The Early Church Fathers...believed In The Phoenix?

[Selah]

Check this out

Apparently a few of the early church fathers wrote on this particular bird called the Phoenix, which lived for 1,000 years, burned up, and was reborn from the ashes:

"Let us consider that wonderful sign that takes place in eastern lands-that is, in Arabia and the countries around it. There is a certain bird that is called the phoenix. There is only one of its kind and it lives for 500 years. When the time of its dissolution draws near for it to die, it builds itself a nest of frankincence, myrrh, and other spices. When the time has come, it enters into the nest and dies. But as the flesh decays, a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by the essence of the dead bird, produces feathers" - Clement of Rome

"Take a most complete and unassailable symbol of our hope...I refer to the bird that is peculiar to the East. It is famous for its singularity, and is marvolous for its posthumous life. For it renews a life in a voluntary death. Its dying day is its birthday. For on that day, it departs and returns-once more a phoenix where just now there was none...Must men die once for all time while birds in Arabia are sure of a resurrection?" - Tertullian.

Source: A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs. Pages 523-24.

There are a few others, but I thought this was kinda cool

[Selah]

aww, no one else thinks this is cool? *pouts*

[shadowedseraph]

I think its pretty nifty

[DeoOptimoMaximo]

[quote name='shadowedseraph' post='1630571' date='Aug 18 2008, 02:38 PM']I think its pretty nifty [/quote]

cool! so where are the Phoenixs now? and what's the Magisterium's take on it currently?

[Aloysius]

haha I think they had some bad information, but the phoenix makes for an awesome Christian metaphore.

the Church Fathers are only infallible when they universally agree upon a matter of faith or morals... so of course a few of them are gonna err about what the animals of the world are.

it'd be really cool if phoenixes actually had once existed... technically it's not like we have definitive evidence that they did not and are now extinct (or living with Bigfoot)

[Selah]

[quote name='DeoOptimoMaximo' post='1633245' date='Aug 21 2008, 12:04 AM']cool! so where are the Phoenixs now? and what's the Magisterium's take on it currently? [/quote]

lol! I'll have to mail Papa Benny and ask him

It would be cool if they were real

And yes, Aloysius, they may just very well be with Bigfoot and Nessie

Edited August 21, 2008 by Selah

[kafka]

[quote name='DeoOptimoMaximo' post='1633245' date='Aug 20 2008, 11:04 PM']cool! so where are the Phoenixs now? and what's the Magisterium's take on it currently? [/quote]
last I heard they migrated to Arizona

[Ziggamafu]

Interestingly, the descriptions that the Fathers provide do not at all seem fanciful or mythical in the strict sense. There is feel for science in them. Moreover, I believe it was Clement's description that is surrounded by other definitely real animals that likewise hint at the resurrection. I would not at all be surprised if the Phoenix did (or does) exist in some fashion. I know some cryptozoologists reference the Fathers on that point!

[Justin86]

Lots of people in the classical era used things they knew were myths to explain their opinions, but wrote them in a style as if they were fact. Plato did this with the mythical island of Atlantis.

[Selah]

Huh. Interesting.