BETHANY FAMILY

* * * * * * * * * * THIS IS TO BE THE TOMB OF LAZARUS * * * * * * * * * * MARTHAS' HISTORY, THE SISTER OF LAZARUS, SHOWS THE BETHANY FAMILY FIRST WENT TO CYPRUS AND THEN TO FRANCE. MARSEILLE WAS ONE OF FOUR GREAT CITIES DURING THE ROMAN EMPIRE. THE CITY OFFERED ROMANS A ROCK HARBOUR AND TWO SUCCESSFUL TEMPLES: DIANA OF EPHESUS AND DELPHIANS OF APOLLO. THE GROUP MET PHILLIP IN MARSEILLE, WHO HAD BEEN SENT OUT EARLIER BY PETER TO SCOUT THE AREA FOR MINISTRY. PHILLIP WAS MINISTERING NEAR AN AREA BEING ESTABLISHED BY JAMES, THE GREATER. THE ACTING LEADER IN MARSEILLE, PHILLIP, COMMISSIONED JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA TO BRITAIN AS BISHOP. HISTORICAL RECORDS SHOW PHILLIP MET JOSEPH WITH THE BETHANY FAMILY AFTER 36AD AND THEN THE FOUR WENT TO ENGLAND FOR THE GOSPEL. (SOME RECORDS SHOWS THE BOAT FROM BETHANY WAS AFTER 47AD) LAZARUS IS MENTIONED IN VARIOUS HISTORICAL BOOKS, STATING HE AND HIS SISTERS HAD LEFT ENGLAND AND RETURNED TO THE MARSEILLE AREA. SEVEN YEARS AFTER RETURNING TO FRANCE, LAZARUS DIED AS BISHOP OF MARSEILLE.