Jesus:
1) Born of a virgin. Was not conceived through sexual intercourse between a mortal and a god. Both of Jesus' parents remained faithful to each other and had other children after he was born. (Matthew 1:18-25, Mark 3:31-34, Luke 2:41-52)
2) Born in a cave/stable. Was placed in a manger. Birth heralded by angels and a star in the east. Was visited by magi and a group of shepherds.
3) Jesus had twelve disciples and multiple other followers.
4) Died without offspring and was never married. (Isaiah 53:8)
5) Had a three year ministry as a traveling teacher. He lived a sinless life and taught others to follow his example of moral excellence. (Ephesians 5:1-14)
6) In John 3:13-15 Jesus refers to a bronze snake erected by Moses, ca. 1440-1400 BC. (Numbers 21:4-9) In this story, God sent poisonous snakes among the Israelite because they were rejecting him and his provision for them in the wilderness. God then instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and to place it atop a pole in the center of camp, telling him that anyone who was bitten by a snake would be healed if they look at the bronze snake atop the pole.
Just as the people in this Old Testament passage were miraculously saved from death by God's power through their faith, so too Jesus promised to bring spiritual healing and eternal life to those who would have faith in him, his death on the cross, and subsequent resurrection from the dead.
(The bronze snake fashioned by Moses was later destroyed by King Hezekiah when the people began worshiping it as a god. 2 Kings 18:1-4)
Just as the people in this Old Testament passage were miraculously saved from death by God's power through their faith, so too Jesus promised to bring spiritual healing and eternal life to those who would have faith in him, his death on the cross, and subsequent resurrection from the dead.
(The bronze snake fashioned by Moses was later destroyed by King Hezekiah when the people began worshiping it as a god. 2 Kings 18:1-4)
7) It was foretold in the Old Testament book of Isaiah that the Jewish Messiah would open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, and that the lame would leap for joy. (Isaiah 29:18, 35:4-6, 42:6-7) No one in the Old Testament ever healed the blind and no one in the New Testament healed the blind except Jesus. (John 9) Jesus also healed the deaf (Mark 7:31-37) and the lame (Matthew 9:1-8) In one instance, Jesus heals a lame man at a location we now know to have been home to a healing shrine of Asclepius. (John 5:1-15)
In this particular example of Christ's healing power, Jesus bypasses the ritual associated with the healing god (waiting for the water to be moved by an angel/spirit) and heals a man simply by speaking. Likewise Jesus raised the dead, not through the use of ritual or magical herbs, but by his voice alone. (John 11:1-44, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7:11-15)
In this particular example of Christ's healing power, Jesus bypasses the ritual associated with the healing god (waiting for the water to be moved by an angel/spirit) and heals a man simply by speaking. Likewise Jesus raised the dead, not through the use of ritual or magical herbs, but by his voice alone. (John 11:1-44, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7:11-15)
8) He was arrested and tried before Pontius Pilate who sentenced him to death by crucifixion. He died and was buried for three days before rising from the dead, whereupon he was seen by multiple witnesses. (1 Corinthians 15:3-9)
9) Defeated death and the grave by rising from the dead and brings eternal life to everyone who believes in him.(1 Corinthians 15:55-57, John 17:3)
10) Died sacrificially in order to fulfill Old Testament Prophecy and the requirements of the Law of Moses for the redemption of mankind. He was the "Lamb of God," an atoning sacrifice to take away the sins of the world by taking that sin upon himself. (John 1:29-30, 3:16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 8-10)
Asclepius:
1) Asclepius was born out of a sexual union between Apollo and one of two women, Coronis or Arsinoe. In different versions of the myth, his mother was either killed by Apollo for being unfaithful to him or died in child birth. She was then laid out on a pyre to be burned, but Apollo (or in some cases Hermes) cut the unborn Asclepius from her womb and gave him his name which means "to cut open."
2) In one version of the myth, after he was rescued from his mother's womb, Asclepius was carried away to a mountain top were he was looked after by a dog and goat and was later discovered by the shepherd Aresthanas. While still another accounts states that he was raised by the centaur Kheiron (Chiron) who taught him the art of medicine. There was no manger, star, or magi in the accounts of Asclepius' birth. Though the baby was said to have "shown with the brilliance of fire" on account that he was rescued from the flames of his mother's funeral pyre.
3) No specific number of followers is recorded, and none of them are referred to as "disciples."
4) Was married to Epione and had many god-children who embodied the healing characteristics of their father: Janiscus, Alexenor, Aratus, Hygieia, Aegle, Iaso, and Panaceia.
5) Did not have any specific ministry and did not teach moral values or spiritual truths. Instead, Asclepius was regarded as a physician who traveled the world and instructed people in the medical arts.
6) Asclepius is often depicted carrying a serpent-entwined staff as a symbol of his healing power. According to the myth, a serpent wrapped itself around his staff and taught him which herbs to use in order to save the life of a man close to death. The same iconography of a serpent-entwined staff can be traced to Heka, the ancient Egyptian god of magic, and has remained the symbol of the medical arts to this day.
7) Asclepius never healed the blind, deaf or lame. Though he was believed to be able to heal those near death and even to bring the dead back to life. He accomplished this by using the blood of Medusa taken from the veins on her right side—which were said to posses life giving properties—and magical herbs. That said, Asclepius never healed someone with a command or a simple touch; his healing always required ritual and medicine—sometimes even surgery.
8) Asclepius was killed by Zeus for saving too many people from death and for bringing too many people back to life. In one version Hades, the god of the underworld, convinced Zeus to kill Asclepius because Hades was afraid that there would be no more souls in his realm if Asclepius continued to keep people from dying. Another version of the myth state that Asclepius defied the gods by overturning the natural order leading to an overpopulation of earth, and was thus slain by Zeus. While still other accounts assert that Asclepius was struck down after he accepted a payment of gold for bringing a man back to life.
In any event, Asclepius was not arrested, tried or crucified. In one myth, however, Zeus resurrected Asclepius to avoid any future quarrels with his father, Apollo. Though most myths end with Asclepius being "set in the heavens" as the constellation Orpiuchus, the "Serpent Holder."
9) Asclepius did not defeat death and the grave, and was in fact killed for defying the natural order of the gods.
10) Did not die sacrificially for the sins of mankind. In fact, the concept of sin is not even found in the Asclepius myth.
Sources:
Encyclopedia Britannica
Olympian gods
Asclepius
See Also:
Mythology and the Messiah
Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras
Debunked: Jesus vs. Orpheus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Krishna
The Dying and Rising God: Jesus or Osiris?
2) In one version of the myth, after he was rescued from his mother's womb, Asclepius was carried away to a mountain top were he was looked after by a dog and goat and was later discovered by the shepherd Aresthanas. While still another accounts states that he was raised by the centaur Kheiron (Chiron) who taught him the art of medicine. There was no manger, star, or magi in the accounts of Asclepius' birth. Though the baby was said to have "shown with the brilliance of fire" on account that he was rescued from the flames of his mother's funeral pyre.
3) No specific number of followers is recorded, and none of them are referred to as "disciples."
4) Was married to Epione and had many god-children who embodied the healing characteristics of their father: Janiscus, Alexenor, Aratus, Hygieia, Aegle, Iaso, and Panaceia.
5) Did not have any specific ministry and did not teach moral values or spiritual truths. Instead, Asclepius was regarded as a physician who traveled the world and instructed people in the medical arts.
6) Asclepius is often depicted carrying a serpent-entwined staff as a symbol of his healing power. According to the myth, a serpent wrapped itself around his staff and taught him which herbs to use in order to save the life of a man close to death. The same iconography of a serpent-entwined staff can be traced to Heka, the ancient Egyptian god of magic, and has remained the symbol of the medical arts to this day.
7) Asclepius never healed the blind, deaf or lame. Though he was believed to be able to heal those near death and even to bring the dead back to life. He accomplished this by using the blood of Medusa taken from the veins on her right side—which were said to posses life giving properties—and magical herbs. That said, Asclepius never healed someone with a command or a simple touch; his healing always required ritual and medicine—sometimes even surgery.
8) Asclepius was killed by Zeus for saving too many people from death and for bringing too many people back to life. In one version Hades, the god of the underworld, convinced Zeus to kill Asclepius because Hades was afraid that there would be no more souls in his realm if Asclepius continued to keep people from dying. Another version of the myth state that Asclepius defied the gods by overturning the natural order leading to an overpopulation of earth, and was thus slain by Zeus. While still other accounts assert that Asclepius was struck down after he accepted a payment of gold for bringing a man back to life.
In any event, Asclepius was not arrested, tried or crucified. In one myth, however, Zeus resurrected Asclepius to avoid any future quarrels with his father, Apollo. Though most myths end with Asclepius being "set in the heavens" as the constellation Orpiuchus, the "Serpent Holder."
9) Asclepius did not defeat death and the grave, and was in fact killed for defying the natural order of the gods.
10) Did not die sacrificially for the sins of mankind. In fact, the concept of sin is not even found in the Asclepius myth.
Conclusion:
The stories of Jesus Christ are not based on the myths of Asclepius.
* * * * * * *
The stories of Jesus Christ are not based on the myths of Asclepius.
* * * * * * *
Sources:
Encyclopedia Britannica
Olympian gods
Asclepius
See Also:
Mythology and the Messiah
Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras
Debunked: Jesus vs. Orpheus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Krishna
The Dying and Rising God: Jesus or Osiris?
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