On a basic note, Lucius’ prayer and Isis’ response reveals the magical or miraculous ability of Isis. In the prayer Lucius makes his faith known in the ability of the goddess to heal him, and Isis responds by confirming that she will aid Lucius in his trials. I see a lot of parallels in the ability of Isis to grant Lucius his wish, and the miraculous healing ability of Jesus in the Gospels. Often times in the Gospels we see people cry out to Jesus as a divine being for miraculous acts, and Jesus responds with authority confirming his divine abilities. The prayer to Isis also reveals the perceived connection between Isis and wisdom. It portrays Isis as, “…foremost of the heavenly beings…” (Apuleius) which seems to be trying to convince the reader that Isis is the source of wisdom and knows all things. Specifically, his prayer reveals the ultimate power of Isis as the only one who can aid him in his agonies. In the story, Lucius reveals his last hope in Isis in his intricate passage on her wealth of knowledge, while establishing her authority. The author really attempts to portray Isis as the most powerful god by connecting her to other gods and lofting her name. The goddess Isis echoes the prayer in her response when she alludes to her lofty titles and establishes her ultimate authority on his present situation. I think that this passage is similar to Sophia as a woman in Proverbs 4:11-12, because Isis also guarantees a steady path, “But your life from now on will be blessed and illustrious under my sponsorship…” (Apuleius). Thus, both Sophia and Isis seem to be the solution to a straight and successful path. On a related note, it’s interesting how Isis addresses the names that people know her by, which are similar to lofty names Jesus is often referred as like Messiah, Song of God, etc. However, in contrast to the Gospels, the author makes known her true name Queen Isis. Ultimately, the nature of the prayer and response reveals the portrayal of Isis as a, “savior.”
Isis essentially reveals the salvation she gives when she tells Lucius that for the rest of his life he is bound to her, as his redeemer, because she returned him to the world. She further discusses the importance of following her instructions and emphasizes his life is now in debt to her. Specifically, the concept of salvation is revealed in this passage in her final words, “Inhabiting the Elysian Fields yourself, you will render constant worship to me because I have shown you such favor” (Apuleius). This piece really brings to light the concept of salvation. In Christianity, it’s by faith that Christians believe they receive eternal life. In this situation, because he has found favor and is obedient, he receives eternal life and can worship Isis for eternity. However, it doesn’t stop there, she adds that if he is diligent and pious he can be granted a term of life beyond what his original fate decided. This sparks the idea that followers of this cult can receiver longer and healthier lives if they are diligent. At any rate, in this passage it seems to be that Isis able to give longer terms of life much like the Christian God does in the Old Testament to those who found favor in his eyes.
It’s apparent that there are similarities in the Apuleius story in its relation to how the gospels speak of Jesus in his role as, “savior.” The word savior itself can be simply defined as the act of literally saving someone from danger or saving them from a present situation. On a basic level, Isis saved Lucius from his current state as a donkey and returned him to human form. On a broader level, Isis reveals the blessings that Lucius will receive because he is under her sponsorship Apuleius paints a beautiful picture of Isis as the savior in the underworld, “…you will see me shining among the shadows of Acheron and reigning in the inmost recesses of the Styx” (Apuleius). Not only does she give him the hope of an afterlife, but also she paints a beautiful picture of the scene to enhance her role as a savior in the darkness of the underworld. Similarly, we find passages in the bible revealing the kingdom of god as early as John 2:2-4, to a more elevated picture painted in Revelation 7:7-13.
It seems after reading the story that they both provided a savior from the agonies of life. During this time period the idea of a better afterlife was extremely appealing to those in poverty and suffering. Thus, both the cult Isis and Jesus offered a path of blessings and an afterlife that was very appealing. This really points out why they were a rivalry, because they were very similar in that regard. I also think that the simplicity in the, “religions” if you will, helped enhance the rivalry because each path to eternal life was simple in nature. One required obedience and faith, while the other obedience and worship.