# The OTHER Resurrection: Lazarus!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 8, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909 "2006-05-08T16:32:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909/21 "2006-05-11T14:20:35Z")

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> [@jimmmy](#):
>
> First prayer of the ritual goes to [Lazarus]

The last link seems to confirm my impression that the first prayer went to Elegua, the opener of the ways.

> [@](#):
>
> Those assembled sing to Elegua, the fierce Yoruba warrior who guards the paths of communication to the spirit world and acts as the intermediary between these human beings and Saint Lazarus and the other saints.

At this point, I’d like to clarify that I never meant to dispute that Lazarus has status as an Orisha. I’m only questioning whether he is the primary Orisha.

BTW In what may be an unnecessary pre-emptive strike, I’d like to remind people that animal sacrfice is hardly unique to Santeria. Moses killed a large number of goats as sin offerings, burnt offerings, etc.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909/22 "2006-05-11T17:56:03Z")

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> [@aldiboronti](#):
>
> From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lazarus)
> 
> “According to Christian teaching recorded in the 13th-century Golden Legend, Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary Magdalene, \<snip\>”.

Get I get a hijack for clarification on the Marys? I didn’t think Mary of “Martha and Mary” was Mary Magdalene.

[This book](http://catalog.americancatholic.org/product.aspx?prodid=A8400&pcat=135) lists

Mary, mother of Jesus  
Mary Magdalene  
Mary, the sister of Martha  
Samaritan woman at the well

Then there’s

Mary, wife of Clopas  
Adulterous woman who isn’t stoned, who people may think of as Mary Magdalene  
Woman who washes Jesus’ feet with perfumed oil, who people may think of as the adulterous woman

Help!

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909/23 "2006-05-11T18:14:19Z")

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> [@gigi](#):
>
> Get I get a hijack for clarification on the Marys? I didn’t think Mary of “Martha and Mary” was Mary Magdalene.

The angel broke the forty second seal. I beheld a living creature that had the body of a man and the face of a fowl. It was crowned with the cap of wisdom. I recoiled from the creature. It comforted me, saying “Be not afraid. For I am thine uncle.” Then, it spake unto me saying [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980918.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980918.html).

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909/24 "2006-05-11T20:41:54Z")

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> [@DocCathode](#):
>
> The angel broke the forty second seal. I beheld a living creature that had the body of a man and the face of a fowl. It was crowned with the cap of wisdom. I recoiled from the creature. It comforted me, saying “Be not afraid. For I am thine uncle.” Then, it spake unto me saying [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980918.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980918.html).

D’oh! Thank you, oh representative of The Master.

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909/25 "2006-05-11T23:45:29Z")

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Conversation between JC and Lazarus, after Easter Sunday:  
JC: Lazarus, so how’d it go?  
Lazarus: OK, I died and my sister had me buried. It was like being asleep.THEN YOU CALLED ME, AND i WOKE UP!  
JC: For me it was terrible-they crucified me (but I knew it was going to happen). I died, and went to see my dad for a chat. Three days later, I was out and about!  
Lazarus: What now?  
JC: I guess I’ll hang around for a while, and appear to some people…  
Lazarus: Do I HAVE to die again?

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**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-other-resurrection-lazarus/355909/26 "2006-05-13T10:11:24Z")

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> [@ChipsNDip](#):
>
> The Bible is notoriously brief in details of many an amazing story… Sometimes I think the guys writing it were at the end of their papryus and had to fit the rest of the story in a really tiny space, thus cutting it short. .

More probably, they were simply repeating folklore that was itself short on details.

> [@ChipsNDip](#):
>
> For example, after Jesus’ death on the cross, this was recorded in Matthew 27 :
> 
> “51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
> 
> Talk about your resurrections! And it only warrants two sentences… quite understated.

It’s interesting that you raised 😛 this issue, since it was one of the first breaks in the dam that eventually led me to learn that the Bible has very little historical basis (and still later that the so-called “historical Jesus” almost certainly never existed). After all, a city suddenly crowded with the formerly deceased people would surely have been noted by Josephus and other historians.

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