This information comes from our book, Following Philo, available for purchase in late November, 2015.

---

 

In June, 2015, we visited Rome to photograph the Pyramid of Cestius to include in Following Philo. While there, we followed a hunch to a little-known ancient artifact, a Tomb covered in enigmatic inscriptions and reliefs. These clues were easily decoded using Philo's Method, and they lead to an evidence-supported, "beyond a reasonable doubt" fact:

 

The remains of the man called "Iesous the Nazarean"

and the woman called "The Magdalene" were once inside.

 

Whether they remain inside is not known - except, perhaps, by a select few "insiders" - but some outsiders believe they do. We choose to withhold judgment for now, but we're hopeful our book will generate enough interest that scholars will at least demand an examination by ground-penetrating radar.

 

This tomb, discovered in the nineteenth century, was buried and unseen for more than fourteen hundred years. The very fact that someone saw the need to bury it should have raised suspicions. However, the estimated date of its construction points to an earlier period; therefore, no one suspected that the messages on it - including three clearly-visible crosses - were to be associated with The Nazarean and The Magdalene.

 

Most sources date the tomb’s construction to c. 50-20 BCE. However, after examining the evidence through Philo’s lens, we became convinced that the dating is off by more than one hundred years. Another week of research led to a book written by an English archaeologist who specialized in ancient architecture. His comments are edited in order to preserve the secrets of the Tomb until Following Philo is released to the public:

 

"The tomb was much mutilated, and the second inscription had to be collected from fragments..."

"These fragments and the figures are built into the wall on the opposite side of the road..."

"An excellent account of this tomb was published ...at the time it was excavated, with engravings of the plan, elevations, and sculptures."

"A very early date was at first assigned to it ... the time of the Republic, but it must be near the end of it; the construction is evidently of later character than some of the aqueducts."

"The material is travertine and tufa, the sculpture also is too good for the early part of the Republic. "

"The outer end of the tomb has been destroyed, the fragments ... have been preserved as mentioned..."

"In the centre of this outer end were the figures of [a man and his wife] ..."

 

The author notes that a marble relief portrait of a man wearing a toga and tunic and a woman wearing a palla and tunic, were also found at this site. The female head was stolen in 1934 after the grainy photo (Following Philo, p. 298) was taken, and the relief was later lost, an unexpected tragedy for a city known for religiously preserving its ancient artifacts, whether Christian or Pagan.

These observations coincide with and add to ours and enigmatic evidence – not recognized by the author – dates the Tomb’s construction to c. 74-75 CE, the year "The Magdalene" died in Rome. Her husband died two or three years later.

 

---

Return to The Nazarene Way main menu

The Nazarene Way of Essenic Studies
Email us at: Comments@TheNazareneWay.com
Join our Essene Holy Communions email list
Visit The Essene Book Store
Sign our Guest Book!