Tiberius Iulius Abdes Pantera

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Tiberius Iulius Abdes Pantera (ca.22 BC-40 AD) was a Roman archer of the Cohors I Sagittariorum. He is the alleged biological father of Jesus.

Contents

1 Life
2 Tombstone
3 Jesus connection
4 External links
5 References
6 See also

Life

Abdes Pantera was born in Sidonia, identified with Sidon in Phoenicia, and joined the Cohors I Sagittariorum (first cohort of archers). His Syrian name Abdes means servant (of Isis), Pantera means Panther. He obtained the roman names Tiberius Iulius, when receiving roman citizenship after completing twenty five years of service during the reign of emperor Tiberius between 19 AD and 37 AD. The Cohors I Sagittariorum was stationed in Syria Palæstina until 9 AD. Between 40 AD and 70 AD the cohort was stationed in Bingen. He served 40 years was probably decorated and died at the age of 62.

Tombstone

In 1859 during the construction of a railroad in Bingerbrück, Germany, a roman grave field with several monuments was discovered. The inscription on the monument of Abdes Pantera reads:

Tib(erius) Iul(ius) Abdes Pantera
Sidonia ann(orum) LXII
stipen(diorum) XXXX miles exs(ignifer?)
coh(orte) I sagittariorum
h(ic) s(itus) e(st)

Tiberius Iulius Abdes Pantera
from Sidon, aged 62 years
served 40 years, decorated(?) former soldier
of the first cohort of archers
lies here

Roman inscription reference number: CIL XIII 7514

The tombstone is presently kept in the Schlossparkmuseum - Römerhalle, Bad Kreuznach(Germany)

Jesus connection

Celsus, quoted in Origenes "Contra Celsum" wrote [link]:

when she was pregnant she was turned out of doors by the carpenter to whom she had been betrothed, as having been guilty of adultery, and that she bore a child to a certain soldier named Panthera.

The link between Celsus' Panthera and Tiberius Iulius Abdes Pantera was made in "La vita di Gesù" by Marcello Craveri (1966)[link] Celsus seems to have combined the biographies of Yeshu ben Pandera and Jesus of Nazareth. The Jesus connection is elaborated in depth in wiki pandera.

External links

References