Chapter 343 Rainbow
History is a circle, going around and around again.

Of course, this can also be called an upward spiral.

After Constantinople became the imperial capital in 330, the Augustus of the empire maintained control over grain-producing areas such as Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, and the Balkans.

These grain-producing areas maintain the most basic supply of nutrients for social operations.

At that time, the rural economy of the provinces of the empire was entirely in the hands of landlords and operated in the form of self-sufficient manors.

In Egypt, many manors have become tiny kingdoms with armies, courts, post offices, etc.

Fortunately, the imperial army ensured the imperial authority and was still able to force various regions to send food to New Rome.

After the crisis of the 7th century, the rulers of the empire began to split up large estates, set up military districts in various places, and settled the army in the form of self-cultivating farmers.

They believed that in this way, they could obtain the necessary military protection and build a solid tax base. After all, it was more difficult for the self-cultivating farmers to fight against the imperial tax collectors than for the large landowners and nobles.

Indeed, the group of self-cultivating farmers who served in the military were the backbone of society in both the East and the West in ancient times.

But in the final analysis, the state is ultimately the product of irreconcilable contradictions, and the purpose of the empire in creating a group of self-cultivating farmers is to collect taxes and obtain soldiers, not to do charity.

Therefore, heavy taxes and military service fell on the shoulders of the peasants, and they became the fuel for the glory of the empire, burning themselves to light up the glory of Constantinople.

Self-employed farmers faced brutal and relentless plundering every year. Tax defaulters were mercilessly whipped, their property was seized, or they were even directly torn apart by vicious dogs.

As long as there is a poor harvest or war, the peasants will be forced to sell their land and turn to monasteries, nobles, landlords… for protection and submit to them.

But it is also they who are constantly increasing the burden on self-employed farmers.

The great estates were revived.

The small, self-sufficient kingdoms of the past once again returned to the land of the empire.

But this time, the emperors in Constantinople no longer had a powerful army.

During the Komnenian dynasty, the dynasty was already dependent on the aristocratic group and also on the support of the military aristocracy at the local level.

By the time of the Angelus Dynasty, the emperor himself was in danger of losing his position, and the Emperor of Constantinople took turns to be in power. Faced with the intensification of local conflicts, he had no way to take care of it.

Whether in Constantinople or in the Empire, in the shadow of the solid and magnificent cathedrals or monasteries, there are countless poor people living in dirty and dilapidated huts.

Even in the dead of winter, many people have no place to stand and have to sleep outdoors.

This was the scene Massena saw when he took Mohammed on a long tour around the monastery.

Once upon a time, perhaps the ancestors of these farmers were very wealthy, raised cattle and horses, owned large tracts of land, served in the military, and defeated the enemy.

Otherwise they would not be able to pass on their bloodline to this day.

But nowadays, the bankruptcy of large numbers of self-employed farmers has become a common phenomenon.

During the visit, Massena, who was usually quite lively, became silent.

Mohammed on the side said.

“How come the Romans are living worse than they were under the Turks?”

If the hinterland of Anatolia is a wild nature filled with roaming Turks who are plundering everywhere, although it is also precarious, it at least has a kind of vitality.

Many villages in the Anatolian mountains are so poor that no one cares about them, but they are indeed in a less depressing environment.

But it was different near the monastery. What Mohammed could feel was a numbness, a dead silence… They were the echoes of the past glory, trying to repeat the voices of the dead in the graves.

……

“I set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.”

Then I saw another strong angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud and with a rainbow above his head.

In the scriptures, whether it is the first book of Genesis or the last book of Revelation, the rainbow is something that cannot be avoided.

In Judaism and Christianity, the rainbow has important symbolic meaning, primarily associated with God’s covenant, grace, and faithfulness.

It is not only a commemoration of the Noahic covenant, but also a manifestation of God’s glory and foreshadows His final redemption in the last days.

However, Zoe saw an artificial rainbow.

In the dark room, a few windows were opened facing east, and the sunlight shone directly through the prism and onto a piece of white cloth.

The scorching sunlight is dispersed and decomposed into a continuous spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, forming a rainbow-like light band.

The day before yesterday, Zoe told Alexandros what she knew about the Gnosis myth.

And today, Alexandros revealed to her the “truth” he knew.

The sunlight is not single, and the rainbow bridge in the sky can also be reproduced in human hands. The truth of everything is there, it just depends on whether it is known by people.

“I want to tell you that Michael has come to the world again, and this time he will not only bring knowledge, but also burn all of Satan’s creations with fire.”

Alexandros told Zoe a story.

In this story, a corrupt country not too far away is reshaped by the hands of a true prophet.

A foreigner like him with Turkic ancestry could live a stable life there and contribute to the cause of the sect.

In Jerusalem, there is no distinction between priests in rank, and the so-called bishop is just an honorary title.

The power to appoint and dismiss priests lies in the hands of the people, and they do not need to pay religious tithes.

All sacraments are free and no one is forced.

The prophet repeatedly performed miracles, but he never regarded himself as a savior. Instead, he regarded himself as a mentor who enlightened people and opened their wisdom and guided them to see the real world.

In that real world, the laws of all things are set by Heavenly Father and cannot be changed by the words of kings, nobles, and priests.

Disease is not a punishment from God, but is caused by human ignorance. Therefore, as long as you pay attention to hygiene, avoid contact with dirty things, protect yourself, and eat normally, you can live a long life.

Unlike Zoe’s story, Alexandros’s story was something he saw with his own eyes, so there was no hesitation in his words.

Alexandros even showed Zoe the evidence – the rainbow.

If Michael had not come, how could human wisdom understand the truth of light?

Of course, for Zoe, this information also made her a little overwhelmed.

After all, she thought she was a big heretic, but how come this guy from Cyprus turned out to be even more of a heretic than her?
Just when Zoe was about to talk more with Alexandros, the door was suddenly opened, and Manuel hurriedly said to Zoe: “Hurry up, the news of your return has been spread.”

(End of this chapter)