Still Standing

All the prophecies of Armageddon and the End of Days were fulfilled. Millions were killed or enslaved or sent to the amphitheaters. But I believe there was a ray of hope for “certain” of those with eyes to see. Consider this last quote from Josephus just after the siege was broken…

Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency: this is, Phasaelus and Hippicus, and Mariamne…in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valour had subdued…This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind.  Wars of the Jews VII.I.1

Bernice, last Queen of Israel, is vilified to this very day because she had an “affair” with Titus, her people’s conquering Roman Commander, son of Emperor Vespasian, while her people perished. But let’s look at that again. It could equally be said that Bernice stayed behind and tried to make a marriage alliance with Titus, the Roman Commander as the daughter of the King of Ethiopia did with Moses the Egyptian conquering commander…whose alliance with Moses saved her city from destruction.

Bernice and Titus were together for years but, as we saw in the last post they never actually married—she was from the east and like the dreaded Cleopatra she was shunned in Rome—but I like to visualize her standing by Titus’ side as they look out over Jerusalem; the city burning as they watched…while he decides what to leave standing and what to destroy. Bernice was a daughter of the Tower of Mariamne the Hasmonean Queen, and the Mariamne Tower was saved. She took her life, certainly her reputation, in her hands, as did Queen Esther in order to be able to save those that she could and salvage what she could. I would like to believe that she helped save the Tower rising out of the smoke…as a sign for those with eyes to see…that the Tower of Mariamne of the House of the Hasmoneans still stood and like Judas the Maccabee, Queen Mariamne I, Alexander martyred eldest son of Mariamne the Queen and Jesus martyred son of Mary of the Tower (Magdalene),[i]  all would return come the Resurrection…and the Daughter of the Tower would “arise and thresh” once again.

Mary Magdalene was the one most associated with her son’s brief resurrection…she is the first to see him and to report it to the others.  The others didn’t believe her but she persisted. And, while she would later be the only other person to make it to heaven beside her son, her followers did not wait. The first siting of Mary was just seven years after her son’s death…before Saul became Paul and before the Roman war. She is thought to have appeared in Spain in 40 A.D. as Our Lady of the Pillar.[ii] Could that title be a slight misinterpretation of “Mariamne Our Lady of the Tower?” Certainly, it is a mystery of why? Why was there this early a sighting? There are still more questions…

Notes

[i] And…the earth did quake…and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many. (Matthew 27:51-53)

[ii] “Google” it. There are lots of sites giving the story. Here’s Wikipedia…Our Lady of the Pillar (Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary for her miraculous appearance in Zaragoza, Spain at the time of the emergence of Christianity. She is the Patroness of Spain, the Spanish Civil Guard and the Hispanic world. Her shrine is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar situated by the Ebro river. Also see my Pages report on A New Look at Mary of the Pillar on this website.