| Summary: | Colossians contains plausible allusions to Hercules. While there are additional parallels in the letter from Jewish literature and other Greco-Roman stories, few come as close to Hercules with respect to the composite picture of Christ as the heavenly Son of God, who conquered the powers of darkness, marched in a triumphal procession, reconciled his enemies, brought peace to the world and hope to his followers. Moreover, the unparalleled popularity of Hercules in the ancient world makes it likely that some viewed Hercules's legend as a lens and point of comparison with Christ's death. Further, the Hercules myth was specifically used to propagate Rome's preeminence over the nations. In this article, I survey the associations made between Jesus and Hercules in the early church and in recent scholarship. Next, I summarize Hercules Furens and Hercules on Oeta to set up a comparison with comments about Christ in Colossians before discussing possible ramifications of considering the myth in the background of the letter and making final conclusions. I argue that, due to the widespread infatuation with Hercules in the first century, the Colossian believers would likely have recognized any comment about Christ that resembled something in Hercules's story. Furthermore, because of the role the legend played in Roman ideology, an inclusion of plausible allusions to the hero in the background of Colossians reinforces an imperial-critical reading of the letter.
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