The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 182 -
The leader recounts his journey to Memphis.
I ask further: "Where did you get this quite commendable education?"
2
Says Oubratouvishar: "About ten years ago I and my servant went along the Nile, accompanied by another twenty of the strongest under servants, who led a nice herd of cattle; because if someone wants to travel there, he must take along a rich herd, otherwise he might perish along the way. Figs and dates do not grow everywhere, but only on good and fertile ground; but there is no shortages of gras along the Nile, and therefore he always has the nourishing milk of cows, which is the spice of every food.
3
Thus equipped, we tried, as said earlier, ten years ago or ten rain seasons ago, to make a trip downwards. For a few days we made good progress without any problems; but at the third day we already heard from far away a mighty thundering noise. We hurried our steps and after a time in which one would count a thousand stones, we came to the first downfall of the Nile. There we had a good view to move forward. One of our best climbers climbed onto a high rock, to investigate, how the area looks like. When he came back to me, he described a route to me, which went quite far away to the left of the Nile, but far downwards again returns to the Nile. I decided to follow this route. There surely was no shortage of rocks and other unpleasantnesses on this detour. Only in the evening did we finally arrived under a great heat at a field overgrown with many palms and papyrus trees and a rich spring in the centre, which we and the herds appreciated a great deal. Here we rested for a full day.
4
At the second day we were moving again with the first crack of dawn and continued our journey. At sunrise we again reached the Nile and came to a broad road never seen before, on which we within half of a day came close to the city, of which our grandparents had much to tell about. About two-thousand steps outside the city we setup camp; however, I and my servant rode into the city, to ask for permission, to setup camp nearby the city with our herds.
5
When I and my servant got into the city, we were surrounded by a crowd of very brown people, who asked me who I am and where did I came from. Others immediately guessed and said: 'Thot e Noubiez!" (This is a Nubian!), and I said: 'Yes, I am a Nubian and I want to experience and learn a few good and beautiful things from you perfect people!'
6
Then these inquisitive people send an old man to me, who asked me in great detail about many things, and finally even went with us to our campsite and only there he revealed himself completely, stating that he was the high priest of this city and at the same time was a governor appointed by Rome for the city and its wide surrounding. I immediately gave him a present in the form of seven of the best cows and two bulls and twenty of our sheep with the finest wool.
7
This made the old man very friendly and he said to me: 'Our old and pure wisdom will be very useful to you! But do not take up any of our totally spoilt customs; since they are worse than worse! This city was once the pride of the country, which is still very clearly expressed in its name: Memavise (Greek: Memphis) = 'has the highest name'; now this nameless highest is only a large heap of rubble, as you soon will convince yourself!
8
The people who still live here, partly does not have any believe left in a highest God being, and partly is stuck in the darkest superstition, of which it can never be freed. Only a few of us still live in the old, true recognition of the one, everlasting, true God. The people, the blind and stupid, believe in a few thousand gods; even to animals and their remains a divine worshipping is attached and we have to leave it at that.
9
Most likely our ancestors have already planted the seed for it, namely thereby, that they paid to some animals, because of their usefulness, a type of semi divine respect, in order to encourage the people to look better after these useful land- and domestic animals. By that the elders of course only wanted to portray to the still very low standing people the multiple radiation of the divine love and wisdom; but in time this people's story became more and more venerable the deeper it sank into the past, and appears more and more covered in a certain divine breath, and evil and unscrupulous so called people's teachers had an easy task, to attach to all events from primordial historic times some divinity, to bury the blind people as deep as possible in the deepest superstition.
10
Therefore take great care, you honest Nubians, and only accept what you will hear from me, as a correct truth; however, everything you will see and hear from the people, turn away from, - since it is worse than bad! You will see them sacrificing and conduct all kinds of empty ceremonies; yes, at great festivities you will even see me with shining ornaments at the front. Do not take exception to it; since with everything only my skin is involved, but my inner is and always will be with the one, everlasting, only true God, whose love is my life and whose light is my true knowledge and recognition.
11
But you and your servant come by foot with me to my residence in the city, where I will give you all the necessary instruction, how you and your companions have to behave yourself here; I also will show you the right place to camp with your herds, on which you as foreigners can stay for a full year, without being bothered by anyone. However, you and your servant will stay with me, so that I can instruct you in many things.'
12
Said I: 'Good uppermost! You will allow us, that the present which you mercifully has accepted out of my hand, to bring it along to the city?'
13
Said thereupon the dear-friendly and truly good governor: 'Not now, but only after three days, when you have moved to a different field! However, there you have to put shoes on your feet, according to our custom; since at night a lot of little insects and worms are creeping on the sandy grass surface, get underneath the toenails and in time cause great pain. In my house I will provide you with these as best I can; since I have many servants, attendants and slaves.'
14
We, I and my servant, went with the high priest to the large city. After about four-thousand steps we came to a large open place in the city, which was surrounded with impressive large buildings made from square formed rocks. A few of these large buildings were already considerably damaged, but many were still well maintained. One was build from many columns and inside the wide stretching colonnades one could see all kind of gigantic large statues; the columns were also engraved with a number of all kinds of signs and scriptures, which the high priest explained to me many times afterwards. Next to the hall of columns there was a tremendously big palace in which there was a lot lively activity.
15
The governor said: 'See, this is my house; just come in and look at everything there is!'"