Who Is This Man? (The Worlds 16 Crucified Saviors)

Often times what we regard as obvious common fact isn't so much fact as it is just simply common.  For instance, nowhere in the bible is the fruit eaten by Eve in the garden of eden referred to as an apple, the ten commandments are not consistent from one religion to another, or even among Christian sects, and nowhere in the Bible is Mary Magdalene ever referred to as a prostitute.  Some things in life are simply accepted at face value, and religion is absolutely no exception to the rule.  That being the case, I wonder if you could venture a guess and tell me, who is this man...?

- He is God made flesh, the savior and 'Son of God'.
- He is the son of God and his mother is a mortal human virgin.
- He is born in a cave or humble cowshed on 25 December before three shepherds.
- He offers his followers the chance to be born again through the rites of baptism.
- He miraculously turns water into wine at a marriage ceremony.
- He rides triumphantly into town on a donkey while people wave palm leaves to honor him.
- He dies on the Easter holiday as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
- After his death he descends to hell, then on the third day he rises from the dead and ascends to heaven in glory.
- His followers await his return as the judge during the Last Days.
- His death and resurrection are celebrated by a ritual meal of bread and wine which symbolize his body and blood for holy communion with god.
- Is depicted in ancient art works with a bright, usually golden halo around his head, often in his mothers arms.

Who is this man?
Did you say...

Jesus?
 
If you did, you were wrong.  I was describing the pagan deity Osiris (Dionysus), though few would ever have guessed.  That is, of course, because no-one lives today that believes in him.  This mythical god's followers largely lived before what Christians today consider the period in which Jesus lived.  Yup, that's right, this story is older than Jesus. 

They say Jesus brought salvation.  Osiris brought salvation 1,400 years earlier.

In fact, Osiris-Dionysus, Aten, Mithra, Sol, Invictus, Lugh, Lieu, Hesus, and later Yeshua/Jesus  among many others, all share many many strikingly similar parallels in their mythology.  Yes, all of them.

Stunning, isn't it?  Get ready, because there's more. 

Kersey Graves, a well respected biblical scholar, published in 1875 a classical work of Mythical Religious scholarship called "The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors".
The following is from his book in which he is comparing these 16 deities, many of whom I already mentioned, with Jesus.

(beginning of book excerpt)

1. There were many cases of miraculous birth of Gods BEFORE Christ.
2. Many cases of Gods being born of human virgin mothers.
3. Many gods (later including Christ) were born on the 25th of December.
4. Many god-men were supposedly foretold by "inspired prophets."
5. Guiding Stars were featured in the birth of many of the god-men.
6. Many of them were associated with angels, shepherds, and Magi (wise men).
7. Many including Christ were claimed to be of Royal or Princely descent.
8. As infants they were all threatened by the ruler of the country. (Herod)
9. Some showed signs of divinity early (as did Jesus).
10. They all retired from the world and practiced fasting.
11. Most declared, "my kingdom is not of this world."
12. Some preached a "spiritual religion" like later Jesus.
13. Most of them were crucified for the "sins of the world."
14. Many of them were anointed with oil, like Jesus.
15. All were killed, then entombed for three days, then "rose from the dead."
16. Most of them like Jesus who followed, ascended into heaven.
17. Similar earthquakes, storms, darkness, occurred in most of them after the man-god's death.
18. Most were called "saviors," "sons of God," "Messiahs," "Redeemers," "Lords," or "Lamb of God."
19. Each god man was the second member of a Trinity of "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
20. Each of the 16 Sin-atonement religions included the doctrines of "Original Sin," "Fall of Man," "The Atonement," "THE WORD," "The Trinity," "forgiveness," "an Angry God," and "Future Endless Punishment."

What is amazing about what eventually became Christianity in the 4th Century, is not just it's similarity to it Pagan precursors. What is strange is that it failed to invent any original ideas whatsoever. It is all recycled myth.

(end of book excerpt)

Osiris-Dionysus and the pagan religions were prevalent in Rome before Christianity.  In fact,  on the site where the Vatican now stands, there once stood a Pagan temple.
 

These remarkable similarities are today not common knowledge largely because the early Roman church did everything in its power to prevent later peoples from ever learning of them.  It systematically destroyed Pagan religious texts as well as all sources of Pagan mythology and history -- a task it performed so completely that today classical Paganism is regarded as a dead religion.

Although surprising to us now, to writers of the first few centuries CE, these similarities between the then new Christian religion and the ancient Mysteries (pagan holy scriptures) were extremely obvious. Pagan critics of Christianity, such as the satirist Celsus, complained that this recent religion was nothing more than a pale reflection of their own ancient teachings.

Early 'Church fathers'  were understandably disturbed and resorted to the desperate claim that these similarities were the result of "diabolical mimicry." Using one of the most absurd arguments ever offered.  They accused the Devil of "plagiarism by anticipation," of deviously copying the true story of Jesus before it had actually happened in an attempt to mislead the gullible.

The church still does not deny the similarities.  Instead, it continues to maintain it's original explanation.  That the devil created these other religions and deities to confuse people and lead them astray.  To gain everlasting ownership of their immortal souls so that they would forever burn in the torment of eternal hellfire.

Guess I'm gonna burn.





This is a related video.  A trailer for the documentary "The God Who Wasn't There"