonist of Prof. Eisenman and his James / Christian theory. They come at the DSS issue from different ends of the spectrum but both disagree with the original conclusions of Roland de Vaux, the Roman Catholic priest who lead the Qumran excavation. Schiffman is a force of nature as a speaker but he has much to offer in DSS scholarship. (10-2-2012).

In Herodian Messiah, I maintain Herod the Great was of mixed Idumean and Nabatean ancestry. Occasionally I encounter those who take exception with this assertion. Here is a documentary that makes the same point about Herod. See 5:30 mark. (9-30-2012).

Paulo Coelho, Who is Melchizedek, King of Salem? (9-21-2012).

The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife, a newly identified Coptic codex. (9-19-2012).

Who Were the Magi of the Nativity? by Peter Fromm (9-5-2012)

Jesus the Nazarene and Celibacy. (8-14-2012)

Abba Tomb Bone Evidence and Roman Crucifixion (7-12-2012)

Josephus on Paul of Tarsus, update to material covered in Herodian Messiah. (6-27-2012)

Jesus, the Samaritans, and ‘the Egyptian’. Connecting Pontius Pilate’s attack on Samaria with attempted Jesus revolt referenced in code by Josephus as ‘the Egyptian’. (6-25-2012)

Interesting blog post by Christopher Rollston, an epigrapher, regarding an inscription found at Talpiot Tomb B (aka the Patio Tomb). Tabor and Jacobovici suggest the inscription to be: “DIOS IAIO UPSO AGB”, which they translate as “Divine Jehovah Lift up! Lift up!” They argue this to be a Christian resurrection inscription. The King James version of the Bible uses the word “Theos” for god 1343 times. The Greek word “Dios” refers to Zeus and is used as such in Acts 14:13. Obviously, the KJV usage is not determinative of a first century CE tomb inscription but I think it is suggestive, especially if one argues that this is a Christian tomb. Rollston reads it as DE OSTAE OU PSO AGB, translated as “Here are bones: I, Agabus, touch (them) not.” Agabus, of course, is a name known to us from Acts. Whether this tomb is that of the Christian Agabus, one cannot say without more. Bauckham, another scholar working off of the Rollston reading, proposed, “Because of (these) bones, I, Hagab, am not crumbling away (disappearing).” Bauckham suggests this is a play on the Pharisee formulation of resurrection that requires physical bones. Interesting discussion. (6-24-2012)

The Gospel of Thomas, a Gnostic interpretation. (6-24-2012)

Let the dead bury the dead. (6-20-2012)

Another Look At The ‘Mariamenou Mara’ Inscription. (6-7-2012)

In the spirit of the 2012 election season, I flip-flopped on the interpretation of the ‘Princes of Judah’ phrase found in the Damascus Document. I now agree with the view that this refers to the leaders in Jerusalem at time the Teacher of Righteousness started his revolt. (6-7-2012)

I’ve updated my article entitled Jesus as ‘the Egyptian’ of Josephus to include information from Slavonic Josephus, which I believe substantially strengthens the case that “the Egyptian” = Jesus the Nazarene. (5-28-2012)

Dating the Army of the War Scroll by Peter Fromm. This is an excellent essay on an important issue for understanding the DSS community. (5-17-2012)

Trailer for the film ‘Jesus in India’ featuring Edward T. Martin’s quest for evidence of Jesus’ travels in India. This website is dedicated to the concept that Jesus traveled to India after the crucifixion and is buried in Kashmir. (5-13-2012)

The Dead Coming Back To Life, Jesus has competition. (5-12-12).

Jesus as an Example of the Chinese Concept of Junzi
by Peter Fromm (5-9-2012)

Jonah and the whale as Christian symbolism: Spiritual rebirth / passing from death to life (5-9-2012)

Schizophrenic Jesus: Spiritual teacher of peace & love or Jewish revolutionary? (5-7-2012)

Odds & Ends archive