What character in Middle Eastern mythology that was writen hundreds of years before Jesus contains numerous life similarities with Christ?

demurechicky

Is it Osiris.. There are many similarities, including.. 1. His father is God and his mother is a mortal virgin. 2. He is born in a cave or humble cowshed on December 25 before three shepherds. 3. He offers his followers the chance to be born again through the rites of baptism. 4 He miraculously turns water into wine at a marriage ceremony. 5. He rides triumphantly into town on a donkey while people wave palm leaves to honor him. 6. He dies at Eastertime as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/156 Dionysus, the Greek God of wine, also has life similarities to Jesus Christ ( see above link) May 11 09, 1:37 AM

Watchkeeper

No single character has numerous life similarities with Christ. "A closer look at the Egyptian legend of Osiris provides a good example of the many important differences between the account of Jesus and other stories. Legend says that Osiris was killed by his evil brother Seth, who tore Osiris’ body into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. Isis, the goddess-consort of Osiris, collected the pieces and buried them, thus giving life to Osiris in the underworld. Afterward, she used magical arts to revive Osiris and to conceive a child (Horus) by him. After fathering Horus, Osiris remained in the underworld, not really ever rising from the dead (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1997, 8:1026-1027). This legend, taken as a whole, provides few (if any) real parallels to the story of Jesus. Furthermore, when all the stories about characters who supposedly were similar to Christ are told in their entirety, it is obvious that each of them contains only a few characteristics that come anywhere close to resembling those contained in the life story of Jesus. Additionally, some of the alleged parallels rest upon tenuous documentation and may even be fabricated." Taken from the article referenced above. Please read it in its entirety. http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/156 "Test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good." http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Thessalonians%205:21 May 11 09, 7:07 AM

mjws1968

If you are talking Middle Eastern rather than Egyptian then the obvious answer would be Mithras. The cult of Mithras was hugely popular amongst Roman soldiers because of its rigid structure and hierarchy that mirrored the military one. Cybele's year-god consort Attis also bears a similarity, but Mithras fits the bill much better. If you need references here are several. http://christopherbutler.wordpress.com/2006/10/07/jesus-is-not-a-mithras-redux/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraic_Mysteries http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/mithras.htm This one has a christian biass. http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/deadangelsrot/mithra.html Happy reading. May 11 09, 8:44 AM

star_gazer

I was wrong to say "Middle Eastern". The Egyptian diety of Horus, who was mentioned by Watchkeeper, is who I was looking for. Many Christians do tend to fiercely debate this. http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5.htm May 11 09, 9:35 AM