The wild, bombshell claim has been featured in a bible conspiracies documentary that have searched ancient documents proving greek apollonius strikingly resembles jewish jesus. They shared many themes that were likely a part of larger cultural and religious trends. Christians are actually worshiping apollonius of tyana. Is apollonius of tyana paul of tarsus apollonius of tyanna, a pythagorean philosopher and contemporary of the jesus christ of the gospels. Jesus christ and apollonius of tyana parallel lives, also. The life of apollonius of tyana written in the 200s is a pagan gospel to rival the gospels of jesus.
Considering the popularity of divine men at the time, the similarities are not all that surprising. Ever since, jesus and apollonius have been compared. The life of apollonius bears several parallels with pythagoras, and he was deliberately made to look like a good pythagorean. Apollonius of tyana 3 journey to india philostratus devoted two and a half of the eight books of his life of apollonius 1. So, should christians be worried that jesus is just a myth. And, unlike jesus, there is evidence to prove that he actually existed. Jesus taught his followers that god answers prayers. Critics will then conclude that the story of jesus isnt special. We learn that apollonius had several disciples, traveled extensively, met.
Apollonius of tyana was a wandering greek philosopher and pythagorean wonderworker that achieved more popularity than jesus and. There is strong reason to believe that apollonius of tyana who traveled to india may be the apostle paul well versed in ancient jainism as well as pythagorean school of thoughts. It tells of apollonius, a virtuous and wise teacher just like jesus. The supposed c1st ad character, apollonius of tyana, is such a jesuslike figure in many ways that some commentators would insist that the gospels were based on the life of this apollonius. Apollonius of tyana good historical reasons for the early dating of the gospels. Apollonius of tyana, a neopythagorean who became a mythical hero during the time of the roman empire. Could this be due to the fact that jesus upon surviving the crucifixion did not want to have a repeat of a similar event and therefore disguised himself as apollonius of tyana. Apr 07, 2012 channeled on may 2oth, 1881, and recorded by mr. No, and ryan leasure elaborates on five reasons apollonius is not like jesus. After all, apollonius was interested in cultic reforms while jesus was an apocalyptic, halachic teacher. Empress julia domna instructed the writer philostratus to write a biography of apollonius, and it is speculated that her motive for doing so stemmed from her desire to counteract the influence of.
He also performed miracles and appeared to people after his death. Critics, in an attempt to discredit the bible, occasionally claim that apollonius of tyana, who lived in the first century ad, was an inspiration for jesus or paul or some other biblical figure. Philostratus life of apollonius the longest and most important source on the life of apollonius is a vie romancee by the athenian author philostratus c. Whereas, as i am arguing in this series, the precedence ought. Impact antiquity in the 2nd century the satirist lucian of samosata was a sharp critic of neopythagoreanism. But much contemporary discussion of this ancient superhero is due to his possible relevance to the question of the historical jesus, for his story as we. It appears that this apollonius of tyana has been erased from the history books, unlike alexander the great b. Skeptics like bart ehrman will use apollonius of tyana as a challenge to jesus uniqueness. Price in his 2011 the christmyth theory and its problems, notes that the ancients often compared jesus with apollonius. Whereas, as i am arguing in this series, the precedence ought to be given to the gospel version over the pagan one. Like jesus christ, the story of apollonius of tyanas life is in question. The lives of these two men are marked by striking similarities and by equally striking differences. It is said that apollonius, who lived in the first century, also performed miracles, had disciples, died, and appeared after his death the same as jesus.
The birth, life, death and resurrection of jesus christ as portrayed in the annual passage of the sun through the. Therefore, critics conclude, what jesus did isnt unique. His teaching influenced scientific thought for centuries after his death. Over the centuries, not a few people have noticed a resemblance between the lives of the ancient sage apollonius of tyana and the christian savior jesus christ, a comparison most notably brought to light by the very important roman official sossianus hierocles in the fourth century. Apollonius of tyanna was an ancient greek philosopher, sage and miracle worker born in 4 bc, the year now recognized by scholars as the birth year of jesus christ. Like jesus christ, the story of apollonius of tyana s life is in question. Apollonius of tyana investigated the religion of the essenes the sacred writings of the essenes blended with those apollonius received from india, 179 titus livius, a roman historian. What he shows us clearly is the living of the life, the lifelong practice of theosophical ethics it is said that at a very young age apollonius became set upon living what he referred to as the pythagorean life. Empress julia domna instructed the writer philostratus to write a biography of apollonius, and it is speculated that her motive for doing so stemmed from her desire to counteract the influence of christianity on roman civilization. Apollonius of tyana, whether he was a magician, as the vulgar say, or a philosopher, as the pythagoreans say, entered persia, traversed the caucasus, albanians, scythians, and massagetae, penetrated the most opulent kingdoms of india, and after crossing the very wide river phison came to the brahmans, so that he might hear iarchas sitting on a. Nov 27, 2018 apollonius of tyana is said to be a lot like jesus according to skeptics like bart ehrman, richard carrier, robert price and their many followers. Others still say that apollonius of tyana was dropped in favor of jesus christ when the christians decided who to believe was the true son of god. Apollonius and jesus were both figures with their own peculiar stories in the ancient world, boyd added.
Apollonius performs miracles and travels from city to city teaching, just like jesus. Jul 03, 2019 instead, hes referring to apollonius of tyana. Apollonius of tyanna, a pythagorean philosopher and contemporary of the jesus christ of the gospels. He is best known through the medium of the writer philostratus, in whose biography some have seen an attempt to construct a.
In the ancient world he was called a magician, a fraud, a scientist and many even believed that he was a divine figure who could save humanity. He was accused of using magic malevolently, which was an insult in that time. Apollonius of tyana believed in a god who was pure intellect and taught his followers that. In spite of misrepresentation and disdain, and the mistaken zeal of sectaries who have thought, by blackening the character of a great man whom they failed to understand, they were advancing the divine claims of their own leader, the character of apollonius will always stand out as one of the grandest, if not the grandest, of his time. Apollonius was a great man in deeds as well as faith, never breaking his own rules and rationally contemplating larger philosophical issues from a young age.
Were apollonius and jeshu ben pandira separate lifestreams from one another or were they incarnations of the same lifestream. Many agnostic and atheistic scholars as well as other free thinkers believe that some portions of the gospels of jesus christ are actually modeled on the adventures of apollonius. The life of apollonius of tyana was written by philostratus to respond to attacks made against apollonius. For if he can demonstrate that jesus story isnt any different from apollonius of tyana, well then jesus must not be the unique son of god after all. Apollonius of tyana paperback november 1, 2010 by g. However, texts about apollonius of tyana were not written until more than a century after apolloniuss death. According to philostratus life, en route to the far east, apollonius reached hierapolis bambyce manbij in syria not nineveh, as some scholars believed, where he met damis, a native of that city who. This teacher was a lofty idealist who represented the highest consciousness and intelligence his society had to offer.
With an engaging style, philostratus portrays a charismatic teacher and religious reformer from tyana in cappadocia modern central turkey who travels across the known world, from the atlantic to the ganges. Apollonius of tyana, flourished 1st century ad, tyana, cappadocia, a neopythagorean who became a mythical hero during the time of the roman empire. Many skeptics attempt to disprove the historicity of jesus by trying to compare him to apollonius of tyana. Apollonius of tyana similarities to jesus christ historic. Apollonius of tyana is the best parallel to jesus the skeptic has to offer. I briefly met apollonius and had heard about him from some of my disciples. Price apollonius of tyana is a fascinating character in his own right, intrinsically deserving of scholarly attention. This is over 100 years after apollonius lived twice as long as the time between the life of jesus and the latest proposed date for the first gospel writing 75 ad and four times longer than the earliest proposed time 50 ad. With jesus you have a consistent philosophy unmingled with superstition and considered through 2000 years to be the most sublime, eloquent philosophy ever devised. Controversial documentary claims philosopher may have been. Answer from ascended master jesus through kim michaels.
Apollonius of tyana is one of the most extraordinary exemplars in human history. Nov 20, 2019 apollonius of tyana is the best parallel to jesus the skeptic has to offer. Apollonius of tyana and jesus in ancient times there was once a teacher. Jesus was not jewish but a greek religious preacher, apollonius of tyana. Apollonius of tyana similarities to jesus christ historic mysteries. Apollonius of tyana was a historical figure whonis recorded to have travelled widely and performed miracles of kind attributed to jesus christ in fact it is commonly believed that apollonius is the inspiration for those who created a retrospective real jesus christ when the socalled church fathers until the 4th century seem to have. Nov 12, 2009 apollonius of tyana was a historical figure whonis recorded to have travelled widely and performed miracles of kind attributed to jesus christ in fact it is commonly believed that apollonius is the inspiration for those who created a retrospective real jesus christ when the socalled church fathers until the 4th century seem to have. Jonathan roberts, grand grand father of jon roberts, a member of the pat apollonius of tyana. Apollonius was a greek, celibate, and ascetic philosopher born around the year 3 bc in tyana what was then known as cappadocia, and. Others say he was the inspiration for the story of jesus christ. One marked difference between these two is that there is lots of archaeological evidence to show that apollonius of tyana was a real historical personage, whereas, nothing has ever been found written about jesus by.
Lets examine this supposed parallel in detail today. There is absolutely no mention of apollonius of tyana in the stories of jesus and there is no mention of jesus in the stories of apollonius. Jonathan roberts, grand grand father of jon roberts, a member of the pat apollonius of tyana, the jesus of nazareth, st. After teaching healing a medical practiced at asclepius at aegis and.
This revelation is intended to rattle whatever remaining faith his christian students might have. What is the relationship of apollonius of tyana to jesus. Apollonius of tyana 4 a wandering philosopher, probably represented apollonius of tyana who lived a part of his life in crete and died there. Jesus christ and his associates from india and isauria. Both apollonius and jesus were born in the same years. Cc0 according to an article in the daily mail, the new documentary does not dispute that jesus existed as a historical figure, but suggests that he was actually. Apollonius of tyana a city south of turkey is sometimes offered as a challenge to the uniqueness of jesus christ. The controversy between adherents of apollonius and jesus by dr. Apollonius of tyana the great theosophist of the first century b. Over the centuries, not a few people have noticed a resemblance between the lives of the ancient sage apollonius of tyana and the christian savior jesus christ, a comparison most notably brought to light by the very important roman official sossianus hierocles in.
Although there are certain similarities a charismatic teacher performing miraculous healing, the differences are larger. It describes the sage of tyana s a superhuman, neopythagorean philosopher who tried to reform cultic practices in modern greece, turkey, and syria. How rome ruled the world long after the roman empire failed. The life of apollonius of tyana was written no earlier than ad 217. This is the story of apollonius of tyana, a neopythagorean teacher and holy man of sorts whose biography is preserved in the. Apr 12, 2016 apollonius was a great man in deeds as well as faith, never breaking his own rules and rationally contemplating larger philosophical issues from a young age. A long haired, bearded, white robed man who calmed the seas. Apollonius was born into a respected and wealthy greek family. Many saw him as a pagan messiah and indeed, he was more popular than jesus for a time in the roman empire. There are some fascinating parallels between the gospel narratives of jesus and the life of apollonius of tyanna as well as paul the apostle. In the ancient world he was called a magician, a fraud, a scientist and many even. This included a high code of nonviolence and asceticism, such that he remained a vegetarian the. Jan 25, 2017 considering the popularity of divine men at the time, the similarities are not all that surprising.
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