Christ the Magikian?

[kallistii]

-A bowl, dating to between the late 2nd century B.C. and the early 1st century A.D., is engraved with what may be the world's first known reference to Christ. The engraving reads, "DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS," which has been interpreted to mean either, "by Christ the magician" or, "the magician by Christ."

From the article:

"If the word "Christ" refers to the Biblical Jesus Christ, as is speculated, then the discovery may provide evidence that Christianity and paganism at times intertwined in the ancient world."

Read the rest of the article here.

Comments

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

Look up "Simon Magus" who tried to work magic in the name of Jesus. Obviously others had the idea of using the name of this powerful thaumaturge.

[smwance.livejournal.com]

The "mixing" of "magic" and Christianity is really nothing new. The first 200 years of Christianity was a time frought with unheaval and division and there were all kinds of sects regarding who and what Jesus was and how to address his believers. On top of all of that, once it was "organized" after the first Council of Nicaea, Christianity developed quickly since it proved extremely adaptable in other lands (hence why Christmas has some origins connected to the druids).

Personally, I feel the "need" to separate paganism from Christianity is just a holdover from a time when "purity" was the end-all, be-all of religious practices.

[shrike-15.livejournal.com]

The word "christos" is greek for "the one rubbed with ointment", it was also the substitute for the hebrew "messiah".
Given the timespan in the article, a relation to Jesus or the Messiah to keep it in general terms, has a very low propability, me thinks.