Apuleius Metamorphoses 11.21.6-7

Discuss the world of the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, and Egyptians.
Post Reply
User avatar
Blood
Posts: 899
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:03 am

Apuleius Metamorphoses 11.21.6-7

Post by Blood »

Apuleius Metamorphoses 11.21.6-7 wrote: "But he [the priest] said that no one from his unit was of such a reckless mind, or rather so determined to die, that he would dare to undertake this ministry in a rash and sacrilegious spirit ... for both the gates of the underworld (inferum) and the guardianship of life were in the hands of the goddess [Isis], and the initiation itself was celebrated in the manner of voluntary death and of salvation received through grace (uoluntariae mortis et precariae salutis celebrati) -- as is natural when the will of the goddess is wont to select the ones who can be safely trusted with the silent secrets of the great religion, from those who have been put on the threshold of their last days after their span of life has finished, and is also wont to set those people back, after they have been reborn in some way through her providence, upon the course of a renewed life."


Groningen Commentaries on Apuleius, Metamorphoses Book XI, The Isis Book (Brill 2015)

The initiate into the Isis mysteries undergoes a "voluntary death and salvation received through grace," and is "reborn," though I'm not sure of the translation of "grace." Sounds exactly like Christianity. Any comments on Book XI of Apuleius?
“The only sensible response to fragmented, slowly but randomly accruing evidence is radical open-mindedness. A single, simple explanation for a historical event is generally a failure of imagination, not a triumph of induction.” William H.C. Propp
User avatar
Peter Kirby
Site Admin
Posts: 8034
Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 2:13 pm
Location: Santa Clara
Contact:

Re: Apuleius Metamorphoses 11.21.6-7

Post by Peter Kirby »

Good find. Too bad it's not Jewish, or it might be an influence on Christianity. :roll:
"... almost every critical biblical position was earlier advanced by skeptics." - Raymond Brown
User avatar
MrMacSon
Posts: 8798
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Apuleius Metamorphoses 11.21.6-7

Post by MrMacSon »

Theophilus Apology to Autolycus. Book I.
CHAP. XIII.--THE RESURRECTION PROVED BY EXAMPLES.

"Then, as to your denying that the dead are raised --for you say, "Show me even one who has been raised from the dead, that seeing I may believe"-- first, what great thing is it if you believe when you have seen the thing done? Then, again, you believe that Hercules, who burned himself, lives; and that AEsculapius, who was struck with lightning, was raised; and do you disbelieve the things that are told you by God? But, suppose I should show you a dead man raised and alive, even this you would disbelieve. God indeed exhibits to you many proofs that you may believe Him. For consider, if you please, the dying of seasons, and days, and nights, how these also die and rise again. And what? Is there not a resurrection going on of seeds and fruits, and this, too, for the use of men? A seed of wheat, for example, or of the other grains, when it is cast into the earth, first dies and rots away, then is raised, and becomes a stalk of corn. And the nature of trees and fruit-trees,--is it not that according to the appointment of God they produce their fruits in their seasons out of what has been unseen and invisible? Moreover, sometimes also a sparrow or some of the other birds, when in drinking it has swallowed a seed of apple or fig, or something else, has come to some rocky hillock or tomb, and has left the seed in its droppings, and the seed, which was once swallowed, and has passed though so great a heat, now striking root, a tree has grown up. And all these things does the wisdom of God effect, in order to manifest even by these things, that God is able to effect the general resurrection of all men. And if you would witness a more wonderful sight, which may prove a resurrection not only of earthly but of heavenly bodies, consider the resurrection of the moon, which occurs monthly; how it wanes, dies, and rises again. Hear further, O man, of the work of resurrection going on in yourself, even though you are unaware of it. For perhaps you have sometimes fallen sick, and lost flesh, and strength, and beauty; but when you received again from God mercy and healing, you picked up again in flesh and appearance, and recovered also your strength."

And as you do not know where your flesh went away and disappeared to, so neither do you know whence it grew, Or whence it came again. But you will say, "From meats and drinks changed into blood." Quite so; but this, too, is the work of God, who thus operates, and not of any other.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/theophilus.html
User avatar
MrMacSon
Posts: 8798
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2013 3:45 pm

Re: Apuleius Metamorphoses 11.21.6-7

Post by MrMacSon »

Apology to Autolycus. Book II.
Chap. XV.--OF THE FOURTH DAY.

... For the sun is a type of God, and the moon of man. And as the sun far surpasses the moon in power and glory, so far does God surpass man. And as the sun remains ever full, never becoming less, so does God always abide perfect, being full of all power, and understanding, and wisdom, and immortality, and all good. But the moon wanes monthly, and in a manner dies, being a type of man; then it is born again, and is crescent, for a pattern of the future resurrection. In like manner also the three days which were before the luminaries, are types of the Trinity, of God, and His Word, and His wisdom. And the fourth is the type of man, who needs light, that so there may be God, the Word, wisdom, man. Wherefore also on the fourth day the lights were made. The disposition of the stars, too, contains a type of the arrangement and order of the righteous and pious, and of those who keep the law and commandments of God. For the brilliant and bright stars are an imitation of the prophets, and therefore they remain fixed, not declining, nor passing from place to place. And those which hold the second place in brightness, are types of the people of the righteous. And those, again,, which change their position, and flee from place to place, which also are cared planets, they too are a type of the men who have wandered from God, abandoning His law and commandments.

CHAP. XVI.--OF THE FIFTH DAY.

... the things proceeding from the waters were blessed by God, that this also might be a sign of men's being destined to receive repentance and remission of sins, through the water and laver of regeneration --as many as come to the truth, and are born again, and receive blessing from God.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... book2.html
Post Reply