Hidden Stories of Jesus in Britain

By Ben Kimball, Pam Kimball and Bron Kimball

Jesus of Nazareth was the most influential person to ever walk the earth, so why do we have no record of him for nearly two decades of his short life? Or have we just not looked in the right places?

Narratives have long trickled out of the British Isles pointing to a significant connection with Jesus and with some of His most prominent disciples. Evidence reveals that Britain was not only the epicenter of an ancient global religion but became the first light of Christianity after the crucifixion.

Was the royal lineage of King David preserved in the ancient British Isles?

Did the ancient Druids hold beliefs in common with Judeo-Christianity?

Was Joseph of Arimathea more than a wealthy disciple of Jesus?

Did a young Jesus walk the shores of Britain, and if so, why? What was he doing in that remote corner of the world?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, why have these accounts not been more widely shared?

These hidden stories out of Celtic Britain abound in heroism, sacrifice, and faith. The rise and ultimate fall of these noble people is a story for the ages. A battle for transparency continues today as this book reveals ancient manuscripts and other evidence that shed needed light on Britain and on the life of Jesus prior to His final ministry in Palestine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886446555

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Introduction

Summary of Sources

Part 1: Ancient Britain and the Druids

Chapter 1: The Lost Narrative

Chapter 2: The Patriarchs

Chapter 3: Lost Lineages: Gathelus and Scota

Chapter 4: Lost Lineages: The Scarlet Thread

Chapter 5: Lost Lineages: The Royal Scepter

Chapter 6: Jeremiah and the Ark of the Covenant

Chapter 7: United Lineages: Celtic Kings of Tara Hall

Chapter 8: The Fraternal Order of the Magi

Chapter 9: Druidic Glastonbury

Part 2: Jesus Visits Britain

Chapter 10: The Missing Childhood of Jesus

Chapter 11: Joseph and the Metals Trade

Chapter 12: The Traditions

Chapter 13: The Church of Mud and Wattles

Chapter 14: Additional Evidence and Writings

Chapter 15: The Education of Jesus

Part 3: Rise of Christianity

Chapter 16: Danger After the Crucifixion

Chapter 17: The Exodus of the Faithful

Chapter 18: The Twelve Hides of Glastonbury

Chapter 19: The Holy Grail

Chapter 20: Saint Paul in Britain

Chapter 21: Christian Age of the Celts

Chapter 22: War for the Twelve Hides

Chapter 23: Christianizing Nations

Chapter 24: New Rivalry with Rome

Chapter 25: The One Who Restrains

Chapter 26: The Collapse of the Celtic Christian Church

Chapter 27: Lost Words of Jesus

Part 4: Glossary

Important People

Notable Places

Nations and Peoples

Concepts

Appendix A

Appendix B

Notes

About the Author

ISBN 979-8-88644-654-8 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88644-655-5 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Ben, Bron, and Pam Kimball

All rights reserved

First Edition

All biblical citations were taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible unless otherwise indicated.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

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In memory of the late Eric Cawley, who believed in us enough to get us to believe in ourselves.

Introduction

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

—John 21:25

The New Testament tells of the wonderful events surrounding the birth of Jesus the Christ but very little concerning His childhood before the age of twelve, when He was found teaching the elders in the temple. Following that event, there is a very long gap in the story until we read of His baptism under the hands of His kinsman John. From there He begins His ministry in Judea at what is believed to be the approximate age of thirty. There are at least seventeen years of His youth and young adulthood unaccounted for in the Gospels. Where was He during those so-called lost years? What was He doing? Why is the biblical record silent?

It is possible that the Bible has no accounts of this time period because He wasn’t in Palestine. Surprisingly for most of us, there is evidence in ancient documents, apocryphal manuscripts, and oral traditions that He traveled to other locations of the known world. The extensive Roman Empire of His day was well connected by sea, and travel was not difficult for those with the right resources. We examine in this book evidence that those resources were at His disposal and that He purposefully made use of them.

When encountering such an unusual narrative, skepticism is to be expected. To be clear, we make no attempt to try to establish nonbiblical documents as inspired writings, nor can we confirm their accuracy. Some manuscripts can be confusing and hard to understand. What we know is that ancient documents and legends exist. Taken individually, weaknesses will certainly be found, but when taken altogether, a compelling and cohesive story emerges. We don’t believe these documents undermine the biblical narrative or harm Christianity but rather enhance and strengthen both. We present in this book the evidence as we have found it and leave it to the intelligence of the reader to decide what to believe.

The beginnings of our narrative are very ancient, stretching back to the foundations of ancient Egypt, Greece, and the Holy Land. From the biblical Abraham and Melchizedek, we follow the trail of manuscripts into Egypt, and then into the Greek and Phoenician empires. Transported by way of the ancient trade routes, manuscripts both sacred and secular carried history and knowledge into Europe and eventually Celtic Britain. There an enlightened people gathered them up into great libraries. These isolated isles of the sea—so ideally prepared for the nurturing of knowledge and wisdom far from the tyranny of the Romans, the intolerance of the Jews, and the barbarity of the pagans—would have been an ideal home for preserving ancient knowledge and the people who valued it. With this foundation laid, ancient Britain surfaces as a logical place for any ambitious youth to acquire the best education in both religion and science. Documented evidence suggests that Jesus was likely among these diligent students.

There are countless examples of ancient records all over the world touching on the life of Jesus that mainstream Christianity is unaware of. Some are in museums, some in private collections, and some even in public libraries. Many of the original documents have been lost but are referenced in the writings of later historians and theologians who had access to them in their time. There is, in fact, so much information concerning the life of Jesus and His associates that it is difficult to sort through the heap. A select circle of diligent scholars has spent the time and effort to work through the mound of information and has found many significant contributions to the story.

The works of many people who have studied, gathered, and shared this information over many years have made it possible for us to put this book together. Chief among them was the work of our late uncle Glenn Kimball and his children Chase and Kellyanne. They spent many years of their lives in pursuit of this knowledge. The extent of their contributions is incalculable, and their continued support is appreciated beyond what can be stated.

Summary of Sources

Ancient Greek Accounts

Ancient Roman Accounts

Ancient British Accounts

Ancient Irish Accounts

Ancient Jewish Accounts

Ancient Egyptian Accounts

Jewish Rabbinical Records

Apocryphal Books

Gnostic Texts

Coptic Texts

Essene Texts

Records of the Early Church Fathers

Early Church Historians (Roman, Eastern, Coptic)

Early British Historians

Medieval to Industrial British Historians

Masonic Accounts

Modern Researchers

Modern Archaeology

Part 1

Ancient Britain and the Druids

Chapter 1

The Lost Narrative

A wealthy merchant stood on the bow of one of his many trading ships. Beyond the tempestuous waves that lay before him, the first glimpse of rolling green hills could be seen, enshrouded in clouds and a gentle rain. He was following a sea path much frequented in his day, making another voyage to inspect his highly profitable mining operations. This particular part of the trip was typically the most challenging as the open sea beat and tossed his sailing vessel one last time before the long journey’s end.

Like all travelers to this isolated corner of the world, he would have looked forward to debarking on the peaceful and inviting shore. For him these business trips were likely satisfying journeys, well worth the discomforts of months of travel. After all, the vast holdings of tin and lead mines he had come to inspect provided inconceivable wealth. The raw minerals his operations provided were in high demand throughout the Roman Empire, and he had no problem outfitting his journeys with the best ships and best crews available. Each trip added to his vast profits and influence.

This was no ordinary merchant, peddling his ore around the Mediterranean. He had been awarded by the Romans the title Nobilis Decurio, an indication of his prominent position in their empirical administration as the Minister of Mines. His political connections were significant: in addition to his administrative position, he held a seat in the Roman Senate. Furthermore, as a Jew, he was an influential member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious body that ruled Judean lands under Roman control. For a Jew to hold such a prominent position in the Roman Empire was unusual and reflective of his extraordinary talent and connections. He was likely one of the wealthiest individuals in the world of his day. He certainly had one of, if not the, largest trading fleets in the empire with ports of call all over Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.

As our merchant drew closer to land, with the coastline of Gaul now far behind him, he would make out the hill on the Island of Ictis, on the Southwest tip of Britain, known as Cornwall today. According to oral legends and ancient writings, Ictis is where tin trading vessels would first land. Further inland lay the most productive tin mines in the world. After being mined in the nearby hills, tin was beaten into squares and sent down to Ictis to be shipped all over the Roman Empire.

The tin was an important ingredient in the manufacture of bronze tools and weapons, and the expanding empire needed a lot of weapons. Modern archeology has uncovered samples of British minerals discovered across the Roman world from Pompeii to Egypt and more, confirming that the mines of Britain fed the mineral hunger of that time. Today Ictis is known as Mount St. Michael and features a medieval castle and a Norman church. At the time of the Romans, it probably only contained simple wooden homes, buildings, and shipping docks.

Although this wealthy merchant had been to Britain many times before, this one particular trip was different. On this occasion, he had more valuable cargo with him: a young boy of about fifteen years of age. He had assumed care of the lad after the passing of the youth’s stepfather and mentored him during his business travels. Being wealthy, connected, and generally respected by all who knew him, the merchant was an ideal candidate for the responsibility of turning a young boy into a well-educated and formidable man. The connection that he had to Britain was also important as the boy had close ties to the island himself. His grandmother had been born there and possibly even his mother. For the boy, a journey to Britain was not just an exciting opportunity to learn a new trade, but also a chance to connect with the land of his ancestors, to see some of his people.

These people may or may not have known, though the boy likely did, that he was a descendant of their royalty and the rightful heir to their throne. The time was not yet but would soon come when this wonderful news would be accepted and widely spread among them. His royal bloodline, coming through his mother, had long been preserved in the British Isles, the scriptural isles of the sea. It was the bloodline of the house of Israel. Even more specifically, it was the bloodline of the Davidic kings of Judah. Jews had been looking forward to his prophetic emergence for a very long time. So had the religious sect which had taken root and flourished in the British Isles.

The wealthy merchant of this story was Joseph of Arimathea who, according to the New Testament, would later beg for the body of his precious adopted son. The young boy was Jesus of Nazareth.

Chapter 2

The Patriarchs

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

—Genesis 17:5

Abraham’s Promise

Understanding how and why the lives of Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea passed through Britain is a process that demands careful attention to the history of Israel. To do so, we follow the trail of manuscripts while factoring in the customs of the Hebrews, their dispersions through the world, the politics of other nations, and of course the Bible itself. Our journey together begins with Abraham, father of Isaac, grandfather of Jacob, who was promised to be a father of many nations. The scriptural record of The Holy Bible tells us that Abraham lived a life of great faith and obedience to God, which led him to make choices that have inspired humanity through the ages. In Genesis 17, we read that the Lord appeared to him when he was ninety-nine years old, commanded him to be perfect, and covenanted with him great blessings in return. The covenant was as follows:

And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. (v. 2)

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, (v. 3)

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. (v. 4)

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. (v. 5)

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. (v. 6)

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. (v. 7)

Ironically, considering such a blessing, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were childless into old age, raising the obvious question of how the promises would be fulfilled. When all seemed lost, three holy visitors made it known that they would be miraculously blessed with a son, and so it was that Isaac was born. In time, as a great test of Abraham’s faith and determination to be perfect in all that he was commanded, Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice Isaac on an altar, an act of similitude to God’s own coming sacrifice of His beloved Son. Because of his great knowledge of, love for, and trust in the Lord, Abraham was willing to submit to God’s will. He demonstrated his obedience even to the point of lifting the knife when an angel, speaking in the name of the Lord, stopped the deed from taking place and pronounced upon Abraham great blessings in return for his great faithfulness—this time without conditions. In Genesis 22, we read:

And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son. (v. 16)

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. (v.17)

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. (v. 18)

Today at least five major religions of the world claim the promises traced back to Father Abraham. These religions include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. One key to spiritual understanding perhaps lies within our ability to comprehend and internalize these promises made to Abraham.

The promises to Abraham are worth committing to memory and are essentially these:

Your seed will receive My covenant, or law, with promised blessings.

Your seed will multiply and become many nations.

Your seed (of many nations) will carry these blessings to all the nations of the earth.

Your seed will bear kings in governance.

Is it any surprise that every major religion claims its legitimacy back to father Abraham? Look at the precedence it gives, the power it implies. Nations and kings worldwide would go down through history trying to claim authority through a connection to the lineage of Abraham.

Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchal Birthright

Isaac and his carefully selected wife, Rebecca, of the same lineage were given the same covenanted promises in Genesis 26:

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. (v. 3)

And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. (v. 4)

While Abraham did have another son, Ishmael, through another wife, Isaac was the birthright son. This transfer to Isaac is a critical point in history as much of Islam claims that their progenitor, Ishmael, retained the birthright. This was a pivotal distinction in the Age of the Patriarchs. Birthright originated with the first man on earth, Adam, and was passed down through the generations of the patriarchs all the way to Abraham and from Abraham to Isaac. The birthright was an inheritance designating the authority to lead the family both spiritually and in governance, and through righteousness, the birthright heir retained the promised blessings of the fathers.

Birthright was traditionally passed on through the firstborn son just as Adam was the first of God’s sons with dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). Nevertheless, worthiness was an implied condition. The birthright simply kept the source of knowledge and truth clear by designating a central spokesman and a leader for the righteous families of the earth. Without it, the ensuing opinion storm would surely divide the people and make it more difficult to pass on God’s word.

Isaac had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. As the firstborn of the twins, Esau held claim to the birthright, which for him would include the promised blessings made to his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham. The Bible provides the account of Esau who, returning from a hunting trip, is faint with hunger. He asks his brother to feed him, and Jacob agrees if he will sell him the birthright in return. The trade is rather cavalierly made (Genesis 25:29–34). Clearly Esau did not comprehend or did not appreciate the magnitude of the birthright blessing that could have been his. Thus, Jacob, not Esau, became the birthright heir of Isaac.

Jacob’s Pillar

The record of Genesis makes clear that the Lord accepted and approved the transfer of the birthright and the covenant to Jacob, for He reaffirmed it upon Jacob in a visionary dream recorded in Genesis 28. It happened on the night Jacob had to flee his father’s home and used a stone for his pillow:

And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; (v. 13)

And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (v. 14)

Impressed with the sacredness of that spot, Jacob set his stone pillow up as a pillar and, anointing it with oil, made his own covenant to worship the Lord God. He called the place Bethel and said,

And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house. (v. 22)

On his return to the land of Canaan, Jacob wrestled with a messenger of God who gave him the new name of Israel, meaning God prevails. The stone that was set up as a pillar was considered so sacred that it was carried by Jacob into Egypt and purportedly placed in a Hebrew temple there. There is ample evidence that the ancient temple at Amarna, Egypt, could have been built by the Israelites as it falls in the right time period and matches the dimensions and layout of Solomon’s temple almost exactly.

Longstanding legend holds that the pillar of Jacob survives today as a tangible religious relic, now known as the Stone of Destiny, or Coronation Stone. It is currently housed in Edinburgh, Scotland. There are a couple of legends explaining how it arrived there. Without question, this particular stone has played a significant role in the royal houses of the British Isles, the coronation of centuries of kings and queens having taken place upon its seat—first in Ireland then Scotland and then Britain. In recent times, the stone has been returned to the people of Scotland as part of a political agreement. At the time of writing this book, it is on display with the Crown Jewels of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle, awaiting preparation of its final home in Old Scone, north of there. Its existence will help us connect the ancient accounts of the house of Israel with the British Isles.

The Stone of Destiny on display at Edinburgh Castle (2022)

Ephraim’s Birthright

Widely known in Western culture is the account of Jacob/Israel’s twelve sons from four different mothers. The love of his life and chosen wife was Rachel, who gave birth to Joseph and