| As little as 300 years ago I would have been burned | | | | Jesus was a real person.On the other hand Jesus |
| at the stake or tortured to death by some bigoted | | | | may indeed be based upon Apollonius, which sheds an |
| inquisition for asking such a question - is Jesus Christ | | | | entirely new light on the matter. By accepted tradition, |
| an impostor? Today in the 21st century I could still be | | | | Apollonius was born in the reign of Augustus, the great |
| victimised and abused and in some fundamentalist | | | | literary age of the nation of which he was a subject |
| States be ostracised. But the stark truth remains that | | | | and the same age as the literary Jesus. In the |
| we have very little evidence for the man that millions | | | | Augustan age historians flourished; poets, orators, |
| of Christian's around the globe worship. Surely, if, like | | | | critics and travellers abounded. Yet not one of them |
| Robin Hood and King Arthur, the character of Jesus | | | | mentions the name of Jesus Christ, much less any |
| was built upon that of a real man, then we would be | | | | incident of his life. The Emperor Marcus Aurelius |
| able to find him in history? Well, we may very well | | | | admitted that it was to Apollonius that he owed his |
| have had him before our eyes the whole | | | | own philosophy, and erected Temples and statues in |
| time!Apollonius of Tyana was born in the 3rd or 4th | | | | his honour. No statues or Temples were erected to |
| Year BC in Tyana in Cappadocia, at 16 became a | | | | Jesus.Faust said, "Everyone knows that the |
| disciple of Pythagoras, renouncing flesh, wine and | | | | Evangeliums were written neither by Jesus nor by his |
| women. He wore no shoes and let his hair and beard | | | | apostle, but long after their time by some unknown |
| grow long.He soon became a reformer and stayed in | | | | persons, who, judging well that they would hardly be |
| the Temple of Aesculapius. As we were to discover in | | | | believed when telling of things they had not seen |
| The Serpent Grail, this great Greek deity of healing | | | | themselves, headed their narratives with the names of |
| was himself closely linked to what we would come to | | | | the apostles or disciples contemporaneous with the |
| know as the serpent cult.Apollonius was thought to | | | | latter."On the other hand, the written record of the life |
| have been one of the wisest of all men. This in itself | | | | of Apollonius is very sound and Philostratos who |
| gave us a clue, for Sophia or wisdom derived from the | | | | wrote the Life of Apollonius was the close friend of |
| root Ophia or serpent and S'Ophia meant simply, | | | | Damus who had related the whole thing in |
| shining serpent. You see, we discovered that | | | | person.Philostratos said, "Some consider him as one of |
| Apollonius in all likelihood gained his immense wisdom | | | | the Magi, because he conversed with the Magi of |
| whilst at the feet of the wise serpentine Naga sages | | | | Babylon and the Brahmans of India and the |
| of the Indian sub-continent.We can see evidence of | | | | Gymnosophists of Egypt. But even his wisdom is |
| this from Philostratos [1], the biographer of Apollonius, | | | | reviled, as being acquired by the magic art, so |
| who tells us of the journey to Kashmir to meet the | | | | erroneous are the opinions formed of him. Whereas |
| Naga sage Larchus and of the "emerald valley set in a | | | | Empedocles and Pythagoras and Democritus, though |
| rim of pearls" and of the tales that Apollonius told his | | | | they conversed with the same Magi, and advanced |
| travelling companion, Damus, of dragons which lived in | | | | many paradoxical sentiments, have not fallen under the |
| the hills. Both emerald and pearls have symbolic | | | | like imputation. Even Plato, who travelled in Egypt, and |
| resonance with wisdom and knowledge and the | | | | blended with his doctrines many opinions collected |
| dragons, which lived in the hills, were nothing more than | | | | there from the priests and prophets, incurred not such |
| the Naga, or serpent followers of the region.Let's just | | | | a suspicion, though above all men on account of his |
| take the time to look a little deeper into these Naga or | | | | superior wisdom."The very fact that Apollonius was in |
| Naaga:-Naga is a Sanskrit term meaning literally | | | | danger of usurping the "idea" of Christ with his own |
| Serpent (especially cobra), but interestingly it also holds | | | | "factual" life caused much consternation amongst the |
| the meanings - a tree; a mountain; the sun; the number | | | | early Christians. Justin Martyr, one of the Church |
| seven; wisdom and initiate - all symbols and emblems | | | | Fathers of the 2nd century said, "How is it that the |
| we became familiar with in our search for those who | | | | talismans by Apollonius have power over certain |
| worshipped of the serpent. The Naga were and | | | | members of creation, for they prevent, as we have |
| indeed are said to reside in Patala, an underwater | | | | seen, the fury of the waves, the violence of the winds, |
| kingdom much like Atlantis, however this has a | | | | and the attacks of wild beasts. And whilst Our Lord's |
| meaning similar to antipodes, the same name given by | | | | miracles are preserved by tradition alone, those of |
| the ancients to the America's.Naga is a similar term to | | | | Apollonius are most numerous, and actually manifested |
| the Mexican Nagals, the medicine (healers) and | | | | in present facts, so as to lead astray all |
| sorcerers who always kept a god in the shape of a | | | | beholders?"The book by Philostratos was therefore, |
| serpent. In Burma they are Nats or serpent gods. | | | | and not surprisingly, kept back from translation and |
| Esoterically Naga is a term for wise men. There is a | | | | distribution. In fact, the books of the New Testament |
| folk tradition that Nagas washed Gautama (Buddha) at | | | | did not appear until at least one hundred years after |
| his birth - the wise men visiting the deity on Earth. They | | | | the Life of Apollonius.Even the birth of Apollonius bears |
| are also said to have guarded him and the relics of his | | | | some remarkable similarities to the fictional life of |
| body after his death.According to H. P. Blavatsky in | | | | Christ. Whilst his mother was pregnant with Apollonius, |
| Theosophical Glossary, the Naga were descended | | | | Proteus, the Egyptian God, appeared to her and said, |
| from Rishi Kasyapa who had twelve wives (therefore | | | | "Thou shalt bring forth me!" The mother of Apollonius |
| he is the sun), by whom he had numerous Nagas | | | | was to bring forth God.Incidentally, Proteus was known |
| (serpents) and was the father of all animals. Rishi | | | | to take the form of a snake.According to Phillimore, |
| Kasyapa can therefore be none other than a | | | | Apollonius actually founded a church and a community, |
| progenitor of the Green Man, and this partly explains | | | | made up of his disciples. It is highly likely that these |
| the reasons for the appearance of the snake in | | | | were connected to a branch of the Essene, known as |
| images of the Green Man and Horned God, such as | | | | the Therapeuts and Nazarenes and who we also |
| upon the Gundestrup Cauldron.The Naga of Kashmir | | | | know were closely linked to the Indian Brahmins and |
| instructed Apollonius of Tyana. This is the same | | | | the Nagas.Indeed there was a group known as the |
| Kashmir where the serpent tribes became famous for | | | | Apolloniei - the adherents of Apollonius - who actually |
| their healing skills. There is a theory that the Nagas | | | | survived some centuries after his death. These |
| descended from the Scythic race (who brought many | | | | constituted what became the Christian Church, after |
| of the Arthurian legends to the British Isles) and when | | | | the Council of Nicaea - so Apollonius did indeed begin |
| the Brahmins invaded India they found a race of wise | | | | Christianity, based upon serpentine myths and traditions |
| men, half gods, half demons (snakes). These men | | | | of the oldest order.In fact Eunapius stated that |
| were said to be teachers of other nations and | | | | Philostratos should have called his book "The |
| themselves instructed the Hindu's and Brahmans - no | | | | Sojourning of a God Among Men." However once the |
| wonder that Apollonius visited them.'Then come the | | | | decision had been made to plump for the newly |
| Naaga, the Siren serpents, whose worship has been | | | | created Christ, cobbled together from various deities, |
| so important a factor in the folklore, superstition, and | | | | Apollonius was repressed. It is basically because of |
| poetry of India from the earliest times down to-day. | | | | books like the one of Philostratos that the ancient |
| Cobras in their ordinary shape, they lived, like mermen | | | | libraries at places such as Alexandria were torched. |
| and mermaids, more beneath the water, in a great | | | | Destroy the evidence of the opposition and there |
| luxury and wealth, more especially of germ, and | | | | appears to be no opposition. But they missed one vital |
| sometimes, as we shall see, the name is used of the | | | | piece of evidence in their own book.In 1st Corinthians |
| Dryads, the tree-spirits, equally wealthy and powerful. | | | | 3:3-6 it says, "for while one saith, I am of Apollos, are |
| They could at will and often did, adopt the human form | | | | ye not carnal? Who, then, is Paul, and whom Apollos, |
| and though terrible if angered, were kindly and mild by | | | | but ministers, by whom ye believed, even as the Lord |
| nature. Not mentioned either in the Veda or in the | | | | gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; |
| pre-Buddhist Upanishads, the myth seems to be a | | | | but God gave the increase."I could so easily have |
| strange jumble of beliefs, not altogether pleasant, about | | | | overlooked this had it not been for a chance discovery |
| a strangely gifted race of actual men; combined with | | | | of an ancient version of 1st Corinthians found in a |
| notions derived from previously existing theories of | | | | French monastery by a Huguenot soldier entitled the |
| tree worship, and serpent worship, and river worship. | | | | Codex Bezae. The name Apollos is spelt Apollonius! In |
| But the history of the idea has still to be written. The | | | | fact in the Encyclopaedia Britannica the name Apollo in |
| Naagas are represented on the ancient bas-reliefs as | | | | this context can also mean Apollonius. Indeed this |
| men or women either with cobra's hoods rising behind | | | | Apollos was said to have even visited Paul (the |
| their heads or with serpentine forms from their waist | | | | apostle who did not suffer from snakebites) and he |
| downwards.' Rhys Davies, Buddhist India, p.223.These | | | | was called an Alexandrian Jew. It is possible that |
| tree deities were Nagas anyway as Rhys Davies | | | | Apollonius brought back a new gospel of Chrishna |
| continues on page 223 'The tree-deities were called | | | | from the Kashmir interlude with the serpent sages and |
| Naagas, and were able at will, like the Naagas, to | | | | it was this, which gave birth to the Christ that was in |
| assume the human form and in one story the spirit of | | | | reality based upon serpent worship. Now we know |
| a Nunyan tree who reduced the merchants to ashes | | | | why Christ sloughed off his shroud in the tomb, just as |
| is called a Naaga-raja, the tree itself is a dwelling place | | | | the snake sloughs its skin and is resurrected. Now we |
| of Naaga. It seems that they also left behind myths of | | | | know why the early Christians were known as |
| healing as a story in the Journal of the Bombay Branch | | | | Ophites, it simply means serpent worshippers. Now we |
| of the Asiatic Society demonstrates. When there was | | | | know that the African practice of sacrificing snakes |
| an epidemic among the children, it seems the only | | | | upon trees |
| answer was to bring them to a snake skin which was | | | | eventually found its coils embroiled in one of the |
| hung on a pole and allow them to touch it - reminding | | | | largest religions to ever appear in the world and gave |
| us of the idea of the Brazen Serpent of Moses, which | | | | us the image of the son of God. Now we know why |
| was upon a pole and for the healing of the "children" of | | | | Vatican not only means hill, it means hill of |
| Israel. This may explain why it is that the tree-gods are | | | | snakes.Notes1 In De Vita Apollonii (The Life of |
| not specially and separately mentioned in the Maha | | | | Apollonius) Philostratos tells us of the superstitious |
| Samaya list of deities who are there said by the poet | | | | practices carried out by those of Arabia and India with |
| to have come to pay reverence to the Buddha.'The | | | | some remarkable tales about "eating the heart and |
| history of the Nagas that we do have, textually | | | | liver of serpents, for the purpose of acquiring |
| beginning around the 7th century BC is an amazing | | | | knowledge of the thoughts and languages of animals." |
| history of ups and downs. It parallels the rise and fall of | | | | Philostratos wrote extensively on Apollonius of Tyana, |
| the serpent worshipped by the Semites, with the | | | | the great sage who is seen by many as being the true |
| Brazen Serpent being raised in the wilderness and then | | | | Christ.2 Taxila was the capital of ancient Punjab |
| broken up in the temple.The hill where these wise men | | | | (Hindus). In the Sanskrit language it was Takshacila or |
| lived [2] was defended on all sides by immense piles | | | | simply "Prince of the serpent tribe." Taxila was a |
| of rocks. As soon as the travellers had dismounted a | | | | famous place, having been mentioned in several |
| messenger from one of the Masters appeared, | | | | languages and connected with the infamous Silk Road |
| wearing of all things, a serpent Caduceus on his brow - | | | | between the Far West (Babylonia) and the Far East |
| an obvious allusion to the enlightenment process via | | | | (China). Here lies the oldest known Hindu shrine in the |
| the Indian Kundalini, or coiled serpent.Platitudes were | | | | Pillared Hall, on the site of the western end, said to |
| given and when in conversation Apollonius learned | | | | have had a ceremonial function. The king of Taxila |
| from one called Larchus, that these Nagas had | | | | was called Taxiles and in 329 BC he invited Alexander |
| delivered their wisdom to the Egyptians and even | | | | the Great to support him against aggressors. In 184 BC |
| Ethiopia, which as Hivviah or Cush, named after the | | | | the Greeks invaded and placed Demetrius on the |
| worship of serpents. In truth it seems that the wisdom | | | | throne. The town was rebuilt and strangely it was |
| of the serpent brothers spread far and wide.Eventually | | | | called Sirkap (severed head). It was a multi-ethnic area |
| Apollonius became a wise sage himself and his own | | | | now with Greeks, Bactrians, western Iranians and |
| notoriety grew. Aurelian vowed to erect Temples and | | | | Hindus all living together. There was a great mix of |
| statues to his honour "for was there ever any thing | | | | Hinduism, serpent worship, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism |
| among men more holy, venerable, noble, and divine | | | | and Greek religious beliefs all mixing together-a place |
| than Apollonius? He restored life to the dead; he did | | | | very much like Alexandria.Apollonius of Tyana went to |
| and spoke many things beyond human reach." | | | | Taxila as we find in the Life of Apollonius of Tyana by |
| (Vopiscus in Aurelian, cap. 24)Truly, Temples and | | | | Philostratos. "I have already described the way in |
| statues were erected to Apollonius in many places, | | | | which the city is walled, but they say that it was |
| including his own town of Tyana. Unlike Jesus, there is | | | | divided up into narrow streets in the same irregular |
| evidence to prove that Apollonius actually existed. As | | | | manner as in Athens, and that the houses were built in |
| Moncure D. Conway said in his book Modern | | | | such a way that if you look at them from outside they |
| Thought:"The world has been for a long time engaged | | | | had only one storey, while if you went unto one of |
| in writing lives of Jesus."The library of such writing has | | | | them, you at once found subterranean chambers |
| grown since then. But when we come to examine | | | | extending as far below the level of the earth as did |
| them, one startling fact confronts us: all these books | | | | the chambers above." (Section 2.2). It was the King of |
| relate to a personage concerning whom there does | | | | Taxila (Phroates) who wrote a letter of |
| not exist a single scrap of contemporary information - | | | | recommendation for Apollonius to Iarchus in-order to |
| not one! Nobody can say with any conviction that | | | | have him learn the wisdom of the Nagas of Kashmir. |