fallingblood
Agnostic Theist
This is the final section of a paper I wrote some time ago. The first two parts were on Josephus and Jesus and Paul on Jesus, which I've also posted. This part deals with the third Pillar of the Jesus-myth as described by Price.
The Final pillar in which Price describes is a similarity to Middle Easter religious based on dying-and-rising god myths. Out of the three pillars that Price constructs, this is the most difficult point to debate. The reason being that Jesus does in fact share some similarities to various dying-and-rising god-men.
However, the problem is not that there are similarities, but the importance some have bestowed upon those similarities. It is of no major surprise that we witness some similarities. We see many of those similarities attributed to other known historical characters. For instance, if we take a brief look at Augustus Caesar, we would see various similarities as well.
According to some ancient sources, such as Suetonius Augustus 2.94.1-7, that signs and omens occurred around the time of his birth, he was considered to be the son of the god Apollo, and that even as a youth, he showed miraculous power.
A better example is Apollonius of Tyana. Before he was born, a heavenly figure appeared to his mother, informing her that Apollonius would be divine. His birth was accompanied by supernatural signs. As a youth, he was already recognized as a spiritual authority. Then when he became an adult, he left home and engaged in an itinerant preaching ministry. During which, he gathered around him a group of disciples. The disciples in turn believed that Apollonius was the Son of God.
Eventually, his enemies trumped up charges against him. He was tried by the Romans for crimes against the state. After he died, some of his followers claimed he ascended to heaven and others claimed that he appeared to them. Later on, some of his followers wrote about him and these works were later circulated throughout the empire.
As we can see, there is a very distinct similarity between Jesus and this Apollonius. Yet, Apollonius is accepted to be a historical figure. What this shows is that it was not uncommon for ancient figures to have mythological ideas attached to them.
A second problem with the argument of Price's third pillar is that many over exaggerate the similarities between Jesus and other supposed rising-and-dying god-men. For instance, one of the claimed similarities between Jesus and these others is that they were born on December 25th. The problem with this claim should be quite obvious, as it was only much later tradition that placed Jesus birth date on the 25th of December.
Trying to debunk all of the various similarities becomes a monumental task then. Especially considering that many of the similarities are simply made up. A great example of this is Kersey Graves book The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors: Or Christianity Before Christ. Even those who subscribe to the Jesus-Myth, such as Richard Carrier, consider the work to be unreliable.
Yet, we see Price still holding onto the idea. In fact, he claims that the church father's explanation for these similarities was because Satan had counterfeited the story of Jesus and planted it in advanced. Specially, Price is referring to Justin Martyr.
In Justin Martyr's work, Dialogue with Trypho, Justin states: “For when they tell that Bacchus, son of Jupiter, was begotten by [Jupiter’s] intercourse with Semele, and that he was the discoverer of the vine; and when they relate, that being torn in pieces, and having died, he rose again, and ascended to heaven; and when they introduce wine into his mysteries, do I not perceive that [the devil] has imitated the prophecy announced by the patriarch Jacob, and recorded by Moses? “
As we see, Justin is not claiming that the story of Jesus was copied. Instead, he was stating that, in fact, the Greeks had copied from Hebrew scriptures. The claim was that the Hebrew belief predated the Greek myths, as well as that the devil inspired some of the Greek myths. Taken out of context, it definitely can be used to support Price's claim; however, if looked at as a whole, it is clear that Justin was not claiming that the story of Jesus was copied.
Even more interesting, Justin goes on to say in his next chapter that the mysteries of Mithras were distorted from the prophecies of Isaiah and Daniel. Thus it becomes increasingly clear that Justin's motive was to show how the Greeks had in fact copied from the Hebrews; not the other way around.
The Final pillar in which Price describes is a similarity to Middle Easter religious based on dying-and-rising god myths. Out of the three pillars that Price constructs, this is the most difficult point to debate. The reason being that Jesus does in fact share some similarities to various dying-and-rising god-men.
However, the problem is not that there are similarities, but the importance some have bestowed upon those similarities. It is of no major surprise that we witness some similarities. We see many of those similarities attributed to other known historical characters. For instance, if we take a brief look at Augustus Caesar, we would see various similarities as well.
According to some ancient sources, such as Suetonius Augustus 2.94.1-7, that signs and omens occurred around the time of his birth, he was considered to be the son of the god Apollo, and that even as a youth, he showed miraculous power.
A better example is Apollonius of Tyana. Before he was born, a heavenly figure appeared to his mother, informing her that Apollonius would be divine. His birth was accompanied by supernatural signs. As a youth, he was already recognized as a spiritual authority. Then when he became an adult, he left home and engaged in an itinerant preaching ministry. During which, he gathered around him a group of disciples. The disciples in turn believed that Apollonius was the Son of God.
Eventually, his enemies trumped up charges against him. He was tried by the Romans for crimes against the state. After he died, some of his followers claimed he ascended to heaven and others claimed that he appeared to them. Later on, some of his followers wrote about him and these works were later circulated throughout the empire.
As we can see, there is a very distinct similarity between Jesus and this Apollonius. Yet, Apollonius is accepted to be a historical figure. What this shows is that it was not uncommon for ancient figures to have mythological ideas attached to them.
A second problem with the argument of Price's third pillar is that many over exaggerate the similarities between Jesus and other supposed rising-and-dying god-men. For instance, one of the claimed similarities between Jesus and these others is that they were born on December 25th. The problem with this claim should be quite obvious, as it was only much later tradition that placed Jesus birth date on the 25th of December.
Trying to debunk all of the various similarities becomes a monumental task then. Especially considering that many of the similarities are simply made up. A great example of this is Kersey Graves book The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors: Or Christianity Before Christ. Even those who subscribe to the Jesus-Myth, such as Richard Carrier, consider the work to be unreliable.
Yet, we see Price still holding onto the idea. In fact, he claims that the church father's explanation for these similarities was because Satan had counterfeited the story of Jesus and planted it in advanced. Specially, Price is referring to Justin Martyr.
In Justin Martyr's work, Dialogue with Trypho, Justin states: “For when they tell that Bacchus, son of Jupiter, was begotten by [Jupiter’s] intercourse with Semele, and that he was the discoverer of the vine; and when they relate, that being torn in pieces, and having died, he rose again, and ascended to heaven; and when they introduce wine into his mysteries, do I not perceive that [the devil] has imitated the prophecy announced by the patriarch Jacob, and recorded by Moses? “
As we see, Justin is not claiming that the story of Jesus was copied. Instead, he was stating that, in fact, the Greeks had copied from Hebrew scriptures. The claim was that the Hebrew belief predated the Greek myths, as well as that the devil inspired some of the Greek myths. Taken out of context, it definitely can be used to support Price's claim; however, if looked at as a whole, it is clear that Justin was not claiming that the story of Jesus was copied.
Even more interesting, Justin goes on to say in his next chapter that the mysteries of Mithras were distorted from the prophecies of Isaiah and Daniel. Thus it becomes increasingly clear that Justin's motive was to show how the Greeks had in fact copied from the Hebrews; not the other way around.
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