Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 46

[170:1] In the Apocryphal Gospel of the Birth of Mary and "Protevangelion."

[170:2] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 9. c.o.x: Aryan Mythology, vol.

ii. p. 58, and Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 161.

[170:3] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 27. c.o.x: Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p.

34.

[170:4] c.o.x: Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p. 44.

[170:5] Ibid. p. 69, and Tales of Ancient Greece, p. xlii.

[170:6] c.o.x: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 14.

[170:7] Ibid. p. 75.

[170:8] Ibid. p. 78.

[171:1] c.o.x: Aryan Mytho. ii. p. 81.

[171:2] Ibid. p. 84.

[171:3] Ibid. p. 150.

[171:4] Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 188. c.o.x: Aryan Mytho. vol. ii. p.

296.

[171:5] Herodotus: bk. v. ch. 92.

[172:1] See Farrar's Life of Christ, p. 60.

[172:2] Bonwick: Egyptian Belief, p. 168.

[172:3] There are no very early examples in Christian art of the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. (See Monumental Christianity, p. 289.)

[173:1] Bible for Learners, vol. iii. pp. 71-74.

[174:1] See Monumental Christianity, p. 238.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE TEMPTATION, AND FAST OF FORTY DAYS.

We are informed by the _Matthew_ narrator that, after being baptized by John in the river Jordan, Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness "_to be tempted of the devil_."

"And when he had fasted _forty days and forty nights_, he was afterward an hungered. And when the _tempter_ came to him he said: 'If thou be the Son of G.o.d, command that these stones be made bread.' . . . Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, _and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple_, and saith unto him: 'If thou be the Son of G.o.d, cast thyself down.'

. . . Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, _and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world_, and the glory of them, and saith unto him:' _All these things will I give thee_ if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' Then saith Jesus unto him, 'Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy G.o.d, and him only shalt thou serve.' Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."[175:1]

This is really a very peculiar story; it is therefore not to be wondered at that many of the early Christian Fathers rejected it as being fabulous,[175:2] but this, according to orthodox teaching, cannot be done; because, in all consistent reason, "_we must accept the whole of the inspired autographs or reject the whole_,"[175:3] and, because, "the very foundations of our faith, the very basis of our hopes, the very nearest and dearest of our consolations, are taken from us, when _one line_ of that sacred volume, on which we base everything, is declared to be untruthful and untrustworthy."[175:4]

The reason why we have this story in the New Testament is because the writer wished to show that Christ Jesus was proof against all temptations, that _he_ too, as well as _Buddha_ and others, could resist the powers of the prince of evil. This Angel-Messiah was tempted by the devil, and he fasted for forty-seven days and nights, without taking an atom of food.[175:5]

The story of Buddha's temptation, presented below, is taken from the "_Siamese Life of Buddha_," by Moncure D. Conway, and published in his "_Sacred Anthology_," from which we take it.[176:1] It is also to be found in the _Fo-pen-hing_,[176:2] and other works on Buddha and Buddhism. Buddha went through a more lengthy and severe trial than did Jesus, having been tempted in many different ways. The portion which most resembles that recorded by the Matthew narrator is the following:

"The Grand Being (Buddha) applied himself to practice asceticism of the extremest nature. _He ceased to eat_ (that is, _he fasted_) and held his breath. . . . _Then it was that the royal Mara_ (the Prince of Evil) _sought occasion to tempt him._ Pretending compa.s.sion, he said: 'Beware, O Grand Being, your state is pitiable to look on; you are attenuated beyond measure, . . . you are practicing this mortification in vain; I can see that you will not live through it. . . . Lord, that art capable of such vast endurance, go not forth to adopt a religious life, but return to thy kingdom, and in _seven_ days thou shalt become _the Emperor of the World_, riding over the four great continents.'"

To this the Grand Being, Buddha, replied:

"'Take heed, O Mara; I also know that in seven days I might gain universal empire, but I desire not such possessions. I know that the pursuit of religion is better than the empire of the world. You, thinking only of evil l.u.s.ts, would force me to leave all beings without guidance into your power. _Avaunt!

Get thou away from me!_'

"The Lord (then) rode onwards, intent on his purpose. The skies rained flowers, and delicious odors pervaded the air."[176:3]

Now, mark the similarity between these two legends.

Was Jesus about "beginning to preach" when he was tempted by the evil spirit? So was Buddha about to go forth "to adopt a religious life,"

when he was tempted by the evil spirit.

Did Jesus fast, and was he "afterwards an hungered"? So did Buddha "cease to eat," and was "attenuated beyond measure."

Did the evil spirit take Jesus and show him "all the kingdoms of the world," which he promised to give him, provided he did not lead the life he contemplated, but follow him?

So did the evil spirit say to Buddha: "Go not forth to adopt a religious life, and in seven days thou shalt become an emperor of the world."

Did not Jesus resist these temptations, and say unto the evil one, "Get thee behind me, Satan"?

So did Buddha resist the temptations, and said unto the evil one, "Get thee away from me."

After the evil spirit left Jesus did not "angels come and minister unto him"?

So with Buddha. After the evil one had left him "the skies rained flowers, and delicious odors pervaded the air."

These parallels are too striking to be accidental.

_Zoroaster_, the founder of the religion of the Persians, was tempted by the devil, who made him magnificent promises, in order to induce him to become his servant and to be dependent on him, but the temptations were in vain.[177:1] "His temptation by the devil, forms the subject of many traditional reports and legends."[177:2]

_Quetzalcoatle_, the virgin-born Mexican Saviour, was also tempted by the devil, and the forty days' fast was found among them.[177:3]

Fasting and self-denial were observances practiced by all nations of antiquity. The _Hindoos_ have days set apart for fasting on many different occasions throughout the year, one of which is when the birth-day of their Lord and Saviour Crishna is celebrated. On this occasion, the day is spent in fasting and worship. They abstain entirely from food and drink for more than thirty hours, at the end of which Crishna's image is worshiped, and the story of his miraculous birth is read to his hungry worshipers.[177:4]

Among the ancient _Egyptians_, there were times when the priests submitted to abstinence of the most severe description, being forbidden to eat even bread, and at other times they only ate it mingled with hyssop. "The priests in Heliopolis," says Plutarch, "have many fasts, during which they meditate on divine things."[177:5]

Among the _Sabians_, fasting was insisted on as an essential act of religion. During the month _Tammuz_, they were in the habit of fasting from sunrise to sunset, without allowing a morsel of food or drop of liquid to pa.s.s their lips.[177:6]

The Jews also had their fasts, and on special occasions they gave themselves up to prolonged fasts and mortifications.