Monday, May 19, 2008

Where Jesus went for those 11 years

Everyday something surprises me here in Japan. Today I'm startled to learn that Jesus lived in Japan from the time he was 21 until he returned to Israel to be crucified. But actually he wasn't crucified, that was his brother Isukiri who was crucified, all the while Jesus was on his way back to Japan where he lived to be 106! Who knew?

Here's the whole story (cut and paste from a few different websites):
There are probably very few Christians who have even heard of the small village of Herai that lies tucked away in the northern reaches of Aomori Prefecture, but some here maintain this to be the place where Jesus settled, married and died at the ripe old age of 106. Although it's commonly held that Jesus grew up as a carpenter in the Galilee town of Nazareth, according to the legend of Herai, or Shingo as it's now known, the 11 "missing years" of Christ's life not accounted for in the New Testament of the Bible were spent in Japan. According to the local legend, Christ first came to Japan, aged 21, during the reign of the 11th emperor, Suinin, and landed at the port of Hashidate on the Japan Sea coast. Apparently, he settled in Etchu province where, under the tutelage of a great master, he studied Japanese language, literature and various other subjects. The Legend of Daitenku Taro Jurai (Daitenku Taro Jurai was the name Christ is said to have later taken) claims that at the end of his 11-year stay, Christ returned to Judea, aged 33, where he taught about the "sacred land" of Japan. But, unfortunately, "Christ's teachings about Japan were considered too radical," and he was condemned to death.

The New Testament teaches Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, rose from the dead after three days and later ascended into Heaven. However, according to the legend of Herai, Jesus escaped this fate, and instead his brother Isukiri was nailed to the cross and died. Christ, meanwhile, fled with his disciples and went into hiding, carrying locks of the Virgin Mary's hair and his brother's ear.

After an arduous journey across Siberia, Christ finally returned to Japan and settled in Herai where he changed his name, married a Japanese woman called Miyuko, fathered three daughters and lived to the age of 106. Devout Christians may insist that the Garden Tomb, which lies not far from Damascus Gate outside the Old City of Jerusalem, is Jesus' true burial site, but the people of Herai have another story to tell-marked by a large wooden cross, Jesus' tomb (Juraizuka) sits alongside his brother's (Judaibo) in Herai. Isukiri's tomb holds his ear and locks of the Virgin Mary's hair. It's hard to imagine anyone, let alone Christ, would have schlepped out to one of the remotest parts of northern Japan in days of old, as even today it demands a great deal of effort to reach the village.

Herai is NOT a Japanese name. In modern Japanese language “Herai” sounds almost identical to “Hebrai” which simply means “Hebrew”. In Hebrew “Herai” resembles a word meaning "a mountain". Indeed, Jesus and his brother Ouriki tombs are placed at the flattened top of quite a steep mountain. It is quite possible, that renaming the village was a part of the Japanese government cover-up. (these last sentences were from some cult's website)

Interestingly, Jesus' Japanese descendents are not Christian.

I'm sure you're as shocked as I am. Like I said, I never know what's next!

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