Jesus vs Zeus

Jesus and Zeus share many similarities

A comparison between Zeus, the pagan Greek God and Jesus, the Son/God of Christianity reveals some striking similarities. Historically, it is possible Jesus was a 'copy' of Zeus?

Zeus	Jesus
1350 BC (approx. 3300 years ago)	33 AD (approx. 2000 years ago)
Supreme Greek God ("Jupiter" in Roman)	God/Son of God
TITLE King of the Gods ("sky, heaven, god")	TITLE Begotten Son ("Hail Zeus")
Zeus was the first and most popular of the pagan gods in Graeco-Roman world; god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods and godesses; the highest and most powerful ruler. All powerful God Ruler over the world and everything in it Feared and loved by the people Power to punish people for unlawful deeds Location: Mount Olympus, Athens	Jesus is equivalent to God (Trinity belief). As a God he is the Saviour; more superior to all the other Biblical prophets (Noah, Abraham, Moses etc.) All powerful God Ruler over the world and everything in it Loved by the people Forgiving nature exceeds his desire to punish Location: Jerusalem, Palestine
SYMBOL Thunderbolt or lightening bolt to show his power. He had so much power that both people and gods feared and loved him	SYMBOL Crucifixion cross. Halo over Jesus' head to show his majesty.
ROMAN EQUIV. Jupiter	ROMAN EQUIV. Iesous (initially)
Family
FATHER Cronus	FATHER God the Father (Yahweh), Joseph (earth)
MOTHER Zeus' mother, Rhea was the mother of the gods and goddess of female fertility, motherhood and generation	MOTHER Mary was a 1st-century Galilean Jewish woman of Nazareth and the mother of Jesus, according to the Bible and the Quran
ANIMAL Zeus' mother, Rhea appears in Greek art where she is sat on a throne flanked by lions, riding a lion, or on a chariot drawn by two lions	ANIMAL On the way to Bethlehem, Mary is pictured as riding a donkey and being led by Joseph
BIRTH Zeus' father, Cronus had six children with wife Rhea: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon; but Cronus swallowed them all as soon as they were born - except for Zeus	BIRTH The virgin Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Similar to Christianity, Islam teaches Jesus was born miraculously by the will of God without a father. He [the Holy Spirit] said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy." She [Mary] said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?" He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed. QURAN 19:19-21
BIRTHPLACE Zeus' mother, Rhea gave birth to Zeus in a cave near the ancient city of Lyktos in south-central Crete. Caves are ancient symbols of the womb, the wombs of the Earth, Gaia, the Great Mother.	BIRTHPLACE Mary gave birth to Jesus in a cave, inn or private house in Palestine to escape from Herod. Caves were the first refuges for humans, offering shelter from bad weather and wild animals.
SAVED AT BIRTH When Zeus was born, his wicked father Cronus was afraid that Zeus was going to eventually overthrow his kingdom. To prevent this from happening Cronus ate and killed all the children born to him by his wife, Reha. To save baby Zeus, Rhea hid him from Cronus his father Cronus. Instead she handed Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed.	SAVED AT BIRTH When Jesus was born, King Herod had heard of the prophecy that stated "a new King shall rise up" and feared his position and power. Out of fear he ordered the killing of all first-born Jewish sons. To save baby Jesus, Mary hid from Herod and gave birth to Jesus far away. So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place. QURAN 19:22
SIBLINGS Zeus had 5 siblings: Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter	SIBLINGS Jesus had 5 siblings: James, Joseph, Simon, Judas and sisters (two un-named?) MATTHEW 13:55-56
SIBLING RIVALRY Zeus overthrew his father, Cronus, drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades to decide who would succeed their father on the throne. Inevitably, there was sibling rivalry, mistrust and jealousy. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods	SIBLING RIVALRY When Jesus began to preach the gospel, his family, friends and brothers did not accept his message. Inevitably, there was sibling rivalry, mistrust and jealousy. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He [Jesus] is beside himself MARK 3:21 For neither did his brethren [brothers] believe in him [Jesus] JOHN 7:5
MARRIAGE Zeus mated with many goddesses and mortals including Aegina, Alcmena, Calliope, Cassiopea, Demeter, Dione, Europa, Io, Leda, Leto, Mnemosyne, Niobe, Persephone and Semele. He eventually married his sister Hera – goddess of marriage and monogamy.	MARRIAGE There is no evidence of Jesus getting married. Although, his close relationship with Mary Magdalene has often been the point of much debate.
OFF-SPRING Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. When Acrisus discovered Perseus, son of Zeus he was infuriated and planned to kill both Danae and her newborn child, Perseus, by locking them in a wooden structure and throwing them out into sea. Perseus was found alive but motherless. Perseus was a demi-god, half mortal and half God	OFF-SPRING In the Bible, Jesus was a prophet and after his crucifixion and resurrection became fully God. Therefore, according to some Christians, Jesus could be considered 'half mortal and half God' before his crucifixion. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; ....Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ ACTS 2:30-36
ANIMALS The goat Amalthea and a swarm of bees accompanied Zeus, the newborn god, and offered him nourishment during his early years. According to variations on the myth, other animals that helped Zeus were the eagle, pigeons, dog and the sow.	ANIMALS It is unlikely any animals were present at the birth of Jesus. Yet, later narratives feel it desirable to depict Jesus' birth in a manger with various animals present, stable and fodder to help keep baby Jesus warm.
ANIMAL SYMBOL Zeus is associated with the golden eagle and wolf	ANIMAL SYMBOL Jesus is refered to as the 'Lamb of God'
God
BELIEF Belief in Zeus was polytheism, as it required believing in the many Greek Gods.	BELIEF Belief in Jesus is Triniterian; the belief in 1 God manifest in 3-forms. Muslims would argue that Triniterianism is polytheism
BACKGROUND Greek Mythology, "is the body of myths and teachings that belonged to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices"	BACKGROUND Christianity is a more accepted religion. It revolves around belief in one central God, and most importantly, believing in the divinity of Jesus as a 'part' of the Godship
STATUS OF GOD The myth of Zeus has changed a lot over the years, and today there are more than a million different versions of the myth.	STATUS OF GOD Since his birth, Jesus has been viewed differently by different people. The majority of Christians hold Jesus as equal to God. Other Christians consider him a 'lesser' God, and some even as a prophet.
OTHER GODS Ancient Greeks strongly believed in many Gods and Goddesses and each had a specific role. Zeus was among the 12 Gods or Olympians who ruled after overthrowing the Titans. Zeus became the supreme ruler of Olympus, Poseidon, ruler of the seas, and Hades, ruler of the Underworld.	OTHER GODS The 'Trinity' helps to describe Jesus' divinity; three persons who are all part of one God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. The 3 Gods have often been the focus of rivalry and debate. Early Jewish-Christians were undecided on the status of Jesus: equal to the Father; of a lesser God; a Man-God or simply a prophet
EGYPTIAN SUN GOD Amen Ra is the name of an Egyptian Sun God. It is the Ram Head Sun God which in Greece, is connected with Zeus. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God REVELATIONS 3:14	EGYPTIAN SUN GOD And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son [Jesus] MATTHEW 2:15
7 Stages of Creation
According to Greek mythology, in the beginning their was chaos Then Erbes, the unknowable place where death dwells, appeared along with Night Then Love was born bringing order to the chaos. From Love came Light and Day. Once there was Light and Day earth, Gaea, appeared Then Erbes slept with Night who gave birth to Ether, the heavenly light, and to Day the earthly light Night then alone produced Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams and others that came to man out of darkness Gaea then alone produced Uranus, the heavens Uranus became Gaea's mate and together they produced three Cyclopes, the three Hectaoncheires, and twelve Titans	According to Christian doctrine, in the beginning the earth was formless and desolate. God commanded: "Let there be light- and light appeared". He separated the light from dark "Let there be a dome to divide the water and keep it in two separate places". He named it the "Sky" "Let the water below the sky come together in one place". He names the land "Earth", and the water the "Sea" "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night" "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" And now we will make human beings. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild large and small." So God created human beings
Roles of God
PEACEMAKER Despite the terrible punishments Zeus could inflict he was also a peacemaker, famously reconciling Apollo and Hermes when they fought over the first lyre. Similarly, Zeus resolved the conflict between Apollo and Hercules over the tripod from Delphi.	PEACEMAKER Late in his life, Jesus came to the temple and cleared out the merchants. Specifically he drove out the moneychangers. Jesus took action to reclaim the temple, and return it to a place of worship. As a peacemaker: Jesus showed righteous anger in the face of injustice. MATTHEW 21:12-13
PROTECTOR Zeus watched over Perseus throughout his life and aided him when he needed help.	PROTECTOR Jesus watches over Christians and others throughout their lives and guides them through the Holy Spirit
SACRIFICE Perseus (Zeus' son) was willing to sacrifice himself to save his people, but he did not want to be treated like a God	SACRIFICE Jesus sacrificed himself (by crucifixion on the cross) to pay for our sins and the sins of the whole world.
CREATOR Zeus is the great ruler of the universe, heavens and the earth, and the ruler of the laws of nature and father to both the gods and men.	CREATOR Christians believe that Jesus is the only supreme God; great ruler of the universe, heavens and the earth. For by him [Jesus Christ] were all things created COLOSSIANS 1:16
CHARITY Even the poorest and most forlorn wanderer could find a powerful advocate in Zeus, for he, as a wise and merciful paternal figure, demanded that the wealthy inhabitants of the earth give in charity and be attentive to the needs of their less fortunate fellow citizens.	CHARITY Jesus encouraged the giving of charity to less unfortunate citizens. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. MATTHEW 5:42
PUNISHER Zeus watched over the mortals and rewarded them when they did good deeds, but severely punished them when they were greedy or cruel using the power of his lightning bolt	PUNISHER Jesus/God being the supreme Lord in the sky watches over his creation and aids them when they need help and punishes them when they do wrong. Jesus/God could execute his punishment down upon man in any form, through plagues and or floods; He could make unnatural events occur.
NUMEROLOGY 888 is the number for the mythical Sun	NUMEROLOGY 888 is the numerical value of Jesus' name (in Greek)
Ressurection
DEATH The Cretan myths, unlike those of the rest of Greece, relate that Zeus died and was reborn each year. Also, Perseus (Zeus' son) survived (his fathers wrath) and grew up to defeat his father, the Titans and Zeus' brother Hades	DEATH Christ was crucified, died and was resurrected (or reborn).
RESURRECTION Zeus replaced an older deity, the Cretan god of vegetation, who died in Autumn and rose from the dead in Spring, following the eternal cycle of nature. As part of the festivities celebrating the annual re-birth of Zeus in the Dikteon cave, the worshippers sang the Hymn to Dictaean Zeus.	RESURRECTION When Jesus died on the cross, evil made an attempt to defeat God. But when Jesus rose from the dead, God showed himself victorious over evil. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus every Spring, in the Easter festival. The Christian churches are particularly during Easter when the Christian Benediction Prayers can be heard.
Worship
Zeus was worshipped by Greeks. He was the supreme deity. The savior and all worship was directed to Zeus. People prayed to Zeus for their families, their crops, their flocks and their ships, for peace and prosperity in their societies	Jesus is worshipped by Christians as a God-like deity. Eventually, Jesus became the supreme deity. The saviour and all worship was directed to Jesus. Today, People pray to Jesus for their families, their food, wellbeing and employment, and for peace and prosperity in the world
METHOD Hymn to Dictaean Zeus was sung by naked youths, dancing orgiastically and clashing their bronze shields in imitation of the legendary Curetes who guarded the holy infant, concealing his cries from his father Cronus by dancing noisily and beating their shields. "O supreme son of Kronos, salutations! All-powerful over refreshment, you stand at the head of the gods. Come to Dicte at the turn of the year and take pleasure in our song. We weave it for you with lyres, having blended it with pipes, and we sing having taken our places around your well-walled altar." "O supreme son of Kronos, salutations! All-powerful over refreshment, you stand at the head of the gods. Come to Dicte at the turn of the year and take pleasure in our song."	METHOD Christian Benediction Prayers is where a church service concludes, highlighting the implications of what has been taught and experienced, and praying for faithfulness in the week that lies ahead. Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end he may stablish your heart unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 1 THESSALONIANS 3:11-13 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus PHILIPPIANS 4:7
Evidence from Bible
	Bible evidence for Castor and Pollux (Greek Gods) Paul Arrives at Rome And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux [Greek gods] as a figurehead ACTS 28:11
	Bible evidence for Zeus and Hermes (Greek Gods) Paul and Barnabas at Lystra And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Zeus; and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people ACTS 14:8-13 . Paul healed a crippled man and the crowd called him Hermes, and Barnabas they called Zeus, after the Greek Gods. Did this incident upset Paul given that Zeus was a greater God than Hermes?
	Why do the Bible writers mention Greek Gods? The Bible gospel writers show awareness of the mythical Greek Gods (Zeus, Hermes, Castor and Pollux) in their writings. Given the theological pressures to glorify Jesus the 'Christian God', did the gospel writers (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, Paul etc.) influenced; perhaps in awe of Zeus' power end up glorifying their Christian God, Jesus beyond the truth?
Zeus is a mythical Greek God who lived hundreds of years before Jesus. The authors of the Christian Bible knew of Zeus and his stories of great strength, power and might. Was Jesus modelled on Zeus'? Christians claim Jesus is a bigger, stronger and more powerful God than Zeus, as evidenced in John's Gospel. Was this narrative engineered to mass convert Pagans to Christianity?	Many years after Jesus was crucified and his 12 disciples were removed from the Jewish scene by 'Pauline' Christianity, Rome took control of Christianity. Rome firmly established itself as the vanguard of the Christian 'state' religion. In future, Rome would advance 'Roman Catholic' Christian converts and gain popularity by merging Greek culture, Greek Gods (Zeus?) and pagan festivals into their 'Catholic' version of Christianity.

CREDIT
http://greekmythzeus.weebly.com/
http://www.ancient.eu/zeus/
http://www.theoi.com/Pantheon.html
http://www.explorecrete.com/mythology/zeus-christ.html
http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Zeus/zeus.html

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Jesus vs Zeus

Jesus and Zeus share many similarities

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