WAS OSIRIS THE PROTOTYPE FOR THE "JESUS STORY" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
We have witnessed on other websites from Bet Emet Ministries the unbelievable parallels between the solar and lunar gods and the "Jesus Story". It is enough to make your head spin and wish you have never learned of this plagiarism in Christianity today.
Answer for yourself: Where did the dying-reborn God myth start?
Well we have seen that all roads lead to Egypt and pre-Egypt if that is possible to the pre-dynastic Egyptians. If we look past Egypt we find that Asia minor is also a source for the "Jesus Story". The ancient Greeks and Romans inherited and adapted Gods from ancient Asia Minor (Assyria, Babylon, Phrygia, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, places like that). These old-ancient religions were pretty basic Mother Earth, cycle-of-nature affairs. We have seen that observations by the Ancients of the Heavens above and Nature around them, often called Mother Earth religions, personified the forces and powers they observed and central to these observations was a pattern or cycle observed by them for thousands of years. From these observations these nations in toto reasoned and had Gods who personified the cycle-of-nature by dying in the autumn (Autumn equinox began the death and culminated at the Winter solstice) and being reborn in the spring. We don't know exactly when these dying-reborn Gods began -- they date back thousands of years, basically fading into prehistory. We do know their names, and some of their rituals. And we can trace the evolution of their ideas from Egypt to Greece and Rome -- and on to the Christian church in your neighborhood which you attend this weekend.
It all began with Osiris and Horus and from these arises others personifications of the Sun and Moon and their movements and various powers and forces taken from Nature fashioned in the same understandings; only the names changing from nation to nation down through time. By the time of Jesus of Nazareth as depicted in the New Testament, as it was thousands of years before, the Mediterranean world contained a great diversity of creeds and rituals surrounding these "personified sun gods" (Attis, Mithra, Dionysus, Buddha, Krishna, Hercules, Zoroaster, etc.). Of course as time would have it details varied according to location and culture, but the general outlines of these faiths were astonishingly similar. A pattern emerged and overlap was not uncommon but the general outline of them is as follows:
- These personified sungods were born on or very near our Christmas Day at the Winter solstice
- These personified sungods were all born of a Virgin-Mother which was personified from observations of the constellation Virgo
- These personified sungods were born in a Cave or Underground Chamber which was the personification of the Sun rising at dawn as its rays (Ra) spread through the sky
- These personified sungods all led a life of labor for Mankind (as the personified Sun it struggles against the darkness in its path across the sky and through the solar year)
- These personified sungods were all called by the names of Light-bringer, Healer, Mediator, Savior, Deliverer.
- These personified sungods were eventually vanquished by the Powers of Darkness or by characters who were themselves depictions of personified darkness (Set, Satan, Devil) following their glory at the Summer solstice from which they fell to their soon coming death following the Autumn equinox and the ultimate Winter solstice
- These personified sungods descended into Hell or the Underworld (the realm of darkness) for 3 days at the Winter solstice
- These personified sungods rose again from the dead, and became the pioneers of mankind to the Heavenly world on December 25th following the Winter solstice
- These personified sungods founded Communions of Saints, and Churches into which disciples were received by Baptism.
- These personified sungods were all commemorated by Eucharistic meals (partaking of the solar harvest)
Answer for yourself: Does any of this sound familiar and something you have learned in church about Jesus as well? What does this say about Jesus and certain teachings like:
John 14:6 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: How is the depiction of Jesus in the New Testament different from all the rest of these solar gods or is it? Is the "Jesus Story" a clone of prior "savior stories"?
Answer for yourself: Time does not allow nor space in just one article to compare all of these solar heroes with the "Jesus Story" but let me ask you something; are you aware that the "original" and first "Jesus Story" is the story of Osiris that originated in Egypt thousands of years before the supposed "historical Jesus?
OSIRIS:
It is said of Osiris:
- He came to fulfill the law.
- Called "KRST," the "Anointed One."
- Born of the virgin Isis-Meri on December 25th in a cave / manger, with his birth announced by a star and attended by three wise men.
- Earthly father named "Seb" (translates to "Joseph.")
- At age 12 he was a child teacher in the Temple and at 30 he was baptized, having disappeared for 18 years.
- Baptized in the river Iarutana -- the river Jordan -- by "Anup the Baptizer," who was beheaded. (Anup translates to John.)
- Traveled widely, taught men and "tamed them by music and gentleness, not by force of arms" [Plutarch]
- Performed miracles, exorcised demons, raised El-Osiris from the dead.
- Walked on water.
- Betrayed by Typhon, crucified between two thieves on the 17th day of the month of Athyr.
- Buried in a tomb from which he arose on the third day (19th Athyr) and was resurrected.
- His suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated each year by His disciples on the Vernal Equinox -- Easter.
- Called "The Way, the Truth, the Light," "Messiah," "god's Anointed Son,' the "Son of Man," the "Word made Flesh," the "word of truth."
- Expected to reign a thousand years.
Answer for yourself: Does any of this sound familiar and something you have learned in church about Jesus as well?
- Bet Emet Ministries
- Craig M. Lyons Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.
- 902 Cardigan
- Garland, Texas 75040
- 972-4964238