This post is essentially about a trip to two museums. But I go off on a few wild stories in the process. It is filled with interesting tales and unfortunate truths. This post will take you to places you may not want to go and see things you may not want to believe. Some are simply a matter of fact. This post collects stories I have picked up while exploring some of Asia’s great temples and holy sites.
It would probably have been best to break in two, but the overall topic of a day at the museums gives the whole post a bit of cohesiveness. There are many things controversial in this post, so be forewarned. Some graphic images in the section would constitute the Wars of Man, so again, be cautioned. I hope you enjoy “The Son of God and the Wars of Man.”
Back in Đà Nẵng
Our arrival back in Da Nang had the feelings of a homecoming. After retrieving the girls and spending a couple of weeks with them in Da Nang, they had hurried off to their fathers for the duration of our time away. One must always make time for everyone. We had taken their extended time with their father to explore the south of Vietnam. Now we were all back in Da Nang, and we began to settle into a beautiful kind of routine.
Up early to get the girls off to the newly reinstated schools, afternoon trips to the beach, and dinners with friends and family. Diem and I would spend our days cleaning, running errands, or having lunch at one of the riverside restaurants. It was a routine I quickly began to feel was eternal and permanent.
The realities of home in the U.S. were becoming so distant, detached, and former life. With the continued uncertainty of any return to the land of my birth, it was becoming a memory, an alien thought of something that no longer seemed to be tangible. Like the hazy memory one has of a place they haven’t visited in many years. So I began to spend days not thinking much of that place at all, that is until the world took notice.
The World is Watching
One day I turned on the television and flipped through the channels. It was an average morning. We didn’t have anything in particular scheduled, and I laid on our freshly made bed to catch up on some news. Maybe watch a movie, or read a good book. I had been on a news hiatus, not in any intentional sense, we had just been so busy, and the news lately was so depressing. But, as I leisurely flipped through the channels, something ominous was becoming evident.
Every news outlet I turned to was reporting the same incident. Being in a predominantly ex-pat and tourist city, we had every cable news channel from all over the world—the US, Germany, Singapore, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and more. Every news channel was simultaneously reporting on the riots around America. It was sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hand of a Minneapolis police officer. It was a sad sight to see the entire world’s eyes trained on the U.S. I imagine it to be a scenario very similar to 9/11 when the whole world watched.
A Day at the Museums
There wasn’t much I could do about the situation unfolding in the U.S. I saw no sense in bombarding any of my time with such negativity. So while American cities flared up in the night, we enjoyed a peaceful day exploring a few of Da Nang’s museums. One of the beautiful side effects of international border closures and a complete lack of tourists in Vietnam was opening all museums and public spaces to the public free of charge. Unfortunately, I was unaware of this fact until we arrived at the first museum.
Đà Nẵng Museum of Cham Sculpture
Across the Han river at the tail end of the dragon bridge sits the Museum of Cham sculpture. I’ve spoken before of the Cham and their history in the region so that I won’t get too involved here. Their Empire lasted from the 4th century until its final destruction at the hands of Emperor Minh Mang in 1832. At the height of the Cham, the 7th to 10th centuries, they controlled most of the Indian ocean and Archipelagic Southeast Asian trade routes. All goods traded from India, China, the Indonesian islands, and as far afield as the Abbasid Empire of Baghdad went through Cham hands. In the later years of the Empire and the resulting Kingdom of the Cham, Islam would become the dominant religion. However, in the time of the Empire’s height and the period we are focusing on here, Hinduism was the religion of majority practice.
A Short Jaunt into Buddhism and Hinduism
Over the past few years, I’ve delved a bit into the worlds of Hinduism and Buddhism. Partly due to simple exposure, I was spending much time in areas dominated by the two religions. And partly due to a natural curiosity that comes from one who has a predisposition of being drawn to things historical and ancient.
Hinduism
The Pantheon of Hinduism is daunting, its ancient texts vast and seemingly endless. The texts of the Vedas. The Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. The massive epic poem “Mahabharata” claimed to be the longest poem ever written. At ten times the length of the Iliad or Odyssey, it is a truly epic poem. Or the often quoted Bhagavad Gita. Mentioned in two places by Robert Oppenheimer when the first successful nuclear explosion occurred near Alamogordo, New Mexico. “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one.” “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
There is no doubting the historical significance of such a large body of ancient texts. It gives a window into the thoughts and lives of those that lived and died in and around the Indian subcontinent thousands of years ago. I find great curiosity in a time and place where animism was real. Monsters lurked in the mountains, and wars broke out in the heavens. Not in a sense that these things were real, but that those of the time believed they were.
Buddhism
I learned much of the Buddha during our time in Thailand. One can’t help but learn something there. The Buddha is dominant and ever-present, with a 94 percent majority and more Buddhist temples than Seven Elevens. The thing that I find unique to Buddhism is the lack of a true deity. The Buddha was an average man who did above-average things. Living by most accounts between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, He spent a lifetime searching for and ultimately finding inner peace.
It’s a fascinating story. The Buddha was trying many forms of sacrifice, fasting, asceticism, and meditation. He would ultimately find his awakening under a bodhi tree, in Bodh Gaya, in the state of Bahir, Northeast India. The Buddha would spend the rest of his life absent of property and possessions. He wandered the countryside, established monasteries, and spread his newfound understanding of inner peace and enlightenment.
A Warning
What I am about to discuss is a bit of a touchy subject. If you have no interest in listening to an alternative account of the life of Jesus, then skip ahead to the section marked “The Museum.” This is not anything to alter what is written but rather to discuss what is unwritten. It is common knowledge that there is a gap in the life of Jesus. From approximately the age of 12 to 29, there is almost zero information in the Bible of the life of Jesus.
In the ancient religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, and even Islam, it is discussed that Jesus visited Persia and the western parts of India during his twenty’s. I will lay out a few of the arguments for his visits there. But, again, if you have no interest in reading the things that I have come across in my time here, skip this article.
The Spread of Judaism
Our story begins just over 300 years before the time of Christ. The young Macedonian King was known to history as Alexander the Great, began his conquest of the ancient world. Upon his conquest of Egypt, Alexander would liberate Judea from the Persians. An overlord whose relationship with the Hebrews had soured with time. It is not entirely clear what the relationship was between Alexander and the Hebrews, but what is known is that Alexander left Jerusalem unscathed and allowed them to continue their traditions, laws, and way of life. A unique situation for Alexander and his conquests.
Titus Flavius Josephus
First-century Romano-Jewish historian Titus Flavius Josephus gives a rather fanciful telling of Alexander’s march into Jerusalem. He claims that Alexander was preparing to attack Jerusalem, but God warned him in a dream the night before. Moreover, God himself warned Alexander of the significance of the city and its inhabitants. The following day the High Priest of Jerusalem, Jaddua, other priests, and citizens presented themselves to Alexander in their finest Linens. Jaddua offered Alexander the book of Daniel.
The Goat and the Ram
“5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. 7 I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.”
Daniel 8: 5-8 NIV
Alexander Revealed
“21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.”
Daniel 8: 21-22
Alexander read these passages without translation. Hebrew was one of the many languages taught to him by Aristotle, his fabled teacher. Josephus claims that upon reading this, Alexander believed it was further proof that he would conquer Persia. Therefore, in his exhortation of the one true God, he spared the Hebrews. Instead, he offered the same religious freedom and life under Jewish law to those who would rise with him and head east to conquer Persia.
The Push East
Alexander would conquer Persia and press further East through modern-day Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Finally, he would make his way across the Indus valley and into northwest India. Alexander would encourage his ranks to settle along the routes they conquered to lay the framework for his growing Empire. An attempt to plant roots for the administration of his massive new Empire. This included the Hebrews.
All along the silk road, as far as India, Hebrew communities exist to this day. Some immigrated as far back as the Babylonian captivity, and some came with Alexander. One such population, known as the Cochin Jews, claim to have arrived in Cochin, India, as early as 562 BC. Trade representatives of Solomon himself, though this is heavily disputed. What is known, however, is that Josephus confirms in his Jewish Antiquities that by 60 A.D.
” …there are but two tribes in Asia (Turkey) and Europe subject to the Romans, while the ten tribes are beyond the Euphrates till now and are an immense multitude.”
Excerpt from Antiquities :Titus Flavius Josephus, Romano-Jewish Historian, 1st century AD
Connecting A Few Dots
What does this have to do with the lost years of Jesus? Jesus disappears from the biblical record at the age of 12. He would have been married at 13 had he remained in Judea. Though most are content to assume he just stayed with Mary and Joseph during these years, living a modest carpenter’s life, I’m not so sure. Luke 2: 41-52 tells the story of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus at the age of twelve. His response to them is profound in nature and understanding. The passage goes on to say that “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
If he was so profound at twelve and only continued to grow in wisdom and stature, then indeed there is more to the 17 years of silence in the life of Jesus. In the East, they believe that there is much more to the life of Jesus. Let us start the discussion with the birth of Jesus. One of the first acts discussed after Jesus’ birth is the coming of the Magi. Though no exact date is given in the Bible, modern tradition sets this date at January 6, though Herod’s order to kill male children up to two seems to put the visit much later.
Some Eastern Traditions
If the Magi took longer than a couple of weeks to reach Jesus and pay homage, it could place their origin further east. An Armenian tradition gives the identities of the three Magi as the Arabian Balthazar, the Persian Melchior, and the Indian Gaspar. There is also an ancient record from the archeological site of Taxila in modern-day Pakistan. It commemorates the passing of a Magi through the city, thought to be Gaspar, on his way to meet the newborn king. Another piece to the puzzle is the reaction to Jesus when he does reappear in the Bible.
The Reaction
54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Mathew 13: 54-58 NIV
The people of his hometown were shocked by Jesus. They couldn’t believe this. The son of a simple carpenter could speak in such wisdom. Jesus’ response, “A prophet is not without honor except in his town and his own home,” could be a clue to Jesus seeking truth, wisdom, growth, and enlightenment to the form of the son of God far from his homeland.
The Life of Saint Issa
I have learned in my travels that Jesus is referred to in the Buddhist, Hindu, and Islam traditions as Issa or Isha. And believe it or not, it is widely accepted in the East that Jesus spent many years traveling through India, Nepal, and Tibet. There he honed his skills of prayer through meditation and self-sacrifice. Learning, absorbing, and teaching. At the Buddhist Hemi monastery high in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, there is claimed to be a manuscript of the life of Jesus in the East called “The Life of St. Issa, the Best of the Sons of Man.”
His Holiness Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha, the Shankaracharya of Puri, one of the highest priests of Hinduism, in response to a question about Jesus living in India. His Holiness replied, “That is true. I have studied ancient records in the Puri Jagannath Temple archives confirming those facts. He was known as “Isha,” and during part of his time in India, he stayed in the Jagannath Temple.”
After the Crucifiction
One final piece is the story of St. Thomas the Apostle. Doubting Thomas, as he is often called, has a lesser role in the new testament. Though an important one. But it’s what he does after the closing chapters of the gospels that are most important. The disciples were sent out to spread the message of Jesus, and Thomas was no exception. But Thomas’ destination is what is interesting. The St. Thomas Christians of India have precise records of Thomas. They have Thomas landing in the Indian port city of Muziris, on the Kerala coast in the year 52 A.D.
They believe that Jesus sent Thomas to India specifically to teach his final message. To introduce it to the people he learned from and trained with years prior. Thomas would found seven churches in the region and continue to spread the message farther into India. He would ultimately be martyred in Mayapur near Madras on the eastern coast of India on July 3, 72 A.D.
In Conclusion
The entire theory comes to these main points. First, there was an established Jewish community on the silk road as far afield as India. This would give Jesus a common culture as a boy to head east. Thus, he would not go into a “cultural black hole,” as it were. Second, at least one of the three Magi could have come from as far away as India. Finally, to continue his spiritual growth and understanding of his humanity and avoid his homeland’s marriage laws, it is possible that Jesus joined a caravan headed East.
He would have had the motive to go and visit those three Magi along the way who paid homage to him years prior. The fact that one of his disciples headed directly for a specific land to the East after the crucifixion, combined with countless Indian tellings, manuscripts, and recounts of his time there, offers much potential for a visit from Jesus.
It makes for a compelling story. That Jesus, to further understand the depth of humanity, exploring the world beyond the Levant. But that is all it is, a compelling story. Christianity as a whole will probably never accept anything about Jesus not strictly written in the Bible. Hindu, Buddhist, and even Islam works will continue to speak of Jesus outside the realm of Biblical dogma. The only thing I know to be fact is that there is a large chunk of the life of the most extraordinary man about whom we know almost nothing beyond a few years of his life.
The Museum
Now that I’ve digested some of the wild rumors and stories I’ve picked up in the far East, let us return to the Cham art museum in downtown Da Nang. As I stated, earlier all museums and places of learning are currently free to the public. So we stepped right into the Museum of Cham Sculpture with not so much as a discussion. Apart from a few security guards protecting the exhibits, we were the only ones there. In addition, the curators were keeping everything wide open, with no air condition and no lights. I’m sure it was all to save money on operating a museum currently earning no revenue.
The museum was nothing short of magnificent, if not hot as Hades. A security guard escorted me around the museum for no other reason than to turn the spotlights and fans on here and there. And to promptly turn them off as I moved to the next exhibit. Diem, having already toured the museum, sat at the front, so it was as if I had a multi-storied massive ancient sculpture museum all to myself. Most pieces dated between the 4th and 11th centuries, and the detail was beautiful and impressive.
The Sculptures
Sculptures of Vishnu, Yakshas, and the flying beast Garuda. Mythical depictions of Lions, Elephants, and my personal favorite, the Naga. All of the serpent staircases that led into the Buddhist temples in Thailand were the mythical Naga. Giant serpent-like monsters who prevent those of impure hearts from entering the sacred sights. The mighty multi-armed Shiva and the Cham version of the mighty Dragon. One of the exhibits was of the history of the museum and its archeological digs.
I was quite impressed to find that the museum opened its doors on this very spot in 1919. The exhibit was to commemorate its 100th year. It was broken into sections chronicling the different eras of the museum. The first period, opening in 1936. 1936 to 1975, and from 1975 to the present. The museum had done a fantastic job of preserving and showcasing the sculpture and art and its history—especially given the war years that spanned the middle of the museum’s existence. I walked the many exhibits and rooms for quite some time, taking in the beauty of its collection.
The Museum of Da Nang
After several hours of marveling at the beautiful Cham art, we loaded our motorbike and headed uptown in the blistering heat. Tucked next to the Da Nang government building, the most recognizable building in the Da Nang skyline sits the Da Nang Museum. It is a modern structure but sits within the old citadel of the last imperial period. Still containing a moat and original wall, It’s an exciting display of ancient meets new. In the front of the museum stands a statue of the fabled General Nguyen Tri Phuong. He fought the French incursion and had a successful battle against French forces here in Da Nang in 1858.
At the front of the museum sits an oddly symmetrical quadrilateral type glass entryway. I couldn’t help but think there was some sort of psychological connection to the Louvre entrance in Paris. We passed through the entrance, again free of charge, and grabbed a brochure. Initially, the museum seemed ordinary and nothing of particular noteworthiness: some pickled sea life, a few models of a fishing boat, some fishing gear. However, nothing was dating back before 1800, and it was clear the museum was primarily dedicated to clothing, transportation, and everyday living for the past 200 years.
The War Section
Then we made our way to the second floor, and everything changed. As I walked the floor, everything unholy and evil in this world was laid bare—countless images of children maimed by napalm, women mutilated by weapons of war. Entire villages were wiped away, never to be seen again. Exhibits were showcasing U.S. military equipment and clothing. Both sides rank pins and medals.
Chemical Warfare
There was a large part of the exhibit dedicated to napalm and agent orange. What a dark moment in human history. The intentional destruction of all of the natural environment in an area for the sole purpose of subduing the enemy. It is estimated that the U.S. military dropped 388,000 tons of Napalm in Vietnam. Napalm burns at between 1500 to 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. It sticks to everything it touches, and water is ineffective. It burns so hotly that when water is used to dose its flames, it rips apart the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, further fueling the unstoppable flames. One napalm bomb can destroy 1.5 square miles of land.
“…..We are not judges, we are witnesses. Our duty is to make mankind aware of evidence of extremely heinous crimes that humanity and solidarity on the side of justice in Vietnam….”
Excerpt from a 1967 speech, Lord Bertrand Russell
The war effort sprayed over 20 million gallons of dioxin-concentrated herbicides and defoliants on the countryside. I was beginning to learn that Dioxin was one of the worst resources to have ever been brought to bear in war. The Red Cross has recorded over 4 million deaths and over 400,000 congenital disabilities within Vietnam from exposure to the chemicals found in agent orange. But it goes far beyond that.
“….Never in human history have people witnessed one country making war to the living environment of the other. Yet, the United States has engaged in this ecological experiment that no one has dared or will dare carry out……”
Senator Gaylord Nelson at a U.S. Senate Hearing, August 1970
Modern Repercussions
Dioxin is a nasty chemical. In large doses, it will most surely cause death. Smaller quantities can cause congenital disabilities, organ failure, increased cancer risks, and heart attacks. It can suppress the immune system, cause hormonal imbalances, diabetes, menstrual problems, increased hair growth, weight loss, and, most noticeably, and most obviously, the facial cysts known as chloracne. I have noticed a relatively large percentage of Vietnamese with moderate to severe acne. Now I know why.
Even almost 50 years after the last dose of dioxin-rich herbicide was administered to the countryside. It still permeates the environment. I was horrified. For three generations, Vietnamese have suffered from the ongoing and slow poisoning by Dioxin. It silently enters the food chain through contaminated soils in river and lake beds and untreated farmlands.
Since the war, Vietnam has seen a surge in down syndrome, congenital disabilities, autism, and of course, scarring acne. The scope is hard to imagine. Yet, there are still hundreds of thousands of acres contaminated. There is good news, however. The U.S. government has recently teamed up with its counterparts in Vietnam. The long and overdue cleaning of Vietnam’s dioxin contamination is finally underway.
To Be Fair
For full disclosure, the exhibit wasn’t entirely about how awful the U.S. was to the Vietnamese. It also had a rather large section that showcased the American soldiers’ plight regarding the enemy’s eastern philosophy. The entire war section was almost too much to handle. I stopped myself several times to catch my thoughts and dry my eyes. Images of soldiers trying to help up a fellow soldier, only to pick up a head, shoulder, and arm. An American is leaning his head against a smoldering tree in a burnt-out forest and crying. The captions always referred to American soldiers as comrades, and there was great respect in their suffering.
It started as a small museum that didn’t seem very special at all. But, in the end, it moved me beyond words. I took in the horrors of war and its legacy of destruction. The rest of the museum was uninteresting, and I wasn’t present at it. My mind was elsewhere, held in that hallway of war. I pray every day for a world void of warfare and mass aggression.
“Only the dead have seen the end of war”
-Plato
“I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.”
– William Tecumseh Sherman
“There are perhaps many causes worth dying for, but to me, certainly, there are none worth killing for.”
–Albert Dietrich
A Few Links
Click Here for a New York Times article about the hazards of Dioxin and its coverup. Dated July 6, 1983
or Click Here for a report published by the Yale School of Forestry and environmental studies. It discusses the joint effort to clean up Vietnam’s Dioxin contamination.
And Click Here for posts of some of our journeys to the ancient temple sights in Thailand.
In addition, Click here for previous posts visiting sites and discussing the Cham Empire of the classical era.
