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...aimed at using philosophy, especially
speculations of Plato, to serve cause of Church, and to answer objections of pagan philosophers on their own grounds, {But it is well to remember Plato had to answer to religious bigots or face same fate as Socrates. This made him couch his 'speculations' in ways that could be interpreted in favour of theologians or power-mongering and hateful priests.} demonstrating that true philosophy led way to Christianity and not to Paganism. {They may also have co-opted hermetic Gnostics by calling their scholars Hermeneuts at this time. It may have been through Aquinas too, I am not sure about rip-off of title but I am sure they became gifted at creating confusion.}
Early in second century, then, a Christian School was established in Alexandria. At first it was a school for children only, located almost at door of Old Museum, from which majority of Christians, owing to their ignorance of science, art, and philosophy, had hitherto been debarred. Out of this grew famous Catechetical School. Its first director was Pantaeus, a converted Stoic, who was deposed and sent to India as a missionary in year 191. He was followed by Clement of Alexandria, whose study of Greek and Egyptian philosophy had convinced him that truth could be found even in heathen systems. But Clement's eclecticism met with no enthusiasm from his superiors, and in year 203 he was deposed and replaced by his pupil Origen, who was only eighteen years old at time.
Origen's work for Christianity commenced with a deep and profound study of Hebrew Scriptures. Dissatisfied with translations which were then extant, Origen determined to make his own translation. {So we have an eighteen year old 'Divinely Inspired' Scripture writer to join Jerome who was making Vulgate for his Roman bosses who had replaced wiser men who would not do as requested.} He brought out what is known as Hexapala, or six-fold edition of Old Testament, in which he set forth, in separate columns, various versions of Scriptures, including his own. In addition to this, he brought out three Greek versions of Psalms. Some notion of magnitude of Origen's work (which occupied twenty-eight years of his life) is gained by an examination of some recently discovered manuscripts. One may be found in Abrosian {Is this Ambrosian?} Library in Milan, and another in collection of palimpsests discovered in Cairo. {Da Vinci's bicycle that shows time viewing is fastidiously avoided by academics.}
Origen's knowledge of Jewish Scriptures convinced him that orthodox Church was making a fatal mistake by denying authenticity of certain documents. He openly rebuked Church for rejecting Book of Enoch, {Hurray!} which contained history of early races of mankind and completely destroyed Jewish chronology. {Even more, it explains nature of psychic things soul of any man can do. Thus people would think less of their saintly magicians and prophets if they too understood.} He also called attention to 'esoteric' doctrines of Moses which Church had failed to notice. {But Masons call him their Master Mason because they know this important reality.} He discovered that Moses, in addition to teachings of Covenant, {The Ten Commandments were in Egyptian Book of Dead and Tibetan one before that.} had communicated some very important secrets to seventy elders, enjoining them to disclose these facts only to worthy. {HMMM-mm!}
Origen's fearless attitude toward accepted Scriptures of Christians, as well as his openly-professed interest in Neoplatonism, aroused wrath of Patriarch of Alexandria. Origen was banished from city in year 232. But his thirty years of study had convinced him of truth of Neoplatonism, and in School which he subsequently founded in Caesarea, Origen openly taught doctrines that he had learned from Ammonius Saccas.
Ammonius, who later became teacher of both Clement and Origen, received his early education in children's school which preceded Catechetical School. He was born in Alexandria about middle of second century. His parents were very poor, and boy was obliged to add his share to family earnings by working as a porter on docks located in Egyptian, or Rhakotis portion of city. There he saw ships from far-off lands, he heard queer dialects and met many strange people. Perhaps he gained his first acquaintance with philosophies of East from some Hindu sailor. The Song of Krishna is always on lips of son of Hindustan.
The parents of Ammonius were devout Christians, and Ammonius was sent to Christian School, where he learned about Christian Christ. He must have heard that Krishna, too, had been immaculately conceived, was persecuted by a wicked King, and had finally died upon a cross. Why were stories of two Christs so similar? Could it be possible that both were legends? If that was case, there must be other legends of Christ in other lands. The priest told him there was only 'one' Christ. All others were imposters. The priest told him to 'believe' but he wanted to 'know'. So he left Christian School, and started out upon his journey of honest investigation.
When he grew older he attended some of lectures in pagan schools and eventually became acquainted with basic ideas underlying all great philosophies. {He would have been a couple of centuries too late to study with Cleopatra at feet of a man real scholars think taught Jesus.} He pondered over profound statements that he heard, and often in night their meaning, it is said, was revealed to him in dreams and visions. In course of time people began to speak of him as 'theodidaktos', "god-taught". But Ammonius was a modest man, and called himself merely a 'Philalethian', or lover of truth. He started Neoplatonic School in Alexandria in year 193 A.D." (1)
Columnist in ES Press Magazine Author of Diverse Druids Guest Writer at World-Mysteries.com
