Well the name ‘Jesus’ did not exist at this time, as it was derived from the Greek word IESOUS. The letter ‘J’ was not added to the English alphabet until the 14th century.
Yeshua is a shortened version of the name ‘Yehoshua’ or ‘Joshua’ and is the Hebrew word for ‘salvation’.
Around the time of his birth, the names ‘Yeshu’ and ‘Yeshua’ were not uncommon. Aramaic was used in everyday language, but Hebrew remained the holy language . They are as similar to one another as Italian is to Spanish – both used the same alphabet.
Yeshua was a direct descendant of King David through both his mother Mary’s and father Joseph’s lineage. When Yeshua read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue he read in Hebrew, not Greek or Aramaic.
It doesn’t matter what you call him, he will answer to both, but I prefer to call him Yeshua as that it was he was called in his lifetime.
Which brings me on to his mother Mary, called Mother Mary, the Virgin Mary or Our Lady. I refer to her as Mother Mary in my books. I took this photo earlier this year when we were touring the Hebrides in our campervan. I love it.
Many of the founders of the world’s religions, Yeshua or Krishna for example, are said to have been born of a virgin birth, i.e, their mother and father did not physically mate. In Luke 1:26-39 the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth to bring news to a virgin named Mary. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus (Yeshua). He will be great and will be called the son of the most High..”
Many people struggle with this concept (I am sure Joseph had some questions..). But virgin births occur all the time in nature. Insects, rodents, reptiles, plants, trees..
A female bee can give birth a male bee without mating with a male bee. However, if she wants to make a female bee, she must mate with a male. So the male bee needs only a mother, but the female bee needs both father and mother.
The scientific term is parthenogenesis, a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development of embryos occurs without fertilization. Or immaculate conception, as the mother does not have to be a virgin.
Mother Mary was a virgin when she conceived Yeshua, but she went on to have other children (the Gospel of Mark (6:3) and the Gospel of Matthew (13:55-56) mention James, Joseph, Jude and Simon as brothers of Jesus, the son of Mary).
The Church refers to her as the Virgin Mary or Our Lady.
The Church does not accept that Yeshua had a relationship with Mary Magdalene, or fathered a child.
So the two principal figures of the Church are a virgin and a celibate unmarried male. Sex has been removed from the equation.
Virginity and chastity were considered by the Church the most desired state. Sex was frowned upon, even within marriage!
The Egyptians believed it was through sexual energy that divinity and even immortality could be reached.
I will return to this under ‘Egyptian Mystery Schools’ which I believe both Mary Magdalene and Yeshua attended..