Some of my contemporaries have attempted to prove that all of these phenomena are, in some way or other, illusory, and that in any case they do not involve flight, wingless or otherwise, mechanical propulsion or intelligent direction.
I consider their negative case unproven because there is an overwhelming mass of authentic evidence which can be cited as: (1) direct observation, (2) indirect observation, and (3) supporting evidence or indication.
There is one sphere of indirect evidence in the form of events of a mysterious nature which have never been explained. These things would be easy to explain were we to admit the limitations of our own knowledge, and the possibility of “intelligence” elsewhere in the universe operating spaceships-and quite possibly more than one kind of “intelligence” and more than one kind of spaceship!
This world is full of unexplained oddities. The legends of Atlantis and Mu have been favorite targets of the scoffers. They say there are no ghosts, no spirits, nothing falls from the sky but iron and stone meteorites. But for centuries the Earth was believed to be flat, there was no America, no heliocentric system of Earth and planets, no fossil dinosaurs; yet we now know these beliefs to have been wrong.
Reliable people have been seeing the phenomena known as flying saucers for a thousand years and more. There are good reports as far back as 1500 B.C. and before. Thousands of people have seen some kind of navigable contraptions in the sky, and some have sworn it under oath.
I cannot agree with any astronomer who insists that all of these things are mirages, planets, clouds, or illusions. The majority of the people are articulate enough to tell their stories and sincere enough to make depositions before notaries public. Even scientists concede that these folk saw something.
—MORRIS K. JESSUP
(Position statement was adapted from the Preface of Jessup’s book, The Case for the UFO, 1955.)
Jesus as an extraterrestrial Although the concept of Jesus as an extraterrestrial will be shocking and iconoclastic to some, such an interpretation is inescapable.
Painting by Monarca Lynn Merrifield
The idea has received serious attention from Morris K. Jessup, Brinsley LePoer Trench, W. Raymond Drake, Paul Thomas, Barry H. Downing, R.L. Dione, Gerhard R. Steinhäuser, and others. Steinhäuser devoted an entire book to the subject entitled Jesus Christ—Heir to the Astronauts (1974). More recently, Raël, founder and leader of the 50,000-member Raëlian religion, claimed special knowledge—direct from the Elohim—that this is true. (Raël, 1998). And in this writer’s view, Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the extraterrestrial par excellence.
That Jesus was an extraterrestrial is first of all true by definition. Doesn’t extraterrestrial mean “not of this Earth”? That Jesus came from another world, performed miracles—which today would be associated with advanced technology—and then returned to “heaven” is all part of the Holy Gospel.
Therefore, Jesus is de facto an extraterrestrial. Celestial wonders accompanied his birth, many aspects of his life, his death, and resurrection are not dissimilar to events associated today with UFO-related phenomena. In addition to his own words (attributed to Jesus in the New Testament), the evidence includes:
• His miraculous virgin birth, which some UFOlogists attribute to genetic hybridization
• The star of Bethlehem, which hovered over his birthplace like a modern-day flying saucer
• Voices from the sky affirming his otherworldly and superior nature
• His association with angels, who could also be considered de facto extraterrestrials
• The transfiguration, during which he appeared as a being composed of brilliant white light
• The resurrection, during which he walked through the walls of his tomb
• The ascension, in which he rose into the sky inside a “bright cloud”
• Sacred religious paintings (or icons) seemingly depicting Jesus in flight
Let us consider each item in more detail.
THE VIRGIN BIRTH
The circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus are full of hints that something miraculous occurred. A “star” miraculously appears in the sky to herald the birth of the God-Man.
Was the Star of Bethlehem a UFO? Illustration by Gustave Doré
Brinsley LePoer Trench, the late Earl of Clancarty, was one of the first to suggest that Jesus was an alien hybrid: “Etheric Galactic reproduction proceeds through juggling the chromosomes and genes already there to produce the desired effect. Gabriel could have fathered Jesus only without actual intercourse with Mary, because he was a Galactic.” (Trench, 1960)
Again we have a de facto case of something that is true by definition. If we accept the tenets of Christianity, then we accept that Jesus was both the Son of Man and the Son of God—not a mortal human, but a God-Man—a hybrid, in other words. From the perspective of modern science, we can now postulate that some form of genetic engineering may have taken place.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM
It is more than curious that a bright light or “star” hovered over the birthplace of Jesus at just the right time and place.
Here are the relevant passages from Matthew 2:1-10:
Now when the birth of Jesus took place in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is the King of the Jews whose birth has now taken place? We have seen his star in the east and have come to give him worship.
And when it came to the ears of Herod the king, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And he got together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, questioning them as to where the birthplace of the Christ would be.
And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judaea; for so it is said in the writings of the prophet,
You Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the chiefs of Judah: out of you will come a ruler, who will be the keeper of my people Israel.
Then Herod sent for the wise men privately, and put questions to them about what time the star had been seen.
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and make certain where the young child is; and when you have seen him, let me have news of it, so that I may come and give him worship.
And after hearing the king, they went on their way; and the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the young child was.
And when they saw the star they were full of joy.
It is universally agreed—by astronomers and space-god proponents alike—that the so-called “Star of Bethlehem” was not a star. As pointed out by R.L. Dione, if “…it appeared only over Bethlehem…” it “…would have had to be very close to the earth.” (Dione, 1974) Furthermore, the “star” was apparently leading the Magi until it stopped over the birthplace of Jesus. Celestial objects that are millions of miles or light years away do not behave in that manner.
It is also a fact that the “Star of Bethlehem” has never been definitively identified by astronomers even with the assistance of powerful computers that have calculated every instance of known objects such as comets, planets, and supernovae. Some guesses have been made, but no one has ever truly established just exactly what the Star of Bethlehem really was. Again, we have a case in which it is true by definition that the Star of Bethlehem was an unidentified flying object.
THE BAPTISM
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is affirmed by voices from the sky which some UFOlogists associate with some kind of loud-speaker system emanating from hovering space craft.
A case in point occurs at the baptism of Jesus:
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be given baptism by him.
But John would have kept him back, saying, It is I who have need of baptism from you, and do you come to me?
But Jesus made answer, saying to him, Let it be so now: because so it is right for us to make righteousness complete. Then he gave him baptism.
And Jesus, having been give
n baptism, straight away went up from the water; and, the heavens opening, he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him as a dove;
And a voice came out of heaven, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:13-17)
ANGELS AS ALIENS
Consider this passage from Luke 2:9: “And an angel of the Lord came to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining round about them: and fear came on them.”
This eleventh-century French cloisoosé angel is not entirely unlike some aliens that are reported today. Even a possible “space helmet” seems to be in evidence.
The Bible is full of references to Jesus in the company of angels who are in turn associated with bright lights. References to angels constitute the full range of anomalies that we have come to associate with UFOs and their occupants.
As Jessup reminds us: “The theme of bright lights as connected with UFO activity and the appearance of paranormal entities runs profusely through the Bible and Apocryphal books. God, Angels, Messengers, Voices, appeared as, in, or with brilliant lights.” (UFO and the Bible, p. 32)
In his book, The Sky People (1960), Trench quotes a statement of Jesus from Mark 26-7:
And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with a great power and glory.
And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost parts of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Could the “bright cloud” have been a UFO and “Heaven” the planet from which Jesus came?
THE TRANSFIGURATION
The transfiguration of Jesus—in which his appearance became glorified in a display of radiant luminosity—took place probably on either Mt. Tabor or Mt. Hermon.
According to the Bible:
And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, his brother, and makes them go up with him into a high mountain by themselves.
And he was changed in form before them; and his face was shining like the sun, and his clothing became white as light.
And Moses and Elijah came before their eyes, talking with him.
And Peter made answer and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you will let me, I will make here three tents, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
While he was still talking, a bright cloud came over them: and a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased; give ear to him.
And at these words the disciples went down on their faces in great fear.
And Jesus came and put his hand on them and said, Get up and have no fear.
And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, but Jesus only.
(Matthew 17:1-8)
THE ASCENSION
Jessup thought that: “The ascension of Christ into the sky (Heaven) is the best known example…” of Jesus as an advanced extraterrestrial, “…and is an integral part of the resurrection story, or central miracle of Christianity.” According to Jessup, “…some type of levitation was involved, and the least disturbing solution lies in the presence of a UFO to lift Him, and take Him into the clouds, or heavenly vault, which, to Him, was home.” (Jessup, 1956)
According to the Bible:
And he said to them, It is not for you to have knowledge of the time and the order of events which the Father has kept in his control.
But you will have power, when the Holy Spirit has come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
And when he had said these things, while they were looking, he was taken up, and went from their view into a cloud.
And while they were looking up to heaven with great attention, two men came to them, in white clothing,
And said, O men of Galilee, why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come again, in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.
(Acts 1:6-11)
“Cloud” seems to be a code word for UFO (or some form of aerial transport) throughout the Bible. Jesus was also said to have walked through the solid walls of his tomb, just as alien beings have been reported to do in modern times.
ICONS
Also intriguing are the many sacred paintings called “icons,” on the walls of churches and cathedrals throughout Eastern Europe, which could be taken to represent Jesus in various aspects of spaceflight.
These paintings are said to represent the ascension, transfiguration, and second coming, and show lines or rays being emitted from the tail end of the surrounding design which give it a starlike or cometary appearance. It takes only a little imagination to see how these frescoes could be interpreted as a man in a spaceship.
THE MESSAGE
Downing points out that: “What is clear throughout the Biblical material…is that God’s will for the Jews, and eventually for all mankind, was ‘revealed’ by beings from another world.” (Downing, 1968)
Whether we think in metaphysical or technological terms, the Bible clearly speaks of a superior, extraterrestrial intelligence coming down out of the sky to first create, and then save, mankind. Therefore, if we accept the Bible literally, it would be logically consistent to consider Jesus as a more highly evolved, extraterrestrial being.
Whether he was just more advanced biologically and ethically—as if those were small matters—or in a sacred spiritual sense (the Son of God, no less), that is the great question. But either way, it would seem a safe bet to heed his teachings.
In essence, I think Jesus was telling us how to save our souls (in more than one sense) and how to achieve immortality (in more than one sense). Through the use of parables, he imparted a great deal of practical wisdom that if put into practice would benefit—and save—humanity. He also tried to teach us that man is not the highest authority in the universe—or even on Earth—and that human folly and hubris could lead to our downfall.
So far—he has been proven correct.
—RONALD D. STORY
References
Drake, W. Raymond. Messengers from the Stars (London: Sphere Books, 1977). First published as Gods or Spacemen? (Amherst Press, 1964).
Dione, R.L. God Drives a Flying Saucer (Corgi, 1974).
Downing, Barry. The Bible and Flying Saucers (London: Sphere Books, 1973).
Jessup, Morris K. UFO and the Bible (The Citadel Press, 1956).
Raël. The True Face of God (The Raëlian Foundation, 1998).
This collection of icons from churches and cathedrals throughout Europe and Asia traces the Transfiguration (lower left), Ascension, and Second Coming of Christ.
Steinhäuser, Gerhard R. Jesus Christ—Heir to the Astronauts (Abelard-Schuman, 1974).
Thomas, Paul. Flying Saucers through the Ages (Tandem, 1973). First published as Les Extraterrestres (France: Libraire Plon, 1962).
Trench, Brinsley LePoer. The Sky People (Neville Spearman, 1960).
Jesus Christ Heir to the Astronauts (Abelard-Schuman, 1974). German author Gerhard Steinhäuser believes that between 12,000 and 8,000 b.c. competing races of extraterrestrials waged a war throughout our solar system. The winning race colonized Earth in Biblical times, inspired the myths of Moses and Christ, and used energy gates such as the Gate of the Sun in Bolivia as time transporters through which they left this planet.
—RANDALL FITZGERALD
Jordan-Kauble, Debra (b. 1959) Debbie Jordan-Kauble (formerly Debbie Tomey) is also known as “Kathy Davis,” the central figure of Budd Hopkins’s bestselling book, Intruders: The Incredible Visitations at Copely Woods (1987). She later coauthored, with her sister Kathy Mitchell, Abducted! The Story of the Intruders Continues (1994).
Debbie lives in north central Indiana with Dave Kauble (her husband of five years), four dogs, two birds, and two cats. She is a licensed Cosmetologist and mother of two grown sons. Debbie is a member of MENSA. She has traveled all over the United States speaking about her experiences and recently traveled to England to speak for
BUFORA (British UFO Research Association). She has appeared on Maury Povich, Dini Petty (Canada) Ophra Winfrey’s AM Chicago, Sightings, and the Sci Fi Channel. She has appeared on numerous other radio and television programs, as well. She assists her husband in maintaining an impressive Web site of UFO research information, newsclips, and links.
Address:
P.O. Box 6730
Kokomo, IN 46904
U.S.A.
E-mail:
[email protected]
Web site:
www.debshome.com
FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNT OF CENTRAL UFO-ENCOUNTER
June 30, 1983: I was preparing to go to a neighbor’s house to do some sewing and had stopped at the kitchen sink to wash my hands before I left the house. As I looked aimlessly out the window, a very bright light radiating from the swimming pool pumphouse caught my eye. At the time, I couldn’t figure out exactly why this light didn’t seem quite right.
Debbie Jordan-Kauble (a.k.a. “Kathy Davis”)
A few minutes later, as I got in my car to leave, I decided to drive around the back of the house on the turnaround to see if the light was still there. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I had when I had first seen it. When I reached a point in the driveway where I could see the pumphouse clearly, I saw that the light was gone and the pedestrian door to the attached garage was now open. I began to worry that there might be a prowler on the property. I don’t know why I didn’t stop right then. Instead, I continued on my way to my neighbor’s house.
One of the “Intruders” (Drawing by Debbie Kauble)
When I arrived at my destination, I called my mother and reported to her what I had seen. I asked her if she wanted me to come home. She told me that she would be fine and not to worry about coming home. As soon as I hung up the phone, it rang again. I answered it instinctively, and was surprised to hear my mother’s voice on the other end asking me to come home “right away.” She sounded frightened and that’s not like my mother.
When I returned home, I entered the house through the back patio door, grabbed my father’s rifle, and proceeded to explore the back yard and the attached garage. At one point in my investigation, I found my loyal dog, Penny, hiding terrified beneath my father’s old ladder truck. I couldn’t drag her out from under the truck no matter how hard I tried.
The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters Page 52