Jesus Christ “was Greek not Jewish”, a new documentary has claimed.
According to the Amazon Prime series Bible Conspiracies a Greek religious preach known as Apollonius of Tynan was the inspiration for the figure found in the New Testament.
A preacher who lived in Central Anatolia around the same time as Jesus, Apollonius had a large and dedicated band of followers whom he travelled around with, performing miracles.
“There is, in fact, a man who can be found in text outside of the Bible after the church failed to eradicate him from history,” the documentary explains.
“His name is Apollonius and he was born in the 3rd or 4th year BC in Tyana in Cappadocia, Anatolia.
“He became a disciple of Pythagoras renouncing flesh, wine and women.
"He wore no shoes and let his hair and beard grow long.”
Bible Conspiracies goes on to explain how Apollonius build a dedicated following through a combination of regular religious sermons and so-called miracles.
The series went on to make claims of how Apollonius became famous, building a religious following as he preached and performed miracles.
"He soon became a reformer and fixed his abode in the Temple of Aesculapius,” the documentary explains.
“Eventually Apollonius became a wise sage himself and his own notoriety grew.
“Aurelian (Roman Emperor) vowed to erect temples and statues to his honour. Was there ever anything among men more holy?
“He reportedly restored life to the dead and spoke of things beyond the human reach. And, unlike Jesus, there is evidence to prove that Apollonius actually existed.”
A noted philosopher from the period, many scholars have previously pointed to Apollonius as a contemporary version of Jesus.
These assertions remain purely speculative though and are based primarily on the fact there is historical evidence of Apollonius’s existence while the life and times of Jesus Christ, who was born in Jerusalem in 4BC, remain a mystery.
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