My books for Classical Mythology are some of the few books besides my bio books I've kept from previous semesters. I haven't had time to read them since my class a few years back, but I can't 'till I do have time.
I grok. Christianity appears to be a syncretism of Judaism (in its many variants), middle Platonism (Logos), and Mithraism (savior mystery cults). Of course, this is a wild oversimplification since the above precursors are syncretisms themselves.
that would be awesome if we had even a bit of evidence that mitrhaism predated Christianity. absolutely Christianity has ties to Judaism. there' s all sorts of language in the New Testament about Gentiles being "grafted in" to the tree of Judaism through Jesus.
http://www.atheist-community.org/mithra.htm First appears as an Aryan sun-god in Sanskrit and Persian literature circa 1400 BCE. The cult was introduced into the Roman empire in the 1st century BCE. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mithra.html In the 4 century BCE his popularity rose and again he held a high position in the Persian pantheon. Eventually his cult spread beyond Iran and Asia Minor and gradually became a mystery cult. The ascetic religion of Mithraism (to which only men were allowed) became increasingly popular among the Roman soldiers around 100 CE and at that time Mithra was known in Rome as 'Deus sol invictus' ("the unconquered sun"). http://www.vetssweatshop.net/dogma.htm According to Persian traditions, the god Mithras was actually incarnated into the human form of the Saviour expected by Zarathustra. Mithras was born of Anahita, an immaculate virgin mother once worshipped as a fertility goddess before the hierarchical reformation. Anahita was said to have conceived the Saviour from the seed of Zarathustra preserved in the waters of Lake Hamun in the Persian province of Sistan. Mithra's ascension to heaven was said to have occurred in 208 B.C.E., 64 years after his birth. Parthian coins and documents bear a double date with this 64 year interval. http://www.vetssweatshop.net/dogma2b.htm In 67 B.C., the first congregation of Mithras-worshipping soldiers existed in Rome under the command of General Pompey. http://www.occultopedia.com/m/mithra.htm Mithraism is the cult of Mithra. It was a personal faith, emphasizing the conflict of good and evil, and the reward of virtue and punishment of wickedness in the afterlife. It may be said to have been the only living religion which Christianity found to combat. It was strong enough to exert a formative influence on certain Christian doctrines, such as those relative to the end of the world and the powers of hell. The religion spread from Persia through the Roman Empire from 68 BC until the 3rd century AD, becoming a serious rival to Christianity. It declined in the 4th century AD. http://www.truthbeknown.com/mithra.htm Christian writer George W. Gilmore, an associate editor of the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, says: "It was probably at this period, 250-100 B.C., that the Mithraic system of ritual and doctrine took the form which it afterward retained. Here it came into contact with the mysteries, of which there were many varieties, among which the most notable were those of Cybele. Hoc verum est.
A lot of christian beliefs stem from greek and roman religions. For example Poseidon's trident has evolved to Satans pitchfork. Go read the DaVinci Code....best book to reveal what a lie the church is ever!!!
I fail to see how the trident evolved into the pitchfork besides the shapes of the two being similar? The users of the two had absolutely nothing in common.
No. Just goofing as usual, but I thought it was funny when rimbaud suggested the prad. might be looking for answers to a class assignment and MacBeth provides a little essay there.
My understanding, No Worries, is that there is not one shred of evidence, archaelogical or otherwise, of the existence of Mithraism before 300 AD.
ahhhh...the DaVinci Code!!! where true historians go to find the truth! and if you want to know about World War II and the rise of Nazi Germany, watch "Raiders of the Lost Ark." man..we'd have been screwed if it hadn't been for the work of one man.
Do you trust the Catholic Encyclopedia? More is here. Edit: I guess it should also be noted that it was one of many pre and contemporaneous to Christian mystery cults. Of course, many "Christian" "sects" (sorry for the overuse of quotation marks, but everything was so loose at the time) also existed that would not be currently accepted.
How did this evolution happen? One ruled the seas and the other well, apparently dwelled where water was a bit scarce. I really need to read this Da Vinci Code book. Everyone that's talked to me about it comes up with examples and all I'm left with is "and that proves what?". Maybe I'll read it for laughs. Bad Dunk, must have open mind.
1. Bad example, they have nothing in common. Also, most early Christian imagery is Roman Imperial. 2. The DaVinci Code is pure fiction, you know...
I was curious... is The Da Vinci Code a good read or is it popular because of the buzz, the cool title and so on? I can think of a lot of mediocre novels that sold like hotcakes. I haven't read it, so I was wondering. I probably missed the thread about it. Sorry for getting off the subject.
