Similarities between Jesus and Osiris, Dionysus, Horus, etc

[Guest]

Sorry to keep bugging you guys with these, but on another forum someone keeps bringing these things up. I know they are answerable, but thought that perhaps some of you have already done the leg work on rebutting these types of challenges:

Life events shared by Osiris, Dionysus and Jesus

The following stories appear both in the Gospels and in the myths of many of the god-men:

Conception:
God was his father. This was believed to be literally true in the case of Osiris-Dionysus; their God came to earth and engaged in sexual intercourse with a human. The father of Jesus is God in the form of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18).
A human woman, a virgin, was his mother.
Birth:
He was born in a cave or cowshed. Luke 2:7 mentions that Jesus was placed in a manger - an eating trough for animals. One early Christian tradition said that the manger was in a cave.
His birth was prophesized by a star in the heavens.

Ministry:
At a marriage ceremony, he performed the miracle of converting water into wine.
He was powerless to perform miracles in his home town.
His followers were born-again through baptism in water.
He rode triumphantly into a city on a donkey. Tradition records that the inhabitants waved palm leaves.
He had 12 disciples.
He was accused of licentious behavior.

Execution, resurrection, etc:
He was killed near the time of the Vernal Equinox, about MAR-21.
He died "as a sacrifice for the sins of the world." 1
He was hung on a tree, stake, or cross.
After death, he descended into hell.
On the third day after his death, he returned to life.
The cave where he was laid was visited by three of his female followers
He later ascended to heaven.
His titles:
God made flesh.
Savior of the world.
Son of God.

Beliefs about the God-man:
He is "God made man," and equal to the Father.
He will return in the last days.
He will judge the human race at that time.
Humans are separated from God by original sin. The god-man's sacrificial death reunites the believer with God and atones for the original sin
.


All of the Pagan myths had been circulating for centuries before Jesus birth (circa 4 to 7 BCE). It is obvious that if any copying occurred, it was the followers of Jesus incorporating into his biography the myths and legends of Osiris-Dionysus, not vice-versa.

Correspondences between events in Jesus' and Krishna's life

Krishna is the son of the Virgin Devaki.
Jesus is the son of the Virgin Mary
.
Krishna's birth occurs while his foster father, Nanda, is in his native city to pay taxes to the king, King Kansa.
Jesus' birth occurs while his foster father, Joseph, is in his native city to pay taxes to the Governor
King Kansa tried to kill Krishna by ordeing the slaughter of all males born on the same day as Krishna.
King Herod ordered the slaughter of all infants born on the same day as Jesus. Source: St. Matthew, 2:16.
The Virgin Devaki is told by an angel, "In thy delivery, O favored among women, all nations shall have cause to rejoice."
The Virgin Mary is told by an angel, "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. ... Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Source: St. Luke 1:28-33.
The nativity of Krishna is heralded by a star.
The nativity of Jesus is heralded by a star.
Krishna is born in a cave. The cave story is an indication of lower-class birthplace.
Jesus is born in a cave.
Source: The Apocryphal Gospel entitled Protevangelion, supposedly written by James, the brother of Jesus.
The manger story (wherein Jesus was born in a stable) is an indication of a low-class birthplace
.

Krishna is visited in the cave by three wise men bearing gifts.
Jesus is visited in the stable/cave by three wise men bearing gifts.
The cave was mysteriously illuminated.
The cave was illuminated so brightly Joseph and Mary's midwife could not tolerate the light. Source: The Apocryphal Gospel Protevangelion.
Nanda is warned by an angel to flee from King Kansa by crossing the Jumna River with the infant Krishna.
Joseph is warned in a dream to flee from King Herod into Egypt with the infant Jesus and the Virgin Mary
The baby Krishna began speaking to his mother shortly after birth.
The baby Jesus began speaking to the Virgin Mary shortly after his birth, saying, "Mary, I am Jesus, the Son of God, that WORD which thou didst bring forth according to the declaration of the Angel Gabriel to thee, and my Father hath sent me for the salvation of the world."
Source: The Apocryphal Gospel, The First Gospel of the Infancy.
Krishna performs miracles in Mathura
Jesus performs miracles in the town of Materea in Egypt
Krishna was crucified.
Jesus was crucified.
During the crucifixion, Krishna was wounded by an arrow.
During the crucifixion, Jesus was wounded by a spear.
At noon on the day of Krishna's crucifixion, the sun darkened.
From the sixth hour to the ninth hour on the day of Jesus' crucifixion, the sun darkened
Krishna descended into Hell.
He raised the dead.
He brought back two boys from Hell.
Jesus descended into Hell.
He raised the dead.
He brought back from Hell two boys, the sons of the high priest.
[Source: The Apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus
.

The parallels (similarities) of the hundu Krishna Myth to the Christian Jesus myth are strong evidence that Christianity stole/borrowed elements of the older myth.
In comparing the Krishna and Jesus myths, some of the references of the Jesus myth are stories found in the so-called Apocryphal Gospels, the early Christian writings which were not accepted for the Christian canon, which includes the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, the Acts, and other letters. Krishna myth had been circulating for centuries before Jesus birth (circa 4 to 7 BCE).

The story of Horus, a major Egyptian God, is told in the “Book of Vivifying the Soul Forever” over 3,000 years before the birth of Christ.

The Jesus story in the Bible is a recycled version of the Horus story. The comparisons given below prove without a doubt that the whole Bible is full of myths and stories recycled from earlier times and made to fit the various characters of the Bible.




EGYPTIAN MESSIAH—HORUS BIBLICAL MESSIAH—JESUS
1 Horus is the Father seen in the son..
Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life.
2 Horus claims to be the light of the world represented by the symbolic eye, the sign of salvation.
Jesus stated that he is the light of the world.
3 Horus said that he was the way, the truth, the life.
Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life.
4 Horus was the plant, the shoot.
Jesus says "I am the true vine."
5 Horus says “It is I who traverse the heavens, I go round the Elysian Fields. Eternity has been assigned to me without end, Lo! I am heir to endless time and my attribute is eternity.
Jesus says “I am come down from heaven, for this is the will of the Father, that everyone who beholdeth the Son and believeth in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
6 Horus—I open the Tuat that I may drive away the darkness.
Jesus says I am come a light unto the world.
7 Horus says “I am equipped with thy words O Ra [Father in Heaven] and repeat them to those who are deprived of breath.” These were the words of the Father in heaven.
Jesus says “The Father which sent me, he hath given me a command-ment, what I should say and what I should speak. Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me."
8 Horus baptized with water by Anup.
Jesus baptized with water by John the Baptist.
9 Horus—Aan, the name of the divine scribe.
Jesus—John the divine scribe.
10 Horus born in Annu, the place of bread.
Jesus Born in Bethlehem, the house of bread.
11 Horus The good shepherd with the crook on his shoulders.
Jesus The good shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders.
12 Horus Seven on board the boat with him.
Jesus Seven fishermen on board the boat with Jesus.
13 Horus Depicted as the Lamb
Jesus depicted as the lamb.
14 Horus as the Lion.
Jesus as the lion.
15 Horus identified with the Tat or cross.
Jesus identified with the cross.
16 Horus of 12 years.
Jesus of 12 years.
17 Horus A man of 30 years.
Jesus a man of 30 years at his baptism.
18 Horus the KRST.
Jesus the Christ.
19 Horus the manifesting son of God.
Jesus the manifesting son of God.
20 Horus The trinity—Atum the Father, Horus the son, Ra the Holy Spirit.
Jesus—God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit.
21 Horus The first Horus as a child of the virgin, the second as son of Ra.
Jesus as a child of the virgin, Christ as the son of the Father in heaven.
22 Horus—Horus the sender and Set the destroyer in the harvest field. Jesus—
Jesus the sender or the good seed, Satan the sender of tares.
23 Horus carried off by Set to the summit of Mount Hetep.
Jesus carried by Satan to an exceedingly high mountain.
24 Horus and Set contending on the Mount.
Jesus and Satan contending on the Mount.
25 Horus—The star was the announcer of the child Horus.
Jesus—The Star in the East indicated the birth-place of Jesus.
26 Horus—the avenger.
Jesus who brings the sword.
27 Horus—as Iu-em-hetep comes with peace.
Jesus—the bringer of peace.
28 Horus—the afflicted one.
Jesus—the afflicted one.
29 Horus—as the type of life eternal. 30
Jesus—as the type of life eternal.
30 Horus as Iu-em-hetep the child teacher in the temple.
Jesus as the child teacher in the temple.
31 Horus The mummy bandage was woven without seam.
Jesus The vesture of the Christ was without seam.
32 Horus As Har-Khutti has twelve followers. 32
Jesus has twelve disciples.
33 Horus The revelation written down by divine scribe Aan (Tehuti).
Jesus the Revelation written down by John the Divine.
34 Horus—Aani bears witness to the word of Ra.
Jesus—John bears witness to the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ.
35 Horus The secret mysteries revealed by That-Aan.
Jesus The secret mysteries made known by John.
36 Horus The morning star.
Jesus The morning star.
37 Horus Who gives the morning star to his followers.
Jesus who gives the morning star to his followers.
38 Horus The name of Ra on the head of the deceased.
Jesus The name of the father written on the forehead.
39 Horus The paradise of the Pole star—Am-Khemen.
Jesus The Holy City lighted by one luminary that is neither the sun nor the moon.
40 Horus Har-Seshu or servants of Horus.
Jesus The servants of Jesus Christ.

Looking forward to your thoughts,

TK

[Guest]

This person gives the sources for the Christian teachings of Jesus, but not the sources for the other information.

I would think that it would be important for them to provide sources for their information if this is true.

[Guest]

Hi TK,
I appreciate you asking these questions. It has forced me to look into these assertions. What I find is this. The person you are speaking to does have accurate information. There are striking similarities between the life a Jesus and these Pagan deities. I found a great article that addresses this topic in depth. It is quite lengthy. One could spend an hour or more reading it, but it is well worth the time. It seems that this subject cannot be addressed in a tit-for-tat argument, but deserves and in-depth approach. I have linked the article below. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, and hope that it helps you in dealing with your friend from this other forum.

https://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/156

Robin

[Guest]

thanks for that link, robin! i appreciate it. here's another one i found, although i have not yet read it super-closely:


http://www.christian-thinktank.com/copycatwho1.html

Rae-- the things i posted above are widely circulated on internet atheist sites, etc. the guy on my other forum just cut and paste them. one of the sources mentioned is "The Book of vivifying the soul foever." some of the other stuff i believe is just common greek and hindu myths.

things like this dont bug me whole lot, but it's kind of like a stone in your shoe. you just cant ignore it when someone brings it up.

one thing i thought of was that the supposed parallels dont really explain the OT messianic prophecies, unless of course the OT authors were in cahoots with the NT authors (as an atheist might argue).

TK

[Guest]

TK, have you listened to Steve's lecture on astrology? He argues (as have others) that the pagan religion of astrology actually tells the gospel in a way that points to Christ. He ties this into the story of the magi as well, if I remember correctly. If Steve's view is correct, then might it also be possible that God allowed false religions to be shaped in a way that ultimately points pagans to Christ? We see God trying to do this with with ancient Israel, using types and shadows so it's not a completely foreign idea.

I wouldn't argue this way with atheists but it's worthy of consideration to the Christian mind.

[Guest]

I have'nt read the articles yet but i think the pagan resurrection stories did'nt exist until after Christ's resurrection.

[Guest]

then might it also be possible that God allowed false religions to be shaped in a way that ultimately points pagans to Christ? We see God trying to do this with with ancient Israel, using types and shadows so it's not a completely foreign idea.


How about all the blood sacrifices in the Aztec and Mayan and Inca religions as well as many others.

[Guest]

It's a hard angle to answer b/c the actual answer is spread out

1. Some of the supposed similarities are simply false. For example, James Patrick Holding deals with a number of them in a response to author Tom Harpur at the following link

http://www.tektonics.org/harpur01.html

2. Some of the similarities have merit, but don't make the point that some seem to think they make. As a Christian who believes that there is 1 God and that He is sovereign over all creation, I am HARDLY SURPRISED that elements of His divine purposes are present in every single religion in world history.

Let me say it this way, we often hear about the stories of a worldwide deluge that exist in many cultures across the globe. It is argued that the existence of these stories all over the planet is evidence that a worldwide flood had indeed happened in the past. I think this is a solid argument. We serve a God who is not bound by time, and so, the same phenomenon can occur BEFORE OR AFTER the event. What I mean is, stories of God's ultimate plan for Jesus Christ almost certainly leaked (so to speak) into religious systems prior to Christ's life. All it would take was a truly God-fearing person catching a glimpse of God's plan and communicating it as best as he could into his culture.

3. This line of argument, by necessity, must ignore the vast array of historical evidence for the life, death & resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[Guest]

https://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/156

Thank you Robin for posting that! It was a very insightful and helpful article!

[Guest]

thanks, matt. excellent!

TK