Brass Records of a TombByDewey MaggardThirty-three years had passed since His parents had registered for the property tax. By the decree of the Emperor, Caesar Augustus, they had traveled the miles across Palestine to pay the oppressors of their people.
This registration had caused much-heated debate during these inter-vening years. In fact, people had rebelled to such an extent, that the Roman government had to implement special methods for the collection of these taxes. It wasn’t easy to compel these fiercely independent people with their own Divine calling to support the projects and ambitions of the Roman empire—the empire that many considered to be the making of Satan. Didn’t they already pay Temple Tax and bring offerings to the Lord?
The Caesars didn’t care about Jewish religious traditions or their ideas of a Divine destiny; they just wanted these troublemakers to pay their taxes—no matter what method was used.
The chosen method was to put the job of collecting taxes up for the highest bidder. Whichever person, no matter how unscrupulous, bid the highest got the job. These ‘traitors’ used whatever methods were necessary, including execution, to make sure that both Rome’s and their own appetites for revenues were satisfied.
Then, as now, the property tax was an important source of funds for the government. A reliable method for keeping track of who owned what was needed. Not having computer disks to do the job, the Emperor, Vespasian came up with the next best solution—to engrave property descriptions in brass. These records would have the kind of durability he was looking for. Because of this, they also proved to be invaluable to you and me. It has to do with HE who was crucified, you see.
It was Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena,over 300 years later, who conceived the idea of re-discovering the tomb where they laid our Lord. It was her burning desire to see if such a place could be found. Through her own historical sources, she was able to learn not only of Vespasian’s brass records, but also of where many were kept.
So it was, that she prevailed upon her son Constantine to provide engineers, laborers, and money for an expedition to the ruins of the little town of Capernaum. In time, a record of the properties of Joseph of Arimethea was discovered. On it was the location of a tomb; the tomb that Helena was looking for.
I can only travel there in the vehicle of my imagination, but I do believe that Helena and several generations after her were able to visit HIS tomb without wondering if it was merely the traditional site.
Praise God, the tomb she found was empty. It is because of this fact that I write. He is risen! Every account says that the tomb was empty. It was HE, the man from Nazareth who entered into this world of turmoil and hatred, who conquered death that you and I may be able to escape all these things that plague mankind.
‘He is not here! HE is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.’ Matt. 28:6.
Author’s note; I own some Denarius coins of this Emperor Vespasian. He is historical and did indeed do what is mentioned above. Half of these brass records were buried at Rome, the other half were buried at Capernaum. Helena had access to records that told her this- and it was logical for her to think of Capernaum as the place where Joseph of Arimethea’s property description would be found.
First rights published March 1980-
copyrighted 2006
All Other Rights Reserved
