M.J. Rose

It is written that Jesus Christ was divine, the son of God, able to return from the dead, turn water to wine, heal the sick, and perform various other incredible miracles. Was Jesus also a shape-shifter? According to one recently deciphered apocryphal tale, he absolutely was…

From Ancient Origins,

The ancient text that describes Jesus as a shape-shifter

“It was in March last year when reports flooded the headlines about a newly deciphered Egyptian text, dating back almost 1,200 years, which controversially described Jesus as having the ability to change shape. But just as quickly as the story made its way through major news sites around the world, it disappeared and has hardly been mentioned since. Why has the study and research surrounding this text faded into oblivion? Why has there been virtually no scholarly debate on the subject?

Written in the Coptic language, the ancient text written in the name of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a distinguished theologian who lived during the fourth century, tells part of the crucifixion story of Jesus with apocryphal plot twists, some of which have never been seen before.  They have been revealed thanks to a translation carried out by Roelof Van den Broek of Ultrecht University in the Netherlands, and published in the book ‘Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem On the Life and the Passion of Christ: A Coptic Apocryphon’.

The ancient text explains why Judas used a kiss, specifically, to betray Jesus.  According to the canonical bible, the apostle Judas betrays Jesus in exchange for money by using a kiss to identify him leading to Jesus’ arrest. This apocryphal tale explains that the reason Judas used a kiss, specifically, is because Jesus had the ability to change shape….”

For the rest click here.

We love old churches and cathedrals.

Feast your eyes…

My Modern Met was lucky enough to interview the artist behind the stunning series of photographs “Vertical Churches” (you can see high resolution photos from the project here.)

Interview: Stunning Vertical Panoramas of Churches by Richard Silver

“Vertical Churches is a visually stunning series by photographer Richard Silver that presents a set of vertical panorama shots of churches. Each image spotlights the spectacular architecture of these spiritual places of worship using the photographer’s unique technique. We first shared Silver’s incredible project last year when he had originally sought to document churches in New York. He has since expanded his series to include cathedrals across the globe.

The beautifully documented sites in Silver’s photos offer viewers a breathtaking glimpse of the architectural subjects’ towering stature and intricately detailed interiors. Using 6-10 photos to compose each shot, the photographer manages to feature numerous images that are seamlessly woven together to create one spectacular photo that mimics the vision of someone standing directly in the center of the respective church. Each image offers a 180-degree view that captures the magnitude and height of the meticulously designed spaces….”

For the interview, and more spellbinding photos, click here.

We have posted about this incredible woman and story before, but it’s always worth another dive in, particularly because this is the story that inspired M.J.’s interest in reincarnation and sparked her muse for The Reincarnationist series…

From Ancient Origins,

Omm Sety – A British Woman Whose Life Was Lined by Reincarnation and Connected to a Pharaoh

“When Dorothy Eady arrived to Egypt for the first time, it was obvious to her that she had been there before. But her last visit near the Nile may have taken place thousands of years earlier.

Dorothy was born on January 16, 1904 in the London suburb of Blackhearth. Doctors believed that she would not survive a terrible fall when she was three years old. However, it seems that the accident she faced was the beginning of her unbelievable life – a moment of opening the gate to the memories of a past life. Over the years, many skeptics tried to disprove Eady’s mystifying tale, but nobody could ever fully negate that she was one of pharaoh Seti I’s (c. 1290 – 1279 BC) lovers.

An Ancient King’s Lover?
Dorothy grew up in a Christian family and she attended church regularly when she was young. One day, her parents took her to the British Museum. While looking at the photograph of the temple of Seti I, a pharaoh of the 19th dynasty of the New Kingdom Period (and the father of Rameses II), she said that it was her home. She couldn’t understand why there were no gardens and trees around the temple, but she recognized the monuments and other artifacts in the rooms of the Egyptian collection. She kissed the feet of the statues, and very soon after, decided to study ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

One of her teachers was the famous E.A. Wallis Budge, who encouraged her to study the history of ancient Egypt. Dorothy was 15 years old when she described the first dream “meeting” she had with the mummy of Pharaoh Seti I. She claimed that he made her remember her past life. With time, she turned more and more to the ancient religion and stopped feeling attached to Christianity…”

For the rest, click here.