Apollonius, Jesus and Paul:
Men or Myths?
by Acharya S/D.M. Murdock
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 was said to have lived in the first century, precisely at the time of Jesus's advent, although the former supposedly lived to be around 100 years old, while the latter allegedly died several decades earlier.
It is claimed that hundreds of statues of Apollonius were erected during the first centuries of the Christian era, with his fame as a "divine man" widespread around the Mediterranean. Numerous events in Apollonius's life, as provided to us principally from a biography created around 210 by Philostratus, commissioned by the empress Julia Domna, peculiarly parallel those of Christ. It is difficult to determine what, if any, of Philostratus's Life of Apollonius constitutes history, although there appears to be confirmation at least of Apollonius's existence. In fact, from the odd coincidences between his life and that of Jesus, it has been suggested by not a few people that Jesus Christ is a fictional character based in large part on Apollonius of Tyana, although Christians beginning in early times cast the accusation of plagiarism in the opposite direction.
In addition to this possible development are striking correlations between the lives of Apollonius and the apostle Paul, who, like Jesus, strangely finds no place in contemporary history, despite claims to his having made quite a ruckus in a populated and well documented part of the world. It appears that the stories of both Jesus and Paul were in part fabricated from that of Apollonius. The opposite is also possible, although, in this author's studied opinion, unlikely. It also may be that both Apollonius and Jesus were historical figures who did and said everything they are reported to have done and said, in which case we would be dishonest in accepting one without the other, both representing "God on Earth."
The following table outlines germane events and characteristics in the lives of the three men, as recorded in various sources, particularly the Life of Apollonius and the Bible. It should be noted that just as the Bible does not acknowledge "Apollonius of Tyana," nor does Apollonius's biography mention Christ, Paul, Christians or Christianity. (The events herein are not necessarily in chronological order; nor is the list complete. A fuller treatment of this important subject would require an entire volume.)
Apollonius
 |
Jesus
 |
Paul
 |
| Born 4 BCE | Born 4 BCE | Born c. 2 CE? |
| Birth miraculously announced by a supernatural being | Birth miraculously announced by a supernatural being | |
| Was the son of a god and a mortal woman | Was the son of a god and a mortal woman. | |
| Raised in Tarsus | Raised in Tarsus | |
| Religiously precocious as a child | Religiously precocious as a child | Religiously precocious as a child |
| Asserted to be a native speaker of Aramaic | Asserted to be a native speaker of Aramaic | Claimed to be a speaker of Hebrew |
| Associated with wise men ormagi | Associated with wise men ormagi | |
| Had a disciple named Damis from Asia Minor | Had a disciple named Thomas; blessed a robber on the cross named Demas | Had a disciple named Demas from Asia Minor |
| Had an associate named Titus | Had an associate named Titus | |
| Associated with a Demetrius | Associated with a Demetrius | |
| Associated with a Stephanus | Associated with a Stephanus | |
| Influenced by Plato | Reflected Platonism | Influenced by Philo/Plato |
| Renounced wealth | Denounced wealth | Embraced poverty |
| Followed abstinence and asceticism | Followed abstinence and asceticism | Followed abstinence and asceticism |
| Wore long hair and robes | Wore long hair and robes | Wore long hair and robes |
| Discussed eunuchs for the kingdom of Babylon | Discussed eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven | |
| Was unmarried and childless | Was unmarried and childless | Was unmarried and childless |
| Was anointed with oil | Was anointed with oil | |
| Went to Jerusalem | Went to Jerusalem | Went to Jerusalem |
| Spent much time at Antioch | Spent much time at Antioch | |
| Made missionary journeys around Mediterranean | Made missionary journeys around Mediterranean | |
| Traveled to the East for three years, where he was taught by sages | Traveled to the East for three years, where he was taught by Jesus | |
| Wrote epistles instructing followers in spirituality | Wrote epistles instructing followers in spirituality | |
| Spoke in metaphors | Spoke in parables | |
| Fought wild beasts at Ephesus | Fought "wild beasts" at Ephesus | |
| Saw and predicted the future | Saw and predicted the future | |
| Performed miracles | Performed miracles | Performed miracles |
| Healed the sick | Healed the sick | Healed the sick |
| Cast out evil spirits | Drove out demons | Cast out demons |
| Raised the daughter of a Roman official from the dead | Raised the daughter of a Jewish official from the dead | |
| Famed far and wide | Famed far and wide | Well known in Christian communities around the Mediterranean |
| Religious reformer | Religious reformer | Religious reformer |
| Spoke authoritatively to temple priests | Spoke authoritatively to temple priests | Spoke authoritatively to temple priests |
| Spoke as a "law-giver" | Spoke as a "law-giver" | |
| Founded a religious community at Corinth | Founded a religious community at Corinth | |
| Was on a mission to bring Greek culture to the "barbarians" | Was on a mission to bring Jewish culture to the "nations" | |
| Converted "unrefined" people to himself | Converted "unsaved" people to himself | |
| Believed to be a "savior" from heaven | Believed to be a "savior" from heaven | |
| Worshipped as a god | Worshipped as a god | Mistaken for a god |
| Accused of being a magician | Accused of being a magician | |
| Had his life threatened | Had his life threatened | Had his life threatened |
| Brought before a king, whose righteousness he challenged | Brought before a king, whose righteousness he challenged | |
| Was accused of killing a boy | Was accused of killing a boy (Infancy Gospel of Thomas) | |
| Condemned by Roman emperor | Condemned by Roman authorities | Condemned by Roman emperor |
| Imprisoned at Rome | Imprisoned at Jerusalem | Imprisoned at Jerusalem and Rome |
| Miraculously escaped prison | Miraculously escaped prison | |
| Was shipwrecked | Was shipwrecked | |
| Descended into the underworld | Descended into the underworld | |
| Was assumed into heaven | Ascended into heaven | |
| Appeared posthumously to a detractor as a brilliant light | Appeared posthumously to a detractor as a brilliant light | |
| Said to be in two places at once | Said to be in many places at once | |
| Had his image revered in temples | Had his image revered in churches |
As can be seen, there are many important details that correspond between the lives of all three men. In some ways, of course, one or the other of the godmen was superior in his capacities, such as the claim about Apollonius being able to speak and understand "all languages" without having studied or learned them.
In an interesting development, Apollonius and Paul's journeys took a very similar route, though generally in reverse of each other. In fact, it has been calculated that Paul and Apollonius were at both Ephesus and Rome at precisely the same time. It would be very odd if two such similar and powerful men, preaching to religious communities in these places, were unknown to each other. Unless, of course, they were each other. Oddly enough, the book of Acts mentions an "Apollos" at Ephesus with Paul, the name "Apollos" being an abbreviation of "Apollonius." In any event, encompassing various brotherhood and mystery school sites, the route taken by both Apollonius and Paul was also more or less that of Orpheus, a mythical proselytizer of the religion of Dionysus, whose epithet was said to have been IES, centuries before the Christian era. Many others doubtlessly also made this pilgrimage to these pre-Christian sacred sites and mystery schools over the centuries.
Paul's Journeys
Apollonius's Journeys
Not only are the journeys of Paul and Apollonius very similar, their names are as well. While Paul is "Paulos" in Greek, Thayer's Lexicon states that "Apollos" is, according to some ancient authorities, contracted from "Apollonios." Interestingly, "Apollos" is mentioned in five places in Paul's 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, in such a way - juxtapositioned with the names of Paul, "Cephas" and Christ; Paul and Christ; or Paul alone - as to attribute great significance to him. It has further been asserted that this contraction of the name Apollonius, Apollos, was found uncontracted in the Codex Bezae of the New Testament.
Moreover, the name "Apollonius," it has been evinced, was also abbreviated in ancient times as "Pol," but this writer has not been able to confirm that claim. It has further been asserted that the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews was not "Paulos" but "Apollos," an interesting claim in consideration of the fact that Hebrews is written in "Hebraistic Greek" and that Apollonius was said to be a native speaker of the Hebraistic language of Aramaic. Oddly, Hebrews was one of the three epistles that were missing in the first New Testament compiled by Marcion. Furthermore, there are various "Pauline" writings that appeared after the alleged death of Paul, during the period when Apollonius was said to be still alive.
If the story of Apollonius was as well known in more or less detail as presented by Philostratus in the century proceeding that writer, i.e., the second century, with aristocracy admiring Apollonius to the point of worship, the gospel tale must be regarded as an obvious attempt at competition. In this scenario, fervent monotheists who believed it was their destiny to achieve religious hegemony set about to outdo the Capadoccian sage and, via their own usurping godman, prove themselves the spiritual leaders of mankind.
Sources:
Philostratus, Life of Apollonius, Conybeare
The Bible, RSV and others
Bernard, Dr. Raymond, Apollonius the Nazarene, Health Research
"Apollonius of Tyana," www.livius.org/ap-ark/apollonius/apollonius01.html
Waite, Charles, History of the Christian Religion to the Year Two HundredSmith, William, "Apollonius Tyanaeus," A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, www.apollonius.net/tyanaeus.html
The Bible, RSV and others
Bernard, Dr. Raymond, Apollonius the Nazarene, Health Research
"Apollonius of Tyana," www.livius.org/ap-ark/apollonius/apollonius01.html
Waite, Charles, History of the Christian Religion to the Year Two HundredSmith, William, "Apollonius Tyanaeus," A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, www.apollonius.net/tyanaeus.html
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Is Apollonius of Tyanna -
Paul of Tarsus ?
| Is Apollonius of Tyana - Paul of Tarsus ? Apollonius of Tyanna, a Pythagorean philosopher and contemporary of the Jesus Christ of the Gospels. 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. Quite possibly, due to the lack of historical evidence for Jesus as depicted in the Gospels. - some believe him to have actually been the Jesus Christ. Others postulate the theory that Paul the Apostle and Apollonius are one and the same. Some scholars argue that Paul of Tarsus a/k/a Paul the Apostle did not exist, and that All of the original writings and teachings attributed to him in the New Testament are the writings and teachings of Apollonius of Tyanna. Other scholars present reasonable arguments that Paul was only a mythical character patterned after Apollonius. The hypothesis that Apollonius was actually the apostle Paul lends itself much credence upon a brief review of the available facts..
Are Elements of the Jesus Christ Narrative based on Apollonius ?
Scholars date 1Corinthians no later than 55 AD. All scholars also agree that the name "Apollos" is indeed "Apollonius.". And that Apollonius had visited Corinth and established a church/school there, according to all historical records of the time, Apollos of First Corinthians may well have been Apollonius of Tyana. and it is very likely that Pol - not Paul was the Author of the epistle to the Hebrews, or that Pol and Paul were one and the same. It is notable that in I Corinthians 16:12 Paul explicitly states that Apollos could not be at the same place ,at the same time that he was there. In addition in an old version of 1st Corinthians found in a French monastery by a Huguenot soldier entitled the Codex Bezae . The name Apollos is spelled Apollonius. ...concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. He will come when he has the opportunity.Indicating either of the two possibilities
Who wrote the Pauline Epistles Fourteen books of the New Testament were "Epistles" allegedly written by Paul of Tarsus [The Apostle Paul] to members of the Church. An "Epistle" is a literary letter intended to be published and/or read by the general public. This was an established literary style . The "Pauline" Epistles in the New Testament probably did not start out as epistles. They were apparently letters to various churches and individuals written to address specific problems at a church location or with a leader. They were probably intended to be read aloud during a single service, at a single church. The authenticity of the Pauline Epistles has been the subject of much debate. For instance, The Book of Hebrews - Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, regarded Apollonius [Pol] as the real author of this Epistle, and this is still the opinion of Many eminent scholars. He may have also written others, some have attributed the apocalypse of Saint John [Revelation] to Apollonius of Tyanna as well, while others claim a connection to the Mandæan Book of John.. The writer of Revelations demonstrates no knowledge of the activities of the apostle Paul or of his letters. Though "John" relishes the martyrdom of the saints, Paul's "execution in Rome" does not get a mention. The early Christian writer, Justin Martyr, in the mid-2nd century, has nothing to say of Paul or his epistles. Likewise with other early Christian writers , prior to the second Century AD/CE The earliest known list containing all of Paul's accredited letters dates from the late 2nd century. The author of the list is unknown , but the list takes its name from its 18th century discoverer Muratori. The Muratori list includes the statement, "Moreover there is in circulation an epistle to the Laodiceans, and another to the Alexandrians, forged under the name of Paul ... ". The Crucifixion of Apollonius "It has been claimed that Apollonius of Tyana was initiated into the Arcanum of Egypt in the Great Pyramid, where he hung upon a cross until unconscious and was then laid in the tomb for three days. While his body was unconscious, his soul was thought to pass into the realms of the immortals (the place of death) After it had vanquished death (by recognizing that life is eternal) it returned again to the body, which then rose from the coffer, after which he was hailed as a brother by the priests, who believed that he had returned from the land of the dead. This concept was, in substance, the teaching of the Mysteries." (Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition) p. 183) Numerous scholars have theorized that Jesus did not die on the Cross . The crucifixion may very well have been an Gnostic - Allegorical equation. In The Jesus Mysteries Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy bring to light an interesting facet of the early Christian Tradition of Martyrdom and crucifixion . Crucifixion being somewhat symbolic of executing ones "lower self" ,to crucify the false ego or "crucify" ones lower nature/ animalistic self in order to be symbolically "born again" or resurrected. In the original Greek texts of the New Testament one finds a totally new interpretation of the Crucifixion of Jesus. One finds the possibility that the real meaning of the crucifixion is to crucify the lower self and be "Born again" . ["The real meaning of crucifixion is to crucify the false self that the true Self may rise. As long as the false self is not crucified, the true Self is not realized." -Hazrat Inayat Khan / The Soul's Journey ] [ See "Jesus Barabbas" for further clarification on this topic] The ancient Mystery religion[s] all contained a crucifixion scenario, or close facsimile, that of Apollonius was no different. However, in Christendom the crucifixion scenario changes to an actual historical event ...[perhaps]. Miscellaneous notes concerning Apollonius Apollonius had the strange ability to understand any Language, in his own words... "And I," said Apollonious, "my good friend, understand all languages, though I never learnt a single one." He is said to have understood the language of birds, and conversed with them. He wrote many books and treatises on a wide variety of subjects during his life, including science, medicine, and philosophy. Most of which were destroyed by early Christians. The Book of Stones is a lengthy analysis of alchemical works attributed to Apollonius by Persian alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan ( ca.721 -815 ) ,,,Medieval writer Nicetas tells us of bronze doors at Byzantium which bore inscribed extracts from the Book of Rites, a lost work of Apollonius, and that these doors were melted down in order to destroy non-Christian beliefs which had persisted around the teachings of Apollonius of Tyanna. At the instant the Emperor Domitian was assassinated in Rome, Apollonius spoke of it in a public assembly in Ephesus, and declared the method and manner of his death; which was found to happen at the precise moment of time he spoke of it, and in the exact manner he had described. As per Christian dogma St. Basil, is said to have been miraculously informed of the death of the Emperor Julian at the very moment that it occurred. After his death at somewhere around 100 years of age, Emperor Hadrian collected his works and ensured their publication throughout his realm. According to an account from Philostratus II { 170-244 AD -Philostratus II wrote several books containing the Life of Apollonius ), after keeping a vow of silence for 5 years, Apollonius traveled to India in order to "converse with the Brahmins". During his journey, he attracted a scribe among the people of Ninevah, Damis, who extensively recorded events in the life of Apollonius which described not only events in the life of Apollonius, but events relating to a succession of emperors and the Roman Empire itself. The notes of Damis eventually came into the hands of the empress Julia Domna, who commissioned Philostratus II to use the notes to assemble a biography of Apollonius Eunapius, the pupil of Chrysanius, one of the teachers of Julian, writing in the last years of the Fourth Century says that "Apollonius was more than a philosopher; he was a middle term, as it were, between gods and men." Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus {325‑391}, who composed a profane history in the Latin language, refers to Apollonius as "that most renowned philosopher," and thought that, "like Pythagoras and Socrates, he was a privileged mortal who lived assisted by a familiar genius." Sidonius Apollinaris, Bishop of Claremont, speaks highly of Apollonius. Sidonius translated the Life of Apollonius to Latin and in writing to a friend he says: "Read the life of a man who religion apart resembles you in many things; a man sought out by the rich, yet who never sought for riches; who loved wisdom and despised gold; a man frugal in the midst of feastings, clad in linen in the midst of those clothed in purple, austere in the midst of luxury . . . . In fine, to speak plainly, perchance no historian will find in ancient times a philosopher whose life is equal to that of Apollonius.” [Sidonius Apollinaris, The letters of Sidonius). As per J.S. Phillimore { Philostratus in Honor of Apollonius of Tyana 1912 } Apollonius was the founder of a church and a community, made up of his disciples. It is very possible that these were connected to a branch of the Essene, known as the Nazarenes. Other sources state that there was a group known as the Apolloniei, the adherents of Apollonius, who survived several centuries after his death. Philostratus writes of a temple in Tyana dedicated to Apollonius and founded at the Roman imperial expense, "for the emperors had judged him not unworthy of like honors with themselves." and Maurice Magre ties Apollonius to the Albigensians, a Gnostic Cathar cult. who were massacred in 1208 Pope Innocent III in what was termed the Albigensian Crusade As per G. R. S. Mead : "He attracted to himself many followers and disciples. It would have been interesting if Philostratus had told us more about these 'Apollonians,' as they were called, and whether they constituted a distinct school, or whether they were grouped together in communities on the Pythagorean model, or whether they were simply independent students attracted to the most commanding personality of the times in the domain of philosophy." Apollonius of Tyana the Philosopher Reformer of the first Century. As per William Lecky in History of European Morals: From Augustus To Charlemagne Apollonius of Tyanna "obtained a measure of success second only to that of Christ." Bishop Marcion The original Gospel of Mark may or may not be the work of Marcion. There are strong hypothesis that this Marcion introduced the doctrine that has become Modern Christianity. About 30 years after the death of Apollonius, Marcion went to Antioch, where Apollonius had done a great deal of preaching, and secured a collection of his writings . These he allegedly plagiarized, making the requisite alterations to obscure their actual origins. He took them to Rome, and the rest is History ... well a perverse version of it anyhow. http://www.christianorigins.com/marcion.html An interesting alternative theory pertaining to the Book of Mark is that is was derived from the cult of "Divus Juluis" See Caesar as Christ |
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