This is exactly the lesson i was bestowing upon humanity. I, Jesus of Nazareth, king of all Man, is equal to a donkey, just as every man is equal. From peasant to king. Their trolling, then, is indicative of a culture of judgement and belittling, and therefore, Rome had to fall.
This graffito is actually very significant, and highly undervalued. The graffito is an anonymous person mocking another person’s religion in Greek. The person being mocked doesn’t have an aristocratic Roman name-no trinomen, no aristocratic spelling (Claudius is an aristocrat’s name, Clodius is not an aristocrat). He’s just a dude. It’s reasonable to assume that the writer of the graffito was of a similar social status. Why is all of that so important? He wrote the graffito, and (implicitly) expected Alexandros (and their mutual acquaintances) to read it. That requires their circle to be able to read. We currently see estimates of between a 3% to 8% literacy rate in different parts of the Roman Empire. Yet we are constantly encountering evidence of widespread literate graffiti on undisturbed walls of different buildings across the Empire, most notably in places like Pompeii and Herculaneum, where we have essentially a time capsule of the 1st century urban life in the Empire. Widespread literate graffiti requires a widespread level of literacy definitely higher than the current estimates suppose.
Contrary to popular belief, literacy wasn't a function of social status in the Roman era. Many Greek slaves were literate while their noble Roman masters were not. Additionally, this particular bit of graffiti was probably written by someone who would have been considered semi-literate at best. Someone else already commented that the writer spelled a word the way he thought it should sound instead of the way it should be spelled. There were levels of literacy in the ancient world. Most people who knew Greek could probably read a sentence of less than seven words if written without particles. This is because writing at this time lacked word spacings and punctuation marks, so reading a long composition quickly turns into math problem-solving. The few people who could read more rarely could write, and the very few people who could write couldn't all compose. When 3-8% is bandied around what is usually meant is the truly literate people who could read, write, and compose. These are the ones whose textual works passed down to us form the basis of our understanding of historical context. Alexamenos and his troll only had their legacies passed down to us thanks to archaeology. Also, the assumption here is that Alexamenos needed to be able to read for this jab to make sense. Well, not really. All it would have taken was for Euthychus the pedagogue to come across it and tell his friends at the tavern. Alexamenos would find out the next day through the usual grapevine. He would also figure out right away that it must have been Andronichus the carpet seller's work because he's the only one who could write around here.
Since you're so adamant about using the word "graffito" to show off your erudition, how about deciding what it means? You've got it meaning both the inscription and the person who made it. So which is it? Also, has it occured to you that the spelling might also be an intended insult, and not the guy's actual name?
Basically. Lots of assuming going on about history. Thanks to recorded history most people today think that before 1850 every person on earth and every civilization was a bloodthirsty maniac going around killing off people willy nilly. People don’t realize usually the war stuff gets recorded. Most the stuff in-between was never really written about too much.
Dude you’re an OG, seeing exactly which confusion you wanted to address by uploading a short linking to the video where you addressed it is so cunning and good for optics I respect it more than you know.
@@ReligionForBreakfast I think this is good, straightforward longform informative content just doesn't tend to translate well to shorts. I'd recommend looking at Miniminuteman for a channel on similar topics that tends to get a lot of shorts engagement
@@ReligionForBreakfastYou have. Their very informative and they don’t attempt to be like the rest of the overstimulating garbage most people see in a day
I think it's ironic that a mocking depiction of Christ has lasted as a testament to how widespread throughout the empire Christianity became in such a short amountvof time.
I have wondered for a long time how Christianity could spread so quickly in the Greek-Roman world. (It was a question from a high school teacher that made me ponder it, she didn't really give any answer). Lately, I have started to think that one of the main reasons why people in the area accepted Christianity so quickly, might have been that there are so many similar literary tropes in the stories about Jesus that we also find in Greek and Roman mythology about demigods, gods and heroes (and caesars) that became gods after their death. It seems the early Christians "wrapped" Jesus in myths/stories that were similar to parts of the myths people already knew. Like Jesus walking on water, just like the Greek gods Orion, Poseidon and Hermes, changing water to wine like the Greek god Dionysius, healing the blind and raising the dead like the Greek god Asclepius. Or Jesus being born of a human mother and with a god as a father, kind of similar to the Greek & Roman gods or/and heroes Romulus (and Remus), Asclepius, Ion, Helen, Julius Caesar. Or the eyewitnesses stories that he rose from the dead (disappearing body is also a part of the mythological apotheosis trope) and then ascended and after that was seen by his followers as a god, in many ways similar to the myths about Romulus, Asclepius, Julius Caesar, Caesar Augustus. It wasn't uncommon with such stories being told about Roman emperors after their death. I believe there are other reasons too that made Christianity popular both among the rulers (after a while, that is) and also among the people (and the poor).
@@mailillThere is the fact that Greek Culture had already excepted the idea of God’s becoming human and doing great things, but alongside that you have the Greek religious understanding that there were unknown gods and the universal appeal of the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life (which fit in well in Western Philosophy where sin was often viewed as separating man from true understanding, because he could not perceive the perfect form of things and what not.)
The early Christians seem to have spoken Greek and Aramaic. Many of the Jesus stories were already extant around the Med. It was a melting pot area, with many religions contributing influence.
You forgot to mention the best part. "Alexamenos worships his God" was written, but an inscription underneath was added that said "Alexamenos is faithful"
There was already a misconception among Romans that Jews worshipped a donkey, so considering that Christianity started as an offshoot of Judaism, I think that's why Christians were also mocked in this way.
Why would a Roman pagan know that detail of the Gospels as early as the 2nd century? It seems very unlikely to me. Roman graffiti is often very boisterous and crude. Christians were almost certainly seen as strange and a bit silly - not unlikely how new religious movements that pop up now look ridiculous to us. Religions are, after all, very fanciful in their claims.
There was a talking donkey somewhere in the old testement. Waaaayyyy back in Genesis I believe. His rider was hitting him because he wouldn’t keep going and he basically told the rider go f**k himself.
Why did my post about the old testament talking donkey get deleted? I can’t write the F word using asterisks for letters in a totally nonderogatory way but someone on the main thread can literally spell out the S word🤔🙄
Justin Sledge recently made a video talking about possible development of the donkey headed description in Egypt as a result of Jewish accounts of the exodus rubbing the Egyptians the wrong way
Roman guy knows Jesus rode a Donkey and was Crucified. He knows that Judea is basiclly Egypt and Egyptians give their gods animal heads. Therefore Jesus had a Donkey head. Makes perfect sense to a Roman given their information and world view, imo.
I think it's just intentional mocking. They know he wasn't a donkey(there were many ways non-Christian Romans tried insulting Jesus, like saying he was the illegitimate child of a Roman soldier), but they think it would be insulting to Christians to draw their God with the head of an animal, especially a donkey, a common working animal.
this is interesting because it also shows how a crucifixion looked like. at that time cruxifions were still practized. Some historians had claimed that crucifions had a X-Form instead of a T-Form. so the T-Cross seems legit.
It makes sense. After all, instead of entering Jerusalem during Passover as a conquering hero riding a warhorse, he rode a donkey through the gates. The Romans, who despised Christian values, would have easily turned this into a joke. I guess even in the first century AD, people had their CircleJerk Subreddits.
That isn't the reference. Egyptian writers from the Hellenistic period often depicted Yahweh as a donkey-headed god. It isn't that strange when you think of Egyptian gods in general.
@@Epistolary8it is a small part of a greater verse, John 15:18-27. Read it, maybe you’ll understand the context behind him posting this quote. Or not, many biblical verses and parables go right over the heads of secularists in my experience.
Whoever wrote this inscription wasnt good at spelling 😅😅. The word is correctly written as : CEBETAI from the greek word CEBOMAI (ΣΕΒΟΜΑΙ). CEBETE AND CEBETAI had the same pronunciation but the second is grammatically correct.
Fascinating! I wish i knew more about it. Like, how certain are you about the misspelling? Do you know what dialect of Greek it is? I don't think he says the region and time period in this clip and i would assume there was variety, even if there was 1 or more standardized spelling systems used in formal settings. But assuming it is a mistake, do your think its one the writer could have corrected but they didn't notice - like a typo? Or is it one they didn't realize was a mistake? I'd be curious if it reflect the way the person speaks. Legit curious, fyi
@@friend_trilobot i am 100% sure cause i have a Bachelors in latin and ancient greek . No, from the Words I see It Is not possibile to pinpoint a specific dialect , it is most probably Koine Greek regarding the era. Greek at that time had dialectical differences, though to a lesser extend than in 500 bc for example. Though the one thing that I can say is that Ε in general and ΑΙ (at the end) of the word had the same pronunciation. So our friend here just wrote it as he pronounced it. The word ΣΈΒΕΤΑΙ ( 3d singular in present) is written only with ΑΙ and definitely not with the Ε its a grammatical rule.
i feel it was probably a child lol. yes there have been many, many illiterate people through the ages, but this image screams to me "alexander smells" with half the letter written backwards, stink lines, written on lined paper
I feel like all this comments are talking about the trolling because it happened a long time ago but I feel like this “graffiti” along with Tertullian’s account shows how people of that time suffered religion persecution pretty badly and in all this years we still are doing that. I wonder if in the distant future, the insults and persecutions of today will be funny to people like this inscription is funny to us now (I do not take part in any religion whatsoever)
That’s where it originates from. Out if Hatred of the Tale of Exodus, they depicted Yahweh of the bible at Set as retaliation, seeing many parallels with their own god of Set to Yahweh of Exodus
This isnt evidence to indicate that christians always believed in the divinity of christ. This inscription is dated to around the end of the 3rd century. Even if it came at the end of the second it still would be evidence of that.
Graffiti is amateur and personal art...and like all art...it communicates the thoughts of artist...this one is quite revealing as it provides social and cultural context about the perception of Christianity by some Romans at that time.
Jesus rode a donkey because it meant he came in peace, not in war like when one rides a horse. The anti-christs saw this as weakness instead of humility. Those people where never humble in their lives.
How do you know which sect he belonged to? Perhaps he was a Gnostic and you're not? Perhaps he didn't believe in Trinity and you do? The list can go on and on.
The reason why romans thought Jews and Christians worshipped a donkey headed god is because yahweh sounded like the Egyptian yao which meant donkey which was also associated with Set who was viewed as the god of foreigners.
Probably the donkey was used simply because Jesus rode on a Donkey when he entered the city instead of a great magnificent horse an emperor or someone of socalled great importance like a ruler would have rode on.
According to your buddy Doc Sledge from Esoterica, the Donkey-Headed being is a polemic levied by the ancient Egyptians against the Jews and possibly later the Christians in response to the Jewish narrative of the Exodus becoming really popular in Alexandria at the twilight of Egyptian independence around like 150-30 BC/BCE. As to why a donkey-head specifically, it's because they correlated the actions of the Jewish Yahweh and the Tyrian god Baal/Melqart with the evil god Set; god of foreigners, plagues, death, and destruction.
But you didn’t add the best part! Assumingly alexamenos responds “Alexamenos fidelis”, meaning, “Alexamenos is faithful”, which I think is really touching, and have thought about tattooing the phrase
Makes me think a bit of "Gerard Reve and the donkey trial", in which he was sued for blasphemy when he was joking that he was worshipping God through a donkey.
The early christians probably emphasized the “on a donkey entering jerusalem” prophecy from jewish culture jesus was supposed to have fulfilled. Which as far as prophecies go, is pretty easy.
This stems back to the Jews the Egyptians. Egyptians believed that Yahweh was Set. Set is often depicted with a donkey head. The Greeks later the Romans adopted Set into their pantheon and became Hephaestus. It was a common insult to both Jews and Christians back then to say their God was a desert dwelling demon god with a donkeys head. Some Greek writing say the cult of Hephaestus is big and Israel.
That is why this graffiti is used by some as evidence that Jesus actually existed. Because even his detractors can’t deny that a man who was crucified ended up spawning a whole religion.
The mame on the back of a donkey is in the shape of a pronounced cross and he left on a cross. Matthew 27:50 in the King James Version reads: "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost." God is working all things to glorify his son through him. Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.
Egyptian writers in the Hellenistic era (mostly priests) liked to depict Yahweh with a donkey's head. Interestingly, this implies that the graffiti-maker is aware of the Jewish origin of Christianity and that Alexamenos was probably following a form of Patripassianism.
@@andrewsuryali8540 interesting! maybe the graffiti-maker was a fellow believer, and was accusing Alexamenos of heresy in a humorous way. or maybe Alexamenos was a believer, and the graffiti-maker was ignorantly under the patripassianist belief. the world may never know, but that's a very interesting fact about the Hellenistic-era Egyptians!
In Romanian orthodoxy, the name for Jesus is Iisus, with double i. I heard stories the word isus (single i) sounded like the word for donkey either in Hebrew or another language from that time/area. Don’t know if there’s any truth to that. But many orthodox make fun of the neoprotestant cults in Romania for spelling the name as Isus, like they’re not true christians, they’re worshiping a donkey
I get it. The lord of the lowest. They thought little of the people back then, so much so they likened the Christians to donkeys, fit only for servitude. Is what I take from it.
No it was an already established thing, they said it about the jews before christianity. It possibly has connections to a few egyptian things but sources would be needed.
Is there a Greek pun between “only begotten” and “donkey begotten”. Given the fact that calling someone a donkey is an insult, it’s likely it’s just an insult it seems to me.
donkeys were considered low creatures in rome. i'm not ruling out that it's some random animal like a jackal or horse, but it seems more likely that it's a donkey the less-than-lengthy ears may just be artistic license, it is the clear the graffiti artist isn't the most gifted engraver
Nothing transcends the ages like a spicy shitpost.
And a misspelled shitpost at that! He wrote CEBETE when it's spelled CEBETAI. Apparently trolls being barely literate is also universal.
@@rhov-anion True dat 😂
@@rhov-aniondid you just spell correct a Roman?
@@aaronmortimer1911yes, as we know their language, and if you compare it to proper literature, it's misspelled
@@rhov-anion "Romanes eunt domus" !
Trolling. The one thing no matter the time or culture we all get.
Justice as well. Don’t worry Roman, he’s coming on horse this time.
@@Roshiyahu🤨👉🙏👉🐴✝️
@@FightBackOrDie27Is Roman someone you know?
Young turks were the kings of trolling
Donkey the lowest creature? It is has been the backbone of human civilization. The most underappreciated animals.
And they're incredibly intelligent (which is why they're not very liked)
donkeys are the blue-collar workers of the animal kingdom
I’ll accept it as Christianity is an egalitarian religion
This is exactly the lesson i was bestowing upon humanity. I, Jesus of Nazareth, king of all Man, is equal to a donkey, just as every man is equal. From peasant to king. Their trolling, then, is indicative of a culture of judgement and belittling, and therefore, Rome had to fall.
Same reason why Farmers and other blue collar folks don’t get that much respect, appearance
This graffito is actually very significant, and highly undervalued.
The graffito is an anonymous person mocking another person’s religion in Greek. The person being mocked doesn’t have an aristocratic Roman name-no trinomen, no aristocratic spelling (Claudius is an aristocrat’s name, Clodius is not an aristocrat). He’s just a dude. It’s reasonable to assume that the writer of the graffito was of a similar social status.
Why is all of that so important? He wrote the graffito, and (implicitly) expected Alexandros (and their mutual acquaintances) to read it. That requires their circle to be able to read.
We currently see estimates of between a 3% to 8% literacy rate in different parts of the Roman Empire. Yet we are constantly encountering evidence of widespread literate graffiti on undisturbed walls of different buildings across the Empire, most notably in places like Pompeii and Herculaneum, where we have essentially a time capsule of the 1st century urban life in the Empire. Widespread literate graffiti requires a widespread level of literacy definitely higher than the current estimates suppose.
Contrary to popular belief, literacy wasn't a function of social status in the Roman era. Many Greek slaves were literate while their noble Roman masters were not. Additionally, this particular bit of graffiti was probably written by someone who would have been considered semi-literate at best. Someone else already commented that the writer spelled a word the way he thought it should sound instead of the way it should be spelled.
There were levels of literacy in the ancient world. Most people who knew Greek could probably read a sentence of less than seven words if written without particles. This is because writing at this time lacked word spacings and punctuation marks, so reading a long composition quickly turns into math problem-solving. The few people who could read more rarely could write, and the very few people who could write couldn't all compose.
When 3-8% is bandied around what is usually meant is the truly literate people who could read, write, and compose. These are the ones whose textual works passed down to us form the basis of our understanding of historical context. Alexamenos and his troll only had their legacies passed down to us thanks to archaeology.
Also, the assumption here is that Alexamenos needed to be able to read for this jab to make sense. Well, not really. All it would have taken was for Euthychus the pedagogue to come across it and tell his friends at the tavern. Alexamenos would find out the next day through the usual grapevine. He would also figure out right away that it must have been Andronichus the carpet seller's work because he's the only one who could write around here.
Since you're so adamant about using the word "graffito" to show off your erudition, how about deciding what it means? You've got it meaning both the inscription and the person who made it. So which is it?
Also, has it occured to you that the spelling might also be an intended insult, and not the guy's actual name?
Basically. Lots of assuming going on about history. Thanks to recorded history most people today think that before 1850 every person on earth and every civilization was a bloodthirsty maniac going around killing off people willy nilly. People don’t realize usually the war stuff gets recorded. Most the stuff in-between was never really written about too much.
Bro why is everyone writing a hyper analysis essay💀
He was an aristocrat, he just wrote one name because its shorter and natural.
Dude you’re an OG, seeing exactly which confusion you wanted to address by uploading a short linking to the video where you addressed it is so cunning and good for optics I respect it more than you know.
Thanks for the vote of confidence! I still feel like I haven’t cracked the code for good short videos!
@@ReligionForBreakfast I think this is good, straightforward longform informative content just doesn't tend to translate well to shorts.
I'd recommend looking at Miniminuteman for a channel on similar topics that tends to get a lot of shorts engagement
@@ReligionForBreakfastYou have. Their very informative and they don’t attempt to be like the rest of the overstimulating garbage most people see in a day
I thought it was Jar Jar Binks being crucified for a second
Jar Jar Binks deserves to be crucified.
Further proof that Jar Jar is god
Darth plagis worships his god
You wish
And now my weekly tic has become singing "Our god is a donkey's head" to the tune of "Our God is an Awesome God".
He brays over heaven and earth
Jesus the Holy Lamb of God is above all.
losing my mind over this thank you
@@mugglesarecooltooHe's not above me.
@@barth9580Your bellow all
I was in the lecture where someone asked the question that spawned this short!
I think it's ironic that a mocking depiction of Christ has lasted as a testament to how widespread throughout the empire Christianity became in such a short amountvof time.
I have wondered for a long time how Christianity could spread so quickly in the Greek-Roman world. (It was a question from a high school teacher that made me ponder it, she didn't really give any answer).
Lately, I have started to think that one of the main reasons why people in the area accepted Christianity so quickly, might have been that there are so many similar literary tropes in the stories about Jesus that we also find in Greek and Roman mythology about demigods, gods and heroes (and caesars) that became gods after their death. It seems the early Christians "wrapped" Jesus in myths/stories that were similar to parts of the myths people already knew.
Like Jesus walking on water, just like the Greek gods Orion, Poseidon and Hermes, changing water to wine like the Greek god Dionysius, healing the blind and raising the dead like the Greek god Asclepius.
Or Jesus being born of a human mother and with a god as a father, kind of similar to the Greek & Roman gods or/and heroes Romulus (and Remus), Asclepius, Ion, Helen, Julius Caesar. Or the eyewitnesses stories that he rose from the dead (disappearing body is also a part of the mythological apotheosis trope) and then ascended and after that was seen by his followers as a god, in many ways similar to the myths about Romulus, Asclepius, Julius Caesar, Caesar Augustus.
It wasn't uncommon with such stories being told about Roman emperors after their death.
I believe there are other reasons too that made Christianity popular both among the rulers (after a while, that is) and also among the people (and the poor).
@@mailillThere is the fact that Greek Culture had already excepted the idea of God’s becoming human and doing great things, but alongside that you have the Greek religious understanding that there were unknown gods and the universal appeal of the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life (which fit in well in Western Philosophy where sin was often viewed as separating man from true understanding, because he could not perceive the perfect form of things and what not.)
The early Christians seem to have spoken Greek and Aramaic. Many of the Jesus stories were already extant around the Med. It was a melting pot area, with many religions contributing influence.
Jesus Is God. Period
True
How is nobody talking about how this Troll’s name is unknown, while he unwittingly made Alex amenos a Famous Chad meme for all time.
They made him Bojack Horseman 😂
You forgot to mention the best part. "Alexamenos worships his God" was written, but an inscription underneath was added that said "Alexamenos is faithful"
Thats actually in the next chamber over
@@Will-fj9gy After looking it up... You're right, with it saying "ΑΛΕξΑΜΕΝΟϹ FIDELIS" - Interesting nonetheless, thanks for the correction!
@@Ricolietswhat are the chances that it was actually Alexamenos that wrote the response trying to justify his faith? Hahaha
@@Por-poI Or a troll, trolling the troll. Both are pretty common human behavior.
... or Jesus's triumph entry into Jeruselem on a donkey?
thats the only prominent donkey i rmbr.
There was already a misconception among Romans that Jews worshipped a donkey, so considering that Christianity started as an offshoot of Judaism, I think that's why Christians were also mocked in this way.
Why would a Roman pagan know that detail of the Gospels as early as the 2nd century?
It seems very unlikely to me.
Roman graffiti is often very boisterous and crude. Christians were almost certainly seen as strange and a bit silly - not unlikely how new religious movements that pop up now look ridiculous to us. Religions are, after all, very fanciful in their claims.
There was a talking donkey somewhere in the old testement. Waaaayyyy back in Genesis I believe. His rider was hitting him because he wouldn’t keep going and he basically told the rider go f**k himself.
RIGHT THANK YOU
Why did my post about the old testament talking donkey get deleted? I can’t write the F word using asterisks for letters in a totally nonderogatory way but someone on the main thread can literally spell out the S word🤔🙄
This looks like a 10 year old deviant artist’s first Christian furry art that they post in the early 2000s
Drawing your friend's savior as a donkey and being like "this you?" is hilarious. Bro was like "disrespectfully....roasted"
It’s wild lol
Homie Accidentally made Alex Amenos Famous too.
Lil bro made ancient wojaks
"You god is a donkey's head" is such a monty python insult
As someone who struggles with stick figures, I love that this sloppy graffiti shitpost has survived for a couple of thousand years.
Incredible the wound on the shoulder and the spear wound on thev side. Pretty well informed for making fun
Justin Sledge recently made a video talking about possible development of the donkey headed description in Egypt as a result of Jewish accounts of the exodus rubbing the Egyptians the wrong way
More original than the modern memes
Bros mocking bros since the beginning of times.
Roman guy knows Jesus rode a Donkey and was Crucified. He knows that Judea is basiclly Egypt and Egyptians give their gods animal heads.
Therefore Jesus had a Donkey head.
Makes perfect sense to a Roman given their information and world view, imo.
I think it's just intentional mocking. They know he wasn't a donkey(there were many ways non-Christian Romans tried insulting Jesus, like saying he was the illegitimate child of a Roman soldier), but they think it would be insulting to Christians to draw their God with the head of an animal, especially a donkey, a common working animal.
There’s actually likely some relation to the Eqyptian God Seth or Set who also had a donkey head and was a violent god of storms and foreigners.
Will be interesting for future humans to find Anti-Scientology depictions in 2 millennia
Donkey head was the later image of the god seth. Egyptians called outside "bad" gods as Seth, and drew them as donkey headed.
Stargate SG-1 is the only reason I know the names of the Egyptian gods. Seth/Set/Setesh included, lol.
this is interesting because it also shows how a crucifixion looked like. at that time cruxifions were still practized. Some historians had claimed that crucifions had a X-Form instead of a T-Form. so the T-Cross seems legit.
People will never understand how valuable graffiti can be sometimes
Our God is a Donkey's head
He neighs from Heaven on high
With wisdom, power and hay,
Our God is a Donkey's head!
at least it's better than goat's head which is worship by the Satanists. 😅
Do donkeys neigh? Don't they honk instead?
@@andrewsuryali8540 it occurred to me after I wrote that that it might have been better to go with "bray"
Praise Jesus.
God laughs at the wicked for he knows their time❤
Like in Egypt when he makes them cry, the worst Egypt will suffer?
It makes sense. After all, instead of entering Jerusalem during Passover as a conquering hero riding a warhorse, he rode a donkey through the gates. The Romans, who despised Christian values, would have easily turned this into a joke.
I guess even in the first century AD, people had their CircleJerk Subreddits.
That isn't the reference. Egyptian writers from the Hellenistic period often depicted Yahweh as a donkey-headed god. It isn't that strange when you think of Egyptian gods in general.
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” - Jesus of Nazareth
Is that supposed to be inspiring, or…?
Is that supposed to be sarcastic, or…?
@@Epistolary8it is a small part of a greater verse, John 15:18-27. Read it, maybe you’ll understand the context behind him posting this quote. Or not, many biblical verses and parables go right over the heads of secularists in my experience.
Sounds like your god is a sado-masochist
There's been far more people hated before Jesus.
why did people hate donkeys so much. they’ve done so much for humanity.
Especially back then, they were literally the trucks and tractors they depended on 😭
Whoever wrote this inscription wasnt good at spelling 😅😅. The word is correctly written as : CEBETAI from the greek word CEBOMAI (ΣΕΒΟΜΑΙ).
CEBETE AND CEBETAI had the same pronunciation but the second is grammatically correct.
The fact that this Roman troll is still being spellchecked almost 2000 years later is just hilarious! 😄
Fascinating! I wish i knew more about it. Like, how certain are you about the misspelling? Do you know what dialect of Greek it is? I don't think he says the region and time period in this clip and i would assume there was variety, even if there was 1 or more standardized spelling systems used in formal settings. But assuming it is a mistake, do your think its one the writer could have corrected but they didn't notice - like a typo? Or is it one they didn't realize was a mistake? I'd be curious if it reflect the way the person speaks. Legit curious, fyi
@@friend_trilobot i am 100% sure cause i have a Bachelors in latin and ancient greek . No, from the Words I see It Is not possibile to pinpoint a specific dialect , it is most probably Koine Greek regarding the era. Greek at that time had dialectical differences, though to a lesser extend than in 500 bc for example.
Though the one thing that I can say is that Ε in general and
ΑΙ (at the end) of the word had the same pronunciation. So our friend here just wrote it as he pronounced it. The word ΣΈΒΕΤΑΙ ( 3d singular in present) is written only with ΑΙ and definitely not with the Ε its a grammatical rule.
Just like the Tea Party/MAGA people with all their misspelled signs!? So funny!
i feel it was probably a child lol. yes there have been many, many illiterate people through the ages, but this image screams to me "alexander smells" with half the letter written backwards, stink lines, written on lined paper
In an alternate universe this depiction of Jesus is the one that caught on.
I feel like all this comments are talking about the trolling because it happened a long time ago but I feel like this “graffiti” along with Tertullian’s account shows how people of that time suffered religion persecution pretty badly and in all this years we still are doing that. I wonder if in the distant future, the insults and persecutions of today will be funny to people like this inscription is funny to us now
(I do not take part in any religion whatsoever)
Profound bro
funny. I didn't find it funny. I mean, it has like a no pants thing, but thats hardly funny.
Graffiti is not persecution, it's freedom of expression,
which religion likes to suppress in favour of church dogma.
@@r0ky_MReally? So can I go to your house and tag it? How about where you work? That ok? Your kids school ok? Where do YOU draw the line?
@@tribalismblindsthembutnoty124
Don't confuse damaging someone's property with your imaginary persecution.
Christians: our messiah is like lamb offered by his father for our sins
Helenist: like a donkey you say?
"Alexamenos is faithful."
i believe the donkey could’ve represented Set, the god of foreigners and chaos who the egyptians associated with foreign gods, no?
That’s where it originates from. Out if Hatred of the Tale of Exodus, they depicted Yahweh of the bible at Set as retaliation, seeing many parallels with their own god of Set to Yahweh of Exodus
Roasting and throwing shade at people you don’t like is an art as old as humanity itself.
Donkey is still an insult in Greece.
Bringing this one back
Alexamenos is faithful
great content Doc_love the short video format
Back in the 90s I was in a famous crucifixion
I will seek out brother Alexamenos in heaven one day and give him a hug ✝️
As the Duke of Wellington nearly said when he was called an Irishman: "Being born in a stable does not make one a donkey."
Also interesting evidence that Christians had always believed in the crucifixion and the divinity of Christ (contrary to what Muslims claim)
This isnt evidence to indicate that christians always believed in the divinity of christ. This inscription is dated to around the end of the 3rd century. Even if it came at the end of the second it still would be evidence of that.
He is thicc af tho
There was definitely leavening in that cake
Looks like Bojack Horseman
Graffiti is amateur and personal art...and like all art...it communicates the thoughts of artist...this one is quite revealing as it provides social and cultural context about the perception of Christianity by some Romans at that time.
I’m going to need to use that one sometime😂
Jesus rode a donkey because it meant he came in peace, not in war like when one rides a horse. The anti-christs saw this as weakness instead of humility. Those people where never humble in their lives.
Insult aside, i wonder how old was this image? I wish he actually gave an approximate date.
IIRC it's dated to the earlier 200s, but take that with a grain of salt because I genuinely can't remember where I heard that from
The first wojack meme
Alexamenos is an absolute chad. Hope to meet him in heaven one day
Same.
You do know that Jesus is not god, or son of god, right? He was just some contrarian hippie with a god complex that got killed for blasphemy.
How do you know which sect he belonged to?
Perhaps he was a Gnostic and you're not? Perhaps he didn't believe in Trinity and you do? The list can go on and on.
Same
The reason why romans thought Jews and Christians worshipped a donkey headed god is because yahweh sounded like the Egyptian yao which meant donkey which was also associated with Set who was viewed as the god of foreigners.
Redditers have a proud and storied history it seems
Evil people always slander their innocent enemies. Lies perish and truth remains
one of the only depictions of Christ to get his cake spot on
Alexamenos is a Chad
Probably the donkey was used simply because Jesus rode on a Donkey when he entered the city instead of a great magnificent horse an emperor or someone of socalled great importance like a ruler would have rode on.
According to your buddy Doc Sledge from Esoterica, the Donkey-Headed being is a polemic levied by the ancient Egyptians against the Jews and possibly later the Christians in response to the Jewish narrative of the Exodus becoming really popular in Alexandria at the twilight of Egyptian independence around like 150-30 BC/BCE. As to why a donkey-head specifically, it's because they correlated the actions of the Jewish Yahweh and the Tyrian god Baal/Melqart with the evil god Set; god of foreigners, plagues, death, and destruction.
But you didn’t add the best part! Assumingly alexamenos responds “Alexamenos fidelis”, meaning, “Alexamenos is faithful”, which I think is really touching, and have thought about tattooing the phrase
Makes me think a bit of "Gerard Reve and the donkey trial", in which he was sued for blasphemy when he was joking that he was worshipping God through a donkey.
The early christians probably emphasized the “on a donkey entering jerusalem” prophecy from jewish culture jesus was supposed to have fulfilled. Which as far as prophecies go, is pretty easy.
This stems back to the Jews the Egyptians. Egyptians believed that Yahweh was Set. Set is often depicted with a donkey head. The Greeks later the Romans adopted Set into their pantheon and became Hephaestus. It was a common insult to both Jews and Christians back then to say their God was a desert dwelling demon god with a donkeys head. Some Greek writing say the cult of Hephaestus is big and Israel.
This kinda proves that the exodus narrative and the gospel part wearnt made over time, at least not as long as many believe
Probably means nothing, but every donkey has a cross on its back. Check it out. It’s quite remarkable.
I thought that was Bojack Horseman lol
lol hey they were on to something back then, even they realized how crazy their cult was
Most Roman's were pagan xd
This graffiti might be even older than the Gospels themselves.
That is why this graffiti is used by some as evidence that Jesus actually existed. Because even his detractors can’t deny that a man who was crucified ended up spawning a whole religion.
@@LDogSmiles Most non believers accept Jesus existed. His divinity is what is dismissed.
@mikeboyd-og1sh ???
@mikeboyd-og1sh ok
The mame on the back of a donkey is in the shape of a pronounced cross and he left on a cross. Matthew 27:50 in the King James Version reads:
"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."
God is working all things to glorify his son through him.
Ephesians 1:10
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.
For more about it: "Mythvision" and "Gnostic Informant" 🖥️👀🎥
Funny, i was thinking after watching a video about the Baal cycle, Ba-al in some Semitic languages translate to mean donkey. So now i see the link!
was "donkey" some sort of mistranslation or pun or something? what would lead to the confusion of thinking Christians worshipped a donkey's head?
Maybe Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey
Egyptian writers in the Hellenistic era (mostly priests) liked to depict Yahweh with a donkey's head. Interestingly, this implies that the graffiti-maker is aware of the Jewish origin of Christianity and that Alexamenos was probably following a form of Patripassianism.
@@andrewsuryali8540 interesting!
maybe the graffiti-maker was a fellow believer, and was accusing Alexamenos of heresy in a humorous way. or maybe Alexamenos was a believer, and the graffiti-maker was ignorantly under the patripassianist belief. the world may never know, but that's a very interesting fact about the Hellenistic-era Egyptians!
In Romanian orthodoxy, the name for Jesus is Iisus, with double i. I heard stories the word isus (single i) sounded like the word for donkey either in Hebrew or another language from that time/area. Don’t know if there’s any truth to that.
But many orthodox make fun of the neoprotestant cults in Romania for spelling the name as Isus, like they’re not true christians, they’re worshiping a donkey
Really thought that was Bojack on first glance
why are donkeys looked down upon? they are so cool
I think it a reputation of them being mean.
Imagine the earliest depiction of your religion is school insult 😂
R/atheism is older than you’d think
Funny, I would have thought that in the time it took for the story of Jesus to make it Rome, there would have been art of him closer to home.
Historical lessons in meme culture
I get it. The lord of the lowest. They thought little of the people back then, so much so they likened the Christians to donkeys, fit only for servitude. Is what I take from it.
No it was an already established thing, they said it about the jews before christianity. It possibly has connections to a few egyptian things but sources would be needed.
@Will-fj9gy well I'm just speculating and grasping at straws.
This proves that throwing a brick to somebody famous if you want to be famous works even after 2000 years.
Why is he caked up tho
Catching me unwise in ramadan
who cares@@luanasari5161
I love this thing so much lol. Wish I could tell the og artist that his shade is still hitting
Is there a Greek pun between “only begotten” and “donkey begotten”. Given the fact that calling someone a donkey is an insult, it’s likely it’s just an insult it seems to me.
Alexamenos worships his God.
Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem which was a sign of his humility. It seems this was turned into an insult by the Romans..
In part by the Egyptians who depicted God of the bible as a donkey, believing this “God” was Set, whom was depicted as a Donkey
was this the first ever soyjack meme?
Why is this so funny? 🤣
I want it as a shirt
Realizing that if Christians can make the cross their symbol, they could've also owned the donkey as well
BRING IT BACK
Awesome, can we get the freakin year?!
You've already had one, stop asking for another.
amazing, you're doing shorts! :)
"Alexemenos has faith."
Any possible connection to Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a young donkey ?
Maybe
Are we sure that's a donkey? Looks more like a horse to me. I mean, where are the long ears?
I thought more jackal myself but its ears are rounded and its mouth sort of segmented off to indicate the white patch.
donkeys were considered low creatures in rome. i'm not ruling out that it's some random animal like a jackal or horse, but it seems more likely that it's a donkey
the less-than-lengthy ears may just be artistic license, it is the clear the graffiti artist isn't the most gifted engraver
Earliest depiction of Jesus was a wojack
At least he gave Jesus that cake
Who killed Jesus?
Uh, what are the Jews Alex.
if Jesus was killed by the jews he whould have been beheaded not crucified
How early is it?
it was made around 200 AD