Pope Clement I Describes the Phoenix As A Genuine Though Unusual Bird Species Found In Egypt, Created By God To Exemplify Resurrection.
An image of Pope Clement I . He is considered the first of the 'Apostolic Fathers', eminent men who had personally known the Apostles and spoken with them. He was involved with the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter directly it was written. His name is believed mentioned in the Bible book Timothy. He is called Peter's 3rd successor by some, after Linus and Anacletus, but he is described as being Peter's second successor by some, after Linus. But he is also described as Peter's direct successor by some, those believing that he was tapped by Peter to be a communicator from the church in Rome to other churches, with two other men being the actual Roman bishops splitting the duties over the large city of Rome, they being answerable to Clement I. Some wrote that he was ordained by Paul, not Peter. So, there are various theories about very early Roman leadership structuring. I have no idea which is most accurate.
Clement wrote a letter to the troubled Corinthian Church, where some of the church members were attempting to oust their assigned and anointed church leaders. It was causing many hard feeling within the church there in Corinth which had done really well initially, nearly fracturing them. Clement, who had heard of the contention even far away in Rome where he was at, 715 miles (approx 1150 km) away, was also concerned it made Christ's church look bad to non-believers. Today the translated letter has about 59 chapters, so it is a long one. He counsels them to repent and respect their original God-assigned leaders. The letter is attributed to Clement though they don't have a copy with his signature on it apparently. But there are multiple copies. It is interesting in that it sounds so very much like other letters to the churches that are in the Bible. But...it is also of passing interest that he mentions the mythical phoenix as an actual animal, a bird with very strange characteristics that bring the resurrection to mind! Clement even specifies some of its supposed habits. It is from chapter 25 of the letter he wrote to the church of Corinth in the translations I looked at. Here it is, below, for your consideration:
Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising Him from the dead. Let us contemplate, beloved, the resurrection which is at all times taking place. Day and night declare to us a resurrection. The night sinks to sleep, and the day arises; the day [again] departs, and the night comes on. Let us behold the fruits [of the earth], how the sowing of grain takes place. The sower Luke 8:5 goes forth, and casts it into the ground, and the seed being thus scattered, though dry and naked when it fell upon the earth, is gradually dissolved. Then out of its dissolution the mighty power of the providence of the Lord raises it up again, and from one seed many arise and bring forth fruit.
Let us consider that wonderful sign [of the resurrection] which takes place in eastern lands, that is, in Arabia and the countries round about. There is a certain bird which is called a phoenix. This is the only one of its kind, and lives five hundred years. And when the time of its dissolution draws near that it must die, it builds itself a nest of frankincense, and myrrh, and other spices, into which, when the time is fulfilled, it enters and dies. But as the flesh decays a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by the juices of the dead bird, brings forth feathers. Then, when it has acquired strength, it takes up that nest in which are the bones of its parent, and bearing these it passes from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis. And, in open day, flying in the sight of all men, it places them on the altar of the sun, and having done this, hastens back to its former abode. The priests then inspect the registers of the dates, and find that it has returned exactly as the five hundredth year was completed.
Do we then deem it any great and wonderful thing for the Maker of all things to raise up again those that have piously served Him in the assurance of a good faith, when even by a bird He shows us the mightiness of His power to fulfil His promise? For [the Scripture] says in a certain place, You shall raise me up, and I shall confess unto You
; and again, I laid me down, and slept
; I awoke, because You are with me;
and again, Job says, You shall raise up this flesh of mine, which has suffered all these things.
Job 19:25-2
End Quote
Mention of the Phoenix is not the important point of his letter, of course. It is really almost ancillary. But it's odd that he had been taught and believed that the phoenix was a genuine type of bird, and made stranger by the fact that the named Pharaoh Akhenaten, who some experts apparently associate with young Moses, reportedly built Heliopolis to change Egypt from the old system of many gods to a new system worshiping one God only. And there is a scripture saying "Out of Egypt I have called my son." (Hosea 11:1) And Jesus' dad Joseph had to flee to Egypt with Mary and young baby Jesus to escape Herod, so Jesus grew up in Egypt for a time in His earliest years. Some traditions say they spent part of their Egyptian time in Metariyeh, which is a village near Heliopolis. And long before that Moses led the people out of Egypt through the parted waters of the Red Sea in a possible foreshadowing of baptism. There are lots of possible connections between Egypt and Jesus.
Pope Clement I wrote a letter to correct the church at Corinth, and it did use interesting imagery. It's hard to say what might have been the source of his beliefs about the phoenix. But could there once have been a creature like the 'mythical' phoenix?
