An

alternative essay on Jesus, Flavius Josephus, the Essenes and the

origins of Christianity:
A synopsis of the book Jesus: a Myth with Multiple Sources (in French)

WHO IS BANNOUS?
Bannous is a disciple of John the Baptist and the master of Flavius Josephus; he is
mentioned as such in his life (3 lines)

ALLUSION TO BANNOUS IN THE GOSPELS
Certain verses are incomprehensible; among those, the following one which can be found in
Matthew, 3, 8-9 and Luke, 3, 8:
,
,
. (Matthew 3, 89)
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to
yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these stones God
can raise up children for Abraham.
,

. (Luke 3, 8)
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves,
We have Abraham as our father. For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise
up children for Abraham. (common translation)
The problematic words are obviously these stones.
These stones says into Aramaic abanayya
We think that the translator will have read bannay and he will not have understood it.
He will then have thought of abanay these stones.
But Bannay is a name, the name of the master of Flavius Josephus, Bannous. Bannous is not
a Jewish name; one can thus suppose that Bannous was a proselyte. Only then does the
sentence make sense.
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves,
We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of BANNAY God can raise up children
for Abraham.
We believe that in a debate with the Pharisees or others, John the Baptist affirms that the
descendant of the convert is like the descendant of Abraham. Today, it is the opinion of the
synagogue.
This mention is tiny, but it completely changes what one knows about the writing of the
Gospels: Flavius Josephus must have taken part in their writing.

OTHER POSSIBLE ALLUSION TO BANNOUS IN THE GOSPELS
In Mark 3, 2021 and 3, 3135, Jesus family is described as impious; This makes no sense.
We believe that this passage could refer to Bannous conversion to Judaism, and to his
family trying to stop him. What Jesus says is now the profession of faith of a convert.

OTHER ALLUSIONS TO BANNOUS

- The proximity between Bannaya and abnayy (these stones) made us understand that the
nickname of Bannay may have been Peter. It is not possible that two disciples respectively
of John the Baptist and of Jesus are called Peter. Bannous is Peter, Simon Kefa was invented
to clear Bannous.
- The Clementine literature mentions a Peter who was an Essene and who was not a
Christian; we believe he is Bannous.
- The Toldoth Yeshu also mentions a Peter who was not a Christian, we believe it is a
memory of Bannous.
- There are other allusions to Bannous: The Ascension of Isaiah could have represented King
Herod Agrippa I (who prepared war against Rome) under the name of Hezekiah the Just
and his son and successor Herod Agrippa II (who worked with Rome) under the name of
Manasseh, who subdued the forces of evil.
- Bannous resided in Alexandria between 38 and 55. He and his followers translated into
Greek the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and
probably other works that are lost to us. He may also have written the Book of Wisdom.
- Bannous is the one called the Egyptian by Flavius Josephus, who led the anti-Roman revolt
in the year 55.
- The allusion to the tree branches people welcome Jesus with as he enters Jerusalem prove
that this event took place during Sukkot and not during Pesach; James / Bannous was
executed during Sukkot 62.
- Judah Iscariot is a fictional character invented by Flavius Josephus to exonerate Bannous
of the charge of having been a Sicarius. Judah Iscariot is the son of Simon the Sicarius, who
was the son of Judas the Galilean.

ALLUSION TO FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS IN THE GOSPELS
Joseph of Arimathea, in Greek
, may be a nickname for Flavius Josephus: Joseph the Lion (ari in
hebrew) ben Mathias (Mathaias). Mathias is the name of Flavius Josephus father.
But then who was buried by Flavius Josephus? The man must have been executed. The first
answer would be James, the brother of Jesus, but the relationships between James and
Flavius Josephus are unknown. We believe that the man Flavius Josephus buried is
Bannous, and that Bannous (and not James, brother of Christ) was executed by Hanan Ben
Hanan in 62.

CHRONOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THE GOSPELS
Jesus was executed a year after John the Baptist. But according to Flavius Josephus, John the
Baptist was executed during the second quarter of 36. So Jesus was executed in 37. This is
not possible because Caiaphas was removed from the high priesthood in the year 35
(Theophilos ben Hanan became high priest); and Pontius Pilate was dismissed from his
functions as prefect of Judea in the year 36 (for not supporting Herod Antipas against
Aretas IV of Petra?). Pontius Pilate was not replaced due to the death of Emperor Tiberius.
The Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John do not agree on the date of the death of Jesus.
For John, he was executed on the day of the Pessach sacrifice, and according to the Synoptic
Gospels, on the day after the Pessach sacrifice.

CONCLUSION I
The many problems in the Gospels lead us to believe that they were composed between 130
and 140, and that Jesus is a literary myth. But why?

THE CHRISTIANS
No Jesus, no Christians.
My hypothesis is that Christians are Judaizing disciples of Philo of Alexandria (Logos
and bitheism) who wanted to break away from the Sanhedrin of Yavneh, because of
their loyalty to the Roman Empire.
Jesus is a simplification of the doctrine of the Logos of Philo of Alexandria (Jesus has
two natures, as the Logos has two natures; Jesus is the mediator, as the Logos is the
mediator; Jesus saves, as the Logos saves). Jesus is the Logos represented in the form
of a man (see Daniel)
The Jesus Christians believe in is not the Jesus of the Gospels.
The real reasons for the break-up between Jews and Christians:
Greek Judaizing conversions are invalid in the eyes of the Sanhedrin in
Yavneh
Hellenistic Judaism was probably patrilineal, while the rabbis are matrilineal.
The Sanhedrin of Yavneh rejected numerous people of mixed Judeo-Greek
heritage as non-Jews, whereas they were Jews for the Alexandrian Judaism.
Tensions between Rabban Gamaliel and Eliezer ben Hyrcanus are probably allusions
to tensions within the Sanhedrin in relation to the Judaizers and Judeo-Greeks.
Those who supported the break-up followed Rabban Gamaliel and those who called
for conciliation followed Eliezer ben Hyrcanus
Tensions also existed in the Greek world, but in the other direction: the Paulians
represent those who wanted to break away from Yavneh, the Nazarenes or Petrians
those who believed that even in spite of the break-up with Yavneh, Christians must
remain Jews.
Among Judaizers, there also was a trend calling for a complete break-up with
Judaism; they were the future Gnostics and followers of Marcion.
Menahem cursed by Hillel could be an allusion to Josephus or to his unknown
successor.
The Theodore who tried to re-establish the sacrificial cult in Rome is probably
Josephus, and his sect is likely to have developed into Christianity.
The Testament of Job may have been composed by Bannous or composed in his
honour (Bannous may have been from Idumea)
The Therapeutae, who Philo of Alexandria said are the Essenes, and therefore the
Sicarii. Their master Bannous of Alexandria was probably sent by Agrippa to protect
Jewish communities in anticipation of the war against the Romans.

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS AND THE ESSENES
Flavius Josephus told many lies in his works.
He was not a Pharisee, but he claimed the Pharisees (his enemies) were responsible
for the Jewish war, thus exonerating the Essenes.
The Essenes were Sadducees who left Temple service around 75 BC.
Essenes and Sicarii are two names for the same organization.

Hezekiah, Judas of Galilee, Sadok, John the Baptist, Bannous and Flavius Josephus
were all Essenes and Sicarii, not Pharisee extremists.
Flavius Josephus lied to his Roman audience, by saying that the Essenes were
peaceful Jewish Pythagoreans, killed by mistake by the Romans.
The father of Flavius Josephus must have been the high priest Mattathias ben
Theophilos II; Mattathias ben Theophilos I was thus his great-grandfather. The
ancestors of Flavius Josephus must be the general of Judas Maccabeus, named
Mattathias; his other hidden ancestor is probably Diogenes, the executioner of the
Pharisees (the friend of king Alexander Jannaeus, in his works and in the Hymn of
Self-Glorification). In the works of Flavius Josephus, all the illustrious men are still
priests (qohanim).
The names of his ancestors (in his autobiography) are false:
Our patriarch was Simon, who was named Psellus. (Life) The Stutterer is
not correct; the translator confused the Hebrew illem ( )meaning dumb,
unable to speak and by extension stutterer, not attested in ancient Hebrew,
and the word alam ( )meaning to be strong.
Matthias, known as of Epheus. Epheus is not correct; it is probably an error
from Thphlos (), i.e. friends of God (see Hymn, the friends of the
king).
Matthias, surnamed Curtus. Curtus, the Swollen (or Hump-Back), etc. is not
correct; the translator confused the Hebrew given (), the hump-back, and
the word gibor (), the strong one or the mighty one.
In Jewish Antiquities 13, 9, 2, he mentions Simon, son of Dositheus, who was
sent on a mission to Rome; this must be Simon haalam (Fort). Dositheus is
the Greek translation of Mathithiyah. He was probably the general of Judas
Maccabee. (2 Maccabees, 12, 1526)
In Jewish Antiquities 17, 6, 4, he mentions the dream that caused a pollutio
nocturna, which prevented high priest Mattathias ben Theophilos the Elder to
worship one day. He was replaced by one of his family, Joseph son of Ellemos.
Ellemos has no meaning. We think it is a transcription Alam (Strong), the
nickname in use in his family. Joseph son of Ellemos must be the grandfather
of Flavius Josephus.
Diogenos is probably a false name for Mathathias or Josephus

HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE GOSPELS?
The Gospels include several parts:
A life of Bannous was recycled into a life of Jesus (including some episodes: The
Sermon on the Mountain; The Curse of the Pharisees; The eschatological discourse,
etc.; The resurrection of the daughter / son of Jairus (Eleazar the Sicarius); The
exorcism of Legion; The Simon announcing the destiny of Jesus in Luke probably
should match the Essene Simon mentioned in the works of Flavius Josephus; The
quest for disciples by Jesus in Galilee could match the quest for disciples by Bannous
to escape John the Baptist; The life of Bannous written by Josephus must have
contained speeches, overly warlike aspects of Bannous were avoided by Flavius
Josephus to conceal his revolutionary tendencies.

The mysterious man whom John the Baptist feels unworthy of is Herod Agrippa I.
We say this because of the similarity between the dove descending on Jesus and the
owl alighting on the head of Herod Agrippa during his imprisonment in Rome. We
believe that Herod Agrippa I was murdered by Rome for his military preparations
against Rome. Flavius Josephus could not defend him in his official works.
Most of the miracles by Jesus are performed on the Sabbath, so they do not come
from Flavius Josephus, but from Christians who wanted to suppress the Sabbath.
The sentences said by Jesus could come from a book found by Hermas (Rev. 8: 1-3)
and given to Clement of Rome. They may be the logia translated by Papias of
Hierapolis.
Jesus parables present similarities with the parables of Hermas (The Shepherd);
these parables were composed by Hermas, and recycled in Jesus parables.
Jesus discourse in the Gospel of John presents similarities with the Instructions on
the Two Spirits found at Qumran (Jesus = the spirit of truth and Satan = the spirit of
perversion)
Jesus conviction relates to the narrative of Flavius Josephus on the destruction of
the Temple (Pontius Pilate wants to save Jesus as Titus wants to save the Temple.
Jesus will be killed despite Pontius Pilate as the Temple will be destroyed despite
Titus).
The claim that the Jews killed Jesus (or are responsible for his death) aims to
exonerate Titus from the destruction of the Temple (in the Talmud, referring to the
conflict between Yavneh and Greek Judaizers who are accused of having abandoned
Jerusalem to the fury of the Roman Legions).
The intervention of Pilates wife to save Jesus is an allusion to Berenice of Judaea,
who was the mistress of the Emperor Titus and who certainly intervened to save the
Temple.
The Eucharist, the multiplication of the bread and the transformation of water into
wine, and the Logos that manifests as life and light are allusions to the Hermetic
Teachings of Alexandria. This helps explain the similarities between the Gospels and
the Corpus Hermeticum. (The nine charisms are another allusion to Hermeticism: the
seven planets, the ogdoad and the ennead which is attainment).
The prologue to John's gospel (1, 15 and 1, 10, 11) are hermetic: manifestation of
the LOGOS as LIFE and as LIGHT (see Corpus Hermeticum I 9, 12 and 17)
The need to believe in Jesus could come from Simon Magus; episodes on the
adulterous woman and the prostitute in the house of the Pharisee are allusions to
Helen of Tyre, the wife of Simon Magus.
The successful resurrection of Jesus is to combat the failed resurrection of Simon
Magus, but that his disciples could present as successful.
The claim that Jesus descended from King David aims at fighting the Rabbis of
Yavneh who claimed descent from King David.
The claim that Jesus is the Messiah is to prevent people from following other false
messiahs like Simon Bar Kochba.
Several passages in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles aim to ridicule or belittle
Peter (Bannous) and John the Baptist while exalting Jesus.

Some of Jesus miracles were also performed by Emperor Vespasian (To compare
Suetonius The twelve caesars 7 and Tacitus, Histories, Book 4, 81; with Mark 8, 22
27 / 3, 16 / 2, 112, Matthew 9, 2731 and 9, 18; Luke 5, 1726 and John 9, 141.)
The anointing of Bethany is similar at chapter 111112 of Satyricon by Petronius,
etc.

CONCLUSION
Jesus did not exist as he is a theological concept represented in human form.
If Jesus existed, the Gospels do not tell his life. His life and his speeches are from Bannous,
his parables from Hermas, his logia from the Essenes, his death refers to the destruction of
the Temple, his resurrection alludes to Henoch, etc.
Christianity must be defined as a neo-Judaism which abolished the commandments that the
Greeks did not like (Sabbath, circumcision, kashrut, etc.) and which is faithful to the Roman
Empire.
The primitive tendencies that were used to create Christianity are:

1 The Logos worship that comes from the philosophy of Philo of Alexandria;
2 Fear of Gnosticism and especially of the teachings of Simon Magus;
3 Hermeticist Jews or the primitive Sethian Gnosis (we think they did not long remain
Christian and eventually returned to Judaism; the Merkabah meditations must be
attributed to their successors);
4 Romans essenians with Flavius Josephus and Hermas;
5 Note that in the Gospels, we feel a tension between Philonians who believe in the
FATHER and the LOGOS and Essenes who believe in the FATHER and the HOLY
SPIRIT. This tension was solved when the dogma of the Trinity was established, after
170.



Stephan HOEBEECK
author of
JESUS UN MYTHE AUX SOURCES MULTIPLES
ESH-DITIONS

http://www.amazon.fr/Jsus-mythe-aux-sources-multiples/dp/2805300203/ref