The Evolving Legend
– How the Godman is Made and Remade
A melange of apostate Jews and déclassé Greeks create a God:
From Apollo to Jesus Christ!
During the 2nd and 3rd centuries Greek sage and Jewish scribe, pagan hierophant and Egyptian priest, all contributed to the fabulous 'Christian' legend. The common hope was for an afterlife, no longer just for the elite but for all and sundry. To Constantine the superstition was useful.
In the early 4th century, the worship of Jesus Christ became a State sponsored cult throughout the Roman Empire – and was particularly successful in Egypt.
Jesus Christ – Super-synthesis
Messianic savior god, promising a personal salvation – the ultimate product of East Mediterranean syncretism.
Synthetic, composite character, combining characteristics of Serapis (king and judge), with Greek sage (wisdom, compassion), Antinous (perfect man, protecting sacrifice) and the Roman variant of the sun-god – Mithras.
The winning ingredient of the Christians was to bring this new god to life by setting him in a Jewish pageant, clobbered together from plagiarized episodes of Old Testament scripture (over 400 direct quotes) and well-worn pagan motifs.
The various 'biographies' (gospels) were never fully harmonized; it took over three centuries of violence to more or less agree the underpinning 'theology' but then – WHAT A SUCCESS STORY!
Apollo – Fit
Handsome, young, healthy and naked
Those big, staring eyes, that dimpled chin ...
Within 50 years of Constantine, Christ gets an identical face!
4th century mosaic floor, Hinton St. Mary, Dorset, England)
JC takes over from Apollo as the Sun God in his fiery chariot
3rd century, tomb mosaic, Rome
Apollo (aka Helios, Phoebus), sun-god on his daily ride across the sky.
Like Horus before him and Christ after him, he was the Light of the World.
Apollo was also the god of healing, so sick people prayed to him.
He was also, son of the Big Guy – who in those days went by the name of Zeus!
Apollo as Sun God - 2nd century AD
JC, with augur's wand and legislator's scroll, raises Lazarus
3rd century sarcophagus
JC takes over from Apollo as the "Good Shepherd"
4th century, catacombs, Rome
Good Shepherd Apollo
6th century BC Athens
JC dons his philosopher's toga
4th century, Rome
Socrates – 5th century BC Athens
JC takes over as teacher
4th century – Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (Rome, 359 AD)
Greek philosopher as teacher – Socrates – 5th century BC Athens
Aging God
"The figure of Christ,
which had at first been youthful, becomes older from century to century... as the age of Christianity itself progresses."
– Adolphe Didron (Christian Iconography)
__
JC takes inspiration from a human sacrifice (Antinous)
6th/7th century Coptic Christ, Egypt
– note the grapes of Dionysus!
Clothed – but is that a family resemblance to Antinous ?!
4th century Antinous, with Cross in one hand – and the grapes of Dionysus in the other!
JC, as Good Shepherd, wields his cross as a shepherd's crook
5th century mosaic, tomb of Galla Placidia, Ravenna
JC, clean shaven young man, as Greek philosopher, moving in polite society, sporting Apollo's sun 'nimbus'
6th century mosaic
JC as soldier – this time carrying his cross like a lance, strutting about as a Roman conqueror
6th century mosaic, Archiepiscopal Chapel, Ravenna
JC changes philosopher's toga for monk's habit, grows a rabbi's beard, gets older.
6th century, Mt Sinai Monastery
JC, older and weary but not yet hung on a cross.
6th-7th century, Egypt (Coptic, Louvre)
In the West
JC, beardless but now with distorted proportions, gets nailed to his cross.
7th century, Athlone, Ireland
JC becomes a Frankish warrior, complete with Woden's headdress, weapons and long penis!
7th century, France
In the East
JC loses his humanity, becomes solemn, stylised icon.
7th-8th century, catacombs, Rome
JC, hung up to die (but keeps his clothes on)
9th century, Chludoff Psalter
JC, bearded yet still young, is the Christus Triumphans – on his cross but alive and without suffering.
10th century, Ireland (Monastery of Monasterboice)
JC – older, uglier – just like the Church
11th century, Sinai Monastery ("Pantocrator") Daphni, Greece
JC – mean, sinister – just like the Church
12th century, Russia (fresco)
JC naked and limp on his cross
15th century manuscript (Aberdeen)
JC in agony – Just like Christian Europe
16th woodcut (Durer)
JC emaciated, dead
16th century, Netherlands (David Gerard)
JC – On his knees, beaten, suffering – looks promising ...
17th century, Spain
That's better – a tortured man for a tortured society ...
Christianity triumphs
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/melange.html
– How the Godman is Made and Remade
A melange of apostate Jews and déclassé Greeks create a God:
From Apollo to Jesus Christ!
During the 2nd and 3rd centuries Greek sage and Jewish scribe, pagan hierophant and Egyptian priest, all contributed to the fabulous 'Christian' legend. The common hope was for an afterlife, no longer just for the elite but for all and sundry. To Constantine the superstition was useful.
In the early 4th century, the worship of Jesus Christ became a State sponsored cult throughout the Roman Empire – and was particularly successful in Egypt.
Jesus Christ – Super-synthesis
Messianic savior god, promising a personal salvation – the ultimate product of East Mediterranean syncretism.
Synthetic, composite character, combining characteristics of Serapis (king and judge), with Greek sage (wisdom, compassion), Antinous (perfect man, protecting sacrifice) and the Roman variant of the sun-god – Mithras.
The winning ingredient of the Christians was to bring this new god to life by setting him in a Jewish pageant, clobbered together from plagiarized episodes of Old Testament scripture (over 400 direct quotes) and well-worn pagan motifs.
The various 'biographies' (gospels) were never fully harmonized; it took over three centuries of violence to more or less agree the underpinning 'theology' but then – WHAT A SUCCESS STORY!
Apollo – Fit
Handsome, young, healthy and naked
Those big, staring eyes, that dimpled chin ...
Within 50 years of Constantine, Christ gets an identical face!
4th century mosaic floor, Hinton St. Mary, Dorset, England)
JC takes over from Apollo as the Sun God in his fiery chariot
3rd century, tomb mosaic, Rome
Apollo (aka Helios, Phoebus), sun-god on his daily ride across the sky.
Like Horus before him and Christ after him, he was the Light of the World.
Apollo was also the god of healing, so sick people prayed to him.
He was also, son of the Big Guy – who in those days went by the name of Zeus!
JC, with augur's wand and legislator's scroll, raises Lazarus
3rd century sarcophagus
JC takes over from Apollo as the "Good Shepherd"
4th century, catacombs, Rome
Good Shepherd Apollo
6th century BC Athens
JC dons his philosopher's toga
4th century, Rome
Socrates – 5th century BC Athens
JC takes over as teacher
4th century – Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (Rome, 359 AD)
Greek philosopher as teacher – Socrates – 5th century BC Athens
Aging God
"The figure of Christ,
which had at first been youthful, becomes older from century to century... as the age of Christianity itself progresses."
– Adolphe Didron (Christian Iconography)
__
JC takes inspiration from a human sacrifice (Antinous)
6th/7th century Coptic Christ, Egypt
– note the grapes of Dionysus!
Clothed – but is that a family resemblance to Antinous ?!
4th century Antinous, with Cross in one hand – and the grapes of Dionysus in the other!
JC, as Good Shepherd, wields his cross as a shepherd's crook
5th century mosaic, tomb of Galla Placidia, Ravenna
JC, clean shaven young man, as Greek philosopher, moving in polite society, sporting Apollo's sun 'nimbus'
6th century mosaic
JC as soldier – this time carrying his cross like a lance, strutting about as a Roman conqueror
6th century mosaic, Archiepiscopal Chapel, Ravenna
JC changes philosopher's toga for monk's habit, grows a rabbi's beard, gets older.
6th century, Mt Sinai Monastery
JC, older and weary but not yet hung on a cross.
6th-7th century, Egypt (Coptic, Louvre)
In the West
JC, beardless but now with distorted proportions, gets nailed to his cross.
7th century, Athlone, Ireland
JC becomes a Frankish warrior, complete with Woden's headdress, weapons and long penis!
7th century, France
In the East
JC loses his humanity, becomes solemn, stylised icon.
7th-8th century, catacombs, Rome
JC, hung up to die (but keeps his clothes on)
9th century, Chludoff Psalter
JC, bearded yet still young, is the Christus Triumphans – on his cross but alive and without suffering.
10th century, Ireland (Monastery of Monasterboice)
JC – older, uglier – just like the Church
11th century, Sinai Monastery ("Pantocrator") Daphni, Greece
JC – mean, sinister – just like the Church
12th century, Russia (fresco)
JC naked and limp on his cross
15th century manuscript (Aberdeen)
JC in agony – Just like Christian Europe
16th woodcut (Durer)
JC emaciated, dead
16th century, Netherlands (David Gerard)
JC – On his knees, beaten, suffering – looks promising ...
17th century, Spain
That's better – a tortured man for a tortured society ...
Christianity triumphs
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/melange.html