Re: Did Buddhism influence early Christianity?

The eminent linguist Zacharias P. Thundy observes that the word 'Therapeutae' is itself of Buddhist origin, being a Hellenisation of the Pali 'Theravada'.
Calling Thundy an eminent linguist is a bit of a stretch. He has some competencies in Indian languages. His degrees are not in linguistics. He does not seem to understand very well how languages work. Cognates of the word Therapeutae exist in Greek in the Odyssey and the writings of Themistocles , one contemporary with the Buddha (and unlikely to have been disseminated this quickly) the other centuries before the birth of Siddartha Gautama. Also it appears Thundy did not bother to read Philo before making his bizarre pronouncement. The Therapeutae are determined keepers of the 7th day Sabbath and great celebrators of Passover. A bit odd for Buddhists, no? Tweet