There is an argument that the name Jesus is a pagan corruption of the name Zeus because they sound phonically similar, but there are a few problems with that theory:
1. There is an etymological explanation of how the name Jesus came to be that has nothing to do with Zeus. The modern name "Jesus" comes from the Latin Iesus, which comes from the Greek Iesous, which comes from the Aramaic Yeshu'a and the Hebrew Yehoshu'a. Words tend to get lost in translation. Due to the differences between languages, some letters are dropped while others are added. This webpage explains it better than I could: Where did the name "Jesus" come from? | AHRC
2. The argument could only be made in English. Neither the Greek names for Zeus (Ζέυς) nor Jesus (Iesous) sound phonetically similar.
3. The names "Jesus" and "Zeus" are both English names. "Jesus" entered the English lexicon much earlier than "Zeus." It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when that happened, but the name "Jesus" was developed between the 5th and 11th centuries AD. By the 12th century, it was standardized in religious texts. On the other hand, the name "Zeus" didn't enter the English lexicon until sometimes around the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, around the 14th to 16th centuries.
4. The Greek Septuagint (285–246 BC) predates Jesus by a few hundred years. It translates Joshua (Yeshua) as "Iesous" (Jesus), making it impossible for there to be any connection between Jesus and Zeus, much less a corruption of the name.
1. There is an etymological explanation of how the name Jesus came to be that has nothing to do with Zeus. The modern name "Jesus" comes from the Latin Iesus, which comes from the Greek Iesous, which comes from the Aramaic Yeshu'a and the Hebrew Yehoshu'a. Words tend to get lost in translation. Due to the differences between languages, some letters are dropped while others are added. This webpage explains it better than I could: Where did the name "Jesus" come from? | AHRC
2. The argument could only be made in English. Neither the Greek names for Zeus (Ζέυς) nor Jesus (Iesous) sound phonetically similar.
3. The names "Jesus" and "Zeus" are both English names. "Jesus" entered the English lexicon much earlier than "Zeus." It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when that happened, but the name "Jesus" was developed between the 5th and 11th centuries AD. By the 12th century, it was standardized in religious texts. On the other hand, the name "Zeus" didn't enter the English lexicon until sometimes around the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, around the 14th to 16th centuries.
4. The Greek Septuagint (285–246 BC) predates Jesus by a few hundred years. It translates Joshua (Yeshua) as "Iesous" (Jesus), making it impossible for there to be any connection between Jesus and Zeus, much less a corruption of the name.
