jesusisalie

In The Christ Conspiracy, Acharya S (in The Characters chapter) brings up some VERY interesting similarities between the Jesus story and tales of other, earlier deities.

Even though the Jesus Story (NT) sounds eerily familiar to previous mythological figures including Attis of Phrygia, Buddha, Dionysus, Hercules, Krishna, Mithra, Zoroaster, et al, I find the similarity to the story of Horus nearly too much to take. How can one read this information and not come to the conclusion that the story of Jesus is a nearly identical regurgitation of the Horus myth?

My question to those of you who are better historians than I, which includes everyone reading this; is the following information true regarding the similarities between Horus and Jesus?

From the text:
—Horus was born of the virgin Isis-Meri on Dec 25th in a cave/manger with his birth announced by a star in the East and attended by three wise men.
—His earthly father was named “seb� (Joseph)
—He was of royal descent.
—At age 12, he was a child teacher in the Temple, and at 30, he was baptized, having disappeared for 18 years.
—He performed miracles, exorcised demons and raised El-Azarus (El-Osirus), from the dead
—Horus walked on water
—He delivered a “Sermon on the Mount� and his followers recounted the “Sayings of Iusa.�
—Horus was transfigured on the mount.
—He was crucified between two thieves, buried for three days in a tomb and resurrected.
—He was also the “Way, the Truth, the Light,� “Messiah,� God’s Anointed Son,� the “Son of Man,� the “Good Shepherd,� the “Lamb of God,� the “Word made flesh,� the “Word of Truth,� etc.
—He was “the fisher� and was associated with the Fish (“Ichthys�), Lamb and Lion.
—He came to fulfill the Law.
—Horus was called “the KRST,� or “Anointed One.�
—Like jesus, “Horus was supposed to reign one thousand years.�


If this is indeed accurate, I can see no other logical conclusion other than plagiarism, as it were.

Malachi151

Interesting, do you have any links for this info?

I may have to get this book afterall...

Vinnie

If all that is true it could show how "heroes" tended to be cast in Greco-Roman culture. But this hardly applies to all texts. Simple question: How do we know Horus was not patterned after Jesus? Documentation and dates are in order.


—Horus was born of the virgin Isis-Meri on Dec 25th in a cave/manger with his birth announced by a star in the East and attended by three wise men.

No VC in GMark. Virgin Births or Divine Births are commonly atributed to esteemed figures. No surprise here. Jesus wasn't born on Dec 25th as well.

—His earthly father was named “seb� (Joseph)

How common was the name Jospeh?

—He was of royal descent.

In such cultures its easy to see two groups creating such details for their heroes. I don't think Mark had Davidic Descent however.

—At age 12, he was a child teacher in the Temple, and at 30, he was baptized, having disappeared for 18 years.

Mark has none of a child Jesus in the temple. Only Luke has this and this looks like pure creation on Luke's part.

—He performed miracles, exorcised demons and raised El-Azarus (El-Osirus), from the dead

Hardly surprising to see many ancient figures who were popular to be viewed as miracle workers.

—Horus walked on water

Interesting. Jesus didn't but some said he did. Pulling this from common thoughts on "divine individuals?" Any other figures walk on water?

—He delivered a “Sermon on the Mount� and his followers recounted the “Sayings of Iusa.�

Followers often record, retain, pass-on the sayings of their teacher. WHy is SonthM in parenthesis? I need quotes here.

—Horus was transfigured on the mount.

Interesting as Jesus was claimed to be transfigured.

—He was crucified between two thieves, buried for three days in a tomb and resurrected.

Interesting but the first half of this commends itself as historical for Jesus.

—He was also the “Way, the Truth, the Light,� “Messiah,� God’s Anointed Son,� the “Son of Man,� the “Good Shepherd,� the “Lamb of God,� the “Word made flesh,� the “Word of Truth,� etc.

This all occurs in John which has a lot of theological meditation. Jesus' follwers certainly engaged in mythmaking. There can be no reasonable doubt about this.

—He was “the fisher� and was associated with the Fish (“Ichthys�), Lamb and Lion.

???


Vinnie

Godless Wonder

[QUOTE=Vinnie]
Vinnie, did you happen to catch the alleged name of who it was that got raised from the dead by Horus? Sound familiar? Just wondering, since you didn't mention it. OTH, I suppose written vowels weren't used (right?) so the names may have appeared more similar than they really are, or perhaps this is what allows "El-Osirus" to be equated to "El-Azarus" I don't know how they know the name "Osirus" is not really "Asuros" for instance... maybe they don't know.

Toto

We discussed the Jesus - Horus parallels in Tom Harpur, Christian Mythicist (Harpur's claimes are repeated unritically at religioustolerance). Unfortunately, Acharya S is not a reliable source; nor is her primary source, Kersey Graves.

Tektonics on Horus - (not that tektonics is an absolutely reliable source) - casts doubt on the claims.

At the very least, it appears that Horus was born of Isis, who was a goddess and not a virgin mortal woman, and Horus was not crucified.

It does appear that there were some common themes between Horus and Jesus, but not the sort of plagiarism that is claimed. The imagery of Isis and Horus as mother and child is often compared to the images of Mary and Jesus, but this seems to have arisen after the rise of Christianity:

Also here

Edited to add: there is another thread here that may be of interest.

Vinnie

Yes but need documentation. As Toto's post shows, I bet many of these are nonexistent or exxaggerated. A few could show common Greco-Roman hero writing techniques but that is probably the extent of it.

Vinnie

CX

You and Toto have way more patience than I do.

jesusisalie

[QUOTE=Toto]We discussed the Jesus - Horus parallels in Tom Harpur, Christian Mythicist (Harpur's claimes are repeated unritically at religioustolerance). Unfortunately, Acharya S is not a reliable source; nor is her primary source, Kersey Graves.


Thanks for the excellent thread references and heads up on Acharya S.

Marduk

I’d be curious to know what time period these stories of Horus were taken from, they sound a little to contemporary, possible Christian influenced. Horus stories go back 4500 years and were changed frequently.
He was the son of Osiris and Isis, and there were several: Horus the sightless, the younger etc. most often he was the Pharaoh, Ra on Earth, the Sun etc. from The Book of the Dead:


"I am with Horus as the protector of the left shoulder of
Osiris, the dweller in Sekhem. I enter in among and I come forth
from the Flame-gods on the day of the destruction of the Sebau
fiends in Sekhem. I am with Horus on the day of the festivals of
Osiris, at the making of offerings and oblations!!!

"Deliver thou the scribe Nebseni, whose word is truth, from the Watchers, who carry murderous knives, who possess cruel fingers, and who would slay those who are in the following of Osiris." May these Watchers never gain the mastery over me, and may I neverfall under their knives!
Who are these Watchers? "They are Anubis and Horus, in the form of Horus the sightless..."