Biff the unclean

Marduk The whole Jesus/Mythra comparison sounds good when written by say a journalist, but ask an expert on Mythraism and he may just laugh out loud.

Do you mean like Franz Cumont, the devout Catholic, who had to keep repeating again and again throughout his seminal work The Mysteries of Mithra that although what he found out about Mithra matched the stories of Jesus, Jesus was not really a copy because Mithra was a myth and Jesus was real? Is that the laughing you are talking about?

Many of the dying/rising gods are seasonal occurrences from agrarian societies celebrating a harvest and have nothing to do with the Jesus/Jewish tradition of atonement etc.
Which is utter nonsense. The Jesus stories aren't Jewish. The setting is Israel, the characters are Jews, but the authors knew some Jewish tradition. The Jews don't even believe that they are "fallen". No original sin. They atone for their own sins and have no need of a Jesus. The Midrash makes that clear, "Even as the soul is pure when entering upon its earthly career so can man return it pure to his Maker"
Nor are Jews baptized, though Mithrains were. Baptism was dedicated to the God Ea. In the Hellenistic period, Ea was called Oannes, which is in Greek Ioannes, Latin Johannes, Hebrew Yohanan...and in English the God of baptizm was called John.
Of course Jesus isn't 100% Mithra. More than half of him is the born again son of God, Dionysos

RTS

I would suggest you begin your research with the study of Astro-Theology; the foundation of all god-man myths.

Here are a few for starters:

Veritas--Revelations of Mysteries Biblical, Historical, and Social, by Means of the Median and Persian Laws (1874), Henry Melville, Kessinger Publishing, (no date).

Astro-Mythology, Valerie Vaughan, One Reed Publications, 1998.

That Old-Time Religion, Jordan maxwell, Paul Tice and Alan Snow, The Book Tree, 2000.

Jesus Christ--Sun of God, David Fideler, Quest Books, 1993.

The Christ Conspiracy, Acharya S, Adventures Unlimited Press, 1999.

Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomy, Robert Hewitt Brown, Kessinger Publishing, (no date).

The Structure of Biblical Myths, Heinz Westman, Spring Publications, 1983.

Deceptions and Myths of the Bible, Lloyd M. Graham, Citadel Press, 1975.

Any books by authors Gerald Massey, Albert Churchward and Alvin Boyd Kuhn (can be found at Kessinger Publishing on the net)

There are also many net resources with great info (for starters try these):

http://ancientegypt.hypermart.net

http://home1.gte.net/deleyd/religion/index.htm

http://home1.gte.net/deleyd/religion/bookr.html#DUPUIS

NeoApostate

Biff,

Does Occidental Mythology mention Osiris?

beanpie

I think the essays of Mr. Gerald Massey's Lectures
Originally published in a private edition c. 1900, is very good.


http://africawithin.com/massey/gml1_intro.htm

Biff the unclean

In my edition eight pages are devoted to her

Biff the unclean

Sorry, I meant "him." That business about the penis eating fish not with standing

NeoApostate

Thanks, I think I'll check out that book. It seems the best choice out of the other options I've looked at.

Zucco

Wow, thanks for all the great recommendations. After spending yesterday with a group of relatives who were discussing Mel Gibson's new movie like it was a documentary, it was very refreshing to get into the office this morning and peruse your replies. I'm the crazy one at family gathering; this is where I come to regain my sanity. Appreciate all the input.

0

I might get blasted for putting this on here, but the book that really opened my eyes was
The Christ Conspiracy by Arachya S.
This book is wonderful, although I disagree with some of the author's conclusions, but it gives you a place to begin your own search for the truth. The links that she cites between ancient gods and Jesus can be researched on your own for a stronger case, should you need other references.
She also lists a bibilography after each chapter for further reading and research should you choose to do so.
I honestly can't recommend a better starting point...and there are too many books in my house for me to get my lazy bones up and dig through...lol.
Just an idea though.
Tangie

Mageth

One more recommendation needs to be made - and I think an important one. When comparing Jesus to "ancient myths" that preceded the Gospels, the first and most important place to look, IMO, is in Jewish mythology and tradition. Whatever external mythologies influenced the Jesus legend did so to a mythological framework straight out of Jewish tradition.

I'm just getting started on looking into this. One book I'd highly recommend is John Shelby Spong's Resurrection: Myth or Reality? - an excellent evaluation of the Gospels, in particular the Easter account, in light of Jewish mythology and traditions. Spong is an Episcopal Bishop, BTW. Others could recommend other books as well, I'm sure.

Elaine Pagels also has several very good books on the development of beliefs in the Early Christian Church.