Man and God: Images of JC

Images of the man, the son of God and God. Emphasis is on contemporary ancient images, preferrably from his lifetime, and on images closely related to his passion and apotheosis, his resurrection, ascension and divinity. He is the other JC—the one before and behind Jesus Christ. The original Roman Messiah.

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Julius Caesar, son of Venus and founder of the Roman Empire, was elevated to the status of Imperial God, Divus Julius, after his violent death. The cult that surrounded him dissolved as Christianity surfaced.

A cult surrounding Jesus Christ, son of God and originator of Christianity, appeared during the second century. Early historians, however, never mentioned Jesus and even now there is no actual proof of his existence.

On the one hand, an actual historical figure missing his cult, on the other, a cult missing its actual historical figure: intriguing mirror images.

Is Jesus Christ really the historical manifestation of Divus Julius? Are the Gospels built on the life of Caesar, just as the first Christian churches were built on the foundations of antique temples?

Corruptions in the copying of texts, misinterpretations in translations—Gallia transposed to Galilaea or Caesars murderer, the conspirator (Cassius) Longinus, becoming the centurion Longinus stabbing Jesus on the cross—and the transformation of iconography from Roman to Christian have been traced to their origins: the Gospel proves to be the history of the Roman Civil War, a ‘mis-telling’ of the Life of Caesar—from the Rubicon to his assassination—mutated into the narrative of Jesus: from the Jordan to his crucifixion.

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Book excerpts from “Jesus was Caesar” by Francesco Carotta

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Music: “Christus Vincit” by James MacMillan

Intro music: Edited and remixed version of “Freedom Fighters” by Two Steps From Hell