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Jesus & Perseus Parallels - A Christian Response
According to the critic here, Perseus:
1) Had a god for a father.
Yes, his father was Zeus
2) Had a human virgin for a mother.
In some versions, this is true, though the details hardly match those of Mary. According to the legend, his mother was Danae, son of Acrisius. An oracle told Acrisius that his grandson would kill him, so he shut Danae in a bronze room or tower. Zeus came through the roof and sent a shower of gold into Danae's lap, which grew into Perseus.
While the story doesn't specifically say that Danae was a virgin when she gave birth to Perseus, the author was clearly implying that she was
5) Had his birth announced by a heavenly display.
I'm finding no reference to this for Perseus
6) Had his birth announced by celestial music.
I'm finding no reference to this for Perseus (or for Jesus, for that matter).
7) Was born about DEC-25
I can't find any sources giving any birth date for Perseus. And once again, Jesus wasn't born on Dec 25
8) Had an attempt on his life by a tyrant when he was still an infant.
Again, true. Again, not really comparable to Jesus. When Perseus' grandfather, Acrisius, found out that he existed, he locked Perseus and his mother in a trunk and set it adrift in the sea.
9) Met with a violent death.
Depends on which version you read. In many versions, Perseus battles Dionysus. In some version, Dionysus slays Perseus. In others, Perseus slays Dionysus. In others, they slay each other. In others, neither is slain. Even in those in which he dies, the story doesn't match Jesus at all.
10) rose again from the dead.
Not in any version.
Links:
Pre-Christian Sources:
Apollodorus on Perseus (2nd century B.C.)
Ovid, "Perseus And Atlas" (Late 1st century B.C. or early 1st century A.D.)
General Sources:
Encyclopedia Mythica: Perseus
Wikipedia: Perseus
Greek Mythology: Perseus
Mythology of the Constellations: Perseus