Friday 4-2-10

It's very seldom that I have written in the blog twice in the same day. However, today I was doing something that I very rarely ever do. I was watching the history channel and a story came on about the real Last Supper. Having gone to Xavier University to college, you learn that the Jesuits tell you that is wise to question just about everything. One thing you probably don't know about the Jesuits is: They don't necessarily follow the Pope on everything he says. Since there was a time when we actually had three different Popes and the same time, there not toooo sure if the one we have now is the correct one. They don't make a big deal out of it, but if you ask them they will give you their interpretation of the situation.

This being said, I watched a program today on the History Channel about the REAL LAST SUPPER. It was given by an archaeologist and a biblical scholar. The most interesting part was what the archaeologist has found out about how and where the Last Supper was held. It's interesting that the Bible was written as you know, by at least four different authors about 40 or 50 years after the death of Christ. Three of the authors seem to indicate that the Last Supper was also a Pass Over Seder. Only John says it was a day before the Seder. The guy that really has screwed up most of our thinking on the Last Supper is Leonardo da Vinci. He's got it all screwed up. First of all, if it was the Seder meal, then the families and men and woman would have been invited. They would not be sitting at a table with everyone facing the same direction. History of the times, tell us that most likely they were seated on the floor or reclining. The Seder meal is for the entire family, and epically children. The idea was to educate the children about the flight into Egypt and the Pass Over itself. Jesus would certainly have had his mother and Mary Magdalene and other family members of his apostles and followers. Since it was at least Pass Over week, Jerusalem would have been packed, and they would have more than likely been in a poorer section of the city. Most commonly they would have been on a flat roof of a home with a make shift roof above their heads. They would have sat in a circle so everyone could see each other.

The other interesting thing is what they would have eaten on. They would have eaten out of bowls. Each person would have had their own drinking container, and most likely it would have been made of stone. They did have pottery in those days, but they mostly drank out of stone cups as apposed to pottery cups. If you drank out of a stone cup, it was considered clean. This is why the archaeologist feels that the Holy Grail will never be found. First, it was probably not a decorated object at all. It was more than likely just like all the other stone cups that everyone else was drinking out of. Since the meal would have been served by a family, the dishes would have been collected after the meal and the one Jesus used would resemble all the others.

As I said before, Leonardo da Vinci probably has crewed up the Christian view of the Last Supper more than anyone else. On his table he shows loaves of bread, since it was Pass Over week for sure, there would be no loaves of bread. During that week the Jews eliminated all Leaven out of their homes. They cleaned their homes so well as to not even have dust that would have Leaven in it. Again the table is all wrong and it shows that the time of day is early. For sure the Seder is celebrated in the evening. As to how Jesus was pictured, Leonardo made him look more modern than he would have been. The archaeologists feels that he would have looked much like a man from the AD 33. Shorter hair and a full beard. Leonardo has him looking more like a man of Leonardo's time.

The other thing I found interesting is that they know the time of year that Jesus died because of the Pass Over Week. I never realized why the time of Pass Over and Easter were also so closely linked. I also realize now as to why Lamb is served for both Easter and the Seder meal.

They also mentioned about the fact that it has never been realistically proven that Jesus was born on the 25th of December. As they said, if you listen to the Bible, the Shepard's didn't tend their sheep in December. Not that it makes that much difference, but it is interesting that they have the time and place of his death exact.

Just a little history for you on Good Friday. Also I wanted to Mention that Myles McLaughlin becomes a Catholic tomorrow. He will be Baptised and Confirmed on the same day. Congratulations Myles, I know you have worked very hard to make this day come true. We will all say a prayer for you. We are very proud of what you have accomplished.

Tom