| The Zalmoxis story was written by Herodotus around 440 B.C., so, yes,
it does pre-date Christianity. Herodotus wrote that Zalmoxis was a
man who pulled a fast one on the "poor, ignorant" Thracians. According
to Herodotus, Zalmoxis preached to them while building an underground chamber,
which he eventually disappeared into. The Thracians "regretted his
loss, and mourned over him as one dead". After three years, Zalmoxis
emerged from his chamber, making them think he'd come back from the dead.
Since this story was one of mere trickery and did not involve any sort
of actual physical resurrection, any comparisons to Jesus are pretty minor.
Links:
Tekton:
Zalmoxis
Zalmoxis:
God of the Gatae |