Gospel Of Titus

Image: Titus Flavius

(Conspiracy Nation, 05/20/05) -- A new book fleshes out Philip K. Dick's pronouncement that "The empire never ended."

In his 1981 book VALIS, Mr. Dick related his personal revelation of how the Roman empire never ended and how we are still enslaved by it. "The Empire is the institution, the codification, of derangement; it is insane and imposes its insanity on us by violence, since its nature is a violent one," wrote Dick. Substantiation for the theory of prevalent Roman infestation is found in the 2005 book, Caesar's Messiah by Joseph Atwill. There, Mr. Atwill shows how the imperial Flavian family, assisted by turncoat historian Josephus bar Matthias, invented a pacifist god as a trick to undermine Jewish zealots. If Atwill's theory is correct, Christians are actually worshipping the Roman emperor Titus Flavius Vespasianus (39 - 81 A.D.) (image, left)

Atwill's research and argument are impressive. Critics have yet to respond to his theory of Christianity as a major propaganda coup. It could be, a la Charles Fort, that Atwill's work will simply be "damned" (ignored). On the other hand, anti-God forces might embrace the book and promote an erroneous conclusion that "God is dead." (God is not dead; Nietzsche is dead.)
       Titus: "Son of God"
 CAVEAT LECTOR: FAINT OF HEART, READ NO FURTHER.

The Jewish Revolt

After the death of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian conqueror's empire was divided amongst his generals. The descendant of one of these generals, Antiochus IV, began his reign in Judea in 169 B.C. To subdue the region culturally, he installed puppet priests into the Jewish religion. Antiochus even dared to violate the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum which housed the Ark of the Covenant. (The Ark itself was probably long gone at that time, transported for safekeeping centuries earlier to Ethiopia. See "Israel Wants Ark Back?" http://www.shout.net/~bigred/Ark.htm )

The heavy-handed tactics of Antiochus IV caused an uprising, led by the Maccabee family. After a twenty year struggle, they prevailed. But by 65 B.C. a civil war involving rival Maccabee factions had erupted. Antipater the Edomite, father of Herod, conspired with Rome to intervene in Judea. Rome arrived "to restore order" and by 40 B.C. the Herodian family were entrenched as Rome's puppet government.

Thereafter arose the Sicarii (Zealots), common Jews who sought to restore "Eretz Israel." By 66 A.D. the Sicarii had driven out the Romans. The Roman emperor Nero sent one of his generals, Vespasian, into Judea to regain control. Accompanying Vespasian was his son, Titus. When Nero was overthrown early during Vespasian's campaign, he returned to Rome and became the new emperor. Titus remained in Judea to crush the rebels.

Court Historians

"History is written by the victors," is a well-known saying. Following a shift in power, unethical scribes tend to congregate around whoever rules. These dishonest intellectuals receive status and material advantage in return for writing so-called histories favorable to the status quo. Among savvy students of history, such traitors to Truth are sneeringly called "court historians."

After Titus and his Roman army finally obliterated the Jewish revolt, at Masada, in 73 A.D., plans were made to prevent further uprisings. The situation was examined and it was noticed that the Zealots had been inspired by a promised Messiah who would make the Jews invincible. Roman intellectuals hit upon the idea of creating a peaceful Messiah. Furthermore, a subtlety was inserted into the incipient propaganda which caused followers of the new religion to unwittingly worship Caesar as a god, something the Jews had heretofore adamantly refused to do. "The actual Jesus that Christians have unwittingly worshiped for 2,000 years," writes Atwill, "was Titus Flavius."

Assisting the propaganda blitz was an odd character, Josephus bar Matthias, who had been a leader of the Jewish revolt. This Josephus, in spite of having been a bitter enemy of Rome, somehow became adopted into the royal Flavian family itself! Henceforth he was known as Flavius Josephus, son of Caesar, and was a resident of the Flavian court at Rome. There he wrote War of the Jews (a.k.a. The Jewish War), an approved description of the Jewish Revolt of 66 - 73 A.D. His "history" gives us virtually "all that we know regarding the social context of the New Testament." Sicarii literature from the time was most likely destroyed. Nihil obstat.

Parallel Propaganda

In tandem with Josephus, Flavian intellectuals wrote much of the New Testament, if Atwill is correct. The Gospels were cunningly devised to be "corroborated" by Josephus' "history." In the Flavian Testament, Roman soldiers are "devout" and God-fearing (Acts 10: 1-2). Christians are encouraged to pay their taxes (Romans 13: 2-6). The Messiah is not violent: his Kingdom is "not of this earth" and he advises his followers to "turn the other cheek." Christianity, Roman in its worldview, is an imperialistic religion "destined to conquer."

Rome itself, supposedly a center of Christian persecution, somehow almost immediately became the headquarters of the new religion. Simon, a Jewish rebel leader, upon capture in Judea was transported to Rome. His nickname, "Peter," was a Roman joke related to his capture. He had been captured with a group of stonecutters who had been trying to dig an escape tunnel out of a besieged Jerusalem. Hence Simon became called "Peter," meaning "Rock." "Peter," after being humiliated and executed in Rome, was succeeded in the papacy by a member of the Flavian family. Although there is official Catholic dispute, as to whether Pope Clement I was the second or the fourth Pontifex Maximus, Atwill shows that it was indeed the Flavian Clement who immediately followed "Peter" as chief of the new religion.

Roman emperors were commonly apotheosized following their deaths and became official "gods." After Caesar Vespasian died, his son and successor Titus campaigned to have his father deified. Titus thereby became "son of god." Atwill notices how Titus' military campaign through Judea parallels Jesus' ministry: both begin in Galilee and end in Jerusalem.

Atwill is amazed at how transparent the Roman propaganda scheme is and at how it has been largely undetected for so long. Some, for example the Cathars, were repulsed by the thought of praying before a Roman torture device, the Crucifix. Most others unwittingly worship this emblem of Roman imperialism. The Flavian propaganda, if Atwill is correct, succeeded beyond the wildest expectations: not only did it divide and pacify the Jews, it later served Roman purposes when its military might began to decline. Here is a challenge to Christianity! Where are the faithful!? Will they dispute this unsettling theory through rational discourse? Will they ignore Atwill's book, and hope no one notices it? Or will they draw their swords, as in days of yore, and smite the "infidels"? Arise, ye Christians, and refute the foe!!

(Caesar's Messiah: The Roman Conspiracy To Invent Jesus by Joseph Atwill. Berkeley: Ulysses Press, 2005. ISBN: 1-56975-457-8)

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