The Parables Of Jesus

[Thought2Much]

Since I've started deconverting, I've read a lot about how the Old Testament was put together from a number of sources, and how some of the mythology came from earlier religions, such as the Flood in the Babylonian tale of Gilgamesh.

 

This got me to wondering about the parables of Jesus. Were any of these stories told in the Middle East before the time that Jesus supposedly existed, but are now only credited to him because Christians have forgotten that they existed earlier? If anyone knows of any good sources for examples, please be sure to note them in your response.

 

 

 

*"Have forgotten" in this case meaning "are in flat out denial of."

[mwc]

That's a difficult question to answer.

 

The exact parables weren't floating about. So you can't look at another writer and see where they simply plagiarized the text. The only places this happens is when "jesus" talks most of what is said is straight out of the OT in various quotes. This isn't really in the parables though.

 

The concepts that are taught were floating about. To give you an idea of this the so-called "golden rule" is taught in various ways prior to "jesus." Here's some examples:

Christianity All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

Matthew 7:1

 

Confucianism Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.

Analects 12:2

 

Buddhism Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

Udana-Varga 5,1

 

Hinduism This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.

Mahabharata 5,1517

 

Islam No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.

Sunnah

 

Judaism What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.

Talmud, Shabbat 3id

 

Taoism Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.

Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

 

Zoroastrianism That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself.

Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5

The above is from here so I haven't checked all the references personally.

 

Most of those are from before xianity however or are supposed to be within the same rough time frame (ie. the quote from the Talmud, if I'm not mistaken, is from Hillel which predates a "jesus" by a few years but the writing of the Talmud would come some time after so a precise dating of the quote is difficult at best).

 

mwc

[Kaiser01]

That's a difficult question to answer.

 

The exact parables weren't floating about. So you can't look at another writer and see where they simply plagiarized the text. The only places this happens is when "jesus" talks most of what is said is straight out of the OT in various quotes. This isn't really in the parables though.

 

The concepts that are taught were floating about. To give you an idea of this the so-called "golden rule" is taught in various ways prior to "jesus." Here's some examples:

Christianity All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

Matthew 7:1

 

Confucianism Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.

Analects 12:2

 

Buddhism Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

Udana-Varga 5,1

 

Hinduism This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.

Mahabharata 5,1517

 

Islam No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.

Sunnah

 

Judaism What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.

Talmud, Shabbat 3id

 

Taoism Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.

Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

 

Zoroastrianism That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself.

Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5

The above is from here so I haven't checked all the references personally.

 

Most of those are from before xianity however or are supposed to be within the same rough time frame (ie. the quote from the Talmud, if I'm not mistaken, is from Hillel which predates a "jesus" by a few years but the writing of the Talmud would come some time after so a precise dating of the quote is difficult at best).

 

mwc

 

i think this sums it up best, alot of the bible as you said is from many difrent sources and influenced by many difrent ideas. the parable was not origional it was just restated.

[MikeMo]

All of Jesus teachings are reinterpretations of Old Testament texts. For example, the parables of the bridegroom and the great commission were rewritings, or fulfillments, of Psalm 19. The parable/teaching of the feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000 were rewritten narratives of the manna from the wilderness and the multiplication of food by Elisha. Jesus sleeping on the ship during the tempest was rewriting Jonah, including his three days of death, and the forty days he spent upon earth before his ascension. John the Baptist was the rewriting of Samson and Samuel (according to the birth stories of the angels and the Nazarene vow) and Elijah (in relation to the baptism and the King and Queen beheading the prophets). The forty day fast was the rewriting of the fast of Moses and the fast of Joseph. The list is as complete as the New Testament and Old Testament combined. His parables were based upon Old Testament reinterpretations...and some, if not most, of those doctrines were borrowed from surrounding nations...including the Word of God coming down from heaven, being born of a virgin, performing miracles, dying on a cross, being dead for three days, resurrecting from the dead, and ascending back into the heavens. These were pagan stories...even Augustine testifies to this in his writings...the excuse is that they were predetermined to be stumblingblocks to unbelievers. Nothing is original and isolated, but the ideas were shared simultaneously among the nations.