Publications
supporting post-crucifixion and/or Jesus in India theory
Masih
Hindustein Mein (Jesus in India)
If Jesus did not die upon the cross? A Study in Evidence
Dug Jesus pa korset? (Did Jesus Die on the Cross?)
Qabr-i-Masih
Where did Jesus Die?
Jesus in Heaven on Earth
Jesus in Rome
Rauzabal and other Mysteries of Kashmir
Christ in Kashmir
Did Jesus Redeem Mankind?
The Myth of the Cross
Jesus died in Kashmir
Truth about the Crucifixion
Deliverance from the Cross
Jesus Lived in India
Lost Cities of China, Central Asia and India
The Fifth Gospel
Jesus and Moses are Buried in India
Jesus in India
A Search for the Historical Jesus
Christianity a Journey from Facts to Fiction
From Palestine to Kashmir
In Search of the Loving God
The Christian Conspiracy
Other
Publications
Publications
opposing Jesus in India theory |
Publications
supporting post-crucifixion and/or Jesus in India theory
We are extremely pleased to have received the following book reviews
from two distinguished gentleman who frequent The Tomb of Jesus
Christ Website: Dr Tahir Ijaz and Dr. Qamar Ijaz.
The Tomb of Jesus site have always been careful not to associate
this subject with any particular religious viewpoint or ideology,
presenting Buddhist, Muslim, New Age and other views on the historical
Jesus. Dr. Ijaz and Dr. Qamar Ijaz are members of the Ahmadiyya
Community.
Despite their particular affiliation, their summaries are so good
and un-biased that we decided to include them here as an important
part of the website. We think that these reviews will be very helpful
to you, the reader, and we hope that you enjoy them.
The following is a selected review of books published in the last
100 years on the historical reconstruction of the life of Jesus
after the crucifixion. More specifically, those studies that have
examined the evidence of Jesus’ death in India are reviewed.
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Masih Hindustan Mein (Jesus in India) - Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Qadian, India, 1899
The first work that discussed the migration of Jesus to India in
a comprehensive and scholarly manner was the work Jesus in India
or Masih Hindustan Mein, by Hazrat Ahmad of Qadian. The work was
completed in April 1899, but could not be published until shortly
after his death in 1908.
The monograph first outlines evidence from the New Testament that
Jesus may have become unconscious when taken down from the cross,
and had his health restored by his disciples.
Hazrat Ahmad gives a lengthy list of ancient medical textbooks which
describe the healing ointment “marham-i-Isa” applied
on the wounds of Jesus, hence indicating an old Eastern tradition
of Jesus recovering from the torture of crucifixion. Evidence is
given from Islamic sources – the Quran and Hadith that Jesus
died a natural death.
Subsequent chapters relate the journey of Jesus to the East, drawing
mainly from old Islamic books of history such as Rauzat-us-Safa.
One of the more remarkable features of Jesus in India is the scholarly
dissertation on whereabouts of the Lost Tribes of Israel, and evidence
that these tribes were scattered throughout Afghanistan, Kashmir,
and Western China. It is these same tribes Messiah had to preach
to, writes, Hazrat Ahmad, to fulfill his mission to the Lost Sheep
of Israel, as the New Testament relates.
Hazrat Ahmad intended Jesus in India to be the first part of a much
larger project and intended to add more chapters. Unfortunately,
plans for a three men expedition to Afghanistan, Kashmir and surrounding
areas to gather more evidence for his book never materialized for
various reasons.
Nonetheless, his followers were able to supply more information
on the historic account of Jesus’ migration and the tomb in
Kashmir, which though not in Jesus in India, is extant in Ahmadiyya
writings.
Hazrat Ahmad's companion Maulvi Abdul Karim relates that Ahmad received
a letter describing a platform near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, which
is known as the platform of Prophet Yuz Asaf.
The local tradition states the Prophet arrived from Syria about
two thousand years ago, and there is a jagir attached to this platform
granted by the Afghan government (Al Hakam Vol. III No. 24 July
1899).
Another disciple and the first successor of Hazrat Ahmad, Hazrat
Nurruddin, a long time resident of Kashmir, was able to collect
over five hundred signatures from the local population attesting
that the tomb of Yuz Asaf was indeed, the tomb of Hazrat Isa (Jesus).
Yet another companion, Maulvi Abdullah, sent to investigate the
tomb, wrote a lengthy letter describing the tomb, and reviewed the
local tradition regarding the person entombed.
The book Jesus in India has become the classic work on the subject,
and formed the groundwork and basic template for future studies
for both Ahmad's disciples and Western scholars interested in the
subject.
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If Jesus did not die upon the cross?
A Study in Evidence - Judge E.B. Docker,
London, 1920
The book is a critical examination of the Gospel testimony, written
by a judge from Australia. Unfortunately, the book has never been
reprinted, and is not widely available. Copies do exist in some
of the larger academic libraries in the United Kingdom, such as
Oxford University.
After a review of the entire evidence, the author lends support
to the view of the swoon theory and the eventual migration of Jesus
from Palestine. The relevant portions are quoted below (can be found
quoted in JD Shams’ book Where did Jesus Die?):
"I
must note here the old legend which I have before referred to.
A modern version of it was given in the periodical The East
and West, some years ago. Briefly, it is to the effect that
Jesus did not die on the cross, but recovered under treatment
with a miraculous ointment being applied to his wounds, which
healed in the space of forty days; that he journeyed to India
to preach to the lost tribes of Israel, and eventually died
in Kashmir, where a tomb is pointed out to this day as his".
"Though I do not know of any evidence tending to establish
the substantial truth of this account, I desire to point out
there is nothing unreasonable or improbable about it. We are
told from other sources that there are to the present day in
Afghanistan and Bactria tribes of unmistakable Hebrew type.
It is surprising to find the number of passages in the New Testament
writings which if they do not corroborate the story, at least
consonant with it. Is it unreasonable to suppose that Jesus,
finding it unsafe to remain in Judea or Galilee longer than
the forty days during which he is said to have instructed his
disciples in the things concerning the Kingdom of God (Acts
1:3) should feel called to carry the message of the Kingdom
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?" (page 71)
He goes on to conclude: “"It may be that after
preaching to the lost tribes of the House of Israel, in those
remote regions Jesus died in Srinagar, and was buried at the
tomb that now bears his name." (page 77) |
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Dug
Jesus pa korset? (Did Jesus Die on the Cross?) - Hugo
Toll, Sweden, 1928
Dr Hugo Toll was a Swedish physician who made a detailed study of
the question of whether Jesus died on the cross, particularly from
a medical point of view.
He reconstructs the event of the Cross, and the punishment meted
out to Jesus.
It would be unusual, according to Dr Toll for an otherwise young
healthy man to die in such a short time.
The Roman
punishment of crucifixion resulted in death to the victim usually
after days, due to exhaustion, hunger or attacks from birds of prey.
It is more likely
that Jesus went into a state of unconsciousness. His feeling of
thirst and loud utterance of the dramatic words 'it (the drink)
is finished' just before he 'died' is more consistent with fainting.
Furthermore, the 'blood and water' which gushed out according to
the Gospel of John when the Roman soldier pierced the body of Jesus
proves the heart was still beating, according to Dr Toll.
If one accepts only the apparent death of Jesus, the events narrated
in the Gospels have a natural explanation. He was a wounded man,
still in pain, so much so that he would not allow Mary Magdalene
to touch him.
Dr Toll gives credence to the view that Jesus, leading a low profile
existence after the crucifixion, in all likelihood departed from
the region. He states that in the East there is a community known
as the Ahmadiyya who believe Jesus survived the crucifixion and
migrated to Kashmir.
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Qabr-i-Masih - Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, Qadian
India, 1936
The author was a companion of Hazrat Ahmad, and served as missionary
and teacher. He was proficient in Hebrew. His book, written in Urdu,
is a detailed study of the death of Jesus in Kashmir and history
of the tomb in Srinagar. He traveled to Kashmir in 1925 and completed
his research in three years.
One of the outstanding
features of the book is the evidence he has provided of old Hebrew
inscriptions and old Israelite graves. Some eighteen archeological
sites are described. In addition, to further bolster his claim that
the people of Kashmir are indeed Israelite descendents, he has given
an extensive list of Kashmiri words and their meanings, and the
similarities to Hebrew expressions.
He has described the tomb of Yuz Asaf in one of the chapters and
has summarized the Kashmiri traditions identifying the entombed
person as Hazrat Isa (Jesus).
To our knowledge, the book, unfortunately, has never been translated
in English, though the authors provided a transliteration in English
of his extensive list of Hebrew and Kashmir words a few years ago
(unpublished).
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Where
did Jesus Die? - J.D Shams, Qadian India, 1945
The author was a prominent missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat,
and the book was completed during his term as Imam of the London
Mosque in England.
The first portion reviews the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion,
and some of the inconsistencies and contradictions in the New Testament
account are discussed.
There is a
short chapter on the Shroud of Turin, giving an account of a German
study of the Shroud, that reached the conclusion that Jesus did
not die on the cross based on the blood stain evidence.
In chapters
8 and 9, the author reviews the role of Paul in introducing many
pagan elements in the original teachings of Jesus, and thus, creating
a schism amongst the early followers of Jesus.
Following the
overview of the anthropologic and historical evidence of the Israelites
having domiciled in Afghanistan and Kashmir, the book describes
the tomb of Jesus, giving references from books of history such
as Ikmal-ud-din.
Towards the end of the chapter on the tomb of Jesus, the author
reviews the oral and written traditions and includes quotations
from the custodians of the tomb, linking the name Yusu Asaf with
Isa. Maulana J.D Shams goes on to quote such works as Tarikh-I-Azami
(a history of Kashmir written about 200 hundred years ago) which
states Yuzu Asaf was a Prophet of God who came to Kashmir from a
foreign land.
Maulana Shams concludes that the tomb deserves more archeological
investigation, as inscriptions or other documents may be discovered.
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Jesus
in Heaven on Earth - Khwaja Nazir Ahmad, Lahore, Pakistan,
1952
A lawyer by profession, K.N Ahmad completed his book after extensive
travel in Kashmir. His book is probably the most detailed on the
subject, spanning over 400 pages. The book has five parts. Part
I reviews the sources of information, including Hebrew, pagan and
Christian sources and finally Islamic sources. Part II is on the
birth of Jesus, and discusses the genesis of the son-god theory,
which ultimately lead to the Trinity Dogma.
Following the discussion of the death and mission of Jesus in Parts
III and IV, the author goes into detail on the historical evidence
of lost tribes of Israel having domiciled in Afghanistan and Kashmir
in Part V and provides quotations from ancient historical works
of Kashmir on the tomb of Jesus.
Two important works he has quoted are TarikhiKashmir (c 1400 A.D)
by Mulla Nadiri and Bhavishya maha Purana, an old Hindu document
from 115 A.D. He has included a photograph of the relevant pages,
important especially for TarikhiKashmir, since apparently only one
copy exists, and is in very poor condition. Mulla Nadiri relates
the arrival of Yuzu Asaf, a Messenger of God, from the Holy Land
and further states that Yuzu Asaf has traditionally been identified
with Isa (Jesus).
The Hindu purana mentioned above describes a meeting of Isa-Masih,
Messenger of God with a local ruler in Northern India at the time.
Indeed, Mulla Nadiri refers to the purana and identifies Yuzu Asaf
and Isa as possibly being the same personages.
Another important contribution of Khwaja Nazir Ahmad is the detailed
analysis of Afghanistani and Kashmiri customs, habits and traditions
and comparison to Israelite peoples. Moreover, an impressive list
is provided of communities in these countries, which by name match
those found in the Bible, with the relevant Biblical reference.
The author is guilty of some magical thinking, which does distract
from the otherwise scholarly work. He writes that Hazrat Solomon
literally flew through the air to Kashmir to visit a temple in his
name. However, the current editors have removed such references
in the revised edition that was released recently.
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Jesus
in Rome - Robert Graves and Joshua Podro, London, 1957
The book is actually a sequel to an earlier work entitled Nazarene
Gospel Restored published a few years earlier by the same authors.
Robert Graves was a novelist and playwright, and Joshua Podro a
rabbi. In that earlier book, the authors opine that once one removes
the fictitious elements from the Gospels, which were introduced
much later, the essential conclusion that emerged is much different.
His disciples saw Jesus after the crucifixion alive, and thus he
did not die in the first instance.
In Jesus in Rome, the authors conclude that Jesus must have renewed
his missionary activity elsewhere after surviving the crucifixion.
The authors contend that Jesus collapsed into a coma on the cross,
and was revived by certain disciples. They quote Bishop Ignatius
(died 110 A.D) as stating that Jesus was still alive 'in the flesh'
some twenty years after the crucifixion. This remarkable quotation
from Ignatius is found in his 'Letter to the Smyrneans'.
In Chapter five of Jesus in Rome, entitled 'The Tomb of Jesus' they
state that the tradition of the tomb of Jesus in Kashmir, is "the
only extant legend with any historical plausibility that brings
the post-crucifixion story of Jesus to a simple and natural end
(page 68)."
The authors summarize the above-mentioned work (Jesus in Heaven
on Earth) and quote extensively from it.
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Rauzabal
and other Mysteries of Kashmir - Mohammad Yasin, published
in Srinagar, Kashmir, 1972
The author of the monograph is a lawyer and former research associate
at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Montreal,
Canada. In the preface he makes clear he is not presenting new facts
or references from ancient historical works, but only presenting
them in a more “scientific and logical manner” and staying
away from religious controversy. He is not from the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community, though he fully acknowledges that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad wrote the original treatise on the subject and brought to
the world this truth. The book is written in point form, and is
rather brief.
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Christ
in Kashmir - Aziz Kashmiri, published in Srinagar, Kashmir,
1973
The author was an editor of an Urdu weekly magazine Roshni in Srinagar
and has previously written Urdu books on the subject entitled Hazrat
Isa aur Isayat and Masih Kashmir Mein. He is also not from the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community. After reviewing the very name Kashmir, and pointing
to its Israelite origin, he discusses the evidence linking the people
of Kashmir to the Lost Tribes of Israel, based on physical features,
customs, and traditions. He has also given a list of Kashmiri words
and compared them to the Hebrew terminology. In the written traditions
of Yuzu Asaf in Kashmir he has quoted the same documents as previous
scholars.
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Did
Jesus Redeem Mankind? - Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad,
published in Qadian, India, 1973
The book is the English rendering of the Urdu commentary by Hazrat
Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, on a chapter from the Quran, Surah
Maryam. The book was published eight years after his death. Basic
Christian doctrines of Original Sin, divinity of Jesus, and Trinity
are discussed both in the light of the Bible and the Quran. The
book is certainly “hard core” theology, but yet is very
readable, with abundant anecdotes of debates he personally had.
Towards the end of the book, the author outlines the rationale for
Messiah’s journey to Kashmir, after showing from the New Testament
itself that Jesus survived the crucifixion.
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The
Myth of the Cross - AlHaj A.D Ajijola, published in Lahore,
Pakistan, 1975
The book is written by a non-Ahmadi Muslim, dedicated to Nigerian
Muslim youth subjected to “vigorous propaganda by the Christian
missionaries.” He essentially concludes that Jesus was saved
from death upon the cross and nursed to recovery by his disciples.
He went on to preach to the lost sheep of Israel, scattered from
Ethiopia to India (page 48) .The author is careful not to be too
explicit and chooses his words carefully, apparently fearing scrutiny
from the orthodox Muslim community.
Unfortunately, he has plagiarized portions of Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin
Mahmud Ahmad’s book, Introduction to the study of the Holy
Quran. Chapters 3,4,5,7, and 8 are exact reproductions from Hazrat
Ahmad’s work, which deal mainly with the unreliability of
the New Testament testimony, and the scope of Jesus’ mission.
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Jesus
died in Kashmir - Andreas Faber-Kaiser, published in London,
1977
The book by Andreas Faber-Kaiser represents the most detailed treatment
on the subject by a Western scholar. He mounted a personal information
gathering expedition to Kashmir. He is a scholar of comparative
religion and an accomplished journalist.
The 1977 publication is an English translation of the original Spanish
version published a year earlier. The book has been translated into
other languages subsequently.
In his book he describes a group of people living in Kashmir today
who style themselves “Bani Israel.” The travel of Jesus
and his death and tomb in Kashmir are discussed. Ample photographs
are given. Faber-Kaiser goes on to write that the local inhabitants
call it the tomb of Hazrat Yuz Asaf, Nabi Sahib, Shahzada Nabi,
or Hazrat Isa Sahib. He also mentions a family he met who claim
to be descendents of Jesus, and one member of the family, possesses
a genealogical table that traces ancestry to Jesus.
Faber-Kaiser states that his research gives credence to the Ahmadiyya
view of the post crucifixion life of Jesus, however, he stresses
his work should not be considered an Ahmadiyya tract and does not
owe its origins to any sect or denomination.
Faber-Kaiser was one of the speakers at the 1978 London Conference,
mentioned next.
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Truth
about the Crucifixion - published by the London Mosque, London,
1978
The book Truth about the Crucifixion is a collection of transcripts
from the International
Conference on the Deliverance of Jesus from the Cross held in
London in 1978.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community organized the event. The international
panel of speakers included (title of speech in brackets): Muhammad
Zafrullah Khan (Jesus Prophet or God); MM Ahmad (Lost Tribes of
Israel); A. Faber Kaiser (He did not die on the Cross); Fida Hassnain
(Tomb of Yuz Asaf); B.A Rafiq (Deliverance of Jesus from the Cross:
Biblical Evidence); A. Madsen (Deliverance of Jesus from the Cross:
Quranic and Islamic Evidence); R. Skolfield (Some observations on
the life of Jesus); Sheikh Abdul Qadir (Jesus Travels to India and
Kashmir); Kurt Berna (The International Foundation for the Holy
Shroud); L. Filip (New Viewpoints on Jesus’s Activity Beyond
Palestine).
Also included
in the text is the speech of Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the time.
Truth about the Crucifixion perhaps represents the best overall
summary of important research done to date, all in one volume.
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Deliverance
from the Cross - Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, London 1978
The publication of this book was meant to coincide with the above-mentioned
conference. The book provides the Ahmadiyya-Islamic perspective
of the birth, ministry and post-crucifixion life of Jesus. Chapter
eight on the travel of Jesus to Kashmir is one of the more interesting
chapters. An important reference is given regarding Oxford scholar
O.M Burke, who wrote the book Among the Dervishes.
In that publication, which is quoted extensively by Muhammad Zafrulla
Khan, an account is given of a religious community near Herat, Afghanistan
who are followers of Jesus. The community believes that following
the crucifixion, Jesus preached to them. He is also known as Yuzu
Asaf, the Kashmiri.
They even possess a book of his traditions. It appears that the
community is composed of descendents of the original followers of
Yuzu Asaf, who have adhered to certain Christian traditions, and
at the same time embraced Islam.
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Jesus Lived in India - Holger
Kersten, Germany, 1983
The English version of the book was released in 1986, translated
from the German. The author is a teacher and traveler and interested
in Oriental studies. He visited India to retrace the steps of Jesus’
actual life, having heard of the theory of Jesus in India in early
1970s.
He received help from Professor Fida Hassnain in gathering and summarizing
the ancient Indian literature of Jesus’ life in India. The
anthropologic evidence of the Lost Tribes of Israel having domiciled
in Kashmir and Afghanistan is also reviewed.
He does rely on documents of dubious authenticity such as Notovitchs'
- 'The Unknown Life of Jesus', to show that Jesus also visited India
in his youth, as have many other scholars mentioned in our current
review.
The journey of Jesus to India is discussed in detail in Chapter
6. No new evidence is provided apart from one reference to certain
traditions of Kurdish tribes in Turkey.
One ethnologist from Luxembourg, who spent several years with these
tribes in Turkey, mentioned there are oral traditions of Jesus residing
in Eastern Turkey after the resurrection. Kersten provides no further
details.
Interestingly,
there are traditions in Persian books of history, such as Rauzat-us
–Safa of Jesus’ sojourn in Turkey mentioned by Hazrat
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Jesus in India. Also, in the early 1900s,
some first century Syriac documents entitled 'The Odes of Solomon'
were discovered.
These belonged to followers of Jesus in what is now modern day Turkey.
It is clear from these documents that Jesus survived the ordeal
of the crucifixion, and due to intense persecution, migrated.
Holger Kersten has produced more books, focusing on the Jesus’
connection with Buddhism and Eastern Mysticism, and has had particular
appeal amongst the New Age movement.
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Lost Cities of China, Central Asia and India - David Childress, Illinois, USA 1985
The author of the book describes his journey to Kashmir and Western
Tibet in Chapter 15, starting his Chapter with a quote from the
Quran:
'And
they killed him not, nor did they cause his death on the cross
(4:157).'
|
After reviewing
the events of the Crucifixion as related in the New Testament, he
concludes that there is a possibility that Jesus survived the crucifixion.
Next, he takes the reader on his personal journey to the tomb of
Jesus. He quotes Kashmiri traditions, which relate that Jesus, also
known has Yuz Asaf, lived in the valley two thousand years ago.
After the visit to the tomb, and describing its interior, he writes
in conclusion:
"I
reflected on this extra-ordinary experience. I did not know
if that really was the tomb of Jesus, and probably never would,
unless some new evidence came to light….I was grateful
to have stalked one of the world’s great teachers and
travelers of the world. In fact Jesus is know in the Koran and
to Islamic scholars as the Great Traveller and Chief of Travellers!" |
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The Fifth Gospel - Fida Hassnain and
Dahan Levi, Srinagar, Kashmir, 1988
Without doubt, Professor Fida Hassnain is currently the leading
authority on the historical study of Jesus in India. He was the
Director of the Kashmir State Archives and Director of Archaeological
Research and Museums, Kashmir. He retired in 1983.
He has extensively studied the tomb of Yuz Asaf- as much as the
current custodians would allow. A transcription of his speech for
the London Conference in 1978, mentioned above, was included in
the book Truth about the Crucifixion and entitled “Tomb of
Yuz-Asaph.”
The Professor dedicated The Fifth Gospel to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad, Nicolas Notovitch and Pandit Sutta (author of Bhavishya maha
purana) for “opening new vistas of research into the hidden
life of Jesus Christ.” The aim of the book according to the
authors was to inform the West that the East has significant source
material on the life of Jesus in India.
Following a review of the evidence that Jesus survived the crucifixion,
Professor Hassnain discusses the ancient literature of Kashmir,
which according to him, confirm that Jesus found Israelites there.
Another book by Professor Hassnain entitled A Search for the Historical
Jesus (see below) describes in greater detail and clarity his investigation
of the tomb of Yuz Asaf and review of the historical documentation
(see below).
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Jesus
and Moses are Buried in India - Gene
Matlock, USA, 1991
The new edition with additional material will be available within
a year (personal communication with the author) Gene D.Matlock's
book is now available. His book can be order through our Books page.
It was published in 2000. A review of the book will appear some
time in the future.
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Jesus
in India - James Deardorff, San Francisco, 1994
This book is divided into four parts: Jesus and reincarnation; Jesus’
lost years in India; Jesus’ survival of the crucifixion; Jesus’
travel after crucifixion. Deardorff attempts to put Jesus back into
a solid eastern context – a man who learned wisdom from the
East and returned back to the East.
He believes that Jesus taught reincarnation, a philosophy he learned
in India as a youth. For example, in support of his theory, he quotes
the saying of Jesus that John the Baptist is the Elijah of the past,
as proof.
Deardorff reviews the hypothesis of the resuscitation and refers
to Docker, Graves, Khwaja Nazir Ahmad and of course, Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad. He states history records Jesus post crucifixion life
in Hindu legends (Bhavishya Maha Purana), Buddhist legends and Greco-Roman
stories (Life of Apollonius of Tyana).
News of Jesus’
mission and longevity would have reached back west, and quotes patristic
literature, specifically Bishop Ireneus of the second century A.D,
as confirming Jesus lived to a great age and continued preaching
amongst his people.
In summary, the author concludes that historic evidence points to
Jesus’ death in India.
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A
Search for the Historical Jesus - Fida Hassnain, London,
1995
In a follow-up to his previous work The Fifth Gospel, Professor
Hassnain published A Search for the Historical Jesus giving considerable
more detail. The book has 21 chapters, covering history of the Bani
Israel in Northern India, birth of Jesus, travel to India as a youth,
crucifixion, Turin Shroud, resurrection, and tracing his journey
back to India.
The final few chapters deal with the tomb itself locally known as
the Rozabal, and review of the Kashmiri history of the person entombed.
He writes that as Director of Archaeology of Jammu and Kashmir State,
he was able to study the tomb in greater detail and even make repairs.
In 1975, when Professor Hassnain was exploring the wooden sarcophagus
located within the shrine, he came across a wooden cross and a slab
of stone with foot impressions depicting wounds. "Both
Yuzu Asaf and Jesus had one thing in common" writes the
Professor, "wound marks on their feet."
Interestingly, further research by German scholars confirmed that
the wound position represented in the carving matched those found
on the Shroud of Turin. Thus these discoveries by Professor Hassnain
connected Yuz Asaf with Jesus and, in turn the man on the Shroud.
Professor Hassnain reviews the ancient Kashmir records and concludes
that the historical information supports the view that Jesus migrated
to, and settled in Kashmir. He writes: “it appears to
me that the time has now come to ask the people of the West to join
hands in the rediscovery of the historical Jesus.”
One interesting quotation Professor Hassnain brings to light is
from an ancient work entitled Kamal-ud-Din, from approximately 960
A.D. It helps one to understand why, if Jesus lived in India and
his followers prospered, there is no longer a trace of his mission,
apart from the tomb. It appears there was a community in Kashmir
at one time called Nasara, followers of Jesus, though now wiped
out.
According to Kamal-ud-Din, the Nasara priests realized that their
brethren in Central Asia had accepted the Holy Prophet of Islam.
Shortly thereafter, sometime after 570 A.D, they also converted
to Islam. The Nasara Christians lost their separate identity sometime
before the 10th century A.D.
The above quotation in Kamal-ud-Din, combined with the discovery
of a Hebrew Gospel in India amongst Israelites by the Christian
scholar Panteanus in the 2nd century A.D, and evidence of persecuted
Nasara communities in Persia from old inscriptions proves that the
sun of Christianity did rise in these regions.
Due to persecution and conversion, the Nasara were assimilated by
other religions and became forgotten as an independent entity. This
can be compared to the virtual disappearance of non-Christian religions
in Europe when Pauline Christianity spread rapidly there.
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Christianity
a Journey from Facts to Fiction - Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Tilford, Surrey, UK, 1996
This book is an excellent summary of Ahmadiyya Muslim beliefs. He
explores the theological issues of Divinity, Trinity and Atonement
and its relation to reason and offers possible explanations as to
the origins of such doctrines.
The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven, according the Hazrat Mirza Tahir
Ahmad, is a later interpolation in the Gospel texts. In the first
place, the Gospels of Matthew and John do not mention it. Certain
versions of Mark and Luke mentioned the Ascension; however since
the discovery of Codex Sinaiticus (the oldest known version of the
Bible) it is clear these are later additions by scribes. Codex Sinaiticus
makes no mention of the Ascension in any of the Gospels.
The author writes that Ahmadi Muslims are often criticized for holding
the belief that Jesus left Palestine and went all the way to India,
finding it "far-fetched".
However he replies:
"Ahmadis
are left wondering as to which distance is longer, the one from
Palestine to Kashmir or the one from the earth to the farthest
reaches of heaven. Again Ahmadis wonder happened to the promise
of Jesus Christ that he would go in search of the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. If he departed straight from Palestine
to sit on the right hand of his father, did he forget about
his commitment or was his promise impossible for him to keep?
It is either this, or as we suggested earlier, should it be
expected that the Lost Sheep of Israel had earlier ascended
to heaven where Jesus went in their pursuit?" (Page
97-8). |
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From Palestine to Kashmir - P. Choudhury,
New Delhi, India, 1996
The author of From Palestine to Kashmir dedicates his book to “Hindu,
Buddhist, Christian Brotherhood.” The first few chapters discuss
his view that India is the land of the Bible starting with the garden
in Genesis, and ending with Jesus preaching in India, where he died.
According to the author, this is one of the reasons that Judaism,
Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity have so much in common –
a common spiritual heritage of India.
Unfortunately, rather than working on the thesis himself, and undertaking
meaningful research on the subject, he has reproduced word for word
entire pages from Imam Shams work mentioned above, entitled Where
did Jesus Die? He does not even mention Shams’ book in the
references given at the end of the book, and in no way gives any
indication that he has lifted words from another source!
He concludes that Jesus died in Kashmir, which he states is the
Land of the Bible.
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In
Search of the Loving God - Mark Mason, Oregon, USA 1997
Mark Mason is a Christian whose purpose of writing this book is
for 'resolving past traumas of Christianity and bringing to
light its healing spirit' It is meant to be a self-reflection
on how Christianity can improve and be more relevant and appealing
to people. He exposes the medieval church as being power-hungry
and guilty of atrocities.
In Chapter 4 entitled “The Mystery-Shrouded Life of Jesus”
he reviews the evidence that Jesus may have spent the so-called
“lost years”, his formative years, in India. Furthermore,
quoting mainly from Holger Kersten, he pieces together the post-crucifixion
life of Jesus, including a description of the tomb in Srinagar,
Kashmir. He includes a reference of an early Church Father, Ireneus
of the second century, who wrote that Jesus lived to be an old man
and remained, in Asia, with his disciple John, up until the time
of Emperor Trajan, whose rule began in 98 A.D.
His final appraisal of the historical data is interesting. What
if Jesus did die a natural death in Kashmir?
He states:
"My
own belief is that this should not adversely affect Christian
faith. Whether Jesus actually physically died on the cross is
a minor point. The important thing is that he suffered for the
sins of all, and indeed, if he didn’t physically die he
would have suffered much more (have died a worse ‘death’)
due to the pain of recovering, than he would have if he had
just quickly died and been miraculously raised to life.” He finally concludes: “Jesus may have visited
India and may have even returned there after the crucifixion." |
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The Christian Conspiracy - Joseph
Macchio, USA, 1999
The book by J. Macchio is an “e-book” or electronic
book, and not available on paper. It is accessed through the site
newhopeent.com. Like the previous work by Mason mentioned above,
this particular book, by a Christian, is a Christian introspection
of sorts.
The purpose of writing this book is to outline and chronicle the
replacement of what he calls the “original Christianity”
by man-made creeds and dogmas. He asserts there was far more diversity
of Christian beliefs, including different views as to the nature
of Jesus, the resurrection, and his whereabouts after the incident
of the Cross. However such views were suppressed and almost crushed
by a certain faction of Christianity that ultimately became the
orthodox movement. Destruction of gospels and other works by an
arbitrary and edited canon of four ensued and continued unabated
for centuries.
Beneath the dogma and theology, the author maintains the original
Jesus of history exists and can be traced. Certain clues can be
ascertained from apocryphal and patristic literature. For instance,
the author writes that the dogma of the Ascension of Jesus forty
days after the resurrection became official Church doctrine, though
the reality is that there are a number of traditions indicating
that Jesus was on earth at a time when he was supposed to be in
heaven. For instance the gospel entitled Pistis Sophia from the
3rd century A.D mentions that Jesus spent eleven years with his
disciples preaching after the crucifixion. Moreover the Church Fathers
Ireneus and Ignatius both believed Jesus was still on earth decades
after the crucifixion.
J. Macchio traces the path of Jesus to India, relying and quoting
from Kersten’s book Jesus Lived in India. About the Kashmir
tomb Macchio writes:
"the
very fact that Jesus, tomb is visited by Moslems, Hindus and
Buddhists as well as Christians, shows us that Jesus is revered
in the East as a universal prophet and teacher whose doctrines
are considered applicable within the context of several religions." |
Like many of other authors, Macchio is of the opinion that Jesus
also traveled to India as a youth, and learned eastern mysticism,
Hindu philosophy and other spiritual concepts. As mentioned before,
the identification of Jesus as an eastern man, who brought Hindu
and Buddhist concepts into Palestine and later returned to that
mystical place called India, is gaining popularity among Western
writers, especially among the New Age circles.
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Other
Publications
Jesus Son of Mary - Qazi Muhammad Barkatullah,
Philadelphia, USA, 1972
The
Tomb of Jesus - Sufi Motiur Rehman Bengali, 1946
A small booklet
summarizing Ahmadiyya Muslim Beliefs and an overview of the history
of the tomb at Srinagar.
Crumbling of the Cross -Mumtaz Ahmad Faruqi, Lahore 1973.
This book is
essentially an abridged form of Jesus in Heaven on Earth, with no
new significant information.
Jesus did not Perish on the Cross (Jesus Nicht am
Kreuz gestorben) - Kurt Berna. Zurich, Switzerland, 1975.
This is an English translation of the original German book published
in 1962. The author reaches the conclusion that Jesus did not die
on the cross based on the blood stain evidence on the Shroud.
Testimony
of the Shroud - Rodney Hoare, New York, USA, 1979
An account of the blood stain evidence on the Shroud of Turin, concluding
only a body capable of generating heat, therefore a living body,
was wrapped in the Shroud. The author believes he died shortly thereafter,
or less likely, traveled to Pakistan or even as far as North America.
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Jesus among the Lost Sheep - Aziz A Chaudhry, London, UK,
1992
A book summarizing Ahmadiyya Muslim beliefs on the account of Jesus’
journey to Kashmir.
The paper would not be complete without mentioning the scholarly
contributions of the late Sheikh Abdul Qadir, a Pakistani who published
a series of articles throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. His articles
appeared in such magazines as The Review of Religions, The Muslim
Herald, Al-Furqan and Al-Fazl.
The titles of some of his articles were, “Last Verse of Mark’s
Gospel”, “Discovery of a New Coptic Gospel”, “Mary,
Mother of Jesus, in the East”, “Bhavishya Maha Purana”,
“Messiah in the East”, “History of the Tomb of
Yuz Asaf”, “The Odes of Solomon.” Much of his
research was summarized in his speech delivered at the London Conference
in 1978.
The article “Mary, Mother of Jesus, in the East” will
be described in more detail since it is a topic that is not addressed
as often. It appeared in the January 1964 edition of The Review
of Religions. The Quran states that both Jesus and his mother Mary
were made a sign, and given refuge on an elevated land. Like the
situation with Jesus, the whereabouts of Mary after the event of
the crucifixion has been a mystery.
Some traditions relate she was taken unto Heaven, since no tomb
of Mary has ever been described in the Palestine or neighboring
regions. Another early Christian tradition (from St Epiphinius,
315-403 A.D) relates that Mary was entrusted under the care of the
disciple John, and traveled with him to Asia (Parthia). The apocryphal
Acts of Philip also relates John’s departure eastward to Parthia.
It appears that due to intense persecution by the Jews in the Roman
Empire, Jesus’ disciples migrated eastward to Parthia, where
presumably they caught up with Jesus himself. The apocryphal work
Pistis Sophia also mentions Mary was with Jesus on earth some eleven
years after the crucifixion.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir continues to reconstruct Mary’s travels
with references to such works as Rauzat-us-Safa, which states Mary
accompanied Jesus during his travels. Another work is Bihar-ul-Anwar,
(appears to be based on Christian traditions) which mentions Mary
with Jesus and other disciples in what is now modern day Iraq. The
first Epistle of Peter in the New Testament also refers to followers
of Jesus in Babylon (Iraq).
Finally, Sheikh Abdul Qadir discusses the tomb of Mary that does
exist in Murree, Pakistan, though another tomb has been identified
in Kashgar as belonging to Mary. Further archaeological research
can disclose the truth.
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Publications
Opposing The Jesus in India Theory
The Essene Odyssey- Hugh Schonfield
1984
A portion of the book is devoted to understanding the origin of
the name “Yuzu Asaf” from Buddhist and Kashmiri sources.
He concludes that the Jewish tomb in Srinagar is likely that of
a great Essene teacher, the name being similar to “Joseph.”
The figure of Yuzu Asaf came to be associated with Jesus and even
the Buddha, due to religious influences over time.
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Strange
Tales about Jesus: A Survey of Unfamiliar Gospels - Per Beskow,
Philadelphia, USA 1985
"The
Ahmadiyya legend is generally supported by references to diverse
Oriental sources, which are said to confirm the theory, but
which in fact do not carry any weight at all."
(Page 63) |
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Jesus’
Tomb in India - Paul Pappas, Berkeley, California, USA 1991
"Although
the Ahmadis claim to have the tomb of Jesus in Srinagar, India,
no historical evidence has been offered to confirm its authenticity
except for questionable works based on oral legends. In addition,
the Ahmadis have failed to produce any archaeological or anthropological
evidence that the grave of Yuz Asaf might be that of Jesus.
Therefore, the Ahmadi thesis is based only on the revelation
of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya
movement." (Page 154)
|
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Jesus
starb nicht in Kashmir, (Jesus did not die in Kashmir). - S. Landmann, Germany 1996.
English translation
not available. |