Gamaliel and Jesus: Authenticity of an Encounter

Encounter of Jesus with Gamaliel (EMV 160), L. Ferri - Documentary collection of the Maria Valtorta Heritage Foundation

In EMV 160, Jesus meets Gamaliel on the road from Nephtali to Giscala. Both are going to honor the tomb of Hillel. This episode is not reported in the Gospel. Is it plausible and thus a source of better knowledge of the Bible or, on the contrary, is it a romanticized account, a "pious tale" of a devout but misguided soul?

This encounter with Gamaliel might seem trivial or even superfluous if certain details did not intrigue with their scent of authenticity.

Gamaliel and Hillel

Gamaliel is mentioned only in the Acts of the Apostles. Once when he intervenes favorably before the Sanhedrin where he concludes the trial of Peter and John with this judgment: "And now I say to you, stop troubling these men and let them go. If this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it. You might even be found fighting against God (Acts 5:34-39)".

And later, when Saint Paul recalls having been trained by this great teacher: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up here in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers; I was zealous for God as you all are today (Acts 22:3)."

Dom Augustin Calmet (1672-1757), in his dictionary annexed to his Bible, also calls him the teacher of Saint Barnabas, a companion for a time of Saint Paul and Saint Stephen, the first martyr, which Maria Valtorta confirms.

He is known from the writings of Flavius Josephus and from Jewish writings, notably the Mishna or collection of great rabbis. He was the grandson of Hillel whose memory he comes to honor at his tomb in Giscala in the episode in question.

Hillel, a prominent figure of Judaism, unknown to the Bible but not to Maria Valtorta and historical sources, opposed his liberal conception to the rigorism of his contemporary Shammai. The controversies were such that some claim that the verb to squabble derives from the protagonists, doubtless a wink. These two figures have been extensively studied. It is worthwhile to read what Pastor Edmond Stapfer wrote in 1885.

The place and the dialogue

A city of Upper Galilee, of the tribe of Asher (called Gush Halav in the Bible), Giscala is a rabbinic center located about 5 km north of Meron and 9.5 km from Safed. Near the village of Meron are the tombs of the rabbis Hillel and Shammai, not far off.

In this panorama (Judea) taken from Mount Meron, you can see on the left the city of Giscala and in the distance on the right, Lake Meron. In the background, Mount Hermon in southern Lebanon. These places are mentioned several times in Maria Valtorta's work.

Hillel's liberal teachings have had a lasting influence on Judaism and it is logical that Jesus recognizes himself in his teaching opposed to the rigorism of Shammai. It is also logical that he could meet Gamaliel on this route since he was the grandson of this prominent figure.

In the scene reported by Maria Valtorta, Jesus quotes Hillel’s preferred maxim in the form of an oxymoron: “Man is great when he humbles himself (EMV 160.6)”. Salton Jean-François Lavère says his motto was Good, in a similar formulation: "My lowliness will be my exaltation, and my exaltation will be my lowliness." This maxim draws inspiration from Ecclesiasticus or book of Ben Sirach the wise 3:18: "The greater you are, the more humble yourself: you will find grace before the Lord." The book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) exists in the Septuagint (LXX), or Alexandrian Bible in use at the time of Jesus. But it no longer exists in the Hebrew Bible used by Saint Jerome to establish his Vetus Latina in the 4th century.

This reference to a book meditated upon by a great figure of Israel thus validates the Septuagint as a source of the New Testament, which is attested elsewhere. Maria Valtorta rightly refers to it. The Hebrew Bible, used by Saint Jerome, was only established after the fall of the Temple, then becoming the canon of Judaism. From these two sources, the Septuagint and the Hebrew Bible, come the two traditions that coexist in Christianity and give rise to the double numbering of Psalms or the existence of the deuterocanonical books (= recognized late) retained by Catholicism but excluded in Protestantism who call them apocryphal (= tainted). Ecclesiasticus or the book of Sirach is one of them.

Descriptions

• The observation of nature shared by Jesus and Gamaliel is not gratuitous. "You love plants and animals very much, don't you?" said Gamaliel in response. "Yes, very much," said Jesus. "It is my living book. Man always has before him the foundations of faith. Genesis lives in nature. He who knows how to look also knows how to believe (EMV 160.5)." This reflection echoes the Psalms and many other Bible texts.

• One might be surprised by this spring emergence at the end of January. But it is to forget that spring comes earlier in Upper Galilee than in our regions. Signs of spring generally begin to appear toward the end of winter. Almond trees are among the first to bloom, often as early as the end of January and in February, with their white and pink flowers that beautify the landscape.

• Similarly, butterflies are not anachronistic: in our regions they can appear as early as February/March if they have hibernated in some shelters. Jesus’ description is precise: "two butterflies, one black with large eyes of gold and ruby, the other white with blue stripes." Their botanical names for these regions can no doubt be found.

• Regarding the "blackcap warbler," it is probably the "Arabian Warbler" (Sylvia leucomelaena) present in Palestine. Its black head is characteristic. As for the turtledove "with an onyx collar on their gray feathers," its Hebrew name is "tor, tôr", imitating its cooing. This wild pigeon, abundant in Palestine, is mentioned 15 times in the Bible. The most commonly encountered types of turtledoves are the turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a migratory variety, and the collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), recognizable by a narrow black half-collar on its neck. It is this latter variety that Maria Valtorta is obviously referring to in this episode.

• The mention of the juniper is relevant: the Phoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea) is an evergreen shrub that grows on rocky places, maquis, especially on limestone soil. It is found throughout the Mediterranean basin.

Customs and Habits

One will no doubt notice the relationships established between Gamaliel and his servants. Relationships which, two thousand years later, surprise us. Orders are executed "to the letter". One wonders if these are not slaves. It is to forget the relationships that prevailed in the society of the time and which the Gospel evokes in the response of the centurion of Capernaum: "For I too am a man set under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it (Luke 7:8)."

Similarly, the practice of hospitality and the concern to honor one's guest find here a curious practice: unloading the mules to transform them into mounts, and it is the servants who take charge of their heavy load. Jesus does not take offense (EMV 160.5).

The Gospel as it was revealed to me (Maria Valtorta).

Second part of the Bible, from the coming of Jesus Christ until the Apocalypse.