> it can, however, be translated simply by fish (as, for example, ben baqar simply means ox). jesus ixy, then = joshua (ben) nun > eisler does not go so far as to assert that the historical jesus owed his origin to the old testament hero joshua. for eisler, jesus name merely received a particular coloring on account of the patronym, for jesus and joshua were doubles of the hero moses, who was raised from the water [in a floating crib] and also split the water [of the red sea]. > furthermore, eisler cites a rabbinic saying: only a man called ben nun [could] lead the jews through the water into the land of promise. eisler closes: therefore, the joshua or jesus of the end times must once again be a ben nun. > in eislers view, the cognomen ben nun could be the reason that, in later speculation, the messiah would be born in the sign of the fish [pisces]. only by understanding the background ben nun = fish is it possible to explain the statement of 4 ezra chp. 13colored by the babylonian oannes myththat the messiah will rise out of the heart of the sea. > in another article, eisler points to an obscure rabbinic passage in which the sons of ephraim (later samarians) made a failed attempt to flee from egypt even before the successful exodus under moses. writes eisler: and it was under the leadership of the foremost ephraimite by the name of nun [= fish]. we naturally identify this man (who is not mentioned again in the old testament) with the ancestor of the ephraimite joshua. because of his abortive scheme, he was killed by the egyptians. the suffering savior of the end times could thus be viewed as a reincarnation of that long ago martyr, ben nun, who gave his life for the freedom of his people.
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