RAISING OF LAZARUS (EL-AZAR-US)
RAISING OF LAZARUS (El-Azar-us)
Before we fully enter this topic, its important to first understand the true meaning of the word “myth.” In the Greek, the etymology of “mythos” leads to: “speech, thought, word, discourse, conversation; story, saga, tale, anything delivered by word of mouth.” The word does not specifically mean that something didn't happen, rather that there is something deeper within the story that can be gleaned. Joseph Campbell said it best when he described a myth as “something that never was, yet always is.”
In ancient Egyptian Myth, Horus the god of the sky and light, son of Osiris, god of the productive force in nature, travels to Bethanu to raise from the dead his murdered father. In this myth, there was also presented two sisters named Meri and Merti, as well as their brother El-Azar-us. The Egyptian name Bethanu means, “house of Anu,” and in its Sumerian origin Anu was the “first among the gods” and was recognized and honored as a god in Egypt. This tale was well known throughout the ancient near-east world. It is from this ancient Egyptian story that the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead originated and was placed among scripture.
In the Christian Gospel myth, the story goes that Jesus traveled to Bethany - a place that did not exist in Palestine in that time period of history - but it is a name that was obviously altered from the Egyptian location of Bethanu. But in John 11:1 (remember, John was not written until c.105-106) it is proclaimed “in the village of Mary and Martha” (the Meri and Merti of the Egyptian tale) “a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany.” Obviously, there was no great attempt to alter the Egyptian name El-Azar-us, probably from the assumption that few but Royalty - and men of power and wealth within the Roman Empire - would even know of this Egyptian story/myth.
According to the Gospels, Jesus did not go directly to Bethany upon hearing that Lazarus was sick. Instead, he responded by saying “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.” Now it seems a bit callus to shrug off a person’s pain if it actually referred to some living person’s suffering. Remaining divinely indifferent, “he (Jesus) abode two days still in the same place where he was.” (John 11:6) Only then did Jesus say to his disciples that he would attend to Lazarus’ “sleep,” and that “I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” (John 11:11) At face value, we have to conclude that the sickness had been “unto death” after all, for in verse 17, it says that Lazarus had “lain in the grave four days already.”
There is much ancient occult meaning behind all these claims that would take too much space to cover in one article, but suffice it to say that it all had to do with pre-physical energies moving into matter manifestation. This was NOT a literal story that was meant the be taken as historical. The “sleep” from which Lazarus was to be “awakened” concerned the four pre-physical states of development into form/matter/Life. This meaning is confirmed in verse 16 where it relates, “Then said Thomas, which is called Didymos (in Greek: the twin/Gemini), unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” So obviously, THIS part has been averted from most church sermons on Sunday mornings.
Now ask yourself, why the curious use of the word “which” in reference to Thomas instead of the word who? And the suggestion of doubting Thomas Didymus saying they should go that they “might die with him” is comprehensible only when one knows the ancient teachings on the energies of Creation - the original intent of the story (esoterically/metaphysically). A hint of the answer is the fact that the word Didymus refers to the Zodiac sign Gemini, the twins, and represented the ancient lessons of mental matter. Therefore the “grave” in which Lazarus had allegedly lain “four days already” is occult terminology for the energy planes out of which form/matter/Life is risen.
Further clarification is provided in stating that the “grave” of Lazarus “was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.” (John 11:38) In ancient teachings on Creation, the pre-matter energy planes - the void out of which Creation takes place - were always allegorized as a cave. The stone that is said to lay upon it simply symbolizes this dimension of Creation activity that we experience as physical Life. Jesus was born in a cave, Jesus was placed in a tomb/cave ... and Jesus resurrected (was born again) from this cave. It is all symbolism. All of it.
Christianity is a conglomerate of hidden ancient Truths, Celestial Zodiacal cycles made godly ... Astrotheology, Cosmogony, myth, and metaphor. Read ... research. Don't rely on me or anyone else for your spiritual lessons and evolution. The Truth always lay hidden in the sands. Dig, and you will uncover much symbolism meant for esoteric revelation.
Just a thought ...
Justin Taylor, ORDM.