CX

I've noted recently that the most often mentioned mystery religion vis-a-vis Xianity is the Roman Cult of Mithras. I've additionally noted that better than 90% of the information available on the internet about RM is outdated or flat out wrong. I'm currently working on a resource to help laymen understand the current state of scholarship on the subject. In the meantime, the best book on the subject of the Mithraic Mysteries is by Manfred Clauss. The English translation was done by Dr. Richard Gordon.

Toto

The Roman Cult of Mithras (Amazon allows you to search within their on line copy.)

CX

What annoys me is that in the recommendations they include Ulansey's book. The Clauss/Gordon book is excellent, balanced and not too speculative (though given the dearth of evidence aside from a plethora of archaeological finds some specualtion is inevitable). Although I've not read my copy of the Ulansey book yet (still trying to finish up Dever, Kirsch, a book on ancient Babylonia and and a quirky little book about fundamentalism) my general impression is that it is wildly speculative bordering on the absurd. My discussions with mithraic scholars suggests to me that Ulansey's book is essentially totally dismissed by the academic community.

Toto

Ulansey: The Cosmic Mysteries of Mithras is speculative, but anything is going to be speculative. JP Holding seems to use Ulansey to bash Acharya S.

littlegirlost

I encountered Mr. Holding on the site I mentioned in the OP. After checking out Ulansey's website, I'm a little surprised that JPH would give him any credence???

CX

I disagree, at least in part. Speculation is a natural part of reconstructing history. Even so Clauss does a good job of promulgated only what is reasonable and pointing out where hypotheses or conclusions are speculative. Ulansey on the other hand builds an entire edifice on the basis of virtually no information and evangelises it as though it were ironclad proof. The fact Ulansey is referenced by Holding is just another nail in the coffin.

Biff the unclean

December 25 is the date of Mithra's birth. Mithra was born of virgin birth attended by angels and shepherds. He was known as the "Good Shepherd."
Magi, who saved Jesus from the evil-baby-killing Jews, are preists of the saviour Mithra. They brought the gifts that are symbolic of Mithra to Mary's baby shower

The cave that you claim is not in the bible is underneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in real life. You can only access it from above because it was never a stable. It is a church of Mithra buit on the same common underground plan you find from Iran to Scotland.

You'll find one just like it, only much larger, in the sub-basement of the Vatican in Rome

Toto

Biff - there is so much misinformation floating around on Mithra that it would be helpful to give citations for any of your assertions. Thanks.

Evoken

Actually Mithra was born from solid rock and was not attended by angels or Magi, the Magi are from Zoroatrianism just like Mithras. There was no virgin birth for Mithras. Also the "cave" can just be the hole he left on the rock when he was born out of it.

Also by the second century, Mithra was revered mainly by roman soldiers. Women were excluded and not allowed into the cult.

Here is a good a site:

http://www.well.com/user/davidu/mithras.html

Biff the unclean

Yes, the Rock of Ages. According to Franz Cumont (The Mysteries of Mithra) he was attended by angels and shepherds.
No one said that he was attended by Magi. Please be good enough to contradict what I write and not what I haven't writen.
The Magi were astrologer priests who watched the zodiac for Mithra's second coming, amongst other things. Since the Gospel story has them see Jesus's birth in the stars, when they would not have given a rat's bottom about a king of the Jews, and they bring the gifts intended for their savior's second coming you really have to wonder just what the writer was trying to say. When you consider that the writer also makes the Jews out to be baby killers this story looks more and more Roman and less and less Jewish.

Mithra was concieved without benefit of sexual intercourse. The word "Virgin" has a broader meaning than you are giving it.

Which is why Mithrains used artificial caves as their churches. These are all short tunnels with the only entrance being a hole in the ceiling, and a row of seats on either side. Just like the cave under the Church of the Nativity. Unless the inn owner, who had no room for an expectant mother (damn Jew that he was), carried donkeys and cows up and down the ladder on his back.

Women had been excluded from the start, so what? It's a Middle Eastern religion, that sort of thing was/is common with them.
The Jesus birth story is Mithrain, so is the sermon on the mount. The ressurection story is taken from the Goddess Easter. Baptism comes from the Sumerian God Ea, whose name in Hebrew was Yohanan (that's John in English). Most of the rest of Jesus life comes from Dionysus with the healing miracles lifted from Apollonius of Tyana. Bits and pieces come from around the area. The three Marys are all aspects of Mary the triune goddess of the Galatians.
Xians love to single out one Pagan God and claim Jesus could not possibly be modeled after him, and that is true. Jesus is cobbled together from the parts of any number of Gods. A sort of Holy Frankenstein Monster