mountainman

I think the artefact should be dated.
In which century was it fashioned?
Was it a Gnostic satire?

Thanks must go particularly to Acharya S (and to Dave31) for their attention to the scholarship on this subject. Acharya S has recently posted a blog on this subject here. It makes an intriguing read quite aside from the squabbles in the chookyard of self-professed authoritative biblical scholars.



Thanks very much again to Acharya's attention to scholarship about this artefact self-captioned as 'Savior of the World' . In another book, Ehrman's attention to scholarship mentioned further phallic references in "The Greater Questions of Mary".

Jarhyn

As if we didn't already know from the content of the book that Christianity is for cock-faces.

... and as if we didn't already know that a well placed cock can do the world a lot of good.

steve_bnk

Wasn't there a pope who put fig leaves on all the statuary genitals?

andrewcriddle

FWIW Inscriptiones Graecae volume XIV (14) published 1890 page 13 number 116 lists the "Saviour of the World" artefact as a supposed forgery Spuriam Esse Credo.

Andrew Criddle

la70119

They would say that, wouldn't they? Can't rock the boat of Christianity!

andrewcriddle

Inscriptiones Graecae is a vast catalogue of Greek inscriptions with brief descriptions. volume 14 (covering mainly Italian and Sicilian inscriptions) begins with many pages of spurious and doubtful inscriptions, most of them raising no issues of religious controversy. Is its verdict on spurious inscription 116 prima facie more unsound than its verdicts on the c. 115 previous dodgy inscriptions or the many subsequent inscriptions classed as doubtful or false ?

I am not saying that one should automatically believe Inscriptiones Graecae here. But it is the standard reference on the subject.

Andrew Criddle

Perspicuo

Mockery?

Wikipedia has an article on the Alexamenos graffito or graffito blasfemo.

la70119

Which means, of course, that Acharaya S is wrong to say the Vatican is hiding it. More likely, the Vatican threw it out.

la70119

It looks like Alexamenos is blowing him a "bon voyage" kiss! Now which god is this? Jesus Christ, or Typhon-Seth?

http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2027-ass-worship

Sheshbazzar

Coincidence.

הסוס h s u s pronounced ha'Sooce, translates as 'The Horse'.

The letter H 'heh' of the ancient Semitic alphabet became the letter E of the Greek and Latin alphabets.

הסוס hasus of the Hebrew becomes in Greek/Latin 'easus'.

'The Horse (Ea'sus) is worthless for salvation, and in his great strength is no escape' (Psalm 33:17)

'The Horse (Ea'sus) is set up for the day of war: but Deliverance is of YHWH.' (Prov 21:31)

'And with you will I break in pieces The Horse (Ea'sus) and his retinue; and with you will I break in pieces the retinue and his rider; (Jer 51:21)

'Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):' (Isa 43:17)

'Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the heels of the Horse, So that its rider shall fall backward.' (Gen 49:17)
(There are more)

'A Horse' is a Horse of course of course.......except when it isn't.
And a 'chariot' is a chariot of course of course.......except when it isn't.

Pity those that ride 'The Horse' (Ea'sus) and those in the 'chariot' that follows, for The Horse (Ea'sus), chariots, and the riders all shall be cast into the sea.

'Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.'

All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.'

Hmmm.