The Rozabal Line Part 16

Prithviraj was now wondering how he should brief the Prime Minister. A priest kidnapped in Goa by an international a.s.sa.s.sin on behalf of a group called the Crux Decussata Permuta, a group that had already succeeded in b.u.mping off an English professor because of his anti-Church research! A nuclear device smuggled into India, a land of 3.28 million square kilometres and a population of 1.02 billion people, with no clear indication of where it was headed! It was like looking for a needle in a haystack!

He paused outside the Prime Minister's office door and then knocked twice. 'Enter!' came the voice from within. The general sighed, opened the door and walked in along with Zvi. The octogenarian Prime Minister accorded them his trademark smile, the one that had won him the last general election. Behind the smile was a Machiavellian streak that could turn foe into friend, defeat into victory and opposition into dust.

'What was so urgent, General Sahib?' asked the Prime Minister, using the respectful Indian suffix as he motioned both men to sit.

'Sir, we have reliable information from our American friends that the Lashkar-e-Toiba or a sub-group within the Lashkar has managed to procure a nuclear device, roughly of the capacity used at Hiros.h.i.+ma. The Pakistani and North Korean connection seems quite evident. The reason for the urgency is that this device, according to American intelligence, is already in Indian territory. Unfortunately, we have no indication of whether it is still on Indian soil or whether it is headed to some other destination such as Israel.' Brief. Concise. Matter-of-fact.

'What are our options?' asked the octogenarian. Zvi spoke up. 'It seems that this could be the work of Ghalib, sir. It is likely to be the twelfth attack in a series of attacks that have been happening on the 21stof each month this year, including the attack that India had to cope with in Katra. The key question is, who facilitated such a nuclear transaction with the Pakistanis? Our sources indicate, quite incredibly, the involvement of a fringe Christian group called the Crux Decussata Permuta that is using the nuclear deal as barter for something else.'

'What could that be?' asked the PM.

'There is one person who could have helped us answer that question. Professor Terry Acton, who obviously knew enough to get taken out by the Crux. According to our friend at the SAS, Stephen Elliot, Terry Acton's research was shared with a priest, Vincent Sinclair. Unfortunately, he was kidnapped last night in Goa. Efforts are on to locate him, although that's easier said than done. I need your clearance to deploy one of our four Rapid Action Divisions in order to help me trace him,' replied Prithviraj.

'You have it,' came the immediate response, 'but keep this matter under wraps, gentlemen'.

'We shall be as quiet as the dew!' retorted Prithviraj, taking a leaf out of Emily d.i.c.kinson's poem as he gently closed the heavy oak door of the PM's office.

Chapter Twenty.

Mari, Indo-Pakistan border, 1898 The British Army was building a watchtower on a hill called Pindi Point when they noticed the old monument. If they had simply asked the locals, they would have been informed that it was a tomb called 'Mai Mari da Asthan'. The tomb had been placed in Jewish east-west orientation. This ruled out the possibility of the occupant being Muslim. It certainly could not be Hindu, since Hindus cremated their dead.

Translated, Mai Mari da Asthan meant 'The Final Resting Place of Mary'. It was from this particular tomb that the place had derived its name, Mari. It was believed that when Jesus was on his way from Turkey to Kashmir, his mother, who was around seventy years old at the time, had died in Mari and been buried there.

This tomb, however, was not in dispute, unlike another one in Kashmir.

Kashmir, A.D. 1774 The dispute pertained to an old tomb located in Kashmir. The decree was finally issued by the High Court of Kashmir, under the seal and hand of the Grand Mufti.

The Seal of the Justice of Islam, Mulla Fazil, 1194 AH. In this High Court of Justice, in the Department of Learning and Piety of the Kingdom.

Present: Rehman Khan, son of Amir Khan, submits that: the kings, the n.o.bles, the ministers and the mult.i.tude come from all directions of the kingdom to pay their homage and offerings in cash and kind at the lofty and the holy shrine of Yuz Asaf, the Prophet, may G.o.d bless him.

Claims: That he is the only and absolute claimant, ent.i.tled to receive the offerings and utilise these, and none else has any right whatsoever on these offerings.

Prays: That a writ of injunction be granted to all those who interfere and that others be restrained from interfering with his rights.

Verdict: Now this court, after obtaining evidence, concludes as under. It has been established that during the reign of Raja Gopadatta, who built many temples and got repaired especially the Throne of Solomon on the hill of Solomon, Yuz Asaf came to the valley. Prince by descent, he was pious and saintly and had given up earthly pursuits. He spent all his time in prayer and meditation. The people of Kashmir having become idolaters after the great flood of Noah, G.o.d Almighty sent Yuz Asaf as a Prophet to the people of Kashmir. He proclaimed oneness of G.o.d till he pa.s.sed away. Yuz Asaf was buried at Kanyar on the banks of the lake, and the shrine is known as Rozabal.

Orders: Since the shrine is visited by devotees, both high and common, and since the applicant, Rehman Khan, is the hereditary custodian of the shrine, it is ordered that he be ent.i.tled to receive the offerings made at the shrine as before, and no one else shall have any right to such offerings. Given under our hand, 11 Jamad-ud-sani, 1184 AH.

The Throne of Solomon, referred to in the judgment, was more commonly known as the Takhat Sulaiman and had been repaired in A.D. 78.

Kashmir, A.D. 78 The Takhat Sulaiman, the Throne of Solomon, was a magnificent temple located on the peak of a hill near the Dal Lake. There were four inscriptions on the structure.

The first of these inscriptions was, 'The mason of this pillar is Bihishti Zargar, Year fifty and four.'

The second inscription was, 'Khwaja Rukun, son of Murjan erected this pillar.'

The third inscription was, 'At this time Yuz Asaf proclaimed his prophethood. Year fifty and four.'

And finally, the fourth inscription proclaimed, 'He is Jesus, Prophet of the Children of Israel.'

The same Yuz Asaf mentioned by Shaikh Sadiq in his writings.

Khorasan, Iran, A.D. 962 Shaikh Sadiq was dying. During his global travels, he had written several books, including Ikmal-ud-Din, in which he had written of the travels of Yuz Asaf: Then Yuz Asaf, after roaming about in many cities, reached that country which is called Kashmir. He travelled in it far and wide and stayed there and spent his remaining life there, until death overtook him, and he left the earthly body and was elevated towards the Light.

Shaikh Sadiq also wrote about some of the parables Yuz Asaf taught: When a sower goes forth to sow, some seeds fall by the wayside, and the birds pick up the seeds. Some fall upon stray land, and when the new stems reach the stony foundation they wither away. Some fall among thorns and grow not. But the seed that falls on good land grows and brings forth fruit.

Strikingly similar to the 'sower' parable of Jesus.

Srinagar, Kashmir, India, 2012 Barabbas was the name of the charming houseboat on the Dal Lake in Srinagar. It had a delightful cedar-panelled bedroom, with many conveniences of a luxury hotel. The boat had fine furniture, warm Kashmiri carpets, and modern bathroom fittings. It was moored at a location where one had a view of the beautiful lotus gardens of Kashmir. It had a balcony in the front, a lounge, dining room, pantry and three bedrooms with attached bathrooms.

Srinagar's thousand-odd houseboats were permanently moored in the Dal and Nagin lakes as well as in the river Jhelum. All houseboats in Srinagar, regardless of category, had highly personalised service. Not only was there a butler on every boat, the manager and his family, too, were never far away.

The owner of this particular boat was none other than Ghalib. He never stayed on it-he was mostly away travelling; the boat was usually used by his trusted aide and friend, Yehuda Moinuddin. Yehuda was also the junior a.s.sistant director of Archives, Archaeology, Research and Museums for Kashmir.

The owner of the boat had twelve 'children' scattered around the world. In Urdu, the number twelve was barah and the word for father was abba. This particular owner, Ghalib-bin-Isar, was affectionately called 'Bara-abba', the 'father of twelve'. Who else had twelve disciples?

Jerusalem, A.D. 27 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, including Caiaphas, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. 'Are you the king of the Jews?' asked Pilate.

'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, 'Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of!' But Jesus made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Now, it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner the people requested for. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

'Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?' asked Pilate, knowing that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.

And the crowd shouted, 'Release Jesus Barabbas!'

Now, among the prisoners awaiting crucifixion that day, there was a man called Barabbas, whose first name was also Jesus. Some scholars believe the crowd was asking for the release of Jesus the prophet, who was also called Bar-abba (Son of the Father), and not the criminal.

Or Jesus Bara-abba, the father of twelve.

Langley, Virginia, USA, 2012 Stephen Elliot was here at headquarters in the middle of the night reading the information that had been sent to him by his mole, CIA Trois, several weeks earlier.

Boutros Ahmad is the point man for South America. He was definitely involved in the Bolivia affair. Boutros is the Arabic form of the name Peter.

Kader al-Zarqawi is head of Iraqi operations. 'Kader' means 'the strong one' in Arabic. This is similar to the name Andrew, which also means 'the strong man'.

Yahya Ali is the kingpin of Chechnya operations. His original name was Dzhokar Raduev. Yahya is the Arabic form of the name John.

Yaqub Islamuddin is the brains behind Jemaah Islamiyah and the Jakarta operation. Yaqub is the Arabic form of Jacob from which the name James is derived.

Shamoon Idris is the key operative of the Islamic Jehad Council in North America. Shamoon is the Arabic form of Simon.

Faris Kadeer is the chief of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and coordinator of the Chinese sector. Faris means 'horseman' in Arabic. In Greek, the name Philip also means 'horseman'.

Bin Fadan is one of the key operatives of the Jaish-e-Mohammed's activities within India. Bin Fadan means 'son of the plough'. It should be noted that this has the same meaning as the name Bartholomew, which in Aramaic means 'son of the plough'.

Ataullah al-Liby is the kingpin of the French Intifada. Ataullah means 'gift from G.o.d' in Arabic. This is similar to the name Matthew which is derived from the Hebrew name Mattiyahu, meaning 'gift from G.o.d'.

Tau'am Zin Ha.s.san is the main operative of the Darul Islam in Malaysia. Tau'am means 'twin' in Arabic. This is similar to the name Thomas, which is the Greek form of the Aramaic name Te'oma, which also means 'twin'.

Adil Afrose is chief commander of the Australian operation. Adil means 'one who acts justly' in Arabic, similar to James-'the just'.

Yehuda Moinuddin is the most trusted aide of Ghalib and is involved in the overall operations of the group. Yehuda is the Arabic form of the Hebrew name Judah, or Judas.

Fouad al-Noor is head of the group's activities in the UK. Fouad literally means 'heart' in Arabic. This is similar to the meaning of Thaddaeus, which is derived from the Aramaic word for 'heart'.

Ghalib-bin-Isar is leader of the Lashkar-e-Talatashar, the Army of Thirteen. The name Ghalib in Arabic means 'dominant' or 'conqueror'. In Arabic, the word 'bin' means 'son of'. The name 'Isar' can be traced back to Isar-el, the eastern Kabbalists' Sun G.o.d, from which the name 'Israel' was derived.

So, Ghalib-bin-Isar would translate to 'dominant among the lineage of Isar'.

The person providing this information to Elliot was one of these thirteen people. His code name, CIA Trois, was an anagram for another word. Iscariot.

Yehuda Moinuddin, junior a.s.sistant director of Archives, Archaeology, Research and Museums for Kashmir, and trusted aide and friend to Ghalib, was Elliot's mole. Yehuda was the Arabic form of the Hebrew name Judah, the Greek form of which was Judas.

Judas Iscariot.

Jerusalem, A.D. 27 Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests. And said to them: 'What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you?' And they appointed him thirty pieces of silver.

Chapter Twenty-One.

Mathura, North India, 3127 B.C.

The moon was in the constellation of Aldebaran and it was the eighth lunar day of the dark fortnight in 3127 B.C. The blessed virgin, Devaki, was about to deliver a baby boy; Krishna was to be his name. His birth had been heralded by the astral formation of a Rohini Nakshatra, a most auspicious astrological sequence.

Unfortunately, an old Brahmin had predicted to King Kansa, the ruler of Mathura, that a son born to Devaki would eventually destroy him. Kansa ordered the death of all male babies born on the day of Krishna's birth to prevent the prophecy from coming true. Luckily for Krishna, his father had been warned and fled with the child to Gokul where he could be brought up safely.

Hinduism has long wors.h.i.+pped the holy trinity of Brahma-the creator, Vishnu-the preserver, and s.h.i.+va-the destroyer. Krishna, it was believed, was the second ent.i.ty in this trinity because he was an avatar of Vishnu. Much like the second ent.i.ty in the trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The name Krishna is sometimes also spelt 'Christna'.

The entire story of Krishna was written in a Hindu epic of 1,00,000 verses some time before 500 B.C.

Five hundred years before Christ. Sixty-six years after the Buddha.

Kapilavastu, IndoNepal border, 566 B.C.

Deep sleep produces strange dreams. Maya, the queen of Kapilavastu, had a dream that her soon-to-be-born son, Siddhartha Gautama, was entering his virgin mother's womb on a white elephant on a full moon night in July.

Soon after his birth, Siddhartha was examined by a group of Brahmins who predicted that the boy would be either a great king or a Buddha, an Enlightened One.

At the age of twenty-nine, he left his home and spent the next six years in meditation in the jungles. While meditating, he visualised thousands of his previous lives. He realised that all beings were subject to rebirth. Good actions led to good rebirths and bad actions led to bad rebirths. The place and nature of a rebirth was governed by one's deeds, or karma.

On 8 December, at the age of thirty-five, he found enlightenment after forty-nine days of penance in the wilderness. This was in spite of the devil tempting and taunting him repeatedly.

The Buddha probably knew that the devil would try the same tricks around six centuries later with someone else who fasted for forty days and forty nights in the Judean desert.

Judean desert, A.D. 26 Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of G.o.d, tell these stones to become bread.' He answered, 'It is written that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of G.o.d.'

A thousand years earlier, the devil had offered much more than bread-he had offered the entire world.

Persia, 1000 B.C.

Satan offered him the entire world if he would forsake his wors.h.i.+p of Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom.

He was born to a virgin. He received his calling at the age of thirty. The whole world rejoiced at his birth. He was baptised in a river. He astounded wise men with his wisdom. He wandered about with his followers. He went into the wilderness where he was tempted by the evil one. He cast out demons. He restored the sight of a blind man. He revealed the mysteries of heaven, h.e.l.l, judgement and salvation. He and his followers celebrated a sacred meal together.

No. He wasn't Jesus. His name was Zarathustra, the prophet of the Zoroastrian faith, whose deeds were written about almost 1,000 years before Jesus. Zarathustra was a thousand years too late.

Syria, 2000 B.C.

Tammuz would rise from his cave each morning, travel across the sky by day and return to his cave at night. He was a shepherd and healer. Tammuz soon died and descended into the lower world. However, his loving wife, Inanna, could not accept his death. She went in search of Tammuz. During Inanna's absence from earth, nature froze. When G.o.d heard the pleas of humans, Inanna was allowed to leave the netherworld along with Tammuz. The sad death and happy resurrection of Tammuz occurred every year thereafter. It corresponded with the cycle of nature: life died in autumn and was reborn in spring.

On what date had the virgin Myrrha given birth to little Tammuz? On 25 December.Tammuz too was a thousand years too late.

Egypt, 3000 B.C.

Horus was born to the virgin, Isis, on 25 December in a manger.His birth was announced by a star in the east. At the age of twelve, Horus taught in the temple and was baptised in the Erida.n.u.s by Anup, who was later beheaded.

Horus performed many miracles, including walking on water. He had twelve disciples, and was crucified on a tree amongst thieves. After his death, he was buried in a tomb from where he was resurrected and he ascended into heaven. He raised a man from the dead. The man was called El-Azar-Os.

Later, the Bible would also speak of a man raised from the dead-his name would be Lazarus.

Bethany, Judea, A.D. 27 Now there was a certain sick man, named Lazarus of Bethania, of the town of Mary and of Martha, her sister. Jesus therefore came and found that he had been four days already in the grave. And he asked, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to him, 'Lord, come and see.'

Jesus then went to the sepulchre. It was a cave; a stone was laid over it. Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' And Jesus, lifting up his eyes, said, 'Father, I give Thee thanks that Thou hast heard me.'

Was it a ritual? Similar to another one in which Jesus would rise from the dead on a day which would then be celebrated as Easter Sunday? Possibly. After all, Easter Sunday had been celebrated from 600 B.C. onwards, almost 600 years before the resurrection.

Persia, 600 B.C.

Mithras, the Sun G.o.d, was born on 25 December. He was a wandering teacher and had twelve disciples. He performed many miracles. He was also called 'the good shepherd'. His sacred day was Sunday. He sacrificed the pleasures of life. Intense purity was demanded of his followers, who were baptised in blood. They usually had a communion supper of bread and wine.

When he died, he was buried in a tomb. After a few days, he was resurrected. Mithras's resurrection was then celebrated each year. The date on which his resurrection was celebrated was Easter Sunday, a date that would later be a.s.sociated with Jesus of Nazareth.

Judea, A.D. 23 Was he really Jesus of Nazareth? Or was he Jesus the Nazarene? In fact, after his return to Judea many years later, Jesus would be fit for initiation into the fold of the Nazars because of his strong educational background. Admission into the fold of the Nazars would make him a Nazarene. The word nazar itself was actually a derivative of n.a.z.ir, which means separate in the Aramaic language. n.a.z.irites were Jews who had taken special vows of dedication under the rules of which they would abstain for a specific period from alcohol, cutting hair or approaching corpses. The Urdu word nazar also means to see and thus Jesus was one who could see.

As a young disciple, he would be called a Chrestos during his probation. Having completed his probationary period, he would be anointed with oil and given the t.i.tle of Christos, meaning 'the anointed one'.