Science of the Bible

startingover

Did anyone see the program on the National Geographic channel - Science of the Bible-Rivals of Jesus?

Here is a description taken from their website:

Science of the Bible
Rivals of Jesus []
Science of the Bible examines those competing faiths and rival prophets that challenged early Christianity, such "lost" Messiahs as Mithras, Simon Magus, and Apollonius of Tyana. Some of these Messiahs and their faiths were once more popular than Christianity but their beliefs and practices were borrowed from the growing Christian movement. With historical re-enactments and interviews with Biblical scholars, theologians and historians, Rivals of Jesus presents a lost chapter of religious history.

Some of the stuff presented I was not aware of. It was a very eye opening program.

One of the things brought out was something I was aware of, that being Constantines decision to promote Christianity because he saw a cross in the sky. If that hadn't of happened (even if it was just in his imagination) I don't think there would be Christianity as we know it today. And to think the JW's base their beliefs on something that was so heavily influenced by a cross.

Deputy Dog

so

I can hear the JWs thinking: God is choosing at this very minute, not to know about this

D Dog

MerryMagdalene

I thought it was an interesting show. I knew there had been a lot of Messianic rivals bit didn't know anythiong about any of them individually.

One of the things that caught my interest was that Simon Magus had a companion named Helena who had been a prostitute.

~Merry

Woodsman

Way to go Simon.

MungoBaobab

"Verily I say unto thee: Praise the one true God and give your monies freely unto the poor, as my hos best give their monies unto me." - Simon Magus

peacefulpete

Some of these Messiahs and their faiths were once more popular than Christianity but their beliefs and practices were borrowed from the growing Christian movement.

That statement certainly needs qualifying. While it is most likely and probable that certain aspects of Mithraism and some competing cults drew upon Christian imagery and story in the later centuries when Christianity became dominanat and influential, the oposite is manifestly true in the formative years of Christianity. Without any necessarily conscious mimickry, Christianity was a product of a mixed culture and as such it reflected both its Jewish and Greek heritage. As has been discussed here many times the resemblance between early Christianity and so called Pagan religion and Mysteries was the result of a two way interchange of ideas from Christianity's inception. It is also wise to remember that Christianity was not a homogenous entity even during the years of the NT's writing. Serious differences about soteriology and Christology in the NT demonstate the gradual process toward some orthodoxy. However it would be amiss to not recognize the pagan precedents for the foundational teaching of the Christian cult, that of a son (or daughter) of a god coming to teach, heal and save through suffering and death or the Gospel writers' emmulation of Greek novels.