Topical Encyclopedia Bacchus, known in Greek mythology as Dionysus, is the Roman god of wine, revelry, and ecstasy. While Bacchus is not directly mentioned in the Bible, the cultural and religious practices associated with him provide a backdrop for understanding certain biblical passages and the early Christian context.Historical and Cultural Context Bacchus was celebrated in various festivals, most notably the Bacchanalia, which were characterized by frenzied rites and excessive indulgence in wine and pleasure. These festivals were notorious for their licentiousness and were eventually suppressed by the Roman Senate in 186 BC due to their disruptive nature. The worship of Bacchus often involved ecstatic dances, music, and the consumption of wine, which were believed to bring the participants into communion with the divine. This form of worship was in stark contrast to the sober and orderly worship practices prescribed in the Bible. Biblical References and Implications While Bacchus himself is not mentioned in the Bible, the themes associated with his worship are addressed. The Bible frequently warns against drunkenness and debauchery, which are central to Bacchic rites. For instance, in Ephesians 5:18 , the Apostle Paul admonishes, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." This verse contrasts the filling of the Holy Spirit with the intoxication associated with Bacchic revelry. Furthermore, the Bible often uses the imagery of wine and drunkenness to symbolize moral and spiritual decay. In Proverbs 20:1 , it is written, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise." This reflects a broader biblical theme that warns against the excesses and moral pitfalls that Bacchus represents. Early Christian Response The early Christians lived in a world where the worship of Bacchus and other pagan deities was prevalent. The apostolic teachings often addressed the need for Christians to separate themselves from pagan practices. In 1 Peter 4:3-4 , the apostle writes, "For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry. Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you." This passage highlights the tension between the Christian call to holiness and the surrounding culture's indulgence in Bacchic-like excesses. The early church fathers often spoke against the moral and spiritual dangers of participating in such pagan festivities, urging believers to live lives marked by temperance and self-control. Symbolism and Allegory In Christian allegory, Bacchus can be seen as a symbol of the worldly temptations that lead individuals away from a life devoted to God. The contrast between the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh, as outlined in Galatians 5:19-23 , serves as a reminder of the Christian's call to live a life that reflects the character of Christ rather than the excesses of pagan worship. In summary, while Bacchus is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the themes and practices associated with his worship are addressed through biblical teachings on sobriety, self-control, and the rejection of pagan excesses. These teachings remain relevant for Christians seeking to live a life that honors God amidst a world filled with temptations. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (n.) The god of wine, son of Jupiter and Semele.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia BACCHUSbak'-us Dionusos; later Bakchos, the Feast of Bacchus; Dionusia: The god of wine. His worship had extended over the whole Greek and Roman world centuries before the Christian era, and had degenerated into an orgy of drunkenness and unnamable immoralities, possibly under the influence of oriental Baal worship, such as the Hebrew prophets condemned. It has been surmised that Dionysus was originally not a Greek, but an oriental deity. His worship had been introduced into Egypt, perhaps by the Ptolemies, and Ptolemy Philopator (222-204 B.C.) had branded the Jews there with his emblem, the sign of the ivy. When Antiochus Epiphanes made his assault upon Jerusalem in the year 168 B.C., he determined to extirpate the worship of Yahweh, which he recognized as the strength of the Jewish resistance, and to replace it by Greek religion. All worship of Yahweh and the observance of Jewish rites, such as the Sabbath and circumcision, were prohibited. Heathen worship was set up all over Judea, and in the temple at Jerusalem on the altar of burnt offering an altar to Jupiter was erected, "the abomination that maketh desolate" (Daniel 11:31), and a swine was sacrificed upon it (see ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION). The immoral practices associated with heathen worship in those days established themselves in the temple. When this feast of Bacchus (Dionysus) with all its revelry came round, the Jews were compelled to go in procession in honor of Bacchus (Dionysus), wearing wreaths of ivy, the emblem of the god (2 Maccabees 6:7). Some years later, when the worship of Yahweh had been restored, Nicanor the general of Demetrius I, in conducting the war against Judas Maceabacus, threatened the priests that, unless they delivered Judas up as a prisoner, "he would raze the temple of God even with the ground, break down the altar, and erect there a temple unto Bacchus (Dionysus) for all to see" (2 Maccabees 14:33). DIONYSUS, (BACCHUS) di-o-ni'-sus (Dionusos): The youngest of the Greek gods. In Homer he is not associated with the vine. In later Greek legend he is represented as coming from India, as traversing Asia in a triumphal march, accompanied by woodland beings, with pointed ears, snub noses and goat-tails. These creatures were called satyrs. The vine was cultivated among European-Aryans first in Thrace, and here Dionysus is said to have established his worship first in Europe. Then the cult of Dionysus passed down through the Balkan peninsula to Thebes; and in the localized form of the myth the deity was born here-son of Zeus and Semele. "Offspring of Zeus on high.......... Thou that carest for all Who on Bacchus in Italy call And in Deo's sheltered plain Of Eleusis lord dost reign, Whither worshippers repair! O Bacchus that dwellest in Thebes, On whose broad and fertile glebes Fierce warriors from the dragon's teeth rose, Where Ismenus softly flows, The city that Semele bare!" -Sophocles, Antigone. Among all the Greek deities none appealed more vividly to the imagination than Dionysus. Greek tragedy is a form of worship, the ritual cult of the god of wine, who makes the initiate wise and the ungodly mad. Dionysus speaks most strongly to the sense and to the spirit at the same time. There is nothing monotonous in the Dionysiac legend; it is replete with both joy and sorrow-in some aspects it is a "passion" in others a triumph. All the passion plays of the world (even the Oberammergau Schauspiel) are in the ancient spirit. One Dionysus after another has been substituted, but from the first there has been a desire on the part of the devotee to realize his god vividly with thrilling nearness, to partake of his joys and sorrows and triumphs in his manifold adventures. In the early myths Dionysus was one of the lesser gods; he is mentioned only twice in the Iliad and twice in the Odyssey; but he is always represented as being more nearly akin to man than the great august deities of Olympus. Greek 2358. thriambeuo -- to triumph ... Word Origin from thriambos (a festal hymn to Bacchus) Definition to triumph NASB Word Usage leads...in triumph (1), triumphed over (1). cause to triumph over. ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2358.htm - 7k 1354. Dionusios -- Dionysius, an Athenian Library Father Liber --Bacchus. The Devil, Since He Emulates the Truth, Has Invented Fables About ... Of ??sculapius, Apollo, Mars, Castor and Pollux, and of Mercurius ... Of the Life and Actions of ??sculapius, Apollo, Neptune, Mars ... Fabulous Heathen Genealogies. Let These Dealers in Crowns Then Recognize in the Meantime the ... Let us Pass on Now to Theatrical Exhibitions, which we have ... Here Leave Vulcan Unnoticed, to Avoid Prolixity; whom You all ... As There Are, Then, Generally Two Laws Presented to Us... I Wish, However, to Show How Celsus Asserts Without any Good ... Thesaurus Bacchus... Semele. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BACCHUS. bak'-us Dionusos; later Bakchos, the Feast of Bacchus; Dionusia: The god of wine. His ... /b/bacchus.htm - 12k Dionysus Dionysia Orgies (4 Occurrences) Ivy Forehead (23 Occurrences) Bacchurus Bacenor Bush (14 Occurrences) Resources Is Jesus a copy of Dionysus? | GotQuestions.orgIs being drunk in the Spirit a biblical experience? | GotQuestions.org Bacchus: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus |
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