Knut Haugland: A real-life adventure story
He fought the Nazis. He braved the Pacific. And he hated being called a hero. Jonathan Brown looks at the extraordinary career of Knut Haugland, the last Kon-Tiki survivor
Monday, 28 December 2009
The Independent Close
Adventure stories rarely come more epic than that of Knut Haugland, the Norwegian resistance fighter who died on Christmas Day at the age of 92. His exploits were already the stuff of legend even before he joined Thor Heyerdahl's crew aboard his balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki. Together they not only conquered the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean using only the most primitive of technologies – but in doing so, they helped rejuvenate the crushed spirit of human endeavour in the bleak aftermath of the Second World War.
A heavily decorated commando who escaped three times from the clutches of the Nazis, his bravery and endurance gave rise to one of the most enduring legends of the Second World War – one retold in spectacular style in a Hollywood movie.
Yesterday Haugland's successor as director of the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, where thousands flock each year to relive the optimism and excitement of that intrepid voyage, announced that the former radio operator had succumbed to natural causes in a city hospital, closing the final chapter on an extraordinary life.
Haugland's death, following that of Heyerdahl himself in 2002, marks the passing of the last of the six-man crew that set sail from Callao in Peru in April 1947, bound several thousand nautical miles for the far-flung islands of Polynesia based on little more than an anthropological hunch. That journey set a new benchmark for modern adventurers, spawning an international best-selling book published in 66 languages and an Oscar-winning film in which Haugland played himself. It also helped popularise Heyerdahl's passionately held belief that the great oceans had been highways and not barriers for the movement of ancient seafaring civilisations.
Haugland's role aboard the Kon-Tiki was that of radio operator, keeping the outside world aware of the raft's stately progress during the long drift westwards on the currents off South America. He had trained in the technology before the war and fought against the invading German forces until Hitler's troops overran Norway in 1940. Under occupation the then 23-year-old gave the impression of having settled down as an Oslo factory worker but was in fact a major figure in the Norwegian resistance movement. His first brush with the Nazi authorities came in August 1941 when he was arrested but escaped. In exile, he joined the Norwegian Independent Company, a celebrated band of patriotic Nordic fighters assembled under the auspices of the newly-formed British Special Operations Executive which was planning raids in occupied northern Europe. Key to the British strategy was the establishment of a network of radio sets and operators allowing for the co-ordination of anti-Nazi operations.
The most famous of these became known as the Norwegian Heavy Water Sabotage – an ambitious raid on the Norsk Hydro Rjukan plant at Vermork. The operation provided the sensational plot line for Anthony Mann's 1965 film The Heroes of Telemark, starring Kirk Douglas and Richard Harris. Appropriately enough it was being broadcast once again on the BBC yesterday as news of Haugland's death was announced.
Yet Haugland was always unhappy with the depiction of events in the film and particularly the use of the word hero. "I never use that word about myself or my friends. We just did a job," he said in one of his last interviews to mark the 60th anniversary of the raid. "Forty-one men were killed and it could have been avoided. Because of the loss of life you shouldn't glorify the story."
The plan of action grew out of Allied fears that the Nazis were preparing to build their own atomic bomb. One of the key components in the production process was deuterium oxide, otherwise known as heavy water. The hydro plant at Vermork provided the Germans with a ready supply as a by-product of local fertilizer production capable of manufacturing 12 tons of the stuff a year. Before the war the French had carried away much of the reserves but while the hydro plant was still operable the threat remained.
In November 1942 a forward party of four local resistance fighters, including Haugland, was parachuted onto the Norwegian wilderness from where they would ski to a base close to the plant. It was their task to report back to the British after memorising the blueprint of the facility. This first phase was codenamed Operation Grouse and was achieved successfully. But the second phase – Operation Freshman – was a disaster. Despite the harshness of the Nordic terrain and savage weather, the British planned to land two gliders packed with Royal Engineers and members of the 1st Parachute Regiment on a frozen lake. They took off from Wick in Caithness pulled by Halifax bombers. One plane and both gliders crashed with much loss of life. The crew that were not killed outright were interrogated by the Gestapo before being put to death.
The failure not only alerted the Germans to the importance of the heavy water site, but also consigned the Norwegian advance party to a gruelling winter on the remote Hardanger Plateau where they were forced to endure temperatures of minus 20F. Food was so short they resorted to eating the contents of a reindeer's stomach. Haugland's job was to keep in contact with the British using a radio he had fashioned from a stolen fishing rod and an old car battery. Each morning at 1am he would make contact, often unable to control the chattering of his teeth.
The final phase of the sabotage began in February 1943. Named after SOE head Sir Charles Hambro's favourite grouse shooting moor, Operation Gunnerside saw a further six Norwegian commandos parachuted into the target area. Luck played its part and the two groups were united, launching their assault on the now heavily mined and floodlit plant. To bypass the exposed bridge which led to the plant they waded through snow and forded an icy river before scaling a sheer ravine side to reach their target via an old railway line. In the end the cells producing the heavy water were blown up without a shot being fired. The Norwegians made their way back to the plateau undetected, leaving behind a British gun to divert suspicion from the local resistance, including the mole working inside the hydro plant.
Three thousand Germans were involved in the hunt for the saboteurs and though it was revealed that the Nazi high command had not in fact been planning to build a bomb, the operation came to be regarded as a triumph of its kind.
After surviving this, the perils of the Pacific held little fear for Haugland. He had first met Heyerdahl at a military training camp in Britain in 1944 where he had fled once more after another close scrape with the Gestapo. Sufficiently impressed with the anthropologist's powerful personality and controversial theories on Polynesian migration patterns, he agreed to join the expedition, taking a break from a military career which was to see him rise to the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring from his position as head of the Norwegian Resistance Museum in 1983. In 1947, the desire to sail across the Pacific baffled many in a world still mourning the deaths of thousands of mariners who lost their lives in oil-choked seas during the war. Yet few could resist the spirit of resurgent individualism and heroic adventure which the Kon-Tiki project embodied, even if many were baffled by Heyerdahl's devotion to the idea that New World mariners had populated Polynesia from the east rather than the west.
The raft itself was named after a mythical seafarer who, according to the Aymara Indians of Lake Titicaca in modern-day Bolivia, had set sail over the horizon never to be seen again. Despite the reliance on primitive technology – the raft was built by the men on the dockside based on drawings dating back to the time of the conquistadores – the expedition allowed itself the luxury of a hand-cranked radio. Haugland spent much of the 101 days at sea briefing the outside world. The voyage came to a halt when the vessel was grounded on a reef off Raroia Island, part of the Tuamotu group, some 3,770 nautical miles from the Peruvian coast. They were eventually rescued from the tiny islet after several days, and taken back to Tahiti by a French schooner. An expedition which included Heyerdahl's grandson duplicated the voyage in 2006.
Joseph Smith,Jr.
Given by Joseph Smith, Sr., Patriarch of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, to his son on December 9, 1834. Joseph Smith, junior was born in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, December 23, 1805.
Joseph, my son, I lay my hands upon thy head in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to confirm upon thee a father's blessing. The Lord thy God has called thee by name out of the heavens: thou hast heard his voice from on high from time to time, even in thy youth. The hand of the angel of his presence has been extended toward thee by which thou hast been lifted up and sustained; yea, the Lord has delivered thee from the hands of thine enemies and thou hast been made to rejoice in his salvation:
thou hast sought to know his ways, and from thy childhood thou hast meditated much upon the great things of his law. Thou hast suffered much in thy youth, and the poverty and afflictions of thy father's family have been a grief to thy soul. Thou hast desired to see them delivered from bondage, for thou hast loved them with a perfect love. Thou hast stood by thy father, and like Shem, would have covered his nakedness, rather than see him exposed to shame: when the daughters of the Gentiles laughed, thy heart has been moved with a just anger to avenge thy kindred. Thou hast been an obedient son: the commands of thy father and the reproofs of thy mother, thou hast respected and obeyed - for all these things the Lord my God will bless thee. Thou hast been called, even in thy youth to the great work of the Lord: to do a work in this generation which no man would do as thyself, in all things according to the will of the Lord. A marvelous work and a wonder has the Lord wrought by thy hand, even that which shall prepare the way for the remnants of his people to come in among the Gentiles, with their fulness, as the tribes of Israel are restored.
I bless thee with the blessings of thy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and even the blessings of thy father Joseph, the son of Jacob. Behold, he looked after his posterity in the last days, when they should be scattered and driven by the Gentiles, and wept before the Lord: he sought diligently to know from whence the son should come who should bring forth the word of the Lord, by which they might be enlightened, and brought back to the true fold, and his eyes beheld thee, my son: his heart rejoiced and his soul was satisfied, and he said, As my blessings are to extend to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills, as my father's blessing prevailed above the blessings of his progen[i]tor, and as my branches are to run over the wall, and my seed are to inherit the choice land whereon the Zion of God shall stand in the last days, from among my seed, scattered with the Gentiles, shall a choice Seer arise whose bowles shall be as a fountain of truth, whose loins shall be girded with the girdle of righteousness, whose hands shall be lifted with acceptance before the God of Jacob to turn away his anger from his annointed, whose heart shall meditate great wisdom, whose intelligence shall circumscribe and comprehend the deep things of God, and whose mouth shall utter the law of the just: His feet shall stand upon the neck of his enemies, and he shall walk upon the ashes of those who seek his destruction: with wine and oil shall he be sustained, and he shall feed upon the heritage of Jacob his father: the just shall desire his society, and the upright in heart shall be his companions: No weapon formed against him shall prosper, and though the wicked mar him for a little season, he shall be like one rising up in the heat of wine - he shall roar in his strength, and the Lord shall put to flight his
persecutors: he shall be blessed like the fruitful olive, and his memory shall be as sweet as the choice cluster of the first ripe grapes. Like a shief fully ripe, gathered into the garner, so shall he stand before the Lord, having produced a hundred fold. Thus spake my father Joseph.
Therefore, my son, I know for a surety that those things will be fulfilled, and I confirm upon thee all these blessings.
Thou shalt like to do the work which the Lord shall command thee: Thou shalt hold the Keys of this ministry, even the presidency of this church, both in time and in eternity. Thy heart shall be enlarged, and thou shalt be able to fill up the measure of thy days according to the will of the Lord. Thou shalt speak the word of the Lord and the earth shall tremble; the mountains shall move and the rivers shall turn out of their course. Thou shalt escape the edge of the sword, and put to flight the armies of the wicked. At thy word the lame shall walk, the deaf shall hear and the blind shall see. Thou shalt be gathered to Zion and in the goodly land thou shalt enjoy thine inheritance; thy children and thy children's children to the latest generation; for thy name and the names of thy posterity shall be recorded in the book of the Lord, even in the book of blessings and genealogies, for their joy and benefit forever. And now, my son, what more shall I say? Thou art as a fruitful olive and a choice vine: thou shalt be laden with precious fruit.
Thousands and tens of thousands shall come to a knowledge of the truth through thy ministry, and thou shalt rejoice with them in the Celestial
Kingdom:
Thou shalt stand upon the earth when it shall reel to and fro as a drunken man, and be removed out of its place: thou shalt stand when the mighty judgments go forth to the destruction of the wicked: thou shalt stand on Mount Zion when the tribes of Jacob come shouting from the north, and with thy brethren, the sons of Ephraim, crown them in the name of Jesus Christ: Thou shalt see thy Redeemer come in the clouds of heaven, and with the just receive the hallowed throng with shouts of hallalujahs, praise the Lord. Amen
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press Writer – Wed Dec 30, 8:28 am ET
MOSCOW – Russia's space chief said Wednesday his agency will consider sending a spacecraft to a large asteroid to knock it off its path and prevent a possible collision with Earth.
Anatoly Perminov said the space agency will hold a meeting soon to assess a mission to Apophis, telling Golos Rossii radio that it would invite NASA, the European Space Agency, the Chinese space agency and others to join the project once it is finalized.
When the 270-meter (885-foot) asteroid was first discovered in 2004, astronomers estimated the chances of it smashing into Earth in its first flyby in 2029 were as high as 1-in-37.
Further studies ruled out the possibility of an impact in 2029, when the asteroid is expected to come no closer than 18,300 miles (29,450 kilometers) above Earth's surface, but they indicated a small possibility of a hit on subsequent encounters.
In October, NASA lowered the odds that Apophis could hit Earth in 2036 from a 1-in-45,000 as earlier thought to a 1-in-250,000 chance after researchers recalculated the asteroid's path. It said another close encounter in 2068 will involve a 1-in-330,000 chance of impact.
Scientists have long theorized about asteroid deflection strategies. Some have proposed sending a probe to circle around a dangerous asteroid to gradually change its trajectory. Others suggested sending a spacecraft to collide with the asteroid and alter its momentum, or using nuclear weapons to hit it.
Without mentioning NASA findings, Perminov said that he heard from a scientist that Apophis is getting closer and may hit the planet. "I don't remember exactly, but it seems to me it could hit the Earth by 2032," Perminov said.
He wouldn't disclose any details of the project, saying they still need to be worked out. But he said the mission wouldn't require any nuclear explosions.
Hollywood action films "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon," have featured space missions scrambling to avoid catastrophic collisions. In both movies space crews use nuclear bombs in an attempt to prevent collisions.
"Calculations show that it's possible to create a special purpose spacecraft within the time we have, which would help avoid the collision without destroying it (the asteroid) and without detonating any nuclear charges," Perminov said. "The threat of collision can be averted."
"People's lives are at stake. We should pay several hundred million dollars and build a system that would allow to prevent a collision, rather than sit and wait for it to happen and kill hundreds of thousands of people," he added.
Boris Shustov, the director of the Institute of Astronomy under the Russian Academy of Sciences, hailed Perminov's statement as a signal that officials had come to recognize the danger posed by asteroids.
"Apophis is just a symbolic example, there are many other dangerous objects we know little about," he said, according to RIA Novosti news agency.
Divers explore Mayan ruins in Guatamalan lake
Divers probe Mayan ruins submerged in volcanic lake in Guatemala
Credit: New Media, Universidad Francisco MarroquÃn
Samabaj, the first underwater archaeological ruins excavated in Guatemala, were discovered accidentally 12 years ago
Source: New Media, Universidad Francisco MarroquÃn | Samabaj: un sitio sumergido en el Lago de Atitlán
| 11-01-2009
Lake Atitlán is a large lake (one that does not flow to the sea) in the Guatemalan Highlands. While Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest lake in Central America, its bottom has not been completely sounded. Estimates of its maximum depth range up to 340 meters.
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Samabaj, the first underwater archaeological ruins excavated in Guatemala, were discovered accidentally 12 years ago by Roberto Samayoa, a local businessman and recreational diver, exploring picturesque Lake Atitlan, ringed by Mayan villages and popular with foreign tourists.
Samayoa, whose grandmother told him legends of a sunken church, dived for years at the lake, often stumbling across pieces of pottery from the Mayan pre-classic period. In 1996, he found the site, with parts of buildings and huge ceremonial stones, known as stelae, clearly visible.
Only recently have professional archeologists taken an interest in investigating these matters, mapping the 400-square-meter (4,300-square-foot) area with sonar technology and excavating structures on a raised part of the lake bed.
Researchers believe this area, 50 feet below the lake's surface, was once an island until a catastrophic event raised water levels around 250 A.D. just before the height of the Mayan empire. The rising lake drowned the buildings and ceramics found intact there suggest the inhabitants left in a hurry.
"We have found six ceremonial monuments and four altars and without doubt there are more, which means this was an extremely important place from a spiritual point of view," lead archaeologist Sonia Medrano told Reuters in an interview.
Britain, Phoenicia's Secret Treasure, and its Conversion to Christianity
The Legendary Tin Mines of Cornwall
When Rome was still a tiny village on the Palatine Hill, Phoenician traders were sailing their ships the length and breadth of the Mediterranean and beyond in search of goods to be sold or traded for a handsome profit. There were great risks in making a long sea voyage and bringing home a valuable cargo, but the enormous profit that could be made from selling the goods made the risks worthwhile. The key was to trade a product that was unique, very desirable, hard to get, or desperately needed for other products that were common in the land of the people with whom you were trading. These products may be rare and desirable someplace else, and the trader now had something with which he could once again make a profit.
Tin was just such a product in the ancient world. Tin was vital to the ancients because it was needed in the making of bronze. Bronze was an alloy, or a mixture of two or more metals. To make bronze, the metal smith mixed copper with the proper amount of tin. Copper tools and weapons by themselves were too soft and did not long remain sharp. Tin made the copper harder and also made the molten metal fill the mold more completely when it was cast into useful objects like axe heads, hammers, and jewelry. So many useful articles were made of bronze in ancient times that no civilization could thrive very long without a supply of it or the copper and tin needed to make it.
The deposits of tin in the ancient world were usually small and not very plentiful. The Phoenicians discovered the tin deposits of the British Isles through their own exploring and seeking out of new products and markets for them. They kept the knowledge of the Cornish tin mines a closely guarded secret so they could control trade in the metal and charge a high price for it. After the Punic wars, Carthage, the one remaining city of the Phoenicians, became less and less an important economic power. With their well - known efficiency and thoroughness, the Romans counted access to the British tin mines as one of the advantages of conquering the island. Julius Caesar knew of the importance of British tin when he invaded the island in 55 to 54 B.C. After the conquest of Britain during the reign of Claudius, the Romans were in control of most of the world's supply of the metal. Hence, the closely guarded treasure secret of Britain's tin passed hands from the Phoenicians to the Romans.
The fact that tin trade existed is too well attested to need proof. Herodotus as early as 445 BC speaks of the British Isles as the Tin Islands or Cassiterides. Pytheas (352-323 BC) mentions the tin trade, as does also Polybius (circa 160). Diodorus Siculus gives a detailed description of the trade. He tells us that the tin was mined, beaten into squares, and carried to an island called Ictis, joined to the mainland at low tide, which is generally held to be Mount St. Michael in Cornwall, although some have identified it with Falmouth. Thence it was shipped to Morlais, and transported across France on pack horses to Marseilles. From Marseilles it was again shipped to Phoenicia. Innumerable ancient workings in Cornwall still attest the trade, and tin is still mined there today. Lord Avebury and Sir John Evans held the opinion that the trade existed as early as 1500 BC, and Sir Edward Creasy in his History of England writes: "The British mines mainly suppled the glorious adornment of Solomon's Temple". This matter ties in very well with the involvement of Phoenician builders with construction of Solomon's Temple.
Travel Between the Eastern Mediterranean and Britain
Before going into the controversial question of Glastonbury, Joseph of Arimathea and the stories or legends which surround it, one needs to stop at a few points to determine some basic givens. Glastonbury is traditionally the first Christian sanctuary in Great Britain, visited, so legend has it, by Joseph of Arimathea and Saints David & Patrick. It has a strong tradition in British history dating back to the time of King Arthur who is said to have been buried at the Abbey beside his lovely wife Queen Guinevere. His body was moved at a later date. Further, at Glastonbury Joseph of Arimathea is said to have planted the Holy Thorn tree which is still growing there today. Also, a holy well is supposed to be still found there.
The strong tradition tying Joseph of Arimathea with Glastonbury and the Phoenician tin trade with Cornwall may have strong thread of truth that ties them together. The only known sailors who came from the Eastern Mediterranean to Britain were Phoenician. Hence, the elementary conclusion is that Joseph of Arimathea, if he really made the trip(s), must have done it on Phoenician ships.
If this hypothesis is accepted, further reading on the subject could be accommodated. However, some claims and details seem far fetched but are presented herewith for your consideration despite their implausibility.
Below, the account is presented as is even though the author does not necessarily agree with this presentation in its totality.
However, for historical reference presents this some what irrefutable point of evidence:
Historians William of Malmesbury, Maelgwyn of Llandaff and Polydore Vergil all place Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury. Even the four Church councils of Pisa 1409, Constance 1417, Sienna 1424 and Basle 1434, mention that "the Churches of France and Spain must yield in points of antiquity and precedence to that of Britain as the latter Church was founded by Joseph of Arimathea immediately after the passion of Christ."
Joseph of Arimathea, Tin Merchant
According to the Talmud, Joseph of Arimathea was said to have been an uncle of the Virgin Mary, being a younger brother of her father. He gained his wealth as an importer in the tin trade, which existed between Cornwall and Phoenicia.
Joseph along with St. John buried Jesus after the crucifixion. Joseph, in the tin trade, made a lot of trips to Britain, where being a rich merchant made close contact with royalty; namely Kings Beli, Lud, Llyr and Arviragus, who gave Joseph and his companions some 2000 acres of land, tax free. Arviragus would become God's "Protectorate" for the Cradle of Christianity, Glastonbury. Caradoc, Pendragon of England, would become God's "Protectorate" of the fledgling English Church.
Joseph of Arimathea was a man of refinement, well educated, and one who possessed many talents, had extraordinary political and business ability. He has been called one of the richest men in the world. He learned about that tin trade from the Phoenicians, which then was akin in importance to that of steel today. They had been bringing ore from England for centuries. Joseph was well educated, a member of the ruling political body of the whole country. In St. Jerome's translation, Joseph's official title is given as 'Nobilis Decurio', a minister of mines for the Roman empire, with direct access to Pilate himself. He was no slouch. How better to protect Jesus, after Joseph the carpenter died, and insure the seeding and growth of the Gospel in England.
The basic story of Joseph's trip to England varies in some details from account to account. But the bare facts are that Joseph, with many disciples traveled from the holy land by Phoenician boat and landed at Marseilles (a Phoenician trading post), in the Vienoise province of the Gauls (France). From there he went on to England established seminaries and sent out missionaries. In his "Ecclesiastical Annals", Cardinal Baronius, Curator of the Vatican library, gives this account. "In that year the party mentioned was exposed to the sea in a vessel without sails or oars. The vessel drifted finally to Marseilles and they were saved. From Marseilles Joseph and his company passed into Britain and after preaching the Gospel there..."
How many of the disciples were with Joseph of Arimathea during his short stay in Gaul, before going on to England, is hard to say. Various existing records agree in part with the Cardinal Baronius record, naming among the occupants of the castaway boat Mary Magdalene, Martha, the hand-maiden Marcella, Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead, and Maximin the man whose sight Jesus restored. Other records state that Philip and James accompanied Joseph. Others report that Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were also in the boat. Here's Cardinal Baronius' complete list of passengers:
* St. Mary, wife of Cleopas
* St. Martha
* St. Lazarus
* St. Eutropius
* St. Salome
* St. Cleon
* St. Saturninus
* St. Mary Magdalene
* Marcella, the Bethany sisters' maid
* St. Maximin
* St. Martial
* St. Trophimus
* St. Sidonius (Restitutus)
* St. Joseph of Arimathea
Philip was waiting for the travelers in France. There is testimony asserting his commission in Gaul, all of which alike state that he received and consecrated Joseph, preparatory to his embarkation and appointment as the Apostle to Britain.
Although there are some who would argue for France being first, most records agree that Britain, at Glastonbury was the Root of the Christian movement. One would expect that history would show that the missionary activities would flow out of the well-spring of Christianity. And well does history record this. The Gaulic records state that for centuries the Archbishops of Treves and Rheims were all Britons supplied by the mother church at Glastonbury-Avalon. St. Cadval, a famed British missionary, going out from Glastonbury, founded the church of Tarentum, Italy, A.D. 170 four hundred years before the time of St. Augustine and at least fourteen years after King Lucius Christianized all of Britain in A.D. 156!
Converts literally flooded into Glastonbury for conversion, baptism, instruction and missionary assignment. Philip sent, from Gaul alone, one hundred sixty disciples to assist Joseph and his team with the crowds. And it is surely known that helpers were sent from other places beside France.
One of the first to go out from Glastonbury was Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus. He headed straight back to Marseilles where he held the Bishopric for seven years. But that was only natural. France was a Family Thing for the Bethany household. Mary and Martha both lived out their lives, preaching and teaching in the south of France. "The Coming of The Saints," by Taylor is a good book on the subject.
Many famous names are recorded as having been associated with Glastonbury-Avalon:
* Sidonis, Saturninus, and Cleon taught and supported other missionaries in Gaul, then returned to Britain.
* Martial's parents, Marcellus and Elizabeth were there along with St Zacchaeus.
* Parmena, disciple of Joseph, was appointed the first Bishop of Avignon.
* Drennalus, helped Joseph found the church at Morlaix. He was then appointed to Treguier as it's first Bishop.
* Beatus founded the church in Helvetia, after receiving his baptism and education at Avalon.
* Beatus was baptised by St. Barnabas, the brother of Aristobulus, sent in advance by St. Paul to Britain. He is referred to in scripture as Joses, the Levite.
* Mansuetus was consecrated the first Bishop of the Lotharingians A.D. 49, with his See at Toul. He also founded the church at Lorraine.
Historical note:
Mansuetus was a constant visitor to Rome after Claudia had married Pudens. He was a friend of Linus, the Bishop of Rome, and brother of Claudia. After the death of St. Clement, Mansuetus became the third official Bishop of the British Church at Rome. Thus we have three disciples of Avalon, instructed by St. Joseph, to become, in succession, Bishops of Rome.
Iltigius, in "De Patribus Apostolicis", quotes St. Peter as saying; "Concerning the Bishops who have been ordained in our lifetime, we make known to you that they are these. Of Antioch, Eudoius, ordained by me, Peter. Of the Church of Rome, Linus, son of Claudia, was first ordained by Paul, and after Linus's death, Clemens the second, ordained by me, Peter."
If all of this is true, was Glastonbury The First Christian Church
Thanks to Phoenician Christians (more history on Joseph)
In Lionel Smithett Lewis' St. Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury indicates "It is certain that Britain received the Faith in the first age from the first sowers of the Word. Of all the churches whose origin I have investigated in Britain, the church of Glastonbury is the most ancient.": wrote sir Henry Spelman in his Concilia, and again he wrote in the same work: "We have abundant evidence that this Britain of ours received the Faith, and that from the disciple of Christ Himself, soon after the Crucifixion of Christ."
Robert Parsons, the Jesuit, in his Three Conversions of England, admits that : "The Christian religion began in Britain within fifty years of Christ's ascension." His co-religionist, the very learned Alford, in his Regia Fides says: "It is perfectly certain that, before St. Paul had come to Rome, Aristobulus was absent in Britain." The discreet Fuller goes so far as to say: "If credit be given to these ancient authors, this Church without competition was senior to all Christian churches in the world." "Britain," wrote the erudite Polydore Vergil, "partly through Joseph of Arimathea, partly through Fugatus and Damianus, was of all kingdoms the first that received the Gospel." It is a matter of distinct interest that Cardinal Pole, twice over, when solemnly reconciling England to the Pope and the Church of Rome, at the beginning of Queen Mary's reign, claimed that Britain was the first country to be converted to Christianity.
The Venerable Bede, writing about AD 740, says: "The Britons preserved the Faith which they had received under King Lucius uncorrupted, and continued in peace and tranquility until the time of the Emperor Diocletian."
It will be noticed that two distinct events are spoken of above: (1) The foundation of the Church in England by the Disciples of Christ. (2) The acceptance of Christianity by the British Nation under Good King Lucius about AD 170. Britain was the first of all nations to accept Christianity as its national religion. Few people realize that this is why the British King is called "our Most Religious King". Not many realize that the superior dignity and antiquity of our national Church has been decided by Church Councils. The Councils of Pisa in 1409, Constance in 1417, Sienna in 1424, and Basle in 1434. It was there contended that the Churches of France and Spain must yield in points of antiquity and precedence to that of Britain, as the latter Church was founded by Joseph of Arimathea immediately after the Passion of Christ.
Gildas the Wise, the earliest Christian historian (AD 425-512) distinctly says that the Light of Christ shone here in the last year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, that is AD 37. This falls in with the claim recorded above, which gave precedence to British Bishops at the Church Councils on the ground that Britain was converted "immediately after the Passion of Jesus Christ". It fits in also with the statements of Fuller and Polydore Virgil already recorded that the Church of Glastonbury was the Senior Church of the world; with Sir Henry Spelman's words that Britain received the Faith soon after the Crucifixion; with Alford's statement that Aristobulus was in Britain before St. Paul went to Rome; with the observance by the Greek Church of the martyrdom in Britain of Our Lord's disciple, St. Simon Zelotes, on May 10, AD 44 (a date supported by Cardinal Baronius; and with Hippolytus' (born about AD 160) inclusion of that Apostle in his lists as "Bishop of the Britons". All these are testimony to the year AD 37 as marking the coming of the first Mission.
Joseph of Arimathea was the protector of that valorous little band of disciples during the perilous years following the crucifixion, the indefatigable head of the Christian underground in Judea, and the guardian of Christ's only earthly treasure, - His mother.
According to the Talmud, Joseph was the younger brother of the father of the Virgin Mary. He was her uncle, and therefore a great uncle to Jesus. Chiefly from the secular reports we learn that Joseph was a married man and his son, Josephes. It is quite obvious that the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary died while Jesus was young. Under Jewish law such a circumstance automatically appointed the next male kin of the husband, in this case Joseph, legal guardian of the family. We know that Joseph never forsook his nephew. He stood by Him as a bold, fearless defender at the notorious trial, and defied the Sanhedrin by going to Pilate and boldly claiming the body when all others feared to do so. It is commonly taught that Jesus was poor and of obscure relatives. His relationship with the affluent Joseph of Arimathea proves otherwise. In His own right He was a property owner but long before He took up His mission He forsook all material wealth.
Leading authorities identify Arimathea with Ramah, or Ramallah as it is called today. It was the birthplace of the prophet Samuel, and is called in the Septuagint Arimathaim. Josephus calls it Amartha. The identity seems clear. Now Ramah lay about eight miles due North of Jerusalem on the Jerusalem-Nazareth road. It was the first stopping place of caravans traveling North from Jerusalem. It would be the stopping place of the Holy family, both to and from the city.
Joseph is always spoken of as belonging to Arimathea, which implies that it was his existing place of residence. He was a wealthy man, and his duties as a chancellor would bring him frequently to Jerusalem, where he had also a town residence. He would certainly be in Jerusalem at the time of the feast. [of Passover] The whole story now becomes clear. As the uncle of the Virgin Mary he probably knew all about the wondrous story of Our Lord's birth. Year by rear, when Joseph and Mary attended the feast, he would enquire about the mysterious child. He would eagerly look forward to His first visit.
Gen 49 is a crossroads of the Bible. Yet most people don't understand the implications of Jacob's actions in passing out the blessings and birthright before he dies. Jacob gives Joseph, and therefore his boys Ephraim and Manasseh, all the good stuff. Virtually the whole birthright. Jacob only keeps back the right to be king of the family and make it's governing laws. This means that although Joseph and his family will be the rich nobility of Israel, someone from Judah( a Jew) will be king.
When Joseph dies, the Tribe of Ephraim will be the pre-eminent tribe of the nation, but will accede to Judah in being king. As soon as Joseph dies in Egypt, some one from the tribe of Judah will take the rulership under Pharaoh. This person will be from the Zarah family of Judah; he was firstborn. Two hundred years after the secession of Judah from the nation Israel, Assyria conquers Samaria and deports the ten tribes(millions of them) to northern Mesopotamia. Most of them migrate to northwest europe and the British Isles over the next 17 centuries. But never fear, we still have a Judahite king in Jerusalem named Zedekiah. Oops! Here comes Nebuchadnezzor. He conquers Judah, kills Zedekiah's sons and carries Zedekiah and 95% of the people to Babylon. The line is cut!! What about David's promise now?
No problem. The Zarah line is ruling all across the northern Mediterranean. By this time they've got colonies in Spain, Ireland, and Britain. But the "throne of David" is not in those places. It is in Jerusalem. And the male bloodline has been cut! But not the FEMALE. God allowed the daughters to inherit when no male heirs were available. So Jeremiah takes the King's two daughters, and leaves for Ireland. He drops off one daughter in Spain and then marries the Pharez-Judah daughter of Zedekiah to the Zarah-Judah High King of Ireland. This final move sets things straight; the way God outlined them. Zarah is back on top. The "throne" is preserved. The resting place for Israel is being prepared for the arrival of the ten tribes as they begin to migrate across Europe.
