Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 98

"The Triangle is a sacred symbol in our modern churches, and it was the sign used in ancient temples before the initiated, to indicate the Trinity--three persons 'co-eternal together, and co-equal.'"[352:4]

The Triangle is found on ancient Greek monuments.[352:5] An ancient seal (engraved in the Memoires de l'Academie royale des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres), supposed to be of Phenician origin, "has as subject a standing figure between two stars, beneath which are handled crosses.

Above the head of the deity is the TRIANGLE, or symbol of the Trinity."[352:6]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. No. 31]

One of the most conspicuous among the symbols intended to represent the Trinity, to be seen in Christian churches, is the compound leaf of the _trefoil_. Modern story had attributed to St. Patrick the idea of demonstrating a trinity in unity, by showing the _shamrock_ to his hearers; but, says Dr. Inman, "like many other things attributed to the moderns, the idea belongs to the ancients."[352:7]

The _Trefoil_ adorned the head of _Osiris_, the Egyptian Saviour, and is to be found among the Pagan symbols or representations of the _three-in-one_ mystery.[353:1] Fig. No. 32 is a representation of the _Trefoil_ used by the ancient Hindoos as emblematic of their celestial Triad--Brahma, Vishnu and Siva--and afterwards adopted by the Christians.[353:2] The leaf of the _Vila_, or _Bel-tree_, is typical of Siva's attributes, because _triple_ in form.[353:3]

The _Trefoil_ was a sacred plant among the ancient Druids of Britain. It was to them an emblem of the mysterious _three in one_.[353:4] It is to be seen on their _coins_.[353:5]

The _Tripod_ was very generally employed among the ancients as an emblem of the _Trinity_, and is found composed in an endless variety of ways.

On the coins of Menecratia, in Phrygia, it is represented between two asterisks, with a serpent wreathed around a battle-axe, inserted into it, as an accessory symbol, signifying preservation and destruction. In the ceremonial of wors.h.i.+p, the number _three_ was employed with mystic solemnity.[353:6]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. No. 32]

The three lines, or three human legs, springing from a central disk or circle, which has been called a _Trinacria_, and supposed to allude to the island of Sicily, is simply an ancient emblem of the _Trinity_. "It is of _Asiatic_ origin; its earliest appearance being upon the very ancient coins of Aspendus in Pamphylia; sometimes alone in the square incuse, and sometimes upon the body of an eagle or the back of a lion."[353:7]

We have already seen, in the chapter on the _crucifixion_, that the earliest emblems of the Christian Saviour were the "Good Shepherd" and the "Lamb." Among these may also be mentioned the _Fish_. "The only satisfactory explanation why Jesus should be represented as a _Fish_,"

says Mr. King, in his Gnostics and their Remains,[353:8] "seems to be the circ.u.mstance that in the quaint jargon of the Talmud the Messiah is often designated 'Dag,' or 'The Fish;'" and Mr. Lundy, in his "Monumental Christianity," says:

"Next to the sacred monogram (the [Symbol: PX]) the _Fish_ takes its place in importance as a sign of Christ in his special office of _Saviour_." "In the Talmud the Messiah is called 'Dag' or 'Fish.'" "Where did the Jews learn to apply 'Dag' to their Messiah? And why did the primitive Christians adopt it as a sign of Christ?" "I cannot disguise facts. Truth demands no concealment or apology. _Paganism_ has its types and prophecies of Christ as well as Judaism. What then is the Dag-on of the old Babylonians? The _fish_-G.o.d or being that taught them all their civilization."[354:1]

As Mr. Lundy says, "truth demands no concealment or apology," therefore, when the truth is exposed, we find that _Vishnu_, the Hindoo Messiah, Preserver, Mediator and _Saviour_, was represented as a "dag," or fish.

The _Fish_ takes its place in importance as a sign of _Vishnu_ in his special office of _Saviour_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. No. 33]

Prof. Monier Williams says:

"It is as _Vishnu_ that the Supreme Being, according to the Hindoos, exhibited his sympathy with human trials, his love for the human race. Nine princ.i.p.al occasions have already occurred in which the G.o.d has thus interposed for the salvation of his creatures. The first was _Matsaya_, the _Fish_. In this Vishnu became a fish to save the seventh Manu, the progenitor of the human race, from the universal deluge."[354:2]

We have already seen, in Chap. IX., the ident.i.ty of the Hindoo _Matsaya_ and the Babylonian Dagon.

The fish was sacred among the Babylonians, a.s.syrians and Phenicians, as it is among the Romanists of to-day. It was sacred also to _Venus_, and the Romanists still eat it on the very day of the week which was called "_Dies veneris_," Venus' day; fish day.[354:3] It was an emblem of _fecundity_. The most ancient symbol of the productive power was a fish, and it is accordingly found to be the universal symbol upon many of the earliest coins.[354:4] Pythagoras and his followers did not eat fish.

They were ascetics, and the eating of fish was supposed to tend to carnal desires. This ancient superst.i.tion is entertained by many even at the present day.

The fish was the earliest symbol of Christ Jesus. Fig. No. 33 is a design from the catacombs.[354:5] This cross-fish is not unlike the sacred monogram.

That the Christian Saviour should be called a fish may at first appear strange, but when the mythos is properly understood (as we shall endeavor to make it in Chap. x.x.xIX.), it will not appear so. The Rev.

Dr. Geikie, in his "Life and Words of Christ," says that a fish stood for his _name_, from the significance of the Greek letters in the word that expresses the idea, and for this reason he was called a fish. But, we may ask, why was Buddha not only called Fo, or Po, but _Dag-Po_, which was literally the Fish Po, or Fish Buddha? The fish did not stand for his name. The idea that Jesus was called a fish because the Messiah is designated "Dag" in the Talmud, is also an unsatisfactory explanation.

Julius Africa.n.u.s (an early Christian writer) says:

"Christ is the great Fish taken by the fish-hook of G.o.d, and whose flesh nourishes the whole world."[355:1]

"The fish fried Was Christ that died,"

is an old couplet.[355:2]

Prosper Africa.n.u.s calls Christ,

"The great fish who satisfied for himself the disciples on the sh.o.r.e, and offered himself as a fish to the whole world."[355:3]

The _Serpent_ was also an emblem of Christ Jesus, or in other words, represented Christ, among some of the early Christians.

Moses _set up_ a brazen _serpent_ in the wilderness, and Christian divines have seen in this a type of Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Gospels sanction this; for it is written:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up."

From this serpent, Tertullian a.s.serts, the early sect of Christians called _Ophites_ took their rise. Epiphanius says, that the "Ophites sprung out of the Nicolaitans and Gnostics, who were so called from the _serpent_, which they wors.h.i.+ped." "The Gnostics," he adds, "_taught that the ruler of the world was of a dracontic form_." The Ophites preserved live serpents in their sacred chest, and looked upon them as the _mediator_ between them and G.o.d. Manes, in the third century, taught serpent wors.h.i.+p in Asia Minor, under the name of Christianity, promulgating that

"_Christ was an incarnation of the Great Serpent, who glided over the cradle of the Virgin Mary, when she was asleep, at the age of a year and a half._"[355:4]

"The Gnostics," says Irenaeus, "represented the Mind (the Son, the Wisdom) in the form of a serpent," and "the Ophites," says Epiphanius, "have a veneration for the serpent; they esteem him the same as Christ."

"They even quote the Gospels," says Tertullian, "to prove that Christ was an imitation of the serpent."[356:1]

The question now arises, Why was the Christian Saviour represented as a serpent? Simply because the heathen Saviours were represented in like manner.

From the earliest times of which we have any historical notice, the serpent has been connected with the preserving G.o.ds, or Saviours; the G.o.ds of goodness and of wisdom. In Hindoo mythology, the serpent is intimately a.s.sociated with Vishnu, the preserving G.o.d, the Saviour.[356:2] Serpents are often a.s.sociated with the Hindoo G.o.ds, as emblems of eternity.[356:3] It was a very sacred animal among the Hindoos.[356:4]

Wors.h.i.+pers of Buddha venerate serpents. "This animal," says Mr. Wake, "became equal in importance as Buddha himself." And Mr. Lillie says:

"That G.o.d was wors.h.i.+ped at an early date by the Buddhists under the symbol of the _Serpent_ is proved from the sculptures of oldest topes, where wors.h.i.+pers are represented so doing."[356:5]

The Egyptians also venerated the serpent. It was the special symbol of Thoth, a primeval deity of Syro-Egyptian mythology, and of all those G.o.ds, such as Hermes and Seth, who can be connected with him.[356:6]

Kneph and Apap were also represented as serpents.[356:7]

Herodotus, when he visited Egypt, found sacred serpents in the temples.

Speaking of them, he says:

"In the neighborhood of Thebes, there are sacred serpents, not at all hurtful to men: they are diminutive in size, and carry two horns that grow on the top of the head. When these serpents die, they bury them in the temple of Jupiter; for they say they are sacred to that G.o.d."[356:8]

The third member of the Chaldean triad, Hea, or Hoa, was represented by a serpent. According to Sir Henry Rawlinson, the most important t.i.tles of this deity refer "to his functions as the source of all knowledge and science." Not only is he "The Intelligent Fish," but his name may be read as signifying both "Life" and a "Serpent," and he may be considered as "figured by the great serpent which occupies so conspicuous a place among the symbols of the G.o.ds on the black stones recording Babylonian benefactors."[357:1]

The Phenicians and other eastern nations venerated the serpent as symbols of their beneficent G.o.ds.[357:2]

As G.o.d of medicine, Apollo, the central figure in Grecian mythology, was originally wors.h.i.+ped under the form of a serpent, and men invoked him as the "Helper." He was the Solar Serpent-G.o.d.[357:3]

aesculapius, the healing G.o.d, the Saviour, was also wors.h.i.+ped under the form of a serpent.[357:4] "Throughout h.e.l.las," says Mr. c.o.x, "aesculapius remained the 'Healer,' and the 'Restorer of Life,' and accordingly the serpent is everywhere his special emblem."[357:5]

Why the serpent was the symbol of the Saviours and beneficent G.o.ds of antiquity, will be explained in Chap. x.x.xIX.

The _Dove_, among the Christians, is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Matthew narrator relates that when Jesus went up out of the water, after being baptized by John, "the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending like a _dove_, and lighting upon him."

Here is another piece of Paganism, as we find that the _Dove_ was the symbol of the Holy Spirit among all nations of antiquity. Rev. J. P.

Lundy, speaking of this, says: