Christ, the Magician

A bowl dated between the 2^nd-Century BC and 1^st-Century AD uncovered by archaeologists may contain the oldest known reference to Jesus Christ.  It calls him a "magician."

This may prove that early Christianity and pagan religions were intertwined.  The inscription, "DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS" has been translated literally to mean "Christ, the magician."

Many books in the Bible refer to magi who practiced various forms of magickery.  The bowl was likely a tool for divination. According to the discoverer, whoever owned the bowl may have been invoking the name of the Christ as "the primary exponent of white magic."

Other researchers have translated the inscription differently, associating it instead with various religious sects in the area at the time.  "It should be remembered that in Alexandria, paganism, Judaism, and Christianity never evolved in isolation.  All of these forms of religion (evolved) magical practices that seduced both the humble members of the population and the most well-off classes," one researcher noted.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008