countjulian

Well, as you may know, I have put together a flyer comparing Jesus with other gods and godmen of antiquity. I believe this to be the final form, although I could use a better Dionysus quote than Nonnus. What do you think?

The Greek god Perseus, born of the virgin Danae and Zeus in a shower of gold:

Perseus, the son of Jove [Zeus] and her whom, in her prison, Juppiter’s [Zeus’] golden shower made fertile. — Metamorphoses 4.697

The Greek god Heracles (known to you under his Roman name, Hercules), who died in agony, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven:

Heracles, whom she had by Zeus…the poison of the hydra began to corrode his skin…and [he] tore off the tunic, which clung to his body, so that his flesh was torn away with it. In such a sad plight he was carried on shipboard to Trachis… [Heracles] proceeded to Mount Oeta, in the Trachinian territory, and there constructed a pyre, mounted it, and gave orders to kindle it. When no one would do so, Poeas, passing by to look for his flocks, set a light to it. On him Hercules bestowed his bow. While the pyre was burning, it is said that a cloud passed under Hercules and with a peal of thunder wafted him up to heaven. Thereafter he obtained immortality-- Apollodorus, 'The Library,' 11; IV, 8-VII, 7

The Greek god Asclepius, who made the blind see, raised men from the dead, died, and was resurrected:

"Asclepius was the son of Apollo [a god] and Coronis [a mortal woman]...he healed many sick whose lives had been despaired of, and... he brought back to life many who had died."—Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History, 4.7.1.1- 2

When Hippolytus was killed,...Asclepius raised him from the dead."—Pausanias, Corinth, Description of Greece, 1.27.5

Hermon of Thasus. His blindness was cured by Asclepius.— Inscriptiones Graecae, 4.1.121 - 122, Stele 2.22

"The youth [Asklepios] blasted by ancestral bolts [of Zeus] soars from earth…Phoebus [Apollon], you whined. He is a god; smile at your father, who, for your sake, undoes his prohibitions [and grants Asklepios life]-- Ovid, Fasti 6.735

…Hercules [Herakles], of Castor and Pollux [the Dioskouroi], of Aesculapius [Asklepios] ... And these benefactors were duly deemed divine, as being both supremely good and immortal, because their souls survived and enjoyed eternal life.—Cicero, Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2.24


The salvation god Mithra, who spilled eternal blood to save humanity, and left his followers with a sacred Eucharist:

You [Mithra] have saved us by the shedding of eternal blood.—Inscription, Santa Prisca Mithraeum in Rome

This rite [communion] the wicked devils have imitated in the mysteries of Mithras, commanding the same thing to be done. For they set forth bread and a cup of water with certain incantations in their ceremonies of initiation—Justin Martyr, First Apology 68

The Egyptian god Osiris, who died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, where he will judge the living and the dead, forever and ever:

[the first examination]
They [the Gods of the Underworld] say, "Come forward.
They say, "Who are you,"
They say, "What is your name?"
"I am the he who is equipped under the flowers, the-dweller-in-the-moringa Osiris is my name."—Egyptian book of the Dead

the rites celebrated by night agree with the accounts of the dismemberment of Osiris and his resurrection and regenesis—Plutarch, Isis and Osiris 364

Isis, who resurrected Osiris and with him guarantees salvation to all who except Osiris as savior:

The keys of hell and the guarantee of salvation were in the hands of the goddess, and the initiation ceremony itself a kind of voluntary death and salvation through divine grace.—
Apuleius, Metamorphosis, Book 11, 21

And [the followers of Isis & Osiris said], "Be of good cheer, O initiates, for the god is saved, and we shall have salvation— Firmicus Maternus, The Error of Pagan Religions, 22.1

The Greek god Dionysus, who turned water to wine, did miracles, died, and was resurrected:

One woman [bacchant]
struck her thyrsus against a rock and a fountain
of cool water came bubbling up. Another drove
her fennel in the ground, and where it struck the earth,
at the touch of god [Dionysus], a spring of wine poured out….— Euripides, The Bacchae, 707- 712

the fierce resentment of implacable Hera, the Titanes cunningly smeared their round faces with disguising chalk, and while he contemplated his changeling countenance reflected in a mirror they destroyed him with an infernal knife. There where his limbs had been cut piecemeal by the Titan steel, the end of his life was the beginning of a new life-- Nonnus, Dionysiaca 6.155

The devils, accordingly, when they heard these prophetic words, said that Bacchus was the son of Jupiter, and ...having been torn in pieces, he ascended into heaven--Justin Martyr, First Apology, 54

Bede

It's not a very impressive list, is it? Nice to have the sources though. Thanks CJ.

From this we can see two things - that the supernatural activities of Jesus do reflect the supernatural activities of some pagan gods. But also, that the natural activities of Jesus (ie. the Historical Jesus) bear no resemblence to pagan figures at all. Thus, the Jesus Myth thesis is not tenable on the basis of this information. What might be tenable is that the man Jesus acquired some of the characteristics of other gods in the retelling.

Best wishes

Bede

countjulian

When did I ever say I was a mythicist? Did the flyer imply that? Just because one holds that the Christ cult drew from preceding cults does not mean that I take the rather extreme view of denying the existance of Jesus, just as I do not deny the existance of Caesar because his post-mortem cult drew material from previous cults.

Edit: And though I wish for a more "impressive" quote about Dionysus, I think the list over all to be rather good, "impressive" I might even say. Do you have any suggested additions?

Bede

A very reasonable view but not one held by everyone around here...

countjulian

I don't get it. If you accept that some of the miracles of Jesus were pilfered from the depths of pagan mythology, then that calls into doubt the whole gospel story, basically throwing the whole resurrection narrative and all other supernatural events in the gospels out the window, at the very least. How can you remain an orthodox Christian?

Bede

I don't accept any of that. I just find it reasonable that you do.

countjulian

Then that still leaves a logical conondrum. If you do not believe the in virgin birth of Perseus, then why do believe in the virgin birth of Jesus? It is attested to in multiple sources.

Bede

No it doesn't CJ. I'm not going to waste our time comparing the NT to Greek myths. I admit the VB is a matter of faith in that it can't be historically proven. A bit like your ideas on the history of Christianity really....

I won't be joining a discussion on this as I have no argument with your pov based on your premises.

Best wishes

Bede