The Gospels in Four Part Harmony
Copyright 2001 by J. Clontz
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Foreword
Thisbook is based on an ancient manuscript known as MS Pepys 2498 of which onecopy is known to exist and is kept at Cambridge University Library in England.The original source of MS Pepys 2498 (referred to as the Pepys Gospel orthe Pepys Gospel Harmony) is unknown but some scholars have theorized thatit may be as old as Christianity itself.
One of the more interesting conclusions concerning Jesusbased on the Pepys Gospel Harmony (PGH) sequence is that Jesus was a NorthPalestinian Essene associated with the Damascus Covenant found at Qumranin Palestine and Genizah in Egypt. Furthermore, it has been proposed thatJesus held the office of Messiahdefined in the Damascus Covenant and His goal as well as that of the otherDamascus Covenant Essenes was to convert the Pharisaical Jews of Judea whichthey viewed as the lost sheep of Israel to the Essene sect of Judaism. Thesequence of events in the gospels as depicted in the PGH shows John the Baptistand Jesus converting Judean Jews through baptism in the wilderness of Judea.Jesus has an altercation at the temple in Jerusalem and John is arrested.After John’s arrest, Jesus heads north all the way to Capernaum where hegathers followers numbering in the thousands. After John’s death, Jesus makesa final journey to Jerusalem and once more he and his followers from NorthernPalestine convert Judean Jews. The Pharisaical leaders of the Judean Jewsplot to kill Jesus and put an end to His teaching.
Thus, the PGH sequence of the canonical gospels depictswhat some scholars believe to have been a sectarian struggle between theEssenes who adhered to the Damascus Covenant in Northern Palestine and thePharisaical Jews in Judea for religious leadership of all Israelites. ThePharisaical Jews in Judea were looking for a Messiah to vanquish their enemies,Rome and the Herodians, and therefore rejected Jesus as their Messiah. Whereas,the Essenes were looking for a Messiah to vanquish their enemies, death,poverty, disease and infirmity, and therefore hailed Jesus as their Messiah.
Below are some important academic notes concerning the PGH sequence of thegospels:
The PGH mentions the city of Gerasa which was an ancientcity in Palestine which was destroyed by the 10th Roman legion Firensis inAD 70. Only the very oldest existing manuscripts of the canonical gospels mention the city of Gerasa while later manuscriptsrefer to the area as the land of the Gerasenes. Thus the author of the originalsource of the PGH may have lived prior to AD 70.
The sequence of the PGH also parallels many aspects ofthe theoretical "Q" text. The Greek texts of Matthew and Luke in some areasare letter for letter matches which have led some scholars to theorize thatat one time