Did Moses Exist?: The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver by D. M. Murdock

Author:D. M. Murdock [Murdock, D. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL108020 RELIGION / Christian Church / History
Publisher: Stellar House Publishing
Published: 2014-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

Fig. 66. Herakles and Dionysus, 3rd–4th cents. AD/CE. Mosaic at Sepphoris/Tzippori, Israel

Indeed, the presence of Dionysus on mosaics from the third to fourth centuries AD/CE in the finely appointed home of the apparent Jewish patriarch at Sepphoris or Tzippori, a village in Galilee, lends weight to Plutarch’s commentary.1022 Significantly, this imagery depicts Bacchus and Herakles in a wine-drinking contest, which Dionysus wins, a theme flagrantly featured in the prominent Jewish citizen’s home. Since Herakles was a favorite of the Phoenicians, this symbolism could reflect the defeat of that faction commercially, in the wine trade. This central place for Bacchus indicates the wealth of the community depended significantly on the blessings of the grape.

If these later Jews were aware of Dionysus and unflinchingly revered him, it is reasonable to suggest that Israelites knew about his worship and myth in more remote antiquity, particularly as they became wine connoisseurs, a trade that dates back 3,000 years in the hill country where they emerged.

It is very significant that this site of Bacchus worship, Sepphoris, was deemed the Cana of the New Testament, where Jesus was said to have produced his water-to-wine miracle.1023 It is clear that the gospel writers were imitating the popular Dionysus worship with the newly created Christ character.

Macrobius

In the fifth century AD/CE, Macrobius published a book called Saturnalia, which discusses numerous deities of the Roman Empire at that time, including various Greek gods who are identified with each other and possess many solar attributes. In this regard, Macrobius treats virtually all such deities as sun gods, including and especially Dionysus/Bacchus/Father Liber.

Bacchus as Apollo

As we have seen, the Roman writer also equated Bacchus with Apollo, whose battle with the serpent or water monster he identified as a solar myth. In his comparisons, Macrobius (1.18.7) further remarked:

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