Nero Redivivus

Nero became emperor of the Roman empire in AD 54, aged 16, due to the machinations of his mother, who had married the previous emperor, Claudius, and then likely poisoned Claudius, hoping to rule the empire through Nero.

Although Nero spent money freely during his first years of reign, some think this may have been a good thing, proving employment at a time when it was needed. However, as time passed he became increasingly erratic, more interested in the arts than in ruling. He eventually murdered his mother and other family members.

In AD 64 a grteat fire swept through Rome, and many blamed Nero, as he used the opportunity to build more palaces on the now empty land. Nero used the Christians as a scape goat, and so begun the first persecution of Christians by Rome.

After 14 years of rule, the senate declared him a public enemy, and Servius Sulpicius Galba led an army against Nero. Nero fled Rome, to a nearby villa where, after some vacillating, he killed himself.

However, a legend arose that he would return, and this was believed sufficiently that at least three men later presented themselves as Nero Redivivus. This was, in part, because Nero remained popular with much of the lower classes.

From Wiki

The Nero Redivivus legend was a belief popular during the last part of the 1st century that the Roman emperor Nero would return after his death in 68 AD. The legend was a common belief as late as the 5th century.[1] The belief was either the result or cause of several pretenders who posed as Nero leading rebellions.

The Number of the Beast

Most scholars acknowledge that the number of the beast, 666, refers to Nero. What makes this especially convincing is that the earliest manuscripts give it as 616, and this also fits Nero, the Greek version being 666 and the Katin 616.

Details of how it is calculated can be found here.

Luke

Is this also a reference to Nero? The seven other spirits would be seven other dead emperors, returning to their palace.

Luke 11:24 “When the unclean spirit comes out of [w]a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it then says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first.”

It is plausible, but far from certain. More here.

A Model For The Resurrection

Nero died a quarter of a century after Jesus, how can he be a model for the resurrection?

The claim that Jesus was resurrected is certainly older than the Nero Redivivus, but is it possible the details changed under its influence?

The original belief was that Jesus was seen in Galilee, and what the Jews expected was the resurrected messiah to appear like an angel, to be shining bright like a star. That is what Paul reports seeing.

Mark gives us no hints of what was seen, but later gospels, written AD 80 or later, once the Nero Redivivus legend was established, has Jesus walking around as a man, in the same manner as Nero Redivivus. This is just speculation, but it seems plausible.