Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 29

[109:1] The _Talmud_ of Jerusalem expressly states that the names of the angels and the months, such as Gabriel, Michael, Yar, Nisan, &c., came from Babylon with the Jews. (Goldziher, p. 319.) "There is no trace of the doctrine of Angels in the Hebrew Scriptures composed or written before the exile." (Bunsen: The Angel Messiah, p. 285) "The Jews adopted, during the Captivity, the idea of angels, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel," &c. (Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 54.) See, for further information on this subject, Dr. Knappert's "Religion of Israel," or Prof. Kuenen's "Religion of Israel."

PART II.

THE NEW TESTAMENT.

CHAPTER XII.

THE MIRACULOUS BIRTH OF CHRIST JESUS.

According to the dogma of the deity of Jesus, he who is said to have lived on earth some eighteen centuries ago, as _Jesus of Nazareth_, is second of the three persons in the Trinity, the SON, G.o.d as absolutely as the Father and the Holy Spirit, except as eternally deriving his existence from the Father. What, however, especially characterizes the Son, and distinguishes him from the two other persons united with him in the unity of the Deity, is this, that the Son, at a given moment of time, became incarnate, and that, without losing anything of his divine nature, he thus became possessed of a complete human nature; so that he is at the same time, without injury to the unity of his person, "_truly man and truly G.o.d_."

The story of the miraculous birth of Jesus is told by the _Matthew_ narrator as follows:[111:1]

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, G.o.d with us."[111:2]

A Deliverer was hoped for, expected, prophesied, in the time of Jewish misery[112:1] (and _Cyrus_ was perhaps the first referred to); but as no one appeared who did what the Messiah, according to prophecy, should do, they went on degrading each successive conqueror and hero from the Messianic dignity, and are still expecting the true Deliverer. Hebrew and Christian divines both start from the same a.s.sumed unproven premises, viz.: that a Messiah, having been foretold, must appear; but there they diverge, and the Jews show themselves to be the sounder logicians of the two: the Christians a.s.suming that Jesus was the Messiah _intended_ (though not the one _expected_), wrest the obvious meaning of the prophecies to show that they were fulfilled in him; while the Jews, a.s.suming the obvious meaning of the prophecies to be their real meaning, argue that they were not fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and therefore that the Messiah is yet to come.

We shall now see, in the words of Bishop Hawes: "that G.o.d should, in some extraordinary manner, visit and dwell with man, is an idea which, as we read the writings of the _ancient Heathens_, meets us in a thousand different forms."

Immaculate conceptions and celestial descents were so currently received among the ancients, that whoever had greatly distinguished himself in the affairs of men was thought to be of supernatural lineage. G.o.ds descended from heaven and were made incarnate in men, and men ascended from earth, and took their seat among the G.o.ds, so that these incarnations and apotheosises were fast filling Olympus with divinities.

In our inquiries on this subject we shall turn first to _Asia_, where, as the learned Thomas Maurice remarks in his _Indian Antiquities_, "in every age, and in almost every region of the Asiatic world, there seems uniformly to have flourished an immemorial tradition that one G.o.d had, from all eternity, _begotten another G.o.d_."[112:2]

In India, there have been several _Avatars_, or incarnations of Vishnu,[112:3] the most important of which is _Heri Crishna_,[112:4] or _Crishna the Saviour_.

In the _Maha-bharata_, an Indian epic poem, written about the sixth century B. C., Crishna is a.s.sociated or identified with Vishnu the Preserving G.o.d or Saviour.[113:1]

Sir William Jones, first President of the Royal Asiatic Society, inst.i.tuted in Bengal, says of him:

"Crishna continues to this hour the darling G.o.d of the Indian woman. The sect of Hindoos who adore him with enthusiastic, and almost exclusive devotion, have broached a doctrine, which they maintain with eagerness, and which seems general in these provinces, that he was distinct from all the _Avatars_ (incarnations) who had only an _ansa_, or a portion, of his (_Vishnu's_) divinity, _while Crishna was the person of Vishnu himself in human form_."[113:2]

The Rev. D. O. Allen, Missionary of the American Board, for twenty-five years in India, speaking of Crishna, says:

"He was greater than, and distinct from, all the _Avatars_ which had only a portion of the divinity in them, while he was the very person of Vishnu himself in human form."[113:3]

Thomas Maurice, in speaking of _Mathura_, says:

"It is particularly celebrated for having been the birth-place of _Crishna_, who is esteemed in India, not so much an incarnation of the divine Vishnu, _as the deity himself in human form_."[113:4]

Again, in his "_History of Hindostan_," he says:

"It appears to me that the Hindoos, idolizing some eminent character of antiquity, distinguished, in the early annals of their nation, by heroic fort.i.tude and exalted piety, have applied to that character those ancient traditional accounts of an _incarnate G.o.d_, or, as they not improperly term it, an _Avatar_, which had been delivered down to them from their ancestors, the virtuous Noachidae, to descend amidst the darkness and ignorance of succeeding ages, at once to reform and instruct mankind. We have the more solid reason to affirm this of the Avatar of Crishna, because it is allowed to be the most ill.u.s.trious of them all; since we have learned, that, in the _seven_ preceding Avatars, the deity brought only an _ansa_, or portion of his divinity; but, in the _eighth_, he descended in all the plent.i.tude of the G.o.dhead, _and was Vishnu himself in a human form_."[113:5]

Crishna was born of a chaste virgin,[113:6] called _Devaki_, who, on account of her purity, was selected to become the "_mother of G.o.d_."

According to the "BHAGAVAT POORAUN," _Vishnu_ said:

"I will become incarnate at Mathura in the house of _Yadu_, and will issue forth to mortal birth from the womb of Devaki. . . . It is time I should display my power, and relieve the oppressed earth from its load."[114:1]

Then a chorus of angels exclaimed:

"In the delivery of this favored woman, all nature shall have cause to exult."[114:2]

In the sacred book of the Hindoos, called "_Vishnu Purana_," we read as follows:

"Eulogized by the G.o.ds, Devaki bore in her womb the lotus-eyed deity, the protector of the world. . . .

"No person could bear to gaze upon Devaki, from the light that invested her, and those who contemplated her radiance felt their minds disturbed. The G.o.ds, invisible to mortals, celebrated her praises continually from the time that _Vishnu_ was contained in her person."[114:3]

Again we read:

"The divine _Vishnu himself_, the root of the vast universal tree, inscrutable by the understandings of all G.o.ds, demons, sages, and men, past, present, or to come, adored by Brahma and all the deities, he who is without beginning, middle, or end, being moved to relieve the earth of her load, descended into the womb of Devaki, and was born as her son, Vasudeva,"

_i. e._, _Crishna_.[114:4]

Again:

"Crishna is the very _Supreme Brahma_, though it be a _mystery_[114:5] how the Supreme _should a.s.sume the form of a man_."[114:6]

The Hindoo belief in a divine incarnation has at least, above many others, its logical side of conceiving that G.o.d manifests himself on earth whenever the weakness or the errors of humanity render his presence necessary. We find this idea expressed in one of their sacred books called the "_Bhagavat Geeta_," wherein it says:

"I (the Supreme One said), I am made evident by my own power, and as often as there is a decline of virtue, and an insurrection of vice and injustice in the world, I make myself evident, _and thus I appear from age to age_, for the preservation of the just, the destruction of the wicked, and the establishment of virtue."[114:7]

Crishna is recorded in the "_Bhagavat Geeta_" as saying to his beloved disciple Arjouna:

"He, O Arjoun, who, from conviction, acknowledgeth my _divine birth_ (upon quitting his mortal form), entereth into me."[115:1]

Again, he says:

"The foolish, being _unacquainted with my supreme and divine nature, as Lord of all things_, despise me in this _human form_, trusting to the evil, diabolic, and deceitful principle within them. They are of vain hope, of vain endeavors, of vain wisdom, and void of reason; whilst men of great minds, trusting to their divine natures, _discover that I am before all things and incorruptible_, and serve me with their hearts undiverted by other G.o.ds."[115:2]

The next in importance among the _G.o.d-begotten_ and _Virgin-born_ Saviours of India, is _Buddha_[115:3] who was born of the Virgin Maya or Mary. He in mercy left Paradise, and came down to earth because he was filled with compa.s.sion for the sins and miseries of mankind. He sought to lead them into better paths, and took their sufferings upon himself, that he might expiate their crimes, and mitigate the punishment they must otherwise inevitably undergo.[115:4]

According to the _Fo-pen-hing_,[115:5] when Buddha was about to descend from heaven, to be born into the world, the angels in heaven, calling to the inhabitants of the earth, said:

"Ye mortals! adorn your earth! for Bodhisatwa, the great Mahasatwa, not long hence shall descend from Tusita to be born amongst you! make ready and prepare! Buddha is about to descend and be born!"[115:6]

The womb that bears a Buddha is like a casket in which a relic is placed; no other being can be conceived in the same receptacle; the usual secretions are not formed; and from the time of conception, Maha-maya was free from pa.s.sion, and lived in the strictest continence.[115:7]

The resemblance between this legend and the doctrine of the _perpetual virginity_ of Mary the mother of Jesus, cannot but be remarked. The opinion that she had ever borne other children was called heresy by Epiphanius and Jerome, long before she had been exalted to the station of supremacy she now occupies.[115:8]

M. l'Abbe Huc, a French Missionary, in speaking of Buddha, says: