Did Young Jesus visited England for educations?

Tresanton St Mawes in the west country which looks towards the Roseland peninsula, where the film claims Jesus spent some time

Historic: But did Jesus build a chapel beneath Glastonbury Abbey (pictured here), as a new film suggests?

Robert Powell as Jesus of Nazareth from the TV series

As a book of record the New Testament doesn't do too well on the early life of Jesus Christ.

The large holes may explain why so many outlandish theories have been able to build up about what the Son of God got up to as a boy.

But among those myths most perpetuated is that he visited Britain - an idea immortalised in the opening lines of William Blake's Jerusalem.

Now a film has sought to add flesh to the fable by claiming it's perfectly plausible the Messiah made an educational trip to Glastonbury.

And Did Those Feet explores the idea that Jesus accompanied his supposed uncle, Joseph of Arimathaea, on a business trip to the tin mines of the South-West.

Whilst there, it is claimed he took the opportunity to further his maths by studying under druids.

Unsurprisingly, the documentary stops short of concluding the visit did take place, noting 'Jesus's shoe has not turned up'. However, the makers insist that while the visit is unproven, it is possible.

The theory is that he arrived by sea, following established trading routes, before visiting several places in the West Country.

In the film, Dr Gordon Strachan, a Church of Scotland minister, says it is plausible Jesus came to further his education. The country is thought to have been at the forefront of learning 2,000 years ago, with mathematics particularly strong.

Ted Harrison, the film's director, said: 'If somebody was wanting to learn about the spirituality and thinking not just of the Jews but also the classical and Greek world he would have to come to Britain, which was the centre of learning at the time.

'Jesus was a young man curious to find out about all sorts of things.

'We know there is a huge gap in the life of Jesus between when he was born and when his ministry started.

'He would have come to learn what was being taught about astronomy and geometry which was being taught at "universities" run by druids at the time.'

Mr Harrison, a former BBC religious affairs correspondent, says Jesus may just have been a boy when he left the Middle East for England.

He said: 'He started the ministry at about the age of 30. There is only one mention in the Bible between his birth and the start of the ministry.

'That is when he was around the age of 12 and went to the temple and astounded the learned experts with his knowledge. One could speculate he had just come back at that point.'

Alternatively, he may have made the visit when in his teens or 20s and used his earnings as a carpenter to fund it.

Jesus is said to have built a chapel in Glastonbury - and when theologian St Augustine heard of it 1,400 years ago, he wrote to the Pope to tell him about it. Mr Harrison said: 'The concrete evidence is this reference by St Augustine that at Glastonbury there was a small building or church that was put up by Jesus.'

He added that Blake's hymn Jerusalem refers to the visit with its opening lines: 'And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England's mountains green? And was the holy Lamb of God on England's pleasant pasture seen?'

Mr Harrison said there were 'no archaeological finds' to back up the myth, but 'by exploring the legend, we are opening up a fascinating new insight into early Christianity'.

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• Did Young Jesus visited England for educations?