#asklepios

Kind Asklepios, son of far-shooting Apollo, first of physicians, swiftest of healers, trusted mender of broken men and women, through you do the lame walk, the sick renew their good health; through you are wounds healed, bones knit, and illness burnt away; by your goodness and might do we regain joy in our lives. Asklepios, friend of mankind, I pray to you, I seek your favor. May I be healed of this affliction, may I recover through and through, may vigor and vitality return to me. Asklepios, compassionate one, learned one, resourceful one, I ask your blessing.

P. Oxy. XI 1381 (2ndCentury A.D) tells that Imhotep was named as "Imouthes, Imutes" son of Ptah or Asklepios son of Hephaistos = Ptah. Since the time of Herodoute, the Greeks assimilated Asklepios with the Egyptian god Imhotep. He was accepted by the Greeks as god of healing and medicine since the 5th B.C, on the otherwise, the cult of Imhotep- Asklepios may be appeared in Egypt since the 3rd century B.C. Imhotep was revered as son of Ptah, the god of healing and preserving power. His sanctuaries were centers for visitors who are seeking for incubation and health. So a vast amount of graffiti of the rich Greeks and Romans, who visited the ruined temples of Asklepios still record the homage paid to the god and the widespread faith in his power to heal the sick devotees who flocked to his shrines. According to the same Papyrus king Mecrenius established a temple forImhotep, which indicates that the cult of Imhotep in Egypt might be date back to the 4th Dynasty especially since the reign of king Mecrenius. The story of the papyrus refers to a dream-cure involving Imhotep, the text was written by unnamed first person narrator , whose mother had been ill for three years from a fever illness. The son and his mother prayed for Imoutes (Imhotep), who duly appeared to the mother in dreams, rescribing simple remedies. Later when the son himself fell ill, Imoutes came to him in dreams simultaneously with the waking vision of his mother: he was instantly cured. However their future requests for aid met with no response, and the god told them, through his priest that he was not satisfied by their expressions of gratitude. So the son acted his praising towards Imouthes-Asklepios. Bunsen mentioned there is no representation of Asklepios–Imhotep before the Ptolemaic period. Imhotep-Asklepios was depicted like Ptah, is shown with bald or shaven head, and sometimes wearing a close-fitting cap. Maspero referred that he watched a bronze statuette of Asklepios shows him as a seated figure, holding on his knee a partially unrolled papyrus at which he is looking down, his head is shaven and wears a long gown.

A vision of the Healing Gods - Apollo, Asklepios, Hygeia, Earth, and Helios.

The length of time during which Asclepius and Jesus were compared to each other is seen in the works of Alcuin. In the eighth century he still called Asclepius the false Christ. Furthermore, Norden mentions that when humanistic thinking in the time of the Renaissance prohibited the use of non-classical words, they used to substitute the name of Asclepius (and of Apollo) for the name of Jesus. Asclepius (as well as Serapis) provided the strongest opposition to the Christians up to the 5th century CE. The literary evidence clearly indicates that the opposition between the two was a hard-fought competition in which both sides used almost identical historical and theological arguments.

The close similarity between the two cult figures brought strong opposition between the two groups. Christian followers of Jesus not only rejected the Asclepius cult and denied its deeds, but were also prohibited from participating in any form of the opposing cult's activities.1°9 This total denial by the Christian church was necessary since many members of the new religion still participated in the Asclepius cult. Such a denial of participation in the opposing cult was not necessary for the Asclepius followers. On the one hand, their understanding of their god Asclepius could have tolerated another healing deity like Apollo, Hygieia, and Serapis, who were already celebrated at the Asclepieia, e.g., in Pergamum. On the other hand, Aristides shows clearly that Jesus as a new healer god was not attractive to the followers of Asclepius.

In addition to strong opposition between the two groups, there also existed a certain amount of respect between them. This is seen, for example, in the statement of Clement regarding the Asclepius cult in Epidauros; when he discusses the Christian concept of love and faithfulness, he gives a positive assessment of the Epidaurian cult: “And this was what he, whoever he was, indicated who wrote on the entrance to the temple at Epidauros the inscription—'Pure he must be who goes within the incense-perfumed fane.' And purity is ‘to think holy thoughts.’ "Except ye become as these little children, ye shall not enter,’ it is said, ‘into the kingdom of heaven.’ For there the temple of God is seen established on three foundations— faith, hope, and love." Another example is from Arnobius. Although he expresses strong opposition against Asclepius, on one occasion he gives Asclepius the recognition that he was a healer-god, destined to work for a short time— for only one age. [...]

Theological considerations also illustrate the similarities between the two cults. Both deities were considered saviors of the whole world, “helper(s) of the human race" and gods "who have chosen to benefit humanity in every way, giving each man what is his due." They freely give gifts to the human race and “look after men." From this understanding of their soter, both groups of followers developed a theological understanding of their personal lifestyle which they desired to live in accordance with the will of god. [...] The theology of the Asclepius cult is still visible in the writings of the Emperor Julian. He wrote: "Asclepius, having made his visitation to earth from the sky... is present everywhere on land and sea. He visits no one of us separately, and yet he raises up souls that are sinful and bodies that are sick." The Asclepius devotees also understood theologically that they had to exercise patience because god acted (healed) according to his own will

Zeus Asklepios, The Godhead