Evidence that Jesus is a Myth, Part 1: The Elijah/Elisha Connection
(Revised 3/21/10)
Two thousand years ago, people worshiped Osiris, Glycon, Simon, Apollonius of Tyana, Pythagoras, Orpheus, Dionysus, Zalmoxis, Kore, Samothrace, Attis, Adonis, Horus, Mithras and others. Just like Jesus, these gods’ claims to fame included being born of a virgin, walking on water, healing lepers, raising the dead, turning water into wine, and dying and rising again. However, my argument is not that Jesus was copied from “pagan” religions (though these certainly had an influence) but was largely created from the stories of the Old Testament itself, and in particular, the escapades of the god-like characters, Elijah and Elisha.
Elijah is such an important character that he is mentioned 75 times in the Old Testament and 29 times in the New. God promises to send Elijah as a savior (Ml 4:5), an angel says that John the Baptist would have “Elijah’s spirit and power” (Luke 1:17) while Jesus suggests John the Baptist “is Elijah” (Mt 11:14). Jesus says Elijah (as John the Baptist) was mistreated just as he would be mistreated (Mt 17:11-12), speaks about Elijah coming to get everything ready for him (Mt 17:11-12) and compares himself to Elijah and Elisha (Lk 4:25-27). Elijah even makes an appearance and converses with Jesus (Lk 9:30-31). Some people think Jesus is actually Elijah (Mt 16:14) and as Jesus dies, others think he is calling Elijah and that Elijah may come take him down from the cross (Mk 15:35-36). Even the names mean the same thing — Elisha being “God (Jehovah) is salvation” and Jesus, “Jehovah saves” while Elijah is “my God is Jehovah.”
The New Testament accounts are obviously not word for word copies of these earlier stories, but there are over 50 themes common to both Elijah/Elisha and Jesus. When considered collectively, the following comparisons along with parts 2, 3 and 4, are convincing evidence that the Jesus of the bible was not a historical person, but a literary Frankenstein, cobbled together from dozens of pre-existing myths.
1. MIRACLE BABY
> A woman was miraculously impregnated with a son through Elisha (2K 4:8-17)
> A woman was miraculously impregnated with a son promised to be “like the prophet Elijah” and told what to name him— John (the Baptist) (Lk 1:5-17)
> A woman was miraculously impregnated with a son and told what to name him—Jesus (Lk 1:26-31)
2. FASHIONISTA
> Elijah (Elisha’s predecessor) wore animal skins tied with a leather belt (2K 1:8)
> John the Baptist (Jesus’ predecessor) wore animal skins tied with a leather belt (Mk 1:6)
3. PASSING THE MANTEL
> Elijah passed the mantel to Elisha to carry on God’s work (2K 2:9-16)
> John the Baptist* passed the mantel to Jesus to carry on God’s work (Lk 3:1-22)
*Elijah (Mt 11:14)
4. BEHEADING
> The king wanted to behead Elisha (2K 6:31)
> The king beheaded John the Baptist (Mt 14:10)
5. SAVIOR
> Elijah is sent to save people from God’s wrath (Ml 4:5-6)
> Jesus is sent to save people from God’s wrath (Mk 16:16)
6. GIFTS
> Elisha was given precious gifts (2K 8:8-9)
> Jesus was given precious gifts (Mt 2:9-11)
7. HUNTED
> A wicked king ordered an extensive search for Elijah in order to kill him (1K 18:1-10)
> A wicked king ordered an extensive search for Jesus in order to kill him (Mt 2:3-20)
8. SENT INTO HIDING
> Elijah was commanded by God to travel to another place and hide (1K 17:2-3)
> Joseph was commanded by God to travel to another place and hide Jesus (Mk 1:1)
9. HOLY RIVER
> Elisha received the spirit at the Jordan (2K 2:9)
> Jesus received the spirit at the Jordan (Mk 1:1)
10. FORTY DAYS & FORTY NIGHTS
> Elijah went 40 days & nights in the wilderness without food (1K 19:4)
> Jesus went 40 days & nights in the wilderness without food (Mt 4)
11. MINISTERING ANGELS
> An angel helped Elijah before his wilderness trip (1K 19:5-9)
> Angels helped Jesus after his wilderness trip (Mk 1:12-13)
12. GROUPIES
> Elisha had a group of followers (2K 6)
> Jesus had a group of followers (Mk 13)
13. THE CALLING
> Elisha was busy working when called to stop and follow Elijah (1K 19:19-21)
> Simon, Andrew, James and John were busy working when called to stop and follow Jesus (Mk 1:16-20)
14. GOODBYES
> Elisha said he would follow Elijah after saying goodbye to his parents (plow in story) (1K 19:20)
> A man said he would follow Jesus after saying goodbye to his family (plow in story) (Lk 9:61-62)
15. PROPHET
> Elijah was called a “prophet” (1K 1:3)
> Jesus was called a “prophet” (Lk 7:17)
16. MASTER
> A group of men called Elijah, Elisha’s “master” (2K 2:3-5)
> A group of men called Jesus, “master” (Mk 13)
17. SERVANT
> Elijah is called God’s “servant” (2K 9:36)
> Jesus is called God’s “Servant” (Acts 3:26)
18. YES MAN
> Elijah did as God commanded (2K 1:4)
> Jesus did as God commanded (Jn 4:34)
19. GOD’S SPOKESMAN
> Elijah spoke for God (1K 17:1)
> Jesus spoke for God (Mt 7:21-23)
20. TRAVELING MAN
> Elijah traveled throughout Judea, Samaria, Galilee and Syria going town to town doing God’s work (1K, 2K)
> Jesus traveled throughout Judea, Samaria, Galilee and Syria going town to town doing God’s work (Lk, Mk, Mt, Jn)
21. DRINK OF WATER
> Upon entering a town, Elijah had a woman get him a glass of water, worked a miracle of abundance and the woman called him a prophet (1K 17:10)
> Upon entering a town, Jesus had a woman get him a glass of water, promised a miracle of abundance and the woman called him a prophet (Jn 4:5)
22. CROSSING THE WATER
> Elijah walked across divided water (2K 2:8)
> Elisha walked across divided water (2K 2:14)
> Jesus walked across the top of water (Mk 6:45)
23. SEEING IS BELIEVING
> Elisha made the blind see (2K 6:20)
> Jesus made the blind see (Mk 8: 21-26)
24. HEALING THE LEPER
> Elisha healed a man with leprosy (2K 5)
> Jesus healed a man with leprosy (Mk 1:41)
25. FEEDING THE MULTITUDE
> A servant expressed doubt but Elisha used loaves of barley bread to feed a multitude and had left overs (2K 4:42-44)
> A disciple expressed doubt but Jesus used loaves of barley bread to feed a multitude and had left overs (Jn 6:1-13)
26. VINEYARD MAYHEM
> Elisha says a king will be killed as punishment for wanting to take over a vineyard after the owner was murdered (1K 21:1-19)
> Jesus says tenants will be killed as punishment for wanting to take over a vineyard and murdering the owner’s son (Lk 20:9-18)
27. ARMY OFFICER
> Elisha helped an army officer (2K 5:1-15)
> Jesus helped an army officer (Mt 8:5-6)
28. SUPERNATURAL KNOWLEDGE
> Elijah knew details of a person’s private life (2K 6:12)
> Jesus knew details of a person’s private life (Jn 4:17-18)
29. SUPERNATURAL SIGHT
> Elisha could see a man in another place (2K 5:26)
> Jesus could see a man in another place (Jn 1:48-49)
30. IMMINENT SEIZURE
> Elisha knew he was about to be seized (2K 6:30-32)
> Jesus knew he was about to be seized (Jn 6:15)
31. COMMANDER OF THE ELEMENTS
> Elijah controlled the weather (1K 17:1)
> Jesus controlled the weather (Mk 4:39)
32. AUDIENCE OF THOUSANDS
> All of Israel gathered to hear Elijah (1K 18:19-21)
> 5,000 gathered to hear Jesus (Mk 6:30-44)
33. JARS OF WATER
> Elijah instructed people to fill 4 jars with water as part of a miracle (1K 18:33)
> Jesus instructed people to fill 6 jars with water as part of a miracle (Jn 2:7)
34. LEGACY OF THE 12 TRIBES
> Elijah used 12 stones to rebuild the altar (1K 18:32)
> Elisha used 12 teams of oxen to plow (1K 19:19)
> Jesus used 12 disciples to build the Church (Mt 10:1)
35. FAMILY MATTERS
> Elijah will be sent to unite the family (Ml 4:5-6)
> Jesus came to divide the family (Mt 7:36)
36. AT THE FOOT OF THE MASTER
> A distraught woman held Elisha’s feet (2K 4:27)
> A distraught woman held Jesus’ feet (Lk 7:36)
37. SIGN OF SUBJECTION
> A man bowed down before Elijah (1K 18:7)
> 50 men bowed down before Elisha (2K 2:15)
> A man knelt down before Jesus (Jn 9:38)
38. HEARTLESS DISCIPLES
> Elisha’s servant wanted to push away a mother distraught over her dead child but Elisha worked a miracle (2K 4:27)
> Jesus’ disciples wanted to send away a mother distraught over her suffering child but Jesus worked a miracle (Mt 15:21-28)
39. MAGIC MOUNTAIN
> Elijah experienced a supernatural change after he and a servant climbed a mountain (cloud in story) (1K 18:42-46)
> Jesus experienced a supernatural change after he and 3 disciples climbed a mountain (cloud in story and Elijah appears) (Mt 17:1-13)
40. WORDS FROM ON HIGH
> Elijah climbed a mountain where God spoke (1K 19:9)
> Jesus climbed a mountain where God spoke (Mt 17:5)
41. FINANCIAL WIZARD
> Elisha worked a financial miracle (2K 4:1-5)
> Jesus worked a financial miracle (Mt 17: 24)
42. SAVIOR OF THE PARTY
> Elisha transformed food for a group of people (2K 4:38-41)
> Jesus transformed water for a group of people (Jn 2:6)
43. GO IN PEACE
> Elisha said “Go in peace” (2K 5:19)
> Jesus said “Go in peace” (Lk 7:50)
44. PROPHET OF DOOM
> Elijah saw the future and told of coming horrors (2K 8:12)
> Jesus saw the future and told of coming horrors (Lk 21:10-33)
45. CURSE OF DEATH
> Elisha’s curse caused death (2K 2:24)
> Jesus’ curse caused death (Mk 11:21)
46. RAISING THE DEAD I (The Widow’s Son)
> Elijah raised a widow’s dead son, gave him to his mother & was called a prophet (1K 17:21)
> Jesus raised a widow’s dead son, gave him to his mother & was called a prophet (Lk 7:11-16)
47. RAISING THE DEAD II (The Child)
> Elisha raised a dead child in a home (2K 4:27-37)
> Jesus raised a dead child in a home (Mk 5:22-43)
48. RAISING THE DEAD III (The Man in the Tomb)
> Elisha’s bones raised a dead man in a tomb (2 K:21)
> Jesus raised a dead man in a tomb (Jn 11)
49. FIRE FROM HEAVEN
> Elijah called down fire from heaven to kill people (2K 1:10)
> Jesus’ disciples asked to call down fire from heaven to kill people (Lk 9:54)
50. DUPLICITOUS UNDERLING
> Elisha’s duplicitous servant asked for 3,000 silver coins & suffering followed (2K 5)
> Jesus’ duplicitous disciple accepted 30 silver coins & suffering followed (Mt 26:14)
51. TROUBLEMAKER
> Elijah was considered “the worst troublemaker in Israel” (1K 18:17)
> Jesus was considered the worst troublemaker in Israel (implied) (Jn 2:13-18, 19:6)
52. WANTED MAN
> The Jewish people wanted Elijah killed (1K 19:10)
> The Jewish people wanted Jesus killed (Mt 27:20)
53. HEAVEN BOUND
> It was revealed Elijah would soon ascend to heaven (2K 2: 1-12)
> Jesus revealed he would soon ascend to heaven (Jn 20:17)
54. ANGUISHED PRAYER
> Afraid for his life, Elijah went off by himself, sat and prayed for God to take his life and was then strengthened by an angel (1K 19:3-6)
> Afraid for his life, Jesus went off by himself, knelt and prayed for God not to take his life (but that his will be done) and was then strengthened by an angel (Lk 22:39-43)
55. PLEDGE OF LOYALTY
> As Elijah’s “death” approached, Elisha swore he wouldn’t leave him—twice (2K 2:4-6)
> As Jesus’ death approached, Peter swore he wouldn’t leave him—twice (Mk 14:4-29-31)
56. MOCKED
> Elisha was made fun of (2K 2:23)
> Jesus was made fun of (Mk 15:20)
57. DEATH CRY
> As Elijah “died,” Elisha cried out, “My father, my father!” (2K:2:12)
> As Elisha died, the king cried out “My father, my father!” (2K 13:14)
> As Jesus died, he cried out, “My God, my God...” (Mt 27:46)
58. TORN CLOTH
> Upon Elijah’s death, Elisha tore his cloak in two (2K 12)
> Upon Jesus’ death, the Temple’s curtain tore in two (Mt 27:51)
59. UP, UP AND AWAY!
> Elijah was visibly taken up to heaven (2K 2:11)
> Jesus was visibly taken up to heaven (Lk 24:51)
more to come...
IN CONCLUSION
The True Believer may rationalize all of this away, but there’s no disputing that there is clearly little about Jesus that is unique. Further study of comparative religions reveals Christianity took all of its ideas—from the virgin birth to Jesus’ prophesied thousand year reign—from “pagan” religions. In fact, Christianity IS a pagan religion. It simply has outlasted most of its competition, aided by two millennia of persecuting them.
Further evidences that Jesus is a myth can be found in Part 2: Likely OT Sources, Part 3: Indisputable OT Sources and Part 4: Extra-Biblical Sources.
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1. CONGRESS ELECTION YEAR
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
2. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John =46. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
3. NAMES AND NUMBERS
The name Lincoln contains seven letters.
The name Kennedy contains seven letters.
4. CIVIL RIGHTS
Lincoln was concerned with civil rights for slaves.
Kennedy was concerned with civil rights and segregation.
5. BLACK FRIDAY
Lincoln was shot on a Friday.
Kennedy was shot on a Friday.
6. A BAD HAIR DAY
Lincoln was shot in the head.
Kennedy was shot in the head.
7. REVERSE NAMES
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
8. ORIGIN OF ASSASSIN
Lincoln was assassinated by a Southerner.
Kennedy was assassinated by a Southerner.
9. ORIGIN OF SUCCESSOR
Lincoln was succeeded by a Southerner.
Kennedy was succeeded by a Southerner.
10. SUCCESSOR’S NAME
Lincoln’s successor was named Johnson.
Kennedy’s successor was named Johnson.
11. SUCCESSORS
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
12. ASSASSINS’ BIRTH
John Wilkes Booth was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939.
13. ASSASSINS’ NAMES
John Wilkes Booth went by three names.
Lee Harvey Oswald went by three names.
14. ASSASSINS’ NAMES, PT 2
“John Wilkes Booth” has fifteen letters in it.
“Lee Harvey Oswald” has fifteen letters in it.
15. REVERSE ESCAPES
Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.
16. ASSASSIN BECOMES ASSASSINATED
Booth was assassinated before he was brought to trial.
Oswald was assassinated before he was brought to trial.
17. WIVES’ TRAGEDY
Lincoln’s wife lost a child while she was First Lady.
Kennedy’s wife lost a child while she was First Lady.
Thus, I conclude that Kennedy must not have existed and was fabricated, based on President Lincoln.
Bravo! This comparison came to mind while I was compiling these. Certainly it is good to be aware that comparisons can be made between any two people/things in such a way as to make a connection where there is none.
However, it is hard to deny the remarkable similarities between many of the stories and the fact most are supernatural makes the connections that much stronger. Not often in history do we see two people miraculously feeding a multitude with the same kind of bread or raising the dead.
They certainly show Jesus to be quite unremarkable. Born of divine intervention. Been there done that. Heal the sick. Been there done that. Sent as a savior. Been there done that. And on and on...
I would call the similarities between the life/death of Lincoln and Kennedy coincidences and I assume you would as well.
You know what I think of the similarities between Elijah/Elisha and Jesus— what do you consider them?
Sorry if I can't come up with quite the correct term - that's an excellent question, and there's a word for it, but it's stuck somewhere in my mind! Something like someone who comes before, to demonstrate what their life will be like. A prophet of course, but in a different way than a speaking prophet - like a living prophet. Does that make any sense?
You might find a few, crazy new atheists departing from what has already been established historically, hanging on to an unestablished, unintelligent, non-scholarly, unreasonable myth that Jesus was a myth. Most would even say it would take faith working against fact to believe such a thing.
Do you by chance know of an ancient source that claims Jesus was a myth? It would seem that the further you get away from the events the more likely there would be erroneous claims such as yours.
Virtually no credible historian claims that Jesus never existed.
In fact, "the circle of those who claim he never lived at all or that if he did we can know nothing about him is very small (I wonder why?). Even . . . Thomas Paine (and he hated Christianity) . . . did not question the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth.
The historicity of Jesus is as axiomatic for for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar.
When a non-believing scholar claims that Jesus was a mere myth, there is usually backlash from that non-believing community in which he works. I can provide some academic examples of this.
Otto Betz once said, "No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus"
The following is a short, incomplete list of non-Chirstian historical evidence. You can finde references to the historicity of Jesus in their ancient writings. These writings are very well documented.
See the writings of Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny the Younger, Emperor Trajun, Thallus, Phlegon, Mara Bar-Serapion and others.
I'd be happy to provide others if you'd like. Additionally, there is early Jewish and Christian evidence as well. The greatest witness to the life of Christ is the New Testament (establishing this would take too much time as the non-Christian evidence is more than compelling).
The evidential witness from history is so compelling that to claim that Jesus is a mere myth or legend is to lose all historical and intellectual credibility.
I was thinking about this a bit more.
An argument to dismiss something from history ought to be based on historical evidence. You have provided none.
This is typical. F.F. Bruce once said, "some writers may toy with the fancy of a 'Christ-myth,' but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence."
It's painfully obvious why you've chosen to take a non-historical route to attempt to establish doubt about the historicity of Jesus.
From a historical standpoint it's ludicrous to attempt to deny that Jesus never really existed.
The problem with your comment about historical evidence is that there is none. Not a single historian alive at the same time Jesus supposedly lived records his existence. Not one. Strange that an all powerful deity would be so inept as to not arrange to get some compelling supporting evidence for his little story.
There is however lots of evidence in the bible itself that a great majority of the stories in the bible concerning Jesus are borrowed from the Old Testament. They are right there in black and white. There is little terribly original about Jesus. And this is what we should expect. All religions steal from previous religions. The Israelites stole from older myths like the Epic of Gilgamesh to create the Flood story, the Christians stole from the Israelites to craft the Jesus story, Muslim scribes stole from both the Old and New Testament to create the Koran, Joseph Smith created the Mormon religion by stealing from the King James bible. L. Ron Hubbard was surely influenced by all of these and a good bit from science fiction writings when he crafted the Church of Scientology.
I think it safe to say religions around the world throughout history were built in similar ways. Stories from surrounding tribes/cultures were modified and expanded upon in creating new stories. I would guess the evolutionary bush of religion would look very similar to that of life. All going back to the very first people who were aware enough to wonder what made the stream flow, the wind blow, the stars shine, the sun rise, the plants grow and who made it all.
If you still think the gospels are eye witness accounts by Mark, Matthew, Luke and John you are a bit behind the times. That idea has long been dismissed by all but the most conservative.
“The four Gospels that eventually made it into the New Testament, for example, are all anonymous, written in the third person about Jesus and his companions. None of them contains a first-person narrative ("One day, when Jesus and I went into Capernaum..."), or claims to be written by an eyewitness or companion of an eyewitness. Why then do we call them Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Because sometime in the second century, when proto-orthodox Christians recognized the need for apostolic authorities, they attributed these books to apostles (Matthew and John) and close companions of apostles (Mark, the secretary of Peter; and Luke, the travelling companion of Paul). Most scholars today have abandoned these identifications, and recognize that the books were written by otherwise unknown but relatively well-educated Greek-speaking (and writing) Christians during the second half of the first century.”
"Lost Christianities" by Bart Ehrman (2003)
The author of Mark wrote first (several decades after Jesus supposedly lived.) He clearly took his inspiration from the Old Testament and later gospel writers stole from this anonymous author while doing their share of borrowing from the OT as well.
You said, "Not a single historian alive at the same time Jesus supposedly lived records his existence." This comment borders on ridiculous. Why does ancient evidence have to fit this criteria? Why do historians (real historians) not use this criteria?
Tacitus lived from around 56-120.
Tacitus would have been 20 years of age in the year 76. In the year 76 there would have been MANY eye witnesses living who had seen Jesus himself, or had come into contact with Jesus' followers. As a Roman historian he had access to government records. He writes with detail which indicates careful consideration and well researched detail. At the time he wrote, the facts concerning the birth of Christianity, and the death of Christ were very well established and accepted. It's obvious that this is the case from what he wrote. Nobody in the first century believed that Jesus didn't really exist!!!
Here is an excerpt from The Annals:
". . .Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired."
From this excerpt we are able to verify:
1.Christians were named for their founder.
2. Chirstus (the Latin for Christ) was put to death by the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilatus (also Latin).
3. This took place during the reign of Tiberius
4. His followers carried his doctrine to Rome
5. The fire of Rome during the reign of Nero was blamed on the Christians
All of what Tacitus says by the way is in the New Testament as well. This testifies to the historical accuracy of the NT writers.
There are several other facts we could verify and discuss here, but for the sake of time I will stop.
You'd think Tacitus would have said something about your myth theory at this point. The reason he didn't postulate a myth theory is because at that time, even non-Christians accepted these events as historical facts. If he had said such a thing, he would have lost all credibility as a historian.
The little one is calling so I am going to stop for now.
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