Send this site to a friend! (click here)

First International Conference on the Deliverance
of Jesus Christ from the Cross

Held at the
Commonwealth Institute
Kensington High Street, Kensington,
London W.8

on

June 2nd through 4th, 1978


Introduction
Andreas Faber Kaiser
Dr. Fida Hassnain
Kurt Berna


Introduction

[This presentation of the speeches that were given at the First International Conference on the Deliverance of Jesus Christ from the Cross in the year 1978 *is not* presented in the order that the speeches were given. For an explanation why, click here. This page will grow steadily to include all of the nineteen talks, resolutions, etc., that were presented at that conference. All information that appers below, from this point forward, is taken from the transcripts of that conference, which was attended by some 1,500 people from around the world, many of them scholars and researchers themselves. Mr. Kaiser's speech appears to have been situated at its place in the conference as an introduction to the next speaker, Dr. Fida Hassnain, who spoke of Jesus in Kashmir after the crucifixion Mr. Kaiser died in 1994.]


Andreas Faber Kaiser
"He Did not Die on the Cross."

 

Andreas Faber Kaiser is a philosopher and scholar of comparative religion. He first became intrigued by the Kashmir connection when he heard of Jesus' tomb in Kashmir. He made enquiries and finally decided to go himself to Kashmir to investigate. Gradually he pieced together an impressive dossier which fills a number of Biblical lacunae which have perplexed scholars for hundreds of years. The result of his researchers was published under the title Jesus Died in Kashmir. Mr. Faber-Kaiser lives in Spain.

MR. KAISER:

I am taking part in this congress in an attempt to provide proofs--which in any case are already known--for the hypothesis that Jesus did not die as a result of the injuries he received during his crucifixion. This circumstance has still to be demosntrated in order to lend initial credence to the hypothesis which points to the life and natural death of Jesus in Kashmir.

In the first place, we have to consider the fact that Jesus did not remain crucified for many hours. He was taken down from the cross in the evening of the same day on which the sentence was pronounced and carried out.

Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Saturday is the Jewish sabbath. This circumstance made it necessary to bring down the body of Jesus before nightfall, because the Jewish day began at night-fall and the week began from Friday night onwards. According to Jewish law, it was forbidden to leave a condemned man on the cross during the sacred day of the Sabbath.

I emphasize the fact that Jesus only remained on the cross for a few hours because it was possible to live for several days in this horrible condition. The true purpose of crucifixion was not to cause immediate death, on the contrary it was a torture which continued for three or four days. Death only occurred from hunger and thirst, inclement weather (cold and heat) or from attack by birds of prey or other beasts. Sometimes death was accelerated by breaking the legs of criminals. It could also happen that after a few hours, or on the day after the crucifixion, it was considered that the criminal had suffered sufficient punishment by being lifted on the cross, in which case he was taken down from it and allowed to continue living. With regard to this, it should be noted that if a crucified man was taken down from the cross in time and given careful treatment, he generally recovered and survived.

Now consider the fact that Jesus was crucified with two malefactors. All three were therefore suffering the same punishment.

But it happened that at the time when they were brought down from the cross at the same time as Jesus, the two robbers were still alive, and the Roman solders broke their legs so that they would finish dying. It is unlikely that Jesus, having suffered the same punishment, had already died. Only a few moments before, Jesus still had sufficient strength to shout in a loud voice.

Another point to consider is that Pilate, who knew from experience how long a person took to die on the cross, was surprised that Jesus had already died. It is also a well known fact that when the Roman centurion tried to see whether Jesus was dead by wounding him in the side with his spear, water and blood flowed from the wound. But only a few drops of thick blood would flow from a dead body. Having researched this point, it is interesting to cast a brief glance at the recent analysis of the so-called Shroud of Turin.

From 1969 onwards a Swiss professor, a specialist in criminology, subjected the Holy Shroud to a scientific analysis called palynology, which studies the pollen of plants which has [sic] adhered to cloth. After two years of pain-staking study Professor Max Frei of Zurich declared that as a member of the Scientific Committee given the task of making new analyses of the linen using every modern method, he had noted the existence of a minute layer of a special dust of unknown origin. He succeeded in obtaining permission to make an analysis on a sample, the results of which were as follows: It was found that they were minute grains of fossilized pollen of plants which existed only in Palestine twenty centuries ago. There was no doubt in his mind: the Shroud of Turin was genuine. This was affirmed not by some unknown person, but by a criminologist of world-wide reputation, who is the director of the Zurich Police Scientific Laboratory, has a degree in Biology and Natural Sciences and speaks several languages; he stated that the pollen was analysed first under the microscope and then by a method called palynology, based on the structure of the pollen and its geographical and paleobotanical distribution in the form of microfossils, comparatively, and he discovered that the plant came from the Palestine area. Then there were typical signs of plants from this area of Constantinople, where the shroud was exhibited from the yeasr 438 onwards. After that, Mediterranean dusts of the 14th and 15th centuries; to be precise there is pollen from six plants from Palestine, one from Constantinople and up to eight from the Mediterrenean.

Summarizing the results of the investigations begun in 1969 at the request of the Church, a communique waas issued at the beginning of 1976, the text of which is as follows:

After seven years of investigations on the shroud in which his body was wrapped, various scientists have reached the conclusion that Jesus Christ was buried alive. The experts confirm that the body of a crucified man lay in the Holy Shroud which is preserved at Turin, and that this man suffered exactly the same passion as did Christ, but that he did not die on the cross but was buried alive. The twenty-eight blood stains on the shroud support this theory. It would be scientifically impossible for a dead body to bleed in the way in which the body is wrapped in the shroud bled, state the investigators. In the opinion of the latter it is a clear and unmistakable scientific fact that he was buried alive, unless there was a second Jesus and this second Jesus suffered the same passion as he did.

Recalling some points in the history of the so-called Shroud of Turin, we find that it was said to have been in Jerusalem in the 9th and 11th centuries, and was in Constantinople in the 12th century. Various historians place it in France in the 14th century.

After a brief sojourn in Belgium in the second half of the 14th century, it passed into the ownership of the House of Savoy from 1474 onwards. It was slightly damaged in a fire in 1532, and three years later was transferred to Turin. From 1536 to 1578 it travelled successively from Vercelli to Milan, from there to Nice, then again to Vercelli, Chambery, to return once more to Turin in 1706. In the same year it was transferred for a brief period of time to Genoa, then returned for final safe-keeping to Turin.

Humberto II of Savoy, after a referendum held in 1946, entrusted it to the safe custody of the Archbishop of Turin, without renouncing ownership of the linen cloth. The first photographs of the cloth were taken in 1898. But the official photographs of it were taken in 1931 by G. Enrie. Serious studies of the cloth were begun form that year onward.

It is 1 metre 10 centimeters wide and 4 metres 36 centimetres long. According to Mr. Ricci, an expert on the objects owned by the Vatican, a detailed analysis of the imprints left by the body on the shroud indicate that Jesus measured 1.62 metres. But the sculptor Professor Lorenzo Ferri of Rome estimates that the stature of the body wrapped in the shroud was 1.87 metres.

In 1957 the book Jesus nicht am Kreuz gestorben (Jesus did not die on the cross), by Kurt Berna, appeared. Kurt Berna is a Catholic author and secretary of the German institute of investigations on the Holy Shroud at Stuttgart. This institute, under the direction of Berna, conducted some important studies on the subject of the shroud after the photographs of Enrie were published. The conclusions from these investigations were published by Kurt Berna in two books, one called Das Linen (The Linen Cloth), and the other Jesus nicht am Kreuz gestorben, already mentioned. The revelations in these books, especially the second, in which it was shown that Jesus did not die on the cross, caused a sensation which was only to be expected at the time, and they became the object of polemics and criticisms, some of them favourable and the others absolutely opposed to this theory.

On the 26th of February 1959 Kurt Berna sent a letter to Pope John XXIII, calling for his permission to allow a comittee of medical and scientific experts to investigate the whole matter of the shroud of Turin, so that the various controversies aroused by it could be settled once and for all. The reply from the Vatican was in the negative. But ten years later, in 1969, the Vatican gave permission for such a committee to be set up, and as we have already seen they came precisely to the conclusion that Jesus did not die on the cross [Note from staff of Tomb of Jesus Christ Website: We are not aware of any committee sanctioned by the Vatican in the year 1969 that drew the conclusion that Jesus survived the crucifixion. This is not to say that such a committee did not exist. Perhaps it did, and we *will* hunt this down. On the other hand, it may be that Mr. Kaiser was speaking of Kurt Berna's committee, which, we don't think, was sanctioned by the Vatican. We'll attempt to clear this up. The Vatican viewed Berna as an deep irritation, because though he was Catholic, he had drawn the conclusion, with the help of scientists such as Dr. Hirt, that Jesus physically survived the crucifixion].

I will now mention some of the conclusions arrived at by Kurt Berna in the book in question. Kurt Berna states that the analysis of the linen cloth shows that the head and hands of Jesus were resting at a higher level than the rest of the body, and he concludes that if the body concerned was dead, fresh blood could not have flowed from these organs and left their imprints on the cloth.

Furthermore, he declares, the cloth shows signs of blood which flowed from the wounds in the head of Jesus caused by the thorns of the crown put on him by the Romans as a jest in mockery of his title King of the Jews. Kurt Berna concludes that when the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross and the crown of thorns removed from his head, the wounds caused by the thorns began to bleed. If Jesus had already been dead for some time, all the blood would have flowed down to the lower regions of the body and coagulated there. It is a law of nature that the circulation of the blood takes place in completely airless conditions, and this circulation is always caused by the pumping action of the heart. In a recently dead body, after the heart has stopped beating, not only does the blood cease to flow from wounds after a certain time, but the flood itself begins to shrink within the veins. The blood drains out of the capillaries below the surface of the skin, producing the pallid appearance of death in the corpse. Therefore no fresh blood could flow from the wounds made by the thorns unless the heart was pumping, even slowly. From the medical point of view, Jesus was not dead at that moment.

It is true that under certain conditions a pallid appearance similiar to that of death may appear, and the person in question may appear to be actually dead when respiration has apparently ceased, but in such cases the heart need not necessarily have stopped beating. Respiration may cease after asphyxia caused by gas or by being temporarily buried in sand; but if proper medical attention is given to the individual in question immediately after the accident, and if the heart has not stopped beating, his life may well be saved.

Furthermore, the blood stains on the cloth show a trickle of blood, running along the line of the right arm, which has oozed from the wound caused by the nail in the right wrist of Jesus. This indicates--since the blood is fresh and has therefore soaked into the linen--that sufficient fresh blood flowed from this wound during the act of unnailing the body of Jesus from the cross, at which moment the right ar, having been unnailed before the left, hung down vertically and caused a tricle of blood to flow along the line of the arm. This bleeding during the descent from the cross indicates clearly that the heart was beating in Jesus' body during that moment.

Kurt Berna then analyses the wound caused by the spear of the Roman soldier who was testing to see whether Jesus was really dead. On the right side of the thorax can be seen the mark of the wound caused by the spear of the Roman soldier as it penetrated. High up on the left side of the thorax can be seen the wound caused by the point of the spear as it came out of the body.

These two wounds show the angle at which the point of the spear passed thorugh Jesus' thorax. If a horizontal line is drawn towards the left side of the body starting from the wound made by the spear as it entered, the angle at which the latter moved when entering the body (with reference to the wound made as it came out) is 29 degrees. As the spear entered between the fifth and sixth ribs, the straight line traced in this way by the spear passes well above the heart of Jesus, so that it ws not damaged or even grazed by the spear of the Roman soldier.

The reason why Kurt Berna places so much emphasis on the fact that the spear did not reach the heart of Jesus tems from the fact that, according to the gospel of St. John, "blood and water" flowed from the wound. Since the fact tha blood flows from a body indicates that it is alive, Christian historians and priests found themselves obliged to prove that the point of the spear had penetrated an inner chamber of the heart in which blood had accumulated, and that this was the blood which flowed from the wound. However, Kurt Berna demosntrates that the heart had not been touched by the spear and that the reason why the blood flowed from the wound was that the heart was still beating (even if only slightly) and that therefore Jesus was still alive.

At a later date, last year to be more precise, recent scientific investigations were disclosed which showed that the linen cloth of Turin, apart from being genuine as a burial cloth, really was wrapped around Jesus and not around some other anonymous corpse of one of the innumerable persons who were executed during that period in a similar (but not the same) manner as Jesus. Any possible doubt existing with regard to the authenticity of the shroud was removed in the most scientific way possible by the computer previously used to analyze the photographs sent from Mars to Viking probes [Note from staff of Tomb of Jesus Christ Website: As some of you probably know, the controversy over the Shroud of Turin has not ceased, and there does not exist a universally accepted theory regarding whether the Shroud of Turin is genuine or not. Some point to carbon dating that dated the Shroud to the middle ages as proof that it is a fraud. Others, such as Dr. Garza Valdez, demonstrate that the carbon dater's methods did not properly clean a "bioplastic coating" that exists on the Shroud, and that because of that the dating was incorrect. Dr. Valdez believes he has demonstrated that the Shroud is genuine.]

In an analytical breakdown of an ultra-violet photograph of the shroud, taken in 1969 by Giovan Battista Judica Cordiglia, the computer at the laboratory of Pasadena accurately reconstructed the weft of the cloth, and its pattern was found to be identical with that used at the time when Christ was crucified. It also revealed the presence of organic substances in the linen, such as: blood, saliva, sweat, myrrh, aloes, fossilized pollen of eleven different species, six of which were identified as coming from plants now extinct, but which existed in Palestine 2000 years ago [Note from staff of Tomb of Jesus Christ Website: You will note that Kaiser speaks of myrrh and aloes being found in the Shroud of Turin. This is quite interesting. Recall the Biblical account: "And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of aloes, about an hundred pound weight..." In this regard, please see the discussion of our correspondence with the Shema Israel Torah Network International Burial Society.]

In this way, science proved definitely that the Holy Shroud is genuine in its claim to be a burial cloth and not the result of work of some anonymous painter of the Middle Ages. Nor does any doubt remain as to the fact that the image traced on the cloth is that of Jesus: the marks left by the crown of thorns, the semi-coagulated blood on the middle thorax, flowing from the wound caused by the point of a spear, the multiple wounds caused by scourging, the holes made by the nails in the writs and feet, and the significant appearance of the legs of the victim, which shows that they were not broken as was usually done in the case of others condemned to crucifixion.

The most important discovery made by the group of American specialists was that the images discernible on the linen cloth of Turin were not caused by direct contact with the body of Jesus, but by a strange radiation--of hitherto unknown origin--emanating from the body of Jesus [Note from staff of Tomb of Jesus Christ Website: Dr. Garza Valdez, himself a Catholic and world-renown scientist, disagrees with the radiation theory.] I am now going to refer once more to the Bible to see how the events following the crucifixion also tend to present us with the image of a living flesh-and-blood Jesus, and not a spiritual or divine being.

Once Jesus was taken down from the cross, still alive as we have seen, a series of events took place which indicate that an attempt was made to heal him, and that he also came out of his sepulchre alive. It is appropriate at this point to recall the sympathy displayed by Pilate towards Jesus.

In the first place it should be noted that Jesus was delivered not to his enemies but to people who were his friends. It is curious to note that Jesus was taken to a tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, and that this tomb was not filled with earth, according to the custom of the Jews, but was only closed by a large stone or rock. It was a spacious tomb in which there was enough air to breathe. It is also curious to note that in order to leave the tomb Jesus had to move aside the rock which was blocking the entrance. This indicates that a physical human body came out from it, and not a spiritual or divine being, who would go before his disciples on the road to Galilee.

Furthermore, the statement that Mary Magadalene, Mary and Salome went into the sepulchre indicates how spacious it was. There is also evidence to suggest that Jesus as cured of his wounds by Nicodemus. Nicodemus applied an ointment which healed the wounds and improved the circulation of the blood. The ointment applied by Nicodemus is known by the name of Marham-i-Isa (the ointment of Jesus) or Marham-i-Rasul (the ointment of the prophet), an ointment which is mentioned in many Eastern medical treatises, many of which claim also that it was the ointment applied to the wounds of Jesus when he was taken down from the cross.

We will see now how Jesus, with his wounds healed and having left the sepulchre, fled in order to escape his enemies, thus beginning a new stage in his human life. The bible will also show us that the image of Jesus, seen after he left the sepulchre, is the image of a physical human body, and not the image of a divine or spiritual being.

We saw previously that Jesus did not leave his sepulchre by supernatural means, but that the rock covering its entrance had to be moved away to enable him to leave. This means that the body concerned was a physical body, which needed a physical space through which to pass. Later, Jesus talks to his disciples, goes to Galilee, eats bread and fish, shows the wounds in his body, escapes secretly from the jurisdiction of Pilate, emigrates from this place as is customary amongst the prophets, and travels to the East.

After leaving the sepulchre, Jesus first met with Mary Magdalene and her companion, who kissed his feet--a sign that his body was physical--and Jesus instructed them to tell his disciples to go to Galilee, where they would meet with him. Jesus was then seen by James and by Paul, and met his friends at sporadic intervals, not daring to be seen openly in public for fear that he might be recognized and taken by the Jews.

It is clear that Mary and her companion, in the midst of their joy at finding that Jesus was alive, were very fearful that he might be discovered. Jesus himself was aware of this and tried to comfort them. Jesus then undertook a journey on foot of about 100 kilometres to travel to Galilee and thus throw his possible persecutors off the track.

But let us look at some more proofs that Jesus continued to live in his own earthly human body, and that he had not entered the world of the spirit. Thus, we read in the Gospel of St. Luke, when Jesus appeared to his apostles (Chap. 24, vv. 37-39):

But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.

Two verses further on, Jesus unexpectedly shows signs of being hungry, which would be quite inconceivable in a divine or spiritual being. And in the gospel of St. John we read how Thomas touched the wounds of Jesus. This shows that what had appeared to them was a tangible flesh-and-blood body.

What remains quite clear--as a final conclusion--is that Jesus had to disappear from Palestine. As we have seen, he made some final contats with his disciples, at sporadic intervals to avoid being discovered, and went on his way towards the East. He was, on all counts, a persecuted man. Persecuted, tortured and tormented, physically and mentally, he was incapable of withstanding a second encounter with his enemies. To avoid discoery, he even disguised himself [as a gardener--see Biblical account] during his last days spent in Palestine.

But quite apart from the fact that he was now forced to flee, Jesus had by any possible means to accomplish the mission on which he had been sent. If he had died in fact on the cross, Jesus would have failed in the task he had been given. I mean of course that Jesus could not die before he had sought out and saved the lost tribes of Israel. Therefore he had to go to the East. And so it was that he arrived in Kashmir. The final proof may perhaps lie in the underground crypt of Srinagar. I for my part will not cease until I succeed in entering it. Salaam alaikum.

[Note from staff of Tomb of Jesus Christ Website: Andreas Faber Kaiser is now deceased. As of July 19, 2001, someone at Amazon.com's z-shops is selling that book for $57.00, and appears to be from England. We do not know how Amazon's z-shops work, so the reader may wish to investigate *before* purchasing that copy, if interested. Our book, Saving the Savior, has just been published in this year, 2001, and is available at our website or at Amazon.com].

Dr. Fida Hassnain
"Tomb of Yuz-Asaph"

Professor Fida Muhammad Hassnain, MA, LLB, D.Arch, Doctor of Indology, was born at Srinagar, India in 1924. He is Director of ARchives, Director of Research, Museums and Archaeology and State Editor of Gazetters in Kashmir. He is visiting professor at the universities of Mazoya, Meijo and Aivhi in Japan where he lectures on Indian history and culture. Professor Hassnain is a member of the International Congress on Archives, Asian Congress on Anthropological Studies, National Committee of Archivists, Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies, etc. His publications included Index of Records (9 volumes), Buddhist Kashmir, Hindu Kashmir, Muslim Kashmir, etc.

DR. HASSNAIN:

Tomb of Yuz Asaf:

Inside the Tomb, in the holy city of Srinagar, lie the remains of a Prophet who died 1900 years ago. His name is Yuz-Asaph. It means nothing to many people. But bare-footed pilgrims journey to this Tomb every day.

Raja Shali-wahin of Kashmir went to the mountains, and at Wuyan near Srinagar saw a dignified person of [comparative] white complexion, wearing white robes. The Raja enquired his name. He replied that he was known as the son of God and to have been born of a virgin. The Raja felt amazed but the personage told him that he had told the truth and his mission was to purufy the religion. On further enquiry, he said that he had proclaimed his ministry in a country across the river Indus and the people made him to suffer. He had preached love, truth, and purity of heart and accordingly he was also known as Messiah (1). The translation of the verses from an ancient Sanskrit work entitled BHAVISHYA-MAHA-PURANA is as under:

Shali-wahin [39-50 A.D.] who was the grandson of Bikrama Jit, took over the government. He defeated the attacking hordes of the Chinese, the Parthians, the Scythians and the Bactrians. He made a demarcation line between the territories of the Aryans and the Mleechas (2), ordering the latter to remain on the other side of the river Indus. One day, Shale-wahin went to the Himalayas and there, in the middle of the Hun country, the mighty king saw a dignified personality sitting near a mountain.

The saint was fair of complexion and wore white garments. King Shale-wahin asked him who he was. The Saint replied:

I am known as the son of God, born of a virgin.

When the king felt amazed at the reply, the Saint said:

I am the preacher of the Mleecha religion and follower of true principles.

When the King asked him what his religion was, he replied:

O, King! I come from a land far away, where there is no truth any more and evil knows no limits; I appeared there in the Mleecha country as Messiah. Through me the wicked and the guilty had to suffer and I also suffered at their hands.

The King requested him to further explain his teachings and the Saint said:

I teach love, truth and purity of heart. I ask human beings to serve the Lord, who is in the centre of the sun and the elements. And God and the son are for ever. The King returned after making his obeisance to the Saint (3)

[Note from staff of TOJ: to see the original Sanskrit text, click here. To see a fuller translation, as well as a transliteration of the Sanskrit, click here.]

Jesus in Kashmir:

It was during the reign of Gopanada (A.D. 49-109) that Yuz Asaph proclaimed his ministry in Kashmir and spent his later life in the valley. Druing this period, Sulaiman came for the repairs of a temple dedicated to Solomon. He got inscribed the following verses on the stone pillars of the temple:

Yuz-Asaph, the Yusu of the tribes of Israel, proclaimed his prophethood: Year 5 4, Yusu, of the tribes of Israel

The translation of the relevant page of the Persian history is given below:

The King assumed the name of Gopanada and started his rule in the Valley of Kashmir. During his reign, many temples were built and repaired. He invited Sulaiman from Persia to get repairs done to the Throne of Solomon on the hill. The Hindus raised objections saying that as he was not a Hindu but followed other religion, he could not repair the sacred tomb.

During this period, Yuz-Asaph arrived from the Holy Land and proclaimed his prophethood in the Holy Valley. He absorbed himself in prayers day and night and was very pious and saintly. He called the people towards the words of God. Many became his disciples. The King requested him to bring the Hindus to the right path.

Sulaiman repaired the throne of Solomon and raised the four pillars with the following inscriptions:

Masons of these pillars are Bhisti Zargar, Year 54 [TOJ Note: Click here for explanation of "Year 54."], and Khawaja Rukun, the son of Mirjan; Yuz-Asaph proclaimed his prophethood: Year 54. Yusu, of the tribes of Israel (4)

They came together unto him, the rich and the poor, for blessings and guidance. He said unto them:

Listen, I say unto you the words of wisdom and truth, so that you may be able to make distinction between right and wrong. Indeed this is the religion of those unto whom the words of God came. Whosoever shall discard righteousness shall not enter heaven. Therefore, I say unto you: Seek you the Kingdom of heaven, rather than that of the world. Woe unto the seekers of the world, they shall perish. Death keeps no time, for the hour is come. And the birds have no power over the shooters. Save Ye with faith and work. So long [as] there is light, Ye travel; And safeguard your good deeds. Blessed are those who treat well: for they know they shall be treated in the same way. And shun worldly desires; And give up anger; And give up back-biting; And keep your hearts pure. (5).

Parable:

Yuz Asaph spoke this parable to the people, saying:

When a sower goes to sow, some seed fall aside and is eaten by birds; some seed falls on stray earth and some falls on rocky areas and withers away. Some seed falls on thorns and perishes. the seed which falls on fertile land grows and produces fruit. By sower I mean the wise; By seed I mean words of wisdom; By seed eaten up by birds I mean the unintelligent; By seed thrown on rocky areas I mean those who do not understand; By seed thrown on thorns I mean those who understand but fail to comply; By seed which grows and bears fruit I mean those who obey and follow (6)

Crucifixion:

Saint Isana lived at Ishbar on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir. He was a Saint of great repute and his preachings were heard by all and he had many devotees. One of his chief disciples, Sandiman, was ordered to be imprisoned for ten years. After some time Sandiman was put on the cross. Sant Isana came and saw three sentences written on the forehead of Sandiman: This man will lead a poor life; After ten years' imprisonment, he will be put on the cross; After resurrection, he shall be the King (7).

Sandiman was put on the cross in a compound and the crowds witnessed his crucifixion. Duing night, fairies came and danced around his corpse. Saint Isana felt and sat near the site. On the third day, Sandiman became alive. People came to see him in amazement and offered him the throne of Kashmir. He refused to accept this offer. But the people refused to leave him and he accepted to be their king.

This extraordinary event of crucifixion, the only instance in the ancient history of Kashmir, deserves attention due to the reason that the incident of crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been repeated here. It is also a strange coincidence that Jesus is known as ISA in the East. As such, Isana of Kashmir, who is spoken of as a great saint, is no other personality than Jesus Christ. His disciple is put on the cross and he obtains resurrection at the hands of Isana. The Saint lived in Ishbar, meaning the place of Isa, which is still held in reverence by a section of the people of Kashmir. This fact has been mentioned in various historical works of Kashmir.

Spirit of God:

Jesus Christ was the Spirit of God who assumed the name Yuz-Asaph of Kashmir (8). This tradition has been inherited by the Muslims from the Hindus of ancient times, who also believed that Jesus came to Kashmir and settled here. Jesus disclosed his identity to the King of Kashmir when the latter paid a visit to him in about 48 A.D. He declare:

I am known as the son of God and born of a virgin. As I have preached love, truth and purity of heart, I am called Messiah. (9).

Thomas:

Thomas accompanied Jesus during his travels and is known as BABAD in Arabic literature. He followed Jesus to the sea of Tiberias, along with Simon and Peter (10). He was a twin brother of Jesus Christ (11). Both of them reached Nisibis (12). After reaching the basin of Indus, Thomas went towards the northwest of India and reached Attock. He supervised the building of a palace for the King Gondophernes in A.D. 49. He met Jesus Christ at the marriage feast of Abbnes, at Taxilla (13). [TOJ Note: Click here for more info]

Due to invasion of the Kushans during the first century A.D. there occurred an upheaval in the north of India. Thomas along with Jesus and Mary left for safety towards Kashmir. Mary died at a place now known as Murree, where she was buried in a tomb, now known as the Tomb of Mother Mary. Thomas accompanied Jesus to Kashmir. Jesus died at the ripe age of 120 years (14). The burial ceremony was performed by Thomas in the Jewish style (15). It was a great mourning day for the Kashmiris.

A big tomb was raised on his grave and it became a place of pilgrimage for all, whether rich or poor (16). People came with offerings at the tomb and led prayers there (17). Thomas, who had always devoted his life to the service of Jesus Christ, felt very much bereaved and left for Malabar to preach among the lost tribes there (18). Thomas preached the Gospel to the people in South India where he established seven churches. He suffered martyrdom at Mylapore in Madras and is buried there (19). His disciples call themselves the Christians of St. Thomas and they solomnize only two rituals: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They do not believe in virgin birth (20).

The Tomb of Jesus Christ:

The tomb of Jesus Christ is situated in Anzimar, Khanyar, Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir. Srinagar, which means the city of the sun, is an ancient city. It is divided into two parts, i.e., the old city and the new city and the tomb is situated in the old city. The people of Kashmir call it the Roza-Bal, meaning "the site of the honoured tomb" and declare that it is the tomb of Yuz-Asaph. this prophet came to Kashmir 1900 years ago and preached in the parables of Christ (21).

Popular local tradition connects it with the tomb of Jesus Christ (22). Some say that it is the tomb of the Prophet of the people of the Book (23). Yuz-Asaph came as a messenger of God to the people of Kashmir. The tomb had a hole from which perfume came out (24).

Decree: 1194 A.H.:

The Decree granted to the keeper of the tomb, dated 1461 A.D. by the Grand Mufti of Kashmir and other Muftis, declares that the tomb has two graves: one of the Prophet Yuz-Asaph, sent as prophet to the people of Kashmir during the reign of the King Gopadatta and the other a descendant of the prophet [Muhammad] of Islam (25).

The translation of the Decree is as under [Note from TOJ staff: Since this decree is already located elsewhere at this website, we will not repeat it here. To see this decree, click here].

The tomb of Jesus Christ is built in Jewish style of a sepulchre, with a room underground, with a small window. The shrine is quite distinct from the Muslim shrines, which have Buddhist style of conic domes. Nearby the grave is a stone slab, engraved with a footprint, bearing traces of crucifixion wounds; one foot impression has a small round hole and the other has a raised scar wound. Maybe these are the [representations of] the feet of Jesus Christ, which were washed by a woman with her tears and wiped with her hair and kissed with her lips:

Seeth thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but this woman hasth annointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee: Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but to women little is given, the same loveth little.


Kurt Berna

This is a statement by Hans Naber, also known as Kurt Berna, who discovered from the Holy Shroud of Jesus, kept in Turin, that Jesus did not die on the cross. This thesis is sent from Zurich, Switzerland, and is prepared to be read at the International Conference to be held in London in June 1978 on the Deliverance of Jesus from the cross.

[Note from TOJ staff: This presentation by Kurt Berna presents a challenge for us here on the Tomb of Jesus Christ Website staff. While we are bending over backwards to appear "objective" in attempting to avoid direct references to any particular belief system, you will discover below that Kurt Berna's account begins with a great deal of accolades for the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, even though, at the time, he was a self-proclaimed "Roman Catholic Christian" This could be for one [or all] of the following three reasons: 1.) His desire to accomodate, out of courtesy, a conference that was essentially organized by the Ahmadiyya Movement; 2.) his genuine feelings (that at times almost seemed to veer towards *conversion* to that movement) towards that movement; 3.) his possible need for an ally in a Europe that was still essentially Christian. We tend to feel that the latter accounts for his gushing accolades of the Ahmadiyya Movement and its founder. We are rendering *our* opinion, which we are entitled to.

[Whatever the case, Kurt Berna is one of the most fascinating--and sometimes amusing--characters in the history of Jesus-in-India studies. The Catholic Church, though, WAS NOT amused at all by Mr. Berna, and we think we know why: Despite his eccentricities, Mr. Berna had happened upon something that caught the Catholic Church totally off guard, and that had shocked it to the very core (see also our coverage of Dr. Hirt's analysis of the Shroud. Dr. Hirt was a colleague of Berna's). He was a *real* thorn in the side of the Catholic Church from 1954 to 1976. Were Kurt Berna's charges that "officials" were involved in a "collusion" to imprison him for his "discovery that Jesus did not die on the cross" true or false? One last note: do not be distracted by Mr. Berna's **quite obvious** eccentricities. Underneath that was the mind of a man with the deductive reasoning abilities of the legendary Sherlock Holmes. If you can find a copy of his book, Christ Did not Perish on the Cross, you will find it truly fascinating].

KURT BERNA:

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Jews, Christians and Muslims! It is your right to know who has written this thesis and why is the writer not present here himself. It was i who discovered from the Holy Shroud of Turin that Jesus did not die on the cross. I am a Roman Catholic Christian and at present I am inside a prison in West Germany. I propose to divulge and make full and clear disclosure. All the three events are connected, that is to say, who is the author of this thesis, why is he not himself present here before you and why is he in prison

In November 1948 I began to gain knowledge in respect of the Holy Shroud. For 28 years I fought and struggled to obtain an insight and perceptive knowledge about these facts and in 1976 they threw me in a prison. What was I accused of? They said: He took money for his work, and for his publications about Jesus did not die on the cross, and that these funds were used for other purposes. The simple truth is that the Foundation [i.e., The International Foundation for the Holy Shroud] which I head in the USA and Switzerland is also doing business in the US commodity market. This is not unusual; like mahy other US foundations, the profits of the business are used for cultural publications. Of course all the funds were foudation fundsd, but the publications by me were also Foundation Publications and not my own private publications. I am in jail. Please believe me: I am not guilty. Everything was planned by officials to put an end to the discovery that Jesus did not die on the cross. They think that if they killed the discoverer or presented him as an imposter they will destroy the discovery. But they have failed.

I have been thinking for over 25 years why it was particularly in the city of Stuttgart in West Germany that in the year 1947 Jesus himself [through a vision] chose to disclose that he did not die on the cross. Now I understand: because in no other town in the whole world a man has to go to prison with an accusation like this without evidence. Jesus knew this. these people in Stuttgart, my home town, have made me a martyr and martyrdom does bring publicity and with the publicty the truth spreads around the world that Jesus did not die on the cross.

It is an undeniable fact that a very interesting book by a US author would not have seen the day If I did not stand in the Law Court in Stuttgart. The world news agencies like The Associated Press, The United Press International and Reuters circulated this news around the world [Note from TOJ staff: It's true. Berna, at one time, was well known, and his discoveries were causing giant ripples]. Consequently in Florida, USA, the religious editor of the MIAMI NEWS, Mr. Robert K. Wilcox, read the news for the first time in his life about the existence of a shroud and the discoveries made from this shroud disclosing that Jesus did not die on the cross. He, therefore, wrote that book. On the first page of this book he describes how he came to the theme. Apart from this, newspapers around the world also publishe details of these discoveries. Therefore, you need not worry about my being in jail; a discoverer of truth has to run the risk of such unpleasantness. But I hope you do now understand why I am not present here in person.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jews, Christians and Muslims!

I as a Christian must state: There can be no doubt that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian who was born in 1835 and died in 1908 was a real and true messenger of God. Indeeed a messenger of God for all Muslims and for the whole world. Please be patient. As a Christian to speak like this I have acceptable evidence and important facts. It has been said that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, for the first time, under divine inspiration, announced to the world in 1890, that Jesus did not die on the cross.

Now, if Jesus died on the cross then Hazrat Ahmad is nobody. But if Jesus did not die on the cross, and there is sufficient logical evidence for this proposition, then it must be admitted that Hazrat Ahmad was a true and real messenger of God. Again, as a Christian I must accept this, because I can think logically and also we must be honest in spiritual arguments. Hazrat Ahmad had, in historical research definition, the birthright for the enunciation that Jesus did not die on the cross and that he died in Srinagar, Kashmir, India.

The proof of the fact that Jesus did not die on the cross is the Shroud of Christ's own body, and it does stand for that piece of test, because 28 bloodstains, extracted from over 100 on the shroud, show with scientific proof that the heart of Jesus was still beating when he was taken down from the cross. A corpse cannot bleed in this way as Jesus did after crucifixion, and he was not a corpse. There are now clear and positive proofs that Jesus was placed in the sepulchre after the crucifixion and this testimony is given by his own burial linen. To those who are particularly interested in this aspect of the study I suggest that they read my findings [Christ Did not Perish on the Cross]. I do not propose to discuss here in detail the information and knowledge derived from the shroud, since almost everything has been written and published in great detail in my book in 1954 and my last book in 1976 in German language. One final facts I recommend the American book titled Christ did not Perish on the Cross, published by the Exposition Press, Inc. of New York. The full address may be obtained from the secretary of the Conference.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jews, Christians and Muslims!

My thoughts for this International Conference do have other facets. They revolve around the statement that Jesus did not die on the cross. This should prove interesting on the one hand to all human beings and also on the other hand provide proof that Hazrat Ahmad was a true messenger of God. I present to you an extraordinary case, you may have to think about it again and again and perhaps for the rest of your lives. I, therefore, request your complete attention.

I have known the Ahmadiyya Community for 20 years. After my 1957 publication in Zurich, in 1958 I met Ahmadi Muslims and had discussions with some of them regarding the Holy Shroud and it seemed to me that my discovery proved to be lucky for them. I thought to myself what kind of people are these Ahmadiyya Muslims? This was so because most Christians, including myself at this time, knew nothing or not much about the Muslims. Thereafter, year by year, parallel with my mission to spread around the world the findings of the Holy Shroud, I studied Islam and the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam.

The Holy Quran in clear terms states that Jesus or Isa survived the crucifixion [Note from TOJ staff: This issue is not as clear as Mr. Berna stated. This is precisely the debate beween the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam and mainstream Islam, though a handful of mainstream Muslim scholars are now moving towards the Ahmadiyya interpretations regarding the death of Jesus.] Ambiguous or not, certainly Islam does not want a dead Jesus on the cross. Since this contradicts the most fundamental and cherished Christian belief regarding Jesus Christ, hence for many centuries the Christians and Muslims have been busy killing each other. But I have to accept that the Quran wins; the Christians lose their case because Jesus in fact survived the cross and his own shroud is the most reliable and leading witness of that.

The Muslims traditionally believed that according to their reading of the Quran Jesus was taken up into heaven in his physical body. The Christians also have a similar belief and they call it the Ascension of Jesus. Thus these beliefs remained fixed for many centuries until the advent of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Hazrat Ahmad with his spiritual power and on authority called Divine Revelation anounced to the world: Jesus came as a messenger of God, did his duty, did not die on the cross, died a natural death, and his body is buried in Srinagar, Kashmir.

 

 




1. Bhavishya-Maha-Purana, verses 17-32
2. Mleechas means non-Hindus.
3. Mleechas means, in Hindu religion terminology, the followers of religions other than Hinduism.
4. Mulla Nadri, Tarikh-i-Kashmir, p. 35
5. Shaikh Sadiq, Kamal-ud-Din, p. 359
6. Ibid, p. 327
7. Haider Malik, Chadura, Tarikh-i-Kashmir, II, 12-56; Hassan Shah:, Tarikh-i-Kashmir, ViiiF 25 Kalhana; Rajtarangini. Trans. Stein V.I.2.II.
8. Mulla Nadri, Tarikh-i-Kashmir, p. 69; Haidar Malik Chandurs, Tarikh-i-Kashmir. 11.12.56; Hassan Shah, Tarikh-i-Kashmir, Viii.F.25.
9. Bhavishya-Maha-Purana, V. 17.32.
10. John, 21: 1, 2.
11. Thile, Acta Thomas, 94
12. Cureton, Ancient Syrac. Documents V.22.141; Burkett, Early Christianity, p. 155
13. Smith, Early History of India, p. 219; Acta Thomas, v. 20.46
14. Kans-ul-Ammal, V.2, p.34.
15. Shaikh Sadiq, Kamal-ud-Din, p. 357.
16. Decree of Rozabal, Srinagar, Kashmir.
17. Ibid.
18. Francis Buchanan, A journey from Madras, v.2, p. 391; Wukfred, Christian Religion in India, v. 10, p. 83.
19. Salmond, The Writings of Hippoclytius, v. 3, p. 131; Assemani, Biblothica Orientalics, v.3.1.590
20. Philip, The Third Four Conference, 25.
21. Younghusband, Kashmir, p. 112.
22. Enrique, The Realms of the Gods, 25.
23. Abdul Qadir, Hasmat-i-Kashmir, f.68
24. Ghulam Nabi, Wajeez-ul-Tawarikh, v. ii., f.279
25. Decree dated 1194 A.H. (1461 A.D.)


Effective Web promotion and Website marketing at www.ReferralBlast.com - increase traffic to your site ! (click here)