Homer’s Odyssey and the New Testament: A Hidden Influence

Biblical scholar Dennis MacDonald argues that Homer’s Odyssey subtly influenced the New Testament through a technique called mimesis, portraying Jesus as a hero who rivals Greek figures; some scholars acknowledge Homeric echoes in passages about Jesus and events like shipwrecks or walking on water, but many contend the influence is limited, reflecting ongoing debates over how Greco-Roman culture shaped early Christianity and whether the Bible is primarily divinely inspired or a human-constructed text.