Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 73

(Horace: Tibull. lib. 1, Eleg. iii. In Ibid.)

[260:3] Chambers's Encyclo., art. "aesculapius."

[260:4] Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 180.

[260:5] Apol. 1, ch. xxii.

[260:6] Deane: Serp. Wor. p. 204. See also, Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p.

29.

"There were numerous oracles of aesculapius, but the most celebrated one was at Epidaurus. Here the sick sought responses and the recovery of their health by sleeping in the temple. . . . The wors.h.i.+p of aesculapius was introduced into Rome in a time of great sickness, and an emba.s.sy sent to the temple Epidaurus to entreat the aid of the G.o.d." (Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 397.)

[261:1] Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p. 238.

[261:2] Herodotus: bk. vi. ch. 61.

[261:3] See Philostratus: Vie d'Apo.

Gibbon, the historian, says of him: "Apollonius of Tyana, born about the same time as Jesus Christ. His life (that of the former) is related in so fabulous a manner by his disciples, that we are at a loss to discover whether he was a sage, an impostor, or a fanatic." (Gibbon's Rome, vol.

i. p. 353, _note_.) What this learned historian says of Apollonius applies to Jesus of Nazareth. _His_ disciples have related his life in so fabulous a manner, that some consider him to have been an impostor, others a fanatic, others a sage, and others a G.o.d.

[262:1] See Philostratus, p. 146.

[262:2] Ibid. p. 158.

[262:3] See Ibid. p. 182.

[263:1] Compare Matt. ix. 18-25. "There came a certain ruler and wors.h.i.+ped him, saying: 'My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.' And Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples. . . . And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them: 'Give peace, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.'

And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, _and took her by the hand_, and the maid arose."

[263:2] See Philostratus, pp. 285-286.

[263:3] "He could render himself invisible, evoke departed spirits, utter predictions, and discover the thoughts of other men." (Hardy: Eastern Monachism, p. 380.)

[263:4] "And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: 'Peace be unto you.' But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them: 'Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is myself; handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke, xxiv. 36-39.)

[264:1] See Philostratus, p. 342.

[264:2] Ibid. p. 5.

[264:3] Justin Martyr's "_Quaest._" xxiv. Quoted in King's Gnostics, p.

242.

[264:4] Acts, viii. 9, 10.

[265:1] See Mosheim, vol. i. pp. 137, 140.

[265:2] Irenaeus: Against Heresies, bk. iii. ch. xi. The _authors.h.i.+p_ of the fourth gospel, attributed to John, has been traced to this same _Irenaeus_. He is the _first_ person who speaks of it; and adding this fact to the statement that "it is impossible that there could be more or less than _four_," certainly makes it appear very suspicious. We shall allude to this again.

[265:3] Eusebius: Eccl. Hist. lib. 2, ch. xiv.

[265:4] Apol. 1, ch. xxiv.

[266:1] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. pp. 241, 242.

[266:2] According to Hieronymus (a Christian Father, born A. D. 348), Simon Magus applied to himself these words: "I am the Word (or Logos) of G.o.d; I am the Beautiful, I the Advocate, I the Omnipotent; I am all things that belong to G.o.d." (See "Son of the Man," p. 67.)

[266:3] See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 316, and Middleton's Free Inquiry, p. 62.

[266:4] Eusebius: Ecc. Hist., lib. 3, ch. xiv.

[266:5] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 54.

[267:1] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 54.

[267:2] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 312, and Middleton's Works, vol.

i. p. 10.

[267:3] "The Egyptians call all men '_barbarians_' who do not speak the same language as themselves." (Herodotus, book ii. ch. 158.)

"By '_barbarians_' the Greeks meant all who were not sprung from themselves--all foreigners." (Henry Cary, translator of _Herodotus_.)

The Chinese call the English, and all foreigners from western countries, "_western barbarians_;" the j.a.panese were called by them the "_eastern barbarians_." (See Thornton's History of China, vol. i.)

The Jews considered all who did not belong to their race to be _heathens_ and _barbarians_.

The Christians consider those who are not followers of Christ Jesus to be _heathens_ and _barbarians_.

The Mohammedans consider all others to be _dogs_, _infidels_, and _barbarians_.

[267:4] "And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea." (Matt. xiv. 25.)

[267:5] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 236. We have it on the authority of _Strabo_ that Roman priests walked barefoot over burning coals, without receiving the slightest injury. This was done in the presence of crowds of people. _Pliny_ also relates the same story.

[267:6] Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 236.

[267:7] Athenagoras, Apolog. p. 25. Quoted in Middleton's Works, vol. i.

p. 62.

[267:8] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. ii. p. 619.

[268:1] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 75.

[268:2] Jewish Antiquities, bk. viii. ch. ii.

[268:3] Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 68.

[268:4] "And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring a _blind man_ unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand . . . _and when he had spit on his eyes_, . . . he looked up and said: 'I see men and trees,' . . . and he was restored." (Mark, viii.