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Earliest Reference to Christ found
Earliest Reference Describes Christ as 'Magician'
Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News
for those who can't link
Oct. 1, 2008 -- A team of scientists led by renowned French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio recently announced that they have found a bowl, dating to between the late 2nd century B.C. and the early 1st century A.D., that is engraved with what they believe could be the world's first known reference to Christ.
If the word "Christ" refers to the Biblical Jesus Christ, as is speculated, then the discovery may provide evidence that Christianity and paganism at times intertwined in the ancient world.
The full engraving on the bowl reads, "DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS," which has been interpreted by the excavation team to mean either, "by Christ the magician" or, "the magician by Christ."
"It could very well be a reference to Jesus Christ, in that he was once the primary exponent of white magic," Goddio, co-founder of the Oxford Center of Maritime Archaeology, said.
He added that the individual, or "medium," then goes into a hallucinatory trance when studying the oil in the cup.
"They therefore see the divinities, or supernatural beings appear that they call to answer their questions with regard to the future," he said.
The magus might then have used the engraving on the bowl to legitimize his supernatural powers by invoking the name of Christ, the scientists theorize.
Goddio said, "It is very probable that in Alexandria they were aware of the existence of Jesus" and of his associated legendary miracles, such as transforming water into wine, multiplying loaves of bread, conducting miraculous health cures, and the story of the resurrection itself.
While not discounting the Jesus Christ interpretation, other researchers have offered different possible interpretations for the engraving, which was made on the thin-walled ceramic bowl after it was fired, since slip was removed during the process.
Bert Smith, a professor of classical archaeology and art at Oxford University, suggests the engraving might be a dedication, or present, made by a certain "Chrestos" belonging to a possible religious association called Ogoistais.
Klaus Hallof, director of the Institute of Greek inscriptions at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy, added that if Smith's interpretation proves valid, the word "Ogoistais" could then be connected to known religious groups that worshipped early Greek and Egyptian gods and goddesses, such as Hermes, Athena and Isis.
Hallof additionally pointed out that historians working at around, or just after, the time of the bowl, such as Strabon and Pausanias, refer to the god "Osogo" or "Ogoa," so a variation of this might be what's on the bowl. It is even possible that the bowl refers to both Jesus Christ and Osogo.
Fabre concluded, "It should be remembered that in Alexandria, paganism, Judaism and Christianity never evolved in isolation. All of these forms of religion (evolved) magical practices that seduced both the humble members of the population and the most well-off classes."
"It was in Alexandria where new religious constructions were made to propose solutions to the problem of man, of God's world," he added. "Cults of Isis, mysteries of Mithra, and early Christianity bear witness to this."
The bowl is currently on public display in the exhibit "Egypt's Sunken Treasures" at the Matadero Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain, until November 15.
Discuss politely please.
Ok, ok...don't get yr jingles all tangled up, I was planning on coming back to this.
What the article actually claims is that this is the earliest reference to Christ "as a magician". Which would just move such a reference back in time, as it was already known to be made by the time of the Nag Hammadi materials. It is not the earliest historical reference to Christ, nor even the earliest extra-biblical reference to Christ, nor even the earliest extra-literary reference to Christ. Although, there is an implication of magicians being attracted to the early Christian movement in the NT itself (Simon Magus in Acts).
EDIT: I said that these references where the NH texts, but now I am not able to confirm my memory. Still, they should be Egyptian papyrii from the 3rd or 4th century...I don't think my memory is that far off. The thing that bugged me about the article was the amount of fact compared to speculation. Where does it actually give us dating? And while I liked yr evocative "Cup of the Magi", just to be a total geek about it, the vessel used a Greek synonym and not that word.
I thought it was cool, I've just decided to stay out of the whole "religiousy debaty" thing.
Yeah, I don't find online a very fruitful place to debate (politics, religion, edition). Just headin for the facts here.
Yea I should have had a smiley on the end of that last one. I just found it interesting and thought to share.
Well, I thought people would be interested in free early music, so...hah. Ya never can tell. : )
