1) Born of a virgin. Was not conceived through sexual intercourse between a mortal and a god. (Matthew 1:18-25)
2) Born in a cave/stable. Was placed in a manger. Birth heralded by angels and a star in the east. Was visited by three magi and shepherds. Was taken to Egypt when his parents fled from Herod the Great, fulfilling Old Testament Prophecy. (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:13-15)
3) Died without offspring and was never married. (Isaiah 53:8)
4) Had twelve male disciples and multiple other followers including women.
5) Instructed his followers to commemorate his death with the ceremony of Holy Communion. (Luke 22:19-18) He did this by giving a new symbolic meaning to the Jewish Passover Ceremony in which the bread and wine symbolized the body and blood of the lams that were slain during the first Passover. (Exodus 12, John 1:19-29)
6) 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)
7) Preformed many miracles, cast out demons, raised the dead, and walked on water, etc. During his final entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus said that "stones would cheer" if the people were silent. Though we see in the text that this event—which would have been quite miraculous—never took place as the crowd never stopped cheering. (Luke 19:36-44)
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. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
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)
Orpheus:
1) Was reputedly born out of a sexual union with the Thracian king Oeagrus and a muse named Calliope. Though some versions state that Orpheus' father was the god Apollo. He was not born of a virgin.
2) Being that Orpheus was the son of a king, he was not born in a stable. There were no angles, magi, or shepherds, and here was no star. However in some myths he did travel to Egypt to study.
3) Was married at one point to a wood nymph named Eurydice. Though it was said that he later scorned the affection of women, prefering to instead share his love with young boys. ie he was a homosexual pedophile.
4) Did not have any disciples or followers to speak of. Though he was one of the characters who accompanied Jason as one of the Argonauts in the epic poem Argonautica.
5) The followers of Orpheus did use wine in a symbolic ritual in which they sought to commune/ become one with the god. However, some ancient sources state that Orpheus was merely a mortal, a great hero, and not a god. (ie. Strabo, 64 BC-c.24 AD )
6) Orpheus was a travailing musician, seer, and poet who, in some accounts, brought mankind the gifts of agriculture, writing, and medicine. Although these gifts are likewise accredited to numerous other gods depending on the myth in question. (ie both Apollo and Aesculapius also taught medicine to mankind.) Orpheus is also reputed to have started many cults of Apollo and Dionysus, and to have prescribed the secret rituals and rites of the various Greco-Roman mystery cults. He also practiced magic and astrology. That said, he did not have a specific ministry and was not widely known to be a teacher. He was not known to be a great moral exemplar and did not live a sinless life.
7) The miracles preformed by Orpheous generally involved his music. It was said that he was able to charm inanimate objects like trees and stones with his song and bring them to life.
8) Was never arrested, tried, or crucified. Instead Orpheus was ripped apart by the Maenads—the female followers of Dionysus/Bacchus—because he preferred to worship the sun/Apollo. He also did not rise from the dead.
9) Orpheus is one of the few Greek heroes to descend to the underworld to save someone from death. However, in the Orpheus myths, he is not actually successful.
As the story goes, Orpheus' wife died of a snakebite, so he descended into the underworld to bring her back to the land of the living with his music. Depending on the version of the myth, Orpheus either convinces Hades (the god of the underworld) to let him return with his wife or the gods deceive Orpheus with an apparition of his wife. In the story were Orpheus actual finds his wife he is instructed to lead her out of the underworld with his music. However he is told that if he looks back before leaving the underworld she will be lost to him forever. In this version Orpheus looks back before his wife has left the underworld and she vanishes. In the other version, she was never their to begin with and likewise vanishes.
Regardless of the myth, however, Orpheus' quest to the underworld is a complete failure. He does not defeat death in any respect, nor is he able to save anyone from death.
10) As stated before, Orpheus did not die sacrificially. Nor did he take away anyone's sins. In fact, the concept of sin and salvation is completely absent from any Orpheus myth.
Conclusion:
* * * * * *
Orpheus
Orpheus/Greek Mythology
Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology
2) Being that Orpheus was the son of a king, he was not born in a stable. There were no angles, magi, or shepherds, and here was no star. However in some myths he did travel to Egypt to study.
3) Was married at one point to a wood nymph named Eurydice. Though it was said that he later scorned the affection of women, prefering to instead share his love with young boys. ie he was a homosexual pedophile.
4) Did not have any disciples or followers to speak of. Though he was one of the characters who accompanied Jason as one of the Argonauts in the epic poem Argonautica.
5) The followers of Orpheus did use wine in a symbolic ritual in which they sought to commune/ become one with the god. However, some ancient sources state that Orpheus was merely a mortal, a great hero, and not a god. (ie. Strabo, 64 BC-c.24 AD )
6) Orpheus was a travailing musician, seer, and poet who, in some accounts, brought mankind the gifts of agriculture, writing, and medicine. Although these gifts are likewise accredited to numerous other gods depending on the myth in question. (ie both Apollo and Aesculapius also taught medicine to mankind.) Orpheus is also reputed to have started many cults of Apollo and Dionysus, and to have prescribed the secret rituals and rites of the various Greco-Roman mystery cults. He also practiced magic and astrology. That said, he did not have a specific ministry and was not widely known to be a teacher. He was not known to be a great moral exemplar and did not live a sinless life.
7) The miracles preformed by Orpheous generally involved his music. It was said that he was able to charm inanimate objects like trees and stones with his song and bring them to life.
8) Was never arrested, tried, or crucified. Instead Orpheus was ripped apart by the Maenads—the female followers of Dionysus/Bacchus—because he preferred to worship the sun/Apollo. He also did not rise from the dead.
9) Orpheus is one of the few Greek heroes to descend to the underworld to save someone from death. However, in the Orpheus myths, he is not actually successful.
As the story goes, Orpheus' wife died of a snakebite, so he descended into the underworld to bring her back to the land of the living with his music. Depending on the version of the myth, Orpheus either convinces Hades (the god of the underworld) to let him return with his wife or the gods deceive Orpheus with an apparition of his wife. In the story were Orpheus actual finds his wife he is instructed to lead her out of the underworld with his music. However he is told that if he looks back before leaving the underworld she will be lost to him forever. In this version Orpheus looks back before his wife has left the underworld and she vanishes. In the other version, she was never their to begin with and likewise vanishes.
Regardless of the myth, however, Orpheus' quest to the underworld is a complete failure. He does not defeat death in any respect, nor is he able to save anyone from death.
10) As stated before, Orpheus did not die sacrificially. Nor did he take away anyone's sins. In fact, the concept of sin and salvation is completely absent from any Orpheus myth.
Conclusion:
The stories of Jesus Christ are not based on the myth of Orpheus.
* * * * * *
Sources:
Greekmythology.comOrpheus
Orpheus/Greek Mythology
Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology
See Also:
Mythology and the Messiah
Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras
Debunked: Jesus vs. Asclepius
Mythology and the Messiah
Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus
Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras
Debunked: Jesus vs. Asclepius
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