| Aren’t there some striking parallels between the Jesus and Aesculapius stories? |
| Aesculapius (known originally by the Greeks as Asclepius) was the Greco-Roman
god of medicine and healing. He was (according to legend) taught the
healing arts by Chiron, a centaur.
Let's look at the critics' claims: 1. Aesculapius was a healer. This is true. However, he healed through surgery and medicines, not through faith as Jesus did. 2. He was the Son of God. He was the son of a god (Apollo), but not of the Greek/Roman equivalent of God, which was Zeus/Jupiter. Aesculapius himself was a mere mortal who ended up being turned into a god and placed among the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus (the serpent-bearer). 3. He raised the dead. Yes, he was credited with having raised Hippolytus (and perhaps others) from the dead by using the blood of Medusa, which earned him the wrath of Zeus, so Zeus killed him. While having raised the dead is a similarity, he didn't raise using faith the way Jesus did. 4. Healed the paralyzed, dead, blind, and mute by touch. I can find no mention of him doing these things (except raising the dead) in general, and he was never claimed to have healed 'by touch' at all. Again, he healed through surgery and medicines. 5. Was called 'savior' and 'redeemer' No, he was not.
Links: |