Hidden History & Secret Societies | New Dawn : The World's Most Unusual Magazine

A Pagan Christ? Reflections on the Real Christmas Story

November 1, 2007 By davidjones

By RICHARD SMOLEY — Strictly speaking, a pagan Christ is a contradiction in terms. The very concept of paganism was constructed by Christians who wanted to distinguish their faith from the old religion of Greece and Rome, which by the end of classical antiquity was observed only by peasants in remote rural areas – the pagani, or “country people,” or – to use words that are similar in tone – rustics, rubes, hayseeds. So there can be no pagan Christ. Paganism is all that Christianity … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies Tagged With: Jesus, pagan

Did Jesus Visit India?

March 8, 2007 By davidjones

The feature film “The Unknown Stories of the Messiah” ignited considerable controversy when it was released in India by claiming Jesus journeyed to the East after the crucifixion, studied Hinduism and Buddhism, and was buried in a tomb in Kashmir. Responding to attacks from India’s Christian leaders, the film’s producer Subhrajit Mitra pointed out that while “neither the Bible nor the mainstream ‘gospels’ give credence to such theories… there is evidence in Hindu, Muslim, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies Tagged With: India, Jesus

Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles

April 9, 2006 By davidjones

By SHARRON ROSE — With the publication of Holy Blood, Holy Grail in the mid-nineties and the Gnostic Gospels found in Nag Hammadi, a new perspective on the role of Mary Magdalene in the revelation and dissemination of the esoteric teachings of Christ has emerged onto the public stage. With the release of The Da Vinci Code, she has been placed firmly in the public consciousness, her story awakening both excitement and controversy. It is my contention that Mary Magdalene was the carrier of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies, Spirituality & Metaphysics Tagged With: Christianity, gnostic, Jesus

America’s Arcane Origins

January 1, 2006 By davidjones

By FRANK JOSEPH — Political activists of the so-called “religious Right” in the United States never tire of preaching that their country was founded as “a Christian democracy.” But they are wrong on both counts. When Benjamin Franklin was leaving the first Continental Congress, he was asked by one of many anxious patriots waiting outside the courthouse, “What have you given us?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” The difference might seem trivial or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies Tagged With: masonry

Where Did Christianity Really Come From?

December 1, 2005 By davidjones

By ROBERT FEATHER MIMMM., C.Eng. — This article is a brief examination of the nature and historical roots of the Qumran community that lived and worked on the western shore of the Dead Sea around 150 BCE to 68 CE and the connections that may be discerned between it and the preaching of John the Baptist, the ministry of Jesus, and the origins of Christianity. It looks through the eyes of scholars like Jozef Milik, one of the first to discover the nature of the Dead Sea Scrolls and to analyse … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies, Mysteries & Unexplained Tagged With: Christianity, essene

Did Chinese Mariners Land on Australian Shores Before Europeans?

June 9, 2005 By davidjones

BY DAN BYRNES — Gavin Menzies, the former British submariner, and author of 1421: The Year That China Discovered The World1 is visiting Warrnambool (located in the Australian state of Victoria) in September this year [2005] to test his startling theory against a resolution of the mystery of the Mahogany Ship. A fascinating contest between maritime mystery theories is now being proposed. Since he published, Menzies has maintained a website (www.1421.tv) to present evidence he believes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies Tagged With: Australia, China

Brothers of the Shadows: A Perspective on Conspiracies

October 15, 2004 By davidjones

By SEVAK GULBEKIAN In his book Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace Gore Vidal suggests that the American public has been conditioned to respond to the word ‘conspiracy’ with a smirk and a chuckle. Conspiracy, in other words, is for the nuts and the loners, and is not to be taken seriously. In this way, he argues, through the media’s association of the concept of conspiracy with fringe or extreme elements, the real conspirators go unnoticed. It is a vital point, and Vidal courageously … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Conspiracies & Cover-Ups, Hidden History & Secret Societies Tagged With: conspiracy, New World Order

The Masons and the Moors

June 9, 2004 By davidjones

By MEHMET SABEHEDDIN — The origins of Freemasonry – as would be expected of such a “venerable secret society” – are shrouded in myth, legend and almost impenetrable obscurity. Since at least the late 18th century Masonic writers have sought to establish a link between the Knights Templar and the Freemasons. Freemasonic lore and symbols have been traced to ancient Egypt and Phoenicia. Yet, despite all the books and articles exploring Freemasonry published over the last hundred years, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies

The Gospel of Mary Magdalene

June 9, 2004 By davidjones

BY JASON JEFFREY — Of all the earliest followers of Christ, none has sparked the level of interest generated by one particular woman – the biblical figure known as Mary Magdalene. Revered as a saint, maligned as a prostitute, imagined as the literal bride of Christ, Mary of Magdala stands apart as an enigmatic individual about whom little is actually known, despite centuries of scholarly scrutiny and wild conjecture. All that most Western Christians know about her is presented in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies, Spirituality & Metaphysics Tagged With: gnostics, Jesus, Mary Magdalene

Mystery of Shambhala

June 20, 2002 By davidjones

BY JASON JEFFREY — I believe the idea of Shambhala has not yet come to full flower, but that when it does it will have enormous power to reshape civilisation. It is the sign of the future. The search for a new unifying principle that our civilisation must now undertake will, I am convinced, lead it to this source of higher energies, and Shambhala will become the great icon of the new millennium. – Victoria LePage, Shambhala For thousands of years rumours and reports have circulated that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Hidden History & Secret Societies, Spirituality & Metaphysics