Jesus From Age 12 To 33???

[A_SIMPLE_MAN]

It's a question that many have pondered yet not ONE religious leader (or relative) has answered...ever. It seems to me that being human, as Jesus was on earth, ages 13 through 32 or even JUST your teens and 20s are some pretty "testy" times in anyone's life. Do you think the Dead Sea Scrolls has the answers yet the Isreali hierarchy refuses to release them all?
This may not seem philosophical but EVERYONE who believes in any "after life" or whatever has had to ponder this question at least once in their life.

[Pathless]

I heard that he went to the zoo for his 12th birthday and got lost somewhere between the elephants and the chimps. Some Brahmin priestes claimed to have caught glimpses of Jesus practicing the act of water-walking on the River Ganges during his late teens. Others said they'd seen him out in the desert on a horse with no name. When he reappeared back in his home neighborhood years later, he smiled broadly, embraced strangers, and had good news for everyone--but they then tried to shut him up with sticks and stones. I do wonder what happened in those in-between times...?

[wil]

Originally Posted by A_SIMPLE_MAN

Do you think the Dead Sea Scrolls has the answers yet the Isreali hierarchy refuses to release them all?

hmmm First we make a statement on the Judaic board that Jesus is the greatest man to walk the earth...then ask if not he, who...Judas?? Then here indicate that those Israeli's are potentially withholding valuable information from you.

I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, I would like you to know that this is an interfaith board and your current direction could be easily misconstrued...

It would benefit you to clear your name in this regard, indicate that this isn't some witch hunt against Jews...that you do not have an agenda here, but are actually seeking discussion and information.

[dauer]

ASM,

if you look into some of the stuff that's been uncovered in Israel I think you'll find that most of the scholarship on ancient non-canonical texts and archaeology is of the detached, critical Western kind. There's the occasional group looking to support its own biases, but that happens both from Jews and from Christians. IMO it's much better to dig for what can be found instead of beginning with assumptions and seeking justifications for them.

Dauer

[China Cat Sunflower]

There isn't enough good information for me to decide whether or not Jesus was even an actual person, much less know what he may have been up to during the period you mention. I think I'm with Dauer here. It's better to start with what's extant and work outward rather than begin with the mythology and try to align the facts from there. It doesn't do much for one's belief system, but it's the only objective way to proceed.

Chris

[juantoo3]

Kindest Regards, Simple Man, welcome to CR!

Originally Posted by A_SIMPLE_MAN

It's a question that many have pondered yet not ONE religious leader (or relative) has answered...ever.

Actually, there are a number of answers out there, and even these answers conflict.

Originally Posted by A_SIMPLE_MAN

It seems to me that being human, as Jesus was on earth, ages 13 through 32 or even JUST your teens and 20s are some pretty "testy" times in anyone's life.

Point being?

Originally Posted by A_SIMPLE_MAN

Do you think the Dead Sea Scrolls has the answers yet the Isreali hierarchy refuses to release them all?

No. The Israeli scholars who held a portion of the Scrolls in trust made them available to general scholarship almost from the beginning, going back as far as the 1950's. The Catholic scholars that held the remainder in trust were a bit more stingy, only releasing what they held in trust to general scholarship about 10 years or so ago, mid 1990's. In the English translation I have in my collection there is no direct mention of Jesus / Yashua. I have heard some suggest that He might be the Teacher of Righteousness mentioned in a few texts, but considering those scrolls predate the birth of Jesus by about a hundred years I think that is stretching the connection just a bit. BTW, there is absolutely nothing within the Scrolls concerning the "missing years" of Jesus.

Originally Posted by A_SIMPLE_MAN

This may not seem philosophical but EVERYONE who believes in any "after life" or whatever has had to ponder this question at least once in their life.

Why should "EVERYONE who believes in any 'after life'" ponder this question? Not everyone who believes in any form of afterlife believes in Jesus, nor do they all consider Him as any more than just another teacher of wisdom.

Presuming on my part that your line of questioning is sincere, there are two "myths" I have heard: one is that He traveled to India, and there are reasons given to back it up (which I am less inclined to agree with). The other is that He traveled with his maternal uncle who was a tin merchant to the South of England. This is supported by the myth called "the Traditions of Glastonbury." This can be found under that name here at CR and on the web, if you are sincere in pursuing this line of thought.

Shalom.

[Neemai]

Originally Posted by A_SIMPLE_MAN

It's a question that many have pondered yet not ONE religious leader (or relative) has answered...ever.

A number of people have offered possible answers to the question - it has often been said that Jesus visited India for example:

http://www.salagram.net/Jesus-Went-To-India.htm
The Lost Years of Jesus: The Life of Saint Issa - Notovitch

The Book of Mormon also claims that Christ visited America after his resurrection and revealed himself to the Nephites, to whom he preached the gospel and for whom he founded a church. The Nephites were eventually destroyed by the Lamanites in a great battle near Palmyra, New York, around AD 428.

BBC - Religion & Ethics - Beliefs: Jesus Christ

It's an interesting topic to explore!

... Neemai