What if christianity never existed ?

[Minimalist]

Abs, you remind of a fuck up by Justin Martyr in which he claims that the Roman Senate erected a statue to Simon Magus for his supposed magic tricks in Rome.  IN the 16th century the statue was found and showed that Justin either carelessly or deliberately fucked up the Latin reading:

http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2010/2010-10-65.html

Justin tells us that the notorious Simon Magus, his fellow Samaritan and bête noire, had been honored “as a god” by the Roman senate in the time of Claudius, and was awarded his own statue and inscription. In fact, Justin says, the statue was erected on the Isola Tiberina, “between the two bridges,” and the inscription on its base read in Latin: “To Simon the holy god” (SIMONI DEO SANCTO [1 Apol. 26.2]).

Except:

Then in 1574 an inscription was found on the Tiber Island which read: SEMONI SANCO DEO FIDIO SACRUM (“Dedicated to Semo Sancus Dius Fidius” [CILVI.567]). The dedication refers to the old Sabine god Semo Sancus (aka Dius Fidius). Justin must have “misread” the inscription, or, what is more likely, never seen it at all: he was simply repeating what he had read in a book about or by Simon’s followers. The anecdote should serve as a reminder of just how contrived, fabricated, and above all bookish was the world imagined by the Christian apologists.

As usual, jesus freaks see what they want to see.