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Yale Center for British Art Jerusalem Plate 26 |
John 20
[11] But Mary stood without at
the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and
looked into the sepulchre,
[12] And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the
head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
[13] And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She
saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know
not where they have laid him.
[14] And when she had thus said, she turned herself back,
and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
[15] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom
seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto
him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast
laid him, and I will take him away.
[16] Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and
saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
[17] Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet
ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I
ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your
God.
[18] Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she
had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Blake shifted his attention from
situations around the birth of Jesus to developments around the
religion introduced by Jesus. Of concern to Blake was how
Christianity in the person of Jerusalem who received the infant
from Mary, found that control of the message passed out of her
hands. Although the life of Christ was within her, the world was
not prepared to receive her. Under the conditions which existed
she was an outcast observing the consequences of the material
side dominating the spiritual nature implicit in the
incarnation.
Instead of seeing spiritualizing of
the material she found that the spiritual became materialized.
Jerusalem was the emanation of
Albion and as an emanation was incomplete without her
counterpart. Until there was an awakening of Albion
(representing Humanity) who had turned away from consciousness
of the Divine, Jerusalem was condemned to being treated as an
outcast. This was the status which Blake saw in his lifetime:
England had turned away from traditional Christianity toward
Deism with its concept of a distant God who is unconcerned with
the affairs of man.
Jerusalem, Plate 61, (E 212) "Mary leaned her side against Jerusalem, Jerusalem received The Infant into her hands in the Visions of Jehovah. Times passed on Jerusalem fainted over the Cross & Sepulcher She heard the voice Wilt thou make Rome thy Patriarch Druid & the Kings of Europe his Horsemen? Man in the Resurrection changes his Sexual Garments at will Every Harlot was once a Virgin: every Criminal an Infant Love! Plate 62 Repose on me till the morning of the Grave. I am thy life. Jerusalem replied. I am an outcast: Albion is dead! I am left to the trampling foot & the spurning heel! A Harlot I am calld. I am sold from street to street! I am defaced with blows & with the dirt of the Prison! And wilt thou become my Husband O my Lord & Saviour? Shall Vala bring thee forth! shall the Chaste be ashamed also? I see the Maternal Line, I behold the Seed of the Woman! Cainah, & Ada & Zillah & Naamah Wife of Noah. Shuahs daughter & Tamar & Rahab the Canaanites: Ruth the Moabite & Bathsheba of the daughters of Heth Naamah the Ammonite, Zibeah the Philistine, & Mary These are the Daughters of Vala, Mother of the Body of death But I thy Magdalen behold thy Spiritual Risen Body Shall Albion arise? I know he shall arise at the Last Day! I know that in my flesh I shall see God: but Emanations Are weak. they know not whence they are, nor whither tend."
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