NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Jesus Christ in comparative mythology

The study of Jesus from a mythographical perspective is the examination of the narrative of Jesus, the Christ ("the Anointed") of the gospels, Christian theology and folk Christianity as a central part of Christian mythology. A mythographer, or a mythologist, according to a strict dictionary definition, is a compiler of myths. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... Mary Magdalene is traditionally depicted with a vessel of ointment, in reference to the Anointing of Jesus, in reality the jar is more likely to have been an Amphora, a much larger object. ... Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ... Christian doctrine redirects here. ... Folk Christianity refers to a mix of animism and Christian beliefs, Roman Catholic, Protestant or both. ... Christian mythology is the body of traditional narrative associated with Christianity. ...

Examination of such parallels may seek to uncover common elements of human myth-making or analyse mythemes (the component elements of myth) in the gospel presentation of Jesus. Alternatively it may identify historically specific parallels in contemporary mystery religions of the Roman Empire such as Mithraism and the myths of rebirth deities and sacral kingship. The New Testament narrative explicitly employs earlier mythology, notably claiming fulfillment of Messianic prophecies of Hebrew mythology, and by Paul the Apostle in Athens as he took up the motive of the "Unknown God" (Acts 17:16–34). In the study of mythology, a mytheme is an irreducible nugget of myth, an unchanging element, similar to a cultural meme, one that is always found shared with other, related mythemes and reassembled in various waysâ€”bundled was Claude LÃ©vi-Strausss imageâ€” or linked in more complicated relationships... Mystery religions, or simply Mysteries, were belief systems of the Graeco-Roman world full admission to which was restricted to those who had gone through certain secret initiation rites. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The category life-death-rebirth deity also known as a dying-and-rising god is a convenient means of classifying the many divinities in world mythology who are born, suffer death or an eclipse or other death-like experience, pass a phase in the underworld among the dead, and are... In many historical societies, the office of kingship carries a sacral meaning, that is, it is identical with that of a high priest and of judge. ... // Main article: Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53 is probably the most famous example of a messianic prophecy claimed by Christians. ... Jewish mythology is the body of mythology of the Jewish people and Judaism as understood by some people. ... St. ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ... In addition to the twelve main Gods and the innumerable lesser deities, ancient Greeks used to worship an Unknown God (spelled Agnostos Theos in Greek). ...

The study of Jesus Christ as myth is popularly associated with a skeptical position toward the historicity of Jesus, the claim of a purely mythical Jesus with no base in history, sometimes dubbed the "Jesus-Myth theory". However, study of parallels between the narrative of Christ and other mythological figures does not prejudice Jesus' historicity, and is open to several interpretations besides ahistoricity: Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... This article is about the veracity of Jesus existence. ... This article is about the hypothesis of Jesus as a myth. ...

Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher) (100â€“165) was an early Christian apologist and saint. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Wycliffe Tyndale Â· Luther Â· Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: Christian apologetics is the... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 â€“ 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... Carl Gustav Jung Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of the neopsychoanalytic school of psychology. ...

Mythemes of the Biblical account

According to the New Testament, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. This article presents a description of Jesus life, as based on the four gospels. ... Image File history File links Our Lady of Kazan. ... Image File history File links Our Lady of Kazan. ... Our Lady of Kazan (16th century). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 486 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (649 Ã— 800 pixel, file size: 169 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Christ the King. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 486 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (649 Ã— 800 pixel, file size: 169 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Christ the King. ... King of Kings is a lofty title that has been used by several monarchies (usually empires in the informal sense of great powers) throughout history, and in many cases the literal title meaning King of Kings, i. ... Look up icon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Murom downtown sprawls along the bank of the Oka Murom (Russian: ; Old Norse: Moramar) is a historic city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls majestically along the left bank of Oka River, about 300 km east of Moscow, at 55Â°34â€²N 42Â°02â€²E. Population is 145,500 (2002). ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Opened view of the polyptych Closed view The Ghent Altarpiece or Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (Dutch: Het Lam Gods or The Lamb of God) (completed 1432) is a very large and complex polyptych panel painting in the Joost Vijdt chapel at Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium. ... Opened view of the polyptych. ... Portrait of a Man in a Turban (actually a chaperon), probably a self-portrait, painted 1433 Jan van Eyck or Johannes de Eyck (pronounced: vÄn ike)(c. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: In mainstream... For the biological phenomenon of female-only reproduction, see Parthenogenesis. ...

He is a scion of the royal blood of David, King of the Jews, King of Kings, and the divine Word incarnated. He is the predestined Saviour, recognized at birth by magi, but has to avoid being killed by Herod, by fleeing into exile. As an infant, he is part of the Holy Family often associated with the Holy Trinity in Christian symbolism. Kinship and descent is one of the major concepts of cultural anthropology. ... Lukes genealogy of Jesus, from the Book of Kells transcribed by Celtic monks circa 800 The genealogy of Jesus through either one or both of his earthly parents (Mary and Joseph) is given by two passages from the Gospels, Matthew 1:2â€“16 and Luke 3:23â€“38. ... King of the Jews may refer to: One of several historical kings of the Jewish people; see Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah A title of the Jewish Messiah King Herod the Great, declared King of the Jews by the Roman Senate A title used to refer to Jesus... King of Kings is a lofty title that has been used by several monarchies (usually empires in the informal sense of great powers) throughout history, and in many cases the literal title meaning King of Kings, i. ... In Christology, the conception that Jesus is the Logos (a Greek word meaning word, wisdom, or reason) has been important in establishing the doctrine of Jesus divinity, as well as that of the Trinity, as set forth in the Chalcedonian Creed. ... Christ en majestÃ©, Matthias GrÃ¼newald, 16th c. ... Savior refers to a person who helps people achieve Salvation. ... The Nativity by Caravaggio, 1609. ... Three Kings, or Three Wise Men redirects here. ... The Holy Innocents by Giotto di Bondone. ... Herod was the name of several members of the Herodian Dynasty of Roman Iudaea Province: Herod the Great (c. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Jacopo Bellinis Madonna and Child Blessing depicts the infant Jesus in the act of blessing the viewer The Child Jesus, or Christ Child is Jesus as an infant up to the age of twelve, when he was considered to have become adult, following both the Jewish custom of his... The Flight into Egypt: Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. ... This article concerns the holy Trinity of Christianity. ...

As a grown man, he is baptized by John the Baptist. Jesus is identified as the Son of God and receives the Spirit of God in the form of a dove. After withstanding temptation to abuse his divine powers, he attracts a body of followers, the Twelve Apostles, and wanders around the land preaching performing miraculous healing. In one instance, his transfiguration in front of this closest followers again reveals him as the Son of God, conversing with two major prophets of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah. In the synoptic gospels, Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist. ... St. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Son of... Spirit of God may refer to Holy Spirit Spirit of God may refer to The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning, a popular hymn of the Latter Day Saint movement Category: ... Subfamilies see article text Feral Rock Pigeon beside Weiming Lake, Peking University Dove redirects here. ... The temptation of Christ in Christianity, refers to the temptation of Jesus by the devil as detailed in each of the Synoptic Gospels, at Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Relation to other religions Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Luther Â· Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: For... According to the Canonical Gospels, the Ministry of Jesus began when Jesus was around 30 years old, and lasted a period of 1-3 years. ... According to the canonical Gospels, Jesus worked many miracles in the course of his ministry, which may be categorized into cures, exorcisms, dominion over nature, three instances of raising the dead, and various others. ... Icon of the Transfiguration (15th century, Novgorod) The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus was transfigured upon a mountain (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:1-8, Luke 9:28-36). ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... Elijah, 1638, by JosÃ© de Ribera This article is about the prophet in the Hebrew Bible. ...

At the same time as the Son of God, Jesus is also the Son of Man, he is essentially both Man and God incarnate, transcending the status of demigod of half-man and half-god by being fully God and fully man at the same time in hypostatic union. For other uses, see Son of man (disambiguation). ... Look up incarnation, incarnate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term demigod, meaning half-god, is a modern distinction, often misapplied in Greek mythology. ... The hypostatic union (also known as the mystical union), in Christian theology, refers to the dual nature of Jesus Christ as being simultaneously God and Man. ...

Following a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the Last Supper where he gives a final sermon, he is betrayed, apprehended, flogged, and driven out to the place of execution, where he is crucified, accompanied by dark omens, both chthonic (earthquakes) and celestial (eclipse). The Resurrectionâ€”Tischbein, 1778. ... For the book by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ... For the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, see The Last Supper (Leonardo). ... Gethsemane by Wassilij Grigorjewitsch Perow The Arrest of Jesus is a pivotal event recorded in the Canonical Gospels, in which Jesus is arrested. ... The Passion is the theological term used for the suffering, both physical and mental, of Jesus in the hours prior to and including his trial and execution by crucifixion. ... For other uses, see Crucifixion (disambiguation). ... Crucifixion eclipse refers to the three-hour period of darkness that was reported to have transpired during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Calvary (Golgotha). ...

He dies and is embalmed and placed in a tomb. On the third day he rises from the dead and appears bodily resurrected to his followers, before miraculously ascending to heaven. For his death to atone for humanity, he is given the title Lamb of God, after the sacrificial lamb of Hebrew tradition, and as the Christ (Messiah, Anointed) in reference to his fulfilling of prophecies of a royal saviour. His followers are given the divine spirit in order to carry on his mission, and are charged with ritually commemorating his death in the sacrament of the Eucharist, involving symbolic ingestion of Christ's body. Embalming, in most modern cultures, is a process used to temporarily preserve a human cadaver to forestall decomposition and make it suitable for display at a funeral. ... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Also refers to the process of gaining Enlightenment and several meditation techniques. ... For the band, see Lamb of God (band). ... A sheep is led to the altar, 6th century BC Corinthian fresco. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (Hebrew: , Standard Tiberian ; Aramaic: , ; Arabic: , ; the Anointed One) at first meant any person who was anointed with oil on rising to a certain position among the ancient Israelites, at first that of High priest, later that of King and also that of a prophet. ... To anoint is to grease with perfumed oil, animal fat, or melted butter, a process employed ritually by many religions and races. ... The Descent of the Holy Spirit in a 15th century illuminated manuscript. ... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ... For other uses, see Eucharist (disambiguation). ... Theophagy is the practice of eating the body of a god. ...

A triumphal Second Coming of Christ is prophesized in Christian eschatology, when he will preside over the Last Judgment and heralding in a golden Messianic Age or Kingdom of God for the faithful. For other uses, see Second Coming (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Wycliffe Tyndale Â· Luther Â· Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: In Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the... This article is about the Christian concept. ... Messianic Age is a theological term referring to a future time of peace and brotherhood on the earth, without crime, war and poverty. ... Kingdom of Heaven redirects here. ...

Predecessors and parallels

Comparative mythology, related to comparative religion, is a field of study which is technically part of anthropology but more usually regarded as part of the subject of ancient history. ... Although Christianity was born from Judaism, there are scholars who argue that other religions and philosophical schools of thought also influenced the formation of the Christian faith. ...

Myths in the ancient Roman, Hellenistic and Semitic world

Aspects of the Gospel stories of Jesus have parallels with life-death-rebirth gods in the widespread mystery religions prevalent in the Hellenistic culture amongst which Christianty was born. Closely related to this are mythemes of sacral kingship and "theophagy", the eating of the body of a fertility god, traced by Walter Burkert to a neolithic fertility rite surrounding a god who needs to die and rise again in order to feed the community, sublimated in the Christian eucharist. The category life-death-rebirth deity also known as a dying-and-rising god is a convenient means of classifying the many divinities in world mythology who are born, suffer death or an eclipse or other death-like experience, pass a phase in the underworld among the dead, and are... Mystery religions, or simply Mysteries, were belief systems of the Graeco-Roman world full admission to which was restricted to those who had gone through certain secret initiation rites. ... In many historical societies, the office of kingship carries a sacral meaning, that is, it is identical with that of a high priest and of judge. ... Theophagy is the practice of eating the body of a god. ... Walter Burkert (born Neuendettelsau (Bavaria), February 2, 1931), the most eminent living scholar of Greek myth and cult, is an emeritus professor of classics at the University of Zurich, Switzerland who has also taught in the United Kingdom and the United States. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... Fertility rites are religious rituals that reenact, either actually or symbolically, sexual acts and/or reproductive processes. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with life-death-rebirth deity. ... For other uses, see Eucharist (disambiguation). ...

The central figure of one of the most widespread mysteries, Osiris-Dionysus, was consistently localised and deliberately merged with local deities in each area, since it was the mysteries which were imparted that were regarded as important, not the method by which they were taught. Other prominently cited parallels are with Tammuz, Horus and Mithras. Horus was one of the life-death-rebirth deities, and was connected and involved in the resurrection of Osiris, whose Egyptian name (Asar) is very similar to the root of Lazarus. In the view of some advocates of the Jesus Myth theory, most prominently Freke and Gandy in The Jesus Mysteries, Jewish mystics adapted their form of Osiris-Dionysus to match prior Jewish heroes like Moses and Joshua, hence creating Jesus.^[1] The term Osiris-Dionysus is used by some historians of religion to refer to a group of deities worshipped around the Mediterranean in the centuries prior to the birth of Jesus. ... Northwest Semitic Tammuz (Hebrew ×ªÖ·Ö¼×žÖ¼×•Ö¼×–, Standard Hebrew Tammuz, Tiberian Hebrew TammÃ»z), Arabic ØªÙ…Ù‘ÙˆØ² TammÅ«z; Akkadian DuÊ¾zu, DÅ«zu; Sumerian Dumuzid (DUMU.ZID the true son) was the name of an Ancient Near Eastern deity. ... For other uses, see Horus (disambiguation). ... This article or section contains too much jargon and may need simplification or further explanation. ... For other uses, see Osiris (disambiguation). ... The root is the primary lexical unit of a word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents. ... Resurrection of Lazarus by Juan de Flandes, around 1500 For other uses, see Lazarus (disambiguation). ... Dr. Timothy Freke has an honours degree in philosophy and is an internationally respected authority on world mysticism. ... Peter Gandy is a scholar of Western religion and philosophy. ... The Jesus Mysteries: Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God? is a 1999 book by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy that attempts to reconstruct the true origins of Christianity. ...

Several prominent early Christians, like Irenaeus, actually acknowledged the existence of many parallels, complaining that the earlier religions had copied Christian religion and practices, before Jesus was even born, as some form of diabolically inspired pre-cognitive mockery. Irenaeus (Greek: Î•á¼°ÏÎ·Î½Î±á¿–Î¿Ï‚), (b. ... This is an overview of the Devil. ... For other uses, see Prophecy (disambiguation). ...

In comparative mythology, there is always the danger of parallelomania, as Samuel Sandmel (1962) calls it, the excessive and superficial identification of what are really mythic universals. Sandmel cautions that For other uses, see Archetype (disambiguation). ...

Egypt

In Egyptian myth, Horus gained his authority by being anointed by Anubis, who had his own cult, and was regarded as the main anointer; the anointing made Horus into Horus karast, written in Egyptian as ḥr ḳrst, "anointed/embalmed Horus".^[3] ḳrst is a false cognate of Greek chrisma "unguent" whence the title Christos is derived. Tom Harpur of the University of Toronto suggests that Christos was chosen by the Hellenistic Jewish authors of the Septuagint (centered in Alexandria) as a translation of Mašíaḥ because of this similarity. Gerald Massey (1907) compares in particular the embalming of Jesus described in Matthew 26:12 and John 19:39,40 as "making the Christ as the anointed-mummy previous to interment" and refers to Tertullian's claim that the name of the Christians derives from this unction received by Jesus. It has been suggested that Hieroglyph (French Wiki article) be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Horus (disambiguation). ... The term false cognate is sometimes used incorrectly for false friend. ... Chrism (Greek word literally meaning an anointing), also called Myrrh (Myron), Holy Oil, or Consecrated Oil, is a consecrated oil used in the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Old-Catholic churches, and in Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches in... Hellenistic Judaism was a movement in the early (pre-70 AD) Jewish diaspora attempting to establish the Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the culture and language of Hellenism. ... The Septuagint: A column of uncial text from 1 Esdras in the Codex Vaticanus, the basis of Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brentons Greek edition and English translation. ... This article is about the city in Egypt. ... Gerald Massey (May 29, 1828 - October 29, 1907), English poet, was born near Tring, Hertfordshire. ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian, (ca. ...

Worship of Isis, Horus' mother, was a prominent cult, and there exists a proposal that this is the basis of veneration of Mary, and more particularly Marian Iconography. How, or whether or not, the two relate, however, is uncertain. This article discusses the ancient goddess Isis. ... (Latin veneratio, Greek δουλια dulia) In traditional Christian churches (for example, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy), veneration, or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a dead person who has been identified as singular in the traditions of the religion, and through them honoring... Saint Mary and Saint Mary the Virgin both redirect here. ... Our Lady redirects here. ...

The nativity of Christ is similar in some respects to that of Ra, the Sun, in Egyptian mystery religion. Ra is given virginal birth by Neith^{[citation needed]}, who was impregnated by Kneph, the "breath of life", and who had her fate foretold to her by Thoth. A sound-alike to Mary, similar to the case of krst above, is the title of "beloved", mery, frequently bestowed on Neith^{[citation needed]}. For other uses, see Ra (disambiguation). ... Neith In Egyptian mythology, Neith (also known as Nit, Net and Neit) was a psychopomp, a goddess of war and the hunt and the patron deity of Sais, in the Western Delta. ... Kneph was an Egyptian god who was originally the supreme god for people at Elephantine. ... Thoth (Ramesseum, Luxor) Thoth (his Greek name derived from the Egyptian *, written by Egyptians as ) was considered one of the most important deities of the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted with the head of an ibis. ... Neith In Egyptian mythology, Neith (also known as Nit, Net and Neit) was a psychopomp, a goddess of war and the hunt and the patron deity of Sais, in the Western Delta. ...

Plutarch states that the Egyptian kneph translates to Greek pneuma, the term for the Holy Spirit.^{[citation needed]} Amenhotep III applied this myth to his wife and the birth of his son, Akhenaten, who was consequently identified as Horus.^{[citation needed]} Mestrius Plutarchus (Greek: Î Î»Î¿ÏÏ„Î±ÏÏ‡Î¿Ï‚; 46 - 127), better known in English as Plutarch, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist. ... Pneumatology refers to the study of spiritual beings and phenomena, especially the interactions between humans and God. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: In mainstream... Nebmaatre The Lord of Truth is Re[2] Nomen Amenhotep Hekawaset Amun is Satisfied, Ruler of Thebes[1] Horus name Kanakht Emkhaimaat The strong bull, appearing in truth Nebty name Semenhepusegerehtawy One establishing laws, pacifying the two lands Golden Horus Aakhepesh-husetiu Great of valour, smiting the Asiatics Consort(s... For other uses, see Akhenaten (disambiguation). ...

Luxor Temple, from the east bank of the Nile Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes). ...

Mesopotamia

Tammuz-Adonis is the Mesopotamian archetype of the dying and risen-again fertility god. His cult involved ritual mourning.^[4]^[5] The Pan-Babylonianist school in particular derives many later myths from this complex, popularized by Thomas Mann's Joseph and His Brothers, which further parallels Tammuz and Christ with Joseph and Osiris. Tammuz is paralleled to Christ in particular by his epithet, the shepherd. Northwest Semitic Tammuz (Hebrew ×ªÖ·Ö¼×žÖ¼×•Ö¼×–, Standard Hebrew Tammuz, Tiberian Hebrew TammÃ»z), Arabic ØªÙ…Ù‘ÙˆØ² TammÅ«z; Akkadian DuÊ¾zu, DÅ«zu; Sumerian Dumuzid (DUMU.ZID the true son) was the name of an Ancient Near Eastern deity. ... In Greek mythology Adonis (Greek: , also: Î†Î´Ï‰Î½Î¹Ï‚) is an archetypal life-death-rebirth deity of Semitic origin, and a central cult figure in various mystery religions. ... The death wail is a keening, mourning lament, generally performed in ritual fashion soon after the death of a member of a family or tribe. ... Panbabylonism is a school of thought within Assyriology and Religious studies that considers the Hebrew Bible and Judaism as directly derived from Babylonian culture and mythology. ... For other persons named Thomas Mann, see Thomas Mann (disambiguation). ... Joseph and His Brothers is a four part novel by Thomas Mann, published in over the course of 16 years. ... Joseph interprets the dream of the Pharaoh. ... For other uses, see Osiris (disambiguation). ... Shepherd in FÄƒgÄƒraÅŸ Mountains, Romania. ...

Greek mysteries

The Greek Eleusinian Mysteries were an initiation cult surrounding Demeter, her daughter Persephone, and the agricultural hero Triptolemus. The derived Hellenistic Orphic traditions syncretized Greek traditions with Egyptian and Mesopotamian elements. In the Orphic tradition, it is Dionysus who is killed and resurrected. Orphism puts strong emphasis on salvation in the afterlife. Orphism and Hermeticism strongly influenced Platonist mysticism which in turn was a formative influence on early Christian theology and dogma. The Eleusinian Mysteries (Greek: á¼˜Î»ÎµÏ…ÏƒÎ¯Î½Î¹Î± ÎœÏ…ÏƒÏ„Î®ÏÎ¹Î±) were initiation ceremonies held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at Eleusis in ancient Greece. ... This article is about the grain goddess Demeter. ... Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874) (Tate Gallery, London In Greek mythology, Persephone (Greek Î ÎµÏÏƒÎµÏ†ÏŒÎ½Î·, PersephÃ³nÄ“) was the Queen of the Underworld of epic literature. ... Triptolemus (threefold warrior; also Buzyges), in Greek mythology always connected with Demeter of the Eleusinian Mysteries, might be accounted the son of King Celeus of Eleusis in Attica, or, according to Apollodorus (Library I.v. ... The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... This article is about the ancient deity. ... For other uses, see Salvation (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Afterlife (disambiguation). ... This article is about the magical and religious movement stemming from the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus. ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, founded by Plotinus and based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists. ...

Justin Martyr made the following defense against the assertion that Jesus Christ was modeled after Bacchus: Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher) (100â€“165) was an early Christian apologist and saint. ... This article is about the ancient deity. ...

Mithras

The worship of Mithras was widespread in much of the Roman Empire from the mid-2nd century CE,^[6]^[7] and mainstream historians regard it as possible that many Christian practices derived originally from Mithraism through a process known as christianization, including 25th December being Jesus' birth-date,^[8] and Sunday being the dedicated day of worship.^{[citation needed]} Mithras was a solar deity, closely associated with the Roman Sol Invictus later identified with Christ. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article or section contains too much jargon and may need simplification or further explanation. ... St Francis Xavier converting the Paravas: a 19th-century image of the docile heathen The historical phenomenon of Christianization, the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once, also includes the practice of converting pagan practices, pagan religious imagery, pagan sites and the pagan calendar... Coin of Emperor Probus, circa 280, with Sol Invictus riding a quadriga, with legend SOLI INVICTO, to the Unconquered Sun. Note how the Emperor (on the left) wears a radiated solar crown, worn also by the god (to the right). ...

Old Testament

The gospels present Jesus as a figure rooted in and foretold by the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible, notably the Book of Isaiah and the Book of Daniel. Thus, Jesus' nativity is placed in Bethlehem to comply with Micah 5:2, and Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem is designed to answer Zechariah 9:9-10. Since Judaism does not accept the validity of the New Testament and rejects the claim that Jesus was a messiah, see the beliefs of Jews and Judaism in Jewish eschatology and the Jewish Messiah. ... // Main article: Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53 is probably the most famous example of a messianic prophecy claimed by Christians. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... In Abrahamic religions, messianic prophecies describe the coming, acts, authority, personality, nature, etc. ... Neviim [× ×‘×™××™×] (Heb: Prophets) is the second of the three major sections in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), following the Torah and preceding Ketuvim (writings). ... This article is about the Book of Isaiah. ... For other uses, see Book of Daniel (disambiguation). ... Arabic Ø¨ÙŠØª Ù„ØÙ… Name Meaning House of Lambs Government City (from 1995) Also Spelled Beit Lahm (officially) Bayt Lahm (unofficially) Governorate Bethlehem Population 29,930 (2006) Jurisdiction 29,799 dunams (29. ... For the book by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ...

A small amount of material is unique to the gospel of Matthew, that is, not reconstructed for the hypothetical source document of the synoptic gospels ("Q"). In this Jesus is presented with strong parallels to Old Testament figures, most noticeably Moses. Matthew appears to have used Moses' birth narrative and sojourn in the wilderness as the basis for the narrative of Jesus,^{[citation needed]} in the tradition of midrash creative narratives based on the stories, prophecies, and quotes in the Hebrew Bible, in particular Toledot Yeshu. The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, ÎšÎ±Ï„Î¬ ÎœÎ±Î¸Î¸Î±Î¯Î¿Î½ or ÎšÎ±Ï„Î¬ ÎœÎ±Ï„Î¸Î±Î¯Î¿Î½, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is a synoptic gospel in the New Testament, one of four canonical gospels. ... The Q document or Q (from the German Quelle, source) is a postulated lost textual source for the Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke. ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... Midrash (Hebrew: ×ž×“×¨×©; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ... This article is about references to the name Yeshu in classical Jewish rabbinic literature. ...

Work done by prominent Q scholars such as John Kloppenborg identifies Q's genre as ancient Near-Eastern "instruction", which consistently attributes its wisdom to a human figure and not the personified Wisdom that one finds in the biblical book of Proverbs.^[9] John S. Kloppenborg is a Canadian professor of religion who has authored numerous books and articles based on Christian Bible scholarship. ... The Book of Proverbs is one of the books of the Ketuvim of the Tanakh and of the Writings of the Old Testament. ...

Advocates of an unhistorical Jesus even claim that when the midrashic elements are removed, little to no content remains that could be used to demonstrate the existence of an historical Jesus.^[10]^[11], but the mere presence of Old Testament influence is widely dismissed as sufficient evidence against historicity; there are many examples of ancient Jewish and Christian literature that shaped their stories and accounts according to Old Testament influence, but nevertheless provided some historical accounts;^[12] for example, in 1 Maccabees, Judas and his battles are described in terms which parallel those of Saul's and David's battles against the Philistines in 1 and 2 Samuel, but nevertheless 1 Maccabees has a degree of respect amongst historians as having a reasonable degree of historical reliability.^[13]^[14] 1 Maccabees is a deuterocanonical book of the Bible which was written by a Jewish (pre-Christian) author, probably about 100 BC, after the restoration of an independent Jewish kingdom. ... The Books of Samuel (Hebrew: Sefer Shmuel ×¡×¤×¨ ×©×ž×•××œ), are part of the Tanakh (part of Judaisms Hebrew Bible) and also of the Old Testament (of Christianity). ...

Also included among the Messianic prophecies was Virgil's Eclogue IV, which significantly contributed to Virgil's status as a virtuous pagan. For other uses, see Virgil (disambiguation). ... Virtuous paganism is a concept of Christian theology parallel to the Righteous Among the Nations in Judaism. ...

Eastern, American and other religions

While historians of early Christianity concentrate on parallels with myths current in the Greco-Roman and Semitic cultures of the 1st century, parallels have also been identified in the Indian religions, and even in myths of the Aztecs of Central America. In some cases these have been interpreted as possible directly influences on early Christianity. In other cases they have been interpreted by Christians as part of a divine plan to prepare the way for Christianity or as demonic imitation of the Christian religion. Statue of Jain God Bahubali in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka attracts thousands of devotees. ... The word Aztec is usually used as a historical term, although some contemporary Nahuatl speakers would consider themselves Aztecs. ...

Buddhism

The possible influence of Buddhism on Christianity (and possibly of the Essenes) has been suggested, but with more emphasis on doctrine than mythology. Nevertheless, it has been noted that the life of Christ bears strong similarities to the life of Buddha. This was initially interpreted by Catholic missionaries in terms of the "demonic imitation" theory.^[15] More recently it has been taken by some scholars as far as a "Copycat Christ" theory, postulating that Jesus is simply a Judaistic retelling of the story of Buddha. Thus, T. W. Doane in his 1882 Bible Myths opined that "nothing now remains for the honest man to do but acknowledge the truth, which is that the history of Jesus of Nazareth as related in the books of the New Testament, is simply a copy of that of Buddha, with a mixture of mythology borrowed from other nations." (p. 286) Parallels between Christianity and Buddhism have been noted across the ages by scholars but are now being more widely appreciated as individuals search accessible Buddhist scriptures in ancient and modern languages. ... The Essenes (sg. ... Media:Example. ...

Max Müller in his 1873 Introduction to the Science of Religion noted that Max MÃ¼ller as a young man Friedrich Max MÃ¼ller (December 6, 1823 â€“ October 28, 1900), more commonly known as Max MÃ¼ller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of Indian studies, who virtually created the discipline of comparative religion. ...

Th. J. Plange in 1906 concluded that early Christianity was the product of Buddhist missionaries. Such ideas were critically reviewed by Richard Garbe in his 1914 Indien und das Christentum. Garbe noted that the similarities between Christian and Buddhist tradition have invited much dilettant speculation, but he nevertheless acknowledged some possible influence, in particular on later Christian legend (suggesting that Josaphat is a corrupted form of Bodhisattva, and identifying Eustachius and Hubertus with Subhadra). Garbe accepted the historicity of Christ, but identified four passages in the gospel narrative as borrowed from Buddhist scripture. Saint Josaphat is said to have lived and died in the 3rd century or 4th century in India. ... Lands Bhutan â€¢ China â€¢ Korea Japan â€¢ Tibet â€¢ Vietnam Taiwan â€¢ Mongolia Doctrine Bodhisattva â€¢ Bodhicitta Karuna â€¢ Prajna Sunyata â€¢ Buddha Nature Trikaya â€¢ Eternal Buddha Scriptures Prajnaparamita Sutra Avatamsaka Sutra Lotus Sutra Nirvana Sutra VimalakÄ«rti Sutra Lankavatara Sutra History 4th Buddhist Council Silk Road â€¢ Nagarjuna Asanga â€¢ Vasubandhu Bodhidharma A statue of a Bodhisattva, Akasagarbha. ... On a wing of the Paumgartner Altarpiece, Albrecht DÃ¼rer painted Lukas Paumgartner with the banner of his patron St Eustace, in the contemporary armor of a landsknecht. ... Saint Hubertus or Hubert (born circa 656 to 658, probably in Toulouse; died May 30, 727 or 728 in Tervuren near Brussels, Belgium), called the Apostle of the Ardennes was the first Bishop of LiÃ¨ge. ... Jagannath(far right) with his brother Balarama(far left) and sister Subadra (center) in Radhadesh, Belgium Subhadra is the sister of Krishna. ...

Quetzalcoatl

The myth of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl has been identified as parallel to that of Jesus, though there is some dispute about the extent to which written versions of the myth have been influenced by Christianity. The story that Montezuma identified Cortez as the returned Quetzalcoatl was interpreted by Catholic missionaries as evidence of divine preparation for the Christianization of the Americas. The claim was later incorporated into Mormonism as consistent with their view that Jesus had appeared to ancient Mesoamericans, establishing Christianity in pre-Columbian America. In the nineteenth century the myth was reconfigured as evidence that an ancient Christian missionary had evangelized among Mesoamerican peoples, who later distorted his message.^[16] It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...

Influence on other mythologies

Jesus has in turn left traces in other mythologies. This holds for 2nd to 3rd century mystery religions and the emergence of Gnosticism^[1]; in Reinventing Jesus, the authors put forth the position that "Only after 100 A.D. did the mysteries begin to look very much like Christianity, precisely because their existence was threatened by this new religion. They had to compete to survive."^[17]. In the process of determining the Biblical canon, a large number of works were excluded from the New Testament. ... Early Christianity developed in Roman Judea and in the milieu of Hellenistic Judaism, in the 2nd and 3rd centuries leading an underground existence as an illicit mystery religion, in the 4th century undergoing syncretism with Roman imperial cult and Hellenistic philosophy, a process completed by AD 391 with the ban... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Other arguable traces of the Christ mytheme can be found in Norse (Viking Age) Balder and Odin and the 7th century Kalki Purana, which has parallels to Revelation (in particular the "White Rider" of Revelation 19:11). It is also carried into Islam as the Mahdi prophecy and the Ahmadi myths of Jus Asaf. Norse, Viking or Scandinavian mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian peoples, including those who settled on Iceland, where most of the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 800 to 1066 in Scandinavian History[1][2][3]. // The Vikings have been much maligned in European history, due in large part to their violent attacks on Christians in the first centuries of their excursions out of Scandinavia. ... Balders death is portrayed in this illustration from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript. ... For other meanings of Odin,Woden or Wotan see Odin (disambiguation), Woden (disambiguation), Wotan (disambiguation). ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Revelation of the Last Judgment by Jacob de Backer Revelation is an uncovering or disclosure via communication from the divine of something that has been partially or wholly hidden or unknown, which could not be known apart from the unveiling (Goswiller 1987 p. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ... This article is about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. ... Jus Asaf was a charismatic preacher who mysteriously appeared in kashmir circa 30 AD. Just before dying, supposedly at the age of 120, Jus Asaf claimed that he was in fact Jesus. ...

Within Christian culture, the Christ myth is reflected in many allegories or mythologies, in post-Nicean apocrypha such as the Acts of Pilate, in medieval Mystery plays, Piers Plowman, The Pilgrim's Progress, Milton's Paradise Lost (and, more pertinent to Christ, Paradise Regained), sometimes advocated as historical (such as the "Jesus bloodline" theories), sometimes ostensibly "pure myth" or Biblical speculative fiction (such as C. S. Lewis' Narnia). The Acts of Pilate (Latin Acta Pilati) is a book of the New Testament apocrypha. ... Mystery plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. ... Page from a 14th century Psalter, showing drolleries on the right margin and a plowman at the bottom. ... The Pilgrims Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come by John Bunyan (published, February, 1678) is a Christian allegory. ... For other uses, see Paradise Lost (disambiguation). ... Paradise Regaind is a poem by the 17th century English poet John Milton, published in 1671. ... The Jesus bloodline (not to be confused with the genealogy of Jesus) is the modern theory that Jesus Christ had a natural child with Mary Magdalene which was then taken to Egypt and then to France, either during Magdalenes pregnancy or as a young child, and whose blood descendants... Biblical speculative fiction is Speculative fiction that uses Christian themes and incorporates the Christian worldview. ... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 â€“ 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... Narnia redirects here. ...

Interpretations

The mythological parallels discussed above can be interpreted in diametrically different ways. Christian interpretations may either consider non-Christian parallels demonic mockery, or intuitive glimpses of truth by virtuous pagans. Secular interpretations will simply treat Christian myth as one stage in a long unbroken tradition, while sceptical or atheist criticism may argue that Christianity loses credibility by its "copying" earlier mythemes. Righteous Among the Nations (Hebrew: ×—×¡×™×“×™ ××•×ž×•×ª ×”×¢×•×œ×, Hasidei Umot HaOlam), in contemporary usage, is a term often used to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust in order to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis. ...

History

Current theories surrounding the mythological aspects of the Christ arose from 19th century scholarship on the formation of myth, in the work of writers such as Max Müller and James Frazer. Müller argued that religions originated in mythic stories of the birth, death, and rebirth of the Sun. Frazer further attempted to explain the origins of humanity's mythic beliefs in the idea of a "sacrificial king", associated with the Sun as a dying and reviving god and its connection to the regeneration of the earth in springtime.^[18] Frazer did not doubt the historicity of Jesus, however, stating, "my theory assumes the historical reality of Jesus of Nazareth [...] The doubts which have been cast upon the historical reality of Jesus are [...] unworthy of serious attention."^[18] A mythographer, or a mythologist, according to a strict dictionary definition, is a compiler of myths. ... Max MÃ¼ller as a young man Friedrich Max MÃ¼ller (December 6, 1823 â€“ October 28, 1900), more commonly known as Max MÃ¼ller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of Indian studies, who virtually created the discipline of comparative religion. ... Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854, Glasgow, Scotland â€“ May 7, 1941), was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. ... Religion and mythology differ, but have overlapping aspects. ... In many historical societies, the office of kingship carries a sacral meaning, that is, it is identical with that of a high priest and of judge. ... The category life-death-rebirth deity also known as a dying-and-rising god is a convenient means of classifying the many divinities in world mythology who are born, suffer death or an eclipse or other death-like experience, pass a phase in the underworld among the dead, and are...

The first scholarly proponent of the theory was probably Bruno Bauer, a Hegelian thinker who argued that the true founder of Christianity was an Alexandrian Jew, Philo, who had adapted Judaic ideas to Hellenic philosophy. Bruno Bauer (September 6, 1809 - April 13, 1882), was a German theologian, philosopher and historian. ... Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (August 27, 1770 - November 14, 1831) was a German philosopher born in Stuttgart, Württemberg, in present-day southwest Germany. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is... Hellenistic Judaism was a movement in the early (pre-70 AD) Jewish diaspora attempting to establish the Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the culture and language of Hellenism. ... Philo (20 BC - 50 AD), known also as Philo of Alexandria and as Philo Judaeus And as Yedidia, was a Hellenized Jewish philosopher born in Alexandria, Egypt. ... For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... Hellenic may refer to: the Hellenic Republic (the modern Greek state) the Hellenes, itself a term for either ancient or modern Greeks anything related to Greece in general or Ancient Greece in particular. ...

Other authors included Edwin Johnson, who argued that Christianity emerged from a combination of liberal trends in Judaism and Gnostic mysticism. Less speculative versions of the theory developed under Bible scholars such as A. D. Loman and G. I. P. Bolland. Loman argued that episodes in Jesus's life, such as the Sermon on the Mount, were fictions written to justify compilations of pre-existing liberal Jewish sayings. Bolland developed the theory that Christianity evolved from Gnosticism and that "Jesus" was a symbolic figure representing Gnostic ideas about God. Edwin Johnson (1842-1901). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch. ...

The most influential of the books arguing for a mythic Jesus was Arthur Drews's The Christ-Myth (1909) which brought together the scholarship of the day in defence of the idea that Christianity had been a Jewish Gnostic cult that spread by appropriating aspects of Greek philosophy and Frazerian death-rebirth deities. This combination of arguments became the standard form of the mythic Christ theory. In Why I Am Not a Christian (1927), Bertrand Russell stated that even if Jesus existed, which he doubted, the public does not "know anything" about him. Some like Joseph Wheless in his 1930 Forgery In Christianity went even further and claimed there was an active effort to forge documents to make the myth seem historical beginning as early as the 2nd century. Arthur Drews [pronounced drefs] (November 1, 1865, Uetersen, Holstein - July 19, 1935, Illenau bei BÃ¼hl, Baden) was a German philosopher, writer and important representative of German Monist thought. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Why I Am Not a Christian is an essay by the British philosopher Bertrand Russell in which he explains why he is not a Christian. ... Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS, (18 May 1872 â€“ 2 February 1970), was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, and pacifist. ...

Rudolf Bultmann in his 1941 lecture New Testament and Mythology: The Problem of Demythologizing the New Testament Message called on interpreters to replace traditional theology with the philosophy Martin Heidegger, an endeavor intending to translate what Bultmann considered "theology in story form" into a format palatable to a literate modern audience. Rudolf Karl Bultmann (August 20, 1884 - July 30, 1976) was a German theologian of Lutheran background, who was for three decades professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg. ... Martin Heidegger (September 26, 1889 â€“ May 26, 1976) (IPA ) was a highly influential German philosopher. ...

John M. Allegro in 1970 proposed that Christianity began as shamanic religion based on the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms.^[19] John Marco Allegro is a controversial archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar. ... This article is about the practice of shamanism; for other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). ... Magic mushrooms are also known as sacred mushrooms, psychedelic mushrooms, and, more generally, hallucinogenic mushrooms. ...

Pinchas Lapide in the 1970s and 1980s was a strong proponent of recovering historical, Jewish, Jesus from beneath the layers of Christian mythology. Lapide saw the historical Jesus as a rabbi in the Hasidean tradition of Hillel and Hanina Ben Dosa, and in the context of Jewish independence struggle against Roman occupation. In The Myth of God Incarnate (1977), edited by John Hick, a team of seven British theologians argued from a position within the Church that God's incarnation in Christ is mythical. Pinchas Lapide (1922 â€” 1997) was a Jewish theologian. ... The Hasideans (HasidÃ¦ans or Assideans) were a Jewish religious party which commenced to play an important role in political life only during the time of the Maccabean wars, although it had existed for quite some time previous. ... Hillel (×”×œ×œ) was a famous Jewish religious leader who lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod and Augustus;(year????) he is one of the most important figures in Jewish history, associated with the Mishnah and the Talmud. ... Hanina Ben Dosa (1st century) was a scholar and miracle-worker, and the pupil of Johanan ben Zakkai (Berakhot, 34b). ... Professor John Hick (born 1922) is an important and influential philosopher of religion and theologian. ...

The later works (1990s) by George Albert Wells drew on the Pauline Epistles and the lack of early non-Christian documents to argue that the Jesus figure of the Gospels was symbolic, not historical. Earl Doherty (1991, 2001) proposed that Jewish mysticism influenced the development of a Christ myth. Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy (2001) have popularized the Jesus-myth concept in their book The Jesus Mysteries.^[1] George Albert Wells (born 1926) is an Emeritus Professor of German at Birkbeck College, but he is more widely known as a New Testament scholar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... Earl Doherty, currently living in Canada, is the author of The Jesus Puzzle, a work published in 2000 by the Canadian Humanist Association arguing that Jesus never lived. ... The tree of life Kabbalah (קבלה Reception, Standard Hebrew Qabbala, Tiberian Hebrew Qabbālāh; also written variously as Cabala, Cabalah, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, Kabalah, Kabbala, Qabala, Qabalah) is a religious philosophical system claiming an insight into divine nature. ... Dr. Timothy Freke has an honours degree in philosophy and is an internationally respected authority on world mysticism. ... Peter Gandy is a scholar of Western religion and philosophy. ... The Jesus Mysteries: Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God? is a 1999 book by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy that attempts to reconstruct the true origins of Christianity. ...

Demonic imitation

The basic theme of demonic imitation is that the demons and devils also imitated the prophecies in the old testament so that they had a collection of stories similar to the ones told about Jesus. The purpose of this would be to mislead those seeking salvation either to follow false gods or to deny that in Jesus's case these events really occurred.

--Justin Martyr, First Apology [3] ^[20] Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher) (100â€“165) was an early Christian apologist and saint. ... The First Apology was an early work of Christian apologetics addressed by Justin Martyr to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. ...

Jesus as "true myth"

Contemporary to Rudolf Bultmann's interpretation of the New Testament narrative as valid theology in story form, Christian mythologists such as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien understood the narrative of Christ's sacrificial death of atonement for humanity as a "true myth" with the special property that it had been enacted historically in time and space. Lewis wrote, "The story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened."[4] In this view, mythological predecessors of the "drama" of Christ were inspired glimpses of divine truth that would only become fully manifest at an appointed moment and place, viz. in Roman Judea. For these authors, the mythological elements in the story of the Christ do not undermine but rather enhance the transcendental truth of the gospel. Rudolf Karl Bultmann (August 20, 1884 - July 30, 1976) was a German theologian of Lutheran background, who was for three decades professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg. ... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 â€“ 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... Tolkien redirects here. ... Iudaea Province in the 1st century Iudaea (Hebrew: ×™×”×•×“×”, Standard Yehuda Tiberian , praise God; Greek: Î™Î¿Ï…Î´Î±Î¯Î±; Latin: Iudaea) was a Roman province that extended over the region of Judea proper, later Palestine. ... Time Saving Truth from Falsehood and Envy, FranÃ§ois Lemoyne, 1737 For other uses, see Truth (disambiguation). ...

Different from Bultmann, Lewis and Tolkien did not intend to demythologize the gospel, understanding myth as an intrinsic component of its truth. Instead, they felt a challenge to make use of their "subcreative" powers to rework these mythemes into mythologies of their own in their works of fiction. Mythopoeic literature is literature that involves the making of myths. ...

In 1977, this line of argument received attention from academic theology, The Myth of God Incarnate, edited by John Hick. In this volume, a team of seven British theologians takes a position from within the Church to the effect that God's incarnation in Christ is mythical. They argue that Professor John Hick (born 1922) is an important and influential philosopher of religion and theologian. ...

Jesus as historical nucleus of Christian myth

Regardless of the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth, the titles accorded to him in the New Testament and later literature clearly establish him in the tradition of both Hebrew and Hellenistic mythology, as a semi-divine or deified hero or sacred king (Christ or Messiah), and as a saviour (soter). This circumstance is by no means in contradiction to a historical figure as outlined by the gospel, it is rather the predictable interpretation of a story of a "dead and risen Son of God" by the Hellenistic public of the early centuries AD, and during the Constantinian shift (between the Edict of Milan of 313 and the prohibition of pagan cults by Theodosius I in 391) even a conscious amalgamation of the tenets of the early Church Fathers with established cult practice of Roman imperial cult. The identification of Christ with Sol Invictus and the establishment of the Pontifex Maximus as the "steward of Christ" in the Roman church is a result of this process of amalgamation. Similarly, Christian liturgy and liturgical calendar were modelled after Roman examples, e.g. the adoption of the festival of Sol Invictus to commemorate Epiphany of Christ. Christian mythology is the body of traditional narrative associated with Christianity. ... A large variety of names and titles are used in the New Testament to describe Jesus. ... Look up Apotheosis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Hero (disambiguation). ... A sacred king, according to the systematic interpretation of mythology developed by Sir James George Frazer in his influential book The Golden Bough, was a king who represented a solar deity in a periodically re-enacted fertility rite. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (Hebrew: , Standard Tiberian ; Aramaic: , ; Arabic: , ; the Anointed One) at first meant any person who was anointed with oil on rising to a certain position among the ancient Israelites, at first that of High priest, later that of King and also that of a prophet. ... Soter, sometimes known as the Pope of Charity, was pope from 166 to 174 (the Vatican cites 162 or 168 to 170 or 177). ... Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Raphael, Vatican Rooms. ... The Edict of Milan was a letter that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire. ... An engraving depicting what Theodosius may have looked like, ca. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers... The imperial cult in ancient Rome was the worship of the Roman Emperor as a god. ... Coin of Emperor Probus, circa 280, with Sol Invictus riding a quadriga, with legend SOLI INVICTO, to the Unconquered Sun. Note how the Emperor (on the left) wears a radiated solar crown, worn also by the god (to the right). ... Alternate meanings: see Pontifex (disambiguation) In Ancient Rome, the Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the collegium of the Pontifices, the most august position in Roman religion, open only to a patrician, until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post. ... Coin of Emperor Probus, circa 280, with Sol Invictus riding a quadriga, with legend SOLI INVICTO, to the Unconquered Sun. Note how the Emperor (on the left) wears a radiated solar crown, worn also by the god (to the right). ... Look up epiphany in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

These aspects were taken up in Germanic Christianity and combined with Germanic myth, giving rise to heroic poetry surrounding Christ and his sacrificial death, such as The Dream of the Rood. By Germanic Christianity is that phase in the history of Northern Europe understood, when the Germanic peoples of the Migration period and Viking Age adopted Christianity. ... Thor, god of thunder, one of the major figures in Germanic mythology. ... The Dream of the Rood is a famous Old English poem found in the Vercelli Book of the 10th century. ...

Jesus as unhistorical myth

In recent years, opinions of a purely or primarily mythical Christ have been advanced by Emeritus Professor of German George Albert Wells (The Jesus Legend and The Jesus Myth). These ideas have been taken up directly by Alvar Ellegard and advanced further by authors like Earl Doherty (The Jesus Puzzle), (ancient history). Additional popularization occurred with Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, co-authors of The Jesus Mysteries and Jesus and the Lost Goddess, who are both popular writers on mysticism, with Gandy having an MA in ancient pagan mystery religions. Acharya S is probably the most popular proponent of this view among mainstream readers. The theory was first proposed by historian Bruno Bauer in the 19th century and was influential in biblical studies during the early 20th century.^{[citation needed]} It has recently been popularized by a number of authors including Earl Doherty, Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. However, only very few Biblical scholars and historians of classical antiquity accept this hypothesis.^[21] The Jesus myth hypothesis, also referred to as the Jesus myth theory, the Jesus myth[1][2][3] refers to the idea that the mythological aspects of the narrative of Jesus in the gospels indicate that the figure of Jesus is an ahistorical construct of various forms of ancient mythology... George Albert Wells (born 1926) is an Emeritus Professor of German at Birkbeck College, but he is more widely known as a New Testament scholar. ... Alvar EllegÃ¥rd, born 1919 in Gothenburg, Sweden, is emeritus professor at Gothenburg University. ... Earl Doherty, currently living in Canada, is the author of The Jesus Puzzle, a work published in 2000 by the Canadian Humanist Association arguing that Jesus never lived. ... The Jesus Puzzle (subtitled Did Christianity begin with a mythical Christ?) is a 1999 book written by Earl Doherty, a historical scholar. ... Dr. Timothy Freke has an honours degree in philosophy and is an internationally respected authority on world mysticism. ... Peter Gandy is a scholar of Western religion and philosophy. ... The Jesus Mysteries: Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God? is a 1999 book by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy that attempts to reconstruct the true origins of Christianity. ... Acharya S is the pen name of D. M. Murdock. ... Bruno Bauer (September 6, 1809 - April 13, 1882), was a German theologian, philosopher and historian. ... Earl Doherty, currently living in Canada, is the author of The Jesus Puzzle, a work published in 2000 by the Canadian Humanist Association arguing that Jesus never lived. ... Dr. Timothy Freke has an honours degree in philosophy and is an internationally respected authority on world mysticism. ... Peter Gandy is a scholar of Western religion and philosophy. ...

The term Jesus myth covers a broad range of ideas, but most share the common premise that the narrative of the Gospels portrays a figure who never actually lived. Current theories arose from nineteenth century scholarship on the formation of myth, in the work of writers such as Max Müller and James Frazer. Müller argued that religions originated in mythic stories of the birth, death, and rebirth of the sun. Frazer further attempted to explain the origins of humanity's mythic beliefs in the idea of a "sacrificial king", associated with the sun as a dying and reviving god and its connection to the regeneration of the earth in springtime.^[18] Frazer did not doubt the historicity of Jesus, however, stating, "my theory assumes the historical reality of Jesus of Nazareth.... The doubts which have been cast upon the historical reality of Jesus are ... unworthy of serious attention."^[18] The later works by George Albert Wells drew on the Pauline Epistles and the lack of early non-Christian documents to argue that the Jesus figure of the Gospels was symbolic, not historical. Earl Doherty proposed that Jewish mysticism influenced the development of a Christ myth, while John M. Allegro proposed that Christianity began as shamanic religion based on the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms.^[22] Most recently Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy have popularized the Jesus-myth concept in their book The Jesus Mysteries.^[1] Some, including Freke and Gandy, have suggested that the idea that Jesus's existence is legendary is itself as old as the New Testament, pointing to 2 John 1:7, though scholars of the period believe that this passage refers to docetism, the belief that Jesus lacked a genuinely physical body, rather than a belief that Jesus was a completely fabricated figure.^[23]^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29] Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ... Max MÃ¼ller as a young man Friedrich Max MÃ¼ller (December 6, 1823 â€“ October 28, 1900), more commonly known as Max MÃ¼ller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of Indian studies, who virtually created the discipline of comparative religion. ... Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854, Glasgow, Scotland â€“ May 7, 1941), was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. ... The category life-death-rebirth deity also known as a dying-and-rising god is a convenient means of classifying the many divinities in world mythology who are born, suffer death or an eclipse or other death-like experience, pass a phase in the underworld among the dead, and are... George Albert Wells (born 1926) is an Emeritus Professor of German at Birkbeck College, but he is more widely known as a New Testament scholar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... Earl Doherty, currently living in Canada, is the author of The Jesus Puzzle, a work published in 2000 by the Canadian Humanist Association arguing that Jesus never lived. ... The tree of life Kabbalah (קבלה Reception, Standard Hebrew Qabbala, Tiberian Hebrew Qabbālāh; also written variously as Cabala, Cabalah, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, Kabalah, Kabbala, Qabala, Qabalah) is a religious philosophical system claiming an insight into divine nature. ... This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... John Marco Allegro is a controversial archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is... This article is about the practice of shamanism; for other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). ... Magic mushrooms are also known as sacred mushrooms, psychedelic mushrooms, and, more generally, hallucinogenic mushrooms. ... Dr. Timothy Freke has an honours degree in philosophy and is an internationally respected authority on world mysticism. ... Peter Gandy is a scholar of Western religion and philosophy. ... The Jesus Mysteries: Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God? is a 1999 book by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy that attempts to reconstruct the true origins of Christianity. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... The Second Epistle of John (normally just called 2nd John or 2 John) is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... In Christianity, Docetism (from the Greek [dokeÅ], to seem) is the belief that Jesus physical body was an illusion, as was his crucifixion; that is, Jesus only seemed to have a physical body and to physically die, but in reality he was incorporeal, a pure spirit, and hence could not...

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Freke, T; Gandy, P (2001). The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God?. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0609807989.
^ Sandmel, S (1962). "Parallelomania". Journal of Biblical Literature 81 (1): 1-13. doi:10.2307/3264821.
^ Massey, Ancient Egypt[1][2] pp. 215ff.
^ Joseph Campbell "the dead and resurrected god Tammuz (Sumerian Dumuzi), prototype of the Classical Adonis" (in Oriental Mythology: The Masks of God pp 39-40).
^ Miroslav Marcovich, "From Ishtar to Aphrodite" Journal of Aesthetic Education 30.2, Special Issue: Distinguished Humanities Lectures II (Summer 1996) p 49.)
^ Beard, M; North, J and Price, S (1998). Religions of Rome Volume 1: A History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 266, 301. ISBN 0-521-30401-6.
^ Beck, RL (2003). "Mithras". The Oxford Classical Dictionary (revised 3rd edition). Ed. Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. Oxford University Press. 991–992. 978-0198606413.
^ Martindale, Cyril (1908). "Christmas". Catholic Encyclopaedia. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
^ Kloppenborg, John (1987). The Formation of Q: Trajectories in Ancient Wisdom Collections (Studies in Antiquity and Christianity). Trinity Press International, 263-316. ISBN 978-1563383069.
^ Doherty, E. THE JESUS PUZZLE Was There No Historical Jesus?. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
^ *Doherty, Earl (2000). The Jesus Puzzle: Did Christianity Begin With a Mythical Christ?, rev. ed., Ottawa: Canadian Humanist Publications. ISBN 0-9686014-0-5.
^ Price, C (2003). Earl Doherty on Christian Use of the Hebrew Bible. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
^ Bartlett, JR (1998). 1 Maccabees (Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, 5). Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 978-1850757634.
^ Bartlett, John R. (1973). The First and Second Books of the Maccabees. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521086582.
^ Allen, C., The Buddha and the Sahibs: the men who disciovered India's lost religion, John Murray, 2002, pp.33-4
^ Gardner, B., "The Christianization of Quetzalcoatl: A History of the Metamorphosis." SUNSTONE vol.10, 1986, number 11. pp. 6-10
^ Komoszewski, JE; Sawyer, MJ & Wallace, DB (2006). Reinventing Jesus. Kregel Publications, 237. ISBN 978-0825429828.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Frazer, JG (2005). The Golden Bough - A Study in Magic and Religion. Cosimo. ISBN 978-1596056855.
^ Allegro, John M. (1970). The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-12875-5.
^ See Justin Martyr#The Apology for more information on this book
^ The historian Michael Grant states, for example, that, "To sum up, modern critical methods fail to support the Christ myth theory. It has 'again and again been answered and annihilated by first rank scholars.' In recent years, 'no serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non historicity of Jesus' or at any rate very few, and they have not succeeded in disposing of the much stronger, indeed very abundant, evidence to the contrary." - Michael Grant, Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels (Scribner, 1995)
^ Allegro, John M. (1970). The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-12875-5.
^ Elwell, WA (2001). Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Baker Academic. ISBN 978-0801020759.
^ Duling, DC; Perrin,N (1993). The New Testament: Proclamation and Parenesis, Myth and History. Harcourt. ISBN 978-0155003781.
^ Docetism. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
^ Kelly, J.N.D (1978). Early Christian Doctrines: Revised Edition. HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 978-0060643348.
^ Phillips, JB. Book 24 - John's Second Letter. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
^ Arendzen, J. P. (1909). "Docetae". The Catholic Encyclopedia Volume V. New York: Robert Appleton. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
^ Elwell, WA (2001). Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Baker Academic Press. ISBN 978-0801020759.

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Mary Beard is Professor in Classics at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Newnham College. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Earl Doherty, currently living in Canada, is the author of The Jesus Puzzle, a work published in 2000 by the Canadian Humanist Association arguing that Jesus never lived. ... The Jesus Puzzle (subtitled Did Christianity begin with a mythical Christ?) is a 1999 book written by Earl Doherty, a historical scholar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... John Marco Allegro (17 February 1923 - 17 February 1988) was a controversial archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar. ... Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher) (100â€“165) was an early Christian apologist and saint. ... Michael Grant (21 November 1914 â€“ 9 August 2004) was a trained classicist who was one of the few classical historians to win respect from academics and a lay readership. ... John Marco Allegro (17 February 1923 - 17 February 1988) was a controversial archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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