This Psychic Reading given by Edgar Cayce at the office of the Association, Arctic Crescent, Virginia Beach, Va., this 22nd day of June, 1941, at the Tenth Annual Congress of the Ass'n for Research & Enlightenment, Inc.

Present: Edgar Cayce; Gertrude Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Gladys & Charles Dillman, Fannie L. & J. Floyd Leonard, Malcolm Allen, Florence Edmonds, Minnie & C. A. Barrett, Beatrice & Richmond Seay, Gladys Hardin, Frances Y. Morrow, Hannah & Noah Miller, Mignon Helms, Shea Hurley, Sallie Jones, Alberta Burmeister, Henrietta McClelland, Kathryn Patterson, Willie L. & Katherine McAllister, Sally Taylor, Marion Wolfe, Marsden Godfrey, Helen Storey, Esther Wynne, Jane Williams, Ruth & Jeanne LeNoir, Burt Davis, Mae Verhoeven, Riley Simmons, Doris House, Ethel & Edgar Parry, Rosa & Joshua Manning, Ruth Denney, Lucille, David, S. David & Richard Kahn, Thomas Sugrue, Hugh Lynn Cayce and others.

TEXT

1. GC: You will have before you the enquiring mind of the entity Thomas Sugrue, present in this room, who seeks a continuation of information given on the life of the Master and its history in the material world, given in Readings of June 27, 1937 [5749-7 and 5749-8]. Because of the purpose for which this information is to be used, he asks at this time for a description of a literary nature of certain events in the life of the Master which are known to us in outline but not in detail. You will give these as presented, - first the birth of the Master at Bethlehem beginning with the arrival of Mary and Joseph at the Inn. You will include such details as weather, time, conversation with Inn Keeper, number of people at the Inn, types they represented, recreations and occupations engaged in during the evening, what was being eaten and drunk, whether the guests knew the Child was being born, actual time of birth, etc.
2. EC: Yes, we have the information that has been indicated respecting some of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, the son of Mary, in Bethlehem of Judea.
3. The purposes are well known, for which the journey was made in the period. The activities of Joseph are well known. The variation or difference in their ages is not so oft dealt upon. Neither is there much indicated in sacred or profane history as to the preparation of the mother for that channel through which immaculate conception might take place. And this, the immaculate conception, is a stumblingstone to many worldly-wise.
4. The arrival was in the evening, - not as counted from the Roman time, nor that declared to Moses by God when the second passover was to be kept, nor that same time which was in common usage even in that land, but what would NOW represent January sixth.
5. The weather was cool, and there were crowds on the way. For, it was only a sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem. There were great crowds of people on the way from the hills of Judea.
6. The people were active in the occupations of the varied natures in that unusual land. Some were carpenters, - as those of the house of Joseph, who had been delayed, even on the journey, by the condition of the Mother. Some in the group were helpers to Joseph, - carpenters' helpers. Then there were shepherds, husbandmen, and the varied groups that had their small surroundings as necessitated by the conditions of the fields about Nazareth.
7. In the evening then, or at twilight, Joseph approached the Inn, that was filled with those who had also journeyed there on their way to be polled for the tax as imposed by the Romans upon the people of the land. For, those had been sent out who were to judge the abilities of the varied groups to be taxed. And each individual was required by the Roman law to be polled in the city of his birth.
8. Both Joseph and Mary were members of the sect called the Essenes; and thus they were questioned by those not only in the political but in the religious authority in the cities.
9. Then there was the answer by the inn keeper, "No room in the inn," especially for such an occasion. Laughter and jeers followed, at the sight of the elderly man with the beautiful girl, his wife, heavy with child.
10. Disappointments were written upon not only the face of Joseph but the inn keeper's daughter, as well as those of certain groups about the inn. For, many saw the possibilities of an unusual story that might be gained if the birth were to take place in the inn. Also there was consternation outside, among those who had heard that Joseph and Mary had arrived and were not given a room. They began to seek some place, some shelter.
11. For, remember, many of those - too - were of that questioned group; who had heard of that girl, that lovely wife of Joseph who had been chosen by the angels on the stair; who had heard of what had taken place in the hills where Elizabeth had gone, when there was the visit from the cousin - and as to those things which had also come to pass in her experience. Such stories were whispered from one to another.
12. Thus many joined in the search for some place. Necessity demanded that some place be sought - quickly. Then it was found, under the hill, in the stable - above which the shepherds were gathering their flocks into the fold.
13. There the Savior, the Child was born; who, through the will and the life manifested, became the Savior of the world - that channel through which those of old had been told that the promise would be fulfilled that was made to EVE; the arising again of another like unto Moses; and as given to David, the promise was not to depart from that channel. But lower and lower man's concept of needs had fallen.
14. Then, - when hope seemed gone, - the herald angels sang. The star appeared, that made the wonderment to the shepherds, that caused the awe and consternation to all of those about the Inn; some making fun, some smitten with conviction that those unkind things said must needs be readjusted in their relationships to things coming to pass.
15. All were in awe as the brightness of His star appeared and shone, as the music of the spheres brought that joyful choir, "PEACE ON EARTH! GOOD WILL TO MEN OF GOOD FAITH."
16. ALL felt the vibrations and saw a great light, - not only the shepherds above that stable but those in the Inn as well.
17. To be sure, those conditions were later to be dispelled by the doubters, who told the people that they had been overcome with wine or what not.
18. Just as the midnight hour came, there was the birth of the Master.
19. The daughter of the inn keeper was soon upon the scene, as was the mother of the daughter, and the shepherds that answered the cry - and had gone to see what was come to pass.
20. Those were the manners, and the ones present soon afterwards. For, through the period of purification the Mother remained there, not deeming it best to leave, though all forms of assistance were offered; not leaving until there was the circumcision and the presenting in the temple to the magi, to Anna and to Simeon.
21. Such were the surroundings at the period of the birth of Jesus.
22. (Q) The first recorded miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee when the Master changed water into wine. The entity desires again such details as weather, names of people in wedding, food and drink, games and dances, etc.
    (A) A great deal of that leading to the experience, to be sure, is being skipped over. For, that came about soon after the return of the Master from the Jordan, and his dwelling by the sea, his conversation with Peter - after Andrew had told Peter of the happenings at the Jordan; and there was the wedding in Cana of Galilee.
    The girl was a relative of those close to the Mother of Jesus, who prepared the wedding feast - as was the custom in that period, and is yet among those of the Jewish faith who adhere to the traditions as well as custom of those people chosen as the channel because of their purpose with God.
    The girl to be wed was a daughter of the cousin of Mary, a daughter of a younger sister of Elizabeth, whose name was also Mary. And she was the one spoken of as "the other Mary," and not as some have supposed. [See 2946-3 on 6/18/43 verifying this.]
    The customs required that there be a feast, which was composed of the roasted lamb with the herbs, the breads that had been prepared in the special ways as were the custom and tradition of those who followed close to the faith in Moses' law, Moses' custom, Moses' ordinances.
    The families of Mary were present, as well as those of the groom.
    The groom, in the name Roael, was among the sons of Zebedee; being an elder brother of James and John who later became the close friends and the closer followers of Jesus.
    The Master, returning with those who were hangers-on, naturally sought to speak with His mother. Learning of this happening He, too, with the followers, were bid to remain at the feast.
    Much wine also was part of the custom. The day was what ye would call June third. There were plenty of flowers and things of the field, yet only a part of those things needed. For, the custom called for more of the meats prepared with certain herbs, and wines.
    The day had been fine; the evening was fair; the moon was full. This then brought the activities with the imbibing more and more of wine, more hilarity, and the dance - which was in the form of the circles that were a part of the customs, not only of that land then but that are in your own land now and then being revived.
    With those activities, as indicated, the wine ran low. Remember, the sons of Zebedee were among those of the upper class, as would be termed; not the poorer ones. Thence the reason why Mary served or prepared for her relative the feast. From those happenings that were a portion of her experience upon their return from Egypt, - as to how the increase had come in the food when they had been turned aside as they journeyed back towards the Promised Land, - Mary felt, knew, was convinced within herself that here again there might be such an experience, with her son returning as a man starting upon his mission. For, what was the pronouncement to the mother when Gabriel spoke to her? What was the happening with Elizabeth when the mother spoke to her?
    This might be called a first period of test. For, had He not just ten days ago sent Satan away, and received ministry from the angels? This had come to be known as hearsay. Hence the natural questioning of the mother-love for the purposes; this son - strange in many ways had chosen, by the dwelling in the wilderness for the forty days, and then the returning to the lowly people, the fishermen, about this country. It brought on the questioning by the mother.
23. We are through for the present.

REPORTS

1. See Source File Key #5749 for article appearing in Ledger-Star, Saturday, June 2, 1973 - JESUS A MAGICIAN, SECRET GOSPEL SUGGESTS by Israel Shenker re 5749-15.
2. 9/24/75 GD's reply to 8/75 questions:
   [Note at top of letter] Gladys - Can you give me the answer? [signed] Norrene Leary
   Mr. Hugh Lynn Cayce
   I am at this moment puzzled over something which may or may not be worthy of puzzlerydom; on page 207 [207-210 paperback] of Jeffrey Furst's book concerning Edgar Cayce's story of Jesus, it states that: Naomi was a sister of James and John, that she was the daughter of Zebedee and the other Mary; - reading [540], hence: there should be no dispute that the other Mary was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John; -
   Yet on page 198 of Furst's book it states: the girl to be wed was a daughter of a cousin of Mary, a daughter of a younger sister of Elizabeth, whose name was also Mary, and she was the one spoken of as the other Mary...the groom was among the sons of Zebedee, elder brother of James and John; - reading 5749-15 - speaking of the wedding of Cana;
   In other words the girl to be wed was the daughter of the other Mary, wife of Zebedee, yet the groom was also the offspring of Zebedee and the other Mary; were brother and sister then married to each other?
   Patrick-Blaine 123 Highland Rd Avon Lake, Ohio 44012
3. 9/24/75 GDT to Norrene Leary for HLC:
   As I understand it, there were several "other Marys" referred to in the Bible, also in the readings. First, however, I must say that Jeffrey Furst's book, EDGAR CAYCE'S STORY OF JESUS, pages 197 through 294 in the Paperback (perhaps throughout the book) paraphrased the readings and took portions out of context. In studying all of the above characters and Case Numbers in context, I find: Naomi [540] was a daughter of Zebedee and one "other Mary", who was later referred to in 2946-3 as "Mrs. Zebedee", while [2946] was called in the reading "the one referred to as the other Mary", being an aid to Mrs. Zebedee and the one who at the wedding in Cana married the older son of Zebedee, Roael. She was a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus, being a daughter of a younger sister of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. It was at this wedding in Cana that Naomi [540] met the man whom she later married. [2946] was very close to the entire Zebedee family, John being her favorite, and, according to the reading, it was to her that John directed his message to "the elect lady". She had continued in his home, companion to Mary, the Mother during her later years, etc. [2 John]
   P.S. The mother of Naomi, Mrs. Zebedee, sometimes referred to as the other Mary, was apparently a cousin of John the Baptist (as per [540]), or of the priesthood line. So the children of Zebedee although cousins of John the Baptist and "the other Mary [2946]", it is not mentioned that they were cousins of Mary, the Mother of Jesus (who was a cousin of Elizabeth) as was [2946]. They could have been related through another side of the family.

Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation