Rishabha

Its believed that Rishabha was worshipped as Bull god in some countries. Rishabha was called in different names like Reshef, Apollo, Tesheb, Ball, and the Bull God of the Mediterranean people.

A bronze image of Reshef (Rishabha) of the 12th century B.C. was discovered at Alasia near Enkomi in Cyprus.

Epic of Gilgamesh (Published from Great Britain) – mentions that after a massive epidemic, around 3600 B.C. Gilgamesh, the 5th monarch, who ruled over a major part of Mid-Asia, went on a pilgrimage to India for 45 days. His edifices on stone blocks clearly indicate that he was an adherent of the Shraman religion. In India he paid tribute to Ach¹rya (sage) Uttanapishtim, subsequently adopting the principles of Ahimsa, and on returning to his native land, promoted this religion

 According to Shri V.G. N¹yar “There is authentic evidence to prove that it was the Phoenicians who spread the worship of Rishabha in Central Asia, Egypt and Greece. He was worshipped as ‘Bull God’ in the features of a nude Yogi.

The ancestors of Egyptians originally belonged to India. The Phoenicians had extensive cultural and trade relation with India in the pre-historic days. In foreign countries, Rishabha was called in different names like Reshef, Apollo, Tesheb, Ball, and the Bull God of the Mediterranean people. The Phoenicians worshipped Rishabha regarded as Appollo by the Greeks.

Reshef has been identified as Rishabha, the son of Nabhi and Marudevi, and Nabhi been identified with the Chaldean God Nabu and Maru Devi with Murri or Muru. Rishabhadeva of the Armenians was undoubtedly Rishabha, the First Thirthankara of the Jains. A city in Syria is known as Reshafa.

In Soviet Armenia was a town called Teshabani. The Babylonion city of Isbekzur seems to be a corrupt form of Rishabhapur . . . A bronze image of Reshef (Rishabha) of the 12th century B.C. was discovered at Alasia near Enkomi in Cyprus. An ancient Greek image of Appollo resembled Tirthankara Rishabha.

The images of Rishabha were found at Malatia, Boghaz Koi and also in the monument of Isbukjur as the chief deity of the Hittite pantheon. Excavations in Soviet Armenia at Karmir-Blur near Erivan on the site of the ancient Urartian city of Teshabani have unearthed some images including one bronze statuette of Rishabha” In the Pope’s library, an ancient Latin text was rediscovered recently which reveals, that a sizeable number of Indian Nirgranths lived in the forests of Ethiopia, where many

Greek scholars would go to pay their respects and gain knowledge of their selfdiscipline. The countries Abyssinia and Ethiopia, at one time were known as Rhakhastan. (Notes from Asiatic Researchers Part 3 Ch.189) ‘Various Egyptian writers have expressed their views on these dwellers. Herodotus has written that Jain Sramans, who were called Gymnosophists, often visited both these places for the purpose of pilgrimage. Eusebius is of the opinion that, “Ethiopians emigrated from the river Indus in the vicinity of Egypt”