-^

MYTHS

BIBLE

THEIR

AND

RELIGIONS

IN OTHER

PARALLELS
BEING

THE

OF

COMPARISON

Mythsand

Old and New Testament

Miracles

WITH

THOSE

NATIONS

HEATHEN

OF

ORIGIN

BY

WITH

T.

W.

NUMEROUS

SEVENTH

"He

who

knows

onlyone

ANTIQUITY

ALSO

CONSIDERING

THEIR

OF

AND

MEANING

DOANE

ILLUSTRA

TIONS

EDITION

knows
religion

none."
"

Prof. Max

Mullir.

The same
thingwhich is now called Christian Religion existed among the
Ancients.
fore."
which existed beThey have begun to call Christian the true religion
St. Augustine.
"

"

fathers used, makes us

love for what is old, our reverence
for what our
the church, and on the very altar cloths,
symbols which would excite
the smile of an
Oriental,and lead him to wonder why we send missionaries to his
his faith in ours."" James Bonwick.
while
land,
cherishing
"Our

keep stillin

NEW
THE

TRUTH
62 Vesey

YORK

SEEKER
Street

CO.,

COPYRIGHT,
1882.

RENEWED,

COPYRIGHT
1910

HAROLD

BRIQHAM

B.

YOUNG

PROVO,

LEE

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY
UTAH

INTRODUCTION.

The

idea of

itself

large portion

accumulated

been
the

until

author.

for

In

pursuing

thereto, in
nowhere

and

ancient

to

be

modern

and

be found

the

myths

and

this.
to

of

extent

in

his

New
to

able

pronounced

English Life of

into

the

pursue

the

and
author

the

at

of

"How

these

unhistorical
narratives),

existence, it
the
must

subject

many

Jesus

other

end

is

not

the

of

our

task,

emphatically
from

the

point

disclaim
at

for

number

have

business

the

great

remarks,

(*.0.,

and

beginning

and

obligation."

To

been

years.

the

shown

been

it is abandoned

which

of

tures
Scrip-

explain /

to

the

at

writer

the

Scott

they

distinguishedwriters,has

this volume

of

narratives

as

as

the

ary,
largelylegend-

Thomas

As

their

to

Sacred

evidently aware

matter,

subject lying beyond.

throughout,we

this

left

them

book

exclusively

to

so-called

our

of

this

of

known

have

there

hundreds

Testament

is not

work,

separate

taining
per-

greatly needed,

to trace

New

and

unhistorical,and

the

came

Old

be

contents

shown

again,

once

the

have

Testament

be,

as

the

had

facts

Myths,

through

previous attempt

any

of

to

writers

have

but

; but

seemed

of

gest
sug-

it contains

Bible

scattered

most

not

of
personal gratification

the

of

did

presented

material

and

form,

Widely

legends

Many
be

study

volumes,

indeed

origin,published

the

condensed

the

of

private use

found.

may

of

the

here

work

the

publishing

the
The

[iiij

by

labor

of

result

of

INTRODUCTION.

IT

this labor is herewith

to the

submitted

not without

but
reader,

consciousness of its many imperfections.

painful
The work naturally
lowed
beginswith the Eden myth, and is folby a consideration of the principalOld Testament
originand meaning. Next
legends,
showingtheir universality,
will be found the account
of the birth of Christ Jesus,
with his
until
history

the close of his life upon

earth,showing,in

of the myth
the universality
therewith,

born,Crucified

Resurrected

in

ChapterXXXIX.),

Virgin-

Saviour.

showingthe originand meaning of

Before
is done

and

of the

nection
con-

we

have

the

myth (which

considered the Miracles

of Christ Jesus,the Eucharist,Baptism, the Worship of the

Virgin,Christian Symbols,the Birthday of Christ Jesus,the
and the
Doctrine of the Trinity,Why Christianity
Prospered,
of
besides making a comparison
Antiquity
of Pagan Religions,
histories of Crishna and Jesus,
and Buddha
legendary
What
relates to the question,
Jesus. The concluding
chapter
know
about Jesus ?
we
really
the

In

the

11):

p.
in which
seem

of Prof. Max

words
"

none

of
comparison
claim

can

peculiarreverence

which

feels for
worshiper,

his

me

say,

then,at

allow

could not
or
truth,

what
Nor

truth.

is all

thingswhich
my

once, that I

balance

surrender either what

regretit. I do

gain. No,
we

to the

them,because

I hold stilldearer than

do I

not

it entails

hold dear.

world,

fetish

mere

and for his own

god. Let
religion,
myselfhave shared these misgivings,

overcome

myselfto

the

But

I would

not

and

I hold to be the

of testing
truth,the right
say that the Science

and
losses,

losses of

this I will say,

that,as

ligion
of Remany
far

as

judgmentgoes, it does not entail the loss of anything

strike the
essential to true
and that,if we
religion,
the gainis immeasurably
honestly,
greaterthan the loss"

humble

that is

down
everybody,

own

but that I have tried to

of
religions

will no
doubt
position,
privileged
that
because ignoring
reprehensible,

dangerousand

to many

do

ligion,
(The Science of Re-

Muller
all the

and

"

INTKODUOTION.

"

truth

All

the

back

truth,

But

little

from

of

research

of

study

which

and

hasten

the

with

the

light
to

day
of

its

with

the

fate

by
November,

with

the

criminal,
of

and

the

thought
the

save

thankful

to

mind

that

mist

of

superstition

its

defects,

author.

1882.

diency,
expe-

may

it is

shall

most

as

in

been

all

cases,

hours

many

line

particular
for

done

in

claimed

have

not

this

found

hope

all

is

the

done

the

it

of

in

having
have

if

most,

student

of

work

paragraphs

in

keeps
of

motives

this

in

who

he

and

both."

or

whole

others,

from

men,

even

consciousness

when

reason

Mass.,

of

been

all,

and

may

have

than

the

Boston,

book

from

is safe

arrangement

with

but

would

more

the

writings

this

or

phrases,

the

acknowledged

it

coward

beyond

else

nothing

withholds

Ideas,

original.

and

safe,

or

either

is

taken

is

some

for

way
be

that

others

myself

help

dispelled

cheerfully

to

by
mitted
com-

CONTENTS.

PART

I.
PAGE

Hi

INTRODUCTION

List

Authorities,

of

Books

and

Quoted

from

CHAPTER
The

Creation

Fall

and

1
-

19

Tower

Trial

88

Abraham's

of

Vision

of

the

88

Exodus

42

Ten

the

48

and

his

VIL
68

Commandments

CHAPTER

Samson

VL

Egypt

from

CHAPTER
Receiving

V.

Ladder

CHAPTER
The

IV.

Faith

CHAPTER
Jacob's

IH

Babel

of

CHAPTER
The

IL

Deluge

CHAPTER
The

Man

of

CHAPTER
The

xi
"

VIII.
82

Exploits
yii

CONTENTS.

Vlll

MM

CHAPTER
Jonah

Swallowed

bt

IX.

Bio Fish

CHAPTER

X.

ClRCUMCISION

of

Pabt

CHAPTER
Birth

Miraculous

or

Christ

Star

Song

of

Divine

Child

Birth-place

Recognized,and

Slauohteb

thb

of

XVII.
160

XVIII.

Innocents

165

CHAPTER
The

Fast

Temptation,and

of

Forty

Crucifixion

of

Darkness

at

175

XX.

Christ Jesus

CHAPTER
The

XIX.

Days

CHAPTER
The

the

Crucifixion

150

XVL

Christ Jesus

of

Gifts

154

CHAPTER
The

with

Christ Jesus

of

Genealogy

XV.

Presented

CHAPTER
The

XIV.

147

CHAPTER
Thb

Ill

Host

CHAPTER
Thb

88

140

Heavenly

thb

."

XIIL

CHAPTER
Thb

Xn.

Bethlehem

of

II.

Jesus

CHAPTER
Thb

XL

First

PART

Thb

85

CHAPTER
Conclusion

77

181

XXI.
206

CONTENTS.

IX
KAfl

CHAPTER
-"

He

Descended

XXH.

Hell."

into

211

CHAPTER
The

Resurrection

Ascension

and

XXIH.

Coming

Second

of

Christ

Jesus,and

the

CHAPTER
Christ

Jesus

Judge

as

the

of

Jesus

Creator, and

as

Miracles

Christ

of

244

Alpha

Jesus,and

Crishna

Christ

and

Buddha

Christ

and

the

Eucharist

Primitive

Christians.

278

XXVIII.

Jesus

252

XXIX.

Jesus

CHAPTER
The

247

Omega

XXVII.

CHAPTER
Christ

XXVI.
and

CHAPTER
Christ

238

Dead

CHAPTER
The

Millennium

XXV.

CHAPTER
Christ

215

XXIV.

CHAPTER
The

Jesus

Christ

of

289

XXX.

Lord's Supper

or

CHAPTER

805

XXXI.

Baptism

816

CHAPTER
The

Worship

of

the

Virgin

Mother,

CHAPTER
Christian

XXXIII.
....

Birth-dat

of

Christ

Trinity

889

XXXIV.

Jesus..

CHAPTER
The

820

Symbols

CHAPTER
The

XXXIL

859

XXXV.
868

CONTENTS.

MM

CHAPTER
Paganish

in

XXXVX
884

Christianity
,

CHAPTER
Why

419

Prospered

Christianity

CHAPTER

"*

The

Antiquity

of

Pagan

XXXVIIL
450

Religions

CHAPTER

""

XXXVII.

XXXIX.
466

Explanation

CHAPTER

XL.
508

Conclusion
"

581

Appendix
-

,,.

LIST
OF

AUTHOES

IN

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AND

(Lyman)..

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QUOTED

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Professional

Religious Knowledge, for Popular and

Use

comprising full

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Theological,and
by Rev.
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(Rhv. Joseph

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Db).

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and

De

London:

allen

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(Rev. D. 0.)

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and

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Trtibner

"

R.

Rev.

Bros.,1836.
0.

David

Board

the American

London:

by the

Harper

Modern, by

for

Allen, D. D.,

twenty-fiveyears

Co., 1856.
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from

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Moral

Analysis of

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by Rev.

cal,
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New

information

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New

York

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nett,
D. M. Ben-

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Asiatic

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Bengal, for
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London:
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Curious

J.

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Legends

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A.

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Swain,

Myths

Transactions

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Middle

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Patriarchs

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tuted
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of

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M.

the

A.

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S.

Rev.

Baring-

Bros., 1880.
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various
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other

by

sources,
Holt

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Old

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S.

Williams,

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The

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Baring-Gould, M. A., in
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of

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Apple-

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low-preache
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Rev. Albert

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Fabulous

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the

in the

tars,
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Translated

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General Description
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Lilyof Israel,

The

(L'Abbe)

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AND

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S.

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Hue, formerlyMissionary
Apostolic
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HriLDOLDT

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Anacalypsis

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" Co.,1857.

Longman,Brown

of

the Institutions and Monuments

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the Ancient

Inhabitants of Mexico,by Alexander

de

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Humboldt,

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to
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JAMISON

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The

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"

London

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Their Rites

and

Second
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XV111

(Chas.G.)

Leland

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by Buddhist Priests

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or

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G. Leland.

by Chas.
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Trilbner " Co.,1875.

Lillie

Buddha

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and
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Pie-historic

Manners

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Lubbock, F.

John

of Modern

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and

R. S.

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Williams

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Sir

North-

gate,1865.
Lundy

Monumental

(J.P.)

Primitive Church
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Mahaffy

Witness

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Dublin.
Northern

Mallet

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London

Antiquities
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and
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Marsh

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Herbert

by

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The

Indian

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the Birth of

of

with

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the

on

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Moor

Plates

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the work

of

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Major

Hindoo

Pantheon,reprintedfrom

Edward

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S.,edited by

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gate, 1816.
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Monuments, Paintings,
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"

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at

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Two

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livered
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The

Polycarp

Porter

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ArchbishopWake.
Travels in Georgia,
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Historyof the Conquest of Mexico,with a preliminary

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Sharpe

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Shih-Kiko

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XXI

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XX11

Tacitus

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The Annals of Cornelius

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the
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Roman

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Murphy, Esq. London

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Researches

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M.
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The

of

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Appendix

Triibner

Wisdom
and

Wisdom

with

London:

Indian

for

QUOTED.

Appointed

L.,

lished
Pub-

of

eral
Gen-

the

by

Knowledge.

Attributed

C.

Committee

Society

London

Solomon,

to

1877.

King

of

Israel.
Wise

(Isaac

M.)

The

Martyrdom
ise

the

on

M.

Wise.

ADDITIONS

Herodotus

linson's
other

Masters

lonius

de

Genuine

Canon
;

London,

Survey

New

1833

of

Mosheim's

the

History

of

London,
Alexandria,

the

of

1878

Canon

and

in
the

the

vols.,

writings

Origen,

Treat.

Dr

by

Amsterdam
Persarun

the

Isaac

Marsh,

1793

New

of

Tertullian

the

1810

Christian
and

Minucius

1874

B.

F.

Rosses'

Fathers,
Felix.

Justin

John
the

Jones'

of

tianity
Chris-

Serpent,

Westcott's

Edit., London,
W.

and

Apol-

to

the

of

Raw-

Archbishop

History

4th

; J.

Sir

Jeremiah

Worship

Testament,
ed.

1862

1828

Milman's

Deane's

1841

Introduction

1719

Gospels, London,

Amer.

Paris,

London,

London,

Christ

London,

Michaelis'

1815;

1734

Hardwick's

Fathers,

Philostrate,

par

1840;

Hostile

of
6

Gospel,

Veterum

History

Fathers,

London,

and

Historic

Manicheisme,

of

vols., Oxford,

the

of

Herbert

Apostolical

Lost

Irenteus,

prodiges,

Dr.

China,

History,

Use

Right

by

in

in

Baring-Gould's

Beginnings

ses

of

Religionis

vols., London,

the

Testament,

Ecclesiastical

Bracciolini,

of

Travels

Barrow's

in

edited

vols,

et

du

et

Historia

the

Nazareth.

EDITION.

Manichee

TJie
on

voyages,

Epistles

the

of

ses

Persia,

of
in

Treatise

vie,

sa

History

Testament,

Wake's

Clement

de

of

Chapters

THIRD

Hydes'

Lenormant's

Daille's

Tyana,

Malcom's
New

Ecclesiastici

Annates

Jesus

Cincinnati.

TO

Critique

Histoire

Beausobres'
Baronius'

of
Last

1875;

Tacitus

Martyr,

and
St.

"

MYTHS.

BIBLE

had set them

and after he
Stars/'

day'swork

God
these,

"
great whales,"and other

created

"

inhabit the water, also

day to a close.
fifth
which

The

work

when

God

of creation

in his

And

of

and the

the heavens
4

God

day
day, from

earth

broughtthe

the sixth

ended

his work

all his work

he had made:

which
he had

which

all the host of them.

made.

And

and he rested
God

that in it he had rested from

blessed the
all his work

which concludes at the third

information,
Genesis ii.,
strangethoughit may appear, another account
After this

verse

These

the

are

of
generations

and

the heavens

created,in the day (not days) that the Lord

the earth

God

made

when

the

of

of the

which is altogether
differentfrom the
Creation commences,
thus :
have just
related. This account commences
"

day,'

"

cattle," creeping
male and female,"

and
finished,

were

sanctified it,because
created and made."

God

which

"
"

he created

day, and

seventh

kind,

every

lastlyman," whom

the seventh

on

"

"

the seventh

on

This

finally
completedon

was

beasts

wingedfowls."

creatures

image.3

own

Thus

"

"

made

and
things,"

Firmament, the fourth

ended.1

was

After

in the

one

we

they were

earth

and

the

heavens."

It then goes on to say that " the Lord God

dust of the ground,"6
which appears to be the

formed

of the

man

firstthinghe

made.

eastward in Eden,6the Lord God put the

a garden
planting
man
therein, and out of the groundmade the Lord God to grow
and good for food ; the
to the sight,
every tree that is pleasant
and the Tree of
Tree ofLife,'1
also in the midst of the garden,
After

"

who

Origen,a Christian Father

about

a.

230, says:

d.

"What

of

that
will agree with the statement
second, and third days, in which the

and

named

sense

were
without
sun,
morning,
stars?"
(Quoted in Mysteries of

Adoni, p. 176.)
"

The

geologistreckons

by days

not

or

by

six thousand
years, which
years; the whole
of the
until latelylooked on as the sum
were
world's

age,

(SirJohn
"

are

in the

urement

to him

with

both

of

Mosaic

of
"

unit
of

of

meas-

past ages."

epochs of
by scientific observation are

incompatible
days

certain that the vast

now

demanded

years

as

Lubbock.)

It is

time

but

long succession

the

the Mosaic

Let

us

make

the

six

thousand

chronology, and the six

creation." (Dean Stanley.)

man

in

our

own

likeness."

by Ormuzd, the Persian God of Gods,

to his word.
(See Bunsen's Angel Messiah,
p. 104.)

was

said

The

most

number

sacred among

was

seven

nation

every

the first, ii.)

5
According
evening is

the

and

moon

flourished

man

al-

antiquity. (See ch.

of

Mythology, the God

the image of the
gods, out of clay (see Bulfinch: The Age of
Fable, p. 25; and Goldzhier: Hebrew
Myths, p.
commanded
373),and the God Hephaistos was
by Zeus to mold of claythe figureof a maiden,
into which
Athene, the dawn-goddess, breathed
the gift of
the breath of life. This is Pandora"
all the gods" who is presented to Epimetheus.
(See Cox: Aryan Myths, vol. ii.,
p. 208.)
6

"What
that

pose

to Grecian

created men,

Prometheus

man

God

is found

in

such

planted

an

trees

idiot as to supin Paradise, in

(Origen : quoted
Eden, like a husbandman.'"
There is no
in Mysteries of Adonl, p. 176.)
of the first
of preservingthe literal sense
way
chapter of Genesis, without impiety,and attrib(St.
uting things to God unworthy of him."
Augustine.)
7
Tree of Life ' are
The records about the
"

"

'

THE

CREATION

FALL

AND

MAN.

OF

of good and evil. And a river went

out of Eden
to
Knoioledge
it
and from thence
and became into
water the garden,
was
parted,
four heads." These four rivers were called,firstPison,second
Gihon, third Hiddekel,and the fourth Euphrates.1
God

After the "Lord

"

"

Knowledge,"he

Tree of

had made

the "Tree

said unto

the

of

Life,"and

the

man

every tree of the garden thou mayest freelyeat, but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil,thou shalt not eat of it,for in the day that thou eatest
"Of

thou
thereof
well for

shalt

field,and

surelydie."

he would
the

thereof."

After Adam

"

"

every
call them, and whatever

name

God, thinkingthat it would

the Lord

Then

out of the ground

alone, formed
fowl of the air ; and brought them unto

to live

man

had

"

not be

beast of the

every
Adam

to see

livingcreature,

called every

Adam

"

that

what
was

all

and to the fowls

cattle,
"
of the air,
and to every beast of the field,"
the Lord God caused
and he (theLord
to fall upon
a deep sleep
Adam, and he slept,
God) took one of his (Adam's)ribs,and closed up the flesh instead

givennames

to

thereof.
"

And

of the rib,which

the Lord

and

brought her unto

Adam."

his wife, and

they were

not

God

had

And

"

taken

they

were

before
serpentappeared

called Eve

God

"Hath

The
"

"

and said to her

said,Ye

woman,

We

tree which

man,

made

he

both naked, the

man

" woman,

and

ashamed."

is supposed
After this everything
to have

until a

from

the

woman?

"

gone
who

harmoniously,
afterwards

was

shall not eat of every tree of the

garden ?"

the serpent,said :
answering

may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the
is in the midst of the garden,God hath said,Ye shall not eat of it,

lest ye die"

Whereupon the serpentsaid

to her

proofsof the unity and continuity

and of its Eastern origin.The eartradition,
Rest records of the most ancient Oriental tradiTree of Life/ which tvas guardtion referto a
ed by spirits.The juiceof the fruit of this sa-

the sublimes!

the Garden

of

of

'

was
called Soma
cred tree,like the tree itself,
in Zend; it was
rein Sanscrit,and Haoma

vered

as

the life

preserving essence."

(Bun-

Keys of St. Peter, p. 414 )

sen:

of Paradise

issue from

the fountain

immortality,which divides itself into four

rivers.''''(Ibid.,
p. 150, and Prog. Relig.Ideas,
vol. i.,
call their Mount
p. 210.) The Hindoos
Meru
the Paradise, out of which
went
four
rivers. (Anacalypsis,
vol. i.,p. 357.)
2
According to Persian legend, Arimanes,
the Evil Spirit,
by eating a certain kind offruit,
transformed

himself

into

"

serpent, and

went

beglidingabout on the earth to tempt human

and
ings. His Devs entered the bodies of men
of diseases.
produced all manner
They entered into their minds, and incited them
the
river Arduisir nourishes
to
the South.
The
Tree of Immortality,the Holy Horn."
(Stiefel- sensuality,falsehood, slander and
revenge,
hagen: quoted in Mysteries of Adoni p. 149.) Into every department of the world they intro"
duced discord and death.
Accordingto the Chinese myth, the waters of

According to the Persian account of ParAlfrom Mount

adise,four great rivers came
borj; two are in the North, and two go towards
1

"

MYTHS.

BIBLE

surelydie

shall not

Ye

"

then told her

He

the narrative,
was

(which,accordingto

the truth).

their
that,
upon eatingthe fruit,

that

and
opened,

be

"

they would

be

eyes would
gods,knowinggood from

as

evil.
then looked upon the tree,and
"
and did eat,and
she took of the fruit,
tempting,
The

woman

he did eat."

husband,and

her

was

"

them),but,as the serpenthad said, the eyes

opened,and theyknew theywere naked, and they

were

and made
figleaves together,
Towards evening(i.
e., in the

sewed

"

"

his wife

result

themselves

the voice of the Lord

heard

aprons."
day "),Adam
walkingin the

God

den,"
garthe trees of the

theyhid themselves among

beingafraid,
garden. The Lord God not findingAdam and
Where

in the

and
garden,
myself."
"

The

Lord

tree which

said :

Adam

art thou ?"

then told Adam

commanded
whom

woman

"

said :
answering,
I

because
afraid,

was

"

God

he had

The

"

his

not

wife,said :

I heard

thy voice

naked,and

was

that he had

him

thou

and

cool of the

and

"

was

gave also unto

not death (asthe

had told

Lord God
of both

The

the fruit

as

I hid
of the

eaten

eat,whereuponAdam

to

gavestto be with me, she gave

me

of the tree and I did eat."

When

the

Lord

"

"

God

spoke to

the

woman

she blamed the serpent,

which
transgression,
her. This sealed the serpent's
for the
fate,
him

and said

"Upon

she
"

her
concerning
said beguiled
M

"

Lord

"

God

cursed

thy bellyshalt

go, and dust shalt thou

thou

eat

all the

days of thy

life."1

Unto
' '

shalt
rule

the

I will

"

the

greatlymultiplythy sorrow,
and thy desire
children,

said

thy conception; in
thy husband,

and

shall be to

thou

sorrow

and

he shall

thee."

Unto

Adam

Because

he said :

thou hast hearkened

the tree,of which

is the ground for
Thorns

"

Lord God

bring forth

over

"

woman

I commanded

thy sake

the voice of

unto

thee,saying,Thou

; in

sorrow

of

thy wife, and

hast eaten

shalt not

of it: cursed

eat

shalt thou eat of it allthe

days of thy life.

also,and

thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb
of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, tillthou return unto
the

ground,for out of it wast

thou taken

for dust

thou art, and unto dust shaltthou

return."

Inasmuch

the serpent never

any other way,

as

the

physicalconstruction of
admit of its moving in

could

and inasmuch
eat dust, does not the narrator

as

of

it does not

this myth

reflect

unpleasantly upon

such

God

well

as

curse

upon

as

Jehovah
the

the

of

wisdom

is claimed

to

be,

as

ineffectualness of his first

THE

"

The

wife,with which
"Behold, the

"

God

Lord

AND

CREATION

then made

he clothed
is become

man

FALL

coats of skin for Adam

them,after which

as

MAN.

OF

know

of us,1to

one

lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of
(he must be sent forth from Eden).

and

his

he said :

good and evil;and now,

and eat, and live forever
life,

"

"

(andthe woman); and he placedat

(theLord God) drove out the man
turned
the garden of Eden, Cherubims, and a flamingsword which
to keep the way of the Tree of Life."

So he

the east of
every way,

Thus

ends the narrative.

to show from whence this legend,

or legends,
proceeding
feature
which
had their origin,
will
is
notice
we
a
very prominent
in the narrative,
and which cannot escape the eye of an observing
and contradictory
i. e., the two different
accounts
reader,
of the

Before

creation.
The firstof these
and ends at the third

of

verse

at the fourth

commences

at the firstverse

commences

verse

of

chapterfirst,

second. The second account

chapter
of chapter
and continues to
second,

the end of the

In
Dean

chapter.
accounts
speakingof these contradictory
Stanley
says :

"It is now

clear to

students
diligent

of the

Creation,

of the Bible,that the first and

second

chaptersof Genesis contain two narratives of the Creation,side by side,differing

from each other in most every particular
of time and placeand order."2

BishopColenso,in his very

this subject,
on
speaking
says :
"

The

followingare
cosmogonies:
"

with

the most

learned work

noticeable

on

the

Pentateuch,

pointsof difference between

the two

1. In the first,
the earth emerges from the waters and is,therefore,
saturated
face of the ground' requiresto be
moisture.* In the second, the 'whole

moistened.4

"

Our

existence
weh

writer

unmistakably recognizesthe
Yahgods ; for he makes

of many
'
See, the
say:

man

has become

as

one

op

knowing good and evil;'and 60 he evidently implies the existence of other similar
he attributes immorlalityand
beings,to whom
insightinto the difference between
good and
evil. Yahweh, then, was, in his eyes, the god
of gods, indeed,but not the only god." (Bible
us,

for Learners, vol. i. p. 51.)

3 In his memorial
sermon,

the words

preached in West-

Abbey, after the funeral of Sir Charles

Lyell. He further said in this address :"
that when

the science of

geology first arose, it was involved in endless

schemes
of attempted reconciliation with the
letter of Scripture. There
was, there are
perof
of reconciliation
haps still,two modes
which have been each in
Scriptureand science,

of the Bible from

their natural

mean-

ing,andforce it to speak the language ofscience.''''

After speaking of the earliest known
example,
which was
the interpolation
of the word "not
"

xi. 6, he continues : " This is the

earliest instance of the falsification
of Scripture
in Leviticus

of science ; and it has been

by the various efforts
which have been made to twist the earlier chaptersof the book of Genesis into apparent agree
to meet

followed

minster

"It is well known

their day attempted,and each have totally

and
deservedly
failed. One is the endeavor to wrest

ment

the demands

in later times

with the last results of

geology"represent-

ing days not to be days, morning and evening

not to be morning and evening, the deluge not
to be the deluge, and the ark not to be the
ark.1'
8

Gen. i. 9,10.

Gen. ii.6.

BIBLE

"2.
man

In the first,
the birds and the beasts

created

are

man.
before

is created beforethe birds and the beasts.'1

In the first,all fowls that fly are made out of the waters.
'

'

"3.
"

MYTHS.

the fowls

of the air

4. In the first,
man
made of the dust of the
"

and it is only after his

the

'

ground.41
In
image of God.5
merely animated with

ground, and
eatingthe forbidden
as

one

In the

ond,
sec-

In the

ond
sec-

out of the

is created in the

has become

man

made

are

fruit that

good

of us, to know

'

the second,
the breath

the Lord
'

and evil.

God

man

is

of life;
hold,
said, Be-

In the first,
is made lord of the whole earth.'1 In the second, he is
man
merely placed in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.'8
"6. In the first,
the man
and the woman
the closing
created together,
as
are
"5.

'

and

completingwork

of the

plied,
creation, created also,as is evidentlyimin the same
kind of way, to be the complement of one
another, and,
thus created,they are blessed together*
created between the man
In the second, the beasts and birds are
and the
is
the
the
made
of
dust
of
is
he
self
the
man
woman.
First,
ground;
placedby himin the garden,charged with a solemn command, and threatened with a curse
whole

"

"

if he breaks it; then the beasts and

birds

are

made, and

the

man

gives names

to

after all this,the woman

is made
out of one
them, and, lastly,
of his ribs,but
man.10
for
the
as
a
helpmate
merely
of the Creation,11
fact is,that the second account
"The
togetherwith the story
writer altogether
from him
of the Fall,12is manifestlycomposed by a different
who

the

wrote

first.13

narrative,
that,throughoutthe first
Elohim
name
the Creator is
(God), whereas,
throughout the second account, as well as the story of the Fall,he is always
Elohim
to abstain,for
called Jehovah
(Lord God), except when the writer seems
"

some

by the circumstance
always spoken of by the

This is suggestedat

placing the name

naturallyfor the above
the productionsof two
from

reason,

This accounts
reason,

some

once

Jehovah

in the mouth

contradictions.
pens

have

of the

It would
here

been

appear

serpent.14
that,for

united,without

any

reference to their inconsistencies."15

far as his
who does his utmost
to maintain
as
Kalisch,
knowledgeof the truth will allow the generalhistorical veracity

Dr.

"

"

of this

after speaking
of the first
account
narrative,

says
"

But

of the Creation,

now

the narrative

seems

not

only to

pause,

but to go

backward.

The

off,and a languid repetition

is
Another
follow.
to
introduced,
which,to completethe perplex'
cosmogony
appears
in
direct
contradiction
to theformer.
is,in many important features,
ity,
It would be weakmindedness
It would be dishonestyto conceal these difficulties.
It would be an ignoble
It would be flightinstead of combat.
and cowardice.
reirec',
there is an apparent dissonance."16
instead of victory. We confess

grand and powerful climax

seems

at

once

broken

"

Gen. ii.7, 8, 15, 22.

Gen. i. 20, 24,26.

10

Gen. ii.7, 9.

"

Gen. ii.4-25.

Gen. i.20.

I2

Gen.

Gen. ii.19.

13

Gen. i. 1-ii.3.

Gen. i. 27.

14

Gen.

15

The

ii.7: iii.22.

Gen.

Gen. i.28.

Gen.

"

Gen. i.28.

ii.8, 15.

iii.
iii. 1,3, 5.

Pentateuch

Examined

vol.ii.pp. 171-

173.
i"

Com.

on

Old Test. vol. i. p. 59.

THE

Dr.
"

The

AND

CREATION

Knappertsays :

OF

MAN.

'

of the Creation from

account

FALL

the hand

of the

author
Priestly

is utterly-

the other narrative,

beginning at the fourth verse of Genesis ii.
told that God created Heaven
and Earth in six days,and rested on

different from
Here

we

are

the seventh
in

Now

that

Genesis,we

believe
We

have

we

of the

accounts

of

day,obviouslywith

view

to

there

are

bringout

the holiness of the Sabbath

strong light."
seen

two

Creation,to be found

differentand
in the

contradictory
chapters

first two

will endeavor to learn if there is sufficientreason

theyare copiesof more ancient legends.

have seen that,according
to the first account, God

the work of creation into six

days. This

to

divided

idea agrees with that of

the ancient Persians.

The

Zend-Avesta

the sacred

writingsof the Parsees states

that the SupremebeingAhuramazda
(Ormuzd),created the universe
in
of
successive
and man
six
order :
periods time,in the following
Waters
the Heavens;second,the
First,
; third,the Earth ; fourth,
the Trees and Plants ; fifth,
Animals ; and sixth,
Man.
After the
"

Creator had finished his

The A vesta account
but

find

we

"

work, he rested.3

of the Creation islimited to this

more

detailed

historyof

the

ment,
announce-

of
origin

the

in the book entitled Bundehesh, dedicated to the

species
of a completecosmogony.
This book states that
exposition
and women
Ahuramazda
created the firstman
at
joinedtogether

human

the back.

After

them, he
dividing

placedwithin
activity,

them

endowed

them

soul,and
intelligent

an

with motion and

bade them

"

to

be humble

of heart ; to observe the law ; to be pure in their thoughts,

born
pure in their speech,
pure in their actions." Thus were
Mashya and Mashyana,the pairfrom which all human beingsare
descended.
The

broughtout in this story of the first human pair

formed a single
havingoriginally
beingwith two
androgynous
is to be
later into two personalities
faces,
by the Creator,
separated
idea

found in the Genesis

he

them, and

account

blessed

Jewish tradition in the

learned
the

same

order to make

of her

The

Von

named

and

created

was

as

man

created
Adam."

name

well

as

and

woman

among
at

directions,
opposite

in two

separatedthe feminine

half from

him, in

distinct person.4

Relig.of Israel,
p. 186.
Bohlen:

their

Talmud,

time,havingtwo faces turned

Creator

Targum

that Adam
rabbis,
allege

and that the

them, and

and female

"Male

(v. 2).

Intro, to Gen. vol. ii.p. 4.

Lenormant:

See

Ibid.

Beginning of Hist. vol. i.p. 61.

p.
Patriarchs,
p. 31.

64 ; and

Legends

of

tha

CREATION

THE

ancient Etruscan

The
the

same

in six thousand

FALL

OF

MAN.

to Delitzsch,
is almost
according
legend,
They relate that God created the world

the Persian.

as

AND

In the firstthousand he created the Heaven

years.

and Earth ; in the second,the Firmament

the Waters
; in the third,
of the Earth ; in the fourth,the Sun, Moon
and Stars ; in the fifth,
the Animals
Man

and

to air,
water
belonging

in the

sixth,

alone.1
Dr.

of the

who maintains to the utmost

Delitzsch,
Scripture
storyin Genesis,
yet says :

"Whence

the

comes

legendswith

of

surprisingagreement
How

this section ?

in contact

come

After

it in remarkable

with

These

and

Persian

in
Babylonian cosmogony
of
their
fantastical
spite
oddity,

details ?"

legendsof

these

tor suck an
only instances of that which they have in common,
that
the
author
we
Israel,
however,
conclude,
must,
of
of Genesis i.
tradition."*
but
a
beforehim,

are

outside

account

vision

no

the Etruscan

of the similarities in the

showingsome

different nations,
he continues
"

the historicaltruth

it that the

comes

Berosus, and the Phoenician in Sauchoniathon, in

has

land ; and

Yon

tellsus that the old Chaldcean

Bohlen

is also

cosmogony

the same.9
To

Persian

the

continue

to it,after
according

the

legend;

Creation

will

we

show

now

that

tempted,and fell.
Kalisch
and
Bishop Colenso tell us of the Persian legend
in purityand
that the first couplelived originally
innocence.
I Perpetual
was
happiness
promisedthem by the Creator if they
man

was

/ persevered
in their virtue. But an evil demon
to them in the
came
and gave
sent by Ahriman, the princeof devils,
form of a serpent,
fruit of

them

wonderful

tree, which

imparted immortality.
hearts,and all their moral
and forfeited
excellence was destroyed.Consequentlythey fell,
destined. They killed
for which they were
the eternal happiness
a

Evil inclinations then

beasts,and

clothed

entered

their

themselves in their skins.

perfectpower

obtained still more

forth envy, hatred,discord,and

bosom of the families.
Since the above

Museum,

has

their

over

The

evil demon

minds, and called

which
rebellion,

raged

in

the

Mr. GeorgeSmith,of the British

written,

was

discovered

which
inscriptions,

cuneiform

show

of the Creation and

had this legend
that the Babylonians
conclusively
"

"

The

Etruscans

believed

in

ereation of

years, and in the successive proof different beings, the last of which

six thousand
duction
was

man."

(Dunlap: SpiritHist. p. 357.)

Quoted by Bishop Colenso: The

Examined, vol. iv. p. 115.
Intro, to Genesis,vol. ii.p. 4.

Penta-

teuch
"
*

Com.

"

The

on

Old Test. vol. i. p. 63.

Pentateuch

Examined, vol. iv. p. 152.

10

BIBLE

MYTHS.

stands in her relation to the other members

Havdth) and

that this personage " has found out how

pair,
from the fruits of the tree."
idea of the Edenic

The

of
happiness

to obtain nourishment

the firsthuman

of the universal traditions. Among

constitutes one

of the

beings
Egyptians,

the

the terrestialreignof the

the existence
god Ra, who inaugurated
human
was
a goldenage to which
life,
they

of the world and of

looked
continually
been

regretand envy.

Its

"

like has

never

since."

seen

The

trouble

and

of their

known.

not

were

poet,describes it thus
"Men

boasted

Greeks

ancient

sorrow

back with

"

Golden

Hesiod,an

Age," when

ancient Grecian

lived like Gods, without

vices

or

passions,vexation

toil.

or

In

happy companionship with divine beings,they passedtheir days in tranquillity

united by mutual
and joy,livingtogetherin perfectequality,
confidence
and
love.

The

earth

of

variety
language and conversed
hundred

to

came

form of
"She

God), to

Men

spontaneouslyyieldedan
animals
spoke the same
considered
mere
boys at a

were

the infirmities of age

superiorlife,it was in a

of

none

to trouble

and

sorrows

beautiful

brought with

troubles

were

caused

(Pandora).

woman

her

vase,

the lid of which

(by the

was

command

of

of her husband, however, tempted him

The curiosity
suddenly there escaped from it troubles,weariness and illness
afterwards free. All that remained was
mankind
was
never
hope. '

remain

closed.

"

which

condition
Among the Thibetans,the paradisiacal
The desire to eat of a certain
completeand spiritual.
men
deprived

life. There
of their spiritual

agriculture
; the

virtues

arose

was

more

herb

sweet

sense

of

shame,

Necessity
compelledthem

and the need to clothe themselves.

other

them,

gentleslumber."

it, and

to open

from

beings

and

The storyis
by inquisitiveness.
Epimetheusreceived a giftfrom Zeus (God),in the

They

and

time, however,all the

of

course

man.

follows

as

with each other.

they passedto regionsof

In the

now,

than

Human

fruits.

They had

years old.

and when

beautiful

more

was

abundant

to

and
and murder, adultery
disappeared,

vices,
steppedinto their place.8

The

idea that the

Fall of the human

is connected

race

with

in the legends
\ agriculture
of
is found to be also often represented
Ithe East African negroes, especially
in the Calabar legendof the
pointsof comparison
|Creation,which presentsmany interesting

I!with the biblical story of the Fall.

called by
and in

"

bell at meal-times to Abasi

placeof

The

firsthuman

(theCalabar

the forbidden tree of Genesis

Murray's Mythology,p. 208.

Kalisch's Com.

are

pairare
God),in heaven;
put agriculture

vol. i. p. 64.

CREATION

THE

FALL

AND

OF

11

MAN.

denies to the firstpair. The

which Abasi strictly
propagation,
of both these commands,
Fall is denoted by the transgression
to which the
throughthe use of implementsof tillage,
especially
is temptedby a female friend who is givento her. From
woman

and

that moment

man

he
storyhas it,

can

fell and

became

mortal,so that,as the Bible

eat bread

onlyin

the sweat

is a curse, a fall from a more

perfect
stageto
agriculture
and imperfect
one.1
of the Garden of Eden, says :
Dr. Kalisch,
writing
The

"

Most

Paradise

does not

lower

earlyhistoryof the Hebrews.

a
happy abode,which care
"2
the sounds of the purest bliss.

of the

exclusive feature

about

have similar narratives

re-echoes with

which

approach,and

called
delight
beautiful than all the rest of the world, traversed by
Heden, more
the original
abode of the firstmen, before they
a mightyriver,
was
in the form of a serpent,
to partake
were
temptedby the evil spirit
Persians

The

is no

of the ancient nations

There

of his face.

that
supposed

regionof

bliss and

of the fruit of the forbidden tree Horn.3

Dr.

of
Delitzsch,
writing

"Innumerable

Ahriman,

over

The

the Persian

attendants of the

Holy

the
/ the Blessed,"

"

had

in itself the power

tradition

the
concerning

the borders of the

on
Elysium,"

againstthe attempts of

keep watch

contains

the tree Horn, which

ancient Greeks

One

observes
legend,

of the

"

rection.4
resur-

Islands of

earth,
abounding

the
Hesperides,"
tality.
of Immorthe golden
in which grew a tree bearing
apples
/ Paradise,
It was guarded
or Dragon,
by three nymphs,and a Serpent,
in

charm

every

of

and the
life,

the ever-watchful Lad

gathersome
found

the

representa

of the

of the labors of Hercules to

one

applesof life. When

gardenprotected
by a Dragon.
tree

with

This
Hesperides.6
Rev. Mr.

The

was

Garden

of these

I gathered
an
apple,and
"

It

on.

"

serpenttwined
him

near

he arrived there he
Ancient

medallions

around it. Hercules has

stand the three

nymphs,called
myth.

of the Eden
simplya parallel
of Hercules,
Faber,speaking
says :
is

in the act of contending with the Serpent,

Spherehe is represented
is placedunder his foot ; and this Serpent,we are told,is that
which guarded the tree with goldenfruit in the midst of the garden of the Hesperides.
dise;
But the garden of the Hesperideswas
other than the garden of Paranone
neath
consequentlythe serpent of that garden,the head of which is crushed bethe heel of Hercules,and which
itselfis described as encirclingwith its
"

On

the head

the

of which

Goldziher:

*
"

Com.
ibid.

Ibid.

on

Life begat immortality." (Bonwick: Egyptian

Belief,p. 240.)
'

Hebrew
Mythology, p. 87.
the Old Test. vol. i. p. 70.

"

6
"

The

fruit and

sap of this

'

Tree

of

See

Montfaucon

ExpliquSe,
L'Antiquite

vol. i. p. 211,and PI. cxxxiii.

12

BIBLE

of the

folds the trunk

Serpent whose
Ophioneus.

"*

Fergnsson
says :

Hercules' adventures

the

that most

myth

of Eden,

of

moral

ancient
of

names

Among
Tree

the

the most
"
"

legendof

in their sacred books

the

"

form

of

Garden

Tree of

that Osiris ordered

Life,"the
those who ate it to become as gods.3
ancient traditionsof the Hindoos,is that of the

made

of Life

had

souls to be written

some

fruit of which

garden of the Hesperides,is the Pagan

the preciousSerpent-guarded
fruit of the
the fable is so widely different."2

Egyptiansalso

It is mentioned

Life."
the

in the

resembles

though the

The

was

Professor

And
""

be a transcript
of that
mysterioustree,must necessarily
the
assumed
tempter of our first parents. We may
by
ancient tradition in the Phoenician fable representing
Ophion or

form

the same

observe

MYTHS.

called Soma

impartedimmortality.This

in Sanskrit

wonderful

most

"

this

on

"

Tree of

juiceof which
was
guardedby

the
tree

spirits.4
Stillmore
"

is the
striking

which
Paradise,"
the sacred

"In

Hindoo

is as follows

is

"

"

Elysium

or

clothed
perpetually

in the

golden

sinful man
into heaven, no
It is adorned with many
celestial

loftysummit

plantsand

the

Meru, which

mountain

rays of the Sun, and whose

exist. It is guarded by
can

legendof

reaches

dreadfuldragon.
which
by four rivers,

trees, and is watered

the four chief directions. "5

thence separate and

flow to

The

of the Ionic school (Thales,

Hindoos,like the philosophers
held water
for instance),
to be the firstexisting
and all-pervading
and influence
time allowing
the co-operation
at the same
principle,
of

immaterial

an

in the
intelligence

work

the Creation,
on
uses
poet,meditating
"Nothing
no

was

space,

and
life,

there was,

DarkDess

without

no

solar torch

night,no
"

that is was

by

then, even

what

there
lastly

was

which

the

time,

no

morning might

have

veiled

Yedic

:
expressions
following

is not, did not

no

and all at first was

of creation.6

in

exist then."

"

There

difference between

day and
been
told from evening."
gloom profound,as ocean

light."7
Hindoo

The

to
legendapproaches
very nearly

that

in
preserved

Scriptures.
Thus,it is said that Siva,as the Supreme
Being,desired to tempt Brahma (who had taken human form,and
the Hebrew

called

was

Swayambhura

he dropped from
object

"

Faber

"

son

heaven

Origin Pagan Idolatry,vol. i. p.

443; in Anacalypsis,vol. i. p, 237.

2

3
4

and

Serpent Worship, p. 13.

Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i.p. 159.
See Bunsen's Keys of St. Peter, p. 414.
Tree

of the
a

and for this

self-existent),
blossom of the sacred figtree.

Colenso:

The

Pentateuch

Examined, vol.

iv. p. 153.
6

Buckley: Cities

of the

Ancient

World,

148.
"

Miiller: Hist. Sanskrit

Literature,
p. 559.

FALL

AND

CKEATION

THE

13

MAN.

OF

endeavors to obtain
by his wife,Satarupa,
Swayambhura,instigated
will render him immortal
itspossession
this blossom,thinking
and divine ; but when he has succeeded in doingso, he is cursed by
The sacred Indian
Siva,and doomed to misery and degradation.1
figis endowed by the Brahmins and the Buddhists with mysterious
Tree of Knowledge or
as the
significance,
Intelligence."2
sian
of the Creation similar to the .PerThere is no Hindoo legend
and Hebrew
believed to have
accounts,and Ceylonwas never
such stories
been the Paradise or home of our firstparents,
although
have
in circulation.3 The
Hindoo
states
we
as
are
religion
"

"

"

"

seen
already

Mount

"

Meru

the

to be

out
Paradise,

of which went

four rivers.
We

have been

Cherubim

Eden.
protected
is owing to the fact that
legends

was

difference in the
modern
for

name

Cherub

times to

speakof

Cherub

as

the Genesis

This

that

we

thoughit

said to

are

apparent

have
were

in

come

other

an

the
Angel. But the Cherub of the writer of Genesis,
the Cherub
of Babylon,the Cherub
of the
Assyria,

at
Orient,

all an

"

an

of

entire

of Paradise

Gardens

to
guardedby Dragons,and that,according

account,it
our

"

have noticed that the

the time the Eden

story

was
written,

was

not

at

at that. The
one
mythological
Cherub had,in some
with the head of an
cases, the body of a lion,
other animal,or a man, and the wingsof a bird. In Ezekiel they

Angel,but

have the

body of

has also that of

with four

and
animal,

an

whose

man,

Lion,an

head,besides a
and

wings,and the whole

an

human

countenance,

Eagle. They are provided

with innumerable
body isspangled

In

and Babylonthey appear as winged bulls with

Assyria
at the gatewaysof palaces
and are placed
and temples
faces,
who
watch
the
the Cherubim
over
as
guardian
dwelling,
genii

eyes.
human
as

in Genesis watch the

Most

Jewish

Cherubim

as

"

Tree of Life."

writers and

Christian

Fathers

also
Angels.Most theologians

Angels,until Michaelis
a

Ox

showed

them

to be

conceived

considered them

the
as

animal,
mythological

creation.4
poetical
1

See Wake:

pp. 46,47; and

i. p. 408.
2 Hardwick
p. 215.
8 See
John

Phallism
Maurice:

that

calls a

Heva," which

Adima

and

case.

The

iii.

and

Other

India," which

very discreditable performdisgracefulpiece of charla"c. p. 205). This writer also

woman

is

in

Masters,

"

according

and

Adima"
which
he speaks of as
connecting the island of Ceylon with the mainland, is called Rama's
bridge ; " and the
Adam's
called
Buddha's
footprints are
footprints." The Portuguese,who called the
mountain
Pico d'Adama
(Adam's Peak), evidentlyinvented these other names.
(See Maurice's Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. pp. 361,362,and
vol. ii.p. 242).
* See
Smith's Bible Die. Art.
Cherubim,"
and Lenormant's
Beginning of History, ch.
"

Christ

ance," and "a

tanry " (Myths,
states

Religions, "bridge of

Hindostan, vol.

Jacolliot's "Bible

Fisk

firstman

in Ancient
Hist.

to

were

Hindoo
called

legend, the
"

certainlynot the

"

"

"

"

14

MYTHS.

BIBLE

We

then,that

see

To continue

Cherub

our

Dragon.
of the
prevalence

is simply
a

the
inquiryregarding

our

among nations of antiquity.

The Chinese have their Age of Virtue,when nature
surrounded
lived peacefully,
abundant food, and man

Eden-

myth

by allthe
a mystestory concerning
rious

there is a

In their sacred books

beasts.

furnished

"

of immortality,"
garden,where grew a tree bearing apples
guardedby a winged serpent,called a Dragon. They describe a
abundance of
primitive
age of the world, when the earth yielded
and the
cultivation,

delicious fruits without

and

wind

by
Men

then

were

harmony with
"

The

There

storms.

Golden

Age

"

then

placeswere

human

heart

voices; and

of the past is much

One of them says :

dwelt upon

equallythe native county of every man.

any guide; birds filled the air with

fruits grew

the

lived in

of evil,man

Another

of

all creatures

the animals, and

their

accord.

own

Men

of the

members

were

death.
in

was

nature.

in the fields without

wandered

with

untroubled

were

or
sickness,
calamity,

no

good without effort; for the

and beautyof
the peacefulness

ancient commentators.
"All

was

seasons

same

their

by

Flocks
their melodious

lived

pleasantly
family. Ignorant

simpLcityand perfectinnocence."

commentator

says :

the firstage of

all was
in harmony, and the passionsdid
perfectpurit}',
uniied
murmur.
to sovereignreason
not occasion the slightest
Man,
within,
his outward
actions to sovereign
conformed
and
justice.Far from all duplicity
from
lights
heaven, and the purest defalsehood,his soul received marvelous felicity
"In

earth."

from

Another

delicious garden refreshed with zephyrs,and

situated in the middle of a mountain, which

"

says

planted with

trees,was
The

that

waters

He

moistened
drinks

who

East, the River of

flowed
of it

the South

River, betwixt

Golden

it

the Lamb

Thence

East, a Red
the North

odoriferous
of heaven.

avenue

called the 'Fountain

source

dies.

never

and

between

from

the

was

flowed

four

River, between

and

mortality.
of Im-

rivers.

the North

and

West."

Kaimingguardsthe entrance.
and partly
ing
Partlyby an undue thirst for knowledge,
by increasThe

animal

the seduction of woman,

and last ruled in the human
mind, and

and
sensuality,

began.

In

of the Chinese sacred

one

fell. Then

man

sion
pas-

with the animals

war

volumes,called the Chi-King,

it is said that :
"All
husband

was

subjectto

raised

up

demolished
knowledge,
woman.

at

man

but
first,

them.

She lostthe human

woman

threw

of walls, but the woman,

bulwark

Our
race.

misery did not

Ah, unhappy

come

us

into

by
from

slavery. The wise

ambitious desire

an

heaven, but from

Poo See ! thou

kindled

of
a

the fire

that

ages.

Thus

we

that the Chinese

see

15

MAN.

are

misery
a

has lasted

mortal

poison."1

strangersto the doctrine of

no

is a fallen being;

from time immemorial.

them

by

Madagascar had

inhabitants of

The

OF

It is their invariable belief that man

sin.
original

admitted

FALL

us, and which is every day augmenting. Our

The world is lost. Vice overflows all thingslike

consumes

many

AND

CREATION

THE

/Eden story,which

is related

as

follows

legendsimilar

the

of the earth,and

created of the dust

to

placedin a garmortality;he
surrounded
and
free
also
from
all
was
though
by delicious
bodily appetites,
fruitand limpidstreams yet feltno desire to taste of the fruit or to quaffthe water
The Creator,had, moreover,
The
strictly
forbid him either to eat or to drink.
in
the
to
to
and
came
however,
him,
colors,
him,
painted
glowing
great enemy,
of the apple,and the lusciousness of the date,and the succulence
sweetness
of the orange."
The

"

firstman
he

I den, where

After

was

subject

was

to

of the ills which

none

for
the temptations
resisting

now

while,he

was

affect

at last ate of the

and

fell?
consequently
I fruit,
A legend
of the Creation,
similar to the
and
Mr. Ellis among the Tahitians,
Researches."
It is as follows :

Taarao had formed

After

red

earth,which

Taarao

one

caused him

the

appearedin

man

ivi,or bones,and

with it made

by

Polynesian

"

his

out of araea,

until bread

When
by name.
day called for the man
and while he slept,
he took
to fall asleep,

found

was

world,he created man

also the food of

was

Hebrew,

was

made.

he came, he
of his
out one

he gave to the man

whom
woman,
the progenitors
of mankind.
The
a

\ as his wife, and theybecame

was
a bone.3
Ivi,which signifies
\ woman's name
The

"

"

prose

Golden

Age

Edda, of
"

the ancient
all

when

lasted until the arrival of

I the giants,
a sort of

"

was

woman

land of Nod

In the annals of the

Scandinavians,
speaksof

pure

and

harmonious.

out of Jotunheim
"
"

who

Mexicans,the

translated by the old

"

This

the

the
age

regionof

it.4
corrupted

first woman,

whose

name

"

of our flesh,"
writers,the woman
Spanish
is always
as accompanied
represented
by a greatmale serpent,who
Some
to be talking
writers believe this to be the
to her.
seems
tended
to the primevalmother,and others that it is intempterspeaking
This Mexican
to representthe fatherof the human
race.
was

on
\,Eveis represented

their monuments

as

the mother

of twins.5

4 See
Mallet's
Northern
Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 206-210.
Antiquities, p.
vol.
iv.
409.
Examined,
pp. 152,
5
See Baring Gould's Legends of the Patri153, and Legends of the Patriarchs,
p. 38.
2
archs
; Squire's Serpent Symbol, p. 161, and
Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 31.
3
Phallisin
in Ancient
Quoted by Miiller: The Science of Relig., Wake's
Religions, p.
1

The

See

Pentateuch

p. 302.

41.

16

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in
Franklin,

Mr.

"

his

Jeynes,"
says :

Buddhists and

traveler (Wilson),
instance is recorded by the very intelligent
garding
restriking
in the magnifiof the Fall of our firstparents,sculptured
a representation
cent
He says that a very exact representation
of
temple of Ipsambul,in Nubia.
is to be seen
in that cave, and that the
and Eve in the garden of Eden
Adam
delineated,and the whole subjectof
serpentclimbinground the tree is especially
exhibited."1
the tempting of our first parents most accurately
"A

thingwas found by Colonel Coombs in the

Nearlythe same
Hist. Rajapoutana,says :
South of India.
Colonel Tod, in his
"

"

from a sculptured column in a cave"A drawing,broughtby Colonel Coombs

sial
temple in the South of India,represents the firstpairat the foot of the ambroentwined
the
and
a
heavily-laden
tree,
serpent
boughs,presentingto
among
them

The

his mouth.

of the fruit from

some

tempter appears to be at that part

of his discourse,when
1

his words, repletewith guile,

Into her heart too easy entrance
won:
Fixed on the fruit she gazed.'

to be engraved
on
This is a curious subject

"

So the Colonel

found

no
doubt, but
thought,

Pagan temple."2

it is not

faucon,3 represents
these

ations
such small vari-

Pagan

be

expectedto

duce
pro-

one

myth
we

among

in both

the Old

and New

Worlds.

Fig. No.
feet

from

not

been

That

this

man

originally

was

the

created
is

once

only

now
we

was,

onlyunfounded

per-

remnant

mytholpiece of ogy,
but,beyondintelligent
question,
fact,

have
in

broken

fallen and

to

seen

be

of the exposure
What, then, is the significance
What

of Christian

many

have

treatingin

2,

proveduntrue.
of this myth ?

which

of

?
chapter

being,and

of what he

any

doubt that it

is allusive to the

differentnations,

taken

tures.
sculpCan

time and circumstances

"

ancient

as

may

of

one

with but

only

Mont-

of

have

we
"

very curieus

so

work

myth

same

which

ancient

It is

after all.
the

an

does its loss

dogma,imply?

Christian divines who

Quoted by Higgins

It

scientificfact,and

that with it
implies
"

admit

this to be
2

ns

tion
por-

although

legend,do not,

Hist. Eaj., p. 581, quoted by Higgins:

Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 404.
L'AntiquiteExpliquee,vol. i.

Anacalypsis, vol. i.

p. 408.

as

Tod's

18

BIBLE

It

"

is the
of

Church
her

of

language

"In

called

in

that

work

"The

whole

is

had

inspired

university

autographs,

or

written

Aiden's

Manual,"

"

chiefly for

"

the

of

use

St.
"

of

author

makes

College"

is

of

which

the

the

same

sense

subjects
in

Himself

following

the

words,

just

than

it would

Bible

mind

the

of

God

towards

treats."
if

as

had

he

made

of

use

man
hu-

no

it."

spoken
less

be

what

of

declaration

revelation,

word,

cannot

scientific

kind,

every

God

had

Every

inspired.

verbally
be,

whole

spoken

word,

from

heaven

its

history

syllable,

every
without

any

those

published

The

above
in

Colenso,
10-12,
3

"

lately

from

which
"

Cosmogony
by

written

published
author

by

quoted

are

Pentateuch

The

the

attacks

take

we

is

Thomas
News

American
the

regard
ii.

modern

of

volume

Co.,

in

of

and

in

follow
so

in

narrations

only

not

but

also

too
"

Genesis
:

are

if

antiquity

of

pantheism,

rightly

Creation

apostles

which

scientists

England,

atheism,

and

"

Mitchell,

quotations,
in

geological

the

to

evolution,

them.
title

the

Prof.

all

vol.

and

from

America.2

of

States

Bishop

by

Examined,

such

with

published

journals

United

the

in

extracts

and

all

correct,

"'

filled

be

might

works

infallibly

inaccuracy.

any

volume

religious

is

statement

without

are

from

the

as

the

God's

is

Bible

"Every

pp.

the

interpretation

intervention."

human

of

all

but

letter,

every

the

of

and

Inspiration"

Aiden's

on

The

"

whole

theological

England,

Verbal

"

Bible,

Bible

agent,

of

we

honest

no

creatures

The

the

accept

of

Birkenhead,

St.

of

"

must

we

reason,

Baylee's

youths

which

to

and

assent,

"

at

"

formularies,

solemn

our

it

of

Bay lee, Principal

College

doctrinal

whole.

Dr.

those

expressed

get rid

consistent

all
the

reject

have

can

that

of

teaching

England

And

his

clear

MYTHS.

the

the

that,
falls,

book

of

"

world,

the

"c.

if the

account

Christ

and

Genesis

is

Gospels.'1''

lieves
be-

He

the
neous,
erro-

CHAPTER

II.

DELUGE.1

THE

"

After
at

that

"The

rapid rate.

very

they

fair ; and

were

and

also
.

But
God

these

that

he had

made

the

face

was

God

"The

See

Science,"

Prof.

scientific

J.

ages,

smaller

were

hardly

than
suit

or

in the

the

average

don,
Man

has

grown

and

there

is

might
the

Modern

that

"

Fossil

invented

earth

those

eller James
the

America,

is

well

as

to

that:

account

days."
the

called

Orton,
found

we

believe

the

remains

put

of

race

and

man,

the

by
The

in

Punin,
of

that

me

the

of

eyes

an

Lord

horse, the

Many

legends
in

I will de-

and

in

are

of

were

the

very

is that
with

origin.

of

hair

They

of

people,
form,

the

of

India,
the

sto-

giants, like

the

description

in
so

huge, unshapely

are

The

indeed,

many
natural

be

demons,

ancestors.
creatures

beard

But
to

all nations

terrible

and

place.

origin.

Hindoo

Aryan

This

that

and

Giants

almost

famous

of

Their

similar

ow-

giants

this certain

Ogres and

our

minds

lightning.

red

the

are

still.

so

had

other

that

country,

at

mythology

Rakshasas

Rakshasas

in that

all the

and

made,

was

natives

remains

have

the

antiquity,

color

of

the

explains their

dark, wicked

cruel

and

clouds, personified.
3

we

trav-

lived

their

originals of

clouds,
a

had

for the

mastodon,

the

of

me,

discovery

assurance

seen

(for)
And

before

This

time

I have

God.

come

the

the

ries say,

it would

illustration

"

creeping

with

one

the

giants in the

(in

the

the

they had

of

on.

intellect,

them,

an

beast, and

in

to

his

at

created

repenteth

found

fact, the op-

recorded

that, near

Lon-

large animals

were

him

I have

it

walked

the

giants, inhabit-

for

As

story,

to

was

of

"There

of

as

in
ever

remains

There

large enough

by primitive

Amazon"),
was

for

at

larger,

time.

to-day

of

there
be

found

be

being

proof whatever"

no

naturally
in

and

the Lord

repented

grieved

and

whom

large animals.

of

races

Tower

castles, that

properly

mention

in the

armor

in stature

been

legend

of

it

destroyman

species of

Men-

in those

most

present

and

of all flesh is

P.

earth

instead

Englishman

earth.

having

of

the
that

the

at

old

posite is certain
what

in
fact

it

"

wicked,

very

through them, and, behold,

of

Light

Denton:

were

end

they
days,2

of renown."

The

the

giants

were

It is
in former

men,

and

in

in those

ing

"There

days."

may

violence

Wm.

grace
and

Noah,

Deluge

by

air,

found

men

man

Boston.

ing

Noah

justman

the

earth

"

the earth*

both

all which

and

earth,
of

is filled with

earth

for

But

said unto

dum,

the

the

in

man

said ; I will

of

wives

men

mighty

upon

fowls

them.

Noah

man

of

the

thing, and
made

of

the Lord

And

from

"

heart.

is

"

them

men

"

began to be populated
the daughters of men

saw

giants

were

mighty
giants and

the wickedness

saw

took

they

earth

of God

sons

There

chose

fall,"the

shameful

man's

"And

made

Andes

that

South

he

it

man."
he

should

should

repented
(Gen.

the

iv.)

lie,neither

repent.''''(Numb,

Lord
"

God

the

son

he

that
is
of

not
man

xxiii. 19.)

extinct

[19]

had
man

that

20

MYTHS.

BIBLE

the earth.

with

stroy them
to the

ark;

Waters

heaven,and

under

from
life,

thingthat

every

thee shall I establish my

But with

die.

I,do bringa flood of

wherein
to destroyall flesh,
earth,

the

gopherwood,

shalt thou make

window

in the

....

upon

ark of

an

ark,(and)a
And behold I,even

shalt thou make

rooms

thee

Make

is the breath of

is in the earth shall

; and thou shalt

covenant

ark,thou, and thy sons, and thywife,and thy sons'

two of
wives,with thee. And of every livingthingof all flesh,
every sort shalt thou bringinto the ark,to keep them alive with
Of fowls after their kind,
thee ; theyshall be male and female.
and of cattle after their kind,of every creeping
thingof the earth
in to thee,
to keepthem
after his kind,two of every sort shall come
into the

come

take thou unto

And

alive.

thee of all food that is eaten,and thou

it to thee ; and it shall be for food for thee and for

shalt gather
to all that God
Thus did Noah, according
commanded
them.

him."1
When

the ark
thou and

Come

"

not clean

and his female.

in the Eden

as
Here, again,

have

...

fowls

Of

also of the

of
living
thing,
is finished,
wTe

myth,there is a

told Noah

that the Lord

seen

by

of every sort" and

told that he said to him :

all flesh,
two
are

sevens."

"

which

took

account
"

from,

goes

Noah

went

into the ark.

on

by

sevens,

...

of every
that the ark

now
"

We

"

Of

every clean
of fowls also of the
written

the Elohistic
"

to the narrative

added

to say, that

Of

and
Jehovistic,

the

"

and

in, and

ark

by sevens" and,
is owing to the storyhavingbeen

This

writers
different

two

air

contradiction.

bringinto the

to

beast thou shalt take to thee

air

the female."2

and

the male

Noah

Of every clean beast

and his female; and of beasts that are

sevens, the male

by

the male

by two,

into the ark.

all thy house

thou shalt take to thee

Lord said unto

the
finished,

was

by
of

one

of the other.8

The

his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him,
clean beasts,and of beasts that are not clean,and of

of every thingthat creepethupon the earth, there went in two and two,
Noah."4,
into the ark, the male and the female,as God had commanded
Noah

fowls,and
unto

We

see,

then,that

Noah

took

into the ark

all hinds

of

of

and of every thing

that creepeth,
two of every sort,
of fowls,
beasts,
and

that this

"

was

God

as

had

shows that the writer of these words knew

Gen.

See

iv.

Gen. vi. 1-3.

chapter xi.
4
The image of Osiris of Egypt was
by the
priestsshut up in a sacred ark on the 17th of

Noah."

commanded

Noah

very

day and

is said to have

(See Bonwick's
Bunsen's

clearly

nothingof the command

Athyr (Nov. 13th),the

which

This

entered

month

on

his ark.

Egyptian Belief,p. 165,and

Angel Messiah, p. 22.)

21

DELUGE.

THE

and fowls of the air,by sevens.

beasts,
to all that
did according
assured,that, Noah

We

to take in clean

further

"

are

the Lord

him."

commanded

every beast after his kind,and

and every creepallthe cattle after their kind,the fowls of the air,
ing
"
Then
shut
them
in.
were
the
the
Lord
h
ad
entered
ark,
thing,
After Noah

and
family,

and his

heaven
and

the rain

opened. And

were

of

great deep broken up, and the windows

allthe fountains of the

was

upon
the waters

And

fortynights

the earth

fortydays
ly
exceedingprevailed

under the whole heaven,

that were
upon the earth ; and allthe hills,
Fifteen cubits upwardsdid the waters prevail
covered.
were
; and
And allflesh died that moved upon
covered.
the mountains were
the

and of every
and of beast,
earth,both of fowl and of cattle,

creepingthing that creepethupon the earth,and

and they that were
Noah only remained alive,
And
The

in the ark."1

that moved

fleshdied
"

made

wind

of
object

to pass

the

and
stopped,

the

over

from

rain

he

which

fro,until

forth to and

rest for the sole of her

ark."

At

foot,and

forth

it

pass at
of the ark,
to

came

window

raven,

the

And

which

went

dried up from off the

but the dove found no

were

dove,

heaven, were

restrained.

was

openedthe

he sent

of

And

the waters

also sent forth

He

earth.

And

made.

had

assuaged.

waters

the windows

heaven

continually
of fortydays,that Noah

the end

Lord, therefore,

The

decreased

waters

him

accomplished,all

now

was

earth,and the

deep,and

man.

"

the earth."

upon

fountains of the

The

the flood

every
with

she returned

unto

him

into the

the end

of

"

seven

dayshe again

forth the dove out of

sent

and lo,in her

ark,and the dove came in to him in the evening,
mouth was an olive leaf,
pluckedoff."

the

At the end of another

And
of the
his

againto

month, upon

his sons, and

in the ark,went

was

builded
on

altar unto

an

the altar. And

Lord said in his

the

sent forth the

the seventeenth
Then

of Ararat.

Lord,

the Lord

and

and offered burnt offerings

smelled

heart,I will not againcurse

Gen. vi.

Noah

day

and every living

his sons' wives,
thing
Noah
forth out of the ark. "And
savour, and the

sweet

the

groundany

for man's sake."2

dove,

him

the mountains

wife,and

that

"

he again
days,

any more."
the ark rested in the seventh month, on

returned not

which

seven

Gen.

viii.

more

22

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"We shall now

men

whom

among

of

that there is scarcely

any considerable

see

there does not

in
exist,

form, the tradition

some

all the human

which destroyed
greatdeluge,

of

race

except their

race,

progenitors.

own

firstof these which

The

shallnotice,
and the

we

with which

one

is the
havingbeen copiedfrom it,1
closely,
Chaldean^as givenby Berosus,the Chaldean historian.2 It is as

the Hebrew
follows

agrees most

king of the Chaldeans),his son

tory
Xisuthrus reignedeighteensari. In his time happened a great deluge,the hisof which is thus described: The
deityCronos appeared to him (Xisuthrus)
him
that upon
in a vision,and warned
the fifteenth day of the month
Desius
would
there would
mankind
be
He
therefore
which
be a flood,by
destroyed.
enjoinedhim to write a historyof the beginning,procedure,and conclusion of
all things,and to bury it in the City of the Sun at Sippara;and to build a
"After

death

the

vessel,and

take with

Ardates

of

(the ninth

into it his friends

him

board

everything necessary to
birds and quadrupeds,and
asked the deitywhither he was
both

he offered up a prayer
admonition, and built

which

upon

the divine

himself

trust
to

sail,he

for the
a

and

and
relations,

life,togetherwith

sustain

to
fearlessly

was

good

to convey

on

all the different animals,

of mankind.

deep.

the

answered:

'To
He

the

ing
Hav-

Gods;'

obeyed
length,and two in
prepared,and last of all
then

vessel five stadia in

breadth.

Into this he put

conveyed

into it his wife, his children, and his friends.

After the flood had
the earth,and was
in time abated, Xisuthrus
the
sent out birds from

been upon
vessel;which

everythingwhich

had

he

findingany food, nor any place whereupon they might rest

to him again. After an interval of some
days,he sent them
forth a second time; and they now
returned with their feet tingedwith mud.
He made a trial a third time with these birds; but they returned to him no more:
from whence
he judged that the surface of the earth had appeared above
the
He
waters.
therefore made
an
in
and
the
out
vessel,
looking
opening
upon
their

not

feet,returned

found

that

it was

stranded

immediately quittedit with

then

paid his

adoration

sacrifices to the

to

the side of some

which
he
mountain; upon
upon
his wife, his daughter,and the pilot. Xisuthrus

the earth,and,

constructed

having

an

altar,offered

gods."3

This account,given by Berosus,which agrees in almost every

with that found in Genesis,
and with that found by
particular

George Smith of the Britiph Museum

is nevertheless different in
Assyria,
Mr. Smith
"When
and
.

some

terra

tablets in

cotta

respects. But, says

:
we

consider

the difference

between

countries of Palestine

the two

Babylonia,these variations do not appear greater than we should expect.

It was
the same
only natural that,in relating
stories,each nation should
.

See chapter xi.

Josephus. the Jewish historian, speaking of
the flood of Noah
(Antiq.bk. 1, ch. iii.),
says :
All the writers of the Babylonian histories
9

"

make

on

mention

of

this flood and this ark."

count

Quoted by George Smith

of Genesis,pp. 42-44 ; see

tatench

Examine''

SpiritHist. p. 138

Chaldean

Ac-

also, Tbe

Pen-

vol. iv. p. 211 ;

,

Cory'sAncient

p. 61, etseq. for similar accounts.

Dunlap's
Fragments,

in accordance

color them
case

find,and

also notice that the cuneiform

we

may
with the account

even

they

stress would

of the

events

same

naturallyin

Thus

familiar.

were

be differences in the narrative

that there would

beforehand

ideas,and

with its own

points with which

be laid upon

23

DELUGE.

THE

such

account

does

givenby

Berosus

each

should expect

we

actually
cide
always coin-

as

we

not

from

Chaldean

sources."1

The

the virtuous

cases

commanded

also to
a

theyoffer

theyland
a

up

on

the tenth

Titan
(Zerovanos,
and

and

flood is

In both

cases

it with their

enter

In both

theysend

cases

out

the third time it failed to return.

"

the ark
mountain,and upon leaving

sacrifice to the

and Noah
king,2

(Shem,Ham

ark,to

or

food.

with

bird from the ark three times

cases

vessel

that

both

birds,and everythingthat creepeth,

beasts,

themselves
provide

In both

by the Lord
destroymankind.

would

build

to

to take in

aud
families,

however,i.e.,in

same

is informed

man

which
place,

about to take

theyare

the

pointsare
important

most

gods. Xisuthrus
Xisuthrus
patriarch.3

and Noah
Japetosthes),4

the tenth

was

had
had

three

sons

three

sons

Japhet).5

The history
Cory remarks in his " Ancient Fragments,''
of the flood,
as
so
with
givenby Berosus,
remarkably
corresponds
the Biblical account
of the Noachian
Deluge,that no one can
doubt
that both proceededfrom
one
source
dently
they are eviancient document.6
except the names, from some
transcriptions,
As

"

"

This
it

legendbecame
known

not

was

came.8
evidently

Chaldean

Volney

in

known
the

to the Jews

(Egypt)out

country

it is
Egyptianhistory,

of Genesis,pp. 285, 286.

Researches, p. 119 ; Chaldean Acct. of Genesis, p. 290 ; Hist. Hindostan, vol. i. p. 417,and Dunlap's SpiritHist. p.
:

from Chaldean

Account

Germans

New

Tuisco)had

277.

said,had gone

Ibid.

Legends of

Gen. vi. 8.

un-

ancestors

that Mannus
(son of the god
three sons, who were
the original
of the three principal nations
of
The

Germany.

Scythians said that Targyof their nation, had three

from
whom
descended.
sous,
they were
A
tradition among
the Romans
was
that the Cyclop Polyphemus had by Galatea three eons.
Saturn had three sons, Jupiter,Neptune, and
Pluto ; and Hesiod
speaks of the three sons
which
from
the marriage of heaven
sprung
and earth. (See Mallet's Northern Antiquities,

the

Patriarchs,pp. 109,110.

tians,with whom

had

as

sons

three

Hindoo
;

sons.

Sama,

The

three eons, and

calion,during whose
have

on

said

had
ark-preserved Menu
Cama, and Pra-Japati.
(Faber: Orig.Pagan Idol.) The Bhattias, who
Delli and the Panjab, insist that
live between
they are descended from a certain king called
Salivahana,who had three sons, Bhat, Maha
andThamaz."
(Col.Wilford, in vol. ix. Asiatic Researches.) The Iranian hero Thraetona
The

three

had

they

tagus, the founder

"

sources,7

of which

Iranian

Sethite Lamcch

Hellen, the
time

eon

of Deu-

the flood is said to

happened, had three sons.

(Bunsen : The
Angel-Messiah,pp. 70,71.) All the ancient nations of Europe also describe their originfrom
the three sons of some
king or patriarch. The

p. 509.)
* See
a

chap. xi.

"it

is of

in earliest and

traditions
and

no

of

Hellenic

slightmoment
the Hebrews

that the

Egyp-

represented

are

closest intercourse,
had no
flood,while the Babylonian

tales bear

strong resemblance

in many

points to the narrative in Genesis."

(Rev. George W. Cox : Tales of Ancient Greece,

p. 340.

See

also Owen

Man's

Earliest

tory,p. 28,and ch. xi. this work.)

His-

24

MYTHS.

BIBLE

for the
thousand years before the time assigned
And
it is known
absolute fact that the land
as

for ten
interrupted
birth of Jesus.1
of

Egypt was

visited

never

by

beneficent

other than its annual

Egyptian Bible,which is by
kneio nothingof the
ancient of all holy boohs,3
Phra (or Pharaoh)Khoufou-Cheopswas
building

overflow of the river Nile.2

far the most

Deluge* The

The

when
to Egyptianchronicle,
pyramid, according

his

world

chronicle.5 A

Hebrew

of

under the waters

was

universal

of

antiquityare
would
theycertainly

which
found destitute of any storyof a flood,6
have had if a universal delugehad ever
happened. Whether
in
legendis of highantiquity

the

to
deluge,
according

of other nations

number

the whole

India has

doubted

been

even

this

by

tinguishe
dis-

scholars.7
The

Hindoo

"Many ages
a deluge,on

legendof

time

of

form
.

the

named

and

piousman,
to appear

and
Satyavrata,

of the

to preserve him from

the sea
of the depravityof the age, he
(the Preserver)and said: In seven

plunged in an ocean
largevessel,sent by me

destroyit

lived at that

universe

loved

this

which

was

appeared before him in the

days from the present time

of death, but

will be

destroyingwaves,

There

of destruction

wished

Vishnu

resolved to

the lord of the

as

people.

account

on

the worlds

of the wickedness

account

pious man

follows

Deluge is as

creation of the world, Brahma

after the

with

the

for

thy use,

in the midst

shall stand

of

before

herbs, all the varietyof feeds,and,

encircled
of all brute animals, thou shalt
seven
saints,
pairs
accompanied by
by
from the flood, on one
and
continue
in
immense
the
secure
enter
it,
spaciousark,
the
without
ocean
light,
except the radiance of thy holy companions. When
ship shall be agitatedby an impetuous wind, thou shalt fasten it with a large
drawing
sea-serpenton my horn ; for I will be near thee (in the form of a fish),
I will remain on the ocean, O chief
the vessel,with thee and thy attendants.
Then

thee.

Of men,

take all medicinal

shalt thou

until

Brahma

nightof

shall be

completelyended.

Thou

shalt then

See Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 198,and Knight's

Ancient
Art and Mythology, p. 107. " Plato
1

was

told that

Egypt had hymns

ten

thousand

years

wick

before

dating back

his time."

Egyptian Belief,p. 185.)

Plato

(Bonlived 429

relates that the priestsof

Herodotus
c.
Egypt informed him that from the first king to
the present priestof Vulcan who last reigned,
three hundred
were
fortyand one generations
and during these generations there
of men,
of chief priests and
number
the same
were
Now
(says he) three hundred generkings.
ations are
equal to ten thousand
years, for
hundred
are
one
three
generations of men
and
the
forty-one
remaining
genera;
years
b.

"

tions that

were

over

the three

priestplaces

each

wooden

colossuses to the

number

I have

up ; for every

men-

high

the

was

through

of

son

them

all,from

died last until

there

during

his

father ; going
image of him who
pointed them all out."
own

the

they had
(Herodotus,book ii.chs. 142, 143.) The discovof royal and priestlypersonery of mummies
at
made
Deir-el-Bahari
(Aug.,1881),near
ages,
this
to confirm
Thebes, in Egypt, would seem
statement
made
Of the thirtyby Herodotus.
nine mummies
that of King
discovered,one
"

Raskenen

is about

"

hundred

old.
years
Letter to the London
2

Owen

Bonwick

Ibid. p. 411.
Owen
Man's
:

three

(See

thousand

Cairo

seven

[Aug. 8th,]

Times.)
History,p. 28.
Egyptian Belief,p. 185.

Man's

4
5

"

tloned,they reckoned them

of himself

his life-time ; the priests,

therefore, reckoning
them
to me, pointed out that
and showing tnem

hundred, make

and fortyyears,"
thousand
three hundred
one
making eleven thousand three hundred and forty
Conducting me into the interior of an
years.
edifice that was
spacious, and showing me

image

an

Earliest

Earliest

History, pp. 27,

28.
6

Goldzhier

Ibid. p. 320.

Hebrew

Mytho.

p. 319.

26

BIBLE

it is said,
cold,partly,
by

land of death and

described

which is
greatflood,

the Book

in

JSToah'sflood recorded

beinglike

as

MYTHS.

of

Genesis.1

"

and

men,

high Olympos,
everywherethey followed
in the

his throne

From

race.' The

whole human

nearlythe

that

saw

rightor for law. And ever,

they devised for themselves

for

the whole

earth

majesty of Zeus, and

their doings.

and

the word

of

that

looked

Zeus

from

down

came

returned

Zeus

should

to

words

his throne to
his home

on

againstthe
their way
and

see

Olympos,

the earth,that
be let loose upon
So the west wind rose

die for their great wickedness.

heaven, for the winds

rain-clouds veiled the whole

the dark

drive away the mists and vapors were

hill and valleyburst the merciless rain,and

On

the children of

on

spake proud

of

shut up in their prison

the rivers,loosened from

the north which

house.

down

destroyed

rites to appease the anger of the gods,till

Far away in the hidden
glens of the

flood of waters

flood which

storyis as follows

feasted and

Lykaon
Then

might

men

in its might, and

new

blood.

himself

Zeus

he gave
the sons

of

sons

only their lusts,and cared nothing

wickedtheir hearts waxed
grosser in their ness,

as

filledwith

was

hills the

Arcadian

records of

had

ancient Greeks

The

From
the whole
their courses, rushed over
plainsand up the mountain-side.
looked forth on the angry sky,
his home on the highlandsof Phthia, Deukalion
in
the
the
waters
he
when
saw
valleysbeneath, he called Pyrrha,
and,
swelling
me.
Prometheus, forewarned
built,and placein it all that

out

the earth.'

upon

and

time

said to her: 'The

his wife, and

Make
we

may
Then

till the waters

they waited

rose

The
the ark of Deukalion.
away
twined amongst the gnarledboughs
tossed

were

and

to him

Bunce

of babes,

as

they

thingsready,

Phthia

the old

is

and

floated

elm-groves,and

the face of the waters

on

the

rose

and

dead

faces

fell upon

of
the

from its waters.8

Ovid

(aGrecian

out of the ark until

with

Meaning,

mythology, however, has

be proved to have

oldest Greek

idea ; it cannot
known
to the Greeks

p. 319.) This
had there ever

could
been

not
a

the 6th

earlier than

(See Goldzhier

century B. C

have

universal

Hebrew
been

Mytho.,
the

Greece, pp. 72-74.

Grecian

mythologist, born

case

deluge.

Tales of Ancient
"

dove which

b.

a), Deucalion
he sent out

turns
re-

olive branch.4

an

Fairy Tales,Origin and

such

lodorus

writer born 43

Deucalion
consigned
having mentioned
ark, takes notice, upon his quittingit,
sacrifice to
immediate
of his offering up an
God."
(Chambers' Encyclo.,art. Deluge.)
* In
Christianity(p.
Lundy's Monumental
299, Fig. 137) may be seen a representationof
and Pyrrha landing from the ark.
Deucalion
are
A dove and olive branch
depicted in the

c.,

"

to the

p. 18.
a The

"

amidst

all

nassus,
beganto abate,the ark rested on Mount Parand Deucalion,with his wife Pyrrha,
steppedforth upon
constructed an altar,
desolate earth. They then immediately
offered up thanks to Zeus,the mightybeingwho sent the flood

does not venture

been

highlandsof

the oaks, while on

looked
Deukalion

on

the flood of waters

make

the flood

to
According

no

up to the
fishes swam

to

"

and saved them

hastened

waves.

When
the

Pyrrha

and

of men;

come

need for food while

warriors, of maidens, and

stalwart

heavy

the bodies

of which

my father,the wise
ready, therefore,the ark which 1 have
has

"

Apol140

b.

scene,

THE

It

at

^as

27

DELUGE.

time

even
believed,
extensively
by intelligent
tradition of
was
a
myth
corrupted
but
this
untenable
all hut
deluge,
opinionis now

one

of Deucalion

that the
scholar*,
the Noachian

abandoned.1
universally
The legend
found in the West among the Kelts. They believed
was
overwhelmed
the world and drowned
that a greatdeluge
all
men
except Drayan and Droyvach,who escapedin a boat,and
This boat

colonized Britain.
the

supposedto

was

have

HeavenlyLord,"and it received into it a

been

built

by

pairof every kind

of beasts.3
The
Edda
his

ancient Scandinavians

from
describes this deluge,

family,
by

of

means

ancient Mexicans.

his

had their

which
It

bark.*

They believed

that

wife,survived the deluge. Lord

this legend,4
informs
the

of

out

also found

was

named

man

the

among

Coxcox, and

Kingsborough,
speakingof

that

who
the person
answered
to Noah
six others;and that the story of sending

us

entered the ark with

birds

legendof a deluge.The
onlyone man escapes, with

is the

ark, "c,

in

same

generalcharacter

with that of the Bible.

Dr.
had not

onlythe

ark landed

the

speaksof the
story of sendingout
also

Brinton

on

mountain.

Mexican

The

the

tradition.6

bird,but

tradition of

related that

delugewas

the Brazilians,
and among
also found among
many Indian
The mountain
upon which the ark is supposedto have
to
pointed

was

The

by

the residents in
of Ararat

mountain-chain

Chaldeans

Greeks

Hebrews

and

reverence,

of the

America),

near

which

"

the ark landed.

The

Parnassus ; the Hindoos to the Himalayas

;
numberless heights
ing
were
pointedout with becom-

as

those

The

in New

on

which

the few survivors of the dreadful

delugewere
preserved.On the
of the Caddoes,
there was
the village

the Indian

homage.
Zuni

rested,

nearly
every quarterof the globe.
considered to be
was
by the

placewhere

the

tribes.8

to Mount
pointed

and in Armenia

scenes

"

They

tribes for

Cerro

an

River
eminence

(in
to

great distance around

Naztarnyon

Mexico, that

Red

of

the Rio
Colhuacan

paid devout
Grande,the peakof Old
on

the

Mount

Pacific coast,
in the province

Apoalain Upper Mixteca,and Mount Neba

borGuaymi,are some of many elevations asserted by the neigh

of

Chambers'

Baring-Gould: Legends

Encyclo.,art. Deucalion.
of the Patriarchs,
p. 114. See also Myths of the British Druids,
p. 95.

*
"

Antiquities,
p. 99.
Antiq. vol. viii.
Myths of the New World, pp. 203,204.
See Squire : Serpent Symbol, pp. 189, 190.
See Mallet's Northern

Mex.

28

BIBLE

ingnations

MYTHS.

of refuge
for
places

to have been

"heir ancestors when

the fountains of the

greatdeep broke forth.

be asked,How
could such
The question
now
may naturally
foundation for it?
unless there was some
storyhave originated

questionwe will say that we do not think

without some
foundation for it,
such a storycould have originated
and that most, if not all,
have a basi: of truth underlying
legends,
the fabulous,
not always
discernible. This storymay have
although
it may not.
astronomical basis,
At any
an
as
some
or
suppose,1
the fact of the
rate,it would be very easy to transmit by memory
that of an
or
or
a
sinkingof an island,
earthquake,
greatflood,
in
the
of time,
caused by overflows of rivers,
course
"c, which,
In

would

to this

answer

be added

to,and enlarged
upon, and,in this way,

tale. According to
quitea lengthy

of the most

one

"

made

into

ancient

counts
ac-

the forest trees

told that at that time

we
are
deluge,
dashed against
each other ;
the mountains were
involved
were
with smoke and flame ; that there was
and smoke,and wind,
fire,
which ascended in thick clouds repletewith lightning." The
of the

"

"

"

"

the ocean, whilst

the mountains,was like the

of
with the whirling
violently
agitated
of a mightycloud,"c."2
bellowing
A violent earthquake,
with eruptions
from volcanic mountains,
of land into the sea, would evidently
and the sinking
producesuch
in the earth's history,
know that at one period
a scene
as this. We
have been of frequent
The
such scenes
must
science
occurrence.
Local delugeswere
of
of geology
demonstrates this fact to us.
frequent
occurrence, and that some
persons may have been saved on
of a raft or boat,
by means
one, or perhaps
many, such occasions,
and that theymay have sought
on an
eminence,or mountain,
refuge
of
roaring

does not

at all improbable.

seem

periodin
During the Charnplain
which

after the Glacial

came

the continents
which
floods

must

The

man.

sank,and there
have

period
"

were,

the

historyof

the climate became

animal

delugemyth may

"

warmer,

continued
consequently,

destroyedconsiderable

foundation of the

the world

local

ing
life,includ-

have

been laid

at this time.
Volney says : " The Deluge mentioned by Jews, Chaldeans,Greeks and Indians,
as having destroyed the world, are
and the
one
same
physico-astronomicalevent which is still
all those
repeated every year," and that
personages that figurein the Deluge of Noah
and Xisuthus,are still in the celestial sphere.
It was
a
real picture of the calendar."
(Researches in Ancient
Hist.,p. 124.) It was on
the same
is said to have shut
day that Noah
1

Count

de

"

himself up in the ark, that the

shut up in their sacred coffer
of

priestsof Egypt
ark the image

or

of the Sun.
Osiris,a personification

This

Athor, in which
the Sun
enters
the Scorpion. (See Kenrick's
Egypt, vol. i. p. 410.) The historyof Noah
also corresponds,in some
respects, with that
was

of

on

the 17th of the month

of the Sun.
Bacchus, another personification
2 See Maurice's
Indian Antiquities,vol. ii.

p. 268.

29

DELUGE.

THE

the history
of man
to j far
suppose that this is dating
back, making his historytoo remote ; but such is not the case.
Some

There

may

is every

to believe that

reason

Glacial

epoch. It

remains

of the earliesthuman

must

the
before

existed for ages

be supposedthat we have
man

yet found
beings; there is evidence,however,

not

if not duringthe Miocene

duringthe Pliocene,
and Proboscidians abounded,
hoofed quadrupeds,
when
periods,
remains and implementshavingbeen found mingled with
human

that

existed

man

remains of these animals.1

believed that the animal called man, mighthave
called by that name
at an
been properly
epoch as remote as the

Charles Darwin

Eocene

period.2Man

lost
probably

had

his

by
hairycovering

that

time,and had begun to look human.

Prof.

"

the

of
antiquity

man,

says

refer the existence of

have gone, they indisputably
investigations
from us by many
hundreds of thousands ofyears" and that.
of Europe than a
it is difficult to assigna shorter date from the last glaciation
"

man

of
Draper,speaking

So far

to

as

date remote

quarter of

million of years, and

Again he
"

Recent

says

man

temporary with

the

to believe

givereason

be traced back

can

Southern

Hippopotamus, perhaps

imbedded

Bourbense,
of

in the

found

were

arrow

that,under

low

heads

the

of

and

other

member

order

with

Act

i.

Act

ii.

of

an

no

part of the world."

Conflict of

.-

Paleozoic

Devonian

"

"

iv. Carboniferous
Mesozoic

Enter
:

Enter

(Scene
**

"

Cenozoic

Tertiary

}
I

"

"

i. Eocene
ii. Miocene
Post

f Scene
H

i.

(Age of Mammals.)
Marine
Mammals, and probablyMan.
Enter Hoofed
Quadrupeds.

Enter
:
:

Enter

and Edentates.

Proboscidians

Tertiary: Positive Age of Man.

Glacial

Ice and

Drift Periods.

Champlain : Sinking Continents;Warmer; TropicalAnimals go North.

m
Terrace : Rising Continents
; Colder.
iv. Present : Enter Science,Iconoclasts,
"c, "c.
""

iertiary.^
"

"

"

:
:

iii. Pliocene

v.

Batrachians.

ii. Jurassic : Enter huge Reptilesof Sea, Land and Air.

iii. Cretaceous : (Age of Chalk) Enter Ammonites.

iv.

f Scene

Fishes.

(Age of Coal Plants) Enter First Air breathers.

Enter Reptiles.

i. Triassic

PrttT
rost

place to insert here what

Inorganic Forces.
Age of Invertebrates.
'Scene i. Eozoic : Enter Protozoans
and Pro tophytes.
"
ii. Silurian : Enter the Army of Invertebrates.

Act iii.

Act

the Mastodon."4

the

Azoic

Primary...

Act

grades,

longer represented in
(Herbert Spencer :
Principlesof Sociology,vol. i. p. 17.)

that

who
had
killed this
savages
3 Darwin
: Descent
of Man, p. 156. We
think it may not be out of
which is as follows :
might properlybe called : " The Drama
of Life,'"
traces

base

Tertiarytimes. He was con*

the great
Rbinoceros-leptorhinus,

Elephant, the

alluvium

and

into the

in the Miocene,contemporary

even

America, along with the bones of the

"In

Mastodon

existence antedates that."s

researches

the existence of

human

"

Draper : Religionand Science,p.

199.

Ibid. pp.

195,196.

80

BIBLE

Prof.

Evidence

"

Huxleycloseshis

MYTHS.

Place in

to Man's

as

Nature,"

by saying:
"Where
Pliocene
of

must

look

we

Miocene,

or

for

ncient?

Paschel,in his work

of
deposits

the

mingledwith

caves,

of

of these

one

Dr. Falconer, convinced

as

was
1858, that man
the Cave-lion,the
the Geological
periodantecedent

to

eral
lib-

of
Mankind,"speaking

have

discovered in

been

animals,says :

at

caves

the

Brixham, by

of Great Britain,as
specialists

own."*

our

of man's existence

evidence
positive

The

duringthe Tertiary

convince every
facts which must firmly
are
period,
of the greatantiquity
to be convinced
of man.
willing
it
but deem
our
authorities,
multiply
unnecessary.

one

observation of

and
corals,
shells,

who

"

We

"

The

most

as trustworthy
geologist
earlyas
the Woolly Rhinoceros,
a
contemporary of the Mammoth,
of the Mammalia
of
Cave-hyena,the Cave-bear,and therefore

examination

The

"

of wild

the bones

"

on

which

remains

human

by longepochsthe

extend

must

Sapiens

of the doctrine

of the antiquityof man."1

that has yet been made

Prof. Oscar

oldest Homo

the

If any form

...

development is correct, we
progressive
estimate

Was

primeval man?

yet more

or

other remains of

is

might

aquatic
on
high

above the level of the sea, and even

animals,in places
mountains,may have givenrise to legendsof a great flood.

Fossils found

in

imbedded

both in ancient and

highgroundhave

been

times,both by savage

modern

appealedto,
and

civilized

evidence in supportof their traditions of a flood ; and,moreover,

with any tradition,
is
unconnected
the argument,apparently

as

man,

found,that

there

marine

fossils in

places
away
have
been
the
there.
must
from the sea, therefore sea
once
the
that
It is onlyquiterecently
"c,
presence of fossil shells,

to be

because

high mountains, has

on

Noachic

been

are

abandoned

as

evidence

of

the

flood.
"

duction
Tylortellsus that in the ninth edition of Home's Introin 1846,the evidence of fossils
to the Scriptures,"
published
held to prove the universality
of the Deluge; but the
is confidently
ten years
from the next edition,
published
argument disappears
Mr.

later.*
Besides fossilremains of

boatsh"Ye
animals,
aquatic

been found

of this kind may have given

tops of mountains.4 A discovery
rise to the storyof an ark havingbeen made in which to preserve
on

the favored

ones

Man's

from the waters,and of its landing

on

Place in Nature, p. 184.

of Man, p. 36.

Huxley

Paschel

"

Tylor : Early History of Mankind, p. 328.

Ibid. pp. 329,330

:
:

Races

We

know

that many

mountain.*

legends have

origin-

ated in this way.

For example, Dr. Robinson,
in his " Travels in Palestine " (ii.586), mentions

tradition that

cityhad

once

stood in

THE

31

DELUGE.

Before

it may be well to notice a striking

tliischapter,
closing
in the legendwe have been treating,
i. e., the frequent
occurrence

incident

of the number
Lord commands

in the narrative.

seven

to take into

Noah

the ark clean beasts

and fowls also by sevens, and tellshim

it to rain upon the earth. We
cause
rested in the seventh
the mountains

of Ararat.

After

waited

seven

ere
days1'

dayof

the

month,

days before sendingit

seven

out

"

time, he stayed
yet

forth the dove.

againsent

This coincidence arises from the

number

will

the dove out of the

sending

dove out the second

he

by sevens,

dayshe

seven

also told that the ark

are

the seventeenth

again.After sendingthe
another

that in

month, and

upon
ark the firsttime,Noah

For instance : the

attached to the

mysticpower

in astrology.
occurrence
seven, derived from itsfrequent
find that in all religions
of antiquity
the number
seven

We

"

which

the sun, moon

and the fiveplanetsknown to the
in all kinds and sorts of
sacred number, represented

to
applied

is a

ancients
"

;'for instance : The candlestick with

forms

templeof

Jerusalem.

doors of the

seven

The

cave

branches in the

seven

inclosures of the temple. The

of Mithras.
The seven
storiesof tne tower
seven

Babylon.3The seven gatesof Thebes.8 The flute of seven pipes

generally
put into the hand of the god Pan. The lyreof seven
J}ate,"
touched by Apollo. The book of
strings
composedof seven
books. The seven
of
The seven
prophetic
rings the Brahmans.4
stones
consecrated to the seven planetsin Laconia.5 The division
and Indians.
into seven
castes adopted
The seven
by the Egyptians
of

"

"

"

idols of the Bonzes.

The

The

seven

invoked
greatspirits

seven

The

of the Chaldeans.

desert between

Petra

and Hebron, the

people of

altarsof the monument

by

the Persians.

of Mithras.

The

of
archangels

seven

angels
arch-

seven

the Jews.*

selves."

(Relatedby Mr. Tylor,in his " Early

History of Mankind"
perished
p. 326.)
1
went
converted
into stone.
Mr. Seetzen,who
"Everything of importance was calculated
to the spot, found
of ruins, but a
no
traces
by, and fitted into,this number (seven) by the
of stony concretions,resembling in
number
Aryan philosophers, ideas as well as localities.11 (Isis
head.
form and size the human
Unveiled,vol. ii.p. 407.)
They had been
2 Each
one
being consecrated to a planet,
ignorantlysupposed to be petrified
heads, and a
legendframed to account for their owners
suf- First,to Saturn ; second, to Jupiter; third,to
Mars ; fourth, to the Sun ; fifth,to Venus
fering so terrible a fate. Another illustration
;
is as follows : The
Kamchadals
believe that
sixth, to Mercury ; seveuth, to the Moon,
volcanic mountains
are
the abode
of devils, (The Pentateuch
Examined, vol. iv. p. 269. See
their meals, fling also The Angel Messiah, p. 10G.)
who, after they have cooked
3 Each
of which had the name
the fire-brands out of the chimney. Being
of a planet.
4 On
of a planet was
asked what these devils eat, they said
each of which the name
whales.''''
Here we see, first,
a story invented
to account
engraved.
6
to be seen
for the volcanic eruptionsfrom the mountains
There was
in Laconia, seven
;
erected in honor of the seven
columns
and, second, a story invented to account for the
planets.''''
The
remains ofwhales found on the mountains.
(Dupuis : Origin of ReligiousBelief,p. 34.)
which

for their

had

vices,and

been

"

"

"

"

true, " because their

savages knew that this was
old people had said bo, and believed it them-

"

"

Jehovan

The

Jews
was

believed

surrounded

that the Throne

by his

seven

of

high

32

The

blood

of

times

seven

mortal

of

sins

of

Tree

churches

seven

altars,

altar.

Pharaoh

Midian

"

green

"c.

We

been

shown

number

for

Each

the

or

and

others.

Mercury.

Friday,

"c."

Uriel,

to
"

"

planet,

to

to

sacred

Thursday,
to

Freia

to

and

"c,
has

enough

religions

Saturday,

sacred

Egyptians

assigned

the

of

quity,
anti-

(Kenrick
"

The
as

hymn

irucians,
*

Sura

p.
the

day

there

the

in

week

and

great

the
rever

i. 238.)
chanted

priests
addressed

to

Serapis."

143.)

Sun-god

"The
of

planets,

five

Egypt,

Egyptian

Saturn.

to

held

was

seven

vowels
Kosi

and

moon,

sun,

number

or

but

(ancient)

Tuiso

Odin

with

days,

seven

all

of

Before

bound

Venus.

ence."

Lunae,"

in

Priest

number."

to

Solis,"

Dies

Dies

sacred

sacred

sacred

46.)

sacred

Tuesday,

moon.

to

p.

Sunday,

Wednesday,
and

iii.

Monday,

sun.

the

Mars.

Woden,
Thor

the

to

to

is

"

"

was

more,

that,

each

on

years.

lasted

much

as

statement

consecrated

Moon.

and

Sun

sacred
sacred

being

one

the

Raphael,

vol.

Learners,

with

builded

The

seven

feast

marriage

heads.

rams

Samson

horns.

with

Balaam

seven

served

Assyrian

seven

dream.

his

in

the

with

and

seven

chanted

represented

is

Apocalypse.

"c,

seven

seven

Michael,

Gabriel,

(Bible

verify

the

Jacob

his

of

god,

bullocks

continue

might

in

kine,

and

seven

represented

seven

bare

priests

to

of

The

vowels

branches

Hindoo

daughters.

seven

of

tians.
Chris-

sprinkling

Egyptians.

the

hymn

was

seven

saw

withes,

the

chiefs

horse

offered

of

seven

the

spoken

and

seven

seven

and

Agni,

are

had

Jericho

the

Sura's3

Seven

The

The

Babylonians.

altars
The

priests.3

Life."

arms.

seven

the

upon

the

the

of

sacraments

seven

of

spirits

Egyptians.

the

Egyptian

the

by

wicked

seven

The

week.'

the

in

days

seven

The

"

MYTHS.

BIBLE

of

the

Hindoos.

the

seven

(The

34

Bel,or gate of
The

writer

God.1

Fiske confirms this statement

John
"

beinghouse,or court,or gate

literalmeaningof the word

The
oi

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"

name

'

Babel

'

the word

The Gate of God ;' but the Hebrew

and
'babal'
to confuse
root

'

is really Bab-il,'
or

derives
erroneously

:
by saying

from

the

that Babel
arises the mystical
explanation,

hence

The

was

"

"
reports that reached

wonderful

inserted this tale into the Hebrew

Chaldean
The

of the confusion

account

Berosus

follows

as

tongues. It

of

sky,in

it approached
the

overthrew

the

from

is related

by

firstinhabitants of the

should reach the

the work

the

and
in their strength
earth,
glorying
whose

to raise a tower

winds

top
But

stands.

placewhere Babylonnow

the
heavens,

of the

gods,and

assisted the

and also introduced

contrivers,

sity
diver-

men, who till that time had all spokenthe

ruins of this tower
said to be still in
are

of tongues among
language.The

same

speech

the Jehovistic writer

were
Scriptures,

the gods,
undertook
and despising
size,8

when

human

confused."8

became

who

"

"

a placewhere

Babvlon.4
the
Josephus,

Jewish

historian,
says

that it

who

Nimrod

was

built the tower, that he was a very wicked man, and that the tower
the world
built in case the Lord should have a mind to drown
was

again.

He

continues his account

by sayingthat

Nimrod

when

of this tower, the multitude were

the building
proposed
very ready
themselves on
to follow the proposition,
as they could then avenge
their forefathers.
God for destroying
"

And

they built a tower, neither sparingany painsnor being in

And by reason
of the multitude
of hands
negligentabout the work.
it,it grew very high,sooner
built of burnt brick,cemented

on

than

one

any

with
together,

could expect
made
mortar

degree
employed

any

It

was

of bitumen, that it
that they had acted so

When
God
saw
might not be liable to admit water.
since theywere
not grown wiser
madly, he did not resolve to destroythem utterly,
tlie
tumult
tlie
destruction
but
he
caused
a
sinners,
them, by
of
former
by
among
divers
in
them
and
the
that
multitude
of
producing
languages,
causing,
through
those languages they should not be able to understand
The place
another.
one
called Babylon."5
where they built the tower is now

The
for the

tower

in

legendof

1 Ibid.
p. 268.
vol. i. p. 90.

which
Babylonia,

seems

to have been

foundation

the confusion of tongues to be built upon,

See also Bible

for

Learners,

Quoted by Rev. S. Baring-Gould : Legends

Patriarchs,p. 147. See also Smith :
Chaldean
Account
of Genesis,p. 48, and Volin Ancient
ney's Researches
History,pp. 130,
the

of

8
Myths and Myth-makers, p. 72. See also
EncyclopsediaBiitannica, art. Babel."
" "There
wen*
giantsiu the earth in those
days." (Genesis vi. 4.)
'*

was

131.
"

Jewish

Antiquities,book

1, ch. iv. p. 80.

THE

TOWER

OF

35

BABEL.

built for astronomical purposes.1

This is
originally
evidently
from the fact that it was
called the
seen
clearly
Stagesof the
and
that
Seven Spheres,"3
each one of these stageswas consecrated
to the Sun, Moon, Saturn,Jupiter,
Mars,Venus, and Mercury."
Nebuchadnezzar
:
says of it in his cylinders
a

buildingnamed
had
Borsippa(Babel),
"

of

The

the
been

Stagesof
built by a

'

the Seven
former

which was
the tower
Spheres,'
king. He had completedfortythe lapseof time, it had become

cubits,but he did not finish itshead. From

ruined; they had not taken care of the exits of the waters, so the rain and
wet had penetratedinto the brick-work; the casingof burnt brick had bulged
two

out, and the terraces of crude brick lay scattered in heaps. Merobach, my

great
Lord, inclined my heart to repairthe building. I did not change its site,
nor
did I destroy
its foundation,but, in a fortunate month, and upon an auspicious

day, I

undertook

"c,
casing,

the

of
rebuilding

the crude

brick

terraces

and

burnt

brick

"c."4

There is not

said here in these

about the confusion

cylinders
of tongues,nor anything
to it. The ruins of this
pertaining
ancient tower beingthere in Babylonia,
and a legendof how the
godsconfused the speechof mankind also beingamong them,it
was
very convenient to pointto these ruins as evidence that the
storywas true,justas the ancient Mexicans pointedto the ruins of
the tower

of

word

as
Cholula,

evidence of the truth of the similar

story

which

theyhad among them,and justas many nations pointedto

the remains of aquatic
animals on the topsof mountains,
as evidence
of the truth of the deluge
story.
The Armenian
tradition of the
Confusion of Tongues was
"

"

to this effect:

The world

inhabited by men
with strongbodies
formerly
These men
and huge size (giants).
beingfull of prideand envy,
resolve to build a high tower ; but whilst
theyformed a godless
overthrew it,
a fearful wind
theywere engagedon the undertaking,
which the wrath of God
had sent against
it. Unknown
words
"

was

"

"

at the

were

time blown

same

about among

men,

wherefore

arose

strifeand confusion."6
The Hindoo

legendof the

There grew

in the centre

"

Confusion of

of the

"Diodorus
states that the great tower
of
temple of Belua was used by the Chaldeans
as an
observatory." (Smith'sBible Dictionary,
art. Babel.")
1

the

"

the

The
abode

Bindoos

had

sacred

Mount

Mem,

was
gods. This mountain
supposed to consist of seven stages,increasing
in sanctityas they ascended.
Many of the
Hindoo
studied
were
temples,or rather altars,
of the sacred Mount
Meru ;" that
transcripts
is,they were built,like the tower of Babel, in

of

the

"

isas
Tongues,"

the wonderful
earth,

follows
"

World

stages. Within the upper dwelt Brahm.

(See Squire'sSerpent Symbol, p. 107.) Hcrodotus tells us that the upper stage of the tower
of Babel was
the abode of the god Belus.
8 The
Pentateuch
Examined, vol. iv. p.
269. See also Bunsen
: The
Angel Messiah, p.

seven

106.
*
"

Rawlinson's

Herodotus, vol. ii.p. 484.

Legends of the Patriarchs,pp. 148,149.

36

BIBLE

Tree"
almost

Knowledge Tree"

"

the

or

"

heaven.

to

under
together

them

It

was

branches

over

shadow, and

my

tall that it reached

so

I shall hold my head in

all the earth,and gatherall

It said in its heart

heaven,and spreadmy
men

MYTHS.

'

protect them,and

prevent

But Brahma, to punishthe prideof the

separating.'
off itsbranches and cast them down
when
the earth,
on

from

tree,cut

theysprang up as Wata trees,and

and customs,to prevail
on
speech,

made
the

and
differences
of belief,
to disperse
over
men
earth,

itssurface."1
Traces of

story have also been met with

to
and,according
among the MongolianTharus in the north of India,
Dr.

somewhat

of

the Africans of Lake

Livingston,
among

JEsthonians2 had

similar

and

was

The

related

myth

which

they called

found among

story was

follows

as

of this was
have

to

The

"

the ancient

Cooking

which

tower
see

Mexicans,

who were
Those,with their descendants,
which destroyed
all mankind,excepting
the
resolved to build

The ancient

Nganu?

also had the ancient inhabitants of the continent

;"so
Languages

of Australia?

similar

what

few

deluge
ark,

would reach to the skies. The

ject
ob-

in

saved

the

in the

goingon

was

saved from

Heaven,and

in case of another deluge.6

placeof refuge
The jobwas superintended
by one of the seven who

also to

from the flood/

He

was

were

giant called Xelhua, surnamed

saved
"

the

Architect."7
Xelhua

ordered bricks to be made

in the

provinceof Tlamanalco,
at the foot of the Sierra of Cocotl,
and to be conveyed to Cholula,
where the tower was to be built. For this purpose, he placeda file
of men
from the Sierra to Cholula,
who passedthe bricks
reaching
from hand to hand.8 The gods beheld with wrath this edifice,
the top of which was nearingthe clouds, and were
much irritated
at the daring
They therefore hurled firefrom
attemptof Xelhua.
Heaven
upon the pyramid,which threw it down, and killed many
"

"

of the workmen.
interested in the

The

work

was

of
building

own,10and the builders could

1

had

the

then

as each family
discontinued,9

tower,received

not understand

Ibid. p. 148. The ancient Scandinavians

similar tree. " The
legend of a somewhat

*
6

in the

"

of the earth ; its branches covered over

the surface of the earth,and its top reached to

204.

highest heaven.
(See Mallet's Northern
Antiquities.)
8
EncyclopaediaBritannica,art. Babel."
" Esthonia
is one
of the three Baltic,or socalled,provinces of Russia.

p. 98.
8 Ibid.

Tree," called Yggdrasill,was

the

"

languageoftheir

each other.

EncyclopaediaBritannica,art. "Babel."
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 27.
Brinton : Myths of the New
World, p.

centre

Mnndane

Humboldt

American

9
Ibid, and Brinton:
World, p. 204.
,0

The

Pentateuch

Researches, vol. i.

Myths of the

New

Examined, vol. iv. p.

27"

TOWER

THE

Dr.
this

Delitzsch

legend
"

Actually

Xelhua,
of

in

Cholula,
fire

family

attempted

expel
as

of

them

the

tench

from

it.

Quoted

Humboldt:

by

vol.
American

Colenso:
iv.

p.

the

gods,

the

to

The

well
the

whereupon

of

as

great
his

at

angry

these

to

flood.

pyramid
audacity,
separate

every

that

deities

Penia-

for

p.

tower

it

by

i.

the

impious
gods,

immortal

of tongues

Lord

Com.

giants
or

represented

is

wickedness."3

such

"

by

them.8

Mexican

Kingsborough:

ties.
vol.

Cholula
seen

was

concerning
with

confusion

97.

at

myths

the

tower

described

share

fables

of

This

Kalisch,

272.

Researches,

as

built

ruins

and

possessed

the

by

down,

it

story.

either
of

some

inflicted

across

own."1

Dr.

heaven,
In

Bishop

until
broke

nations

storm

punishment

Examined,
"

to

flood,

their

with

ancient

the

of

tower-building

the

Kingsborough,

then,

coming

upon

from

pointed

truth

Lord

say

may

''Most
who

the

and

We

its

Mexicans

of

Humboldt

and
of

language

ancient

heaven,

building

of

legend

rescued

reach

to

the
a

evidence

as

order

received

had

giants

seven

astonished

been

says

Mexicans

the

upon

The

he

the
of

one

threw

for

have

must

37

BABEL.

OF

on

Old

Test.

vol.

i. p.

196.

Antiqai-

to

IV.

CHAPTER

TRIAL

THE

story of

The

Lord

the

by

xxii.

And

"

"

him:

it

of

and

'

come

and

laid

and

Abraham
lamb
himself

they

the

came

there, and
altar

knife
and

upon

anything

withheld

thy

in

offered

him

up

Lord

By myself

have

and

hast
I

is upon

which
And

in

obeyed
and

will

went

thy
my

seed

voice.'

together

[38]

up

Take
land

mountains

So
to

he

son,

both

of them

So

they

went

told

him

of.

bound

not

that

thou

fearest

from

in

seed
and

the

Abraham

Beer-sheba,

the

upon

God,

looked,

unto

is the

will

provide

together,
built

and

him

and

took

of

out

that

on

the

heaven,

lad, neither

seeing

and

altar

an

laid

hand,

and

went

of

stead

the

behold

and

Abraham

his

behind
took

do

thou

thou

hast

of heaven,

for

only

as

the

thy

seed

nations

of

shall
the
unto

Abraham

this

bless

...

in

stars

done

hast

the

heaven,
the

possess

earth

be

his young
dwelt

at

and

men,

and

Beer-sheba."

said:

thing,

thee, and
the

as

of his

gate
blest, because

the

time, and

I will

son,

ram

and

And

second

thou

ram,

son.

the

because

him
the

out

returned

hand,

where

God

him

unto

offering,

me.'

Lord,

and

his

forth
called

Lord

but

son,

worship,

spake

Abraham

his

Isaac

stretched

thine

son.

And

and

Isaac

wood,

the

him.

fire in his

the

And

told

the

his young

burnt

'My

and

the

took

the

took

for

had

yonder

for

and

unto

said:

hand

son

God

go

together.

wood

Abraham

horns,

thy
all

and

ass,

the

fire and

Abraham,

shore,

sea

shall

his son,

thine

offering

thy

the

and

saith

sworn

took

his eyes,

his

unto

multiply
the

only

burnt

withheld

not

unto
'

the

his

said

he

place)
will

of the

lay

clave

which

place

wood

and

I know

by

called
I

the

the

had

angel

saddled

lad

Abraham

the

now

lifted

for

of the

angel

son,

thicket

into

of

one

said

said:

get thee

and

son,

the

them

And

! Abraham

Abraham

caught

'

And

thine

the

Behold

'

in order,

for

into

I and

of

God

And

son.

his

appointed

offering.'

wood.

him,

unto

"And

'

his

and

(God)

he

upon

and

morning,

Abraham

said:

wood

Abraham

'

and

both

went

which

place

the

And

offering

Isaac

of) Isaac

burnt

the

in Genesis

Abraham,

tempt

lovest, and

thou

the

ass,

And

offering

for

laid

slay

to

said

not

they

the

to

went

near

the

thee.

burnt

lamb

and

was

his father, and

for

I am.'

in the

him,

(the shoulders

knife, and

did

burnt

and

up

with

to

it upon

for

early

up

rose

here

again

God
here

Isaac, whom

with

and

ye

is to be found

"

'Behold,

there

Abraham

Abide

and

him

is ordered

of.'

men

(When

son,

rose

offering,

the

offer

tell thee

his young

burnt

men:

only

Abraham

of

said:

he

he

when

"

that

pass

faith

Isaac

only son

follows

as

and

thine

I will

"And

to

came

son,

Moriah,

which

two

is

Abraham,'

thy

now

and

1-19,

FAITH.

trial of Abraham's

the

sacrifice his

to

ABRAHAM'S

OF

sand

enemies.
thou

they

rose

hast
up

TRIAL

THE

There

is

OF

Hindoo

ABRAHAM'S

39

FAITH.

story related in the Sankhayana-sutras,

is "s follows : King Hariscandra had no son ;

which,in substance,
that if a son
born to
he then prayedto Varana, promising,
were
him, he would sacrificethe child to the god. Then a son was born
When
Rohita was
to him, called Rohita.
grown
up his father one
he had made to Yaruna, and bade him
day told him of the vow
to be sacrificed. The

prepare

son

from his father's house.

away

at last met

and
forest,

of his

sellone

boughtby

boy was

as

Yeda,

to
persuaded

This

cows.

and about to

Rohita,when, on praying

substitute for

about 1300 years before

wrote

hundred

and taken to Hariscandra

from the
to the gods with verses
There was an ancient Phenician
who

he

ran

in the

wandered

Him

for
Sunahsepha,

Rohita

be sacrificedto Varuna

six years he

For

Brahman.
starving

named

sons

to being killed and

objected

he

released bv them.1

was

story,written by Sanchoniathon,
era, which

our

is as follows

call Israel,had by a nyraph of the country a

Jeoud, that is,one and only. On the breakingout of
which brought the country into imminent danger,Saturn erected an altar,
a war,
brought to it his son, clothed in royalgarments, and sacrificed him."*
"

the Phoenicians

Saturn, whom
child whom

male

he named

There is also a Grecian

fable to the effectthat

Agamemnon
of
deserving
his aifection. He was commanded
by God, throughthe Delphic
her up as a sacrifice.
Her father longresisted the
Oracle,to offer
Before the fatal blow had been
succumbed.
demand, but finally
had

daughterwhom

he

she

dearlyloved,and

or

carried the maiden

placewas

Anothe** similar Grecian

When

"

ihe Greek

army

being consulted, declared

was

that

fable relates that

and
interfered,

substituted

stag.'

detained at Aulis, by contrary winds,the augurs

of the kings had offended Diana, and she

one

the sacrifice of his daughterIphigenia. It

demanded

was

Ashtoreth

struck,however,the goddessArtemis
away, whilst in her

one

that it was

like

was

his

takingthe

to submit

father's

for the

duty
persuaded
good of
his country. The maiden
in spiteof her tears
was
brought forth for sacrifice,
and supplications;
but
about to strike the fatal blow,
just as the priestwas
and a goat of uncommon
Iphigeniasuddenly disappeared,
beauty stood in her / j
place."4
but
life-blood,

There

he

is

was

which belongs
to the
yet stillanother,

and is related thus

"In
human

victim, the choice

declared
was

made

upon

See Muller's Hist. Sanscrit Literature; and

Indian Wisdom,
p. 29.

Quoted

by Count de Volney: New

Hist.,p. 144.

occasion

one

by lot,and

Williams1
9

country,

Sparta,it being

searches in Anc't

same

Re-

See

fell

on

Inman'B

that the
a

gods demanded

damsel

Ancient

named

Faiths, vol. 11 p.

l(k.
4

Helena.

Prog.Kelig.Ideas,vol. i.p. 308.

40

BIBLE

But

all

when

MYTHS.

eagle descended,carried away the priest's

sacrificed in her stead."1
which was
heifer,

in readiness,an

was

knife, and laid it on

the head

storyof Abraham
Mosaic partyin Israel was
The

of

and Isaac

was

written at

time when

the

to abolish idolatry
endeavoring
among
human
their people.They were
to
sacrificestheir
offering
up
author of this
godsMoloch,Baal, and Chemosh, and the priestly
ished
to make the peoplethink that the Lord had abolstorywas trying
The
far back as the time of Abraham.
such offerings,
as
Grecian legends,
which he had evidently
heard,may have given

him

the idea.'

time almost universal.

at one
to the godswere
offerings
In the earliestages the offerings
and such as shepherds
were
simple,
and rusticscould present. They loaded the altarsof the gods with
Human

of the earth.
the firstfruits of their crops, and the choicest products
Afterwards theysacrificed animals. When
theyhad once laid it
that the effusion of the blood of these animals
principle
the anger of the gods,
turned aside
and that their justice
appeased
down

upon

as

the victims those strokes which

greatcare

was

for

nothingmore

than

for men, their

to conciliate their favor by

were

destined

It is the nature of violent desires and excessive

easy a method.
fear to know no bounds,and therefore,
when theywould ask for any
so

favor which

wished for,
would deprecate
or
some
theyardently
not
which theyfeared,
the blood of animals was
publiccalamity
It
but theybegan to shed that of men.
deemed a pricesufficient,
is probable,
have said,
that thisbarbarous practice
was
as we
formerly
almost universal,
In
and that it is of very remote
antiquity. time of
the captives
chosen for this purpose, but in time of peace
war
were
theytook the slaves. The choice was partly
by the opinion
regulated
sacrifice
of the bystanders,
and partly
by lot. But theydid not always
such mean
in a pressing
famine,for
persons. In great calamities,
if the peoplethoughttheyhad some
example,
pretext to impute
the cause
of it to their king,
they even sacrificed him without
as the highest
hesitation,
pricewith which theycould purchasethe
Divine favor. In this manner,
the first King of Yermaland
(a
in
of
honor
of
the
burnt
was
province Sweden)
Odin,
Supreme
of
God, to put an end to a greatdearth ; as we read in the history
in their turn,did not spare the blood of their
Norway. The kings,
of them
shed that of their children.
even
; and many
subjects
Earl Hakon, of Norway,offered his son
in sacrifice,
to obtain of
Odin the victory
the Jomsburgpirates.
over
Aun, King of Sweden,

Ibid.

"

See

chapter xi.

V.

CHAPTER

Jacob's

In

the

And

Haran.

towards

from

out

went

told

are

Isaac,after

that
take

daughter
Jacob, obeying his
brother) to wife.
Beer-sheba
(where he dwelt),and went
lightedupon a certain place,and tarried
him

sent

(his mother's

"

father,

Jacob,

son

Laban's

of

chapter of Genesis, we

28th

blessinghis

ladder.

the

of

vision

he

Padan-arara,

to

to

And
he
the
took
of
set.
was
night,because the sun
in
for his pillow,and lay down
of the place,and put them
stones
set upon
he dreamed, and behold, a ladder
that placeto sleep. And

all

there

the

earth, and
God

angels of
Lord

stood

it reached

top of

the

and

ascending
it,and

above

to

it.

descending on

said

'

the

am

he beheld

And

heaven.

the

And, behold,
Abraham

of

God

Lord

the

thou
liest,to
thy father,and the God of Isaac,the land whereon
Jacob
And
thee will I give it,and
to
thy seed.'
is in this
he said :
awoke
of his sleep,and
out
Surely the Lord
he was
afraid,and said : How
place,and I know it not.' And
than
the house
other
of God,
dreadful is this place,this is none
Jacob
this is the gate of Heaven.''
And
and
rose
earlyin the
up
morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set
he
the top of it. And
it up for a pillar,and poured oil upon
....

'

called the
The

doctrine

do with

of

this

another

substance

belief
the

in

most

It

was

such

believed

Encyclo., art.
Encyclo.,

tlon."

Prichard's

Relig. Ideas,

vol.

art.

Mythology,
i. p.

[42]

59.

and
civilized,

most

Hindoos*
taught by, the JBrahminical
natives
of Egypt,*1several
philosophers of

"

Transmi-

"

Ibid.

traces

Chambers's

The

of the earth.1

gration."
3

the

of

death, into

it occupied before.
to

common

after

soul

to

in, and

the

Chambers's

See

the

that which

was

uncivilized,nations

Buddhists*

the

transition

of

transition

than

evidently something
theologicalacceptation

the

in

means,

body

or

has

Metempsychosis

legend. It
term, the supposed

the

place Beth-el."

of that

name

p.

"

Transmigra-

213, and

Prog.

souls

of
is to

Ernest
the
be

Buddhists."
*

Prichard's

de

found

(The

"

Btmsen

doctrine
among

Angel

Mythology,

of

says

The

Transmigration
the

Brahmins

Messiah,
pp.

pp.

213,

214.

first
of
and

63, 64.)

Jacob's

vision

of

43

ladder.

the

Greece}the ancient Druids} the natives of Madagascar}

several tribes of Africa}and North America} the ancient Mexi
ancient

cans} and by

and Christian sects.6

Jewish

some

It deserves notice,that in both of these religions

(i.e., Jewish and Christian),
times.
adherents as well in ancient as in modern
Among the Jews, the

"

it found

transmigration the Gilgul Neshamoth"

doctrine of

taught in

was

"

the

mystical

"6
system of the Kabbala.
"All the souls," the

trialsof

High

in

code of this system says, "are subjectto the

spiritual
which
do not know
and
the ways of the Most
are
men
transmigration
;
in
of
is the same
as
the
their regard." "The
Kabbala,
short,
principle,
"

that of Brahmanism.
"

On the

renown,

and

it

will

in the Messiah

come

Simeon, and
"Of

shared in by Rabbis of the highest

this doctrine,which was
held, for instance,that the soul of Adam
migratedinto David,

ground of

was

that the soul of

Japhetis the

same

as

that

of

the soul of Terah, migratedinto Job."

biblical instances are adduced

transmigrations,
accordingto
interpretationin the writingsof Rabbi Manasse ben Israel,Rabbi
Naphtali,Rabbi Meyer ben Gabbai, Rabbi Ruben, in the Jalkut Khadash, and
all these

their mode

of

other works

The

of

"

similar character."4

doctrine is thus described

by Ovid, in

the

languageof

Dryden :
"

What

feels the

body when the soul expires,

By
corrupted,or consumed
by fires ?
Nor dies the spirit,
but new
life repeats
Into other forms, and only changes seats.
Ev'n I, who these mysterioustruths declare,
Was
once
Euphorbus in the Trojan war;
and lineageI remember
well,
My name
And how in fightby Spartan's
King I fell.
In Argive Juno's fane 1 late beheld
My buckler hung on high,and own'd my former shield
time

Then
In

Thus
And

The

death, so called,is but old

matter

dressed

and a varied vest.

figure,
all thingsare but alter'd,nothing dies,
here and there the unbodied
flies."
spirit

some

new

Jews

learned this doctrine after theyhad been

undoubtedly
subdued by,and become acquainted
with other nations ; and the
writer of this story,whoever
he may
have been, was
evidently
to
in
the
belief
this
doctrine
he being
endeavoring strengthen
advocate of it by inventing
an
this story,
and making Jacob a
witness to the truth of it. Jacob would have been looked upon
at
the time the storywas written (i e.,after the Babylonian
captivity),
"

"

Gross

The

Heathen

Religion.

Also

Chambers's Encyclo.,art. "Transmigration."

8

and
"
4

Ibid. Mallet's Northern

Antiquities,p. 13;
Myths of the British Druids, p. 15
Chambers's Encyclo.
Ibid.

6 Ibid.
See also Bunsen
: The
Angel-Messiah, pp. 63, 64. Dupuis, p. 357. Josephus :
Jewish
Antiquities,book xviii. ch. 13. Dunlap : Son of the Man, p. 94 ; and Beal : Hist.

Buddha.
"

Chambers, art. "Transmigration."

44

as

MYTHS.

BIBLE

of

greatauthority.We
we

mention

may

of
portions

As
written for similar purposes.
the book of Esther. This book was

have

the Old Testament

that several writers of

know

an

tration,
illus-

written

the origin
of the festival of Purim,
explaining
The writer,who
the Israelites to adoptit.
was

of

for the purpose

and to encourage
lived
advocate of thefeast,
an

captivity,
longafter the Babylonish

and is quiteunknown.1

Jesus

chapterof Matthew has made

Transmigration.
the
he would send Elijah(Elias)

writer of the seventeenth

teacher of the doctrine of

The
a

promisedthat

Lord had

The

prophet,before

the

"

Lord,"3and

the

greatand dreadful day of the

to say that he had

Jesus is made

his soul had

theyknew

coming of

unto
transmigrated

the

or, that
and
the Haptist,

alreadycome,

bodyof John

it not.

told that Jesus asked his

disciples,
do men
whereupon
say that 1 am?"
sayingunto them ; "Whom
;"
theyanswer : Some say Elias ; and others,one of the prophets
of the prophets,
or
one
or, in other words, that the soul of Elias,
into the body of Jesus. In John (ix.
had transmigrated
1, 2),we are
blind
which was
a man
told that Jesus and his disciples
seeing
who did
asked him,saying
; Master,
from his birth" the disciples
his parents."Beingbom
former state)
or
(insome
sin,this man
blind,how else could he sin,unless in some former state f These
that
which we have already
noticed,
passages result from the fact,
in Mark

And

(viii.
27) we

are

"

"

"

of the Jewish

some

Christian sects believed in the doctrine of

and

Metempsychosis.
Jewish authors,Adam
Accordingto some
and other Bible celebrities.4
Noah, Elijah,
Rev. Mr. Faber says

The

was

in
re-produced

be different
appearance
divine persons who had been promised as
but they were
reallythe self-same
men,
the seed of the woman,
successively
animatingvarious human bodies."6
"

Adam,

We

and

Enoch, and

have stated

as

Noah, might

in

outward

belief that the vision which the writer of

our

of Genesis
chapter
twenty-eighth
the belief in
intended to strengthen

the

has made

Jacob to

was
witness,

the doctrine of the

Metempsychosis,
and deascending
transmigrations.

simplyseeingthe souls of men

cendingfrom heaven on a ladder,duringtheir
for thinking
We will now
so.
giveour reasons
that he

The

was

learned Thomas

"

See The

Keligionof Israel,p.

Malachi

iv. 5.

"

Matthew

xvii. 12,13.

Maurice
18.

tellsus that

Egyptian Belief,p. 78.

Orig. Pagan Idol,vol. iii.p. 012 ;
in Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 210.
4

See Bonwick:

"

Faber

JACOB'S

VISION

OF

45

LADDER.

THE

ages, in their system of theology,

in a symbolical
the sidereal ladder of seven
gates,which described,
the
and'
souls
the
ascending
of
of men.1
descending
manner,

Indians

The

We

had,in

remote

also informed

are

by Origenthat :

(i.e., the descent of souls from heaven

in a symbolical
by a ladder which
manner,

This descent
described

was

to enter
was

into

body),

some

as reaching
represented

heaven to earth,and divided into seven stages,at each of which was

figured
of
which
the
the
the
was
to
the
at
ladder,
belonged
sphere
top
eighthgate
gate;

from
a

of the celestialfirmament.2

That

souls dwell in the

Galaxywas

thoughtfamiliar

to the

gave it on their master's word,that the souls

descend and appear to men
as dreams?
there,

who
Pythagoreans,
that crowd
The
column

fancyof the Manicheans also transferred pure souls to this

whence theycould come
down to earth and again
of light,

return?
a scene
Paintings
representing

of art illustrativeof Indian

Maurice
"

The

Mons.

God
and

men

are

the received

seen

in works

Mythology.

of one, in which he says

speaks

souls of

accordingto

of thiskind may be
:

and descending(on a ladder),

as ascending
represented
in Asia."6
opinionof the sidereal Metempsychosis

Dupuistellsus

that

in the cave of the Persian

"Among the mysteriouspicturesof the Initiation,
Mithras,there was
exposed to the view the descent of the souls to the earth,
their return to heaven,through the seven
planetaryspheres."8

Count

And
'

"

In the

spheres of

cave

the

de

Volneysays :

of Mithra

planetsby

was
means

ladder with
of which

seven

steps,representingthe

souls ascended

and

descended.

seven

This

preciselythe ladder of Jacob's vision. There is in the Royal Library (of

of the Indian gods,in which the ladder is
France)a superb volume of pictures
with
the
souls
of
it."'
men
represented
ascending
is

In several of the

the Transmigration
Egyptiansculptures
also,
and descending
of souls
by the ascending
represented
from heaven to earth,on
a fightof steps,
and,as the souls of
wicked men
to enter pig3and other animals,
fore
therewere
supposed
from
pigs,
monkeys,"c, are to be seen on the steps,
descending

of Souls is

heaven.8
"

And

he

dreamed, and

reached to heaven ; and

behold

behold the

the earth,and the top of it

it.
on
angelsof God ascendingand descending
a

ladder set up

"

Indian Antiquities,
vol. ii.p. 262.

"

Contra

Celaus,lib. vi. c. xxii.

Tylor: Primitive Culture,vol. i. p. 324.

"
T

Ibid.

"

"
"

on

Indian Antiqities,
vol. ii.p. 262.
Dupuis: Originof ReligiousBeliefs,
p. 344.
Volney's Ruins, p. 147, note.
See Child's Prog, Relig.Ideas,vol. l. pp.

160,162.

46

Thep*

And

"

It continues thus
awoke

Jacob

this is none

Here

sleep

to reach the throne of the most

"

And

Jacob

rose

afraid,and said

by Origen in

This

was

he is made

to

see

earlyin the morning, and took the stone that he had

and poured oil upon the topof it."3
set it up for a pillar,

up

did not

power

of

set up

and
nature)

forms of

homage paidto

allusion
an
storyhas evidently

the

There

nation of antiquity
a
scarcely
these stones (asemblems
of the reproductive
of this,
worship them. Dr. Oort,speaking

worship.

which

says :
Few

was

supposed
exactly
corresponds

ladder which

The

portionto
concluding

Phallic*

to

he

heaven,and the Lord stood above it.1

unto

put for his pillow,and

This

more

this is the gate offieaven."

this ladder

highGod.

the vision of Jacob.

reached

and

gate of heaven,"mentioned

the

"

of God, and

other but the house

have

we

of his

out

be
anything

the Metempsychosis.
describing
the top of
Accordingto the ancients,
with

Can

the words of the sacred text.

are

?
convincing

MYTHS.

BIBLE

is

worshipwere

so

universal in ancient times

as

the

In the

sacred stones.

of the religion
of even
history
the most civilizedpeoples,
such as the Greeks, Romans, Hindoos,
Arabs
and
Germans, we find traces of this form of worship.4
The

ancient Druids
set up

were

on

The

is an

on

Hermiac

was

eminent

Greek

stones,which

historian,
says :

statue, which

erect Phallus

This

sacred
worshiped

end.*

an
Pausanias,
"

of Britain also

on

in

they venerate
pedestal."6

than

nothingmore

CyllenS above

other

symbols,

smooth,oblongstone,set

erect

flatone.7

The

learned Dr.

the ancient mode

in
Ginsburg,

bis "Life of

Levita,"alludes to

of

worshipoffered to the heathen deityHermes,

or
set
Mercury.
(i.e., a stone)was frequently
the
and each traveller,
road-side,
as he
passedby,paid his
up on
the heap(which
a stone on
homage to the deityby either throwing
thus collected),
was
or
was
by anointingit. This "Hermes"
the symbolof Phallus.8
A

"

Genesis

Genesis

"

Hermes

"

xxviii. 12, 13.

xxviii. 18, 19.

"

"

"

Phallus,"
"Phallic,"from
tion of the male generativeorgans.

Information

the works

on

this

subject,

see

representaFor further

B.

of

Payne Knight, and Dr. Thomas

Inman.
" Bible
for Learners, vol.,i. pp. 175, 276.
Art and Mythology;
See, also,Knight: Ancient
and Inman:

Ancient

See Myths of the British Druids, p. 300;

Higgins: Celtic Druids.
"
Quoted by R. Payne Knight: Ancient Art
and Mythology, p. 114,note.
7
See Illustrations in Dr. Inman's
Pagan
and

Faiths, vol. i.and ii.

and

Christian Symbolism.
8

See

543,544.

Inman:

Ancient

Faiths, vol. i. pp.

JACOB

when

Kow,

VISION

OF

this

find that

we

47

LADDER.

THE

form of worshipwas

very
which

the Israelites* that these sacred stones

prevalent
among
set up," were
were
"

called

b^ety-li,9
(bythe heathen),
(whichis
unlike beth-el),
and that theywere
anointed with oil* I
not
for believing
that the storyof Jacob's setting
think we have reasons
and calling
the place
Beth-el,has
up a stone,pouringoil upon it,
allusion to Phallic worship."4
an
evidently
u

The

male

by

female
an

powers
oval

once

the

uprightand

an

the two

and

furnished

at

which the Hebrew

against

of nature

were

altar and

the

ively
respectof
emblem, and the conjunction

Ashera,or grove,
lifted
their
voices in earnest
prophets
up

protest.In the kingdoms,both of Judah

with these emblems

connected

denoted

assumed

the
Israel,

and

rites

their most

form.
corrupting
Even
stood the Ashera,or the upright
emblem,
templeitself,
the circular altar of Baal-Peor,
the Priaposof the Jews, thus
on
the Linga and Yoni of the Hindu.6
For this symreproducing
bol,
the women
the
Athenian
maidens
ered
embroidwove
as
hangings,
for the shippresented
the sacred peplos
to Athene, at the
festival. This Ashera, which,in the authorized
greatDionysiac
Englishversion of the Old Testament is translated "grove" was,
of a tree. It is reproduced
in fact,
in our modern
a pole,
or stem
"Maypole,"around which maidens dance,as maidens did of
in the

yore.6
1

Bible for

Learners, vol. I. pp. 177, 178,317,

321, 322,
a

Indian

vol. ii.p. 356.

Antiquities,

"Ibid.
*

We

read

in Bell's

and

Demi-Gods

of

Baelylion,

they are

"

of

"

Pantheon

of the Gods

under
Antiquity,''1

Baelylia,

Anointed

or

the head

Baetylos,

that

Stones, worshiped among

Greeks, Phrygians, and other nations of

these Baetylia were
greatly
East;" that
venerated
of
by the ancient Heathen, many
their idols being no other;" and that, " in reality
the

"

the

no

of idol

sort

was

more

common

hence

most

that of

termed

cases

tell their

own

The

Phallic tree is introduced

of the

in the

oblong stones erected,and

The
by the Greeks pillars.''''
Rev. Geo. W.
Cox, in his Aryan
Mythology
(vol.ii. p. 113), says: "The erection of these
stone columns
the forms of which in
or pillars,
East, than

the ancients,when
generative organs among
the subjectis properly understood.
Being the
most
intimatelyconnected with the reproduction
of life on
the
earth,the Linga became
symbol under which the Svn, invoked with a
thousand
has been worshiped throughnames,
out
the world as the restorer of the powers of
after the long sleep or death of winter.
natvre
But if the Linga is the Sun-god in his majesty,
the Yoni is the earth who yieldsher fruit under
his fertilizing
warmth.
of Genesis

into the
:

rative
nar-

but it is here

called

a tree, not of life,

but of the knowledgeof
good and evil,that knowledge which dawns in

the mind

with the first consciousness

between
with this tree

death, is the
story, are common
of the most
borate existence for
ela-

throughout the East, some

Ghizni."
And
Mr.
being found near
Wake
(Phallism in Ancient
Religions,p. 60),
of the
says:
"Kiyun, or Kivan, the name
shiped
deity said by Amos
(v.26),to have been worin the wilderness
by the Hebrews,
God op the
pillar."
signifies
6 We
find that there was
moral
nothing gross or imin the worship of tbe male and female

book

which
the

would

freedom

brazen

and

man

woman.

of difference

In contrast

of carnal

indulgence,tending to
life,
denoting the higher
which
man
was
designed, and
bring with it the happiness and

tree

of

of the

serpent of

children
the

of God.

In the

Pentateuch, the two

of the cross and serpent, the quiesemblems
cent
and energising Phallos, are
united.
(See
Cox : Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. pp. 113, 116,
118.)
" See Cox
: Aryan Mytho., ii. 112,113.

YL

CHAPTEE

THE

EXODUS

FROM

The

children

bricks, and

his

of

with

covenant

sought

Lord

the

in

land

God

the

am

God

the

was

of Jacob.

God

the

have

said

And

sorrows.

and

forth

What

of Abraham,

seen

the

reason

of

the

affliction

God

of

hath

sent

Moses

unto
"

Thus

of

me

them

shalt

thou

say

understood

Egyptians."

The

Egyptian
vol.

temple
ii. p.

and

x.

ii. 12.

Pa-Nuk"

on

24, 25.

Egyptian
or

"I

Belief,

am

for

395.) This

Egypt.

17.)

"'I

God

'

was

was
"

"

"

Nuk-

(Bonwick

name

(Higgins
am

was

I am."

that

in

[48]

land

thou

shall

mayest

them,

unto

say

they shall say

the

children

found

I
:

was

Egyptians.

the

"The
'

am

of

Keys

of

*I
the

of

unto

me

Israel, I

name

They

am

called

name

'

Exodus

ill.

1, 14.

the
are

p. 38.)

adopted

esteemed

sacred
it

the

among

of

Egyptians

was

Anacalypsis,
Divine

initiated
am'

St. Peter,

which

Jehovah"

brews,

all

by
'

the

(Bunsen
name

p.

that

unto

and

unto

ii.

their

Egyptians,

the

large,

in

are

know

i. 14.

chapter

and

of

?"

Exodus
See

Isaac, and

Egypt."

you,

unto

Exodus

Exodus

for

hands

Israel, and

of

unto

of

Pharaoh,

unto

God

children

I say

you."*

unto

me

the
sent

shall

I am."6

that

am

unto

land

good

out

him

the

or

'peoplewhich

my

of the

father-

his

Lord,

tormentors;

out

thee

Israel,

Lord

hath

What

said

the

send

of

their

them

into

I will

unto

come

land

that

children

the

fathers

name

Then
I

to deliver

honey.

said

your

is his

"

and

when

of

of

out

up

by

cry

down

come

Moses

Behold,
God

the

their

people,

my

Then
"

am

milk

with

flowing
bring

I
them

bring

to

heard

have

plans.

the

unto

...

and

Egypt,

his

of

tian,4
EgypPharaoh

as

Jeruth,

of

angel

there, and

thy Father,
I

flock

He,

an

Egypt,
out

passion
com-

Jacob.

murdered

carry

ing
mak-

remembered

and

with

flee from

The

him

to

and

had

the

keeping

Midian.

of

of

Isaac,

his servant, to

as

himself, appeared

"

with

SEA.

with

upon

groaning,

obliged to

this time

at

their

RED

Egypt,

in

looked

(an Israelite,who

punish him),

Moses

in-law,

heard

who, therefore,was

to

bondage

field,1were

Abraham,*

Moses

therefore, chose
and

He

Lord.*

in

were

the

in

THE

THROUGH

PASSAGE

Israel,who

working

the

bj

AND

EGYPT,

Y-ha-ho,

Hebrews,
identical."
The

by

name

the

among
or

He

the
Y-ah-

BIBLE

50

MYTHS.

with him, however,and,

interceding
for the purpose of showingtheir miraculous powers, theychange
of frogs
the river into blood,cause
a plague
their rods into serpents,
and
lice,

and

continue

Aaron

and

Moses

of

swarm

flies,
"c, "c,

to

Most

appear.

of these

born
the firstof Egypt. Finally,
by the magicians
when Pharaoh, after havinghad his heart
of Egypt are slain,
to let Moses
consents
hardened,by the Lord, over and over again,
their God, as theyhad said,
and the children of Israel go to serve
that is,for three days.
The Lord havinggiven the peoplefavor in the sightof the
of gold,
jewels
theyborrowed of them jewelsof silver,
Egyptians,
feats

imitated

were

raiment," accordingto the commands

and

of

the LordP

And

there beingsix hundred thousand,

toward Succoth,
theyjourneyed
besides children.1
journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the
the Lord went before them by day, in a pillarof a
edge
to give them lightto
cloud,to lead them the way ; and by nightin a pillaroffire,
and
night."2
day
go by
And he
told the king of Egypt, that the peoplefled.
And
it was
him.
And
with
his
and
he
took
six
hundred
took
made ready his chariot,
people
and he pursued after the
chosen chariots,and all the chariots of Egypt,
them
And
and overtook
children of Israel,
encamping beside the sea.
of
Israel
children
the
drew
Pharaoh
were
sore
when
afraid,and
nigh,
Lord.
And the Lord said unto Moses,
(they)cried out unto the
But liftthou
speak unto the children of Israel,that they go forward.
hand
Red
thine
the
divide
and
and
stretch
out
over
Sea,
it,and the
up thy rod,
of
midst
the
the
Israel
shall go on
children of
sea.
dry ground through
And

"

they took

their

And

of the wilderness.

"

stretched out his hand

Moses

And

strong east wind

back

by

were

divided.

And

all Pharaoh's

even

sea,

into the midst of the

the children of Israel went

dry ground; and the waters

left.And the Egyptians

the sea,3and the Lord caused the sea to go

and made the sea dry land,and the waters
that night,
over

sea

the

upon

them upon the rigidhand, and on their

a wall unto
were
pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the

and his horse-men."

horses,and his chariots,

After the children of Israel had

the sea, the Lord said unto
Stretch out thine hand

Moses

landed

on

the other side of

the sea, that the waters may come

again upon
their horse-men.
their chariots,and upon
And
Moses
the Egyptians,upon
the sea, and the sea returned to his strength.
stretched forth his hand over
"

over

the Lord

And

overthrew

the

Egyptians in

the midst

of the

And

sea.

the waters

returned,and covered the chariots,and the horse-men, and all the host of Pharaoh
1

in

Pentateuch

Exodus

"The

hi s hand
"o

xiii. 20,21.
sea

with

(.hat the

over

the

waters

walls while he passes through,must

been originally
the Sea of Clouds.
German

is.

this statement
2

Bishop Colenso shows,

Examined, how ridiculous

vii. 35-37.

Exodus

his

which

The

ture.

stretches out

Moses

and which
staff,
stand up

on

he

divides,

either side like

story presents

surelyhave
...

perfectlysimilar fea-

conception of the cloud as sea, rock

very frequentlyin mythology."
(Prof. Steinthal : The Legend of Samson, p.

and

wall, recurs

429.)

51

EGYPT.

FROM

EXODUS

THE

of them.
as
one
not so much
after them; there remained
of
midst
the
land
in
the
sea, and the
But the children of Israel walked upon dry
And
them on their righthand, and on their left.
a wall unto
were
waters
that

into the

came

sea

the Lord
great work which
Lord
the
and
believed
feared
the
Lord,
people
Israel

the

saw

did upon
the
and his servant

Egyptians,and

the

Moses."1

have been,was
dently
evihe may
familiar with the legendsrelated of the Sun-god,
Bacchus,
of the miracles
some
he has givenMoses the credit of performing
whoever
writer of this story,

The

as

which

were

attributed to that

god.
that
Orpheus,2

Bacchus had a
hymns of
and which he could change
rod with which he performed
miracles,
He passedthe Red
into a serpentat pleasure.
Sea, dry shod,at
He divided the waters of the rivers Oronthe head of his army.
tes and Hydaspus,
by the touch of his rod, and passedthrough
them
mighty wand, he drew water
By the same
dry-shod.3
from the rock* and wherever they marched, the land flowed
with wine,milk and honey.6
of Dionysus(Bacchus),
Professor Steinthal,
speaking
says :
Is is related in the

Like
rock.

Moses,he

Almost

strikes fountains aFwine

all the acts of Moses

and

water

to
correspond

out

01

the

those of the

Sun-gods."
Mons. Dupuissays :
the different miracles

"Among

prodigies
very
as

the

sources

similar to those which

of water

which

the

of Bacchus
are

and

attributed to

former caused

to

his

Bacchantes,there are
such
Moses; for instance,

sprout from

the innermost of

the rocks."1

In Bell's Pantheon

of the Gods

and

Heroes

an
Antiquity,*
given; among

attributed to Bacchus is
prodigies
his striking
from the rock,with his
mentioned
water
are
these,
magic wand, his turninga twig of ivy into a snake,his passing
thr ugh the Bed Sea and the rivers Orontes and Hydaspus,
and of
his enjoying
the light
of the Sun (whilemarchingwith his army
in India),
when the day was spent,and it was
dark to others. All
these are parallels
too striking
to be accidental.
We mightalso mention the fact,
that Bacchus,
as well as Moses
account

of the

of

Exodus

Orpheus is said to have heen

xiv. 5-13.
the earliest

poet of Greece, where he first introduced the

rites of Bacchus, which he brought from Egypt.
(See Roman
Antiquities,p. 134.)
" The
Hebrew
fable writers not wishing to
be outdone,have made
the waters of the river
Jordan to be divided to let Elijah and Elisha

pass through (2Kings ii.8),and also the chil

dren of Israel. (Joshua iii.15-17.)
4

Moses, with his rod, drew water from the

(Exodus xvii. 6.)
6 See
Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 191,and Higgins:
Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 19.
8 The
Legend of Samson, p. 420.
T
Dupuis: Originof Religious
Beliefs,
p. 16"
rock.

"

Vol. i. p. 122,

52

BIBLE

called the

was

well

Law-giver"and

"

Moses, that

of

as

Bacchus

stone.1

M\THS.

that it

his laws

said of

was

written

were

table*

two

on

representedhorned, and

was

Bacchus,as

so

of

Moses.2

was

box, that floated on the water,"8

and so was
Bacchus had two mothers,one by nature, and
Moses.4
and so had Moses.6
one
And, as we have already
by adoption,6
of the Sun, during
seen, Bacchus and his army enjoyedthe light
of "a
the nighttime,and Moses and his army enjoyedthe light
Bacchus

"

in

pickedup

was

of fire,
pillar
by night."7

regardto the children of Israel going out from

Egypt, we have no doubt that such an occurrence
and not for such reasons, as
not in the manner,
although
In

sacred historian.

by the

took

It is related

sources, what

by

the historian Choeremon,that,

at

infested with

Egypt was

one

none

were

is evidently

time,the

and throughthe advice of

disease,

the kingcaused the infected

the sacred scribe Phritiphantes,

(who

place,

is recorded

the truth.

nearer

land of

from other
find,

We

the land of

children of

the

known
slaves,
brick-making
and driven out of the
collected,

other than

to
Israel),

be

people
as

the

try.9
coun-

Lysimachusrelatesthat :
"

(who

the Gods.

broke

out

in

the occasion,commanded

on

Jews

sulted
Egypt, and the Oracle of Ammon, being conthe king to purifythe land by driving
out the
infected with leprosy,
"c), a race of men who were hateful to
The whole multitude of the peoplewere
collectedand driven
acco?'dingly

disease
filthy

were

""

out into the wilderness."1*

Diodorus

(\
"In

ancient times

Egypt

was

afflictedwith

great plague,which

was

uted
attrib-

of the multitude of foreigners

in Egypt ;
account
to the anger of God, on
The
the
ingly
of
native
rites
the
whom
were
religion
neglected.
Egyptiansaccord-

by

them out.

drove
to

to this event,says :
Siculits,
referring

The

most

Greece, but the greaternumber

noble of them
followed

went

under

Cadmus

and

Danaus

Moses, a wise and valiant leader,to

Palestine."11

" Bell's Pantheon, vol. i.

p. 122; and Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 19.
2 Ibid, and
Dupuis : Origin of ReligiousBelief,p. 174.
8 Taylor's
Diegesis,p. 190 ; Bell's Pantheon,
vol. i.under
Bacchus
;" and Higgins: Anacalypsisii.19.

Exodus

ii.1-11.

Exodus

xiii. 20,21.

See

Prichard's

Historical Records, p. 74 ;
Dunlap'sSpiritHist.,p. 40; and Cory'sAncient Fragments, pp. 80, 81, for similar ac-

also

"

counts,

ii.1-11.

afflicted with leprosywere

displeasingin the sightof the Sungod, by the Egyptians." (Dunlap : SpiritHLst

Exodus

Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 191 ; Bell's Pantheon,

"Bacchus;" and Higgins : p. 19,

vol. i. under
vol. ii.

"
7

"

"All

persons

considered

p. 40.)
10 Prichard's
"

Historical

Ibid. p. 78.

Records, p. 75.

EXODUS

THE

givingthe

After

FROM

the
different opinions
concerning

the Roman
nation,Tacitus,

Jewish

of
origin

the

historian,
says :
to be

admitted.
A pestiuniversally
lential
making the body an object of
loathsome deformity,
spreadall over Egypt. Bocchoris,at that time the reigning
and received for answer,
consulted
the oracle of JupiterHammon,
that
monarch,
the infected multitude,as a race
the kingdom must be purified,
by exterminating
of men
detested by the gods. After diligent
search,the wretched sufferers were
and in a wild and barren desert abandoned
collected together,
to their misery.
In that distress,
while the vulgar herd was
sunk in deep despair,
Moses, one of
their number, reminded
them, that,by the wisdom of his councils,they had been
alreadyrescued out of impending danger. Deserted as they were by men and
gods,he told them, that if they did not repose their confidence in him, as their
chief by divine commission, they had no resource
left. His offer was
accepted.
Want
Their march
of water was
not whither.
their chief
began,they knew
Worn
distress.
out with
fatigue,
theylay stretched on the bare earth,heart
a troop of wild
broken, ready to expire,when
asses, returningfrom pasture,
' '

In this clash of

63

EGYPT.

one
point seems
opinions,

the
disease,disfiguring

went

of

up

the

the steep ascent of

herbage round the

race

of

and

man,

rock covered

with

place suggested the

The verdure
grove of trees.
idea of springsnear at hand.

traced the stepsof the animals, and discovered a

this relief the faintingmultitude was
raised from

Moses

vein of water.
plentiful
despair. They pursued
their journeyfor six days without intermission.
On the seventh day they made
halt,and, having expelledthe natives,took possessionof the country, where
they built their city,and dedicated their temple."1

By

Other accounts,similar to these,

might be added,among which
which
priest,
may be mentioned that givenby Manetho,an Egyptian
is referred to

the
by Josephus,

Jewish

historian.

Althoughthe accounts quotedabove are not exactly

alike,
yet
the main pointsare the same, which are to the effectthat Egypt
infected with disease owingto the foreigners
was
(amongwhom
those who were
afterwards styledthe children of Israel")
were
that
in the country,
and who were
were
an unclean people,
and that they
driven out into the wilderness.
were
accordingly
When we compare this statement with that recorded in Genesis,
it does not take longto decide which of the two is nearest
the
"

truth.
or that had a tendency
to putridity,
Everything
was
putrid,
fully
careavoided by the ancient Egyptians,
and so strict were
the
this point,that theywore
on
no
Egyptianpriests
garments made
of any animal substance,
circumcised themselves,
and shaved
their whole bodies,
to their eyebrows,
even
lest they should unknowingly

harbor any

excrement
filth,

bred from

We
putrefaction.3
that the Hebrews were
Leviticus,
1

Tacitus

"

Knight :

Hist, book

v.

Anc't Art and

or

know

ch. iii.

Mythology,p. 89,

not

from
a

vermin,supposedto

be

the laws set down

in

clean
remarkably

race.

and Kenrick's
Egypt, vol. i. p. 447. " The
cleanlinessof the Egyptianpriests
was
extreme.

64

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in mahing a history
for their race,
priests,

Jewish
but

us

mythical.The author
this subject,
says :

of

"

given

there ; it is almost wholly

of Israel,"
on
speaking
Religion
and

of truth here

shadow

have

The

historyof the religionof Israel must start from the sojournof the
earlier starting-point,
usual to take a much
Israelitesin Egypt. Formerly it was
ideas of the Patriarchs.
discussion of the religious
and to begin with a religious
And
this was
perfectlyright,so long as the accounts of Abraham, Isaac and
"The

Jacob

historical. But

considered

were

that

now

of
unhistorical,
entirely

that all these storiesare

has slicwn us
strict investigation
we

course

have

to

begin the

tory
his-

later on."1

author of

The

Hebrews

"The

to

easy

cover

figureas

of

out

Egypt

up

this remote

an

account

by the reciial of mythicaltraditions,

originin which the gods (Patriarchs),

event

of

residence of the Hebrews

of
guidanceand training

and settled among

the Canaanites.
Tliey
is their historical beginning. It was

their

"2

their ancestors.

Professor Goldzhier says

"The

in

Egypt, and

their exodus

enthusiast for the freedom

an

find confirmation
historical facts,which
strictly
But
ancient Egypt (which we have just shown).
"3
these events (were)elaborated by the Hebrew people.
of

Count

de

Yolneyalso observes

that

and
Heliopolis,

of his tribe,form

series

in the documents

even

the
of

the traditional narratives of

servitude under
the king of
says of their (the Israelites)
of the oppressionof their hosts, the Egyptians,is extremely

begins.All
probable. It is here their history
mythologyand cosmogony."*
In

thence under

Exodus

"What

says

That

beyond the Exodus.

and to prefixto it
should

Historyof Man,"
Spirit

The

came

need not be traced

very

"

of
speaking

the

of
sojourn

that precedes

the Israelitesin

is

nothingbut

Egypt,Dr. Knap-

pertsays :
"According to the
Jacob's son, Joseph,to
the
as

sons

of Israel from

tradition
be

preservedin Genesis,it was

viceroyof Egypt, that brought about

Canaan

by his brothers,and
office at Pharaoh's hands

slave

drives his brothers

"

sold
Goshen.
The storygoes that this Joseph was
after many
of
received
fortune
the
regal
vicechanges
Famine
dreams.
throughhis skillin interpreting

to

and afterwards

givesthem

the land of Goshen

They shaved

their

his father

to live in.

heads, and every three days

They bathed two or
three times a day, often in the night also. They
wore
garments of white linen,deeming it more
cleanlythan cloth made from the hair of animals.
If they had occasion to wear
a woolen
doth or mantle, they put it off before entering
a temple ; so
scrupulous were
they that nothinto the presence
of
ing impure should come
the gods." (Prog.Relig.Ideas,i. 168.)
shaved their whole bodies.

promotion of
the migrationof

the

to

"

It is

him, and

the

Egyptianprince
by imaginingall this that the

"Thinking it better to be clean than handthe (Egyptian)priestsshave their whole

body every third day, that neither lice nor any
other
impurity may be found upon them when
engaged in the service of the gods." (Herodosome,

tus

:
"
*
*
*

book

ii.ch. 37.)

Religionof Israel,p 27.

Dunlap : SpiritHist, of Man, p. 266.
Hebrew
Mythology, p. 23.
Researches in Ancient History,p. 149.
The

for the fact that Israel passedsome time

explanationin a migrationof certain

account

Isgendtries to

look for the real

must

not establish
further
"

or

55

EGYPT.

FROM

EXODUS

TIIE

maintain

in Canaan,

themselves

and

in

Egypt.

But

tribes which

forced to

were

we

could
move

on.

find

We

Egypt, too, a

in Flavius
Josephus,from
passage
of the sojournof
recollection survived

which

some

this writer

it appears that in
foreigntribes in the

fragments
of
In one
who lived about 250 b. c.
priest,
that pretty nearlyagrees with the Israelitish tradition
these we have a statement
But the Israeliteswere
looked down on by the Egypabout a sojournin Goshen.
tians
Moses
himself
unclean.
a
nd
and theyare representedas lepers
as foreigners,
and joinedhimself
and we are told that he was
a priest
is mentioned by name,
and gave them laws."1
to these lepers
district of

north-eastern
of

out

by Manetho,

lost work

To return

the country.

two

Sea

beingdivided to let
which we have already

his followers pass through of

counterpartin the legendrelated of Bacchus

Moses and
seen

givesus

storyof the Red

to the

now

For

one

"

passingthroughthe

same

sea

Alexander
storyconcerning
to let him

divided

speakingof

the

Israelites,
says

and

Red

"

the Great.

historiesof Alexander

The

and his army

dry-shod there is another similar

relate that the

PamphylianSea was
through.Josephus,after

his army pass

Sea being divided

for the passage of the

accompanied Alexander,king of Macedonia,whc

comparativelybut a
ago, the Pamphylian Sea retired and
when
offered them a passage through itself,
they had no other way to go
to be true by all wlw have written about the actions of Alexand this is confessed
11

For

the sake of those who

little while

yet lived

ander."'2

He

to

seems

consider both

legendsof

the

same

authority,

quotingthe latter to substantiate the former.

"

who
Callisthenes,

himself

pedition,"
accompaniedAlexander in the exthe
Sea
how
did
not
wrote,
Pamphylian
onlyopen a
for
and
its
Alexander,but,rising elevating waters,did pay
passage
him homage as its king."'
It is related in Egyptianmythologythat Isis was at one time on
with the eldest child of the kingof Byblos,
when coming
a journey
to the river Phcedrus,
which was in a
roughair,"and wishingto
"

"

The

Jewish

Ibid. note.

"It

Keligion of Israel,pp. 31,33.

Antiq. bk. ii.ch. xvi.
said that

was

the

the

army

of

Alexander

of the Pam-

waters

phylian Sea miraculouslyopened

the

passage for
Great.
Admiral
a

north winds; and Alexander,

by long-continued
taking advantage of such a moment, may have
dashed on without impediment ;'and we accept
the explanation as a matter
of course.
But the
waters

of the Red

lously opened

Beaufort, however, tells us that,4 though there

tides in this part of the Mediterranean,
are no

Israel ; and
story, and

considerable

strous."

depressionof

the

sea

is caused

we

Sea

are

said to have

miracu-

of.
passage for the children
insist on the literal truth of this

rejectnatural explanationsas
(Matthew Arnold.)

nion-

56

BIBLE

the stream

cross, she commanded

MYTHS.

to be dried up.

This

beingdone

she crossed without trouble.1

There

is

fable to the effect that when

Hindoo

the infant

tyrantof Madura (King

beingsoughtby the reigning
out of the country.
his foster-fathertook him and departed
Kansa)2
Coming to the river Yumna, and wishingto cross, it was divided
for them by the Lord, and theypassed
through.
The storyis related by Thomas
Maurice,in his Historyof
It is
who has taken it from the BhagavatPooraun.
Hindostan,"
Crishna

was

"

as

follows

he was
took the child Crishna, and carried him off (from where
to
river
Crishna's
the
to
Gokul,
Yumna,
directlyopposite
born),but, coming
"

Yasodha

the current to
perceiving
and not knowing which

father
season,

give way

be very strong, it being in the midst of the rainy

the water to
way to pass it,Crishna commanded

both sides to his father,wlco

on

across
passed dry-footed,
accordingly

the

rtwr."3

incident is illustrated in Plate 58

This

of Moore's

"

Hindu

Pantheon."
There

is another Hindoo

quotedby

Viscount

recorded
legend,
from
whose
Amberly,

in the

Rig Veda,and

work

we

take

it,4to

the effectthat an Indian sage called Visvimati,

havingarrived at a
that
which
he
wished
to cross,
river
holyman said to it ; " Listen
to the Bard

Sink
The

who

has

down, become
river

answers

full breast

come

to you from

afar with wagon

and chariot.

fordable,
and reach not up to our chariot axles."
"I will bow down to thee like a woman
with

her child),
as a
(suckling

maid

to

man,

will I throw myself

open to thee."
This is accordingly
done,and the sage passes through.
We have also an Indian legendwhich relates that a courtesan
V

ofthe river Ganges?

and rivers beingdivided
We see then,that the idea of seas
chosen one of God pass through
for the purpose of letting
some
to other peoplesbeside the Hebrews,and
is an old one
peculiar
is that many nations had legends
of this kind.
the probability
named

Bindumati,turned

That Pharaoh
Red

Sea, and

back the streams

and his host should

have

the fact not mentioned

by

when theyhave,as
especially
impossible,
fact of the Israelites beingdriven out
of this,
speaking
says :

See Prichard's Egyptian Mytho. p. 60.

See ch. xviii.

"

Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 812.

we

been

drowned

in the

is simply
any historian,
have seen, noticed the

of

Egypt.6 Dr. Inman,

AnalysisRelig.Belief,p. 552.
See Hardy : Buddhist
Legends, p. 140.
In

cave

discovered

at

Deir el-Bahar.

CHAPTEE

RECEIVING

The

is recorded

"In
land
and

THE

receivingof

Lord,

third

the

of

Egypt,

there

Israel

the

the

Israel

of

and

And
a

loud,
"

it

cloud

that

so

And

to

came

thick

upon

all the

Mount

people

Sinai

it in fire, and

upon
the

whole

Mount

and

waxed

long,

Mount,

the

that

quaked

that

and

the

in the

was

smoke

and

of

of the

out

Sinai,

there

of

and

lightnings,

exceedingly

tempest
.

because

voice

the

of

God

descended

Lord

the

of the

and

spake,

smoke

the

as

when

Moses

the

trembled.

smoke,

thunders

were

voice

ascended

And

louder,

camp

on

thereof

greatly.

louder

day

altogether

was

the

forth

gone

Mount.

third

the

on

pass

were

wilderness

the

"

the

into

they

came

before

fiom

by Moses,

manner

children

the

day

same

camped

Commandments

following

when

month,

COMMANDMENTS.

TEN

Ten

in the

the

VII.

and

furnace,

sounded

tempest

answered

him

by

voice.
"

And

the

the Lord
and

Mount,
The

down

came

Moses

Lord

there

Moses

communed
of

Moses

children
Aaron

of

of stone
Lord

on

stone.4
skin

"the

When

he

xix.

Exodus

xxxi.

Exodus

xxii.

Exodus

xxxiv.

"

Ibid.

Pagan

nations

conversed
cite

the

Grecian
the

broke

however,
down

did

with

top of

the

to

up

he

"

gave

unto

of stone, written

with

waxed

received

this

time

men.

following,

As

related

historian, who,
Egyptians,

[58]

says

by

in
:

ancient

among

"

we

may

Herodotus,

speaking
There

and

appeared

illustration

an

is

the

saw

tables

more

situated

dedicated

of
a

the

Egypt

large city

and

the

over

it

this

to

portico
are

tants

of

of

is

is of

Perseus.

Chemmis),

quently appeared
within

placed

inclosure

statue

in

the

Neapolis, in which

(the Virgin) Danae

gods

tables

off Mount

from

Chemmis,

temple

the

the

again

two

the

his brother

cast

Moses

and

trict, near

19.

that

he

hot,"

them.8

called

belief

found

of

Sinai,

shine."5

18.

common

he

Mount,

golden calf, which

anger

and

him,

off the

"

and

came

of his face

Exodus

around

his

as

ground,
Mount,

was

and,

the

It

ind

the

from

dancing

made,

on

with

down

came

Israel

had

Moses

God."*

fingerof
When

called

testimony, tables

....

the

and

Mount,

"*

up.

tables

two

the

upon

went

the

is

Thebaic
a

(the god)

Perseus,

palm-trees

grow

stone,

two

stone

temple, and
The

on

it,
and
In

statues.

in it is

Chemmitae

affirm that
to them

of

son

round

spacious,

very

large

dis-

quadrangular

placed

(or inhabi-

Perseus

has

fre-

earth,and frequently

temple.'1''(Herodotus,

bk.

ii. ch.

91.)

THE

These two
so

tables of stone contained

is said,
which

are, in

1"

To have

To make

"

3
4

"

"

the Jews

other God

no

but Jehovah.

imagefor

Not

purpose of worship.
to take Jehovah's name
in vain.

Not

to work

no

the

on

Sabbath-day.

parents.

6"

Not

to kill.

Not

to commit

Not

to steal.

Not

to bear false witness

8
9

"

"

"

Commandments?
presentday are

Christians of the

and

as follows :
substance,

To honor their

"

the Ten

take for their standard.

to
supposed

They

09

COMMANDMENTS.

TEN

10" Not
We

a neighbor.
against

to covet.8

have

called the

adultery.

"

alreadyseen,

in the last

"

Law-giver, and

tables of stone*

This

that
chapter,

that his laws

Bacchus

written

were

feature in the Hebrew

was

two

on

dently
evi-

legendwas

copiedfrom that related of Bacchus,but, the idea of his

the commandments
from the Lord on a mountain
(Moses)
receiving
taken from the Persian legendrelated of Zoroaster.
was
obviously
Prof. Max
"

What

Muller says :
the

appliesto

placedbefore

of
religion

Moses

complete system
(Ormuzd),proclaimed by Zoroaster."*
The

us

as

from

of Zoroaster,
in
disciples

appliesto that of Zoroaster. It

the first,
revealed by Ahuramazda

is

their

of legends
of
profusion
the master,relate that one day,as he prayedon a high mountain,
in the midst of thunders and lightnings
("firefrom heaven "),the
Lord himself appearedbefore him, and delivered unto him the
While the King of Persia and the people
Book of the Law."
Zoroaster came
assembled together,
down from the mountain
were
with him the
Book of the Law," which had
unharmed,bringing
been revealed to him by Ormuzd.
They call this book the Zendthe Living Word.6
Avesta,which signifies
"

"

ten

Buddha, the founder

commandments.

steal.

3. To

witness.
To avoid
9. Not

be chaste.

5. Not

to

had

Buddhism,

to kill. 2. Not to

4. Not

lie. 6. Not

impure words.

to avenge

of

1. Not

to bear
to

false
7.

swear.

8. To be disinterested.

one's-self.

10. Not

perstitious.(See Hue's

to

be

su-

Travels,p. 328,vol. i.)

* Exodus
Dr. Oort says :
xx.
The original
ten commandments
probably ran as follows : I
Yahwah
am
God.
Worship no other
your
Make
no
gods beside me.
image of a god.
Commit
no
to keep holy
perjury. Remember
"

the Sabbath

day.

mother.

Commit

marriage

vow.

ness.

Covet

p. 18.)
3 Bell's

Muller

See

This

many

Steal

not.

father

and

Break
Bear

no

not

your
the

false wit-

(Biblefor Learners, vol. i.

Pantheon,
Cox

your

murder.

no

not."

vol. ii. p. 19.

295.
4

Honor

vol. i. p.

Aryan

122.
Higgins,
Mytho. vol. ii. p.

Origin of Religion,p.

130.

Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. pp. 257, 258.

book, the Zend-Avesta, is similar, in
respects, to the Vedas of the Hindoos.

60

BIBLE

MYTHS.

of the Cretans,
Minos,tneir aw-giver,
religion
and there received from the
ascended a mountain
(Mount Dicta)
the sacred laws which he brought
down with
SupremeLord (Zeus)
the

Accordingto

him.1
of
have legends
antiquity

allnations of

Almost

mountain

ascendinga

of
portions

deities than other

counsel

of the

and
sanctity,
peculiar

with

beinginvested

ask

to

their

holymen
gods,such places

deemed

nearer

to the

the earth.3

it is Thoth,the Deityitself,
that
Accordingto Egyptianbelief,
speaksand reveals to his elect among men the will of God and the
stated
of divine things.Portions of them are expressly
arcana
of Thoth himself ; to
to have been written by the very linger

have been the work

and

of
composition

the

Diodorus,the Grecian historian,

says

greatgod.3

that their laws

Egyptians
received direct from the Most High God, has been adopted
were
who have thus insured rewith success
spect
by many other law-givers,
for their institutions.*
The Supreme God of the ancient Mexicans was
Tezcatlipoca.
the
Jehovah
to
of the Jews,
He occupied
a position
corresponding
The

by
promulgated

idea

the
India,

of

the Brahma

His

Scandinavians.
of

man)

to

Zeus of the

Greeks,and the Odin of the

is compounded of Tezcatepec,
the name

name

(upon which

mountain

the ancient

he is said to have
The

dark,and poca, smoke.

tlil,
is givenin the Codex

manifested
himself
of
this
ignation
desexplanation

as
Vaticanus,
"

offeringsof the Chinese to the deities

generallyon the summits of high mounto them
to be nearer
(See Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 831) tains, as they seemed
to
Maurice.
and Thomas
(SeeIndian Antiquities, heaven, to the majesty of which they were
be offered."
vol. ii.p. 219.)
(Christmas'sMytho. p. 250, in
themselves
had a tradition
Persians
The
Ibid.) "In the infancy of civilization,
high
chosen by the people to offer sacfrom some
placeswere
that he came
country to the East
rifices to the gods. The first altars,the first
a foreigneris indicated
That he was
of them.
which repreerected on mountains."
temples,were
(Humby a passage in the Zend-Avesta
boldt: American
Researches.) The Himalayas
as saying to him:
"Thou, OZorosents Ormuzd
are
the "Heavenly mountains."
In Sanscrit
law, 6halt
aster, by the promulgation of my
restore to me
Himala, corresponding to the M. Gothic, Hipure
my former glory,which was
mins ; Alem., Himil ; Ger., Swed., and Dan.,
light. Up! haste thee to the land of Iran,
Himmel
thirsteth after the law, and say, thus
which
; Old Nor6e, Himin
; Dutch, Hemel ;
said Ormuzd, "c."
(See Mal(See Prog. Relig. Ideas, Ang.-Sax., Heofon ; Eng., Heaven.
let'sNorthern Antiquities,
vol. i. p. 263.)
p. 42.)
a Bunsen's
i The
Bible for Learners, vol. i.p. 301.
Egypt, quoted in Isis Unveiled,
has

This

was

led many

Brahman

deities

'"The
dwell
Persia

the sacred

on

ruled

from

from

thundered

to

believe

these

; among

of

the

Mount

Albordj

that Zoroaster

follows

are

Hindoo

Rawlinson

Pantheon

; the gods of
Jove
; the Greek
and
the Scandina-

Meru

Olympus ;
vian gods made
Asgard awful with their presProfane
ence.
history is full of examto high places for
pies attesting the attachment
of sacrifice."
purpose
(Squire: Serpent Sym.

bols,p. 78.)

The

were

vol. ii.p. 367. Mrs.

handed
Egypt were

Child says :" The

down
the
from

laws

of

earliest

times,and regarded with the utmost veneration

first legislator
as a portion of religion. Their
representedthem as dictated by the gods themselves,and framed expresslyfor the benefit of
mankind
by their secretary Thoth"
(Prog.
Relig.Ideas, vol.i. p. 173.)
4
Quoted in Ibid.

Tezcatlipocawas

Lord, whose

the

on

and

reverence
"

top of
adoration, and

appeared

once

servant
"

appeared only as
godhead was similar
in the

dwelt

we

their

that

laws

Like

When

the

of

lipoca
Tezcat-

Jehovah,

darkness."

the

nations,beside

other

actuallyreceived

were

that

and
effect,

that

legends to

Jews.

idea

he descended
the
neath
be-

its summit.1

that

see

Mexican

overshadowed
of Tezcatepec,darkness
water, in mingled streams, flowed from

feet,from

Thus,

prayers, as
his face,for he

saw

the

Indeed,

of thick

midst

ever

man

that of the

to

the mount
upon
earth,while fireand
his

No

their

in

him,

addressed

shade."

"

mountain.

are."

we

they say he
They paid him great

potent deities

their most

of

one

61

COMMANDMENTS.

TEN

THE

from

mountain

Hebrews, believed
God, that they had

figuresconspicuously

in the stories.

this

Oort, speaking on

Professor

subject,says

antiquity will be surprised at this, for

had
All peoples who
issued from
beliefs were
similar
common.
a life of
very
less elaborate
and
barbarism
or
acquired regular politicalinstitutions, more
maxims
of morality, attributed
all this
established
worship, and
laws, and
"No

who

one

has

of

knowledge

any

"

their

birth

as

did

"Whence

According
it

nation,

exception, were

without

to

to

one

or

the

his followers, and

the

prophet
the

God

of

great

more

their

received
of

Ahuramazda,

from

was

of

"

to have

Zoroaster, the
beliefs

the

speak

to

so

supposed

men,

all of

knowledge from

Persians, derive
doctrines

his

deity.
religion?

of their sacred

did

light. Why

whom,

some

the

ings,
writ-

Egyptians

sent
repre-

writing tablet and a pencil in his hand, and honor him

the Lord
of the divine Word,
he was
the god of the priests? Because
from
of all wisdom,
whose
the foundation
the
inspirationthe priests, who
were
of
and
the
derived
teachers
all
the religious
their
scholars, the lawyers,
people,
Was
wisdom.
not
Minos, the law-giver of the Cretans, the friend of Zeus, the
his son,
and did he not ascend
he not even
to the
highest of the gods? Nay, was
down
the
laws
Mount
Dicte
which
his
had
sacred
to bring
cave
on
god
placed
did the Spartan law-giver, Lycurgus, himself
From
whom
there for him?
say
From
other than the god Apollo.
his laws?
The
Roman
that lie had obtained
no
Pompilius as the people's instructor, at the same
legend, too. in honoring Numa
the

god
especiallyas

ascribed

time
the

Mohammed

the Koran

See

all his wisdom

not

the

'

elsewhere;

same

to be

with

Thoth

omy

prophet
from

and

make

believed

of the Arabs,

the hand

with

to his intercourse
to

of the

Squire's Serpent Symbol,

one

himself
but

to

the

example,

more

been

have

declared

that

he

"

nymph

called
had

Egeria.

this from

later

was

immediately by God

received

every

angel Gabriel."8

p. 175.

It

times-

Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 901.

page

of

CHAPTEE

AND

SAMSON

Israelite hero

This

of

children

Israel

mother, who

by

had

angel,who

an

son,1 and

her

child

shall

he

shall

of

at

of
shall

when

the

she

be

Nazarite

unto

Israel out

of

the

"

His

is entertained

years,

that
a

time

Philistines.

the

number

deliver

begin to

born

been

hands

for

informs
the

have

the

barren

EXPLOITS.

HIS

to

in

were

that

and

womb,

is said

been

Till.

conceive, and

from

God,

the

bear

hands

the

of

the

Philistines.

According
and

son,

Lord

called

And

and

up

of the

idea
in

son

of the

of

as

well

parents
who

advanced

and
The

that

by Jacob,
bore

her

him

husband.

her
bore

been

barren

many

when

her

her

old and

would

content
disof

part

she

child, and
wish.

"

bear

the

(See Gen.

son.

Thus

been

prayed

to

barren

the

Samuel,
was

His

[621

also

by

Lord

the

bear

instance

miraculously
Elizabeth,

reigneu
1000

ceived
con-

passed

for

her

to

all her

barren

Hebrews.
lived

race

familiar

years

Dunlap

Persian

one

to

among

; Feridun

and
:

Son

500

; Dahak
120

years

Kaikans

reigned
Man.

300

reigned

reigned

the

fables

old

very

men.

patriarch Kaiomaras

years

years

Bahaman
of

700

in their

be

to

Jemshid

reigned

reigned

relate

lived

; the

500

years

geher
years

bore

nations

ancestors

Jahmurash
a

of

is also

age,

had

the

among

ancestors

ancient

For

for

one

been

to

Apoc.)

wonderful

destined

had

who

about

who

had

life.

her

husband

Mary,"
of

in

ancients.
Most

xvi.)

receiving

the

idea

woman

all

was

of

of

stricken

her

what

Gospe!
the

of

favorite

old

and

nature

that

their

of

born

and

barren

them

her
event

born

was

old

Anna

The

that

see,

idea

that

many

'

children, and

life,was

the

'

"

this

i. 1-25.)

been

to

told

which

age

fabulous

i. 1-20.)

mother,

we

being

that

Jesus,

was

had

and

she

born

also

was

had

who

that

who

place. (See

child

angel also informed

of

angel appeared

came

wife."

to

me

(See Luke,

who

he

in Timnath

woman

An

mother

(Anna)

Timnath,

to

And

Zachariah,

place.

the

years,1' and

ninety

was

her

finally comforted

Baptist

infant.

"

informed

holy man,"

grief, she
was

(See
the

and

had

angel appeared

An

(Abraham)

take

Mary,

6he

(Sarah) who

woman

years.

and

the

In

years.

lord

(Hannah)

woman

John

of

nine,"

conceive

Samuel,

her

and

for

old age.

(Joachim),

(See Genesis,

Joseph.

would

seen

her

husband

her

take

however,

age,

in her

and

down

Philistines.

get

Rachel.

the

on

him

The
born

years

old

child

was

and

grew,

estate), went
of the

beloved

grief and

anger

her

of

1-29.)
Isaac

to

In

the wonderful

xxx.

bore

woman

child

said, I have

An

of Samson,

much

caused

part, and

her

As

barren.
case

man's

woman

woman

barren,

was

This

sons.

of

60

was

husband,

no
on

who

markable
re-

or

born

being

Joseph

Rachel,

it is said, of

this

mention

ing
bearbeen

so

been

have

to

may
of

beautiful

the

therefore

now

of their

born,

in years,

supposed

was

illustrations, we

and

have

to

number

were

personages

and

Philistines;

seems

age,

to

daughters

his mother,

conceiving,

woman

old

her

pecnliarity,

Hebrew

and

his father

daughters

The

and

grown
of the

in Timnath

woman

told

Samson

name

(after he had

Samson

saw

and

his

the

angel,

him."

blessed

"

predictionof

the

to

112

years

; Manu-

reigned
years.

p. 155, note.)

reigned
150

(See

SAMSON

AND

father and

Samson's

mother

63

OI1B.

EXP1

HIS

that
preferred

he should take

of their own
but Samson wished
tribe,
among the daughters
"
th me
for the maid of the Philistines,
for,"said he," she please
woman

well."
The

after comingto the conclusion that it was the will

parents,
of the Lord, that he should marry the maid of the Philistines,
consented.
"

Then

came

Samson

went

to the

(Samson).
him (thelion)
as
This
not

He

he would

his

then continued

kid, and he had nothingin his hand."

he told not

Samson

days. At

returned to take

of the

carcass

made

carcass

"

he turned aside
was

of

swarm

of the lion."

feast at his

whom

her,and
behold, there

and
lion,

there
this feast,

him, unto

and talked with

down

on

time,he

to any one,

his mother.

bees,and honey,in the

with

rent

his way, and went

him well.
and she pleased

the

see

his father and his mother, to Timnath, and

which
first
exploit,

or
father,

the woman,
And, after
to

have

Samson's

was

even

down, and

vineyardsof Timnath, and, behold, a young lion roared againsthim

And
of the Lord
the spirit
came
mightilyupon him, and he rent

were

he said :

wedding,which lasted for seven

broughtthirty
companionsto be
"

I will

now

put forth

riddle

declare it me, within the seven

days
you, if ye can certainly
of the feast,
and find it out,then I will give you thirty
sheets,
unto

thirtychangesof garments. But, if ye cannot declare it

then shall ye giveme
and thirty
sheets,
thirty
changesof garments."
And theysaid unto him, Put forth thy riddle,
that we

and
me,

"

may hear it." And he answered them

forth meat, and out of the strongcame
This riddle the
"

And

Samson's
us

it came
wife

"

Out of the eater

came

forth sweetness."

companionscould not solve.

thirty
to pass, on the seventh day,that they said unto
Entice thy husband,that he may declare unto

'

the riddle.'"
She

went
accordingly

to

Samson,and

told him that he could not

love her ; if it were

to the riddle.
so, he would tellher the answer
After she had wept and entreated of him, he finally
told her,and she
the men
to the children of her people." And
of
gave the answer
the city
said unto him, on the seventh day, before the sun
went

down,

'

What

is sweeter

than

honey,and

what

is

strongerthan

lion?'"
how theymanagedto
this,
Samson,upon hearing
suspected
out the answer,

whereuponhe

ploughedwith my

said unto

them:

heifer,
ye had not found

"If

out my

ye had
riddle "

find
not

64

BIBLE

Samson

then at

was

MYTHS.

loss to know

where

get the thirty

to
"

and the thirty

of the
sheets,
changesof garments; but, the spirit
Lord came
to Ashkelon, and dew
down
upon him, and he went

of them,and

men
thirty

them

nnto

This

which

and
took their spoil,

the hero's second

was

changeof

gave
expoundedthe riddle."

ments
gar-

exploit.

stead
His anger beingkindled,
he went up to his father's house,inafter a
of returning
to his wife.1 But it came
to pass, that,

while,Samson

repentedof

house,and wished
father would

his

to his wife's

returned

his wife in the chamber

to go in to

suffer him

not

and
actions,

to

; but
her father said :

And

go.

her
"

I gave
hated her,therefore,
verily
thoughtthat thou hadst utterly
her to thycompanion. Is not her younger sister fairer than she ?
instead of her."
Take her,I pray thee,
This did not seem
to please
Samson,even thoughthe younger

fairer than the

was

"

older,for he

and

went

caughtthree

hundred

and turned (thefoxes)

tail to tail,
and
foxes,and took firebrands,

put

firebrand in the midst between

set the brands

when

tails. And

he had

he let them
fire,

on

and
Philistines,

two

of the
corn
go into the standing
both the shocks and also the standing

burned

up
with
and olives."
the
corn,
vineyards
This was Samson's third exploit.
When

the Philistines found

their olives burned,theysaid:

"

And

their corn, their vineyards,

and
Who
hath done this?"

"

'

they answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had

taken his wife, and given her to his companion.' And the Philistines came
up,
and burned her and her father with fire. And Samson
said unto them:
Though
ye have done this,yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.' And
he smote them hip and thighwith a great slaughter,
and he went and dwelt in the
*

top of the rock Etam."

This
"

Then

in Lehi.

"

"

the Philistines went

And

the

'

to

rock

Etam,

rulers
unto

us.

over

them:

and

up,

of Judah

fourthexploit.

pitched in Judah, and spreadthemselves

'

said:

Why

And
up againstus?'
ye come
up, and to do to him as he hath
Then
three thousand
of Judah went
men
up to the top of the
and said to Samson : ' Knowest
thou not that the Philistines are

they answered:
done

Samson's

greatslaughter was
men

'To

What

us?
'As

said

unto

into

the hands

him

bind Samson

We

of

we

are

the

unto

come

me,

down

Philistines.'

are

come

is this that thou

they did
'

are

so

hast done

have

to bind

And

unto

I done

thee,that

Samson

said

?'

us

unto
we

And

them.'

he
And

said

they

deliver thee
may
them:
'Swear

unto

that ye will not fall upon

me
yourselves.'And they spake unto him,
.saying,No; but we will bind thee fast,and deliver thee into their hands: but
And
surelywe will not kill thee.
they bound him with two new cords,and
unto

me

'

'

Judges,xiv.

66

BIBLE

"

Now

the house

were

there; and
that beheld

women,

"And

Samson

full of

was

there

MYTHS.

and women;
and all the lords of the Philistines
and
the roof about three thousand
men
upon

men

were

while Samson

made

sport.

called unto

the Lord, and said: ' O Lord God, remember

me,
I pray thee,and strengthenme, I pray thee,only this once, O God, that I may
be at once
avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.'
Samson

"And
stood and
bowed

himself

house

fell upon

which

he slew

Thus

hold

of

middle pillars
upon which the house
of
the
with
his
one
hand, and of the
right
up,
Samson
said:
Let me die with the Philistines.' And

it was

his left.

other with
he

took

which

on

the two

borne

And

'

with

the
might; and (having regainedhis strength)
the lords,and upon the peoplethat were
therein.
So the dead
than they which
he slew in his life."1
at his death, were
more
all his

the

ended

of the

career

"

"

strong man

of the Hebrews.

of the

related of Hercules,
or
legends
that theyhave both been copied from similar legendsexisting
is too evident to be disputed.Many
other nations,*
some
among

That this story is a copy

churchmen
Samson
"

have

noticed

the

between
similarity
In Chambers's

and that of Hercules.

read

Samson," we

"It has been matter

is to be taken

as

follows

of most

the

historyof

undei
Encylopsedia,

how
contradictory
speculations,

far his existence

substratum
of historica.
as
reality,
or, in other words, what
truth there may be in this supposed circle of popular legends,
rounded
artistically
a

off,in the four chaptersof Judges which

'

'

The

miraculous

commentators,

and

deeds
the

text

he

treat of him.

performed

has

been

taxed

have

twisted and

the

turned

ingenuityof

many
in all directions,
to
single-handed;his

his slaying those prodigiousnumbers

explain,rationally,
carryingthe gates of Gaza, in one night,a distance of about fifty
miles,"c,

That this is simplya Solar

who

will take the trouble to

Prof.

Goldziher,who

special
study,says
"

The

will -doubt,
we

one

believe,

it.
investigate
"

has made

"

ComparativeMythology

of this story:

complete and rounded-off Solar myth extant in Hebrew, is that

(Samson),a cycleof mythical conceptionsfullycomparable with
myth of Hercules. "3

most

of Shimshon
the Greek

myth,no

"c."

We

shall

The

firstwonderful

ascertain if such is the case,

of Samson with those of Hercules.
comparingthe exploits
now

endeavor

act

to

performedby

Samson

was,

as

we

by

have

seen, that

This is said to have happenedwhen

a lion.
ofslaying
he was but a youth. So likewise was
it with Hercules.
At the
he slew an enormous
lion.4
age of eighteen,
The valley
of Nemea
infested by a terriblelion ; Eurystheus
was
ordered Hercules to bringhim the skin of this monster.
After
_

1
*

Judges, xvi.
Perhaps that of Izdubar.

See

chapter xi.

"

Hebrew

Manual

Mythology, p. 248.
Mythology, p. 248.

of

Fable, p. 200.

The

Age of

SAMSON

67

EXPLOITS.

HIS

AND

againstthe lien,Hercules
the
He returned,carrying
with his hands.
at
was
so frightened
dead lion on his shoulders ; but Eurystheus
of the
of it,and at this proofof the prodigious
the sight
strength
in
hero,that he ordered him to deliver the accounts of his exploits
using in vain his
the animal
strangled

and

club

arrows

the future outside the town.1

To show
where

cave

at

it is said that he entered the

the courage of Hercules,
the lion'slairwas, closed the entrance behind him, and

with
grappled

once

is said to have torn asunder the

Samson
So likewise
Kemean

skin of the

the

manner

manner.

of the
disposed

lion,Hercules

off with his

tore

and
fingers,

resolved to wear
it henceforth.4
impenetrable,
of Hercules either representhim carrying
statues and paintings
his back,
lion'sskin over his arm, or wearingit hangingdown
like a cap, and the fore-legs
to his crown
skin of itshead fitting

knowingit
the

this the

was

and
lion,

beast in that

Hercules

in which

the

lion.3

The
The

jaws of

the
slaying
represented
generally

find him

we

the monster.3

to

be

knotted under his chin.6

Samson's second
and slew

wearingitsskin hangingfrom
the heralds of the

met

Thebes.

his

as
shoulders,

of the

King

Hercules cut off the

their hands,and sent them

Samson's third
and took

from

Thebes

to claim the annual tribute of

Orchomenos
bound

to Ashkelon

men.
thirty

when returning
to
Hercules,

on

down

he went

when

was
exploit

and
fire-brands,

turned

in the midst between

corn
standing

There is no

and

ears

he

Minyse,
coming from
hundred
noses

levied
cattle,
of the heralds,

them

caughtthree hundred foxes,

tail to

and
tails,

two

home.6

when

was
exploit

and
lion-hunt,
cess,
sign of his suc-

the

and put
tail,

let them

brand
fire-

go into the

of the Philistines.
such feature

nearest to it in resemblance

as

this in the

is when

he

the
of Hercules,
legends
encounters

and

killsthe

Learnean

a
fire-brand
figures
Hydra.7 During this encounter
is
the
wood
and
set
on fire*
neighboring
conspicuously,

Bulfinch:

The

Age of Fable, p. 200.

Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 249.
8 Roman
Antiquities,p. 124 ; and Montfaucon, vol. i. plateexxvi.
*
Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 249.
"See Ibid. Greek and Italian Mythology, p.
and
129,and Montfaucon, vol. i. plate exxv.
*

exxvi.
*

Manual

of

Mythology,p.

247.

heads, one being immortal,

constantlysupply new clouds
driven off by the Sun
are
while the vapors
into space. Hence the story went that although
Herakles could burn away its mortal hetis, as
but
the Sun burns np the clouds,stillhe can
which at its
hide away
the mist or vapor itself,
appointed time must again darken the sky."
(Cox: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii.p. 48.)
" See Manual
of Mytho., p. 250.
T

as

"

It has

the storm

many

must

68

MYTHS.

BIBLE

of the legend,
of this portion
have,however,an explanation
from Prof. Steinthal :
in the following
At the festivalof Ceres,
held at Rome, in the month of April,
the circus was
a fox-hunt through
indulgedin,in which burning
"We

This

tails.
to the foxes'

bound

torches were
was

done to the

reminder of the damage

symbolical
fieldsby mildew, called the "red fox" which was
orcised
exintended to be

(thelastthird

in various ways at this momentous

season
at which
April).It is the time of the Dog-Star,
most

to be feared ; if at that time

upon

the hoar-frost or dew

also says that

He

This is the

"

was

close

too

mischief rages

this
nights,

corn-fields.1

the story of the foxes,which Samson

caught and sent
fire-brands fastened to their tails,
to burn the

of

sense

greatsolar heat follows

of the cold

burningfox throughthe

like a

the mildew

of

with
into the Philistines' fields,

Like the lion,the fox is an animal that indicated the solar heat, being
crops.
tail."2
suited
for this both by its color and by its long-haired
well

Bouchart,in his
"At

observes that :
Hierozoicon,"

period(".e., the last third

Egypt, and a few days after

this

and Lower

train

in whose
the

among

"

tail

or

Egyptiansby

Count

de

red marks

reason
a

or

the backs

paintedon
that

of their animals."3

ancient cityof Latium, every year, in a

of foxes with torches tied to tlieirtails. They

of Carseoles,an

burned
festival,
religious
gave, as the
burnt by

the

the fires

Volneyalso tellsus

inhabitants

"The

comes

pril)they cut the corn in Palestine

of the Hyads arose the Fox,
setting
torches of the dog-days,represented

of A

number

for this whimsical

fox to whose

tail

that their

ceremony,

had been formerly

corn

fastened

had

man

young

bundle

of

lighted

straw."4

He

concludes

his account

"
of this peculiar
festival,"
religious

:
by saying
"

but it is a Pheniexactlythe story of Samson with the Philistines,

word in that tongue, signifying
town offoxes.
a compound
have
do
had
from
not
to
Philistines,
Egypt,
originally
appear
any colonies.
be
and it can
admitted
had a great many;
Phenicians
that they
scarcely
This is

cian tale.
The
The

borrowed

Car-Seol is

this story from the Hebrews,

a simple adventure
gave

times,or that

obscure

rise to

as

much, then,for the foxes

Samson's fourth exploitwas

So

the Druses

are

religious
ceremony;

narration.
and allegorical
onlybe a mythological

can

"

as

in

our

it

evidently

own

"4

and fire-brands.
when

he smote

the

Philistines

hipand thigh," with greatslaughter."

"

Legend of Samson, p. 398.

See, also,Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 240,
and Volney: Researches
in Anc't History,p. 42.
1

"

Steinthal: The

Ibid.

Quoted by Count de Volney: Researches

History,p. 42, note.
Volney : Researches in Ancient History,

in Ancient
*

p. 42.

AND

SAMSON

It is related of Hercules that he had

Centaurs,who

armed

were

Pholos,where Hercules
to
obliged

was

but he

contend

off

came

was, when

fields,
Phlegraean

near

Samson's next wonderful

of Judah
when
which

"

bound

he

was

bound

from off his hands.

force

were

"c.
of

cave

Hercules

single-handed,
of them.1

great number

an
foughtagainst

ofgiants,

army

Cumae."
"

when

was
exploit

him with cords and

the Philistines

the

surrounded

of

army

violent fight
ensued.

and slew
victorious,
and

an

rocks,axes,
pine sticks,

armed
this large
against

Hercules also encountered

at the

with

combat

confusion,and

flocked in wild

They

witli

69

EXPLOITS.

HIS

three thousand

men

broughthim

up into Lehi,
about to take his life. The cords with

and loosened
became
as
flax,
immediately
of an ass,slew one
He then,
with the jaw-bone

thousand Philistines.3
of Hercules.
history
who wish to take
He is made
by the Egyptians,
prisoner
to slay
his life,
but while theyare preparing
him, he breaks loose
the
his bonds
having been tied with cords and kills Buseris,
A

very similar feature to this is found

in the

"

"

band, and the whole retinue.*

On another occasion,
beingrefused shelterfrom

leader of the
he

was

whole

enragedat

the

and
inhabitants,

Kos,
the
destroyed
accordingly
a

storm

at

town.*

Samson, after he had slain

thousand

"

was
Philistines,

sore

and called upon Jehovah,his father in heaven,to succor

athirst,"
him, whereupon,water immediately
gushedforth from "a hollow

placethat

in the

jaw-bone."
from the Indies (orrather Ethiopia),
and
Hercules,departing
his army through
the desert of Lybia,feels a burning
conducting
and conjures
him in his danger.
to succor
Ihou,his father,
thirst,
was

Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 251.

slaughterof the Centaurs by Hercules
is the conquest and dispersionof the vapors
by the Sun as he rises in the heaven.'1 (Cox:
Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 47.)
2
Murray: Manual of Mythology, p. 257.
8
Shamgar also slew six hundred Philistines
with an ox goad. (See Judges, iii.31.)
It is scarcelynecessary to say that these
are
the heritageof all the Solar heroes,
weapons
that they are found in the hands of Phehus and
Herakles,of GMipus, Achilleus,Philoktetes,of
Siguard,Rustem, Indra, Isfendnjar,of Te'.e
phos, Meleagros, Theseus, Kadmos, Beliero
phon, and all other slayers of noxious and
fearful things."
(Rev. Geo. Cox: Tales of
Ancient Greece, p. xxvii.)
4 See
in Ancient
His.
Volney: Researches
tory, p. 41. Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. p.
1

"

"

See

239;

The

vol. i. p. 213, and

ogy, pp. 259-262.

Montfaucon

It is evident

historian, was
says: "The
ariived in

L'Antiquite Expliqnee,

Murray: Manual
that

of

Mythol-

Herodotus, the Grecian

of a skeptic,for he

somewhat

Grecians

say that

'

When

Hercules

Egypt, the Egyptians,having crowned him with a garland,led him in procession,

as
designing lo sacrifice him to Jupiter, and
(hat
when

for

some

time

he

remained

quiet,but

they began the preparatory ceremonies

he set about defending
upon him at the altar,
himself and slew every one
of them.'
Now,
was
since Hercules
but one,
and, besides,a
mere
as
they confess,how is it possible
man,
that he should slaymany thousands?"
(Herodotus, book ii.eh. 45).
'Murray: Manual of Mythology,p. 263.

70

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Ram
the (celestial)
Instantly
appears. Hercules follows him and
and there
where the Ram
arrives at a place
scrapes with his foot,
comes
fortha springof water}
instantly
sixth exploit
Samson's
happened when he went to Gaza to
visita harlot.

The

who
Gazites,

but Samson
all night,

for him

left the town

and the
gatesof the city,
He carried them to the top of a hill,
some
with him
them

the

laid wait
life,

and
midnight,

at

took

posts,on his shoulders.

two

away, and left

miles
fifty

there.

storyvery much

This

"

called the
Count
"

to take his

wished

that :
his shoulders

representednaked, carrying on

was

Pillars of Hercules,"

of Cadiz."*

Yolneytells us

de

Hercules

Gates

"

that of the

resembles

two

columns

called the Gates of Cadiz."8

"

Pillars of Hercules

The

to the two

formingthe

rocks

at the

Strait of Gibraltar.4

Greeks

to

of

on
Hercules,

"

the

was

entrance

Their

or

one

the ancients

gateto the Mediterranean

erection

the occasion of his

Geryon. Accordingto

givenby

name

ascribed

was

journeyto

version of the

the

by

the

kingdom

story,theyhad been

united,
tore them

asunder.5

Fig.No.
with

Hercules

but

3 is

resentati
repof Hercules

the two

posts

or

his shoulders,
on
pillars
as

de

alluded to

by

Yolney.

We

Count
have

taken it fromMontfaucon's

"

L' Antiquite
Ex-

pliquee."8
J. P. Lundy says

of

this:
1

Volney: Researches
41,42.
In Bell's
Gods

of

"

in Anc't

Pantheon

History, pp.

of the Gods

and Demi-

Antiquity," we

read, under the head

of Amman
or
Hammon
of the
(the name
Egyptian Jupiter,worshiped under the figure
of a Ham), that:
Bacchus
having subdued
his army
Asia, and passing with
through
the deserts of Africa, was
in great want
of
water ; but Jupiter,his father, assuming the
shape of a Earn, led him to a fountain,where
"

he refreshed
of

himself

which

and

his

favor, Bacchus

quital
army ; in rebuilt there a

temple to Jupiter,under the title of Ammon."

a Cadiz
(ancientGades), being situated near
the mouth

of

author

mentions

who

the

Mediterranean.

The

first

the Pillars of Hercules

is

Pindar, and he places them there.

bers's
(ChamEncyclo. "Hercules.'1)
3
See
also
Volney's Researches, p. 41.
Tylor: Primitive Culture,vol. i. p. 357.
4 See Chambers's
cules."
Encyclopaedia,Art "HerCory's Ancient Fragments, p. 36, note;
and Bnlfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 201.
"Chambers's
Encyclo., art. "Hercules.'*
" Vol. i.
plate cxxvii.

"

carryinghis

Hercules
have

may

columns

two

to

reference to the Hebrew

some

71

EXPLOITS.

HIS

AND

SAMSON

erect at

Straits of Gibraltar,

the

story."1

the name
cules
HerBy changing
is complete.
into Samson, the legend
tells us, in his
Sir William Drummond
(EdipusJudaicus,"
We

doubt of it.

think there is no

"

that

Gaza

a Goat, and
signifies

the type of the Sun

ancient Astronomers

in

Capricorn. The Gates

to be in Capricornand
were
feigned by the
of
Cancer
Samson
(thatis,in Gaza), from which signsthe tropicsare named.
carried away the gates from
Gaza to Hebron, the cityof conjunction. Now,
Count Gebelin tells us that at Cadiz, where Hercules
was
worshiped,
anciently
there was a representation
of him, with a gate on his shoulders."*
"

was

the Sun

The

storiesof the

with Delilah and

of Samson

amours

of those of Hercules
are
females,
simplycounterparts
and Iole. Montfaucon,
of this,
speaking
says :
"

Nothingis better

with

and

Omphale

Omphale

of Hercules)than his amours

(related

Iole."3

Prof. Steinthal says

The circumstance

"

in the fables

known

with

other

is so addicted to sexual

that Samson

has itsorigin
pleasure,
procreation.
We have as examples,the amours
of Hercules and Omphale ; Ninyas,in Assyria,
with Semiramis;Samson, inPhilistia,
with Delila,
whilst among the Phenicians,

in the remembrance

Melkart pursues

Samson
razor

God

godisthe

god of fruitfulness and

Dido-Anna."4

is said to have had

"

longhair.

There

hath not

for I have been

"

come

and
also,

he

was

often

that
represented

"5

L'Antiquite
Expliquee may
with hair reaching
almost

be

seen

Nazarite unto

a
upon my head,"says he,
from my mother's womb."
Now, strangeas it may appear, Hercules is said to have had

hair
"

that the Solar

long

In Montfaucon's

way.

of Hercules
representation

to his waist.

Almost

all Sun-gods

thus.8
represented

are

Prof. Goldzhier says :

"Long

locks of hair and

The Sun's rays

1

Monumental

(Ed.

p. 239.
" "Eien

Jud.
de

p.

are

compared

long beard
with

Christianity,
p. 399.
360, in Anacalypsis, vol. i.

dans la fable que

plus connu
Omphale et Iole."" L'Antiquite Expliquee, vol. i. p. 224.
* The
Legend of Samson, p. 404.
6
Vol. i. plate cxxvii.
""Samson
was
remarkable
for his long
hair. The meaning of this trait in the origInal myth is easy to guess, and
appears also
ses

amours

avec

are

attributes
mythological

locks of hair

on

the face

or

head

of the Sun.
of the Sun.

from

representationsof the San-god amongst

peoples. These long hairs are the rays
of the Sun.1" (Biblefor Learners, i. 416.)
"The
beauty of the sun's rays is signified
by the golden locks of Phoibos, over which no
has ever
razor
passed ; by the flowing hair
streams
of Kephalos,
which
the head
from
other

and

falls

over

the

shoulders

of Perseus

and

Bellerophon." (Cox: Aryan Mytho., ttt).t

p. 107.)

72

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"When

the

sets and

sun

Sun

powerful Summer

leaves

his

is succeeded

Samson's long locks,in which

'

his deceitful concubine, Delilah,

the
to the meaning of the name
(Delilah). The

called the Unshaven ; and Minos

latterloseshis goldenhair."1

Through the influence

prisoner.He tellsher the
shaven

are

and
off,

cannot

of

the shoulders of
which

locks,over

they become a
The long locks

his

lah,she

is at last made

of his

the seven
locks
strength,
leaves him.
The shearing
strength

be followed

Lykegenesflow

Phoibos

flow

of hair which

darkness and ruin.

by

the

mysteriouspower.3

his shoulders

over

sacred

the head of Nisos

on

razor

delivers him

thus

then

'

mightpass, and
invested with
palladium,
no

the

Sun,
through the
ing
languishing,
languid,accordBeaming Apollo,moreover, is
the solar hero Nisos,tillthe

Delilah,Samson

while
by Skylla,

from his head

conquer

secret

of the locks of the Sun must

From

when

by
rays of the Winter
alone his strengthlies,
cut off
are

treacheryof

of hair

the darkness, or

place to

the weak

are

taken

he is asleep,
and,like another Deli*

and

his

peopleinto

the

power

of

Minos.*

Prof. Steinthal says of Samson

hair is a

"His

figureof

to have

increase and

luxuriant

lost all strength,

the

fullness.

In

Winter,when

god
growing young lifehas lost
the
hair
to life again.
Spring
grows again,and nature returns
Of this original
conceptionthe Bible story stillpreserves a trace. Samson's hair,

nature

appears
his hair. In the

after

being cut off,grows

again,and

his

of

strengthcomes

back

with it."4

the end

of his career, Samson's eyes are put out.

to the old
here,the Hebrew writes with a singular
fidelity

Towards
Even

of evening
is blotted out by the
speech.The tender light
mythical
dark vapors ; the lightof the Sun is quenchedin gloom. Samson's
eyes

are

put

out.

whose history
resembles
(Edipus,

that of Samson

and Hercules

tears out his eyes, towards the end of his career.

respects,
In other words,the Sun has blinded himself. Clouds and darkness
have closed in about him, and the clear light
is blotted out of

in many

the heaven.*
The

final act,Samson's

and decisively
death,reminds us clearly
of the Phenician Hercules,
who died at the Winter
as
Sun-god,
Solstice in the furthest West, where his two pillars
set up to
are
the end of his

mark

Samson

the Pillars of the

not

of

wanderings.
but
pillars,

also died at the two

World, but

are

A feast was
great banqueting-hall.

"

Hebrew

The

Cox

"

Cox:

Mytho., pp. 187,138.

Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 84.
Tales of Ancient Greece, p. xxix.
:

in his

case

they are

up in the middle
being held in honor of

onlyset

Legend of Samson, p. 408.

Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 72.

74

MYTHS.

BIBLE

CaptainWilf

"

ord says, in

Asiatic Researches

"

Indian
Hercules, according to Cicero,was called Belus. He is the
Bala, the brother of Crishna, and both are conjointly
worshiped at
Incarnation
considered
Avatar
or
of Vishnou.
as
one
Mutra; indeed, they are
"The

same

as

Bala

is

representedas

with

stout man,

club in Ms hand.

He

is also called

Bala-rama."1

is a Hindoo

There

with

counter

legendwhich relatesthat Sevah

tiger,whose mouth expanded like
"

had
a

an

en*

cave, and

slew the monster, and,like

covered himself with the skin.2
Hercules,
whose

voice resembled

The
a

Sandan

Semitic
He

Sandon.

or

nations,
worshiped

also

was

believed to

with
and frequently
lion-Jciller,
figuredstruggling

the

lion,

the slain lion.3

standing
upon

or

He

both
Assyriansand Lydians,

Sun-godnamed

be

thunder."

Ninevah,too,had

her

mightyhero and king,who slew a

and other monsters.
in his excavations,
discovered a
Layard,
of this hero triumphing
the lion
over
relief
representation

lion
basand

wild bull.4
The

Ancient
The

name.

had
Babylonians

hero

Izdubar by
lion-slayer,

destruction of the

bar,
and other monsters,by Izdulion,
and engravedgems belongcylinders
ing

is often

the
on
depicted
to the early
Babylonian
monarchy.6
Izdubar is represented
as a great or
mightyman, who, in the
wild animals,
and conquered
earlydays after the flood,
destroyed
of pettykings.*
a number
Izdubar
than
that he

"

resembles
as

wandered

held and

the Grecian

spects
hero,Hercules,in other reWe
of wild animals,"c.
told
are
destroyer
where gigantic
to the regions
sters
compositemon-

controlled the

and setting
rising
sun, from these
learned the road to the region
and passing
across
a
of the blessed,
great waste of land,he arrived at a regionwhere splendidtrees
laden with jewels"1
were
He also resembles Hercules,
in
Samson, and other solar-gods,
the particular
of long
flowinglocks of hair. In the Babylonian
and Assyrian
he is alwaysrepresented
with a marked
sculptures
indicated as a man
and always
with masses
physiognomy,
of curls
his head and a large
over
curlybeard.8

1
a

Vol. v. p. 270.
Indian
Maurice:

vol.
Antiquities,

ii. p.

155.
"

Steinthal

The

Legend

of

Samson,

886.
"

Buckley: Cities of the World, 41,42.

p.

Smith:

Assyrian Discoveries,p. 167,and

of Genesis, p. 174.
"
Assyrian Discoveries,p. 205, and Chaldean Account
of Genesis, p. 174.
T Chaldean
of Genesis, p. 810.
Account
"
Ibid, pp. 193,194,174.

Chaldean

Account

AND

SAMSON

was

He

is the Babylonian
Here,evidently,
legendof Hercules. He too
a wanderer,
goingfrom the furthest East to the furthest West.
visited
crossed a great waste of land
(the desert of Lybia),
"

"

of the blessed,"
where
region
with jewels (golden
apples).
The ancient Egyptianshad
the

"

75

EXPLOITS.

HIS

there

were

"

trees
splendid

laden

"

he
Herodotus,

hero of that
was

torn in their
The

cian
years before the Greand that he
This the Egyptians
affirmed,

name.

country.1

storyof Hercules

in the

known

was

Island of
settled

Thasos,by the Phenician

there,five centuries before

known

in Greece.2

ancient

Fig.No. 4 is
of Hercules
representation

with the

Accordingto

several thousand

known

was

their Hercules.

taken
lion,

from

colony
he
from
in

was

an
flict
con-

Gorio.

mighty hero was the Grecian

Bellerophon.The minstrels sang of the
beautyand the greatdeeds of Bellerophon
allthe land of Argos. His arm
throughout
Another

strong in battle; his feet

was

the chase.

None

that

were

were

poor

swift in
and weak

ophon.
might of BellerTo them the sightof his beautiful
form brought
onlyjoyand gladness
; but the proud and boastful,
the slanderer and the robber,dreaded the glance
of his keen eye.
For a long time he foughtthe Solymiand the Amazons, until
all his enemies shrank from the stroke of his mighty arm, and
soughtfor mercy.9
The second of the principal
godsof the Ancient Scandinavians
wretched

and

named

was

feared the

Thor, and

was

nations.

The Edda

of Odin.

He

less known

than Odin

tonic
the Teuamong
callshim expressly
the most valiant of the
no

considered the

"

"

defender and avenger."

He
which,as often as he discharged
alwayscarried a mallet,
it,
returned to his hand of itself; he graspedit with gauntlets
of
and was further possessed
of a girdle
which had the virtue of
iron,
his strength
needful.
It was
with these
was
as often as
renewing
formidable arms
that he overthrew to the groundthe monsters
and
when he was sent by the godsto oppose their enemies.
He
giants,
and as the stoutest and strongest
of gigantic
was
size,
represented
sons

See

Knight: Anct.

was

Tacitus: Annals, book

Art

and

ii.ch. lix.

Hytko., p. 92.

"

"

See Tales of Ancient Greece,p. 168.

76

BIBLE

of

the

Tlior

gods.1

nations.

He

Without
not

of

West,

that

did

and

94,

O.

See

417,
a

See

"

See

W.

Cox
vol.

Cox.

have

cf

Northern

the

from
its

safely

can

we

the

East

remotest

hero,

mighty

say,

and

that

there
the

to

was

furthest
of

counterpart

cules
Her-

Samson.3

Mallet's
and

them,

antiquity,
not

Hercules

personified.5

Sun

enumerating

nation

the

simply

was

the

was

MYTHS.

"

Antiquities,

Northern

pp.

514.
:

Besides
and

Jupiter
Aryan

i.

of

Mythology.
Aryan

Mythology,

times,

by

Rev.

of

its

phy,

no

own

Translator

the

fabulous

warlike

nation

particular
cf

the

Hercules,
there

Alcmena,

Hercules."

Tacitus.)

in

was,

who

did

not

(Arthur

of

son

ancient
boast
Mur-

CHAPTER

JONAH

SWALLOWED

IX.

BY

BIO

FISH.

four chapters,
told
we
are
Jonah, containing
the word of the Lord came
unto Jonah,saying
:
Arise,go to Ninfor their wickedness is come
and cry against
evah,that greatcity,
it,

In the book

of

"

me."
against
Jonah soughtto flee from
Instead of obeyingthis command
For this purthe presence of the Lord," by going to Tarshish.
pose
he went
to Joppa, and there took shipfor Tarshish. But
the Lord sent a great wind, and there was
a
mighty tempest,so
that the shipwas
to be broken.
likely
The mariners beingafraid,
theycried every one unto his God ;
lots that theymight know which
of them was the
and casting
of the storm
the lot fell upon Jonah,showinghim to be the
cause
man.
guilty

up

"

"

"

The mariners then said unto him ; " What shall we do unto thee ?"
Jonah in replysaid," Take me
forth into the sea,
up and cast me
for I know

that for my sake this

they took up Jonah,and cast him

greattempest is upon you." So

into the sea, and the

sea

ceased

raging.
And
Jonah
Then
Lord

the Lord

prepareda great fish to swallow up Jonah, and

in the bellyof the fishthree days and three nights.
was
Jonah prayedunto the Lord out of the fish'sbelly.And the
and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry
spake unto the fish,

land.
The

Lord

againspakeunto Jonah and said :

Go unto Ninevah
and preachunto
it." So Jonah arose and
went
unto
of the Lord,and
to the command
Ninevah,according
preachedunto it.
There is a Hindoo fable,
to be found
this,
very much resembling
in the Somadeva
of Sahtideva
Bhatta,of a person by the name
who was
swallowed by a huge fish,
and finally
out unhurt.
came
"

The storyis as follows :

"
There was once
a

king'sdaughterwho

would

marry
[77]

no

one

78

BIBLE

but the
and

who

man

Saktideva

the world

had

the Golden

seen

in love with her ;

was

some
seeking

In the

Citywas.
shipbound

MYTHS.

who

one

of his

course

for the Island of

"

could tellhim where this Golden

he
journeys

of the

servants

King

wonderingat its

embarked

where
Utsthala,

the voyage there arose

a great storm
and a greatfishswallowed Saktideva

fate,the fish went

"

he went

so

Fishermen,who, Saktideva hoped,would

force of

fame
legendary
about
travelling

of

City

and the

on

King of
to

the
On

his way.

shipwent

pieces,

whole.

Then, driven by the

and there the
Utsthala,

to the Island of

of the Fishermen

had it cut
size,

lived the

set him

board

on

caughtit,and

open, and

the

Saktideva

king,
out

came

unhurt."1
Hercules is said to have been swallowed by
fable,

In Grecian

whale,at

placecalled

Joppa,and

to have lain three

days in his

entrails.
Bernard

of Jonah beingswallowed by
Montfaucon,
speaking
of Grecian sculpture
and describing
a whale,
a piece
representing
Hercules standing
by a huge sea monster, says :
"

Some

ancients

the whale
and

de

that

that he

came

out

bald-patedafter
"

great fish which

up of

Therefore
a

Dag,

and

story of Jonas

three

was

We

for the

nightsin

the

in the Grecian
to have

fable Hercules is said to have

lain three

days in

lowed
been swal-

his entrails."3

this subject
:

swallowed

up by a whale, is nothing but part of the

Heracleid or Labors of Hercules, of whom
was

swallowed

up

at

the very

periodof time, three days. Lycophron says

bellyof a fish."4

same

place,

that Hercules

have stillanother similar storyin that of "Arion the Musician,"

who, beingthrown overboard,was caughton the back of a

Dolphin and
"

same

sojournthere."2

up Jonah, although it be called a whale

called
whale, properlyso called,but a Dog-fish,

fiction of Hercules,described in the

the same
told, and who
story was

Joppa,and

by
belly,

swallowed
not

GodfreyHigginssays, on
"The

three days in Ms

Hist, d'Animal,"tellsus that

(Matt.xii. 40),yet it was

Carcharias.

his

also swallowed

was

watching Hesione, that he remained

Bouchet,in his
"The

the effect that Hercules

relate to

was

landed

Tales of Ancient
Arion

was

safe

on

The

shore.

story is related in

Greece,"as follows :

Corinthian

harperwho

had travelled in

p. 240.

Tylor: Early Hist. Mankind, pp. 344. 345.

"
En effet,
quelques anciens disentqu'Hercule fut aussi devora par la beleine qui gurdoit
trois jours dans eon
Hesione, qu'il demeura
ventre, et qu'il sortit chauve de ce sejour."
Expliquee, vol. i. p. 204.)
(L'Antiiuite

Bouchet:

and
Sicily

Hist, d1 Animal, in

Anac, vol. i.

4
Seo also
Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 638.
Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. 306, and
Tyloi
Chambers's
Encyclo.,art. "Jonah."
.

and
Italy,

he
city,

native

set sail from

79

FISH.

BIG

Beingdesirous of again

greatwealth.

had accumulated

seeinghis

BY

SWALLOWED

JONAH

Taras for Corinth.

The

havingseen the largeboxes full of money which

ship,
with him into the ship,
made up their minds to
Arion had brought
kill him and take his gold and silver. So one day when he was
the bow of the ship,
and looking
down
the dark
on
on
sitting
blue sea, three or four of the sailors came
to him and said they
were
goingto kill him. Now Arion knew theysaid this because
they wanted his money; so he promisedto give them all he
had if they would spare his life. But they would not.
Then
When
he asked them to let him jump into the sea.
they had
Arion took one lastlook at the bright
givenhim leave to do this,
and sunny sky,and then leapedinto the sea, and the sailorssaw
sailorsin the

him

no

But Arion

more.

not

was

drowned

in the sea, for

great

fish called a

was
dolphin
swimmingby the shipwhen Arion leaped
its back and swam
over
; and it caughthim on
away with him
towards Corinth.
So presently
close to the shore and
the fish came
left Arion on the beach,and swam
away againinto the deepsea.1
There is also a Persian legendto the effect that Jemshid
was
devoured by a great monster
him
the
for
of
at
bottom
waiting

the sea, but afterwards rises againout of the sea, like Jonah in the
Hebrew, and Hercules in the Phenician myth.2 This legendwas
also found in the

mythsof the New World.9

It was
urged,many years ago, by E-osenmuller an eminent
German
divine and professor
of theology and other critics,
that
the miracle recorded in the book of Jonah is not to be regarded
as
historicalfact, hut only as an allegory,
cian
an
founded on the PheniHesione from the sea monster
myth of Hercules rescuing
by
into
its
three
and
and
three
leaping
jaws;
himself
for
days
nights
its
to
tear
entrails."*
continuing
That the storyis an allegory,
and that it,
well as that of
as
Hercules and the rest,are simplydifferent versions of
Saktideva,
the same
of which is the alternate swallowing
myth,the significance
and
forth of Day, or the Sun, by Night,is now
all
casting
up
but universally
admitted by scholars. The Day, or the Sun, is
swallowed up by Night,to be set free againat dawn, and from
"

"

"

time to time suffers a

and
eclipse

like but

shorter durance in the

maw

of the

the storm-cloud.6

Professor Goldzhier says

1

Tales of AncieDt

See Hebrew

Greece, p. 296.
Mythology, p. 203.
* See
Tylor's Early Hist. Mankind,
Primitive Culture,vol. i.

and

Chambers's

See Fiske

Encyclo.,art. Jonah.
Myths and Myth Makers, p. 77,
and note ; and Tylor : Primitive Culture,i.302.
:

80

BIBLE

MYTHS.

prominent mythical characteristic of the story of Jonah is his

This trait is eminently
in the sea in the bellyof a whale.
As on occasion of the storm
Solar.
the storm-dragon or the stormhe sets,he (Jonah,as a perscmificatioi)
of
serpent swallows the Sun, so when
for
him
of
the
bottom
the
the Sun) is swallowed
at
a
fish,
waiting
by
mighty
sea.
Then, when he appears again on the horizon, he is spitout on the sJwre by
The

"

most

abode

celebrated

the sea-monster."1

The

Sun

called Jona,as appears from Grater's

was

inscriptions,

and other sources.3

In the Vedas

the four sacred books of the Hindoos

"

when

"

Day

the one
NightySun and Darkness,are opposedto each other,
is designated
Red, the other Black?
The Red Sun beingswallowed up by the Dark Earth at Night
it sets in the west
it apparently
is when
to be cast forth
as
Jonah,Hercules
againat Day, is also illustrated in like manner.
and others personify
the Sun, and a huge Fish representsthe
Earth.*
The Earth represented
is one of the most
a huge Fish
as
prominentideas of the Polynesian
mythology."
At other times,instead of a Fish,we have a greatraving
Wolf,
its
victim
the
who
to devour
and extinguish $im-light.*
comes
in ancient Scandinavian
The Wolf is particularly
distinguished
Power,
beingemployedas an emblem of the Destroying
mythology,
and

"

"

attempts to destroythe Sun.1

which

This is illustrated in the

storyof Little Red Riding-Hood(theSun)8who

and afterwards comes
the greatBlack Wolf (Night)
The

is devoured

by

unhurt.9

out

story of Little Red Riding-Hoodis mutilated in the English

The

version.

shinmg Red
that she

swallowed

Cloak,was
out

came

that the littlemaid, in her

original
storywas
safeand

sound

the

by

when

greatBlack

Wolf,and

the hunters cut open the

beast.10
sleeping

Goldzhier:

Hebrew

This is seen

from

the

Culte

des

Pictet

"

Du

Mythology, pp. 102,103.

following,taken from
p. 104, and

Carabi"

"

quoted by Higgins : Anac., vol. i.p. 650 : Vallancy dit que Ionn 6toit le meme
que Baal.
Gallois Jon, le Seignenr, Dieu, la cause
En
premiere. En Basque Jawna, Jon, Jona, "c,
Les Scandinaves
Dieu, et Seigneur, Maitre.
des
Une
appeloient le Soleil John.
de Gruler montre
inscriptions
ques les Troyens
.

adoroient

le

meme

astre

sous

le

nom

de Jona.

Thus
appele Jawnah."
called Jonah, by difsee
that the Sun was
we
ferent nations of antiquity.
* See Goldzhier
: Hebrew
Mythology, p. 146.
4 See
Tylor : Early History of Mankind, p.
345, and Goldzhier : Hebrew
Mythology, pp.
En

Persan

102, 103.

le Soleil est

"

See

Tylor : Early History of Mankind, p.

345.
"

Fiske

See

Myths and

Myth Makers, p. 77.

Art and Mythology,
pp. 88,89, and Mallet's Northern Antiquities.
8 In ancient
Scandinavian
mythology, the
Sun
is personifiedin the form of a beautiful
maiden.
(See Mallet's Northern Antiquities,
p. 458.)
" See Fiske
: Myths and Myth Makers, p. 77.
Bunce : Fairy Tales, 161.
10
Tylor : Primitive Culture, vol. i.p. 307.
"
The
story of Little Red Riding-Hood, as
from
call her,or Little Red-Cap, came
we
the
:

Knight :

Ancient

(i.e., the ancient

same

fers to the Sun

"

One

Aryan

or

and

the

Aryan)

the

fancies

Hindoo

stories

of

source,

and

re-

Night."
of
was

the

most

ancient

that there

was

82

BIBLE

MYTHS.

here,and that,in this

is partlyinterwoven
tion,"so called,1
he is nothingmore

Oannes.

the Chaldean

or

than the Indian

Fish

Avatar

spect,
re-

nou,
of Vish-

his first Avatar, Vishnou is

At

or halfappearedto humanity in form like a fish,3

and half-fish,
man
justas Oannes and Dagon were represented
among
the Chaldeans and other nations. In the templeof Rama, in India,
which answers
there is a representation
of Vishnou
to
perfectly
his
"Hist. Hindostan,"has
that of Dagon.3 Mr. Maurice, in
proved the identityof the SyrianDagon and the Indian Fish
Avatar,and concludes by saying:

have

to
alleged

"

From

to think

the

Pisces of the

varietyof parallelcircumstances,I am inclined

Oannes, the Phenician and Philistian Dagon, and the
the same
Egyptian Zodiac, were
deitywith the Indian

foregoingand

that the Chaldean

Syrianand

Vishnu."*

In the old

remains of the Chaldeans,

mythological
compiledby
there is an
Berosus, Abydenns,and Polyhistor,
of one
account
who rendered great service to mankind.6
This
Oannes, a fish-god,
out of the Erythraean
Sea." This is
beingis said to have come
the Sun risingout of the sea, as it apparently
evidently
does,in

the East.7
Prof.
"That

of Oannes,says :
Goldzhier,
speaking
this founder

in all other

'During

the

of cizilization has

nations,is shown

day-timeOannes

...

held

Solar character,
like similar heroes

"

in

the

intercourse

words
with

of Berosus, who

man,

out

when

the Sun

says:

set,

Oannes
the

fellinto the sea, where he used to pass the night.' Here, evidently,
only
Sun can be meant, who, in the evening,dips into the sea, and comes
forth

again

in the

morning,

and

passes

the

day

the

on

dry land

in the company

of

men."8
as a
man
Dagon was sometimes represented
emergingfrom a
mouth, and sometimes as half-man and half-fish.9 It was
fish's
in a ship,
and taught
believed that he came
the people. Ancient
abounds with such mythological
There was also
history
personages.10
the Hindoos, represented
a Durga, a fish deity,
as a full
among
mouth?
The Philistines woremergingfrom a fish's
grown man

See Goldzhier

's Hebrew

Mythology, p. 198,

See

p. 277.
3 See

See

Maurice

Indiau

Antiquities,vol. ii.

Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 259. Also,

Fig.No. 5, next page.
* Hist.
Hindostan, vol. i. pp. 418-419.
6
See Prichard's Egyptian Mythology, p. 190.
Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 87.
Higgins :
Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 646. Cory's Ancient
Fragments, p. 57.

Higgins

Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 646.

of Genesis, p. 39,
and Cory's Ancient
Fragments, p. 57.
7
diffuse intelligence
Civilizinggods, who
and instruct barbarians,are also Solar Deities.
Among these Oannes takes his place,as the
Sun-god, giving knowledge and civilization.
(Rev. S. Baring-Gould : Curious Myths, p. 367.
8 Goldzhier
:
Hebrew
Mythology, pp. 214,
Smith

et seq.

Chaldean

Account

215.
"
19

See Inman's

See Chamber's

Ancient

Faiths,vol. i.p. 111.

Encyclo.,art "Dagon."

8WALLOWED

JONAH

BY

BIG

83

FISH.

MythologyOddkon
shipedDagon,and in Babylonian
who rose from the waters of the Red
a fish-likebeing,

is applied
to
Sea

as

of

one

the benefactors of men.1

On
the

the coins of

goddessDerceto

Ascalon,where
or

her lower extremities like

Joppa

at

as

Moon, who

and

of the Sun.

course

Sun-godPhoibos

shared

by

the

traverses

impartslessons of wisdom

forth from

greathonor,

At times she manifests

at others she seeks concealment

herself to the eyes of men,

Western flood.3
The

held in

was

with
as a
woman
represented
fish. This is Semiramis,
who appeared
She is simplya personification
of the

mermaid.

follows the

she

is
Atergatis

and

in the form

sea

goodnesswhen

the green depths. All these powers

Proteus in Hellenic story,
well as
as

in the

of

he has

fish,

come

are
qualities
by
fish-god,
or

the

Oannes.*

Dagon or

In the Iliad and

Atlas is brought
into close connection
Odyssey,
with Helios,
the bright
god,the Latin Sol,and our Sun. In these
he rises every morningfrom a beautiful lake by the deeppoems
his journey
flowingstream of Ocean,and having accomplished
the heavens,
across
plungesagaininto the Western waters.4
The ancient Mexicans and Peruvians had likewisesemi-fishgods/
Jonah then,is like these other personages, in so far as they
all personifications
are
of the Sun / theyall come out of the sea :
as
they are all represented
a
man
emergingfrom a
fisKsmouth / and they are
all benefactors
of mankind.
We
believe, therefore,
that

it

is

to

we

certain extent

differentnations,
just

among
seen

the

nes,
myth, whether Oandiffering
or Jonas,8
Joannes,

same

as

and

one

find to be the

with

case

illustratedin the

storyof

other
"

is considerably
mutilated in the
1

See Smith's

Dictionary of the Bible,and

in both.
Encyclo.,art. Dagon
See Baring-Gould's Curious Myths.
See Cox : Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 26.
Ibid,p. 38.
Curious Myths, p. 372.

Chambers's
3

"
"
"
"

legends.This we have just

Little Red Riding-Hood,"
which
Englishversion.

"

Since writingthe above

Bryant,in

his

"

we

(vol.ii.p. 291),speaking of the mystical

ogy''''

find that Mr.

"Analysisof Ancient Mythol-

nature

of the

Jonah, says

name
"

The

John, which

is the

same

as

prophet who was sent upon

an
embassy to the Ninevites,is styledJonas :
a title probably bestowed
senger
upon him as a mesof the Deity. The greatPatriarch who
preached righteousnessto the Antediluvians,
is styled Oan and Oannes, which is 04 satm
"

Jonah."

84

BIBLE

Fig.

No.

is

half-fish

and
It

mouth.

fish's

of

representation

lialf-man

creature

MYTHS.

from

just

should
has

god
with

triple

the

that

he

is

extending

arms

world.
is
with

shell,
show

The

book

the

and

book

p.

the

From

and

Maurice

in

place
sword
of

the

Hist.

an

the

number

are

to

its

eight

of

the

"

i.

vol.

Hindostan,

Calmet's

vol.

Anacalypsis,
Fragments,

2d

which

e.,

Avatar

ruled

See

the

being

evidently
world,

four

corners

is

eternal

means

his

four
the

of
in

seen

one

reward.

which
both

The

is

convolutions,

he

had
emblem

ova

whole

cycles

the

he

intended

occupied.

the

in

right

i. p.

Hundred,

634.

p.

See
78.

chapter

"

on

The

of

is

Trinity,"

second.

part

Higgins

of

emblem

It

sword.4

495.

also,

i.

which

circle,

that

show

the

of

these,

of

arms,

the
to

The

hand,

to

of

god

swer
an-

surmounted

head,

Indian

four

with

of

both

The

trinity?

represented

his

meaning,

same

would

divinity.

both

in

on

sentation
repre-

Yishnou,

It

Hindoo

ornament,

the

evidently

of

crown

that

noticed

be

representation

the

for

does

it

as

of

fish.11

for

is

61

Avatar

the

well

as

No.

from

emerging

man

Indian

from

illustrate

to

Fig.

the

forth

Jonah,

Layard.
of

coming

intended

perhaps,

; or,

taken

is

Dagon,

"

See

Higgins

Anacalypeis,

vol

I. p.

640.

X.

CHAPTER
OEROUMCISION.

In the words of the Rev. Dr. Giles

rite of circumcision

The

"

must

not

be

that

in any work

passedover

concerns

and literature of that (theJewish) people."1

religion

the

of

first mention

The

the

in
Circumcision,

the Israelites to

Genesis,3where God is said to have commanded

establish a covenant
and thereby
performthis rite,
is my covenant
(saidthe Lord), which ye shall
thy seed after thee; every male child among
you

and

you

"

says the Rev. Dr.

that all his
givento Abraham

need not doubt"

We

between

him

and

me

and

people:

his chosen
"This

in

Bible,occurs

command

was

keep, between

shall be circumcised."
"

Giles,

that

Divine

should
posterity

tice
prac-

the rite of circumcision."8

Such
Universe

the

be

may
communes

compelledto

admit

case.

If

believe that the

we

Lord

with man, we need not doubt this ;

that nations other than the Hebrews

of the

yet,we

are

practiced

other
originof it,however,as practiced
among
been clearly
It has been maintained
ascertained.
nations,has never
scholars that this rite drew its origin
from considerations of
by some
health and cleanliness,
which seems
althoughdoubted
very probable,
have been
its origin,
it is certain
by many.4 Whatever
may
that it was
practiced
by many of the ancient Eastern nations,
who
in contact with the Hebrews, in early
never
came
times,and,

this rite.

The

could
therefore,
The

Giles

not have

learned it from

circumcision
Egyptianspracticed

Hebrew

and

Christian

Records,vol.

i. p. 249.
8

Genesis, xvii. 10.

Giles

Records,vol.

Mr.

Herbert

Spencer shows

Sociology,pp. 290,295) that

part of the body

deity,was,
savage

and

tribes.

as

is

(Principlesof

the

of a
sacrificing
to their
religiousoffering
common

Circumcision

practice among
may

have

origin-

at

very

earlyperiod,*

ated in this way. And Mr. Wake, speaking of it,

"
The origin of this custom has not yet,so
says:
far

andChristian

Hebrew

i. p. 251.
*

them.

as

am

idea

The

aware,

been

that, under

explained.
satisfactorily
certain

climatic

con-

is necessary
for cleanliditions,circumcision
and comfort, does not appear
to be well
ness
is not universal even
founded, as the custom
within
the tropics." (Phallism in Ancient
Religs.,p. 36.)
"
leave
their private part*
Other men
"

"

86

BIBLE

at least as

as
early

MYTHS.

the fourthdynasty
"

the time

whom

writers have claimed the

with

and

therefore,

learned it.1
Egyptians
of Egyptiantombs, one
frequently
pictures

In the decorative
meets

"

assignedfor Joseph'sentry into Egypt,from

longbefore
some

pyramidone

whom

on

persons

the

of the prepuce

denudation

is

manifested.*
On

found

stone

II.

circumcision of Ramses

back, while

arms

submit

it before

to

is

is

mother

of the
representation
seen
holdingher boy's

operator kneels in front.8

the

and
circumcised,4

be

obligedto

were
priests

Thebes,there

at

being admitted

the

to

All

Egyptian
Pythagorashad to
Egyptiansacerdotal

mysteries.'
Herodotus,the Greek historian,
says
"

this practicecan

As

be traced both

in

say which
Syriansof Palestine acknowledge that

it is not
antiquity,
and

It has been

possibleto

recognized
among
practiced
among

Egypt and Ethiopia,to

firstintroduced

they borrowed

it.
it from

the remotest

The

Phenicians

Egypt."6

the

and other tribes of

ITaffirs
and Samoans
the Fijians
of

It was
Africa.''
The Suzees and the
of Australia*
and some
races
Polynesia,
The Assyrians,
Colchins,
Mandingoes circumcise their women.*
memorial
it.10
been
It has
from time imPhenicians,and others,practiced
a custom
though,at the present
among the Abyssinians,

time, Christians.11
The

may be assured from the fact of

Hollanders,(neverknown to civilized nations until a few

of
antiquity

the New

the custom

it.13
years ago)havingpracticed
the shore of the Red
The
on
Troglodytes

Ammonites, Moabites
The

as

they

who

are

circumcised

are

also

by nature, except those

from
them; but
circumcised.
They
otherwise

for

the

sake

of

cleanliness,

thinking it better to be clean than handsome."

(Herodotus, Book ii.ch. 36.)
1 We
have it also on the authority of Sir
estabJ. G.Wilkinson, that: "this custom
was
lished long before the arrival of Joseph in
Egypt," and that "this is proved by the ancient
monuments."
9

Bonwick:

Ibid. p. 415.
Ibid, and Knight: Ancient

ogy, p. 89.
" Bonwick's

Egyptian Belief,pp. 414,415.

"

Herodotus:

See

Egyptian Belief,p. 415.

Mythol-

rite.18 It
Book

was

also

ii.ch. 36.

Bon wick's

Egyptian Belief, p. 114.

Amberly: Analysis Religious Belief,p. 67, and
Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 309.
8 Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief, p. 414, and
Amberly's Analysis, pp. 63, 73.
*
Amberly: Analysis of Relig. Belief,p. 73.
10 Bon wick:
Egyptian Belief, p. 414; Amberly'sAnalysis, p. 63; Prog. Relig. Ideas,
vol. i. p. 163, and Inman:
Ancient
Faiths, vol.
ii.pp. 18, 19.
"
Bon wick
"

Art and

the

this
practiced

formed
learned

Egyptians

the

had
Ishmaelites,

ancient Mexicans

are

have

and

Sea,the Idumeans,
of circumcision.11
practice

Kendrick's

Egyptian Belief,p. 414.

Egypt, quoted by Dunlap;

Mysteries of Adoni, p. 146.

is
Amberly's Analysis,p. 63, Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. ii. p. 309, and Acosta, ii.369.

87

CIRCUMCISION.

found

the

among
well

as

their

as

circumcised.2
age
Jesus

They

from

law

pass

ere

of

Jesus.6

or

believe,

Orton

Andes

The

and

for

The

the

the
found

America,
Manaos
the

i. p.

time

of

and

still
it

Seas

different

In

his

the

p.

practiced

it

would

been

at

he

that

of

law

the

earth

should

be

of

the

of

the

religion

show

to

was

and

followers

not

Part

in

to

he

heaven

of

be

and

was,

which

and

the

really
certainly

as

"

able

the

this

been
but

all,

inhabitants

third

voyage,

Samoa

with

it is

the

On
but

the

ian
Austral-

majority

of

Captain

New
to

of
the

Among

adhere

Cook

found

it

Man,

Matthew,
In

Second

not

we

its

to

Islands,

the

younger

practice

in

Peschel

(Oscar

the
The

18.

the

that

Jesus
of

sense
a

doctrine,

in
from

the

of

but

repeat

of

of

his

command."

that

preach

or

form.

or

prophet
with
race

of

of Israel.
was

and

the

Mount,

law-givers

tones

Nazareth

shape,

way,

religion

religion

religion,

the
does

"the
the

word,

the

new

any

Beatitudes,

words

simply

mean

preacher

xl.)

and

22.)

p.

v.

establish

mighty

Friendly

the

ii. 21.

using

every

in

custom.

groups."

lips what

Caledonia
this

witness

Fiji

believe

We
in

in

of

of

Tongataboo,

at

bears

Luke,

Jesus,"

among

performed

or

In

practice.

met

circumcision.

Hebrides

Pritchard

iards
Span-

and

inhabitants

particular

Central

Tecuna

the

among

Races

Bible

the
in

the

Amazon,

manner.

New

p.

563, and

conquest,

observe

not

p.

clytoris.

Amazon,

nations

races,

continent,

the

he

are

be

319.

has

different

somewhat

Papuans,

the

on

the

the

iv.

vol.

vol.

tribes

tribes,

and

circumcised

South

three

arriving

upon

had

"

tittle

one

shall

we

Amazon,

off

cutting

Andes

Rome,

Learners,
"At

hy

done

was

Gibbon's

322.

and

declared

in
This

not

was

work.

Orton

rite

observed,

followers

are

322.
2

and

Christians

the

They

we

he

jot

But

This,

this

ing
circumcis-

who

circumcised

he

that

one

with.6

Pagans.

which

"

away

be

to

abrogating,

dispensed

Jewish

that

religion

dians,
In-

circumcised

woman

religion, so-called,

Christians

"

shall

of

all

on

far

of

women

singular

circumcised,4

was

Christian

the

incumbent

so

Nazareth

of

observe

These

habit

the

marry

this

the

in

were

Campas,
not

performed

America.1

puberty.8
of

founder

the

would

man

South

of

tribes,

Among

and

of

tribes
African

some

women.

themselves,

the

Amazon

Jew,

he

did

new

"The
of

the

persuasive
proclaimed

(See

chap,

CHAPTER

XL

CONCLUSION

These
which

are

be

principaland
in Part
but

In

Genesis

few

xli. is to be

as

is to

the

river, and
kine, which
saw

saw

found

the

devoured

This

ground.

Pharaoh,
dreams
called

for all the

Pharaoh

and

him

by

from

his

sleep,and

but

there

Finally,his
in

that

he

of

the

sprang

up

ears.

dreams,

skilled

lean

out

up

which

ears,

by

seven

dreamed

"

greatlytroubled,
Egypt, and all the

was

Pharaoh."
was

then

poor

stood

kine, and

stalk,spring

seven

awaking

his

He

one

good

them

interpretthem unto
of one
Joseph,who
orders

on

magicians of

told

shall take

we

he

that

fat

seven

ones.

the

dreamed,

examine

to

Testament,

dreamed
it

fat

corn,

devoured

he

of

followed

upon

which

of

was

and

them,

the

ears

much

so

the

considered

dreams,

two

out

up

have

Testament

story of

Pharaoh

that

come

good

seven

after

effect

Old

others.

pharaoh's
which

New

the

we

have

we

of the

treats

passingglance at

and

important,

which

in

legends recorded
at length,but, as

treated

most

Second,

FIRST.

other

many

might

PART

OF

recallingthe

and

he

wise

was

thereof,

men

that

none

chief

could

tells him

butler

Pharaoh

and

interpretingdreams,

and

sent

then repeats
He
brought before his presence.
his dreams
the
to Joseph, who
to
immediately interprets them
great satisfaction of the king.
A very similar story is related
in the Buddhist
Fo-pen-hing
be

to

"

of

one

their

Samuel

Beal

sacred

which,

"

Suddhodana

when,
seen,

"

Paja

awaking

was

from

books,
in

his

side,within

limbs

his

[88]

has

substance, is

dreamed

seven

his

sleep,and

greatly troubled, so

erect, and

which

that

trembled."

palace,all

the

as

follows

different

the
He

translated

been

by

dreams

in

visions

very hair
forthwith

his

on

his

he

body

summoned
of

night,

one

recalling the

great ministers

Prof.

had

stood
to

his

council,and

90

MYTHS.

BIBLE

The infant Bacchus

chest,
by order ofCadmus,
King of Thebes,and thrown into the Nile.1 He, like Moses,had
two
He was also,
one
mothers,
by nature,the other by adoption.3
homed.*
like Moses,represented
Osiris was
also confined in a chest,
and thrown into the river
was

confined in

Nile.4
When

Osiris was

shut into the

and
coffer,

cast into the

he
river,

floated to

and was
there received under the name
of
Phenicia,
Isis (hismother,or wife) wandered
in quest of him,
Adonis.
to Byblos,
and seated herself by a fountain in silence and
came
She was then taken by the servants of the royalpalace,
tears.
and
made to attend on the young princeof the land. In like manner,
in purafter Aidoneus
had ravished her daughter,
went
Deineter,
suit,
herself
reached Eleusis,
seated
by a well,conversed with the
of the queen, and became nurse
to her son.* So likewise,
daughters
when Moses was
and cast
put into the ark made of bulrushes,
found by the daughters
of Pharaoh,and his
into the Nile,he was
mother

own

the

his nurse.6

became

myth.

same

In the second

of
chapter
ELIJAH

There

This is simply
another version of

the second book of

ASCENDING

Kings,we

read oi

HEAVEN.

TO

in heathen mythology.
to this,
many counterparts
relate many such stories how some
Hindoo sacred writings
are

"

their Holy Ones

rocks

on

oi

taken up alive into heaven

and impressions
made
when
shown, said to be foot-prints,
they

are

were

"

ascended.7
Xisuthrus
mythology,
Accordingto Babylonian

was

translated

to heaven.8

chariot of fire may

flame-red chariot of Ushas.9 This
also be compared to the fiery,
idea of some
Holy One ascendingto heaven without dying was
The

to heaven in
ascending
storyof Elijah

found in the ancient

The

storyof

a stone
by throwing
Bell's Pantheon,

Diegesis,p. 190.

Hebrew

him
hitting

and

vol. i. p. 118.

Taylor's

"

Higgins : Anaca-

vol. ii.p. 19.

lypsis,
" Bell's
Osiris :" and
Pantheon, art.
finch : Age of Fable,p. 891.

in the
6

"
7

Ibid.

Pantheon, vol. i. p. 122. Dupuis

of ReligiousBelief,p. 174. Goldziher
Mythology, p. 179.

GOLIATH,

KILLING

Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol.

ii.p. 19.
" Bell's

Origin

the Chinese.10

mythologyof
DAVID

"

forehead,11
may

be

com-

Baring-Gould : Orig.Relig.Belief,i. 159.

Exodus, ii.
See Child : Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 6,

and most

any work on Buddhism.

Smith : Chaldean Account

See

See Goldziher

Hebrew

of Genesis.

Mythology, p. 128,

note.
Bnl-

Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol.i.pp. 213,214

See

"

I. Samuel, xvii.

..

FIRST.

91

the

paredto

storyof Thor, the Scandinavian

hero, throwinga

hammer

at

him
and striking
Hrungnir,

read in Numbers2

We

ass

spoke

master,and reprovedhim.

In ancient fables

was

stories in which

or

common

found in various

playprominent
speech.This
Egypt. It is

with

is endowed

Egyptianand

corded
re-

storyin that of

command

the

to

This story is related in the tenth

and is to the eifect that the

has

spoketo him.4

have also a very wonderful

Joshua's

stories.8 Homer

Chaldean

that the horse of Achilles

We

animals

the power of
in the whole of Western Asia and

parts,each creature
idea

in the forehead.1

that

Balaam's
to his

PART

OF

CONCLUSION

sun.

of
chapter

who
Israelites,

the book oi

Joshua,

at battle with the

were

that theymightcontinue
day to be lengthened
their slaughter,
whereupon Joshua said : Sun, stand thou
stillupon Gibeon,and thou,Moon, in the valley
of Ajalon. And
the sun
stood still,
until the peoplehad
and the moon
stayed,
there was
And
avengedthemselves upon their enemies.
no
day like that before it or after it."

Amorites,wished

the

"

There

are

nations of

We
antiquity.

of Bacchus

in the

be found among other

that which is related
example,

to
this,

storiessimilar to

many

have,as an
Orphic hymns, wherein

it says that this

god-manarrested the course of the sun and the moon.6

An Indian legendrelates that the sun stood stillto hear the
of Arjouanafter the death of Crishna.*
piousejaculations
A holyBuddhist by the name
the sun,
of Matangaprevented
at his command, from rising,
and bisected the moon.7
Arresting
the course
of the sun
the
of
was
a common
thingamong
disciples
Buddha.8
The
a

Chinese

found

legendwas

that

one

which
1

had
also,

legendof

the Ancient

among

command

was

: Hebrew
Mythology, p. 430,
Age of Fable, 440.

Chapter xxii.
See Smith's

Chaldean

and
still,'
standing

Mexicans
the

sun

to
to

the effect
stand

still,

obeyed.10

See Goldzhier

"

Account

of

Genesis,

p. 138,et seq.
"

sun

of their holypersons commanded

and Bulfinch

the

140.
8

See

Prog.Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 323.
See Higgins: Anacalypsis,
vol. ii. p.

"
Ibid,i. 191,and ii.341; Franklin : Bud. "
Jeynes, 174.
*
Hardy : Buddhist Legends, pp. 50,53,and

19.

See Ibid.

vol. 1L p. 10L
Higgins : Anacalypsis,
""
Ibid,p. 39.

"

92

MYTHS.

BIBLE

shall

We

endeavor

now

to

the

answer

which
question

must

arise in the minds of all who see, for the first time,the
naturally
and those of other nations,
of the Hebrews
in the legends
similarity
or, have
namely: have the Hebrews copied from other nations,
this question
other nations copiedfrom the Hebrews % To answer
of the Pentateuch
shall ; first,
we
givea brief account or history

that other

show

nations

were

them.

from
copied

in
ascribed,

is

Pentateuch

The

have taken

we

they were

that the Jews

time,and

before that

which

written ; and,second,
of these legendslong
possessed

about what time

show

and
legends,

from

Testament

and other books of the Old

modem

our

to
translations,

supposedto be the author.

generally
had nothingwhatever to
as Moses
erroneous,
altogether
of this,
these iive books.
Bishop Colenso,speaking
says :
1 '

of the Pentateuch

books

The

Hebrew

This

he is

Moses,and

manuscripts,

or

ascribed to Moses in the

never

are

in printedcopiesof the Hebrew

Bible.

Nor

do

is

with

inscriptions
of
they styled

are

Septuagint1or Vulgate,2 but only in our modern

eminent Fathers of the Church, who,
after the example of many
translations,
and all of them,
with the exceptionof Jerome, and, perhaps,Origen,were, one
and
still
less
Hebrew
with its critithe
cism."3
with
little
language,
acquainted
very
'Books

the

Moses*

of

in the

"

The author of

of Israel,"
to this subject,
Religion
referring

The

says:
Jews

The

"

their

lived

who

and the Christians

afterthe BabylonishCaptivity,
these books (the Pentateuch)to Moses; and
cherished
that he had really
written them.
was

examples,ascribed

centuries the notion

many
strictand

lowing
folfor
But

has slwwn tJiatthisopinion must be given up ; and

investigation
impartial
from Moses himself except the Ten
Law
whole
in
the
reallycomes
nothing
And even these were not delivered by him in the same form as we find
Commandments.
it is only because the Israelites
If we stillcall these books by his name,
them now.
and
the actual
always thought of him as their first and greatestlaw-giver,
and associated them
autJwrs grouped all their narratives and laws around his figure,

that

.with his name."*

As

we

is known,

go into an extended account,and show how this

will simplysay that it is principally
by internal

cannot
we

evidence that these facts are

1

"

The
Septuagint.""

the Old
8

"

Greek

Old

ascertained.6

version

of

Testament.

Vulgate."
"

The

version of the Old

Latin

Examined, vol. ii.pp. 186,

The

Pentateuch

The

Religion of Israel,p. 9.

into Canaan.

Besides

the many
Pentateuch

other
was

facts which

not

long after the time of Moses

be mentioned
following may

Moses.

not

in Dent. xi. 30,was

of that

name

Dan, mentioned
so

not

place tillafterthe
in

given

entrance

Genesis

called till long after the time

In Gen.xxxvi.

31, t^e

xiv.
of

beginning of the

reign of the kings over Israel is spoken of hisevent which

an
did not occur
before
torically,

187.

that the

the

14,was

Testament.
*

GUgal, mentioned
as

show

composed until
and Joshua, the
as

examples :

the time of Samuel.

(See, for further informa-

tion, Bishop Colenso's

vol. ii.ch.

v.

and

vi.

Pentateuch

Examined,

OF

CONCLUSION

Now
the

that

have

we

seen

that Moses

next endeavor
our
Pentateuch,
and by whom.
written,

were

We

say that

can

theywritten

were

We

theywere

at the

trace three

can

not

93

FIRST.

PART

write the books

did not

will be to ascertain when

written

by any

one

person,

of

they
nor

time.

same

redactions
principal

of the

that
Pentateuch,
ifications
with modre-edited,

worked over, and

is to say, the material was
and additions,
by different
people,at

three distinct

\
epochs.
The
and the
and the
have

known as the Jehovistic

writers are generally
principal
in speaking
Elohistic. We have
Eden Myth
of the
alluded to this fact,
and
legendof the Deluge already
two

"

"

"

"

"

"

illustrated how

these writers' narratives conflict with

each

other.
The

Jehovisticwriter is supposed
to have been

it would

seem,

was

anxious

ii.4, with
Genesis,

at

he carriesthe
It is to him

to

give Israel

short account

who,
prophet,
history.He begins

of the

Creation"

"

and then

until the Israelites enter

storyon regularly

that

Canaan.

indebted for the

of the
charmingpictures
He took thesefrom other writings,
or from the popupatriarchs.
lar
legends?
About 725 b. c. the Israelites were
conqueredby Salmanassar,
of
and many
of them
carried away captives.
were
King Assyria,
Their place was
suppliedby Assyrian colonistsfrom Babylon,
Persia,and other places.*This fact is of the greatest
importance,
and should not be forgotten,
find that the first
of the three
as we
writers of the Pentateuch,
spokenof above,wrote about this time,
and
the Israelites heard,from the colonists from Babylon,
time
Persia,and other places"
for the first
of the legends
many
which thiswriter wove
into thefabuloushistory
which he wrote,
the accounts of the Creation and the Deluge.
especially
The Pentateuch remained in this,
itsfirst
form,until the year
620 b. c.
Then a certain priest
of marked
prophetic
sympathies
wrote a book of law which has come
down
to us in Deuteronomy,
we

are

"

iv. 44, to

xxvi.,and xxviii. Here we find the demands which the

Mosaic partyat that day were
making thrown into the form of
laws.
and

It

by King Josiah that this

as authoritative.4 It was
proclaimed

the work

was

of the first
Pentateuchian

The

"

Ibid. p. 10.

Religionof Israel,p.

book
soon

was

afterwards

writer,and

'"

Chambers's
The

firstintroduced
at the

wove

same

"

Encyclo.,art. Jews."
Religion of Israel,
pp. 10. 11.

into
time

94

"

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"

few

new

Joshua,the

of which

added, some

were

passages

of Moses.1

successor

in Israel'shistory,
Jehovah
At this period
and
forgotten,

"

other

"

party,so called

who

"

gods

had

"

place.This
death

old at the

winning over

to

young

his

of

"

had

become

almost

place.2The
exclusivelywere

Mosaic

his

taken

worshipedJehovah
who was
King Amon

but when
minority,
died,and was succeeded by
took

related to

"

in the

of Moloch
worshiper
diately
his son
Josiah,a change immewho was
only eightyears
prince,
a

father,the Mosaic party succeeded

their interests. In

the

year

621

b.

c,

in

Josiah,

ormation
began a thoroughrefeighteenth
year of his reign,
which completely
answered to the ideas of the Mosaic

in the

now

party.'
It

that the second

duringthis time

was

Moses

Pentateuchian

writer

This writer
law-giver.
written
who claimed to have found a book,
was
probablyHilkiah,
it had onlyjust been drawn
although
by Moses,in the temple,*

wrote, and he makes

the

speakas

up.*
The

which
principal
objections

but
Hilkiah,

of

which

were

not needed

are

in

the claims
broughtagainst
the presentage ofinquiry,

old
not as if it were
an
Shaphanand Josiah read it off,
book, but as thoughithad been recently
written,when any person
in the slightest
must
who is acquainted,
degree,with language,
at once, a book written eight
know that a man
could not read off,
hundred years before.The phraseology
would necessarily
be so
altered by time as to render it comparatively
unintelligible.
that

was

We

must

now

turn

to

the third Pentateuchian

whose
writer,

were
writings

444 b. c.
published
added to the work of his two
At that time Ezra (orEzdras)
had been drawn
a seriesof laws and narratives which
predecessors
in Babylon.6 This "series of laws and
of the priests
up by some
which was written by some
of the (Israelitish)
narratives,"
priests
The Book
called
in Babylon,"
was
taining
of Origins (probablyconof the
account
the Babylonian
Originof Things,"or the
Creation "). Ezra broughtthe book from Babylonto Jerusalem.
"

"

"

"

"

He

made

law for

some

modifications in it and

it into
Israel,
dove-tailing

which existed before.A

those parts

The

Hilkiah

See

xxxiv.

"

Religionof Israel,
p. 11.
Ibid, pp. 120,123.
See Ibid,p. 122.

The account

of the

findingof

of the

this book

by

"

is to be found

code

of

Pentateuch

few alterations and additions

constituted it

in II.

were

subse-

Chronicles,ch.

See Religionof Israel,

pp. 124,125.
Ibid,p. 11.

CONCLUSION

made, but
quently

these

PART

OF

of minor

are

95

FIRST.

and
importance,

fairly
say that Ezra put the Pentateuch
have it (about444 b. a).

we

may

into theform in which

we

These

partlyoccupiedwith historical
priestly
passages are
from the creation
a
matter,comprising
very free account of things
to the arrival of Israel in

of the world
here

is
Everything

where
pointof view ; some
priestly
events,elsetouched up in the priestly
and others
are
recorded,
spirit,
invented.1
entirely

are

from
presented

Canaan.

It

the belief of the

was

of
(Sayings
well

as

with

the

one
Fathers),

other Jewish

as

divine

the

of the oldest books

wrote

when
the firsttemple,

Nebuchadnezzar

could not have been the

know

the Old

said to have been

were

the Pirhe

Aboth

of the Talmud*

that Ezra,actingin accordance

records,

recommission,

of which

Jews,asserted by

the
Testament,

lost in the destruction of

took

The

case.

scripts
manu-

Jerusalem.8

This

fact that Ezra

wrote

we
"

books of the
adding to, and takingfrom the alreadyexisting
Pentateuch
the foundation for this tradition. The
was
probably
of it is to be found in the Apocryphalbook of Esdras,
account
a
"

authentic

book deemed
Dr.
"For

by

the Greek

Church.

of this,
Knappert,
speaking
says :
centuries,both

the Christians and the Jews

supposed that Ezra

in one whole,
and introduced them as a book given by the Spirit
of God
a Holy Scripture.
"The
and altogether
only authorityfor this suppositionwas a very modern
untrustworthytradition. The historical and critical studies of our times have
the influence of this tradition,
been emancipated from
and the most
ancient
with
statements
regard to the subjecthave been hunted up and compared together.
These
statements
are, indeed, scanty and
incomplete,and many
a
detail is stillobscure; but the main facts have been completelyascertained.
Israel had no sacred writings. There were
"Before the Babylonishcaptivity,
and a few historical books, but no one had
certain laws, propheticwritings,
ever
binding and divine authorityto these documents.
thought of ascribing
law with him from Babylon,altering
Ezra broughtthe priestly
it and amalgamating
it with the narratives and
laws alreadyin existence,
and thus produced the
the same
Pentateuch in pretty much
form (though not quite,as we shall show)
Tliese books got the name
still have it.
we
as
ofthe Law of Moses ,*or simplythe
Ezra introduced
them
into Israel (b.c. 444),and
Law.'
gave them binding
and from that time forward theywere considered divine."4'
authority,

had

many

brought togetherthe sacred

writingsof his

people,united them
"

"

"

'

From

the time

Pentateuch

"

The

"

Jewish

was

of Ezra

until the year 287

translated into Greek by order of

Religionof Israel,
pp. 186,187.

Talmud.""
traditions.

The

books

containingthe

"

See Chambers's

"

The

b.

c, when

the

PtolemyPhila-

art. " Bible."

Encyclo.,
Religion"rf Israel,
pp. 840,841.

96

BIBLE

of

underwent
Egypt,these books evidently
in saying
the writer quotedabove admits,
:

King
delphus,
changes.This

still(viz.,
after the time of

"Later

made, and

were

In

BishopColenso

the

same

No

additions

into its present form."1

written

was

says :

that,if the Pentateuch be the productionof

it should
throughout,

hand

some

changes and

more

claim that the Pentateuch

to those who

person,

Ezra),a few

grew

It is certainly
inconceivable

"

and

the Pentateuch

so

answer

by one

MYTHS.

contain

could

singleauthor

and what
; but it is quitepossible,

such

have

almost

was

number

one

sistencies.
ofglaringincon-

ties
guiltyof such absurdihappen in such a case,

been

to

sure

authors in different
be the work of different
ages, this
contradictions
in
itself
the
existence
the
narrative"'*
by
of
betray

that,if the Pentateuch

fact should

the

Havingascertained the originof

books of the Old
others

here,as

we

Testament,it will be unnecessary

have

nothingto

do with
"

Suffice it to say then,that :

Ezra,none of the other books which
same

propheticbooks,songs,

to form

from

second

being

and

them

in

"

period after

collection of historical

lettersfrom Persian

scribes of

not
kings,

of

savingthem
Jerusalem,followers of Ezra,

the
were
Synagogue,"
collectorsof the second and third divisions of the Old Testament
the historical and prophetic
books,songs,
They collected together
in
and
then
which
were
existence,
"c,
afteraltering
of
many
the
collection
of
sacred
It
added
books.
to
must
them, theywere
not be supposedthat any fixed planwas
pursued in this work, or
that the idea was entertained from the first,
that these boohs would
who

day

one

known

were

stand

In the
consider

course

of the Great

the

same

levelwith the Pentateuch*

of

time, however,many

into the

canon

as

sacred.

which

centuryafterChrist. It

the boohs
is not

of the

Old

Testament

not

was

The time and

manner

The

The

"

"

Alexandrian

long time,even

Jews

did not,
till the

until this time that all

canon

in which

"

Religionof Israel,
p. 11.
Pentateuch
Examined, vol. ii.p. 173.
The Religionof Iatael,
p. 241.

The

began to

It
acquireddivine authority.9

known, however,justwhen the

closed.

of the Jews

those of Jerusalem

this difference
ofopinionlastedfor a

second

was

men

of these books

some

adoptedbooks
and

on

as

the

tions.
investiga-

our

alreadyexisted,
enjoyedthe

but for the purpose

collection,

lost. The

firstlive

refer to the

to

In the earlier

as the Pentateuch."'
authority
made
It is probable4
that Nehemiah

and

or
Pentateuch,

"

On

the

of the Old

it

was

Testament

done

is alto-

strengthof n. Maccabees,ii.18.
Religion of Israel,
p. 242.
Ibid,p. 243.
The

98

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in a
day,we subjoin,

below,a

note

listof works to which

theyare

referred.1
We

after giving
a brief

shall now,

refer to the

which

of
legends

to show

from whence

these is

"

the Hebrews

Egypt,the country

the

Pentateuch,

and
treating,

have been

we

Creation and Fall

The

historyof

The

them.

borrowed

endeavor
first of

of Man."

the Israelites came, had no

Fall of Man, such as we have found
of which

out

storyof the Creation and

; they therefore could not have learned it from

however, as we saw in our first chapter,
Chaldeans,

the Hebrews

among
them.

The

and it is from
had this legend,

them

that the Hebrews

borrowed

it.
The

account

which

Creation and Fall of

have

we

the Great

Alexander

with the

as
taken,

Man, was

the Chaldean

lived in the

(356-325b. a),and

as

the Jews

centuries earlier than

storysome

storyof the

from the writings

stated,

we

who
historian,

Berosus,the Chaldean

of

givenof

of

time
were

his
this,

quainted
ac-

works

Babyloniabefore the
in favor of the
testimony
from the Babylonians
that the Jews borrowed this legend
statement
It was
left for Mr. George Smith, of the British
at that time.
without a doubt,the fact that this legend
Museum, to establish,
at least two thousand
known to the Babylonians
was
years before
birth
Jesus.
The
cuneiform
the
ike time assigned
of
tions
inscripfor
while
to
discovered by him,
on
an
expedition Assyria,
the means
of
was
DailyTelegraph,"
by the London
organized
doing this,and althoughby far the greatestnumber of these
who
tablets belong to the age of Assurbanipal,
reignedover
Assyriab. c. 670,it is acknowledgedon all hands that these
but are
tablets are not the originals,
only copies
from earlier
ture
The Assyrians
texts"
acknowledgethemselves that this litera-

did not prove that these traditions were

Jewish captivity,
and could not afford

in

"

"

"

was

borrowed

Babyloniansources,

from

have to look
we
Babylonia
documents."3
the original
of the Cuneiform
have

been

to

ascertain the

Mr.

account

"

The

What

Bible

is the
of

"

"

"

it is to

course

approximatedates

then

shows, from

of the Creation and

discovered,
that,din the periodfrom

Bible,"by J. T. Sunderland.
To-day," by J. W. Chadwick.
"
Hebrew
and Christian Records," by the Rev.
Dr. Giles,2. vols. Prof. W. R. Smith's article
The Bible," in the last edition of the Enon
to the
Introduction
cyclopaediaBritannica.
The PentaOld Testament," by Davidson.
teach and the Book of Joshua Examined," by
"

*4

Smith

and of

Fall
b.

c.

of

ments
"frag"

which
2000

to

Prof. F. W. Newman's
"HeBishop Colenso.
Bible for Learners"
"The
brew Monarchy."
The
i. and ii.),
by Prof. Oot and others.
(vols.
Old Testament
in the Jewish
Church," by
ReProf. Robertson
Smith, and Kuenen'e
ligionof Israel."
" Smith
of Genesis,pp.
Account
: Chaldean
22,29.
"

"

OF

CONCLUSION

PART

1500, the Babyloniansbelieved in

It is

Genesis."

99

FIRST.

story similar

however,says
probable,

Mr.

to that

Smith, that

this

legendexisted as traditions in the country long beforeit was

of these traditions exhibited great
and some
committed to writing,
difference in details,
showingthat theyhad passedthroughmany
changes.1
in his celebrated work on " Tree
Professor James Fergusson,
and Serpent
Worship,"says :
"

The

chapterswhich

two

indeed

whole

refer to this

e." the Garden, the Tree, and

(*.

of the firsteightof Genesis,are

up of fragmentsof earlier books

the

Serpent),
generally
ditions,
or earlier traby scholars to be made
belonging,properly speaking,to Mesopotamia rather than to Jewish
the exact meaning of which the writers of the Pentateuch seem
history,
hardly
in
form
in
them
the
transcribed
which
to have appreciatedwhen
they
theyare
as

the

admitted

now

found."2

now

John Fiske says :

' '

The

story of

afterthe Jews
Prof. John
"

In the old

come

Drapersays :

legendsof dualism, the

to ruin Paradise.

Ionian

W.

the author

as

had

Eden
is an Aryan storyin every particular.
of evil appears only in the later books, composed
into close contact with Persian ideas."9

Serpent in

the

notion of Satan

The

These

evil

legends became

was
spirit

known

said to have sent

to the Jews

serpent

during their Baby

captivity."*

Professor Goldziher

also

shows,in

his

"Mythology Among
the Hebrews,"*
that the storyof the creation was
borrowed by the
Hebrews
from the Babylonians.
He
also informs us that the
notion of the bore and yoser,
Creator
(theterm used in the
in Genesis)
as an
integral
partof the idea of God, are
cosmogony
"Thus
firstbroughtinto use by the prophetsof the captivity.
also the story of the Garden
of Eden, as a supplementto the
of the Creation,
written down at Babylon."
was
history
as it may
Strange
appear, after the Genesis account,we may pass
and other books of the Old Testament,
throughthe whole Pentateuch,
"

"

clear to the

of EUen

"

and

end, and will find that the storyof the

"Fall

of Man"

"

Garden

is hardly
alluded to, if at all.

Leng-

kerke says : " One single

certain trace of the employmentof the
Canon
storyof Adam's fall is entirely
wantingin the Hebrew
the
(after

Genesis

the woman's
account).Adam, Eve, the Serpent,

Ibid,pp. 29, 100. Also, Assyrian Discov-

eries,p. 397.
9

Tree

and

s
*

Serpent Worship, pp. 6, 7.

seq.

Myths and Myth-Makers, p. 112.

Draper: Religionand Science,p. 62.
Goldziher:
Hebrew
Mythology, p. 323, et

100

MYTHS.

BIBLE

the remaining

all images,
to which

husband,"c.,are

seduction of her

of the Israelitesnever againrecur"

circumstance can onlybe explained
by

words
This

of Genesis
firstchapters

had been written.

portions
It is worthyof notice,
that
which

whole

the
is

orthodox

based,was

this storyof the Fall of

scheme

considered

not

afterthe

until

written

not

were

the fact that the

fact. They simplylooked upon

should be
but which
ignorant,

it

other

Man,

by

the learned Israelites as

as

divine Saviour

upon
deemer
Re-

of

or

storywhich satisfiedthe

considered

the

allegoryby

as

learned.2
Rabbi

Maimonides

of the
"We
book

on

must

(MosesBen Maimon),one
:
Rabbis,says on this subject

of the most

brated
cele-

"

understand, or take in

not

form

the Creation,nor

of mankind
generality

of it the

; otherwise

to us, to hide the real

literalsense,

ideas which

same

ancient sages would

our

is written in the

what

participated
by

are

not have

so

much

the

mended
recom-

the allegorical
veil,which
lift
the truth contained therein. When
taken in its literalsense, the work gives
covers
should
the most absurd and most
extravagant ideas of the Deity. Whosoever
divine its true meaning ought to take great care
in not divulgingit.' This is a
maxim
repeatedto us by all our sages, principally
concerningthe understanding
of the work of the six days."3

meaning ofit,and

not to

'

Philo,a
of
opinion
has

Jewish

held the
contemporarywith Jesus,

the character of the sacred books

made

Life,"the

"

he traces back

Rivers of

to

the

same

of the Hebrews.

treatises,
particular
bearingthe

two

and
Allegories"
of

writer

He
"

title of

sense
allegorical

the

"

The
Tree

the other fictions of the

and
Paradise,"

Genesis.4

Many

of the

earlyChristian

of the Creation

and

Fall of

Fathers declared

Man,

there

was

in
that,

"

1 '

third

What

man

of

days,in which
and stars ?

moon

an

"

Much

of the Old

will agree with the statement

that the first,
second,and
and the morning, were
the evening is named
without sun,
What
is found
idiot as to suppose that God
such an
man

Quoted by Bishop Colenso

Examined, iv. 285.

tian

says

sense

planted trees in Paradise

hold these things
for images

teuch

story

allegorical
who
Augustine,

but

these may
St.
be mentioned
speaksof it in his Cityof God," and also Origen,who

fiction.Among

the

Testament

like

an

under

The

husbandman?

which

Penta-

hidden

Chris-

main

must

forbidden to medwere
specially
(Greg : The Creed of Christendom,

the unlearned
die with."

which

1 believethat every
is concealed."5

sense

p. 80.)

3
divines,in their ignorance of Jewish lore,
Quoted by Dupuis : Originof Religious
have insisted on
receiving and interpreting Belief,p. 226.
* See Ibid.
the informed
Rabbis never
dreamed
literally,
p. 227.
8
of regarding as anything but allegorical.The
Quoted by Dunlap : Mysteries of Adoni,
literalists they called fools. The account
of
: Keys of St. Petei,
p. 176. See also,Bunsen
the Creation was
of the portions which
one
p. 406.
'

'

OF

CONCLUSION

PART

as it is now
Origenbelieved aright,

that the stories of the

"

the

of the

Garden

Garden

"

of

Blessed,"
"c,

where griefand
blessed,

almost

admitted,
universally
Eden," the ElysianFields,"
"

which

sickness could not touch

plagueand

the abode

were

could not

sorrow

101

FIRST.

of the

approachthem,where

them,were

founded

gory.
alle-

on

These abodes of

in the West,where
far away
were
delight
the sun goes down beyondthe bounds of the earth. They were
the
in a sea of blue
Golden Islands sailing
the burnished clouds
in the pure ether. In a word,the
fields
are
floating
IZlysian
the clouds at eventide. The picture
was
suggested
by the images
drawn from the phenomenaof sunset and twilight.1
mode
of
Eatingof the forbidden fruit was simplya figurative
the performance
of the act necessary to the perpetuaexpressing
tion
The
Tree of Knowledge was a Phallic
of the human
race.
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

tree,and the fruit which grew upon it was

In

seen'
regardto the storyof The Deluge" we have already
and
Egyptianrecords tellnothingof a cataclysmal
deluge,"
"

"

that

Phallic fruit.3

"

the land

that,

was

visited by other than

never

overflow of the river Kile."

Also,that

its annual

"the

Pharaoh

cent
benefi-

Khou-

his pyramid,
chronicle,
to Egyptian
was
fou-cheops
building
according
when

the whole

world

under

was

the Hebrew

to
deluge,according

evidence that the Hebrews

the waters

chronicle."

did not

universal

This is sufficient

the

borrow

of

legendfrom

the

Egyptians.
We

have also seen, in the

that
chapter

that it corresponded
in all the
We

account.

legend,

features with
principal

the Chaldean

show

that it was

this.

on
discovered,

the site of

shall now

Mr. Smith

treated of this

taken from

Ninevah,duringthe

years

1873-4, cylinders
belongingto the earlyBabylonianmonarchy,

(from2500
and which

to 1500

gave in ChapterII. This was

and theylearned it at
legend,

The

from the
We
"It

the
myth of Deucalion,

same

The

source.

read in Chambers's
was

at one

See

Appendix,

o.

See

Westopp

"

time

Wakes,

Greeks

In

See

"

Phallic

of Genesis.

hero,was

also taken

learned it from the Chaldeans.

even
extensivelybelieved,

Wor-

chap. ii.
Assyrian Discoveries,pp. 167,168,and

Chaldean Account

Grecian

legendof the flood,4

the foundation
for
the time of the Captivity.

that :
Encyclopaedia,

ship."
"

contained the

we

the Hebrew
b

c.)which

b.

scholars,that
by intelligent

*
"Upon the carryingaway of the Jews to
Babylon, they were
brought into contact with a
flood of Iranian as well as Chaldean
myths, and
adopted them without hesitation." (S. BaringGould : Curious Myths, p. 316.)

102

the

MYTHS.

BIBLE

of Deucalion

myth

this untenable

This

idea

myth
What

was

of
portions

the Old Testament

where

calion
that the Deu-

found

was

the Old

any

of Noah

name

in

save

Nowhere

also
Genesis,

in the other books

reference to this

of Noah

the waters

storynot beingmentioned

Testament

Deluge.

is found

simplythe

the Eden

regardto

to this storyof the

"

after it

older than the Hebrew.

said in

where
Isaiah,

deluge,but

all but

abandoned

was

was

was

in other

corrupted tradition of the NbacJiian

abandoned."1
universally

opinionis now

"

are

applies
of

story,except in

and
mentioned,

in

Ezekiel,

is mentioned.

ChapterII. that some persons saw in this storyan

astronomical myth. Althoughnot generally
admitted,yet there
for believing
this to be the case.
are
very strongreasons
which is the oldest one
Accordingto the Chaldean account
We

stated in

"

known

persons saved in the ark.a There were

of the Hindoo
counts.3
acaccordingto some
persons saved,
That this referred to the sun, moon, and five planets
looks

there

"

were

seven

also

seven

very

probable.We
and

Now,
ten

Xisthrus

that Noah

have also seen

(who

is the Chaldean

was

the tenth

arch,
patri-

hero)was

the tenth

king.4

their Zodiac
table,
accordingto the Babylonian

godscalled

the

"

Ten

whenever

all the

earth

overwhelmed

was

other nations had

Alexander

Chaldean

with

that the Chaldeans

theyhad

througha periodof
this statement
dea cannot

greatastronomers.

the
conqueredthe cityof Babylon,
the Greek philosophers,
who followed

to

continued

more

be

cannot

be

were

the Great

boasted
priests

his army, that

gods."6They also believed that

in the signof Capricorn,
the whole
of water? The Hindoos and
deluge

similar belief.7

It is well known
When

Zodiac

planetsmet
a

contained

their astronomical calculations

than

fortythousand years.8Although
of Chalcredited,
yet the greatantiquity

doubted,and

its immediate

connection

with

Hin-

is abundantly
or Egypt,
dostan,
provedby the littlethat is known
and by the few fragments
that remain of
its religion,
concerning

its former
In
said.

grandeur.
regardto the storyof
This,as well

and the

Deluge,was

as

the

"

The

Chambers's

See

of Babel

"

littleneed be

storyof the Creation and Fall of Man,

borrowed

from the

Encyclo.,art. " Deucalion."

chapter ii.
*
Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 185, and
Maurice : Indian Antiquities,
vol. ii.p. 277.
4
Chapter ii.
* See
Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 153,note.
1

Tower

Babylonians.*

Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 254.

Ibid,p. 367.
8 See
Ibid,p. 252.
" Goldzhier
Hebrew
:
Mythology, pp. 130of GeneAccount
135,and Smith's Chaldean
"

See

See

sis.

seems,"says George Smith,

It

"

103

FIRST.

PART

OF

CONCLUSION

"

from

the indications in the

tween
that there happened in the interval beinscriptions,
(cuneiform)
collectionof the development
2000 and 1850 b. c. a general

Creation,
Flood,Tower of Babel,
ditions
legends." These legends
were, however,tra-

of the various traditions of the

other similar

and

before
in

"

to all the

form

some

The

committed

theywere
of

Tower

were

tongues,is nowhere

of

the confusion

Testament

Genesis,where

outside of

storyis related.
The next storyin order is " The Trial ofAbraham!
In this connection

Grecian

common

country"1

Babel,or

alluded to in the Old

and
writing,

to

have

we

the

Faith?

legendstaken from
giventhe idea to the

similar

shown

which legends
mythology,
may

have

writer of the Hebrew

story.
appear strange that the Hebrews should have been
with Grecian mythology,
yet we know this was the
acquainted
It may
The

case.

of the Jews

Many

taken

from

theyreturned

the Western
This

countries

as
legend,

the Edomite

took

the Mosaic

sacrificesand other

story invented it

nothingabout

in the Pentateuch
We
b. c.
a

have also seen

1300)of

Chaldeans"

their

Grecian
"

to make

"

country.

and
legends,
as theycalled
of

it,was

ing
endeavor-

and
abominations,"
it appear

the

that the Lord

The earliestTargum*'

legend,
showingthat the storywas not
the time this Targum was written.
that a storywritten by Sanchoniathon
(about

to the Hebrew

Volney tells us

to

the

Saturn,whom

one

resemblance

de

at

lem
sack of Jerusa-

partyin Israel were

had abolished them in the time of Abraham.

knows

them

them to Jerusalem?
theybrought
which treated
stated in the chapter

"

we

to abolish human

of the

at
captive

the Islands of the Sea"

"

written at the time when

author

manner
following

with
acquainted

there,they became

when

for in the

Grecians? who

sold to the

were

While

fact is accounted

that

"

the Phenicians

legendof

bore
Israel,
Now, Connt

called

Abraham.

similar tradition prevailed

among

and that

the

which
of one Zerban
theyhad the history
with
in many respects
means
rich-in-goldthat corresponded
the history
of Abraham.8
It may, then,have been from the Chaldean
"

"5

"

"

storythat the Hebrew

1

Chaldean

See

See Inman

"

Account

of

fable writer

Genesis,pp. 27,28.

Note, p. 109.

: Ancient
Faiths,vol. ii.p. 685.
Targum,:''"The generalterm for the Ara-

maic versions of the Old Testament.

got his idea.

" In Genesis
is called rich
rxiii.2,Abraham
gold and in silver.
" See
ID*
Volney's Researches in Af^fM
tory,pp. 144-147.

in

104

MYTHS.

BIBLE

The

legendwhich

next

examined

we

that of

was

"JacoVs

Vision
the

We claimed that it probably

referred to
of the Ladder."
doctrine of the transmigration
of souls from one
body into
also gave the

and
another,

for the invention of the

apparentreason

story.
The

next

"

storywas

throughthe Red

Exodus

The

in which

Sea"

that the Israelites were

from Egypt,and Passage

showed,from Egyptianhistory,

we

turned

rput of the countryon

account

of

recorded of
exploits
Moses
were
simply copiesof legendsrelated of the sun-god
the Islands of the Sea,"and
Bacchus.
These legends
from
came
in very handyfor the Hebrew
fable writers ; theysaved them
came
their

and that the wonderful

uncleanness,
"

the trouble of
We
Ten

now

inventing.
to the

come

"

Commandments

to
storyrelating

by

thunders

mountain,'mid

Moses

and

from

The

"

the

Receivingof the

Lord,on

the

top of

lightnings.

to be historical in this account,is that Moses

All that is likely
but the heads of
assembled,
not,indeed,the whole of the people,

The
and gave them the code which he had prepared.1
tribes,
of the story was
marvellous portion
evidently
copiedfrom that
the

Zoroaster,
law-giver
by the Persians,and

related of the
that there

tables of stone

two

were

taken
evidently

was

had his laws written

The next

from the
two

on

the

tables of stone?

legendtreated was

that of

"

Samson

who, like the learned of

Paganscopiedfrom the Hebrews,may
model of all their similar stories,
but now

well known

to have

spreadamong
heard

ever

and his

Exploits"

the last century,maintain

and
are enlarged,
antiquity
was

written thereon

who
storyof Bacchus,the Law-giver,

Those
the

with the Law

the idea

of,we

been

when

the God
nations

say that Samson

that our
ideas
know

we

Sol,whose

that
was

cerning
con-

that Hercules is

allegorical
history

long before the Hebrews

many
authorized to believe and
are

were

say that some

their so-called historians
to

for what else are

mythologist
the
composed the anecdote of Samson, by partlydisfiguring
traditions of the Greeks,Phenicians and Chaldeans,
and
popular
nation.8
that hero for his own
claiming
the lion-killer,
who wandered
The Babylonian
storyof Izdubar,

Jewish

1
*

"

"

of Israel,
The Religion
p. 49.
Bell's Pantheon, vol. i.p. 122.

vol. ii.p. 19.

" In
claimingth"
killer "

as

one

claimed Hercules ai
The
Greeks
fore them.
he was
their countryman ; statea wnere
born,
and

"

mighty

of their

simplydoing what

Higgins:

man

"

and

"

lion-

own
race, the Jews were
other nations had done be-

that

showed
he

his tomb.

was

tus, Annals,
other nations.

The

Egyptians affirmed

in their country (seeTaciand so did many

b. ii. ch. lix.),

born

106

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"We

have

all the

examined

now

principalOld

has been seen, we think that no

stillconsider them historical facts. That

and, after what

legends,
person
number

Testament

can

impartial
so

great a

in our
astonishing,
persons stilldo so seems
of thinking. They have
repudiatedGreek and Roman

way

of educated

disdain ; why then admit with respectthe mythology

to impressus
of the Jews ? Ought the miracles of Jehovah

mythologywith

think not ; they should all be

? We
Jupiter
looked upon as relics of the past.
That Christian writers are beginning
to be aroused to the idea
from the old,is very
that another tack should be taken,
differing
than those of

more

evident.

This is clearly
seen

Armstrong,the
into

by

translaterof Dr.

English.In

the

of Prof. Richard

the words

of
Knappert's Religion
"

Prefaceof

A.

Israel"

this work,he says :

It appears to me
to be profoundly important that the youthful English
of the results of modern
should be faithfully
and accuratelyinformed

"

mind

earlydevelopment of

the Israelitish

religion.Deplorableand
passinginto manhood
generation
and womanhood, if their educators leave them ignorantor looselyinformed
on
anity
these topics
by the enemies of Christi; for they will then be rudely awakened
of the
from a blind and unreasoningfaith in the supernaturalinspiration
that
made
and
and
aware
Abraham,
Moses,
Scriptures; beingsuddenly
bluntly
research into the

mischief
irreparable

will be done

rest did not say,

David, and the

they will flingaway

to

the

do, or write what

for the venerable

all care

now

has

been

ascribed

religionof Israel and

How
much
happier will

to

them,

all

hope
life.
those of
religious
known
of the actual
children and young peoplebe who learn what is now
our
of
Pentateuch
and
from
the
the
the
same
lipswhich have
origin
Writings,
the
for
Jesus,and that God
taughtthem that the Prophetsindeed prepared
way
is indeed our Heavenly Father.
For these will,without
perceive that
difficulty,
God's love is none
because
the feebler and that the Bible is no less precious,
it
Moses
Levitical
of
or
because
was
knew
the
not the
legislation,
nothing
far
later
of
warrior monarch
his
semi-barbaric
but
son
some
on
throne,
Israel,
is my
who breathed forth the immortal hymn of faith,'The Lord
Shepherd; I
that it can

nourish

'

shall not want.

their

own

"

think that the evidence of

may
of the Hebrew
writers has not been sufficiently

For the benefit of those who

the part
on
plagiarism

will quote a few words from

we
substantiated,

Muller,who
that

can

be

is one

Englishauthorities on
of this he says :
speaking

of the best

produced.In

Prof. Max
this

subject

of the religion
were
mere
corruptions
Pagan religions
ing,
of the Old Testament, once
supportedby men of high authorityand great learnG
reek
and
the
is now
s
urrendered
as
as
explaining
attempts
of
completely
Latin as the corruptions
Hebrew."1
of
"

The

opinionthat

Again he

the

says :
1

The

Science of Religion,
p. 40.

CONCLUSION

"

As

as

soon

107

FIRST.

language and religionof India became

to
was
languages,
from the
ancient religionof the Brahmans

the ancient

Hebrew, and the

There

at that time

enthusiasm

in

known

asserted that Sanskrit,like all other

Europe it was
from

PART

OF

be derived
Old

ment.
Testa-

Oriental

scholars,particularly
among
in the public at large,
at Calcutta,and au interest for Oriental antiquities
of which we, in these days of apathy for Eastern literature,
can
hardly form an
and to bringto light
some
adequateidea. Everybody wished to be firstin the field,
was

supposed to be hidden in the sacred literature of

the temptationwas
great. No one could look
into the rich mine
and mythologicallore that
down
for a moment
of religious
without being
was
suddenlyopened before the eyes of scholars and theologians,
but also in the ancient
struck by a host of similarities,
not only in the languages,
traditions of the Hindoos, the Greeks, and the Romans; and if at that time the
still supposed to have borrowed
their language and
Greeks and Romans
were
from Jewish quarters, the same
their religion
conclusion could hardly be avoided
with regard to the languageand the religion
of the Brahmans
ofIndia.
'The student of Pagan religion
well as Christian missionaries were
as
bent on
and more
more
coincidences,in order to use them
striking
startling
discovering
in confirmation
or
of theirfavorite
theorythat some rays of a primevalrevelation,
had reached the uttermost ends of the world."*
some
reflection
of the Jewish religion,
of the treasures
the Brahmans.

which

an

were

No

doubt

The

result of allthis is summed

up

by Prof.

Muller

as

the fateof all (these)

not only to be leftbehind in
was
pioneers,
theyhad planned,but to find that many of their approacheswere
and had to be abandoned."*
falsedirection,
It

"

which
a

follows

"

the assault
in

made

this chapter,
shall say a few words on the
we
closing
of Israel. It is supposed
in fact,
have heard
we
religion
by many
Before

"

by those who should know better that

that they worshipedOne
alwaysmonotheists,

it asserted
were

Jehovah.3

"

This

is altogether
erroneous

from their neighborsthe

"

they were

Heathen,so-called
"

in

the Israelites
God
not

only
"

different

regardto

their

religion.
In the firstplace,
we
a

know

Bull,called Apis,*justas
"

They

claimed

even

tribes of Israel "

that

of the

one

"

that
the

lost

had found

their way to America,and had taught the natives Hebrew.

9

The

Science

of

Religion,

pp.

285,

292.
3

"It is

an

assumption of the popular theol-

ogy, and an almost universal belief in the popular mind, that the Jewish nation was
selected
by the Almighty to preserve and carry down to
later ages a knowledge of the One and true
God"

that the Patriarchs

edge" that Moses

doctrine

as

possessedthis knowl-

delivered

the fundamental

and

enforced

tenet

of the

this
na-

tional creed ; and that it was, in fact,the received and distinctivedogma of the Hebrew

people.

Thia alleged possessionof the true

they revered and worshiped

ancient Egyptians
did. They

faithby

only people,while all surrounding

Polytheism, or something
worse, has been adduced
by divines in general
as a proof of the truth of the sacred history,
and of the divine originof the Mosaic dispensation."
(Greg : The Creed of Christendom,
p. 145.)
Even such authorities as Paley and Milman
have
written
in this strain. (See quotations
from Paley's Evidences of Christianity,"
and
Dean
Milman's
"History of the Jews," made
Creed of Christendom,"
by Mr. Greg in his
p. 145.)
tribes

one

were

lost in

"

"

See

vol. ii.p.

p. 108.

the Bible

for Learners,vol. i. p. 321,

102;andDunlap : Mysteriesof Adoni,

108

BIBLE

worshipedthe sun,1 the

MYTHS.

the stars

moon*

and

all the host of

/ heaven.8
and keptit burningon an altar,
justas
They worshipedfire,
stones* revered
the Persians and other nations.4 They worshiped
oak tree* and
bowed
down
to images.1 They worshiped
an
called the goddessAstarte or Mylitta,
and
a
Queen of Heaven
burned incense
and
to her.8 They worshiped
Baal,9Moloch,10
after which
to them,12
and offered
Chemosh,11
sacrifices
up human
in some
instances,
theyate the victim.1*
It was
that idolatry
ceased among
the
during the Captivity
/X
Israelites.1*The Babylonian
referred to in the
is clearly
Captivity
book of Deuteronomy,
as the close of Israel'sidolatry."
There is reason
to believe that the real geniusof the people
was
of development
firstcalled into full exercise,
and put on its career
at this time ; that Babylonwas
cell;
" forcing
nursery, not a prison
The astonishing
instead ofstifling
outburst of
a nation.
creating
"

"

"

"

"

"

intellectualand moral energy that accompanied

the return from the
of that " mysteriattests the spiritual
activity
Babylonish
ous
Captivity,
"

As Prof. Goldziher says : " The intellect

than passing
of Babylonand Assyriaexerted a more
influence

and

on

momentous

that of the

into

time.

it,but entering
Hebrews,not merelytouching
deep

its own
it,and leaving

it"1*

impression
upon

1 See
the Bible for Learners,vol. i. pp. 317,
418 ; vol. ii. p. 301.
Dunlap's Son of the Man,
InHist.,pp. 68 and 182.
p. 3, and his Spirit

deans

and

Phenicians

or

Canaanites.

The

Lord
Bal, in the Punic language,signifies
Master.
The name
Bal is often joined with
or
man
: Ancient
some
Faiths,vol. ii. pp. 782,783;and
other, as 2?aJ-berith,
Bal-peor, BalGoldziher : Hebrew
The Israelites made
him their
Mythol.,pp. 227, 240,242.
zephon, "c.
9 The
Bible for Learners, vol. i. p. 317.
god, and erected altars to him on which they
and "what
is still
Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 3 ; and SpiritHist., offered human
sacrifices,'1
more
unnatural,they ate of the victims they
Mythol.,p. 159.
p. 68. Also, Goldziher: Hebrew
3 The
offered."
Bible for Learners, vol. i.p. 26, and
Pantheon, vol. i. pp. 113,114.)
(Bell's
10
The Bible for Learners,vol. i. pp. 17, 26 ;
317 ; vol. ii. p. 301 and 328. Dunlap's Son of
the Man,
vol. ii.pp. 102,299, 300. Bunsen
: Keys of St.
Dunlap's SpiritHist.,68;
p. 3.
Mysteriesof Adoni, pp. xvii. and 108 ; and The
Peter,p. 110. Miiller : The Science of Religion,p. 285. Moloch was a god of the AmmonReligioK of Israel,
p. 38.
" Bunsen
: Keys of St. Peter,pp. 101, 102.
ites,also worshiped among the Israelites. Sol6 The
built a temple to him, on the Mount
omon
Bible for Learners,vol. i. pp. 175-178,
of
sacrificeswere
Olives,and human
offeredto
317,322, 448.
" Ibid. 115.
him.
(Bell's
Pantheon, vol. ii.pp. 84,85.)
" The
1 1bid. i.
Bible for Learners,vol. i. p. 153;vol.
23, 321 ; ii.102,103,109,264, 274.
ii.pp. 71, 83,125.
Smith's Bible Dictionary;
Dunlap's SpiritHist.,p. 108. Inman : Ancient
art. "Chemosh."
Faiths,vol. i. p. 438 ; vol. ii.p. 30.
"
8 The
The Bible for Learners,vol. i. pp. 26,147;
Bible for Learners,vol. i. pp. 88,318 ;
vol. ii.pp. 102, 113, 300. Dunlap : Son of the
148,319, 320 ; vol. ii.pp. 16, 17,299,300. Dunlap's SpiritHist.,pp. 108, 222. Lnman : An
Man, p. 3 ; and Mysteries of Adoni, p. xvii.
cient Faiths, vol. ii. pp. 100,101.
Miiller :
Miiller : The Science of Religion,p. 261.
" The
Bell's Pantheon,
Bible for Learners, vol. i. pp. 21-25, Science of Religion,p. 261.
vol. i. 113, 114 ; vol. ii. 84, 85.
Dunlap :
105, 391 ; vol. ii. pp. 102, 136-138.
"
See note 9 above.
Son of the Man, p. 3. Mysteriesof Adoni, pp.
"
vol.
ii.
Ancient
Inman
See Bunsen
:
: Keys of St. Peter,291.
Faiths,
108,177.
pp.
"
ibid,p. 27.
782, 783. Bunsen : The Keys of St. Peter, p.
16 Goldziher : Hebrew
91. Miiller : The
Science of Religion,p. 181.
Mythology,p. 319.
idol of the Chalan
Bal, Bel, or Belus was
word

"

CONCLUSION

This

impression

they borrowed,

The
of

Israel

Magi,

entered

battle

in

written

the

22), they

be
from

shall

left, from

Shinar,

set

dogmas

we

his

of

(Goldziher,
the

B.

C,

to

find

from

composed
(Bunsen

known

reference

again
and

from

Hamath,

with
to

the

this

from

or

pert's
"

Jews

Jews

Islands

which

captivity

time
and

to

from
the

of

the
in

Islands

the

of the

their

Knap-

Kuenen's

from
"

of

of

iii.
"

sea

their

In

people,
and

Greece.

When

6).

(Jer.

from

that

the

by the

xxv.

18,
In

conquerors.
"

his

Cush,

until

plundered

(Joel.

words

i. e.,

land

own

the

lore

remnant

sea

for

See,
Dr.

Prof.

was

Greeks

following

and

(Knight:

54.)

p.

or

angels,

"c.

subject,

Israel,"

beyond

are

the

recover

of
"

Gabriel,

Jerusalem

Hellenic

Pathros,

adopted,

Jews

idea

this

from

to

the

angels,
tion,
resurrec-

The

the

on

of

that

captive

genius

Israel."

of

the

"

Mythology,

removed

were

the

285.)

Uriel,

Religion

is evidence

much

first

"

Religion

theology.

Jews.1

p.

and

imbibed,

rebel

and

Captivity,

Art

lon,
Baby-

to

hostile

the

the

information

the

them

second

Egypt,
and

"

from

back

further

there

of

some

country

bring

the
but

"c,

Raphael,

was

mutilated.

their

the

soul,

the

Judah.

their

and

of

of

Messiah,

Ancient
of

The

that

sold

who

their

hand

Assyria,

doctrine

of

of

doubly

whole

among

Michael,

dogma

introduced

was

the

during

"c.,

Nebuchadnezzar,

naturally

and

the

Angel

the

country

Chaldeans,

of

of

transported

the

months,

Nisan,

Jews.

generally

800

(xi. 11),

who

Israel

nearly

states

the

defenseless

the

the

naturalized

the

Yar,

exile."

returned

would

of

that

expressly

the

Babylonian

captives

the

were

immortality

and

Scriptures

the

about

EdomUes

kingdom

who

men,

sciences

and

trace

no

Hebrew

It is not
the

into

of

religion

time

the

angels

with
is

before

of

this

Michael,

There

Note."

Lord

which

land

with

nationalities,

fifty years,

Jerusalem

the

Babylon
"

Angels

Isaiah

of
of

Gabriel,

from

the

ideas

the

occupied

Samaria

subjugated,

great
the

of

heaven,

Talmud

319.)

and

of

penetrated

the

way,

introduced

names

as

time

which

legends

religious

angels Michael, Uriel, Yar, Nisan,

in

were

p.

the

and

came

different

in

until

the

(Satan),

The

this

priests

not

the

of

residence

was

came

in the

seen

in

seen

kingdom

being

educated

during

such

in

the

were

be

which

soon

very

persons

and

opinions,

that

also

the

Jerusalem

by

Besides,

filled

which

Afterward,

the

already partly

it may

colonies

Assyrian

tribes

It

and

109

FIRST.

imbibed.

they

the

have

we

PART

OF

day

which

Elam,

the
shall
and

PART

THE

II.

TESTAMENT.

KEW

CHAPTER
THE

MIRACULOUS

XII.

BIRTH

OF

CHRIST

JESUS.

dogma of the deityof Jesus,he who is said to

have lived on earth some
centuries ago, as Jesus of Nazareth,
eighteen
the Son, God as
is second of the three persons in the Trinity,
the Father and the Holy Spirit,
as
absolutely
except as eternally
his existence from the Father. What, however,especially
deriving
him from
characterizes the Son, and distinguishes
the two other
that the
persons united with him in the unityof the Deity,is this,
of time,became
and that,
out
withSon, at a givenmoment
incarnate,
losing
anythingof his divine nature,he thus became possessed
of a complete
human
out
nature ; so that he is at the same
time,withinjuryto the unityof his person, trulyman and trulyGod?
The
story of the miraculous birth of Jesus is told by the
According

to the

"

Matthew
"

Now

narrator

as

follows t1

the birth of Jesus

Christ

was

on

this wise:

When

as

his mother

Mary-

espoused to Joseph, before they came

together,she was found with child of
the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph, her husband, beinga just man,
and not willing
minded
her a public example, was
to make
to put her away
privily. But
while he thought on these things,behold,the angel of the Lord
appeared unto
him in a dream, saying,Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto
thee
And
Mary thy wife : for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus, for he shall save
his peoplefrom their sins. Now
all this was
done, that it might be fulfilled which
was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying: Behold, a virgin shall be
with child,and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name
Emmanuel,
which beinginterpreted
is,God with us."2
was

Matthew, i. 18-25.

The

ferent

Luke

manner.

narrator
His

recorded
tells the

account

is

story in
more

dif-

like that

in the Koran, which says that Gabriel

appeared unto Mary in the shape of a perfect
seeinghim, and seeming
man, that Mary, upon

fill]

112

BIBLE

A Deliverer

MYTHS.

in the time of
hopedfor,expected,
prophesied,
Jewish misery1(andCyruswas perhaps
the firstreferred to); but
to prophas no
one
appearedwho did what the Messiah,according
ecy,
successive
should do,theywent
e
ach
on
degrading
conqueror
and hero from the Messianic dignity,
and are stillexpecting
the
was

true Deliverer.

Hebrew

and Christian divines both start from the

assumed unproven

same

viz. : that a Messiah,

premises,
havingbeen

must
foretold,

and the Jews show

appear ; but there theydiverge,
themselves to be the sounder logicians
of the two : the Christians
not the one
assumingthat Jesus was the Messiah intended (though
wrest the obvious meaningof the prophecies
to show
expected),
that theywere
fufilledin him ; while the Jews,assumingthe ob

vious

meaningof
that theywere
not
Messiah is yet to
We

shall

in
should,
an

idea

meets

lineage.Gods

that God

visit and dwell with man, is

of the ancient Heathens,
read the writings

we

and celestialdescents were

so currently
conceptions
the ancients,
that whoever had greatly
distinguished
affairsof men
of
to
be
was
thought
supernatural

descended from heaven and

ascended from

men

the learned Thomas

made

were

incarnate in

took their seat among the

fast filling
were
apotheosises

and
earth,

gods,so that these incarnations and

Olympus with divinities.
In our inquiries
this subject
we
on
where,as

"

thousand differentforms."

received among
himself in the
and

BishopHawes

extraordinary
manner,

Immaculate

men,

meaning,
argue
therefore
a
nd
that
the
Jesus,

fulfilledin Christ

see, in the words of

which, as

us

be their real

to
prophecies

come.

now

some

in

the

shall turn

Maurice remarks

first to

Asia,

in his Indian

tiquities,
An-

"

in every age, and in almost every region

of the Asiatic
to have flourishedan
immemorial
world,there seems
uniformly
tradition that

god had, from

one

all

another
eternity,
begotten

god."
there have been several Avatars,or incarnations of
India,
of which isHeri Crishna,*
the most important
or Orishna
Vishnu,3
In

the Saviour.
"

intentions,said : If thou
wilt not approach me."
God,
the
Gabriel answering said : " Verily,I am
of the Lord, and am
sent to give
messenger
thee a holy eon."
(Koran,ch. xix.)
1
Instead,however,of the benevolent Jesus,

which

the

English

to understand

his

fearest

make

thou

"Prince
him

of Peace""

out

as

Christian

to be" the Jews

were

writers

expecting

daring and irresistiblewarrior and conqueror,

who, armed with greater power than Caesar,

was

to

come

upon

earth to rend the fetters in

their

haplessnation had

so

longgroaned,

to avenge them upon their haughty oppressors,

and to re-establish the kingdom of Judak.
a

Vol.

Moor, in his

p. 294.

v.

learned Pandit
were

record of
an

ancient

many.
* This

one

once
a

new

"

Pantheon,"
observed

people,and

Avataia, but

people,and had
name

has been

tells

that a
that the

us

to him

the

had

only the

Uiudoos

accounts

of

were
a

great

spelledin many

dif-

114

birth from

forth to mortal

displaymy

"In

of Devaki.

exclaimed
angels
this favored

delivery of

the

womb

the

chorus of

MYTHS.

It is time I should

and relieve the oppressedearth from

power,

Then

BIBLE

its load."1

all nature

woman,

shall have

to

cause

"xult."9

In

the sacred book

read

we

follows

as

"Eulogizedby

of the

Hindoos,called

Vishnu

"

Purana"

gods, Devaki

the

protectorof the world.

bore in her womb

the

the
lotus-eyeddeity,

bear to gaze upon

Devaki, from the lightthat invested her,
person
felt their minds disturbed.
The gods,
and those who
radiance
her
contemplated
"No

could

mortals, celebrated

invisible to

Vishnu

contained

was

read

Again we
"

her praisescontinuallyfrom
person."3

the

time

that

the root of the vast universal tree,inscrutable by

Vishnu himself,

divine

The

in her

understandingsof all gods, demons, sages, and men, past, present,or to

is without
adored
and all the deities,
he who
beginning,
come,
by Brahma
moved
of
relieve
the
earth
her
to
load, descended into the
middle, or end, being
of Devaki, and was
born as her son, Vasudeva," i. e., Crishna.*
womb
the

Again :
is the very Supreme Brahma,
the form of a man."6
should assume

Crishna

"

Supreme
The

belief in

Hindoo

though

it be

divine incarnation

mystery1 how

has at

the

above
least,

side of conceiving
that God
manifests
others,its logical
many
of humanity
himself on earth whenever the weakness or the errors
his presence necessary. We
of their sacred books called the

find this idea

render
one

"

Bhdgavat

expressedin

Geeta"

wherein

it says :
"

as

(theSupreme

there is

world, I make
of

One

I am
said),

decline of virtue,and

the

made

evident

by my

insurrection

an

myself evident,and thus

just,the destruction of

of

own

power,

vice aud

and

as

often

in the
injustice

I appear from age to age, for the preservation

of
the wicked, and the establishment

virtue."7

Crishna is recorded in the

beloved

Bhdgavat Geeta

Hist. Hindo8tan,
Ibid. p. 329.

as

sayingto

his

out

Vishnu Purana, p. 502.

Ibid. p. 440.
"
to him
Now

mystery, which

began." (Romans, xvi. 15.) And withcontroversy, great is the mystery of godliness : God
manifest
in the flesh,justiwas
of angels,preached
fled in the spirit,seen
in the world,
unto
the Gentiles,believed on
received up into glory." (1Timothy, iii.16.)
" Vishnu
Purana,
p. 492, note 3.
v
Geeta, ch. iv.

world

vol. ii.p. 327.

that is of power

to establish

you according to my gospel,and the preaching

of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of
the

"

disciple
Arjouna:

"

was

kept secret

since the

"

THE

"

BIRTH

MIRACULOUS

OF

He, O Arjoun, who, from conviction,acknowledgeth

my

bis mortal
quitting

Again,he

115

JESUS.

CHRIST

divine birth

(upon

form),entereth into me."1

says :

"The

and divine nature,as

foolish,being unacquaintedwith my supreme
despiseme in this human form, trustingto the evil,diabolic,
of all things,
and deceitful principle
within them.
They are of vain hope, of vain endeavors,
vain
and
void
of reason; whilst men
of great minds, trusting
of
wisdom,
to their
divine natures, discover that I am
all thingsand incorruptible,
and serve
me
before
with their hearts undiverted
other
gods."2
by
Lord

The

in

next

importance
among

the

India,is Buddha*

who

lorn Saviours of

Maya

He

Mary.

or

earth because he

and VirginGod-begotten
born

was

of the

and came
mercy left Paradise,
filled with compassionfor the

in

was

miseries of mankind.

Yirgin

down

to

sins and

He

soughtto lead them into better paths,

that he mightexpiatetheir
and took their sufferings
upon himself,
the punishmentthey must
otherwise inevitably
crimes,and mitigate
undergo.4
when
Buddha
about to
was
Accordingto the Fo-jpen-Kingf
descend from heaven,to be born into the world,the angelsin
to the inhabitants of the earth,
said :
heaven,calling
mortals!

"Ye

adorn

earth! for Bodhisatwa, the greatMaMsatwa, not

amongst you ! make readyand

your

Tusita to be born

long hence shall de"cend from

prepare! Buddha Is about to
The

descend

that bears

womb

other

relicis placed
; no

and

be born

Buddha

beingcan

; the usual secretions are

not

is like

casket in which

be conceived in the

same

from

receptacle
the time of

and
passion,

lived in the

formed

free from

Maha-maya was
conception,

!"6

; and

strictestcontinence.7
resemblance

The

between

this legendand

the doctrine of the

of Mary the mother of Jesus,

cannot
but be remarked.
virginity
perpetual
The opinion
that she had ever borne other children was
and Jerome,longbefore she had been
called heresy
by Epiphanius
exalted to the station of supremacy she now
occupies.8
1
1

"

Bhagavat Geeta, Lecture

Ibid.,Lecture iv. p. 79.
It is said

iv. p. 52.
been

there have

that

several

(seech. xxix). We speak of Gautama.

Buddha
is variouslypronounced and expressBoudh, Bod, Bot, But, Bud, Budd, Buddou,
Bouttu, Bota, Budso, Pot, Pout, Pota, Poti,
Buddhas

and

Pouti.

whence
or

The

Po.

the Chinese
Buddha"

the

proper

sound

the

the

way

means
:

in

Sci. of

final t

word

stillfurther vary

which

enlightened(see Muller
"is

make

Siamese

quiescent, and

or

We
have adopted this throughout this
in which
the
work, regardlessof the manner
writer from which
we
quote spellsit.
4
Prog. Kelig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 86.
name.

Po ;
it to Pho

awakened

or

Relig.,p. 308)
which
to spell the

is the life of Gautama

Fo-pen-hing

ha, translated
Prof.

Samuel

Beal

Hardy

from

the Chinese

ed
Budd-

Sanskrit

by

Beal.

Hist.

Buddha, p. 25.
of Buddhism, p. 141.
8 A
Christian
sect called Collyrioiansbelieved that Mary
born of a virgin,as
was
Christ

Manual

is related to

(See note

to

the

have

been

"Gospel

of

born
the

of

Birth

her
of

116

BIBLE

M. l'Abbe
says

in speaking
of Buddha,
Missionary,

"In
a

who

French

Hue, a

MYTHS.

into the world

came

to

"This

and

man

divine incarnation,a

to redeem

enlightenmen,

the way of safety.

idea of redemptionby

them

is sometimes

the eyes of the Buddhists, this personage

god, or rather both one and the other,a

them, and
is

times
some-

man-god

to indicate

to

generaland popular
the Buddhists,that during our travels in Upper Asia, we everywherefound
among
If we addressed to a Mongol or a Thibetan the
it expressedin a neat formula.
would
is
he
'Who
Buddha?'
immediately reply: The Saviour of
question,
a

divine incarnation

so

'

Men.'"1

He

further says

"The

miraculous
of the moral

number

This

birth of Buddha, his life and instructions,

contain a great
and dogmatictruths professedin Christianity."9

Messiah
Angel-

was

incarnate messenger, the vicar of God.

of

Gods,"
Ruler,"and
"

Father

"

"

worthyto

who
The
be

is addressed
Reverence

"

the Lord

is

of
dispeller

as

and
God

World," Almighty and All-knowing

He

is called also "The

"

Happiness,"The

Omnipotentand

"

Lord,"

Holy

The Possessor of

to be
Everlastingly

plated,"
Contem-

SupremeBeing,the Eternal One," The Divinity

Adored by the most praiseworthy
He
of Mankind."4
"

by

Amora

be unto

"

one

of his followers

"

thus

thee in the form

Reverence
of Buddha!
be unto thee,
thee,an incarnation of the Deity! Of the
be unto thee, O God, in the form of the God of Mercy;
trouble,the Lord of all things,the deity,the guardian

Reverence

pain and

of the universe,the emblem

The

is addressed

"

"

of All."3

of

He

chosen
divinely

of the Earth ! Reverence be unto

Eternal One!
the

Redeemer

"

The Author

One,"
All," "He

of the

the

regardedas

of

mercy."6

incarnation of Gautama

Buddha

is recorded

to

have

been

broughtabout by the descent of the divine power called The

"Holy Ghost" upon the VirginMaya.' This Holy Ghost,or
Mary
and

"

[Apocryphal]
; also King

their

The

Gnostics

Remains, p. 91, and Gibbon's Hist.

of Rome, vol. v. p. 108, note). This idea has
been recentlyadopted by the Roman
Catholic
Church.
claim that Mary was
born
They now
as
immaculate
as
her son.
(See Innian's
Ancient
Faiths, vol. i. p. 75, and The Lily of
Israel, pp. 6-15 ; also fig.17, ch. xxxii.)
The gradual deificationof Mary, though
Blower in its progress, follows,in the Romish
Church, a course
analogous to that which the
Church
of the firstcenturies followed, in elabWith
orating the deity of Jesus.
almost all
the Catholic writers of our
day, Mary is the
universal mediatrix ; all power has been given
"

to Tier in
than

more

heaven
one

and
serious

earth.
Indeed,
attempt has been al-

upon

in the Ultramontane
to
ready made
camp
to the Trinity;and if
Mary in some
way
Mariolatry lasts much longer,this will probably be accomplished in the end." (AlbertReville.)
* Hue's
Travels,vol. i. pp. 836,827.
unite

a
8

Ibid. p. 327.
Oriental Religions,p. 604.

See

Asiatic

Bnnsen's

Angel-Messiah.
Researches, vol. ii. p. 809, and
King's Gnostics, p. 167.
" See
Bunsen'"
Angel-Messiah,pp. 10, 26
and 44.

MIRACULOUS

THE

BIRTH

in the form

descended
fcpirit,

OF

of

white

117

JESUS.

CHRIST

Tikas

elephantThe

this as indicating
explain
power and wisdom.1
Buddha
The incarnation of the angeldestined to become
The Elephant
is the symbolof
manner.
placein a spiritual
wisdom

and

took

power
the organ of divine
he is called in the Tikas. For these reasons

Buddha

; and

considered

was

power and wisdom,as

Buddha is described by Buddhistic
from heaven

in the form

legendsas havingdescended
the
of an Elephant
to the placewhere
to Chinese Buddhistic writings,
according

But
VirginMaya was.
it was
the Holy Ghost,or
VirginMaya.3
The Fo-pen-hing
says :
"

If

white

who
/Shing-Shin,

descended

on

the

mother, in her dream, behold

elephantenter

her

rightside,

That

mother, when she bears a son,

Shall bear one chief of all the world

(Buddha);
all flesh ;
profit
Equallypoisedbetween preferenceand dislike;
Able

to

Able

to save

From

the

and

deliver the world

of

deep sea

and

men

misery and grief."3

"

Fergusson'sTree and SerpentWorship may be

of Maya, the mother
of
a
jeen
(Platexxxiii.)
representation
and dreamingthat a white elephant
Buddha,asleep,
appearedto
In Prof.

"

her,and entered her womb.

This dream

Rig Veda,was
who

was

to be

by the Brahmans learned in the

beinginterpreted
considered as announcing
the incarnation of him
in future the deliverer of mankind
from pain and

sorrow.

It

Buddhist

legends.4

the form
is,in fact,

which
"

Bliss
And

beyond mortal
over

Forewent
Sank
As

high noon

Awaked,

lovelylight
strong hills shook; the waves
that blow by day came
forth
a

The

morn.

lulled ; all flowers

'twere

took in

mother's filledher breast,

half the earth

the

the Annunciation

; down

to the farthest hells

Passed the Queen'sjoy,as when

sunshine thrills

warm

Wood-glooms to gold,and into all the deeps

A tender whisper pierced. Oh ye,'it said,
'

The

dead

that

are

to

live,the live who

Uprise,and hear, and hope! Buddha

Whereat in Limbos numberless much

Spread,and

die,

is come

peace
the world's heart throbbed, and

' See
Beat : Hist. Buddha, p. 36, note.
GUnesa, the Indian God of Wisdom, is either
with
represented as an elephant, or a man
an
Hindu
eiephant's head.
(See Moore's

1'
a

wind blew

Pantheon, and vol. i. of Asiatic Researches.)

9 Bunsen
: The
Angel-Messiah, p. 33.
" Beal : Hist.
Bnddha, pp. 38,39.
" Tree
and Serpent Worship, p. 131.

118

MYTHS.

BIBLE

unknown

With
And

when

freshness

the

morning dawned,

seas.

and this

told,

was

said,' The dream is goodl

grey dream-readers
Crab is in conjunctionwith the Sun ;
Queen shall bear a boy, a holy child

The
The
The

Of wondrous

Who

all flesh,
wisdom, profiting

shall deliver

from

men

Or rule the world, if he will

In this wise

the same
Fig.4, Plate xci.,
to it,says :
Fergusson,
referring
is another

edition of

ignorance,
deign to rule.'

holy Buddha

the

was

In

"Fig. 4

land and

over

born."

is also illustrated.
subject

legend more

frequentlyrepeatedthan

Prof.

almost

as
Scriptures.It was, with their artists,
great a favorite
any other in Buddhist
Christian
with
and
painters."1
as the Annunciation
Nativitywere

When

Buddha

avatar

and entered the

assumed
Buddha

body

descended

of the

from the

of
regions

VirginMaya, her

womb

the

souls,

suddenly

in which
appearance of clear,transparentcrystal,
and reclining
beautiful as a flower,
on
kneeling
appeared,
the

his hands.9
earth is the Dalai Lama, or Grand
on
representative
Lama, the High Priest of the Tartars. He is regardedas the
divine blessings
to dispense
of God, with power
on
vicegerent
Buddha's

is considered among the Buddhists

sort of divine being. He is the Pope of Buddhism.8

whomsoever
a

The

he

and
will,

Siamese

had

God
Yirgin-born

and

Saviour

mother,a

whom

they
spired
virgin,
beingin-

beautiful young
of men
and
the society
from heaven,quitted
His

called Codom.

to be

wandered

into

there to await the

partsof a great forest,
unfrequented
coming of a god which had long been announced to mankind.
While she was one day prostrate
in prayer, she was impregnated
by
of
the
borders
the sunbeams.
retired
to
She thereupon
a
lake,
the most

enly
Cambodia,where she was delivered of au heavthat opened
boy" which she placedwithin the folds of a lotus,
When
the boy grew up, he became
receive him.
a prodigy
"c*
wisdom, performed
miracles,
visited Cape Comorin, the most
first Europeanswho
The
Siam

between

to

of

Tree

and

King

p. 168, and
R. Spence

The

and

Serpent Worship, p. 212.

and their Remains,
Gnostics

Hist. Hindostan,

vol. ii. p. 485.

"

The
body of the
Hardy says :
Queen was
transparent,and the child could
be distinctly
seen, like a priestseated upon a
throne in the act of saying bana, or like a
golden image enclosed in a vase of crystal;
so

that it could be known

"very succeeding day."

how

much

(Hardy *.

he grew
of

Manual

Buddhism, p. 144.) The same

thing was said
of Mary, the mother
of Jesus.
Early art represented
the infant distinctly
visible in her
womb.
Ancient
(See Inman's
Pagan and
Modern
Christian Symbolism, and chap. xxix.
this work.)
" See
Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 84.
*
Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 185. See also
Anacalypsis,vol. i. pp. 1G2 and 308.

of
extremity
southerly
called Salivahana.

an

father's

his

that

related

Supreme Vishnu.1
god-man is
virgin-born

they
was

name

in fact,
of a Virgin,

divine child horn

was

surprised

Lord and Saviour whom

worshipinga

They

that he

Taishaca,but

of Hindostan,were
peninsula

the

inhabitants

to find the

119

MYTHS.

BIBLE

incarnation of the
The belief in

mythologyin

in the

found

"

Francis Davis

common

religions
has her

China

remarks,2
and under
with all other nations,

Sir John

As

of China.

this head

Fo-hi
range the persons styled
and their immediate
successors,
Iloang-ty

(orFuh-he),Shin-noong,
who, like the demi gods
mankind
or
by their ability

must

we

fable,rescued
from the most
barbarism,and have since been
enterprise
primitive
invested with super huma?i attributes. The most extravagantprodigies

and heroes of Grecian

related of

are

attributed
qualities

persons, and

these

the

incongruous

most

to them.'"
"

(Yol.i. p. 97),
Milman, in his Historyof Christianity
the Chinese,that Fo-hi was
found among
refers to the tradition,
born of a virgin
; and remarks that,the firstJesuit missionaries
"

Dean

who

to China

went

in
at finding,
appalled

were

the

that country,a counterpartof the story of the

Fo-hi is said to have been born 3468 years b.
to

Chinese

some

foundation
her

with
writers,

of the

womb,

empire.

rainbow

seen

was

historicalera

beginsthe

him

to surround

and the

conceived

his mother

When

mythologyof
virginof Judea.
c, and, according
him

in

her.*

the birth of Fo-hi are, some

Chinese traditions concerning
of them, highly
ceptance
poetical.That which has received the widest acThe

is
"

but

Three

as

follows

nymphs came
had they got

scarce

down
there

from
before

heaven

to wash

the herb

lotus

themselves

appeared

on

in

river ;
of their

one

it progarments, with its coral fruit upon it. They could not imagine whence
ceeded,
and
and one was
she
became
taste
was
it,whereby
tempted to
pregnant
delivered of

boy, who afterwards

legislator."4

became

great man,

founder

of

a
religion,

and

conqueror,

The

sect of

Xaca, which

claim that their master

was

of Buddhism,
is evidently
a corruption

supernatural
origin.Alvarez

also of

of them, says :
Semedo, speaking
"

The third religious

the Chinese
sect among
Hindostan,which sect they call Xaca, from the
they fable that he was conceived by his mother
"

See Asiastic

Res., vol. x., and

Anac., vol.

i. P. 662.
1

Davis

is from
founder

Maya,

India, from the parts of

of it,concerningwhom
from

white

elephant,

China, vol. i. pp. 21,

Thornton

Sqnire:Serpent Symbol,

Hist.

22.
:

Hist. China,vol. i. p. 161.

p. 184.

120

BIBLE

which

she

MYTHS.

in her sleep,
and for

saw

from

purityshe brought him

more

one

of

her sides."1

Lao-kiun,sometimes

called

is said to have

who
Zao-tsse,

been

of the Chow
born in the third year of the emperor Ting-wang,
He acquired
man.
dynasty(604b. a),was another miraculously-born
for sanctity,
and marvelous
great reputation
It

told of his birth.

stories were

said that he had existed from alleternity;

was

black in
of a virgin,
described
marvelous and beautiful as jasper."
did
Splencomplexion,
and
he
erected
to
a
s
was
were
him,
worshiped a god.
temples
His disciples
called HeavenlyTeachers."
were
They inculcated
that he had descended

earth and

on

horn

was

"

"

animals,and considered

toward

great tenderness

strict

celibacy

holiness. Lao-kiun believed

necessary for the attainment of perfect
he called Tao, and the sect which he formed is
in One God whom
or
Tao-tse,
him, says :

of

historyof
mythological

"The
which

'prince of

the

Thornton,speaking

doctrine

of

the Taou,'

'

human

this

Sir Thomas

nate
him as a divine emanation incaramongst his followers,represents
and
venerable
princeof
form. They term him the most high

is current
in

Sect of Reason."

called

and say that he condescended to a

gold of the palace of the genii,'
and
miraculous
with the
humanity when he became incorporated
and
mother's
of
his
Like
he
out
side,
of
came
Buddha,
Virgin
jasper.'

the portalsof
excellent

under

born

was

'

with

contact

"The

tree.

legendsof

to the birth of the

declare their founder

the Taoutse

to have

existed antecedent

; that he is the
pure essence
of the prime breath of life; ' and
'

elements,in the Great Absolute

'

of the teen ; that he is the ' original

ancestor
that he gave form to the heavens and the earth."2

M. Le
"

Those

Compte says :
who

made

have

of
this (thereligion

their professedbusiness,
Taou-tsze)

'
called Tien-se,
that is,'Heavenly Doctors; they have houses (Monasteries)
in
divers
in
to
live
parts, temples
together society;they erect,
given them

are

to their master, and

Yu

was

king and peoplehonor

another

sage, who
Confucius
as
"

"

"

toward

He

was

sober in

and
spirits

worship."

Chinese
virgin-horn

lived upon earth many

ages ago.
about him
been questioned
says :
of Yu.

with divine

him

see

no

is said to have

thoughhe

had

defect in the character

and eminently
and drinking,
pious
eating

ancestors."3

the Chinese hero,was

Hdu-Jci,
of
is the history
The following

of

supernatural
origin.
his birth,
to the
according

"

Shih-

King :"
1 Semedo
: Hist. China, p. 89,in Anac,
li.p. 227.
" Thornton
: Hist. China, vol. i. pp.

vol.

137.

See also Chambers's

Encyclo., art Lao-

tsze.

134-

"Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. pp. 204,206.

122

BIBLE

All these

MYTHS.

and virgin
born
god-begotten

men

called Tien-

were

tse,i. "., " Sons of Heaven."

China

If from

should turn

we

to

Egypt

would

we

for ages before the time of Jesus of Nazareth,the

and without a worldlyfather,
born of a virgin,
was

find

that,

mediatingdeity,
a

portionof

the

Egyptianbelief.1
Iforus,who

had

the

"Saviour"

epithetof

was

bjrn

of the

Isis.
of the
His birth was
of the greatestMysteries
one
virgin
it appear on the walls of
Egyptianreligion.Pictures representing
temples."3He is the second emanation of Amon, the son whom
he begot."9Egyptianmonuments
represent the infant Saviour in
the arms
of his virginmother, or sitting
her knee.4 An inscripon
tion
thus
translated
reads
:
a monument,
on
by Champollion,
"

"

"O

thou

God,

avenger,

Osiris,
engendered of

the

of

son

God; O thou

avenger,

Horus, manifested by

goddess Isis."6

Egyptiangod Ra was born from the side of his mother,

hut was not engendered.
The ancient Egyptiansalso deified kings and heroes,in the
the ancient Greeks and Romans.
An
same
manner
as
Egyptian
kingbecame,in a sense, the vicar of God on earth,the infallible,
and the personated
deity."7
P. Le Page Renouf, in his Hibbert Lectures on the Religion
of
Ancient Egypt,says :
The

"

I must

"

quitthis part of my subjectwithout a reference to the belief that

the living
rulingsovereignof Egypt was
image and vicegerentof the Sunand that in the earliest
god (Ra). He was invested with the attributes of divinity,
not

the

times

of which

possess monumental

we

Menes, who
believed to be
Almost
had

been

evidence."8

is said to have been

a

all the

templesof

constructed

in

the wall of

the left bank

view

of

the

See

Mahaffy

god Thoth

Proleg. to Anct. Hist.,p

Egyptian Belief,p. 406.
3 Bonwick
: Egyptian Belief,p. 157.
8 Renouf
: Relig. Anct.
Egypt, p. 162.
* See
the chapter on
The Worship of the
Virgin Mother."
:

Bonwick's

"

"

O toi

vengeur,

0 toi vengeur,

Dieu

fils d'un

Dieu

Horus, manifesto" par Osiris,en-

"

of the

Nile,at Thebes,

worship rendered

to

the

death.10

of these Theban

one

the
picture
representing

416, and

Egypt,was

god.9

after their
Pharaohs,their founders,

On

the first king of

templesis to

the messenger

of God

be
"

seen

telling

gendre crisis deesee."

(Champollion, p. 190.)
6 Bonwick
: Egyptian Belief,p. 406.
7
Ibid, p. 247.
8 Renouf
: Religion of Ancient
Egypt, p.
161.
"

See

Bell's

Pantheon, vol. ii. pp. 67 and

147.
""

Bonwick

Egyptian Belief,p. 248.

MIRACULOUS

THE

OF

BIRTH

maiden,Queen Mautmes, that

the

CHRIST

she is to

givebirth

King Amunotkph III.1

found in Egypt makes the god JRa
inscription

son, who

An

123

JESUS.

to

divine

is to be

say to his

son

III. :

Ramses

"I am thy father;by me are begottenall thy members

as divine;I have formed
erable
god; I have begottenthee,impregnating
thy shape like the Mendesian
thy venmother.

"2

"

Son of the Sun,"and Ramses

means
Raam-ses,or Ra-me-ses,
Heh An, a name
of Ramses
means
III.,
engenderedby Ra
(theSun),Prince of An (Heliopolis)."3
Thotmes III.,
the tablet of Karnak,presentsofferings
on
to his
"

"

does Ramses

predecessors
; so

his life-time the

the tablet of

on

denominated

Egyptianking was

The

ancient

also
Babylonians

believed that their

godsupon earth. A passage from Menaut's

of Nebuchadnezzar,
reads thus :
inscription
Nabu-kuder-usur

am

Babylon. The god Bel himself

and deposited
himself the germ of
of

In the life of
immaculate
he

Plato informs

m
"

the

of

son

god

life in the womb

my

He

great

Nebu-pal-usur,King
engenderedme,

Marduk
of my

born

was

mother."6

the

in

the
Persians,

of
innocence,

an

the East

said to be

was

"

the Persians gave to the

name

the Son

was

we

that Zoroaster

us

the

was

therefore he

From

me,

kingswere

As soon
ray of the Divine Reason.
the gloryfrom his body enlightened
the whole

Oromasdes,which

many

'Beneficent

translationof the

the law-giver
of
Zoroaster,

of
conception,
born

was

room."
God

the first-born

created

mythosis apparent.

common

as

ing
dur-

"4

God:

"I

Even

Abydos.

the

son

of

Supreme

of God.

will turn to the

West,and

of the ancient heroes of Grecian and Roman

shall find that

mythologywere

were
as
represented
regardedas of divine origin,
men, possessed
of god-like
and courage ; were
believed to have
form,strength
lived on earth in the remote, dim ages of the nation's history
; to
in their life-time with thrilling
have been occupied
adventures and

services
extraordinary

in the

have been after death in

gods,and

some

Bonwick
Renouf

"

ology,vol.
*

life among
the
worship.In the hospitable

Romans, a

Egyptian Belief,p. 407.

Relig. of Anct. Egypt, p. 163.
See Herbert Spencer'sPrinciplesof Soci:

i. p. 420.

Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 431.

and to
civilization,

translated to

cases

entitled to sacrifice and

Pantheon of the Greeks and

"

of human

cause

niche

alwaysin

readi-

Spencer's Principles of Sociology,vol. i.

p. 421.
6 Malcolm
T

was

Anac.

Hist.

Persia,vol. i. p. 494.

vol. i. p. 117.

124

MYTHS.

BIBLE

for every

ness

Christian Father Justin

The
"

who
divinity

new

It having reached

of Christ (theSon
who

many

be called the

should

that the
Heathen

prodigious
fablesrelated

the

Among
Hercules

these

"

the

was

"

of the

of Jove."

sons

"

of Jove

sons

may

be mentioned

the

:
following

Jupiterby a mortal mother,Alcmene,

his
Zeus,the god of gods,spakeof Hercules,
of

son

Queen of Thebes.1
son, and said

ing
prophets had foretold the comPoets to bringforward a great
of Jove. The Devil laying his scheme in
of the same
true historyof Christ was
acter
char-

ears

sons

dentials.
creproducerespectable

Martyr,says :

set the

to imagine that the

this,to get men

as

the Devil's

of God), he

could

This

shall

day

child be

born

of the

of

race

of men."2
of the sons
mightiest
Bacchus was
the son of Jupiter
and a mortal mother,Semele,
As Montfaucon
It
of Kadmus, King of Thebes.8
daughter
says,
is the son
of Jupiter
and Semele which the poetscelebrate,
and
which the monuments
represent."4
who
Perseus,

shall be the

"

Bacchus
"

I, son

is made

of Deus,

Semele

the

am

of the Thebans, Bacchus, whom

of Dirce and

and
foresight
human

in

nature

name

mortal

is derived from

providence,
was

person, and

one

of Ismenus.

the water

and
Amphion was the son of Jupiter
of Nicetus,
King of Bceotia."
daughter

Prometheus,whose

merly
for-

brings forth,being delivered by the

taken
mortal form instead of a god's,I
a
having

of Kadmus

and

arrived at the fountains

to this land

come

daughter

flame
lightning-bearing
have

to say

"6

mother,Antiope,

Greek

word

ing
signify-

who united the divine and

deity
both
confessedly

was

man

and

god.7
Perseus

was

the

of

Jupiter
by the virginDanae,daughter
Argos.8 Divine honors were paid him, and a

son

Acrisius,
King of
templewas erected to
Justin

of

him

in Athens.9

Martyr (a. d. 140),in

his

Apology to

the

Emperor

Adrian,says :
of God, our Master,Jesus Christ,
"By declaringthe Logos, the first-begotten
of a virgin,
without any human
mixture, we (Christians)
say no more
this than what you (Pagans)say of those whom
the Sons of Jove.
For
you style

to be born

in

328.

Roman

Antiq., p. 124.
Dupuis, p. 258.

Tales of Anct.

"

Greek

Panth., i.

Greece, p. 55.

and Italian

Panth.,i. 117.

Bell's

Roman

Mytho., p. 81. Bell's

Antiq., p. 71,and Mur-

ray'sManual Mytho., p. 118.

*
L'AntiquiteExpliquee, vol. i. p. 229.
"
Euripides: Bacchae. Quoted by Dunlap

SpiritHist, of Man, p. 200.

6 Bell's
AnPantheon, vol. i. p. 58. Roman
tiquities,
p. 133.
7 See
the chapter on
The
Crucifixion of
Jesus," and Bell's Pantheon, ii.195.
8 Bell's
Pantheon, vol. ii.p. 170. Bulflnch :
The Age of Fable,p. 161.
" Bell's
Pantheon, vol. ii.p. 171.
"

not be told what

need

you

assign to Jove.
"As

parcelof

in vogue

the writers most

sons

125

JESUS.

among

you

of God, called Jesus,should

to the Son

CHRIST

OF

BIRTH

MIRACULOUS

THE

allow him

we

to be

nothingmore

'

is very justifiable,
than man, yet the titleof ' the Son of God
upon the account
of his wisdom, consideringthat you (Pagans)have your Mercury in worship
of God.
under the titleof the Word, a messenger
.

"

As to his

being born
(JesusChrist's)

of

virgin,
you

have

your Perseus to

balance that."1

Mercury was the son of Jupiterand a mortal mother,Maia,

in Arcadia,
is said to have been the
of Atlas. Cyllene,
daughter
and a magnificent
of his birth and education,
scene
templewas
erected to him there.2

JEolus,kingof
and a
Jupiter
Apollowas

the

mortal
the

was
Sicily,

near
Islands,
Lipari

the

son

of

mother,Acasta.8
of

Jupiterand a mortal mother,Latona.4

the Ephesians
Like Buddha
and Lao-Kiun,Apollo,
so
said,was
shelter under an olive-tree,
born under a tree ; Latona,taking
was
Then there was
delivered there/
joyamong the undyinggodsin
Olympus,and the Earth laughedbeneath the smile of Heaven.*
who is said to have been one of the institutorsof the
Aethlius,
Orphicgames, was the son of Jupiterby a mortal mother,Protoson

genia.7
Areas

Aroclus
We

the

was

was

son

the

son

mightcontinue

of

and a mortal mother.'

Jupiter
of Jupiter
and a mortal mother.*
and givethe names
of many
more

sons

of

to show,in the words

Jove,but sufficienthas been seen, we believe,
of Justin,
that Jove had a great parcel
of sons."
The images
of
of power used for the good of others,
are
self-restraint,
prominent
"

"

in the lives of all or almost all the Zeus-born heroes."10

who begatso many sons,
Jupiter,
Pagans. In the words of Orpheus:

This
the
"

Jupiteris omnipotent;the firstand

the giverof all things,
the foundation
The

ancient Romans

were

was

the supreme

the last,the head

of the

earth,and

in the habit of

god of

and the
the

midst; Jupiter,
heavens."11
starry

their living
deifying

and

or the
departed
emperors, and gave to them the titleof Divtjs,
Divine One.
It was required
t
he
whole
throughout
empire that
divine honors should be paidto the emperors.12
They had a cere-

"

AdoI.

Bell's

The
8
4

6
"

1. ch. xxii.

Pantheon, vol. ii.p. 67.

Age of Fable, p. 19.
Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 25.

Bulflnch

Ibid,p. 74, and Bulflnch : p. 248.

Tacitus : Annals, iii.Ixi.
Tales of Anct. Greece, p. 4.

Bell's

Ibid. p. 81.
Ibid. p. 16.

"
10

Bell's

Pantheon, ii.p. 30.

Aryan Mythology, ii.45.
The Bible for Learners,vol. iii.p. 3.

M Cox
""

Pantheon, vol. i. p. 31.

126

BIBLE

MYTHS.

deification. After this ceremony,

or
Apotheosis,
and images,
with attributes of divinity,
erected
were
altars,
temples,
and Chryto the new
Tertullian,
deity.It is related by Eusebius,
Senate the Apotheosis
sostom,that Tiberius proposedto the Roman
called

mony

deificationof Jesus Christ.1

or

Alexander

Severus

"

This emperor
and in the former
men,

Romulus,

(who reigneda.

had

honorable
privatechapels,one more
deified
and
the
also some
placed
emperors,
and
Abraham, Christ,
Orpheus."2

who

is said to have been

Julius Proculus

appearedto

him

of God

son

took

than

of
assembly

Goesar was

supposedto

Augustus Ccesar was

the Senate

gods,under

have had

paidto

him

in
is expressed
by Yirgil,
divinity

the

Turn,

Behold thy own

turn

as

was

the

of his being
of

name

god for

Quiri-

father.'

to

divine

person/

His

lines :
following

thine eyes,

imperialRoman

Caesar,with all the Julian

See where

good

gin,
also believed to have been of celestialori-

and had all*the honors

"

of Rome,

the founder

to inform

the

the other;

eminent

by a pure virgin,
Rhea-Sylvia.'
that
Romulus
himself
oath,

solemn

and ordered him

called up to the
nus.4
Julius

d.

two

believed to have been the

One

his Life of

in
Lampridius,
222-235),says :

were

them

among

^Elius

name

see

Sine

here

thy race

divine,

survey;

gloriousranks ascend to-day!

This
this is he
the chief
so long
foretold,
To bless the land where Saturn ruled of old,
And give the Learnean
realms a second eye of goldI
The promised prince,Augustus the divine,
the

"

"

"

Of Caesar's race, and Jove's immortal

"The
sacred

honors due

to the

Augustusclaimed

line."'

"were
no
gods,"says Tacitus,
equalworship.Temples were

longer

built,
and statues were
to him ; a mortal man
was
erected,
adored,and
and pontiffs
were
appointedto pay him impioushomage."8
priests
of Claudius,
after
Divine honors were
declared to the memory
of the gods. The titles
and he was
added to the number
his death,
Our
Our
God," were givento the
Lord," Our Master,"and
Emperorsof Rome, even while living.9
:

"

"

"

vol. i. p. 78.

Bell's Pantheon,

Quoted by Lardner, vol. iii.p. 157.

Draper : Religion and Science,p. 8.
Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 37.

8
4

the

case

be of

of Jesus,
worthy and

one

Saul

In

of Tarsus, said to
character,declared

upright
solemnly, that Jesus himself appeared
to him while on his way to Damascus, and
most

again while praying in the temple at Jerusalem.

(Acts xxii.)
6 See
Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. ii.p. 345.
Gibbon's
Rome, vol. i. pp. 84, 85.
"
Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 611.
" iEneid, lib. iv.
" Tacitus
: Annals, bk. i. ch. x.
"

Ibid. bk. ii.ch. lxxxii. and

bk. xiii.ch. Ii

MIRACULOUS

THE

BIRTH

127

JESUS.

CHRIST

OF

In the deificationof the

a testimony
Caesars,
upon oath,of an
out of the funeral pile,
toward heaven,which was
flying
eagle's
the established
to convey the soul of the deceased,
was
supposed
proofof their divinity.1
Alexander the Great,
King of Macedonia (born356 b. a),whom

geniusand

uncommon

success

had raised above

ordinary
men,

was

god upon earth.9 He was believed to have

been the son of Jupiter
by a mortal mother,Olympias.
Alexander at one time visited the templeof JupiterAramon,
which was situated in an oasis in the Libyandesert,
and the Oracle
there declared him to be a son of the god. He afterwards issued
his orders,
himself
letters,
decrees,
Alexander,son of
"c, styling
JupiterAmmon"*
believed to have been

"

The

words of the oracle which

"

and

Let altars burn

The

incense pour,

potent Prince though nature

For Jove from

As God

to be divine

were

Socrates :

follows,
says

as

declared him

he

heaven

comes

pleaseJove Minerva eke;

must
seek,

his favor you

frail,

to earth him

sent, lo ! Alexander

the earth to rule,and

Ptolemy,who was
and into
campaigns,

justlaws

king,

for to

bring."4

of Alexander's

in his Eastern
generals
whose
hands Egypt fell at the death of
also believed to have been of divine origin.At
was
Alexander,
the siege
of Rhodes,Ptolemyhad been of such signal
service to
itscitizensthat in gratitude
theypaiddivine honors to him, and
saluted him with the titleof Soter,
i. e., Saviour. By that designation,
Soter"
he
is distinguished
from the succeeding
Ptolemy
kingsof the Macedonian dynastyin Egypt.*
believed to have been of divine
was
Cyrus,King of Persia,
called the
the "Anointed of God,"
or
Christ,"
origin
; he was
and God's messenger.6
one

"

"

son

Plato,born at Athens 429 b. c, was believed

called Perictione.7
of God by " pure virgin,
The

reputedfather

of Plato

was
(Aris)

to have been the

admonished

in

dream

respectthe person of his wife until after the birth of the child
of which she was then pregnant by a god.8
to

Prof.

See

of Plato,
Draper,
speaking
says :

Middleton's

Letters from

Rome, pp.

"nd

the Ancient Greeks, p. 81,

Rome, vol. i. pp. 84,85.
Draper : Religionand Science,p. 8.
Socrates : Eccl. Hist. Lib. 3, ch. xix.
Draper : Religionand Science,
p. 17.
See

Religionof

Gibbon's
"
4
"

"

See Inman

Bunsen

87, 38.

Bible

Ancient
Faiths, vol. i. p. 418.
Chronology, p. 5, and The An-

gel-Messiah,pp. 80 and 298.

7 See
Higgins : Anaealypsis, vol. ii.p. 113,
and Draper : Religionand Science,p. 8.
"
Hardy : Manual Budd., p. 141. Higgins:
Anac, i.618.

128

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Egyptian disciplesof Plato would have looked with anger on those

a
rejectedthe legendthat Perictione,the mother of that great philosopher,
conceptionthrough the influences of
virgin,had suffered an immaculate
pure
(thegod) Apollo,and that the god had declared to Aris,to whom she was betrothed,
the parentage of the child."1
"The

who

Here
whom

to

have the

we

Mary

was

the

to Joseph
angelappearing
in
of
believed
by the disciples

legendof
betrothed

"

"

the time

Plato for centuries before

difference beingthat the
the

Mary,and
We

name
virgin's
husband's name
confiding

have another similar

Christ

of

Jesus, the only

Perictione instead of

was

Aris instead of

Joseph.

case.

Apollonius(b.c. 41) was informed by a god,

In
who appearedto her,that he himselfshould he born of her?
who became
the course
of time she gave birth to Apollonius,
a
and performer
of miracles.8
teacher,
greao religious
born about 570 B. o.,had divine honors paidhim.
Pythagoras,
His mother is said to have become impregnated
througha spectre,
also informed
His father or foster-father was
or Holy Ghost.
that his wife should bringforth a son, who should be a benefactor
The

mother

of

"

"

to mankind.4
to
of miracles,*
the greatperformer
was
supposed
jEsculajpius,
The Messebe the son of a god and a worldlymother, Coronis.
nians,who consulted the oracle at Delphito know where ^Esculapiuswas born,and of what parents,were informed that a god was
born at Epihis father,
Coronis his mother,and that their son was

daurus.
went
to
from her father,
conceal her pregnancy
she exposed
where she was
delivered of a son, whom
Epidaurus,

Coronis,to

a goat-herd,
Aristhenes,
goingin search of a goat
whom
he
and a dog missingfrom his fold,discovered the child,
to
would have carried to his home, had he not, upon approaching
lifthim
his head encircled with fiery
from the earth,
perceived
on

mountain.

rays, which

of fame
which

made

him

believe the child

the
published
peopleflocked from

soon

the

was

divine.

The

voice

miraculous

infant,
upon
behold
this
heavenall quartersto

birth of

born child.*

Beinghonored
into Greece
passed
1

Draper

pare Lake
'-*

as

god

in Phenicia

See

See

Religionand6cience, p. 8. Com-

i. 26-35.
the

Egypt,his worship

and Rome.7

Philostratus, p. 5.

and

chapter on Miracles.
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 151.

"

See the

"

Bell's

Ibid.

chapter on Miracles,
Pantheon, i. 27. Roman
Taylor'sDiegeeis,p. 150.

Ant., 130.

130

BIBLE

embassador
"

that it

announced

should conceive

son."1

conceived

MYTHS.

She

connection with

that

God

the

to
therefore,
according

son, without

the will of

was

tion,
predic-

who

man,

6he

was

called Quetzalcoatle."3
Dr. Daniel
"

The

ancient

his

Myths of

"

the New

World,"says :

Not an author on
figureof Toltec mythology is Quetzalcoatle.
the
about
gloriousdays when he ruled
somethingto say
No one denies him to have been a god. He was born of a virgin
Tula or Tlopallan."*

Central

Mexico,but has

the land.

over

in
Brinton,

in the land of

The

Mayas of

Yucatan

had

conjecture
very

name,

the Mexican

between

Zama,

and

the

was

virgin-born
god,corresponding

if he
with Quetzalcoatle,
entirely

not the

was

well sustained

same

by the

under

ent
differ-

ship
evident relation-

He
Mayan mythologies.
of their supreme
son
only-begotten
and

was

named

god,Kin-

chahan.4
The

Muyscas of

The inhabitants of

name

and
Theotbilahe,

was

find

son, who

came

that he

was

down

to

structor.
generalin-

their

"

have

"

also traces of

similar personage

in the

traditionary

of Guatemala

him are
/ but our accounts concerning
vague than in the cases above mentioned.
We find this traditionalcharacter in countries and among
where

would

we

besides the
world

earth,

character in the traditionary

of
corresponding
history
The Sun
the god of the Peruvians
their miserable
deploring
his son, Manco
sent down
condition,
Oapac,to instruct
in religion,
"c.7

We
Votan

ing
hero-god.Accord-

Nicaraguacalled their principal

god Thom-

said that he had

athoyo
; and

them

similar

he emblematized.5

care
paternal

We
Peru.

of Bochica.
he bore the name
traditionary
history,
whose sovereignty
incarnation of the Great Father,
and

the

was

whose

had

their

to

He

Columbia

be least apt to
belief in an

common

more-

tribes

suspectits existence. In Brazil,

duringwhich the
age of violence,

personage

by water,there is a tradition of a supernatural

destroyed
in some
called Zome, whose history
is similar,
respects,

to that of

Quetzalcoatle.8

was

The semi-civilizedagricultural
tribesof Florida had

The

See

in particular,
had
Cherokees,

Kingsborongh

Mexican

Antiquities,

Tel. vi p. 176.
" IbiU.
p. 166.
"

Brinton

180,181.

Myths of the New

World, pp.

and law-giver
priest

Squire : SerpentSymbol, p. 187.

"

Ibid. p. 188.

"

Ibid.

"

Ibid.
Ibid. p. 1W.

"

like traditions.

MIRACULOUS

THE

BIRTH

OF

CHRIST

131

JESUS.

He was
and Bochica.
to Quetzalcoatle
corresponding
essentially
He told them
of Wasi.
and bore the name
their greatprophet,
of the world,and what would
what had been from the beginning
be, and gave the peoplein all thingsdirections what to do. He
their feasts and fasts,
and all the ceremonies of their religion,
appointed
and enjoined
upon them to obey his directions from generation
to generation."1
notions prevailed.The
Among the savage tribes the same
Edues of the Californians taughtthat there was a supreme Creator,
and that his son, Quaagagp,came
down upon the earth
JViparaga,
"c.
and instructed the Indians in religion,
Finally,
through
the Indians killed him ; but although
hatred,
dead,he is incorruptible
the mediatory
and beautiful. To him theypay adoration,
as
power between earth and the SupremeNiparaga.3
The Iroquois
also had a beneficent being,
in himself the
uniting
character of a god and man, who was
called Tarengawagan. He
of the laws of the Great Spirit,
to them the knowledge
tablished
esimparted
"

their form of

Among

the

government, "c.3

and particularly
Algonquins,
among

and other remnants

of that stock of the

the

Ojibways

this intermediate
North-west,

in his "Notes
greatteacher (denominated,
by Mr. Schoolcraft,
"
the greatincarnation of the North-west ")is fully
ofthe Iroquois"

He bears the name

of Michabou, and is represented
recognized.
as the first-born
son
of a greatcelestialManitou,or Spirit,
by an
and is esteemed the friend and protectorof the
earthly
mother,
human

race.4

I think

God, who

we
came

to the
peculiar

and

can

now

down

say with M.
earth to save
on

and with
Christians,"

that
philosopher,

death,came
accustomed

to be

"

Dupuis,that

"

the idea of

mankind,is neither new

the great Roman
Cicero,

brave,famous

or

powerfulmen,

gods,and

theyare the very

to worship,
pray to and venerate."

ones

whom

nor
tor
ora-

after

we

are

that the synoptic

there
are historical,
Takingfor granted
Gospels
is no proof that Jesus ever claimed to be either God, or a god ; on
the other hand,itisquite
the contrary.5
As Viscount Amberly says :
The best proofof this is that Jesus never, at any period
of his life,
"

Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 191.

Ibid.

"

Ibid.

Ibid,p. 192.
" "If
we
seek, in the first three Gospels,to
know
what his biographers
thought of Jesus,
we find his true humanity plainlystated,
and if

possessed only the Gospel of Mark and the

of the Apostles in the Acts, the
whole Christologyof the New Testament
would
we

discourses

be reduced
*

to this

that Jesus of Nazareth

was

prophet mighty in deeds and in words,

made
by God Christ and Lord.'
(AlbertBe*
ville.)
a

"

132

worshiphim, either as God, or

desired his followers to

of

MYTHS.

BIBLE

God," in

the

in which

sense

it is now

the Son

as

he believed

Had

understood,

believed of him,
subsequently
he
of the constituent persons in a divine Trinity,
one
both to address him in praver
enjoinedhis Apostles

of himself what his followers

that he

was

have

must

themselves,and

desire their converts

to

quiteplainthat he did nothingof

him to have done so.
supposed
Belief in Jesus

the Messiah

as

but adoration
Christianity,

of

the

of Jesus

that

kind,and

God

as

theynever

the first dogma

taughtas

was

It is

do likewise.

to

taught

not

was

at all.

left in this matter

conjectural
are
plain.
put
to the Father,
occasion arose, he asserted his inferiority
Whenever
itis natural that
though,as no one had then dreamt of his equality,
the occasions should not have been frequent.
when he said that of
in knowledge
He made himself inferior
the day and hour of the day of judgmentno one knew, neither the
in heaven nor the Son ; no one except the Father.1
angels
in power when he said that seats on
He made himself inferior
not
hand and on his left in the kingdom of heaven were
his right
his to give.3
in virtue when he desired a certain
He made himself inferior
Good Master,"
for there was none
not to address him as
man
good
But

are

we

inferences.

not

The

to

depend on

of Jesus

into the mouth

words

"

but God.8
words of his prayer at Gethsemane," all things
are
possible
to
that
all
while
not
its
w
ere
things
thee,"
possible him,
imply

The
unto

conclusion
to

"

not

what I

not
superior,

but
will,

the

mere

what thou

indicatessubmission
wilt,"

execution of

purpose of his own.4

uselessfor any
mockery,
a

Indeed,the whole prayer would have been a

of his disciples,
if he
purpose but the deception
identical with the

givingeffectby

whom

Beingto

his death to their

he

and
prayed,

had

himself been

had

counsels.

common

merelybeen
While

the

God, my God! why hast

cry of agony from the cross, "My
have been quiteunmeaning if the
thou forsakenme t"* would
person forsaken,and
the same.

the person

Either,then,we

assume

must

had
forsaking,

been

of Jesus has
language
he never
for a moment

admit that
must
or we
misreported,
co-eternal or consubstantial
to be co-equal,
pretended

"

Mark, xiii.32.
Mark, x. 40.

"
"

and

that the

been

"

one

Mark, x. 18.
Mark, xiv. 36.

with God.

Mark, xr.

84.

entertained
compilers

the descent of

Josephwould

point.All attemptsto
Messiah
doctrine of the Angellearned Christian

the father of Jesus.

doubt that Josephwas

no

not

have been in the least

with the
reconcile this inconsistency

to the

most

133

that their
from both the genealogies,1
necessity

It also follows of
Otherwise

JESUS.

CHRIST

OF

BIRTH

MIRACULOUS

THE

the
avail,
although

has been without

for
divines,

many

generations
past,have

to do so.

endeavored

So,too,of

the stories of the Presentation

of the child Jesus

at

in the

and
Temple,8
called his father.

Jerusalem,3
Joseph is

described as the son

,*or the
of the carpenter
repeatedly
without the least indication that the expression
is
ofJoseph,
in accordance with the fact.6
strictly

Jesus is
son

not

If his

parentsfail to understand

him

when

he

be about his Father's

years old,that he must
afterwards declares that he finds no faith among

says, at twelve
if he
business;8
his nearest

tions;7
rela-

if he exalts his faithful

above his unbelieving

disciples
mother and brothers ;8above all,
if Mary and her other sons
put
enthusiasm to insanity
then
down his prophetic
the
worthy
untrustf"
nature of these stories of his birth is absolutely
certain.
If even
little
of
what
tell
had
been
then
us
a
true,
they
Mary at
least would

have

believed in

Jesus,and

not have failed so

would

to understand him.10
utterly
The Gospelof Mark
abides
which,in this respect,at least,
most
tradition says not a word
by the old apostolic
faithfully
the miraculous
about Bethlehem
birth. The congregation
or
of
Jerusalem to which Mary and the brothers of Jesus belonged,11
and
which the eldest of them,James,presided,12
have known
over
can
nothingof it; for the later Jewish-Christian communities,the
so-calledEbionites,
who were
descended from the congregation
at
Jerusalem,called Jesus the son ofJoseph.Nay, the story that
the Holy Spiritwas the father of Jesus,
must
have risen among
"

"

Matt,

and

Luke.

"The

which
most
conpassages
appear
firmatory of Christ's Deity, or Divine nature,
are, in the first place,the narratives of the Incarnation and of the Miraculous
Conception,as

given by Matthew

and

Luke.

narratives do not harmonize

Now, the
with

two

rative,especiallyin Luke, is poeticaland leto the

gendary, and bears a marked
similarity
stories contained in the Apocryphal Gospels."
(W. K. Greg : The Creed of Christendom, p.
229.)
"
"
Luke, ii.27.
Luke, ii.41-48.

other ;

Matt. xiii.55.

they neutralize and negativethe genealogieson

which depend so largea portionof the proof of
Jesus being the Messiah"
the marvellous statement
they contain is not referred to in any
subsequent portion of the two Gospels,and is
but positivelynegatived by several pastacitly

Luke, iv. 22.

it is never
sages
the Epistles,
and
"

mentioned

each

in the Acts

or

in

to all
evidentlyunknown
the Apostles"and, finally,
the tone of the narwas

John, i. 46; vi. 42.

iii.23.
"

Luke, ii.50.

Matt. xiii.57.

Matt. xii. 48-50.

Mark, vi.4.

Mark, iii.83-35.
Mark, iii.21.
10 Dr.
Hooykaas.
u
Acts, i. 14.
ia
Acts, xxi. 18. Go*, il.1U-21.
"

Lake,

134

BIBLE

MYTHS.

the

and not among the firstbelievers,

who were
Greeks,or elsewhere,
is of the feminine
Jews,for the Hebrew word for spirit
gender,1
The

immediate

to which

"

as

were,

Mary,the
have

we

historian
"

man"

common

The

mother

of

"

"

at Jerusalem
congregation
and his brothers belonged
Jesus,
"

seen, the Ebionites.

(borna.

"),tellus

men

poor

of the

successors

born

264),speakingof

d.

that

theybelieved Jesus
other men,
ofMary

by

Ebionites

the

the JZbionites(i.
e.

to be

"

as

views held

astical
Eusebius,the firstecclesi-

simpleand

and her husband."*

of Jesus

derived from the

"

were,

it is

said,

what

Gospelof Matthew,and
theylearned direct
from
Apostles.Matthew had been a hearer of Jesus,a com
and had seen and no doubt conversed with
panionof the Apostles,
he wrote
his Gospeleverything
fresh in his
was
Mary. When
his part,in writing
the life
on
mind, and there could be no object,
the

of

Jesus,to

falsehoods

state

deceive his countrymen.

Matthew

would

he omit it in

have

givingan

importanttruths

If what is stated in the

the
chapters,
concerning

two

omit

or

miraculous

birth of

in order to

first
interpolated

Jesus,were

true,

known

of it ; and, knowing it,

why should
of the lifeof Jesus V
account

The

or
Ebionites,
Nazarenes,as they were
called,
previously
the
the
Jews
and by
were
as apostates,
by
rejected
Egyptianand
Christians as heretics,
until they completely
Roman
therefore,
though
of tyrannical
their historyis one
persecution.Aldisappear,

traces of that obsolete sect may

some

discovered

be

as

late

melted away, either into the

the fourth century,theyinsensibly
and with
Roman
Christian Church, or into the Jewish Synagogue,4
as

perishedthe originalGospelof Matthew, the onlyGospel

written by an apostle.
them

"

Who,

where

masses

time and sense, to

fact? Woe
prosaic

of

deifyand
to the

men

to

are

adore,wants

man

burst the bonds of

burningto

earth-born,
it ! Woe
interpose

what

that dares to

seems

tine,
the very soilof Palesthat dare to maintain the earlier,
humbler tradition 1 Swiftly

to the sect of faithfulEbionites even, and

do

theybecome

by

on

though sanctioned
heretics,
revilers,
blasphemers,

James,brother of the Lord."

Edward
Gibbon, speakingof

this most

unfortunate

sect,

says:
"

has countenanced the

regardfor the honor of the firstproselytes
the Nazarenes, were
least
or
at
the
that
the
Ebionites,
wish,
hope,

A laudable

the
belief,

See The

"

Eusebius

"

Mr.

Bible for
:

Learners, vol. iii.p. 57.

Eccl. Hist.,lib. 3, ch. xxiv.

George Reber

has

thoroughlyinvesti-

gated this subject in his

Which
*

"

Christ of

Paul," t"

the reader is referred.

See

Gibbon's

Rome, vol. i. pp. 515-617.

only by
distinguished

CHRIST

135

JESUS.

in the practice
of the Mosaic
their obstinate perseverance
their books are obliterated,
their obscure
have disappeared,

rites.

Their

freedom

might allow a latitude of faith,and the softness of their infant

moulded
be variously
by the zeal of prejudiceof three hundred

would

churches

OF

BIRTH

MIRACULOUS

TH2.

years.
these sectaries any knowledgeof
Educated
in the school of Jewish

refuse

charitable criticism must

Yet the most

creed

the pure and proper

divinityof Christ.
they had never been taught to elevate their hope above
prophecy and prejudice,
If they had courage to hail their king when
ke
and temporalMessiah.
a human
cerning
distheir
of
in
were
a
incapable
appeared
plebeiangarb,
grosser apprehensions
his celestialcharacter under th*
their God, who had studiously
disguised
and person of a mortal.
name
conversed with their friend
The familiar companions of Jesus of Nazareth
and countryman, who, in all the actions of rational and human
life,
appearedof
His progress from infancyto youth and manhood
the same
specieswith themselves.
marked
and
wisdom
after
increase
in
and
a
stature
was
a
ful
painby regular
;
mind
of
and
cross."1
he
the
on
body,
expired
agony
"

The

Jewish

Christians then

and their immediate

their master
Jesus

man

many

we

have

than

seen

of Nazareth

other

men

of Jerusalem,
congregation

successors, the Ebionites

nothingmore

facts which

the

"

had

was

been

or

From

man.

Nazarenes
and
this,

"

saw

in

the other

it is evident that the

chapter,
deified long after his death,
justas

in this

deified centuries before his

time,and

that
after.Until it had been settled by a council of bishops
"
Jesus was
in human
God himself
not onlya God,but
form"
redeem
who
did
Crishna
of
and
to
on
as
old,
earth,
appeared
his nature.
save
mankind,there were many theories concerning
Among the earlyChristians there were a certain class called by
the later Christians Heretics. Among these may be mentioned the
named after one Carpocrates.
Carpocratians,"
They maintained
that Jesus was
a mere
man, born of Joseph and Mary,like other
Some of them have the
good and virtuous.
men, but that he was
in some
"to think that theymay
or
vanity,"
equal,
says Irenoeus,
even

"

!J

"

exceed,Jesus himself."2
respects
These

of Gnostics,
and comprename
general
hend
the
that
"all
two ages.9They said
of
first
the ancients,
and even
the Apostles
and
received
themselves,
taught
the same
w
hich
held
that
truth
of
the
and
the
things
they
Gospel
;
had been preserved
tillthe time of Victor,
the thirteenth Bishopof
the truth had been corrupted."4
Rome, but by his successor, Zejphyrinus,
are

called

by

the

almost all the sects

the

of Ariemon
Eusebius,
speaking
of Christ,
divinity
says :

Gibbon's

"

See Lardner's

Rome, vol. iv. pp. 488,489.

Works, vol. viii.pp. 395,396.

and his

"
"

who
followers,

Ibid. p. 806.
Ibid. p. 571.

denied

136

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"

"

affirm that all

They

ancestors, yea, and

our

~i

Apostlesthemselves, were

the

with them, and that this their true

opinion, and taught the same
and
embraced
call
unto the time of Victor,
it)was preached
(forso they
after Peter, and corrupted by his successor
thirteenth Bishop of Rome

of the

same

doctrine
the

Zephyrinus."1
There
who

also the

were

named
Cerinthians,"

"

that Jesus

maintained

not

was

born of

after

Cerinthns,

one

which
virgin,

to them

the son of Joseph and Mary,

but that he was
appearedimpossible,
in virother men
tue,
born altogether
are
as
y but he excelled all men
At the time of his baptism,"the
knowledge and wisdom.
Christ" came
down
upon him in the shape of a dove,and left
him

of his crucifixion.3

at the time

Cerinthus

Irenseus,
speakingof
"

He

represents Jesus
of human

course

believed nevertheless
and

men,

of his

that

as

the

of

son

and
generation,
that he

was

more

the Chiist descended

and his

doctrines,
says

nary
Joseph and Mary, according to the ordinot as having been born of a virgin. He
righteous,
prudent and wise than most
and

upon,

entered

into him, at

the

time

baptism." 8

The

Dooetes

who

were

tians
and learned sect of Asiatic Chris-

numerous

invented the Phantastic

by

afterwards mulgated
prothe Marcionites,
the Manicheans,and various other sects.

system,which

was

of the Gospels,
as far as
authenticity
They
theyrelated to the conceptionof Mary, the birth of Jesus,and the
thirty
years that precededthe exercise of his ministry.
Borderingupon the Jewish and Gentile world,the Cerinthians
in
labored to reconcile the Gnostic and the Ebionite,
by confessing
union of a man
and a god ; and
the same
Messiah the supernatural
this mysticdoctrine was
adopted,with many fanciful improvements,
The
this
of
was
: that Jesus
hypothesis
by many sects.
of Joseph and
Nazareth
was
a
mere
son
mortal, the legitimate

denied the truth and

he

Mary, but

the best and wisest of the human

was

worthy instrument

the

to

restore

Deity. When
and not tillthen,he became
more
the firstof the ^Eons, the
Christ,
true

and supreme

Jesus in the form

on

actions

duringthe

of

EnsebinB

Eccl.

Jews, the

and
spirits,

Hist.,lib. 5, ch.
Irenseus:

At

man.

of God

of his
allotted period
of

worshipof the
baptizedin the Jordan,
that

time,the

himself,descended

dove, to inhabit his mind, and direct his

delivered into the hands of the

back to the world

Son

as

earth the

upon
he was
than

race, selected

zzv.

left the

ministry.When
Christ

forsook

Jesus
solitary

Lardner

Against Heresies, bk. i. c.

vol. yiii. p. 404.

xxiv.

to

he

was

him, flew
to
suffer,

138

BIBLE

eternal duration had

been

marked

MYTHS.

the

days,and months,and
existence;that the Almighty God had been
years of human
and crucified
had felt
essence
scourged
pain
j that his impassible
that
his
and
omniscience
not
was
anguish;
rance
exempt from ignothe
that
and
and
source
of life
immortality
expiredon
f
Mount
Calvary.
affirmed with unblushing
These alarmingconsequences were
and one of the luminaries
by Apollinaris,
Bishopof Laodicea,
simplicity
The son of a learned grammarian,
of the Church.
he was
skilled in all the sciences of Greece ; eloquence,
and philerudition,
osophy,
in the volumes
of Apollinaris,
were
humbly
conspicuous
devoted to the service of religion.
the worthy antagonist
The worthy friend of Athanasius,
of
he bravelywrestled with the Arians and polytheists,
and
Julian,
the rigorofgeometrical
his c omdemonstration,
thoughhe affected
of the Scriptures.
mentaries revealed the literaland allegorical
sense
A mystery,which had longfloated in the looseness of popular
in a technical form,
defined by his perverse diligence
was
belief,
and he first
ture
proclaimedthe memorable words,"One incarnate naof Christ."*
This was about a. d. 362,he beingBishopof Laodicea,
in Syria,
by

at that time.3

The

Catholics to
thus.

the errors
against
seemingagreement with

recent zeal

But

instead of

and
established,

of

reduced
Apollinaris

the

the double-nature of Cerin-

they
temporary and occasional alliance,

the
Christians stillembrace,

ble,
indissolusubstantial,

God with a perfect

union of a perfect
man,
everlasting
with a reasonable soul and
of the second person of the Trinity
flesh. In the beginning
of the fifthcentury,the unityof
human
the two natures was the prevailing
doctrine of the church.' From
recent
that time, until a comparatively
period,the cry was:
"May those who dwide Christ* be divided with the sword; may
and

by the language of St. Paul (God was manifest

seen
of anin the spirit,
flesh,justified
gels, "c. I. Timothy, iii. 16), but we are deBibles. The word which
ceived by our modern
altered to God at Constantinoplein the bewas
ginning of the sixth century : the true meaning,
which
is visible in the Latin and Syriac vereions, stillexists in the reasoning of tbe Greek,
as well as of the Latin fathers ; and this fraud,
with that of the three witnesses of St. John
(I.John, v. 7), is admirably detected by Sir
Isaac Newton."
(Gibbon'sRome, iv. 496, note.)
"
The
Dean Hitman
weight of ausays :
in the

readthority is so much against the common

ing of both these points (i."., I. Tim. iii. 16,
no
and I. John, v. 7), that they are
longer
urged by prudentcontroversialists." (Note in
Ibid.)
*

Gibbon's

See Chambers's

Rome,

vol. iv. pp. 493-497.

Encyclopaedia,art. "Apol-

linaris."

Rome, vol. iv. p. 498.

is,separatehim from God the Father,
not
by saying that he,Jesus of Nazareth, was
reallyand trulyGod Almighty himself in humaa
"

Gibbon's

That

form.

THE

the

actually
after

this

which

has

indeed

we

been

ere

dark

sun,

the

to

and

But

which

of
what
must

burned

alive/"
Is

synod.1
How

ages?

evidence

enjoy.

now

Christian

Now

were.

be

the
a

shed

which

coming

glorious

See

Gibbon's

Rome,

vol.

iv.

p.

51G.

is

of

that

the

is

ray

yet

rays

to

over

name

Dark

light

whose

morn,

light

grand
its

were

wonder

any

followed

however,

it sets.

it

These

appropriate

centuries

then,

139

JESUS.

CHRIST

OF

they

may

applied

gave

noon-day

earth,

of
the

came

which

light

pieces,

words

they

seen,

the

iii

hewn

be

they

BIRTH

MIRACULOUS

was

glorious
come

the

from

whole

XIII.

CHAPTER

THE

had

in

born

Being

it

been,

was

STAR

miraculous

the

added

virgin-borngods should be
the legend would
Jesus, otherwise
first which
is said to have

which
"

Jesus

When

king, behold,
is he
are

is born

that

of the

King

Jews

from

the

east

? for

we

have

follows

as

Jerusalem,

saying:

Ms

in the

seen

star

star

:*

of Herod

days

the

in

the

designated

was

narrator

to

of

story

which

of Judea,

Bethlehem,
men

the

birth, and

Matthew

Christ

history of
complete.

is

of

the

Where

'

east, and

"

him.'

worship

to

come

in

wise

came

his
the

by

born

was

there

notice

heralded

It is related

his star."
"

shall

we

births

the

to

be

not

great personages

attending the

miracles

these

The

other

as

manner,

that

necessary

BETHLEHEM.

OF

the

these
things,he privatelycalled
king, having heard
the star apand
what
time
the
wise
inquired of them
men,
peared,
Bethlehem
them
time
search
at the
to
to
same
sending
The
child.
wise
parted
diligentlyfor the young
accordingly,demen,
Herod

and
which
stood

they

their

on

the

in

saw

where

over

the

east

before

went

style with

those

them,

of this narrative

of

fact that

his

star, shows
he

whom

ancient

All
influence

of the

it

one

each

which

nations
stars

upon

were

popular

and

of

similarity

every

"

of
was

been

very

superstitiousin
and
this
affairs,

Matthew,

ch.

ii.

seen

of

not

belief

person
was

been

days all unite

mythic fiction.

our

had

human

141)

its

"

narrator, have

story speaks

the

was

lived,that

that this

star, and

of this

writer

that

and

came

"

story the impress of poetic or

the

The

among
a

the

stamp upon

star

apocryphal gospels and more

those
astrologicalnotions which,

especiallyits conformity with

though prevalentin the time of the Matthew
exploded by the sounder scientific knowledge
to

till it

in the

contained

The

"

was."

child

young

Bethlehem.

towards

way

generallegendary character

The
in

went

star

but

the

people

born

under

his star.

regard
ridiculous

to

the
idea

STAR

THE

has been handed

down, in

OF

141

BETHLEHEM.

to the

even
places,
this subject,
on
speaking
Hooykaas,
says :

Dr.

some

In ancient times the Jews, like other

"

there
under

immediate

some

was

idea which

connection

lucky

or

under

an

peoples,might

very well believe that

the stars and the life of man
an

between

evil star.

"

of

in the forms

still preserve

we

presentday.

speech that so-and-so

They might therefore suppose

was

born

that the

announced
in the heavens.
birth of greatmen, such as Abraham, for instance,was
has ceased,
In our century, however, if not before,all serious belief in astrology
it would

and

be

regarded as

act of the

an

for any
grossestsuperstition
and

have his horoscope drawn ; for the course, the appearance

of the heavenlybodies have been long determined with

by

science."

one

to

disappearance
precision

mathematical

Rev. Dr. Geikie says, in his

The

the

Lifeof Christ ;a

and
already,long before Christ's day,dabbled in astrology,
of magic which
connected
became
with it.
They
much
were
given to cast horoscopes from the numerical value of a name.
pounders,
Everywhere throughoutthe whole Roman Empire, Jewish magicians,dream ex"The

"

had

Jews

various

the

forms

found.
and sorcerers, were
lifeand portionof children,'
says the Talmud, 'hang not on righteousness,
but on their star.' ' The planetof the day has no virtue,but the planetof

'

The

the Messiah is to be revealed,'

has much.'
When
(ofnativity)
says the
book Sohar, a star will rise in the east, shiningin great brightness,
and seven
it will fightagainstit on
A star will rise in the
other stars round
every side.
is
and
will
which
the
of
the
remain
in
the
star
east fifteendays.
Messiah,
east,
'

the hour

'

'

'

The

"

of every man's birth beingsupposedto determine

it was onlynecessary to find out in
every circumstance in his life,
what mode the celestialbodies supposedto be the primarywheels
moment

"

universal machine

to the

that moment,
afterward.

in order

operatedat

"

discover allthat would

to

happento him
The regularity
of the risings
and settings
of the fixed stars,
and the orderly
thoughit announced the changesof the seasons
of
could
variations
not be adaptedto the capricious
bility
mutanature,
of human
had
astrologers

and
fortunes,
actions,
recourse

revolutions offered
Their

more

to

the

whose
planets,

varied and

different returns

adventures

more

wherefore

complicated

more

extended

the

combinations.

certain

pointsof the Zodiac,their

relative positions
and conjunctions
with each other,
were
supposed
to influence the affairsof men
whence
daringimpostors
presumed
;
to foretell,
not onlythe destinies of individuals,
but also the rise
and fallof
The

and
empires,

to

the fate of the world itself.8

inhabitants of India are, and have alwaysbeen,very

stitious
superthe
stars.
D.
The
O.
Rev.
who
resided
concerning
Allen,

"

Bible for

"

Vol. i. p. 145.

toI.
Learners,

iii.p. 72.

See

p. 52.

Knight : Ancient

Art

and

Mythology

142

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in India for

became
oughly
thortwenty-five
years, and who undoubtedly
with the superstitions
of the inhabitants,
acquainted
says on
this subject
:
"So

of
superstitious
feelings

the

strong are

influence of the stars

on

again are unlucky,that

no

from the

many,

concerningthe supposed
days are lucky,and others

human
that some
affairs,
arguments or promiseswould induce them to deviate
which these stars,signs,
"c, indicate,as the way of safety,
perity,
pros-

course

happiness. The evils and inconveniences

the thingsthat press heavilyupon
are among
prejudices
and

Ndkshatias

The

and
superstitions
of
India."1
people

of these
the

twenty-seven constellationswhich in Indian

"

as
astronomyseparatethe moon's pathinto twenty-sevendivisions,

signsof

the

as

the Zodiac do that of the

deitieswho

exert

vast influence

of their entrance

onlyat the moment

not

into twelve

sun

the

on

into the

"

garded
re-

are

of
destiny

men,

ing
world,but dur-

tions
throughit. These formidable constellaand on all occasions of
are
births,
marriages,
No one
undertakes a jourdistressor calamity.
ney
familyrejoicing,
their whole

passage
consulted at

matter
except on days which the aspect of
any important
If any constellation
the Nakshatias renders luckyand auspicious.
be propitiated
it must by all means
is unfavorable,
by a ceremony
or

called S'anti.

Chinese

The

were

very

the stars. They

superstitious
concerning

astronomical
annually
published

calculationsof the motions

of the

every hour and minute of the year. They considered

the
it importantto be very exact,because the hours,and even

for
planets,

to the aspectof the

according
minutes,are luckyor unlucky,

considered

dayswere

Some

fortunate
peculiarly

house ; and the

sacrificeoffered at certain hours than

to
beginning

build

performedat
in

stars

star

human

swarmed

were

mony
cere-

same

also greatastrologers,
and held the

They believed
connected
were
intimately
importantto know under

great reverence.

destiniesof men
therefore it was

with the

other times.2

ancient Persians

The

for

or
marrying,
with
better pleased

gods are
theyare

stars.

soul made

the
throughout

its advent

and

taughtthat

with their motions,

and
the influence of what

into this world.

country,and

were

the

Astrologers

consulted upon

portant
all im-

occasions.*
the same
in this respect.
were
exactly
Egyptians
the tomb of Ramses Y.,at Thebes,conto Champollion,
tains
According
The

ancient

tables of the
for every
beings,

and of
constellations,

hour of every month

"

Allen's

"

"

See

India,p. 456.
Prog.Relig.Ideas,vol. i.p. 221.

their influence

of the

on

human

year.4

Ibid. p. 261.
See Kenrick's

Egypt,vol.1.p. 451

STAR

THE

The Buddhists' sacred books relate that the birth of Buddha

announced in the heavens by an asterim which was seen rising

was

men," known

Wise

as

"

were
Holy Rishis,"

that the Messiah

celestialsigns
the

of Rama's
horoscope

born

by these

of the

Hindoos)

the sacred books

is said to have

birth is given. He

The

Caitra.

the 9th Tithi of the month

on

informed

born.8

was

Rdmdyana (oneof

the

is

the Sun."2

with
conjunction

In

the constellationKwei

incarnation is,when

Bodhisatwa's

of

time

"The

j^

Messianic star."

Fo-pen-hing
says :

The

11

"

It is called the

the horizon.

on

in

143

BETHLEHEM.

OF

been

planetJupiter

at that time.4 Rama

was
at his birth ; it beingin Cancer
figured
"
"
his
born
When
Grishna was
stars
incarnation of Yishnu.
an
seen

pointedout by

in the heavens.

They were
Nared,a greatprophetand astrologer.9
Without goingthroughthe list,
can
we
to be

were

one

say that the birth of

signs?
every Indian Avatar was foretold by celestial
of China.
The same
myth is to be found in the legends
others they relate that a star figuredat the birth of

Among
Yu,

the

as we
reignedin China,7who
of heavenlyorigin,
in the last chapter was
saw
havingbeen born
at the birth of Zaouof a virgin.It is also said that a star figured
tsze,the Chinese sage.8
and prophets,
it is
In the legendsof the Jewish patriarchs

which
founder of the firstdynasty

"

"

6tated that
It

by

seen

was

brilliant star shone at the time of the birth of Moses.

the

Magi

of

informed
Egypt,who immediately

the

king.
Abraham

When
we

may

was

believe the

born

his star

"

"

and
popular
legends,

the other stars.10 Rabbinic

shone in the

if
heavens,

outshone
its brilliancy

traditionsrelate the

all

:
following

He was
born
of Terah, generalof Nimrod's army.
son
On the nightof his birth,
1948 years after the Creation.
councillors and soothof Nimrod's
sayers
Terah's friends
whom
were
among
many
in his house.
late at night,theyobserved an
On leaving,
were
feasting
"

Abraham

was

the

at Ur of the Chaldees
"

"

unusual

star in the east,it seemed

other,and to devour

to

four stars which

run

were

from

one

quarter of the heavens

there.

All amazed

See Bunsen's

ch. iii.

See Beal

China, vol. i. p. 137.

" See
Anac, i. p. 560, and Geikie's Life of
Christ,i. 559.
"
and The Bible for Learners,vol.
See Ibid.,
iii.p. 72,and Calmet's Fragments, art. " Abr*

Angel-Messiah,pp. 22, 23,33.

Buddha, pp. 23, 33, 35.
" See Bunsen's
Angel-Messiah,p. 36.
4 Williams's
Indian Wisdom, p. 347.
" See Hist.
Hindostan, ii.336.
" See
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 561
Por that of Crishna,see Vishnu Purana, book v.
:

Hist.

"

Thornton

ham."

to the

in astonishment

Hist.

See Ibid. p. 618.

144

BIBLE

at this wondrous

Terah's new-born

MYTHS.

'

sight, Truly,'said they, this can signifynothingelsebut

"!
will become great and powerful.'
son
'

It is also related that

Nimrod,

in

dream, saw

very brilliant. The

foretold that a child
to it,
consulted in regard

above
would

the

horizon,which

become

was

star

that

rising

ing
besoothsayers
born

was

who

greatprince.3

other stars,
also to be
was
Farrar remarks,
as Canon
at the birth of the Caesars ; in fact,
seen
"
had always considered that the births
The Greeks and Romans
A

brilliantstar,which

and deaths of

greatmen

all the
eclipsed

and
of heavenly
bodies,
disappearance
down

to

modern
comparatively

the

same

times.

of
historian,
speaking

Tacitus,the Roman

the appearance and

belief has continued

by
symbolized

were

the

reignof

peror
the Em-

Nero,says :
having appeared,in

this

juncture,the phenomenon, accordingto

that governments were
to be changed, and kings
the popularopinion,announced
Nero was
In the imaginationsof men,
dethroned.
alreadydethroned, and who
"4
the question.""'
was
should be his successor
"A

comet

Accordingto Moslem
and
greatdisciple,
into which
was
light

from

the

the chief of

Islam is divided

of the two

foretold

was

"

one

birth of All

by

"

med's
Moham-

sects
principal

celestialsigns." A

visible,
resemblinga brightcolumn,extending
distinctly
Even duringthe reignof the
earth to the firmament."6

years after the time assignedfor the

siah"
of Jesus,a certain Jew who gave himself out as the " Mesand headed the last great insurrection of his country,assumed

Emperor Hadrian,a
death

the
authorities,

the

name

hundred

of Bar-Cochba

"

that

is,"Son

of a

Star."6

extended to the New World,as we find that

myth evidently
the virgin-born
the
the symbol of Quetzalcoatle,
Saviour,was
Morning Star."''
This

"

We
a

see, then,that among

the ancients there

seems

to have

been

idea that the birth of a great person would be announced

very general
most
by a star. The Rev. Dr. Geikie,who maintains to his utthe truth of the

is yet constrained
Gospelnarrative,

to admit

that:
"It was,

Baring-Qould: Legends

p. 149.
* Calmet's
*
*

that extraordinary
believed,
events, especially
indeed,universally

of the

Patriarchs,

Fragments, art. " Abraham."

Farrar's Life of Christ,p. 52.
Tacitus : Annals, bk. xiv. ch. xxii.

Amberly's Analysis of ReligiousBelief,p.

227.
"

Bible for Learners, vol. iii.p. 73.

Brinton : Myths of the New
World, pp.
180, 181,and Squire : Serpent Symbol.
7

146

BIBLE

and

and

woman,

before

long

of

parents

Sin

fruit.

the

two

end

of

his

destined

religion and

wicked

the

where

submits

Ormuzd

to

of

and

the

Ahriman

cleansed

thoroughly

are

Genii

and

not

can

fail

can

eighteen
is to

set

the

of

liberate

temporal
rule

and

and
are

that
both

was

all

fire

on

men

jumbled

had

hand,"
would

in the

but,

the

comet,

"

earth

new

Messiah

(who
at

by

virgin-born

of

perusal

over

this
ago,

and

also, by

see

Angel-Messiah
heaven

years

heaven

new

fail to

idea

be

"

of

souls

into
the

of

then
the

righteous,
un-

righteous, and
evil, where

peace

dwell.

that

see

all

deems
re-

the

Ahriman

the

from

are

them

goodness

with

united

arise, free

forever
to

hundred

world

heaven

new

will

innocence
Who

and

fire.

into

its

to

Genii

cast

the

and

the

holds

; the

and

purified by

thoroughly purified, are

earth

Devs

absorbed

is

evil

and

flames

Darkness,

of

virgin, and

dead, and

in

the

; mankind

of

the

to

until

hastens

found

of

between

years

now

is born

world

strife

thousand

be

den
forbid-

reveals

continue

world

awakens

the

sets

will

to

Sosiosh

Devs,

comet

against

combat

Duzakh,

the

judgment.

The

nowhere

are

misery.

subdues

them,

Light

virtue

then

; the

last three

predominant.

and

sin

in

plunged

is

the

During

term.

doom

and

and

the

first

principles

Ormuzd

Zoroaster

prophet

of

; the

not

was

the

seduce

eat

world

strife.

principles continues, however,

Ahriman

new

the

to

It

life.

to

them

in

deadly

through

period

last

in

now

of

contrived

one,

now

are

breath

the

pursuading

death

are

his law

mankind

by

and

evil

and

good

evil

the

mankind

them

into

infusing

Ahriman,

MYTHS.

his

to

the

shortly

together

in

days"

judgment

king

"

be

announce

stars

and

that
should

the
fall

"

Who
the

should

idea

of

kingdom

from
to

place,

that

warrior, who
the

the

Testament,

judged according

heap

take

to

come,

when

established

be

New

to

was

people Israel), and

come

that

latter

is to

the

(a mighty

"

Sosiosh

an

of

heaven,"

their

deeds),

XIY.

CHAPTER

THE

SONG

HEAVENLY

THE

OF

HOST.

ly
storyof the Song of the Heavenly Host belongsexclusivethe Luke narrator,and, in substance,is as follows :

The
to

shepherds
by night.
the
and
And the angelof the Lord appearedamong
them,
gloryof
the Lord shone round about them, and the angelsaid : "I bring
of great joy,which shall be to all people; for unto
you good tidings
you is born this day in the cityof David,a Saviour,which is
At

the time of the birth of Christ

Jesus,there

fields,
keeping watch

abidingin the

were

their flock

over

Christ the Lord."

suddenlythere was with the angel a multitude

God
in song, saying:
Glory to
Heavenly Host,praising
the highest
earth peace, good will towards men."
; and on
this the angels
went
into heaven}

of the

And

"

It is recorded
Devaki
she
"

"

the

of

heaven

of

all

the whole

over

danced

and

rain

poured down

"

sang" and,

day

of

at

emitted

the birth of Buddha.

Luke, ii.8-15.

Translated

from

the

of celestial delight
were

All

beingseverywherewere

heard all

over

originalSanscrit by

H. H. Wilson, M. D., F.R.S.

" All
the virgin-born Saviours

midnight

or

Crishna's

birth,

if

moonlight
joy,as
the
The spirits
and
nymphs
midnight?when the support
low pleasing sounds, and

the

land,and, as

there fell from the skies a gentleshower

Crishna,
breezes blew,and a marvellous
perfumes. Caressing

"

womb,

offlowers"*

Similar demonstrations

to be

"

virgin

world,"in her

irradiate with

earth."

born, the clouds

was

was

were

the

on

in

After

the

that while

protectorof the

quartersof the horizon

Music

Puranc?

Crishna,
eulogized
by the gods,and

diffused

was

Vishnu

the

bore

was

the

in

God

are

born at

not

wanting at
full of joy.

in the

case

of

of flowers and

lightwas

duced.6
pro-

Purana, book v. ch. iii.p. 502.

Beal :
Amberly's Analysis, p. 226.
AnHist. Buddha, pp. 45,46, 47, and
Bunsen's
"

Vishnu

"

See

gel-Messiah,
p.

35.

earlydawn.
147

148

BIBLE

The

MYTHS.

relatesthat :
Fo-pen-hing

"The
surrounded
who
the Virgin Maya and the infant
attendingspirits,
Saviour,singingpraisesof 'the Blessed One,' said: 'All joy be to you, Queen
and be glad,for the child you have borne is holy.' Then
the
Majra,rejojce
Rishis and Devas who dwelt on earth exclaimed with great joy: This day Buddha
is born for the good of men, to dispelthe darkness of their ignorance.' Then
the four heavenly kings took up the strain and said :
Now
because Bodhiis
satwa
born, to givejoy and bring peace to the world, therefore is there this
heavens took up the burden of the
brightness.'Then the gods of the thirty-three
Devas and the Tiisita Devas, and so forth,through all the
strain,and the Yama
of the Kama, Rupa, and Arupa worlds, even
heavens
up to the Akanishta
is born
heavens, all the Devas joinedin this song, and said: To-day Bodhisatwa
and
in the dark places,
on earth,to give
joy and peace to men and Devas, to shed light
to givesight
to the blind."1
'

'

'

Even
if we

the sober

Confuciusdid
philosopher

may believe Chinese

of his greatness.8

Sir John

Francis

as
prodigies,
extraordinary
person.

sounded

music

appeared on
In the

in the

case

heard

was

ears

his breast:

of

without
tradition,

the

enter

world,

premonitory
toms
symp-

of Confucius,
Davis,speaking
says :

"Various
this

not

'

in other instances,
the forerunners of the birth of
were
On the eve
of his appearance
upon earth,celestial
of his mother; and when
he was
born, this inscription

The

maker

of

rule for

settingthe

the EgyptianSaviour,
at
Osiris,

that:
proclaiming

"The

Isis "

the

Ruler

World.'

"3

his birth,
a voice

of all the

Earth

is

born."4
In Plutarch's
"

"

At the birth of Osiris,there

in being; and

was
coming
going to carry

beneficent

water

god Osiris

Wonderful
who

was

was

heard

:
following
a

voice that the Lord

of allthe Earth

named

Pamgle, as she was

say that a woman
temple of Ammon, in the cityof Thebes, heard that
her to proclaim it with a loud voice,that the great

some

to the

commanded

voice, which

the

occurs

born."6

also attended the birth of

delight
Apollonius.Accordingto Flavius Philostratus,
heavenly-born
wrote

demonstrations

of

the lifeof this remarkable

man,

flock of

swans

rounded
sur-

his

theysang

their wings,
is their custom,
as
mother,and clapping
in unison,while the air was
fanned by gentle
breezes.

god Apollowas born of the virginLatona in the

Island of Delos,there was joyamong the undyinggods in pus,
Olymbeneath the smile of Heaven.6
and the Earth laughed
When

the

Hist. Buddha, pp. 43,55, 56,

:
Angel-Messiah, p. 35.
9 See
Amberly : Analysis of ReligiousBe84.
lief,
p.
" Davis
: Historyof China, vol. ii.p. 48. See
: Hist. China, i. 152.
also Thornton
1

See

Beal

andBunsen's

See Prichard's

Egyptian Mythology,p. 56,

Egypt, vol. i. p. 408.
6 Bonwick
:
Egyptian Belief,p. 434, and
Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 408.
" See Tales
of Ancient Greece, p. 4.
and Kenrick's

the

At

of

the

When

saying

him

teach
that

of

born

was

the

of

race

from

voice

and

said

the

Perseus,

vangelion

seems

the

and
that

bid

men

may

born

is

him

very

strange.
turn

to

train

the

praise

his

anything

the

to

leave

to

relates

do

in

name

all

his

in

the

this

this

in

apocryphal

Tales

but

bear

wisdom

and

generations

Gospel
"

still

the

the

Mary's

at

that

of

Ancient

Greece,

p.

66.

"

Ibid.

p.

46.

really

Prote-

why
of

canon

labor,"

the

lar
simi-

form.
Luke

the

it

reasons

wonderful

more

Gospel

of
of

out

Miracles

if

called

Gospel
one

writers

other

it, which,

see

Host

Heavenly
the

of

none

about

there

the

of

Song

copied.

See

was

heard,

was

things

great

boy

apocryphal

will

the

but

narrator,

the

narrator

xiii.), he

It

from

probably

Luke

know

best

Luke

the

of

story

Gospels

(chapter

Testament.
to

Tie

mother;

the

to

will

reader
"

thought

was

deeds,

exclusively

the

the

above,

synoptic

If

he

when

Apollo

god

the

be

shall

who

and

infant,

helpless

Cheiron,

brave

stated

we

the

with

centaur

do

happened,

is

heaven

hereafter."2

be

belongs

New

men."1

child

the

wise
to

shall

As

it

of

be

death,

to

put

not

the

to

of

be

from

father

his

Saviour"

the

Hercules

"

149

HOST.

Slay

him

child

jEsculajpius
to

"

sons

of

spake

HEAVENLY

THE

birth

gods,

shall

day

mightiest

about

of

god

This

"

the

of

time

the

Zeus,

OF

SONG

THE

narrator

It

XV.

CHAPTER

THE

DIVINE

The

wonderful

in order of the

next

PRESENTED

AND

RECOGNIZED

CHILD

GUTS.

WITH

which

events

related

are

happened at the birth of Christ Jesus,is the recognition

of gifts.
and the presentation
of the divine child,
We
informed
are
by the Matthew
narrator,that being guided
child
the young
to where
by a star,the Magi1 from the east came
to have

was.
"

And

when

they

were

into

come

child, with Mary his mother, and

(not stable)
they

house

the

and

fell down

they had

opened their treasures, they presented

and myrrh."2
Luke

The

Magi

from

nightwhen
a

After
"Let

and

the

Joseph, and

is Christ

Bethlehem

and

see

originalword

comes

150

our

this

day

one

in the

to another

this

And
a

is born

"

to
thing which is come
with
and
came
haste,
they

pass, which
found
Mary

"3

manger.

this story of
evidently borrowed
Gospel of the Egyptians (of which
from other sacred records of
or
chapter),
"

or

word

here

is

city

the Lord."

the
we

the

Buddha.

legendsof

MagoiS from
Magician.''
The
here denoted
were
philosopher**,
persons
priests,or astronomers.
They dwelt chiefly in
Persia and Arabia.
They were the learned men
of the Eastern
nations,devoted to astronomy,

which

you

narrator

It is related in the

"The

unto

them, they said

to us.

lying in

the babe

Luke

left

known

shepherdsfrom the
shall speakin another
of Crishna
biographies

know

to

seems

good tidings"for

angelhad

go unto
hath made

The

who

"

Saviour, which

us

the Lord

cense,
gifts,gold,frankin-

nothing about the

the east
informs us
that shepherdscame
and worshiped
child. They were
keeping their flocks by
young
the angelof the Lord appearedbefore them, saying
:
narrator

Behold, I bring you

of David

And

"

the

"

him

unto

the young
when

saw

him.

worshiped

'

...

Crishna

to

and
religion,

in

high

mitted
in

war

that

the

divine

child

to medicine.
They were held
adby the Persian court ; were
as
councilors, and followed the camps
to give advice."
(Barnes's Notes, vol.
esteem

i. p. 25.)
*

Matthew, ii.2.

Luke,

ii. 8-16.

151

KECOGNIZED.

CHILD

DIVINE

THE

known
first made
to whom
were
shepherds,
feats which stampedhis character with marks of
the stupendous
He
as the promisedSaviour by
was
the divinity.
recognized
who prosor
cowherd, and his companions,
trated
Nanda, a shepherd,

cradled among

was

Indian

Crishna,the

child.

before the heaven-born

themselves

After the birth of

prophetNared, havingheard

visitedhis father and mother at Gokool,examined

descent.1
and declared him to be of celestial

of his
the

fame,
"c,
stars,

and Magi,and
shepherds
with gifts.
alsopresented
but he was
received with divine honors,
incense
sandal wood and perfumes."2
These gifts
were
(Why not frankand myrrh?")
Not

Crishna adored

onlywas

by

the

"

"

Similar stones

at the time of his birth,

visited,
by wise

god

in

the

and

he

of

had

who

at

was

once

recognized
ity,
all the characters of the divinhailed
the day before he was

infant

marvellous

He

infant Buddha.

related of the

are

seen
scarcely

men,

gods.3
"

'Mongstthe strangerscame
saint,
Asita,one whose ears,
grey-haired

Long

Viscount
"He

closed to

And

heard

The

Devas

things,caught heavenlysounds,
earthly

at prayer

beneath

his

peepul-tree,

at Buudha's

singingsongs

birth."

of him, says :4
Amberly,speaking

visited and

adored by a very eminent Rishi,or hermit, known

as
future
his
self
predicted
greatness,but wept at the thought that he himthe law of salvation would be taughtby the
too old to see the day when
was

Asita,who
was

infant whom

he had

come

to

"

contemplate."

I weep (said
because I am
Asita),
all that is about to come
to pass.

Buddha)
Buddha.

the world

old and
The

stricken in years, and shall not see

Buddha

only after

Bhagavat (God Almighty

brightboy will be

kalpas. This
many
For the salvation of tJieworld he will teach the law.

comes

to

He

will succor

the

the dying. He will release those who are bound in

old,the sick,the afflicted,
the meshes of natural corruption. He will quickenthe spiritual
vision of those
darkened
whose
thick
the
of
darkness
by
eyes are
ignorance. Hundreds of
thousands of millions of beingswill be carried by him to the other shore '
will put on immortality.
And I shall not see this perfectBuddha
this is why
I weep."6
'

"

"

He

for
however,to his mountain-home,
rejoicing,
and expected
Saviour.8
eyes had seen the promised
in the cave
of Ajunta represent Asita with
Paintings
1

returns

Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol.

i.pp. 129,130,
Hindostan, vol. ii.pp. 256,

"

his
the

BuaAmberly's Analysis,
p. 177. See also,
Angel-Messiah,p. 36.
" Lillie
257 and 317. Also, The Vishnu Purana.
and Early Buddhism, p. 76.
: Buddha
1 Oriental
" Bunsen's
Religions,pp. 500, 501. See .also,
:
Angel-Messiah,
p. 6, andBeal
Ancient Faiths,vol. ii.p. 353.
Hist. Buddha, pp. 68, 60.
and Maurice

"

Hist.

vol. i.p. 157.

Anacalypsis,

sen's

152

BIBLE

infant Buddha
had become

MYTHS.

in his arms.1

known

marvelous

to this eminent

well

Buddha,as

giftsof this child

ascetic by supernatural
signs.''

The

Crishna and

as

and precious
substances."3 (Why
jewels
Rama
from
"

?)

men

"

evil

is also hailed

"

who

die

"

by

gladlywhen

for human

aged saints

their eyes

costly

goldand perfumes?)

not

the seventh incarnation of Vishnu

"

with
presented

was
Jesus,

"

"

(why not

"

the

see

ance
deliverwise

long-expected

one.4
who
How-tseich,
"

or
Tien-Tse,"

in

"

Sons

miraculous

mother

was

laid in

was

manner,

had fulfilledher time

"

Her

first-born

There
No

was

how

When

lane.

narrow

into the world

his

(came forth)like

son

lamb.

no
bursting,
rending,

no

no
injury,

Showing

hurt

"

wonderful

born, the sheepand

When

in China,
styled,

of those personages
of Heaven,"6and who came
one

he would

be."

him
protected

oxen

with

loving

care.*

Confucius(b.c. 551),like that of

of antiquity,
is fabled to have been

birth of

The

and saints

all the demigods

attended with

prodigies,
amongst which was the appearance of the
allegorical
and virtue,
of happiness
a miraculous quadruped,
prophetic
Ke-lin,
which announced that the child would be
a kingwithout a throne or
wise men"
Five celestialsages, or
entered the house
territory."
at the time of the chiWs
birth,whilst vocal and instrumental
the air.7
music filled
"

"

Mithras,the
man,

Persian

also visited by

was

his birth.8 He
and

and
Saviour,
"

wise

with
presented
myrrh.9
was

Accordingto Plato,at
three

came

men

Magi from

"

mediator

between

and

Magi,at the time of

of gold,
incense
frankgiftsconsisting
called

the birth of /Socrates(469b.

the east to

God

c.)there

worshiphim, bringinggiftsof

gold,frankincense and myrrh.10

the virgin-born
was
Saviour,
protected
JEsculapius,
by goatherds
the
k
new
not
at
child,
?),who, upon seeing
shepherds
(why
the
that he was divine. The voice of fame soon
once
published
1

Bunsen's

"

See

Angel -Messiah,p. 36.

Amberly's Analysis p. 231,and Bnn"en's Angel-Messiah, p. 36.
" Beal : Hist.
Buddha, p. 58.
* Oriental
Religions,p. 491.
" See Prog.
Relig.Ideas,vol. 1. p. 200.

" See
Amberly's Analysis of Religious Belief,
p. 226.
* See Thornton's
Hist. China, vol. i. p. 152.
e
King : The Gnostics and their Remains,

pp. 134 and

" Inman
19

See

149.
:

Ancient

Faiths,vol. ii.p. 353.

vol.
Higgins: Anacalypsis,

ii.p. 96.

XVI.

CHAPTER

BIRTH-PLACE

THE

The
which

treats
our

these
"

portionof
of the placein which
that he
last chapter,

writer of that

stated in
are

OF

Now

Jesus

king,behold, there

The

to Matthew
Gospelaccording
Jesus was
we
as
born,implies,

the

was

born

in

of

Judea

house.

His

words

when

they were

JESUS.

CHRIST

came

in

born

was

wise

Bethlehem
from

men

into the Iwuse, they

come

saw

the

the

"

child with

impliesthat

will show

statement
following

in the

worship

to

the young

writer of the Z/iike version

as
stable,

east

days of Herod

him.

Mary

he

was

"

And

the

when

his mother."1

in

born

days being accomplished that she (Mary) should be delivered

she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,and
for him in the inn."*
there being no room
laid him in a manger,
The

"

If these accounts

contained

in these

Gospelsin

who
Eusebius,the firstecclesiasticalhistorian,

flourished

were

the time of

duringthe
it is very strange that,in speakingof
Council of Nice (a.d. 327),
the birth of Jesus,he should have omitted even
mentioningthem,
different version.
He
tells us
and should have givenan altogether
that Jesus

neither

was

born

cave, and that at the time

erected

the

on

placewhere

spot,so

in

house,nor

of Constantine

that the

Christians

their Saviour's feet had

in

but
stable,

in

temple was
magnificent
might worship in the

stood.8

attributed to
Gospelcalled Protevangelion,"
apocryphal
James, the brother of Jesus,we are informed that Mary and her
and when
in
withhusband, beingaway from their home in Nazareth,
three miles of Bethlehem,to which
citythey were going,Mary
said to Joseph:
"

In the

"Take

me

down

from

the

ass, for

that

which

is in

Eusebius*s

Life of

me

presses to come

forth."

1
*

Matthew, ii.
Luke, ii.

154

xl.,xli. and xlii.

Constantine, lib. 3, ck"

BIETH-PLACE

THE

155

JESUS.

CHKIST

OF

said :
Joseph,replying,
shall I take thee,for the placeis desert?"

Whither

"

Then

said Mary again

to

"Take

and

is within

down, for that which

me

Josephthen
a cave

Joseph:
mightily
presses me."

me

from offthe ass, and he found there

took her down

put her into it.

hem
left Mary in the cave, and started toward Bethlemidwife,whom he found and broughtback with him.

Josephthen
for
When

the

cloud overshadowed
spota bright

the

theyneared

cave.

in the cave, so their eyes

great light
bear it. But the lightgraduallydecreased,until the infant appeared

"But

on

the cloud

sudden

became

could not
and sucked the breast of his mother."1

Tertullian

Church,also state that Jesus was

in their day,the
heathen celebrated,

born in

the

Lord and Saviour Adonis

the actual

"That

this

cave

Bethlehem.8

near

their

the

as

was

scene

tion,
cave, is a very ancient tradiof the event even
so early
as

the

as

adoration at Bethlehem
of their (theMagi's)

scene

cave."4

Christian ceremonies in the Church

The
Bethlehem

are

the
nearly
honor of

yet

are

of
Mysteries

"3
Martyr(a.d. 150).

placeyet shown
a

that the

King says :

"The
is

cave, and

birth and

place of Christ'sbirth
used to be shown

cave

the time of Justin

Mr.

in this very

Farrar says :

Canon

and

other Fathers of

(a.d. 375)and

(a.d. 200),Jerome

celebrated to this day in

same

Adonis,in

as

cave,*and

in
celebrated,

were

of the
the

every

are

edly
undoubt-

place,in

same

Jerome

the time of Tertullian and

celebrated in Rome

at
Nativity

; and

as

Christmas-day,
very earlyin

the morning.
We

then,that

there

three different accounts

concerning
and evidently
true
the placein which Jesus was born.
first,
Matthew
that which is recorded by the
narrator,
namely,
one, was
that he was born in a house. The storiesabout his beingborn in
see,

are

The

stable or in

him
place

in

to

from

cave6 were
as

humble

the fact that the

later

from

his

caused
inventions,
in
as possible
position

Saviours
virgin-born

who

the desire

and
infancy,
had preceded

1
xiii.,and
*King: The Gnostics and their Remains,
Protevangelion. Apoc. chs. xii.,
xiv.,and Lily of Israel,
p. 134.
p. 95.
6
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 95.
9SeeHiggins: Anacalypsis,vol. ii. pp.98,
"

99.
"

Christ,p. 38, and

See also,
Hist. Hindostan, ii.311.
Farrar's Life of

note.

Some

writers have

by saying that it
should

was

stable be in

states i

tried to connect these

but why
a cave-stable,
desert

place,as

the

rative
nar-

156

BIBLE

MYTHS.

him had almost allbeen born

such

"

as

there
placed

the most
position
"c.
a
cow-shed,
sheep-fold,

cave,

in

"

This

after birth.

humiliating

was

or

had

been

part of the universal mythos.

As illustrations
we

:
may mention the following
Hindoo
the
Saviour,was
Orishna,
virgin-born

fostered by

an

born in

cave,1

honest herdsman,*
and,it is said,placedin

sheep-

after his birth.

foldshortly
left unprotected
by his

was

Chinese

How-Tseih,the

Son

of

Heaven," when
the

mother,but

sheepand

an

infant,

oxen

tected
pro-

him with

lovingcare.3
is said to
Abraham, the Father of Patriarchs,
in

have

been

horn

cave.*1

Bacchus,who
to have been

birth.6

was

born in

the
a

son

of God

cave,

or

the Greek
Philostratus,

inhabitants of India had

Semele,is said
by the virgin

after his
placedin one shortly
and rhetorician,
sophist
says, the
"

tradition that Bacchus

was

born at

JVisa,

broughtup in a cave on Mount Meros."

who was the son of God
^Esculapius,
by the virginCoronis,
when
left exposed,
an
was
on
a
infant,
mountain,where he was
found and cared for by a goatherd.*
Romulus, who was the son of God by the virgin
Rhea-Sylvia,
when an infant,
the banks of the river Tiber,
left exposed,
on
was
where he was found and cared for by a shepherd,1
and "Saviour,"was
Adonis,the "Lord"
placedin a cave
after his birth.8
shortly
of the Almighty Zeus,was
born in a
son
Apollo(Phoibos),
dawn."
at early
cave
the Persian Saviour,
born in a cave or grotto,10
at
was
Mithras,
earlydawn.
Hermes, the son of God by the mortal Maia, was born
in the morning,
in a cave or grottoof the Kyllemianhill.11
early
the god of the Phrygians,13
born in a cave or grotto.18
was
Attys,
in all of these stories,
The object
is the same
however theymay
which is to placethe heaven-born infant in the
differ in detail,
in infancy.
most humiliating
position
and

was

We

have

seen

it is recorded

that,at

"

Aryan Myths, vol. ii.p. 107.

See Asiatic Researches,vol. i. p. 259.
" See
Amberly's Analysis,p. 226.
4 See Calmet's
Fragments, art. Abraham."
* See
Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 321.
Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 118,and Dupuis,p.
"

234.
"

Taylor's Diegesis,p. 150, and Bell's

under "JSsculapius."
Pantheon
See

"
""

the time of the birth

Pantheon, vol. ii.p. 213.

See Ibid. vol. i. p. 12.
Aryan Mythology, vol. i. pp. 72, 158.
See Bell's

See

Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, p. 124,

and Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 134.

n

Ibid.

12

See

p. 255.
13 See

Dupuis

Originof ReligiousBeliefs,

Dunlap's Mysteriesof Adoni, p. 124.

"

of Jesus

there

OF

BIRTH-PLACE

THE

was

CHRIST

in the
greatlight

157

JESUS.

that the eyes of

could not bear it." This feature is also

cave,

so

Joseph and the midwife

in early
Christian art.
have
EarlyChristian painters
represented
Jesus
the infant
as
welcomingthree Kingsof the
represented
as if covered with phosphuretted
East,and shiningas brilliantly
the light
oil"1 In all pictures
of the Nativity,
is made to arise
"

and the father and

body of the infant,
round their heads. This
depictedwith glories

from the
the old

mythos,as

The

moment

shall now

we

Crishna

beingfilledwith

father and his mother

are

too

was

often

partof

see.

born,his

was

whole

and her form brilliant. The

mother

cave

mother
was

became

beautiful,

ted,
illuminasplendidly

and the countenances

light,
hea/venly
emitted rays of glory.2

of his

it is recorded that,at the time of the birth of

likewise,
to one
Buddha, the Saviour of the World," which,according
in an inn, a divine light
around his
diffused
account,took place

So

"

"

person"so that "the Blessed

by a supernatural
light."3
Bacchus

When
"

that, there was

was

One"

was

"

heralded into the world

born,a bright
lightshone

round

him,4 so

in the cave"
brilliantlight

Apollowas born,a halo of serene lightencircled his

and bathed him in pure
the nymphs of heaven attended,
cradle,
band around his form.6
a broad golden
water,and girded
When
the Saviour JEsculapius
was
born,his countenance shone
like the sun, and he was surrounded by a fiery
ray.6
In the lifeof Zoroaster the common
mythos is apparent. He
of a Ray of
born in innocence of an immaculate conception
was
he was
As soon
the Divine Reason.
as
born, the gloryarising
the whole room, and he laughedat his
from his bodyenlightened
When

mother.7

Patriarchs

legendsof the Hebrew

and
Moses,a bright
light
appeared

It is stated in the
the birth of
There

is stillanother

feature which

we

that,at

shone around.8
must

notice in these

the
the contradictory
statements concerning
that is,
narratives,
when

Jesus

was

As

born.
"

The
chapteron
allude to it here simplyas

in the

shall treat of this subject

more

we

Birthdayof
far

as

Inman
Cox

"

No person could bear to gaze upon

the lightthat invested her."

from
*

See Beal

Bunsen's

Hist.

Buddha,

pp.

Devaki

43, 46,

Angel-Messiah,
pp. 34, 35.

or

Jesus,"we

fully
shall

necessary.

: Ancient
Faiths,vol. ii.p. 460.
Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 133.
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i.p. 130. See also,
Vishnu Purana, p. 502,where it says:
1

Christ

time

See Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 322,

Dupuis : Originof Relig.Belief,p. 119.
6 Tales of Anct
Greece,p. xviii.
*
Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 27. Roman
Antiquities,
p. 136.
7 Inman
: Ancient
Faiths, vol. ii. p. 460.
Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 649.
8 See
Hardy : Manual of Buddhism,J".145
and

158

BIBLE

The Matthew

MYTHS.

narrator informs

that Jesus

us

born

was

daysof Herod the King,and the Luke narrator says he

when Cyrenins was
Governor of Syria,
later. This
or
and unfortunate statement,as Cyrenius
awkward
not
was
of Syriauntil some
the time of Herod.1
ten years after
The

of this dilemma

cause

is

taken

old

myth

of the tax

and without

some
see

born
previousvirginif a taxinghad ever

conflictwith the statement

not it would

or

made
first

this taxingwas

And

very

Governor

that he

born in the daysof Herod, he added

"

mightrefer to it in support of his

referred to above,
He found the account of the taxing,
this taxingtook place,
to consider when
or
stopping

statement.

whether

or

the records to

looked among
Saviours,
in Judea,so
taken place

is

into his story,of the birth of

which is said to have
tribute,

the time of the birth of

placeat

born

was

the fact that the Luke

owing to

after havinginterwoven
narrator,

Jesus,the

in the

was

his narrative the words

to

when

that Jesus

Cyrenius

was

of

governor

Syria."9
We

will

to the

show

now

the ancient

Vishnu Pur ana, when

Nanda,
born,his foster-father,
other

of the

ing
taxing.Accord-

the infant Saviour Crishna

to the

was

his tax

cityto pay
king.
distinctly
speaksof Nanda, and
the reigning
cowherds, bringingtribute or tax to Kansa

yearlytribute to the

or

had

myth
come

It

"

"

monarch.'
It also describes
been

scene

which

took

placeafter the

taxes had

paid.
"

of Nanda's, went to the wagon of

Vasudeva,an acquaintance
that a son (Crishna)
had
Nanda, and found Nanda there,
rejoicing
been born to him.
him on having
and congratulated
spoketo him kindly,
in his old age.*
a son
'
he added,i has been paidto the king
tribute,'
Thy yearly
that your affairsare settled? Up, Nanda,
now
why do you delay,
and set off to your own
Accordingly
pastures.'
quickly,
Nanda and the other cowherds returned to their village."6
Now, in regardto Buddha, the same myth is found.
to be fulfilledby the
signswhich were
Among the thirty-two
Messiah (Buddha),
the fifth sign was
remother of the expected
her
time
the
corded to be, that she would be on a journey at
of
"

Yasudeva

"

"

See the

chapter on

be
It may
another hand some
written.

"

Christmas."

that this

We

have

verse

was

time after the narrative

seen

it stated

that,in the manuscript,this verse

by

added

was

somewhere

is in brackets.

Purana, book v. chap. iii.

counterpart to the story
of
Joseph" the foster-father,so-called" of
in his old age.
He too, had a son
Jesus.
6 Vishnu
Purana, book v. chap. e.
"

See Vishnu

Here

is an

exact

BIRTH-PLACE

THE

birth"

jhild's

spoken
after

her

when

lo,

account

"

Therefore,
the

by

the

of

that

had

alighted

in

place

at

the

was

imnth

her

to

under

inn

an

which

tenth

journey

took

fulfilled

be

Maya,
on

159

JESUS.

might

was

Messiah

the

she

"

it

virgin

conception,

birth

says

that

the

prophets,"

heavenly

CHRIST

OF

father,
One

tree.

when

Buddha

was

born."1
The
away

mother

of

from

home

tree, and

under

the

Lao-tsze,

when

her

child

like

there,

Yirgin-born
She

born.

was

the

Chinese

Maya,

virgin

stopped

to

birth

gave

was

sage,

rest

her

to

son.2

Pythagoras
also

was

born

at

mercantile

Ionian

tells

Apollo,

travail

until

Lao-tsze

and

when
the

gods

and

Thus
birth

and

of

mortal

men.'

we

that

see

infancy

mighty

the

the

about

home.

The

in

knew

ruling

after
old

that

her

hour

like

Buddha

he
the

among

another,

myths,

of

mother

born

was

mother

one

on

was

who

her

child

simply

are

Leto,

receive

power,

stories,

Jesus,

of

to

home

from

away

that

The
The

husband,

was

place

tree.%

being

no

from

away

Ghost,'

Holy

Sidon.*

to

tale

the

was

was

her

mother

Delos.

to

came

under

be

with

simple

father

mother

Samos

his

find

"

to

his

from

could

she

real

travelling

was

born

was

legend

unborn

when

concerns,

Apollo

whose

570),

c.

time

She

journey.

his

(b.

are

undying

to

"

Bunsen

also,

Beal

Buddha
"

:
:

and
Thornton

The

Angel-Messiah,

Hist.

Buddha,

Early
:

Hist.

p.

Buddhism,
Chiaa,

p.

32,
p.

i.

138.

and
73.

34.

"

See

Lillie

"

"

"

As

we

in

saw

Higgins
See

Rhys

See

Cox

David's
:

Chapter

Anacalypsis,

Aryan

XII.

vol,

Buddhism,
Myths,

vol.

the

therefore

historical.

not

of

tined
des-

was

relating

and

the

i. p.
p.

150.
26.

ii. p.

81.

XVII.

CHAPTER

THE

GENEALOGY

JE8U8.

CHRIST

OF

The

of Jesus,althoughthey have placedhim in a

biographers
in his infancy,
t
he
and althoughthey
most
position
humiliating
have given him
and
humble
have
notwithstanding
parents,
poor
him
The
for doing this
to be of royal descent.
0~ made
reasons
ka"^ were twofold. First,
to the Old Testament, the
because,according
y\ I expectedMessiah was to be of the seed of Abraham,1 and second,
earth to
because the Angel-Messiahs
who had previously
been on
therefore
redeem
and save
mankind
had been of royal descent,
i

Christ Jesus must

be

so.

The

followingstory,taken from
shows that this idea
Essays"*clearly
"The

last of the Jinas, Vardham"na,

"Miscellaneous

Colebrooke's
:
general

was

firstconceived by Devananda, a
to her by a dream.
Sekra, being
conception was
of
his
and
himself
incarnation, prostrated
apprised
worshiped the future
saint (who was
in the womb
of Devananda) ; but reflecting
that no great saint was
born in an
Sekra comof
ever
mendicant
that
or
a Brahmana,
manded
indigent
family as
BrahmanS.

The

at

was

announced

his chief attendant

that of Trisala,wife of

the child from

to remove

Siddhartha,a

prince of the

the womb

of Devananda"

of Jeswaca, of the

race

to

Kasyapa

family."
In their

the biographers
accomplishtheir object,
of Jesns have made
such poor work of it,that all the ingenuity
has yet produced,
has not been able to repairtheir
Christianity

attempts

to

blunders.
The

contained in the first and third Gospels,

are
genealogies
and although
then Jesus
theydo not agree, yet,if either is right,
of God, engenderedby the
not the son
was
Holy Ghost,"but the
of Joseph and Mary. In any other sense
son
legitimate
they
amount
to nothing. That Jesus can
be of royal descent,and yet
"

That

is,a passage

construed

in

the

Old

Testament

this,although another
and more
plausiblemeaning might be inferred.
It is when
Abraham
is blessed by the Lord,
was

160

to

mean

who

is made

nations
hast
a

of

to say :
the earth

"

In
be

obeyed my voice."
Vol. ii. p. 214.

thy seed shall all the

blessed,because (hou
(Genesis, xxii. 18.)

162

BIBLE

to
Referring

the two

MYTHS.

Albert
genealogies,

have caused more

passages of Scripture
various attempts have been made
to explain them.
"

No

two

Barnes says

than these,and
difficulty
Most interpreters
Joseph,and Luke that of
.

supposed that Matthew

gives the genealogy of
and
But though this solution is plausible
Mary.
may
have

be true, yet it want*

"

evidence.

Barnes furthermore
remarks

the

upon

fallible

of the Bible
fallibility
1st,by comparingthem
genealogies;
admits

the

the remark

familyrecords;and 2d, by

inquirywhich

can

now

be

is whether

made
fairly

in his
to

that "the

our

only

theycopiedthese

tables correctly"

Alford,Ellicott,
Hervey,Meyer, Mill,Patritius
hold

and

worth
Words-

are
Joseph's
genealogies
; and Aubertin,
hold that
and others,
Ebrard,Greswell,Kurtz, Lange,Lightfoot
is Joseph's,
and the other Mary's.
one
When
the genealogy
contained in Matthew
is compared with
the Old Testament theyare found to disagree
/ there are omissions

which
never

that both

any writer with

have made.

When

the least claim to historical sense

genealogyof the third Gospelis

difficultiesgreatly
increase,instead of diminish.
the

contradicts the statements

made

the Matthew

by

would

turned

to, the

It not

only

but it
narrator,

does not agree with the Old Testament.

to the threefirst
did Jesus think
What, according
evangelists,
of himself ?

In the firstplacehe made

allusion to any miraculous

circumstances connected with his birth. He looked upon himself
no

to Nazareth,
not as the child of Bethlehem;1he
belonging
the scribesfor teaching
that the Messiah must necessarily
reproved
be a descendant of David,2and did not himself
make any express
as

claim to such descent.3

As

cannot

we

the
go into an extended inquiryconcerning
there is no real necessity
for so doing,
as
many

and as
genealogies,
others have already
done so in a masterly
will continue
manner,rwe
in
another
and
show
that
Jesus
our
direction,
investigations
not the onlyMessiah who was
claimed to be of royaldescent.
was

1
*
"

Matthew, xiii.54;Luke, iv. 24.

Mark, ii.35.
"There

is

no

doubt

that the

consistencies of the evangelicalnarratives

of
authors

of

the

genealogies regarded him (Jesus),as did

his countrymen and contemporaries generally,
the eldest son
as
of Joseph, Mary's husband,
and that they had no idea of anything miraculous connected with his birth. All the attempts
to reconcile the in-

"f the old commentators

no

avail."

(Albert Reville

Hist.

are

Dogma,

Deity,Jesus, p. 15.)
4

The

reader

is referred

to Thomas

Scott'i

English Life of Jesus, Strauss's Life of Jesus,

The Genealogies of Our Lord, by Lord Arthur
and
Hervey, Kitto's Biblical Encyclopaedia,
Barnes'

Notes.

GENEALOGY

THE

163

JESUS.

CHRIST

OF

the Hindoo
Saviour,Le was of
Crishna,
althoughborn in a state the most abjectand
royal descent,
Thomas
Maurice says of him :
humiliating.1
To

with

commence

Crislma,in the male line,was of royaldescent,being of the Yadava line,

the oldest and noblest of India; and nephew, by his mother's side,to the reigning
sovereign;but, though royallydescended, he was actuallyborn in a state the
most abjectand humiliating;
and, though not in a stable,
yet in a dungeon."*
"

Buddha

was

of

royaldescent,
having descended

from

the

Sakya,the most illustriousof the caste of Brahmans, which

reignedin India over the powerfulempire of Hogadha,in the
house of
Southern
R.
"

Bahr.3

ancestryof Gotama

The

through various
the firstmonarch

individuals

of Buddhism

Manual
is traced

races, all of

from

introduced

venerated

with

of

Maha

in
heraldry,

Sammata,

of the events,
to reconcile
possible
some

appear that the Buddhist

that they may invest their

the other; and it would

invented names,

races, and

all the honors

:"

his father,Sodhodana,

royaldignity,to

Several of the names,

and
of the Brahmins, but it is not

with

historians have
sage

"

of the world.

order of statement

one

Buddha

and

with in the Puranas

met

are

his

SpenceHardy says, in

addition to the attributes of

divinity."
How

justseen

remarkablythese words compare

the genealogies
of Jesus
concerning

Rama,
Vishnu

Indian

another

avatar

the

"

with

what

we

have

seventh

incarnation of

royaldescent.*
"Son
of Heaven," was of
the virgin-born
Fo-hi;or Fuh-lie,
who
to the oldest family
of monarchs
royaldescent. He belonged
"

was

also of

ruled in China.6
was
Confucius

in

of

manner
summary
have lived and ruled

royaldescent.
to

more

His

the monarch
than two

pedigreeis traced back

who is said to
Uoang-ty,

thousand years before the time

of Christ Jesus.6

Horus,

the

of

See

Asiatic

Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 130.

[Researches,vol. i. p. 259, and Allen's

India,p. 379.
3 Hist.
Hindostan, ii.p. 310.
" See
Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 157.
Bunsen : The Angel -Messiah.
Davis : Hist, of
China, vol. ii.p. 80,and Hue's Travels,vol. i.
p. 327.
* Allen's

"

or

See

the
"

the title

Prog. Eelig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 900,and

Encyclo.,art. Fuh-he."
Davis : History of China, vol. ii.p. 48, and

Thornton
7

had

See

"

Chambers's
6

scent,
royalde-

of

Saviour,was
Egyptianvirgin-born
havingdescended from a line of kings.7He
"Koyal Good Shepherd."8
the Saviour,
of royaldescent.9
was
Hercules,

Hist. China, vol. i. p. 151.

any work on Egyptianfc:story

almost

religionsof Egypt.
Lundy : Monumental

See

Christianity,
p.

403.

India,p. 379.

"

tiquities,
AnSee Taylor'sDiegesis,
p. 152. Roman
p. 124,and Bell's Pantheon, L 883

164

BIBLE

Bacchus,
Perseus,

of

son

Many
referring

nal

ties,
1

Greek

Pantheon,
of

Mythology,
p.

See

the

to

of

See

Bell's

great

such

more

in

p.

118,

p.

royal

of

be

the

Mythology,
117.
and

81.

p.

Murray

of

descent?

royal

although

miracles,

mentioned,

as

virgin-born

Antiqui-

Roman

Bulfinch
*

vol.

ii.

p.

170,

and

See

Antiquities,
150.

Pantheon,

descent?

royal

son

of

descent?

Man-

71.

Bell's

of

was

performer

of

was

be

may

gods

and

by

seen

demi-gods

XII.

Italian
i.

God,

Danae,

might

histories

vol.

of

of

cases

Chapter

and

Son

virgin

notwithstanding

was

spoken

the

the

JEsculapius,
God,

the

although

MYTHS.

The

Age

Bell's

of

Pantheon,
p.

136,

and

Fable,
vol.

p.
i.

Taylor's

161.
p.

27.

Roman

Diegesis,

p.

XVIII.

CHAPTER

THE

SLAUGHTER

THE

OF

INNOCEICT8.

and birth of Jesus,

conception
the star,the visitof the Magi,"c, we have a myth which belongs
is merely adapted
to a common
form,and which,in this instance,
circumstances of the age and place. This has been
to the special
termed "the myth of the dangerouschild." Its generaloutline
whose future greatnesssome
is this : A child is born concerning
indications have been given. But the life of the child
prophetic
with danger to some
is fraught
a
powerfulindividual,
generally
with the miraculous

Interwoven

In alarm at his threatened

monarch.

this
fate,

endeavors

person

but it is preserved
to take the child's life,
by divine

care.

remaining
againstit,and generally
fulfillsthe
concerning
prophecies
length
he has vainlysoughtto
its career, while the fate which
o^
had desired to slayit. There is a departure
shun fallsupon him who
inasmuch
from the ordinary
as
type,in "the"case oT*Jesus,
Herod
his
does not actually
die or suffer any calamity
through

Escapingthe measures
long unknown,

directed

it at

But this failure is due to the fact that Jesus did not
agency.
fulfillthe conditions of the Messiahship,
accordingto the Jewish
Matthew

conceptionwhich
of
expected

the Messiah

has

here

Had

he

"

as

was

the actual

of the Jews,
sovereign
whether
reigningdynasty,
sented
repreBut as his subsequent
career
by Herod or his successors.
the evangelist
belied the expectations,
was
obligedto postpone to
that throne of temporaldominion
a future time his accession to
which the incredulity
of his countrymen had withheld from him
life.
duringhis earthly
The storyof the slaughter
of the infants which is said to have
in Judea about the time of the birth of Jesus,
taken place
is to be
found in the second chapter
of Matthew,and is as follows :

he

must

"

When

king,there

have

become

in mind.

"

dethroned

Jesus

was

came

wise

born
men

the

in Bethlehem

of Judea, in the

from

to

the East

days of Herod

Jerusalem,saying? Where
*

165

the
is he

J,"/"-vj

166
king of the Jews
When
worship him.'

that is born
to

come

and

troubled

all Jerusalem

called the wise

And

to

The wise

but instead of

"

his star in the East and have

seen

king

Then

had heard

said:

'

Go

and

time

search
word.'

him, bring me

to Bethlehem

Herod

"

fonnd

and

the young child,

parted
told them, they de-

he had

as

things,he was
he had privately
the star appeared.
for the
diligently

Herod, when

what
diligently

them

these

own

countryanother

way,

havingbeen

that

theyshould

return

to Herod.

not

warned

of

mocked
of the wise men, was
that he was
ceeding
exHerod, when he saw
all
that
in
and
the
children
slew
and
sent
were
Bethlehem,
wroth,
forth,

We

have

thereof,
from

almost

which
India,

to know

gospelsseem

if not
counterpart,

old and under."

two years

story,told by the Matthew

in this

the writers of the other

of

the

Then

in all the coasts

and

dream

have

we

him.

found

to
returning

into their
in

with

ye have

went

men

for
Herod

Bethlehem, and

child; and when

young

enquired of

men,

he sent them

God

MYTHS.

BIBLE

exact

an

narrator

which

"

nothingabout,
"

one, to that related of Grishna

of Jesus
the mythological
closely
history

shows how

copiedfrom that of the Hindoo Saviour.

tells
convert
to Christ,"
a "Hindoo
JoguthChunder Gangooly,
of the Hindoos,"that :
in his Life and Religion

has been

"

us,
"

the foster father of Crishna

heavenlyvoice whispered to

flywith the child

across

the river Jumna,

which

was

and

told him

immediatelydone.1

to

This

to the fact that the

reigningmonarch, King Kansa, sought the life of

to killall
accomplishhis purpose, he sent messengers
"2
in the neighboring
the infants
places.'
owing

was

the infant Saviour, and to

Mr.
"

Higginssays

Soon

'

carried away by nightand concealed in

it was
his natal place,for fear of a tyrant whose destroyer

after Crishna's birth he

region remote

from

foretold he would

become;

and

was

had, for that

who

reason,

ordered

all the male

children born at that periodto be slain."3

Sir William
"

He

Jones says of Crishna

passeda life,accordingto
nature.

His

birth

the Indians,of
was

concealed

and incomprehe
extraordinary
through fear of the reigning
most

tyrantKansa, who, at the time of his birth,ordered all new-born males

yet this wonderfulbabe was preserved."*

In the

Epicpoem Mahabarata,composedmore

than two

to be

slain,

thousand

born of
years ago, we have the whole storyof this incarnate deity,
in his infancy
from the reignand miraculously
a virgin,
ing
escaping
form.
tyrantof his country,related in its original
1 A
heavenly voice whispered to the fosterfather of Jesus, and tcld him to fly with the

Egypt, which was immediately done.

(See Matthew, ii.13.)
" Life
and Kelig. of the Hindoos, p. 134.

child into

8
Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 129. See, also,Cox
Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 134, and Maurice
Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 331.
4

259.

Asiatic

Researches, vol. i. pp. 273 and

:
:

THE

SLAUGHTER

OF

167

INNOCENTS.

THE

of this flight
with the babe at midnightare
Bepresentatioiis
the walls of ancient Hindoo temples.1
on
sculptured
This storjis also the subject
of an immense
in the
sculpture
at Elephanta,
where the children are represented
as
cave-temple
is lost in the most remote
beingslain. The date of this sculpture
rounded
antiquity.It representsa person holdinga drawn sword,surand women
by slaughtered
infantboys. Figuresof men
also represented
who are supposed
to be supplicating
for their
are
children.3
Thomas
"

The

of
Maurice,speaking

this sculpture,
says

of OishDa's

birth,and the attempt to destroy

him, took placeby
and therefore the shadowy mantle of darkness,upon which mutilated figures
night,
ofinfantsare engraved,darkness (atonce congenialwith his crime and the season
event

of its perpetration),
involves the
multitude

of infants slain

illustratesthe events

bust
tyrant's

the

by his savage mandate

of that Avatar."3

of
string

death heads marks

in the
; and every object

the

ture
sculp-

Another feature which connects these storiesis the following

:
Win.
Jones tells us that when
Sir
Crishna was
taken out of
reach of the

Mathura

at

of the
"

how

tyrantKansa who soughtto slayhim, he was fostered

by Nanda, the herdsman ;4 and Canon Farrar,
ing
speak-

of
sojourn

St. Matthew

long their

neither

the

tells

exile continued

years absent from

Holy Familyin Egypt,says :

;

us

where

the

but ancient

Palestine,and

Holy Family abode in Egypt,nor

that they remained two

legendssay

lived at Matareeh,

few

miles north-east of

Cairo."5
out of Stipulensis,
who had it from Peter Martyr,
Chemnitius,
in the third century,says, that the placein
Bishopof Alexandria,
Egypt where Jesus was banished,is now called Matarea,about
miles beyond Cairo,that the inhabitants constantly
ten
burn a

of it,and that there is a gardenof trees

lamp in remembrance
which was planted
a balsam,
yielding
by Jesus when a boy.*
Here is evidently
and the same
one
legend.
the
Saviour,
Salivahana, virgin-born
anciently
worshipednear
had
Cape Comorin,the southerly
partof the Peninsula of India,
the same
history.It was attemptedto destroyhim in infancy
by a tyrantwho was afterward killed by him. Most of the other
with slight
those told of
the same
as
are
circumstances,
variations,
Crishna and Jesus.7

See

See

Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 61.

Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. 130,13
and Maurice : Indian Antiquities,vol. i. pp.
112,113,and vol. iii.pp. 45, 95.
" Indian
vol. i.pp. 112, 113.
Antiqu/ties,

Asiatic

Farrar's

"

See

Researches,vol. i. p. 259.
Life of Christ,p. 58.
Introduction
to Gospel of Inf ancj.

Apoc.
T

See vol. x. Asiatic Researches.

168

BIBLE

Bud"Ktfs

life

MYTHS.

also in

dangerwhen an infant. In the

southern countryof Magadha,there lived a king by the name
of
that might
Bimbasara,
who, beingfearful of some
arising
enemy
his kingdom,frequently
overturn
assembled his principal
ministers
to hold discussion with them on the subject.
On one
of
together
these occasions theytold him that away to the north there was
a
tribe of peoplecalled the Sakyas,
and that belonging
respectable
to this race there was
the first-begotten
of his
a youthnewly-born,
ble
mother,"a. This youth,who was
Buddha, they said was liato overturn
raise
him, theytherefore advised him to at once
the child."1
an
army and destroy
In the chronicles of the East Mongols,the same
tale is to be
found repeated
in the following
story:
was

"

"

certain

king of

led the Brahmins

father,and
the

boy

to advise his destruction.

laid in

was

peoplecalled Patsala,had
at court
to prophesythat
a

whose

peculiarappearance
bring evil upon his
Various modes of execution having failed,
thrown into the Ganges. Rescued
by an old
a

son

he would

copper chest and

brought him up as his son, he, in due time, learned the story of his
returned
the kingdom destined for him
from his
to seize upon

peasant who
escape, and

birth."2

Hau-ki,the
in

the

as
infancy,
"

He

He

wood-cutters.

Mr.

with

was
origin,
supernatural

exposed

"

"

placedin

was

loving care.
him

Chinese hero of

Shih-kingsays :
a

narrow

lane,but the sheep and

wide forest,where
the cold ice,and

placedin a
He
was
placed on
its wings,""c.8
was

Legge draws

with
comparison

oxen

he
a

protectedhim
was

with

met

bird screened

this to the Roman

with

by

the

and supported

legend

of Romulus.
to the Egyptian
Horns, according
story,was

born in the

winter,

in the Isle of Buto,for fear of Typhon,

broughtup secretly
who soughthis life. Typhon at firstschemed to preventhis birth
and then sought
him when born.4
to destroy
Within historical times,Cyrus,kingof Persia (6thcent. b. a),
is the hero of a similar tale. His grandfather,
had
Astyages,
dreamed
certain dreams which were
interpreted
by the Magi to
of his daughter
Mandane
that the offspring
would expel him
mean
from his kingdom.
he handed the child to his kinsman
Alarmed
at the prophecy,
Harpagosto be slain; but this man havingentrusted it to a shepherd
the lattercontrived to save it by exhibiting
to
to be exposed,

and

Beal

: Hist. Buddha, pp. 103, 104.

Amberly's Analysis,p. 229.

"

The

Bonwick

Shih

king. Decade ii.ode 1.

Egyptian Belief pp. 158 and 1W.

170

BIBLE

becomingenceinte.
as

however, visited her thero,

god Jupiter,
the VirginMary,1
Angel Gabriel visiting

The

it is related of the

the result of which

hearingof

on

MYTHS.

that she bore

was

his

son

Perseus.

"

caused
daughter's
disgrace,

Acrisius,

both her

infant to be shut up in a chest and cast into the sea.

discovered by one
and liberated from what
Dictys,

the

and

They

were

must

have

been

but a pleasant
anything
position.9
of
when
an
infant,was exposed on the Mount
^Esculapius,
and left there to die,but escapedthe death which was
Myrtles,
intended for him, havingbeen found and cared for by shepherds.*
found and rescued

was

left to die

virginLeto,was
by a maiden.4

of the

son
Hercules,

(Edipouswas a
havingbeen told by
sooner
no
destroyer,

on

but
plain,

"

dangerouschild." Laios,King of Thebes,

the DelphicOracle that (Edipous
would be his
is (Edipous
born than the decree goes forth

trusted
he is inbe slain ; but the servant to whom
of
himself with exposingthe babe on the slopes

that the child must

contents

where a shepherdfinds him, and

Kithairon,
like Cyrusor Romulus, to his wife,who cherishes the

Mount

carries

him,

child with

mother's care.5
The

Theban

myth

tradition of

Arcadian

is repeatedsubstantially
in the
(Edipous
Telephos. He is exposed,when a babe,on

of

Parthenon,and is suckled by a doe,which representsthe

the myth of Romulus, and the dog of the Persian story of

Mount
wolf in

Cyrus. Like Moses,he

is broughtup in the

read the storyof Telephos,

we
can
like
of the story of the TrojanParis, for,
As

we

as

babe

on

the mountain-side.7

portents of the ruin which

he

is to

of a king.*
palace
fail to think
scarcely
Paris is exposed
Telephos,

Before he is born,there

bring upon

people.Priam, the rulingmonarch,therefore

child shall be

left to die

of Ida
slopes

the

like Crishna and

on

decrees

the hill-side. But

and is nourished

by

she-bear.

others,
by shepherds,
among

his house

was

He

born

who

should

become

Apocryphal Gospel of the Birth of

Protevangelion."
" See
Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 9. Cox:
Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 58,and Bnlfinch :
The Age of Fable, p. 161.
" BelTs
Pantheon, vol. i. p. 27. Cox : Aryan
1

In the

Mary and

"

that the
on

is fostered,

he grows up."
violets. Aipytos,

whom

the greatestof all the

of the earth,and he asked allhis peoplewhere
prophets
been

and

the babe lies

left to die among the bushes and

had learned at Delphithat
the chieftain of Phaisana,
Iamos

are

child had
seers

and

the babe

Mytho. vol. ii. p. 34.

* Cox
: Aryan Mytho. vol. II.p. 44.
"
Ibid, p. 69, and Tales of Ancient Greece,
p. xlii.
" Cox
"

Aryan Mythology,vol. ii.p. 74.

" Ibid.
p".78.J

Ibid. p. 73.

OF

SLAUGHTER

THE

THE

171

INNOCENTS.

lay away amid the

with his soft body bathed in the goldenand pure
thick bushes,
rays of the violets. So when he was found,theycalled him Iamos,
he went
violet child ;"and as he grew in years and strength,
the
down into the Alpheian
stream,and prayedto his father that he
Then the voice of Zeus was
his son.
would glorify
heard,bidding
of Olympus,where he should receive the
to the heights
him come
giftof prophecy.1
Chandragwptawas also a dangerouschild." He is exposed
chief
in his infancyat the hands of a tributary
to greatdangers
who has defeated and slain his suzerain. His mother, relinquishing
him in a vase, and
of the Devas,places
him to the protection
takes the
him at the door of a cattlejpenP A herdsman
deposits
but

was:

had heard

none

or

him, for

seen

he

"

"

"

child and
Jason

his own.3

it as

rears

is another

had
Iolkos,

hero of the

been told that

one

kind.

same

the
Pelias,

chief of

of the children of Aiolos would

be

that allshould be slain. Jason

therefore,
decreed,
and brought
onlyis preserved,
up by Cheiron.8
Bacchus,son of the virgin
Semele,was destined to bringruin
upon Cadmus, King of Thebes,who therefore orders the infant to
be put into a chest and thrown into a river. He is found,and taken
from the water by loving
hands,and lives to fulfillhis mission.4

and
his destroyer,

Herodotus
"The

relates a similar

constitution

of the

(a government
oligarchy,
called Bacchiadce
married

to

it will

fall

Corinthians
of

in the hands

governedthe city.

maiden

story,which is as follows
was
a

formerlyof this kind; it was an

few),and those who were

selected
this time

About

one

Eetion, who

had been

Labda, and having no children by her, went to

ple
Delphi to inquireof the oracle about having offspring.Upon enteringthe temsaluted
follows:
he was
honors
'Eetion,
as
no
one
thee,
immediately
though
Labda
is pregnant and will bringforth a round stone;
worthy of much honor.

Eetion, was

monarchs, and

on

by

called

chance

the birth of

son

vindicate

Corinth.'

This oracle,pronounced to

reportedto
to Eetion

the Bacchiadce,who well knew that it prophesied

would
who
and
overthrow
them,
reignin their

stead;and

though theycomprehended, they kept it secret,purposingto destroy

As soon
the offspring
that should be born to Eetion.
as
the woman
brought
forth,they sent ten persons to the district where Eetion lived,to put the child
saved.
His mother hid him
to death; but, the child,by a divine providence,
was
in a chest,and as they could not find the child they resolved to depart,and tell
those who
done
that they had
all that they had
sent them
commanded.
After this,
Eetion's son grew up, and having escaped this danger,the name
of
from
the
chest.
When
reached
man's
was
given Mm,
Cypselus
Cypselus
estate,
and consulted the oracle,an ambiguous answer
was
given him at Delphi; relying
he attacked and got possession
of Corinth."6
on which
1

Cox:

"

Ibid. p. 84.
Ibid. p. 150.

"

Aryan Mytho. ii.p. 81.

* Bell's
Pantheon, vol. i. p. 188.
Aryan Mytho. vol. ii.p. 296.
"

Herodotus

bk.

v.

ch. 92.

Cox

172

BIBLE

Romulus

Remus,

and

MYTHS.

the founders of

Rome, were exposedon

and left there to die,but
infants,

the banks

of the

escapedthe

death intended for them.

The

Tiber,when

storyof the

"

child
dangerous

and several of their emperors,

Rome,

with death at their birth,

or when

"

so

well known

was

in ancient

threatened

it is said,
were
infants. Julius

mere

Marathus,

in his life of the

Emperor Augustus Caesar,says that before his

birth there was
a
prophecyin Rome that a kingover the Roman
peoplewould soon be born. To obviate this dangerto the republic,
the Senate

ordered

should be abandoned

that all the male

children born in that year

exposed.1
with her babe is also illustrated
virgin-mother
in the story of Astrea when
the
beset by Orion,and of Latona,
mother of Apollo,
when pursued
by the monster.2 It is simplythe
that
old story,
and over again. Some one
liaspredicted
over
same
The

or

of the
flight

child born at

great,he

certain time shall be

is therefore

"

gerous
dan-

monarch,or some other interested

reigning
but he invariably
party,attempts to have the child destroyed,
the
accomplishes
escapes and grows to manhood, and generally
This almost universal mythos
purpose for which he was intended.
of Jesus by itsfictitiousauthors,
added to the fictitioushistory
was
from the reigning
who have made him escape in his infancy
tyrant
the

and
child,"

good fortune.

with the usual

When

marvellous

is said to have

happenedevery
where,we may feel sure that it never
ular
happenedanywhere.Popfancies propagatethemselves indefinitely,
but historicalevents,
and dramatic ones, are
the striking
rarelyrepeated.
especially
That

this is

occurrence

fictitiousstoryis

seen

from

the narratives of the

Jesus,which are recorded by the first and third Gospel

that related bj
In the one
without any other evidence.
writers,

birth of

"

the Matthew

narrator

we

"

have

residence of the
the ordinary

birth at Bethlehem

parentsthere

"

implying
a
flight
that place
into Egypt,*
"

hurried

and

after the birth from

immediately
after many months,from
of the infants,
and a journey,
the slaughter
Egypt to Nazareth in Galilee. In the other story that told by

"

almost

"

"

the Luke

narrator

to Bethlehem

the

cave

child is

or

"

the

onlyfor

who have lived

parents,

circumcised,and by
Christ,p. 60.
Egyptian Belief,p. 168.
no
very early examples

See Farrar's Life of

"

Bonwick

"

There

:
are

came
Nazareth,

business of the

stable is followed

"

in

by a
a

and the casual birth in

State,
quietsojourn,
duringwhich the

leisurely
journeyto

flightof the Holy Family

Egypt. (See Mounmental
Christianity,
p,
239.)
Christian art of the

into
in

Jerusalem

OF

SLAUGHTER

THE

said

their

to
naturally

and

over

own

again,of

over

173

INNOCENTS.

off

and happily,
they
peaceably
former placeof abode, full,
it is
wonder
at the things
that had happened,

whence, everything
havinggone
return

THE

and

deeplyimpressedwith the conviction that their child

had a special
for it. There is
work to do, and was specially
gifted
to trouble himselfabout the
no fear of Herod,who
seems
never
to have any knowledge
or
even
child,
of him. There is no trouble
or
no
miseryat Bethlehem,and certainly
mourningfor children
slain. Far from flying
his parentscelebrate
hurriedly
away by night,
and at the usual time,the circumcision of the child ;
openly,
and when he is presented
in the temple,
there is not only no sign
that enemies seek his life,
but the devout saints give
publicthanks

for the manifestation

of the Saviour.
Dr. Hooykaas,
of the innocents,
of the slaughter
speaking
says :
"Antiquity in generaldelightedin representing
great men, such as Romulus,
and
as
Cyrus,
having been threatened in their childhood by fearful
more,
many
of their
dangers. This served to bringinto clear relief both the loftysignificance
future lives,
and the special
of the deitywho watched
them.
over
protection
The brow of many
has been bent over
this (Matthew)narrative!
a theologian
of
believed
miraculous
the
in
the
For, as long as people
inspiration
Holy
of course
Scriptures,
true, and thought
they accepted every page as literally
"

that there could not be any contradiction between

of Scripture. The worst
of all such

compel those

who

hold them

to do violence

the different accounts

or

sentations
repre-

pre-conceivedideas is,that

to their own

sense

they
For

of truth.

into play,peopleare afraid to call

religious
prejudicescome
rightnames, and, without knowing it themselves,become guilty
of all kinds of evasive and arbitrary
would
be thoughtquite
practices
; for what
in
considered
other
is
inasmuch
here
case
a duty,
as it is supunjustifiable any
posed
"l
of faith and the gloryof Godl
to tend toward the maintenance
when

these so-called

thingsby

their

above,this storyis to be found in the fictitious

has nowhere
gospelaccordingto Matthew only; contemporaryhistory
As

we

stated

It is mentioned

recorded this audacious crime.

Jewish

nor

Roman

the crimes of

then,did

not

historians.

with
despots

who
Tacitus,

the brand of

think such infamies

has

neither

it would
reprobation,

worthy of

by

stampedforever
seem

his condemnation.

of the atrocitiesperwho gives

account
us a minute
Josephusalso,
petrated
Herod
his
last
of
moment
the very
life,
by
up to even
word about this unheard-of crime,which must
does not say a single
have been so notorious.
Surelyhe must have known of it,and
must

have mentioned

it,had

it

ever

been

committed.

"

We

can

readily
imaginethe Pagans,"
says Mr. Reber, who composedthe
learned and intelligent
of their day,at work in exposing
men
the storyof Herod's cruelty,
the exby showingthat,considering
"

Bible for Learners, vol. iii.pp. 71-74.

174

BIBLE

of

tent

it,

the

assumed

ridiculous.
such

order

an

Roman

the

blood

his

the

that

Christian

of

the

there

art,

fifth

himself

upon
Such

of

by

required
fell

their

reckless.

too

which

they

his

such
of

edition

They
could

lengths

was

son,

this

with

the

destroyed
lay

the

their

of

too

much

hands

the

See

Monumental

early

counted
that

of

evidence

upon,

Christianity,

object
against

but

p.

too

future

the

their

the

their

and

they

all.

epoch

of

Kansa,

sanctity
all

the

to

such

the

at

Jesus

of

about

traditions

tyrant

catacombs,

dared

were

ancient

Apostles
trusted

maneuvers,

Herod

happened

the

of

The

story,

responsibility

have

Roman

the
until

1
it

before

body

compared

in

all

at

would

and

To

they

trace

Never

never

Herod.

credulity,

unravel

when

of

fictitious

this

adaptation

second

upon

human

servile

his

dry. ^^CrchelauX

to

spoken

no

odium

could

crime

is

century.1
the

perpetration.
the

be

to

from

of

vengeance

infants."

wonder

in

not

time

fall

make

dared

the

by

and

false

story

who

province

would

within

population
the

overtaken

head

had

the

stamped

Roman

his

victims

life

speedily

so

that

offenses

of

massacre

"No

be

people,

for

deposed

of

and

order,

of

governor
would

of

the

in

destruction
A

the

nor

embraced

territory

MYTHS.

338.

did

the

ning
begin-

have

taken
sacrifice.

of

its

fessed
pro-

Fathers

led,

East,

they
wrath

holy
much

upon

might
made

not

them

themselves
not

destroy

XIX.

CHAPTER

THE

We

John

by

in the

the wilderness
"

And

And

God, command
him
unto

to he

he had

when

hungered.

"

when

OF

FAST

DAYS.

FORTY

after beingbapby the Matthew narrator that,

tized
led by the spirit
into
river Jordan,Jesus was

informed

are

AND

TEMPTATION",

devil"

temptedof the

fasted
the

tempter

that these stones

forty nights,he

and

forty days

to him

came

bread.'

be made

and setteth him

up into the holy city,
him : ' If thou be the Son of God, cast

he said
.

'

Then

pinnacleof
thyselfdown.'
on

the

afterward

was

If thou

an

Son of

be the

the devil taketh

temple,and

saith

Again,the devil

exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms

up into an
of the world,and the gloryof them, and saith unto him : ' All these thingswill
1 givethee if thou Milt fall down
Then
saith Jesus unto him,
and worship me.'
taketh

him

Get thee hence, Satan : for it is written, Thou

shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and him only shalt thou serve.' Then
the devil leaveth him, and, behold,angels
'

and

came

This
wondered

ministered

him."1

unto

story; it is therefore not to be

very peculiar
of the earlyChristian Fathers rejected
it as
at that many

is

reallya

but this,
to
beingfabulous,2
according

orthodox

cannot
teaching,

be

done ; because,in all consistent reason,

must
we
acceptthe whole
"
the whole"* and,because,
the
or
of the inspired
autographs
reject
"

very foundations of our

and dearest of
nearest
one

very basis of our

taken
consolations,
are

the
faith,
our

line of that sacred

which
volurne^on

to be untruthful

and untrustwortl

The

reason

because

why

we

have

the writer wished

to

we

very
when
us,
clared
base everything,
is de-

the
s^ofy'in

this

hopes,the

New

from

Testament

that Christ Jesus

show

was

is

proof

that he too, as well as Buddha

and others,
temptations,
of evil. This Angel-Messiah
resistthe powers of the prince

againstall
could

and
temptedby the devil,
without takingan atom
nights,
was

he

Matthew, iv. 1-11.

See Lardner's Works, vol. viii.p. 491.
" Words
of the Rev. E. Garbett, M. A., in a
sermon
preached before the University of Ox*

fasted for

daysand
forty-seven

of food.6

ford, EDgland.
* The
Bishop of Manchester
"

the
'

Manchester
See Lilhe's

Examiner

and

(England),in
Times."

Buddhism, p. 100.

175

176

BIBLE

temptation,
below,is taken
presented
Life of Buddha"
by Moncure D. Conway,

story of Buddha's

The

the

from

MYTHS.

"

Siamese

"

Anthology"from which we take it.1

and other works on
It is also to be found in the Fo-jpen-hing*
Buddha
and Buddhism.
Buddha went through
a more
lengthyand
trial than did Jesus,
severe
havingbeen temptedin many different
his

in
published

and

Sacred

The portionwhich most

resembles
ways.
is
Matthew
the following
narrator
:

that recorded

by

the

Being (Buddha) appliedhimself to practiceascetcism of the exand held his breath.

Re ceased to eat (thatis,he fasted)
Then it was
that the royalMara
Prince
of
(the
Evil)soughtoccasion to tempt him.
O
Grand Being, your state is pitiable
Pretendingcompassion,he said : Beware,
to look on;
beyond measure,
practicing
you are
you are attenuated
this mortification in vain; I can
see that you will not live through it.
Lord, that art capableof such vast endurance, go not forth to adopt a religious
life,but return to thy kingdom, and in seven d"ys thou shalt become the Emperor
of the World, ridingover the four great continents.'"
"

Grand

The

tremest

nature.

'

To this the Grand

'

"

Take

empire,but I desire not such

force

me

thou away
"The

to leave

from

me

Lord

days I might gainuniversal

is
that the pursuitof religion
You, thinkingonly of evil lusts,would
! Get
Avaunt
guidance into your power.
that in

'

(then)rode

onwards, intent

and delicious odors pervaded the

flowers,

mark

Now,
Was

Did

the

of the

"

air."3

"

Buddha

was

about to go forth " to

temptedby the evil spirit.

was

he

was

eat,"and

afterwards

"

"

an

adopt

hungered" ?

Sc

beyond measure."
evil spirit
take Jesus and show him
all the kingdoms
he
world,"which he promisedto give him, provided
cease

to

was

attenuated

did not lead the lifehe

So

skies rained

The

his purpose.

between these two legends.

similarity
he was
about
to preach" when
beginning
tempted

the evil

did Buddha

on

the

?
So
spirit
when he
life,"
religious
Did Jesus fast,and

by
a

Jesus

seven

possessions.I know

empire of the world.

all beingswithout

the

:
Being,Buddha, replied

heed, O Mara; I also know

better than

but
contemplated,

did the evil spirit

say to Buddha

and
life,
religious

in

seven

daysthou

follow him ?
"

Go

not

shalt become

forth to
an

adopt

emperor

of

the world."
Dil not Jesus

resist these

and
temptations,

"

say unto

the evil

"

Get thee behind me, Satan

?
So did Buddha
resistthe temptations,
and said unto the evil one,
Get thee away from me."

one,
"

1
9
"

Pp. 44 and

39.

Translated

and

172, 173.
by Prof. Samuel Beal.
See also Bunsen's
Angel-Messiah, pp. 38,

Beal

xvii.

Hist.

190, and

Buddha, pp. xxviii.,xxix^

Haidy : Buddhist
Legends, p.

178

BIBLE

prisstsand religiousmen

"These

before
together,
"

used

of five and
great fastings,

of their great feasts,and

any

weeks.

ember

MYTHS.

they were

them

unto

as

ten

days

our

four

...

drank

for tbe greatestpart of their exercises

wine, and sleptlittle,
(ofpenance) were at night,committing great cruelties and martyring themselves
for the devil,and all to be reputedgreat fasters and penitents."1

They

In
fasted

of days which Jesns

regardto the number
this is simplyowing
as forty,
beingspecified

the number
nations

fortyas

of

others had

well

seven

as

sacred

was

antiquity,
particularly
among
of days. For
fasted that number

that Moses
Lord

no

up into

went

"

mountain, and

and
fortydays and fortynights,

the

have

is said to

to the fact that

most
among
Jews, and because
one

instance ; it is related8
he was
there with the

he did

neither eat

bread,

which is to say that he fasted.

for he did not
Moses is made to say
In Deuteronomy3
drink

nor

water"

write

"

it,"When

was

gone up into the mount

then I abode in the mount

of stone,
I neither did eat bread
nights,
.

to

receive the tables

fortydays and forty

drink water."

nor

Elijahalso had a longfast,which, of course, was continued for a

periodof fortydays and fortynights.*
blessed VirginMary," had a
St. Joachim, father of the
everlongfast,which was also continued for a periodof fortydays and
fortynights.The story is to be found in the apocryphalgospel
Protevangelion
festival which they anThe ancient Persians had a religious
nually
Salutation of Mithras."
and which theycalled the
celebrated,
giving
set apartfor thanksfortydays were
Duringthis festival,
"

"

and

sacrifice."
found

fortydayi fastwas
Godfrey Higginstellsus

The

ancient Mexicans

"The
persons

had

who
(Quetzalcoatle)

Lord

"
was

that

in the New

of one of
fortydays'fast,in memory
tempted (and fasted)forty days

Kingsborough
says

the

and
temptationof Quetzalcoatle,
curious and mysterious."*

very

The

ancient Mexicans

Hist.

Acosta

Exodus, xxiv. 28.

"

Deut. ix. 18.

Kings, xix.

were

Indies,vol. ii. p. 339.

"

fastoffortydays,

also in the habit of

"
"
T

8.

their sacred
on

tain."'
moun-

The

"

World.

"

making

are

their

Chapter i.
See Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 272.
Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 19.
Mexican

vol. vi. pp. 197-200.

Antiquities,

TEMPTATION

THE

of war
prisoners

put

fast for

forty days

before

they were

The

says

Spaniardswere

Tho

fast.

Tammuz

surprisedto
of

month

does

kept for Proserpine. Thus

The
calls

Spanishmonks

the Mexicans

see

Syria

in the

was

historyrepeat

keep the vernal fortydays'

spring. The fortydays were

itself."2

Lord

for what

accounted

"

very curious and

and burned
of the devil,

Kingsborough
mysteriouscircumstances,
by the agency
all the books containing
them, whenever
"

in their power.
The forty
days'fast was

it

of

term

to death.1

Mr. Bonwick
"

179

FAST.

AND

was

tribes in the New

World.

females of the Orinoco

and Prof. Max

of the Indian
among some
Dr. Daniel Brinton tells us that "the

Muller

also found

tribes fasted
fortydays before
informs

of the females of the South

customary for

that it was

us

marriage,'"

tribes of Indians

American

"

to

some

fast

the Cariband that,among

child,"
in the West
Coudave tribe,
Indies, when a child is born the
mother goes presently
to work, but the father beginsto complain,
and takes to his hammock, and there he is visited as though he
before and after the birth of

"

He

sick.

were

then fasts
forforty days."*

females

to the tribes of the Upper Mississippi,

belonging
held unclean for fortydays after childbirth.6
The princeof
were
the Tezcuca tribes fastedfortydays when he wished an heir to
and the Mandanas
his throne,
fortydays and
supposedit required
fortynightsto wash clean the earth at the deluge.6
instances in
The number forty is to be found in a great many
the Old Testament ; for instance,
at the end of fortydays Noah
from the ark.7 Isaac and Esau were
each forty
sent out a raven
theymarried.8 Fortydays were fulfilledfor the
years old when
were
fortydaysin search of the
embalmingof Jacob.9 The spies
The
Israelites wandered
land of Canaan.10
fortyyears in the
had rest fortyyears on three occasions.18
wilderness.11 The land
The land was delivered into the hand of the Philistinesfortyyears"
Israelforty
Eli judged
years.1*
King David reignedforty years"

The

"

"

See

Kingsborough'sMexican

rol. vi. p. 223.

9 Bonwick's
"

Brinton

Max

EgyptianBelief,p.

370.

Myths of the New World, p. 94.

Chips, vol. ii. p. 279.
* Brinton
: Myths of the New
World, p. 94.
* Ibid.
to
vii. 12, the
Genesis,
According
lain was
the earth fortydays and forty
upon
:

Miiller's

"

"

sights

at the time of the flood.

Antiquities,

Genesis,viii.6.

Gen.

"

Gen. i. 3.

10
"

xxv.

20" xxvi. 84.

Numbers, xiii.25.
Numbers, xiii. 13.

"

Jud.

iii.11 ; v. 31 ; TiiL 88.

*8

Jud.

xiii.1.

I.

Samuel, iv. 18.

"

Kings,ii.11.

180

BIBLE

Solomon

King
forty
of

the

forty

The

rain

than

mythological
The

number

in

Persia

of

China,

in

Forty
and

temples,

oblong

buildings
Most

of

the

these

to

In

the

I.

Kings,

I.

Samuel,
vii.

"

Gen.

fixodus,

xi.

be

to
most

the

of

antiquity

mount

be

on

of

Ezekiel,

have

this

and

to

temples

them

to

were

be

the

Drufour

lars.5
pil-

were

and
in

seen

forty

microcosms

they

keep

the

forty

were

subjects,

frontiers

the

each

account

astronomical

subjects,

of

Chilminar,

the

in

"

on

of

Temple

imitative

were

and

constructing

numbers

courts

26.

Higgins'

See
ii.

"

xxxIt.

"

the

the

"

Abury

pillars

temple

18"

time

anything

in

temple

common

of

plan

the

seen

vol.

16.

12.
xxiv.

Can

ancients

forty

42.

xvii.

the

on

was

the

at

the

rounded
sur-

intended

perpetual
cycles

of

etc.6

650-608-600-60-40-30-19-12,

the

pillars recording

remembrance.

"

is

the

had

middle

of

days

Moses

around

pillars

Templum

honor

do

to

the

the

in

forty

occasion.4

by

Baalbec

of

in

Celestial

used

there

one

temples

with
both

is

each

himself

presented

this?

at

Tartary,

earth

above,

on

forty

temple

the

saw

was

were

the

pillars."
idical

forty

There

temples.

we

nights

Goliath

years}

upon

as

forty

and

days

was

And,

deluge.8

more

forty

reigned

days}

MYTHS.

See

p.

Acacalypsis,

402.

Ibid.

vol.

ii.

p.

788.

vol.

i.

p.

798

CHAPTER

THE

The
to be

which

XX

OF

CRUCIFIXION

JESUS.

CHRIST

for claiming
punishmentof an individual by crucifixion,
"King of the Jews," "Son of God," or "The Christ;"
for the Crucifixion
the causes
are
by the Evangelists
assigned
of

were

Jesus,would
it not

need

but

passingglance in

for the fact that there

is much

quiry,
in-

our

attached

to

it

dogmaticand heathenish nature,which demands considerably

than a
for sin
more
passing
glance." The doctrine of atonement
had been preachedlongbefore the doctrine was
deduced
from the
Christian Scriptures,
are
longbefore these Scriptures
pretendedto
have been written.
Before the periodassigned
for the birth of
Christ Jesus, the
had assailed the demoralizing
poet Ovid
delusion with the most
:
scorn
powerful shafts of philosophic
When
thou thyself
art guilty"says he, why should a victim
die for thee f
What follyit is to expectsavlation from the death
of

"

"

"

of another"
The
found

idea
among

of

expiationby

the Hindoos

the

in

even

with
identified'
mystically

was

the

the

sacrifice of

god

Vedic times.
which
victim,

to be

was

The

sacrificer
regardedas

was

The
sin,and the instrument of its annulment.
the gods as sacrificing
JPurusha,the primeval
Rig- Veda represents
ransom

for

male,supposedto

coeval with the Creator.

be

This

idea is

remarkablydevelopedin the Tandya-brahmanas,thus

more
"

The lord of creatures

And
"

in
again,

(prajd-pati)
offered
himselfa sacrifice
for

the

who, knowing this,sacrifices the Purusha-medha,

primevalmale, becomes everything."1

from
Williams,

quote the above,says

gods."

:
Satapatha-ordhmana

He

Prof. Monier

the

even

whose

work

on

or

sacrifice of the

Hindooism

Monier

Williams

Hinduism,

pp. 36-40.

181

we

182
"Surely,in
we

MYTHS.

BIBLE

may

these

mysticalallusions

to

the sacrifice of

representative
man,
a divinely-appointed
of God for the sins of

of the originalinstitution of sacrifice as

perceivetraces
ordinance typical
of the

of the Son
greatsacrifice

one

the world."1

This idea of
death of

and
throughthe sufferings

of
Saviour,is simplythe crowning-point

Divine Incarnate

sin

redemptionfrom

the idea entertained

that the gods demanded

man
a
by primitive
sacrificeof some
for
avert
some
some
sin,or
kind,to atone
calamity.
In primitive
lived mostly on vegetables,
they
ages, when men
offered onlygrain,
fruit,and flowers to the gods, to
water, salt,
But when
them and thereby
obtain temporalblessings.
propitiate
and drink wine, theyoffered
theybegan to eat meat and spices,
the same
supposingthe deities would be pleasedwith
; naturally
whatever was useful or agreeable
to themselves.
They imagined
that some
others
to
to
were
fruits,
animals,
flowers,
gods
partial
To the celestialgods they offered white victims at sunrise,
etc.

day. To the infernal deities they sacrificed black

animals in the night. Each
creature
peculiarly
god had some
devoted to his worship.They sacrificed a bull to Mars,a dove to
which had never
without blemish,
Yenus, and to Minerva,a heifer
been put to the yoke. If a man
too poor to sacrifice a living
was
animal,he offered an imageof one made of bread.
In the course
of time, it began to be imagined that the gods
demanded
for sin.
sacred as offerings
or atonements
more
something
This led to the sacrificeof human
slaves and
beings,
principally
at

or

those

open

taken
"

beloved

in

war,

then,their

first-born."

It

have itsprescribed
amount

took the form

says

"

The

as

was
religion

and Rome

so

of others.
; but there it mainly
publicgood. Cicero

for

for the
of heroic self-sacrifice

force of

their most

an

atonement

in Greece

even
prevailed

children,even

idea that every sin must

of punishment,
and that the godswould
to be

came

acceptthe lifeof one person

This idea

own

great among

the sins

our

that
ancestors,

and with
have,with their faces veiled,
themselves to the
the strongest
of sincerity,
expressions
sacrificed
their country."*
immortal godsto save
In Egypt,offerings
for the atonement
of
of human
sacrifices,
some

of their commanders

generalthat if the eldest born of the familyof

Athamas
entered the templeof the Laphystan
Jupiterat Alos in
crowned
with garlands
like an animal
Achaia,he was sacrificed,
sin,became

"

so

victim."*

Moniei

Williams:

Hinduism, p. 36.
"

"

See

Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 303.

Kenrick's Egypt, vol. i. p. 443.

CRUCIFIXION

THE

CHKIST

OF

183

JESUS.

offered up a sacrificeto the gods,

Egyptianpriests
the head of the
the following
on
imprecations
theypronounced

When

victim

the

If any evil is about

general,may it be averted
"

This
mankind

of God

curse

sinless must
divine

resulted in
finally

the belief that the

the Anointed,the God among

Christ,
from a curse
by God imposed. Man

could not and did not

The

or Egypt in
sacrifice,

this head."1

idea of atonement

incarnate
God

on

now

befall either those who

to

without
forgive
be removed

must

bear the load of that

from

curse.

us,

had

to

was

save

and
sinned,

sacrifice.
propitiatory
the sinful,
and the
It

asserted that

was

blood.2
required
justice

of a Divine
redemptionfrom sin by the sufferings
whether by death on
the cross
was
or
otherwise,
Incarnation,
centuries before the time
generaland popular
among the heathen,
of Jesus of Nazareth,
and this dogma,no matter how sacred it may
have become, or how consoling
it may be,must fallalongwith the
The belief of

rest of the material of which

Julius

the Christian church is built.

Pagans, says :
off-hand
general

"

The

Everythingin
to their religion
was
corresponded
divines have resorted to the

the

the Christian Fathers

in which

manner

such matters.

ot

the

this popularbelief among

devil has his Christs."* This was

to
Firmicius,
referring

of the
religion

the

of the devil.

disposed
Pagans which

Most

of which
type theory,

we

Protestant
shall

speak

anon.

As

have done heretofore in

we

our

will
we
inquiries,

firstturn

India,where we shall find,in the words of M. l'Abbe Hue,

who came
that the idea of redemption
by a divine incarnation,"
into the world for the express purpose of redeeming
mankind,was
"
and popular."4
general
A sense of original
corruption"
says Prof. Monier Williams,
to

"

"

Herodotus

In the trialof Dr. Thomas

bk. ii. ch. 39.

to

do

with

preached

salvation."
in

And

in

sermon

Boston, Sept. 2, 1881, at the

Columbus
Avenue
PresbyterianChurch, by the
Rev. Andrew
A. Bonar, D.D., the preacher said :
No sinner dares to meet the holy God until
his sin has been forgiven,or until he has received remission.
The penalty of sin is death,
this penaltyis not remitted by anything
and
the sinner can do for himself,
but only through
of Jesus.
If you have accepted
the Blood
"

as your Saviour,you can take the blood of

Jesus,and with boldness presentitto the Father
as payment in fullof the penalties
of'allyour sins.
Sinful man
has no rightto the benefits and the
beauties and gloriesof nature.
These were all
lost to him
through Adam's
sin, but to the

Jesus

(atChicago) for
"doctrinal
heresy" one of the charges made
that he had
against him (Sept. 8, 1881) was
said "the Blood
of the Lamb
had nothing

blood

of Christ's

a right
; it
It is Christ's death that

sacrifice be has

was

shed

for him.

does

the blessed work

of salvation for

us.

It

His Incarnot his life nor his Incarnation.

nation could not pay a farthingof our debt,but
was

his blood shed in

(See Boston

redeeming love,pays it alV

Advertiser,Sept.3, 1881.)

Habet

ergo Diabolus

Hue's

Travels,vol. i. pp. 326 and 327.

Christos

sum.

184

BIBLE

MYTHS.

ing
Hindoos,as indicated by the followGdyatriby some Yaishnavas :

to be felt by allclassesof

seems

prayer used after the

"'I

I commit
conceived in sin.
sin, my nature is sinful,I am
sinful,
Heri (Saviour),
0 thou lotus-eyed
of sin.'m
the remover

am

Save me,

Moreover,the

doctrine of bhakti

the Hindoos

among

from the earliesttimes.3

Crishna,the
"he
"

who

virgin-born,the Divine Vishnu himself,'"

without beginning,
middle or end,"4beingmoved

is

"

to relieve the earth of her

by

man

The

his sufferings
to
"

we

that such

an

came
load,"5

shall

allthe

Saviours
virgin-born

It is stated
are
conflicting.
speak,

died in such

one

earth and redeemed

upon

him.

save

of the deaths of most

accounts

of whom

{salvation
byfaith)existed

and

manner,

in

place
placewe

one

in another

may find it stated

death of Jesus,
as

Even the accounts of the

differently.
altogether
shall hereafter see, are conflicting
we
; therefore,
until the chapter
on
Explanation is read,these myths cannot
understood.
be thoroughly
really
As the Rev. Geo. W. Cox remarks,
in his Aryan Mythology,
Crishna is described,
in one of his aspects,
and
as
a
self-sacrificing
"

"

unselfishhero,a

beingwho

is filledwith divine wisdom

and

love,

who offersup a sacrificewhich he alone can make.6

of Crishna beingshot in the foot
The Vishnu Pur ana1 speaks
with

an

arrow, and states that this was

accounts,however,state that he
other

of his death. Other

cause

suspendedon

was

in

tree,or

words,crucified.
in his
Guigniaut,

Mons.
"

the

The

death

of Crishna

stroke of

is very
him

tradition makes

"

de VAntiquite,"
Religion
says
related.
differently

perish on

One

tree,to which

remarkable
he

was

and

nailed

vincing
con-

by

the

arrow."8

an

Rev. J. P.

in his
Lundy alludes to this passage of Guigniaut's
Monumental
and translatesthe passage
bois
un
Christianity,"
fatal (see
note below) a crossP
Althoughwe do not think he
in doingthis,
has distinctly
stated that
is justified
as M. Guigniaut
to a gibbet,
this bois fatal (whichis applied
a
cross, a scaffold,
in doing so on
he
is
arbre
was
un
(a tree),
justified
yet,
etc.)
other accounts,for we find that Crishna is represented
hangingon
that
called
the
and
know
a cross
was
aca cross,
we
frequently
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

1
*

Hinduism,

p. 214.
Ibid. p. 115.

"

Vishnu Parana, p. 440.

"

Ibid.

"

Ibid.

'

Aryan Mythology,vol. li.p. 138.

Pages 274 and 612.

"On

Crishna.

reconte

Une

fort diversement

tradition

la mort

de

remarquable et averee
le fait perirsur un
bois fatal (un arbre),ou il
fut clou6 d'un coup de fleche."
(Quoted by
vol. i. p. 144.)
Higgins: Anacalypsis,

186

"

BIBLE

objectto

the old Hindoo

as

the crucifix because

was
crucifix

Dr. Inman

And

it is an

image,and

The

favor,went

to heaven.

but the other said to Jesus

est into
unto

One
:

Vishnu

our

him

crime, for thou

my
"

"

also like him

Lord's,was

of whom,
when

Lord,remember

me

Jesus said unto

him

in

me

hunter who
Have

through

Fear not thou in the least.

"

thou

him,
com-

VerilyI say

paradise."
According

shot the

at

arrow

me, who

pityupon

art able to

in

crucified two

was

of the malefactors reviled

be with

Purana, the

afterwards said unto

"

And

thykingdom."
shalt thou
thee,to-day

to the

abuse,just

says :

Jesus
relates that when
Evangelist3
crucified with him, one
were
(malefactors)

others
his

liable to gross

idol."1

an

resembles
so closely
"Crishna,whose history
crucified."2
being

his

by

MYTHS.

am

consumed
Crishna

me!"

consume

Crishna

plied
re-

Go, hunter,
throughmy favor,

to

heaven,the abode of the qodsP

As

celestialcar

hunter,ascendingit,forthwith

proceededto

and
appeared,
heaven.

himself with his

Then

the

soon

as

he had

thus

spoken,

the illustriousCrishna,
havingunited

inexhaustible,
inconceivable,
spiritual,
which is
and
universal
unborn, undecaying,
spirit,
imperishable
his mortal body,and the
with Vasudeva (God),4
abandoned
one
One of the titlesof Crishna
condition of the threefold equalities.6
1

Monumental

"

Ancient

\ Luke,

own

pure,

Christianity,
p. 128.
Faiths,vol. i. p. 411.

xxiii. 39-43.

Vasudeva

means

God.

p. 274.
*

Vishnu Purana, p 612.

See

Vishnu Purana,

THE

is "Pardoner

CRUCIFIXION

of sins"

OF

CHRIST

187

JESUS.

another is " Liberator from the

Serpent
of

death."1
The

has

monk

in
Georgius,

of
givenplates

These

crucifixes

eminences.

He

taken

from

are

Christian
"

the

crucified
god who
to

were

be

callsit the

seen

was

the

at

Alphabetum(p.203),

in Nepal.
worshiped

corners

of roads and

FiguresNo.

god Indra.

9 and No.

They are also different

crucifix yet produced. Georgius
says :

If the matter

this work.

stands

Buddhists,whose

have

his Tibetinum

received

these

as

Beausobre

religionis
new

the

from

on

10

any

thinks,then the inhabitants of India,and

same

as

that of the inhabitants

portents of fanatics nowhere

else than from

of

Thibet,

the Mani-

gust,
cityof Nepal, in the month of Auof
the god Indra, erect crosses,
being about to celebrate the festival days
wreathed with Abrolono,to his memory,
of
everywhere. You have the description
these in letter B, the picturefollowingaftei ; for A is the represeDtation
of Indra
himself crucified,
bearingon his forehead,hands and feet the signsTelech."*
cheans.

For those nations,especially

in the

P. Andrada

Nepaland
there

"

of the firstEuropeans
who went
to
one
Crozius,
Thibet,in speakingof the god whom
theyworshiped

Indra

la

"

tellsus that theysaid he

his bloodfor the sal/vaspilt

memoriam
amictas
ubique locoruni cruces
Prog. Kelig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 72.
Abrotono.
Earum
se
res
habet, ut existimat Beaufiguram descriptam habes
A effigies
sobrius, Indi, et Budistce quorum
religio, ad lit. B, Tabula pone sequenti. Nam
eadem
est ipsiusIndra
in
est ac Tibetana, nonnisi a Manichaeis
c?,uciftxisigna Telech
haec deliriorurn portenta acceperunt. Haefronte manibus
nova
pedibusque gerentis." (Alph
Tibet,p. 203. Quoted in Higgins'AnacalypsU,
gentes praesertimin urbe Nepal, Luna
namque
vol. i. p. 130.)
XII. Badr
Bhadon
Ben
Auqusti mensis, dies
Dei Tndne, eriguntad illius
festos auspicaturae
1

See

"

Si ita

188

BIBLE

MYTHS.

throughthe body
pierced
fered
nails. He further says that,although
theydo not say he sufthe penalty
of the cross, yet theyfind,nevertheless,
figures

ofthe human

tion
with

race, and that lie was

of it in their books.1
of India is
regard to Beausobre's ideas that the religion
littleneed
obtained from the Manicheans,
corrupted
Christianity,
that the religion
be said,
as all scholars of the present day know
In

the Manicheans.3
of India is many
centuries older than Mani
or
In the promontory of India,in the South, at Tanjore,and in

North,at Oude or Ayoudia,was found the worshipof the

god JBal-li. This god,who was believed to have been
crucified
with holes in his hands
incarnation of Yishnu,was represented
an

the

and side.3
The

god Buddha, althoughsaid

incarnate

at the
peacefully

foot of

his

race)gave
"

his mind

lifelike

hymn, addressed

to

Persecutions

"

the

He

hast thou suffered with love and

murder,

happinessof

the

the
Physician,"6

"Great
"

and

by

them

the author of the

Bs conviennent

qiTila repandu son sang

hnmain, ayant ete perce
Quoiqu'ils ne
corps.
disent pas qu'il a souffert le supplice de la
croix, ou en trouve pourtantla figuredans leurs
livres." (Quoted in Higgins'Anacalypsis, vol.
ii.p. 118.)
'"Although the nations of Europe have
during the past eighteen
changed their religions
has

not

done

so, except

The
religiouscreeds,
partially.
rites,
customs, and habits of thought of the
Hindoos
generally,have altered littlesince the
(Prof.Monier
days of Manu, 500 years b. c."
Williams : Indian Wisdom, p. iv.)
"
See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 147,
.

away

of
partakers

pour le salut du genre

de clous par tout son

very

"Saviour

of

Gods,"'
One,"8 the "God
among
"
the
gotten,"
the "Messiah,"11
Christ,"10
Only Be-

his lifeto wash

sacrificing

centuries, the Hindoo

mankind),

executioners."5

is described

therebyto make
"

patience

"Blessed

Key

the

and

"1S

as

for

These

World,"7 the
or
Anointed,"
etc.

moved

prisons,

many

(To secure
Forgivingthine

the

ing
suffer-

by pity(forthe
sake of others"*

was

Death

called the

end,

without

the

was

grass

as

expired

Buddha, says :

Revilingsand

He

have

tree,is nevertheless described

Saviour,who, "when
human

to

"

Cambridge
mankind,

the offenses of
the

kingdom of

heaven.

572, 667 and 750 ; vol. ii. p. 122, and note 4,

p. 185, this chapter.
* See
Muller's Science of Religion,p.
Max
224.
*

Quoted in Lillie'sBuddhism, p. 93.

Bunsen's
Angel-Messiah,p. 20.
7 See Bunsen's
Angel-Messiah,pp. 20,25, 35.
Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i.p. 247. Hue's Travels,
vol. i. pp. 326, 327, and almost
on
any work
6

See

Buddhism.
8

See Bunsen's

Ibid.

Angel-Messiah,
p.

20.

Oriental

Religions,p. 604.
or chapSee also Asiatic Researches, vol. iii.,
Johnson's

ter xii. of this work.

10

See Bunsen's

"

Ibid.

"Ibid.

Angel-Messiah, p. 18.
la

Vol. i p. 118.

CRUCIFIXION

THE

OF

CHRIST

189

JESUS.

This induces him to say " Can a Christian doubt that this Buddha
of the Saviour of the World."1
the type
was
As
"

all that

all
He

"

vows

fourth

heaven,he

miseryand

to deliver all men,

resolves to

into the

order to be born

their

from

men

the

in
spirit
glory,in

"

world,"

give up
to

rescue

every future consequence of it."

who are left as it were
without a

Saviour"*
in the realms

While

earth to be born

upon
"I

am

about

now

he said

man,
a

of

to descend

about

rest to allflesh;to remove

and

about to descend

for the sake

body; not

sense, but I am

simply to givepeace

men,

as

to assume

enjoyingthe pleasuresof

blest,and when

of the

gaining wealth, or

and

all sorrow

be born, among
and grief
frorr

the world."3

M. F Abbe
"

and

Hue

says

In the eyes of the Buddhists,this personage (Buddha) is sometimes

a man
and the other
sometimes
a divine incarnation,a
one
a god, or rather both
"

man-god

"

who

into the world

came

enlightenmen,

to

to redeem

tliem,and

to

tion
the way of safety. This idea of redemption by a divine incarnathe Buddhists, that during our travels in
generaland popular among
If we
dressed
adUpper Asia we
everywhere found it expressedin a neat formula.
mediately
is Buddha?
he would imthe question Who
to a Mongol or a Thibetan
reply: The Saviour ofMen ! "4
indicate to them
is so

'

'

'

'

Accordingto
"Let
may

Max

Prof.

all the sins that

vtere

Buddha
Miiller,

in this world

committed

Indians

are

no

fall on

them

from time

is

man

immemorial.6

And

belief in

dwine

who
Saviour,

himself the sins of the world ;

him is due."7

so

Quoted in Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 118.

Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 20.
" Beal : Hist.
Buddha, p. 33.
* Hue's
Travels,vol. i. pp. 326, 327.
6 Miiller : Hist. Sanscrit
Literature,
p. 80.
6 See
Maurice
: Indian
Antiquities,vol. v.
: Hinduism, p. 214.
p. 95,and Williams
in mercy
came
T"He
left paradise, and
down
to earth,because
he was
filledwith compassion for the sins and miseries of mankind.
He sought to lead them
into better paths, and
took their sufferings
upon himself,thathemight
1

me, that the world

fallenbeing/

admitted

what

seen

their beliefs in Crishna and Buddha

ing:
say-

sin.
strangersto the doctrine of original

It is their invariable beliefthat

as
reported

be delivered."*

The

by

is

redeems
that

"

we

have

cerning
con-

shows
unmistakably
man^

Baddha

and

takes upon
allto
paid it all,

expiate their crimes, and mitigatethe punishment

they must otherwise inevitablyundergo."
(Prog.Relig.Ideas,vol. ii.p. 86.)
"
The object of his mission on earth was to
instruct those who were
strayingfrom the right
path, expiate the sins of mortals by his own
sufferings,and produce for them a happy enexistence by obedience to
trance into another
his precepts and prayers in his name.
They
always speak of him as one with God from al.
title is Tlie Soeternity. His most common
"
World.'
vol.
i. p. 247.)
(Ibid.
viourofthe
*

190

found

Saviour,is to be

Divine

speakingof Tien, the

"

ancient

of
religions

volumes,called the Y-King,says,

One ":

Holy

and earth.

will unite in himself all the virtues of heaven

Holy One

The

"

in the

even

of their five sacred

One

China.

death of

and
redemption
throughthe sufferings

idea of

The

in

MYTHS.

BIBLE

By

will be re-established in the ways of righteousness.He will

He must pass the great torrent,whose waves
shall enter
suffer
much.
labor and
the world
justice

his

into his

soul;but

An
"

Tiealone

offerup

can

ancient commentator

The

to the Lord

says

sacrifice
worthyof him."1

to
peoplesacrifice their lives to gain bread; the philosophers
The Holy One (Tien)
to perpetuate their families.
nobility
himself,but the good of others. He dies to save the world."3

common

gainreputation;the
does

seek

not

Tien, the Holy One,

from

him

with
existing

alwaysspokenof as
all eternity,
"before

is

with

one

God,

anythingwas

made."

Horus, the Egyptianvirgin-born

gods,suffered
of Osiris,
Bonwick,speaking
says :

Osiris and
Mr.

death.'
"He

of the Saviours

is one

good, he

humanity, to

Ihe

Sir J. G. Wilkinson
"

The

and
sufferings

and
religion,

in almost

Murray says :

regardedas
Egyptian Saviour Osiriswas gratefully
his life
in giving
of self-sacrifice,
for others."6
"

be found

with
evil;in struggling

encounters

he is killed."4

that he is overcome;

Alexander

deliverers of

or

his efforts to do

"In

all lands."

says of him

death of Osiris

traces of it are

some

the

great exemplar

the great Mysteryof the

other peoplesof

were

perceptible
among

Egyptian
antiquity.

being the Divine Goodness,and the abstract idea of 'good,'his manifestation

and his office as
earth (likea Hindoo
god),his death and resurrection,
upon
festation
judgeof the dead in a future state,look like the earlyrevelation ofa futuremaniinto
a
converted
the
mythological
fable."6
deity
of
His

Horus

was

also called

is the Redeemer.

He

"

The

Saviour."

is the Lord

"

As

of Life and

Horus

Sneb, he

the Eternal

One."7

is also called " The

Only-Begotten."8
Son"9 and "Saviour,"
who was calledthe
OnlyBegotten
Attys,
of the
as one
(who were regarded
worshiped
by the Phrygians

He

"

was

Quoted in Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p.

Ibid.

See Renouf
Bonwick

Murray

"

Herodotus, vol. ii. p. 171.

and Mythology, p. 71.
Bonwick
: Egyptian Belief,
p. 185.
See Mysteriesof Adoni, p. 88.
Art and Mythology,
See Knight : Ancient
In Rawlinson's

Quoted in Knight's Art

:

Religions of Ancient

Egypt,

7
8

178.
*

211.

:
:

Egyptian Belief,p. 155.

of Mythology,p. 348.

Manual

"

p. xxii. note.

CRUCIFIXION

THE

also as

Minor). He

191

JESUS.

CHRIST

represented
by them as a man
at the foot of which was
alamb,1and, without doubt,
tree,
for we find Lactantius making
nailed to the tree,
or stake,
man
of Asia

oldest races
tied to

OF

was

the greatestand
Apolloof Miletus (anciently,
in Asia Minor)say that :
cityof Ionia,

this

"He

was

being arrested
a

mortal

by

an

according to the flesh;wise

force by command
of the

armed

most

ishing
flour-

in miraculous

works; but,
judges,liesuffered

Chaldean

bitterwith nails and stakes.'"2

death made

we
god of the Phrygians,
againhave the myth of the
Saviour ofPaganism.
crucified
of Our Lord in Art,"'
to Mrs. Jameson's
By referring
History
in chapter
xl. this work,it willbe seen that a comor to illustrations
mon
crucifixion was
that of a man, tied
mode of representing
a
with cords by the hands and feet,to an uprightbeam or stake.
The lamb, spokenof above,which signifies
shall
we
considerable,
speakof in itsproper place.
brew
Tammuz, or Adonis,the Syrianand Jewish Adonai (inHeOur Lord "),was another virgin-born
god,who suffered for

In this

"

"

mankind,and who
death

had the title of Saviour.

The

accounts

of his

conflicting,
justas it is with almost all of the so-called
Saviours of mankind (including
the Christian Saviour,
shall
as we
hereafter see)one account,however,
makes him a crucified
Saviour.*
are

It is certain,
however, that the ancients who

honored

him

as

their Lord and

feast in commema
oration
Saviour,
celebrated,
annually,
of his death. An image,intended as a representation
of
their Lord,was
laid on a bed or bier,and bewailed in mournful
ditties

justas the Roman

Good Friday mass.
Duringthis ceremony

Catholics do

"

"

at the

presentday in their

"

"

Trust

ye in your

the

Lord,for

murmured
priest

the

pains which

he

endured,our

salvation have

procured."*

The Rev. Dr.

to what
"

we

in
Parkhurst,
have

his

"

Hebrew

after referring
Lexicon,"

juststated above,says :

I find

to refer Tammuz
to that class of idols which were
myself obliged
originally
designedto representthe promised Saviour, the Desire of all Nations.
His other name, Adonis,is almost the very Hebrew
Adoni or Lord,a well-known

titleof Christ."8

1
"

Dupuis

Belief
Originof Religious

p. 255.

Vol. ii.
* Lactant.
Inst.,div. It. chap. xiil.in Anacvol. L p. 544.
alypsis,

See

"

See

"

See the

chapter xxxix, this work.

Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 114,
and Taylor'sDiegesis,
p. 163.
Jesus."

chapteron

"

The

Resurrection of

192

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Prometheus

god,a

was

crucified Saviour.

race, who

friend of the human

He

"

was

does not

immortal

an

shrink

from

even

himself
for their salvation"1
sacrificing
The

tragedy of
Era,and

dramatic poem
even
was

ever

years before the

ancient
considered to be the most

is

by many
in existence.

now

at that time

of

an

The

derived

plotwas
to

from

terials
ma-

ing
antiquity.Noth-

remote
infinitely

calculated
exquisitely

so

Prometheus,written by

five hundred

acted in Athens

was
^Eschylus,

Christian

crucifixion of

the

work

upon

the

feelings

greater powers of
displayed
in supporting
of judgment,
throughthe
poetry,with equalstrength
tors
piecethe august character of the Divine Sufferer.The specta-

of the

spectators. No

author

ever

made a party to the interest of

unconsciously
their creator,
their benefactor,
their friend,
scene
: itshero was
incurred in their quarrel
their Saviour / his wrongs
were
themselves

the
and

were

"

his

sorrows

for their

for their salvation ; he was wounded

and bruised for their iniquities
tisement
; the chastransgressions,
"

endured

were

of their peace was

theywere
upon him, and by his stripes
and afflicted,
healed ; " he was
yet he opened not his
oppressed
whilst the ministers of an
of his silence,
The majesty
mouth."
"

offended

god

Caucasus*

him by
nailing

were

the hands

and

feet to

onlyequaledby the modesty with

could be

while hangingwith
relates,

race, which

his services to the human

"

horrible crucifixion.8

extended

arms

None,

in the

which

form of a

had

brought on
myself,"says he,

save

Mount

cross,

him
"

he
that

opposed

will,"
(Jove's)

his

dared;
from destruction,
Saved them from sinkingto the realms of night.
For this offense I bend beneath these pains,
Dreadful to suffer,piteousto behold:
"

And

boldlypleadingsaved them

I am
not deem'd
mercy to mankind
Worthy of mercy; but with ruthless hate
fix'd here
In this uncouth appointment am
For

"

Chambers's

"

Prometheus

dishonorable
spectacle

Encyclo.,art.
has

been

"

Prometheus."

subject

favorite

with the poets. He is representedas the friend

who
of mankind,
interposed in their behalf
incensed againstthem."
(BuiAge of Fable, p. 32.)
In the mythos relatingto Prometheus, he
the friend of the human
as
always appears
fearful
race, sufferingin its behalf the most
tortures."
(John Fiske : Myths and Mythwhen

Jove

flnch

was

The

"

makers, pp. 64, 65.)

to the rocks

on

"

Mount

Prometheus

Caucasus,

was

with

nailed
arms

to

Jove."4

extended.''''

of
(Alexander Murray : Manual
is said to have
Mythology, p. 82.) " Prometheus
been

nailed up

with

arms

extended,

near

the

Caucasus.
The
Caspian Straits,on Mount
the Cathedral at Boron
historyof Prometheus
deaux (France) here receives its explanation."
(Biggins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii. p. 113.)
3 See
^Eschylus' "Prometheus
Chained,"
Translated
by the Rev. R. Potter : Harper "
Bros.,N. Y.
*

Ibid. p. 82.

194

BIBLE

was
JSsculapius

The
"

MYTHS.

distinguished
by the epithet The
"

templeerected

to his memory

in the

Saviour."1

cityof Athens

called :

was

The

Templeof the Saviour"*

Apollowas distinguished
by the epithet The Saviour"*
Saviour of
The willing
hymn to Apollo he is called :

In

"

"

tressed
dis-

mankind."4

Serapiswas

called

"

The

Saviour."5

He

considered

by
to
Hadrian,the Koman emperor (117-138a. d.),and the Gentiles,
be the peculiar
god of the Christians.8 A cross was found under
the ruins of his templein Alexandria in Egypt.7 Fig.No. 11 is a
of this EgyptianSaviour,
taken
representation
from

Murray's"Manual

resembles
certainly
God

the

was

of

Mythology."

of
pictures

"

the

It

peculiar

of the Christians."

It is very evident that

of Christ Jesus,
them
the pictures
know
as we
of the

of some
are
simplythe pictures
to-day,
Pagan gods,who were, for certain reasons

always
chapter,
subsequent
longyellowor red hair,and

shall speakof in

we

with
represented
floridcomplexion.If such a person

lived in the
have

Mithras,who
called "The
who
and

"Mediator
He

Saviour."

this account

called "The

had, by

he

owing to
evil one

See

See the

"
6

of

man,"*

of the

was

Persians,

their salvation,
was

also

tainted with
were

serpent.19
Zoroaster
their law-giver
men

To

greatest
reverence,

tempted by

this

day
him
calling

See Monumental

Christianity,
p. 186.
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 15.
See Giles : Hebrew
and Christian Records,

See

to

to be also a

from their evil ways, and

"

subje?t will be referred

sin,
original
the

Taylor'sDiegesis,
p. 153.
Miracles of Jesus."
chapter on
See Dupuis : Origin of Religious
Belief,p.

This

worked
sufferings,

the fallof their first parents who

toI. ii.p. 86.

7 See
Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 15, and
ohapter on Christian Symbols.
"

and

peculiar
god

theywere

264.
4

betray.8

not

God

fore
there-

would

called their Saviour.1* He

was

They considered
sent to redeem
Messenger,
his memory.
worshiped

"

his

and

ever

Logos.""

in the form

with the

between

the

was

Persians believed that

The

Jesus of Nazareth

was

was

believed that he
on

as

undoubtedlya Jew,
do
features
; this his pictures

he
flesh,

Jewish

which

again in

theyalways

his followers mention

"

The Immortal

him

Zoroaster"

chapter xxxix.
" See
Dunlap's SpiritHist.,pp. 237,241, 242,
and Mysteriesof Adoni, p. 123, note.
10 See
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 99.
11 See
Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 20.
According to the most ancient tradition
"

of

the

East-Iranians

recorded

in

the

Zend'

cated
Light (Ormuzd) communimen
his mysteries to some
through his
Word.'1'' (Bunsen'sAngel-Messiah, p. 75.)
"" Wake
: Phallism, "c, p. 47.

Avesta, the God

our

Divine

of

CRUCIFIXION

THE

Thfi Blessed

"

tl

Zoroaster?
"

The

the Divine
from his

innocence,of
Reason.

As

soon

he

as

the
body enlightened

195

of the Eternal

One,"

mythosis apparent.

common

immaculate

an

JEStlS.

CHRIST

First-Born

In the lifeof Zoroaster the

born in

was

OF

He

of a raj of
conception,
born, the glory arising

was

and he

laughedat his mother.

He was called a Splendid
Lightfrom the Tree ofKnowledgeand,
in fine,
he or his soul was
hung upon a tree,
suspensus a lingo,
and this was the Tree of Knowledge."3
room,

'

How

much

this resembles

from ages and from

saints.'"
Hermes

found

to be

3500)are
Saviour"*

He

the

mystery which

but
generations,

called

was

"

On

to Hermes

prayers

also called

was

is made

now

The Saviour."

"

"

hath been hid

The

the altar of
"

"

manifest to his

He

Logos"

Pepi(b.o.
is the good

who
The

church

thers,
fa-

Justin Martyr,
and Plutarch (de Lside et Osir)
Hippolytus,
The term
assert that the Logos is Hermes.b
Logos"is Greek,
and signifies
Word."6
He was
also "The Messenger
literally
of
"

"

God."1
Dr. Inman
"There

says
few

are

words

inquirerinto the nature

used long before
were
those who

heard

never

which

strike

stronglyupon

more

the

of

senses

an

of ancient

faiths,than Salvation and Saviour. Both

the birth of Christ,and they are
stillcommon
among
of

Jesus,or

of that which

is known

among

us

as

the

Gospels."8
He

also tellsus that there is a very remarkable figure

copiedin
in
which
man's
shoulders
we
see
on
a
a code's
work,
Payne Knight's

head,whilst

of the

on

the

the
pedimentare placed

words

"

The Saviour

World."9

Besides
"

the

titlesof

"

God's

"

First-Born,"Only Begotten,"

clete
Mediator,"the
Shepherd,"the Advocate,"the Parathe "Son of God," the "Logos,""c.,le
or
Comforter,"
being
heathen
to
before
the
time
for
virgin-born
gods,
applied
assigned
have also that of Christ and
the birth of Jesus of Nazareth,we
the

"

"

"

Jesus.
1

"

See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. 69 and 71.

Inman

Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. pp. 258, 259.

Maicom
: Hist. Persia,vol. i. Ap. p. 494 ;
Nimrod, vol. ii.p. 31. Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 649.
8

Col. i.26.

See Bonwick

See

: Egyptian Belief,
p. 102.
Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 39, mar-

ginal note.
"

Word

"

In the
was

beginning was the Word, and the

God, and the Word Was God."

with

(John. i. 1.)

: Ancient
Faiths,vol. ii.p. 652.
Ibid, vol, i. p. 537.
10 See
Bunsen's
Angel-Messiah, p. 119.
9

Knight's Ancient Art and Mythology, pp. xxii.

and 98.
Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 71,and
SpiritHistory, pp. 183,205,206, 249. Bible for
Learners, vol. ii.p. 25. Isis Unveiled,vol. ii.
pp. 195, 237,516,besides the authorities already
cited.

196

BIBLE

of

Cyrus, King
"

MYTHS.

Persia,was

"

called the

Dr. Giles says, " Christ" is "a

and importing
signification,
spiritual
nothingmore
of God."1

Anointed

As

havingno
an
ordinarysurname"*

the

Christ,"or

name

than

The

called
were
worshipersof Serajpis
called
Christians" and those devoted to Serapiswere
Bishops
the ecclesiasticalhistorian,
of Christ."3
Eusebius,
says, that the
and
both known
of Jesus
and honored
were
names
Christ,"
"

"

"

"

"

among the ancients.4

called the
Mithras
was

"

"

Anointed

Christ ; "6

"

the

or

and

each
Horus,Mano, Mithras, Bel-Minor,Iao, Adoni, "c, were
God of Light,"
of them
"Lightof the World," the Anointed,"
"

"

or

"

the

Christ."6
called his Master

It is said that Peter

"he
them

the

Christ,whereupon

and
chargedthem (thedisciples),
straightway
that thing."1
to tellno man

kingsof

Christ "

"

title of

The

Israel.

"

"

or

Touch

not

The

my

held

Anointed,"was

Christ and

do

commanded

by

the

prophetsno

my

harm," says the Psalmist.8

The

term

"

Christ

"

necromancers
factions,

"c.
wonder-workers,

or

Matthew,where

passage in

leaders of
to religious
teachers,
applied

was

the writer says

shall arise false Christs

"There

signs and wonders,

and

that,if it

insomuch

false
were

This is seen

by

the

prophets,and snail
possible,
they shall

show

great

deceive

the

very elect."*

Crishna
virgin-born

The

An

Vishnu, called Avatars.

Christ ; for the word

Anointed
One,a Messiah.

man,

The

which
Jesus,

name

sometimes

Grecized

it occurs
Captivity

Buddha

Avatar

is

an

Goda
Angel-Messiah,

Christ is from the Greek

in Hebrew
is pronounced

Joshua,the

an
Christos,

Yezua,and

is

After

the

with
interchanged

the

Jason,was

very
and is
quitefrequently,

Indeed

incarnations of

were

common.

of

Moses,is called
than once,10though the meanTestament more
Jesus in the New
ing
We know of a
is not really
of the two names
quitethe same.
whose collection is
Jesus,son of Sirach,a writer of proverbs,
name

Joshua.

into

and

1 See
Bible Chronology, p. 5.
Bunsen's
Keys of St. Peter, 125. Volney's Ruins, p. 168.
8 Giles : Hebrew
and Christian Records, p.
64,vol. ii.
* Ibid.
p. 86, and Taylor'sDiegesis,pp. 203,
206,407. Dupuis : p. 267.
* Eusebius
lib. 1,ch. iv.
: Eccl. Hist.,
" See
Dunlap's Son of the Man, p. 78.
"

See Ibid. p. 39.

successor

Luke, iv. 21.

Psalm, cv. 15. The term " an Anointed
"?"e,"which we use in English,is Christos in
Greek, and Messiah in Hebrew.
(See Bible for
Learners, and Religion of Israel,
p. 147.)
9
Matthew, xxiv. 24.
10
Acts, vii. 45 ; Hebrews, iv. 8 ; compat";
Nehemiab, viii.17.
*

CRUCIFIXION

THE

OF

197

JESUS.

CHRIST

books of the Old Testament.

apocryphal
The notorious Barabbasx or son ofAbbas,was himself called Jesus.
A.mong Paul's opponents we find a magiciancalled Elymas,the
also
Son of Jesus. Among the earlyChristians a certain Jesus,
than ten
sailed Justus,
appears. Flavius Josephusmentions more
distinct persons
robbers,peasants,and others who bore
priests,
the last century of the
lived during
all of whom
of Jesus,
the name
the

preservedamong

"

Jewish

"

state."

To return

to

now

theme

our

"

crucified
gods beforethe time

of Jesus of Nazareth.
The holy Father Minucius
Felix,in his Octavius,written as
that the sign
late as a. d. 211, indignantly
resents the supposition
as
a Christian symbol,
of the cross should be considered exclusively
representshis advocate of the Christian argument
infidelopponent. His words are :
on
an

and

for the

"As

adoration

I must
(Christians),
is,ye Pagans

of

tellyou,

which

crosses

that

torting
re-

(Pagans) object againstus

you

neither adore

we

as

desire them ; you it

to adore wooden
crosses

crosses

the most

nor

beautiful.Your

likelypeople
and standards, but crosses giltand
your ensigns,flags,
victorious trophies
not only representa simple cross, but a cross

with

it."3

for what

man

who

else

upon

are

are

writingsof Minucius Felix,of this

of
of the destroyers
passage, is probablyowing to an oversight
The
that could be had.
all evidences against
the Christian religion
The

existence,in the

with a
of the Romans, here alluded to,of carrying
a cross
practice
been conhas evidently
cealed
man
on
it,or, in other words, a crucifix,
from us by the careful destruction of such of their works as
for
their own
had everything
priests
way
their claims
what was
evidence against
and to destroy
centuries,
matter.
was
a very simple
alluded to it.

The

It is very evident that this celebrated Christian Father alludes

Gentile mystery,of which the prudenceof his successors
to some
has

deprivedus.

this with the fact that for

compare
he
for the birth of Christ Jesus,
assigned

When

we

centuries after the time

not

was

as
represented

did not have such

that the
to

were

of
effigies
be

He

who, it

on

thingas
black

or

cross, and

we
crucifix,

that the Christians

are

inclined to think

which
crucified
man,
Italyeven duringthe last

dark-skinned

in many
placesin
have had something
to do with it.4

is

said,

was

time of the crucifixion of Jesus

2

man

seen

century,may
1

liberated at the
of Nazareth.

See Bible for Learners, vol. iii.p. 60.

Octavius,c. xxix.
See Anacalypsis,vol ii.p. 116.

198

BIBLE

by the

of
speaking
Pagan Romans

related

by

"

While

Arrian the

with

war

"This

man*

man

it "

on

beingcarried

as

the

Here

have

must

with

cross

standard,we might mention the fact,

that the troopsof Porus, in their
historian,1
as

Alexander

figure
of a

MYTHS.

Great, carried

the
is evidently
(says Mr.

been

their standards the

on

standard again.
crucifix
Staurobates

Higgins) a

Salivahana,

or

and

looks very like the figureof a man

carried on their standards by the Romans.
This was
similar to the dove carried on the standards of the Assyrians. This
have

must

the crucifix of

been

Nepaul."3
Father of the second and third

a Christian
Tertullian,

to the
writing
"

originof your gods is derived

of images on
your standards

The

those

rows

hangings on
We
a.

as

Pagans,says

standards

your

that the

"

with

cross

as

man

now

may

the

Nazareth

"

Pagans
Who

Christian

neither adored

this we

adored

desired

nor

that

not

as
represented

was

late

alone,

find to
shall presently

we

not represented

lamb,and

later addition

shall treat of in its place.

this

was

man
crucified

before and after the time

did the crucifix represent?It was,

the Saviour crucified for the salvation of

the Christian

Father,as

for centuries after,

was

who
question,
"

All
those

crosses;

crosses

and
crosses,"

it." This
He

cross.

the robes of crosses."4

adored

cross.

ask the
"

figuresmoulded on
the appendages of

was
crucifix,
by the Christians,

But
religion.

to their

"

"

upon

on

the adoration of the

whom

man

are
are

in those days,nor
Jesus,

case.

We

Pagans

from

of a
authority

211,that the Christians

d.

be the

banners

the

have it then,on

them,"but
but

and

centuries,

were
Era,whose effigies

of Jesus of

undoubtedly,

mankind," long before

to he

in many
places
either destroyed,

seen

Italy.These Pagan crucifixes were

the case with many
ancient
or adopted; the latterwas
corrupted,
which may be seen
the words Deo
of the Bambino*
on
paintings
Soli. Now, these two words can never
applyto Christ Jesus. He
all

over

Solus,in any sense, accordingto the idiom of

construe
and the Romish faith. Whether
the Latin language,
we
God
the onlyGod," or
the words to
alone,"
they are equally
in any
heretical. No
priest,
age of the Church, would have
erated
they tolthoughtof puttingthem there ; hut findingthem there,
not Deus

was

"

"

them.
In the

lamb, and
1

In his

under.
* See

"

an

CelticDruids"
which
elephant,

History of the Campaigns

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 118.

"Ibid.

Mr.
was

of Alex-

Higginsdescribes
cut upon

the

Apol. c.

16 ; Ad

See the

chapter

Virgin."

"

fire tower

Nationes,
on

a
crucifix,

"

The

c.

"
"

so-

xii.

Worship of the

called

a
Brechin,

at

"

OF

CKUCIFIXION

THE

of

town

CHRIST

in Scotland.
Forfarshire,

theyappearedto be of very ancient date, he

time,that theywere
modern, and belongedto
some

years

"I

he
afterwards,

doubt

now

the

again,

seen

wrote

(the modern

crucified

follows

as

date
before

man

199

JESUS.

Although
at that
supposed,
but
Christianity,

of the tower),for we
have, over and over
Christ. We have also found ' The Lamb

the Carnutes of Gaul, before the

that taketh away the sins of the world,'among
time of Christ;and when I contemplatethese,and the Elephantor Ganesa,1and the

Ring* and its Cobra,3 Linga,4Iona,6 and Nandies, found not far from the tower,
with the Colidei,the island of Iona, and Ii,
the estate of Lord Castles,
on
.

induced

to doubt

The Elephant,the Ganesa of

my former conclusions.
The Ring,too, when joined
India, is a very stubborn fellow to be found here.
with other matters, I cannot
All these superstitions
must have come
get over.
am

from India."9
On

of the Irish

one

of unmistakable Asiatic
If
may
a

we

turn

"

round

towers

"

is to be

seen

crucifix

origin.7

to the New

we
"World,

shall find,
strangethoughit

appear, that the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians worshiped

This was
the virgin-born
Saviour.
crucified
Quetzalcoatle

whose

in the
crucifixion is represented

of
paintings

"

the

Codex

"

Borgianus" and the Codex Yaticanus^

These paintings
illustratethe religious
of the ancient
opinions
from the hieroglyphics
found in Mexico.
Mexicans,and were copied
The Spaniards
all the books,ancient monuments
destroyed
nearly
which theycould find ; had it not been for this,
and paintings
much
the religion
of the ancient Mexicans would have
more
regarding
been handed down to us.
also taken
were
Many chapters
by the
of the firsthistorians who
Spanishauthorities from the writings
All manuscripts
ancient Mexico.
wrote
had to be inspected
on
to being
published.
previous
Anythingfound among these heathens
of the Christians,
the religion
when poswas
resembling
destroyed
sible.8
"

"

The

first Spanish
monks

to find the

crucifix
among

what

Ganesa

is the

it meant,

Indian

God

who

went

the heathen

were

told that

of Wisdom.

(See Asiatic Researches, vol. i.)

3 The
emblem
an
of
Ring and circie was
the Hindoos.
(See
god, or eternity,among
Lnndy : Monumental Christianity,
p. 87.)
8 The
Cobra, or hooded snake, is a native of
it is held as sacred.
the East Indies, where
(SeeKnight : Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 16,and
Fergusson'sTree and Serpent Worship.
*
Linga denotes,in the sectarian worship of
of the
the Hindoos, the Phallus, an emblem

to Mexico

surprised
and upon inquiring
inhabitants,
it was a representation
of
were

male

or generativepower
of nature.
Iona, or Yoni, is the counterpartof Linga,
emblem
an
of the female generativepower,
i.e.,
*

We

have

seen

that these

of the Hindoo
effigies

were

crucified

attached

to the

Saviour,Crish-

na.
"

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 130.

See Lundy : Monumental
Christianity,
pp.
253,254,255.
"

See

Kingsborough: Mexican

vol. vi. pp. 165 and 179.

Antiquities,

200

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Bacdb

the Son
(Quetzalcoatle),
Eopuco. They said that he was

placedon

from
Kingsborough,

"

these

we

have taken the

have

"

"

person

elaborate

from

in which

acquaintedwith

they became

instructed

their

in them, and that

sons

to another."2

one

that

is represented
as tied to the

represented
by the
at other times he is representedin the attitude
with impressions
of nail-holes in his hands
crucified,

justas we
Phrygians and

cross

very learned and

or Bacob
Quetzalcoatle

Sometimes

wood, with

above,says :

Being questionedas to the manner

things,they repliedthat the lords

thus this doctrine descended

of

beam

Lord

whose

put to death by

was

stretched out,and that he died there.1

work

and

God, who

arms

his

of

of

feet,but

the Hindoo

seen

"

"

justas we have found

in Fig.No. 8.
is represented
neath
Be-

actually
upon

not

and
Crishna,

as

this representationof

Death,which

Attys was

he

cross

"

is an image of
Quetzalcoatle
crucified,

to devour.8
threatening
On the 73d page of the Borgian
MS., he isrepresented
crucified
on
a cross
sions
of the Greek form. In this printthere are also impresof nails to be seen on the feetand hands,and his body is
covered with suns.*
strangely
In vol. ii.plate
75,the god is crucified in a circle of nineteen
and a serpentis depriving
him of the organs of generation.
figures,
Lord Kingsborough,
commenting on these paintings,
says :
"It

angry serpentseems

an

is remarkable

and
are black,
figures
very deformed

that in these Mexican

that the

visageof

paintingsthe faces of many of the

is frequentlypainted in a
Quetzalcoatle

manner."6

His

further tellsus that (according

to the belief of the
lordship
ancient Mexicans), the death of Quetzalcoatle
upon the cross
"an atonement
was
for the sins of mankind."6
Dr. Daniel Brinton,
in his
Myths of the New World" tells
us that the Aztecs had
a feast which
theycelebrated in the early
victims were
nailed to a cross and shot with an
spring"when
"

"

"

"

"

arrow."''

Von

"

Humboldt,in his
when the Mexicans
speaksof this feast,
Alexander

him with

See

an

8
*

Ibid. p. 161.
Ibid. p. 167.

Ibid. p. 167.

"

Ibid. p. 166.

Researches"

crucified a man, and

also

pierced

arrow.8

Kingsborough: Mexican Antiquities,

vol. vi. p. 166.

a Ibid.
p. 162.

American

T
"

: Myths of the New

World, p. 95.
Christianity,p.
See, also, Monumental

Brinton

393.
"

Once

year the ancient Mexicans

made

an

image of one of their gods, wbich was pierced

by an arrow, shot by a priestof Quetzalcoatle."
(Dunlap'sSpiritHist.,207.)

202

BIBLE

Rev. J. P.
"

should

Why

And

of this,
Lundy,speaking
says :
a

fact

well known

so

"

of

Jameson,in

crucifixion is not

The

Lord

our
"

The

to the heathen

as

never
yetitsactual realistic representation

than six

of Christianity,
for more
Mrs.

MYTHS.

her

"

Historyof

once

occurs

cealed?
con-

in the monuments

centuries."1

seven

or

the crucifixionbe

Our

Lord in

Art," says :

of the

The death
subjectsof earlyChristianity.
in itsactual form.
in illustrated manuscripts
those ivory and enameled forms which are described
of these are ascertained,
by historical or by internal

one

represented
by various types,but never
found
earliestinstances of the crucifixion
are
was

of various countries,and in
in the Introduction.
Some

in the ninth

evidence,to have been executed

century,there is one

also,of

an

traordinary
ex-

fantastic character,in a MS. in the ancient library

of St.
is ascertained to be of the eighthcentury. At all events,there seems

rude

Galle,which
justgrounds

no

at

and

earlier date."*

an
presentfor assigning

Early Christian art, such

incident from
but one solitary
"

it appears

in the bas-reliefs on

sarcophagi,
gave
Lord's Passion,and that utterly
and
as young
divested of all circumstances of suffering.Our Lord is represented
accursed tree' on his shoulders."3
beautiful,free from bonds, with no
as

the

story of Our

'

The
lamb*

oldest
to which

and
flowed,

at

of Christ
representation
sometimes

vase

was

other times couched

at

Jesus

was

figureof

added,into which his blood

the foot of

This

cross.

subsisted up to the year 680, and until the pontificate

of
the
Constantine
the
sixth
Pogonat. By
Agathon,during reignof
custom

(canon82) it was ordained that instead of

synodof Constantinople
which had been the Lamb, the figure
the ancient symbol,
of a man
should be
fastened to a cross
(such as the Pagans had adored),
All this was confirmed by Pope Adrian I."
represented.
vation,
A simplecross, which was the symbolof eternal life,
or of salwas
sometimes,as we have seen, placed
among the ancients,
In the course
of time,the Lamb
of the Lamb.
was
put
alongside
Israelites
had
ancient
the
the
l
amb
the
as
on
put
paschal
cross,
have seen, they put a man
and then,as we
centuries before,'
upon it.
Christ Jesus is also
that is,as
Shepherd,"
I
a
8
4

in earlyart
represented
young

Christianity,
p. 246.
History of Our Lord in Art, vol. ii.p. 137.
Monumental

Ibid. p. 317.
See Illustrations in Ibid. vol. i.

Dupuis : Originof ReligiousBelief,p.

Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. ii. Ill, and
Monumental
Christianity,
p. 246, et seq.
" The
paschal lamb was roasted on a cross,
by ancient Israel,and is still so done by the
at Nablous.
Samaritans
(See Lundy's Monumental Christianity,
pp. 19 and 247.)
II
The
lamb slain (at the feast of the pass6

252.

See

with

man

lamb

on

as

the

"

Good

his shoulders.7

roasted whole, with two spits thrust

through it" one lengthwise,and one transversely
crossing each other near the fore legs; so
that the animal was,
in a manner,
crucified.
Not a bone of it might be broken"
a circumstance stronglyrepresentingthe sufferings
of
our
Lord
Jesus, the passover slain for us."
(Barnes'sNotes, vol. i. p. 292.)
7 See
and their ReKing : The Gnostics
mains, p. 138. Also, Monumental
Christianity,
and Jameson's
History of Our Lord in Art, for

over) was
"

illustrations.

OF

OEUCIFIXION

THE

203

JESUS.

CHRIST

in which the Pagan Apollo,

Mercuryand
justthe manner
centuries before.1
were
represented

This is
others

Mrs. Jameson
attired

"Mercury
manner

same

says

as

as

with
shepherd,
of the

in many

object(inancient art)and in some

the two,"2 that is,between
between
M. Renan
"

The

says

ram

bis shoulders,borne

on

in the

unf requent

representations, no
in distinguishing
a difficulty
Mercury and Christ Jesus.
was

instances led to

Good

Shepherd of
or
Apollo Nomius,
sarcophagi;and stillcarries
from

Christian

which

is

in Rome

the catacombs

the

figuredin the

copy

from

posture

same

the
on

Aristeus,
Pagan

the

of the four half-naked

the flute of Pan, in the midst

seasons."3

The

EgyptianSaviour
People."4
The Hindoo

Horus

Saviour Crishna

called the

was

called the

was

"

"

Shepherdof

the

RoyalGood Shepherd."6

of a Christian writer
authority
who has made the subject
no
a special
study,that,"there seems
for the
earlier date,"
liest
earan
justgroundsat presentfor assigning

We

have

seen,

then,on

the

"

instances of the crucifixion "

or ninth century.
art,than the eighth

to what

similar to those
The

case.

Saviour

Now,

these crucifixes
looked like.

that the crucifixeswhich

early
ones,

are
we

in
Jesus,represented

of Christ

familiar to
would

few

words

in

gard
re-

If the reader
at the

us

imagines
presentday are

inform him that such is not the

earliestartistsof the crucifixion represent

the Christian

and beardless,
of
alwayswithout the crown
young
and erect,apparently
elate ; no signsof bodilysuffering
thorns,
alive,
there.6
are
On

as

Historyof Our Lord

in Art
he is represented
the
on
a foot-rest on
(vol.ii.),
standing
and eyes open.
cross, alive,
Again,on page 330,plate253, he is
extended
standing with body uprightand arms
represented
with no nails,
no
wounds,no crown
straight,
of thorns frequently
and with a regalcrown
a
clothed,
God, young and beautiful,
as it were, without compulsion
or pain."
hanging,
On page 167,plate
the thieves bound to their
188,are to be seen
page

151,plate181,of Jameson's

"

"

"

"

"

"

See

King's Gnostics, p.

178.

Knight :
xxii., and
Jameson's
History of Our Lond
Art, ii.340.
a Jameson
Our
Lord in Art, p.
: Hist, of
840,vol. ii.
"
Quoted in Knight : Ancient Art and MyAncient

Art

and

Mythology,

p.
in

thology,p. xxii. note.

4
Dunlap : SpiritHist.,p. 185.
6 See
chapter xvii. and vol. ii.Hist. Hindostan.
"

See Jameson's

vol. ii.p. 142.

Hist, of Our

Lord

in

Art,

204

BIBLE

MYTHS.

{whichis simplyan uprightbeam,without

of the Lord standing
between them."
figure

cross

the

nailed to

nor

cross

erect in the form

of

no

He

is there.

cross

This is

cross-ba??),with
He

is

bound

is not

simplystanding

of what is
representation
with thieves." On page 173,plate
styled,Earlycrucifixion
190,
have a representation
in which Jesus and the
of the crucifixion,
we
thieves are represented
crucified on the Egyptiantau (seeFig.
No. 12). The thieves are tied,
but the man-god is nailed to the
A similar representation
cross.
on
may be seen
page 189, plate
a

cross.

"

198.

On

is a

155, plate
183, there

page

of
representation

is

what

called "

ply
Virginand St. John at foot of cross" but this cross is siman
uprightbeam (asFig.No. 13). There are no cross-bars
attached. On page 167,plate
188, the thieves are tied to an upright
beam (asFig.13),and Jesus stands between them,with arms
extended in theform of a cross, as the Hindoo
Crishna is to be
in Fig.No. 8.
On page 157, plate185, Jesus is represented
seen
crucified on the Egyptian
cross
(asNo. 12).

Some
on

ancient crucifixes representthe

similar in form to the Roman

cross

the number

(seeFig.No. 14).

ten

in
uniformity

no

the
representing

earlyChristians ;
"

Labarum,"or

the

even

sacred

Pagan god
subsequent
chapter.

dogma of

whatever
The

1 "

cross

cross

''

which
figure

Thus
cross

which

we

see

Osiris

the Jews.

The

stands for

that there

Christ,"among
Constantine put on

nothingmore
No. 15),1
as
(Fig.

the vicarious atonement

fied
cruci-

of

than the

banner,was

of the

The

Christian Saviour

we

has met

shall

with

no

for this is very

was

the
his

gram
mono-

see

in

success

evident.

reason
among
in
idea of vicarious atonement,
any form, is contrary to Jew-

It would

be

of Constantine
as

now

so-called
difficult to prove that the
was
of the simple construction the same

understood.

...

the Labarum,
the coins of the
which it is especiallyset forth,prove

As

gards
re-

time, in
that the

it was
nothing else than
upon
of Christ"
ever-recurring
monogram
(thatis,the XP). (Historyof Our Lord in Art,
vol. ii. p. 316.
tionary,
See also,Smith's Bible Dicart. "Labarum.")
cross

sin

should

the

in

If

law.
the
to

person
What

or

made
the

I say

tittle shall
"

and

place

in

out

of

God's

laws.

precisely the
hundreds

effects

are

is to

be

bear

upon

him

God's
of

called
in

of

health

the

is
that

holiness

or

being

he

as

for

law,

for

is

the

jot

one

Dent.

xxiv.

16.

reconciled

'

'

For

obviating

its

life,and

obeying

them.

him.

This

condition

of

of

man/

does

man

brought

have
To

know

health

the

in

keep

supposed

What

is

them

Saviours

are

fall

ills.

this

xxv.

81-34.

"

Matt

'

stands

get

'

no

neither

and

degree,

been

imaginary
of

to

know

men

of

laws

devil

or

needed

happiness,

comes

Num.

one

or

salvation

of

God

is

for

the

world,

schemes

their

has

to

perfect

"

he

law,

whole
world

v.

to

and

all worlds."

"

it.

fulfill.

to

modern

helps
in

laws
for

motives

abhor

learning

either

sacrifice

devices

cures

"

than
the

of

there

As

is, the

wholeness

else

men,

necessary

adequate

"

other

theological

taught
laws

only

nounces
de-

"

innocent

an

destroy

pass,

The

law."8

wrath
no

way.

only imaginary

need

keep

same

of

earth

theological
'

saves

Thousands

all the

out

Jesus

way.

but

is, in

the

therefore

destroy,

and
the

No

Saviours.'

to

som
ran-

revived

must

this

come

am

nothing

of

any

I
to

There

them.

; and

way
the

'

be

God

and

fundamental

slaughter

sanctioned

come

from

No

justice.2

it is

then

dains
or-

sin,"

own

of

arm

to

law

person.

such

as

viz.,

heaven

can

for

need

for
"

that

not

pass

is and

theological
man's

wise

no

the

The

his

for

other

any

205

responsibilitiesis

have

to

Till

death

of others,

not

am

you,

keeping

nor

in

in

unto

Salvation

life

crimes

Think

say

Gentile.

against

God

is said

"

to

prophets

verily

or

Jesus

the

by

equal

of

JESUS.

to

put

atonement,

the

for

atone

and

law

vicarious

is more,

not

the

be

murderer

equal rights

CHRIST

with

committed

crime

or

protect the
of

principle

man

every

the

for

not

shall

"

that1

accord

full

it is in

ethics, but

ish

OF

CRUCIFIXION

THE

17, 18.

and
man,

and

XXL

CHAPTER

DABKNESS

THE

Luke

The

narrator

Christ Jesus,the

sun

AT

informs

us

CRUCIFIXION.

THE

darkened,and there

was

of the death

that at the time

darkness

was

of

over

the sixth until the ninth hour ; also the veil of the
rent in the midst.1

the earth from

templewas
The

Matthew

The

earth did

"

and

many

bodies

and

went

into

"

His
born

death

of

quake, and

at

it.

rent, and the graves

were

sleptarose, and

"

in

miraculous

out

came

were

opened,

of their graves

many."*2

at the time

havingshone

of his

and
birth,

his having

necessary that at the

should
miraculous
happen.

it

manner,

Christ

was

Jesus, something
nature had happened at the time of the
an
other supernatural
therefore somethingmust
pen
hapbeings,

Somethingof
death of

the rocks

that

tellsus
this,

to

of the saints which

the holy cityand appeared unto

star

been

narrator,in addition

unusual

Ms

death ; the myth would

In the words
of Viscount

not

have

been

out
completewith-

Amberly : The darkness from

the sixth to the ninth hour, the rendingof the templeveil,
the
like the prodithe rendingof the rocks,are altogether
gies
earthquake,
t
he
other
decease
men."3
attending
of
great
The Rev. Dr. Geikie,
one
It is impossibleto

"

then

of the most

this darkness.

explain the originof

full,so that it could

orthodox

writers,
says :4
The

passover

moon

eclipse. The earlyFathers,

of
notice
coincide
in time, though it really
that
seemed
to
an
relyingon a
eclipse
did not, fancied that the darkness was
caused by it,but incorrectly."
was

at the

"

"

Perhaps
what

we

shall

the

originof

now

not have

been

this darkness

an

"

may

Lake, xxiii. 44, 45.

Matthew, xxvii. 51-53.

[206]

explainedfrom

see.

At the time of the death of the Hindoo

be

Saviour

Amberly

p. 268.

there
Crishna,

Analysis of Religious Belief,

Christ,vol. ii.p. 643.

Life of

calamities and bad

came

AT

DAKKNESS

THE

THE

of every kind.

omens

207

CKUCIFIXION.

A black circle surrounded

and the sun

the moon,
darkened at noon-day
was
/ the
flames
fireand
ashes
burned
dusky and livid ; demons
sky rained
;
earth ; at sunrise and sunset,thousands
committed depredations
on
of

were
figures

on

all sides.1
When

seen

in the
skirmishing

the conflictbegan between

the Prince of

World,and

Evil,a

air ;

were
spirits

Buddha,

thousand

to be seen

the Saviour of the

meteors fell
appalling
/

with the oceans

prevailed.Even this earth,
and mountains it contains,
thoughit is unconscious,
quaked like a
conscious being like a fond bride when
torn from her
forcibly
bridegroom like the festoons of a vine shaken under the blast of
The ocean
under the vibration of this earthquake
a whirlwind.
rose
;
rivers flowed back toward their sources
of
mountains,
lofty
; peaks
where countless trees had grown for ages, rolled crumbling
to the
clouds and

darkness

"

"

earth ; a fierce storm howled all around ; the roar of the concussion
became terrific; the very sun
in awfuldarkness,
enveloped
itself
and a host of headless spirits
the air.'1
filled
When

Prometheus

crucified on

was

Mount

the whole
Caucasus,

frameof nature became convulsed. The earth

the wild winds rent
roared,lightning
flashed,

ancient Greeks

and

celestialsigns.We

the founder of
over

When
there

was

Rome,

He
And

greatmen

were

therefore find that at the death of

the

air,the

sun

was

darkened,and

there

announced

Romulus,
was

ness
dark-

thefaceof the earth for the space ofsix hours.b

Julius Codsar,
the son of a god,was murdered,
who was
a

darkness

space ofsix hours.6

This is spokenof
"

the vexed

had always
Romans, says Canon Farrar,4

considered that the births and deaths of

by

quake,thunder

the dissolution of the universe seemed

boisterous billows rose, and

to be threatened.3
The

did

over

the

the
earth,

where
by Virgil,

sun

beingeclipsed
for ths

he says :

(theSun) covered his luminous head with

"'
the impious ages feared eternal night.

sootydarkness,

It is also referred to

Pliny,
Appian,Dion
1

Ovid, and Lucian (poets),

by Tibullus,
and Julius Obsequenes
Cassius,
(historians.)'

See Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 71.

159 and 590,also Josephus : Jewish Antiquities,
book xiv. ch. xii. and note.
Khys David's Buddhism, pp. 36, 37.
"See
Potter's
T"Cum
^Eschylus, "Prometheus
ferrugine
caput obscura nitidum
Chained," last stanza.
texit
" Farrar's Life of
timuerunt
eaecula
Christ,p. 52.
Impiaquae seternam
" See
Higgins:Anacalypsis,vol. i.pp.616,617.
noctem."
" See Ibid, and
" See Gibbon's
Gibbon's
Rome, vol. i. pp.
Rome, vol. i.pp. ,150and 590.
3

208

BIBLE

When

the
^Esculapius
from the heavens /

dimlv

groves ; the trees bowed

hearts of allthe sons of men
of their

painsand

When
who

MYTHS.

Saviour

the birds
down

followed him

death,the sun

silent in

were

shone

the darkened

; and the
fainted within them, because the healer
no

dying,he

was

to

their heads

sickness lived

Hercules

pat

was

more

in

sorrow

the earth.1

upon

said to the faithful female

to the last spot on

earth

which he

on

(Iole)
trod, Weep
"

toil is

done,and now is the time for rest. I shall see thee

trodden by the feet of
againin the brightland which is never
darkness was
theface
on
night." Then, as the dyinggod expired,
not, my

of the earth

i from the highheaven

the din of its thunder crashed

and

Zeus,the god of gods,carried

Olympus were opened to welcome
his
a

mightytoil.

crown

he

throughthe
his
the

(Edipuswas

about

goingto

am

in

cloud,

In this manner,
the halls of

and

brighthero

who

rested from

white

robe, with

to leave this world

of

row,
sor-

"

to lay down
home, and I rejoice

my

pain and

said, Weep not, my child,

and
he bade Antigone farewell,

air.

home,

son

clothed
sits,

now

the thick

his head.3

upon

When

There

down

came

the burden

of

signsin the heaven above and on the

was
nigh at hand, for the earth did
roared and echoed againand againthrough

Then there were

my woe."
earth beneath,that the end
the thunder

quake,and
the

sky.8
"

The

had

Romans

god called Quirinius.His

soul emanated

from the sun, and was

restored to it. He was
begotten by the
god of armies upon a virginof the royalblood,and exposed by
cated
order of the jealous
preservedand edutyrant Amulius, and was
among
ascended

he

shepherds.He
into heaven

was

; upon

torn

to

which

at
pieces

the

sun

his

death,when

was

or
eclipsed

darkened."*'
Alexander

When
have

the Great

when
happened; again,

said that the

sun

seemed

said to
are
died,similar prodigies
foul murders were
committed, it is

to hide its face.

story of Atreus,King of Mycenae,who

of his brother

Thyestes. At

sightso horrible, turned

his light."6

endure

"

At the time of the death of the

"

Tales of Ancient

Ibid. pp. 61, 62.

Ibid. p. 270.

"

Greece, p. 46.

is illustratedin the

foullymurdered

that
his

This

time,the

course

sun,

backward

dren
the chilunable

to

drew
and with-

the
Quetzalcoatle,
virgin-born

4
"

Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 322.
Pantheon, vol. i.p. 106.

See Bell's

210

has

Shakespeare
analogous

the

to

the

Did

the

in

tells

When

day,

from

over

As

Mr.

of

those

intended

in

great

numbers

he,

omnivorous

with

this

his

sheeted

the

great

life

and

indeed,

to

still later

it, and

to

in

and

death,

survived,

men,

allusions

in

dead

streets."1

over

that

of

before

the

the

the
usual

train

act

1,

the

think,

Jesus,

day

1.

the

at

lution
disso-

destination.

its

doubt

little

question

which

were

was

one

current

wrote,
and

as

sent

that

remain
in

moval
re-

was

death-warning

discrimination

".

of

Branch,

narrator

him

present

atmosphere

Long

arrived

distinguished

Hamlet,

the
to

legend

Gospel.

to

yellow

Matthew

of

want

which

we

whole

the

even

predictions

Christ

time

princes."

on

be

to

can,

magnify

at

country,

the

there
that

and

dark

numerous

were

minds,

survives

persons

of

death

the

Washington

from

there

to

the
the

of

hundreds

place

seen;

forth

blaze

much

so

comets

no

are

superstition

known

tendency,
into

there

remarks,

Greg

unprepossessed

which

die

and
take

Rome,

Roman

stars

of

Garfield

by

heaven,
would

death

themselves

President
held

the

of

exactly

well

settled

sincerely

us

and
the

kind

the

fell,

Julius

in

gibber

of

state

tenantless,

abounds

that

seem

it is

of

squeak

and

heavens

would

which

graves

the

palmy

mightiest

stood

beggars

The

for

and

Chaucer

Shakespeare

It

high
the

ere

at

times.

"

of

traditions

some

case

influence

special portents
recent

most

little

The

Belief

embalmed

present

In

"

in

MYTHS.

BIBLE

and

somewhat

compiler,

mitted
ad-

XXII.

CHAPTER

"he

part of the Christian

In

He

it says
descended

The
St.

Who

And

an

the

the Creed

taught in

is

into hell,and

on

the third

infidel would

of

taughtby
a. d.)asks :
deny

he

day

also

was

St. Clement

of

by

Christian

of the

Christians,

doctrine

but

to

unavoidable.

Chrysostom(born347
"

alluded

belief,
althoughnot

when
excepting
the firstplace,
it

wherein
"

into hell is emphatically

doctrine of Christ Jesus' descent

The

divines

hell."

into

descended

rose

again from

of the Church.

the Fathers

that Christ

was

Alexandria,who

in hell ?

"!

flourished at the

century,is equallyclear and

third

Jesus' descent into hell.

He

says

the dead"

beginning
emphaticas to

preached the gospel to those in Hades, as well as to all in earth,

in order that all might believe and be saved, wherever
If,then, the
they were.
for no other end
but to preach the gospel,as He did
Lord descended
to Hades
either to preach the gospel to all,or to the Hebrews
only. If
descend,it was
accordinglyto all,then all who believe shall be saved,although they may be of
the Gentiles, on making their professionthere."2
"

The

Lord

Origen,who flourished duringthe latter part of the second,and

declares that
also emphatically
beginningof the third centuries,
Christ Jesus descended
Ancient

into hell.8

Christian works

of art

representhis descent into hell.4

apocryphalgospelsteach the doctrine of Christ Jesus'

the objectof which
descent into hell,
to preachto those in
was
bondage there,and to liberate the saints who had died before
The

his advent

on

Quoted by Bon'vick

46.
*

earth.

Strom,

vi.

C.

6.

Egyptian Belief,p.

Contra

See

Celsus.

Jameson's

bk. Ji. c. 43.

Hist,

of Our

Lord

in

vol. ii. pp. 354, 355.

[211]

Art,

212

BIBLE

On

of the sin committed

account

Eden, all mankind

those who
were

by Adam

in the Garden

doomed, allhad gone

were

had been translated to heaven

after God's

"

MYTHS.

heart,"and

own

to hell

of

excepting

"

those persons who

had belongedto his

even

"

who

chosen

people." The coming of Christ Jesus into the world,

The saints
however, made a change in the affairs of man.
believe
then liberated from their prison,
and all those who
were
in the efficacy
of his name, shall escape hereafter the tortures of
hell. This is the doctrine to be found in the apocryphal
gospels,
and was taughtby the Fathers of the Church.1
In the
is to be found the
Gospelof Nioodemus
(apoc.)
whole storyof Christ Jesus' descent into hell,
and of his liberating
"

"

"

the saints.
the Prince of

Satan,and
about

was

what

to

as

over,

to descend

sudden,there

was

reth
Hell,havingheard that Jesus of Nazato their domain, began to talk the matter

theyshould do, "c.

a

voice

While

of thunder

as

thus
the

and

on
a
engaged,
of winds,
rushing

"

and be ye
Lift up your gates,O ye Princes,
:
saying
gates,and the King of Gloryshall come
ye everlasting

When
"

iron

the Prince of Hell heard

Shut

the

brass

gates

he
this,
.

in."

said to his

and

lifted up, O

make

cers
impiousoffi-

them

fast with

bars,and fight
courageously."
saints

mediately
imhavingheard what had been said on both sides,
:
spoke with a loud voice,saying
Open thygates,that
David
King of Glory may come in." The divine prophets,
in this protest
the
were
Isaiah,
particularly
against
conspicuous

The

"

the
and

intentions of the Prince of Hell.

Againthe

voice of Jesus

heard

Lift up your gates,

and the King of
gates of hell,

was

:
saying

"

O Prince ; and be ye lifted up, ye

Glorywill enter in." The Prince of Hell then cried out

"

Who

menced
King of Glory?" upon which the prophetDavid comthe mighty
to him, but while he was
to reply
speaking,
in the form of a man, and broke asunder the
Lord Jesus appeared
fetters which before could not be broken,and crying
aloud,said :
who were
who
Come to me, all ye saints,
created in my image,

is the

"

condemned

were

by

now

Then

by

the tree of the forbidden

of my cross."
allthe saints were
presently

hand
joined
together,

on

and all the saints of God

hell,

followed him.9

See

live

the word

and the Lord Jesus laid hold

Jameson's

TOl. ii.pp.

fruit

850, 251.

Hist, of

Oar

Lord in Art,

Adam's

in

hand,

hand,and ascended from

Nicodemus

Apoc. ch. xvi. and ziz.

"he

them, and

not been with

?"
"

us

One

who

of these

is with

by

hell,and

in

Enoch, who

am

man

asked

were

was

"

the saints:
have had

"

213
"

"

very ancient
Who
are
ye, who

two
paradise,

your

men

have

placedin

bodies

paradise
and said :

"

answered
very ancient men
translated by the word of God, and this

the
is Elijah

me

hell."

into

the saints arrived in

"When
met

descended

who
Tishbite,

translated in

was

chariot."1
fiery
The

doctrine of the descent into hell may be found alluded to

in the canonical books ; thus,
for instance,
in I. Peter :
"

It is better,if the will of God

evil

doing. For
might bring us
spirit:
by which

be so, that ye suffer for well doing,than for

Christ also hath suffered for sins,the justfor the unjust,
that he

God, being put to death

and preachedunto

to

also he went
"

Again,in Acts,"where
he says :
prophet,

quickenedby
prison."2

in the flesh,but
tliespirits
in

of David
the writer is speaking

"

as

He, seeingthis before,spake of the resurrection of Christ,that his soul

neither his flesh did see corruption."3
in hell,
left

not

The

is because
hell,

it is

days'duration.
must

Christ Jesus

why

reason

has been

made

to

descend

even
apart of the universal mythos,

The

Saviours of mankind

had

the

was

into

the three
so, he

all done

therefore do likewise.

Orishna,the

Hindoo

of

the
raising
seat.
heavenly

dead

descended
Saviour,

into

for
hell,

the pose
purhis
he
before
returned
to
(thedoomed),4

of the Persians,
descended into hell.6
Zoroaster,
descended into hell.0
the Egyptian
Osiris,
Saviour,
descended into hell.1
Horus, the virgin-born
Saviour,
descended into hell.*
Adonis,the virgin-born
Saviour,
descended into hell.9
Bacchus,the virgin-born
Saviour,
descended into hell}9
the virgin-born
Saviour,
Hercules,
of God, descended into heU.xx
Mercury,the Word and Messenger

Nicodemus

I. Peter, iii.17-19.

Apoc. ch.

xx.

Acts, ii.31.
See Asiatic Researches,vol. i.p. 237. Bonwick's Egyptian Belief,p. 168, and Maurice :
Indian Antiquities,
vol. ii.p. 85.
6 See Monumental
Christianity,
p. 286.
" See
Dupuis : Origin of ReligiousBelief,p.
256, Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,and Dunlap's
Mysteriesof Adoni, pp. 125, 152.
7 See
Chap. XXXIX.
8 See Bell's
Pantheon, vol. i. p. 12.'
" See
Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322.
Dupuis : Origin of ReligiousBelief,
p. 257,and
"

Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, p. 33.

10 See
Taylor'sMysteries, p. 40, and Mysteries of Adoni, pp. 94-96.
Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 72. Our
"See
Christian

writers discover

hension, and

considerable

jealous caution

apprein their lam-

between
Paganguage, when the resemblance
ism and Christianitymight be apt to strike
the mind

cogently. In quoting Horace's

Mercury's descent into hell,and hie
causing a cessation of the sufferingsthere,Mr.
Spence, in " Bell's Pantheon," says : As this,
perhaps, may be a mythical part of his character,ice had better let it alone.'1''
account

too

of

"

2l4

MYTHS.

BIBLE

the

Baldv/Ty

Scandinavian

after

god,

descended

killed,

being

hell.1

into

into

descended

Saviour,

crucified

Mexican

the

Quetsalcoatle,
hell1

these

All

descended

They

and

See

hell

in

remained
"

gods,

Bonwick

Mallet,

p.

and

for
into

Egyptian

the

hell,

Belief,

that

others

many

and

p.

three

of

space

169,

418.
_

and

days

third

the

on

be

might

day

See

Mexican

"

See

the

chapter

nights.

three

again."8

rose

Antiquities,
on

mentioned,

voi.

Explanation.

vi.

p.

106.

XXIII.

CHAPTEE

THE

AND

RESURRECTION

ASCENSION

CHRIST

OF

JESUS.

storyof the resurrection of Christ Jesus is related by the

fied,
four Gospel narrators,and is to the effect that,after beingcruciThe

his
"

great

by

sure

On

body was
"

stone
"

wrapped

rolled to

the
sealing

in

"

stone

and

when
sepulchre,

the

"

watch,"the

in

of Jesus' followers

some

the

from

tomb, and

door,and

then made

was
sepulchre
watch."
a
setting

theyfound that,in spiteof the

angel of the Lord had descended

had rolled back the stone

from

"

laid
cloth,

The

the door.

the firstday of the week

the

linen

to

came

see

"

sealing and

"

from

that "Jesus

heaven,

had

risen

the dead."1

The

storyof his ascension is told by the Mark9

narrator,who

"
hand of
he was
received up into heaven,and sat on the right
says
God ; " by Zuke,*who says " he was
carried up into heaven ; " and
by the writer of the Acts,*who says " he was taken up (toheaven)
and a cloud received him out of sight."

"We will
that these
those

we

of its robes
find,in stripping
Christianity
miraculous

have

events

be

must

put

the

on

of

same

Paganism,
level with

examined.
already

Crishna,the crucified Hindoo Saviour,rose from the dead,*and

ascended bodily
into heaven.9 At that time a greatlight
enveloped
the earth and illuminated

the whole

by

celestial spirits,
and luminous

in

the house

expanse
that
on

of heaven.

Attended

journeybetween

nightwhen he was born

the
Yasudeva, Crishna pursued,
by his own light,
from
earth and heaven,to the brightparadise

whence

descended.

"

Lo,
1

he

of

had

All

"

240.

145.

men

him,

saw

Crishna? s soul ascends its native shies !

See

Matthew, xxviii. Mark, xvi. Luke,

"
John, xx.
Mark, xvl. 19.
*
Luke, xxiv. 51.
Acts, i. 9.
See Dupuis : Originof Religious Belief,p.

xxiv. and
"

as

Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol.

ii.pp. 142 and

"

See

and

exclaimed,

"7

Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. 1.

p. 131.

Egyptian Belief, p. 168. Asiatic

Researches, vol i. pp. 259 and 261.
7 See
Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i.p. 72. Hist.
Hindostan, ii. pp. 466 and 473.
Bonwick's

"

In Hindu

Vishnu, who Is identipictures,

215

216

BIBLE

Samuel

to heaven"

last ascended
"

in

the

By

Oriental

"

incarnation of Vishnu

an

"

Johnson,in his

MYTHS.

after his manifestations

"

"resuminghis

of llama's
blessings

that Rdma

tellsus
Religions,"

name,

earth,"at

on

divine essence."

and

throughpreviousfaith

and
him, all sins are remitted,
his
The

name

account
mythological

Maya,who, as
Cama, is
When

the God

of the

the loss of

most

back the

echoed

Heaven
Dwine

"

moved

Cama

was

Yirgin

and earth

Love"

to

sound
exulting

restored,helVs

much
inso-

and
pity,

claimed,
ex-

restored and the

enthusiastic joy. The

"

was
supposedto be lost {dead),

of the

son

Cam-deo,Cam, and
other virgin-born
gods.

that of

which

on

changedinto the

said to have

the

(thesupreme god)was

Rise,holylove /"

lamentations

as

have lamented

equallyto
"

Buddha,
Love, is named

tears and lamentations.

were

that Maha-deo

are

of

of

character

same

he died there
said

are

every one who shall at death pronounce

with sincere worship
shall be forgiven.'*1

heavens

; then the

deity,

great dread

and

heaven's eternal admiration."*

and the lid of
of the body unrolled themselves,
coverings
his coffin was openedby supernatural
powers.8
when his
celestialregions
Buddha
the
also ascended bodily
to
and marks on the rocks of a high
mission on earth was
fulfilled,
The

mountain

shown, and

are

believed to be the last

impressionof

prayers in his name

and
expect to receive the rewards of paradise,

his

on
footsteps

become

one

with

this earth.

him, as he became

one

he who
Lao-Kiun, the virgin-born,
of benevolence

his mission

when
ascended

the paradiseabove.

been

into
bodily
worshipedas

his followers

By

to
finally

with the Source of Life.4

had

all eternity,

existed from

earth,

completedon

was

Since this time he has

god, and splendidtempleserected

to

his

memory.6
of the ancient Persians,
the founder of the religion
Zoroaster,
divine messenger sent to redeem men
their evil ways,"ascended to heaven at the end of his
who

considered

was

this day his followers mention

To

career.

"

him
The Immortal
calling
Zoroaster,"The LivingStar,""c.6
"

reverence,

him

with the

Zoroaster,"The
"

from

earthly
greatest
Blessed

"

mounted
on
Crishna, is often seen
(Moore : Hindu Panth.
Eagle Garuda."

fled with
the

"
two bassop. 214.) And M. Sonnerat noticed
of the choir of
relievos placed at the entrance

Bordeaux

Cathedral, one

the ascension

our

of which

Saviour

represents

to heaven

on

(Higgins : Anac, vol. i.p. 273.)

Oriental Religions,
pp. 494, 495,

Eagle."
1

of

an

Asiatic

Res., vol.

vol. ii.p. 103

8 Bunsen
: The

x.

p. 129.

Anacalypsis,

Angel-Messiah,p. 49.
Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 86. See also,
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 159.
" Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. l.
p. 214.
4

"

Ibid. p. 258.

218

to

life,there

large wound

which

shown

resurrection

fixedat

was

follows

received

had

the 25th

sufferingand

of his

shown, justas the wound

was

by the thrust
of March."1

the
"Fragments,"

In Calmet's
as

he

to Christ

made

was

in honor

rites celebrated

mournful

were

The

death.

to

MYTHS.

BIBLE

The

of the spear.

his
was

feast of

resurrection of Adonis

his

isreferred

after the attendants had for a long time bewailed the

mysteries,
to be restored to life,
to have
death of this justperson, he was
at lengthunderstood
by the re-admission of light. On this the
experienceda resurrection ; signified
all ye who have
addressed
the
yourselves,
saying, Comfort
priest
company,
for
thus
shall now
of
we
the
of
:
the
been partakers
preserved
deity,
mysteries
added
words:
'I have
which
these
were
labors:' to
from our
enjoy some respite
The peopleanswered by
scaped a sad calamity,and my lot is greatlymended.'
the invocation : Hail to the Dove 1 the Restorer of Light 1 "2
In

"

these

'

'

'

Murray tells us

Alexander

that the ancient Greeks

this festival in honor of the resurrection of

also celebrated

Adonis,in

the

and the ceremony of

of him was produced,
figure
with weeping and songs of wailing,
burial,
gone through.After
lives and is risen
raised: "Adonis
these a joyfulshout was
again"
of which

course

in
Plutarch,
at the time

was

his lifeof Alcibiades and of

of the celebration of the death of Adonis

fleet set sail for its

Athenian

in
imitating

were

in
sepulchre

with in the
the midst of

and
cryingand beatingtheir breasts,
the lugubrious
particular
pomp of interments.
from it,which were
drawn
onlytoo much

events.4
subsequent
in

was

stans and

every

omens

realized by
It

that the

train of women,

immense

Sinister

to be met

were

carried to the

and that they were

streets,

that it

to Sicily
unluckyexpedition
; that

dead Adonises

nothingbut images of
an

tellsus
Nicias,

an

oration

Constantius

rites celebrated

by

address delivered to the

or

that Julius Firmicius wrote

EmperorsConthe
concerning
of the

the heathens in commemoration

tion
resurrec-

of Adonis.
eloquencehe breaks away into
of the priest
who officiatedin those heathen
objurgation
indignant
In his tide of

which,he admitted,resembled
mysteries,
in honor

of the death

that there

was

and

no
really

sufficient proofhad been

Adonis,and
1

no

resurrection of Christ

difference between

givento

161.

Mysteries of Adoni, p. 23,

Man, p. 216.

Jesus,so closely

them, except that

no

the world of the resurrection of

divine oracle had borne witness

Belief,p.
Dupuis : Originof Religious

See also, Dunlap's

and SpiritHist, of

the Christian sacrament

a
*
4

to his

resurrection,

Calmet's Fragments, vol. ii.p. 21.

of Mythology, p. 86.
Murray : Manual
See Dupuis : Origin of ReligiousBeliefs,

p. 261.

RESUKRECTION

THE

had

nor

dwine

had

borne

than
at
"

CHRIST

of the fact that

assurance

be
oracle,

to
testimony

it

to

the
from

Pagans worshiped
books
Porphyry's

celebrated ecclesiasticalhistorian,
has also

from
quote this claimed testimony
of the most

furnishing

as

theymightbelieve.

Julius Firmicius says

Christ Jesus' resurrection,
other
was
none

Delphos,which this writer derived

On the Philosophy
of Oracles"1
the
Eusebius,

were

observed,which

whom
of the god Apollo,

tJie answer

219

JESUS.

himself alive after his death to those who

he shown

concerned to have
The

OF

one

descended
con-

Pagan oracle,

duced
convincing
proofsthat could be ad-

in favor of the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

"But
oracular

thou

least

at

(says he

who
deitiesthemselves,

the

to

have

borne

Pagans),listen to

(JesusChrist)not imposture,but pietyand wisdom,

This

was

and
vastly
obliging

thine

witness,and ascribed
and

liberalof the

gods,totliy

own

to our

Saviour

into heaven."

ascent

god Apollo,
but,it

of
happensawkwardly enough, that the whole work (consisting
in which this and other admisseveral books)
ascribed to Porphyry,
sions
honorable to the evidences of the Christian religion
are
equally
not
written
b
ut
is
the
was
made,
by Porphyry,
altogether pious
fraud of Christian hands,who
have kindlyfathered the great
with admissions,
never
which,as he would certainly
philosopher
have
have made himself,
made for him.a
they
very charitably
The

festivalin honor of the resurrection of Adonis

observed

was

in the time
Egypt the cradle of Christianity
of St. Cyril,
the
Bishopof Alexandria (a.d. 412),and at Antioch
of the Greek Kingsof Syria even
ancient capital
late as the
as
time of the Emperor Julian (a.d. 361-363),
whose arrival there,
of the festival,
taken as an illomen.*
was
duringthe solemnity
It is most
curious that the arrival of the Emperor Julian at
in Alexandria

in

"

"

"

"

Antioch

"

where

the followers of Christ

called Christians

"

"Why should

at that

it have been

apostatefrom

the
The

time,should
so

Christian

He

was

were
Jesus,it is said,

be considered
not

and
religion,

ill omen,

an

but a
Christian,
a

zealous

first

known

patron of

evidence

is very conclusive ; the celebrationin

Paganism,
honor of the resurrection ofAdonis had become to be known as a
which has not been abolished even unto this day.
Christian festival,
The ceremonies held in Roman
Catholic countries on Good Friday
and on Easter Sunday,are nothingmore
than the festivalof the
death and resurrection of Adonis,as we shall presently
see.
1

See

a See
Dupuis : Origin of Religious Beliefs,
Taylor's Diegesis,p. 164.
164.,
Taylor's Diegesis,
speak of Christian forgeriesanon.
p.

We

p. 347, and

See Bell's

Pantheon, vol.

i. p. 2.

shall

220

MYTHS.

BIBLE

the year a. d. 386, the resurrection of Adonis

St. Jerome says :
celebrated in Judea.

Even
was
'

"

late

as

as

the grove of Tammuz,

that is,
(inthe year 386 after Christ)
castingits shadow ! And in the grottowhere formerlythe infant
(i.e., Christ Jesus)cried,the lover of Venus was being mourned."1

Bethlehem

Over

of Adonis,
Anointed

was

worship practiced
by the children ofIsrael
that of the worshipof Adonis.
of Tammuz, this god was
Under
the designation
worshiped,
at
in the Temple of the Lord which was
had his altar even

In the idolatrous
was

and

of

account

an

parts of the

were

worship; the 110th,in particular,

alliance between
the two gods,
friendly
his

service employed in
liturgical
is

of David

Several of the Psalms

Jerusalem.

Adonis, in which Jehovah adorns Adonis for his

for him
to fight
at his righthand, and promises
as sitting
priest,
and

Jehovah

againsthis

This

enemies.

god

nicia
Phoe-

worshipedat Byblisin

was

articlesof faith
ceremonies : the same
the same
precisely
his precious
death and burial,
and his
his mystical
incarnation,
with

as

to

and

resurrection
glorious

and
ascension,

in

even

the very same

now, with the

adoration and homage which are

religious
addressed
degreeof variation that could well be conceived,
slightest
of

words

to the Christ of the

prophetEzekiel,when

The

he had

scene

Gospel.

the
Temple court bewailing

"

I find

to
myselfobliged

"

Hebrew

refer Tammuz,

that class of idols which

to

well

as

"

Lexicon
as

the Greek

'

it

that the

seems

and
ingenious

to consider
obliged
the desire
(Christ
Jesus),

Parkhurst

and

Roman

cules,
Her-

originally
designedto represent Hie promised

were

His
(ChristJesus),the desire of all nations.
Our Lord,' a well-known
word
is almost the very Hebrew
Saviour

So

in the

death of Tammuz.3

says, in his

Dr. Parkhurst

the

more

of the Israelitishwomen

often witnessed

so

exile,
paintedonce

an

was

name,

Adonis,

titleof Christ."4

learned orthodox Dr.

most

Adonis

other

type of

"

the

promised

of all nations."

This is a very
when
favorite way for Christian divines to express themselves,
resemblance between
the Pagan,
by the striking
pushedthereto,
Saviour

and
crucified,
virgin-born,
If the reader
"

of what the

"

Quoted in Dnnlap's

vii. See

also, Knight

resurrected

godsand Christ Jesus.

is satisfiedthat all these things
are
typesor
"

real Saviour

Son

of the

Ancient

Art

Man,
and

was

p.

My-

thology,p. xxvii.
From the days of the prophet Daniel,down
"

the red cross

knightsgave no
in the streets
for
the
Christ)
(fighting
quarter
to the time when

to do and

bols
symis
he
welcome
suffer,

of Jerusalem, the Anointed

was
worshiped in
Babylon, Basan, Galilee and Palestine.1 ' (Son
of the Man, p. 38.)
8
Ezekiel,viii. 14.
4
Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 162,and
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 114.

food.

to such

with

but

have
it

ceased to suppress
for them
impossible

warf

to be

the work

of the

and others

Parkhurst

comes

who
priests,
and when
when possible,
information
to do so, theyclaimed these things

however,from

never

221

JESUS.

CHRIST

doctrine of Dr.

The

illgrace,

an

OF

RESURRECTION

THE

in
devil,

Catholic

Roman

imitation of their

the
predecessors,

Christian Fathers.
Julius Firmicius
does not

deny

has said

that Adonis

"

was

devil has his

The

Christs,"and

Tertullian and

one.

St. Justin

and
which exists between Christianity
explainall the conformity
tians
Paganism,by assertingthat a longtime before there were Chrisin existence,
to have their future
the devil had taken pleasure
and ceremonies copied
by his worshipers."1
mysteries
after being put to death,rose
the EgyptianSaviour,
Osiris,
from the dead,2and bore the titleof The Resurrected One"'
in the University
of
Prof. Mahaffy,
lecturer on ancient history
"

"

Dublin,observes
"

that :
incarnate

and

reign over an eternal kingdom, by an

was
a theological
conception which
mediatingdeityborn of a virgin,
of Egypt."4
the oldest religion
The

Resurrection

The
about

ancient
the time
and

in earlyspring,
Egyptianscelebrated annually,
known

in Christian countries

ascension of Osiris.

and

pervaded

death
tragical

During these

of the

"

Saviour

the
Easter,

as

rection
resur-

the misfortunes
mysteries

"

were

celebrated in

of drama,in which all the particulars

were
exhibited,
species
accompaniedwith loud lamentations and every mark of sorrow.
At this time his image was
carried in a procession,
covered
as
those in the temples with black veils. On the 25th of March
were
his resurrectionfrom the dead was celebrated with greatfestivity
and rejoicings.6
Alexander Murray says :
a

"

"

1 '

worshipof Osiris was universal throughoutEgypt, where he was gratefully

in givinghis lifefor others
regardedas the great exemplar of self-sacrifice
the manifestor of good,as the opener of truth,and as beingfull of goodness
The

"

"

as

and truth.

Afterbeingdead, he

Mons.
" '

The

Dupuissays
Fathers

frequentlyof
1

De

See Justin

these

Cum.

was

restored to life."*

this subject
:

on

of the Church, and

celebrated
feasts,

Typho, and

Tertullian:

Bap.
3

See

: Anacalypsis, vol.
Higgir.s

ii.p. 16,
Also, Prichard's Egyptian
Mythology, p. 66, and Bonwick's
Egyptian
Belief,p. 163.

and

vol. i. p. "19.

the writers

in honor

of the Christian sect, speak

died and arose from

of Osiris,who

3 gee Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief p. 166,and
Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, pp. 124,125.
*
Prolegomena to Ancient History,
6 See
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 102.
"
of Mythology, pp. 847,
Murray : Manual
,

348.

222

BIBLE

MYTHS.

of their Christ.
the dead, and they draw
a
parallelwith the adventurers
Felix, Lactantius,
Athanasius, Augustin, Theophilus,Athenagoras, Minucius
all
Firmicius, as also the ancient authors who have spoken of Osiris
in
the
the
of
universal
of
the
val,
festithe
description
mourning
Egyptiansat
agree
when
the commemoration
of that death took place. They describe the ceremonies
...

which

the tears, which

were
practicedat his sepulchre,
the
and
festivitiesand
which
followed
days,
rejoicings,
were

during several
mourning, at

the moment

Mr. Bon wick

his resurrection

when

remarks,in his

"

was

there shed
after that

announced."1

EgyptianBelief,"that :

an

trusted
"It is astonishing
to find that,at least,five thousand
years ago, men
'
and confidently
Osiris as the Risen Saviour,*
hoped to rise,as he arose, from

the

grave."3

Again he
"Osiris

the populargod of Egypt.

unquestionably,
hearts of the people. He was
pre-eminently'good.* He
was,

dear to the
and

says

their friend.

death

His

He is killed. The
circumstantial
thousands

"

and ascended

Osiris,his tomb

was

illuminated,as

is the

tones
mourning song, whose plaintive
of Rome,
miserere
been compared to the
languageof triumph."3

The

"

speaksthus
Mysteries"
(inEgypt),in

of them

the sacred

arose

again,

the invictus

holy sepulchreof Jerusalem now.

noted by Herodotus, and has
was
followed, in three days, by the

been initiatedinto the

had

Herodotus,who

one.

of years.

were

'

'

in life

and

At the end of three days, or forty,he

he did not rest in his grave.
the storyof his humanity."
This
is
As
to heaven.

But

was

was

ascension,
his efforts to do good,

"

the

Osiris

birth,death,burial,resurrection

leadingpointsof Egyptian theology." In

with that,he is overcome.
evil. In struggling
he encounters
of the Osiris myth, is a
story,entered into in the account
His tomb was
the objectof pilgrimagefor
Osiris is buried.

embraced

Egyptianand

cian
Gre-

precinctof Minerva;

behind

the chapel
I consider it impious to
joiningthe wall, is the tomb of one whose name
divulgeon such an occasion;and in the inclosure stand largestone obelisks,and
and in
with a stone margin, formed in a circle,
there is a lake near, ornamented
is called the circular.
that in Delos, which
as
size,as appeared to me, much the same
of that person's
In this lake they perform by night the representation
adventures, which
they call mysteries. On these matters, however, though
accuratelyacquainted with the particularsof them, I must observe a discreet
silence; and respectingthe sacred rites of Ceres, which the Greeks call Thesmyphoria,althoughI am acquainted with them, I must observe silence except so
to speak of them."4
far as is lawful for me
"At

Sais

and

Horns, son
The
the

similar misfortunes.
Isis,experienced
virgin

features
principal
of
writings

of the
at his

of this sacred

the Christian Fathers.

which
grief

was

manifested at his

which
resurrection,

are

Dupuis

Bonwick's

romance

are

to be found

They giveus
and of
death,

similar to those

Origin of ReligiousBelief,p. 256.

Egyptian Belief,p. vi.
Ibid. pp. 150-155,178.

"
1
"

of the

in

description
the rejoicings
spokenof above.6
a

Herodotus, bk. ii.chs. 170,171.

See Dupuis : Origin of Religious
Belief,p.
263,and Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.102.
4

"

THE

RESURRECTION

OF

CHRIST

223

JESUS.

was
Atys,the PhrygianSaviour,
put to death,and rose again
the
dead.
Various
histories
were
from
given of him in various
but all accounts
terminated in the usual manner.
He was
places,
"
"
of the
Slain Ones
who rose
to life againon
one
the 25th of
Easter.1
or primitive
March,or the Hilaria
and mediator between God and
Mithras,the Persian Saviour,
believed by the inhabitants of Persia,
Asia Minor
and
man, was
Armenia, to have been put to death,and to have risen againfrom
the dead.
In their mysteries,
the bodyof a young man, apparently
which was feignedto be restored to life. By
dead,was exhibited,
his sufferings
he was believed to have worked their salvation,
and
this
account
he
called their Saviour." His priests
on
watched
was
his tomb to the midnight
of the veil of the 25th of March,with
loud cries,
and in darkness ; when
the lights
all at once
burst
"

"

"

forth from
"

all parts,
and the

Oh
Rejoice,

cried :
priest

sacred Initiated,
your
salvation."9
our

god is risen.

death,his pains,his sufferings,

His

have worked

Mons.
"

of
Dupuis,speaking

of Mithras.
in the religion
chiefly
of analogy with the death and resurrection

It is

features

of the Christians.
like Christ,died

he

as

Mithras, who

did; and

shed tears.

During
expresslyprepared for him;
to

came

the resurrection of this god,says

his

the

night,the

he

was

that

find

we

mostly these

of Christ,and with the teries

mysalso born on the 25th of December,

was

he had

sepulchre,over
carried
priests

laid out

on

which
his

his

image

disciples

tomb,
like the Phoenician
litter,
to a

Adonis.
"These

funeral

ceremonies, like those

on

Good

Friday (inRoman

Catholic

were
accompanied with funeral dirgesand groans of the priests;after
churches),
time with these expressions
of feignedgrief;after having
having spent some
sacred
their
and anointed the image with
the
or
candle,
paschal
lighted
flambeau,
of
forward
and
chrism or perfumes,one
them came
pronounced with the gravest
Be of good cheer,sacred band of Initiates,
mien these words:
your god has risen
"3
his
shall
salvation.*
His
be
the
dead.
and
pains
sufferings
from
your
'

King's Gnostics and their Remains

of a bronze medal,or
the representation
"

In
seen

"

(Plate
XI.),may be
rather disk,engraved

See Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief, p. 169.
Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 104. Dupuis :

body have separated, the souls, in the third

soon
as
the shiningsun
as
night after death

Origin of Religious Belief,p. 255. Dunlap's

Mysteries of Adoni, p. 110,and Knight : Anct.
Art and Mythology, p. 86.
3
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 99. Mithin the grave a periodof three days,
ras remained

ascends"

did Christ

as
'*

The

Persians

remained

Jesus, and
believed

the

yet three days in the world

separation from the body."

teries of Adoni, p. 63.)
"

other

In the Zoroastrian

Christs.

that the soul of

(Dunlap

after
religion,

man

after its
:

Mys-

"

over

the Mount

Berezaiti upon

the

bridgeTshinavat which leads to Garonmana,

the dwelling of the good gods."
(Dunlap's
SpiritHist.,p. 216,and Mysteriesof Adoni, 60.)
The Ghost of Polydore says :
"
Being raised up this third day" light,
Having deserted my body 1"
(Euripides,
Hecuba, 31,32.)
"

Dupuis : Originof ReligiousBeliefs,

pp

246,247.
soul and

come

224

BIBLE

in the coarsest

standingin
by
Saviour
'

"

the

female

seen

figure,

ortvs
inscription

sal

"

The

"

vat,

the

Rising of

i. e., of Mithras.1

"

"

This medal

curious

is to be

of which is exthe object

pressed
adoration,

the attitude of

individual

some

to

"

which

on

manner,

MYTHS.

(saysMr. King),

"

accompanied the interment of

the most
mysteries;and is certainly

doubtless had

initiated into the Mithraic

relic of that faith that has

son
Bacchus,the Saviour,
death,also arose from the

of the ceremonies

under

come

of the

virginSemele,after beingput

dead.

of this event

notice."3

my

During

the dead

the

body of

commemoration
a

man

young

was

in the same
exhibited with great lamentations,
manner
as the cases
his resurrection
cited above,and at dawn
the 25th of March
on

from

the dead

After having
greatrejoicings.3
the misfortunes of mankind, he,after his resurrection,
celebrated with

was

broughtsolace to
ascended

into heaven.*

the
Hercules,the Saviour,
to

put

death,but

heaven in

from

arose

son

of Zeus

the funeral

'mid peals
of thunder.
cloud,
to his memory
an
by erecting
gratitude
whence

by

mortal

mother,was

ascended

and
pile,

into

His followers manifested

altar

the

on

spot from

he ascended.6

Memnon

death,but risesagainto life and immortality.

is put to

Eos weeps tears at the death of her son

as Mary does
for Christ Jesus
but her prayers avail to bringhim back,like
Adonis or Tammuz, and Jesus,
to dwell
from the shadowyregion,
His mother

"

"

always in Olympus.8
The

ancient Greeks
celebrated

their most

Amphiaraus one of
demi-gods rose from the dead.

also believed that

prophetsand

"

"

They even pointedto the placeof his resurrection.7

but
isput to death,
Baldur, the Scandinavian Lord and Saviour,
does not rest in his grave.

too rises againto

life and

tality.8
immor-

god,descended into
:
hell,Hela (Death)said to Hermod
(who mourned for Baldur)
in the world,both living
If all things
and lifeless,
weep for him,
then shall he return to the ^Esir (thegods)."Upon hearingthis,
dispatched
throughoutthe world to beg everymessengers were
When

"

Baldur

the

He

Good," the

beneficent

"

King's Gnostics and their Remains, p. 225.

Ibid. p. 226.
See Higgins:

Anacalypsis, vol. ii.p. 102.

Origin of Religious Belief,pp. 256,
257, and Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p. 169.
4 See
Dupuis: Origin of Religious Belief,p.
135,and Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. i. 322.
8

Dupuis

Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 294. See also,

Hebrew
Mythology, p. 127. HigChamgms : Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 322, and
bers's Encyclo., art. "Hercules."
"
Aryan Mytho., vol. ii.p. 90.
7 See Bell's
Pantheon, vol. i. p. 56.
" Aryan Mytho., vol. ii.
p. 94.
6

Goldzhier's

226

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in which

the identical manner

in almost

Saviour

the resurrection of their

of the Christians is said to

the

centuries
Saviours,

brated
Paganscele-

before the God

Catholic

In Eoman

have been born.

is laid on
young man
in his side is to be
and placedbefore the altar; the wound
a bier,
and the verse,
seen, and his death is bewailed in mournful dirges,
the body of
countries,

Catholic

in
churches,

in the

is discontinued
Gloria Pat/ri,
churches
attendants
windows
the

"

and
black,

imagesin the
and
the priest

robed in black ; nearlyall lights

are
put out,and the
"
This is the
darkened.
Agonie,"the " Miserere,"

are
are

"

Good

is

Easter

Easter

The

is manifest.

has
Sunday'all the drapery
in place
of
and rejoicing,
illuminated,

On

Friday mass.
disappeared
; the church
sorrow,

All the

mass.

covered with

the altar are

and

of
hymns partake

the

following

/ expression
:
"Rejoice,Oh

is risen.

His death,his pains,his sufferings,

salvation.**

our

the 25th

of
speaking
writer),
(acelebrated Byzantine

Cedrenus
of

Initiated,
your God

sacred

have worked

March,says :
The

"

firstday of the firstmonth, is the firstof the

to the 25th of March

On

day

that

Gabriel saluted

month

of the Romans, and the Phamenot

Mary,

in order

Nisan

; it

of the

Egyptians.

her conceive

to make

sponds
corre-

the Saviour.

month, Phamenot, that Osiris gave fecundityto Isis,

the
to
day, our God Saviour
according
Egyptian theology. On the very same
termination
his
of
from the dead ; that is,
(ChristJesus),afterthe
career, arose
the passage of the Lord.
It is also
what our forefathers called the Pass-over,
or
have fixed his return, or hb
the same
on
day, that our ancient theologians

I observe

that it is the

same

'

second

advent."2

the resurrection
have 6een, then,that a festival celebrating
held among the Pagans,
before
of their several godswas annually
We

the time of Christ

Jesus,and

that it was

That

almost universal.

is very certain. The adventures

periodof great antiquity
of these incarnate gods,
exposedin their infancy,
put to death,
and rising
acted
were
againfrom the grave to life and immortality,
the Deisuls and in the sacred theatres of the ancient Pagans,'
on
justas the Passion Play is acted to-day.

it dates to

"

"

Eusebius

from
and

Even

the

relates a tale to the effect that,

at
of

name

the heathen

"

Easter

"

is derived

goddess,Ostrt,of the Saxons,

the Eostrt of the Germans.

"Many
nected
The

of the

with Easter

conpopular observances
clearlyof Pagan origin.

are

to have
goddess Ostara or Eastre seems
the personification
of the
morning or
East, and also of the opening year or Spring.
With her usual policy,the church en-

been

deavored

to

give

such

of the rites

and

in

this

case

tically easy."
"
Easter.")
9

Quoted

in

time,the

one

as

Chris-

Christian

significanceto

could

be rooted

the

not

conversion

(Chambers's
Dupuis

out ;

was

pracEncyclo., art.

Origin of Religious

Belief,p. 344.
"

See

Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. 1L p. 840.

THE

tians were

RESURRECTION

OF

about to celebrate

to their dismay,
theyfound

of

who
Jerusalem,

as

had

was

chargeof the

"

CHRIST

the solemn

of Easter,"
when,
vigils
wanted. Narcissus,
Bishop

that oil was

the

among

227

JESUS.

number, " commanded

that such

to bring
unto
lights,
speedily

him water,drawn
"
ful
Narcissus,
by the wonder-

up out of the next well." This water

and
power of God," changed into oil,

the celebration

was

continued.1
This

tellsthe whole

story. Here we see the oil which the

and with which the priests
anointed
Paganshad in their ceremonies,
the

"

which
were
lipsof the Initiates and the lights,
suddenly
when
the
from
the
t
o
have
risen
dead.
was
lighted
god
feigned
With her usual policy,
the Christian Church endeavored to give
to the rites borrowed from Paganism,
and
a Christian significance
in this case, as in man}7 others,
the conversion was
particularly
"

easy.
In the earliesttimes,
the Christians did not
of their Lord
Passover

their chief

from

the grave.

matter

in what

to
according
daymightfall. Believing,

regardedsuch
not

as

memorial

and

more

as
solemnity

more

paganism,this way

the

that Jesus
tradition,

commemoration

of the Resurrection.

But in

the matter

became

tradition gainedcurrency among the Roman

effect that Jesus before his death had not eaten

new

had died

the very
for the Paschal Lamb.
on

day of

the

on

Supperand

as
proportion

Judaism

at
looking

the

disciples,
they

of the

itselffrom
separated

of

day as

part of the week that

the Passover with his

of his death had eaten

eve

rection
resur-

the Jewish

They made
it on the same
festival,
celebrating

Jews, the 14th of Nisan, no

the

celebrate the

and

tianity
Chris-

imbibed

less easy.

Christians to the
the

Passover,but

thus substituting
himself
Passover,

The great Christian festivalwas then made

celebrated on the firstpagan
the Resurrection of Jesus,and was
holiday Sun-day after the Passover.
"

"

This Easter celebration

"Festival

of Gratitude

the then known

The

ancient

to Tien."4

This festivalbeganwith

there it extended

of

over

Europe celebrated annually

all the Christian world.

over

goddessOstrt

or

fortydays. This was in honor

Eostre of the Germans,whence our
of

Easter?
EcgI.

in all kinds of sports,

indulgence
takinga farewellto animal food,

the
or
carne-vale,
it was
followed by a fast

called

week's

called the

of the Saxon

China, and

West.

world to the extreme

Pagan inhabitants

in

From

feast,which is yet continued

this same

because

observed

was

Hist.,lib. 6, c. viii.

ii.59.
Anacalypsis,

228

MYTHS

BIBLE

The

and
characteristicEaster rite,

most

is the
diffused,

use

various colors with

They

of Easter eggs.

dye-woodsor

"3

"

eggs ;
the custom

usuallystained of

peoplemutuallymake
keptas amulets,sometimes
in Egypt;"1
Easter offerings

Persians, when theykept the festivalof the solar

each other with colored
presented
(inMarch), mutually
the Jews used eggs in the feast of the Passover ;" and
"

the ancient
year

are

widely

most

one

herbs,and

presentsof them ; sometimes they are

eaten.
Now, " dyed eggs were sacred
new

the

countries.8

in Western
prevailed

storiesof the resurrection written by the Gospelnarrators

different. This is owing to the fact that the story,as
altogether

The
are

related

by

was

one,

to reconcile with

Matthew

"

the
instance,

written to correct the mistakes and to endeavor

the absurditiesof the other. For
sense
common
"

narrator

And

"

when

theysaw
; but

him
dead)theyworshiped

had risen from the

(afterhe

says

him
some

doubted"*

narrator

makes

case

render

to

as

obstinate

They

"

"

no

be fatal.

the "Mark
Therefore,

doubt.

"

under such circumstances

Jesus appear three times,
and to silence the most
mistake next to impossible,
is first made

skepticism.He

who
told the

be

there must

In such

this writer leaves it would

where
question

To leave the

that it was

convinced

was

that
disciples

he had

to

appear

to

she went

Jesus,because

and
risen,

dalene,
Mary Mag-

that she had

seen

and
him.

them of his resurthat Jesus had foretold

rection*
notwithstanding
could theybe convinced until he appeared
nor
disbelieved,

who were
also
They in turn told it to the other disciples,
skeptical
; and,that they might be convinced,Jesus also appeared
them for their
he upbraided
to them as they sat at meat, when

to them.

unbelief.
"
rator,
narThis storyis much improvedin the hands of the " Mark
is
but,in the anxietyto make a clear case, it overdone,as

objectis to remedy or correct an oversight

that the disciples
doubted
In relating
made.
or mistake previously
Jesus had
he had probably
the words of Mary Magdalene,
forgotten
for,if he had told them this,
promisedthem that he should rise,
happenswhen

often

why

did

theydoubt

Neither the
way

Jesus made

in the

"

"

See Bonwick's
See Chambers's

"

Ibid.

Matthew

"

the

nor

his appearance

spirit.If

"

the

"

Mark

"

whether

it would
latter,

in the

Egyptian Belief,p. 24.

Encyclo.,art. Easter."
"

4
"

"

it was

narrator

in the

says in what

body or only

be fatal to the whole

theory

Matthew, xxviii. 17.

See xii.40 ; xvi. 21 ;

John, ii.19.

Mark, ix. 31 ; xiv. 28

"

RESURRECTION

THE

taught justlike
"

the
neighbors

their

229

JESUS.

CHRIST

material resurrection that

as it is a
resurrection,

of the

OF

Persians

"

and

Christianity
not a spiritual.1

in its true light,

and
question
put this disputed

To

to silence

which
have arisen against
must
it,was
naturally
objections
Luke
He says that
which the
narrator had in view.
the object
when Jesus appearedand spoketo the disciples
theywere afraid :
terrified and affrighted,
But theywere
and supposed
theyhad
not a spirit
Jesus then
to show that he was
seen
a spirit."*
And theygave him a
showed the wounds in his hands and feet.
and of a honeycomb. And he took it,and
pieceof a broiled fish,
who is there that can doubt ?
did eat beforethem."2 After this,
thew
but,if the fishand honeycombstorywas true,why did the Matthe

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

and

The

"

"

"

Mark
"

Luke

right.He

narrator

he onlyexcited
the skeptical,
convincing
now

and

comes,

endeavors to set matters

does not omit

that would
He

"

John

"

it ?

had also overdone

narrator,like his predecessors,

the matter,and instead of

their ridicule.
The

fail to mention

narrators

the storyof
entirely
do, afterthere had been so

not

might leave

"

it to be inferred that the

Jesus

eatingfish,/!?/*
said about it

much
"

Luke

made

narrator

mistake,so he modifies the storyand omits the ridiculous part.

The

is laid on

scene

direction of
said unto
ask

Jesus,Peter

them

him, Who

taketh

It does not
that

and dine.

took

theywere

that which
narrator

was

appear from this account that Jesus ate the fish at

the fish and gave to the disciples
/ the inference is
"
the ones
that ate. In the
Luke " narrator's account,

he ate.

is reversed / the
The

was

careless in
"

"

And

let not any

fleshis
Consider,in what

not

one

ye saved

were

were

must, therefore,keep

our

in the

For in like

manner

? in what did ye
in this flesh ? We

flesh
as

flesh,ye shall also come

the flesh. Our one Lord Jesus

as

ye

the
were

us

account

of what took

temple
called

to judgment in
Christ,who has

"

place.If

partthat

the

lates
re-

fails to prove what it really

saved us, being first a spirit,

was
and

story

to infer that the "Luke

narrator's account

you say, that

among

has taken out of the

'''

honeycomb,he

the fish to

disciples
gave

narrator

the
stating

judged, neither raised up.

look up, if not whilst ye

of God.

"

John

Luke

to the fish and

this very

"

absurd,but he leaves

leave out of the

we

Jesus

durst
disciples

of the

none

"

knowingthat itwas the Lord. Jesus then

bread,and giveth
them,and^sA likewise."*

the statement
and
Jesus,

And

fish.

land,full of

to

art thou %

cometh,and
all. He

Come

his net

drew

the

Under

the shores of the Sea of Tiberias.

called

so

us

even

so

we

made

flesh,

also in this flesh,

shall receive the reward

(ofheaven). (II.Cor-

inthians,ch. iv. Apoc.

See also the Christian

Creed

"I

believe in the

body.'''')
9
Luke, xxiv. 37.
"
Luke, xxiv. 42,43.

resurrection of the

John, xxi. 13,IS.

230

BIBLE

MYTHS.

which

from this that the

to the disciples,
as it seems
appeared
could not be convinced that Jesus was not a spirit
until he
disciples
had actually
eaten something.
"
rator
narNow, if the eating
partis struck out which the John
was

"

"

does,and which,no doubt,the ridicule cast upon itdrove him

to do

the "Luke"

"

found

it. It

to leave it

Jesus
"

and
clean,

put

when

And

Thomas

"

John

"

narrator

when theyassembled
disciples

he had

to

he

attempt

end to all cavil.

an

appearedto the

and his side."1

But

the business of the

was

just where
question

leaves the

narrator

he shewed unto
said,
and no doubts
satisfied,

them

so

They were

lem.
at Jerusa-

were

his hands

expressed.

he

told by the brethren

was
present,and when
that Jesus had appearedto them, he refused to believe ; nor
not

was

he," ExceptI

would

shall

in his hands the

see

printof

the

nails,

and

into the printof the nails,

and thrust my hand
put my finger
I will not believe."3 Now, if Thomas
into his side,
could be convinced,
with allhis doubts,it would be foolish after that to deny
that Jesus

in the

to his disciples.
bodywhen he appeared
After eight
daysJesus againappears, for no other purpose as
it would seem
Thomas.
but to convince the doubtingdisciple
Then
said he to Thomas :
Reach
hither thyfinger,
and behold
my hands ; and reach hither thyhand, and thrust it into my side ;
and be not faithless,
This convinced Thomas, and
but believing."'
he exclaimed :
if
My Lord and my God." After this evidence,
there were
stillunbelievers,
than
even
more
theywere
skeptical
Thomas
himself. We
should be at a loss to understand why the
three Gospelsentirely
writers of the first
omitted the story of
was

not

"

"

"

"

Thomas, if

we

not

were

the state of the

wrote

mind
public

character was
unquestionable
in the body. The
John
"

"

he

the
him, it oughtto satisfy
The
"

firstthat
is from

evidence
rife in his
from

1
a
"

"

was

demanded

"

narrator

proofof

the most

"

the

such that

John

that Christ Jesus had risen

selected a person who claimed

hard to convince,
and if the evidence was such as to satisfy

was

John

that when

aware

we

the

narrator

balance of the world.4

knew

of the fourth

of
writings

Irenceus

is that he is the author

the
dayconcerning

other

sources.

We

John, xx. 20.

John, xx. 25.
John, xx. 27.
See, for a further account of the

of it.*

Gospel attributed to
and the
(a.d. 177-202),
That controversies

resurrection of

find that

"

is very
Jesus,

were

evident

at this time the resurrection of

tlon,Reber's Christ of Paul ; Scott's English

Life of Jesus ; and Greg's Creed of Christen.
dom.
resurrec-

"

See the Chapterxxxviii.

EESUREECTION

THE

OF

CHRIST

231

JESUS.

to the accounts of the Christian forgers)

was
(according
an
uncommon
event; that the
very far from being esteemed
miracle was
performedon necessary occasions by great
frequently
of the church of the place,
and the joint
and
supplication
fasting
that the persons thus restored by their prayers had lived afterwards
when
them many years. At such a period,
faith could
among

the dead

boast of

so

to account

victories over death,

it seems
difficult
many wonderful
of those philosophers,
who stillrefor the skepticism
jected

and derided the doctrine of the resurrection.

noble Grecian

importantgroundthe whole controversy,

bishopof Antioch,that ifhe could be
promisedTheophilus,
had

and

rested

this

on

been

sightofa single
person who had
raised from the dead,he would immediately
embrace
religion.
gratified
by

the

It is somewhat

"

whom

from
remarkable,"
says Gibbon,the historian,

take the

we

Church,however

actually

the Christian

of the firstEastern
above, " that the prelate

anxious for the conversion of his

friend,
thought

proper to decline thisfair and reasonable challenge."1

had invented many
This Christian saint,Irenseus,
storiesof
others

beingraised from the dead,for the purpose of attempting

the belief in the resurrection of Jesus. In the words
strengthen

to

of the Rev. Jeremiah

Jones

Christians

"

Such pious frauds were

very common
among
three centuries ; and a forgeryof this nature,with
natural and probable."
seems

the view

even

in the first

above-mentioned,

"piousfrauds" is the
GospelofNicodemus
the Disciple,
the Sufferings
and Resurrection ofour
concerning
Master
Jesus Christ."
and Saviour
Although attributed to
of Jesus,
it has been shown to be a forgery,
Nicodemus,a disciple
written towards the close of the second century duringthe time
the well-known piousforger.In this book we find the
of IrencBus,
:
following
One

of these

"

"

"

And

Simeon

hear

now

had

funeral.

me

little.We

took Jesus when

who
priest,

an

the
arms

blessed Simeon, the

in the

temple.

This

highsame

of his own, and we were

all present at their death and
therefore
and
their
for
these are open, and theyare risen ;
Go
see
tombs,
two

sons

and behold, they are in the

offices of devotion."9

city of Arimathaea,spendingtheir

The

purpose of this
the
believer,"
observing

wishingto
1

all know

infant into his

make

story is very

appealsfor proofof

it appear

Gibbon's Borne,vol. i.p. 541.

evident.

time

Some
the

togetherin

"zealous

resurrection,

that resurrections from the dead

*

Nicodemus,Apoc. cb,

xii.

were

232

second
We

shall

the

of

is

the

this
We

whom

said

the

in

dead,
stated,

even

the

by

of

which

Jesus

much

less

early

Christian

seen

is

epistles

that

and

the
seen

was

remarked,
the

four

tion
founda-

spurious

hardly

John,

have

to

of

cause

lately

the
is

James,

Peter,

evangelists

none

of

miracles

recorded

of

has

Christianity

outside

the

for

frauds

day.

present

College

but

from

epistles

the

of

the

of

subject

deceiving

the

Bates

doctrine

all

the

on

and
to

of

the

of

fully

even

close

Nicodemus.

lying

system"1

greatest

are

from

is

entire

have

on

Cheney

resurrection

of

the

"

the

towards

story

upon

more

carried

President

The

it

anon,

Christians,

which

As

"

speak,

early

Christ"

fathered

and

century,

this

invented

occurrences,

common

"

MYTHS.

BIBLE

pels
gos-

mentioned.
Jude

and

all

of

"

Jesus
fact

after
of

the

the

by

he

rose

tion
resurrec-

writer

after

resurrection."8

his

of

Many
Christ

the

he

that

taught

but

Jesus,

denied

sects

will

rise,

the
when

resurrection
there

shall

of
be

resurrection.

general
No

actual
has

Saviour

yet

The
found

is

of

representation
found

been

earliest

ar

the

resurrection
the

among

and

carving,

ivory

this

belongs

the
of

monuments

of

representation

of

the

early

tianity.
Chris-

that

has

been

fifth

or

sixth

event
to

Christian's

century.*

BaccalaurreM

Greg

Sermon,
The

Owed

of

Jane

26th,

Christendom,

'

1881.
p.

284.

toI.

See

Jameson's

ii., end

Lundy's

Hist,

of

Monumental

Our

Lord

in

Art,

Christianity.

234

BIBLE

and
fidence,

"Behold,
see

be ashamed

not

we

have

may

con*

further says :

shall be, but

shall

he shallappear,
before him."1

"
so that, when
(Christ),

in him"
He

MYTHS.

him

now

are

we

know

we

the

of

sons

and it doth not yet appear what we

shall be like him, for we
we

God,

he shall appear,

that,when

he is."9

as

the

Accordingto

writer of the book

of

"

The

Acts,"when

stood looking
heaven,the Apostles
up towards
two
had gone, and while thus engaged
:
behold,
in white apparel,"
who said unto them :
(dressed)

Jesus ascended into

"

heaven,where he
stood by them
men
"

of Galilee,why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This

men
in like manner
is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come
him go (up)into heaven."3
Ye

same

Jesus

as

ye have

which
seen

tions
which the writer of the book of Revelagreat object
"
the second comingof Christ"
wished to presentto view,was
who seems
to have been anxious for that time,which
This writer,
The

"

was
"

one

"

surely

Even

to

two

Gospel)had
Son

"The

ends

his book

:
by saying

of

man

who
had told the
apparel,
not the onlypercome
were
again,"
sons
He himself (according
for authority.

in

dressed

men,

Apostlesthat Jesus should

whom
theylooked to
to the

"

quickly
;

Lord Jesus."4

so, come

The

"

come

told them
shall

white

"

so

(again)in

come

the

gloryof

his Father

with his

angels."

And,

as

if to

should not be at

impressupon their minds that

a distant day,he further said :

his second

standinghere,which
say unto you, there be some
Son
in
t7ie
till
man
see
coming his kingdom"6
death,
of
they

VerilyI

"

is very explicit,
but
This,surely,

speaksof his second advent.

his disciples
of the temple,
came
"

Tell

His

us

shall these

when

unto

thingsbe, and

to this is very

answer

When

it is not

coming

shall not taste of

the

only time he
the destruction
foretelling
:
him, saying
what

shaU

be the

ing*"'
signof thycom-

:
plain

shaU not pass tillall these things

be
"Verily I say unto you, this generation
and
second
of
his
of
destruction
the
but
that
the
coming),
temple
fulfilled
(i.e.t
no
man,
no, not the angelsof heaven, but my Father
day and hour knoweth
only.'"1
1

1. John, ii.28.

tic. (See Ibid. p.

' I.
John, v. 2.
"

This

231.)

Acts,i. 10 11.

is not
epistle

anthen-

Rev. xxii. 20.

"

Matt. xvi. 27, 28.

Ibid. xxiv. 3.

"
1

1bid. xxiv. 34-38.

COMING

SECOND

THE

OF

CHRIST

235

JESUS.

attributed to Peter,
which was
written
Epistle
had passed
there had begunto be some
after that generation
away,1
manifest among the believers,
of the long
account
on
impatience
In the second

Christ Jesus' second

delayof

"

coming.

"

Where

"

is the

promiseof
fathers fell asleep
all things

coming? say they, for since the

of the creation."2 In
from the beginning
continue as theywere
to smoothe over
matters,this writer says : There shall
attempting
Where
is the promiseof
in the last daysscoffers,
:
come
saying
them that theywere
his coming?
to which he replies
by telling
One day is with
of allthe ways of the Lord,and that :
ignorant
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day."
He further says : " The Lord isnot slack concerning
his promise
;"
This coming is to be
the dayof the Lord will come"
and that
that is,
when theyleast expectit.8
as a thief in the night,"
his

"

' "

' '

"

"

No

wonder

there should have been scoffers

which
generation
his coming,
had passedaway
them

the

"

not

was

to have

; allthose who

dead many years ; the sun

had not
stillin the heavens,
and the
were

light.None

as

"

this writer calls

passedaway

stood there had been

yet been darkened

moon

before

; the stars

stillcontinued

to

reflect

of the

had yet been fulfilled.

predictions
Some of the early
Christian Fathers have tried to account for
the words of Jesus, where he says :
YerilyI say unto you, there
here which shall not taste of death,
be some
tilltheysee
standing
the Son of man
that he referred
comingin his kingdom,"
by saying
to John
only,and that that Apostlewas not dead,but sleeping.
This fictitiousstoryis related by Saint Augustin,from the report,"
of credible persons,"
and is to the effectthat :
as he says,
"

"

"

"

At

Ephesus, where

St. John the Apostlelayburied,he

was

not

believed to

be dead, but to be sleeping

only in the grave, which he had providedfor himself
tillour Saviour's second coming: in proof of which, they affirm,that the earth,
under

which

he

to the motion

This

lay,was seen
body, in

of his

to heave

up

the act of

and down

in conformity
perpetually,

breathing."4

illustratesthe stupid
and superstition
storyclearly
credulity

of the

and the faculty

of imposing
primitive
age of the church,
any
fictions upon the people,
which their leaders saw fitto inculcate.
The doctrine of the millennium
in
a certain period
designates
the history
of the world,lasting
for a long,
indefinite space (vaguely
thousand
millennium
a
which
years, as the word
implies)
during
Christ
the kingdomof
Jesus will be visibly
established on the earth.
The idea undoubtedly
in the Messianic exoriginated
proximately
"

"

Towards

(SeeBible

of

the close of the second

To-Day.)

century.

"

11. Peter,iii.4.

See Middleton's

" U.
Peter, iii.8-10.
Works, vol. i. p. 188.

236

BIBLE

of the
pectation

MYTHS.

Jews

(asJesus did not siton the throne of David

and become an earthly
it must be that he is comingagainfor
ruler,
this purpose),
but more
remotelyin the Pagan doctrine of the final

triumphof

the several

"

Christs "

their adversaries.

over

In the firstcenturyof the

pered
Church,millenarianism was a whisand more
to which the book of Daniel,
the
belief,
particularly
of the Apocalypse1
but,
authority,
predictions
gave an apostolical
when

the church

Paganism,their belief on this subject

lent it a more
vivid coloring
and imagery.
The unanimity
Christian teachers exhibit in
which the early
it had laid hold of
regardto millenarianism,
proves how strongly
the imagination
tality
immorof the Church,to which,in this early
stage,
to a greatextent things
and future rewards were
of thisworld
yet. Not

as

such

imbibed

but
only did Cerinthus,

the orthodox doctors

even

"

Justin Martyrand
Irenseus,
Papias(Bishopof Hierapolis),
others delighted
and magnifithemselves with dreams of the glory
cence
of the millennial kingdom. Papias,in his collection of
in the most
traditionalsayings
of Christ Jesus,
monstrous
indulges
as
"

of the re-building
of Jerusalem,
and
representations

the

vines and grapes of the millennial reign.

the millennium
Accordingto the generalopinion,
after which
by greatcalamities,
preceded

the

colossal
to be

was

Messiah,Christ Jesus,

would appear, and would bind Satan for a thousand years, annihilate
the godless
overturn
heathen,or make them slaves of the believers,
the Roman

empire,from the ruins of which a new order of things

in which
would springforth,
the dead in Christ would rise,
and
in
alongwith the survivingsaints enjoyan incomparablefelicity
the cityof the "New
Jerusalem."
allnations would bend
Finally,
him onlyto be the Christ his
their knee to him, and acknowledge
would reign
This is the
Golden Age
of the
religion
supreme.
which all nations of antiquity
believed in and looked forward
future,
"

"

"

"

"

to.

We

will firstturn to

doos
India,and shall there find that the HinPreserver" Vishnu, who
believed their Saviour,"
or
peared
apin mortal form as Crishna,
is to come
againin the latter
days. Their sacred books declare that in the last days,when the
fixed stars have all apparently
returned to the pointwhence
in the month Scorpio,
of all things,
at the beginning
theystarted,
"

Vishnu

will appear among

a wingedwhite
riding

1
1

"

in the form of
mortals,
In

horse?

Chapters xx. and xxi. in particular.

The Christian Saviour,as well as the Hin-

doo

one

hand

Saviour,will appear

among

mortals

"

an

armed

rior,
war-

he will carry
"

in the form

in the latter
of

an

armed

days"
war-

COMING

SECOND

THE

scimitar,
"blazinglike
shall then dwell

OF

CHRIST

all the impurewho

comet,"to destroy

the face of the earth.

on

237

JESUS.

In the other hand

he

to signify
that the great circle of
ring,
large
shining
is completed,
and that the end has come.
At his
Yugas (ages)
the
will
and
be
t
he
earth
will tremble,
moon
darkened,
approach sun
the
and the stars fall
from
firmament.1
has repeatedly
The Buddhists believe that Buddha
assumed a

will carry

form to facilitatethe reunion of

human

so theybelieve that
soul,

universal

with his own

men

"

in the latter days he will

"

again.

come

Their sacred books

this coming,
and relate that his mission
predict
the world to Order and happiness.2
This is exactly

will be to restore

the Christian idea of the millennium.

"

The Chinese also believe that

a

millennium

earth.

upon

in the latterdays" there is to be

Their five sacred volumes

universal belief among

himself on earth,
and
millennium

that

Divine

"

Man

will establish

peace and happiness.3

there would
ancient Persians believed that in the last days,

The
be

them

It isthe

of the Future."

this "Golden Age

prophesies
concerning
"

full of

are

restore
everywhere

all mankind.

acceptedby

of Zoroaster
religion
who
Parsees of to-day,

when
earth,

on

the

The

would
are

be
the

have a traditionthat a holy

mightyPersians,
for a summons
in a region
called Kanguedez,
personage is waiting
sia,
from the Ized Serosch,
who in the last dayswill bringhim to Perthe
and spread
to restore the ancient dominion of that country,
of Zoroaster over the whole earth.4
religion
The Rev. JosephB. Gross,
in his Heathen
Religion,"6
ing
speakof the

remnants

once

"

of the belief of the ancient Persians in the

"

The

dead would

millennium,says

and he who
all things,
has made
the
cause
raised,6
again the remains of the departed.7 Then Ormuzd
shall clothe them
with flesh and blood, while they that live at the time of the
die
must
in order to likewise participate
in its advantage.
resurrection,
Before this momentous
takes place,three illustrious prophetsshall
event
their presence by the performanceof miracles.
appear, who will announce
During this periodof its existence,and tillits final removal, the earth will
be "alflicted
with pestilence,
tempests,
war, famine,and various other baneful
earth and the

sea

be

to return

"

"

calamities.*"6
*"""""'-

rior,
ridinga white horse."
In his
tion

"

horse
and

St. John

sees

this

and propheciesit in his "Revelavision,

thns
:

and

"

And

he

I saw, and behold

that sat

on

him

had

a
a

white
bow

given unto him : and he went

forth conquering,and to conquer." (Rev. vi. 2.)
1
Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. L p. 75. HM.
Hindostan, vol. ii.pp. 497-503. See also,Williams : Hinduism, p. 108.
8
Prog. Relig.Ideas, i. 247, and Bunsen's
a

crown

was

See

See

Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 209.

Ibid. p. 279.

stand
7

"

before
And

the

in it."

were
"

"

And

God."

48.

Trars."

"

sea

(Rev.

(Rev. xx.
gave
xx.

up

and

Nation

great,

12.)
the

dead which

13.)

ye shall hear of wars, and

Angel-Messiah,
p.

Angel-Messiah,
p.

The

287, and chap. xiii.this work.

6
Pp. 122, 123.
" " And
the dead, small
I saw

of
rumors
shall rise againstnation,
and

238

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"After
which
from

the resurrection,evecy
other.

apprised of

done, and the righteousand

have

he may
each

will be

one

Those

of the latter whose

the wicked

offenses have

the

good

will be

not

or

evil

separated

yet been expiated,

in the
days and three nights,2
stream
of
an
purifiedin the burning
presence
in the societyof the blessed,
liquidore.3 After this,they enjoy endless felicity
Even
and the pernicious
is
of
Ahriman
(the
devil),
empire
fairlyexterminated.4
will be under the necessity
this lyingspirit
to avail himself of this fiery
ordeal,
and made to rejoice
in its expurgatingand cleansingefficacy.Nay, hell itself is
clean in the flames of a universal
and washed
purged of its mephiticimpurities,
regeneration.5
The earth is now
the habitation of bliss,all nature
glows in light;and the
reign supremelythrough the illimitable
equitableand benignantlaws of Ormuzd
mankind
will recognizeeach other
universe.6
after
the
resurrection,
Finally,
and
will
and
cease;7
everythingin the paradisian
passions
again; wants, cares,
shall rebound
to the praiseof the benificent
and all-embracingempire of light,

will be

cast

into hell

during

assembled

of

the term

of three

world, in order to be

"

God."8

of Bacchus
disciples

The

hoped he would
universe,and
life of

assume

some

that he would

Esthonian

The

at

entered into his soul.

restore to

his

man

foreign
yoke,and

He

the

lived

invasion

iron of his

the ancient hero

told how

They
of the

primaryfelicity.9

the time of the German

from

bondage under

expectedLis second advent.

future day the government

slavery
Kalewipoeg

shadows, waitinguntil his countryis in its

the
when he will return to earth to avenge
extremityof distress,
sits in the realms

of

of the Esths,and elevate the poor crushed peopleinto a

injuries
mightypower.10
Celt has his Brian Boroihme,or Arthur,who will
The suffering
a Fenian
millennium,the second
inaugurate
Wales.
to regenerate
OlgerDansk waits tillthe time arrives when
he is to start from sleepto the assistance of the Dane againstthe
and restore the kingdom
The Messiah is to come
hated Prussian.

again,the

come

firstto

kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be

and earthquakes in divers
famines,pestilences,
places." (Matt. xxiv. 6, 7.)
1 "And
before him shall be gathered all nations

and

another,

as

shall separate them

shepherd divideth his

he
a

the

(again) from

Creed.)
s
Purgatory
enpposed by the

sheep

from

from

carnal

into heaven.
""And

he laid hold

on

the

dragon, that

old serpent, which is the Devil,and Satan, and

bound him a thousand years." (Rev. xx. 2.)
"

"

And

death

and

hell

were

cast into the

(Rev.
saw

"And

new

heaven

firstearth, and

and

new

the firstheaven

(Rev. xxi. 1.)

shall
; and
sorrow,

shall there be any

things are

14.)

xx.

God

their eyes
death, neither

more

wipe

away

there shall be

all
no

tears
.more

nor
crying, neither
pain : for the former

passed away." (Rev. xxi. 4.)

after these things I heard a great
voice of much
people in heaven, saying,'AJleluia;salvation,and glory, and honor, and
the Lord, our
God.'"
unto
(Rev.
power,
the Lord
God
xix. 1.)
"For
omnipotent
reigneth." (Rev. xix. 6.)
"
Dupuis : Orig.Relig. Belief,
10
Baring-Gould: Orig. Relig.Belief,Tol. l.
8

And

passed away."

were
7

day he
(Apostles'

"

earth ; for the

from

souls are
place in which
papists to be purged by fire
before they are received
impurities,
"

from

dead."

one

the goats. (Matt. xxv.

32, 33.)
2 " He
into hell,the third
descended
rose

lake of fire."

"

And

p. 407.

of the Jews.
He

dom.

COMING

SECOND

THE

who

it was

the

founded

239

JESUS.

CHRIST

the Messiah of mediseval Teuton-

was
Charlemagne

it the blaze of Christian

over

OF

greatGerman

and
truth,

and shed
empire,
in the Kyffsleeps

he

now

tillGerman
heresyhas reached itsclimax and
waiting
hauserberg,
to rush to earth once
Germany is wasted throughinternal conflicts,
more, and revive the greatempireand restore the Catholic faith.1
believed that in the

ancient Scandinavians

The

greatcalamities would befall mankind.

and the stars fall from

After

heaven.

The

"

latterdays"

earth would

tremble,
great serpent

which, the

of Odin would reign

religion
supreme.*
the Mexican Saviour,
of Quetzalcoatle,
The disciples
expected
this life,
he told the inhabitant
his second advent.
Before he departed
of Cholula that he would return againto govern them.'
cherished in their hearts,
This remarkable tradition was so deeply
of Mexico,"that the Mexicans
says Mr. Prescott in his Conquest
looked confidently
to the return of their benevolent deity."4
the
this believed by the subjects,
So implicitly
that when
was
hailed as the
the coast,theywere
on
joyfully
Spaniards
appeared
ported
returning
god and his companions.Montezuma's messengers rewho
to the Inca that "it was
was
Quetzalcoatle
coming,
him."
his
with
All
throughoutNew
bringing
temples(ships)
the reappearance of this Son of the Great
Spaintheyexpected
God
all things.6
into the world,who would renew
Acosta alludes to this,
in his Historyof the Indies,"
lows
folas
would

and
chained,

be

the

"

"

"

"

"

:
"

In the

beginningof

sea, in the which

a

the

was

the year 1518, they (theMexicans),discovered a fleetat

del Valle,Don Fernando Cortez,with his companions,

Marques

which

news

much

troubled

council,they all said,that without

was

had

who

come,

had

Montezuma, and
doubt,their great and

said that he

would

return

conferringwith
lord

ancient

his

coatle
Quetzal-

from the East,whither

he

gone."6
The

doctrine of the millennium

has
Jesus,

been

and the second advent of Christ

in the Christian church. The

one
important
animated by a contempt for their present
and by a justconfidence of immortality,
of which the
existence,
doubtful and imperfect
faith of modern
giveus any
ages cannot
In
n
otion.
the
the
influence
of truth
church,
adequate
primitive
was
which,however much
powerfully
strengthened
by an opinion,
it may deserve respectfor itsusefulness and antiquity,
has not been
a

very
ancient Christians were

Baring-Gould

Orig. Relig.Belief,vol. i.

p. 407.
3 See Mallet's Northern
"

Humboldt

Amer.

Antiquities.
Res.,vol. i. p. 91.

"

Prescott

Con.

of Mexico

vol. i.p. 60.

"

Fergusson : Tree and Serpent Worsiip,p.

37. Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 187,
"

Acosta

Hist.

vol. ii.p.
513.
Indies,

240

BIBLE

MYTHS.

It was
that
to experience.
believed,
universally
agreeable
the end of the world and the kingdomof heaven were
at hand.1 The
of this wonderful event had been predicted,
we
near
as
approach
have seen, by the Apostles
preservedby
; the tradition of it was
found

their earliestdisciples,
and those who
attributed to Jesus

believed that the discourses

uttered by him, were

to expect
really
obliged
the second and glorious
in the clouds,
coming of the Son of Man
that generation
which had beheld
was
totally
before
extinguished
his humble condition upon
earth,and which might still witness
were

"

"

the calamities of the Jews

of seventeen

under

Hadrian.

or
Yespasian

centuries has instructed

not

us

The

to press too

tion
revolu-

closely

of
the mysterious
language
this error

prophecyand revelation ; but as longas

it was
to subsist in the church,
permitted
productive

was

effectson the faith and practice

of Christians,
salutary
of that moment
when the globe
lived in the awful expectation

of the most
who

itselfand

all the various

of

races

mankind, should

of their divine judge.

appearance

This

tremble at the

was
expectation

nanced
counte-

by the twenty-fourth
chapterof St.
of Paul to the Thessalonians.
Matthew, and by the first epistle
Erasmus (oneof the most vigorous
promoters of the Reformation)
and metaphor
the difficulty
removes
by the help of allegory
; and
the learned Grotius (alearned theologian
of the 16th century)
ventures
as

"

have

we

seen

"

was
insinuate,
that,for wise purposes, the piousdeception

to

to
permitted

take place.

mately
populardoctrine of the millennium was inticonnected with the second comingof Christ Jesus. As the
works of the creation had been fixed in six days,their duration in
attributed to
the presentstate,
to a tradition which was
according
fixed to six thousand years? By the same
the prophet
was
Elijah,
it was
that this long periodof labor and contention,
inferred,
analogy
which had now
almost elapsed,
would be succeeded by a joyful
The ancient and

Sabbath of

thousand

phant
with the triumJesus,
escapeddeath,or who

years, and that Christ

band of the saintsand the electwho had
a

would reign
revived,
miraculously
upon earth until the
resurrection. So pleasing
for the lastand general
was
appointed

had been

hope to
1

have

Over
been

relative to

ture, and

the mind

all the

Higher Asia

diffused
a

of the

second

an

there

immemorial

tradition

grand convulsion

the final dissolution

the terrible agency

been
to have
by that

of fire,

of

as

to

seems

of

na-

of the earth

by

the firstis said

water.

It

was

taught by the Hindoos, the Egyptians, Plato,

Pytbagoras,Zoroaster,the Stoics,and others,

New

"

that the
believers,

time
this

the
Jerusalem,"

was
afterwards adopted by the Christians,
(II.Peter, iii.9. Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii.pp.
49"-500.)
2
And God made, in six days, the works of
the meaning of it is this ;
his hands,
that in six thousand years the Lord will bring
all things to an end."
(Barnabas. Apoc. c.
xiii.)

and

"

242

BIBLE

applysome

to

was

MYTHS.

of its symbolism
The
to the papacy.
Antichrist
to by
a belief stilladhered
"

Yet the doctrine

Protestants.

adoptedby

not

was

Pope,for

extreme

some

the

ample,
ex-

greatbody

of the

but by some
fanaticalsects,
such as the Anabaptists,
reformers,
of the seventeenth century.
by the Theosophists

and

During the
when
"

civil and

great excitement

Fifth

it
prevailed,
"

MonarchyMen

of Cromwell's

and dangerous
sort.
exaggerated

most

had come,
to inherit the earth. The

the millennium

and that
excesses

France

in

wars
religious

and

England,
The

was

also

prominent.

time

were

millenarians of the

Their

tenet
peculiar

the saints who

theywere

of the French

that

was

Roman

were

Catholic

and Quietists
terminated
in chiliasiic1views.
Mystics
Among the
the
Protestants itwas during
that the most enthusiastic
ThirtyYears' War
and
and learned chiliastsflourished. The awful suffering
desolation of that time led pioushearts to solace themselves
wide-spread
and glorious
with the hope of a peaceful
future. Since then
the penchantwhich has sprung up for expoundingthe prophetical
the Apocalypse,
with a view to
books of the Bible,and particularly
life,
presentevents,has giventhe doctrine a faint semi-theological
"

"

different,
however,from the

very

faith of the firstChristians.

earnest

the foremost chiliasticteachers of modern

Among

centuries

are

Meth, Paul Felgenhauer,

Bishop CoJ. Mede ; while Thomas
menius,Professor Jurien,Seraris,
Poiret,
Burnet and William Whiston endeavored to givechiliasm a geological
to

be

Ezechiel

mentioned

findingmuch

foundation,but without

since the rise and extension

; but not much

laid on

pecially
esLatterly,

the
missionaryenterprise,

of

wide currency, that after the conversion of

will enworld to Christianity,
sue
era
a blissfuland glorious
obtained

has
opinion
the whole

favor.

the nature

stress
or

"

except by

extreme

literalists is
"

duration of this far-off felicity.

Great eagerness, and not

littleingenuity
have been exhibited

a date for the commencement

many persons in fixing
Johann Albrecht
The celebrated theologian,
millennium.

by

who,

eighteenth
century,revived

in the

orthodox

amongst
subject
that
prophecies

now

an

earnest

asserted from
Protestants,

the millennium

would

beginin

of the

Bengel,

interest in the
a

1836.

studyof
This

the

date

long popular. Swedenborg held that the last judgmenttook

placein 1757,and that the new church,or "Church of the New
in other words,
themselves
Jerusalem] as his followers designate
was

'

"

the millennial

era

"

then

began.

Chiliasm" the thousand

years when

Satan

is bound.

SECOND

THE

In
of

William

one

Jesus
ariau

about

was

Dr.

millennial

before
the

years

Of

John
in

symptoms,
he

millennium

immediately

fixed

late

died,
would

or

the

1867

he
and
not

preceding

who
;

as

his

modified

differ

it,

as

so

people

end
time

the

that

much

after

commonly

of

the

present
without

passed

original

conjectured

millen-

English

the

that

Christ

of

advent

noted

placed

preajhing

the

by

second
most

but

243

JESUS.

excited

was

the

years,

Gumming,
1866

CHRIST

agitation
who

Miller,
1843.

dispensation
any

considerable

America,

OF

COMING

ably,
consider-

views

beginning
all

from

suppose.

of

the

XXV.

CHAPTER

to Christian

According
the

AS

JESUS

CHRIST

JUDGE

dogma,

the Father

God

"

DEAD.

THE

OF

"

is not to be

the last day,but this very importantoffice is to be

This is taughtby the writer of " The
God
the Son. "

judgeat

held

by

"

Gospel accordingto
when

he says

"For

St. John"

he

whoever

"

have

may

been

"

the Father

judgeth

no

man,

alljudgment unto

but hath committed

the

Son."1

who

has

"In

day when God shall judge

"by Jesus Christ,"his son.8

Again,in
and

"

the

be done

"

"

to the Romans
(orsome
Epistle
the passage),
tells us that :
interpolated

Paul also,in his

The Lord
his

his

"

the

secrets

men,"

of

to Timothy,"8he
Epistle

Jesus Christ shall

judge

the

quick and

says
the

other person

this

judgment shall

dead, at

his

appearing

kingdom."4

scribes
to St. Matthew," also deGospelaccording
Christ Jesus as judge at the last day.6
with Christianity
arises,is this doctrine original
Now, the question
It was
for ages bef
To this we must answer
fore
no.
taught,
that the Supreme
the time of Christ Jesus or Christianity,
Akerene," "Jupiter,"
Brahma," "Zeru"ne
Being whether
or
Yahweh,"6 was not to be the judgeat the last day, but that
their sons were
to hold this position.
The sectarians of Buddha
taughtthat he (who was the Son of
God (Brahma)and the Holy VirginMaya),is to be the judgeof the
The

writer of the

"

"

"

"

"

dead.7
"
*
"

p.

John, v. 22.
Romans, ii.16.
Not

authentic.

(See The Bible of Tc-Day,

H.

Matt.

Through

Timothy, iy. 1.

[244]

xxv.

31-46.
an

error

we

pronounce

this

Jehovah.

name
'

212.)
"

"
"

866.

See

Dupuis

Originof ReligiousRelief,p

JESUS

CHBIST

JUDGE

AS

THE

OF

245

DEAD.

of the Hindoos, Qrishna (who was

to the religion
According
is to be the judge
the Son of God, and the Holy YirginDevaki),
is the god of the departed
Yama
at the last day.1 And
spirits,
to the Vedas.*
and the judgeof the dead,according
and son
of the " Immaculate
the Egyptian Saviour
Osiris,
to
Yirgin JSeith or Nout, was believed by the ancient Egyptians
be the judgeof the dead.3 He is represented
on
ments,
Egyptianmonuand carseated on his throne of judgment,bearinga staff,
rying
"

"

"

the

is upon

cross

ansata,

crux

his breast.

or

with

cross

His throne isin

St. Andrevfs

handle.4

checkers,to denote the

or to indicate the good and

presides,
evil who appear before him as the judge."6
titleswhich accompany his figure
Among the many hieroglyphic
the walls of temples
in these sculptures,
and in many other places
on

good and

evil over

which

he

tombs,are "Lord of Life,"" The Eternal Ruler,""Mani-

and
fester of

Good," "Kevealer

Truth,""Full

of

and

of Goodness

Truth,""c.6
Mr.

of
Bonwick,speaking

says
"

for the

the

perusalof the twenty-fifth

chapterof
of the Egyptiannotion of
investigation

will prepare

Matthew

"In

New

the reader

the last judgment."7

to the EgyptianBible
Carpenter,
referring
most ancient of all holybooks8
says :

Prof.
far the

the last judgment,

Egyptianbelief in

"

which

is by

"

the

'

Book

of the

Dead,'there

are

used

the very

phrases we

find in the

Testament, in connection with the day ofjudgment"9

itis Ormuzd, "The

of the Persians,
Accordingto the religion
First Born of the Eternal One," who is judgeof the dead. He
had the titleof "The All-Seeing,"
and "The Just Judge."10
Zeruane Akerene is the name
to
God
of him who corresponds
One Supreme
the Father
the
other nations. He was
among
the
Invisible and Incomprehensible."11
essence,"
Son of the Most
Among the ancient Greeks,it was Aeacus
who was to be judgeof the dead."
High God
The Christian EmperorConstantine,
in his oration to the clergy,
of the ancient poetsof Greece,says :
speaking
"

"

"

"

"

"

See

Samuel

Johnson's

Oriental

"

Religions,

p. 504.
a See Williams'

Hinduism, p. 25.
" See
Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief, p. 120.
Renouf
: Religions of the Ancient
Egyptians,
p. 110,and Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 152.
* See
Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief, p. 151,
and Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 152.

"

EgyptianBelief,p. 151.
Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i.p. 154.I
EgyptianBelief,p. 419.
See Bonwick's

See

T
8
"
1C
"
"

See Ibid, p, 185.

in Ibid. p. 419.

Quoted

Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. 1.p. 259.

Ibid. p. 258.
See Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii.p. 16.

246

"They

affirm

that

who

men

the

are

of

sons

the

gods,

do

departed

judge

""

souls.

Strange
Jesus
of

MYTHS.

BIBLE

it

as

conceived

"

seem,

may

judge,

as

there

the

or

no

are

last

in

judgment,

Christ

of

examples
the

early

art

Christianity."9
The

difficult

did

it
not

with

Constantine's

"

Jameson

whom

define

to

Would

years,

from

author

be

the

this

many

other

Oration
:

History

to

of

the
Our

to

"

but

heathen

ideas

Lord

ch.
in

x.

Art,

that

it

il.

vol.
"

p.

Ibid.

898.

"

says,

that
was

It

would
be

may

many

conjecture"

doctrine,

Clergy,

above,

this, though

of

cause

unreasonable

teach

the

quote

we

the

early

imbibed,

in

be
jectured."
con-

tians
Chrisafter

XXVI.

CHAPTER

Christian
"

out

God

AS

JESUS

CHRIST

dogma also teaches

the Son

"

who

ALPHA

AND

CREATOR,

that it was

AND

"

not

OMEGA.

God

the

Father,"

and
the earth,
heavens,

created the

all

that therein is.

The
"

All

writer of the fourth

by him, and without him

made

thingswere

Gospelsays :
was

not

anythingmade

that

made."1

was

Again :
"

him

He

was

in the world

and

the world was

the

we
Colossians,"

made

by him, and the world knew

not."9

In the
"

him

"

to
Epistle

things created
visible and invisible,
whether
they be
all
created
were
things
by him.
powers;
By

were

Again,in
"God

hath

things,by whom
Samuel

all

the

"

spoken

to
Epistle
unto

also he made

Johnson,D.

us

by

that

read that

in heaven, and

are

thrones

or

that are in

earth,
or
dominions, or principalities,

's

the

Hebrews," we

his son, whom

he

hath

are

told that

appointed heir of all

the world."*

O.

Allen,*and

Thomas

Maurice,8teli us
of the Hindoos, it is Crishna,the
to the religion
that,according
who is the
Son,and the second person in the ever-blessed Trinity,7
and end of all the worlds ; all this universe came
into being
origin
throughhim, the eternal maker."*
In the holybook of the Hindoos,called the "Bhagvat Geeta,y
words of Crishna,addressed to his
may be found the following
beloved discipleAr-jouan
:
"

"

"

the Lord of all created beings."9"Mankind

"I am
created by me of four
was
and in their duties;know me then to be the
kinds,distinct in their principles,
Creator ofmankind, uncreated,and without decay."10
"
"

"
"
"

John, 118.
John, i. 10.
Colossians,1.
Hebrews, i.2.
Allen's

India,pp. 137 and 380.

"
T
"
"

"

Indian Antiq.,vol. ii.p. 288.

See the chapter on the Trinity.
Oriental Religions,
p. 502.
Lecture iv. p. 51,

Geeta,p.

52.

247

248

MYTHS.

BIBLE

VII.,entitled:

In Lecture

he also says
Vital Spirit,"
"I

Of the

and
of Nature,
Principles

Prince of
The

I,and all things

hang

Lecture

Again,in

world

"

There

is not

the Chief of Secrets and

says :

spread abroad

me."

thingsare dependenton

on
"

was

universe.

me."

IX.,entitled,Of

Crishna
Science,"

whole

the

the creation and the dissolution of the whole

am

anythinggreaterthan

"

"

by

the Father

am

All
in my invisible form.
and the Mother of this world,

me

the Holy One worthy to be known; the

1
I
the
OM.
am
journeyof the good; the Comforter;
figure
mystic
the Creator;the Witness; the Eesting-place
; the Asylum and the Friend."2
I

the Grandsire and the Preserver.

am

...

Of
X.,entitled,
"

In Lecture

the

of the Divine Nature,"

diversity

he says:
"

who

Those
and all thingsproceed from me.
of all things,
wisdom, believe this and worship me; their very
spiritual
in me ; theyrejoice
amongst themselves,and delightin
and teachingone another my doctrine."3

tlie Creator

am

are

endued

with

minds

hearts and

speakingof my

name,

Innumerable
Hindoo

are

from the
texts,similar to these,
mightbe produced

but
Scriptures,

words of Samuel

these

we

show,in

sufficientto

deem

the

"

Johnson

to the
quotedabove,that, According
it is Crishna who is the origin
and the end
of the Hindoos,
religion
allthis universe came
into being
of all the worlds ;"and that
The Chinese believed in One
throughhim,the Eternal Maker."
but of whom
they
SupremeGod, to whose honor theyburnt incense,
"

had

no

image.

This

"

God

the Father

"

was

cording
acCreator,

the

not

but theyhad another god,

mythology;
called Natigai,
who was
the
of whom
theyhad statues or idols,
God, the Creator of this world
things
god of allterrestrial
; in fact,
inferior or subordinate to the SupremeBeing from whom
they
of
whatever else they want
for fine weather,
a sort
or
petition
to their theology
or

"

"

"

mediator?

Lanthu,who

was

is believed
virgin,"
pure, spotless
to be the Creator of all things
;6 and
disciples
born of

"

by his followers or
Taou, a deified hero,who is mentioned about
to be
by some sects and affirmed by their books,
and firstproductive
cause

O. M.

or

O, as

ineffable

of the deity. It is
; the mystic emblem
never
uttered aloud,but only mentally by the
devout.
It signifies
Brahma, Vishnou, and
name

Siva,the Hindoo Trinity. (SeeCharles Wilkes

Geeta,p. 142,and King'sGnostics and their

In

Remains, p. 163.)

the

the doctrine of the

oracles,
is plainly
Creator,
taught.

A. U. M. is the Hindoo

b.

c, isbelieved

source
original

of all things."6

In the Chaldean

Son,"I

560
"

"

Only Begotten

Geeta, p. 80.
Geeta, p. 84.
4 See
Higgins : Anacaiypsis,vol. 1. p. 48.
" See Bell's
Pantheon, vol. ii.p. 85.
" See Davis : Hist.
China,vol. ii.pp. 109 And
113,and Thornton, vol. i.p. 137.
"

250

BIBLE

Paul is made
"

And

to say

is before
(Christ)

he

MYTHS.

all things."1

Again:
"Jesus

Christ,the

St. John
Jesus say

Divine,in

his

"

has made Christ

Kevelation,"

"lam
which

the

Alpha and

Omega,

and which

is to come,

was,

Hindoo

also
scripture

beginning and
the Almighty,"3
Crishna

is,and

"which

the firstand the

"

"

in the

read

the

"

the firstand the last."4

"

makes

end"

the

the

beginningand the end." "We

Crishna is reported
to have said :
"

forever."9

and
yesterday,
to-day,

same

last,"

Geeta,"where

all things were

"Learn
that he by whom
not."5
was
myself never
"I
am
"is
incorruptible."6
eternityand non(meaniug himself)
I
and the mighty ruler of the universe."8
eternity."' I am before all things,
"9
the beginning,the middle and the end of all things.
am
"I

formed"

"

"

his disciple,
addresses
Arjouan,

him

thus

Supremo Being, incorruptible,

worthy to be known; thou art
and eternal
prime supporter of the universal orb; thou art the never-failing
thou art from all beginning,
and I esteem thee."10 Thou
guardian of religion;
the Divine Being,before all other gods."11
art
Thou

"

art the

"

Again he
Reverence

"

thee

unto

on

! Reverence

all sides,O

In another

Purana,"
"

born

as

The

art all in all 1

was

"

behind I

Reverence

Infinite in

thy power
all things."12

art

Hindoos,called the

that Yishnu

in the form

"

"

Possessor of

without

All," "He

who

"the
to be Contemplated,"
Everlastingly

thy

Vishnu

of Crishna

Devaki, and
(virgin)
middle or end.9113
beginning,

Omega,

be

and

of the

without

is also Alphaand

Lord,""the

thou

of the

into the womb

her son"

Bvddha
"

also read

we

and

thee,before

unto

who

Book

Holy

descended

who

be

thou

includest all things,wherefore

Thou

glory!

says

"

was

beginningor end,
is Omnipotentand

Supreme Being,the

Eternal One."'4

Lao-kiun,the

Chinese

God,
virgin-born

who

came

years before Jesus,was without

said that he had existed from all eternity."

about six hundred

was

"

Col. i. 17.

'

Hebrews, xiii.8.
Rev. i. 8, 22, 13.

"
"
"

Rev. i. 17 ; xii. 13.

Geeta, p. 35. v

Geeta, p. 36.

'

Lecture

Lecture

ix. p. 80.
x.

p. 83.

Lecture

l0

Lecture

upon

earth

beginning.It

"

Lecture

x. p. 85.
ix. p. 91
x. p. 84.

,2

Lecture

xi. p. 95.

*3

Purana, pi-440.
chapter xii.
See Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. I.p. 200L

,4
**

See Vishnu
See

CHRIST

The
founder

legends of
Absolute

that he is the

the

ancestor
original

in existence

was

peared

anterior

in

sect

China

to the birth of

elements,in
of the teen;"

the

"pure essence
prime breath of life ; that he
the earth, and caused creations and
numerabl
other,in an endless series,
during inof the

He

the world.

prior to

to the supreme

himself

the manifestation

being, or

of

is made

first motion

tirst-born of the

was

"Zeus

Alpha

is the

and

An

Omega.

beginning,

Zeus

the

who

Orphic line

middle,

to say :

any corporeal shape; I ap

of creation."1

According to the Zend Avesta, Ormuzd, the

who is,alwayshas been, and
Eternal One, is he
Zeus

their

declare

; that he is the

periodsof
I

251

CREATOR.

Taou-tsze

and
gave form to the heavens
annihilations to succeed each

"

AS

existed antecedent

to have

Great

the

JESUS

will be

thus

runs

ever."3
for-

out

of Zeus

all thingshave

end.

An

on
inscription

been

made."8

Bacchus
ancient

and

Alpha

leads

you;

it is I who

reads thus

an

protects you, and who

saves

you.

am

Omega."

Beneath
thus

beginningor

to him,
medal, referring

It is I who

"

without

was

this

forming a

is a serpent with
inscription
which
emblem
an
was
circle,

his tail in his

of

mouth,
the

eternity
among

ancients.4

Without

enumeratingthem, we may say that the majorityof

the virgin
-born gods spoken of in Chapter XII. were
like Chrisi
Jesus
without
and that many
of them
beginning or end
were
considered
Creators of all things. This has led M. Dridon to
remark
(in his Hist, de Dieu),that in early works of art, Christ
Jesus is made
to take the placeof his Father in creation and
in
similar labors,
inferior deity does
an
just as in heathen religions
the work under a superior
one.
"

"

Thornton
: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 137.
Prog. Kelig. Ideas. ii. p. 267.
" Midler's
Chips, vol. ii. p. 15.
""
moi
Cest
et tout
qui vous
conduis, vous
vous
ce qui
conregarde. Cest
moi, qui vous
Je suis Alpha et
qui vous
sauve.
serve, ou
II y a an
dessous
de Inscription
Omega.
un
serpent qui tient sa queue dans
sagueule et
la cercle qu'il decrit, cest trois lettre
dans
i

"

Greques THE, qui sont le nomhre

pent" qui est'ordinaire un embleme
est

ici celui de

Beaugobre

eoleil et
de

Hist,

de

ges

365.

Le

ser-

de I'eternite
revolutions/'

Manichee,

Tom.

ii.

-fi

._

'

"

8ay

that

(Bacchus) gon
Myst of Adoni

of
pp.

am

immortal,

Dens."
80 and

Dionysus
(Aristophanes, in
105")

XXVII.

CHAPTER

MIRACLES

THE

OF

of
history
legendary

The

of the

These

and
prodigies,
alleged

put

in such

Jesus of

THE

PRIMITIVE

CHRISTIANS.

Nazareth,contained

in the

and wonders.
Testament,is full of prodigies

New

books

have

AND

JESUS

CHRIST

tissue of

the faith which

the

indicate
falsehoods,

peopleseem

the

to

disposition
prevalent

of the

and it was
peopleto believe in everything,
among
such a class that Christianity
All
leaders
of
was
ion
religpropagated.
had the reputation
of havingperformedmiracles ; the biographers
not wishing their Master to be outdone,
Jesus,therefore,
made him also a wonder-worker,
and a performer
of miracles ;

of

have

without

could not prosper. Miracles were

needed
Christianity
in those days,on all special
occasions.
There is not a single
historian
of antiquity,
whether Greek or Latin,who has not recorded
the occasion of some
and miracles,
on
oracles,
prophecies,
prodigies,
memorable
events,or revolutions of states and kingdoms. Many of
them

"

these
were

attested in the

are

firmlybelieved at
Hindoo

the time

the

by the people"1

the evil
strife against

in constant

and
gravestwriters,

representCrishna,their Saviour

sacred books

as

by

gravestmanner

spirit.He

deemer,
and Re-

surmounts

the
extraordinary
dangers; strews his way with miracles ; raising
the sick,
the maimed, the deaf and the blind ;
dead,healing
restoring
the weak against
the strong,the oppressed
everywheresupporting
againstthe powerful. The peoplecrowded his way and adored
him

as

God, and these miracles

the evidences of his divinity

were

for centuries before the time of Jesus.

The

tellsus that
of Crishna,
Maurice,speaking
in
he passedhis innocent hours at the home
of his foster-father,
rural diversions,
until repeated
his divine origin
not beingsuspected,
miracles
Jones

Dr.

learned Thomas

soon

discovered

speaksof

his

Conyers Middleton
252

and
his celestialorigin;*

Sir William

raisingthe dead,and savingmultitudes by his

Free

Enquiry, p. 177.

Indian

vol. iii.p. 46,

Antiquities,

miraculous

OF

MIRACLES

THE

powers?

CHRIST

To enumerate

the miracles of Crishna would

shall therefore mention

be useless and tedious ; we
which the Hindoo sacred books are teeming.
Crishna

When

was

monarch,Kansa,who
mother

locked in

doors.

While
utter

in

born,his life was

had

253

JESUS.

but

few,of

soughtby the reigning

the infant Saviour and

his father and

and barred by seven

iron
dungeon,guarded,
this dungeonthe father heard a secret voice distinctly
a

these words

Gokool,to the
answered :
astonishment,

"

Son of

Yadu, take

up this child and

struck with
Yasudeva,

house of Nanda."

carry it to

"

How

shall I

thus
obeythis injunction,
iron doors that prohibit
vigilantly
guardedand barred by seven
voice replied
all egress?"The unknown
The doors shall open
:
I have caused a deep
of themselves to let thee pass, and behold,
which shall continue tillthyjourslumber to fallupon thyguards,
ney
Yasudeva immediately
felt his chains miracbe accomplished."
ulously
and, takingup the child in his arms, hurried
loosened,
the guardsbeingburied in profound
with it throughall the doors,
he came
to the river Yumna, which
he was obliged
sleep.When
to get to Gokool,the waters immediately
to cross
rose
up to kiss
and then respectfully
retired on each side to make
the child's feet,
to the
so that Yasudeva
passeddry-shod
way for its transportation,
shore.8
opposite
"

When
the

Crishna
of

came

to man's

one
estate,

of his firstmiracles

leper.
A passionate
insult from a
Brahman, havingreceived a slight
uttered this curse :
certain Rajah,on goingout of his doors,
That
from head to foot,
he should,
be covered with boils and leprosy
;"
which beingfulfilled in an instant upon the unfortunate king,
he
Crishna
prayedto Crishna to deliver him from his evil. At first,
he appearedto him, asking
but finally
did not heed his request,
"To
what his request was ? He replied,
be freed from my distemper."
The Saviour then cured him of his distemper.9
Crishna was
when
one
day walkingwith his disciples,
they
lame woman,
met a poor cripple
or
havinga vessel filled with
sandal-wood, saffron,
sweet-scented oils,
civet and other perspices,
fumes.
she made a certain signwith her
Crishna making a halt,
the rest upon his head.
Crishna askhis forehead,casting
ing
on
finger
her what it was she would requestof him, the woman
replied,
the
limbs.
his
of
b
ut
foot
use
then,
Crishna,
nothing
setting
my
upon
h
er
her
from
the
a
nd
the
raised
a
nd
hand,
hers, taking by
ground, not
was

cure

"

"

Asiatic

Researches, vol. i. p. 237.

Hist.

Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 331.

"

Ibid. p. 319.

254

BIBLE

but
onlyrestored her limbs,

MYTHS.

renewed

her age, so
a fresh and

instead
that,

of

she received
stant.
fair one in an inwrinkled,tawny skin,
At her request,Crishna and his company
lodgedin her
house."1
to ask of
"

Crishna havingrequested
Braha learned man
occasion,
him whatever boon he most desired,
the Brahman
said,

another

On

all things,
I desire to have

Above

life." Crishna
the two

restored to
my two dead sons
that this should be done,and immediately

assured him
men

young

restored to lifeand

were

broughtto

their

father.3
Thomas
of the
Orientalist,
Maurice,after speaking
miracles performed
by Crishna,says :
The

In

"

learned

regardto
that

subjectof wonder

are

wrought by Crishna,it should

wanting to the decoration of an

miracles

numerous

miracles

they are,

romance;
a

the

never

be

membered
re-

Indian

in fact,the life and soul of the vast machine; nor is it at all

should be raised to life in a historyexpressly
that the dead

for the propagation

intended,like all other sacred fables of Indian fabrication,
and support of the whimsical doctrine of the Metempsychosis."3

speakthus of the miracles of Christ Jesus,would,of course,

what applies
to the miracles of Crishna apply
be heresy although
find this gentleman
to those of Jesus
brandingas
we, therefore,
who was guilty
of doingthis
orientalist
a learned French
"infidel"
thing.
Buddha
performedgreatmiracles for the good of mankind,and
the legends
him are full of the most extravagant
gies
prodiconcerning
Burnouf
miracles
and
wonders.4
and
preaching,"
By
says
To

"

"

"

"

of Buddha
the religion

was

R.

SpenceHardy says

events of
principal
He
could
prodigies.
of
all
beings."6
thoughts
"

All the

Prof. Max

disciplesmiracles which
"

other

and

credible
representedas being attended by inthe
through the air at will,and know

his life are

pass

with

miracles attributed to Buddha

in wonderfulness

certainly
surpass

and his

the miracles of any

religion."*

Buddha
the

of Buddha

legendsteem

Buddhist

The

"

Miiller says

established."

was

at

one

time

goingfrom

when,comingto
cityof Benares,

wishingto

cityof

Rohita-vastu to

the banks of the river

go across, he addressed

1 Hist.
Hindostan, toI. ii.p. 320. Vishnu
Parana, bk. v. ch. xx.
9
Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 68.
" Hist.
Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 269.
*
See Hardy's Buddhist Legends, and East-

the

himself to the

Beal's

Monachism.

ern

Buddha.

Bunsen's

Ganges,

owner

Komantic

of

Hist.

Angel-Messiah,and Hue's

Travels, "c.
6

Hardy

"

The

Buddhist

Science

of

Legends, pp. xxi. xxii.

Religion,p. 27.

255

JESUS.

CHRIST

OF

MIRACLES

THE

I pray y".a take me

"
If you
the river in your boat I" To this the boatman replied,
across
take you across
the river."
I will willingly
the fare,
can
pay me
u
shallI procure money to pay you your fare,
Buddha said,Whence
The
"c."
wealth and riches,
I,who have given up all worldly
"

terryboat, thus ;

sir!
respectable

Hail !

stillrefusing
to take him

boatman

flock of geese
said :

from
flying

across,

to
Buddha, pointing

ges,
the south to the north banks of the Gan-

See yonder geese in fellowship

passingo'er the

11

ask not

They

as

to fare of any

Ganges,

boatman,

by his inherent strengthof body

through the air as pleaseshim.
So, by my power of spiritual
energy,
the river,
Will I transportmyselfacross
Even though the waters on this southern bank
Stood up as high and firm as (Mount) Semeru."1

But

each

Flies

the stream.

He then floatsthroughthe air across

In the Lalita
who

is to

Vistara Buddha

is called the

Great

Physician"

pain." At his appearance the " sick are

cured,the blind see, the poor are relieved."

dull allhuman

"

deaf

the
healed,

are

and heals soul

visitsthe sick man, Su-ta,
cholera was
At Yaisali,
a pestlike modern

He

"

due to

accumulation

an

caused

of

well

body.
the kingdom,
depopulating
moned,
festering
corpses. Buddha, sumas

as

strongrain which carried away the dead bodies and

cured every one.

At Gaudhara was an old mendicant afflictedwith a
of his brother monks could go near
disease so loathsome that none
condition. The
him on account
of his fetid humors and stinking
"

Great

"

Physicianwas, however,not

poor old man

hacked off

to be deterred ; he washed

and attended to his maladies.

had
disciple

the

his feet

unjustking,and Buddha cured even him. To

Buddha
showed
convert
certain skeptical
near
Sravasti,
villagers
mersing
them a man
walkingacross the deep and rapidriver without imhad a brother
his feet. Purna,one of Buddha's disciples,
The
in a
in imminent
black storm."
spirits
dangerof shipwreck
him of this and he
that are favorable to Purna and Arya apprised
himself to the deck
at once
performedthe miracle of transporting
the black tempest ceased,
of the ship. Immediately
as if Sumera
by

an

"

"

"

"

arrested it."2
When

Buddha

unable
labor,

to

was

Beal

woman

creature

was

in severe
suffering

say : "I have never

born ; by the virto death since I was

Go
he said,
bringforth,

knowinglyput any
i

told that

: Hist. Buddha, pp. 246, 247.

Dhammapada,
pp. 47, 50 and 90. Bigan-

and

det, pp. 186 and 192. Bournouf : Intro,

156. In Lillie's Buddhism, pp. 139,140.

p.

256

MYTHS.

BIBLE

may you be free from

repeatedin the presence of the

of this obedience

tue

words

were

with

born
instantly

When

pain!"

mother,the

these

child

was

ease.1

and
saints,
followed their example. Their garments,and the
to others who
staffswith which theywalked,are supposedto imbibe some
rious
mysteInnumerable

the miracles ascribed to Buddhist

are

power, and blessed are theywho are allowed to touch them.a

called "perfection"
is
A Buddhist
attains the power
saint who
able to rise and float alongthroughthe air.3 Having this power,
the saint exercises it by

of his

determination

mere

will,his body

in the common
human
state
as when
a man
becomingimponderous,
and leaps. Buddhist annals relate the performdetermines to leap,
ance
of the miraculous suspension
by Gautama Buddha, himself,
as well as by other saints.4.
called by
In the year 217 b. c, a Buddhist missionary
priest,
"

from
the west
came
Shih-le-fang,
other priests,
with their
Shan-se,accompaniedby eighteen

the Chinese

historians

books,in order

to

propagatethe faith of Buddha.

"

into

sacred

The

emperor,
ries
exotic customs, imprisonedthe missionaand openedthe prison
or spirit,
came
door,
angel,
genii,

and
foreigners
disliking
; but

an

liberated them.'

and

Here is a third edition of

that the Hindoo

seen

like

"

Peter in

sage Yasudeva

for
prison,"

we

have

liberated from

was

already

prisonin

manner.

of the Persians,
the founder of the religion
Zoroaster,
opposed
in
order
confirm
his divine
his persecutors
to
by performingmiracles,
mission.6
of the Persians

Bochia
where

he

performedthem

were

also

the places
performedmiracles;
flocked in
and people
consecrated,

crowds to visit them.7

Horus, the EgyptianSaviour,performedgreatmiracles,

among
the dead to life.8
raising
Osiris of Egypt also performed
greatmiracles ;'and so did the
Isis.
virgingoddess
made to the temples
of Isis,
in Egypt,by the
were
Pilgrimages
that of

which

was

sick.

Diodorus,the

Grecian

historian,
says

Hardy : Manual of Buddhism.

See Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i.p. 229.
" See
Tylor : Primitive Culture,vol. i.p. 135,
and Hardy : Buddhist
Legends, pp. 98,126, 137.
4 See
Tylor : Primitive Culture, vol. i. p.
1

135.
"

"

See

Dupuis

p. 240, and
460.
7

See

See

that

Inman's

Origin of Religious Belief,

Ancient Faiths,vol. ii. p.

Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 34,

Lundy : Monumental
Christianity,
pp.

303-405.
Thornton

Hist.

China, vol. i.p. 341.

See Bonwick's

EgyptianBelief.

258

MYTHS.

BIBLE

writer in BelPs Pantheon

says

of their greatmen
beyond the
always carried the encomiums
medicine
not onlyto
in
that
as
was
so
iEsculapius
expert
theyfeigned

As the Greeks

"

truth,so

the sick,but

cure

to raise the dead."1

even

the
Eusebius,

ecclesiasticalhistorian,
speakingof

^Esculapius,

says:
"

He

sometimes

"

who

visions,

and

restored the sick to health."

and sometimes

He

dreams

in
(theCilicians)

them

appeared unto

work

the

however, that this was

claims,
did withdraw the
by this means

of

minds

Devil,

of the

the

from

men

the true Saviour."2

knowledgeof

ued
miracles continFor many years after the death of ^Esculapius,
Patients
of faith in his name.
to be performed
by the efficacy
and there cured of
conveyedto the templeof ^Esculapius,

were

their disease.

short statement

inscribed on
were
remedyemployed,
There were
also a multitude
temples.8
the

other members

and

case, and
tabletsand hung up in the

symptoms of each

of the

of eyes, ears, hands,feet,

or
body,made of wax, silver,

of the human

by those whom
gold,and presented

the

cured of

god had

blindness,

and other diseases.4

deafness,

Marinus,a

scholar of the

these remarkable
"

with

maiden

who

grievousdistemper,incurable
the father
failing,

pray for his

Saviour
and

she

lived with

had
the

"

but while he

was

immediatelybecame

her

physicians.All

says

seized

parents,was

help from

the

sicians
phy-

him
entreating
earnestly
philosopher,

daughter. Proclus,full of faith,went

pray for the sick young

at that time blessed in him, and

The

by

appliedto the

intendingto
was

He

cures, in the lifeof his master.

a young
Asclipigenia,

of

relates one
Proclus,
philosopher

still enjoyec

a
praying,

temple of iEsculapius,
for the city(Athens)
the undemolished
temple of
sel,
in
change appeared the damas
the Saviour,iEsculapius,
to the

god

the

to

woman

sudden

convalescent,for

to

"

healed her."6
being God, easily

ConyersMiddleton

Dr.

says :
selves,
Church
Whatever
(Christian)
might have among themproofthe primitive
towards
it
could
littleeffect
have
but
of the miraculous gift,
making
yet
those who pretendedto the same
gift possessedmore largely
proselytes
among
assemblies
in
of the Christians.
For
the private
and exerted more
openly,than
"

"

believed to be
in the temples of JEsculapius,all kinds of diseases were
in proof of which there were
cured, by the pretendedhelp of that deity,
in each

temple,columns

of each

or

cure
particular

tables of brass
was

inscribed.

Pantheon, vol. i. p. 28.

: Life of Constantine,lib. 3, ch.

Bell's

Eusebius

"v.
"

jEsculapius,tbe son of Apollo, was

dowed
by his father with such skill in the
restored the dead to
healing art that he even
life." (Bulfinch:The Age of Fable, p 246.)
en-

marble,

or

Pausanias6
"

Murray

which

on

publicly

writes that in the

Manual

of

erected

distinct

tive
narra-

temple

Mythology, pp. 179,

180.

Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 304.

: Quoted in Taylor'sDiegesis,
p.

See

"

Marinus

151.
"

Pausanias

Greek

was

one

of

the

most

geographersand historiana.

eminent

THE

MIRACLES

OF

CHRIST

259

JESUS.

of this kind, and six of them

Epidaurus there were many columns anciently
his
inscribed
with
the
to
names
time,
who had been
remaining
of men and women
the
of
with
their
cured by
an
account
several cases, and the method
of their
god,
old pillarbesides,which
an
cure
stood apart, dedicated to
; and that there was
of Hippolytus,
who had been raised from the dead.
the memory
other
Strabo,also,aninforms
that
these
us
were
f
illedwith
writer,
the
temples
grave
constantly
sick,imploringthe help of the god, and that they had tables hanging around
at

all the miraculous

them, in which

fragment of

cures

described.

were

of these tables stillextant, and

There

is a remarkable

exhibited

tion,
by Gruter in his collecfound
in the ruins of iEsculapius's
in
Island
the
as it was
of the
temple
of
which
blind
in
account
two
an
restored
men
to sightby
Tiber,
Rome,
gives
in the open view,1 and with the loud acclamation
of the people,
^Esculapius,
the manifest power of the god."2
acknowledging
one

Livy,the most illustriousof Roman historians (bornb. o. 61),

of heathen godswere
tells us that temples
rich in the number of
which the people
used to make in return for the cures
offerings
which theyreceived from them.*
and benefits
writer in BelVs Pantheon

says :

"

from the earliest times,

even
Making presentsto the gods was a custom
either to deprecatetheir wrath, obtain some
benefit,or acknowledgesome
favor.
These donations consisted of garlands,
garments, cups of gold,or whatever conduced
to the decoration or splendorof their temples. They were
sometimes
laid
sometimes
on the floor,
hung upon the walls,doors, pillars,
roof,or any other
the occasion of the dedication was
conspicuous place. Sometimes
inscribed,
either upon the thingitself,
or upon
a tablet hung up with it."4

No

of

is so frequently
mentioned by ancient
antiquity
which was
as the practice
the
so common
historians,
among
to their deities,
of making votive offerings
and hanging
heathens,
them up in their temples,
to this day,
many of which are preserved
as well as legs,
viz.,
imagesof metal,stone,or clay,
arms, and other
in thai
ofsome divine cure effected
partsof the body,in testimony
custom

one

member?
particular
Horace says :
Me

"

tabula

sacer

Votiva* pariesindicat humida

Suspendissepotenti
maris Deo."

Vestimenta

It

ex-votos of Priapicforms,
at the
offering
church of Isernia,
in the Christian kingdom of Naples,
the
during
last century,which induced Mr. R. Payne Knightto compilehis
remarkable work on Phallic Worship.
1

am

when
of

son

Jesus

departed thence, two

him, crying and saying :

David, have

said unto

able to do this ?

Lord.

Then

According to

of

Jesus

followed

men

thou
And

was

"And

blind

the custom

(Lib.1, Ode V.)

touched
your

mercy

them

on

Believe

They said

unto

us.

and

their eyes
a

ye that I
him, Tea*

he their eyes, saying :

faith
be
it unto yon,

were

opened." (Matt. ii. 87-

30.)
"
4
6

Middleton's

Works, vol. i.pp. 63, 64.

Ibid. p. 48.
Bell's Pantheon, vol. 1. p. 62.
See Middleton'a Letters from Borne,p. 76.

260

BIBLE

MYTHS.

81-96, says of the goddessZm,

that time in the greatest
vogue at Rome, that

Juvenal,who

wrote

whose

a.

d.

at
was
religion
the painters
get their livelihood out of her. This was because the
of all offerings
most common
(madeby the heathen to their deities)
of the miraculous cure or deliveranc
the history
were
pictures
presenting
"

vouchsafed
thus

ran

prayers

upon

the

of the donor."1

vow

Goddess, help,for thou

Now,

In Chambers's

in

Patients that

him) hung
of

manner

be found the

Encyclopcedia
may
cured

were

help bestow,

canst

thy altars show."*

As all tliese
picturesround

"

of their ailments

up

Murray,of the departmentof

in the British Museum, speaking
of
Antiquities
by jEsculapius,
says :
S.

Alexander

"A

person

had

who

recovered

from

of the part that had been affected.

representation
a number
of examples in the British Museum. "4

in his Apology for

Martyr,
the Emperor Hadrian,says :

Justin
to
As to

"

At

our

Jesus

curingthe lame,

birth,this is littlemore

from
a

havingconsulted their sacred

delivered from

be

and the

than what

the Romans

when

time

"3

Greek

Of

and

such

dictate

sculptured
there are
sculptures

the Christian

and
paralytic,
say of your

you

dressed
adreligion,

such

as were
pled
cripJEJsculapius."*

infested with

were

Roman

the miracles performed

local illness would

:
following

or through faith
(by JEsculapius,
the disease,
and the

tablet in his temple, recordingthe name,

Many of these votive tabletsare stillextant.

cure.

of their

One

the

plague,

books,theylearned that in order

it,theywere

go in

to

to

at
quest of ^Ssculapius

an
embassywas appointedof ten senators,
Epidaurus
; accordingly,
and the worshipof
at the head of whom
was
Quintus Ogulnius,
established at Rome, a. tj. c. 462,that is,b. c. 288.
was
^Esculapius
But the most remarkable coincidence is that the worshipof this

god

continued with

scarcely
any

diminished

for
splendor,

several

years after the establishment of Christianity.8

Hermes
the Lord's Messenger,
er.
or Mercury,
was
a wonder-work-

hundred

The

staffor rod which

See Middleton's

"Nunc

Dea,

Letters from
nunc

succurre

posse mederi
Picta docet temptes multa

(Horace :
Ibid.)

Tibull.

lib.

Hermes

Rome, p. 76.
mini, nam
tabella tuis."

1, Eleg. iii.

In

received from

Phoibos

(Apol-

Pantheon, vol. i. p. 29.

"There

numerous

were

oracles

of JSscu-

lapius,but the most celebrated one was at Epiand

daurus.
the sick sought responses
Here
the recovery of their health by sleeping in the
The worship of ^Esculapius
temple.
.

Chambers's

was

Murray :
Apol. 1,ch. xsii.
Deaue:
Serp.Wor. p. 204.

sickness,and an embassy sent to the temple

the aid of the god."
Epidaurus to entreat
(Bulfinch: The Age of Fable, p. 397.)

6
"

Encyclo., art. "^Esculapius."

Mauual
of Mythology, p. 180.
See

also,Bell's

introduced

into Rome

in

time of great

MIRACLES

THE

which

and
lo),

connects

(the Hindoo
office. It was,
had the power

time

CHRIST

261

JESUS.

this myth with the

of Vishnu

emblem
special

was
Saviour),
regardedas denotinghis heraldic
and
however,alwaysendowed with magicproperties,
the
of
dead.1
even
raising

Herodotus,the
which

OF

Grecian

relates a
historian,

happenedamong the Spartans,

many
for the birth of Christ Jesus.
assigned

wonderful

miracle

centuries before the

The

lows:
story is as fol-

had a daughter born to them

Spartancoupleof great wealth and influence,
from birth. Her nurse, perceiving
that she was
a cripple
misshapen,
and knowing her to be the daughter of opulent persons, and deformed, and seeing,
that her parents considered her form a great misfortune,
ering
considmoreover,
these several circumstances,devised the followingplan. She carried her
before her image,
Helen, and standing
every day to the temple of the Goddess
the
free
child
the
from
its
to
to
prayed
goddess
deformity.One day,as the
nurse
was
going out of the temple,a woman
appeared to her, and havingappeared,
asked
she was
what
carryingin her arms; and she answered that she
was
carryingan infant;whereupon she bid her show it to her, but the nurse refused,
for she had been, forbidden by the parents to show the child to any one.
The
however
who was
other than the Goddess
herself urged
none
woman,
her by all means
to show it to her, and the nurse, seeingthat the woman
so
was
anxious
the
showed
to
at
which
see
child,
the
it;
she,
length
stroking
very
upon
A

who

was

"

"

head

of the child with

her hands, said that she would

surpass

all the

in

women

Spartain beauty. From that day her appearance began to change,her deformed
symmetrical,and when she reached the age for marriageshe was
in all Sparta.2
the most beautiful woman

limbs became

who was
born in the
Apolloniusof Tyana,in Cappadocia,
latter partof the reignof Augustus,
about four years before the
for the birth of Jesus,
time assigned
and who was
therefore contemporary
with

him, was

celebrated for the wonderful

miracles he

performed.Oracles in various

declared that he was endowed

places
with a portionof Apollo's
and foretell
diseases,
power to cure
affected were
events ; and those who were
commanded
to applyto
The priests
of Iona made over the diseased to his care, and
him.
considered so remarkable,
his cures
that divine honors were
were
decreed to him.'
He

at

hearken to
he

was

time went

but as
Ephesus,
his preaching,
he left there and

one

well received

by

"

Aryan Mytho. vol. ii.p. 338.

Herodotus:

See

he

are

at a

Smyrna,where

ambassadors
there,

impostor, or a fanatic.'*
vol. i. p. 353, note.) What
this learned historian says of Apolloniusapplies

Vie d'Apo.
"

we

to

was

sage,

an

(Gibbon's Rome,

ApolGibbon, the historian,

says of him :
time as
lonius of Tyana, born about the same
His life (thatof the former) is
Jesus Christ.
a
manner
related in so fabulous
by his disci-

pies,that

went

the inhabitants. While

bk. vi. ch. 61.

Philostratus:

the inhabitants did not

to

loss to discover whether

to Jesus

of

Nazareth.

lated

his

some

consider

others

God.

life in
him

His

discipleshave

fabulous

so

to

have

fanatic,others

been
sage,

manner,
an

and

re-

that

impostor,
others

262

MYTH8.

BIBLE

where a
Ephesus,
begginghim to return to that city,
He went immediately,
terrible plaguewas raging,
as he had prophesied.
he said to the Ephesians
Be
and as soon
as he arrived,
:
I will this day put a stopto the disease." According
not dejected,
and the peopleerected a
to his words,the pestilence
was
stayed,
statue to him, in token of their gratitude.1
of the dissipated
In the cityof Athens, there was
one
young
and
talked
cried
and
who
and
citizens,
by turns,
laughed
sang to
from

came

"

His friends supposedthese habits

without apparentcause.
himself,
but Apollonius,
who hapthe effectsof earlyintemperance,
were
pened
o
the young man, told him he was
to meet
possessedf a
fixed his eyes upon him, the demon
demon / and, as soon
as he
violent expressions
used by people
broke out into all those horrid,
he would departout of the youth,and
the rack,
and then swore
on
enter

never

he

was

another.9

by
possessed
looks

had

The

man
young
but from
devil,

changed,he

became

not

been

that

aware

that moment, his wild,disturbed

very temperate,and assumed the

philosopher.
garbof a Pythagorean
and arrived there after the emperor
w
ent
to
Rome,
Apollonius
laws against
Nero had passed
magicians.He was met
very severe
the way by a person who advised him to turn back and not enter
on
in
the city,
garb were
sayingthat all who wore the philosopher's
He heeded not these words
dangerof beingarrested as magicians.
his way, and entered the city. It
but proceeded
of warning,
on
of suspicion,
was
not longbefore he became an
was
object
closely
his
when
b
ut
fore
accusers
arrested,
appeared bewatched,and finally
the
which
the
the tribunal and unrolled
parchmenton
charges
all
the characters had
him had been written,
theyfound that
against
the magistrates
made such an impression
on
Apollonius
disappeared.

by

the bold tone he

assumed,that

he

was

allowed to go where

he

pleased."
performedby him while in Rome, among
to life.
a dead maiden
others may be mentioned l^is
restoring
She belongedto a familyof rank,and was justabout to be
met the funeral promarried,when she died suddenly.Apollonius
cession
the
He
asked
to
tomb.
them
her
that was conveying
body
I will dry up the
betrothed :
her
to
the bier,
to set down
saying
tears you are sheddingfor this maiden."
They supposedhe was
but he merelytook her hand,
goingto pronounce a funeral oration,
Many

miracles

were

"

bent

See

over

her,and

uttered

Philostratus,p. 146.

few words in

Ibid. p. 158.

low tone.

She

opened

See Ibid. p. 182.

MIRACLES

THE

her eyes, and

OF

and
began to speak,

CHRIST

263

JESUS.

carried back alive and

was

well

to her father's house.1

a young
man
was
PassingthroughTarsus,in his travels,
pointed
before
mad
out to him who had been bitten thirty
days
by a
dog,
then
all
and who
and
was
fours,
runningon
barking
howling.
took his case
in hand,and it was
not long before the
Apollonius
mind.9
restored to his right
was
young man
to be arrested,
Domitian,Emperor of Rome, caused Apollonius
himself
on
chargeof allowing
duringone of his visitsto that city,
divine honors),
to be worshiped(the peoplehavinggiven him
the reigning
that his words
speaking
against
powers, and pretending
and
were
inspired
by the gods. He was taken,loaded with irons,
and
cast into prison. I have bound
you,"said the emperor,
"

"

you will not escape me."

was
one
Apollonius
day visited in his prisonby his steadfast
Damus, who asked him when he thoughthe should recover
disciple,
his liberty,
if it depended
whereuponhe answered : This instant,
and drawinghis legsout of the shackles,
he added :
upon myself,"
I enjoy." He
was
Keep up your spirits,
you see the freedom
and so defended himself,
that the
broughtto trialnot long after,
induced to acquithim, but forbade him to leave
was
emperor
Kome.
then addressed the emperor,
and ended by
Apollonius
"

"

soon

as

Damus

You

"

saying:

kill me, because I am

he had said these words,he vanished

as

cannot

who
(thedisciple

been sent away

he would soon

from

had visited him

Rome,

with

in

not

;" and

from the tribunal*

had previously
prison)

promiseof

the

mortal

his master

that

him.
vanished from the presence
rejoin
Apollonius
of the emperor (atRome) at noon.
On the eveningof the same
other friends
and some
Damus
day,he suddenlyappearedbefore
who were
than a hundred
miles from Home,
at Puteoli,
more
but he
beingdoubtful whether or not itwas his spirit,
They started,
stretched out his hand,saying: Take it,
and if I escape from you
regardme as an apparition."4
"

Matt.

Compare

certain

ruler and

'

My daughter is even
lay thy hand upon
And

ix. 18-25.

"There
came
in, and took her by the hand, and the maid
arose."
worshiped him, saying :
2 See
now
and
dead, but come
Philostratus,
pp. 285-286.
8
He could render himself invisible,
her, and she shall live,'
evoke

Jesus arose
and followed him, and so did
And when
Jesus came
into
disciples.
the ruler's house, and saw
the minstrels and
the people making a noise,he said unto
them:
'Give
is not dead, but
peace, for the maid
sleepeth.' And
they laughed him to scorn.
But when
the people were
put forth,he went

his

"

and discover
utter predictions,
departed spirits,
the thoughts of other men."
(Hardy : Eastern
Monachism, p. 380.)
4 "And
as
they thus spoke, Jesus himself
stood in the midst
of them, and
said unto
them : Peace
be unto
you.' But they were
'

terrifiedand

and supposed
that they
affrighted,

264

BIBLE

MYTHS.

When

had told his disciples

that he had made his
Apollonius
Rome, onlya few hours before,
theymarveled how he
could have performed
the journey
said
so
rapidly.He, in reply,
that theymust ascribe it to a god.1
The EmpressJulia,
wife of Alexander
much
so
was
Severus,
interested in the history
of Apollonius,
that she requested
Flavius
Athenian author of reputation,
to write an account
an
Philostratus,
of him. The early
Christian Fathers,
to this lifeof Apolalluding
lonius,
defense in

do not

deny the miracles

evil spirits.8

the aid of

it recounts,but attribute to them

Justin

Martyrwas one of the believers in the miracles performed

and by others throughhim, for he says :
by Apollonius,

How

"

is itthat the talismans

of creation ? for

theyprevent,

the winds, and

the attacks

as

of
we

Apolloniushave power
fury of the waves,

of wild beasts,and whilst

tradition alone,those of Apolloniusare most

preservedby

in presentfacts,
so
manifested

as

in certain

see, the

to lead

and

Lord's

our

members

the violence of
miracles
and

numerous,

are

actually

astray all beholders."*

We will now
Apollonius.
speakof another miracle
Simon Magus.
performer,
Simon the Samaritan,
called Simon Magus, produced
generally
him ; beingthe progenitor
marked effectson the times succeeding
which longtroubled the Christian churches.
of a large
classof sects,
sally
In the time of Jesus and Simon Magus it was almost univerSo much

for

believed that
control
how

knew

if they
the forces of nature,by the aid of spirits,
It was
Simon's proficiency
in this
to invoke them.
over

science which

occult

and obtain
diseases,

could foretellevents,cure

men

the

gainedhim

of

surname

Magus,

or

Magician.
writer of the

The
"

informs

Christ unto

that

us

them," he

of
eighthchapter
went
when Philip
found there

beforetime in the

which

same

theyall gave heed,from

This

is the

"

certain

the leastto

be

"

The

and made
preaching,
Wisdom of God,"

"

See

Ibid. p. 5.
Justin Martyr's

my
for
me

some

Philostratus, p. 342.

*
9

seen

Why

the

He
many proselytes.
The Word of God,"

Simon,

great one.
the greatest,
saying:

was

ye troubled ? and why do thoughts

arise in your hearts ? Behold
my hands and

had

called

man

greatpower of God."4

traveled about

to
professed

Aposof the tles

to
Samaria,
preach

into

that himself

To whom

Simon

The Acts

cityused sorcery, and bewitched

peopleof Samaria,givingout
man

"

"

spirit. And

he

said nnto

them

are

feet,that it is myself ; handle me and see ;

a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see
have."
(Luke, xxiv. 36-39.)

in

"

Qucest,"xxiT. Quoted

King's Gnostics, p. 242

4

Acts, viii. 9, 10.

266

MYTHS.

BIBLE

denly
without visible assistance; producetrees from the earth sud-

move

stick to reap without hands ; changehimself into

into the forms of animals ;
the likeness of any other person, or even
cause

himself from highprecipices

unhurt,walk throughthe streets
fling
of the dead ; and many other such like perby spirits
formances
accompanied
Simon

went

of
Spirit

carnate
he gave himself out to be an " Inbecame a favorite with the Emperor

where

Rome,

to

He

God."2

His Christian opponents, as

Claudius,and afterwards with Nero.
in the cases
cited above,did not deny the miracles
have seen
we
done throughthe agency of
attributed to him, but said they were
which
evil spirits,

opinionamong

a common

was

the Fathers.

attendant evil spirit,

who

claimed that every magicianhad an

when summoned, obeyedhis commands, and
and

things.In this way theywere

miracles performed
by Gentiles
Menander

he

words,by which

of

forms

"

who

able to do

was

accustomed

came

ceremonies

supernatural
for all the

to account

and heretics.'

called the

was

him
taught

They

"

Wonder-Worker"

was

"

other
an-

of him, says
Eusebius,
speaking
devilish operations
skilledin magical
art,and performed
;
which
be
divers
t
he
there
of
can
as yet
testify same

of miracles.
greatperformer
that he

was

and that

"

him."4
on
ConyersMiddleton,speaking

Dr.
"It

received
universally

was

there

that

church,

was

and believed
of

number

this subject,
says :

through all ages

magicians, necromancers,

of

the

primitive
conjurors,

or

who had each their peculiar

and the heretical Christians,
the Gentiles,
both among
for their associates,
or evil spirit,
perpetuallyattendingon their persons
and obsequiousto their commands, by whose helpthey could perform miracles,

demon

foretell future events, call up the souls of the dead, exhibit them
dreams
visions they saw
or
and
infuse into people whatever

constantlyaffirmed by
by them to prove
After

the
the

from
quoting

could convince

death,"he

and
primitivewriters and apologists,
of
soul."6
the
immortality

one

any

continues

with the
presence

See

:
by saying

body, says : they

of any magician,for

durst

not

if they had

Prog. Rehg. Ideas, tol. ii. pp. 241,

242.

Hieronymus (a Christian
346),Simon Magus applied
to himself these words : "lam
the Word
(or
Logos) of God ; I am the Beautiful,I the Advocate, I the Omnipotent ; I am
all things
8

According

Father, born

a.

to
d.

plied
ap-

who
Martyr,

who
"Lactantius,speakingof certain philosophers
'

commonly

says that these magicians

exist stillafter
that the souls of men

Justin
"

to open
view,
fit,all which is

have
done

held that the soul

declared

such

it,he would

an

have

perished
opinion,in the
confuted

"

them

that belong to God."

of the
Son
(See
Man," p. 67.)
" See
Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. ii.p. 316,and
Middleton's
Free Inquiry,p. 62.
4 Eusebius
: Ecc
Hist.,lib. 3, ch. xir.
" Middleton's
Works, vi"l. i. p. 54.
.

MIRACLES

THE

CHRIST

OF

267

JESUS.

dering
the spot,by sensible experiments
; bycalling
up soulsfrom Hie dead, and renevente."1
and
them
them visibleto human
speak and foretell
making
future
eyes,

upon

Bishopof Antioch,who was

Theophilus,
clare
dewent
so far as to
contemporary with Irenseus (a.d. 177-202),
the old poets and prophets
who inspired
evil spirits
that it was
Christian Father

The

of Greece and Rome.

"

He

at this

day, are
seducing spiritsconfess
the Gentile poets."2

devils,even

Even

exorcised

sometimes

themselves

those who

because

truth of this is manifestly

shown;

The

the

says

by

in the

us

of God;

demons

to be the same

possessedby

are

name

who

and

before

spired
in-

conjurors
foreign
century after Christianity,

in the second

Lucian
the Greeks.
exhibit miracles among
"
"
barbarians
of one of these foreign
as he calls

to
professing

were

an
gives

them8

account

and

"

"

savs

1/

11

1 believed

do when

saw

him

was

in

overcome

carried

spiteof

my
the air in

for what
resistance,
and
daylight,

through
slowlythrough the

and
passingleisurely

water,4and

He

and

that this

further tells us

walking

the

on

fire?"6

barbarian
foreign

"

I to

was

"

able to

was

raise the dead to life.6

partof the second century,says

on

duringthe latter

this subject
:

and countries,
do not deny that in several places,
cities,
(Christians)
i.e., heathen
of idols,"
works performedin the name
extraordinary

"We
there

flourished

Father who

a Christian
Athenagoras,

some

are

gods.1

thingsamong the Jews before

and duringthe time of Christ Jesus. Casting
out devils was
an
confirm
and miracles frequently
occurrence,8
happenedto
ever}T-day
puted,
disOne cried out,when his opinion
of Rabbis.
the sayings
was
I" and forthwith the
May this -tree prove that I am right
Miracles

were

not

uncommon

"

tree

torn

was

up

by

the roots,and

Works, vol. i. p. 54.

Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 312, and
Middleton's
Works, vol. i. p. 10.
"
barbarians '
The Egyptians call all men
who do not speak the same
language as theraselves."
(Herodotus,book ii.ch. 158.)
all
the Greeks
meant
barbarians
By
*

Middleton's

"

"

"

'

'

who

were

not

sprung

from

themselves"

all

foreigners." (Henry Cary, translator of Herodotus.)

Chinese call the English,and all forThe
eignersfrom western countries, western barcalled by them
barians ,""the Japanese were
the
eastern barbarians.""
(See Thornton's
History of China, vol. i.)
"

"

The

Jews

long to their
riane.

considered

all who

to be

heathens

race

did not beand

barbar

hurled
The

hundred

Christians

followers

ellsoff. But

consider

of Christ

Jesus

those
to

who

are

be heathens

not

and

barbarians.
The

Mohammedans

consider all others to be

and barbarians.
dogs,infidels,
4

"

And

Jesus went

in the
unto

fourth

watch

them, walking

of the
on

the

night,
sea."

(Matt.xiv. 25.)
"
Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. ii. p. 236. We
have it on the authorityof Strabo that Roman
burning coals,
priestswalked barefoot over
without
receiving the slightestinjury. This
done in the presence of crowds
of people,
was
story.
Pliny also relates the same
"
Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. ii.p. 236.
*
Athenagoras, Apolog. p. 25. Quoted in
Middleton's Works, vol. i. p. 62.
" Geikie
: Life of Christ,vol. ii.p. 610.

268

BIBLE

MYTHS.

opponents declared that

this stream,then,witness for
his

"

tree could prove

!" cried

me

nothing. May

and
Eliezar,

at

it

once

flowed the

opposite
way.1
the Jewish historian,
tellsus
Josephus,

that

King

Solomon

was

of the body
out devils who had taken possession
expertin casting
of mortals.

This

by many Jews throughout

giftwas also possessed
relates that he saw
different ages. He (Josephus)
of his own
one
in the presence of a vast
out devils,
countrymen (Eleazar)
casting
multitude.3
Dr.

ConyersMiddleton

says

that all the Christian Fathers, who

"It is remarkable

lay so great a

allow the same

particular
giftof castingout devils,
power
Saviour's coming."3
and the Gentiles,as well before
as after
our

who
Vespasian,

stress on

both to the Jews

the

signed
years after the time asfor the birth of Christ Jesus,
wonderful miracles,
performed

for the

good

of mankind.

that he cured

us

and

lame

born

was

blind

by

man

"

Vespasianpassedsome
voyage to Italytillthe return

ten

Roman

the
Tacitus,
in

man

the

The words of Tacitus

about

follows

as

months

Alexandria,by

of his

means

tle,
spit-

touch of his foot.

mere

are

informs
historian,

at

of summer,

Alexandria,having
the winds,

when

resolved

to defer'his

blowing in

a regular
pleasantnavigation. During his residence in that
of nature, seemed
to
city,a number of incidents,out of the ordinary course
of mean
favorite of the gods. A man
mark him as the peculiar
condition,born
He presentedhimself
at Alexandria, had lost his sightby a defluxion on his eyes.
before Vespasian,and, falling
prostrateon the ground,imploredthe emperor
for his blindness.
He came, he said,by the admonition
of
to administer a cure
of
the
holds
in
whom
the
the
t
he
god
superstition
Egyptians
Serapis,
highest
would condescend
veneration.
The request was, that the emperor, with his spittle,
man's face and the balls of his eyes.4 Another, who
to moisten the poor
had lost the use of his hand, inspiredby the same
god, begged that he would
In the presence of a prodigiousmultitude,
tread on
the part affested.
and hazarded the
he advanced
with an air of serenity,
all erect with expectation,
hand recovered its functions,and the blind man
saw
experiment. The paralytic
on
the spot,both
the lightof the sun.6
By livingwitnesses,who were
actually
deceit and flattery
confirmed at this hour, when
events
can
are
hope for no

direction,afford

safe

and

...

reward."6

resemblance
striking

The

the account

between

and those attributed to Jesus in the

1
8
8
4

Geikie

"And

men

eyes,

...

to

he looked

up

and

said:

" "

Bethsaida, and

they
unto him, and besought him
bring a blind man
to touch him.
And
he took the blind man
by
the hand
he had spiton his
and when
he cometh

to
Gospels according

and trees,'
(Mark, viii.22-25.)

Life of Christ,vol. i. p. 75.

bk. viii.ch. ii.
Antiqiities,
Middleton's
Works, vol. i. p. 68.
:

Jewish

'I

see

And

his hand

of these miracles,
"

behold
withered.

and he

there
.

was
.

was

man

Then

"

restored."
which

had

said he unto

'
the man,
Stretch forth thine hand ; ' and he
stretched it forth,and it was
restored whole,

like
"

as

the other."

Tacitus

(Matt.xii. 10-13.)
Hist.,lib.iv.x;h. lxxxi.

MIRACLES

THE

copiedfrom
a.
history

works

not known

is that Tacitus

not

was

"

Matthew

"

had

one

and Mark

the
time,8

but that
plagiarist,

the shoulders of the Christian

on

that

been

find that Tacitus wrote

we

that
until after
the

think

to

269

JESUS.

CHRIST

us

when

98,1 and that the

d.

were

lead

Mark, would
the other,but

and

Matthew

OF

narrators'

evidence

certainly

this charge
must

whoever
writers,

his

theymay

fall
have

been.
To

down

come

is
Jesus of

to

of
religion

did
Nazareth,

of Mahomet

gifts
; and

more

claim to

or

saluted

by

wonders.

assured than himself of his miraculous

increase as theyare farther
credulity
They
exploits.
placeof his spiritual

the time and

him ; that he was

gushedfrom his fingers
; that he fed

affirm that trees went

believe

hometans
Ma-

Mahomet, like
aries
but the votperformmiracles,

miracles and

not

of the
religion

their confidence and

from

removed

are

the

earlier times,
even

stones

; that water

forth to meet

hungry,cured the sick,and raised the dead ; that a beam

to him ; that a shoulder
groanedto him ; that a camel complained
mate
informed him of its beingpoisoned
of mutton
; and that both aniand inanimate nature were
equallysubjectto the apostle
described
His dream of a nocturnal journeyis seriously
of God.
the Borak,
transaction. A mysterious
as a real and corporeal
animal,
conveyedhim from the templeof Mecca to that of Jerusalem ; with
his companionGabriel he successively
ascended the seven
heavens,
the
the
of
the
and received and repaid
salutations
patriarchs,
and the angels
mansions.
in their respective
Beyond the
prophets,
alone was
seventh heaven,Mahomet
permittedto proceed
; he
within two bow-shots of the
passedthe veil of unity,
approached
him to the heart,
when his
and felt a cold that pierced
throne,
the

by the hand of God. After a familiar,

he descended to Jerusalem,
mounted
rethoughimportantconversation,
the Borak,returned to Mecca, and performedin the
shoulder

was

touched

nightthe journeyof many thousand years. His

resistlessword split
asunder the orb of the moon, and the obedient
from her station in the sky."
planetstooped
tenth

part of

These and many other wonders,

similar in character to the story
of Jesus sendingthe demons into the swine,
are related of Mahomet

by

his followers.

It is very certain that the

claimed to have taken place
with
also claimed to have taken

are

See Chambers's

Encyclo.,art.
"

"

circumstances

same

which

are

respectto the Christian religion,

in the religions
of Crishna,
Budplace

Tacitus."

See The

Bible of

Bee Gibbon's Borne, vol. i. pp. 539-541.

To-Day, pp. 273,278.

270

BIBLE

MYTHS.

Simon
Bacchus,Apollonius,
dha,Zoroaster,
JEsculapius,
Magus,
"c.
Histories of these persons, with miracles,
circumstances
relics,
of locality,
suitable to them,were
well
authenticated
as common,
as
and
(ifnot better),
to Jesus.
relating

much

as

All the Christian

believed

by the

devotees

as

those

were

the world has yet produced

have not been able to procure any evidence of the miracles recorded
in the Gospels,
half so strong as can be procuredin evidence of
miracles

which
theologians

heathen

heathens and

performedby

gods,both

before

let them
and after the time of Jesus ; and, as theycannot do this,
the one and receive the other.
giveus a reason why we should reject
if theycannot

And

either admit them

confess that we
let them candidly
this,
for theyallstand
them all,
or reject
all,
do

footing.
times of
early
Latins,the gods Castor

must
on

the

same

In the

the Roman

in the
republic,

Pollux

and

with the

war

said to have

appearedon
white horses in the Roman
army, which by their assistancegained
of which,the General Posthumius
a complete
: in memory
victory
vowed and built a templeto these deities; and for a proofof the
in Cicero's time (106 to 43 b. a),
there was shown, we find,
fact,
the marks

of the horses' hoofs

on

are

rock at

where they
Regillum,

firstappeared.1
Now

this

with
miracle,

those which

have

alreadybeen

tioned,
men-

kind which could be mentioned,

many others of the same
if not more
has as authentic an attestation,
so, as any of the
Gospelmiracles. It has,for instance : The decree of a senate to
and

confirm it ; visiblemarks on the spotwhere it was transacted ; and

allthis supported
by the best authors of antiquity,
amongst whom
in
says that there was subsisting
besides a
evident proofsof its reality,

who
of Halicarnassus,
Dionysius,

his time

at

Rome

many
with a solemn
festival,
yearly

in memory
procession,

sacrificeand

of it.3
With

all these evidences in favor of this miracle

it seems
happened,
could

ever

have

to

been

us

so
so

any

that
ridiculous,

simpleas

we

wonder

to believe

believe that Jesus raised Lazarus from the

havingreally
how

it,yet we

there
should

dead,after he had been

our
onlyauthority
beingthat anonymous
days,
not
to St. John,"which was
the
Gospelaccording

in the tomb

four

book known

as

"

Middleton's
Letters from Rome, p. 102.
also,Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 16.
8
of the most
one
Dionysiusof Halicarnassus,
In the
accurate historians of antiquity,
says :
with the Latins, Castor and Pollux apwar
peared visiblyon white horses, and fought
1

See

"

who by their asgained a complete victory. As a perpetualmemorial of it,a temple was erected and
a yearly festival instituted in honor of these
deities." (Prog.Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 323,and
Middleton's
Letters fiom Rome, p. 103.)
on

the side of the Romans,

sistance

MIRACLES

THE

until after

known

a.

OF

Albert

173.

d.

CHBIST

271

JESUS.

Barnes,in

his

"

Lectures

on

of

the Evidences

of the authenticity
of the
Christianity,"
speaking
makes the following
Gospelmiracles,
damagingconfession :

An importantquestion
is,whether there is any strongerevidence in favor of
miracles,than there is in favor of witchcraft,or sorcery, or the re-appearance of
Is not the evidence in favor of these as
the dead, of ghosts,of apparitions
?
adduced
in
of miracles ? Have not these things
that
favor
be
can
strong as any
of universal belief ? In what
been matters
respectis the evidence in favor of
the miracles of the Bible strongerthan that which can
be adduced in favor of
"

witchcraft and sorcery ?

Does it differ in nature and degrees; and if it differs,
is it not in favor of witchcraft and sorcery ?
Has not the evidence in favor of
and
the latter been derived from as competent
reliable witnesses ?
Has it not
been

brought to

us

close

from

those who

scrutinyin

the facts

saw

the

?
alleged

Has

it not been subjected

to cross-examination,
to
justice,
tortures ? Has it not convinced those of highest
those
tomed
accuslegalattainments;
understood
to sift testimony;those who
the true principles
of evidence?
to

Has

not the evidence

in favor
and

subjectedto

not the

Europe

most

and

and sorcery had, what the evidence

had, the advantageof strict judicial
investigation?
evidence should be, before courts of law?
where
trial,
not

judges in

eminent

America

of it committed
stake?

of

courts

in favor of witchcraft

of miracles has

been

Have
of

admitted

great numbers

the most

civilized and

courts
enlightened
the force of such evidence,and on the ground
of innocent persons to the gallowsand to the

that of all the questions

the subject
ever asked on
confess
of miracles,this is
It is rather to be wondered
the most perplexing
to answer.
and the most difficult
at
that it has not been pressedwith more
zeal by those who
of
deny the reality
and that they have placed their objections
other
so
miracles,
on
extensively
grounds."
It was
common
a
adage among the Greeks,"Miracles for

the

fools" and
in the

mans,
proverbobtained among the shrewder RoThe common
:
saying
peoplelike to he deceived
same

"

"

deceived letthem he."

"

declares that miracles are proper onlyto excite

Chrysostom
and vulgar
minds,men ofsense have no occasion for them;"
sluggish
and that "they frequently
untoward
suspicion
along
carry some
with them ;"and Saint Chrysostom,
and TheJerome,Euthemius,
that real miracles had been
ophylact,
prove by several instances,
but heretic,
Christians.1
by those who were not Catholic,
performed
Celsus (anEpicureanphilosopher,
towards the close of the
second century),
the firstwriter who entered the listsagainst
the
in speaking
of the miracles which were
claims of the Christians,
claimed to have been performed
by Jesus,says :
St.

"

His miracles,granted to be true, were

nothingmore

than the

common

works

will perform greaterdeeds in the midst

of those enchanters,
who, for a few oboli,
of
souls
of the Forum, calling
heroes,exhibiting
sumptuous banquets,and
up the
tables covered

jugglersto
1

See

dleton's

be

with
sons

food,which
God; nor

of

Prefatory Discourse
Works, p. 54.

have

no

do
reality.Such things

not prove

these

do Christ's miracles."2

to vol. iii. Mid"

See

Origen: Contra Cuius,bk. 1,ch. lxviii

272

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Ceisus,in

with

common

of the

most

that shunned
as a blind faith,
Christianity
he says :
speakingof the Christians,
"

They

are

will make

He

forever

thee

repeating: Do
"

blessed.

the fact that

at
jeers

examine.

not

is a bad

Wisdom

looked
Grecians,
the light
of reason.

thingin

ignorantmen

upon
In

and thyfaith
Only believe,
is to be prelife;
foolishness
ferred.'"1

allowed to

were

preach,

and the most illiterate

and
fullers,
weavers, tailors,
"
rustic fellows,"
set up to teach strangeparadoxes. They openly
and says that

declared that

"

but the

none

theyworshiped,"and

that

fitdisciples
for the
(were)
ignorant
of their rules was,

one

among us."J
The miracles claimed to have been

is learned

their miracle

magic*and

man

that

the

on

as

"

have

we

wonder-workers
says that the
about to play
tricks at fairs and

appearedin

the circlesof the wiser and

to intrude themselves

seen

above

"

level with all Gentile

same

"

"rambled

care

by the Christians,
performed

considered
be

to
performers

magicians.He

took

let no

God

come

he attributed to

never

among

"

among

the Christians

markets,"that they
better

the

ways
sort,but al-

and
ignorant

cultured.4
un-

diseases by
cure
spirits,
inanimate thingsmove
if they
a
as
uncultured
that they produce in them
were
alive,and so influence some
men,
whatever sightsand sounds they please. But because they do such thingsshall
Or shall we call such thingsthe tricks of
consider them
of God?
the sons
we
and wicked men?"5
pitiable
"The

magicians in Egypt (sayshe),cast

of the dead, make
breath,call up the spirits

He
that

believed that Jesus

is,simplya

evil

like allthese other

was

necromancer,

out

wonder-workers,

and that he learned his

magicalarts
EarlyFathers,

duringthe time of the

Egypt.6All philosophers,
in the same
answered the claims that Jesus performedmiracles,
ceiver
manner.
They even ventured to callhim a magicianand a deand
of the people,"
St. Augustineasserted
says Justin Martyr,7
believed that Jesus had been initiated
that it was generally
in magicalart in Egypt,and that he had written books concerning
magic,one of which was called Magia Jesu Christi."* In the
the chargeis brought
Jesus that
Clementine Recognitions,
against
he did not performhis miracles as a Jewish prophet,
but as a magician,
in

"

"

an

initiateof the heathen

Ceisus,bk. 1, ch. ix.

See

Ibid. bk. iii.cb. xliv.

Ibid.

Ibid. bk.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Dial. Cum.

Origen: Contra

1,ch. lxviii.

Typho. ch. lxix.

temples.9
8

See

"

See

Isis

Unveiled,vol. ii.p. 148.

Baring-Gould'sLost and Hostile Gospels. A knowledge of magic had spread from
Central Asia into Syria, by means
of the returi
of the Jews from Babylon, and had afterwards
extended
widely, through the mixing of nations produced by Alexander's
conquests.

274

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Edward

Gibbon,speakingof the
his familiar style
as follows :

writes in
How

Christians,

supine inattention of the Pagan and philosophic

which were
representedby the hand of Omnipotence,
not to their reason, but to their senses?
During the age of Christ,of his apostles,
the doctrine which
and of their firstdisciples,
they preached was confirmed by
the
The
lame
blind saw, the sick were
innumerable
walked,
prodigies.
healed,
and the laws of nature were
quently
frethe dead were
were
raised,demons
expelled,
But the sages of Greece and
suspendedfor the benefit of the church.
turned aside from the awful spectacle,
Rome
and, pursuingthe ordinaryoccupations
of any alterations in the moral or
of life and study,appeared unconscious
physicalgovernment of the world."1
"

shall

miracles of the

we

the

excuse

world, to those evidences

Middleton,whom

learned Dr.

The

page, after

have

we

quotedon

searching
inquiryinto the miraculous

ing
preced-

powers

of

Christians,
says :

the

these short hints and characters

of the

primitivewonder-workers, as
enemies,
conclude, that the celebrated
fairly
by
may
generallyengrossedand exercised by the primitive
giftsof these ages were
of the laity,
who used to travel about from cityto city,to assist
Christians,chiefly
the ordinarypastors of the church, and preachers of the Gospel,in the conversion
of Pagans, by the extraordinarygiftswith which
supposed to be
they were
the
and
miraculous
works which
indued by the spiritof God,
they pretended
to perform.
fraud in the
have
to suspect that there was
"We
some
original
justreason
o
f
the
a
and
that
wonder-workers, by
dexterity jugglery which
strolling
case;
of the pious Fathers,
art,not heaven, had taughtthem, imposed upon the credulity
would
whose
strong prejudicesand ardent zeal for the interest of Christianity
"

From

friends and

given both

we

seemed to promote so
examination, whatever
is certain and
the
in
case
some
instances,
really
good cause.
still
in
will
more
we
so
all,
probable,when
notorious, and that it was
appear
mony
characters of the several Fathers,on whose testihave considered the particular

dispose them

to embrace,

without

this

That

was

the credit of these wonderful

Again he
the

from

reasons

to be

them

of

the

pious and zealous Fathers,

of

depends."8

pretended miracles

"The
which

says

narratives

primitivechurch
partlyfrom a weak
perhaps

policy,believingsome

useful,were

induced

and

to espouse

all mere

were

fictions,

and
credulity,

partly

true, and knowing all of

to be

propagate, for the support of

righteouscause."3
a Christian
Origen,

words in his

answer

Father of the third

to Celsus

of persons who
and have
wallowed,
formerly
they
"

A vast number

Gibbon's

Rome,

vol. i. p. 588.

who

heathen

had

condition
"t.

The

been

raised from

the

dead,

turning Christian himself

unable
Christian bishop was

on

of

the
upon

to

professedto
emi-

An

the following

have left those horrid debaucheries

challenged his Christian friend

Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, a champion
but one
him
of the Gospel, to show
person
nent

century,uses

give

the Christian

embrace

that

him

vol. i. p.

in which

religion,

Rome,
satisfaction. (See Gibbon's
541, and Middleton's Works, vol. i.

p. 60.)
2 Middleton's

Works, vol. i. pp. 20, 21.

Ibid. p. 62.
The
noted for their frauds.
of falsehoods

and

Christian
Their

deceit.

Fathers

are
writings

are

full

THE

shall receive

MIRACLES

brightand

OF

massive

CHRIST

when

crown

275

JESUS.

this frail and

shoit lifeis ended,

the grounds on which theirfaithis built,nor

though they don't stand to examine
till
have
fair opportunityand capacityto apply
their
conversion
a
defer
they
to rational and

themselves

learned studies.

And

since

adversaries

our

are

tinually
con-

thingson trust,I answer, that we,

making such a stir about our talcing
and
found
who
have
the
see
vast
plainly
advantage that the common
peopledo
and
make
far
the
ber),
frequentlyreap thereby(who
manifestly
up by
greaternumI say, we
who are so well advised of these things,
(the Christian clergy),
do professedly
teach men
to believewithout examination."1

Origenflourished and wrote a. d. 225-235,which shows that at

that early
but
day there was no rational evidence for Christianity,
it was professedly
and men
to believe
these
were
supposed
taught,
examination.
without severe
things"(i.e. the Christian legends)
The primitive
Christians were
for their
reproached
perpetually
have already
as
we
by all their enemies. Celsus,
gross credulity,
seen, declares thac theycared neither to receive nor giveany reason
"

for their faith,

and that it was

usual

sayingwith

and thy faith will

examine,but believe only,
"

affirms

that,

the

sum

save

of all their wisdom

was

them

thee

Do

"

;"and

not

Julian
the

in
comprised

"

single
precept, believe.'
of this,
Arnobius,speaking
says :
'

The

"

lash

Gentiles make
with
credulity

our

it their constant
their facetious

Christian

The

Fathers

business

to

laugh at

method

same

to

jokes."

defended

againstthese

themselves

that theydid nothing

more
by declaring
charges
themselves had always
done ; and reminds them
found the

faith,and

our

useful with

than the heathens

that

theytoo

the uneducated

or

had

common

who were
not at leisure to examine
and whom
people,
things,
they
believe
without
to
reason.'
therefore,
taught
This
without reason
is illustratedin the following
believing
"

"

of

words
reasons

"I

a Christian
Tertullian,

the evidence of

on

find

happily
that the

no

other

fool,than

of God

son

thing? Why!

to

means

by

my

was

but because

Father of the second

as follows :
Christianity

prove

contempt
born:
it is

why
a

myself

to be

maintain

that after

it was

with

and

success,

I maintain
; as, for instance
I not ashamed
of maintainingsuch a

am

shameful

having been buried,he

true, because

impudent

of shame

"

I maintain

thing.

died: well, that is wholly credible because

God

century,who

it is

son

of

monstrouslyabsurd.

and

again
manifestlyimpossible."3
rose

that the

that I take

to

solutely
be ab-

the very books which record the miracles of Jesus,

claimed to performsuch deeds,and Paul declares that the

Accordingto
he

never

greatreason

why

Contra

"

See Middleton's

Israel did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah

Celsme,bk. 1, eh. ix. x.

Works, pp. 62, 63, 64.

On

The

Flesh

of

ch.
Christ,

v.

was

276

BIBLE

"

that

the Jews

He meant
a sign."1
required
onlyproofstheywill admit that any

the

are

is preaching
the truth.

proof,
theywithhold

If

"

at his

Signsand

wonders

is sent

by God and
this palpable,
external

one

have

theycannot

"

Jesus

in ch. iv. 18)makes

century(John,

and contemporaries,
the reproach
:
fellow-countrymen

Unless you see signsand wonders,you do not believe." In connection

with Paul's declaration,
givenabove,these words mightbe
"

The
:
paraphrased
that theynever
was
Listen to the

peopleto
"

their faith."

A writer of the second

aim

MYTHS.

so
:

firstprove his claim by a miracle :

and no sign
adulterous generation
asks for a sign,
did not

came
theypresently
If the kingdom of

of the

one

Messianic

age."

request?

Everyone

What

and
brightness,

in

end

could

is,as you say, close at hand, show

heaven which

in
signs

The

heaven.

blood,the

turned to

precedethe

to

are

produced,
theywould

bitter

of
light

the

stars robbed

be content

themselves

to

an

to believe in him

on

was

of their

; but if

idle

not,

joywhich

disappointment
; and surelyJesus

hardlyexpectthem

sun

!3 If any

to be shown

other fearful signs

were

many

decline to surrender

they must
must

God

the

reasonable than such a

could appear more
knew that the end of the presentage was to

moon

of these could be

one

sign of

by fearful signsin

put out,the

to be

prophetJonas."2 Of
in the least degree
the questioners
satisfy
with
direct
to him
more
a
quest
reagain

the

be heralded

wanted

he must

given it except

least some

at

us

and wonders."
signs
made when told that if he
(Jesus)

replyhe

course, this answer

;

believed in Jesus

never

him do

saw

believe in him

wicked and

shall be

the Jews

why

reason

himsell

his bare word.

Historians have recorded miracles said to have been

performed

persons, but not a word is 6aid by them about the miracles

claimed to have been performed
by Jesus.

by other

Justus of
for
assigned

Now,

about five years after the time

Jewish History.
crucifixion of Jesus,
wrote
a

who
Tiberias,
the

born

was

if the miracles attributed to Christ

in the
had taken place
resurrection,

he could
narrators,

not

have

manner

and
Jesus,

his death

described

by

and

pel
the Gos-

failed to allude to them.

But

tellsus that it contained

no
Photius,Patriarch of Constantinople,
mention of the comingof Christ,
him,
nor
of the events concerning
"

he wrought"
of the prodigies

nor

"

The

miracle-worker

miracle is of
of

to-dayis

a
a

As

Theodore

Parker has

marked
re-

character. The
fluctuating
to-morrow.
matter-of-fact juggler

"

I.

Matt.

See,for example, Joel,ii.10,31 ; ill.15 ;

1. 22,23.
Corinthians,
xii. 29.

most

xxiv. 29, 30 ; Acts, ii.19,20 ;

tions,vL 12,13 ; xvi. 18,et seq.

Matt.

Bevela

MIRACLES

THE

each

Science
locomotive

In
has

the

of

the

time

is

any

culture,

all

"

The

had

of
that

was

all

and

with

and

The

writers

themselves."

to

in

of

to

the

when

in

the

mind

to

of

man,

together

the

Greek
had

the

"

minds

to

length

know

not

the

of

of

dupes

of

what

sort

of

half

various

material,

imposing

their

Jews,

upon

themselves,

impostors

the

the

mythology,

abundance
habit

by

Palestine.
of

up

Roman

and

of

in

done

mixing

an

said

was

been

long-continued

at

were

nature

miracles,

every

India

in

have

with

They
A

Faustus.)

of

of

banished

be

done

been

places,

subdue

Gospels

(Bishop

possibility

Phenician,

become

of

knowledge

the

Gospels

and

time

ago."

in

will

than

greater

belief

have

the

built.

centuries

increased

miracles

necessary.

they

thought

of

master

of legend"

of

names

them

cause

said

Egyptian,

would

others

of

"

writers

was

it

distant

that

Our

"

the

accounts

been
'

of

change

sketches

with

"

Jew

Oort

far

not

region

proper

half

Dr.

been

thirty

The

store.

our

have

Elohim,

277

JESUS.

to

would

undermined

and

What

the

or

words

gradually

their

wonders

new

steam-engine
Tonans,

Jupiter

adds

year

CHRIST

OF

tion.
decep-

own

not

even

agreeing

CHAPTER

CHEIST

OEISHNA

XXVIII.

AND

COMPARED.

JESUS

CHRIST

portionof the
mythological
of Jesus of Nazareth,contained in the books formingthe
history
less than a copy
Canon of the JS"ew Testament,is nothingmore
or
of the mythological
Saviour Crishna,and
histories of the Hindoo
rowed
the Buddhist
Saviour Buddha,1 with a mixture of mythologyborBelieving

from

and

that
affirming,

the Persians and other

the

side with that of Christ

Jesus,the Christian
of Crishna with
history

comparingthe
remarkable
following

the

"

1.

Crishna

born

of
was

Lord

the

by

for

of her
2. A
with

song

the
"In

favored

woman

3. The

this purpose

on

count
ac-

all nature

shall have

of

Crishna

b.

o., that he is

incarnation

by

was

who

this purpose,

for

of

virgin,

chaste

selected

was

2. The

all women,

deified and

declared

with

3. The

nounced
an-

by

the
of

account

on

to

saluted

Lord

Mary!

the

blessed above
hast

for thou

found

the Lord."5
birth

of

in the heavens

self
himVishuu, or Vishnu
in human
form.
Williams'
(See Monier
Hinduism, pp. 102, 103.)
If it be urged that the attribution
to
Crishna of qualitiesor powers
belonging to the
other deities is a mere
device by which
his devotees
ancient
sought to supersede the more
must
be that nothing is done in
gods, the answer
his case
which
has not been done in the case of
almost every other member
of the great company
of the gods, and that the systematic adoption
"

born of

was

Mary,

his star. 6

It is also very evident that the historyof

has a
or that part of it at least which

an

Lord

favor

birth

have

Jesus,we

purity.8
angel of the
"Hail
and
said:
of
exDevaki, claiming:
Mary,
praise
Lord is with you, you are
the delivery of this

religiousaspect" is taken from that of Buddha.

is simply a
Crishna, in the ancient epic poems,
great hero, and it is not until about the fourth
be

called

celebrated

Crishna"

century

that of

her

of Devatas

in the heavens

selected

to exult."4

cause

1. Jesus

chaste

purity."3

chorus

Saviour.

:
parallels

called Devaki, who

virgin,

was

side by
Christs,

the histories of these

chapterfollowing,
compare
In

shall in this and the

we
nations,

Jesus

by

was

nounced
an-

his star.1

proof of the
of
of the materials
flexibility
which
the cumbrous
mythology of the Hindu
thology,
epic poems is composed.'" (Cox : Aryan Myvol. ii. p. 130.) These words apply
very forcibly to the history of Christ Jesus.
He being attributed with qualitiesand powers
belonging to the deities of the heathen is a
device by which
mere
his devotees
sought to
ancient gods.
supersede the more
of this method
looseness

See

See The

Hist.

*
*

is itself conclusive

and

ch. xii.

Gospel of Mary, Apoc, ch. vii.

Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 329.
Mary, Apoc, vii. Luke, i.28-80.
Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii.pp. 317 and 338.
Matt.

ii.2.

[278]

AND

ORISHNA

4. On
"

the

of Crishna's

morn

JESUS

279

COMPARED.

4. "When Jesus

birth,

born, the angels

was

radiate
irof heaven sang with joy,and from the
the quarters of the horizon were
clouds there came
with joy,as if moonlight was
sounds.'
pleasing

diffused

the whole

over

"

earth;"

the

and nymphs of heaven

danced
spirits
and sang," and
the clouds emitted
low pleasingsounds."1
5. Crishna, thoughroyallydescended,
was
actuallyborn in a state the
most
abject and humiliating,
having
been brought into the world in a cave.3
"

"

The birth of Jesus, the King

of Israel,
took place under circumstances
of extreme
and
the place
indigence;
5.

of his

nativity,
accordingto

voice

of the ancients,and

was
travelers,
' '

6.

The

the whole

cave

and
father

countenances

his mother

6. The

born,

was

illuminated,
splendidly

was

the

and

Crishna

moment

of

his

"

there

in

cave."4
Jesus

moment

was

the united
of oriental

born,

was

great lightin the

cave,

that the eyes of Joseph and the midwife

could not bear it.6"

so

emitted rays of

glory."5
"

7.

Soon

after

Crishna's

"

7.

Jesus

spake even when he was

in his cradle,
delivered of him, and while she
and said to his mother:
was
was
weeping over him and lamenting 'Mary, I am Jesus, the Son of God,
his unhappy destiny,
the compassionate that Word which thou didst bring forth
infant assumed
the power
of speech, according to the declaration of the
and soothed and comforted
his afflicted Angel Gabriel unto thee,and my Father
hath sent me for the salvation of the
parent,"7
mother

world.'"8
8. The

divine child

Crishna

"

8. The

was

"

divine

child

Jesus

"

"

was

recognized,and adored by cowherds,

who
prostratedthemselves before the

recognized,and adored by shepherds,

who
prostratedthemselves before the

heaven-born

heaven-born

child.9

9. Crishna

honors, and
sandal-wood
10.

"

was

presented with giftsof

and perfumes.11

Soon

Indian

holy
prophet Nared,
hearing of the fame of the infant
amines
Crishna,pays him a visit at Gokul, exthe

stars, and

declares him

to

Nanda"
from
pay

his

was

born at

foster-father

home, having come

his tax

frankincense

or

"

10.

Now

Bethlehem
wise

when

"

is he

Jews, for

was

to the

away

cityto

yearlytribute,to

the

Joseph
"

from

Jesus

giftsof

was

that is born
have

we

11. Jesus

time when

divine

with

born

in

of Judea, behold,there came

from
the East, saying :

men

Where

received

presented with
and myrrh.n

East and have

be of celestial descent."13
11. Crishna

was

honors, and

after the birth of Crishna,

the

child. 10

9. Jesus

received with divine

come
was

King

his star in the

to

worship him."14

born

at a

his foster-father

home, having come

pay his tax

or

of the

seen

"

time when
was

to the

away

cityto

tribute to the governor.

16

king.

Vishnu Purana, p. 502.

"

Luke, ii.13.

"

See ch. xvi.

Hist.

"
""

See ch.

xv.

Luke, ii.8-10.

11 See Oriental
Religions,
p. 500,and
Hindostan,vol. ii.p. 311. See also, Ancient Faiths,vol. ii.p. 353.

chap. xvi.

ii.2.

ia

Matt.

See ch. xvi.

""

"

Apoc, chs. xii.and xiii.

Protevangelion,
Hist. Hindostan,vol. ii.311.
Infancy,Apoc., ch. i.2, 3.

""

Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 817.

Matt.,ii. 1,2.
Vishnu Purana, bk. v. ch. ill.

"

Hist.

Luke, iL 1-17.

Inman'i

280

BIBLE

MYTHS.

12.

Crishna,althoughborn in a state
most
was
abject and humiliating,
of royaldescent. !
13. Crishna's father was
warned
by
", "heavenly voice,"to "fly with the
child to Gacool,across
the river Jumna,"
the reigningmonarch
as
sought
the

his life.3
14. The

ruler

Crishna

which

informed

of

of

the

birth

the

Jesus, althoughborn in a state

was
abjectand humiliating,
royaldescent.8

the most
of

13. Jesus' father

of the

child,sought to destroyhim.

divine

For this

warned

was

"in

dream"

the young
to "take
child
his mother, and flee into Egypt,"
the reigningmonarch
as
sought his
life.4
a

and

14. The

country in

born, having been

was

12.

which

ruler

Jesus

informed

of

the country in
born, having been

was

of

birth

the

of

the

child,sought to destroyhim.

divine

For this

'
the massacre
in
purpose, he ordered
all his states,of all the children of the

'
all the children
purpose, he ordered
that were
in Bethlehem, and in all the

male

coasts

'

sex, born

during the nightof

the

'

thereof,"to be slain.6

birth of Crishna."6
' '

15.

Mathura

born, where
miracles

at

his

and

Avatar

was

held in the

are

sacred veneration

most

Crishna

extraordinary
performed,and which
this day the place where

were

name

which

his most

continues

15. Matarea,

(pronouncedMattra),

city in

the

was

of any

Egypt, is said
where

the land of Judea.

is

he

have

Jesus resided

from

Hermopolis, in
been the place
during his absence

near

to

reported to

have

At this place

wrought

many

miracles.8

province

in Hindostan."1
16. Crishna
who

was

and

whose

the

precededby Rama,
him,
sought by Kansa,

was

born

short time before

16.
the

Jesus

herald,"who was born a

short time before him, and whose
life
the time he attemptedwas
arch,
sought by Herod, the rulingmon-

life was

ruling monarch, at
to destroythe infant Crishna.9

the

at

time

he

attempted

17.

Crishna,beingbroughtup among
shepherds,wanted the advantageof a
Afterwards,when
a

him

teach

to

the

he went

sciences.

Mathura,

to

time, he

but, in

became

mtterlyto
master

such

astonish

a
a

and

short

very
scholar

perplex

as

his

first the

See ch. xviii.

"

Matt. ii.13.

"

See ch. xviii.

"

Matt. ii.16.

and

when

whip him,

meaning

the

Lord

i. p. 130.

Jesus

explained

of the letters Aleph

which
the
what

where

Savary

Travels in

the

letters,which
had

letters

p. 318.
" Hist.

Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 316.

Elizabeth,hearing that her son John
about to be searched for (by Herod), took
was
him and went up into the mountains, and looked
around
for a place to hide him.
But
"

Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 317. Asiatic

Researches,vol. i. p. 259.
" Introduc. to
Infancy,Apoc. Higgins : Anvol.
ftcalypsis,

of the letter

Egypt,vol. i.p. 126,in Hist. Hindostan,vol. iL

""

Hist.

the

then I will pronounce

Beth,
threatened
the master
to

1 Asiatic
Researches, vol. 1. p. 259. Hist.
Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 310.
3 See the
Genealogies in Matt, and Lake.

me

Aleph, and

tricate
to him the meaning
varietyof the most inBeth ; also
and
questionsin Sanscrit science.11
straightfiguresof
the oblique, and
with

to Zaccheus

sent

was

schoolmaster,who wrote out an bet

alphafor him, and bade him say Aleph.
"Then
Jesus said to him,
the Lord

tained Tell
ob-

tutor, profoundly learned, was

for him

17. Jesus

to

10

destroythe infant Jesus.

preceptor

John

preceded by

was

"divine

Herod
to

ch.

made

search after John, and sent servant*

Zacharias," "c.
xvi.)

(Protevangelion,Apoc.

"

vol. ii.p. 321.

Hist. Hindostan.

282

BIBLE

MYTHS.

tions on

earth ; at sunrise and sunset, saints which

sleptar"se
thousands
of figureswere
mishing of their graves.8
skirseen
in the air; spirits
were
seen

and

out

came

to be

all sides.1

on

25. Crishna

pierced with

was

25. Jesus

an

piercedwith

was

spear

arrow.3
26. Crishna
shot

him:

favor,

said to the hunter

to

gods."5
27. Crishna

26. Jesus said to

who

"Go, hunter, through my

heaven, the abode of the

who

27. Jesus descended

descended into hell.'

rose

heaven, and

heaven, and

witnessed

his ascent.11
30.

is to

again

come

earth in the latter days. He

mortals

a white
riding

the

and

sun

the earth

as

horse.

At his
will be

moon

31. Crishna
dead

warrior,

into hell.8

being put

to

death,

the dead.10

Jesus

ascended

many

is to be

Crishna

is the

thingsvisible

and

universe

into

came

the

stars

is

latter

the

bodily

into

witnessed

persons

white
and

judge of

warrior,

horse. At his

approach,

an

moon

31. Jesus is to be

judge of

the dead

16

day.

32. Jesus is the creator of all things

of all

"all this
invisible;
beingthrough him,

will appear

armed

as

the firmament.

at the last
creator

He

earth

will be darkened,
will tremble, and the stars

the earth

the

againon

come

days.

mortals

among

fallfrom

the eternal maker."17

33. Crishna

30. Jesus is to
in

approach ridinga
darkened, the sun

at the last day.16

32.

againfrom
29.

on

will appear

armed

an

will tremble, and

the firmament. 13

fall from

28. Jesus, after

his ascent.12

Crishna

among

VerilyI say unto thee,this day shalt

thou be with me in paradise."6

Crishna, after being put to

death, rose again from the dead.9
29. Crishna
ascended
bodily into
persons

him

"

28.

many

of the malefactors

one

crucified with

was

visible and

"all this universe

invisible;
being through him, the

into

came

eternal maker."18

Omega,

33. Jesus

maimed, the deaf and the blind,every-

the maimed,

Alpha

and

is

Alpha

and

Omega, the
beginning,the middle, and the
beginning,the middle, and the end of
end of all things."19
all things.20
34. Crishna,when on earth,was
in
34. Jesus, when
in
on
earth, was
strife againstthe evil spirit.21constant strife againstthe evil spirit.22
constant
He surmounts
extraordinarydangers, He surmounts
extraordinarydangers,
his way
strews
with miracles,raising strews his way
with miracles,raising
the dead, healingthe sick,restoring
the
the dead, healing the sick, restoring
"the

1
9
8

Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 71.

Matt. xxii. Luke, xxviii.
See ch.

*"

xx.

John,

See Vishnu

xix. 34.

"

Luke, xxiii. 43.

See

ch. xxii.

See

Ibid.

See

ch. xxiii.

deaf

and

the blind,

John, i. 3. I. Cor. viii.6. Eph. iii.9.

See Geeta, lee. x. p. 85.
Rev. i. 8, 11 ; xxii. 13 ; xxi. 6.
He is described as a superhuman

organ

of

the superhuman organ of

light,to whom
darkness,the evil serpent, was
opposed. He
is represented
pent,"
bruisingthe head of the serand standing upon
him.
tions
(See illustra"

in vol. i. Asiatic

Matt, xxviii.

11

See ch. xxiii.

19

See

19

See ch, xxiv.

14

See passages
Sec Oriental

18

91

Purana, p. 612.

10

"
19

the

Acts, i. 9-11.
quoted in ch. xxiv.
Religions,p. 504.

""

Matt. xxiv. 31.

"

See ch. xxvi.

Rom.

xiv. 10.

Researches

vol. ii.

Higgins' Anacalypsis ; Calmet's Fragments,

and other works illustrating
Hindoo Mythology.)
92
Jesus, " the Sun of Righteousness," is
also described as a superhuman organ of light,
the old serpent." He is
opposed by Satan,
"

claimed
who

to have

should

"

been

the seed

bruise the head

(Genesis,iii. 15.)

of the

of the

woman

serpent."

CRISHNA

supportingthe

where

AND

weak

JESUS

againstthe

the weak against

everywheresupporting
the strong, the oppressed againstthe
powerful. The people crowded
his

strong,the oppressedagainstthe powerful.

The
and adored

peoplecrowded
him

as

35. Crishna
"

his way,

God. l

had

disciple

Arjuna3
before
transfigured

was

disciple
Arjuna.

with

thousand

so
dazzlingluster,

of the universe
person

35.
"

36. Crishna
his

"All in

suns,

beheld

him

had

as

in the

one

disciple

John*
36. And

after six

days,Jesus

up into

light.

taketh

his brother,and
high mountain

transfiguredbefore

was

And

them.
sun, and

at this vision,

God.9

beloved

instant, Peter,James, and John

an

of Gods."5

Arjuna bows his head

and folding his hands

Jesus

blazing with
bringeththem
he the glories apart, and

collected

of the God

and adored

way

beloved

283

COMPARED.

his face did

his raiment

shine
white

was

as
as

the
the

While

he yet spake,
behold, a bright cloud overshadowed
says:
them, and behold, a voice out of the
Now
that I see thee as thou really cloud, which said: "c."
"And
when
art, I thrillwith terror ! Mercy ! Lord
the disciples
heard it,they fell on their
of Lords, once
more
displayto me thy faces,and were sore afraid."7
of the
human
thou
habitation
form,
.

in reverence,

"

universe."6
37. Crishna

was

"the

meekest

and

37. Jesus

was

the meekest

and

best

beings.""He preached
tempered of beings. He preachedvery
and
sublimely." nobly indeed,and sublimely. He was
very nobly indeed,
in
"He
scended
condewas
reality,"8pure and chaste, and he even
pure and chaste
to wash the feet of his disciples,
and, as a lesson of humility, he even
10
he taughta lesson of humility.
condescended
the feet of the
to wash
towhom
Brahmins."9
38. Jesus is the very Supreme Jehovah,
is the very Supreme
38. "Crishna
though it be a mystery how the
the form of a
Brahma, though it be a mystery how
Supreme should assume
the form
the Supreme should assume
for
Great is the mystery of
man,
best

temperedof

' '

"

of

Godliness."13

man."11

39. Crishna is the second

the Hindoo

person in

13

39. Jesus

See ch. xxvii.

and,

According to the New Testament.

See Bhagavat Geeta.
John, xiii.23.
Williams' Hinduism, p. 215.

needed

"
6

"Christ's

love for his church."

iii.46,and
See Indian Antiquities,
Researches,vol. i. p. 273.
II
"
18

so

speak, human

for the

mass

of the

7 Matt. xrii. 1-6.

Ibid. p. 216.
"
and
in reality,''''
though was
alchaste
found in the second
He was
member
of the Tripure
mutri. It was as Vishnu that the Supreme Being
sporting amorously,
represented as

*"

Trinity.

"

to the pure Vaishnava

love for the Gopis,and

mean

in

god than Siva was

people" a god who
could satisfy the yearnings of the human
heart for religionof faith (bhakti) a god
who could sympathize with, and
condescend
to human
wants
and necessities. Such a god

According
youth, with cowherdesses.
however, Crishna's
faith,
for his favorite
especially
ly, as
Radha, is to be explained allegorical
soul for
symbolizingthe longing of the human
duism,
the Supreme.
(Prof.Monier Williams : Hinthe
amorous
Just
as
"Song
of
144.)
p.
and
to
is said to be allegorical,
Solomon"
when

to

person

14

the Christian

Trinity.

is the second

Asiatic

John, xiii.
Vishnu Purana, p. 492,note 3.
I. Timothy, iii.16.
Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. Crishna

Vishnu in human

form.

"

more

was

supposed to exhibit his sympathy with

and his love for the human
race.
trials,
"If Siva is the great god of the Hindu

human

Pantheon, to whom

is due

adoration

from

all

Vishnu is certainlyits most

indiscriminately,
popular deity. He is the god selected by far
the
their
of individuals as
greater number
Saviour, protector and friend, who rescues
of evil,interests himself
them
from the power
admits them
in their welfare,and finally
to his heaven.

But it is not

so

much

Vishnu

person as Vishnu in his incarnations,

that effects all this for his votaries." (Prof.
Monier Williams : Hinduism, p. 100.)
in his

is

personal,

14

own

Father, Son, and

the Soa

in human

form.

Holy Ghost.

Jesus la

284

BIBLE

said:

40. Crishna

by deep
and
possessions

himse'f

to

his hopes, betake

spot,and fix

secluded

some

his heart and

thoughts
said:

"Whate'er

doest

as

act of

an

holy
Arjuna.
ning
begin-

presence, do all as if to me, 0

I am
the great Sage, without
;

and

the Ruler

am

thou, when

is in secret."2

drink,
ye
do all to the gloryof God
eat, or

or

Ruler

and

therefore

whatsoever

sacrifice, great Sage, without

offerest in

thou
thou

"But

41. Jesus said :" Whether

perform, whate'er thou eatest,

thou
givest to the poor,

whate'er

thy Father, which

thou

whate'er
whate'er

40. Jesus said:

thou prayest,enter into thy closet,

and
when then hast shut thy door, pray to

alone. j

God

on

41. Crishna
dost

if seeking

abandon
abstraction,

God

his

Let him

"

MYTHS

"4

who

ye do,
is the

beginning;

the

the All-sustainer.

the AU-

sustainer."3
said

42. Crishna
of the whole

"I

universe ;

the

am

through

43. "Of

cause

itis

me

created and dissolved;on me all things

within it hang and suspend,like pearls

string."5
upon
43. Crishna said:

unto

him,

were

made
not

was

him, and throughhim, and

all things." "All

are

things

by him ; and without him

anythingmade that was made. "6

in the Sun

43. "Then
spoke Jesus againunto
light
:
Moon, far, far beyond them, saying I am the lightof the
I am
in
the brilliancy
world; he that followeth me shall not

and

the darkness.

"I

the

am

flame,the radiance in allthat's radiant, walk

and the

lightof

44. Crishna
er

lights."7

said :

I am

"

its way

and

44. "Jesus

the sustain-

of the world, its friend and

am

in darkness, but
life."8

shall have

the

lightof
Lord. I

refuge."9

said unto

them, I

am

the way, the truth,and the life. No

cometh
unto
the Father,but by
man
me."10

said

45. Crishna
of

the

good;

"

45.

the Goodness

am

Beginning,

am

Middle, End, Eternal Time, the Birth,

the Death

and

"I

the

said:

"Then

be

46. Jesus said: "Be

not

thy

sins be

son,

give

faith in me,

cityhad

adore

jointhyselfin

thus shalt thou

come

shalt thou
need

the lustre

to

and

worship

meditation
to me,

rise to

neither

abode, where
hath

the

hell

last;

and

of

death."12

sorrowful, from all thy sins I will

deliver thee. Think thou on me, have

thus

keys

of

of all."11

40. Crishna

and

the first and

am

have

my

sun

Arjuna

thine

me

no

good cheer;

heart."16

Williams1

Matt. vi. 6.

"

Williams'

"

I. Cor.

Williams1

x.

The

need of the sun, neither of

to shine in it ; for the

the moon,
it."1*
of God did lighten

nor

glory

moon

that all

is mine."13

from the

Many other remarkable passages mightbe adduced

the following
of which may be noted :IT
Bhagavad-gita,
a

"My
"

supreme

shine,for know

they possess

me,

to me

of

forgiven thee."14

Hinduism, p. 21 1.

"

Hinduism, p. 212.
31.

Hinduism, p. 213.

"John, i. 3.
T

Williams'

"

John, viii.12.

"

Williams' Hinduism,p. 213.

Hinduism,p.

""

213.

John, xiv. 6.
Williams' Hinduism, p. 213.

""

Rev. i. 17, 18.

i"

Williams'

"

Matt. ix. 2.

Hinduism, p. 214.

16

Prov. xxiii. 26.

""

Eev. xxi. 23.

"

Quoted from

217-219.

Williams1

Hinduism

AND

CRISHNA

"He

brought his

has

who

JESUS

under

members

thinkingin his heart of sensual

minds

285

COMPARED.

but sits with foolish

subjection,
is
called
a
things,
hypocrite."
(Compare

Matt. v. 28.)
"

Many

are

births that

my

the establishment

"For

past ; many

are

them

all,but thou knowest

them

of

are

thine too, O

Arjuna.

(Comp. John, viii. 14.)

I born from
am
righteousness

I know

not."

; I. John, iii.3.)
wise than all
the
to

time

to

time."

(Comp. John, xviii.37

"I

am

dearer

and
possessions,

is dearer to me."

he

(Comp. Luke, xiv. 33 ; John, xiv. 21.)

"The
ignorant,the unbeliever,and he of a doubtingmind perishutterly."
xvi. 16.)
Mark,
(Comp.
"Deluded men
despiseme when I take human form." (Comp. John, i. 10.)
"

"

Crishna had the titlesof

"

Saviour,"Redeemer," Preserver,"

tion
Comforter," Mediator,""c. He was called The Resurrecand the Life," The Lord of Lords," The Great God," The
"c.
All of which are titles
Holy One," The Good Shepherd,"
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

to
applied

Christ Jesus.

in
disinterestedness,
humanity,good faith,
Justice,
compassion,
said1 to have been taughtby Crishna,
both
allthe virtues,
are
fact,

by preceptand example.
who found the worship
of
The Christian missionary
Georgius,
consoles himself bysaying
That which
the crucifiedGod in India,
:
"

P. Cassianus Maceratentis had

I find
before,

me

to have been

French

De Guignes,
a most
by the living
i.
that
is
the
of
Crishna
learned man
corrupted
e.,
;
very name
ment,
Christ the Saviour."a Many others have since made a similar statefor them,the name
Crishna has nothing
but unfortunately
Christ the Saviour."
It is a purely
Sanscrit
whatever to do with
the black god"% The word
the dark god or
word, and means
have already
Christ (whichis not a name, but a title),
as we
seen, is
observed

more

in
fully

told

"

"

"

Greek

fact

word,and

"

means

the

"

or
Anointed,"

"

the Messiah."

The

of Christ Crishna is older than that of Christ

is,the history

Jesus.
Statues of Crishna

are

to be found in the very oldest cave

ples
tem-

the
on
India,and it has been satisfactorily
throughout
proved,
of a passage of Arrian,that the worshipof Crishna was
authority
in the time of Alexander the Great at what stillremains
practiced
of the most famous templesof India,
the templeof Mathura,
one
the Jumna
which shows that he was considered a god at.
on
river,4
)*
1

It is said in the Hindoo

Crishr.a

sacred books

that

was
a religious
teacher,but,as we have
previously remarked, this is a later addition
to his legendaryhistory. In the ancient epic
he is simply a great hero and warrior.
poems
The portionpertainingto his religious
career,
is evidentlya copy of the historyof Buddha.
s " Est
Crishna (quod u t mini pridem indi-

Maceratentis,sic nunc
uberius in GaUiis observatum
intelligoavivo
litteratissimo De Guignes) nomen
ip6um corruptum Christi Servatoris."
8 See
Williams'
Hinduism, and Maurice :
Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii.p. 269.
* See Celtic Druids,
pp. 256,257.

caverat

P. Cassianns

286

Williams,he

was

Rev. J. P.
If

"

we

Hindu

may

to Prof.
seen
that,
already
according
about the fourth centuryb. c.
deified

have

We

that time.1

"

Lundy

believe

so

Pantheon," and

generaloutline of his
and
very certain things,

hundred
and

says

Moniei

Moor (authorof Moor's

authorityas Edward
both
of Crishna,and
the
name
Fragments "),
the
birth
of
our
were
Saviour,
long anterior to
history,
probablyextended to the time of Homer, nearlynine

good

an

Oriental

"

the
as

MYTHS.

BIBLE

years before Christ,or

more

than

hundred

years

before

Isaiah lived

prophesied."2
In the Sanscrit

than two

Dictionary,
compiledmore

thousand

years ago, we have the whole storyof Crishna,the incarnate deity,

and miraculously
born of a virgin,
escapingin his infancyfrom
'

monarch of the country.

Kansa,the reigning
known as one
The Rev. J. B. S. Carwithen,
Lecturers,"
says :
"

Both

the

name

and the

of Crishna

to the birth of

our

Saviour; and

generaloutline
this

we

know,

of the

"

Brampton

of his story are long anterior

the presumed antiquity
on

not

oft7ieHindoo records alone. Both Arrian and Strabo assert that the god
Crishna was
worshiped at Mathura, on the river Jumna, where he is
anciently
worshiped at this day. But the emblems and attributes essential to this deityare
also transplanted
into the mythology of the West."4
On the walls of the most

ancient Hindoo

are
sculptured
temples,

and the infant Saviour

of the nightof Yasudeva
representations
The story
him.
from King Kansa,who soughtto destroy
Crishna,
of an immense
infants isalso the subject
of the slaughtered
ture
sculpwith
A
drawn
of
in the cave
a
temple Elephanta. person
infant
surrounded
sword is represented
by slaughtered
boys,while
for their children. The date of
and women
are
men
supplicating
islost in the most remote antiquity.6
this sculpture
and every
and that of Ellora,
The flat
roofoithis cavern-temple,
other circumstance connected with them,prove that their origin
can
must be referred to a very remote
epoch. The ancient temples
such as those
modern ones
from the more
be distinguished
easily
while
of Solsette by the shapeof the roof. The ancient are flat,
"

"

the
"

more

"

modern

are

arched."

Alexander the Great made

to the banks

of the Indus

about

his

expedition

327

b.

o., and

(Patna),during a long sojourn in that citycolinformation, of which Strabo,

Pliny,Arrian, and others availed themselves."
(Williams1Hinduism, p. 4.)
a Monumental
Christianity,
p. 151. See also,
lected further

the first trustworthy

by Europeans concerning the north-westerlyportionof India and the
the
which
Asiatic Researches, i. 273.
region of the five rivers,down
* See Asiatic
in 6hips by
conducted
Grecian
Researches,vol. i. pp. 259-273,
troops were
*
Christianity,
Nearchus.
pp.
Quoted in Monumental
Megasthenes, who was the embassador of Seleukos Nikator (Alexander'ssucces151, 152.
6 See
the whole
ruler over
chapter xviii.
region between
sor, and
" See Prichard's
the Euphrates and Indus,b. c. 312),at the court
EgyptianMythology,p. 112.
in Pataliputra
of Candra-gupa (Sandrokottus),
to

this invasion

information

is due

obtained

mary sentiments akin

not written until about the firstor
contains

which
Bhagavadgita,

The

287

COMPARED.

JESUS

AND

CRISIINA

so

and which was

Christianity,
tempt
and atChristiwi scholars to believe,
has led many
second century,1
from the New
tament,
Testo prove, that theyhave been borrowed
untenable.
for them, their premises
but unfortunately
are
on
Prof. Monier Williams,the accepted
Hindooism,and a
authority
for PromotingChristian
for the Society
Christian,
writing
thorougli
to

"

Knowledge,"knowingthat he could not very well

in speaking
of the Bhagavad-gita,
this subject
says :
"

To

has followed

who

one

any

in

theorywhich
to the New

and

firsttwo
if we

tracingthe outline of this remarkable

it offers to passages
parallels

numerous

Testament,

derived

that he

or

Christianity.Surelyit will

propagaters of
contact

the

it may seem
Scriptures,
strange that I hesitate to
explainsthese coincidences by supposingthat the

Sacred

our

in

me

and has noted

philosophical
dialogue,

some

centuries of

that the

had

writingsand sayingsof

those

great Roman

cess
ac-

the first

of
probability
o
f
the
religion

Gentile systems and the Christian

must
have been greaterin Italythan in India.

era

our

to any

concur

author

of his ideas from

be conceded

interaction between

take the

overlook

Yet,

Seneca,
philosophers,

and Marcus
Aurelius,we shall find them full of resemblances to passEpictetus,
ages
in our
while their appears to be no ground whatever for supScriptures,
posing
that these eminent Pagan writers and thinkers derived any of their ideas
from

either Jewish

Christian

or

sources.

fact,the Rev. F. W.

In

Farrar, in his

clearlyshown that 'to

faded
whether
kindled
the
at
its
Gospel light,
taper
say that Pagan morality
and made a boast of
that it dissembled the obligation
or
furtively
unconsciously,
assertion wholly
an
the splendor,
if it were
her own, is to make
as
originally
untenable.'
He pointsout that the attempts of the Christian Fathers to make out
AtticizingMoses,' Aristote a
Pythagorasa debtor to Hebraic wisdom, Plato an
picker-upof ethics from a Jew, Seneca a correspondentof St. Paul, were due in
in some
of perfecthonesty in controversial
cases
to a want
to ignorance,
some
dealing.'2
to the Bhagavad-gita,
conclusive ifapplied
the
"His arguments would be even more
author of whic^t was
probablycontemporaneous with Seneca.3 It must, indeed,
from the mists of panbe admitted that the flames of true lightwhich
emerge
theism
must
in the writingsof Indian philosophers,
spring from the same source
whether
there
of lightas the Gospel itself ; but it may reasonablybe questioned
and valuable work
interesting

'Seekers

after God,' has

'

'

could have

of the Hindoo

been any actual contact

1 In
speaking of the antiquity of the
Bhagavad-gita, Prof. Monier Williams says :
The
and
author was
probably a Brahman
nominally a Vishnava, but reallya philosopher
"

whose

mind

our

in

broad

and compreto have lived

supposed
during the first and second

in India
of

cast

was

tensive mould.

era.

He

Some

is

century

consider that he lived

the third century, and 6ome

but with these I cannot
later,

as

as

late

place him even

agree" (Indian

Wisdom, p. 137.)
a

In order that the resemblances

in the writingsof
Scripture
"lay

be

Roman

compared, Prof. Williams

to Christian

philosophers
refers the

withsystems with Christianity

to "Seekers
after God," by the Rev.
Beautiful
Farrar, and Dr. Ramage's
to ba
are
sentiments
same
The
Thoughts."
found
in Manu, which, says Prof. Williams,
few will place later than the fifth century
centuries
B.C." The Mahabhrata, written many
numerous
b. c, contains
parallelsto New Testament sayings. (See our chapter on " Paganism in Christianity.")
8
Seneca, the celebrated Roman
philosopher,
at Corduba, in Spain, a few years
born
was
a child,
he was brought by his father
When
b.c.
he was
to Rome, where
initiated1b the study
of eloquence.

reader
P. W.

"

"

288

MYTHS.

BIBLE

out

result
satisfactory

a more

and
pantheistic

in the modification of

tian
anti-Chris-

ideas."1

Again he

says:

changed
cept
during the past eighteen centuries,the Hindu has not done so, exreligions
force
of
the
in
converted
certain
arms
number
Islam
a
by
very partially.
eighth and following centuries,and Christian truth is at last slowlycreeping
inherent energy in the nineteenth ; but
onwards and winning its way by its own
have
the religious
customs, and habits of thoughtof the Hindus generally,
creeds,rites,
c."2
hundred
b.
little
s
ince
the
altered
years
days of Manu, five
It should

"

not be

nations of

that althoughthe
forgotten

Europe

have

their

These

words

Geo. W.

are

Cox, in

are
therefore,

conclusive ; comments,
his

on
speaking
Aryan Mythology,"

"

sary.
unneces-

this subject

says

around the name

of Crishna
myths have been crystallized
the earliest vedic literature came
in ages subsequent to the period during which
into existence;but the myths themselves are found in this older literature associated
There is no more
with other gods, and
room
not
ring
for inferalways only in germ.
foreigninfluencein the growthof any of these myths than, as Bunsen rightly
in the earlier epicalliterature of
there is room
insists,
for tracingChristian influence
of
Crishna seems
to have been fully
the myths
the Teutonic tribes. Practically
developed in the days of Megasthenes (fourthcentury b. c.)who identifies him
It is true that these

"

Hercules."3

the Greek

with

It should

others have

and

Parkhurst

remembered,

be

in connection

with

Hercules

considered

this,that

Dr.

type of Christ

Jesus.
In the ancient
"I

is made

Vishnu, Brahma, Indra,and

am

things,the
While

epicsCrishna

live in

as
righteousness,

These

and

creator

all men

source

almost

are

the

identical with

Buranas, althoughof
the

"

Indian

sentiments

of matter

in the

Cox

"

Ibid. p. 131.

is associated

or

Bhagavad-gitaand

of Prof.

to

that : the
Williams,

and the Maha-bharataS

"

Williams'

from

these

nation

"

find in the

less
date,are neverthebe found in the two greatepicpoems

212-220.
Indian

we

modern
comparatively

Similar
Wisdom,
pp. 153, 154.
are
expressed in his Hinduism, pp.

what

Maha-bharata,Yishnu

Crishna,
justas he is
ana, showing,in the words

composed
Ramayana

the destruction of

away."4

identified with
Pur

as

the whole
aggregate of existences.
build up the bulwark
of
the
I,
unfailing,
unrighteousness,

Bhagavad-gita.In
Vishnu

well

as

annihilator of

the

the ages pass

words

the

to say :

Wisdom, p. iv.
Aryan Mythology, toI.il.pp. 137,188.

They

was
were

Ibid.)

Hinduism, pp. 119-110.

sources

that the doctrine

first evolved
written

many

by the
centuries

It

was

of incarBrahman.

b.

c.

(Saa

290

the
the

MYTHS.

BIBLE

regions of the souls,* and entered

body of the VirginMaya, her womb

entered
her

the

body of
assumed

womb

of clear transparent
the appearance
of clear parent
transthe appearance
tiful
Buddha
in which Jesus appeared beauin which
crystal,
peared,crystal,
apbeautiful as a flower.2
as a flower.3

assumed

of

birth

4. The

Buddha

in the heavens
which

heavenlyseat,and
the Virgin Mary,

by

Star."4

It is called the "Messianic

4. The birth of Jesus

nounced
an-

asterim

the horizon.

risingon

seen

was

was
an

in the heavens

by

announced

was

his star,"which

"

the horizon.5

risingon
properly be
seen

called

It

was

might

"Messianic

the

Star."
5. "The
on

son

'

said

Holy

have

to

of the

Virgin Mary,

on

the
accordingto the tradition, whom, according to the tradition,
'
'
'
had descended, was
Ghost
Holy Ghost had descended, was said

whom,

the

Son

5. The

of the Virgin Maya,

born

been

Christmas

on

to have

been

born

Christmas

on

day.'

day."6
light
of celestial de-

6. Demonstrations

dha.
at the birth of Bud-

manifest

were

the

praisesto

sang
and said

and

in heaven

Devas*

The

"Blessed

day,Bodhisatwa
on
earth,to give joy and peace to men
and Devas, to shed lightin the dark
and to givesightto the blind."*
places,
visited by wise
7. "Buddha
was
who recognizedin this marvelous
men
infant allthe characters of the divinity,
and he had scarcely
the day before
seen
he

"

To

hailed God

was

of Gods."11

The

Blessed

7. Jesus

highest,and

will toward

visited

was

recognizedin
he had

he

men

fant
in-

of the

seen
scarcely

hailed God

was

wise

by

on

men."1*

this marvelous

all the characters

and

earth sang

One," saying :

in the

good

earth peace,

and

heaven
"

"

who

celestial delight

manifest at the birth of Jesus.

were

angels in
One,'' praisesto the
is born
Glory to God
earth

of

6. Demonstrations

the

of Gods.

divinity,
day before

12

8. The

infant Buddha
8. The infant Jesus was
was
presented
presented
with giftsof gold, frankincense,and
stances."13
costlyjewelsand precioussubmyrrh.u
Buddha
9. When
Jesus was an infant in hii
was
9. When
an
infant,
cradle, he spoke to his mother, and
justborn, he spoke to his mother, and

with

"

said:

"

am

the greatestamong

men."15

1 "As
a
spiritin the fourth heaven
he
resolves to give up all that glory in order to
he horn in the world tor the purpose
of rescuing
all men
from
their misery and every

future
all

men

vwury

of it : he

consequence
who

are

(Bunsen

left

as

The

it were

vows

to

without

Sa-

"

Buddhist

Jesus, the Son of God."16

am

of the Boddhisattvas

accounts

natal
ante-

proceedings." (Viscount Amberly

Analysis of Relig.Belief,p. 224,note.)
" See
chap. xiii.

deliver

Augel -Messiah,p. 30.)

3 See
King's Gnostics, p. 168,and Hardy's
Manual
of Buddhism, p. 144.
8 See
chap. xii. note 2, page 117.
"
On a painted glass of the sixteenth century,
found
in the church
of Jouy, a little
villagein France, the Virgin is represented
standing, her hands clasped in prayer, and the
naked
attitude
body of the child in the same
her stomach, apparently supappears
upon
posed
to be seen
through the garments and
body of the mother.
M. Drydon
saw
at Lyons
a Salutation painted on
shutters,in which the
two infants (Jesus and John) likewise depicted
on
their mothers' stomachs, were
also saluting
each other. This preciselycorresponds to
:

said

"

Matt. ii.1, 2.

Angel-Messiah, p. x.
"
The
our
chapter on
Birth-Day of Christ Jesus," that this was not
This
lowers
the case.
day was adopted by his follong after his death.
8
Devas, i. e.t angels.
" See
chap. xiv.
""
Luke, ii. 13, 14.
11 See
chap. xv.
"

Bunsen

We

"

"

The

show,

in

"

Matt. ii.1-11.

18

See

"

Matt. ii.11.

15

See

chap. xi.
Hardy's Manual

of

Buddhism, pp. 145,

146.
18

Gospel of Infancy,Apoc, i.3. No sooner

Apollo born than he spoke to his virginmother, declaringthat he should teach to men
was

Buddha

10.

was

His

child."

life

was

by-

advised

was

he

10. Jesus

was

His

who

liable to

child, as

Buddha
worsted

not only in
competitors,

in arithmetic,mathematics,

writing,but

was

attempted
he

destroy

to

the

liable to overthrow

was

prised
school,Jesus suring
Zaccheus, who, turn-

sent

to

his master

studied,he completely

all his

"dangerouschild."
od,2
by King Her-

threatened

11. When

sent to

having ever

was

him.3

school,the young
out
Withsurprisedhis masters.

11. When

life

to

him.

overthrow

threatened

291

COMPARED.

dangerous

"

King Bimbasara, who

destroythe child,as

JESUS

AND

BUDDHA

' '

Joseph,said : Thou hast brought

boy to me to be taught,who is more
to

learned than any master."6

metaphysics,astrology,geometry,
"c.4
12. "When, twelve years old the
is presentedin the temchild Buddha
ple.
He

explainsand

learned

asks

questions
; he excels allthose
into competition
with him."8

who

enter

12. "And
Jerusalem
among
learned
several

entered

13. Buddha
and

rose

occasion forthwith

which

in act of

threw

temple, on

allthe statues

themselves

at his

feet,

worship.8

dha
ancestry of Gotama Budis traced from his father,Sodhodana, through various individuals and
14. "The

all of

races,

royal

of

jSammata, the first monarch

Several of the

world.

of the events

met

are

appear

that

the
the

the councils of his

Cox

and

names

the
some

with in the Pur-

of the Brahmans,
to reconcile one
possible

anas

with

Malta

dignity,to

but

it is not

order of statement

other ; and it would

Buddhist
historians

heavenly father Zeus.

spoke to his mother as soon as he was born,

and, according to Jewish tradition,so did
Moses.
(See Hardy's Manual of Buddhism, p.
145.)
" See Beal
: Hist. Buddha, pp. 103, 104.
a

See Matt. ii.1.

That

he

the

....

twelve years

(thetempleat)
in the temple

doctors

the

and elders, and

Israel, he proposed

of

men

and
questionsof learning,

who
ensigns,

the tops of them

Jesus."9
14. The
from

was

to

While

gave them answers."7

13. "And
as Jesus

was

goingin by

carried the
bowed

also

standards,

down

and

shiped
wor-

ancestry of Jesus is traced

ous
his father,Joseph,through vari-

individuals,nearly all of whom

of royal dignity,to Adam, the

were

of the world.

firstmonarch
the names,
with
met

and

some

reconcile

one

order

Several of

of the events,

in the sacred

the Hebrews, but it is

are

Scripturesof
to
not possible
with

of statement

other; and it would

appear that
the Christian historians have invented
the

(See

Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 22.) Hermes

when

old,they brought him

Confucius, the
was

sage,
6even

he went

of which

was

piety. The

miraculous-born

wonderful

child.

Chinese

the age of
to a public school, the superior
and
person of eminent wisdom
At

facultywith which

Confucius imbibed
the lessons of his master, the ascendency
which he acquired amongst his fellow pupils,

and

the

of his genius and capacity,

superiority
admiration.
He appeared to
and his mother
Messiah, who was
acquire knowledge intuitively,
found it superfluous
to teach him what
heaven
warrior,and who
4 See
of Buddhism
had already engraven
Hardy's Manual
; Bun(See
upon his heart."
sen's Angel-Messiah ; Beal's Hist. Buddha,
Hist. China, vol. i. p. 153.)
Thornton's
6 See
and other works on Buddhism.
Infancy,Apoc, xx. 11, and Luke, ii.
This was
a
common
myth. For instance :
46, 47.
8 See Bunsen's
A Brahman
called Dashthaka, a ""heaven descended
Angel-Messiah,p. 37, and
after his birth,without any
Beal : Hist. Buddha, pp. 67-69.
mortal,''''
T See
human
instruction whatever, was
able thoroughly
Infancy,Apoc, xxi. 1,2, and Luke, ii.
to explain the four Vedas,the collective
41^8.
8 See
Bunsen's
body of the sacred writings of the Hindoos,
Angel-Messiah,p. 87, and
which
were
considered as directly
revealed by
Beal : Hist. Bud. 67-69.
"
Brahma.
(See Beal's Hist. Buddha, p. 48.)
Nicodemus, Apoc., ch. i.20.

is, provided he

the

expected
to be a mighty prince and
to rule his people Israel.
was
was

raised universal

"

292

BIBLE

have

introduced

they may
Sage with all

names,

in addition
heraldry,
divinity."1
15. When
forth

"

invented

invest their
the

Buddha

honors

about

was

of

honors

not forth to

adopt

days

seven

thou

him,

"Go

shalt become

emperor of the world."6

17. Buddha
would
not

give

heed

and

all the

thee

If thou

worship me, I
kingdoms of

18. After

"angels

the

devil had left Jesus,

ministered
unto

him."11

for

19. Jesus

long

fasted

forty days

Saviour,was
recorded

this

20. Jesus

tized,
bapwater-

John

baptizedby

was

incarnation
is recorded

to have

the descent

brought

of that Divine

occasion

one

also the

on

suddenly a

have

been

mountain

flame

of

figured.
trans-

'

brought about, by

that Divine

power

21. On
career

to have

the descent of

upon

the

Virgin

have

occasion

one

is called Pandava,
mount
yellow-whitecolor. It is said that

his

is reported to
"Jesus taketh
transfigured:

been

mountain

during

earth,Jesus

on

in Ceylon, Peter,James, and

scendedand bringeth them
light de-

light. The
or

been

the
dha
Bud-

upon him and encircled the

of his head with a circle of

crown

carnation
the in-

of Jesus is recorded

Mary. 15

toward

earth,Gautama

reported to
When

been

dha
Bud-

VirginMaya. 14

the

end of his life on

is

Gautama

of

in

the river Jordan, at which

time the
God
that
of
was
Spirit
is,not
present ;

"

by

and

nights.
the

at

power upon
21. "On

Get

"

and

came

of God was
baptism the Spirit
present;
that is,not only the highestGod, but
only the highest God, but
also the
Holy Ghost," through whom
"Holy Ghost," through whom

about

the

13

period.
20. Buddha,

the

will

not heed the words

of the Evil One, and said to him:

thee behind me, Satan."9

12

and

ning
"beginfore
appearedbe-

tempt him.5

17. Jesus would

the

air."10

fasted

devil

world.1

Get thee away from me."8

18. After Mara
had left Buddha,
"the skies rained flowers,and delicious

pervaded the

to the

about

was

devil said to Jesus

wilt fall down

"

odors

Jesus

to

16. The

an

of the Evil One, and said to him

19. Buddha

heraldry,in addition
divinity.2

preach,"the

to

life,and
religious

of

15. When

to go

Buddha:

they may
Sage with allthe

attributes of

to tempt him.4

said unto

that

names,

invest their venerated

erated
ven-

Mara3
life,"
adopt a religious

to

16. Mara

words

and introduced

to the attributes of

appeared before him,

in

and

races,

that

MYTHS.

John

apart. And

before them

and

his

up
was

his brother,
into a high

transfigured

face did shine

the sun, and his raiment

the light."16

as

white

as
as

gloryof his person shone forth

power,'that his body was
as
'glorious a bright golden image,'
that he
shone as the brightness
of the
and moon,' that bystandersexsun
pressed
their opinion,that he could
not be
an
a
every-day person,'or
the

with double

'

'

1
9

R.
See

'

Spence Hardy, in Manual

chap. xvii.

of Buddhism.

is the "Author
*"Mara"
of Evil," the
God of the World
of
King of Death," the
Pleasure," "c., i. e., the Devil.
(See Beal :
Hist. Buddha, p. 36.)
"

"

"

Matt.

"

See ch. xix.

"
10
"

iv.

8-19.

Luke, iv. 8.
See ch. xix.
Matt. iv. 11.

13

See ch. xix.

See ch. xix.

**

Matt. iv. 2.

Matt. iv. 1-18.

14

Bunsen

See ch. xix.

"

Matt. iii.13-17.

The

Angel-Messiah,
p.
""

45.

Matt. xvii. 1, 9.

BUDDHA

AND

JESUS

293

COMPARED.

mortal man,' and that his body was

divided into three1 parts,from each of
which

lightissued forth."9
acles
performed great mirand
of
the
mankind,
good

ray of
Buddha

22.

"

for the

him
legendsconcerning

full of the

are

and wonders."3
prodigies
greatest
of
23. By prayers in the name

dha,
Bud-

his followers expect to receive the

rewards of paradise.5
24. When

Buddha

and

died

22. Jesus

performed great miracles

gends
good of mankind, and the lehim
full
of
the
are
concerning
and wonders.*
greatestprodigies
23. By prayers in the name
of Jesus,
for the

his followers
of

expect

paradise.

24. When

was

to receive the rewards

died

Jesus

and

was

rolled
buried, the coveringsof the body unthemselves,and the lid of his

buried, the coveringsof his body were

unrolled from off him, and his tomb

coffin

was

"

opened by supernatural

was

opened by supernatural
powers.'

powers."6
25. Buddha

ascended

celestial regions,
when
earth

on

fulfilled.8

was

26. Buddha

the world

beingto restore
10
happiness.
27. Buddha

dead.

come

judge of

to

dead.

"Let

is

is represented as

all the sins that

in this world
the world

maybe

30. Buddha

deeds, and
the sins you

fall

have

were

on

and

to order

the world

restore

that

before

your good
the world

is

28. Jesus

the

and

Alpha

Omega,

preme
end,15the Su-

beginning

or

Being, the Eternal One. u

iour
29. Jesus is represented
as the Savof mankind, and all sins that are

ing:
say-

me,

judgeof

13

without

mitted
com-

delivered."17

said: "Hide

confess

come

27. Jesus is to be the

the

Alpha and Omega,

without
preme
beginning or end, "the SuBeing,the Eternal One."14

upon the earth

ing
again in the latter days,his mission be26. Jesus is to

to order

"

29. Buddha

on

fulfilled.9

was

happiness.11

is to be

28. Buddha

the

bodily to
his mission

when
celestialregions,
earth

the
upon
earth again in the latter days,his sion
misand

is to

ascended

25. Jesus

the

bodilyto
his mission

in this world

committed

him, that the world may

30. Jesus taught men

good deeds,20and

may fall on
be delivered.18
to hide

their

to confess before the

world the sins they had committed.21

committed."19

garded
re"Buddha, the Angel-Messiah,was
and incarnate
the divinely chosen
as
Vishnu,
would
be one
the vicar of God, and God himself
god and yet three, three gods
messenger,
and yet one.
(See the chapter on the Trinity.) on earth."
(Bunsen : The Angel-Messiah,
p.
3 See
Buns"n's
33. See also,our chap, xxvi.)
Angel-Messiah, p. 45, and
i* Rev. i. 8
Beal : Hist, Buddha, p. 177.
; xxii. 13.
"" John, i. 1.
the
Neo-Platonic
Titus,ii.13. Romans, ix. 6.
Ia?nblichus,
great
mystic,
at one
was
time transfigured. Accordingto
Acts, vii. 59, 60.
17 Miiller : Hist. Sanscrit Literature,
the report of his servants, while in prayer to
p. 80.
18 This is
the gods, his body and clothes were
changed
accordingto Christian dogma :
to a beautiful gold color,but after he ceased
"
Jesus paid it all,
from prayer, his body became
as before. He
All to him is due,
then returned to the societyof his followers.
Nothing,either great or small,
Remains for me to do."
(PrimitiveCulture,i. 136,137.)

This has

evidentlyan

Buddha,

as

an

See

See that recorded

See

"

Bunsen's

7
8

allusion to the Trinity.

incarnation

ch. xxvii.
in Matt. viii.28-34.

ch. xxiii.

Angel-Messiah,p. 49.
See Matt, xxviii. John, xx.
9 See
See chap, xxiii.
Acts, i. 9-12.

See ch. xxiv.

13

See ch.

xxv.

"
18

Matt,

i"

of

See Ibid.

xvi.27;John,

19

Muller

so

"

22.

heed

Religion,
p. 28.
ye do not your alms
of them : otherwise ye

of

that

before men, to be seen

reward
of your
have no
18

"

one

father

which

is in

(Matt.vi. 1.)

heaven."

pray
v.

Science

Take

to

another,and

another,that ye may
16.)

be healed."

Confess
for

(James, v.

your faults

one

294

BIBLE

31. "Buddha

superhuman

described

was

of

organ

to
light,

MYTHS.

as

81. Jesus

whom

described

was

of

organ

as

human
super-

light "the Sun of

the
opposed by
Satan, hinderer,or
"

"2
Righteousness
old
or
Serpent,was
Naga,
Serpent,"the
posed."1
opadversary.3
32. Jesus said: "Think
not that I
32. Buddha
not to destroy,
came,
He delighted
the law.
in
to destroythe law, or the
but to fulfill,
am
come
himself as a, mere
link in
to destroy,
prophets: I am not come
representing
teachers."4
but to fulfill."6
a long chain of enlightened
One day Ananda, the disciple
33. One
33.
day Jesus, after a long
of Buddha, after a long walk
in the
walk, cometh to the cityof Samaria,
with his journey,
and being wearied
country,meets with Matangi,a woman

superhuman organ of darkness,Mara

' *

"

Evil

the

"

' '

of the low caste of the Kand"las,near a

well,and asks her for some water. She
tells him what
she is,and that she
not

must

him.

near

come

But he

plies,
re-

sat on

well.

of Samaria

While

Jesus said unto her

"

said the

Then

there,a
draw

to

came

' '

"
to drink.

giveme

him: How

unto

woman

woman

water, and

My sister,I ask not for thy

thy family,I ask only for a
came
draughtof water.' She afterwards beof Buddha."6
a disciple
tive
34.
Accordingto Buddha, the moof all our actions should be pityor
love for our neighbor."8
35. During the earlypart of his career

isitthat thou, beinga Jew, asketh drink

of Samaria?
of me, which am
a woman

went
to
teacher, "Buddha
the cityof Benares,and there delivered
a discourse,
by which Kondanya, and
induced
afterwards four others,were

career

'

caste

or

For the Jews

34.

"

as

that
disciples.From
he preached,multitudes

his

become

to

period,whenever
of

and

men

embraced

women

his

have

with
dealings

no

the

Samaritans."7
that

Love

"

your enemies, bless them

that
you, do good to them

curse

hate

you."9
35. During

the

cityof Capernaum, and

a

discourse.

It

four fishermen
his

at

was

to the

went

there delivered
this time

induced

were

his

of

early part

teacher,Jesus

as

that

to become

]J
From that period,
ever
whendisciples.
he preached,multitudes of men

and

his doctrines. 12

embraced

women

doctrines."10
of
disciples
must
Buddha
nounce
rewere
they
the world," give up all their
riches,and avow
poverty.13
3G. Those

who

Bunsen

9 "

That

"

cometh

the

into

world."

4
"

had

17.

v.

of Religion,p. 243. See

Angel-Messiah, pp. 47,48, and
Amberly's Analysis,p. 285.
"

Miiller

Science

also,Bunsen's
"

John, iv. 1-11.

Just

the Samaritan

as

Jesus, a Jew, should

wondered

ask

drink

nation

so

approach

monk.

nevertheless,to

And

did not shrink from

And

the

ehould have

despised

the

Matt.

with

v.

were

the

young Matangi
to the order of mendicants.

of Science,p.
Religion

10

Hardy

See Matt.

to Brahmanism

that

249.

44.

11

Eastern

Monachism, p. 6.

iv. 13-25.

ia "And
there followed him greatmultitudes
people." (Matt.iv. 25.)
13
Hardy : Eastern Monachism, pp. 6 and 62

et seq.
While

of her

salvation.

her to

celebrated
"

so
the woman,
this outcast damsel.

"

race,so

Miiller

"

continued,

Jesus

disciples marvelled
conversed

been admitted
"

with

converse

Ananda
as

as

of

adhered

who

to learn

of

the Jews
with whom
this young Matangi warned Ananda
caste,which rendered it unlawful for

renounce

called together
at Rajageiha Buddha
at some
addressed
them
his followers and
her,one of
the means
had no dealings, length on
requisitefor Buddhist

woman

that

of
disciples

theymust

poverty. u

avow

Matt. iv. 1 ; Mark, i.13 ; Luke, iv. 2.

Mtiller : Science of Religion,p. 140.
Matt.

became

the world, giveup all their riches,and

(John,i.9.)
"

who

told that

were

the true

that

man

every

Jesus

householders
Angel-Messiah,pp. x. and 39.
which lighteth scandalized
light,

The

was

36. Those

became

told that

"

this member

of

and

cease

sermon

was

summed

up in the

from all sin,

get virtue,

heart
cleanse one's own
This is the religionof the Buddhas."
"(Rhys David's Buddha, p.

that Jesus

respectableBrahmans

To
To
To

This
verse

""

"

See Matt, viii,19,20 ; xvi.25-28.

62.)

JESUS

AND

BUDDHA

295

COMPARED.

37. It is recorded in the "Sacred

37. It is recorded in the "Sacred
"
titudes Canon " of the Christians that the mulof the Buddhists that the multitudes
"
Buddha
a sign from
requireda signfrom Jesus that
required

Canon

"

"that

theymight

believe."1

Buddha's

38. When

they might

time

seeing
close,he, "forecoming
would
the thingsthat
happen in

about

was

to

Antimes,"said to his disciple

anda:
Ananda, when I am gone, you
not think there is no Buddha; the
must
and the prediscourses I have delivered,
cepts
future

"

Jesus' time

about

coming
things that would
times,4and said
"

to

on

earth

was

close,he told of the

happen

in future

his

unto

disciples:

Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations,

teaching them

observe

to

I have

whatsoever

all

things

commanded

you;

with you alway,even

be my successors, and, lo,I am
the end of the world. "6
and be to you
or representatives,
Buddha."3
I have

as

believe.2

38. When

earth

on

must
enjoined,

Somadeva,is to
give
following: "To

39. "And

39. In the Buddhist

be

found

the

riches is considered the most

away our
difficult virtue in the world; he who

givesaway his riches is like a

gives away his life: for our
seems
to clingto our riches.
his mind

when

who

man

very life
dha,
But Bud-

moved

by
like grass, for the sake
life
of others; why should
think of
we
miserable riches! By this exalted virtue,
pity,
gave

was

his

Buddha, when he was freed from

obtained divine
all desires,and had

knowledge,attained
Therefore

Buddhahood.

unto

let a wise

man,

after he has

turned

away his desires from all

do good to all beings,even

his
sacrificing
may

attain to true

Miiller

"

Hardy

"

:
:

Science
Eastern

Gautama
to his

departure had

If thou wilt be

hast, and

thou

perfect,
go and sell that
give to the poor, and

thou shalt have treasure in heaven:

and

come

for

follow me."'

where

moth

where

thieves break

But

"Lay

yourselvestreasures

lay up

and rust
for

not

up

earth,
doth corrupt,and
upon

through and steal:

yourselvestreasures in

heaven, where neither moth nor

doth corrupt,and where thieves do
break

and

through nor

rust
not

steal."8

ures,
pleasunto

to

was

establish

of Religion,p. 27.
Monachism, p. 230.
ia said

to

have

'

Turned
he

toward

the

40. MFrom

it with

that time Jesus

care

and

attention

began

in all its

foldin
bearingsand particulars. Explain

nounced
an-

disciplesthat the time of his

:
Arise,let us go hence,

my time is come.'
and with folded arms

and

came

knowledge."6
aim

Buddha

come

behold, one

him, Good
Master, what
good thing shall I do, that I may have
eternal life?
Jesus said unto him,
unto

life,that thus he

own

40. Buddha's

said

to
un-

East

the

ning,
beginmiddle, and the end of the law, to
all men
without
exception ; let everything
and
respecting it be made
publicly known
'
brought to the broad daylight.
(Rhys David's
Buddhism, p. 55,56.)
When
Buddha, just before his death, took
the

"

prayed to the highest

spiritwho inhabits the region of purest light,
his last formal farewell of his assembled
to the king in heaven, to
lowers,
folto Maha-Brahma,
he said unto them : " Oh mendicants,
Devaraja,who from his throne looked down on
thoroughly learn, and practice, and perfect,
Gautama, and appeared to him in a self-chosen
and spread abroad
the law thought out and
personality." (Bunsen : The Angel-Messiah.
revealed by me, in order that this religionof
Compare with Matt. xxvi. 36^47.)
3 "Then
isees
mine may
last long, and be perpetuated for
certain of the scribes and Pharthe good and happiness of the great multitudes,
answered, saying, Master, we would see
thee."
tage
out of pityfor the world, to the advana sign from
(Matt.xii. 38.)
4 See
and prosperityof gods and men."
Matt, xxiv ; Mark, viii.31 ; Luke, ix.
(Ibid,
18.
p. 172.)
"
" Miiller
: Science of Religion,
Mark, xxviii. 18-20.
p. 244.
i Matt. xix. 16-21.
Buddha
time said to his disciples
at one
:
"
-'Go ye now,
and preach the most excellent
Matt. vi. 19, 20.
law, expounding every point thereof,and un-

296

MYTHS.

BIBLE

preach,and to say, Repent : for the

Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."2
"I
desire
41. Jesus, after his temptationby
said:
to
41. Buddha
now
ion
the devil,began to establish the dominof the excellent law.*
turn the wheel
and he went for
of his religion,
For this purpose am I going to the city
to the cityof Capernaum.
of Benares,4 to givelightto those enshrouded this purpose
The
and
to open the
in darkness,
peoplewhich sat in darkness saw
and to them which
sat in
great light,
gate of Immortalityto man."6
of death, light
the regionand shadow
is sprung up."6
The law was
42.
the
said: "Though
42. Buddha
givenby Moses,
but grace and truth came
heavens were
to fall to earth,and the
by Jesus
"

"Religious Kingdom," a
of Heaven."1

Kingdom

to

"

"

up and pass
Sumera
to
were

be swallowed

great world

Mount

Though
away:
and
crack to pieces,

be

the great ocean

dried up, yet, Ananda, be assured,the

words of Buddha
are true.'"1
violent

more

than

truth."

could

universe

"Beware

one

two, not

man

I say unto

said:

avoid married

Hist. Buddha,

wise

"A
life

as

if it

Beat

Matt. iv. 17.

"

i. e., to establish the dominion

(See Beal : p. 244, note.)

The

p.

x.

Jerusalem, the Rome,

note.

or

celebrated

Mecca
has

population of 200.000, out of which at least

are
Brahman
s, was
probably one of the
first to acquire a fame for sanctity,
and it has
its reputationas the most
always maintained
displaysitselfin all
the degrding
Here
plentitudeand power.
effect of idolatryis visiblydemonstrated
as
it is
nowhere

else except in the extreme

south of India.
Here, temples,idols,and symbols, sacred

multipliedbeyond

all calculation. Here

believed

of ground is
every particle
to be hallowed, and the very air holy.

number

of temples is at least two

sand,
thoucounting innumerable smaller shrines.
In the principaltemple of Siva,called Visvesnot

spot several thousand

vara, are collected in one
idols and symbols, the whole number
scattered

throughout the city,being,it is thought, at

least half

million.

Benares,indeed,must

44. "It
touch

have

of old time.

commit

the

is

good

woman,"

Hindoo's

heard

adultery:But

her

"

alreadyin

his

for

not

to

man

but if they cannot

Jerusalem.

always be regarded

let down

die within

desire of

The

the

earth ; and if he

upon

can

holy circuit of the Pancakosi

stretchingwith a radius of ten miles around

city" nay, if any human
being die there,
be he Asiatic or European
no
red
previouslyincurguilt,however
heinous, can prevent his

the

"

attainment

Here, in this fortress

its

The

"Ye

heart."11

heaven
the

wells,springs,and pools,are

heaven

pious man's life is to accomplish at least one

of ion.
relig- pilgrimage to what he regards as a portion of

25,000

spot in all India.

of Hindooism, Brahmanism

them

adulterywith

as

city of Benares, which

sacred

by

but my words

looketh
you, that whosoever
to lust after her, hath committed

a woman

man
were

of India.
This

on

said:
said

shalt not

of

Buddha

44.

43. Jesus
that it was
Thou

follow the

and

such

fixingyour eyes
If you find yourselfin
upon women.
their company,
let it be as though you
not
were
present. If you speak with
them, guard well your hearts."10
should

VerilyI say unto you

earth shall pass away,
shall not pass away."9
"

sion
pas-

ness.
voluptuous-

is but

Happily there
passion. If there were
in the whole

is no

said: "There

43. Buddha

Christ."8

"

Beal

"

Matt.

of celestial bliss.
:

Hist.

Buddha, p. 245.

iv. 13-17.

"

Beal : Hist. Buddha, p. 11.

John, i. 17.
" Luke, xxi.
32, 33.
""
Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 228.
"
Matt. v. 27, 28.
On one
occasion Buddha
preached a sermon
the five senses
and the heart (which he
on
regarded as a sixth organ of sense), which
pertained to guarding against the pa"sion of
lust. Rhys Davids, who, in speaking of this
"

sermon,
may
says: "One
at findingsuch a sermon

pause

and

preached

so

wonder

earlyin

than 400 years

historyof the world" more
the rise of Christianity"
and among
a
people who have long been thought peculiarly
idolatrous and sensual."
(Buddhism, p. 60.)
the

before

298

BIBLE

"Well

MYTHS.

authenticated records establish

t'Ae facts,
indisputably

with a noble physique,

superiormental endowments,
together
there were
found in Buddha
and highmoral excellence,
of
a purity
and simple
of character,
of purpose, that commended
life,
sanctity
integrity
themselves to all broughtunder his influence.
Even
that

at this distant

day,one

listen with tearlesseyes to the touching

cannot

and patient
endurance under
details of his pure, earnest life,
for those he sought to
often fierce persecution
contradiction,
benefit.

he
Altogether

to have been

seems

of those remarkable

one

met with,
examples,of geniusand virtue occasionally
unaccountably

the age and nation that producedthem.

to himself
There is no reason
to believe that he ever
arrogated

to
superior

than that of a teacher of religion,

but,as in
any higherauthority
there were
modern factions,
readilyfound among his followers
further than their
carried his peculiartenets much
those who

These,not

founder.

lauding
duringhis life-time the

with

content

exalted him, within a quarterof a

teacher,
their deities worshiping
century after his death,to a placeamong

noble

deeds of their

"

as

God

one

known

theyhad

onlyas

earnest,
simple-hearted,

philanthropist.1
truth-seeking
This

at firstbut the natural

worshipwas

and love Gautama

had

eration
upgushingof the venand
inspired
duringhis noble life,

the desolation his death had

his sorrowing
mourning over
disciples,
turned
occasioned,
Those

who

for consolation to the

had

him

known

theorythat

in life cherished

he stilllived.

his

name

as

the

of all that was

generous and good,and it required
very synonym
ma
but a stepto exalt him to divine honors ; and so it was that GautaBuddha became a God, and continues to be worshipedas such.
For

lowers,
fortyyears Gautama thus dwelt among his folin the sacred law,and laying
down
them daily
instructing
than

more

vailingreligion,under various modifications,

Japan, and
of Tibet, Nepal, Siam, Burma,
South Ceylon ; and in China it has a position
of at least equal prominence with its two
A
great rivals,Confucianism and Taouism.
extended
throughout
influence
its
time
long
nearlythree-fourths of Asia ; from the steppes
of Tartary to the palm groves of Ceylon, and
from

the

Japan."
p# xi.)

vale

of

Cashmere

(R. Spence Hardy

to
:

the

isles of

Buddhist

Leg.

early regarded as
absolutelysinless. His peris declared by the ancient epithet
feet wisdom
'
the Completely Enof Samma-sambuddha,
at
found
the commencement
One
;'
lightened
1

"Gautama

omaiscient, and

was

very

Pali text ; and at the present day,

Ceylon, the usual way in which Gautama
is styledis Sarwajnan-wahanse, the Venerable
his perfectwisdom,
Omniscient
From
One.'
belief,his sinlessness
according to Buddhist
He was
would follow as a matter
of course.
As
the first and the greatestof the Arahats.
a consequence
of this doctrine the belief soon
sprang up that he could not have been, that
are
he was
ordinary men
; that
not, born as
he had no earthly father ; that he descended
of every

in

'

of his
from

own

unmistakable
of his
ness."

accord

into

his

mother's

womb

that he gave
signs,immediately after his birth

his throne

in heaven

; and

high character and of his future great!

(Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 162.)

AND

BUDDHA

guidancewhen

many rules for their

them.1
lived in

He

made
longjourneys

299

COMPARED.

he

should be

longerwith

no

bore uncomplainingl
simpleand unostentatious,
incident to the many
weariness aud privations
of the new
faith ; and per
for the propagation

the
style

the

JESUS

most

countless deeds of love and mercy.

he directed his
for him to be perfected,
the time came
When

formed

but to go out in companies,

longerto remain together,
the doctrines he had taughtthem, found schools and
and proclaim
that they
and performacts of charity,
build temples,
monasteries,
and gainaccess to the blessed shade of Nigban,
might obtain merit,'
which he told them he was
about to enter,and where theybelieve
than two thousand years."
he has now
more
reposed
To the piousBuddhist it seems
irreverent to speakof Gautama

followers

no

'

by

his

human

and
ordinary

mere

and he makes

name,

use

therefore,

dha,
onlyof the Budthe Lion of
One."
Such are /Sakya-sinha,
the Enlightened
"
the Tribe of Sakya;"Sakya-muni, the SakyaSage;"Sugata, the
;"
Happy One ;"Sattha, the Teacher ;" Jina, the Conqueror
fihagavad,the Blessed One ;" Zolca-natha,the Lord of the
World ;" Sarvajna, the Omniscient One ;" Dharma-raja, the
ness,"
;"he is also called the Author of HappiKing of Righteousness
the Possessor of All," the SupremeBeing," the Eternal
"the Guardian of the
of Pain and Trouble,"
One," the Dispeller
of Mercy,"" the Saviour of the World,"
Universe," the Emblem
the God among Gods," the Anointed
the Great Physician,"
"the
"the
or
Christ,""the Messiah,""the Only-Begotten,"
ity,"
Heaven-Descended
Mortal," the Way of Life,and of Immortalof

of those

one

which
epithets

numerous

used

are

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"c.2
At

no

time

did Buddha

receive his

knowledgefrom

human

days by heart. (See Rhys Davids' Buddnism,

9, 10.)
2
and
titles,
Compare this with the names,
He is called the
characters given to Jesus.
First BeDeliverer," (Acts, vii. 35); the
blessed forever"
gotten" (Eev. i. 5); "God
(Luke, iv. 34;
(Rom. ix. 5); the "Holy One"
down
in this manner
handed
for
Acts. iii.14);the "King Everlasting" (Luke,
Vedas were
of Kings"
hundreds
of years, and none
would now
i. 33); "King
(Rev. xvii. 14);
many
"Lord
of
i.
to
God"
of
"Lamb
of
(John,
29,36);
dispute the enormous
powers
memory
Indian
which
(Rev.
priests and monks
attained, Glory (I.Cor. ii.8); "Lord of Lords
not invented,or only
xvii. 14); "Lion
of the tribe of Judah"
written books were
when
(Rev.
and Preserver
of all things"
Even
used as helps to memory.
v. 5); "Maker
though they
well acquainted with writing,the monks
are
(John, i. 3, 10; I. Cor. viii. 6; Col. i. 16);
ix. 6;; "Redeemer,"
books in their religious
Prince of Peace
in Ceylon do not use
(Isai.
"Saviour," "Mediator," "Word," "c, "c.
services,but, repeat, for instance,the whole
on
ef the Patimokkha
Uposatha (Sabbath)
1

Gautama

Buddha

Jeft behind

him

no

writ-

believe that he
works, but the Buddhists
composed works which his immediate disciples
and which
learned by heart in his life-time,
handed down
in their original
were
by memory
committed
to writing.
state until they were
that the
This is not impossible: it is known
ten

pp.

"

"

"

"

"

"

300

BIBLE

Bource, that

lilsdivine

is,from flesh and blood. His

wisdom,the spiritual
power

before
possessed
which

MYTHS.

his incarnation.

is also called the

source

of

he

Maya,which

already

by this divine power,

Holy Ghost,"that he became the Saviour,

"

It

the power of

was

was

the

the Anointed or Messiah,

had
to whom
Kung-teng,
prophecies
of the
pointed.Buddha was regardedas the supernatural
light
world ; and this world to which he came
his
was
"
for he is styled
The Lord of the World."1
:
"

Buddha

Gantama

charity
ought to

be

taughtthat
extended

to

all

men

even
all,

oughtto love truth and hate the lie; that

his possession,

own,

are

brothers3 that

to enemies ; that

goodworks

men

oughtnot

be

but rather in secret ; that the dangers

done openly,
of riches are to
be avoided ; that man's highest
aim oughtto be purity
in thought,
word

and

deed,since the higherbeingsare

pure, whose

nature

is

akin to that of man."3

"

Sakya-Munihealed

his doctrines to the poor.

and even
two women,
the sick

the
He

sick,
performedmiracles

and

taught
selectedhis firstdisciples
men,
among lay-

the mother and wife of his firstconvert,

himself to the
subjected
avoided
authorities,
imposedby the recognized
religious
obligations
and illustratedhis doctrines by his life."4
strife,
It is said that eighty
forth
thousand followers of Buddha went
from

Yasa,became

his followers.

He

missionaries to other lands ; and the traditions

of various countries are full of legendsconcerning
their benevolence,
as
Hindostan,

His

and miraculous power.

holiness,

propagatedby

has never
religion
effected entirely
by

It has been

the sword.

been
fluence
the in-

and persevering
devotees.6 The era of the
peaceable
Siamese is the death of Buddha.
troducti
In Ceylon,
theydate from the inof his religion
to be
into their island. It is supposed
that ever existed. Its
more
extensively
adoptedthan any religion
votaries are computed at four hundred
millions ; more
than one-

of

third of the whole human

There is much
1

Bunsen

"

race.6

contradiction among

: The Angel-Messiah,p. 41.

joined to his giftsas a thinker a prophetic ardor and
missionary zeal which
prompted him to popularizehis doctrine,and
to preach to all without
and
exception, men
high and low, ignorant and learned
women,
alike."
(Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 53.)
1 Bunsen
: The
Angel-Messiah, p. 45.
*
*

He

Ibid. p. 46.
"The
success

writers

in

date

was
sincere,energetic,earnest, eelf-saeriAdherents
ficing,and devout.
gathered in

He

thousands

around

the person of the consistent

himself became
the

preacher,and the Buddha

real centre

of Buddhism."

(Williams'Hindu-

ism, p. 102.)
""It
of
ligion

may

be said to

the world.

at/our hundred
of Buddhism

the
concerning

be the

Its adherents

millions,more

prevailingreare

than

estimated
a

third of

race."
great the human
(Chambers's Encyclo.,art.
the Buddha
part due to the reverence
inspired "Buddhism."
See also,Bum-en's Angel-MesHe practiced
personal character.
by his own
piah,p. 851.)
honestly what he preached enthusiastically.
was

AND

BOT"DHA

801

COMPARED.

JESUS

This confusion arises from the fact that

religion.
there are several Buddhas,1
of worship
objects
; because the word
is not a name, but a title,
ness.
an
signifying
extraordinary
degreeof holiThose who have examined
the subject
most
deeplyhave
that
Buddha
takes
Sakai,from whom the religion
generally
agreed
its name, must
have been a real,
historicalpersonage, who appeared
for the birth of Christ
many centuries before the time assigned
Jesus.3 There are many thingsto confirm this supposition.
In
his religion
of India,
some
portions
appears to have nourished for a
This is shown by
longtime side by side with that of the Brahmans.
the existence of many ancient temples,
of them cut in subterranean
some
with an immensity
which it must
of labor,
have required
rock,
In those old temples,
to accomplish.
his statues
a longperiod
of the Buddhist

representhim with hair knotted all over

his

head,which

was

with the anchorites of Hindostan,

before the
very ancient custom
of shaving
the dead was introduced among their devotees.8
practice
His religion
is also mentioned
of the very ancient epic
in one
of the persecution
indicatesthat their
poems of India. The severity
formidable to the Brahmans,
numbers and influence had became
had

who

to
everything
and allowed
priesthood,

It may

fear from
the

sect which

abolished

holyof all castes to become

hereditary

teachers.4

be observed that in

of the pre-existence
dha
of Budspeaking
his birth of a virgin the songs of the angels
in heaven
at
his birth his recognition
his disputation
with
as a divine child
the doctors his temptation
in the wilderness
his transfiguration
his life of preaching
and workingmiracles and
on the Mount
his ascension into heaven,
referred to Prof. Samuel Beal's
we
finally,
of Buddha," as one
of our
authorities. This work is
History
made by Professor Beal
simplya translation of the Fo-jpen-hing"
"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

from

Chinese copy, in the

"

It should be understood that the Buddha

Indian OfficeLibrary."

of

this

of this
chapter,and in fact,the Buddha
work, is Gautama
Buddha, the Sakya Prince.
According to Buddhist belief there have been
different Buddhas
earth.
The names
on
many
of twenty-four of the Buddhas
who appeared

previous to Gautama

have

been

handed

down

hism

arose

about

in Behar

five centuries

with

and
b.

c.

Eastern
; and

Hindustan

that it

spread

great rapidity,not by f"rceof arms,

or

coercion

of any kind, like Muhammedanism, but

by the sheer persuasivenessof its doctrines."
(Monier Williams' Hinduism, p. 7ft.)
"
Of the high antiquityof Buddhism
there
"

is much
collateral as well as direct evidence"
History of the
Buddhas," gives the lives of all the previous evidence that neither internecine nor foreign
before commencing
Buddhas
the account of
not even
strife,
religious
persecution,has been
able to destroy.
Gautama
Witness
himself. (See Khys Davids' Buddthe gigantic
hism, pp. 179,180.)
imagesin the caves of Elephanta,near Bombay
* *" 1 he
and those of Lingi Sara,in tho interior of
date usually fixed for Buddha's
death is 543 b. o.
Whether this precise year
Java, all of which are known
to have been in
of the greatestepochs in the religious existence at least four centuries prior to our
for one
be accepted is
Lord's advent." (The Mammoth
race
can
historyof the human
Religion.)
4 Bunsen's
certain that Buddbut it is tolerably
Angel-Messiah,p. 250.
doubtful,
to us.

The

Buddhavansa

or

"

303

BIBLE

Now,

in

the

regardto

words of the translator in

MYTHS.

will quotethe

of
antiquity

this work,we

on
speaking

this subject.

he says :
First,
We lcnow that the Fo-pen-hing
was

translated into Chinese from

Sanscrit (the

languageof Hindoslan) so early as the eleventh year of the reign of

fore,
thereWe
of the Han
Wing-ping (Ming-ti),
dynasty,i. e., 69 or 70 A. D.
may,
time
work was in circulation in India for some
safelysuppose that the original
to
tfiis
date."1
previous
ancient

Again,he
"

There

says :

or Hist,
Fo-pen-hing,
of the earliest verses
Buddha) contains as a
(Gathas)
in which the Historyof Buddha
was
was
penned.
sung, long brforethe work itself
These Gathas were
evidentlycomposed in different Prakrit forms (duringa
beforethe more modern
periodof disintegration)
type of Sanscrit was fixed by the
and the Ramrtyana."8
rules of Panini, and the popular epicsof the Mahabharata

be

can

that the present work

woof
(so to speak) some

doubt

no

of

of
Again,in speaking
of Buddha

the

(i.e.

the

in the

resemblance

pointsof

history

Jesus,he says :

and

"These

points of agreement with the Gospel narrative naturallyarouse

requireexplanation. If we could prove that they (the legends
related of Buddha) were
unknown
centuries after Christ,
in the East for some
the explanation would be easy.
But all the evidence we have goes to prove the

curiosityand

Contrary.
It would

be

Buddha

borrowed

were

natural

inference

from

the

that

Apocryphal

Gospels,if

we

that these

Apocryphal Gospelshad not borrowed from it.

explainthe matter ? It would be better at once to say that
of knowledge there is no completeexplanationto offer."8
There

in the

of the events

many

were

How
in

our

legendof

quitecertain
then

may

we

presentstate

"

completeexplanationto be offered by
who attemptsto uphold the historical accuracy of the New
one
and
Devil
Testament. The
Type theories havingvanished,
like all theories built on sand,nothingnow
remains for the honest
the truth,which is,that the history
to do but acknowledge
man
of
is no
certainly

"

"

"

"

"

Jesus

of Nazareth as related in the boohs of the New Testament,

is simplya copy of that of Buddha, -with a mixture ofmythology
borrowed from other nations. Ernest de Bunsen almost acknowledges
this when
"

With

he says :
exceptionof the death of Jesus on the cross, and of
which is absolutely
excluded
by vicarious suffering,

remarkable

the

the doctrine of atonement

by Buddhism,

the

about

statements
in

Beat

in the

the doctrines

manner,

and

Gospels

about

records

impossiblyby

known
Buddha

of Gautama
mere

doctrine which

Hist. Buddha,

p. vi.

we

"

us

contain

which

the life and doctrines of Jesus

find

Ibid. pp.

to

x.

legendsabout Gautama as
of Paul
only in the Epistles
and 3d.

respond
cor-

ditions
chance,with the tra-

strange that these Buddhistic

Messiah refer to

of the Buddhistic

life and

remarkable

recorded
It is stillmore

ancient

most

the

Ibid. pp.

the

and

Christ.

Angelin the

vs.. and note.

viii.,

AUD

BUDDHA

Gospel.

JESUS

3C3

OOHPAEED.

explainedby the assumptionof a common

source
serious question must
be considered, why the
doctrine of the Angel-Messiah,
supposingit to have been revealed,and which we
find in the East and in the West, is not contained in any of the Scriptures
of the
which
can
Old Testament
possiblyhave been written before the Babylonian
in the first three Gospels. Can
the systematickeeping-back
nor
Captivity,
of
fourth

This

of revelation ; but

be

can

then

the

essentialtruth be attributed to 'God

Beside the

or

to

t "'

man

referred to above

beingtranslated by Prof.
This
Beal,there is another copy originally
composed in verse.
translated by the learned Fonceau,who givesit an antiquity
of
was
the original
treatisemust be attributed
two thousand years,
although
woi*k

as

"

to

In

earlierdate."3

an

regardto

the

with those of
"

regard to Gautama's teachingwe have

regardto his life. It is true that none
traced back
at presentbe satisfactorily

With

with

have

we

Pitakas

of Buddha, which correspond

ingly
so strikteachings
Jesus,Prof. Rhys Davids,says :

can

more

reliableauthority
than

of the books

of the Three

before the Council

of

hundred
and
held at Patna, about 250 b. c. that is to say, at least one
of
but
death
the
teacher
after
the
they undoubtedlycontain
;
years
,

deal

older matter.

of much

Prof. Max

Asoka,
thirty
a great

"3

Miiller says

and his disciples,

and the language
language of Buddha
coincidences.
Even
there
of the
are strange
some
apostles,
sound
if
taken
from
New
the
Testament
Buddhist legends and parables
as
;
though we know tliat many of them existed beforethe beginningof the Christian
"Between

of Christ

and

the

his

ffi"a."4

myths related of the Hindoo Saviour

of the Vedic gods,
current
Orishna were previously
some
regarding
current
of the myths previously
the
so likewise,
regarding
many
god Sumana, worshipedboth on Adam's peak,and at the cave of
myth* Much of the legend
Dambulla,were added to the Buddha
and
which was transferred to the Buddha, had previously
existed,
Just

as

many

of the

had clustered around

the idea of

Chakrawarti.*

1
a

Bunsen's
Angel-Messiah,p. 50.
Quoted by Prof. Beal : Hist. Buddha, p.

\iii.
8
*
6
"

Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 86.

Religion,p. 243.
Rhys Davids' Buddhism.
Ibid. p. 184.
It is surprising,"
says

like Romans

ideal of their

see!

Christ

Chakravarti,and transferred

to

new

it edifyingto

recognizein their hero the

Righteousness, and that the
should be tinged with the
story of the Buddha
coloringof these Chakravarti myths ?" (Ibid.
Buddhism, p. 220.)
T In
Chapter xxxis., we shall explainthe
origin of these myths.
Chakravarti

"

legendof

we

ideal many
of the dimly sacred and
half understood traits of the Vedic heroes ? Is
it surprisingthat the Buddhists
should have
this

found

Science of

Rhys Davids, that,

worshiping Augustus, or Greeks
adding the glow of the sun-myth to the glory
of Alexander, the Indians should have formed
"

an

the

with

legendof Christ Buddha, as

his time.7
Jesus,existed before

that the

Thus

of

304

MYTHS.

BIBLE

We

the

established

have

and

then

fact

authorities

better

Buddha

that

and

"

in

such

remarkable

anterior

long

the

to

remarkable

this

religion,

since
that

either

teachings
the
the
of

of

Buddha
the

younger

history
Jesus

sectarians

of

and

happen

Buddha

and

or

the
must

Buddhism
the

Christianity,

plagiarists

of

of

the

Bunsen

de

Ernest

as

were

says,

and

founders

the

their

older

be

must

very

Christians

religion

the

conclude
much
are

of

histories

the

do

as

therefore
is-

mythological

of

histories

completely

so

We

child.

and

correspond

chance.

by

Jesus,

and

Christianity,

legendary

or

other

each

resemble

personages

and

religious

two

Jesus

histories

the

in

Buddhism,

which

Now,

era.

possibly

not

Whenever

and

Christian

similarity

could

with

manner

produce

can

man

no

"

the

older

parent,
that,
than

incontestably
Buddhists,

306

BIBLE

P. Andrada

La

MYTHS.

French

a
Crozius,

firstChristians who

went

and
missionary,

Nepauland Thibet,says in

to

of the

one

his

"

tory
His-

of India :"
"

Their

Grand

Lama

celebrates

speciesof

sacrifice with

Lamas

present at this

devotees drink the

god as

well

of the Redeemer.2

as

the

Hindoos, Soma

Giver of Life and of health,'

the
He

the
religions,
sider
plant. They conthe Christian
and the blood

:
SaysMr. Baring-Gould

the ancient

"Among

the

and the Parsee

Soma, or Haoma
a plant,
justas the wine of
both the juiceof the grape,

juiceof

is considered

sacrament

wine, in

rest among

ceremony."1

In certain ritesboth in the Indian

it a

and

bread

which, after takinga small quantityhimself,he distributes the

'

was

chief

deity;he

is the Guide
'

he who
Protector,'

to

is called 'the

Immortality.'

taken by them
and
incarnate among
was
slain,and brayed in
men,
But he rose in flame to heaven, to be the Benefactor of the World,'
a
mortar.
and the 'Mediator between
God and Man.'
with him in his
Through communion
became

'

sacrifice,
man,

(who partook of

that sacrament

he obtains union

The

ancient

the Resurrection

this

of

god),has an assurance
divinity."3

for by
immortality,

with his

Egyptians as
"

of their God

celebrated
annually
and Saviour Osiris,
at which time
the sacred
by the Eucharist,
eating

we

have

seen

"

his death
theycommemorated
and becake,or wafer,afterit had been consecrated by the priest,
veritablefleshof his flesh? The bread,after sacerdotal rites,
became
the body of Osiris,
and,in such a manner, they
mystically
ate their god.b Bread and wine were
to the temples
by the
brought
as offerings."
worshipers,
The Therapeutes
whom
believe to be of Buddhist
we
or Essenes,
and who lived in large
numbers in Egypt,also had the
origin,

Icome

Most of them,however,
among them.7
beingtemperate,substituted water for wine,while others drank a
ceremony

mixture

of the sacrament

of water

and wine.

the
Pythagoras,

celebrated Grecian

who
philosopher,

was

born

about the year 570 b. c, performedthis ceremony of the sacrament.9

He is supposed
to have visited Egypt,and there availed himself of
allsuch
He

lore as
mysterious

and his followers

and
1

"

Leur

could
priests

the

Essenes,which has led

grand Lama celebre une espece de

du pain et du vin dont ilprend une

petitequantite, et distribue le reste aux Lamas

a cetteceremonie."
presens
(Quoted in Anacvol. ii.p. 118.)
aiypsis,
8 Viscount
Amberly's Analysis,p. 46.
3
Baring-Gould : Orig. Relig.Belief,vol. i.
p. 401.

be induced to

impart.

and peculiarities
of diet
asceticism,
practiced

similar to
clothing,

sacrifice avec

the

some

scholars to

EgyptianBelief,p. 163.
See Ibid. p. 417.
8 See
Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 179.
7 See
Bunsen's
Keys of St. Peter, p. 199 ;
Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 60, and Lillie'sBuddSee Bonwick's

hism, p.
8

Sec

136.

vol. ii.p.
Higgins: Anacalypsis,

60.

EUCHARIST

THE

instituted the

believe that he

LORD'S

OR

307

SUPPER.

this is evidently
not

order,but

the

case.

Kenite

"

"

of

Melchizedek,a priest
Righteousness,"
out bread
and wine
of the Most High God," brought
as a signor
symbolof worship; as the mysticelements of Divine presence. In
the invisible
the visiblesymbolof bread and wine theyworshiped
presence of the Creator of heaven and earth.
Christian divines have been much puzzled.
To account for this,
of this passage :
The Rev. Dr. Milner says, in speaking
The

King

It

"

in

was

offering
up

sacrifice differed from

animals, that Melchizedek's

old law, and that he
law

new

the

from

the

the
prefigured

to this matter

Scriptureas
to this meaning."2

; and

other

wine, instead of slaughtered

the

sacrifice which
No

elements.

same

and

sacrifice of bread

of
generality

Christ

than this

sense

accordinglythe

holy

those in the

to institutein the

was
can

be elicited from

fathers

unanimously

adhere

This

of reasoning
isin accord
style

with the

concerning
theory

type

viours, but it is
Resurrected oil

Crucified and
the Virgin-born,

If ithad been said that the religion

of
altogether
satisfactory.
of the Persians,
the same, there
and the religion
were
Melchizedek,
the passage.
would be no difficulty
in explaining
Not onlywere
bread and wine broughtforth by Melchizedek
not

when

he blessed
him

the

by

Jethro and

offered to God

it was

Abraham, but

the elders of

mourningIsraelitesbroke

and
Israel,

and eaten

some,

at

fore
be-

of
least,

"

the cup of consolation,"

of the departed,to comfort them for the
bread and drank
"

in remembrance

dead."8
It is in the ancient
the

the
Mediator,

resemblance

of
religion

Redeemer

of

and Saviour
of the

to the sacrament

borrowed.
evidently

was

or
Mithra,

became

Persia

Those

the

"

"

that

of Mithra,
religion
find the nearest

we

and
Christians,

who

from

which

it

initiated into the teries

mysmembers,took the sacrament of bread
were

and wine.4
M. Ren an,
"

It had

of Mithraicism,
speaking
says :

which
its mysteriousmeetings:its chapels,

to littlechurches.

It

bond
lasting

bore

strong resemblance

of brotherhood

between
its
forged a very
that good
a
initiates
: it had
Eucharist,a Supper so like the Christian Mysteries,
find only one
Justin Martyr, the Apologist,can
explanationof the apparent
identity,
namely, that Satan, in order to deceive the human
race, determined to
imitate the Christian ceremonies, and
1

See Bunsen's

Genesis,xiv.

so

Keys of St. Peter,p. 55,and

18,19.

"
9 St. Jerome
Melchizedek
in typo
says :
Christi panem
vinum
obtulit : et mysterium
et
Christianum
in Salvatoris sanguine et corpore

dedicaTi^"

stole them."

See Bunsen'e

See

Angel-Messiah,p. 227.
King's Gnostics and their Remains,
p. xxv., and Higgins'Anacalypsis, vol. ii.pp.
58, 59.
" Kenan's
Hibbert Lectures,p. 85.

308

BIBLE

The
are

words of St.

follows

as

"The

wherein
Justin,

the commentaries

delivered down

to

having taken bread, afterhe

of me; this is my body. And
This is my

alludes to this ceremony,

he

in
apostles,

Gospels,have

MYTHS.

written

call

we

them

He

had

given thanks, said,Do this in commemoration

returned thanks, he said:
a cup, and

having taken

blood, and delivered it to them

have taught to
spirits

by themselves,which

that Jesus thus commanded

how

us

be done

of

out

Which

alone.

mimicry

in the

thing indeed the evil

Mysteriesand Initiatory

rites of Mithra.
For

either know,

you

are

or

can

know, that bread and

in
certain incantations,

given out, with

being initiated in the Mysteriesof Mithra." 2

This food theycalled the Eucharist,
of which

is

cup of water (or wine)

of the person who

the consecration

no

one

allowed

was

the persons who believed that the things

theytaught
had
been
with
who
and
washed
the
true,
washing that is for

partakebut

to
were

the remission of sin.8

who
Tertullian,

also speaks
of the Mithraic devotees
of the Lord

Eucharist

The

Mithra,the
was

wine, or

The

Christian

the

as
Saviour,

and

for both sometimes

Christians,

called

Magi

used water

rifice,
sacas

stead
in-

of the two.6

Fathers

often liken their rites to those of the

Mithra.

Here

is Justin

of Christian initiation:

account
Martyr's
after

we,

d.,

mixture

of
and worshipers
Therapeuts(Essenes)

"But

a.

the Eucharist.4
celebrating

their Eucharistic
second person in their Trinity,
or
and in every respectthe same
always made exactly

that of the orthodox

of

flourished from 193 to 220

we

have

washed

thus

him

has been -convinced

who

and

place where those who are called

for
heartyprayers in common
may
ended
salute
our
we
ourselves and the illuminated person.
one
Having
prayers,
is then brought to the president
of the brethren
another with a kiss. There
When
has given thanks,
the president
bread and a cup of wine mixed with water.
and all the people have expressed their assent, those that are called by us
deacons give to each of those present to partakeof the bread and wine mixed
assented

brethren

with

to

our

are

bring him
teachings,

assembled, in order that

to the

water."6

In the words

"

This expresKing:
of blessingor conto
was
as yet unknown

of Mr.

that the notion

eion shows

secratingthe elements

ibid.
L"e

Tertullian

De

Tinctione,

de

oblatione

imagine resurrectionis,

videatur

Cerdaad

ea

loca ubi

agitur.

Gentiles

citra

Mithriaca

quae

bradant

Tertulliani

trina eucharistcE

ad

convenire,quae fecerunt

imitationem

Tertulliani

et

aiunt

Patres

diabolo, quo vult

eos

indus-

ex

Christianismi
talia

unde

fecisse,

simia Christi, "c.

esse

Volunt

Apol. 1. ch. lxvi.

PraescriptioneHaereticorum, ch. xl.

explains this conformity between
Christianityand Paganism, by asserting that
the devil copied the Christian mysteries.
4

Christianis
tria
duce

the Christians."
a

offer

we

panis, et de
doctiss, de la
de hiscerebus

Christum,
videbantur

talia
cum

cele"doc-

et resurrectionis et aliis ritibus

itaque eos res suas ita comparasse, ut

Mithroi mysteria essent eucharisiice Christiana
imago. Sic Just. Martyr (p. 98),et Tertullianus
et

In

Chrysostomus.

suis

etiam

6acris habe-

bant Mithriaci lavacra

quibus tingitet
utique credentes
delictorum

de

in
(quasiregenerationis)
ipse (sc. eacerdos) quosdam
et

fideles suos, et expiatoria

repromittitet sic adhuc

lavacro

iniliat Mithrae.'1

(Hyde

De

Relig.Vet.

sian, p. 113.)
8

Justin

1st

Apol., ch. lvi.

Per

EUCHARIST

THE

LORD'S

OR

In the service of Edward

the Sixth of

with

This is

to be mixed

the wine.1
double

half measure, but a

wine,then theywere

bread,used

also

was
practice
of it,says :
speaking

Nothing can

bread)in

The

of the two

; not

If it be correct to take it with

one.

right
; as

be wrong.

not

carried in baskets,
was
Pagan Mysteries,
adoptedby the Christians. St. Jerome,

be richer than

basket made

Persian

union

in these

which

"

isdirected

water
England,

right
; if with water,theystillwere

theytook both,theycould
The

309

SUPPER.

of

carries the

who

one

: the
body of Christ (viz.

twigs."2
the worship
of Mithra into

Magi introduced

Rome,

In the process of
solemnized in a cave.
mysterieswere
initiationthere,
of
candidates were
also administered the sacrament
bread and wine,and were
marked on the forehead with the signof
and

his

the cross.8
The

"

ancient Greeks also had their

celebrated the sacrament

wherein they
Mysteries"
Supper. The Rev. Robert

of the Lord's

of this,
Taylor,
speaking
says :
"

The

Eleusinian

fifth

every

year,4in

honor

of

of the Lord's Supper,was

Sacrament

Mysteries,
or,

august of all the Pagan ceremonies

more
celebrated,

especially
by

the most

the Athenians,

the goddess of corn, who, in allegorical

Ceres,
Bacchus,the god of wine, in like sense,

language,had givenus her fleshto eat; as

had givenus his blood to drink.
.

"From
sacrament

but

these ceremonies
of the Lord's

Supper,
"

absolutelyall and

solemnity. Very
the same
precisely

is derived
'

the very

those

name

attached

holyMysteries
;

of

'
"

used

in

the observances
every one
of our
forms
of expressionin that

many
those that

as

appertainedto

the

Christian

to our

and not
our

one

or

two,

Christian

solemnityare

Pagan rite."6

Prodicus

of the 5th centuryb. c.)

the
(aGreek sophist
says that,
bread as Demeter (Ceres)
and wine as Dionysos
ancients worshiped
when theyate the bread,
and drank the wine,
;6therefore,
(Bacchus)
after it had been consecrated,
theywere doing as the Romanists
and drinking
claim to do at the presentday,i. e., eatmg the flesh
theblood of their god.''
Mosheim, the celebrated ecclesiasticalhistorian,
acknowledges
that

1 Dr. Grabes1
lib. v. c. 2,
Notes on Irenaeus,
Anac, vol. i. p. 60.
2
Christianity,
Quoted in Monumental
p. 370.
8 See
Prog. Kelig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 369.
called his angel of
The Divine Presence
him : Go through the
and said unto
mercy
midst of the city,through the midst of Jerusalem, and set the mark of Tau (T, the headless
that
the foreheads of the men
cross) upon
Bigh and that cry for all the abominations
that are done in the midst thereof.1
(Bunsen :

in

"

'

"

Angel-Messiah,
p.

The
4

They
Eleusis,a

305.

were

celebrated

town

of

every

Attica,from

fifth year at
their

whence

name.

Taylor's Diegesis,
p. 212.
Miiller: Origin of Religion,p. 181.
7
In the Bacchic Mysteries a consecrated
handed
around after supper,
cup (ofwine) was
called the cup of the Agatfwdaemon.''''
(Cousin:
Lee. on Modn. Phil. Quoted in Isis Unveiled,
ii.513. See also,Dunlap's SpiritHist.,p. 217.)
6

"

"

310

MYTHS.

BIBLE

profoundrespectthat

"The

paid to

was

the Greek and

and
Mysteries,

Roman

sanctitythat was attributed to them, induced the Christians of

extraordinary
an
a mysticair,in order to put it upon
century, to give their religion
this
For
of
with
that
the
of
Pagans.
dignity,
purpose
equal footing in point
of Mysteries
to the institutions of the Gospels,and decorated
they gave the name
with that title ; they used the very terms
the
Holy Sacrament
particularly
of the rites and ceremonies
and
Heathen
in
the
Mysteries, adopted some
employed
imitation began in the
This
of which
those renowned
mysteries consisted.
the
first introduced
eastern
provinces; but, after the time of Adrian, who
dwelt
in
the
Christians
who
the
followed
it
the
was
Latins,
by
mysteries
among
the
Church
service
of
of
the
A
western
great part, therefore,
part of the empire.
Mysteries,and
in this" the second"
century, had a certain air of the Heathen
in many
resembled them considerably
particulars."1
the

the second

'

'

and
Mysteries

Eleusinian

Christian Sacraments

i
But

"

1.

the

as

great,such as
witchcraft,murder,

were

was

debarred

were

even

convicted

though

any
from

those

with

of

"c.

admonished

to

be

notorious

at the

same

present themselves

to his
not

to

table."3

holywater at the
Catholic chapel in

2. See the fonts of

of every
for the

entrance

time

Christendom

with

Let

"

pure minds, without which the external

cleanness of the body would
by no
means

and

open

to the Lord's

come

"At

holy water, they were

an

hath done wrong

or
mysteries."2 evil-liver,
neighbor,"c, that he presume

their entrance, purifying

themselves, by washing their hands in
2.

penitentheart and lively

receive that holy sacrament,

if any be

the benefit is great,if,

as

true

tentional,
uninfaith,we

crimes,

other heinous

or

1. "For

benefit of Initiation

Compared.

draw

us

same
near

purpose.
with a true

of faith,having
science,
hearts sprinkledfrom an evil con-

heart in full
our

accepted."4

assurance

and

our

bodies

washed

with

water."5

3. "The
these

priestswho

sacred

officiated in
called

solemnities,were
"

revealers of holy
Hierophants, or
things.'"*
4. The Pagan Priest dismissed their
congregationwith these words:
"
The Lord be with you."1

These Eleusinian

pure
3. The

priestswho

Christian

solemnities

be 'revealers of

officiate at these

supposed
holy things.'
are

to

Christian priests dismiss

congregationwith these words :
The Lord be with you."

4. The
their
"

with various rites,

accompanied
and were
of the purity
and self-denial of the worshiper,
expressive
therefore considered to be an expiation
of pastsins,
and to place
the initiated under the special
of the awful and potent
protection
them.8
over
goddesswho presided
These mysteries
also celebrated in honor
have said,
were, as we
of Bacchus
handed

as

around

well

were
Mysteries

Eccl. Hist. cent. ii.pt. 2, sec.

Bell's

v.

Pantheon, vol. i. p. 282.

Service.
Episcopal Communion
Bell's Pantheon,

consecrated

after supper, called the

2
8

Ceres.

as

vol. i. p. 282.

"
"

"

Cup

cup of wine was

of the Agathodae-

Hebrews, x. 22.
Taylor's Diegesis,
p. 213.

See

"

See

Kenrick's

Ibid.

Egypt, vol. 1.p. 471.

THE

"

mon

the Good

"

of the Lord

name

name

theme

or

was

of
subject

heathen

exultation.8
triumphant
of
used duringthe Mysteries
and bread were

used in the

and
times,5

In

the communion
of bread
fact,
worshipof nearlyevery important
deity.4

Saviour.3

so

celebrated in the British Islands in

were
were

those of

Gaul and Great Britain.8 We

over

Druids

offered the sacrament

ceremony they were

of Isis were
priests

Mithra,which

spread

were

therefore find that the ancient

of bread

dressed in white
in the habit of

Christian sects dress at the

many

the rays which surrounded

but was
made the peculiar
s.),

by

their

ritesof Bacchus

The

ceremony, the
times repeated,
and his brightness
or

many

wine
mystical
Adonis,the Lord and
was

311

SUPPER.

Throughoutthe whole
Divinity.1

The

and wine

LORD'S

OR

onlyexhibited to the eye

(or his monogram, i. h.

glorynot
his

EUCHARIST

and

wine,duringwhich

robes,7
justas the Egyptian

and
dressing,

as

the

of
priests

presentday.

tribes in Africa there is a belief that

Among some
negro
eatingand drinkingconsecrated

food

theyeat

and

"

drink the

on

god

himself."8
ancient Mexicans

The
the

called
Eucharist,

ate the flesh of their

of

made
This

the

celebrated the
"

god.

most

The

of
sacrament
mysterious
holysupper,"
duringwhich they

bread

used at their Eucharist

was

instead of wine.
meal,which theymixed with blood,
consecrated by the priest,
and givento the people,
who

com

was

ate it with

and penitence,
as the flesh
of their god.9
humility
in his Mexican
Lord Kingsborough,
Antiquities"
speaksof the
ancient Mexicans as performing
this sacrament
; when theymade
which theycalled Tzoalia.
The high priestblessed it in
a cake,
his manner, after which he broke it into pieces,
and put it into certain
"

very clean vessels. He then took a thorn of maguery, which

resembles a thick needle,
with which he took up with the utmost
which he put into the mouth of each individual
reverence
singlemorsels,

of a communion"
afterthe manner
The writer of the "Explanation
of Plates of the Codex
of Mexican hieroglyphics
canus," which are copies
says :
"

"

am

mode

our

Vati-

"

disposedto believe that these poor peoplehave had the knowledge of

communion, or of the annunciation of the gospel; or perhaps the

of

1 See
Dunlap's SpiritHist.,p. 217, and Isis
Unveiled,vol. ii.p. 513.
a See
Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 214.
8 See
Isis Unveiled, vol. ii.p. 139.
4

See

See

Ibid. p. 513.
Myths of the British

See

Dupuis

Druids, p. 89.
Origin of Relig.Belief,p.

See Myths of the British Druids, p. 280,

Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 376.
8 Herbert
Spencer : Principlesof Sociol-

and

ogy, vol. i. p. 299.

" See Monumental

Christianity,
pp.

890 and

393.
10

Mexican

vol. vi. p. 220.

Antiquities,

312

BIBLE

envious

most
devil,

of the honor

in order that

by

of

MYTHS.

God, may

this ceremony

he

led them

have

into this

and served

might be adored

tion,
supersti-

Christ our

as

Lord."1

Rev. Father Acosta says :

The
"

That

which

admirable

is most

that he hath not

ceremonies,our Sacraments,which
doth

holyChurch

then

in

and

idolatryand

Jesus Christ

but
sacrifice,
Lord

our

Satan is,

presumptionof

also in certain

hath instituted and

the

sort the
pretended to imitate in some
having especially
Communion, which is the most high and divine of all others."

Sacrament of the

He

in the hatred

only counterfeited
use,

the Mexicans

relates how

and

Peruvians,in

certain

ate the flesh of their god,and called certain morsels of

ceremonies,
"
the flesh and bones of Vitzilvpuzlti"
paste,
"

After

they used
paste)were

in order

puttingthemselves

with

certain ceremonies

blessed and consecrated

these morsels

about

singing,
by

for the flesh and bones

that the Eucharist

These facts show

and

piecesof paste,
they (thepiecesof

whereof

means

of this idol."2

is another

pieceof Paganism

adoptedby the Christians. The storyof Jesus and

beingat supper, where the Master did break bread,may
"

said," Do this

that he

the statement

in remembrance

was
body,"and " this is my blood,"
to the mysticceremony,
giveauthority

this is my
to

borrowed

from

be true,but
of me,"
"

vented
inundoubtedly

which

had

been

Paganism.

should

Why

his disciples

they do

he took this supper

denies8 he did not

this in remembrance

do

Provided

which the John

disciples
anythingon that occasion new or

with

"

of Jesus ?

his

"

narrator

unusual

To pronounce the benediction,

break the bread,and
amoug Jews.
thereof to the persons at table,
distribute pieces
was, and is now, a
usage of the Hebrews.
born Jews to do in remembrance
common

Jesus could not have commanded

of him

Jew
every religious

and what

a myth,as
storyis evidently

what

theyalreadyticed,
prac-

does to this day. The

of
perusal

it with the eye of

whole
a

critic

demonstrates.
clearly
The

Mark

to the

informs

narrator

and
city,

told them

us

that Jesus sent

two

of his disciples

this :

and there shall meet you a man

bearinga pitcherof
ye into the city,
him.
And
shall
follow
wheresoever
he
in,
water;
go
say ye to the goodman of
is
The
Master
the house,
the guest-chamber,
where I shall eat the
saith,Where

"Go

vol. vi. p.
Antiquities,

Quoted in Mexican

221.
8

Acosta

Hist.

Indies,vol. ii.chs. xiii. and

xiv.
8

ate

According
no

Paschal

to the

"

John

meal, but

"

was

evening before Passover, and

narrator, Jesus

captured the
was

crucified

before

the feast opened.

According to the
Synoptics,Jesus partook of the Paschal supcaptured the first night of the feast,
per, was
and executed on the first day thereof,which
on
a
was
Friday. If the John narrator's
account
is true, that of the Synopticsis not,or
vice

versa.

314

BIBLE

body and

the real

blood

Christian faith. This

As

of Christ Jesus

find

we

"

became

was
greatestof mysteries

the second

earlyas

when
planted,

MYTHS.

tenet of the

gradually.
developed

century,however, the seeds

Justin Martyr,and
Ignatius,

were

Irenseus advancing

the

that the mere

bread and wine became, in the
opinion,
Eucharist,somethinghigher the earthly,
somethingheavenly
to be bread and wine.
without,however,ceasing
Though these
"

"

views

opposedby

were

yet both among

miraculous or

ground.

of the Lord's

view
supernatural

came

similar to that

teachers,
Church, the

Supper gained

the bread
presenting
This
to the ministers or priests.
the notion which was
strengthened,

centurythe officeof

to be confined

arose
from,and
practice
ground,that in
gaining

individual Christian

in the ritual of the

peopleand

After the third

wine

and

the

eminent

some

in turn

this act of

presentation
by

the

rifice,
a sacpriest,
Christ Jesus,

offered up in the death of

anew
presentedto God.

once

This still
was
ever
though bloodless,
and importance
of mysterious
significance
deepenedthe feeling
with which the rite of the Lord's Supperwas viewed,and led to
that gradually
of celebration which took the
increasing
splendor
of the Mass.

form

divine

the

and

Eucharist

there

human,
was

heavenly.
For a longtime
the Church
At

union
corresponding

there

was

no

the bread

was

the dead."

and
earthly

formal declaration of the mind

the
of

of the time took

and

partin it. One partymaintained

formed
transare, in the act of consecration,

wine

into the very hodyof Christ

of Mary,nailed to the cross, and raised from

of
by the omnipotence
which

of the

the real presence of Christ Jesus in the Eucharist.

discussion on the pointwas
and the most
tinguish
disraised,

men

that

were

on

lengtha
"

distinct natures, the

combined, so in the
wonderfully

As in Christ Jesus two

once

born

Accordingto

bread and wine

while the other

this

God

conception,
nothingremains

but the outward

form,the

taste

and

partywould onlyallow that there is some

the bread and wine

that
but granted
themselves,

an

of the

the smell ;
changein

actual transformation

of their power and efficacy

takes place.
The greateraccordance of the firstview with the

of
credulity

the age, its love for the wonderful and magical,

the interest of the
in accordance with the heathens,
to add lustre,
to a rite
priesthood
which

enhanced

their

own

resulted
office,

substantiation beingdeclared

an

in the doctrine of Tran-

article of faith of the Christian

Church.
the invisible changeof
Transubstantiation,

the bread and wine

THE

the

into

of

first
the

by

and

their

reformed

Under
in

the

and

explicit

all the

than

foes,

the

Eucharist

of

Gibbon's

See

after

Calvin,
1

There

is

words

are

bread
the
of

boly
this

added

and
true
bread

the

and

calls

wine
blood

and
the

become

Christ,
is

of

omnipotence

pp.

v.

as

bread

the

wine
of

and

so

26,
soon

and

is

Christ

no

more

prevailed

these

Beveridge,

body

Christ

in

the

Lutherans,

real

strong
in

Queen

or

Roman

Catholics

presence.

Jews,

persecution,

Turks,

or

anothei

one

slaughtered

were

and

outrage,

persecuted

charges

as

substance

who

and

(Calvin's

the

obliterated

was

and

Jews

perfect,

England,

heathens,

says:

wine,

and

on

ac

Host.

400.

399,

true

into

the

27,

the

He
of

the

that

transmuted
Christ.

the

Greek

Christians
of

of

the

or

hatred,

more

bold

presence

among

thousands

xxvi.

that

to

blood

and

Matt.

doubt

no

of

vol.

Rome.

quoting

of

Eucharist.

the

the

observances

cause

relentless

count

the

real

doctrine

original

religious

been

bloodshed,

it

slowly

more

Church

the

people,

day,

present

was

the

the

please

to

the

of

against

the

to

has

awed

sacrament.

of

that

has

memorial,

the

taste,

and

presence

Zuinglius,

reformation

articles

copy,
At

hold

of

real

their

and

scruples,

own

institution

of

simple

their

the

consulting

feeling,

Calvin

opinion

the

declaration

Elizabeth.

Of

VI.

fundamental

original

alone

and

corporeal,
the

the

in

of

the

defy

may

churches.1

Edward

but

like

Jesus

instead

their

in

that

tenet

but

sight,

315

SUPPER.

is
;

entangled

and

their

spiritual communion,

none

of

of
a

Eucharist

the

the

words

Christ,

pleasantry

were

maintained

than

of

senses,

reputed

the

in

argument

Protestants

Luther
in

blood

of

evidence

LORD'S

OR

and

body

powers

the

EUCHARIST

the
and

of
this
wine

true

denies

question,

Gibbon
above.

his

p.

214.

Edinburgh,

and

statement,
the

evidently

to

seems

speaks

refers

by
other

In

1851.)

Eucharist

foolishness."

with
Translated

Calvin

writings,

in

himself

Christ

Tracts,

as

to

of

the

being
the

passage

Henry
parts

contradict
bread

and

symbolival.
quoted

XXXI.

CHAPTEE

BAPTISM.

from
Baptism,or purification
to be

an
was

by water,is supposed
by many

sin

cision
The idea is that circumexclusive Christian ceremony.
givenup, but baptismtook itsplaceas a compulsoryform

declared to have been

and was
to salvation,
indispensable
John.1
That
by Jesus himself or by his predecessor

instituted
Jesus

was

it may

not, but that he never

baptizedby John may be true,or
his followers to call the heathen to a share in the
directly
enjoined
of the Golden Age is gospeldoctrine;8
and this sayprivileges
ing:
Go out into all the world to preach the gospelto every creature.

"

believes and

is baptized shall be

saved,but

believes

whoever

And
not

ever
who-

shall be

damned,"

late origin,
from a period
comparatively
dating
mission to the heathen
not
was
onlyfullyrecognized,
with the followers of
declared to have originated

therefore be of

must

at which

the

but

even

earlyChristians received members among them

but with prayer and laying
of
not initiatedby baptism,
on
This,says Eusebius,was the aneient custom" which was
When

Jesus.8

they were

the

"

hands.

versies
controStephen. During his bishopric

followed until the time of

arose

as

to whether

ancient Christian

custom

members
"

or

should be received

after
by baptism,4

the

"

after the

heathen

tom.
cus-

a special
Lundy, who has made ancient religions
endeavors to get
study,and who, beinga thoroughChristian writer,
the difficulty
over
by sayingthat :

Rev. J. P.

John the Baptistsimplyadoptedand practicedthe universal custom of sacred

bathing for the remission of sins. Christ sanctioned it;the church inherited it
"

from

his

The

example."6

Rev. Dr. Geikie

makes

the

assertion

the call to repent, John nnited

rite for all who
were
significant
willingto own

that

"

With

their

of life. It
sins,and promise amendment
the new
and strikingrequirement of bapwas
tism, which John had been sent by divine appointment to introduce.
(Lifeof Christ,vol.
"

316

i. p.
9

"

and

394.)
Galatians,ii.7-9. Acts, x. and 3d.
See The Bible for Learners,vol. iii.pp. 658

See

472.
4

See Eusebius

Monumental

: Eccl. Hist.,lib. 7, ch. ii.

Christianity,
p. 885.

317

BAPTISM,

When

we

say that

baptismis

heathen rite

adoptedby

the

the truth. Mr. Lundy is a strong advocate

near
we
come
Christians,
therefore
of the typetheory of which we shall speakanon
"

"

is not to be wondered at.

reasoning
The facts in the case are that baptismby immersion,
or sprinkling
in infancy,
remission
the
to be
rite,
for
of sin,was a common
the face of the
found in countries the most widelyseparated
on
and the most unconnected in religious
earth,
genealogy.1
the above mode

If

we

Buddhist

turn

of

to India

shall find that in the vast domain

we

of the

the occasion of
faith the birth of children is regularly

ceremony, at which the

this ceremony
assumes

is present.
priest
form
the special

burn and incense is offered

the domestic

on

baptism. Candles
the priest
reads
altar,

of

prescribed
prayers, dipsthe child three times in water,and

the

In Mongoliaand Thibet

poses
im-

it a name?

on

Brahmanism, from
similar to what we
rites,

the

very earliest
shall find among

times,had its initiatory

the

ancient

Persians,
"

Greeks and Romans.

Mr. Mackenzie,in his
Egyptians,
Royal
Masonic Cyclopaedia,"
o
f
{subvoce
Mysteries Hindustan,")
gives
" Indische
Alterthumof
these
from
the
a capital
digest
mysteries
"

"

invocation to the sun*, an oath was

obedience to
demanded
of the aspirant,
to the effect of implicit
Water was then
of body,and inviolable secrecy.
superiors,
purity
Skunde

of Lassen.

After

an

made
to him, "c.
sprinkledover him, suitable addresses were
This was supposed
of the candidate,
to constitute the regeneration
and he

was

now

invested

with

the

white

robe and the tiara. A

and the Tau cross

marked on his forehead,
cross
was
peculiar
he was giventhe sacred word,A. U. M.'
breast. Finally,
The Brahmans
similar to the
had also a mode of baptism
in a
sect of Baptists,
the ceremony being performed

"

all nations, and from

the very
has been
used as a
period, water
Water
speciesof religioussacrament.
the agent by means
of which
was
everything
was
regeneratedor born again. Hence, in all
nations, we find the Dove, or Divine Love,
of its agent,water, and all
operatingby means
nations using the ceremony
of plunging, or,
call it,baptizing,
we
as
for the remission of
sins,to introduce the candidate to a regenbirth unto righteousness."
eration,to a new
(Higgius: Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 529.;
Baptism is a very ancient rite pertaining
to heathen
whether of Asia, Africa,
religions,
Europe or America."
(Bonwick : Egyptian
Belief,p. 416.)
Baptism, or purification
by water, was a

Among

earliest

"

"

of
to all religions
common
ceremony
clean from
It consists in being made

posed pollutionor

defilement."

on

his

tian
Chrisriver.

antiquity,
some

sup-

(Bell'sPan-

tfceon,vol. ii.p. 201.)

L'usage de ce Bapteme par immersion, qui
subsista dans POccident
jusqu' au 8e ciecle,se
dans TEglise Greque : c'est
maintient
encore
celui que Jean le Precurseur
administra,dans
II fut prale Jourdain,a, Jesus Christ meme.
tique chez les Juifs, chez les Grecs, et chez
presque tous les peuples,bien des siecles avant
l'existence de la religionChretienne."
(D'Ancarville : Res., vol. i. p. 292.)
a See
Amberly's Analysis, p. 61. Bunsen'a
Angel-Messiah,p. 42. Higgins'Anacalypsis,
vol. ii.p. 69, and Lillie's Buddhism, pp. 55 and
8 Lillie's
134.
Buddhlfm, p. 184.
"

318

BIBLE

The

Brahman
officiating
mud

rubbed

the

on

into the water.

"

from

to be

Gangeswas

the most

it
so
majestic,

array of

mud

from

of this stream; but

with
temples,
called
priests,

as

his sin."2
an
was

early
posed
sup-

the holiest and

became

soon

sin too heinous to be

character too black to be washed

countless

freehim

the divine essence, and its waters held

guiltand contamination. And as the

revered of all rivers. No

most

three times

and purification,
at
were
fertility
sacred character. Everygreat river

all moral

Pastor,1

said :
priest

is impure, like the

man

this dirt,do thou

permeatedwith

to cleanse from

process the

plungedhim

of

sources

date invested with

called Gooroo,or

was

then

and
candidate,

Supreme Lord, this

as
Rivers,

who
priest,

Duringthe

cleanses him

water

MYTHS.

removed, no

by its waters. Hence the

of steps,lining
its banks ; hence the
flights
Sons of the Ganges," sitting
the edge
on
clean

"

of its streams, ready to aid the ablutions of conscience-stricken

and stamp them as white-washed when
bathers,
theyemerge from
Hence also the constant trafficcarried on in transportits waters.
ing

Gangeswater

in small bottlesto all partsof the

The

of baptismwas
a
ceremony
both for infants and adults.
Zoroaster,
M. Beausobre

tellsus that

ancient

born, and presentedthem

they

fire,which

was

his

Persians

symbol.

purification
of the soul.
it was

in the

same

carried their infants to the temple a few

The
were

"

country.3

of the followers of
practice

Then

Sometimes

ceremony

days after

the sun, and before the

the priest took tlie child and baptizedit for the
he plunged it into a great vase full of water:
to the

priestbefore

that the father gave

a name

to the child."4

Hyde also tellsus that infants were

brought
the
and
sometimes
the
to
by
by sprinkling
temples baptized
priests,
the
child
into
and sometimes by immersion,
a large
vase
plunging
This
them
water.
to
filledwith
was
or
a regeneration,
a purification
time imposedupon
at the same
of their souls. A name
was
the child,
as indicated by the parents.6
The

1
3
"

learned Dr.

Life and Religion of the Hindus, p. 94.

Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 125.
is perfectlyperHindu
Every orthodox

euaded
sacred

that the dirtiest water, if taken from a

and applied to his body, either
stream

will purify his soul."

externallyor internally,
Williams : Hinduism, p. 157.)
(Prof. Monier
The Egyptians bathed in the water of the Nile ;
and Persians in the Euphrates,
the Chaldeans
have seen, in the Ganand the Hindus, as we
considered
were
ges, all of which
waters M by the different nations.
in the same
the Jordan
looked upou

as

"

sacred

The

Jews

manner.

Herodotus, speaking of the Persians'

man-

ners, says

"They (the Persians) neither make water,

nor
spit,nor wash their hands in a river,nor
defile the stream
with urine,nor do they allow
else to do so, but they pay extreme
any one
veneration to all rivers." (Hist.lib.i.ch. 138.)
8 Williams'
Hinduism, p. 176.
4 Hist.
Manichee, lib. ix. ch. vi. sect. xvi. in
Anac, vol. ii.p. 65. See also,Dupuis : Orig.
Relig.Belief,p. 249, and Baring-Gould : Orig.
Relig.Belief,vol. i. p. 392.
6

"

Pro

infantibus

non

utuntur

circumcis-

baptismo sen lot'one

Infantem
animae purificationeminternam.
ione, sed

tantum

ad
ad

319

BAPTISM.

rite of

The

also administered

baptism was

to adults in the

tiated
during initiation. The foreheads of the inimysteries
beingmarked at the same time with the "sacred sign"which
Christian
other than the sign of the cross.1 The
none

Mithraic

was

it to be the work

of the

devil,

says

"He

cross

thus initiates them

fount,and

the foreheadhis
"

promises the remission of sins

of Mithra; he marks
the religion

his believers and followers;he

baptizes

at the sacred
on

believed

who
Tertullian,

Father

He

marks

on

their

the

on

i. e., he
forehead,"

marks

the

signof

of Christ Jesus do
foreheads,
justas priests

presentday to those who

Again,he

into

"c.9
soldiers,"

own

says

initiated into the Christian

are

the

at the

mysteries.

ascribe
are strangersto all spiritual
(theheathens),
powers
the
with
of
the
waters
same
the
efficacy
(gods)
impregnating
power
of
in Christian baptism." For, " in certain sacred rites of theirs,the mode
nations who

The

"

to their idols
as

by baptism," and "whoever

water."8
sought in purifying

initiation is
was

also says that

He
"

And
"

St.

The

cross

The
those who

baptismwere

ancient
were

parted."6

never

and
Egyptiansperformedtheir rite of baptism,
of Isis were
initiatedinto the mysteries
baptized.6

Apuleiusof Madura, in Africa,who

used
shows that baptismwas
mysteries,
and
priest,
performedby the attending
of sin

dem

sanctiorem

quod

aquam

Holm

: ea

gorum,
fecimus.

existimant.

autem

nomen

Rel.

D.

Lord

arbor

re vera

dicit
arboris

est Haum

Ma-

alia occasione
supra
cujus mentionem
Alias, aliquando fit immergendo in

aquae,
magnum
seu
talem
lotionem
de

sistunt

ad hoc afilerunt in cortice

vas

ponit

adductum

igne,qua facta" ceremonia, eun-

sole et

Vet.

ut

was

initiated into these

; that the

was
ceremony
that purification
and givenes
for-

the result.7

was

ecclesiam

in

sacerdotem
coram

with murder, expiation

tians."4
soldiers in the forehead,in imitation of the Chris-

Augustinsays
and

himself

signed his

devil

The

denied

had

dicit Tavernier.

Post

baptismum, sacerdos im(Hyde

parentibus inditum."
Pers., p. 414.) After this Hyde

when
he comes
that
to say,
goes on
be fifteen years of age he is confirmed
receiving the girdle,and the 6udra or

to

by
sock.
cas-

Knight : Anct. Art and Mytho., p.

Higgins : Anac, vol. i. pp. 218 and 222.
Dunlap : Mysteries of Adoni, p. 139. King :
The Gnostics and their Remains, p. 51.
1

See

xxv.

Prsescrip. ch. xi.

De

Ibid.

"

Mithra

signat illic in frontibus

milites

suos."

Semper enim cruci baptismus jungitur."

Ser. ci.)
Temp.
(Aug,
6

"

See

mental
"

"

Anacalypsis, vol. ii.p. 69, and MonuChristianity,

p. 385.
cohorte.
Sacerdos,stipatum me religiosa

320

MYTHS.

BIBLE

baptismin Egypt is known by the hieroglyphic

sion
used in immerof
water ofpurification?The water
so
generated.1
and the person was said to he recleansed the soul,
absolutely

The

of

custom

'

"

term

also believed in

They

that the dead

were

washed

it

baptismafterdeath,for
their sins

from

was

held

cent
the benefiby Osiris,

departedare

often

who
before Osiris,
represented
(on the sarcophagi)
kneeling
them water from a pitcher.3
over

pours

saviour,in the

land

of

the

and
shades,

performedthe rite of baptism. In

Tab. clxxii. Gorius
gives two
picturesof ancient Etruscan
the youth is held in the arms
In the first,
baptismby water.
In
water
of one
and another is pouring
priest,
upon his head.
the second,the young person is goingthroughthe same
ceremony,
of
its
At
the
time
of
altar.
on
a kind
baptismthe child
kneeling
with the signof
was
on the forehead
named, blessed and marked
ancient Etruscans

The

the cross?

Baptism,or
the Jews

to

them

by

the

of water, was
application

before the time of Christ

when

they admitted

rite well

Jesus,and

known

practiced
from
religion

was

to their
proselytes
were
baptizedthey

received the

heathenism.

When

signof

anointed,and fed with milk and honey.4

customary,however,among them,to baptizethose

"

It

who

was
were

children

the cross, were

not

until afterthe Babylonish

religion,
learned
the
rite
shows
that
they
clearly

converted to the Jewish

This
captivity."*
from

their heathen oppressors.

by the asceticsof Buddhist
Baptismwas practiced

known
origin,
the Essenes.* John the Baptist
as
nothingmore
was, evidently,
than a member
of this order,
with which the deserts of Syriaand
the Thebais of Egypt abounded.
is restrained from perfect
The idea that man
union with God
believed
uncleanness and sin,
was
by his imperfection,
implicitly
In Thessalywas
by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
yearly
celebrated a great festival of cleansing.
A
work
bearingthe
of
Museus
The
name
was
a complete ritual of purifications.
usual mode
of purification
was
or
dippingin water (immersion),
' i

deducit

ad

"

proximas balucas

prius sueto
vpninin
veniam,
abluit."
purissimG circumrorans
(Apuleius:
Milesi,ii. citat. a Higgins : Anac, vol. ii. p.
69.)
1 Bonwick
: Egyptian Belief,p. 416.
Dunlap : Mysteries Adoni, p. 139.
a
Baring-Gould : Orig.Relig.Belief,vol. i.
lavr.ico
lavraeo

; et

trarlit.iiTn.
deum
traditum, nrfpfatns
prcefatus rlpfim

p. 392.
" Sp
See
4

vol. ii.pp. 67-69.

: Anac,
Notes, vol. i. p. 38. Higgins:

Higgins

Barnes

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 65.

"

Barnes

"

See

Notes, vol. i. p. 41.

Bunsen's

Angel-Messiah, p.

121,

Gainsburgh'sEssenes, and Higgins'Anacalypsis,vol. ii.pp. 66,67.

322

BIBLE

givenit

was

name

the

at

in the Hava-mal

mentioned

MYTHS.

Baptism is expressly
and alluded to in other
Bigs-mal,
time.

same

and

epicpoems.1
ancient Livonians

The

of the three modern Baltic

(inhabitants
of Courland,
observed the same
and Esthonia),
provinces
Livonia,
which
also prevailed
the ancient Germans.
ceremony;
among
This is expressly
stated in a letterwhich the famous Pope Gregory
III. sent to their apostle
him
Boniface,
directing

how

to act in

pect
res-

to it.2

The

same

performedby

was

ceremony

the ancient Druids of

Britain.9
the New

Among
After

Zealanders

children were
baptized.
young
fered
ofof baptismhad taken place,
prayers were

the ceremony
to make the child

and clean from

sacred,

ancient Mexicans

The

shortlyafter
birth. After the relativeshad assembled in the court of the parents'
the child's head to the east,and prayed
house,the midwife placed
for a blessing
from the Saviour Quetzacoatle,
and the goddessof
the water.

The

baptizedtheir

all impurities.4

breast of the child

fingers
dippedin water,and
"

it

May

the

children

then touched with the

was

following
prayer

(thewater) destroyand separatefrom

beginningof the world."

said :

thee all the evil that

was

ginning
be-

in thee before the

After

this the child's

that
things
"

that

now

Mr.
Mexico

body

might injurehim

were

he may
Prescott alludes to it

washed

was

live againand
as

with

water, and

requestedto departfrom
be born

all

him,

again."5
his

in
follows,

"

Conquestof

:"6

"The

lipsand bosom of the infant were

sprinkledwith water, and the
the
to
to
wash
implored permit
holydrops
away that sin that was given
of the world,so that the child might be born anew."
to it before the foundation
This interesting
in the presence
rite,
usuallysolemnized with great formality,
friends and relations,
of assembled
is detailed with minuteness
by Sahagun and
by Zuazo, both of them eyewitnesses."
Lord

was

"

Rev. J. P.
"Now,
nations and
that it had

Lundy

says

baptism of some kind has been the universal custom of all religious
and regeneration,
it is not to be wondered
at
peoplesfor purification
found its way from high Asia, the centre of the Old World's religion
as

and civilization,
into the American
1

See Mallet's Northern

continent.

Antiquities,
pp. 306,
Baring-Gould's Orig. Relig.
313,320,366.
Belief,vol. i. pp. 392, 393, and Dupuis, p. 242.
a Mallet : Northern
Antiquities,
p. 206.
3
Baring-Gould : Orig. Relig. Belief,vol. i.
Higgins : Anac, vol. ii. p. 67, and
p. 393.
D"vies : Myths of the British Druids.

Sir

George Grey

32, in Baring-Gould
p. 392.
* See
Viscount

Belief,p. 59.
"

Vol. i. p. 64.

: Polynesian Mytho., p.
Orig.Relig.Belief,vol. i.

Amherly's Analysis Relig

323

BAPTISM.

found in Mexico, beyond Darien,baptizing

boys and
"American
were
priests
upon them from a
a year old in the templesat the cross, pouring the water
girls

pitcher."1

small

theyused

which

called the

water

The

Eev. Father Acosta alludes to this baptism

by

"

Indians had

The

an

was

infinitenumber

approachingnear to the Law

called
them; they did wash
as
they
from sin."3

speakingof

After
says
"

"

some

of the

some

:
saying

or

use,

Opacuna,

to cleanse tliemselves

the Indians

which
confession

which

the Moores

the baths

themselves in water

eration.'"
regen-

and customs

to those which

Gospel,as

of

water

of other ceremonies

resembled to the ancient law of Moses, and

and

"

The

used"

he

the Inca had been

When

he
confessed,

made

self,
certain bath to cleanse him-

running river,saying these words: '1 have told my sins to tlieSun (his
receive
tJiem,0 thou Miver,and carry them to the Sea, where theymay never
god);
in

appear

more.1

"4

also had

baptismfor infants,
with greatceremony.*
which theyperformed
in Yucatan.
They administered it
Baptismwas also practiced
He

tells us

that the Mexicans

to children three years old ; and called it regeneration."

their children.7
also baptized

ancient Peruvians

The

nations of
then,records the fact that all the principal
History,
to their children,
and to
administered the rite of baptism
antiquity
The words
initiated into the sacred mysteries.
adults who were
et impunitatem
used by
perjuriorumsuorum"
regenerationem
"

"

the heathen in this ceremony

the
the outward forms were

The

same.

with the

the markingof him

child,
soldier of

"

prove that the doctrines

cross

well

as

to the
givingof a name
of his beinga
as
a sign

at fifteen years of age

followed
Christ,

as

by

his admission

also prove that

confirmation,
feature
the two institutions are identical. But the most striking
and consequentforgiveness
of sins
of all is the regeneration
the being horn againP This shows that the Christian baptism
in doctrine as well as in outward ceremony, was precisely
that of the
that it was
heathen.
We
have seen
all the
supposedto destroy
him were
evil in him, and all thingsthat mightinjure
requested

into the

of the
mysteries

ceremony

of

"

"

"

So likewise among the Christians ; the priest,

the child,
and baptizing
tomed
accushim, was formerly
him.

departfrom

to

lookingupon
to say
"

Monumental

Kingsborough:

Christianity,
pp. 389,390.
Mex.
Antiq., vol. vi. p.

114.
"

"

Ibid. p. 361.

"

Ibid. p. 369.
Monumental

Hist. Indies,
vol. ii. p. 369.

Bonwick

Christianity,
p. 390.

EgyptianBelief,
p.

416.

324

BIBLE

in
spirit,

I command

"

thee,unclean
Holy Ghost, that thou

of the
Lord

MYTHS.

come

the

of the Father, of the Son, and

our
departfrom this infant,whom

name

and

out

Jesus Christ has vouchsafed

to call to this holy baptism, to be made

ber
memholy congregation. And presume not hereafter to
exercise any tyranny towards
this infant,whom
Christ hath bought with his
and
called
of his flock."
this
to
be
preciousblood,
holy baptism
by

of his

The
what

and of his

body

This is
with,fire
well as water.
as
baptized
Matt.
times in the gospels
; for instance,
many

ancients also

is alluded to
John

11) makes
(iii.
shall baptize
you
The

say,

with the

"

I,indeed,baptizeyou

Holy

baptismby firewas

Ghost

in

use

with

it is a
partsof Scotland,
in their clothes

them

burn this child,

or

never

Even

by

the Romans

; it was

at the

formed
persacred fire.

presentday,in

some

baptismof children to swing

a firethree times,
saying,Now, fire,
Here isevidently
a relicof the heathen
at the

custom

"

over

baptismbyfire.
Christian baptismwas

; he

and with fike."

by jumpingthree times throughthe flames of

in India.
This is stillpracticed

water

intended to be administered
originally
of their
but to persons in full possession
to unconscious infants,
and responsible
for their actions. Moreover,it was perfaculties,
formed,
the forehead,
is well known, not merelyby sprinkling
as
the candidate to descend naked into the water,the
but by causing
his head.
and pouringthe water
over
priestjoininghim there,
could not receive baptismuntil after he understood
The catechumen
of the
something
to assume
prepared

was

for administration
Yet such

the need

was

of the entrance
religion
of

course

not

of the faith he

and
embracing,
ted
unfitA rite more
its obligations.
totally
have been found.
could hardly
to infants

nature

that
of

was

felt for

child into the

was

solemn

recognition
by

in
that this rite,
wyorld,

lost its original

time,completely
nature,and,as with the

of immersion.
heathen,infancytook the placeof maturity: sprinkling
the
of baptismwere
But while the age and manner
altered,
ritual remained
which

it had

under
been

the influence of the

instituted. The

idea
primitive

were
obligations

no

with

longer

hence theymust
be undertaken
confined to the persons baptized,
for them.
Thus was the Christian Church landed in the absurdity
"

in
we
believe,
unparalleled,

the most

solemn

promisesto

power

be

"

of

made, not by those who

ing
requirwere

/ these others
ally
and neither those actuto enforce their fulfillment,

thereafter to fulfill
them, but

havingno

any other natal ceremony

by others in

their name

sumed,
assumingthe engagement, nor those on whose behalf it was asYet
in case it should be broken.
beingmorally,
responsible
this strangeincongruity
forced upon the church by an imperious
was

325

BAPTISM.

of

want

human
the

adopted
historical

of

baptism

consistency,
than

deeper
stretch

itself,and

nature

far

the

adults

recognize

to

than

the

insignificant
have

only,

chronological

wider

the

failed,

sentiment

foundation

geographical

who

sects

in

their

whose

of

zeal

of

for

lie far

roots

Christian

boundaries

have

rites, and

the

Christian

faith.
The

intention

of

all these

as

the

of

spiritual purification.

natural

the

implies
sin.1

The

the

on

sinful

declared

early Christians,
supposed
soul

contain

to

of

promise

there

which

their

their

the

That

the

especially

the

corruption

is

used

by

them

belief

of

Hindus.

expressed
:

means

of

these.

in

is born

man

been

of

original

all nations
This
in

the

sense

of

sin
of

seems

of

original
prayer,

we

; in

the

be

of

world,

while

and

easy

"

am

sinful,

lotus-eyed
hams'

of

and

Heri,

Hinduism,

the

the
p.

remover

214.)

delay

their

St.

sin,
Save

sions
pas-

of

in
stantino
Con-

is

nature

my

me,

Sin."

estimable
in-

an

still retained

sin.

the

anity,
Christi-

absolution.

in

to

away

indulge

commit

the

precipitate

By

was

; and

of

is
the

baptism

entitled

throw

they

infant

sin

to

conceived

sinful,
am

the

proselytes

to

fectly
perwash

Among

recovered.

freely

are

is to

water.

to

original

seen,

both,

imprudent

it

of

intention

sacrament

repeated

sure

to

have

ling,
sprink-

or

stain

expiation

venture

antiquity,

following

the

never

this

washing,

original purity,

be

could

symbol

universal

the

of

agency

judged

could

the

one

was

have

which

the

avowed

Among

not

enjoyments

hands

own

its

Water,

from

absolute

who

they

baptism,

in

to

could

privilege,
of

and

is identical.

or

humanity

Pagans,

full

many

the

the

salvation.

were

salutary rite,

the

is

rituals, as

to

restored

eternal

infant

both,

again by

instantly

was

In

with

as

the

common

born

baptism

immersion,

of

head.

nature

be

to

Hence

Christian

and

this

of

physical cleansing,

deliverance

Pagan

clear
away

of

means

forms

thou

(Wtt"

XXXII.

CHAPTEK

THE

The
"

Great

WORSHIP

worship of

OF

"

the

Goddess," the

"

THE

VIRGIN

"

Virgin,"the

Mother

of

MOTHER.

Queen of Heaven," the

God," "c,

which

has become

grandfeatures of the Christian religionthe Council of

Ephesus (a.d. 431) havingdeclared Mary Mother of God," her
assumption
beingdeclared in 813,
and her Immaculate
Conception
by the Pope and Council in
of the

one

"

"

18511

almost

was

"

for
universal,

ages before the birth of Jesus,

and "the pure virginity
of the
celestialmother
of
was
a tenet
faith for two
the

thousand

virginnow

fore
years beadored was

born."2
In

shiped,
India, they have worfor ages, Devi, Maha-

Devi"

One

"The
"

and have

Great

templeserected

in honor of her.4 Gonzales

temple "

Pariturce

dess"8
God-

states

that among the Indians he found

Virginia -of the Virginabout to bring
"

forth.6

Maya, the mother of Buddha, and DevaJci the mother of Crishna,

with the infant Saviours
and represented
were
as virgins*
worshiped
at
of the Christians is represented
in their arms, justas the virgin
for God,
the present day. Maya was so pure that it was impossible
her with carnal desire.
Asura to view
or
Fig.No. 16 is
man,
1

See Bonwick's

Monumental

Egyptian Belief p. 115,and

Christianity,
pp. 206 and 226.
Ancient Faiths,vol. i. p. 159.

Inman

"

See Williams'

326

See

Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol.

See

Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 185.

"

St. Jerome

Hinduism.

tradition among

says

the

"

It is handed

i. p. 540.
down

as

Gymnosophists of India,

OF

WORSniP

THE

THE

VIRGIN

of the VirginDevaki,with
representation

Crishna,taken from Moor's

"Hindu

the infant Saviour

Pantheon."1

"No

person
vested
bear to gaze upon Devaki,because of the lightthat ininvisible to mortals,
her." "The gods,
celebrated her praise

could

the time that Vishnu

from
continually

Crishna and his mother

"

327

MOTHER.

"

"Crishna

and the word

almost

are

"

means

was

contained in her person."2

alwaysrepresented
black,"*

the black."

who have had several avatars,or virgin-born

Chinese,
gods,
Mother
have
also worshiped
from time ima Virgin
memorial.
them,

The
among

Sir Charles Francis

Davis,in his Historyof China,"

Canton
to which
worshipedan idol,
Virgin."4

that the Chinese at

tells us

theygave

the

Rev.

The

of

name

"

The

"

JosephB. Gross,in

his

"

Heathen

tellsus
Religion,"

that:
"Upon the altars of
image of Shin-moo, or the
alcove,with rays of

the Chinese

temples were
placed,behind a screen, an
with a child in her arms, in an
Holy Mother J sitting
gloryaround her head,and tapersconstantly
burningbefore
*

her."6

Mother

"

is called the

Shin-moo

Goddess,"and the Virgin."

who
Her child,
was
was
exposedin his infancy,
broughtup by
He
became a greatman, and performed
ful
wonderpoor fishermen.
houses the sacred imageof the
miracles. In wealthy
Mother
is carefully
Goddess
veiled with
kept in a recess behind an altar,
"

"

"

silken screen.9
"

in his Travels,"
of the Chinese
Gutzlaff,
speaking

The Rev. Mr.

people,
says:
Though otherwise

"

bigotedheathens.
in
chiefly

honor

of

reasonable

very
.

Matsoo-po,the

mother
Isis,

They
'

men,

have

theyhave always showed

everywhere built

Queen of Heaven.*

selves
them-

splendidtemples,

"7

of the

EgyptianSaviour,
as
Horus,was worshiped
is
the
common
more
on
a virgin.
monuments
of
Nothing
religious
Horus
infant
the
seated
in
than
the
of
his
mother.
Egypt
lap
virgin
Our
the
is
of
She
Queen
Lady,"
styled
Heaven," Star of the
Mother
of
ImmacuGod," Intercessor,"
Sea," Governess,"
"

"

"

"

"

Buddha, the founder of their system was

brought forth by a virgin from her side."
(Contra Jovian, bk. i. Quoted in Rhys Davids'
Buddhism, p. 183.)

that

Plate 59.

Monumental

Of
was

the

Christianity,
p. 218.

Virgin Mary

we

read

"

"

Her

face

could
shining as snow, and its brightness

hardly be borne.
the angels,"c."

"

Her

conversation

was

with

(Nativityof Mary, Apoc.)

s gee Ancient
Faiths,i. 401.
* Davis'
China, vol. ii.p. 95.
" The
Heathen
ReJig.,p. 60.
" Barrows
: Travels in China, p. 467.
i Gutzlaff's
Voyages, p. 154.

328

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in after years applied

were
epithets
by the Christians."
worshiped
of Horus is beingnursed on
representation

late Virgin,"
"C.;1all of which

VirginMother

to the

The

"

most

the knee of

common

suckled

or
Isis,

(Fig.
Christianity
92),is to
The

Horus."

at

In Monumental
"

Isisand
of
representation
is sitting
on his mother's knee,while

be

infant Saviour

breast."8

her

seen

she gazes into his face. A cross is on the back of the seat.
of it:
Eev. J. P. Lundy,says, in speaking
author,
"Is

this

and
son's conflict,
suffering,

Egyptian mother, too, meditatingher

And is this cross

before her and gazes into his face?
with Typho or
conflict
and
life
idea
of
the
through suffering,

she holds him

triumph,as

to convey

meant

The

Evil?"

In

statues and

some

veiled from
is entirely
other
hath

as
goddess,

she
when Isis appears alone,
basso-relievos,
with nearly
in common
head to foot,
every

symbolof

mother's

No
chastity.

mortal

man

lifted her veil.

ever

represented
standingon the crescent moon, with
her head.4 In almost every Roman
'welwe stars surrounding
Catholic Church on the continent of Europemay be seen
pictures
the
on
and statues of Mary, the
Queen of Heaven,"standing
Isis was

also

"

crescent moon,

and her head surrounded

with twelve stars.

givesa
Pagan and Christian Symbolism,"
the crescent
on
of the Virgin
standing
Mary,with her infant,
figure
he says :
of this figure,
In speaking
moon.
Dr.

"

Inman,

In it the

in his

"

Virginis seen

with the
identified

crescent

as

the

moon.

the Christian mother

identify

This crescent

moon

is the

'

Queen
.

and

Heaven,'nursing her infant,and

Than this,nothingcould more
pletely
com-

of

child,with Isis and Horus."6

symbol of

Isis and

Juno,and

is the

Yoni of the Hindoos.6

dedicated to her a new
of Isis yearly
matic
ship(emblepriests
laden with the firstfruits of spring.Strange
of the Yoni),
in procession
of ships,
in which the
as it may
seem, the carrying
has not yet
VirginMary takes the placeof the heathen goddesses,
whollygone out of use.7
with the infant Saviour in her arms,
Isis is also represented,
of the flowers of the Egyptian
enclosed in a framework
bean,or
in this
The
lotus*
Virgin Mary is very often represented
The

manner,

as

those who

have studied mediaeval art well know.

EgyptianBelief,p. 141.
Lily of Israel,p. 14.
" Kenrick's
Egypt, vol. i. p. 425.
4 See
Draper'sScience and Religion,pp. 47,
48 *nd Higgins' Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 304.
"
Pagan and Christian Symbolism, p. 50.
"

Bonwick's

See The

"

See

Monumental

Dr. Inman's
7

See

Ancient

Cox's

Christianity,
p. 307,and
Faiths.

Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 119,

note.
8

See

13,14.

Pagan and

Christian

Symbolism, pp.

330

BIBLE

We

of

mother

exposedin

was

crib to the adoration

She

Osiris the Saviour."

Mother,"and yet

"Immaculate

and
virgin,

in Neith

known

was

the birth

of the people."1

EgyptianVirginMother

another

have
"

constructed the childbirth of

Egypt has

how

Watch

"

of her son, who

MYTHS.

as

or
"

the

Nout,
Great

Virgin."3M. Beauregardspeaks

of
as
Conception of the Virgin(Mary),who can henceforth,
of
boast
from
the
come
Neith,
as
mysterious
having
Egyptian Minerva,
herself,and of having given birth to god."3

The

"

well

Immaculate

the

What

is known

in Christian countries

as

"

Candlemas

day,"or

VirginMary,is of Egyptianorigin.The
in honor of
feast of Candlemas was keptby the ancient Egyptians
the goddessNeith, and on the very day that is marked
on
our
Candlemas
Christian almanacs as
day."4
who had
The ancient Chaldees believed in a celestialvirgin,
purityof body,loveliness of person, and tenderness of affection;
the erringsinner could appealwith
to whom
and who was
one
the Purification of the

"

chance of

more
as

success

than to

a
mother,although

stern father. She

with
virgin,

was

portrayed

child in her arms.6

and Assyrians
worshipeda goddess
Babylonians
in pictures
and in imagesas
mother,and son, who was represented
infant in his mother's arms
was
an
(seeFig.No. 18). Her name
the divine son was
whom
have
we
Tammuz, the Saviour,
Mylitta,
The

ancient

attributesand

He

the dead.

from

rose

seen

and
glory,

was

invested with

identified with him.

He

all his father's

was

worshiped

mediator.6

as

templeat Paphos,in Cyprus,dedicated to the

in Grecian
the most
celebrated one
and was
VirginMylitta,
There

was

times.7
The
who

ancient Etruscans

worshipeda VirginMother and Son.

in pictures
and imagesin the arms
of his
represented
This was
the goddess
Nutria^to be seen in Fig.No.

was

mother.
19.

On

the

arm

of the mother

is

Etruscan

in
inscription

an

goddesswas also worshipedin Italy.Long before

the Christian era
erected in memory
templesand statues were
of her.
To the Great Goddess Nutria,"
is an inscription
which
has been found among
the ruins of a templededicated to her.

letters. This
"

No

doubt

1
1
"

"

Bonwick's

the Roman

Church

Egyptian Belief,p. 143.

Ibid. p. 115.
Quoted in Ibid. p. 115.
Ibid.,and Kenrick's Egypt.

would

have

Inman's

"

See

Ancient
T

Ancient

Monumental

claimed

her for

Faiths,vol. i. p. 59.
Christianity,
p. 211, and

Faiths,vol. ii.p. 350.

Faiths,vol. i.p. 213.

Ancient

THE

WOESHIP

OF

Madonna,

but

"Nutria"

in Etruscan

THE

VIRGIN

for them,
unluckily

most

practice.
his
The Egyptian

was

letters on

her

also worshiped
in

she

her,with

children of

The

moon

Moloch"
the
styled

and
were
"

centuries
the infant

shall presently
see,
and

her child

have

seen

that

represented.

who,
Israel,

as

we

have

seen

in

previous

worshipingthe
sacrificesto their god,
human
stars,and offering
of a VirginMother,whom
also worshipers
they
idolaters of

chapter,were
sun,

were

name

Etruscan

Italy,
many

even
though they representher
by the Christians,
in the same
as black as an
manner
as we
Ethiopian,

and Crishna

has the

after the

arm,

before the Christian era, and all imagesof

Horus in her arms, have been adopted,
as we

Devaki

331

MOTHER.

the

worst

kind

"

Queen of Heaven."

about the year 625 B.C.,

of the prophetsand reformers,rebukes the
and who was
one
of the " Queen of Heaven,"
and worship
Israelitesfor their idolatry
him as follows :
whereupontheyanswer
in Jerusalem
who appeared
Jeremiah,

of the Lord,we
spoken unto us, in the name
do whatsoever
thing goeth
will certainly
will not hearken unto thee. But we
and to
the
Heaven,
unto
incense
of
Queen
burn
to
forth out of our own
mouth,
our
our
and
kings,
have
as
fathers,
done,
we,
we
unto her,
pour out drink offerings
for
then
we
Jerusalem
:
streets
the
of
in the cityof Judah, and in
and our princes,
and were
had plentyof victuals,
well,and saw no evil.
left off to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven, and to pour
"But
since we
and have been consumed
unto her,we have wanted all things,
out drink offerings
incense to the Queen of
burned
And when we
by the sword and by the famine.
"As

for the word

that thou hast

332

BIBLE

MYTHS.

Heaven, and poured out drink offerings

unto her,did we
make her cakes
and
drink
out
unto her,without our men
her,
?"!
pour
offerings

The

"

cakes

"

which

the Israeliteswere

by

worship.3The

offered to the

were

marked

with

cross,

or

"

to worship

"

Queen of Heaven
other

symbolof

sun

ancient

Egyptiansalso put a cross on their

sacred cakes."3 Some
of the earlyChristians offered
sacred
cakes
to the VirginMary centuries after.4
The
ancient Persians worshiped
the Virginand Child. On
the monuments
of Mithra,
the Saviour,
the Mediating
ing
and RedeemGod of the Persians,
the VirginMother of this god is to be seen
her infant.6
6uckling
The ancient Greeks and Romans
worshipedthe VirginMother
"

"

"

and

before the Christian

Child for centuries

One

era.

of these

Myrrha* the mother of Bacchus, the Saviour,who was

with the infant in her arms.
She had the titleof
represented
was

"Queen

of Heaven."7

Saviour Bacchus
mother.

Christian shrine the infant

be

may

of his deified

seen

as

"

Rev.

"Diodorus

many

reposingin the arms

names
are
changed the ideas remain
Dr. Stuckley
writes :

The

The

At

before.-

born of Jupiter,
the Supreme God, and Ceres
was
Proserpinewere called Virgo(Virgin).The story of
this woman
so
being deserted by a man, and espousedby a god, has somewhat
like
i.
blessed
Matt.
of
the
that passage,
that
19, 20,
exceedingly
Virgin's
history,
should wonder
between the sacred and
at it,did we not see the parallelism
we
infinite
the profanehistory
us.
before
the Virgin(Mary)and the mother of
There are many
similitudes between
Bacchus
called
(also
Mary see note 6 below) in all the old fables. Mary, or
Miriam, St. Jerome interprets
Orpheus calls the mother of
Myrrha Maris.
Bacchus
Goddess (and the mother
of Jesus is called Mary, Star of the
a Sea
Seary
says Bacchus
Ceres and

(Myrrha).Both

"

"

"

'

Thus

we

that the reverend and learned Dr.

see

Jeremiah, xliv. 16-22.

See Colenso's Lectures, p. 297, and Bonwick's Egyptian Belief,
p. 148.
* See the Pentateuch
Examined, vol. vi. p.
115,App., and Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p.
3

148.
4

tal

See King's Gnostics,p. 91,and MonumenChristianity,

p. 224.
6SeeDupuis: Origin of Relig.Belief p. 237.
,

It would

many

of the

seem

virginmothers

antiquity should
mother

than

more

of Bacchus

have
was

the

chance

and
same

Myrrha

that

so

goddesses of
The

name.

; the mother

of

(See Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 314,and Inman'e

Faiths,vol. ii.p. 253); the mother of
Buddha
was
Maya ; now, all these names,
the same
whether Myrrha, Maia or Maria, are
of the mother of the Chrisas Mary, the name
tian Saviour.
(See Inman's Ancient Faiths,
vol. ii.pp. 353 and 780.
Also, Dunlap's Mysteries of Adoni, p. 124.) The month
of May
sacred to these goddesses, so likewise is
was
it sacred to the Virgin Mary at the present
day, She was also called Myrrha and Maria, as
well as Mary.
(SeeAnacalypsis, vol. i. p. 304,
Ancient

and

Son

Mercury or Hermes was

Myrrha or Maia
(See
Ferguson's Tree and Serpent Worship, p. 186,
and Inman's Ancient Faiths,vol. ii.p. 253); the

304.

mother

Isis

dom"

of the Siamese
was

called

Mary ;" the

Saviour"

Sommona

Maya Maria, 1.e.,

mother

of

Adonis

"

was

Ca-

the Great

Myrrha

has clearly
Stuckley

of the Man,

p. 26.)

Higgins : Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp.

803,

Prof. Wilder, in
Evolution,"June, '77.
Unveiled, vol. ii.
"
Stuckley : Pal. Sac. No. 1 p. 84,in AnacJ. p. 304.
alypsia,
8

"

THE

made

out

WORSHIP

that the

OF

THE

story of Mary, the

"

333

MOTHER.

VIRGIN

Queen of Heaven," the

Sea,"the mother of the Lord,with her translation to

heaven,"c, was an old storylong before Jesus of Nazareth was
observes that the Pagan " Queen of
born. After this Stuckley
"

Star of the

Heaven
have

"

has upon her head a

observed above,is the

Heaven"

in almost

every

Europe.
The goddessCybele
was
"Queen

of Heaven"

of twelve stars.

crown

of the Christian

case

Romish

church
She

another.

and the "Mother

we

Queen of

the continent

on

was

This,as
"

of

equallycalled the

of God."

As

devotees

VirginMary,so did theyin

of Cybele. The Galli now
used in the
ancient times in the name
used in the worshipof Cybele
churches of Italy,
were
anciently
Galliambus,and sang by her priests).Our Lady Day,"
(called
of the Roman
tofore
or the day of the Blessed Virgin
Church,was herededicated to Cybele.1
Minerva, who was distinguished
by the title of
Virgin
Queen,"2was extensively
worshipedin ancient Greece. Among
the innumerable
templesof Greece,the most beautiful was the
Parthenon,
meaning,the Templeof the VirginGoddess. It was
Doric edifice,
dedicated to Minerva,
the presiding
a magnificent
deityof Athens.
Juno was
called the
She was
VirginQueen of Heaven."3
like Isis and Mary, standing
the crescent moon,4
on
represented,
of women,
and was
considered the special
from the
protectress
cradle to the grave, justas Mary is considered at the present
day.
Mother," was nevertheless
Diana, who had the title of
famed
for her virginal
like Isis
purity.*She was represented,
her head.8
and Mary, with stars surrounding
The ancient Muscovites worshiped
a sacred group, composed
of a woman
with a male child in her lap,
and another standingby
her. They had likewise another idol,
called the goldenheifer,
which,says Mr. Knight, seems to have been the animal symbol
of the same
have the Virginand infant
Here we
personage."7
with the companion(Johnthe Baptist),
and i The Lamb
Saviour,
collectalms in the

now

name

of the

"

"

"

"

"

'

that taketh away

1
9

world,"among

Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. i.p. 305.

See Bell's Pantheon, and Knight : Ancient
and

Art

the sins of the

Mytho., p. 175.
Antiquities,
p. 73. Anacalyp"is,vol. ii. p. 82,and Bell's Pantheon,vol. ii.
*

See Roman

p. ICO.

See Monumental

the ancient Musco-

Christianity,
p. 308" Kg.

144.
"

See

Knight :

Anct. Art

and

Mytho.,pp.

175,176.
"

See

Knight'sAnct.

Montfaucon, vol. i.platexcii.

Art and

Mytho.,p. 147.

^4

MYTHS.

BIBLE

vitesbefore the time of Christ Jesus.

"

titleof

ancient Germans
of

name

with

woman

child in her

their consecrated

the

by the active
in images
represented
in
This image was common
held peculiarly
sacred.3 The

"

also the

worshipeda virgingoddessunder

Hertha,or Ostara,who was

the
She was
i.e.,
spirit,
Holy Spirit."2
as

goddesshad

Queen of Heaven.1

The
the

This

and
forests,

arms.
was

Christian celebration called Aaster

fecundated

derived its

from

name

this

goddess.
The ancient Scandinavians

Disa.

Mr. R.

"This

by
lap of

the

delineated

child,similar

Isis on

The

to the

ancient

Scandinavians

Odin,the

mother

supreme

god of

as
addressed,
Mary

was

"

also

Baldur the

is at the

in

worshipedthe goddess
Good," his father being

the northern nations.

It

Eddas

The

she who

^\ as

presentday,in order

easy childbirths.

and
happymarriages

to

obtain

styleher

the

favorable of the

most

In
the

of

of the Laplanders,
panied
accomEgyptians,who so often appears
of that people."4

of the

monuments
religious

was

the sacred drums

on

Horus

the

Frigga.She

that

Payne Knighttells us

goddess is
a

worshipeda virgingoddesscalled

"

Gaul,the

Mother

honor of

goddesses.6
ancient Druids worshiped
the Virgo-Paritura
as

of

God," and
this virgin.8

In the year 1747

of pagan
Thus
we
pagan

origin,
on

see

monument

Virgin and

China

to

World,we shall find the same

Dr. Inman, even
in Mexico
"

celebrated
annually

found at

was

which is exhibited

that the

times,from

festivalwas

female

Child

Oxford,England,
an
nursing

were

the

Mother

and

infant/

worshiped,in

Britain,
and,if we turn
thing there ; for,in
'

in

Child

to the New

the words of
'

were

shiped."8
wor-

This

and " Queen

mother,who had the title of " Virgin,"
and the infant
Heaven,"9was Chimalman, or Sochiquetzal,
the crucified Saviour.
Lord Kingsborough
Quetzalcoatle,

of
was

Bays:
"She

who

represented'Our

hair tied up in the

manner

Lady' (among

in which

the Indian

Celtic

184.

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.pp. 109,110.

See Knight's Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 21.
" See
Prog. Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. 374,and
Mallet : Northern Antiquities.
"
Knight : Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 147.
" See Mallet's Northern
Antiquities.
" See
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.pp. 108,
109,259. Dupuis : Orig. Relig. Belief,p. 257.

the ancient

women

Mexicans)had

her

tie and fasten their hair,

Druids,p. 163,and Taylor'sDiegesis,p.

See Celtic

Druids, p. 163, and

Dupuis, p.

337.
8

Ancient

"

See

Faiths,vol. i. p. 100.
Anacalypsis, vol. ii.p. 33, and Mex*
ican Antiquities,
vol. vi. p. 176.

and in the knot behind

show

that she

The

was

the Most

was

Mexicans

had

THE

OF

WORSHIP

THE

inserted

small cross,

335

MOTHER.

VIRGIN

intended to

it was

by which

Holy."1
of
pictures

this "

"

HeavenlyGoddess

on

which theyrolled up.a

longpiecesof leather,
The annunciation to the VirginChimalman,that she should become
the subject
the mother of the Saviour Quetzalcoatle,
of a
was
than one respect.
Mexican hieroglyphic,
and is remarkable in more
a bunch
receiving

She appears to be
which
or angel,8
the

mind

bringsto
in
is placed

East,which

of flowers from the embassador

the

lotus,the

the hands of the

sacred

Pagan and

plantof
Christian

virgins.
The

25th

March,

of

ancient Grecian

which

and Roman

celebrated

was

world,in

honor

of

throughoutthe
"

the Mother

of

Mother of
to the honor of the Christian
Gods,"was appointed
and called
celebrated in Catholic countries,
God," and is now
gin
Blessed Virof the
Lady day."4 The festivalof the conception
"

the

"

"

Mary

"

the very day that the festival of the

of the " Blessed VirginJuno " was
held
conception

is also held

miraculous
among

the

which, says
pagans,6
"

Calendar,"
"

remarkable

on

is

remarkable

coincidence

"

the author

coincidence."6
when
after all,

we

of

the

"

Perennial

It is not such

very

find

even
as
that,
who
Neo-Caesarea,

Gregory,Bishopof
flourished about a.d. 240-250,Pagan festivals were
changedinto
Christian holidays.
This saint was
commended
by his namesake
of Nyssafor changing
the Pagan festivals into Christian holidays,
the better to draw the heathens to the religion
of Christ.7
The month of Mazy,which was dedicated to the heathen Virgin
Mothers,is also the month of Mary,the Christian Virgin.
Now that we ha^e seen that the worship
of the Virginand Child
the time

earlyas

of St.

shall say a few

universal for ages before the Christian era, we
and imagesof the Madonna
of pictures
words on the subject
so
was

"

called.
The

ancient

and statues in Italyand other parts

pictures
of Europe,of what are supposed
of the Virgin
to be representations
black. The infant god,in the arms
are
Mary and the infant Jesus,
of his black mother,
his eyes and drapery
is himself perfectly
white,
most

black.8
on
GodfreyHiggins,

informs

us

at
that,

whose

the time of

vol. vi. p. 176.

Antiquities,

have stated the above,

we
authority
his writing 1825-1835
imagesand
"

"

Mexican

"

Quoted in Ibid.

Ibid.

See

Ibid.

236.

vol. i. p. 304.
Higgins : Anacalypsis,

Ibid. vol. ii. p. 82.

Middleton's

Letters

from

Rome, p.

wi. i.p. 138.

Higgins: Anacalypsis,

336

BIBLE

of this kind
paintings

to be

were
u

chapelof

the famous

MYTHS.

the

Annunciation,the church

"

cathedral of Moulins ;

at the

seen

at Loretto ; the church

Virgin

of St. Lazaro, and

of the

the church of St.

at Genoa / St. Francis,

at Pisa ; the church at Brixen,
Stephens,
in the Tyrol; the church at Padua
; the church of St. Theodore,
at Munich

in the two

the white of the eyes and

and the studied redness of the lips,
are
teeth,
very observable.1
"

so

The

are

Bambino*

the
in

seen

"

at Pome

Virginand

Rome,

lastof which
is

at Loretto."8

Child

other

in innumerable

and

Dr.

black,"says

Inman,

"

and

to be
are
Many more
places
; in fact,
says Mr.

Higgins,
"

There is scarcely
an

old church

in

Italywhere
not

remains

some

of the black

Virgin,and

with;" and

met

greatnumbers

are

of the

worship

black child,are

that

to be met

"picturesin
with,where

the white of the eyes, and of the teeth,

and the lipsa little tinged with red,
like the black
of the Indian

figuresin
company.

the

museum

"4

Fig.No. 20 is a copy of the

image of the Virginof Loretto.
Dr. Conyers
Middleton,
speaking
of

it,says :
"

its
I

The

the

reason

more

exactlythe

old idoh

puts

me

soon

of the

that this very

recollected,
of its

but resemble

of Loretto

that I was in at
surprise
first sight of the Holy Image, for
face is as black as a negro's. But

in mind
the

mention

The

complexion

made

cumstance
cirit

ofPaganism."*

for the imagesbeing

assigned
by the Christianpriests
but,we may
theyare made so by smoke and incense,

black,is that
ask,if theybecame black by smoke,why is itthat the white drapery,
and the white of the eyes have not changedin color ?
white teeth,
red color \ Why, we may also ask,are
Why are the lipsof a bright
the black

images crowned

imagesof

the Hindoo

and

adorned

with

jewels,
justas

and

the

?
are
represented
Egyptianvirgins
When
find that the VirginDevaki,and the VirginIsiswere
we
as these so-calledancient Christian idols represent
represented
just
Mary,we are led to the conclusion that theyare Paganidolsadopted

by

the Christians.

Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 138.

Bambino
a term
in art,descriptive
of the
swaddled
figureof the infant Saviour.
8

"

"
4
*

Ancient

Faiths,vol. i. p. 401.
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 1**
Letters from

Rome,

p.

8^

338

BIBLE

images and pictures

copies

Mary

of

Isis.

honored

most

At

MYTHS.

the

should

time

same

it is

little odd

be Black, but

only

not

have

the

that
decided

"Virgin
Isis cast

of feature."1

The

shrine

France, was
"

To

add," (says Dr.

may

glittering with

Mountains.

church

door

child, the former

This

is to
triplecrown
those
goddesses,especially
Dr.
"

in

Barlow

The

the

with

of

representations of

the

Cyril

earliest
and

of

there

the

be

can

apparently,

also

tells

from

of

Abbey

Einsiedelen,

doll,dressed
that

me

in

the

gold

Virgin
he

saw,

Turin, the fresco

of

cade,
bro-

of

the

over
a

Black

triplecrown"*

seen

the heads

on

of

Pagan gods

and

of the Hindoos.

of the Mother

worship
Hypatia) and

along

in

says

doctrine

be

black

is called,

Newton,

bearing

Virgin in Amadon,"

that at the
old

an

Ivrea, in Italy,twenty-nine miles

at

and

Virgin

is

She

friend, Mr.

My

"

Inman),

jewels.

"

Venus.9

old Black

Zurich, the object of adoration

and
Swiss

we

that of the

as

formerly an

this

Lake

on

known

now

of God

Madonna

the

Egyptian

Madonna

have

little* doubt

that

Isis

Murphy

tells

in the

quite

brought

was

of Alexandria,
fifth

the

was

and
The

century.

Greco-Egyptian

Horus

nursing

It

origin.

by Cyril (Bishop

of Alexandria,

monks

the

of

was

character,

origin

of

them

all."4

Arthur

And
"The

superstition

over

Asia, Greece,

and

Serapis (Horus
who

in

went

in those

the

parts,
many

baptized

they

?) have

"

These

and

anew,

religious

the rest

and

saw

ceremonies

frequently

and

ninth

images

many

images and
given other

of

Brotier

of Europe.

been

eighth

that:

us

found

says,
in

centuries
and

of

these

were

diffused

inscriptions of
The
.

propagate

of these
and

Egyptians
that

Germany
to

statues

statues

names,

the

Isis

aries
mission-

the

Christian

ligion
re-

gods."6

gods "

allowed

to

were

evidently

remain

where

were.

In

parts of Italyare to be seen picturesof the Virgin with

many
"
her infant in her arms, inscribed with the words
Deo Soli."
This
:

betrays
1

their

Bonwick's

is the

color

Pagan origin.

Egyptian
of

the

Isis."

crucians, p. 154.)
3 Ancient
Faiths, vol. i. p. 159.
be
'aucon, vol. i. plate xcv.,
may
ssentation

of

Black

Venus.

"

Black

"

Ancient

(The Rose-

Quoted

Belief, p. 141.

Egyptian

Faiths, vol. ii. p. 264.

Bonwick's
Egyptian

in

Belief, p.

142.
In
seen

Montea

rep-

"

Notes

Germans.

3 and

4 to

Tacitus'

Manners

of

the

XXXIII.

CHAPTEE
CHRISTIAN

SYMBOLS.

would require
of this subject
a volume,
investigation
to it,it must
devote but a chapter
can
as we
therefore,
necessarily
be treated somewhat
slightingly.
The firstof the Christian Symbolswhich we shall notice is the
A

thorough

CROSS.

Overwhelminghistoricalfacts show that the cross was used,as a

emblem,many centuries before the Christian era, by every
religious
this subject,
nation in the world.
on
BishopColenso,speaking
says

:
"

"From

dawn

the

organizedPaganism in

of

the Eastern

world,

to the final

undoubtedly one of the

tions
and
sacred
of
commonest
most
monuments.
Apart from any distincsymbolical
location
of caste, color,nationality,
or
of social or intellectual superiority,
in either hemisphere,it appears to have been the aboriginal
possessionof every
peoplein antiquity.
delineated more
Diversified forms
of the symbol are
or less artistically,
the ruined
achieved
civilization
the
in
the
to
at
on
period,
according
progress
natural rocks and
on
walls of temples and palaces,
on
sepulchralgalleries,
establishment

'

of

in the West, the

Christianity

was

"

the hoariest monoliths

and

the

and in not a
every description;
of
subterranean
as
proportions
well

cross

as

statuary; on coins,medals, and vases of

instances,are preservedin the architectural
well as superterranean structures of tumuli, as

rudest
few

fanes.

different culture,tastes,and pursuits the highly"Populations of essentially

vied with each
the settled and the nomadic
civilizedand the semi-civilized,
the
in
efforts
and
their
to extend
adoration of it,
other in their superstitious
knowledge of its exceptional
import and virtue amongst their latest posterities.
"

"

"

Of the several varieties of the

cross

astical
stillin vogue, as national and ecclesiSt.
of
the familiar appellations
George,

emblems, and distinguishedby

the Maltese, the Greek, the Latin, "c, "c, there is

St. Andrew,

"

That

each known

emblematical
the
identically

of

one

same,

in the Western

varietyhas
and

the

whether
as

well

The

same

been

derived from

truth may

common

be inferred from

simpleor complex, cropping out

as the Eastern
hemisphere."1

Pentateuch

not one

amongst

antiquity. They were

the existence of which may not be traced to the remotest

the common
property of the Eastern nations.

them

source,

and

is

the fact of forms

tions,
in contrary direc-

Examined, vol. vi. p. 113.

[839]

340

BIBLE

The

MYTHS.

has been adored in India from

cross

and
immemorial,

time

in Brahmanical iconography.
symbolof mysterious
significance
the symbol of the Hindoo god Agni, the
was
Lightof the

was

It

"

World."1
In the Cave of

the head of the

over
Elephanta,

the infants,
whence
destroying

as

of Bethlehem
and Grecian

took
historians)

and
Crosier,

the Cross.9

It is

placedby

Muller

storyof Herod

the

to allthe

unknown

(whichwas

be

its origin,
may
of

in the hand

Tvashtri and Jama.

Crishna,

To

figure
represented

it the

fants
and the in-

Jewish,Roman,
the

seen

the
Mitre,

Siva,Brahma,Vishnu,

of
worshipers

Yishnu

tribute
at-

many virtues as does the devout Catholic to the Christian

cross.8 Fra Paolino tellsus it was used by the ancient kingsof
as

India

as

Two

sceptre.4

of the

principal
pagodasof

India

"

Benares and Mathura

erected in the forms of vast crosses.6 The

were

to the memory

sacred

was

of the

pagodaat

and
Virgin-born

"

Mathura

crucifiedSaviour

Crishna.6
The

has been

cross

Buddhists

from

(Fig.No. 21).
Buddhist

the earliesttimes.
It is

the Asoka

One

in the old

seen

and
Zodiacs,

symbolsin

among the
is the sacred Swastica

of profound
veneration
object

an

is

of the

one

It
inscriptions.

is the sectarian mark

Jains,and

of the

distinctive

"

ponicus.The
also the

only Christian

The

of the
of

the

Lama

most

by

of Thibet.6
familiar

form

Monumental

"
"

359.

Ibid. p. 302.
Ma irice ; Indian

FIG.E2

ers
the follow-

Christianity,
p. 14.
Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p. 801.
Higgins: Anac, vol. i. p. 220.
" Curious
Myths, p. 301.
*

Lillie,6

Swastica."

is adored

cross

combs
in the cata-

cross

is this Buddhist

have

ing
accord-

to Arthur

"the

"

sacred

same

sign.7 And,

Ja-

Vaish-

of India

navas

of

badge

the sect of Xaca

"

the

Antiquities,vol. li. p.

Fig. No.
of

22

Buddhist
"
7

is

cross.

representation
The

Ibid. vol. iii.p. 47.

Curious Myths, pp. 280-282.

close

Buddha

and

Early Buddhism, pp. 7, 9, and 22, and Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 223.

" Buddha
and Early Buddhism, p. 227.
" Inman
Ancient
Faiths, vol. i. p. 409.
:
vol.
i.
:
Anac,
Higgins
p. 230.

CHRISTIAN

resemblance
of

Christians

the

the

between
has

341

SYMBOLS.

ancient

been

of
religion

noticed

marked
This

their followers

on

the head

undoubtedlypracticed
by

was

and

that

ellers
European travmany
Pere
be mentioned
may
la Paon, D'Orville,and

by

whom
missionaries,
among
de
Grebillon,Pere Grueber, Horace
M. L'Abbe
Hue.
The Buddhists,
and indeed
and

Thibet

with

allthe sects of

the

almost

sign of

India,

the cross.1

all heathen

as
nations,

chapteron the Eucharist that the initiatesinto

in that manner.
the Heathen
marked
were
mysteries
The ancient Egyptians adored the cross
with the profoundest
of their
veneration.
This sacred symbol is to be found on many
ancient monuments, some
of which may be seen
at the presentday
in the British Museum.2
In the museum
of the London
University,
the
of
of the
is
breast
to be seen
a cross
one
upon a Calvary
upon
Egyptian mummies.8
Many of the Egyptianimages hold a cross
in their hand.
There is one now
of the EgyptianSaviour
extant
Horus
fant
inas an
holdinga cross in his hand,4and he is represented
his mother's knee, with a cross
the back of the
on
on
sitting
seat theyoccupy.6
The commonest
of all the Egyptian crosses, the crux
ansata
(Fig.Wo. 23) was adoptedby the Christians. Thus,
beside one
of the Christian inscriptions
at Phile (a
celebrated island lyingin the midst of the Nile)is
have

we

seen

in the

In a
ansata*
and a crux
MaLtesejcross
the end of a church in the cemetery
painting
covering
of El Khargeh,in the Great Oasis,
three of these
are
which
round the principal
to
crosses
seems
subject,
have been a figure
in a
of a saint.7 In an inscription
both

seen

Christian church
also to be

are

to the east of the

Beside,or

seen.

this

to be
symbol is generally
holdingout the
represented

that the person to whom

he
entered on the life to come.8
The

Greek

cross, and

the

in the hand

crux

See
See

"

Knight

cross

ansata

of St.

"

Druids, p. 126 ; Anacalypsis,

vol. i. p. 217, and Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,
pp. 216, 217 and 219.
"
Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 217.
Anct.

Art

and

these crosses
desert,
of,the Egyptiangods,
the Saviour

to

Osiris is

mortal,it signifies

and
presentsit has put off mortality,

Celtic

the

When

seen.

Ibid.

1
*

Nile,in

Mytho., p. 58.

"

also found

Inman's
Symbolism," and Lundy's
Christianity,Fig. 92.
"
Baring-Gould : Curious Myths, p. 285.
T Hoskins'
Visit to the great Oasis,pi.xtt.
In Curious Myths, p. 286.
" Curious
Myths, p. 286.
Monu.

See

Anthony, are

342

monuments.
Egyptian

on

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Wilkinson's

Sir Gardner
from

of
figure

book,has

Shari

No. 24),from
(Fig.
his

necklace round

throat,

cross.
depends a pectoral
Egyptiancross is
in Fig.No. 25,which is apthat represented
parently

third

which

for

intended
of

out
rising

cross

heart,like

of

the mediaeval emblem

in

it is the

"

Cor

Corde

in

Oruce,Crux

Latin

"

of goodness.1
hierogylph

It is related

iastical
the eccles-

by

historians Socrates and

Sozomon, that when

at

demolished

in Egypt,was
Alexandria,

emperors, beneath the foundation

words of Socrates are as follows :
In the

"

found
cross.

engraven in the stones certain letters

The which when
both Christians and

to his proper

token

religion. The

well to

be

Emperor Hadrian
and
Serapis

the

There

Serapisare

are

The

cross.

and rifled throughout,there

.

form

resemblingthe

beheld, every

Ethnics

affirmed

the proper
that therein -was contained

remembered,in
saw

no

that the

cross

cognizance of
somethingin

with

connection

difference between

of
worshipers

Servanus he says
"

Christian

of the

one

were

of the

applied
signor
profession.
belonging

one

was

their
common,

to Christ."*

Serapisas

It should

templeof Serapis,

discovered

passionof Christ,and

of the

The Ethnics avouched

as

Christians

by

was

overthrown

now
templeof Serapis,

the

Christ Jesus.

In

the
a

that
this,

the

of
worshipers

sul
letter to the Con-

and devoted to
there (inEgypt) Christians who
worship Serapis,
call themselves ' Bishopsof ChrisV "3

those who

in the habit of putting

on
were
a cross
Egyptians
the Christians of the presentday do on
their sacred cakes,just
as
Good Friday.4The planof the chamber of some
Egyptiansepulchres
and the cross was
has the form of a cross,6
worn
by Egyptian
Christian
the same
ladies as an ornament, in precisely
manner
as
it at the presentday."
ladies wear
honored the cross as a religious
The ancient Babylonians
symbol.
their oldest monuments.
It is to be found on
Anu, a deitywho
for his
had a cross
stood at the head of the Babylonian
mythology,

The

Curious

Socrates

ancient

Myths, p. 287.
lib. v. ch. rvii.
: Eccl. Hist.,
*
and
Quoted by Rev. Dr. Giles : Hebrew
Christian Records,vol. ii.p. 86,and Rev. Robert
Taylor:Diegeeis,p. 202.

"

See

Colenso's

Pentateuch

Examined

vi. p. 115.

Egyptian Belief,p.

"

Bonwick

"

Ibid. p. 219.

12.

vol.

CHRISTIAN

343

SYMBOLS.

godBal.* A
signor symbol.1It isalsothe symoblof the Babylonian
in the colossaltablet
cross
Pileser,
hangson the breast of Tiglath
in the British Museum.
Another king,
from
from Nimroud, now

his bosom.
And
a Maltese cross
on
Ninevah, wears
from
the
hall
of
carries
emblematic
an
Nisroch,
necklace,
another,
the ruins of

Maltese

the

No. 21)was
a7isatcT$?ig.

crux

cross

The

isattached.3

to which

It occurs
Babylonians.

also a

on
repeatedly

of crosses,
sacred symbolamong
the
most

their

common

bricks
cylinders,

and

gems.4
The

with

wars

of

by the Persians duringtheir

in the form
Alexander
made
the Great (b.
c. 335),
were
the styleof the ancient
shall presently
see
was
as we

and
ensigns

cross

Roman

"

standards

been handed

"

down

standards carried

of these cross-standardshave
representations
the presentday.

and
to

Porter,in his very valuable work entitled :

Travels in Georgia,
Armenia, and Ancient Babylonia,"5
Persia,
shows the representation
of a bas-relief
\ of very ancient antiquity,
the Mountain of Sepulchres.
which he found at Nashi-Roustam,
or
It represents
between two horsemen
one
a combat
Baharam-Gour,
Sir Robert

Ker

"

"

is in
and a Tartar prince.Baharam-Gour
kings,
his opponent with a spear, and behind him,
charging

of the old Persian

the act of

visible,
scarcely
appears
been his

an

almost effaced

form,which

must

is very plainly
the ensign
to be
as
standard-bearer,

have
seen.

This

of the same
There isanother representation
ensignis a cross.
in
which
shows
the
be
standard-bearer
to
seen
a bas-relief,
subject
This bas-relief
and his cross ensignvery plainly.6
belongsto a
which was
periodwhen the Arsacedian kingsgovernedPersia,7
within a century after the time of Alexander,and consequently
than two

more

Sir Robert

centuries

b.

c.

also found at this

cut in the solid

place,
sculptures
These belongto the early
rock,which are in the form of crosses.
whose dynasty
terminated under the sword
of Persian monarchs,
race
At the foot of Mount Nakshi-Rajab,
the Great.8
of Alexander
two figures
he also found bas-reliefs,
carrying
among which were
is
of this." It is
a representation
a cross-standard.
Fig.No. 26
and therefore
found at Nashi-Roustam,10
coeval with the sculptures
before the time of Alexander's invasion.
to a period
belongs
and prominently
The cross is represented
on the coins
frequently
Egyptian Belief, p. 218, and
of Genesis,p. 54.
Account
a
Egyptian Belief,p. 218.
8 Bonomi
and
Its Palaces, in
: Ninevah
Curious Myths, p. 287.
*

Bonwick

Smith's

"

Chaldean

Curious

Myths, p.

287.

Vol. i. p. 337,pi.xx.

"

Travels

Ibid. p. 529,and pi. xvi.

Ibid.,and pi. xvii.

8
"
10

Ibid.

in

Persia,vol. i. p. 545,pi.xxJ.

pi.xxvii.

Ibid. p. 573.

344

BIBLE

of Asia MinM\
the

on

Several have

other.1)
On

some

is found attached to

cross

MYTHS.

lamb

and a cross
side,
of the early
coins of the Phenicians,
the
of beads placed
in a circle,
a chaplet
so as
a

ram

or

to form

Lamas

on

one

completerosary, such

of Thibet

the

as

doos,
China, the Hin-

and

the Roman

and

now
Catholics,
On
over
a
they pray.3
Phenician
in
found
the
ruins
medal,
in
of Citium,
Cyprus,and printedin
Travels
Dr. Clark's
(vol.ii.c. xi.),

tell

while

"

"

are

engraveda

lamb.1

is the

This
taketh

who

cross,

away

"

rosary, and a
Lamb
of God

the

sins of

the

world."
The

ancient Etruscans

as

cross

sacred

emblem.
religious
sign,accompanied with
a

heart,is

Fig.No. 27, taken

shows

an

would

answer

ancient

tomb

from

with

for
perfectly

revered the

to

be

the work

seen

on

of Gorrio

angelsand

the

cross

their

This
the

ments.
monu-

(Tab.xxxv.),
thereon.

It

tian
Chris-

cemetery.

pg^S
The
ancient

cross

adored

was

Greeks

and

by

Romans

the

Frtx.28

for

An
Augustan era.
is accompanied
by a Calvarycross
Thessaly
Greek crosses
adorn the tomb
of equalarms
in Phrygia.4
ancient kings),
centuries before

the

ancient

in
inscription
(Fig.No. 28); and
of Midas (oneof the

-^

Curiong

"

Knight :

Myths, p. 290.
Anct. Ait and

Mytho., p. 31.
"

See

Illustration in

224.

Baring-Gould: Cnrious Myths,

p. 291

vol.
Anacalypsis,

i. p.

346

BIBLE

"It

"(says

occurs

Mr.

R.

MYTHS.

Payne Knight),"on

Itunic

many

monuments

Denmark, which are of an age long anterior to the

to those countries,and, probably,to its appearance
proach of Christianity
found

in Sweden

and

ar"

in

the world."1

Their

god Thor,son

of the

had the hammer

Freyga,
that Thor

crushed

Supremegod Odin,and

for his symbol. It

the

goddess

with this hammer

was

that he
greatMitgardserpent,
the giants,
which
that he restored the dead goatsto life,
destroyed
the head of the

This hammer

drew his car, that he consecrated the pyre of Baldur.

a cross.1
was
The

is stillused in Iceland

of Thor

cross

connection with storms

when

keepingChristmas

O'er his
He

the sign
drinking-horn,

made

And

of the Cross Divine,

his prayers;

he drank, and mutter'd

the Berserks evermore

But
Made

the

signof

of Thor

the hammer

Over

Actually,
theyboth
we

told

are

the

made

by

symbol.

same

Snorro

theirs."

in the Heimskringla
Sturleson,

(Sagaiv. c. 18),when he describes the sacrificeat Lade,at

was
King Hakon, Athelstan's foster-son,
present:
"Now

when

the first full

and
Kaare

'

of

What

Earl Sigurd spoke some

filled,

gobletwas

it,and blessed it in Odin's

the king then took it,and

over

at

:
"

This

magicalsignin

of wind and rain.

King Olaf,Longfellowtells us,

Drontheim

as

name,

and

drank

made

the

signof

does

the

to

the

king

cross

which

words

of the horn;
it. Then said

out

over

fice?'
Greyting,
king mean
by doing so? will he not sacriEarl Sigurd replied,The King is doing what all of you do who
and strength;for he is blessing
trust in your power
the full gobletin the name
of Thor, by making the sign of his hammer
it before he drinks it."3
over
the

But

The
"

'

cross

In solemn

was

also

sacred emblem

among
all
the
sacrifices,
Laplandidols were

the

Laplanders.

marked

with it

from the blood of the victims."4

It
seen
"

was

adored

by the

the so-called

on

consecrated

trees

"

"

ancient Druids

fire towers

of the Druids

of
them,making the figure
and most
cut
/

ancient monuments

thereon

by the

Ireland have these Druid

*

Anct.

Curious

Art

"

and Mytno., p. 80.

Myths, pp. 280, 281.
Ioid. pp. 281, 282.

had

cross

beam

is to be

the
Britain,

cross

The

attached

On several of the most

Druids.
crosses

and
Britain,

of Ireland and Scotland.

cross.

of

of

to

curious

is to be seen, evidently

Many largestones throughout

cut in them.5

Knight :

"

See

Ancient

Celtic

Art and Mytho., p. 80.

Druids, pp. 126,130, 131.

CHRISTIAN

in his
observes,

347

SYMBOLS.

"

Attemptto Revive Celtic Literature,"

the doctrine of an overruling
and
that the Druids taught
providence,
of the soul : that theyhad also their Lent,their
the immortality
their Paradise,
their Hell,their Sanctuaries,
and the
Purgatory,
similitude of the May-pole
inform to the cross.1
Cleland

"

In the Island of

at the time of the Kef

at the monastery
I-com-kill,

there were
ormation,

Caaba at Mecca

crosses."2 The

three hundred

surrounded

was

of the

by

Culdees,
and sixty

three hundred

whatever to do with
has nothing
crosses.3 This number
sixty
the ancients.
but is to be found everywhereamong
Christianity,
It represents
the number of daysof the ancient year.4
When
the Spanishmissionaries firstset foot upon the soilof
America,in the fifteenth century,theywere amazed to find that
selves.
the cross was as devoutly
by the red Indians as by themworshiped
their attention on every
The hallowed symbolchallenged
of form.
And, what is stillmore
hand,and in almost every variety
the cross was not onlyassociatedwith other objects
responding
corremarkable,
in every particular
with those delineated on Babylonian
also distinguished
monuments
tions,
by the Catholic appella; but it was
and

"

the tree of

the
subsistence,"
"

wood

"

health,"the

of

emblem

"c.6
life,"

of

missionaries found that the cross was no new

Spanish
in doubt whether to
of veneration to the red men, theywere
object
labors of St. Thomas,whom
ascribethe fact to the pious
theythought
the
his
have
found
to
America,or
sacrilegious
subtlety
might
way
in
of
the
the central object
of Satan. It was
great temple Cozathe bas-reliefs
of the ruined cityof
on
mel,and is stillpreserved
Palenque.From time immemorial it had received the prayers
and was
and sacrificesof the Aztecs and Toltecs,
as
an
suspended
augustemblem from the walls of templesin Popoganand CundinWhen

the

amarca.6
The

ruined

cityof Palenqueis in
It

Central America.

conquest

and paltemples
aces
Spaniards.They
by
of
b
ut
knew
Palenquethey
Chiapa,
nothing.Accordingto
founded

Christian

The

era.

palace.A

noble

by

Votan

in the ninth

Cleland, p. 102,in Anac. i. p. 716.

Celtic Druids, p. 242, and
Chambers's
Encyclo.,art. Cross."
1

103.

"

centurybefore the

in this ruined cityis the

principal
building
In
in the centre.
tower risesabove the courtyard

Ibid.

the forests of

discovered the

tradition it was

"

depthsof

not inhabited at the time of the

the

of Mexico
of

was

the

See Maurice
The

Indian

Pentateuch

vol. 11.
Antiquities,

Examined,

vol. vi. p.

114.
"

Brinton

Myths of the New

World, p. 95

348

the back

At

which

of

one

two
sculptured

are

29). The

of these altars is a slab of gypsum, on

each side of a cross
one
on
(Fig.
figures,
with rich feather- work, and

is surrounded

cross

ing.
altarsstand-

with
templesor chapels,

several small
this building
are

No.

MYTHS.

BIBLE

mental
orna-

styleof scripture,"
says Mr. Baring-Gould,
leave no
room
and the accompanying hieroglyphic
inscriptions,
for doubtingit to be a heathen representation."'
old pre-Mexican
is represented
The same
on
MSS., as in
cross
of Herr Fejervary,
at
the Dresden Codex, and that in the possession
chains.1

The

"

"

is

of which

the end

the midst of which

colossal cross, in

ing
is represented
a bleed-

stand round
and figures
deity,
which is perched the
cross, upon

Tan

sacred

bird.8
The

It

of Mexico.
tecas and in

of
the

the island

on

reverenced

Ulloa,on

The

tecas.

Cibola

cross

sacred.

and
symbolical
the Incas honored
an

was

In South

the other.

on

emblem

Among

the

devotion,and

cross

It

as

discovery. In

its

wooden

crosses

far

as

crosses

the state of

the

Zapa-

and
side,

one

on

same

erected

were

among

Florida

America,the

ered
consid-

signwas

revered in

was

made

old

the island of St.

on

Aguatoleo,and

venerated

was

in

Baja. Among the

of Zaputero,
in Lake

found

that

also in

symbols,so

sacred

found

was

the Indians. "White marble

by

were

crosses

as

Mix-

Siguenzaspeaks

also found

were
Nicaragua,

Oaxaca, the Spaniardsfound

the

among

which

cross

in the north

of Mixteca

ca/e

ruins

occurs

Queredaro.

Indian

an

also used

was

cross

of

out

belongingto a former
Muyscas at Cumana

Paraguay. In Peru
single
pieceof jasper
; it

civilization.4
the

cross

was

with
regarded

with power to drive away

children were
placedunder the

believed to be endowed

was

new-born
evil spirits
; consequently

sign.6
The

Toltecs said that their national

have found to be

we

Stephens

In Curions

Central

and
virgin-born

crucified Saviour

ous

"

Carious

Myths, p. 298.

'

Klemm

v. 142, in CariKulturgeschichte,

"

"

had intro-

Myths, pp. 298, 299.

America, vol. ii.p. 846,

Myths, p. 298.

deityQuetzalcoatle whom

Curious

Mtiller

Myths, p. 299.
Geschichte
der Anurikanischen

Urreligionen,in Ibid.

duced the
of

signand

Nutriment,"or

Malcom,in
"

ritualof the cross, and

"Tree of Life."1

his

"

in

Tree

with that of Burgundy,

Cumas, in South America, and that

and
againstthe incursions of evil spirits,
deserves
infants;which thingvery justly
the

put them upon new-born

to

use

"

is the same

cross, which

in great veneration among

themselves with the cross
fortified
they
was

were

calledthe

it was

of Britain,"
Antiquities
says

tellsthat St. Andrew's

Gomara

349

SYMBOLS.

CHRISTIAN

admiration."'

in
Cabrara,
Mexico,"
says :

Felix

"

adoration of the

The

the Ancient

City ot

has been more

generalin the world, than that
in the ruins of the fine cityof Mexico,

cross

there

buildings."8
In " Chambers's
"

of
"Description

It is to be found

of any other emblem.

near
Palenque,where
the

his

are

examples of

many

"

find the

we
Encyclopaedia

It appears that the signof the

cross

in

was

it among

use

the

:
following

an

as

on,
hieroglyphics

emblem

havingcertain

the Christian era ; and the

and mysticmeanings attached to it,longbefore
religious
veneration
astonished to find it an
ofreligious
object
Spanish conquerors were
tne nations of Central and South America."4

among

in his
Kingsborough,

Lord
crosses

of
of Mexico,"
speaks
Antiquities

"

He alsoinforms

in Mexico,
Peru,and Yucatan.*

beingfound

that the banner of Montezuma was a cross, and that the historical
him carrying
of the " Codex Vaticanus " represent
a cross
paintings
his
banner.6
as
taken
marble cross which was
A very fine and highly
polished
us

from the

was
Incas,

Catholic cathedral at

the Roman

placedin

Cuzco.7
Few
ancient

cases

have been

than
history,

the

more

in producing
mistakes in
powerful

taken by Christians in
idea,
hastily

all ages,

marked with a cross, or with any

that every monument
of antiquity
of their god,
which theyconceived to be monograms
of those symbols
Christiansdid not adoptit as
of Christian origin.The early
was
of their symbols
; it was

one

that it became
not

the

cross

as

know

we

not until

"

fifth
centurythat the pure
The cross of Constantine
light."8

9
8

of

and
Osiris,

form

Encyclo.,art. "Cross."
vol. vi. pp. 165,180.
Antiquities,

Chambers's

Mexican

ibid. p. 1T9.

until the middle

cross

afterwards of Christ.9

in Anacalypsis,vol. ii. p. 30.

in Celtic Druids, p. 131.

of the

even

nothingmore

was

Curious Myths, p. 301.

Quoted
Quoted

It is not

to-day.

of the

the monogram

and

Christian monogram,
it

Higgins

Jameson's

ii.p. 318.
" "These
as

found

second

be ganized
pathen it was

Christianity
beganto

on

emerges to
than the "" ,
This is seen

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 32.

Hist, of Our Lord in Art, \ol.

letters in the old Samaritan,

coins,stand,the first for 400, the

two

for 200"600.

This is the staff of 03iris.

350

BIBLE

from the fact that the

which

on

"

"

MYTHS.

Laharum"

placedthe signby

was

sacred banner of Constantine

or

which

he

to

was

conquer

was

"

inscribed with this sacred monogram.

Fig.No. 30 is a representation
of the Bible.
of the Labarum, taken from Smith's Dictionary
author of

The

It would

"

The

"

Historyof

Our

Lord in Art

"

says :

be difficultto prove that the cross

of Constantine
As
understood.
now
regards the Labarum,

construction

it is

time, in which

nothingelse than

set forth,proves that the

expressly
same
ever-recurring
monogram

the

so-called

of the

was

simple

the coins of the

as

cross

upon

it was

of Christ."1

Now, this so-called monogram

of

Christ,

like

everythingelse called Christian, is of

of the
Pagan origin.It was the monogram
and also of JupiOsiris,
ter
EgyptianSaviour,
M.

As

Ammon.8
his Hist, de

in

Basnageremarks

Juif:%

be more
oppositeto Jesus Christ,
And yet the same
JupiterAmmon.
well
served
false
the
as
as the true one
cipher
god
;
for we
medal
of Ptolemy, King of Cyrene,
see
a
having an
eagle carryinga thunderbolt, with the
of Christ to signifythe Oracle of Jupiter
monogram

"Nothing

can

than the Oracle of

Ammon."

Rev. J. P.
Even

"

Lundy says

the P.X., which I had thought to be exclusively

Christian,are to be found in combination

nB- (justas

thus:

coins of the

the

earlyChristians

Ptolemies, and

on

used

on
it),

those of Herod

the

with
Great,struck fortyyears before our era, together
this other form, so often seen on the earlyChristian

monuments,

viz.:

"y"'."*

gan
This monogram
is also to be found on the coins of Decius,
a PaRoman
of the
emperor, who ruled duringthe commencement
third

century.6
form of the

Another
monogram
of

of the Sun
and
Christ,

same

was

are

P. H.

to be met

of Osiris,and has
Christians,and is to be
in the churches in Italyin thousands
of
seen
where
iii.c. xxxiii.),
places. See Basuage (lib.
It is also
been

the

several other
found.
is

an

monogram

adopted by

instances

account

etantins,with

of

this

'

of

this kind

Travels

in

may

be

Italy' there

medal, at Rome, of Coninscription

; In hoc signo

All these

with in

Victor eris

the

In Addison's

is

monogram

are

and

now

called monograms

H.

The

greatnumbers in almost
yjs."

Hist, of Our

See

(Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 222.)

Lord in Art, vol. ii.p. 316.

Druids,p. 127, and Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p. 218.
8 Bk. iii.c. xxiii. in
Anac, i. p. 219.
* Monumental
Christianity,
p. 125.
" See Celtic
Druids, pp. 127, 128,
Celtic

CKBISTIAlSr

The monogram
every churcli in Italy.1
Taut was
of the Egyptian
The monogram
of Saturn

The monogram

was

351

SYSIEOLS.

and

cross

of

Mercurywas

formed
a

cross.*

by three

crosses.'

ram's horn ; it was

of Venus was
a

also

of Jupiter.4The monogram
cross
monogram
of the Phenician Astarte,
and the
and a circle/ The monogram
Bal,was also a cross and a cirele." It was also that of
Babyloniana

the Linga
was
Holda,and Aphrodite/ Its true significance
Freya,
and Yoni.
in itsdifferent forms
adored,
universally
intended as an emblem or symbolof the
the generative
Sun, of eternal life,
powers, "c*
The cross,which was so
was
among heathen nations,

As with the cross,and the X. .P.,

so likewise with
many other
so-called Christian symbols theyare borrowed from Paganism.
"

these may be mentioned the

to this day retained in some
of our

Among

tlireeletters I. H. S.,
mystical
as well
Protestant,

as

Roman

Jesu Hominiand falsely

to stand for
churches,
supposed
other than the identical
In Hoc Signo." It is none
or
Salvator,"

Catholic

"

"

um

of the heathen god Bacchus*

monogram
of Cashmere.1*
the coins of the Maharajah

on

the

For

to be

Dr. Inman

seen

says

Isabel. The

The

idea connected with

Triangle,which

churches
of

was

of Bacchus; letters
longperiodL H. 8., I. E. E. S, was a monogram
old
o
f
Hesus
left by
Romanists.
was
an
divinity Gaul, possibly
adoptedby
I.
H.
and
in
We
have the same
8.
Phenicians.
Jazabel,
reproducedin our

"

now

and

as

an

the word

is to be

"

'

Phallic

at tne

seen

emblem, of the

and
Pagan origin,

is

"u
Vigor.*

tian
presentday in Chris-

Ever-blessed

is also
Trinity,"

by them for the same purpose.

the Triangle
is conspicuous
in
Among the numerous
symbols,
India. Hindoos attached a mysticsignification
to its three sides,
and generally
it in their temples.It was often composedof
placed
lotus plants,
with an eye in the center." It was
sometimes represented
in connection with the mystical
word AUM
No. 31),
(Fig.
and sometimes surrounded with rays of glory.14
This symbolwas engraved
upon the tabletof the ringwhich the
called the Brahm-dtma
of
chief,
religious
wore, as one of the signs
was

used

"

See

Ibid, and

Monumental

pp. 15, 92, 123, 126, 127.

*JSee Celtic Druids, p. 101.

Christianity,

See

The

Pentateuch

Examined, vol. vi.

pp. 113-115.

" See
Anacalypsis,
Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. i. pp. 221
and 328. Taylor's Diegesis,p. 187.
Antiq.,ii.68.
Celtic
3 See
Celtic Druids, p. 101.
Bonwick's
Druids,p. 127,and Isis Unveiled,p. 527,vol. ii.
io See Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p. 103.
Egyptian Belief, p. 212.
" See
"
Celtic Druids, p. 127, and Taylor's
Ancient Faiths,vol. i. pp. 518, 519.
"
Diegesis,p. 291.
See Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 94.
6 See Celtic
"This
Druids, p. 127.
word"
AUM"
stood for Brahma,
" See Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p. 218.
Vishnu and Siva, the Hindoo lrinity.
7 See Cox
" See Isis Unvei
: Aryan Mythology,vol. u. 115.
ed, vol. ii.p. 81.

vol. i. p. 220.

Indian

352

BIBLE

and
dignity,

his

it was

used

MYTHS.

by the

Buddhists

emblematic of the

as

Trinity.1
The

ancient

their divine
Egyptianssignified

Triad

by

single

Triangle?
Mr. Bonwick
"

says

The

form from the first. It is to be recognizedin

Trianglewas a religious
and Pyramid (of Egypt). To this day, in some
Christian churches,
the priest's
blessingis given as it was in Egypt, by the sign of a triangle
; viz. :
his
An
two
over
fingersand a thumb.
Egyptian god is seen with a triangle
in ancient Egyptian theology,was
the type of the Holy
shoulders. This figure,

the Obelisk

Trinity three
"

And

in one."8

Dr. Inman

says

Triangleis a sacred symbol in our modern churches, and it was the

to indicate the Trinity three
sign used in ancient temples before the initiated,
a
nd
'co-eternal
co-equal.'"4
together,
persons
"

The

"

The

is found
Triangle

on

ancient Greek

An

monuments.'

cient
an-

in the Memoires
seal (engraved

de l'Academie

des Inscriptions
royale
et Belles Lettres),
supposedto be of
Phenician origin,
"has as subjecta
standingfigurebetween two stars,
beneath

which

are

the head

Above

or

triangle,

One

of
the

among

deityis the
the Trinity."8
conspicuous

most

symbols intended
to
Trinity,

is
churches,

leaf of the

crosses.

of the

symbol of
the

the
Christian

handled

the

Modern
trefoil.

attributed to St. Patrick

be

to represent
seen

in

compound
story had
the idea of

in unity,
a trinity
by
demonstrating

showingthe shamrock to his hearers ; but,says Dr. Inman, like

attributed to the moderns,the idea belongs
to the
many other things
"

ancients.m
The

adorned
Trefoil

and is to be found

1
3
8

"

among

the head of
the

of
Pagan symbolsor representations

See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii.p. 31.

: Anct.
Art and Mytho., p. 196.
Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p. 213.
Ancient
Faiths, vol. i. p. 328.

Knight

the EgyptianSaviour,
Osiris,

See

Knight :

Anct.

Art

and

Mytho., p.

196.
"

Curious

Inman's

154.

Myths, p. 289.
Ancient
Faiths, vol. i. pp. 168,

354

MYTHS.

BIBLE

' '

Next

to the sacred monogram

as

signof

Christ in his
'

'

J? ) the

(the

officeof
special
"

"Where

Fish takes its placein

Saviour."

"

did the Jews

ance
import-

In the Talmud

learn to

the
'

'

apply Dag
to their Messiah ? And
why did the primitiveChristians adopt it as a sign of
facts. Truth demands
no concealment
or apology.
Christ ?" ''I cannot disguise
Judaism.
Christ
well
What
of
then
and
as
as
its
has
prophecies
Paganism
types
The
that
them
old
?
is the Dag-on of the
Jish-godor being
taught
Babylonians
Messiah

iscalled

"

Dag

or

Fish.'

all their civilization."1

"
concealment
no
says, truth demands
find that
when the truth is exposed,
we
therefore,

As Mr.

Lundy

the Hindoo

Mediator
Preserver,
Messiah,

and

ogy,"
apol-

or

Vishnu}

Saviour,

was

repre.

Fish
dag,"or
takes its placein importanceas a sign
office of
of Vishnu in his special
sented

as

fish. The

"

Saviour.
Prof. Monier
"It is as

Vishnu

accordingto the
with human
Nine

race.

occurred
for the
was
a

Supreme Being,

the

principaloccasions have already

the god has thus interposed

in which

The

salvation of his creatures.

save

of the human

We
the

that

Hindoos, exhibited his sympathy

his love for the human
trials,

Matsaya,the

fish to

"Williams says :

Fish.

In this Vishnu

the seventh Manu, the progenitor

race, from the universal deluge."2

have

in

already
seen,

identityof the Hindoo

and the

first

became

Chap.IX.,
Matsaya

Dagon.
Babylonian

and
the Babylonians,
sacred among
The fish was
Assyrians
sacred
the B-omanists of to-day.It was
as it is among
Phenicians,
also to Venus,and the Romanists stilleat it on the very day of the

day; fish day."

of fecundity.The most ancient symbolof the
It was an emblem
found to be the
and it is accordingly
productive
power was a fish,
of the earliestcoins.4 Pythagoras
universal symbol upon many
and the eating
ascetics,
and his followers did not eat fish. They were
of fish was supposedto tend to carnal desires. This ancient
at the presentday.
is entertained by many even
superstition
The fish was the earliest symbolof Christ Jesus. Fig.No. 33
is not unlike the
from the catacombs.6 This cross-fish
is a design
week

which

was

called "Dies

veneris" Venus'

sacred monogram.
Monumental

Knight :

Indian

"

Lillie : Buddha

Christianity,
pp. 130,132, 133.
Wisdom, p. 329.
" Inman
: Anct.
Faiths, vol. i. pp. 528, 529,
and Muller : Science of Relig.,p. 315.

227.

Mytho., p. 111.
Early Buddhism, p.

Anct. Art and

"

"

and

CHRISTIAN

355

SYMBOLS.

That the Christian Saviour should be called a

fish;
may at first
but when the mythosis properly
understood (aswe
appear strange,
shall endeavor to make it in Chap.XXXIX.), itwill not appear so.
The

Rev. Dr.

in
Geikie,

his

"

Life and Words

of

Christ,"
says

fish stood for his name, from the significance

of the Greek
in the word that expresses the idea,
and for this reason
he was

letters

fish.

But,we

Po,

or

but

Buddha

ask,why

may

Dag-Po, which

? The

Buddha

was

not

the
literally

was

fish did not stand for his

called

only called Fo,

Fish
The

name.

Po,

Fish

or

idea that Jesus

called a fish because the Messiah is designatedDag "

"

was

that

in the

Talmud, is also an unsatisfactory

explanation.
Julius Africanus
"

(anearlyChristian writer)
says :

Christ is the great Fish taken

the whole world."1

by

the fish-hook of

God, and whose flesh

nourishes

"

The

Was

is an

Christ that died,"

old

couplet.3
ProsperAfricanus

"

fish fried

The

satisfied for himself the

great fish who

offered himself

as

callsChrist,

fish to the whole

The

Serpentwas also an emblem

Christ,
words,represented
among some
Moses

set up

divines have

seen

As Moses

be lifted

the shore,and

of Christ
of the

Jesus,or

in other

Christians.
early

and Christian
serpentin the wilderness,
in this a type of Christ Jesus. Indeed,
the Gospels
brazen

sanction this; for it is written

"

on
disciples

world."3

lifted up the serpent in the

wilderness,
so

must

the Son of

man

up."

Tertullian asserts,
this serpent,
the early
sect of Christians
"
took their rise. Epiphanius
called Ophites
Ophites
says, that the
From

who were
so called from
sprung out of the Nicolaitans and Gnostics,
which theyworshiped.""The
the serpent,
he adds,
Gnostics,"

taughtthat the ruler ofthe world was of a dracontio formP The

live serpentsin their sacred chest,
and looked
Ophitespreserved
Manes,in the
upon them as the mediator between them and God.
third century,taughtserpent worshipin Asia Minor,under the
that
of Christianity,
name
promulgating
"

Christ

"

the

VirginMary,
"

134.

was

The

an

of the Great Serpent,w7m" glidedover the cradle of

at the age of a year and a half"*
asleep,

incarnation

when

she

was

"

the Mind (the

Gnostics,"
Son,
says Irenaeus,represented

Quoted in Monumental

Christianity,p.

Ibid. p. 135.

Squire Serpent Symbol, p. 246.

:

Ibid. p. 372.

356

MYTHS.

BIBLE

form of

Wisdom) in the
Epiphanius,have a
the

"

the

"

the

Ophites,"
says
him
serpent; theyesteem
quote the Gospels,"
says Terimitation of the serpent."1

veneration for the

"

Christ."

as

same

and
serpent,"

They even

tullian,to prove that Christ was an

The question
now
arises,
Why was the Christian Saviour represented
? Simplybecause the heathen Saviours were
as
a serpent
"

in like manner.
represented
the earliesttimes of which

From

have any historicalnotice,

the preserving
viours
gods,or Sa-

we

serpenthas been connected with

the

; the

the

and
godsof goodness

associatedwith
serpentis intimately

god,the Saviour.2
gods,as

Yishnu,the

ogy,
mytholpreserving

often associated with the Hindoo

Serpents

are

It was
eternity.8

of

emblems

In Hindoo

of wisdom.

very sacred animal among

the Hindoos.4
venerate
serpents. "This
Worshipers of Buddha
Buddha
as
6ays Mr. Wake, became equalin importance

animal,"
himself."

"

Mr. Lilliesays

And

worshiped at an earlydate by the Buddists under the symbol

of oldest topes,where worshipers
the Serpent is proved from the sculptures
so doing."6
represented
"

of
are

That

God

was

Egyptiansalso venerated the serpent. It was the special

deityof Syro-Egyptian
mythology,
symbol of Thoth,a primeval
Hermes
such
who
and
be conthose
of
all
as
and
can
nected
Seth,
gods,
and
also
with him.*
as
Kneph
Apap were
represented
serpents.7
Herodotus,when he visited Egypt,found sacred serpentsin the
temples.Speakingof them,he says :
The

neighborhoodof Thebes, there

In the

"

they are

to men:

of the head.
for

source

at all hurtful

and carry two horns that grow on

in size,
these serpentsdie,they bury them in the templeof
sacred to that god."8

third member

of the Chaldean

by a serpent.
most

serpents,not

diminutive

When

they say they are

The

sacred

are

titlesof
important

Accordingto
this

triad,
Hea, or Hoa, was represented
Sir Henry Rawlinson,the

deityrefer

of all knowledgeand science."

the top

Jupiter;

"

Not

to

his functions

onlyis

he

"

as

The

the

ligent
Intel-

both
Life "
signifying
and he may be considered as
and a
by the
figured
Serpent,"
so
a
placeamong the
conspicuous
great serpent which occupies

Fish,"but

his

name

may

be read

Fergusson : Tree and SerpentWorship, p. 9.

Wake
in Ancient Keligs.,
: Phallism
p. 72.
8 Williams1
Hinduism, p. 169.
*
Knight : Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 16,and
Fergusson : Tree and Serpent Worship.
9

as

"

"

"

*
6

Wake, p. 73. Lillie : p. 20.

Bunsen's
Wake, p. 40, and

101.
7
8

Champollion, pp. 144,145.

Herodotus, bk. 11.ch. 74.

Keys, p.

CHRISTIAN

Bjmbolsof

the

godson

the black stones

Phenicians and other eastern

The

357

SYMBOLS.

factors."1
benerecording
Babylonian

nations venerated the

serpent

symbolsof their beneficent gods.3

the central figure
As god of medicine,
in Grecian myApollo,
thology,
u
nder
the
form
of
was
a
and
originally
worshiped
serpent,
He was the Solar Serpent-god.3
invoked him as the
men
Helper."
the healing
also worshiped
was
-^Esculapius,
god,the Saviour,
under the form of a serpent.4Throughout
Hellas,"
says Mr. Cox,
'
and the Restorer of Life,'
remained the Healer,'
and
^Esculapius
his special
the serpentis everywhere
emblem."6
accordingly
Why the serpentwas the symbolof the Saviours and beneficent
in Chap.XXXIX.
will be explained
godsof antiquity,
the Christians,
is the symbol of the Holy
The Dove, among
Spirit.The Matthew narrator relatesthat when Jesus went up out
of the water, after beingbaptized
by John, the heavens were
of God descending
like a
openedunto him, and he saw the Spirit
dove,and lighting
upon him."
of Paganism,
find that the Dove
Here is another piece
as we
all nations of antiquity.
the symbolof the Holy Spirit
was
among
of this,
Rev. J. P. Lundy,speaking
says :
as

"

"

"

"

It is a remarkable

"

among

Earnest De

And
"

The

symbol

Samaritans had

Buddha

is

has been symspirit

(t.e., the Holy Spirit)
bolized
civilized nations by the Dove"*

Bunsen

says

and the
Spiritof God was the Dove,in Greek,pelcia,
instead
the
brazen
of
fierydove,
serpent. Both
fiery
symbol of the Holy Ghost."'

of the
brazen

referred to fire,
the

over

fact that this

and
all religious

like Christ Jesus,

with
represented,

dove

hovering

his head.8

with a dove on her

represented
It is also seen on the heads of the imagesof Astarte,
head.
Cybele,
intended as a symbolof
and Isis; it was sacred to Venus,and was
the Holy Spirit.9
islands of the Pacific Ocean,a bird is believed
Even in the remote
of the Holy Spirit.10
to be an emblem
of the mystic
K. Payne Knight,in speaking
Dove,"says :
The

Juno
goddess
virgin

isoften

"

Wake

Phallism

in Anct.

Keligs.,
p. 30.

Knight : Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 16.

Cox : Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. p. 128.
Ferguseon's Tree and Serpent Worship, and Squire's
Serpent Symbol.
3 Deane:
Serpent Worship, p. 218.
* Tree
and Serpent Worship, p. 7, and Bui2

See

finch
6
"

of Fable, p. 897.
: Age
Aryan Mytho., vol. ii.p. 86.
Monumental
Christianity,
p. 293.

Bunsen's

Sfe ch. xxix.

10

Monumental

Knight :

Angel-Messiah,
p.

44.

Christianity,
pp 323 and 29JL
Art and Mytho., p 169

Anct.

358

"

bird

"The

inert

under

lodging
from

of

care

each

other,

they

were

the

their
as

to

of

found

Many

the

are

from

previously
this

subject
Modern

and

have

been

Phallic

reader

this

is

Catholic
Mason's

by

desires,

Ancient

Art

and

referred

to

great

direct

are

would

take,

he
and
number

portations
imas

we

information

Inman's

Grecian
a

him.

further

where

be

to

are

which

For
Dr.

symbols.

about

them

itself.

Etruscan,

Mythology,

p.

Friapus,
Inman.

also,

R.

Payne

Knight's

Worship

of

to

whence

Ancient

will

see

how

Roman
of

gan
Pa-

many

symbols
which

are

emblems.3

Knight's

Bee

for

fidelity

Christian

marks

enumerate

Christians,

and

cathedrals

symbols

Symbolism,"

Egyptian,

messenger

remarkable

sexual

the

among

of

also

attachment
their

every

usually

love."1

of

170.
"

of

it

his

as

were

to

man

employed

kind

fervency

To

with

tification
fruc-

waters.

preference

in

the

e.,

the

the

upon

East

conjugal

Christian

volume

the

(e.

person

expressed

moving

being

of

sort

with

paganism.

adopted

of

third

the

familiarity

Roman

Jesus

Christian

Indian,

ancient

Birds

emblems

so-called

the

and

ancient

said,

in

him,

conspicuous

Christ

spirit

domestic

peculiar

and

Venus,

most

of

for

the

are

the

figures

have

for

marks

some

and

offspring,

sacred

with

another.

to

likewise

its

of

figuratively

was

selected

be
of

roof

emblem

vital

the

by

account

same

place

Masons'
On

caused

on

the
which

by

naturally

bird,

remote

one

incubation,

would
of

for

chosen

matter,

Dove

species

the

signify

to

of

other

probably

was

Ghost)

Holy

on

MYTHS

BIBLE

and

the

other

works

of

Dr.

Thomai

XXXIV.

CHAPTER

BERTH-DAY

THE

Christmas

December

"

OF

the 25th

apart by the Christian church

their Lord

and

on

day which

has been set

to celebrate

the birth of

is a

"

which

Saviour,Christ Jesus,and

of persons to be

JESUS.

CHRIST

the day on
really

is considered

which

he

by

the

born.

was

jority
ma-

This

is

examination
of the
altogether
erroneous, as will be seen
upon
subject.
There was
in the periodof observing
the Nativity
no
uniformity
the earlyChristian churches ; some
held the festival in the
among
month
of May or April,
others in January.1
The

born is also as uncertain as the month

year in which he was
clesiastic
day. " The year in which it happened,"says Mosheim, the ec"
historian,has not hitherto been fixed with certainty,

or

the deep and laborious researches of the learned."8

notwithstanding
of "The
According to Iren^eus (a.d. 190),on the authority
all the elders who
in Asia with
conversant
were
Gospel,"and
of the Lord," Christ Jesus lived to be nearly,
if
John, the disciple
not quite,
fiftyyears of age. If this celebrated Christian father is
"

born some
twenty
say he is not, Jesus was
that
of
his
before
which
has
the
been
time
birth.'
a
s
assigned
years
The Rev. Dr. Giles says :
who

correct,and

"

Conoerning the

about

dates with
which

of Christ's birth there

are

even

greater doubts than

porary
Evangelistshave noticed several contemto settle this point,yet on
comparing these
with
meet
the period,we
serious discrepancies,

Bible

Chambers's

would

seem

generalhistoryof
involve the subjectin

the

Again he
See

time

the 'place; for, though the four

facts, which

can

says

the greatest uncertainty."4

for Learners
"

Encyclo., art.
* Eccl.
Hist.,vol. i. p. 53.
lor's Diegesis,p. 104.

vol. iii. p. 66 ;
Ihristmas."

Quoted

in

Tay-

"

See

Hebrew

Chapter XL., this work.

and

Christian

Records, vol ii.p.

189.

859

360

BIBLE

MYTHS.

Not only do we date our time from the exact year in which Christ is said to
ecclesiastical calendar has determined
have been born, but our
with scrupulous
and
almost
the
the
hour
which
of Christ's
minuteness
at
day
every particular
life is stated to have happened. All this is implicitly
believed by
wonderful
"

millions;yetall these thingsare among

has recorded.

We have

in which
itself,

Christ

the most uncertain and

clue to either the day

no

the time

or

shadowy that history

ofyear,

or

even

the year

born."1

was

Christian writers fix the year 4 b. o., as the time when

born,others the year 5 b. a, and againothers placehis time

Some
he

was

of birth at about 15
in his
"

b.

The

o.

Rev. Dr.

of this,
Geikie,
speaking

Lifeof Christ,
says :

The

fiveyears earlier than

December, jiveyears before

Ewald

uncertain.

subjectis very

whole

birth at

our

Petavius

era.

appears to fix the date of the

and Usher fix it on the 25th of

Bengel on the 25th

Winer, four years before our

our

era.

of December,

four

era, in tlieSpring;
years before our era; Anger and
October
St.
three years before
in
t
hree
before
our
Jerome,
Scaliger,
era,
;
years
before
two
December
our
our
Eusebius,
25th;
era, on January 6th;
era, on
years

and

years before

Idler,seven

era, in December.

our

Albert Barnes writes in

"2

which

manner

he does not
all about the year (although
He says
knew nothingabout the month.
"

birth of Christ took

The

began

to be used
to have

about

been

that he knew
implies
but
giveany authorities),
:

before the

placefour years

common

That

era.

era

526, being first employed by Dionysius,and is supposed

a.d.

Some

four years too late.

placedabout

two, others three,four,five,and even

of the last year of the

eight years.
reignof Herod,

He

make
was

the difference

born at the

mencement
com-

at the close of the year

or

"3
preceding.
"

Jews

The

sent out their flocks into the mountainous

and desert

regionsduring

the summer
months, and took them up in the latter part of October or the first
It is clear from this
the cold weather commenced.
of November, when
.

that

Christmas.

regionsabout
way
the

born before the 25th of December,

in the
At that time it is cold, and especially

Saviour

our

was

God

Bethlehem.

to ascertain it.

By

has concealed the time

different learned

or

before

what

we

of his birth.

There is no

it has been fixed at each month

men

call

high and mountainous

in

year."4
Canon

Farrar writes with

"Although
there is at least
horn

large amount

century, is wrong.
data

littlemore

the date of Christ's birth cannot

four years before our

chronology,which
No

But

whatever

of evidence

present
is not

era.

as follows :
caution,

be fixed with absolute

to render

It

older than

probablethat he was
admitted that our reis universally
ceived
the
in
sixth
Dionysius Exignus,

all attempts to discover the month

exists to enable

certainty,

it

us

and the day are

them with even
to determine

less.
use-

proximate
ap-

accuracy."6

and Christian

Records, p. 194.

Hebrew

Christ,vol. i. p. 559.
Barnes' Notes, vol. ii.p. 402.

"

Life of

4
"

Ibid. p. 25.
Farrar's Life of

Christ,App., pp. 6*3,4.

362

BIBLE

rule,when

Saviour

our

and

Cyrenius,then

President

accordingunto

the

he

never

of

Cyreniusin

Jesus Christ,at the time of the firsttaxing"

of

Syria was born in Bethlehem,

propheciesin that behalf premised."1

the Luke

Had

Lord

MYTHS.

would

known

anythingabout

so

narrator

have made
the

gross

blunder

daysof Herod,and

as

Jewish

history,

placethe taxing

to

mense
saved the im-

have

would

city of Judea,

"

of labor that it has taken in

endeavoringto explain
of this mistake
explanation

amount

away the effectsof his ignorance.One

about the time Jesus was
two assessments,
one
is,that there were
failed.
born,and the other ten years after;but this has entirely

Dr.

speakingof this,
Hooykaas,
says :

mistakes throughEvangelist(Luke)falls into the most extraordinary

out.
of
first place,historyis silent as to a census
the whole (Roman)
world ever having been made
at all. In the next place,
tainly
though Quiriniuscerdid make
and Samaria, it did not extend to
in Judea
such a register
Galilee ; so that Joseph'shousehold was
not affected by it. Besides,it did not
take placeuntil ten years afterthe death of Herod, when
his son Archelaus was
deposedby the emperor, and the districts of Judea and Samaria were thrown
into a Roman
province. Under the reign of Herod, nothingof the kind took
place,nor was there any occasion for it. Finally,at the time of the birth of
of Syriawas
but Quintus Sentius Saturninot Quirinius,
Jesus, the Governor
"

The

In the

nus."9

The

institution of the festivalof the

beingheld

Christ Jesus

of
Nativity

the 25th of

tributed
is atDecember,among the Christians,
to Telesphorus,
who flourished duringthe reignof Antonius Pius (a.d. 138-161),
but the firstcertain traces of it are found
about the time of the Emperor Commodus
(a.d. 180-192).8
For a longtime the Christians had been tryingto discover upon
what particular
into the
come
or
day Jesus had possibly
probably
on

world ; and

and
conjectures

led
foundation,
20th of April,
and

no

of the

traditions that rested upon absolutely

to the 20th of May, another to the 19th or

one
a

third to the 5th of

January. At

lastthe

ion
opin-

communityat Rome

of December

was

gainedthe upper hand,and the 25th

fixed upon.4 It was
not until the fifth
century,

however,that this

happenedthat
Christ

day had been generally

agreedupon.6 How it
this day finally
became
of
fixed as the birthday

Jesus,may

On

be inferred from

the firstmoment

(i.e.,on

the

morningof

what

we

shall now

midnightof the 24th of Decembei

allthe nations of the earth,
25th),
nearly

after
the

Eusebius

"

Bible for

the desire to

"

See

period of the year, such

Eccl. Hist.,lib. 1,ch. vi.

Learners,vol. iii.p. 56.
Chambers's
Encyclo., art. " Christ:

wkw."

Bee Bible for Learners,vol. iii.p. 66.

"By the fifth century, however, whether

ft
"

see.

from

the influence

maa."

or from
tradition,

some

Festivals of that

the
Saturnalia,
generally agreed
(EncyclopaediaBrit, art. " Christ-

25th of December

upon."

of

supplant Heathen
had

as

been

the

THE

if

as
"

by

BIRTHDAY

CHRIST

363

JESUS.

consent, celebrated the accouchement

common

Queenof Heaven"

the birth of the

In India

OF

of the

"

"

CelestialVirgin of the

of the

and
sphere,

god Sol.

of rejoicing
It is a great
period
everywhere.1
decorate their houses with garlands,
and the people
festival,
religious
and make

this is a

and relatives. This

presentsto friends

is of very

custom

greatantiquity.2
In

solemnities are celebrated

China,religious
the last week in December,
when
solstice,

winter

at the time of the

all shopsare

shut

up, and the courts are closed.8

Buddha, the son of the VirginMaya,on
Chinese

uthe Holy Ghost"

tradition,

have been born

Christmas

on

in honor of their Lord

were

with
birthday,
The
"It

many

had

day,December

the ancient Persians

Among

author of the

25th.4

their most

and

Saviour

the
on
rejoicings,
"

to
whom, according
said to
was
descended,

ceremonials
splendid
Mithras ; theykepthis

25th of December.
"

CelticDruids

says

of the heathen, long before the birth of Christ,to celebrate

"
of their gods,"and that, the 25th of December
the birth-day
was
a great
the custom

was

festival with

earlytimes, celebrated

the Persians,who, in very

the birth of their

Mithras"*

god

The

Rev.

JosephB. Gross,in

his "Heathen

also
Religion,"

tellsus that :
"

ancient Persians

The

Winter

day succeedingthe
birth of Mithras. "6

Among

the ancient

the
Solstice,

the

The

ancient

Egyptiansfixed

VirginMother

of the Saviour

the end of December

Mr. Bon

object of which

for
Egyptians,

their gods. M. Le Clerk De

"

festival in honor

25th of December

Jesus,the

Christ

celebrated

of Mithras
was

was

set aside

as

speaksof
Septehenes

the

Ibid. 216.

they placed the

commemoration

of her

delivery.,,7

of Horus, says :
wick,in speaking

See Bunsen
: The
Angel-Messiah, pp. x.25,and 110,and Lillie : Buddha and Buddhism,
p. 73.
Some

writers have

asserted that Crishna

is

25th,but
birthday is held in
July-August. (See Williams' Hinduism, p. 183,
been

this is not

the

born

case.

on

His

December

of the greatest
appeared on the

Religionof the Hindoos, p. 134.)

Druids, p. 163. See also, Prog.
ChrisRelig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 272 ; Monumental
tianity,p. 167 ; Bible for Learners,iii.pp. 66,
and

Life

and

Celtic

67.
The Heathen
Religion,p. 287. See also,
Dupuis : p. 246.
T
Relig.of the Anct. Greeks,p. 214. See also,
Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p, 99.
"

said to have

of Ms (theQueen ofHeaven, and

the pregnancy
the
last days of March, and towards
on
Horus),

Williams : Hinduism, p. 181.

Prog. Belig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 126.

SeeMonier
See

the

of
birthday

it as follows

His birth was

one
is the great God-loved of Heaven.
it
of the Egyptian religion.Pictures representing
mysteries

the first

centuries before the time of

"He

on

to commemorate

364

BIBLE

MYTHS.

holy Adytum* to the stillmore

sacred quarter of the temple known
of Horus.
He was
the birth-place
as
sumably
prethe child of Deity. At Christmas
val,
time,or that answeringto our festihis image was
brought out of that sanctuary with peculiarceremonies,
the image of the infant Bambino*
is still brought out and exhibited in
as
walls

of

One

temples.

passed through

the

Rome."3

Rigordobserves
Mother
of
effigy

her

"

The

"

that the

the birth of

priorto

how

This

exposedin

was

The
that

crib to the adoration

work,

"

Virgin,and
of the people."6
a

born

on

the 25th of December.6

by the

ancient Greeks

The author of "The

as

being

cient
Religion
of the An-

says :

which
the Greeks named
nightof the Winter Solstice,
which they thought gave birth to Hercules.'"1

He further says
It has become

an

who

has destined it to

who

alone

to

came

the birth

Holy Virgin" as they called Ceres,or

"

also the time celebrated

was

Greeks

the

triple
night,

epoch of singular
importancein the eyes of the Christian,
celebrate the birth of the Saviour,the true Sun of Justice,

the
dissipate

was
Bacchus,also,

darkness

born at
him

Higginssays of

Mr.

sus
the infant Je-

ancient Christian

an
Alexandria,"

of Hercules.
birthday

"

Saviour,but exhibited the

has constructed the childbirth of

Egypt

of the
son
Osiris,
Neith,his mother,was

was

gin
Vir-

of her son, who

"

our

lyingin

son

Chronicles of

Watch

the

a
Egyptiansnot onlyworshiped

the manger, in the manner

afterwards laid in the cave
at Bethlehem."4

was

says

"

of

ignorance."8

dawn
early

on

the 25th of December.

of Bacchus, called Sabizius or Sabaoth,was

claimed by
birth-place
several placesin Greece ; but on Mount
Zelmissus,in Thrace, his worship seems
ber,
celebrated. He was born of a virginon the 25th of Decemto have been chiefly
In
Saviour.
his
h
e
shown
to
the
called
and was
was
Mysteries,
always
this
is
at
infant
the
Christians
ing,
the people,as an
day, on Christmas-daymornby
The

"

in Rome."9

The

of
birthday

Adonis

was

celebrated

This celebration is spokenof

on

ber.
the 25th of Decem-

Jerome,and
by Tertullian,

other

of

"Adytum
heathen
"

tions

Bambino

"
"

the interior

or

sacred

part

temple.
""a

of the infant

used for representaSaviour, Christ Jesus, in

term

swaddling8.
"

Bonwick's

Egyptian Belief,p. 157.

See

also,Dupuis, p. 237.
*
Virginem
"Deinceps Egyptii Parituram
magno in honore habuerunt ; quin soliti sunt
effingerejacentem in prsesepe, quali
puerum

in Bethlehemetica
natus est."
spelunca"
(Quoted in Anacalypsis,p. 102, of vol. ii.)
6
Quoted by Bonwick, p. 143.
9
Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 99.
7
Relig.Anct. Greece, p. 215.

postea

Ibid,

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 102 ; Dupuis, p. 237,

and Baring Gould : Orig. Relig.Belief,vol. L
"

p. 322.

BIRTHDAY

OF

who
Church,1

inform

THE

Fathers of the

CHEIST

365

JESUS.

that the ceremonies took

us

in which theycelebrated his

a cave, and that the cave
in Bethlehem,
that in which Christ Jesus was born.
was
in

This was also a

Gross says :
11

greatholydayin ancient Rome.

In Borne, before

the

Invincible).It was
and publicgames."2

and

criminal
the slaves

Christ,a
'

festival

observed

was

Soils Invicti '

Natalia

on

the 25th

(Birthdayof Sol the

day

of universal

"

indulgedwith great liberties."3

were

few weeks

before the winter

into Rome

came

of

name

Rev. Mr.

illustrated by illuminations
rejoicings,
All publicbusiness was
suspended,declarations of war
executions were
postponed,friendsmade presentsto one another,

and

of

the time

of December, under

The

place
mysteries

the

playon

to

the Calabrian shepherds

solstice,

pipes. Ovid

alludes to this when

he says :
"

Ante
Cum

DeCim

matrem

tibicen adunco

cornu

aera
canit,exigusequis stipis

neget."
i.1. ii.)
(Epist.

"

i. e.,

When

"

Grudge

not

mother

mighty

to the
a

This

is keptup
practice

The

ancient

triflefor his

to the

pipesthe swain,
piousstrain."

presentday.
"

Germans,for centuries before the true Sun of

Justice was ever heard of,celebrated annually,
at the time of the
Winter solstice,
what theycalled their Yule-feast. At this feast
renewed,the godswere consulted as to the future,
agreements were
"

sacrificeswere

made

Many

to

them, and the time

features of this festival,

such

stillsurvive among
log on Christmas-eve,
Yule

Noel,which
The

the old

was

name

is the Hebrew

Chaldee

as

burningthe yule-

us.4

for Christmas.
or

pitality.
hosspentin jovial

In French

upon which
Jul

it was

the
observed,

Freyr (sonof

J
night

the ancient

Winter solstice.
"

They called the

This feast was
Mother-night."

hence is derived the word

"

in honor of

at the

it is called

Nule.*

word

festivalof the year celebrated among

greatest

was
Scandinavians,

named

was

Yule

"

and

was

celebrated

the

Supreme God Odin,and the goddess

who was born on that day. Feasting,
nocturnal assemblies,
Frigga),
and all the demonstrations of a most dissolute joy,
then authorized
were
ceived
by the general
guestsreusage. At this festivalthe principal
and
horses,
swords,battle-axes, gold
presents generally
their
rings at
departure.6
"

"

1
a

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 99.

The Heathen
Religion,p. 287 ; Dupuis, p.

883.
"

Bulfinch,p. 21.

See Bible for Learners, vol. iii.p. 67,and

Chambers, art. " Yule."

* See
Chambers's, art. "Yule," and
Druids," p. 162.
"

855.

Mallet's Northern

Knight :

p. 87.

"

Ccltfc

Antiquities,
pp. 110 and

W6

BIBLE

MYTH8.

festival of the 25th of December

The

ancient Druids, in Great

Britain and

celebrated

the
with great tires
Ireland,
was

by

the topsof hills.1

on
lighted
GodfreyHigginssays :
"

Stuckleyobserves

Britain.

The

it

Nolagh

great fires on

Epiphany

Druids

or

Britain,have

or

says

kept

this

Noel,

or

the tops of their

twelfth night. The
attributed

Mithraic

are

to

also a time of

was

which

monuments,

in Ancient
rejoicing

Mexico.

in

common

the Romans, but this festival proves

there priorto their arrival."9

been

Mithraic worship was

This

worship of Mithra was spreadall over Gaul and

and called the day following
nightas a great festival,
of
the day
and celebrated it with
regeneration,
mountains, which they repeatedon the day of the

that the

that the

Acosta

"In

in Peru

the first month, which

a solemn
December, they made
Wherein

they made

many

they call Rayme, and answering to our

feast called Gapacrayme (the Winter
Solstice),
sacrificesand ceremonies,which
continued
many

days."8
The
all over

the mistletoe,
which are used
evergreens, and particularly
the Christian world at Christmas time,betrayits heathen

a Father
origin.Tertullian,

A.

of the

Church,who

affirms it
200, writingto his brethren,

d.

"

rank

idolatry
or flowers,
on festival
cording
garlands
days,ac-

to deck their doors "with

to the custom

to be

flourished about
"

of the heathen"

This shows that the heathen in those

do

now.

to

do

did as the Christians

days,
What have evergreens, and garlands,
and Christmas trees,
with Christianity
? Simply nothing. It is the old Yule-

feast which

held bv all the northern

was

handed
morial,

down

to,and observed

nations,from time imme-

at the

presentday. In the

of
greenery with which Christians deck their houses and temples
and in the Christmas-trees laden with gifts,
we
worship,
tionably
unquessee

relicof the

symbolsby which

our

heathen forefathers

their faith in the powers of the returning

to clothe the
sun
signified
earth againwith green, and hang new
fruit on the trees. Foliage,
such
were

the

all evergreens,
laurel,
ivy,or oak,and in general,
myrtle,
that is,
Dionysiacplants,
symbolsof the generative
power,

as

of youthand vigor.6
signifying
perpetuity
in fixing
this period
Among the causes, then,that co-operated
December 25th
of Christ Jesus,
as the birthday
was, as we have
"

"

seen, that almost every ancient nation of the earth held a festival
of the birth of their virgin-born
on this day in commemoration
god.
"

Dopuis, 160 ; Celtic Druids, and

Christianity,
p. 167.
Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 99.

mental
"

Monu-

"
*
"

Hist.

Indies,vol. ii.p. 354.

Works, vol. i. p. 80.
Knight : Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 88.
See Middleton's

BIRTHDAY

THE

On

this

of

their

Fall

of

"

The

the
when

festival

ancient

transferred

afterwards
of

day

which

St.

On

this

heathen

to

this

century,

as

Dr.
the

they

of

our

Gibbon's

King's

Quoted

Rome,
Gnostics,
in

Ibid.

and

instead

ii. p.

p. 49.

Solstice,

Remains,"

great

of
at

games

the

of

birth

says

the

'

Birthday

circus,

the

Christ,

was

precise

the

unknown."8

a.

390, referring

d.

lately fixed

was

at

in

Borne,

to this

order

that

the

Christians

Father

of

other

Fathers

ceremonies,

profane

Gregory,
in, and

the

Christian

commended

Christian
heathen

the

church

them

of

the

drawing

to
a

the

the

pose,
pur-

Christ.4

religion of

anxious

retain

Christian

the

to

feasts

dress,

or

them.6

things, which
in

"Paganism

on

for

always

them

such

other

the
was

significationto

many

by

holidays,
to

by allowing

way,

chapter
into

vol.

Winter

or

'

about

their

St.

Christian

Fathers,

fixed

(Christ's) birth,

in honor

then

was

to, only giving

these,

in

'

his

undisturbed."3

remarks,

half

or

new

their

of

festivals into

Pagan

themselves

with

instrumental

doing

Christian
drew

the

by

of Christ

that

accustomed

attaching
speak

rites

fact

the

heathen

of

December

of

confess

busy

Hooykaas

were

In

25th

they said, of drawing

As

and

"Decline

his

holy

was

birth

Sol."1

and

flourished

were

their

perform

for, changing

meet

who

in

tie

of

time

Brumalia,

of

commemoration

Fathers

date

the

birth

the

celebrated

the

this

real

December,

the

also, the birth

day,

the

Add
third

the

festival,says

whilst

might

to

of

many

the

Gnostics

"

on

and

Chrysostom,

Pagan
"

One,

Invincible

the

'

of

his

held

festival

of

celebrated

in

King,

the

as

says*

ignorant

25th

annually

Mr.

The

the

to

Pagans

And

of

Empire,"

Christians,

Roman

it
of

speaking

367

JESUS.

CHRIST

adopted

Gibbon,

Roman

the

the

"

Mr.

God.

solemn

Christians

the

account

OF

shall

we

Christianity"

heathen

their

to

the

religion,

Paganism.
883.

See

the

chapter

"

on

Paganism

in

anity."
*

Bible

for Learners
,

to.

ill. p. 07.

?hriftt

XXXV.

CHAPTEK

TRINITY.

THE

"

Say not

there

doctrine of the

The

is
Trinity

doctrine of the Christian church.

the

and
highest

"

asserts that

three

the

"

are

Father,the Son, and

one
true,eternal God,

neither

Unity

we

worship

confounding the

One God

nor

which
creed,1

as

person
the Godhead

Ghost.

But

is all one

; the

of the

of the Father, and

and
Trinity,

dividingthe

persons,
of the Father, another of the Son, and

"

there is One

in the Athanasian

Catholic2 faith is this: That

The

As

are

guished
glory,
althoughdistinThe most celebrated statement
by their personal
propensities."

of the doctrine is to be found

in

mysterious

most

substance,
equalin power and

in

same

"

(Koran.)

It declares that there

or divine nature
persons in the Godhead
and that " these three
the Holy Ghost

the

God.""

is but One

Gods, God

three

are

Son, and

substance

another
of the

ity
Trin"

for

of the

Holy
Holy Ghost.

gloryequal,the majesty co-eternal."

M. Reville remarks

dogma of the Trinitydisplayedits contradictions with true bravery.

Deity divided into three divine persons, and yet these three persons forming
riving
the two others deonly One God ; of these three the firstonlybeing self-existent,
and yet these three persons being considered
their existence from the first,
distinct character, his individual
as
perfectlyequal; each having his special,
qualities,
wanting in the other two, and yet each one of the three being supposed
the fullness of perfection here, it must be confessed, we have
to possess
the
deification of the contradictory."3
The

"

The

"

We

one, and one

all the other

The

1
'"*

see

dogmas of

the Christian

(I. John, v. 7)
passage
three that bear record in heaven,

are

Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and

these
hands
many

now

celebrated

For there

the

that this very peculiar

doctrine of three in
in three,
is of heathen origin,
and that it must fallwith

shall

three
to

are

be

an

centuries

368

one," is

now

admitted

on

all

interpolationinto the epistle

after

the time of Christ Jesus.

religion.

(See Giles' Hebrew

and

Christian

Records, vol.

ii.p. 12.
Gibbon's
InRome, vol. iii.p. 556.
man's Ancient Faiths,vol. ii.p. 886.
Taylor's
Diegesis and Reber's Christ of Paul.)
2
"

That

is,the true faith,

Dogma Deity Jesus Christ,p. 95.

370

BIBLE

MYTHS.

The third person was the Destroyer,

the
or, in his goodcapacity,
The dove was the emblem
of the Regenerator.
As
Regenerator.
the

the

was
spiritus

which

passivecause

the face of the

on
(brooding

all

the dove became the

thingssprang into life,
of the Spirit,
emblem
or Holy Ghost,the third person.
These three godsare the firstand the highest
manifestations of
the Eternal Essence,and are typified
by the three letterscomposing
OM
the mysticsyllable
or AUM.
They constitute the well known

waters)
by

Trimurti

Triad of divine forms which

or

It is usual to describe these three

gods

characterizes Hindooism.
Preserver
Creator,

as

and

but this
Destroyer,

idea of their complex

givesa very inadequate
ISTordoes the conception
of their relationship
to each

characters.
other become

clearer when

it is ascertained that their functions

and that each may take the place

of
constantly
interchangeable,
of
other,
accordingto the sentiment expressedby the greatest
vii.44):
Griffith,
poets,Kalidasa (Kumara-sambhava,
"

In those three persons the One God

firstin place,each last not

Each

"

shown

was
one

are

the
dian
In-

"

alone ;
be

Of Siva,Vishnu, BrahmS, each may

First,second, third,among the blessed three."

devout person called Attencin,becomingconvinced that he

thus addressed Brahma, Yishnu and
should worship
but one deity,
A

Siva

"

O you
which

three Lords

of you

know

is the true

that I recognizeonly One

address
that I may
divinity,

God

fore,
there; inform me
to him alone my vows

and adorations."

The

three

manifest to

gods became

:
him, and replied

"Learn, O devotee,that there is no real distinction between

appears such is
but he is One."1

only by

Sir William
"

semblance

SingleBeing

Very respectablenatives have assured

enough in their zeal for the

that the Hindoos

were

Vishnou, and Mahesa

Thomas

appears

us

under

; what

three

to you

forms,

Jones says :

even

now

were
(Siva),

Maurice,in his

me,

that

one

or

two

missionaries

of the Gentiles,to urge

almost
Christians ; because
their Brahma,
"2
no
other than the Christian Trinity.

have been absurd

of

the

"

conversion

Indian

describes a magAntiquities,"
nificent
of exquisite
and
sculpture,
workmanship,

pieceof Indian
stupendous
namely:
antiquity,
"A

bust

composed

symbols of the Indian

1

Alien's

of three heads,united to

theology,and thus

India,pp. 382,383.

one

body, adorned

expresslyfabricated
"

Asiatic

with

the oldest

accordingto

Researches,vol. i.p. 378.

the

THE

371

TRINITY.

confession of the sacred sacerdotal tribe of India,to Indicate the Creator,

and the Regenerator,
the Preserver,
of mankind
which
establislies
the
solemn
;
fact,that from the remotest eras, the Indian nations had adored a triune deity."1
unanimous

Fig.No.

34 is a

of an Indian sculpture,
intended
representation
Triune God,aevidently
similar to the one described

the
represent

to

by Mr.

above
in the

It is taken from

Maurice.
"

at the

museum

"

"

very ancient

granite

Indian

dug from the

ruins of a templein the island
of Bombay.
House,"and

was

The

as well as the
Buddhists,
ity
Brahmans,have had their Trin-

from
Mr.

earlyperiod.
of
his Origin
Idolatry,"
says :

Heathen
"

very

"

Faber,in

Among

the Hindoos,

have the

we

Triad of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva;so,

the votaries of Buddha, we find
among
Buddha
the self-triplicated
be the

same

Among

the Buddhist

we
ists,

the

have

the

Trimurti

declared to

Trimurti.

the Hindoo

as

sect of the Jain-

triple
Jiva,in whom

declared
similarly

is

to

be incarnate."

In this TrinityVajrapani
answers

to

is the "deified
"All-father,"
Ifanjusri
of Crishna

or

Buddha

believed

was

of the

Avalokitesvara

and
Jesus,
but
deity,

by
"

God

by

"

Holy Spirit."
nation
be,not onlyan incar-

himself in human
to be

"

This isclearly
illustratedby the

to Buddha

is the

his followers to

followers of Crishna believed Mm

in one."

the
Brahma, or Jehovah,
the counterpart
teacher,"

devotee called Amora

"

form

and therefore

"

"

the

as

three

gods

address delivered
following

be unto thee,O God, in the form of the God of mercy, the disand
trouble,the Lord of all things,the guardianof the universe,
pain
OM
of mercy towards
the emblem
those who serve thee
! the possessor of all
"

Reverence

pellerof

"

thingsin

vital form.

ah* the universe.

Thou

immovable, the possessor

who

art celebrated

by

art

Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa

thou art Lord

movable
the proper form of all things,
of the whole, and thus I adore thee. I adore

art under

Thou

thousand

names,

and under

various

forms

; in the

of

and

thee,

shape

of Buddha, the god of mercy."3

The
are

inhabitants of China

Buddhists,
worshipGod

Indian

vol. iv. p.
Antiquities,

Taken

from

plate81.

Moore's

"

Hindoo

and

in the

of whom
Japan,the majority
Their name
form of a Trinity.
"

372.

Pantheon,'*

See

Asiatic Researches, vol. iii.pp. 285,29ft

167.
also,King'sGnostics,

372

BIBLE

MYTHS.

of the Trinity
(Buddha)is Fo, and in speaking
theysay :
Fo."1
This
The three pure, precious
triad is repreor honorable
sented
in their templesby imagessimilar to those found in the
pagodasof India,and when theyspeakof God theysay : Fo is
one
person, out has threeforms"
In a chapel
which was
to the monastery of Poo-ta-la,
belonging
found in Manchow-Tartary,
to be seen representations
of Fo,iD
was
the form of three persons.8
for him
14

"

in
Navarette,
"

his account

This sect (of Fo) has

of

China,says :

idol

another

they call Sanpao.

as
equal in all respects. This, which has been represented
with that which is on
is exactlythe same
Blessed Trinity,

monastery of the Trinitarians at Madrid.

would say that Sanpao of his country was

Mr.

And
"

Among

this God

Faber,in

his

the Chinese, who

"

If any

Chinese

It consists of three,
an
image of the Most
the

worshiped in these
Heathen

Originof

under
worship Buddha
three persons."

of the

high altar

whatsoever

it,he

saw

parts."

Idolatry,"
says:
the

of

name

find

Fo, we

into
multiplied
mysteriously

The
Chinese

O. M.
mysticsyllable
and Japanese,4
as we

or

A. U. M. is also reverenced

have found

it reverenced

by

by the

habitant
the in-

of India.
Laou-keum-tsze
or
Laou-tsze,
of China,and deified hero,born 604 b.
philosopher
The

followers of

of
sect,are also worshipers

the Taou

feature in Laou-keun's

system of

"

c.

"

celebrated
known

as

It was the leading

Trinity.6
that Taou,
philosophical
theology,
a

the eternal reason, produced

one
/ one producedtwo j two produced
three/and three producedall things."This was a sentence which
and which Mr. Maurice considers,
continually
repeated,
axiom for a heathen philosopher."7
singular

Laou-keun
44

most

The
"The

sacred volumes
Source

produceda
These

Three

and

second.

Root
The

produced

of the Chinese state that

This self-existent

of all is One.

first and

unitynecessarily

second, by their union, produced

third.

all."8

ancient emperors of China solemnly

sacrificed,
every three
"
Him who is One and Three."*
years, to
The

The

ancient

God
Egyptians
worshiped

China, vol. ii.p. 104.

Davis'

Ibid. pp. 103 and 81.

Ibid. pp. 105,106.

"
"

Ibid. pp.

"

Ibid.

103,81.
110,111. Bell's Pantheon, vol. ii.p
86. Dunlap's SpiritHist.,150.
" Indian
Antiquities,vol. v. p. 41. Dupuis,
p. 285. Dunlap's SpiritHist.,150.
7 Indian
vol. v. p. 41.
Antiquities,

in the form of

This Taou

Davis, and

Trinity,

sect,accordingto John

the Rev.

Charles

Francis

Gutzlaff,both of
whom
have resided in China" call their trinity
"the three pure ones," or
the three precious
in heaven."
ones
(See Davis' China, vol.ii.p.
110,and Gutzlaff 's Voyages, p. 307.)
8 See
Prog. Relig.Ideas,vol. i.p. 210
"

"

Ibid.

THE

373

TRINITY.

in sculptures
the most
ancient of their
on
represented
and the
temples.The celebrated symbol of the wing,the globe,
is supposedto have stood for the different attributes of
serpent,

which

was

God.1
The

of Memphis,in Egypt,explained
this mystery to the
priests

that
novice,
by intimating

the

that it is this triad which

and
dyad,who engenderedthe triad,
shines through
nature.
a greatmonarch,who
Thulis,

and who

all Egypt,
over
reigned
is said
the oracle of Serapis,
consulting

in the habit of

was

at

time

one

to have addressed the oracle in these words

Tell

"

if

me

greater than

me

ever

there

before

was

created the

monad
premier(first)

will

greaterthan I,or

one

ever

be

one

?"

The

oracle answered

"First

God, afterward

thus

the Word, and

with

them

the

all
Holy Spirit,

of the same
are
nature, and make but one whole, of which the power
Go away quickly,mortal,thou who hast but an uncertain life."3

these

is eternal.

the Logos,
the second person in the Trinity
calling
anity
and was
into Christior
Word,3is an Egyptianfeature,
engrafted
who
many centuries after the time of Christ Jesus.4 Apollo,
had his tomb at Delphiin Egypt,was called the Word.6
Belief and Modern
Mr. Bonwick,in his Egyptian
Thought,"
The

idea of

"

says
11

Some
old

of the
whom

to
prepared

are

persons

of
religion

all thingswere

Egypt

was

admit

that the most

in relation to the

development
astonishing
Logos or

made, and who, though from God,

was

Divine

Word, by

It had

God.

long

and others before the Christian era, cherished

that Plato,Aristotle,
till of late that Chaldeans
not known
the idea of this Demiurgus ; but it was

been known
and

"6
principle.
Egyptiansrecognizedthis mysterious

vol. i. p. 127.
Antiquities,
Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 14.
is stated by Manetho,
The followinganswer
Egyptian priest,to have been given by an
1

Indian

an

Oracle to Sesostris

"

his return

On

through

the sanctuary of the Oracle,

who besaying: 'Tell me, O thou strongin fire,
could subjugate all things ? and who
fore me
But the Oracle rebuked him,
shall after me V
Africa he entered

being of

from

divine

essence, but distinguished

It is also called M the

Supreme God.
Son of God."
first-born
"

the

The

Platonists furnished

to the Christian

Greece, and
system

and

churches

brilliant recruits

of Asia

Minor

and

brought with them

their love for

their idealism.'"

"It

is in the

of Judaism
or Alexandrian,branch
Platonizing,
that

we

must

seek

for the antecedents

of the

Logos.'1''
(A. Reville :
Dogma Deity Jesus,p. 29.)
6
Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 102.
Mithras, the Mediator, and Saviour of the
called the Logos. (SeeDunlap's
Persians,was
Son of the Man, p. 20. Bunsen's
Angel-Mescalled the Logos.
was
siah,p. 75.) Hermes
era.
" I.
(SeeDunlap's Son of the Man, p. 89,marginal
John, v. 7. John i. 1.
* The
note.)
Alexandrian
theology,of which the
" Bonwick's
the chief representative,
celebrated Plato was
Egyptian Belief,p. 402.
God
second
the
was
the
;"
that
Logo0
taught

eaying, First,God ; then the Word ; and with

"
(Nimrod, vol. i. p. 119,in
them, the Spirit.'1
Ibid. vol. i. p. 805.)
enumerated
we
have distinctly
God,
Here
the Logos, and the Spiritor Holy Ghost, in a
to the Christian
long previous
very earlyperiod,
'

"

Christian doctrine of the

374

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"

in whose
Logos or Word was a great mystery (among the Egyptians),
I know
the mystery of the
the following passages may be seen:

The

sacred books

'

'

divine Word;

Word

'

The

Word

this is the firstperson

made by him.'
were

"

of it;' The
infinite rulingover all
after himself,uncreated,

of the Lord

had
Assyrians

Marduk

addresses to him reads thus

"

Thou

art the

Merciful

powerful

one

"

Thou

"

the

one

of their sacred

for their Logos;2one

gods
among
of heaven and earth,who
to life raises."3
perer
earth

"

'

the maker

was

"l

things that
The

of All, which

"

Lord

art the life giver Thou

also the prosof Hea, who made heaven and

equalhas not Merciful one, who dead
"

Eldest
an

son

"

Word

"

of

sponding
God," correthat being who
to the Greek
Logos,which designated
and who stillgoverns the world,and is inferior to God
organized

The

Chaldeans

their Memra

had

or

only.4
of discourse,
subject
interesting
There is scarcely
temptinghim to wonderful feats of imagination.
that he did not bestow on the
a personifying
or exalting
epithet
Divine Reason.
He described it as a distinct being; called it a
"FirstRock," The Summit of the Universe," Before allthings,"
Son of God," Eternal Bread from Heaven," Fountain
begotten
of Wisdom," Guide to God," " Substitute for God," Image of
The

with Philoa most

Logoswas

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

preter
Priest,"Creator of the Worlds," Second God," Interof God," "King,"
of God," "Ambassador
of God," "Power
"The
"Angel,""Man," "Mediator,""Light," The Beginning,"
East," The Name of God," The Intercessor."6

God,"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

This is exactly
the
flesh ;" appears
"

no

The

seen

God

sacrificeto the

in the form of

dipping
from the
times.

with
was

Orpheus7wrote
Bonwick's
Ibid.

"

Ibid.
Ibid. p. 28.

*
"

altar was

Trinitywas

ismade
whom

to be found

about to offer

were
priests

three times
the

by
sprinkled
assembled
people

also. Frankincense
sprinkled
three fingers,
and strewed upon the

he in

observed in most

the

holywater, and

in

done because

things
ought to

"

man,

three times

censer

This

When

gods,the

laurel branch

around it were

an

worshipof

It becomes

incarnation / in order that the God

at any time,"may be manifested.

as

the ancient Greeks.

among
up

has

man

Logosof John.

oracle had

altarthree

declared that all sacred

that
threes,
therefore,

number

was

pulously
scru-

ceremonies."
religious

that :

Egyptian Belief,p.

Cradle
Piotbingbjun'B

an

taken

was

404.

Prog. Kelig.Ideas,vol. i. p. 307.

Orpheus is said to have been a native of
Thracia,the oldest poet of Greece, and to hare
"

See

written
of the

Christ,p. 118.

evide

before

the time

of Homer

ntly a mythologicalcharacter.

; bnt he is

THE

"

made

All

things were
things."1

is all

by One godhead

This Trinitarian view of the

from

375

TRINITY.

in three names,

Deityhe

and

that this

is said to have

god

brought

Egypt,and

the Christian Fathers of the third and fourth centuries

claimed that Pythagoras,
and Plato
who taught
Heraclitus,
the doctrine of the Trinity had drawn their theological
philosophy
"

"

from

the

of Orpheus."
writings
The works of Plato were
studied by the Church
extensively
of whom
in the greatteacher,
one
the
Fathers,
joyfully
recognizes

schoolmaster
the heathen

who,
for

in the fullness of

as
Christ,

Moses

The

destined to educate

time,was

did the Jews.3

celebrated passage :
In the beginning
the Word, and
was
the Word
with God, and the Word
was
was
God,"4 is a fragment
of

as

"

Pagan treatise on

barbarian
words
"

are

This

for such is what

"

barbarian

plainlywas

The

need
with

callsthe writer of John

by

whom

been

God, by

made

has itslife and

Christian

thingswere

say ; and
in the placeand

to be

was

all

also would

to have

God, and

everythingthat

the Word,

Heraclitus

affirms

with

he

His

i. 1.

eternal,as
be

the Platonic

ten
writphilosophy,
evidently
by Irenaeus.6 It is quotedby Amelius, a Pagan philosopher,
to the Logos,
or
applicable
strictly
Mercury,the Word, apparently
honorable testimony
borne to the Pagan deityby a
as
an

some

whom

self
made, he being him-

by Jove, the

dignityof

all

things were
being."6

whom

same

the

and
principal,

made,

and

for
Father,Justin Martyr,
apologizing

to

in whom

the Christian

tells the Emperor Antoninus

Pius,that the Pagans
religion,
the Logos,
which
not taunt the Christians for worshiping
was
act.
God, and was God," as theywere also guiltyof the same

"If

"

hold," says he, "some

(Christians)
opinions near of kin to the poets
in
philosophers, great repute among you, why are we thus unjustlyhated?
"There's
in imitation of the Logos, in worship
Mercury, Jove's interpreter,
and
Son
of
called Jesus,should we allow him to be
the
to
as
God,
you,"
among
titleof
Son of God' is very justifiable,
than
the
the
nothingmore
man, yet
upon
of his wisdom, consideringyou have your Mercury,(also
the account
called the
Son of God ')in worship under
the titleof the Word and Messengerof God."7
we

and

"

"

'

'

We
to

"

or
then,that the title Word
Logos,"beingapplied
another
is
of
w
ith
ChnsJesus,
piece Pagan amalgamation
"

see,

See Indian

vol.
Antiquities,

iv. p.

332,and

See Chambers's

"

art.
Ibid.,

John, i. 1.

"

Encyclo.,art.

Plato."

"

first that

The

certain is

Taylor's Diegesis,p. 189.

"

Orpheus."

"

we

know

of this

gospelfor

daring the time of Ireneeus,the great

Christian forger.

Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 185.

"

See

Apol.1. ch.

xx.-xxii.

376

BIBLE

tianitj.It

MYTHS.

did not receiveits authorized Christian form until the

of the second centuryafterChrist.1

ancient Pagan Romans
worshipeda Trinity.An

middle
The

said to have

declared that there was,

and with them the Spirit."3
Here

we

"

oracle is

firstGod, then the

Word^

enumerated,God, the Logos,and

distinctly

see

the

in ancient Rome, where the most

or Holy Ghost,
Spirit
Capitolinus was
templeof this capital that of Jupiter

celebrated

to three

worship.'
joint

"

The

which
deities,

as

the

was

that of the Hindoos

"

Son of

the Persian
A

with

This trinity
sisted
conworshipeda Trinity.4
Ahriman.6
It
and
the
was
Oromasdes,Mithras,
virtually
Oromasdes

:
"

God," the

and Ahriman

"

honored

three deities were

ancient Persians

of
same

dedicated

"

"

the
Saviour,"

is to
lawgiver,

Creator,Mithras

be found the

Iside et

"Zoroaster

assigned the

first and

which

Monad

Osiride,"
says :

made

is said to have

cessor,"
Inter-

sentence
following

Deity shines forth through the whole world,of

(an invisiblething)is the head."6
"

"

or

aster
the oracles of Zoro-

Triad of

Plutarch, De

"

Mediator

Destroyer.In

the

was

the

was

highestrank

distribution of things:
threefold

to have

Oromasdes, who, in the Orachs, is called

the middle to Mithras ; who, in the

to

the Father ; the lowest to Ahrimanes

; and
$ame
Oracles,is called the second Mind"

The

Assyriansand

of the divine Unityin

its

three

:
Trinity

"

Simeon

the

and

Come

see

Ben

Accordingto
"

205.

The

See

cannot

god

called

there

three

are

and
degrees,

all One, and

each other."

Triglaff.One

doctrine of the

Higgins'Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 105.
" See Indian
vol. iii.p. 158.
Antiquities,
* See
Indian Antiquities,vol. vi. p. 346.
Monumental
Christianity,
p. 65, and Ancient
" Ibid.
Faiths,vol. ii.p. 819.
See

JSlohim

Logos.
9

Cabbala

is with
sanctified,

they are
yet, notwithstanding,

and
: Myths
Myth-makers, p.
charges the Christians with a re-

coinage of the misunderstood

is

name

be divided from

Fiske

Celsus

Pagans."8The

symbols

Jochai says :

Dr. Parkhurst

Vandals10 had

had

but one"*

the mystery of the word

degree by
in One, and
joinedtogether

the

as

Ancient,whose

itself alone, and

each

well

as
Trinity

heads,which make

Rabbi
"

worshipeda Trinity.7

It is a curious and instructive fact,

that the Jews

"

had

Phenicians

"

Indian

See

Ancient

of these

was

found at Her-

vol. iv. p. 259.

Antiquities,
Christianity,
p. 65,and

Monumental

Faiths, vol. ii.p. 819.

Christianity,
p. 923. See also,
Antiquities.
9 Idra
Suta,Sohar, iii.288. B. Franck, 138.
Son of the Man, p. 78.
10 Vandals"
of European barbarians,
a race
8

Monumental

Maurice's

Indian

either of Germanic

or

Slavonic

origin.

378

BIBLE

MYTHS.

Tartars also worshiped

God

The
of their

medals,which

be

seen

is now

in the

God
of the triple
representation
in the remote

Even

God

deities are

Father,God
is symbolized
as

ancient Mexicans

the

Kingsborough
says,
to Jehovah

"

by

Ocean,the supreme
God the Spirit,
the

Son, and

and Peruvians

had their

Trinity.The
who had, as Lord
{Tezcailvpoca),

all the attributes and

the

the lotus.1

on

bird.2

of the Mexicans

God

supreme

seated

islandsof the Pacific

the

latter of which

The

in Unity.On one
Trinity
St. Petersburgh
Museum, may
as

which

powers

were

Hebrews," had associated with him

signed
as-

two

and Tlaloc ; one occupieda placeupon

gods,Huitzlvpochtli
the Trinity
his left hand, the other on his right.This was
of the

other

Mexicans.3

bishopDon
which was
bishopric,

When
his

whose

name

in

de las Casas

1545,he commissioned

Francis

Hernandez,who was well

Indians (asthe natives were

was

languageof the
with him
them,carrying
to preach.In about one
the

"

Bartholomew

the

proceededto
an
ecclesiastic,
with
acquainted
to visit
called),

sort of catechism of what

he

was

about

was

dez
year from the time that Francis Hernansent out, he wrote to Bishoplas Casas,
that :
stating

The

Indians

believed in the God

Father, Son, and

Holy

Ghost, and

Bacab, who

born

of

was

who

that

Virgin,and

in heaven; that this God was

the
named
Son
the
was
Yzona,

was

the Father
that

the

Ghost

Holy

called Ec-

was

hiah."*

Rev. Father Acosta says, in

The
"It

is strange that

of
speaking

the devil after his

hath

manner

the Peruvians
brought

for the three images of the Sun called

idolatry,

Trinityinto
lntiquaoqui,

Apomti,Churunti,and
Father and Lord Sun, the Son Sun, and the Brother Sun.
significth
Being in Chuquisaca,an honorable priestshowed mean
information,which
I had long in my hands, where it was
that
there
was
a certain
proved
oratory,
Indians
called
did worship an idol
whereat the
Tangatanga,which they said was
And as this priest
stood amazed
One
in Three, and Three in One.
thereat,I
said that the devil by his infernal and obstinate pride(whereby he always pretends
himself God) did steal allthat he could from the truth,to employ
to make
it in his lyingand deceits."6
"

'

The
fornian

the Indians of
recognized
among
peninsula.The statue of the principal
deityof
doctrine

Granadian
to be

Indians
"

the Cali-

was

had

"

three heads

three persons with

Isis Unveiled,vol. ii.p. 48.

Knight : Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 169.
" Squire :
Serpent Symbol, pp. 179, 180.
Mexican
Ant., vol. vi. p. 164.

one

on

one

body,"and

heart and

one

the New

was

stood
under-

will."6

vi. p. 164.

6 Acosta
See
: Hist. Indies,vol. ii.p. 373.
also,Indian Antiq., vol. v. p. 26, and Squire'i
Serpent Symbol, p. 181.
"
Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 181.

Kingsborough:

Mexican

Antiquities,vol.

THE

result of

379

TRINITY.

for ages before

then,is that,
investigations
the time of Christ Jesus or Christianity,
God was worshipedin the
form of a Triad,and that this doctrine was
diffused
extensively
tant
throughall nations. That it was established in regionsas far disand immemorially
as China and Mexico,
through,
acknowledged
the whole extent of Egyptand India. That it flourished with equal
vigoramong the snowy mountains of Thibet,and the vast deserts
of Siberia. That the barbarians of central Europe,
the Scandinavians,
The

our

and the Druids of Britain and

idol of

God.

Triune

What

bent
Ireland,

then becomes

of

their knee
"

to

an

the Ever-Blessed

"

with allthe rest

? It must
fall,together
Trinity of Christianity
of its dogmas,and be buried with the Pagan debris.
Maurice imaginedthat this mysterious
The learned Thomas
doctrine must
to

Abraham, or
"

to

somebody

In the

by

God

Adam,

to

else. Notice

He
this subject.

(a.d. 1794) on

wrote

revealed

have been

says

or

to

with what

Noah, or

caution he

range which I have been compelledto take in the

field of Asiatic mythology, certain topicshave arisen for discussion,
cate
equallydeliand
constant

of the wide

of Trinityforms a
a species
perplexing.Among them, in particular,
and prominent feature in nearlyall the systems of Oriental theology."

After
was

course

saying,I
"

not from

venture

but
choice,

with

from

this subject,"
he concludes

trembling
step"and that, It
that I entered thus upon
necessity,
"

"This
extensive and interesting
subjectengrosses a considerable portionof
this work, and
to
anxiety
my
prepare the public mind to receive it,my efforts to
induces me
elucidate so mysteriousa point of theology,
to remind the candid

reader,that visible
of
principals

traces

the Chaldaic

of this doctrine

theology;

are

in the

discovered,not only in the three

Mithra
Triplasios

of Persia ; in the

it was
where
Triad,Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, of India
evidentlypromulgated
hundred years beforethe birth ofPlato;1but in the Nuin the Geeta,fifteen
"

men

Triplexof Japan

in the

inscription
upon

the famous

medal

found

in the

God," to be seen at this day in the valuable

Petersburgh; in the Tanga-Tanga,or Three
without mentioningthe vestiges
of
in One, of the South Americans
; and, finally,
and
of
the
the
in
the
it in Greece,
the Symbol
Globe,
Serpent,conspicuWing,
ous
of the ancient templesof Upper Egypt."2
on most
deserts of Siberia, To
"

cabinet

It
him

of the

the Triune

Empress, at

St.

longtime after the followers of Christ

God, before theyventured to declare that he

was

* The
entertained
ideas
concerning the
antiquityof the Geeta, at the time Mr. Maurice
were
erroneous.
wrote his Indian Antiquities,
This work, as we
have elsewhere seen, is not
doctrine of the
old as he supposed. The
as

Williams'

Indian

Jesus had made

"

was

Wisdom,

p.

God him~

324,and Hindu-

ism, pp. 109,110-115.)

"The

grand

pagoda of Elephant*,
magnificent temple in the
less than a superb
nor
world, is neither more
Trimurti in India, however, is to be found in
temple of a Triune God.'1
(Maurice : Indian
vol. iii.p. ix.)
the Veda, and epic poems, which are of an anAntiquities,
2 Indian
vol. i. pp. 125-187.
Antiquities,
tiquitylong anterior to the rise of Christianity,
precedingit by many centuries. (See Moqier
the oldest and

cavern

most

380

MYTHS.

BIBLE

form" and, the second person in the Ever- Blessed

tonic
a Christian convert from the PlaTrinity."It was JustinMartyr,

selfin

"

human

school?who,

about

the middle

century,first

of the second

that Jesus of Nazareth,the Son of God,"

promulgatedthe opinion,
in the Deity,
and the Creator of all matethe second principle
rial
was
things.He is the earliestwriter to whom the opinioncan be
he does not ascribe to the Scriptures,
traced. This knowledge,
but to the special
favor of God.2
"

The

passage in I. John, v. 7, which reads thus :

three that bear record in heaven,the Father,the
which

Word,

and

are

the

polations
interone,"is one of the numerous
inserted into the hooks of the New
Testament,

these three

Holy Ghost,and

For there

"

were

are

years afterthese books were

retained and circulated as the word

written.9

many

with the rest,though known

of God, or

and

These
of

as

passages

are

equalauthority

admitted

by the learned on all

wicked interpolations.
The subtle and profoundquestions
the nature,genconcerning
eration,
and the quality
the distinction,
of the three divine persons
in the philosophical
of the mysterious
or Trinity,
were
triad,
agitated
willful and
hands,to be forgeries,

and in the Christian schools of Alexandria

not

in

Egypt?but

partof the established Christian faith until as late as

when

the

was
question

Up
doctrine

on

and
Father,

the

their relation to

us

Christians

recognized

the

Egypt,the land
to define the

was

another.6

of Trinities

of
position

"

candidate
disappointed
1

We

already seen that Plato and his

taught the doctrine of the Trinity

centuries before the time

of Christ Jesus.

Worsley's Enquiry, p. 54. Quoted

in Higgins'Anacalypsis,vol. i. p. 116.
8

Israel
"

The

memorable

text

(I.John

v.

7) which

unity of the three which bear witness

in heaven, is condemned
by the universal
silence of the orthodox
Fathers, ancient versions,and authentic manuscripts. It was first
allegedby the Catholic Bishop whom Hunneric
to the Conference
of Carthage (a.d.
summoned
254), or, more
properly,by the four bishops
who composed and published the professionof
of their brethren."
faith in the name
(Gibasserts

the

Egypt

in the discussion
the chief point

of
presbyter

for the office of

have

followers
2

"

the Son."

There lived in Alexandria

a

the

without defining
Spirit,
articulately

In these trinitariancontroversies,
which firstbroke out in
"

327,

for the most

were

in speakingof
escriptural
expressions

Son,and
one

understood and

no

this highsubject.
The
to

a. d.

tinople.
settled at the Councils of Nice and Constan-

to this time there was

part accustomed

it was

bon's

Kome,

the

bishop.He

above

in

four-score

Arius,

took the

vol. iii. p. 556, and

of the ancient

None

of

name

note

117.)

extant,
manuscripts now
number, contain this pas

116.) In the eleventh an"

corrected.
centuries, the Bible was
Yet,notwithstandingthese corrections,the passage.
twelfth

(Ibid,note

sage is stillwanting in

uscripts. (Ibid,note

twenty-fiveLatin

116.

man-

See also. Dr. Giles'

Records, vol. ii.p. 12.

Faiths, vol. ii. p. 886.
Rev. Robert
Taylor's Diegesis. p. 421, and
Reber's Christ of Paul.)
Hebrew

Dr.

and

Inman's

Christian
Ancient

See Gibbon's

Chambers's

Rome,

ii.309.

Encyclo.,art.

"

Trinity."

THE

ground that
the Son
ship,

there

and
exist,

very nature

time at which

of Son-

he commenced

to

it is the necessary condition of the filialrelation

be older than

fathermust

when, from the

time

did not

that
be,asserting
that

was

381

TRINITY.

his

dently
But this assertion evi-

son.

it
of the three persons of the Trinity,
co-eternity
a subordination or
inequality
suggested
among them, and indeed
did not exist. Hereupon,the
implieda time when the Trinity
played
who had been the successful competitor
againstArius,disbishop,
debates on the question,
his rhetorical powers in public
and,
who formed a very large
the strifespreading,
the Jews and Pagans,
themselves with
amused
of Alexandria,
portionof the population
theatrical representations
of the contest on the stage the pointof
their burlesques
of age of the Father and the
beingthe equality
Such was
the violence the controversyat lengthassumed,
Son.

denied the

"

had to be referred to the emperor (Constantine).

and
At firsthe looked upon the dispute
as altogether
frivolous,

that the matter

perhapsin

truth inclined to the assertion of

of the

nature

thinga

Arius,that

be older than his

father must

in the very

So

son.

great,

him, that he was eventually

of
Nicea,which,to dispose
and attached to it this
or
creed,
formulary

the pressure laid upon

the Council of
to summon
compelled

however, was

set
conflict,

the

anathema
"The
there

essence,

Constantine at

once

was

made

was

and is created,
or

anathematizes

those who say that

and
before
he was
that,
not,
ten,
begotof
another substance
out of nothing,or out

ApostolicChurch

the Son of God

not, and that,he

was
or

Catholic and

time when

was

Holy

he

forth

changeable,or

the
enforced

alterable."

decision of the council

by

the

civilpower.1
after this "subtle

Even

had
profoundquestion"

and

Nice,those

settled at the Council of

settled it did not understand

who

who
question
theyhad settled. Athanasius,
and who is said to have
the firstgeneral
council,

the
of

bears his name,

creed which

which

been

asserts

was

ber
mem-

written the

that the true Catholic

faith is this :
"That

we

One God

worship

the persons

nor

as

Trinity,and

dividingthe substance

Trinityin Unity
"

"

for there is one

neither
person

founding
con-

of the

of
Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost, but the Godhead
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, the gloryequal,the
majesty co-eternal,"
"

also confessed

that whenever

Draper

he forced his

Religionand Science,pp. 53, 64.

to
understanding

382

BIBLE

meditate

the

on

of
divinity

MYTHS.

the

themselves ;
comprehended
; and the more
effortsrecoiled

on

Logos,his

toilsome and

unavailing
that the more
he thought
the lesshe
he wrote the less capable
he of
was

his thoughts.1
expressing
We

not by the
was
then,that this great question
settled,
of all members
of the council,but simply because the

see,

consent

in human

who

"

of

form

had

no

;"

himself

God

one

of

this council said

believe

all must

"

"

was

of the persons of the Ever-Blessed Trinity,"

and will have no end," because the majorbeginning,
ity
"

the members

decreed

Jesus of Nazareth

in favor of it.

were
majority

Hereafter

so.

it; if not,theymust

forever hold their peace.

The Emperor Theodosius

not

so

"

oppose

declared his resolution of

the
from allthe churches of his dominions,

it was

it,but

expelling

and their
bishops

clergy

refuse to
should obstinately

at least to profess,
the
or
believe,
His lieutenant,
doctrine of the Council of Nice.
Sapor,was armed
with the ample powers of a general
law,a special
commission,and

who

with

much

so

this ecclesiasticalresolution

and

military
force/

discretion and

conducted

was

that the religion

vigor,
of the Emperor

established?

was

Here

we

church,and

that
the historicalfact,

have
their

doctrine of the

were
clergy,
Trinity.

also find that

We

of the Christian
bishops
in the
forcedto professtheir belief

considered every heretic (ashe called

Emperor (Theodosius)
those who did not believe as he and his ecclesiastics professed)
as a rebel against
and of earth (he being one
of the supreme
the supreme
powers of heaven
and
the
each
exercise
their
of
earth)
peculiarjurisdiction
of
powers might
powers
the soul and body of the guilty.
over
of Constantinoplehad ascertained the true
The decrees of the Council
who governed the conscience of Theodostandard of the faith,and the ecclesiastics,
sius,
In
m
ethods
of
the
the
fifteen
most
effectual
persecution.
suggested
of
space
edicts
fifteen
least
the
he
at
severe
more
pecially
esheretics,
promulgated
against
years
the doctrine of the Trinity."3
againstthose who rejected
"

This orthodox

"

Thus

we

see

of the many

one
"

Christian religionspread
so
Arius

who

"

notions

son

"

was

excommunicated

Athanasius, torn. i. p. 808.

Quoted

in

Rome, vol. ii.p. 310.

was
Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople,

much

amazed

lition called

"

of

by the extraordinarycompoAthanasius'

Creed."

that

"

most

holy

a father must
things

for his so-calledheretical

the Trinity.His followers,

who
concerning

Gibbon's

so

the

rapidly.

declared that in the nature

be older than his

why

reasons

he

frankly pronounced
drunken
note

man.

it to be

were

the

Gibbon's

"

Ibid. pp.

of

ft

(Gibbon'sRome, vol. iii.p. 555,

114.)

work

very

Rome, vol. iii.p. 87.

91,92.

THE

were

numerous,
to

the

exist,1

persecution

AM

their
was

writings
severely

Arians.

would

Their

undoubtedly

which

affected

church

had

they

the

contain

the

if

writings,

lamentable

under

the

been

mitted
perof

story

reign

the

of

Theodosius.

Emperor

impious

possession

called

383

TRINITY.

were

punished

ordered

to

be

destroyed,

and

any

one

fonnd

to

nave

them

In

his

CHAPTER

PAGANISM

Our

IN

assertion that that which

than the

more

XXXVI.

verified.

We

CHRISTIANITY.

is called

of Paganism,
we
religion

the
among
time of Christ Jesus,the belief in an
; his

is nothing
Christianity
consider to have been fully

have found

previousexistence

heathen,centuries before the

incarnate God

born of

gin
vir-

in

heaven ; the celestialsigns

at the
in heaven ; the adoration by the
rejoicing

of his birth ; the

magi and shepherds
; the

time

of precious
substances to the
offerings
divine child ; the slaughter
of the innocents ; the presentation
at
the temple; the temptationby the devil ; the performing
cles
of mira; the crucifixion

ascension

enemies ; and the death,resurrection,

and
We
have also found the belief that this

by

into heaven.

incarnate God

from

was

all eternity
; that he

world,and that he is to be Judge of the dead

also

have

of Baptism,
and
practice

the

seen

the Creator of the

was

at the last day. We

the sacrament

Lord's

Supperor Eucharist,added to the belief in

of Father,Son, and Holy Ghost.
Let us
consisting
the Christian creed with ancient Pagan belief.
Christian
1. I believe
maker
2. And

Son, Our

in

in God

was

4. Suffered

"

Before
the

earth

mighty,

maker

2. And

now

God,

compare

Pagan Belief.

1. I believe in God

Christ, his only

the
the

and

Pontius

3. Who

the Father

of heaven

in his

buried.

was

Ghost, born of
4. Suffered

Pilate,

Reparationof the Aryan race,

of
Sanscrit,Greek, or
gods of the Veda had been

existence

Latin, before

by the Holy
Virgin Mary,

under

crucified,dead
1

and

Al-

conceived

Ghost, born of the

before

the Father

of heaven
Jesus

Ancient

Triune

and

only Son,

our

mighty,
Al-

earth :*
Lord.2

Lord.

3. Who

was

Creed.

of the

be), was

by the Holy
the Virgin Mary.8
under
(whom it might

crucified,dead, and

buried.4

See Chap. XII. and Chap. XX., for Onlybegotten Sons.

3 See
Chap. XII. and Chap. XXXII., where
have
shown
that many
other virgin-born
we
conceived
gods were
by the Holy Ghost, and
is the same
Mary
that the name
as
Maia,
Maya, Myrra, "c.

had
been
supreme
deity
worshiped, one
found, had been named, and had been invoked
of our
race."
by the ancestors
(Prof. Max
Miiller : The Science of Religion,p. 67.)
* See
Chap. XX., for Crucified Saviours.

[384]

conceived

386

BIBLE

what

Beside

have

we

MYTHS.

alreadyseen,

the

ancient

Pagans had

beliefs and ceremonies which are to be found among the

many
War in Heaven"
Christians. One of these is the storyof "The
The

version is as follows

.New Testament

"There

was

in heaven

war

dragon, and the dragon

their placefound any more

Michael

fought,and

and

his

angels fought againstthe

prevailednot, neither was
the great dragon was
cast out, that
deceiveth the whole world,he was

his angels,and

in heaven.

And

old serpent,called the devil,and Satan,which

cast out with him."1
cast out into the earth,and his angelswere

The

of the

cause

it is said,
that Satan,
who was then
was
revolt,
The writer of Isaiah,
xiv.
be as greatas God.

angel,desired to
13, 14, is supposedto

an

hast said in thine heart, I will ascend

Thou

"

he says

refer to it when

throne above

into heaven, I will exalt my

I
sit
of the congregawill
also
;
upon the mount
tion
I
will
ascend
before
the
heightsof the clouds ;
;

the stars of God

in the sides of the North

I will be like the Most

The

Catholic

High."

theoryof

the fallof the

is as
angels

follows

In the

beginning,before the creation of heaven and earth,God made the

and free wills,out of his love He made them, that they
angels,free intelligences,
might be eternally
happy. And that their happinessmight be complete,he gave
them
the perfectionof a created nature, that is,he gave them freedom.
But
its
attained
freedom
is
the
free
will
in
accord
to
with
agreeing
happiness only
by
Some
the will of God.
of the angelsby an act of free will obeyed the will of
God, and in such obedience found perfecthappiness. Other angels,by an act of
free will,rebelled againstthe will of God, and in such disobedience found
misery."8
"

They

were

driven

out of

heaven,after havinga combat with

and cast into hell. The

angels,
it in sayingthat God sparednot

writer of second Peter

the obedient
alludes to

but cast them

The
"

down

the

into hell.8

writer of Jude also alludes to it in

The

:
saying

angelswhich kept not their first estate,but

he hath reserved in everlasting
chains under darkness
great day."4

Accordingto
Sammael,was one
' '

He

was

the
of

and his host

"

Rev. xi. 7-9.

S.

Baring-Gould: Legends

P 25"

H.

the

own

habitation,

judgment of

the

is

until after he had led Adam

and Eve into sin;

out of the placeof bliss,
with God's
precipitated
In the strugglebetween Michael and Sammael, the
wings of Michael,and tried to drag him down with

of

Michael

Patriarchs,

derived his name,"

jude, 6.

"

S.

p. 16.

Peter, ii. 4.

unto

were

curse
to weigh them down.
fallingSeraph caught the
him, but God saved him, when

left their

Talmudists,
Satan,whose proper name
the Seraphimof heaven,with six wings.

not driven out of heaven

then Sammael

that sinned,
angels

the Rescued."6

Baring-Gould: Legends

of Ifctriarchs.

IN

PAGANISM

Sammael
he

is

His

devils.

princeamong

which

goes by various names

"
Unclean Spirit,"
Satan,""

angelsof God,

and

is derived from

He

stands

; such

He

The

the

name

to blind and deceive.

means,

men.
"

formerlychief among

was

387

CHRISTIANITY.

"

as

now

Simme,

the left6ide of

on

The

and
Leviathan,"

Old

Serpent,"

sometimes

also

"Asael."1

mythology,there is
According to Hindoo
called Rakshasas,who are governedby
spirits
These Rakshasas

Ravana.

evil

legionof

prince named

to
continually
aimingto do injury
who foughtdesperate
battles with
mankind, and are the same
of Light. They would have taken his paraIndra,and his Spirits
dise

had not sent

order of the

the whole

subverted

by storm, and
Brahma

are

Vishnou

if
universe,

their plans.

to circumvent

to Prof.
Aitareya-brahmana
(Hindoo)written,
according
Monier
or
Williams,seven
eight centuries b. a, we have the
following
legend:

In the

"

engaged in warfare.
mighty kings,
castles ; then they formed the

The

gods and

The

evil demons, like to

Made

demons

these worlds

were

Into

an

Into

and
silver fortress,

Into

fort of

earth

iron citadel,
the air

gold.

the

Whereat

Said to each other, Frame

'

sky
the

me

gods

other worlds

In

oppositionto these fortresses.'

they constructed sacrificialplaces,
burnt oblation.
Where they performed a triple
By the firstsacrifice they drove the demons
Out of their earthlyfortress,
by the second
Out of the air,and by the third oblation
Out of the sky. Thus were
the evil spirits
Chased by the gods in triumph from the worlds."*
Then

The ancient
in heaven ; and

Egyptianswere
the legendof

by M.
The

Naville in

and
legends,
"

Ahriman, the devil,was

evil

by

this

war

S.

the Iveds

See

and

Baring-Gould

p. 17.
* Indian
"

as

be found

follows

Legends of Patriarchs,

p. 32.
's Hibbert

Lectures, p. 105.

ered
discov-

the ancient Persian

evil

by

the eternal one, but he became

in heaven.' In
a
war

This revolt resulted in

Wisdom,

Renouf

was
revolters,

among

(goodangels)fought againstthe
flungthe conquered into Douzahk

the god Ra, the

against

not created

revolting
againsthis will.

by Ahriman,

is related

to

war

at Biban-el-moluk.*

of the tombs

one

story is

same

the revolt

his destruction of the

HeavenlyFather,and

the tale of the

familiar with

Divs
or

'

(rebellious
ones) headed
hell."4

Dupuis : Origin of Relig.Beliefs,p. 73, and

Baring-Gould'sLegends of the Prophets,p. 19.
" S.
Baring-Gould's
Legends of Patriarchs,
p. 19.

388

BIBLE

extract from

An

MYTHS.

the Persian Zend-avesta reads

as

follows

Ahriman

interruptedthe order of the universe,raised an army againstOrhaving maintained a fightagainsthim during ninety days,was at
lengthvanquishedby Honover, the divine Word."1
"

muzd, and

The

Assyrianshad

of

account

an

like that described in the book of Enoch

This
the

legendwas
of the
struggle
host

also to be found

heaven,which

was

and the Revelation.8

the ancient

among

Greeks,in

lious
against
Jupiter.Titan and all his rebelof heaven,and imprisonedin the dark

Titans
out

cast

were

in

war

abyss.8
the

Anong

storyof the

of
legends
in

war

the ancient Mexicans

found this same

was

heaven,and the downfall of the rebellious

angels.4
natives of the

The

"

related that
Ocean),
driven

the other

by

We

see,

The

belief in

Caroline Islands

(inthe

North

of the inferior gods,named

one

godsout

that
therefore,

Pacific

was
Merc-grog,

of heaven."5

this also was

an

almost universal

legend.

futurelife almost universal among nations

have believed from time immemorial
of antiquity.
The Hindoos
that

has

man

an

was

invisible body within the material

body ;

that

is,a

soul.
the ancient

Among
All the

by
the

dead,both

men

which

theyintended

Their

belief in One

Egyptiansthe
and women,

same

spokenof

were
"

as

"

Osirianaf*

to Osiris."

signify gone
Supreme Being,and

to

to be found.

belief was

the

of
immortality

have been very ancient ; for on a monument, which

dates ages before Abraham
is said to have lived,is found this
"
:
May thy soul attain to the Creator of all mankind."
epitaph

soul,must

and paintings
in these grand receptacles
of the dead,as
Sculptures
translated by Champollion,
representthe deceased ushered into the
A soul arrived
world of spirits
who announce,
by funeral deities,
"

in Amenti."6

The

Hindoo

idea of

subtile invisible body within the material

of Greek poets. They repredescription

sented
of
three
the constitution of man
as
:
principles
consisting
the soul,
the invisible body,and the material body. The invisible
terial
body theycalled the ghostor shade,and considered it as the maportionof the soul. At death,the soul,clothed in this subin
body,reappeared

the

See

S.

Priestley,p. 35.
See Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p. 411.
" See Inman's
Ancient Faiths,vol. ii.p. 819.
Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 215, and Dupuis : Origin
of Relig.Beliefs,p. 73.

Higgins1 Anacalypsis,vol. ii. p. 31.

Baring-Gould'sLegends of Patriarchs,

p. 20.
" See
Kenrick's

Angel-Messiah, p. 159,and
Egypt, voL i.

Bunsen's

PAGANISM

t;.le
body,went
its sins

to

IN

for
enjoyparadise

expiated. This

were

Fields,"and the hell was

The

some
paradise,
placedthem in

some

and

stars

suffer in hell till

or

season,

called the

Elysian

called Tartarus.
middle

and others in far-offislesin the

sun

was
paradise

supposedto
a

389

CHRISTIANITY.

be

in

zone

partof the lower world,

the air,
in the moon,
some
There shone

ocean.

than illuminated this world.

The

more

glorious

day was

always

celestiallight
clothed all
serene, the air forever pure, and a soft,
beauty. Majestic
thingsin transfigured
groves, verdant meadows,

bloominggardensvaried the landscape.The river Eridanus

with laurel. On itsborders
flowed throughwindingbanks fringed
who had led a
lived heroes who had died for their country,priests
artistswho had embodied
genuinebeautyin their work,
pure life,
and poets who had never
worthy
undegradedtheir muse with subjects
in which
of Apollo. There each one renewed the pleasures
he formerly
in long white robes,made enrapturing
delighted.Orpheus,
while others danced and sang. The
music on his lyre,
husband rejoined
his beloved wife ; old friendships
were
renewed,
the poet repeated
his verses, and the charioteer managedhis horses.
and

Some

souls wandered

in vast

forests between

Tartarus

and

enoughfor the other.

Some were
from their sins by exposure to searching
winds,
purified
in deepwaters,others by passing
others by beingsubmerged
through
and suffering,
intense fires. After alongperiod
of probation
many
the Elysian
Fields. This belief is handed down to
of them gained
our
dayin the Roman Catholic idea of Purgatory.
not good enough for
Elysium,

or

one,

bad

belief in the existence of the soul after death

of
in all periods

These

heavens

in different

world,by the

fact that

address prayers to the

of
spirits

of
history

alwaysaccustomed

to

and

was

the

hells where

to
countries,
according

abode

men

after

indicated
man

was

their

cestors.1
an-

death,vary,

the likes and dislikesof each

nation.
All the Teutonic nations held to
where

the valiant and

have allnations made

the fancies of the

of

1 This
subject is most
Sociology."

Elysiumand

rewarded,and where
justwere
suffered punishment.As allnations

has resembled

heaven,and

peoplewho

In the prose Edda

fixed

the

and the wicked

cowardly
made a god,and that god
so

the
have

the persons who made it,

that heaven corresponds
to

have created it.

there is a

fullyentered

hell,

into

of the joysof Valhalla

description
by Mr. Herbert

Spencer, in vol. i.of

"

Principle*

390

BIBLE

MYTHS.

of the

All men
which states that :
who have
Chosen),
fallen in fight
since the beginning
of the world are gone to Odin
(theSupreme God),in Valhalla." A mighty band of men are
there, and every day,as soon as theyhave dressed themselves,
until theycut
and there fight
theyride out into the court (orfield),

(theHall

"

"

each other into

tide

pieces. This

approaches,
theyremount

Valhalla.

As it is said
"

their

Einherjarall
plain
dailyeach other,
the slain are.

While chosen
From

This

by

the frey they then ride,

drink ale with the^Esir.' "l

of the palace
of Odin
description
of the ancient Scandinavians

manners

of their climate,
and the

the wants

to themselves

theyformed

to drink in

return

Odin's

Hew

And

and
steeds,

the meal-

when

but
pastime,

:
(inYafthrudnis-mal)

The
On

is their

is a natural
and Germans.

impulseof

of the
picture
Prompted

their

ament,
temper-

own

in their
delicious paradise

own

to eat and drink,and fight.The women,

way ; where theywere
introduced for no other
to whom
a place
were
there,
theyassigned

purpose but to filltheir cups.

The Mohammedan
paradisediffersfrom

this. Women

there,

The day is alwaysserene, the air forever

pleasure.
in transfigured
pure, and a soft celestial lightclothes all things
beauty. Majestic
gardens
groves, verdant meadows, and blooming
in
dwell
the
the
radiant
halls,
landscape.There,
departed,
vary
a
nd
and
ever
ever
beautiful, laughing gay.
blooming
Indian calculates upon finding
The American
successful chases
istics
after wild animals,
verdant plains,
and no winter,
as the characterare

for man's

of his
The
land
deem

"

red

"

future life."

when
Indian,

told by

that in the
missionary

"

promised

temptuously
theywould neither eat,drink,hunt,nor marry a wife,coninstead
of
that
replied,
wishingto go there,he should
his residence in such a place
as the greatest
possible
calamity.

such a destiny
for themselves,
but
Many not onlyrejected
at the attempt to decoy their children into such a
indignant
region.
All nations of the earth have had their heavens.
observes

:
"

A heaven, too, ye must have, ye lords of dust

A splendidparadise,
poor souls,ye must :

See Mallet's Northern

Antiquities,
p. 429.

"

As

were
fortless
com-

Moore

PAGANISM

That

prophet illsustains

Who

finds not heavens

Vain thingsI
The

Heaven
who

was

made
Hell

man

fancies of

born of the
coward

holy call

vanity inspires,

or

and
sky,1

and

each desires."

nurtured

by cunningpriests,

slave.

and
priests,

duringthe

man

nurtured

by the fears and

dungeonsof torture

ages when

servile
a

were

government,and when God was supposed

of vengeance.
infinitetyrant,
with infiniteresources

partof
recognized
to be

lust

his

to suit the tastes of alL

of each is but what

heaven

built by

was

as

391

CHRISTIANITY.

IN

an

every

to
man
being,invented by primitive
imaginary
for the existence of evil,
and relieve God of his responsiaccount
bility.
Rakshasas
of
The famous Hindoo
our
Aryan ancestors
the originals
of alldevils.
the dark and evil clouds personified
are
The cloudyshapehas assumed a thousand different forms,horrible
fancies of the ages.
to suit the changing
and ludicrous,
or grotesque
But strangeas it may appear, the god of one nation became the

The devil is an

"

"

devil of another.
chronicle of the glories
the sculptured
Behistun,
dia,
frontier of Mesituated on the western
Darius,
kingof Persia,
The

of

rock of

used as a
from Babylonto the eastward,
was
high-road
holyof holies." It was named Bagistane the placeof the
ined
examto Ormuzd, chief of the Bagas. When
Baga
referring
"
the
with the lenses of linguistic
science,
Bogie or Bug-aturns out to be identical with
boo" or "Bugbear" of nursery lore,
the Slavonic
tions,
Bog and the Baga of the cuneiform inscripof the SupremeBeing. It is found
both of which are names
also in the old Aryan Bhaga" who is described in a commentary
the giverof bread,and the
of the Big-Veda as the lord of life,
of happiness.Thus, the same
name
which, to the Vedio
bringer
the

on

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

poet,to the Persian of the time of Xerxes,and to the modern Kusassociated

of deity,
is in English
sian,suggeststhe supreme majesty
with
to

an

uglyand

be found

in the word

primitive
source,
are

handed
We

down

have

to be

greatnumber

to the

seen
already

traced back

devil itself. When

it is found

The ancients had

illustrationis
striking

Another

ludicrous fiend.

of the

name

are

to be found

that the 25th of December

the ancients ; so it is the

universal festivalamong
observed.
when daysof fasting
are
festivals,
spring
*

See

Appendix

C.

See

its

SupremeBeing.2
of which

of festivaldays,
many

presenttime,and

to

in Christianity.

was
same

Piake, pp. 104-107.

almost

with the

392

MYTHS.

BIBLE

The Hindoos

hold

about the middle

in honor of Svva,
called Siva-ratri,
festival,

of

end

or

February.A

strictfast is observed

when
a strict
duringthe day. They have also a festival in April,
fast is keptby some.1
At the springequinox
set aparta day
most nations of antiquity
of their god,or gods,on the fruitsof the
the blessings
to implore
At the autumnal

earth.

and

called

are

to

One

thanks.

returned
"

theyoffered the
equinox,

solemnities
China,these religious

In

The

to Tien."2
gratitude

Festivals of

vest,
fruits of the harlast named

responds
cor-

"

Thanksgiving celebration.

"

our

considerable festivalsheld

of the most

by the

dinavians
ancient Scan-

springcelebration. This was held in honor of

in order to welcome in that pleasof spring,
Odin,at the beginning
ant
in
of
their
obtain
their
to
and
god happy success
season,
jected
proexpeditions.
the

was

accustomed

theywere
layin a

store of

attended with
thanked

was

held toward

festival was

Another

the autumn

to killalltheir cattle in

for
provision

the winter.

when
equinox,

and
good condition,

This festivalwas

also

when Odin,the
ceremonies,
religious

for what

supreme god,
he had giventhem, by havinghis altarloaded

with the fruits of their crops, and

earth.8

productsof

the

"

Egypt,called the Feast of

in honor of the goddess
Neith.
Those who
Lamps," held at Sais,
did not attend the ceremony, as well as those who did,burned lamps
filledwith oil and salt: thus all Egypt
before their houses all night,
There

was

grand celebration

the choicest

It

illuminated.

was

deemed

was

in

greatirreverence

for any one to omit this ceremony.4

The Hindoos also held a festivalin honor of the
mi and

Bhavanti,called

been handed

to the

down

"

The

feastofLamps."6

to the

goddess

Lakshgoddesses
This festivalhas

"
presenttime in what iscalled Candlemas

of the VirginMary.
purification
The most celebrated Pagan festivalheld by modern Christians
is that known as
Sunday" or the Lord's day."
nations of antiquity
All the principal
keptthe seventh day of the

day,"or

the

"

"

holyday,"justas the ancient Israelitesdid. This was

owing to the fact that theyconsecrated the daysof the week to the
Sun,the Moon, and the five planets,
Mercury,Yenus,Mars,Jupiter,

week

and

as

"

Saturn.

Williams'

See Prog

The seventh

day was

Hinduism, pp. 182, 183.

Relig.Ideas, vol. i. p. S16.

sacred to Saturn

"

See Mallet's Northern

See

Williams'

from

time im-

Antiquities,
p. Ill,
Egypt, vol. i. p. 466.
Hinduism, p. 184.

Kenrick's

394

BIBLE

from

the seventh

Saturn's

"

MYTHS.

to the first

day

"

"

Sun-fay

among

"

the Christians ?
"

go back to the

we

of
founding

the

we
church,

find that the

marked

feature of that age, so far as the church itselfis concerned,

'
is the grand division between the
Jewish faction,'
it
as

most

and the followers of Paul.

called,

was
so

If

that it has left its traces

characteristic,

marked,

so

the New

Testament
the

time,and

the followers
and

itself. It

was

under

to

the

first a Jew ; Christianity

was
not something
that,
takingthe placeof it.
We

through

of
teachings

converted

Mosaic

them
splitting

law,

somethingadded

find this controversyragingviolently

all throughthe

and
churches,

the

to their
is,a Christian,
according

was
definition,

"

deep,

grand aspectsof the

divided was
simply this :

to keep the
obligation

traditions. That

and
ordinances,

all

both
Jerusalem,held that allChristians,

Gentiles,were

so

of the

one

pointon which theywere

those who adhered
of Peter,

central church in
Jews

This division was

into

factions,
so

that

to

early

the
they
grounddistinctly
were

occasion of prayer and counsel. Paul took the

that Christianity,
while it might be spiritually
the lineal successor
of

Judaism,was

whether
to

Judaism

not

converted Jew

keepthe

Jewish

; and that he who

was
Gentile,

or

law,so

We

of life and character.

matters

of Paul ; for we
of that which,
Testament

above another

5-9).

He

Then

'

no

Christian,

ever
whatobligation

separatefrom practical

find this intimated

in the writings

leaves it an

'
esteemeth one day
says : One man
esteemeth every dayalike ' (Rom. xiv.

Paul

another

Ye observe

as

it was

Testament for the orihave to go to the New

gin
after the New
we
find,existed immediately

written.

was

far

under

became

man

do as theyplease.
question
; theycan
days,and months,and times,and years. I am
have bestowed upon you labor in vain (Gal.iv.
open

'
afraid of you, lest I
of Paul to the Gala10, 11). And if you will note this Epistle
it was
to
tians,
you will find that the whole purpose of his writing
what he believed to be the viciousness of the Judaprotestagainst

izinginfluences.

That

truth,that
perfect
back and takingupon
the

is,he says

'

I have

preach to you
Christ hath made us free ; and you are going
this yoke of bondage. My labor
yourselves
:

come

to

away ; my effortshave been in vain.' Then he says,

in his celebrated Epistle
that has never
to the Colossians,
plained
yet been ex-

is beingthrown

judgeyou any more in

meat, or in drink,or in respectof an holyday,or of the new moon,
of the Sabbath days (Col.
the
ii.16, 17),distinctly
or
abrogating
of the Sabbath on the Christian church. So that,
bindingauthority
away

or

met

'

Let
'

no

man

therefore

PAGANISM

if Paul's word

395

CHRISTIANITY.

IN

anything if

anywheremeans

"

his

is
authority

to

then Paul is
bindingforce on any pointwhatever
and distinctly
to be regardedas
authoritatively
abrogatingthe
that it is no longerbinding
tian
the Chrison
Sabbath,and declaring
be taken

of

as

"

church."1
in the

This breach
last in Paul's

goingup

resulted
earlychurch,this controversy,
to Jerusalem

"

James

to meet

at

and the representatives

church,to see if theycould mid any

common
so
platformof agreement if theycould come together
that theycould work with mutual respectand without any further
of the Jerusalem

"

bickering.What

is the

understood
distinctly
of Judaism

platformthat.theymet upon ?
those who wished to keepup the

that

should do

the church

; and

so

are
save

was

ance
observ-

at Jerusalem

Paul this grandfreedom,substantially

sayingto him
your

It

'

Go

gave
back to

work, found churches,and teach them that they

missionary
free in regardto all Mosaic and Jewish observances,
perfectly
of idols,
from fornication,
onlythese four : Abstain from pollutions

The

from blood.'"a

and
things
strangled,

from

which

pointto

attention is

our

drawn is,that
forcibly

the

is one of those that is left out.

The
of Sabbath-keeping
question
for was
conceded by the central
pointthat Paul had been fighting

church
far

as

and he was
to go out thenceforth free,
so
Jerusalem,
of the churches that he
in his teaching
was
concerned,

at

that

should found.
There

mention

is no

in the N

ing
Sabbath,or the Lord's day,as bindWhat, then,was the actual condition

Testament.

ew

What

of affairs?

of the

did the churches

do in the firstthree hundred

Why, theydid justwhat Paul and the

years of their existence?
Those who wished to keep
Jerusalem church had agreedupon.
tk"2Jewish Sabbath
do

so.

This is seen

did not wish to,did not

from the fact that Justin Martyr,a Christian

did

so

; and those who

flourished about

Father who

a.d.

140,did

"

Dialogue with Typho, the

Sabbath."
for not keepingthe
:
6aying
his

"

"

"

Do you not
as

you

see

were

that the Elements

created. If there

was

observe the

not

In

reproachesthe Christians
Justin admits the chargeby

Jew

keep no Sabbaths,and
no

day.

are

need of circumcision

never

idle? Continue

before Abraham's

time, and no need of the Sabbath, of festivals and oblations,before the time of
Moses, neither of them are necessary afterthe coming of Christ. If any among you
is guiltyof perjury,fraud, or other crimes,let him cease from them and repent,
and

he will have

Rev.

kept the kind

M. J.

Savage.

of Sabbath

to
pleasing

God."

"

Acts, xv. 20.

396

MYTHS.

BIBLE

There

no

was

they should

to whether

the

then,among
bindingauthority
keep

as
Christians,
of
tae
day

the firstor the seventh

not,until the time of the first Christian Roman

week

holy,or
Sun worshiper,
who
a
had, as other
Constantine,
Emperor.
Heathen, kept the Sun-day,
publiclyordered this to supplantthe
that this day should be kept
He commanded
Jewish Sabbath"1
the whole Roman
empire,and sent an edict to all
holy,throughout
tlvegreat
to this effect.9 Thus we
see how
governors of provinces
in honor of Sol the invincible,
was
transformed
Pagan festival,
"

into

Christian

holy-day.
Pagan festivaldayschangedinto

Christian holyonly
and Pagan
converted into Christian saints,
but Pagan idols were
days,
templesinto Christian churches.
sacred to the "Bona Dea
A Pagan templeat Rome, formerly
gin
(the Good Goddess"),was Christianized and dedicated to the Virthere now
stands
sacred to Apollo,
Mary. In a placeformerly
stood the
Where
there anciently
the church of Saint Apollinaris.
templeof Mars,may now be seen the church of Saint Martine.3 A
venly
dedicated to "CcelestisDea"
(the"HeaPagan temple,originally
verted
conGoddess "),by one Aurelius,
was
a Pagan high-priest,
created Bishop
into a Christian church by another Aurelius,
Not

were

"

"

the year 390 of Christ. He placedhis episcopal

where the statue of the HeavenlyGoddess
chair in the very place
of

Carthagein

had stood.4

remainingin the world,is the

the portico
Pantheon or Rotunda,which,as the inscription
over
dedicated of old by Agrippato
informs us, havingbeen impiously
face
Jove and allthe gods,"
was
piouslyreconsecrated by Pope BoniThe

noblest heathen

templenow

"

the
The

Fourth,to
church

"

The

Mother

at Florence,
was
Reparatae,

of Saint

was
Pagan temple. An inscription

church,of these words

and all the Saints."6

of God

"

found in the foundation of this

the Great Goddess

To

Nutria."6

formed from
was
Stephen,at Bologna,
of which was a templeof Isis.7
one
of the presentForum
At the southern extremity

church of St.

the Palatine hill

justunder

where

"

the noble

became
the founders
preserved,
the world,were
exposed stands
"

1
9

Bonwick
See

Egyptian Belief,p. 182.

Life of Constantine,lib. iv.

Eusebius'

chs. xviii. and xxiii.

"

See

See

Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 237.
Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 187, and

formerlya

of

See

"

Rome, and
lously
babes,who, miracu-

state

at

that

was

to

mand
com-

Home, vol. iii.pp. 142, 143.

Taylor's Diegesis,p. 286, and

vol. iii.pp. 142, 143

Biggins'Anacalypsis,toI. i. p. 187.
Ibid. p. 307.

bon's
"

ples,
tem-

the church of St. Theodore.

Gibbon's
"

heathen

The

Rome,

Gib

IN

PAGANISM

39?

CHRISTIANITY.

the brazen wolf

templewas built in honor of Romulus, and

in which the
commemoratingthe curious manner
nurtured
were
occupieda placehere till the
This

the Roman

of old used

as

when

to the templeof Romulus,

ill,

matrons

their children to St. Theodore

the

on

too, the

so

founders of Rome

sixteenth century.
to carry their children,

"

And,

"

stillcarry

women

occasions.

same

of
made
these Pagan temples,
free use was
Christianizing
and painted
In some
the sculptured
stones of heathen monuments.
cases
theyevidently
paintedover one name, and inserted another.
This may be seen from the following
In

Inscriptions

Formerly

in

Pagan

and

Inscriptions

1.
To

Mercury

and

and

St. Mary

To

2.

this

presideover
Temple.

who

To

the Divine

Eustrogius,who
this Temple.

over

quered.

Divinity of St. George the

Availing,the Powerful, the Unconquered.

4.

4.

of
Divinity

Mercury

the Availing,

To

the Powerful, the Uncon-

Sacred

the

to

sides
pre-

8.

3.
To the

St. Francis, My

Tutelaries.

2.
the Gods

Christian

1.

Minerva, Tutelary
Gods.

To

in

now

Churches.

Temples.

Gods

and

the

Sacred

Goddesses,

with

St.
presidinghelpers,
St. Stephen,with

to the

George and

Jove the best and greatest.

God

5.

The

Venus' Pigeon.

the best and greatest.

5.

Holy

Ghost

representedas
Pigeon.

6.
The

The

MysticalLetters
I. H. S.1

MysticalLetters
I. H. S."

In many cases
the Imagesof the Pagan gods were
allowed to
remain in these temples,
continued
and,after beingChristianised,
to receive divine honors.'
"

In St.

Peter's,
Rome,

which
thunderbolt,

of

statue

by the
replaced

Jupiter,
deprivedof

emblematic

keys.

his

In like

of the lower orders,

which we regard
religion
refittedwith Christian
is ancient heathenism,
as essentially
Christian,
symbols."4We find that as earlyas the time of St. Gregory,
Bishopof Neo-Cesarea (a.d. 243),the simple and unskilled

manner,

much

is

is

of the

"

1 Grater's
Inscriptions.Quoted in Taylor's
Diegesis,p. 237.
* Boldonius'
Epigraphs. Quoted in Ibid.
" See Bell's
Pantheon, vol. ii.p. 237. Tay-

"

Diegesis,p. 48, and Middleton's

lor's
from
*

"

"

Letters

Rome.

Baring-Gould's Curious

Myths, p. 426.

398

BIBLE

multitudes of Christians

MYTHS.

allowed to pay divine honors to these

images,hopingthat in the process of time theywould learn better.1
In fact,as Prof.

were

Drapersays :

The
"Olympus was restored,but the divinities passed under other names.
insisted
of
their
time-honored
the
more
ceptions.
conpowerfulprovinces
adoption
upon
Not only was
the adoration of ISIS under a new
name
restored,
but even
her image, standingon the crescent moon,
reappeared.The well-known
that
her
the
with
infant
Horus
in
of
to our
effigy
goddess
arms, has descended
of
Madonna
and
child.
Such
in
the
artisticcreations
the
rations
restobeautiful,
days
light.
of old conceptionsunder novel forms were
everywhere received with deit was
When
announced
to the Ephesians,that the Council of that place,
headed
by Cyril,had declared that the Virgin (Mary) should be called the
Mother of God,' with tears of joy they embraced
the knees of their bishop ; it
the old instinct cropping out ; their ancestors would have done the same
was
.

'

for Diana."2
"

brightgoddess ; once again

earth thy heav'nlyreign;
on
Be thy sacred name
ador'd,

Fix

Altars rais'd,
and rites restor'd."

from 428 a. d., refused to

Nestorius,
Bishopof Constantinople
the mother of God" on the ground that she could be
call Mary
the mother of the human
which the divine Logosused
nature only,
as its organ.
Cyril,
Bishopof Alexandria,did all in his power to
stirup the minds of the peopleagainst
Nestorius ; the consequence
both at Rome
accused
and at Alexandria,
Nestorius was
was
that,
of heresy. The disputegrew more
and Theodosius
II.
bitter,
thoughtit necessary to convoke an (Ecumenical Council at Ephesus
in 431.
On this,
the affirmative party overas On former occasions,
ruled
the negative.The person of Mary began to rise in the new
The paradoxical
of Mother of God
the
name
pleased
empyrean.
popularpiety. ISTestoriuswas condemned, and died in exile.
The shrine of many an old hero was filledby the statue of some
"

"

"

saint.
imaginary

"They

have

"

formed,
(saysDr. Conyers Middleton),"as 1 am well inthis
but
have
been
making even
change,
contented sometimes
it ; after
to take up with the old image,justas they found
it anew,
baptizingit only,as it were, or consecrating
by the impositionof a
Christian name.
This their antiquaries
do not scrupleto put strangersin mind
of, in showing their churches, as it was, I think, in that of St. Agnes, where
me
an
which, with a new
antiquestatue of a young BACCHUS,
they showed
and some
littlechange of drapery,stands now
name,
worshiped under the title
not

always

given themselves

of

female

saint."3

In many
of
Family,"
1

the trouble of

are
parts of Italy

extreme

Moeheim, Cent. ii.p. 203.

lor'i Diegesis,p 48.

Quoted in Tay-

be

"

of the Holy
pictures
the groundsof them often of gold.
antiquity,
to

seen

"

Draper

"

Middleton's

Religion and

Science,pp. 48,49.
Rome, p. 84.

Letters from

PAGANISM

IN

399

CHRISTIANITY.

These

pictures
/epresentthe mother with a child on her knee,and
close by her side ; the Lamb
is generally
a littleboy stalling
seen
in the picture.They are inscribed
Deo Soli" and are simply
ancient representations
of Isis and Horns.
The Lamb
is
The
Lamb
that taketh away the sins of the world,"which,as we have
believed on in the Pagan world centuries before
already
seen, was
"

"

the time of Christ Jesus.1

which

loi

was

in

was

half-pagan Christian went

he attributed to Christ Jesus

forgea book, which

to

as

Some

no

the purpose of showingthat he

these heathen gods.8
against

way
Lcelanders

The

induced

were

and miracles,
and
legends

to embrace

far

so

himself,

Christ Jesus

"

with
Christianity,

"

its

sainted

as the Christian monks

divinities,
were
the
readyto substitute for Thor,their warrior-god,
Michael,
their goddess,
the VirginMary ; and for
warrior-angel
; for Freyja,
the god Vila,a St. Valentine
casion.
probablymanufactured for the oc"

"The

statues

for The

Christ*

of

did duty
Apollo,Mercury,Orpheus,
Jupiter,

The

Thames

of Jesus in the Jordan.

the horns

wears

River

god officatesat

Peter holds the

of Jove.

keys of

Janus.4

Ceres,Cybele,Demeter

'

the

Queen of Heaven? Star of the Sea? Maria

is St. Denis; Cosmos is St. Cosmo;
atrix;'Dionysius
as

names,

Proserpine
resigntheir
Christ and

his mother.

the
Lachesis,

of
disposer

in the hall of final

seats

The

Parcse

deaths of Christian believers.

gentlebreeze,is

The

stamp of

aura

Aura
as
personified

and

new

llluminPluto and

judgmentto

the

of their

deputeone

to set the
lots,

Moses

assume

'

baptism

number,
destiny
upon the

placidaof
Placida.

the

poets,the
The perpetua

of the devotee becomes a lovely

felicitas
presence in the forms of
St. Perpetuaand St. Felicitas,
guardianangelsof the pioussoul.
No relicof Paganismwas
permittedto remain in itscasket. The
all ransacked.
The shadowyhands of Egyptian
were
depositories
priests
placedthe urn of holywater at the porch of the basilica,
which stood readyto be converted into a temple. Priests of the
1

See

Jones

Higgins'Anacalypsis.

umental

the Canon, vol. i. p. 11.

Diegesis,p. 49.
3
Compare "Apollo among the Muses," and
on

its Branches"
(that is,Christ
in Luudy's MonumenDisciples),
As
tal Christianity,
Mr. Lundy
pp. 141-143.
there
is
60
a
resemblance
bestriking
eays,
"The

Vine

Jesus and

tween
a
as

and

his

the two, that

one

looks very

much

like

copy of the other. Apollo is also represented

the " Good
with a lamb
Shepherd,'1''
upon

his

back, just exactly as

resented

in Christian Art.

Christ Jesus

is rep(See Lundy's Mou-

and Jameson's
Hist, of
Christianity,
in Art.)
* The
Roman
god Jonas, or Janns, with his
surkeys, was
changed into Peter, who was
named
Bar-Jonas.
Many years ago a 6tatue
of the god Janus, in bronze, being found
in
Rome, he was
perched up in St. Peter's with
his keys in his hand : the very identical god,
in all his native ugliness. This statue sits as
St. Peter, under the cupola of the church of
Our

Lord

St. Peter.

It is looked

profound veneration
by devotees
away

with the most

upon
the toes are nearlykissed

400

BIBLE

MYTHS.

ancient faiths of

Thebes,Persia,
Palestine,
Assyria,
Babylon,
the
the
where
the transverse
altar at
permittedto erect
point

most
were

beam

of the

the

templein

the main

meets

cross

cruciform

with the babe

Devaki

There

Buddha, Juno

deV

The

thrown

musty

of

the fashions of Numa's

The

Zoroaster bound
a

to be

Ghost.

Holy

the robes
the

and

vows

of

"

In Thibet
called the

invented

as

to

was

discharge

life

practiced
by some Christians of
greatantiquity.Among the Buddhists there

monastic

celibacy.There

the

where

Catholic

also

are

same

as

worshipof
of
religion

the

nuns

them,whose

among

of Thibet
religion

crucified God

and
monasteries,

priests.8

the ancient

was

found

"

and
and

the present day,is very striking.

head of the religion,
whom
they

found the pope, or

Dalai Lama ; "3 theyuse

was
"

ators.
sen-

impression."1
spiritual

the
are
discipline

the Roman

by

worn

The

amiss to the faith that

The close resemblance between

Nejpaul

The

in the frocks he

clothed them

for his ritual.

Nothingcame

ascetic and

vows

once

he
girdle

the presentday,is of
who
are
are
ordained,tonsured,live in
priests
make

rejected
;

ragthe Roman

bauble which

about the monks

henceforth the officesof

The

the

not

pope thrust out his foot

and Julius Cesar had thrust
Heliogabalus,
Caligula,

as
kissed,

out theirs.

are

augustpersons of Christian popes.

and
evil spirits,
protection
against

had found convenient

emblems

new

be contented with

cardinals must

Mars, represent

pickedup, and called an agnus

hierarchies furnished costumes
forgotten

beautified the

Pagan emperors

the child

Crishna,

prince.Alb and chasuble recalled

day. The cast-offpurplehabits and shoes

for the officersof the

of

the infant

to

'

was

away
wardrobes

with

with

Coarse
Mary with Jesus in her arms.
the Assyrian
dove is a tender symbolof
explored.A
bagsand toy boxes were
had
schoolboy

too attenuated

shapehad long become

cast the faintestshadow.

Maya

The hands that constructed

stem.

holywater,they celebrate a

sacrificewith bread and wine ; theygiveextreme

and convents
the sick ; theyhave monasteries,

unction,pray for
for

women

they

have fasts ;
chant in their services,

ity,
they worshipone God in a trinbelieve in a hell,
heaven,and a half-wayplaceor purgatory;
adore
theymake prayers and sacrificesfor the dead,have confession,
of beads to count their prayers,
the cross ; have chaplets,
or strings
and many
1

Frothingham

p. 179.
a See
8

other

The

to the Roman

common
practices

The

Cradle

of the

Christ,

office is not

Rome,

Hardy's Eastern
"

Grand

priestlyorder

Lama

in Thibet

Ancient

Monachism.
"

and

is the head

Tartary.

of

The

Catholic Church.4

hereditary,but, like the Pope of

by the priests.(Jnman's
Faiths,vol. ii.p. 203. See also,Bell's

he is elected

Pantheon,
*

See

vol. ii.pp. 32-34.)

Higgins' Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 233,

402

BIBLE

MYTHS.

of the cross, their inability

to write their own
supplied,
by thr.feign
in the Councils of Ephesusand Chalname.1
Many oi the bishops
not
was
cedon,it is said,could not write their names.
Ignorance
for ordination.
A cloud of ignorance
considered a disqualification
face of the

overspreadthe whole
who
glimmeringlights,

Church, hardlybroken by

few

almost the whole of their distinction to

owe

darkness.8
surrounding
who
of curiosity
One of the principal
to the Europeans
objects

the

firstwent

to

which

astery,
largemonastery at Canton. This monis
which
and
dedicated to Fo, or Buddha,
on
a

China,was
was

is situated upon the southern side of the river.

very largescale,
the building,
with
There are extensive groundssurrounding
planted

trees,in the

An

is kept very clean.

this

which
is a broad pavement of granite,
Mr. Bennett,entered
Englishgentleman,

of which

center

which
establishment,

he

fullydescribes.

He

says that after

temple,where
the priesthood
happenedto be assembled,worshiping.They were
in rows, chanting,
with
These priests,
striking
arranged
gongs, "c.
their shaven crowns, and arrayedin the yellowrobes of the religion,
As soon
with devotion.
as
appearedto go throughthe mummery
all flocked out of the temple,
had ceased,
the priests
the mummery
adjournedto their respective
rooms, divested themselves of their
officialrobes,and the images among which were
evidently
sentations
repreven,"
of Shin-moo, the "Holy Mother,"and
Queen of HeaThe Three Pure Ones," were
left to themselves,
with
and
lamps burningbefore them.
made to these priests
To expiate
to
are
sin,offerings
according

walkingalongthis granite
pavement, they entered

"

"

"

"

"

the Buddhist
unfortunate
counted
Mr.

by

Pali

from

sufficient. To

"

facilitatethe release of

of

means

the island of

We

were

present

rosary, and

language,not

Poo-ta-la,
says

at the vespers

unlike the Latin

of

masses.

to

ated
Buddha, situ-

the

which
priests,

service of the Romish

they

chanted

church.

They

had

The

small bell,by

Buddhists

M.
missionary,
"

Buddhist

The
and

"

See

in India

L' Abbe

have similar institutions. The

held

Hue, says

of them

to

of

French

tue
aspiringto elevate himself only,he practicedvirand
its
belief
other
in
make
share
t
o
men
perfection
;

ascetic not

appliedhimself

in the

rested folded upon

their breasts.
One
of which the service was
the tingling
regulated."

their rosaries in their hands, which

them

some

Their prayers are

theylive in a state of celibacy.

purgatory,theysaid

in describing
a templededicated
Gutzlaff,

on
"

idea

Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 34.

See Hallam's

Middle

Ageg.

PAGANISM

by the

institution of

mendicants, which increased tc an

religious
and
restored to society,
the poor and
him,
because
Buddha
received among
his
indeed, precisely
towards

It was,
miserable creatures
their taunts,

'

who

were

In the words of Viscount

mense
imfortunate.
un-

ciples
dis-

the respectableclass of India,

But he merely repliedto

to the Brahmins.

law is a law of mercy

My

from

outcasts

objectof mockery

an

403

CHRISTIANITY.

order of

an

extent, he attached

that he became

IN

for all.''n

Amberly, we

in countries where Buddhism

ticism,

can

say

reignssupreme,

"

that,

Monas-

is a vast and

institution."
powerful
of
Essenes,

The

order of

we

shall speakmore

ascetics,
dwellingin monasteries.

which
Pythagoras,

was

The

order of nuns.2
sacred

whom

fully
anon,
Among the

were

an

order of

there was
an
very similar to the Essenes,
ancient Druids admitted females into their

of their religion.*
order,and initiatedthem into the mysteries

The

of the Saxon Friggadevoted themselves to perpetual

priestesses
The vestal virgins6
bound by a solemn vow
to prewere
virginity.4
serve
their chastity
for a space of thirty
years."
The Egyptian
of Isis were
priests
obligedto observe perpetual
The
chastity.7
They were also tonsured like the Buddhist priests.8
white surwore
plices,'
Arabian,Persian and Egyptianpriests
Assyrian,
and

so

did the ancient Druids.

The

Corinthian

Aphrodite

the pure Gerairai ministered to the goddessof

Hierodoulio,
the Parthenon,the altar of the Latin Yesta was tended by her chosen

had her

the Romish

and
virgins,
When

the

"

"

Queen of Heaven

has her

nuns.

had established themselves in Mexico

Spaniards
astonished to

and

other

which closely
things
monastic institutions on a large
resembled their religion,
scale.
The Rev. Father Acosta,in his Natural and Moral History
of

Peru,theywere

find,among
"

the

Indies,"
says

"

his

There

regard,the which is,how the Devil,by

thingworthy of special
opposed himself to God ; and that which God, by his wisdom,
for his honor and service,and for the good and health of man, the

is one

pride,hath

hath decreed

imitate and

men
to be
pervert,to be honored, and to cause
damned
hath Sacrifices,
: for
ligious
see the great God
we
as
Priests,Sacraments,ReProphets,and Ministers,dedicated to his divine service and holy ceremoments,
Priests,his kinds of Sacramonies, so likewise the devil hath his Sacrifices,
his
secluded
and feigned holiness,with a thouhis Ministers appointed,
sand

devil

strives to

sorts of false

prophets."10

find among
all the nations of the world, men
which
the service of the true God, or to the false,
serve
"

We

dedicated
especially
in sacrifices,
and

Hue's

"

Hardy

See

Ibid.

Ibid. p. 48.
See Herodotus, b. ii. cb. 36.

Ibid.

"

Travels,vol. i. p. 329.
Hardy's Eastern Monachism, p. 163.

""Vestal
consecrated

Virgins,"
to the

an

order

goddess Vesta.

of

virgins

Eastern

Monachism, p. 163.

Dunlap : Son of the Man, p.

"Acosta, vol. ii. p. 324.

x.

to

declare

404

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in Mexico
There
a
them.
was
people what their gods command
of
the
the
use
And
the
this
devil,
counterfeiting
point.
upon
strange curiosity
some
ors,
greateror superichurch of God, hath placedin the order of his Priests,
the

unto

and
made

less,the
wonder,

some

most

to

one

was,

that the devil would

same

name

God

; yea, and

their

high priestsPapes,as
by their histories."1

now

the

use

other

Acolites,the

as

as

Levites,and that which

the service of

to himself

usurp

hath

in their ancient tongue call

sovereignbishops,as it appears

for the Mexicans

they should

say

Mexico, within the circuit of the great temple,there were

the other for men, which they
for virgins,
one
monasteries,

In
two

These
religious.

called

lived

men

did the

and
poorlyand chastely,

officeof Levites.3
priests and

"These

they

of five
great fastings,

and they were

their great feasts,
strict in continence that
so

before any of
week

ember

used

men
religious

were

unto

or

them

as

of them

some

gether,
days to-

ten

four

our

(not to fall

in the midst, and did a thousand

slittheir members
things
any sensuality)
themselves
to make
unable, lest they should offend their gods."3
"
mitted),
monasteries of virgins(forthere are no other adin Peru many
There were
into

at the least one

of women,

sorts

one

two
in every province. In these monasteries there were
for
called
Mamacomas
the
(mothers),
ancient,which they

instruction of the young,

certain time, and after
Inca."

"If

any

put them

The

they

the other

to death

it

by

was

some

an

was

maidens

of young

or

Acllas

found

were

inevitable chastisement

other kind

Rev. Father concludes

placedthere

forth,either for their gods

drawn

were

the Mamacomas

of

against their honor,

to

and

of cruel torment.

to

to

have

bury

them

or

for

for the

trespassed
alive

or

"4

by saying:

hath so
truth it is very strange to see that this false opinionof religion
and
maidens
of
that
will
force
men
serve
these
Mexico,
they
great
young
among
which
of
do
in
the
service
and
not
us
the devil with so great rigor
austerity,
many
of the most high God, the which is a great shame and confusion."6
"In

orders of the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians are

religious
Mexican Antiquities,"
in Lord Kingsborough's
described at length
in minor
and by most every writer on ancient Mexico.
Differing
the grand features of self-consecration are everywherethe
details,
Rishis of ancient India,
to the
same, whether we look to the saintly
of the yellowrobe in China or Ceylon,to the Essenes
wearers
in pagan Mexico,
among the Jews, to the devotees of Vitziliputzli
The

"

to the monks

or

and

nuns

of Christian times in

in Asia,and
Africa,

Europe. Throughoutthe various creeds of these distant lands

the same
there runs
the same
markable
reunconquerable
impulse,
producing

in

effects.
The

"

Sacred

Heart"

was

great mystery with the ancients.

"

Acosta, vol. il. p. 830.

"

Ibid. p. 336.
Ibid. p. 83a

"

"

Ibid. pp. 332, 833.

Ibid. p. 837

PAGANISM

IN

405

CHRISTIANITY.

was
Ilorus,the Egyptianvirgin-born
Saviour,

the sacred heart outside

Christian
The

also represented
in that

of

amulets

which

charms

or

the Roman

Christians wear, to
from harm, are other relics

and to protectthem
drive away diseases,
of paganism. The ancient pagans wore
The

purpose.
upon
Christians

at

learn

we

Antioch

Great about their

these charms

of their favorite

name

them, and

by

used to bind
amulets

none

same

with

inscribed
generally

brass coins of Alexander

drive away

or

the

name

the
the

diseases.3 The
of the

or

which show
god Serajpis
engravedthereon,
whether the god was their own
or that
which

for the

god was
from Chrysostom
that
quotation

heads,to keep off

Christians also used

charm

So

manner.

Babylon.1In like manner, Christ Jesus,the

at the present day.
Saviour,is represented

it with Bel

was

his breast.

on

Hindoos,was

Preserver of the

carrying
represented
Vishnu,the Mediator and

monogram
that it made
of another.

ence
differ-

no

Even

the

the Christians at the present day, has

other than the monogram
of Bacchus engraved
i. e.,
thereon,
is

by

worn

I. H. S.s
The

ancient Roman
in the form

ornament

by

the

children carried around

of

called Bulla.
heart,

earlyChristians. Upon

their necks
This

was

their ancient monuments

small

imitated
in the

and it may be seen in numbers

Vatican,the heart is very common,
of old pictures.After some
time it was succeeded by the Agnus
Dei, which, like the ancient Bulla,was supposedto avert dangers
Cardinal Baronias (an
from the children and the wearers
of them.
Catholic ecclesiasticalhistorian,
eminent Roman
born at Sora,in
have been baptized
a. d. 1538)says, that those who
Naples,
carry
in
neck
an
Agnus Dei, imitation of a devotion
pendentfrom their
who hung to the neck of their children littlebottles
of the Pagans,
in the form of a heart,
which served as preservatives
charms
against
and enchantments.
SaysMr. Cox :
shape of " vesica have been popular in all countries
from evil spirits,
littlebe
as
can
as preservatives
againstdangers,and especially
of their ancient popumeasure
questionedas the fact that they still retain some
larity
nailed to walls as a safeguardagainst
in England, where
horse-shoes are
unknown
where a shoe is thrown
perils,
ried
by way of good-luck after newly-marand
where the villagers
have not yet ceased to dance round the
couples,
May-pole on the green."4
"That

All of these
The

in the

ornaments

use

are

emblems

of amulets

was

of either the

Linghaor

carried to the most

"

Bonwick's

"

See Lardner'e Works, vol. viii.pp. 375, 376.

Egyptian Belief,p. 241.

"
*

See
Cox

Yoni.

extravagantexcess

Chap. XXXIII.
Aryan Mythology,vol. ii. p. 187.

406

BIBLE

in ancient

Egypt,and

earliestform, shows
We

all our

and which

cisternswhich
of

the

has
Christianity

are

were

to be

that

an

by

templeof Apollo,at Delphi,there

They contained

things.1

the pagans, as well as the little

of Catholic churches.
at the entrance

used
seen

to such

anterior to Christianity,
religion
to root out."2
entirely

of

able

been

not

in its

Dead, even

and the other of gold.8

silver,
Templesalwaysfaced the east,to

sun.

of the

attached
importance

are the remaiDS

superstitions

Baptismalfonts
In the

their Sacred Book

say with M. Kenan

can

"Almost

MYTHS.

outer

court

of these ;

two

were

one

receive the rays of the rising

and an inner
for the public,

called the "Adytum"

Near the entrance
sanctuaryfor the priests,
of stone or brass,
filledwith water, made holyby
was
a large
vessel,

plunginginto

it a

from the altar.

burningtorch

All who

were

mitted
ad-

to the sacrificeswere

with this water, and none

sprinkled
but the unpolluted
allowed to pass beyond it. In the center
were
of the building
stood the statue of the god,on a pedestal
raised
above
the altar and enclosed' by a railing.
On festival occasions,
the peoplebrought
and
to decorate the pillars
or ivy,
laurel,
olive,
walls. Before theyentered theyalwayswashed
their hands,as a

from sin.4
type of purification

storyis told of

man

who

was

struck dead

by a thunderbolt because he omitted this ceremony

when
Sometimes
a templeof Jupiter.
entering
theycrawled up
their knees,and bowing their heads to the ground,
the stepson
kissed the threshold.
Always when they passedone of these
sacred edificestheykissed their righthand to it,in token of veneration.
In allthe

templesof Vishnu,Crishna,
Rama, Durga,and Kali,
in India,
there are to be seen idols before which lights
and incense
burned.
orated
decare
Moreover,the idols of these gods are constantly
with flowers and costly
festive occaon
sions.5
ornaments, especially
The ancient Egyptianworshiphad a great splendorof
ritual. There was
a morning service,
a kind of mass, celebrated by
shorn and beardless ; there were
of holywater,
a priest,
sprinklings
"c.j"c.e All of this kind of worshipwas finally
adoptedby the
Christians.
The

sublime

Renouf

Hibbert

and

of
simpletheology

Lectures,p. 191.
Lectures,p. 32.
8 See
Taylor's Diegesis,p. 232.
4 "At
their entrance, purifyingthemselves
by washing their hands in holy water, they
at the same
were
time admonished
to present
aRenan

Hibbert

themselves
the external
no

means

the

minds, without which

of the body would
by
be accepted." (Bell'sPantheon,
with

pure

cleanness

vol. ii.p. 282.)

" See Williams'
"

Christians
primitive

See Renan's

Hinduism, p. 99.
Lectures,p. 85.

Hibbert

PAGANISM

407

CHRISTIANITY.

IN

and degradedby the introduction of a

gradually
corrupted
popularmythology,which tended to restore the reign of poly
was

theism.
of religion
reduced to the standard
were
objects
gradually
of the imagination,
the rites and ceremonies were
introduced
that seemed most powerfully
to affectthe senses
of the vulgar. If,
As the

the fifth century,Tertullian,

had
or Lactantius,
raised from the dead,to assist at the festivalof some
been suddenly
in the

beginningof

saint or martyr, theywould have gazedwith astonishment

popular
the profanespectacle,
which had succeeded to
and indignation
on
the pure and spiritual
worshipof a Christian congregation.1
in speaking
Dr. Draper,
of the earlyChristian Church,says :
Great is the difference between Christianity
Severus (born 146) and
under
under Constantine (born274). Many of the doctrines which at the
Christianity
latter periodwere
in the former were
unknown.
Two
led to
causes
pre-eminent,
with Paganism. 1. The political
necessities
the amalgamation of Christianity
of the new
to insure its
dynasty : 2. The policyadoptedby the new religion
spread.
"
Though the Christian party had proved itself sufficiently
strong to give a
to the empire,it was
never
master
sufficiently
strong to destroy its antagonist,
Paganism. The issue of the strugglebetween them was an amalgamationof the
differed from
Mohammedanism, which
principles
of both. In this,Christianity
a
nnihilated
its
and
doctrines without adulits
teration.
own
absolutely
antagonist, spread
"

"

Constantine

showed
continually

by

his acts that he felt he

partial
be the im-

must

of a successful
sovereign of allhis people,not merely the representative
he
faction.
if
he
built
Christian
restored
also
Hence,
churches,
Pagan temples;
if he listened to the
the Council
rite of
on

also consulted

clergy,he

of Nicea, he also honored

Baptism, he also

struck

the

haruspices;

the statue

medal

top of the great porphyry pillarat

if he summoned

of Fortune

; if he
*
his
titleof
God.'
bearing

acceptedthe

His statue,
consisted of an ancient
Constantinople,

Apollo,whose features were

replacedby those of the emperor, and its
by the nails feignedto have been used at the crucifixion of
of glory.
Christ,arrangedso as to form a crown
cordance
Feelingthat there must be concessions to the defeated Pagan party, in ac-

image
head

of

surrounded

1 '

its ideas,he

with
his court.

In

looked

with

fact,the leaders of these

favor

the idolatrous

on

movements

were

of

movements

of his

persons

own

family.
To

the emperor,
a mere
convictions,
worldling a man without any religious
doubtless it appeared best for himself,best for the empire,and best for the con
"

"

Christian
tendingparties,
much

as

possible.Even

and

this;perhaps they believed

their union

Pagan, to promote

sincere

Christians do

not

seem

doctrines would

that the new

or

to have

amalgamation
been

diffuse most

a*

to

averse

thoroughly

ideas borrowed
from the old; that Truth would
be cast off. In accomplishingthis
end, and the impurities
amalgamation, Helen, the Empress-mother,aided by the court ladies,led the

by incorporatingin

themselves

assert herself in the

way.
"^"-

"!"

"

"

"

Edward

"

"

Gibbon

....

"

Decline

.,

._

.,

and Fall,toL 111.p. 161.

""!"""""

I.

"

.1

"

" ^"

"

408

BIBLE

passed

As years

"

transformed into

and

fashionable

mythology. Olympus

with the old Greek

under

faith described

on, the

more

one

MYTHS.

by

Tertullian

but
restored,

was

(a.d.150-195)was
was
incorporated
the divinities passed
It

debased.

more

names

new

adopted,a pompous and splendidritual,

gorgeous robes,
gold and silver
mitres, tiaras,wax-tapers, processionalservices,lustrations,
rites were

"Heathen

introduced.

were

vases,

festival of the Purification of the

"The

of heathen

converts

on

invented

Virgin was

of the loss of their

account

to

the

remove

easiness
un-

feasts

Lupercalia,

or

of Pan.
the old Koman

of
apotheosis

The

"

saints succeeded

to

local

times

of
of transubstantiation,
or the conversion
As centuries
flesh and blood of Christ.
and

was

replacedby

mythologicaldivinities.
bread

canonization

Then

the

came

lary
; tute-

mystery

by the priestinto the

became
more
paganization

and wine

passed,the

complete."1

more

and fathers,
confessedly
earlyChristian saints,bishops,
and
of
heathenism
terms
the
ceremonies,
rites,
;
liturgies,
adopted
the
that
it
their
explained,
boast,
properly
making
pagan religion,
and
wisest
that
the
best
than
else
was
Christianity
really
;
nothing
in all ages, had been Christians all along; that
of its professors,
but a name
more
was
acquiredto a religion
recently
Christianity
The

and had been known

to the Greek
existed,
previously
and Heraclitus ; and that if the
to Plato,Socrates,
philosophers,
of Cicero had been read as theyoughtto have been,there
writings
would have been no occasion for the Christian Scriptures."
which

had

"

And

and
Protestant,

our

best learned

on

Christian

orthodox

most

and most
ecclesiastical
antiquity,

of the truth of the Christian

the
divines,

entirely
persuaded

unable to resistor to conflict

religion,

of the data that prove the

demonstration
constraining
and
and identity
of Paganismand Christianity,
absolute sameness
idea or notion,of which
unable to pointout so much as one single
anity
that Christito Christianity,
or
they could show that it was peculiar
had it,and Paganismhad it not, have invented the apology
and that
that the Pagan religion
was
of an hypothesis,
typical,
Crishna,Buddha, Bacchus, Hercules,Adonis,Osiris,Horus,"c,
with

the

were

all of them

Those

Christ Jesus.
are

typesand forerunners of the

welcome
certainly
That

name,

who

are

satisfiedwith

we

Pagan and

this kind of

Saviour,

reasoning

than

Paganismunder

new

above,been admitted over and over againby

Church, and others. Aringhus(inhis account

said

the Fathers of the

of subterraneous

and real

to it.

is nothing more
Christianity

has,as

true

between
Pome) acknowledgesthe conformity

Christian form of
1

Draper

Science

worship,and
and

defends

Religion,pp. 46-49.

the

the admission

410

BIBLE

of which itis the

thingitself,
the Christian religion,
reallywas
time from the beginning of the

ing to

the

called
at any

in the flesh,from whence

the true
to be called Christian ; and this in

came

having been wanting in

former

MYTHS.

name

for the

known

to the

ancients,nor

which
religion,

times,but

wanting

was

race, until the time when

human

our

is now

thingitself which

days is the
as
having in

had

Christ

gan
beexisted,
previously

Christian

not
religion,

later times

as

received this

name."1

admits that that

Eusebius,tliegreat champion of Christianity,

which

is called the Christian

is neither new
nor
religion,
strange,
if it be lawful to testify
but
the truth
known to the ancients?
was
How
the common
we
gatherfrom a
peoplewere Christianized,
remarkable
passage which Mosheim, the ecclesiasticalhistorian,
surnamed
Thaumotr
has preserved
for us, in the life of Gregory,
turgus" that is, the wonder worker." The passage is as follows :
"

"

"

"

When

"

Gregory perceivedthat the simpleand unskilled multitude persisted

worship of images,on account of the pleasuresand sensual gratifications
he granted them a permission to indulge
they enjoyed at the Pagan festivals,
like
of the holy marthemselves in the
the memory
tyrs,
pleasures,in celebrating
hoping that in process of time, they would return of their own accord,to a
virtuous and regularcourse
of life."3

in their
which

more

The

doubt,that by this
permission,
Gregoryallowed the Christians to dance, sport,and
feast at the tombs of the martyrs,upon their respective
festivals,
and

historianremarks that there is no

which
everything

to do

their

temples,
during the

The

learned Christian

the

sort of

Paganswere

accustomed

to do in

feasts celebrated in honor of their

M.
advocate,

in
Turretin,

gods.
the
describing

in the fourth century,

has a well-turned rhetorChristianity
icism,the pointof which is,that it was not so much the empire
that was
as the faith that was
broughtover to the faith,
brought
converted to Christianity,
to the empire; not the Paganswho
over
were
that was converted to Paganism."4
but Christianity
state of

"

Edward

J"Ea

Gibbon

nostris

est

religio,
quam

cognoscere

et certissima

salus

est

says

temporibus Christiana
ac
sequi securissima
secundum

hoc

nomen

delectationes et voluptates,
simplex et
cultus errore
imperitum vulgns in simulacrorum
et
permaneret" permisit eis,ut in memoriam

corporeas

recordationem
sanctorum
obsese
martyium
cujus
ipsam rem
est : nam
Chrisres
hoc nomen
lectarent,et in laetitiam effunderentur,quod
ipsa quae nunc
successu
tiana reHgio nuncupatur erat et apud antiquos,
esset,ut
temporis aliquando futurum
et accuratiorem
sua
nee
defuit ab initio generishumani, quousque
sponte, ad honestiorem
ipse Christus veniret in carne, unde vera religio vitas rationem, transirent." (Mosheim, vol. L
cent. 2, p. 202.
Haec
quae jam erat caepitappellariChristiana.
4
non
Non
est nostris temporibus Christiana religio,
imperio ad fldem adducto, sed
sed
ecclesiam
inficiente.
non
et
quia
imperii pompa
fait,
quia prioribustemporibus
ethnicis ad Christum
Non
hoc nomen
conversis,sed et
accepit." (Opera Auposterioribus
formam
Christi religione ad
Ethnicae
degustini,vol. i. p. 12. Quoted in Taylor'sDieDe Variis Christ.
pravata." (Orat.Academ.
fesis,p. 42.)
3 See Eusebius
Rel. fatis.)
: Eccl. Hist.,lib. 2, ch. v.
" " Cum
animadvertisset
Gregoriusquod ob
dictum

est

non

secundum

"

PAGANISM

"

It must

be confessed

IN

411

CHRISTIANITY.

that the ministers of the Catholic church

imitated the

profane model which they were

impatientto destroy. The most respectable
bishopshad persuaded themselves,that the ignorantrusties would more
fully
cheerthe superstitions
of Paganism, if theyfound some
renounce
resemblance,
some
compensation,in the bosom of Christianity.The religionof Constantine
achieved,in less than

century, the final conquest of the Roman

the victors t/iemselveswere

subdued
insensibly

to
Faustus,
writing

St.

by the arts

empire

but

of their vanquishedrivals."1

Augustine,
says :

You have substituted your agapae for the sacrifices of the Pagans ; for their
idols your martyrs, whom
honors.
You
you serve with the very same
appease
the shades of the dead with wine and feasts ; you celebrate the solemn festivUies
of the Gentiles,
their calends,and their solstices ; and, as to their manners,
those
"

have

you

retained without

Amnion

alteration.

any
Iwld
you
your

Pagans, exceptthat

ins Saccus

Nothing distinguislies
you fnm
them."*
from

tJie

assemblies apart

founder
(a Greek philosopher,

of the Neo-

platonic
school)
taughtthat :
and
"Christianity

points,but
thing."*
Justin

when

rightlyunderstood, differ
and are
origin,
reallyone and

common

the thingin
explains

'"It having
would

Paganism,

had

reached

the devil's

ears

the

manner
following

that the

prophetshad

in

no

the

sential
essame

foretold that Christ

he

(thedevil)set the heathen poets to bring forward a great

should
who
called
of Jove, (i.e.,The Sons of God.") The devil laybe
sons
many
ing
his scheme
in this,to get men
of Christ was
to imagine that the true history
come

...

"

of the

same

character

in the
Caecilius,
All these

"

prodigiousfables

and

Octavius of Minucius

fragments

poeticstories."4

Felix,
says :

of crack-brained

opiniatryand sillysolaces played off

by (the)deceitful (Pagan)poets,by you too credulous
have been shamefully reformed and made over
to
Christians)

in the sweetness

of song

creatures

the
(i.e.,

own

god."6

your

the

as

the Epicurean
wrote
Celsus,
philosopher,
"The

Christian

with heathens

contains nothingbut what

religion
or trulygreat."6
; nothing new,

This assertion is fully

verified by Justin
to the

Emperor Adrian, which

made

ever
"

do

In

we

what

do

of men's

"
9

sayingthat

seem
we

to say

teach

hands,

we

all

by
than

more

made

with

He

ir common

apology

remarkable
says

missions
ad-

in this beautiful order

teach

4
6
9

329.

his

Martyr,in

writer.

When

Rome, vol. iii.p. 163.

Quoted by Draper : Science and Religion,
Taylor's Diegesis,
p.

Christians hold

of the most

one

by God, what
we
generalconflagration,
Stoics ? By opposingthe worship of the works
the
Menander, the comedian ; and by declaring

Plato ?

than the

concur

is

Christian

thingswere

more

Gibbon's

p. 48.
8 See

that

Apol. 1, ch. lix.

Octavius, ch. xi.
Justin:
See

Origt-n:Coutra Oleus.

412

BIBLE

firstbegottenof God,

Logos, the

any
ascended

and

into heaven

: we

Jesus

master

our

Christ,to

be crucified and

mixture, to

human

without

MYTHS.

no

say

this,than

in

more

be born

of

to have

rose

dead, and

what

you say

v"gin,

again,
of those

the Sons of Jove. For you need not be told what a parcel of sons,
you style
in vogue among
writers
most
the
you, assign to Jove ; there's Mercury, Jove's
in imitation of the Logos, in worship among
interpreter,
you. There's iEsculapius,the physician,smitten by a thunderbolt,and after that ascending into
whom

There's

heaven.

Pollux

There's

pains.
Danae

Bacchus,

and

departedemperors

and

Hercules, burnt to get rid of his

of Jove
by Leda, and Perseus by

pieces;
sons

others, I would

have

fellow

the funeral

from

to heaven

to

Castor,the

and

not to mention

; and

mount

torn

fain know

at hand

to make

why you always deifythe

affidavit that he saw
Caesar

pile?

of God, called Jesus, should we allow him to be nothing more

of
of God is very justifiable,
titleof
the son
than man,
the
yet
upon the account
in
title
have
under
his wisdom, consideringthat you
the
worship,
your Mercury
"As

to the

son

Messenger of God.
I say, that suffering
was
mon
comobjection
of our Jesus''s being crucified,
suffered
of
but
kind
all
forementioned
sons
of
the
another
to
Jove,
only they
As to his being born of a virgin,you have your Perseus to balance that.
death.
and such as were
As to his curing the lame, and the paralytic,
cripplesfrom
what
of
this
is
little
than
more
birth,
your iEsculapius."1
you say
of the Word

and

As

to the

The

most

"

celebrated Fathers of the Christian

church,the

most

stand the highest

were
quoted,and those whose names
frequently
nothingmore nor less than Pagans,beingborn and educated Pagans.
Pantaenus (a.d. 193) was
of these half-Pagan,
one
half-Christian,
He

Fathers.
Alexandria
He

time

one

broughtup

was

presidedin

Egypt,and

in

Clemens

the school of the faithful in

celebrated

was

in the Stoic

(a.d. 194)

Alexandrinus

Pagan.

He

succeeded

Pantaenus

on

account

St. Clement

or

same

as

of

manner
"

I find

no

that the Son

thing? Why
Son

of God

I maintain

of

God

of the monkish
president
and his
very extensive,

that after

having

Apol. 1, ch. xx, xxi, xxii

See Taylor'sDiegesis,p

it was

why

was

to be

impudent

with

success,

and

I maintain
; as, for instance"
I not ashamed
of maintainingsuch a

am
a

shameful

thing.

credible because

I maintain

it is

that the

monstrouslyabsurd.
again : and that I take to bo
manifestlyimpossible."4

wholly

been

buried, he

rose

*23.

also

of shame

it is itself

well,that is

true, because
absolutely

born

He

Presbyterof the Christian

is a specimenof his
following
He says :
of Christianity.

myself

contempt

my

was

because

! but

died

to prove

means

happilya fool,than by

The

the evidences

on
reasoning

other

time

of Alexandria,

sort,beingoriginally

His works are

at Alexandria.
university
authority
very highin the church.8
Tertullian (a.d. 200)may
next
be mentioned.
a
Pagan,and at one
originally
in Africa.
church of Carthage,

of his learning.

philosophy.9

another Christian Father of the

was
a

at

See Ibid. p. 324.

On the Flesh of

ch.
Christ,

v.

PAGANISM

of the

Origen(a.d. 230),one

another Father of

was
church,

to
philosopher)
objects

He
"

him

Egypt

this account.1

greatcradle

and studied under

"

of the Christian
shininglights
this class. Porphyry(a Neo-platonist

on

born in the

also was

413

CHRISTIANITY.

IN

and nursery of

superstition
nias
Ammophilosopher,
when
and Paganism,
Christianity

that celebrated

Saccus, who taughtthat "

but had
differed in no essentialpoint,
understood,
rightly

common

of
was
so sincere in his devotion to the cause
origin."This man
for the
monkery,or Essen ism,that he made himself an eunuch
kingdom of heaven's sake.'" The writer of the twelfth verse of
of Matthew,was
without doubt an Egypthe nineteenth chapter
tian
"

monk.
which

are

put into the mouth of the Jewish Jesus,

it is considered that the Jews did

is simplyridiculous,
when

allow

not

The words

an

eunuch

much

so

to enter

as

the

of the
congregation

Lord.8

Gregory(a.d. 240),bishopof

Neo-Csesarea

Pontus, was
another celebrated Christian Father,born of Pagan parentsand educated
St.

Pagan.

He

is called

and is said to have

He, too,was

Alexandrian

an

commended

was

by

student.

his namesake

festivalsinto Christian
the

or
Thaumaturgus,
m
iracles
when
performed

of

the
holidays,

This is the

in

the
stilla

worker,
wonder-

Pagan.*

Gregory who

Nyssafor changingthe Pagan

better to draw

the heathen

to

of Christ.6
religion

Mosheim,

the

Christian church

ecclesiastical

duringthe

in speakingof
historian,

second century,says

the

and
profound respectthat was paid to the Greek and Roman
mysteries,
attributed to them, induced the Christians
the extraordinarysanctity
that was
in
a
to give their religion
mystic air,in order to put it upon an equal footing,
w
ith
of
that
of
the
For
this
the
name
Pagans.
point dignity,
purpose they gave
of mysteriesto the institutions of the gospel,and decorated,particularly
the
holy sacrament, with that solemn title. They used, in that sacred institution,
as also in that of baptism,several of the terms
employed in the heathen mysteries,
and proceededso far at length,as even
of the rites and cereto adopt some
monies
which
renowned
of
those
mysteriesconsisted."*
"

The

We

have

anity
then,that the onlydifference between Christiand Paganismis that Brahma,Ormuzd, Osiris,
Zeus,Jupiter,
called
another
Crishna,Buddha, Bacchus,
etc., are
by
name;
Adonis,Mithras,
etc.,have been turned into Christ Jesus : Venus'

pigeon into
1

See

"

Matt.

Deut. xxiii. 1.

"

See

seen,

the

Holy

Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 328.
xix. 12.

Taylor's Diegesis,
p.

Ghost ;

Diana,Isis,
Devaki, etc.,into
6

236 ;
"

See Middleton's

the

Letters from
Rome, p.
Mosheim, vol. i. cent. 2, pi. 2, ch. 4.

Bccl.

Hist. toI. 1. p. 199.

414

BIBLE

VirginMary ;
of the

and the

and
demi-gods

Pagan festivalsbecame

heroes into saints. The

as
represented

were

one

MYTHS.

Christian

ploits
ex-

the miracles of the other.

and Pagan templesbecame

holidays,

Christian churches.
Mr.
on

Mahaffy,Fellow
to

There

and Lecturer
TrinityCollege,
of Dublin,ends his Prolegomena
University

in the
History
Ancient History"in

Ancient

"

and Tutor in

is indeed,hardly a

"

the

great or

manner:
following

fruitful idea in the

Jewish

or

Christian

(ancient)
Egyptian faith. The development
the
incarnation
of
of the one
God into a trinity
the
in a
mediatingdeity
;
his
conflict
and
defeat
and
his
without
the
a
father;
Virgin,
momentary
by
powers
of darkness ; his partialvictory(forthe enemy
is not destroyed)
tion
; his resurrecsaints ; his distinction
and reignover
eternal kingdom with his justified
an
Father, whose form
with, the uncreate
incomprehensible
from, and yet identity
systems,which

has

not

dwelleth

and who

is unknown,

its analogy in the

not

in temples made

with

hands

"

conceptions
pervade the oldest religionof Egypt. So, too, the

all these theological

contrast

moral and
our
the apparent inconsistencies between
attribution of sin and guiltpartlyto moral
the vacillating

and

beliefs
theological
weakness, partlyto
and likewise of righteousness
to moral
the interference of evil spirits,
worth,
and againto the help of good geniior angels; the immortalityof the soul and its
final judgment all these thingshave met us in the Egyptian ritual and
moral
side of morals, and the catalogueof virtues
treatises. So, too, the purely human
and vices,are by natural consequences
the theological
as like as are
systems.
But I recoil from opening this great subject
the veil
now
; it is enough to have lifted
"nd shown the scene of many
a futurecontest."1
even

"

"

regardto the moral sentiments expressedin the books of

the New
Testament,and believed by the majorityof Christians to
shall touch them but lightly,
to Christianity,
be peculiar
as this
we
has already
been done so frequently
by many able scholars.
In

moral doctrines that appear in the New

Testament,even the
sayingsof the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's Prayer,are
The

found

the

with

borrowed

variation,
slight
among
New
out
of
the
nothing

Rabbins,who

have

certainly

Testament.

Christian teachers have

to exhibit the essentialsuperiordelighted

ity
have
with
of Christianity
to Judaism,
quoted
triumphthe maxims
that are said to have fallen from the lipsof Jesus,and which, they
and have
in the elder Scriptures,
surmised,could not be paralleled

such passages in the ancient

of evangelists
and apostles.
to contain the thoughts

put the least favorable construction

books

as

seemed

on

to the oldest
studyof the Hebrew law,according
ingenious
well as its later interpretations
duces
reas
traditions,
by the prophets,
these differences materially
by bringinginto reliefsentiments
is but an echo.
and preceptswhereof the New Testament morality

more

Prolegomena to AncieDt

History,pp. 416, 417.

PAGANISM

415

CHRISTIANITY.

IN

derer
teneven
Deuteronomy,
passages in Exodus,Leviticus,
in their humanity than
anythingin the Gospels.The

There

are

from
preacher

the

but repeatwith

persuasive
lipswhat

in

Mount,

the

prophet of
the

of command.

mightytones

the later literatureof the Jews

as

the

does
Beatitudes,

of his race
law-givers
Such

claimed
pro-

with
acquaintance

an

is really
obtained

from ular
popthat the originality

now

fair mind
sources, will convince the ordinarily
Testament has been greatly
of the New
over-estimated.
To feed the

"

loyallyserve
is

clothe the naked, bury the dead,

hungry,givedrink to the thirsty,
the
first
of
forms
and faithful subject,"
a pious man
duty
king,

the

the

abstract from

an

"

Egyptian

Book

Dead," ths

of the

oldest

Bible in the world.

the
Confucius,

Chinese

"Obey Heaven, and

neighboras yourself Do

follow

born
philosopher,
the orders of

to another

Him

551

who

would

what

he

b.

c, said

governs
should

it. Love your

do unto you ;

you
should not be done unto you ; thou
you would
of all the rest. Acknowledge
only needest this law alone,itis the foundation and principle
.

and

do not unto

thy
The
Indian

another

benefits

what

by

of

the return

extracts
following

Manu

from

benefits,but

other

the

and

juries."1
revenge in-

never

an
Maha-bharata,

written many centuries before the time of Christ

Jesus,3
comparedwith similar sentiment contained in the books of

epicpoem,

the New

evil-minded

"An
his

see

Testament,are

; but

when

his eyes towards his own,

Bilva
as
fruit, he none

striking.

is quick to

man

faults,though
neighbor's

mustard-seed

as

very

he

"

that is in

turns

erest not

though large eye?

descries.

"

"

"

persons will hereafter be exwith

alted above the heavens
the man
"

Christianityas Old

as

the Crea-

Mann's

works

were

own

(Matt.vii. 3.)

Be not

written daring the

of evil,
but

overcome

"

over-

good." (Romans, xii.

and

Love

your enemies, and do good,

lend, hoping for nothing again;

and your reward shall be great,and ye

shall be the children of the Highest :
for he is kind unto
to the evil."

"And

the unthankful

Jesus

sat

beheld

sixth

c.

century

b.

same

time.

and

(Luke, vii. 35.)

treasury,and

dom, p. 215),and

tion.
9

that is in thine

21.)

Two

Tindal

the beam

evil with

come

"

"

why beholdest thou the mote

thy brother's eye, but consid-

"

(Maha-bharata.)
Conquer a man who never gives
by
by gifts;subdue untruthful men
truthfulness ; vanquish an angry man
the evil
by gentleness
; and overcome
man
by goodness."(Ibid.)
To injurenone
by thoughtor word
or deed, to give to others,and be kind to
all this is the constant
duty of the
men
delightin
good. High-minded
doing good, without a thoughtof their
own
interest;when they confer a benefiton others,they reckon not on favors
in return."
(Ibid.)
"

And

small

over

against the

how

people

(see Williams'

the Maha-bharata

cast

Indian Wisabout

the

416

BIBLE

MYTHS.

boundless

yet forbears to
power, who
it indiscreetly,
and he who
is not

use

rich,and yet can

give." (Ibid.)
so pleasedwith
offered in hope of future
costlygifts,
"Just

recompense,

with

as

set apart from

by

is not

heaven

the merest

honest

gains,and
(Ibid.)

faith."

trifle
fied
sancti-

into the treasury: and

money
that

rich cast

were

there

came

many
And

much.

certain poor widow, and

mites,which make a

she threw

in

in two

farthing. And he called unto him his

and saith unto them, VerilyI
disciples,
say unto you, that this poor widow
more
in,than all they which

hath

cast

cast into the

cast in

of

have

treasury: For all theydid

their

abundance, but she of

did cast all that she had, even
all her living."(Mark, xii. 41-44.)
her want

"To

curb the tongue and moderate

speech, is held to be the hardest of

the

all tasks.

The

words

of him

volublyhave neither
variety." (Ibid.)
"Even
due

visitus

should
hospitality

the tree

be

as

"

In

by lookingon
(Ibid.)

"

guests

displayed;
man

(Ibid.)
grantingor refusinga request,

obtains

man

the tongue

proper rule of action

his neighboras himself."
a

"Before

infirmities creep o'er

before
decay impairs

strengthand

mars

the

beauty

breaks

of

thy
thy
thy

ioteer
char-

thee,

and
thy fragile frame
ends thy life,lay up the only treasure:
Do good deeds ; practice
and
sobriety
up

for in so

shalt heap coals of

(Rom. xii. 20.)
Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself."(Matt.xxii. 39.)
' '

"'

And

as

to you,

ye would that
do ye also to

away,

rupted."
cor-

This is the
"

Trpat

sum

of

others

thyselfbe treated.
neighbor, which

Do

all true

as

now

earth,where moth and rust doth

where
thieves
break
corrupt, and
upon

throughand

nothingto thy

hereafter

thou

steal : But

for selves
yourtreasures in heaven,where neither
rust doth

nor

"Ye

eousness
right-

thou wouldst

wise."
like-

"

(Matt.vi.

(Ibid.)
"

should

them

31.)
thy creator in the
days of thy youth,while the evil days
the years draw
come
not, nor
nigh,
when thou shalt say : I have no pleasure
in them."
(Ecc.xii. 1.)
treasures
Lay not up for yourselves
Remember

"

thieves do not break

is

men

vi.

moth

nor

said
and

hate

unto

you,

corrupt, and where

throughand

steal."

19-20.)

have
Thou

layup

heard

that it hath

shalt love
thine
love

But

enemy.
your

been

thy neighbor,
I

say

enemies, bless

them that curse

thy neighbordo to
you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which
in givor
causing pleasure,
ing
despitefullyuse you, and persecute
pain, in doing good or injury to
in
or
others,
granting
refusing a
you." (Matt.v. 43-44.)
obtains a proper rule of
A new
commandment
I give unto
request, a man
action by lookingon his neighbor as
another : as I
you, that ye love one
would'st not have

thee.

In

"

himself."

(Ibid.)

doing thou

which

wastes

deadly poison.

his head."

self-control ; amass
that wealth which
thieves cannot
abstract, nor
tyrants
follows
thee at death,
seize,which
never

man

Therefore,if thine enemy hunger,

; if he thirst,
give him drink;

fire on

do

limbs ; before the Ender, whose

is sickness,ha-tes towards

tame

no

of

feed him

(Luke

flesh ;

can

unruly evil,full
(James,iii.8.)

nor

with itsleaves,the

screens

But

talk

fells it."

who

foes who

to

who

substance

too

"

it is an

have

loved

another."
"Thou

you, that ye also love

(John,xii. 34.)
shalt love

one

thy neighbor as

thyself."(Matt.xi. 39.)

418

MYTHS.

BIBLE

**

is

Single
Single

he

passes

Single

he

eats

Single,
His

And

"

like

body
the

Virtue

good

log

or

thou

dost

He

who

pretends

Acts

For,

thief-like,

part,

by

the

plant

to

commits
he

of

heap

him

clay
walk

dreary,

be

he

what
the

abstracts

will

so

is
of

worst

good

gloom."

trackless

dost

thou

tree

away

tomb,

the

at

the

leaves

he

when

what

gather

As

and

through

not

canst

deeds,

evil

kinsmen

his

stands
him

bears

world,
of

fruit
of

ground,

alone

Thou

to

born,

creature

another

the

fruit

the

Upon

**

living

every

it

not

sow

(Ibid.)

(Ibid.)

grow."

not,

crimes,
man's

heart."

(Ibid.)

h?
CHAPTER

WHY

We

now

and

why

and

Saviour?

chapterto
a

CHRISTIANITY

the

were

causes

many

the

we
subject,

PROSPERED.

Why
question,

Jesus of Nazareth

was

There

to

come

XXXYH.

Christianity
prosper,

believed to be

for
must

did

this,but

as

divine incarnation

we

can

treat
necessarily

devote but

one

it briefly.

For many centuries before the time of Christ Jesus there lived
sect of religious
monks known
as Essenes,
or
Therapeutce
y1 these

entirely
disappeared
from history
shortly
afterthe
of Jesus. There were thousands
for the crucifixion
their monasteries
asked the

were

question, What

show, 1. That

to

to

"

be counted
became

by the

of them

time
of

them, and

Many

score.

We

?"

assigned

now

have

propose

the advent of
expecting

an
they
siah
Angel-MesNazareth
considered
Jesus
of
siah
to
be the Mesthey
in a body; and, 4.
to Christianity
over
theycame
histories of the former Angeltheybroughtthe legendary
were

f 2. That
; 3. That
That

Messiahs with them.

The

of the sect known

is envelopedin mist,
as Essenes
origin
and will probably
be revealed. To speakof all the different
never
ideas entertained as to their origin
would make a volume of itself,
therefore but glanceat the subject.It has been the object
we
can
of Christian writers up to a comparatively
recent
date,to
claim that almost everything
with God's chosen people,
originated
all languages
the Jews,and that even
be traced to the Hebrew.
can
Under

these

circumstances,
then,it is

to be wondered

not

at

that

theyhave also traced the Essenes to Hebrew origin.

TheophilusGale,who wrote a work called The Court of
find

we

"

bodies
of ascetics
"Numerous
(TheraLake Mareotis,devoted
especiallynear
peutae),
to disciplineand
themselves
study, abjuring
society and labor, and often forgetting,it is
said, the simplestwants c* nature, in contem1

plating the hidden

Eusebius

even

and

of

some

the

of the

wisdom

claimed
forms

them
of

Scriptures.
Christians

as

monasticism

after the
evidently modeled
(Smith's Bible Dictionary,art.

the

were

Therapeutai."
"

Alexandria"

[419J

420

BIBLE

Gentiles

"

to
(Oxford,1671),

MYTHS.

"

that

demonstrate

the

of
origin

all

is from the Scripboth philology

and philosophy,
literature,
tures

human

and the Jewish

the truth when

hits upon
church,"
undoubtedly

he says :
"

(among the Jews) I conceive

to be in or immediately
antiquity,
after

Now, the origination

or rise of these Essenes

conjecturesI

by
the

Babyloniancaptivity,
though
Some

can

from

make

the best

make

some

them

them

Christian writers trace

later."

Moses

to

or

of the

some

in India,and were
a sort of
they originated
Buddhist sect,we believe is their true history.
them in 1835,and said that the
Gfrorer,who wrote concerning
the same
Essenes and the Therapeutce
are
sect,and hold the same
views" was
undoubtedlyanother writer who was touchingupon

that

but
prophets,

"

historicalground.
of Essenism
many of the preceptsand practices
Testament is unquestionable.
Essenism urged
and those of the New
of
identity

The

to seek firstthe
its disciples

on

Essenes forbade

The
The

kingdom of God and his righteousness.1

the layingup of treasures upon earth.*

of those who

Essenes demanded

wished

divide it among
in common,
and
Essenes had all things
and to
possessions,

their

as

steward

members
one

on

the

over

same

the

to sellall

the poor brethren.3 The

ren
appointedone of the breth-

common

mutual service.6 Essenism

other,and enjoining

its disciples
to call no

laid the

jointhem

bag.4 Essenism put all its

the exercise of authority
of
level,
forbidding

to manage

the

to

man

greateststress upon

manded
com-

ism
upon the earth.6 Essenbeing meek and lowlyin spirit.'
master

the poor in spirit,

those who hungerand
the pure in heart,and the
the merciful,
thirstafter righteousness,
The

Essenes commended

peacemaker. They

combined

the

of
healing

the

body with

that of

to
that the power to cast out evil spirits,
ples
by their disciperformmiraculous cures, "c, should be possessed

the soul.

as

They declared

signsof

their belief.8 The

Essenes did

not

at all ;

swear

nay.9When the Essenes started

neither
on
a mission of mercy,
theyprovidedneither goldnor silver,
The
for support.10
but relied on hospitality
two coats,neither shoes,
offensive war, yet took weapons with
Essenes,
though repudiating
their answer

Comp. Matt.
Comp. Matt.
"
Comp. Matt.
*
Comp. Acts,
xii,6 ; xiii. 29.
*
Comp. Matt.
9

x.

42-15.

was

yea, yea, and nay,

vi. 33 ; Luke, xii. 31.

vi. 19-21.
xix. 21 ;

Comp.

Comp. Matt. v. 5 ; xi. 29.

Comp. Mark, xvi. 17 ; Matt.

Luke, xii. 33.

ii. 44, 45 ; iv. 32-34 ;

John,

ix. 1, 2 ;
"

xx.

25-28 ;

Mark, ix. 35-37 ;

xxiii. 8-10.

"
7

10

x.

Matt,

9.

Comp. Matt.
Comp. Matt.

v.

34.

x.

9, 10.

x.

8 ; Lake,

WHY

CHRISTIANITY

them

when

from

connubial intercourse.9 The

theywent

but strove

to

on

The
perilous
journey.1

the

was

Essenes did

presenttheir bodies

unto God, which

acceptable

It

to be the

as

templesof

to

the

not offer animal

to

rifices,
sac-

reasonable service."

live such

life of

purity

and to be able
Holy Spirit,

prophesy.4
Many other comparisons
mightbe made, but
show that there is a great similarity
between

to

Essenes abstained

sacrifice,
living
holyand

theyregardedas

great aim of the Essenes

and holiness

421

PROSPERED.

these

sufficient

are

the two.6

These

similaritieshave

led many Christian writers to believe that Jesus

Dr. Ginsburg,
to this order.
advocate of this theory,
an
belonged

says

"It will

doubted

hardly be

brotherhood.

Saviour

tha,tour

himself

belonged to

this

holy

This will

be apparent when we remember

that the whole
especially
divided into three parties,the
at the advent of Christ,was

Jewish

community,
the Sadducees, and
Pharisees,

the Essenes, and that every Jew

had to belongto
to the Jewish
Jesus,who, in all things,conformed
law, and
and
from
would
therefore
undefined,
harmless,
sinners,
holy,
separate

of these sects.

one

who

was

associate
naturally
to his holy nature.

with

that order of Judaism

which

Moreover, the fact that Christ,with

most congenial
exceptionof once,

was

the

clusion
publicuntil his thirtieth year, implyingthat he lived in seand
that
he
rebuked
the
fraternity,
scribes,
frequently
though
denounced
the Essenes,stronglyconfirms
Sadducees, he never

not heard

was

himself

of in

with this
Pharisees

and

this conclusion.'6

facts as Dr. Ginsburgcallsthem

are
simplyno factsat all. Jesus may

The

"

"

which confirm his conclusions,

or

rebuked

of this order ; but when it is stated as

it is implyingtoo much.
the Essenes,

whether

the words

member

said to have

been uttered

may not have been

a fact that he never
We

by

Jesus

know
were

not
ever

by him or not,and it is almost certain that had he rebuked

and had his words been written in the Gospels,
the Essenes,
tJiey
We
there
hear
remain
little
of
the
Essenes
would not
long.
very

uttered

after a.

d.
we

The

when
40,7therefore,
are

we

read of the

and
of Essenes,
reading

statement

Christians"
"primitive

others.

that,with the exceptionof

once, Jesus

thirtieth year, is also uncertain.

tellsus that he did not
Christian Fathers (Irenseus)
of the early

heard in

1
9
"
4

Comp.
Comp.
Comp.
Comp.

lifetillhis
public

Luke.

xxii. S6.

Matt. xix. 10-12 ; I. Cor. viii.

xii. 1.
Rom.
I. Cor. xiv. 1, 39.

comparisons have been taken

to which
the
Ginsburg's "Essenes,"
reader is referred for a more
lengthyobservation
the subject.
on
"

from

The

above

"

Ginsburg's Essenes, p. 24.

"We

hear

very

little of them

not

was

One

begin

after

a.d.

40; and there can hardly be any doubt that,

existingbetween
owing to the great similarity
their preceptsand practicesand those of primitive Christians,
the Essenes as a body must have
embraced
Christianity." (Dr. Ginsburg, p.
27.)

422

MYTHS.

BIBLE

and that he
fortyyears of age, or thereabout,
" The records
are
lived to be nearly
of his life
fifty
very
years old.1
and
modified
by
scanty/ and these have been so shapedand colored
and
and party prejudice
and superstition
the hands of ignorance
lines.^
outecclesiastical
purpose, that it is hard to be sure of the original
to teach until lie was

of the
similarity

The

to those of the Church

sentiments of the

of

or
Essenes,
Therapeutse,

NicoRome, induced the learned Jesuit,

contended
to seek for them
an honorable origin. He
Serarius,
that they were
Asideans. and derived them from the
therefore,
in the thirty-fifth
described so circumstantially
Rechabites,
chapter
that
the
firstChristian
asserted
he
of Jeremiah ; at the same
time,
laus

monks

Essenes.2

were

Mr.

of
King,speaking

the Christian sect called

Gnostics,
says :

Their chief doctrines had been held for centuries before

"

(their
time)in many
into
existence
first
it
is
came
There,
probable,they
the Sethe establishment of a direct intercourse with India under

of the citiesof Asia Minor.

'

as

Mystse,'
upon

the

of
colleges

The

tJie Ptolemies.

leucidm and

Essenes and

Megabyzae

at

Orphies of Thrace, the Curetes of Crete,are all merely branches

Asiatic."3
and that originally
and common
religion,

Ephesus,
tique
of one an-

Again:
"

The

solution

of Buddhism

introduction

Egypt and Palestine affordsthe onlytrue

history
ofreligion."*

into

in the
difficulties

of innumerable

Again:
had actually
been plantedin the dominions of the Seleucidae
(Palestinebelonging to the former)before the beginning of the
third century b. c, ia proved to demonstration by a passage in the Edicts of Asoka,
These
grandson of the famous Chandragupta,the Sandracottus of the Greeks.
That

"

and

Buddhism

Ptolemies

edicts

are

on

engraven

rock at Girnur, in Guzerat."6

in quotingfrom Philo concerning

the Essenes,
seems
Eusebius,
and
take it for grantedthat theyand the Christians were
one

to

it would appear
in which he writes,
the same, and from the manner
understood so. He says that Philo called them
that it was generally
"
and concludes by saying
:
Worshipers,"
"But

whether

they were

so

he himself

called,when

as

I think it not needful

gave

them

yet the

name

to
curiosity

This will be alluded to in another

It was

chapter.
that the order of
by some
writEssenes was instituted by Elias,and some
ers
asserted that there was
a regularsuccession
believed

of hermits
of the

upon

prophets to

hermits

embraced

Mount
that

Carmel
of

from

the time

Christ,and that the

Christianityat an early

this name,
whether
or
of Christians was not

at the beginning
lished,
everywherepub-

sift out."*

period. (SeeGinsburgh'sEssenes, and Hardy's

Monachism, p. 358.)
*
King's Gnostics and their Remains, p. 1.

Eastern
4

Ibid. p. 6.

King's Gnostics,p. 23.

Eusebius
: Eccl. Hist.,lib. 2, ch. xril.

"

WHY

CHRISTIANITY

423

PROSPERED.

celebrated ecclesiasticalhistorian considered

This

that the

of the Essenic
writings

into
incorporated

the

the New

of
gospels

His words
epistles.

Pauline

in
Therapeuts

are

it very

and
Testament,

It is very likelythat the commentaries

which were
(Scriptures)
and
(theEssenes)were the Gospels, and the works of the apostles,
of the ancient prophets,such as partly that epistle
unto
of Paul do contain."1
and also the other epistles

doctrines
principal

some

them
among
certain sitions
expothe Hebrews,

rites of the Essenes

and

be

can

nected
con-

with Buddhism.
East,with Parsism,and especially

with the

Essenes and Buddhists had in

the doctrines which

Among

into

"

The

able
prob-

Egypthad been

common

Messiah.7
that of the Angel-

was

GodfreyHigginssays :
Essenes

of the soul, or Therapeuta; beingresident

physicians
Egypt, they probablyspoke or had their sacred books in
Chaldee.
They were
Pythagoreans,as is proved by all their forms, ceremonies,
and doctrines,and they called themselves sons of Jesse.
If the Pythagoreans or
Conobitae,as they are called by Jamblicus, were
Buddhists, the Essenes were
Buddhists.
The Essenes lived in Egypt, on the lake of Parembole
or
Maria, in
These are the very places in which
monasteries.
we
formerlyfound the Gymor Samaneans, or Buddhist
prieststo have lived ; which Gymnosophisnosophists,
tae are placedalso by Ptolemy in north-eastern India."
Their (the Essenes) parishes,
churches, bishops,priests,
deacons,festivals
all identically
the same
are
(as the Christians).They had apostolicfounders ;
which
the immediate
the manners
distinguished
apostlesof Christ ; scriptures
mode
of interpreting
divinelyinspired; the same
allegorical
them, which has
since obtained among
order of performing publicworChristians, and the same
ship.
had
stations
colonies
of
their
established
or
They
missionary
community
in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Phillippi,
Colosse,and Thessalonica,precisely
"The

called

were

both in Judea

and

"

such, and in the

to the Samaritan
to be found

And

places.

Lillie says

Arthur

by

calm

New

Eusebius

Bunsen

:
:

Testament

Tidings1

I doubt

which

justlyattributed

Mansel

like Dean

to

that within

the Great, the missionaries

Hist.,lib. 2, ch. xvii.

Angel-Messiah, p. vii. M The

is the

doctrines

are

him,

dressed
adtributed
atare

Eccl.

The

not

St. Paul

those to whom

of these ascetics."3

thinkers

of the time of Alexander

were

All the fine moral

Nazarite, and

the doctrines

among

"It is asserted

circumstances,as

same

in those

his letters

Essene-Nazarene

Adon, Adoni, Adonis, styleof

Glad
wor-

ship." (S. F. Dunlap : Son of the Man, p. iii.)

*
Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 747 ; vol. ii.p. 34.
* "In
this," says Mr. Lillie,"he was
supported by philosophersof the calibre of Schilling and Schopenhauer, and the great Sanscrit
Kenan
also sees
traces of
authority,Lassen.
thiftBuddhist
propagandism in Palestine before

two

tions
generamade
their

of Buddha

the Christian

era.
Mutter, Bohlen,
Hilgenfeld,
King, all admit the Buddhist influence. Colobrooke saw
a striking similaritybetween
the
Buddhist
philosophy and that of the Pythago-

Dean

reans.

Milman

Therapeuts sprung
and

indolent

convinced

was

from

fraternities

the
'

that the

contemplative

of India.'

And, he

might have added, the Kev. Robert Taylor in

his
Diegesis" and Godfrey Higgins in nil
Anacalypsis,"have brought strong argument*
to bear in support of this theory.
"

"

424

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in the east by the

theory is confirmed
in the west
by Philo. He expresslymaintains the identity
stained
aband that of the Gymnosophistsof India who
in creed of the higher Judaism
It
from
the
sacrifice of livinganimals
in a word, the Buddhists.
that
follow
from
this
would
the priestly
of Babylonia,Palestine,Egypt,
religion
and Greece were
undermined
by certain kindred mystical societies organizedby
Buddha's
missionaries under the various names
of Therapeutes,Essenes, Neotianity."1
"c.
Thus
Buddhism
prepared the way for ChrisPythagoreans,Neo-Zoroastrians,

Alexandria.*

at
appearance
Asoka monuments

This

"

"

'

'

"

The

Buddhists have the

"

"

holypath (Dhammapada),
eight-fold
to Buddhahood.

states leading
eightspiritual
up

The

firststate of

with
correspond
the first Buddhistic state,those who have entered the (mystic)
aimed
and the mastery of passion
stream.
were
Patience,
purity,
at by both devotees in the other stages. In the last,
magicalpowers,
the
o
ut
evil
etc.
were
sick,
casting
supposedto
healing
spirits,
the Essenes resulted from

baptism,and

it seems

to

gained. Buddhists

be

and

Essenes

path into four,for

eight-fold

some

seem

reason

Essenes had three orders of asceticsor

is distinct from

the

Creator

of the

death of Jesus

or

doubled

other.

up this
Buddhists and

this classification

monks,but

classifications.2
spiritual

The doctrine of the "Anointed

the

to have

Angel" of the

from

man

heaven,

world,the doctrine of the atoningsacrificial

the blood of his cross, the doctrine of the Messianic

antetype of the Paschal lamb of the Paschal omer, and thus of
the resurrection of Christ Jesus,
the third day,accordingto the

by

these
Scriptures,

doctrines of Paul can, with more

or less certainty,
with the Essenes.
It becomes almost a certainty
that

be connected

Eusebius
used

was

by Paul

of the

rightin surmisingthat Essenic writingshave

and the evangelists.
Not Jesus,
but Paul,is the

of
separation

the Jews

from

been
cause

the Christians.8

The

then,that that sect of vagrant quack-doctors,

probability,
the Therapeutse,
who
established in Egypt and its neighborwere
hood
as
many ages before the periodassignedby later theologians
that of the birth of Christ Jesus,were
the original
fabricators of the
contained
writings
the basis of

in the New

Testament,becomes

evidence,than which

has
history

on
certainty

nothingmore

certain,

furnished
and

ancient
were

The

Buddha

but explicit,
by the unguarded,
fied
unwary, but most unqualiof the historian Eusebius,that
statement
those
positive
and that their ancient writings
were
Christians,
Therapeutce
and epistles"
our
gospels
the Ascetics,
the Therapeuts,
the Monks, the EcEssenes,
"

and

Early Buddhism, p. vi.

Bunsen's

Angel-Messiah,p.

131.

Ibid. p. 240.

426

BIBLE

againrule over the land.

the lost Dharma
preaches
these Buddhas

MYTHS.

Then
or

Buddha

new

truth.

The

appears, who again

of twenty-four
of

names

who

appearedpreviousto Gautama have been hand

ed down
The Buddhavansa,or
to us.
of the Buddhas,"
History
the last book of the Khuddalca
Nikaya in the second Pitca,
gives
the lives of all the previousBuddhas
before commencing its account
"

of Gautama

himself ; and the Pali commentary on the Jatctr

Tcasgives
each of the twenty-four.1
certain detailsregarding
Avatar

An

was

time of Jesus of Nazareth

the Jews

every six hundred

about
expected
an

Avatar

At
years.3
not by some
expected,

was

the
of

every eastern nation.3 Many persons

selves
thoughtat that time to be, and undoubtedly
thoughtthem-

were

alone,but by

most

and the onlyreason

of Jesus
be,the Christ,
why the name
is because the Essenes
of Nazareth succeeded above all others,
to

"

who

an
expecting
Angel-Messiah espousedit. Had
the name
for this almost indisputable
of Jesus of
fact,
at the presentday.
would undoubtedly
not be known
were

been

"

writer of the fourth

and
a Christian bishop
Epiphanius,
of the Essenes :
says, in speaking
"

were

the

They

called Christians.

on

These

Jesus, which

name

saviour

or

Thus
and

believed

who

it not

reth
Naza-

century,

called Jess^ei (or Essenes),

they
before
of
derived their constitution from the signification

Christ

in Hebrew

were

the
signifies

same

that is,a
Therapeutes,

as

physician."
the Essenes
that,accordingto Christian authority,

see

we

are
Therapeutes

of Jesus of

one, and

that the Essenes

Nazareth,acceptedhim

Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 179.

This is clearlyshown
by Mr. Higgins in
that
bis Anacalypsis. It should be remembered
Gautama
Buddha, the "Angel-Messiah," and
of the Lord, are placed
Cyrus,the Anointed
about
six hundred
years before Jesus, the
Anointed."
This cycle of six hundred years
called the "great year.''''
was
Josephus,the Jewish historian,alludes to it when speaking of the
God afpatriarchsthat lived to a great age.
forded them a longertime of life,"
says he, "on
account
they
of their virtue,and the good use
and geometrical
made
of it in astronomical
which would not have afforded the
discoveries,
time for foretelling
(the periods of the stars),
1

"

"

"

"

unless they had lived six hundred

years ; for the
great year is completed in that interval." (Jo"
From this cycleof
sephus, Antiq.,bk. i.e. iii.)
"
came
six hundred,'1'1
says Col. Vallancey,
of the bird Phoenix,called by the
name

tians Phenu, with

the well-known

the

Egyp-

story of its

going to Egypt to burn itselfon the altar of the

Sun
(at Heliopolis)and rise again from its
ashes,at the end of a certain period."

as

an

espousedthe

cause

and
Angel-Messiah,

be-

writings prove the probability,

that alreadyin his
risingto a certainty,
time the Eesenes did expect an Angel-Messiah
3

"

Philo's

almost

as

one

of

series

of

divine

incarnations.

fiftyyears after Philo's death,

Elkesai the Essene
probably applied this doctrine to Jesus, and it was promulgated in Rome
about the same
time, if not earlier,by the
Pseudo-Clementines."
(Bunsen : The AngelMessiah, p. 118.)
Within

"

about

There

was,

at this time

(i.e., at the time

of the birth of Jesus), a prevalentexpectation

about to
remarkable
that some
personage was
in Judea.
were
The Jews
anxiously
By
looking for the coming of the Messiah.
computing the time mentioned by Daniel (ch.
that the period was
ix. 25-27), they knew
approaching when the Messiah should appear.
be a
This personage,
they supposed, would
expecting that
temporal prince,and they were
from
Roman
bondage,
he would deliver them
natural that this expectationshould
It was
spread into other countries" (Barnes'Notes,
vol. i. p. 27.)

appear

WHY

known

came

to

CHRISTIANITY

427

PROSPERED.

as
or believers
history
Christians,

in the Anointed

Angel.
This asceticBuddhist
for
Angel-Messiah,

an

that another

or

heaven

from

were

had

announced

Buddha,

form, another organ

descend

sect called Essenes

Gautama

not

and

therefore another

advocate of the wisdom

to

therefore

and
earth,

would

ing
expect-

ciples
to his dis-

angelin

from

human

above,would

be called the

"

of

Son

Love."
The
From

"

Maurice

learned Thomas

the earliest post-diluvian

age, to that in which

togetherwith
from

says

the traditions which

the Messiah

expresslyrecorded

so

appeared,

the fall of the human

rectitude and felicity,

nite
infithere appears, from
an
original
and of written documents, to have prevarietyof hieroglyphicmonuments
vailed,
from generation
to generation,
througlwutall tlieregionsof tliehigherAsia,
uniform
belief
in
of
the
an
course
that,
revolvingages, t/iereshould arise a sacred
from tliethraldom of sin and of death. In
personage, a mighty deliverer of mankind
of the grand originalpromise, that the seed of the woman
fact,the memory
should
preserved in the breasts of
eventuallycrush the serpent, was carefully
entered
it
their
Asiatics
into
the
and was
deeply
symbolicsuperstitions,
engraved
;
aloft amidst their mythologicsculptures."1
race

That

of

state

an

be inferred

was
expectedat this time may
Angel-Messiah
generally
from the following
facts : Some of the Gnostic sects of

who
Christians,

believed that Jesus

was

an

emanation

from

God.

supposedthat there were several ^Eons,or emanations from

Eternal Father.
Among those who taughtthis doctrine was

likewise
the

Basilides and his followers.2

Magus

Simon
Simon

was

believed to be

was

worshipedin

Samaria

After the ascension

few

became

Rome,

honor.
"He

so

in

were

numerous

the

Clement
wishes

Christ.' He
to

the

as
countries,

Lord

into heaven, certain

men

him
also of other nations,worshiped,confessing

His miracles

In

other

come."
pected
ex-

were

suborned

by

as

Among
a

our

should

who

said that they were

the Angel Messiah).
their agents,who
gods {i.e.,
these was
Simon, a certain Samaritan, whom
nearlyall the Samaritans

demons

and

of

He

God.

as a
Angel-Messiah,
Justin Martyrsays :
"

and

"

to be

that

to be found

theywere

considered
can

an

never

exalted

statue

Hindostan, voL. ii.p. 273.

Works, vol. viii. p. 353.

"

Hist.

See Lardner'a

Supreme

God."3

Simon

person, and

in allcountries.

was

erected in his

Magus,says
to be

that

considered 'the

be dissolved,assertingthat he will endure

eternity."

"

and admitted by all. His followers

notorious,

reignof Claudius,a
of
of Rome, speaking

claims that he

as

"

Apol. 1, ch. xxvi.

428

BIBLE

another person who evidently

believed himself
He was called by himself and his followers
Angel-Messiah.

Montanus
to be

an
u

the

SIYTHS.

was

or
Paraclete,"

"

Holy Spirit."1
in his EcclesiasticalHistory,
tellsus
Socrates,
:
(who lived after Jesus)
afore that time

"Who

Babylon, inhabited
:

that he

by

Persians,and

born

was

called Terebynthus,
which

was

of

publishedof

there

virgin,that

he

bred

was

of

one

Buddha*

to the coasts

went

of

himself many
false wonders
and brought up in the

mouDtains, etc.""

He

one
evidently,

was

of the many

to be the Paraclete

Another

believed themselves

Comforter,the "ExpectedOne."

or

of these Christs

one

fanatics who

Apollonius.This

was

able
remark-

few years before the commencement

of the
Christian era, and duringhis career, sustained the role of a philosopher,
and
of
and
He
worker
teacher
miracles.
a
reformer,
religious
was

man

born

From the history

years old.
and scholar,
the learned sophist
Philostratus,

is said to have lived to be

of his

written by
life,

hundred

:
gleanthe following
Before his birth a god appeared
to

we

his mother

that he himself should be born of her.

the most

Wonderful

was

the

All the

peopleof

Son of God."

"

her

the time of her delivery,

At

thingshappened.

country acknowledgedthat he

and informed

the

As he grew
and marvelous

in stature,his wonderful powers, greatness

of memory,
beautyattracted the attention of all. A greatpart of his time

spent,when

the disciples
youth,among the learned doctors;
and Aristotle. When
he came
to mau's estate,
Plato,Chrysippus

was

of

he became

an

His

enthusiastic admirer and devoted follower of

fame

he reformed

the

soon

spreadfar

and

worshipof
religious

near, and

wherever

oras.
Pythaghe

went

day. He weut to Ephesus.

like Christ Jesus to Jerusalem,
where the peopleflocked about him.
"While at Athens,in Greece,he cast out an evil spirit
from a youth.
As soon
fixed his eyes upon him, the demon
broke
as Apollonius
and then swore
out into the most angry and horrid expressions,
he
would departout of the youth. He put an end to a plaguewhich
and at Corinth he raised a dead maiden
to
was
ragingat Ephesus,
life,
by simplytakingher by the hand and biddingher arise. The
miracles of Apollonius
were
believed,
by Christians as
extensively
well

as

for
others,

Hierocles
and Jesus

drew
"

which

centuries

the

In the fourth century

the two Christs
Apollonius

after his time.

between
parallel
answered by Eusebius,the greatchampion
was

See Lardner's Works, vol. viii.p. 593.

"

Socrates

Eccl. Hist.,lib.i.ch. xvii.

WHY

CHRISTIANITY

of the Christian church.

but attributes them

In it he admits the miracles of Apollonius,

to sorcery.
as
worshiped

Apolloniuswas

420

PROSPERED.

as
god,in different countries,
A
late as the fourth century.
beautiful templewas built in honor
held in highesteem
of him,and he was
perors.
by many of the Pagan emhim in the fifth century,
Eunapius,who wrote concerning
should have been entitled The Descent of a
says that his history
a

"

God upon
The

"

It is

Earth."
universal

Albert Keville says

as

which

respectin

Apolloniuswas

held

by the whole pagan

SupernaturalBeing

world, testified to the deep impressionwhich

the life of this

had

expressionwhich caused
livingamong ws.'

left indelibly
fixed in their minds

contemporariesto exclaim,

We

'

have

Samaritan,by name
the apostles
of Jesus,was
himself to

was

own

about

went

Saviour,

"

sent

Justin

believed

performingmiracles,

down

from above from the

of mankind."

His influence

name.

for several centuries.

contemporary with

was

another of these fanatics who

He

of his

one

"

God

invisible worlds,for the salvation

followers in his

an

Menander, who

be the Christ.

claimingthat he

'

baptizedhis

He

great,and continued

was

other Christian Fathers

Martyr and

againsthim.

wrote

Manes
who

believed
evidently
to come."

was

him.
He

himself to be

"

the

Christ,"or

His followers also believed the

Eusebius,speakingof

him, says

same

"he

ing
concern-

representthe person of Christ ; he proclaimedhimself to be

the Comforter
and the Holy Ghost, and being puffedup with this frantic pride,
Christ,twelve partnersof his new-found
doctrine,patchchose,as if he were
ing
into one
of
out
false
and
detestable
doctrines
and
rooted
rotten,
old,
heap
the
which
out
Persia."
he brought
heresies,
of
"

presumed

to

The

word

Paraclete

Manes, says Usher

Comforter

or

in his

Saviour.

or

Annals,has the meaning of

This

at

into the

lets us

once

born from
a Christ
an Angel-Messiah,
incarnation,
the side of his mother, and put to a violent death
alive,
flayed
and hung up, or crucified,
by a king of Persia.3 This is the teacher
secret

"

new

"

"

with his twelve

Du

on
apostles

the rock of Gualior.

Perron,in his lifeof Zoroaster,

givesan

to be
prophecies

found

in the sacred books

of these is to the effectthat,at successive

appear

Eccl.

Eusebius:

Ibid. lib. 7, ch. xxx.

The death of Manes,
as

that he

Sons

according to Socrates,
King of Persia,hearing
in Mesopotamia, "made
him to be

follows
was

certain

Hist.,lib. 3, ch. xxiii.

2
3

was

earth

on

"

The

of

account

of certain

of the Persians.

of time,there
periods

who
Zoroaster,"

are

to

One
will

be the

apprehended, flayed him alive,took his skin,

chaff, and hanged it at the
gates of the city." (Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch.
xv.)

filled it full of

430

BIBLE

result of immaculate

MTTH3.

These virgin-Lorn
conceptions.
gods will
the law of God. It
establishing

come
upon earth for the purpose of
is also asserted that Zoroaster,
when
"

"

latter days

that

as

soon

as

would
pure virgin
the child was born a star would
a

noonday,with

at

called Sosiosh.
who
of

have been

earth,declared that in the

and bear a son, and
conceive,
on

undiminished
He

will redeem

temptingand

even
appear, blazing
splendor.This Christ is to be

mankind, and subdue

men
leading

astrayever

the

Devs,

the fall

since

firstparents.

our

Greeks

Among the
Delphiwas

the

The

Oracle

accordingto Plato,of an
depository,
and secret prophecyof the birth of a
Son of Apollo,"who
the reignof justice
and virtue on the earth.1
restore

ancient

of

same

prophecywas

found.

the

"

Those
Throne
is made

of

who

believed in successive emanations

of ^Eons from

the

the passage in the Gospelswhere Jesus

to say that he will be succeeded by the Paraclete or Comforter.
Mahommed
believed by many to be this Paraclete,
and
was

pointedto
Light,

it is said that he too told his

succeed

to

was

him.

From

that
disciples

present appearances,

another Paraclete would

however,there

is

some

for

that the Mohammedans

to have their anare
cient
believing
of those who preprophecyset at naught by the multiplicity
tend
it.
fulfill
to
to be divinely
The
appointed
presentyear was
at which this great reformer was
to arise,
as the period
designated
who should be almost,if not quite,
the equalof Mahommed.
His
mission was
from its corruptions
to be to purifythe religion
; to
and to rule,
overthrow those who had usurpedits control,
as a great
the faithful. According
to accepted
over
spiritual
caliph,
tradition,
the prophet
himself designated
the line of descent in which his most
would be found,and even
indicated his personal
importantsuccessor
reason

The time havingarrived,

it is not strangethat the
appearance.
is forthcoming,
than one
man
onlyin this instance there is more
claimant.

There is a
that

rival

Arabia,and his

sword
supporters,

relates to

of Jesus of Nazareth
persons

who

has allowed

reformer,while
designated
has appearedin Yemen,
pretender

upon Mecca, for the purpose of

within the sacred cityitself.

Historythen

in Morocco

that he is the

to be announced

show

"holyman"

claimed,and

an
were

in

hand, are

their
proclaiming

the

cable

it
ports
re-

in southern

advancing
leader as caliph
now

fact that at the time

indisputable
that many
was
Angel-Messiah
expected,
believed to be,the "ExpectedOne," and
us

Plato in Apolog. Anac,

ii. p. 189.

CHRISTIAOTTY

WHY

that the

why

reason

the Essenes

"

Messiah,and
there

of Jesus

If any

"

him

The

the Jews

than

not

was

because

was

It

wrote

follower

some

follows

as

because

was

the elect."1

acceptedas
the

the Messiah

by the

expecteda daring
majority

conqueror, who, armed with greater

to come
upon earth to rend the fetters in
and

irresistiblewarrior

power

"

even
possible,

Jesus

why

reasons

of
majority
and

to be the true

shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ,or, lo,ho is there ; believe

falseGhrisls and false prophets shall rise,and shall show signsand

seduce, if it were

to

body.

because

was

man

not ; for

wonders

who

knows

one

no

believed him

"

of these Christs in existence that

many

but

"

sect

to his followers in

over

allothers

above
accepted

was

numerous

very

came

so

were

Jesus

431

PROSPERED.

was
Caesar,

nation had so long groaned,

to avenge
them
hapless
their haughtyoppressors, and to re-establish the kingdom of
claimed to be the
althoughhe evidently
; and this Jesus

which

their

upon
Judah

"

Messiah

did not do.

"

the Roman
Tacitus,

historian,
says :

11

The generality
had a strong persuasion
that it was
that at that very time the east
writingsof the priests,

in the ancient

prevail:

and

that

Judea, should obtain the empire of the world ;

one,
which ambiguitiesforetold Vespasian and Titus.
But the common
people(of
who

some

the

be

should

contained
should

come

of

out

selves,
to themwishes, appropriated
Jews),according to the influence of human
their
the
could
this
foretold
vast
nor
fates,
interpretation,
grandeur
by
by
their
brought to change
opinionfor the true, by alltheir adversities."

Suetonius,another Roman
11

There

it was

had

recorded

some

who

one

historian,
says :

been for a long time all over

the east a constant persuasion that
that at that time
in the fates (books of the fates,or foretellinge),
It
should obtain universal dominion.
should come
out of Judea

referred to the Roman

appears by the event, that this prediction
it to themselves,rebelled."
the Jews, referring

This is corroborated
sa^ys
"

emperor

; but

the Jewish historian,

who
by Josephus,

That

which

prophecy,which
within
world..

chieflyexcited
was

many

wise

in truth, Vespasian'sempire

As

(the Jews)

to

war,

was

an

ambiguous
some

one,

their country, should arise,that should obtain tJie empire of the wlwle
For this they had received by tradition,
that it was
spoken of one of

their nation ; and

emperor

them

in the sacred books, that at that time

also found

(of Rome)

deceived

men

were

was

designed in

the interpretation.
But,
prophecy,who was created

with

this

in Judea."

the Rev. Dr. Geikie

acteristic
remarks,the central and dominant charof the teachingof the rabbis,
the certain advent of
was
"

Hark, xiii. 21, 22.

433

great national Deliverer

iri:":3.

eisls

the Messiah

"

but

"

not

God

from

heaven.
For

time

to
Cyrusappeared

realizethe

promisedDeliverer,
or,

to be the chosen instrument

to prepare the way for him,
least,
and,in his turn,Zerubdbel became the centre of Messianic hopes.
the national mind had become so inflammable,
In fact,
by constant
at

on
brooding

this

againstthe

Roman

theme,that

one

any bold

The

"

"

took

placeunder Cyrenius,Governor

the Roman
against
power.
of the
stung into exasperation
; the puritans

was
spirit

the
the enthusiasts,
fanatics,
nation,
constructionists of

and
faith,

that smoldered

in the bosom

in bitter hours.

believed.

keptthe
Lo

the

of the

The

race.

strong in these people;all the stronger on

was

be

not

law,the literal
the national temper,revived

fanned into flame the combustible elements

their political
degradation.Born
keen

zealots of the

prophecy,
appealedto

the national

hope

That

The

Jews

eastern

here,lo there

in sorrow,

Jehovah

be

anticipation
grew
them

atheism.

The

was

purelya

revealed

Messianic

hope

The cry
after claimant of

a camp
pitched
appeared,
a force,
was
banner,gathered
attacked,

not

abate.

the

last insurrection among

"

could

of insurrection.

raised the
wilderness,
but the frenzydid
defeated,
banished,or crucified;
Son of the Star

account. of

of the Messiah

in the

"

Messianic

abandon

Claimant

incessant.

was

the

would

thoughtwould
state
a perpetual

in
"

dangeroussupremacy

The

of

7),excited the wildest uproar

Hebrew

The

which

taxing

Syria(a.d.

"

revolt

power, could find an army of fierce disciples

trusted that it should be he who would redeem Israel.1

who

"

spirit,
risingin

an

Jews,that of Bar-Cochba
frenzyof zeal.
astonishing

uprising.Judaism

had

"

It

excited the fears

ities
Emperor Hadrian,and induced him to inflictunusual severstimulate
to
the people.The effect of the violence was
on
conviction to fury. The nightof their despair
more
was
once

of the

that

illumined

The
seen

of the Messiah

banner
in the

sky ;

the clouds

was
were

glorythat should appear. Bar-Cochba seemed to

ascribed
the popularidea of the deliverer. Miracles were
The vulgarimagination
; flames issued from his mouth.

watched
to him

star of the east.

Potents,as of old,were

raised.
fillout

by the
for the

haste to transform the audacious fanatic into a child of David.

Multitudes flocked to his standard. The whole Jewish race throughout

made

the world
The

was

about
heights

in commotion.

Jerusalem

Geikle

were

Life of

The

gainedhead.
and fortifioccupied,

insurrection

seized and

Christ,vol. i.p. 79.

434

BIBLE

MYTHS.

hand I have holden to subdue nations."1 The eighth

right
about six hundred years
captivity,
beganabout the Babylonish
period
before Christ Jesus. The ninth began with Christ Jesus,
making
whose

in all eightcycles
before Jesus.

What

"

known

was

in Judea

birth of Jesus Christ cannot

than

more

have been

century before the

hists
Buddamong
certain that
equally

introduced

by Christian missionaries. It will become

and church-historian,
when he wrote,
the bishop
Eusebius,was right
that the writings
of the Esthat he considered it highly
probable
in Egypt had been incorporated
into our Gospels,
senic Therapeuts
and into
For

Pauline

some

epistles."8
of
information on the subject

further

Esseuism

and

the reader
Christianity,

the connection

is referred to

tween
be-

Taylor's
Dunlap.
brought

and the works of S. F.

Bunsen's Angel-Messiah,
Diegesis,
We shall now
speakof another powerfullever which was
of Christianity
to bear upon
the promulgation
; namely,that

of

FRAUD.

It

was

thingamong

common

the

earlyChristian

Fathers

and

deceive,if their liesand deceits helpedthe cause

Christian author who
eminent
of their Christ. Lactantius,
an
lie and

""amts to

flourishedin the fourth century,has well said

be

there
"'Among those who seek power and gain from their religion,
wanting an inclination to forgeand lie for it."3

St.

to
Gregoryof Nazianzus,writing

will

never

Jerome,says :

littlejargon is all that is necessary to impose on the people. The less

Our forefathers and doctors have
the more
comprehend,
they admire.
they
circumstances
and necessity
what
but
dictated."4
often said,not what
they thought,
A

"

Eusebius^
Bishopof C^esarea,and friend of
Constantine the Great,who is our chief guidefor the earlyhistory
that he was
of the Church, confesses
cord
scrupulousto reby no means
the earlyChristians in the various
the whole truth concerning
behind him.*
Edward
works which he has left
Gibbon,speaking
of him, says :
The

celebrated

gravest of

the

ecclesiastical historians,
Eusebius

himself, indirectly
might redound to the glory,and that he has
suppressedall that could tend to the disgraceof religion.Such an acknowledgment
excite a suspicion that a writer who has so openly violated
will naturally
laws of history,
of the fundamental
has not paid a very strict regardto the
one
"The

confesses that he has

Isaiah,xlv. 1.

Bunsen

related what

Angel-Messiah, p. 17.
Quoted in Middleton's Letters from Rome,

p. 51.

The

Hieron

ad

Nep.

p. 177, note.
"
See his Eccl.

Quoted Volney's Rains,

Hist.,viii.21.

CHRISTIANITY

WHY

observance

other ; and

tne

o/

the

of EiiMebius, which

character

The

suspicionwill derive additional credit from

less tinctured

was

in the arts of courts, than

435

PROSPERED.

that of almost

with

and
credulity,

any of his
"

Beausobre,in his
great theologian,

more

the

ticed
prac-

contemporaries.'1
Histoire

Mani-

de

chee,"says :
I have related,a sort of hypocrisy,that has
in the historywhich
see
at all times ; that churchmen
not only do not
perhaps, but too common
what
what
do
direct
of
but
the
they think,
they
they think.
contrary
say
say
Philosophersin their cabinets ; out of them they are content with fables,though
"

We

been

to the executioner,
they are fables. Nay, more
; they deliver honest men
be
know
How
uttered
themselves
what
to
true.
having
they
many
atheists and pagans have burned holy men
under the pretextof heresy? Every
vinced
consecrate, and make people adore the host,though as well conday do hypocrites
that it is nothing but a bit of bread."9
as I am,

theywell

know

for

M.
"

Daille says

This

opinionhas always

estimation

that which

upon

in the world, that to settle a certain and

been

is good and

true, it is necessary to

of the way, whatsoever

to it. Neither
may be an hinderance
that even
those of the lwnest,innocent,primitive
times made
use
made
for a good end tliey

his

Reeves,in
"

It

was

Catholic

good things,and

that

Mosheim, the
"

It

held

was

and

even

truth and

to

scrupleto forgewhole books."*

of
Apologies

the

Fathers,"says

the philosophers,
that pious frauds were
opinionamong
the peopleought to be imposed on in matters of religion."4

ecclesiasticalhistorian,
says :
a

use

ought we to wonder
ing
seeof these deceits,

maxim
the

that it

expedientof

only lawful

not

was
a

lie,in order

but

to

praiseworthyto

advance

the

cause

ceive,
de-

of

piety."6

Isaac de
"It

as

"

no

sured
as-

out

remove

Casaubon,the greatecclesiasticalscholar,
says

mightilyaffects me,

in the earliest times of

there were
many
the church, who considered it as a capital
to lend to heavenly truth the
exploit,
doctrine might be more
inventions,in order that the new
help of their own

readilyallowed by
wont

nne

to say, were

devised

Gibbon's Rome,

"Onvoit
sorte

the wise

to see

among

how

the Gentiles.

for a good end.

vol. ii. pp. 79, 80.

l'histoireque
j'airapportee.
d'hypocrisie,qui n'a peut-etre ete
dans

dans tous les terns. C'est que

que trop
non-sulement
disent pas
ne
des ecclesiastiques,
commune

qu'ilspensent,mais desent tout le contraire

de ce qu'ilspensent. Philosophes daus leur
cabinet,hors dela, ils content, des fables, quoiqu'ilssachentbien
que ce sont des fables. Ils
font plus ; ils livrent au bourreau des gons de
d'athees et
biens,pour l'avoir dit. Combiens
de profanes ont fait bruler de saints personpretexte d'heresie ? Tous les jours
nages, sous
et
adorer
des hypocrites, consacrent
font
Thostie,bein qu"ilssoient uussi convaincus que
ce

These

lies,
officious
they were

"6

moi,

que

cen' est

qu'nn

morceau

de

pain.'

(Tom. 2, p. 568.)
3
4

On the Use of the Fathers,pp. 36, 37.

Quoted in Taylor'sSyntagma, p. 170.

"

Mosheim

"

"

Postremo

vol. 1, p. 198.
illud quoque

me

vehi-nunter

primis ecclesiae temponplurimos extitisse,qui facinus

bus, quam
palmarium judicabant, cselestem veritatem.
figmentis suis ire adjutum, quo facilius nova
a
doctrina
gentium sapientibusadmitteretur
movet, quod videam

Omciosa

hsec mendacia

vocabant

bono

fine

exeogitata." (Quoted in Taylor'sDiegesis,p.

and Christian Records
44, and Giles' Hebrew
vol ii.p. 19.)

436

BIBLE

MYTHS.

ApostolicFather,Hermas, who was the fellow-laborer of

St. Paul iu the work of the ministry
as such in the
; who is greeted
New
Testament ; and whose writings
are
expressly
quoted as of
divine inspiration,
confesses that
by the earlyFathers,ingenuously
sin of a Christian. His words are :
lyingwas the easily-besetting
The

Lord, I never
spake a true word in my life,but I have always lived in
a
nd
affirmed
and no
contradicted
a lie for truth to all men,
man
dissimulation,
"O

but all gave credit to my

me,

To which

the

he

whom
holyangel,

admonishes

him, that

up, and
as well

in time

as

words."

as

the lie was

it would

come

addresses,
condescendingly
he had

up, now,

better

keep it

it would
believed,

to be

answer

truth.1

as

Dr. Mosheim
it

as

held
admits,that the Platonists and Pythagoreans
ceive,
to demaxim, that it was not onlylawful,but praiseworthy,
and even
in order to advance the
to use the expedient
of a lie,

of truth

cause

and

The

piety.

learned and received this maxim

who

Egypt,had

lived in

them,before the coming of

from a multitude of ancient
incontestably

Christ

Jesus,as appears
and the Christians
records,
with the
Of

Jews
from

were

both these sources,

infected
from

error?
pernicious

same

the fifteen letters ascribed to

(Bishopof Antioch
Ignatius
after 69 a. d.),
ing
have been rejected
eight
by Christian writers as beThe remaining
whatever.
having no authority
forgeries,
puted
disaccounted genuineby most critics,
seven
were
epistles
although
"

by
have

previousto

some,

Cureton,which

the discoveries of Mr.

the credit and

shaken, and indeed almost whollydestroyed

authenticity
of all

alike"*

Paul of

who was preaching

had already
a doctrine which
Tarsus,
been preachedto every nation on earth,4
the
inculcates and avows
of deceiving
the common
talks of his havingbeen
principle
people,
them
and catching
upbraidedby his own converts with beingcrafty
with guile,6
and of his known and willful lies,
abounding to the

gloryof

God.6

Even

the orthodox Doctor

in his treatise

See the Vision

"

De Statu Mortuorum"

of Hermas,

Mosheimrvol. i. p. 197.
Diegesis,p. 47.
8

Dr. Giles

vol. ii.p. 99.

4 " Continue

Burnet,an eminent

Hebrew

and

b. 2,

c.

iii.

Records,

in

the

; whereof

I Paul

am

faith

grounded

and

"

For

abounded

yet

am

iii 7.)

if

the

truth

through my
I also judged

of

Latin,

minister."

with

God
his

had

guile."
more

glory,why
sinner."
(Romans,

lie unto
as

in

made

i. 23.)
(Colossians,
*
Being crafty,I caught you
(II.Cor. xii. 16.)
"

Christian

and be not moved

settled,
away from the hope
gospel,which ye have heard, and which
was
preached to every creature which is under
of the

written
purposely

heaven

Quoted in Taylor's

Englishauthor,

WHY

CHRISTIANITY

437

PROSPERED.

that it

might serve for the instruction of the clergy

only,and not
to the knowledgeof the laity,
come
because,as he said, too much
is
weak
but recomlight hurtfulfor
mended
eyes" not only justified
"

the
have

of the most consummate

and would
practice
hypocrisy,
and
clergyseriously
preach and maintain the reality

his

of
eternity

hell torments,even
of the sort themselves.1
The

incredible and

thoughtheyshould

very ridiculous stories related

Fathers and ecclesiasticalhistorians,

whom
on
on
for information

believe

the most

by

nothing

Christian

to rely
obliged
show us how
important
of subjects,
we

are

these men
We
the story
were.
have, for instance,
untrustworthy
related by St. Augustine,
who is styled the greatestof the Latin
of his preaching
the Gospelto people
without heads. In
Fathers,"
"

his 33d Sermon

"'

he says

alreadyBishop of Hippo, when I

Christ there to preach the Gospel.

was

of

went

into

Ethiopiawith

some

ants
serv-

In this country we
saw
men
many
and women
without
had two great eyes in their breasts ; and in
heads, who
countries stillmore
heads."2
southly,we saw peoplewho had but one eye in their fore-

This

holy Father

same

bears

an

to several resurrections of the

been

eye-witness.

an

In

book written

zealous

some

all know

infant into his

and

we

were

"

towards the close of the second

and fathered upon

believer,"

said to have been

"We

of
disciple

Christ

the blessed Simeon, the

in the

arms

temple.

This

all 'present at their death and

1,4Simetamenaudirevelis, mallem te paenas

has dicere indefinitas quam infinitas. Sedveniet
non
minus
dies, cum
absurda, habebitur et
odiosa

haec

hodie."

mony
testiequally
unquestionable
had
dead,of which he himself

opinio quam

transubstantiatio

Mort., p. 304.
Quoted in
Taylor'sDiegesis,p. 43.)
2
Quoted in Taylor's Syntagma, p. 52.
(De

Statu

stories
the ancients,
there were
many
of countries, the inhabitants of which

Among

Nicodemus,who

one

Jesus,we

find the

who
high priest,

same

Simeon

funeral.

had

Go

century,by

took
two

is

:
following

Jesus when

an

of his own,
and see their

sons

therefore

of the ragged country (of the Seythians),a

found
people are
living at the foot of lofty
mountains, who are said to be all bald from
their birth, both

men

and

alike, and

women

they are flat-nosed,and have large chins.1'

These bald men
(Ibid.ch. 23.)
say, what to
is incredible,
that men
with goafs feet inme
"

habit

these

mountains

and

when

one

has

are
found, who
passed beyond them, other men
were
of peculiarsize, form
or
features. Our
sleepsix months at a time, but this I do not at
Christian saint evidentlybelieved these tales, all admit."
(Ibid.ch. 24.) In the country westothers
and thinking thus, sought to make
ward of Libya, there are enormous
beserpents,
lieve them.
find the following examples
and lions,elephants, bears, asps, and
We
asses
with horns, and
related by Herodotus :
monsters
with dog's heads
Aristeas,son of Cayand without
strobius,a native of Proconesus, 6ays in his
heads, who have eyes in their
as
the Libyans say, and wild
that, inspiredby Apollo, he came
breaets, at least,
epic verses
men
and wild women,
to the Issedones ; that beyond the Issedones
and
other wild
many
not fabulous."
beasts which
dwell the Arimaspians, a people that have only
are
(Ibid.ch.
192.)
W.eeye:''(Herodotus, book iv.ch. 13.) "When
has passed through a considerable extent
one

current

"

"

438

BIBLE

MYTHS.

tombs, for these

are open, and they are risen ; and behold, theyare

in offices
ArimathcBa,spendingtheir time together
of devotion."*

in the citycf

Eusebius," the Father of ecclesiasticalhistory,"

Bishopof Csesarea, and

of the most

prominentpersonages at the Council of

relates as truth,the ridiculous storyof King xlgbarus
.Nice,
writing
Christ
to
and
letter
Jesus'
of
same.2
And
a
to the
answer
Jesus,
one

Socrates relates how

went
Constantine,
"

the

Empress Helen, mother

of Christ."

cross

of the

to Jerusalem

nails with which

Beside

the

he

was

for the purpose of

This she succeeded in

doing,also the

nailed to the cross.3

the

and deceiving
for
forging,
lying,

the Christian Fathers

all evidence
destroyed

their

theycame

which
religion,

Emperor
if posfinding,
sible,

of

cause

Christ,

themselves and
against

Christian divines

across.

to

seem

have

been afraid of too much

always'
light.In the very infancy
of printing,
Cardinal Wolsey foresaw its effect on Christianity,
and
in a speechto the clergy,
forewarned them, that,if they
publicly
did not destroy
the Press,the Press would destroy
them.* There
be no doubt,that had the objections
of Porphyry,6
can
Hierocles,6
and other opponents of the Christian faith,
been permitted
Celsus,7
to come
down to us, the plagiarism
in the Christian Scriptures
from
previously
chargethey
existing
Pagan documents,is the specific
would have presented
But these were
ordered to be burned,
us.
by the prudentpietyof the Christian emperors.
In Alexandria,
in Egypt,there was
founded
immense library,
an
situated in the Alexandrian
was
by the Ptolemies. This library

Museum

allottedfor it were
; the apartments which were
and crowded with the choicest statues and
sculptured,
built of marble.

was
building

pictures
; the
eventually
comprised
library

This

Nicodemus, Apoc, ch. xii.

: Eccl. Hist.,lib. 1, ch. xiv.

people for

See Eusebius

were

not

Socrates

work

In the

Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. xiii.

1444, Caxton
published the
printed in England. In 1474,
the then Bishop of London, in a convocation
of his clergy,said :
do
not destroy
If we
this dangerous invention,it will one
day deLetters from
stroy us."
(See Middleton's
Kome, p. 4.) The reader should compare this
with
Pope Leo X.'s avowal that, " it is well
known
how profitable
this fable of Christ has
been to us ,*"and Archdeacon
Paley's declaration that
he could ill afford to have a confirst book

year

ever

"

"

science"
6

long while

insensible of

as

270 a.d., a
large work

flourished

of great

about

the year

made

of fifteen books

"

"

the Christians

importance
from

the

of his

several

by Eusebius, and others

learning." (Vol. viii. p.
fragments of these fifteen
books
remaining, Christian magistrateshaving ordered them to be destroyed. (Ibid.)
" Hierocles was
a
Neo-Platonist,who lived
answers

to it

in great repute for

158.) There are but

at Alexandria

about

century, and

enjoyed

the author

was

few
T

extracts

Celsus

was

work

of

the

an

middle

of

the

fifth

great reputation. Ho
of works,
great number
a

of which

alone

remain.

Epicurean philosopher,who
century

a.d.

He

wrote

Word," against Chrisit has been destroyed we know

it. Origen claims to give quota

called "The

abilities,
tianity,but as
published a
againstthe Chrisnothing about
tians.
His objectionsagainstChristianity,1' tions from it.
says Dr. Lardner, were in esteem with Gentile
man

; and

the

be concluded

may

lived in the second

Porphyry, who

beautifully

True

WHY

four hundred

CHRISTIANITY

439

PROSPERED.

thousand volumes.

In the

course

of

time,probably
books,an
many

of

for so
inadequateaccommodation
and placedin the templeof Seradditional library
was
established,
which was called the
apis. The number of volumes in this library,
three hundred
was
daughterof that in the museum,
eventually
thousand.
There were, therefore,
hundred thousand volumes
seven
these royalcollections.
m
In the establishment of the museum,
and his
Ptolemy Soter,
in view : 1. The perpetuation
had three objects
son
Philadelphus,
on

account

of such

knowledgeas

then in the world ; 2. Its increase ; 3. Its

was

diffusion.
1. For

the perpetuation
of knowledge.Orders

the chief librarian to

could.
whose
owners

into

body of

duty it was
not

were

Egypt

copieshad

were

been

buy,at

king's
expense,

transcribers
make

to

taken at

sell.

once

to

whatever

in the museum,
copiesof such works as their

Any

books

broughtbyforeigners

the museum,

and when

was
made, the transcript
given to the

placedin
original
was
indemnity
paid.

the

books he

maintained

was

correct

to
disposed

the

2. For

the

givento

were

library.Often

very

correct

owner,

and

largepecuniary

the increase

of
ofknowledge.One of the chief objects
the museum
who
that of serving
of a body of men
was
as the home
and were
devoted themselves to study,
lodgedand maintained at
the king's
In the original
of the museum
organization
expense.
the residents were

divided into four

over
presided

itsinterests. Demetius

"

officer of very great distinction

the establishment,
and had general
chargeof

Astronomy,and

Medicine.

matics,
Mathefaculties,Literature,
An

Phalareus,
perhapsthe

most

learned

man

of his age, who had been Governor of Athens for many years, was
Under
office
him was
the librarian,
the first so appointed.
an
have descended to our times,
by men whose names
In connection with the
Eratosthenes and Apollonius
Rhodius.
as
museum
was
a botanical and a zoological
garden. These gardens,
the study
for the purpose of facilitating
were
as their names
imply,
also an astronomical observatory,
of plants
and animals. There was
solstitialand equatorial
armillary
containing
spheres,
globes,
and other apparatus then in
armils,astrolabes,
rules,
parallactic
the divided instruments beinginto degrees
on
use, the graduation
sometimes

held

and sixths.
was
diffusion
ofknowledge.In the museum
given,
other
instruction
or
methods,
conversation,
appropriate
by lectures,
human
of
all
the various departments
in
knowledge.

3. For the

440

BIBLE

There

students
this greatintellectualcent/re,

to
flocked

countries. It is said that

thousand

MYTHS.

at

in attendance.

were

churoh received from it some

than fourteen

fewer

time not

one

all

from

the Christian

even
Subsequently

eminent of its Fathers,

as

of the most

Alexandrinus,Origen,
Athanasius,"c.

Clemens

andria
of Alexin the museum
burned duringthe siege
was
library
the
by Julius Caesar. To make amends for this great loss,
collected by Eumenes, King of Pergamus,was presented
by
library
it was
founded as
Mark
Antony to Queen Cleopatra.Originally
The

It

rival to that of the Ptolemies.

the

It
as

not

was

templeof Serapis.1

the

or
Serapion,

this very valuable

was
library

who
martyrs,"

"

had

church in honor

existed.

never

says that, after

the historian Gibbon, who

"

destroyed,the

was
library

excited the

erected

was
foundation,

its very

noble army of
This we learn from

this

remain

spot where this beautiful templeof Serapis

the

on

on
stood,in fact,

of the

there many centuries,

destroyed
willfully
by the Christian

destined,
however, to

and
Theophilus,

added to the collection in

was

appearance
of every
indignation

regretand

of the empty shelves

whose mind
spectator,

darkened by religious
prejudice."3
totally
almost the death-blow
The destruction of this library
was
than
for more
ruled
free-thought wherever Christianity
not

was

"

"

thousand

years.

death-blow

The
done

to

Saint

by

was

be

to

soon

however, which
struck,

Theophilusas Bishop of

succeeded

Cyril,who

was

Alexandria.
endeavored
of Theon,the mathematician,
Hypatia,the daughter
to

continue

academy

stood

the old-time instructions. Each

long train

with the wealth

crowded

to listen to her discourses

has

asked,but which have

"Where

am

I%

What

can

and
on

day before

of chariots ; her lecture-room

fashion of Alexandria.
They

those

which
questions

yet been answered

never

I know

man
:

"

her
was

came

in all ages

What

ami!

?"

and bigotry
Cyril; philosophy
; theycannot exist
assaulted
to her academy,she was
together.As Hypatiarepaired
mob
a mob
Strippednaked
of many monks.
by (Saint)
Cyril's
and there killed by the
she was draggedinto a church,
in the street,
the flesh
The corpse was cut to pieces,
club of Peter the Reader.
cast into
and the remnants
was
scrapedfrom the bones with shells,

Hypatia

and

"

afire. For

thisfrightful
crime

Draper : Religionand Science,pp.

Cyrilwas

18-21.

never

Gibbon

called to account

Rome, vol. iii.p, 146.

442

BIBLE

affordsthe only true

the history
ofreligion"

solution

tmc

That, Buddhism

MYTHS.

in
difficulties

innumerable

of

had

"

in the dominions
been planted
actually
of the Seleucidse and Ptolemies (Palestine
belongingto the former)
before the beginningof the third century b. a, and is proved to
demonstration by a passage in the edicts of Asoka."
10. That, it is very likely
that the commentaries
(Scriptures)
which were
them
the
were
(theEssenes)
Gospels."
among
doctrines and rites of the Essenes can
11. That, the principal
be connected with the East,with Parsism,and especially
with
9.

"

"

Buddhism."

That, " among

12.

had in

common

That,

13.

"

That, the

the birth of Christ."

"

had been

to Jesus

introduced
Essenic

very

appliedto

Christ

this

ancient and Eastern doctrine of the

by

Gautama

the Essenes

Messianic

new

Buddha, and

ofEgypt and

it

so

Angel-

was

plied
apwho
Palestine,

doctrine into Essenic Judaism

and

Christianity."
"

15.

That,

we

there

can

40 ; and

hear very littleof them (theEssenes)

after a.d.
hardlybe any doubt that the Essenes as a body

have embraced

must

Angel-Messiah"
a flourishing
or
university
in Egypt,longbefore the
at Alexandria,

they (theEssenes)had

periodassignedfor
Messiah

hists
Budd-

and

that of the

was

corporatebody,established
14.

the Essenes

the doctrines which

Here

is the

Hindoos

Christianity."
problem.

solution of the

Buddhists

and

at Alexandria.

The

the
applied

the

were

among
who
Essenes,

legendof

The

sacred books of

Essenes,and

were

in the

library

tians,
called Chris-

afterwards
"

the

Angel-Messiah the very ancient

Eastern doctrine,"
which
have shown
we
throughoutthis work
It was
to Christ Jesus.
formation
simplya transformation of names, a transwhich had previously
occurred in many
cases.1 After
this came
additions to the legendfrom other sources.
Portions of
the legends
related of the Persian,
Greek and Roman
Saviours and
"

"

Redeemers

of

alreadylegendaryhistoryof
1

We

have

of Crishna
the

former,

tribution

longing
by which
more

in the cases
particularly
Mr. Cox, speaking of
If it be urged that the atof qualities
beor
powers

Buddha.

says

"

to Crishna

the

other

deities is

his devotees

to

to

ancient

sought
gods, the answer

nothing has been done in his

case

mere

device

supersede the
must
which

be

time

to

the Christian

this

seen

and

from

mankind,were,

that

has not

time, added
Saviour.

to

Thus

the
his-

been done in the

case of almost every other memher of the great company

of the gods." (Aryan
Mythology, vol. ii.p. 130.) These words apply

to the

case

we

ply attributed

have
with

before

Jesus

us.

the

was

sim-

qualitiesor powers
which
had
been
to
previously attributed
other deities. This we hope to be able to fully
demonstrate
in our chapter on
Explanation."
"

CHRISTIANITY

WHY

itself.
repeating
worshipedby all nations

Thus

torywas

In
how

but

was

names,
a

the

and

one

"Alexandria, the home

God and Saviour,

virgin-born
earth,
thoughcalled by different

same.

subsequent
chapterwe
myth originated.

Albert Reville says

the

of the

the

443

PROSPERED.

shall see who

thisOne

God

was, and

of

Philonism,and

Neo-Platonism

(and we might add

the centre wJience spread the dogma of the deityof Jesus
naturally
Christ. In that city,through the third century, flourished a school of transcendental
afterwards
looked
with
the
of
conservators
suspicionby
theology,
upon
ecclesiastical doctrine,but not the less the real cradle of orthodoxy. It was
still
the Platonic tendency which influenced the speculations
of Clement, Origen and
and the theory of the Logos was
of their theat the foundation
ology."1
Dionysius,
Essenism),was

the

circulation among
the Christians
the first three centuries,
there was
entitled "The
one

Among
of

Gospelof

the

gospelsin

numerous

Egyptians."Epiphanius(a.d. 385),speakingof

it,says :
"

Many things are proposed(inthis Gospel of the Egyptians)in a hidden,

as
Saviour, as though he had said to his disciples,
mysteriousmanner,
by our
the same
that the Father
was
person, the Son the same
person, and the Holy
Ghost the same
person."
That this was

of the

one

"

"

Scripturesof

the

becomes
Essenes,

find it admitted by the most

learned of
we
very evident when
in existence "before
Christiau theologians
either of the
that it was
canonical
a

Gospels"and

doctrine not

327,but which

Egypt,which

was

that it contained the doctrine of the Trinity,

established in the Christian church

taughtby this

has been well

Buddhist

sect in

until a.

d.

in
Alexandria,

"

called, Egypt,the land of Trinities."

learned Dr. Grabe

tians
thoughtit was composedby some Chriseither of the canonin Egypt,and that it was published
ical
before
Gospels.Dr. Mill also believed that it was composed before
either of the canonical Gospels,
and,what is more
importantthan
that the authors of it were
Essenes.
all,
These
Scripturesof the Essenes were undoubtedly
amalgamated
the
with the
the
result
Christians,
beingthe
Gospels of
canonical Gospelsas we
have them.
The
now
Gospelof the
the one hand, and the
on
Hebrews,"and such like,
Gospelof the
or
Essenes,and such like,on the other. That the
Egyptians,"
spokeof Jesus of Nazareth as the son of
Gospelof the Hebrews
and that it taught
to the flesh,
nothing
Josephand Mary, according
The

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

about his

his resurrection from the dead,and other such

miracles,
1 "

Dogma

of

the

Deity of Jesns Christ," p. 41.

444

BIBLE

MYTHS.

how

all

escapingfrom

the

understand

now

reach

with

continue

must

"

Do we
certainty.
dian,
Inthe traditions and legends,
originally
able to
great focus throughEgypt,were
to

Rome

and

Judea, Greece

To
we

allhands.

on

almost
Angel,is a probability

Anointed

an

or

That the

"

Scripturesof the
which
Essenes contained the whole legendof the Angel-Messiah,
of Jesus,
afterwards added to the history
was
making him a Christ,
is admitted
prodigies,

prospered,"
"why Christianity
subject,

our

great support to the cause, i. e.,

of Buddha, says :
Bunsen, speaking

speak of another

now

Persecution.

Ernest de

It has
been propagatedby the sword.
has never
religion
d
evotees."
and
of
influence
the
persevering
peaceable
entirely
by
His

"

Can

we

say

much

as

for what is termed

has had
No ! this religion

the

"

of Christ f9
religion

"Persecution"

the
firebrand,

and

the aid of the sword

rack and the thumb-screw.

been effected

is to be

written

seen

on

from the time of Constantine even

the pages of ecclesiastical
history,
the first
to the presentday.1 This Christian emperor and saint was
to check free-thought.
"

search in vain," (saysM.

We

Constantine,for any

Renan),
aimed

enactment

"

in the collection of Roman

free

at

persecutionof abstract doctrine. Not

the Middle Ages would
have burned
lived in peace, protectedby the law."9

the emperors, for a

disturbed. Men whom

cian,Plotinus

"

in the

thought,or

singlesavant

such

"

laws before

historyof
was

Galen, Lu-

as

pagan, Constantine embraced the Christian

motives. Having committed horrid crimes,
faith from the following
and educated

Born

murders,8and,

fact,havingcommitted

in

he

would

had

have

his

him

of
by sacrifice,
these horrible murders, and could not have his purpose
(for they answered
it lay not in their power
to cleanse him)4he lightedat last upon
an
plainly,
and
him
tian
Chrisof
that
the
out
who
Iberia,
came
being persuadedby
Egyptian
it ever so heinous,he emof force to wipe away
faith was
braced
every sin,were
the Egyptian told him."5
at whatever
willingly
When

"

(Pagan)priestspurge

of the old religionof Russia

persecuted in that country within
in enlightened Engthe past year, and even
land,a gentleman has been persecuted by gov1

Adherents
been

have

ernment
a

he believes in neither

officials because

personalGod

or

committed

by this Christian

saint, is

con-

strained to say that: " The death of Crispusis

altogether without any good excuse, so likeis

wise

the

could

who

personal Devil.

above

Lectures, p. 22.

have

death
not

eleven

of

have

years

the

been

young

Licinianus,
than

more

little

of age, and appears

with any fault,and

not

to

Maximi"n,

Hi^

310

could
charged
hardly be suspected of any."
4 The
Emperor Nero could not be baptized
and
be initiated into Pagan Mysteries" as

Bassianus,

His sister's husband,

a.d.

314

Constantine

Licinius,
Fausta,
Sopater,

His

a.d.

319

Christians"

a.d.

320

mother.

His former

Licinius,

His sister's husband,

Renan,

The

tims

Hibbert

following are

the

of his vie-

names

wife's fatber,

nephew,

His wife,

friend,

His own
Crispus,
son,
Dr. Lardner, in speaking

of

the

p.

been

account

the

of

his

certainly could

have

did

a.d.

321

which

325

prieststo initiate him.

a.d.

326

of

dare

he

a.d.

murders

of the

not

And
he

those

murder

initiated into

was
on

to

compel"

done

Zosimus, in Socrates, lib.ill.ch. xl.

"

the

WHY

Mons.

CHRISTIANITY

of
DupuiSjspeaking

445

PROSPERED.

this conversion,
says

"Constantine, soiled with

his wife, after repeated
the heathen

all sorts of crimes,and stained with the blood of

perjuriesand assassinations,
presented himself before

in order
priests

to be absolved

of

so many
outrages he had committed.
answered, tbat amongst the various kinds of expiations,there was none
which could expiateso many
crimes, and that no religionwhatever could oiler
efficient protectionagainst the justice
of the gods ; and
Constantine was
peror.
em-

He

was

One

of the courtiers of the

palace,who witnessed the trouble and agita

tionof his mind, torn by remorse,
which
nothing could appease, informed him,
that the evil he was
sufferingwas not without a remedy ; that there existed in
the

of
religion

the Christians certain

misdeeds, of whatever

nature, and

which
purifications,

in whatsoever

expiated every kind of

number

they were : that one

converted to it,as impious
was
religion
was, that whoever
and as greata villain as he might be, could hope that his crimes were
immediately
'
From
that moment,
Constantine declared himself the protector of a
forgotten.
sect which
treats great criminals with so much
a great villain,
lenity.2He was
of the

promisesof

the

tried to lull himself with illusions to smother

who

By

the

a
delayof baptism,

faith could venture

who

had

acceptedthe true
to indulge
in the enjoyment
their passions
freely

of this world,while
of salvation ;

his remorse."3

person

theystillretained

we
therefore,

find that

in their own

hands the

means

Constantine,
althoughhe

cepted
ac-

the

did not get baptized

until he was on his death-bed,
faith,
he wished to continue,
the wicked lifehe was
as longas possible,

as

of him, says :
leading.Mr. Gibbon,speaking
"The

seemed to countenance
the
example and reputationof Constantine
delayof baptism. Future tyrantswere
encouragedto believe,that the innocent
blood which they might shed in a long reign would instantly
be washed
away
in the waters
of regeneration
and
of
undermined
the
abuse
religiondangerously
;
the foundations

"

of moral

virtue."4

baptism was supposed

expiationof sin ;
and
the soul was
instantly restored to its
originalpurity and entitled to the promise of
the proselytesof
eternal salvation.
Among
there were
who
judged it
Christianity,
many
a salutaryrite,which
imprudent to precipitate
could not be repeated. By the delay of their
baptism, they could venture freelyto indulge
their passionsin the enjoyments of this world,
hands
while they still retained in their own
and speedy absolution."
the means
of a sure
(Gibbon : ii.pp. 272, 273.)
2
Constantine, as he was
praying about
him
vision in the
a
noon-iMe, God showed
the sign of the cross
lively
sky, which was
figured in the air, with this inscriptionon
it: 'In hoc
vince ;' tbat is, By this overcome.'
This is the story as related by Ensebius (Life of Constantine,lib. 1,ch. xxii.),but
1

The

to contain

sacrament
a

of

full and absolute

"

'

"

it must

be remembered

that Eusebius

and

commanded

him

to make

acknowl-

night
dream,
the figureof the

edged that he told falsehoods.

Christ appeared unto Constantine

That

in his

cross

which

his banner

he
when

had

to wear
it in
seen, and
he went
to battle with his

enemies.

(See Eusebius1

lib. 1, ch.

xxiii.

See

Life of Constantine.

also, Socrates

EccL

Hist.,lib. 1, ch. ii.)

*
Dupuis, p. 405.
* Gibbon's
vol. il. p. 373.
The
Rome,
censured
this criminal
Fathers, who
delay,
could not deny the certain and victorious efflof a death-bed
baptism. The incacy even
genious rhetoric of Chrysostom (a.d. 347-^107)
could find only three arguments against these
prudent Christians. 1. " Tbat we should love
and pursue
virtue for her own
sake, and not
2. That we
be
merely for the reward.
may
surprised by death without an opportunity of

baptism. 3. That although we shall be placed

heaven, we shall only twinkle like little
of rightecompared to the suns
stars, when
who
have run
their appointed course
ousness
and
with glory."
with
labor, with success,
(Chrysostom in Epist.ad Hebrseos. Homil. xiii.
Quoted in Gibbon's "Rome," ii. 272.)
in

446

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Eusebius,in his

he

was

Before

them

thus unto

his death,he confessed

near

of God, and was

doing so, he assembled

baptized.
the bishopsof

for them

pardon
"

thoughtthat

he

"When

that

tellsus
Constantine,"

Life of

"

"

his sins,

desiring

and spake
together,

Nicomedia

desired of God these manyBrethren, the salvation which I have earnestly

should be sealed
that we
therefore
It
is
time
I
do
this
now
day expect.
years,
"

'

and

signedwith

though I proposed to receive it

for our example was
baptized,
yet God,
appointed that I shall receive it in this

badge of immortality. And

the

in the river Jordan, in which

Saviour

our

knowing what is fittest for me, hath

let me
not be delayed.'
place,therefore
the
service of baptism was
"And
read, they baptizedhim with all
so, after
So that Constantine
the ceremonies
belonging to this mysterious sacrament.
who
was
the first of all the emperors
was
regenerated
tism,
by the new birth of bapof
cross."1
the
with
the
and that was
sign
signed
"

commenced

Egypt,he

from

monk

good news from

by conferring
many

Constantine had heard the

When

and those onlywho

Christians,

the

addicted

were

to

the Christian

on
dignities
Christianity,

"c.9 He then issued edicts

governors of his provinces,
heretics,i. e., those who, like Arius,did not believe that
against

he

made

"

Christ

"

was

them
of

"enemies

meet

wont

to

the Father"

substance with

of truth and eternal

"

He

death,""c.8

dare "to
were

of one

and others

life," authors

commanded

by law

"

that

where
and that "all places
conventicles,"
keep their meetingsshould be demolished" or

contrary to
opinions
This

Caused

"

the

church,were

Constantine,
says Eusebius
his

with his hands

divers gates of

they

at

;"4and Constantine was

By this means," says Eusebius," such as maintained

and

should

none

to the Catholic church

"

ing
call-

"

and councillors

"

"

fiscated
con-

emperor.

doctrines

suppressed"*

image to be engraven on his goldcoins,in the form of prayer,

and looking up towards Heaven."
"And
over
joinedtogether,
his palace,
he was drawn
praying,and lifting
up his hands and

eyes to heaven."6

After his
the Roman

on

reached down

"

of this
death, effigies
"

coins,

in and
sitting

from heaven

"

man

were

engraved

and
driving chariot,
a

to receive and

hopesof wealth and

The

blessed

the
honors,

take him

hand

up."7

exampleof

an

emperor,
diffused conviction among
his exhortations,
his irresistiblesmiles,
1

Lib.

and
4, chs. lxi. and lxii.,

Socrates

Eccl. Hist.,lib. 2, ch. xxvi.

9

Eusebius

lifeof Constantine,lib.2, ch.

xliii.
"
4
"
"
'

Ibid. lib. 8, ch. lxii.

Ibid. lib. 8, ch lxiii.
Ibid. lib. 3, ch. lxiv.
Ibid. lib. 4, ch. xv.

Ibid. ch. lxiii.

Plato
places the ferocious tyrants in the
Tartarus,such as Ardiacus of Pamphylia, who
had slain his own
father,a venerable old
man,
with

also
a

covered

elder brother, and

an

great many
with

other crimes.

similar

by the Christians,who
and tainted

him

crimes,was

was

better treated

have sent him

besides.

stained

Constantine,
to heaven

CHRISTIANITY

WHY

447

PROSPERED.

the venal and

obsequiouscrowds which unsuallyfillthe apartments

of a palace,
and as the lower ranks of society
are
governed
eminence
by example,the conversion of those who possessed
any
of power, or of riches,
of birth,
was
soon
followedby dependent
multitudes.
Constantine passeda law which gave freedom to all
the slaves who

should embrace

he gave
slaves,

not

and to
Christianity,

white

garment and

those who

of gold,
twenty pieces

their

embracingthe Christian faith. The

t\xu$,
were
purchasedat such an easy rate that,in
thousand
at -Rome,besides
men
were
baptized

upon

of

number

women

were

people

common

year, twelve

one

proportionable

and children.1

To suppress the opinions

of philosophers,
which were
contrary
the Christian emperors
to Christianity,
edicts. The
published
decrees of the emperors Constantine and Theodosius,*
respective
ran
generally

in the

of the Christian
should be

in the possession
of
religion,

found,should be committed

would

wrath,should
The

that all writings

adverse

"

words,

not

that those

be allowed

is
following

to

whomsoever

to the

they

the

perors
fire,"
piousemthingstendingto provoke God to
as

offend the minds

decree of the

to the claims

of the

posed.
dispiously

Theodosius

Emperor

of this

purport :
"We

decree,therefore,that all writings,

whatever, which

else hath written

one

they shall

againstthe

be found

should

Christian
be

in
religion,

committed

the

to the

Porphyry or any
of whomsoever
possession
would

fire ; for we

suffer any of those things so much

to men's ears, which
as to come
God to wrath and offend the minds of the pious."3

not

tend to provoke

the doctrine of
similar decree of the emperor for establishing
shall object
to all who
the Trinity,
concludes with an admonition
A

it,that,

to

vere
justice,
they must expect to suffer the seguided by heavenly wisdom, may think
authority,

Besides the condemnation

"

which
penalties,
proper

to inflictupon

our

of divine

them."4

considered every heretic

emperor (Theodosius)
(as he called those who did not believe as he and his ecclesiastics
This orthodox

rebel against
the
a
professed)

supreme

Gibbon's

civil rites of

"

and

of

death

on

Rome, vol. ii.p. 274.

professorof the
not baptized till
880, and his behavior after that period stamps
Theodosius, though a
orthodox
Christian faith,was
him

powers

as

one

of the most

cruel

and

vindictive

the purple. His

persecutors who ever wore
of the Nicene
faith
arbitrary establishment
the whole
over
empire, the deprivationof

all prove

the

of heaven

all apostates from

Eunomians, the

and of
Christianity

sentence

the

Theodosius.)
"
*

of

Manicheans, and Quarto-decimans,

this."
(Chambers's Encyclo., art

Quoted in Taylor'sSyntagma, p. 54.

Gibbon's Borne, vol. iii.p. 81.

448

BIBLE

earth

MYTHS.

of the supreme powers of earth),

and
over
jurisdiction
might exercise their peculiar

(he beingone

the powers

each

of

the soul

body of the guilty.

and

The

decrees of the Council

the true

of the

standard

the conscience

XXXV.,

edicts

severe

of fifteen years he promulgatedat

againstthe heretics,more
especially
doctrine

(thepresbyterof whom
as declaring
that,in the

be older than his

governed
methods
effectual

the space

those who rejected

the
against
Arius

ascertained

the ecclesiastics
',who

faith,and

the most
of Theodosius,
suggested

In
ofpersecution.
least fifteen

had
Constantinople

of

son) was

of the Trinity.1

we

nature

have
of

spoken

in

Chapter

a fathermust
things,

for his so-called heretical

excommunicated

concerningthe Trinity. His followers,who were very

Their writings,
called Arians.
were
if they had been
numerous,
permittedto exist?would undoubtedlycontain the lamentable story
of the persecution
which affected the church under the reignof the
impiousEmperor Theodosius.
In Asia Minor
the peoplewere
persecutedby orders of Conand these orders were
than obeyed by Macedonius.
more
stantius,
The civil and military
ordered to obey his commands
;
powers were
notions

"
the consequence was, he disgraced
The
the reignof Constantius.
and children,
rites of baptismwere
conferred on women
who, for

that purpose, had been torn from the arms

of the communicants
; the mouths
wooden

engine,while

of their friends and parents

were

the consecrated bread

held

by

open

forced down

was

their

throats ; the breasts of tender virgins

either burned with redwere
hot egg-shells,
between
or
inhumanly compressed
sharpand heavy
The

boards."3
Constantius

of Nicomedia

"

principalassistants of Macedonius
in the work
of persecution,
the
were
"

and

who
Cyzicus,

were

esteemed

the tool of
two

bishops

and
for their virtues,

for their charity.4

especially
has described some
the successor
of Constantius,
of the
Julian,
afflicted the empire,and more
calamities which
theological
ially
especin the East,in the reign of a prince
who was
the slave of his
and of those of his eunuchs : Many were
own
imprisoned,
passions,
and persecuted,
and driven into exile. Whole
troops of those who
and
at Cyzicus,
are
massacred,particularly
styledheretics were
and in many
In Paphlagonia,
at Samosata.
Gallatia,
Bithynia,
"

Gibbon's

All

their

Btroyed.

Home, vol. iii. pp. 91, 92.

to be deordered
writings were

"

Gibbon's

Ibid, note 154.

Rome,

vol. ii. p. 859.

CHAPTER

THE

XXXVHI.

ANTIQUITY

BELIGION8.

PAGAN

OF

of the sacred books

greatantiquity
of Paganismwith those of the Christian,
and religions
so that there
We

6hall

be

may

now

doubt

no

to which

as

Allusions to this

the

compare

is the

and
original,

been
have already
subject

shall therefore devote

made

which

the copy.
this
throughout

littlespace to it here as possible.

liams
In speaking
of the sacred literatureof India,
Prof. Monier Wil-

work, we

says

as

literature,
embracing as it does nearlyevery branch of knowledge
one
department. It is wholly destitute of trustworthy
historical records.
dian
of the lives of ancient InHence, littleor nothing is known
authors,and the dates of their most celebrated works cannot be fixed with
however, may be arrived at by comparing the most
certainty.A fair conjecture,
"

Sanskrit

is entirelydeficient in

ancient with

requiredto
In this

the

modern
and estimatingthe periodof time
compositions,
changes of structure and idiom observable in the language.
in assuming that the hymns of the Veda were
may be justified

more

effect the

manner

we

probablycomposed by
1000

b.

years

"

both

The

succession

of poets at different dates between

1500 and

c."1

Prof. Wm.

hymns from

D.

the

Whitney shows

the fact

language of

of the Yedic
greatantiquity

that,
is an

the Vedas

older dialect,
varying very considerably,
the classical Sanscrit."

in its grammatical and lexical character,from

And
"We

and from

M. de

in his
Coulanges,

learn from
the laws

the

hymns

of Manu,"

"

Ancient

of the Vedas,which
"what

the

Aryans

City,"
says :
are

certainly
very ancient,
east thought nearly

of the

centuries ago."2
thirty-five

That the Vedas

but however
we

must

Williams'

remote

is ud questionable
;
high antiquity
the
ten,
writwhen
theywere
place period

are

of very

we

may

necessarily
presuppose

Hinduism, p. 19. See also,Prof.

Lectures
on
the Origin of Religion,pp. 145-158,and p. 67, where he speaks
of "the Hindus, who, thousands
of years ago,

Max

Muller's

had
of

that the Hindostanic

race

had

reached in Upanishads the loftiest height*

philosophy."
* The
Ancient
City, p. 13.

[450]

THE

ANTIQUITY

alreadyattained
otherwise

PAGAN

451

RELIGIONS.

comparatively
high degreeof civilization,
capableof framingsuch doctrines could not have

men

to

Now

been found.

OF

this state of civilization must

have
necessarily
been precededby several centuries of barbarism,
duringwhich we
admit a more
cannot
refined faith than the popularbelief
possibly
in

deities.
elementary
We

shall see in

hymns contain

the

chapterthat these very ancient Yedic

of the legendof the Virgin-born
God and
origin
next

our

the great benefactor of mankind, who is finally

Saviour,
put to
and
rises
to
lifeand
the third day.
on
death,
again
immortality
The Geetas and Puranas, although
of a comparatively
modern
date,are, as we have already
seen, nevertheless composedof matter
to be found in the two great epicpoems, the Pamayana and the

Mahabharata,which
as
assigned

The

written many centuries before the time

that of the birth of Christ Jesus.1

Pali sacred

born God

were

books,which contain the legendof the virgin-

Saviour

and

been in existence 316

We

have

Sommona

"

Cadom

are

"

known

to have

c.a

b.

that the

known
as
Buddhism,
religion
in such a striking
and which corresponds
with Christianity,
manner
has now
for
existed
hundred years.*
upwardsof twenty-four
Prof. Rhys Davids says :
"

There

seen
already

is every

contain the

to

reason

legendof

with the books

'

believe that the Pitakas

The Buddha

'),

extant

now

of the Southern

Canon,

as

in

(thesacred books which

tical
idenCeylon,are substantially

settled at the Council

of Patna

the year 250 b. c.4 As no works would have been received into the Canon
which were
not then believed to be very old, the Pitakas may
be approximately
of
in
and
them
the
c.
b.
placed
parts
fourth century
possiblyreach back very
about

nearly,if not quite,to

The

of
religion
who

"

See

Monier

110, and

Indian

himself."5

in so
Persians,which corresponds
of the Christians,
established by
was

the ancient

with that
respects

very many
Zoroaster

the time of Gautama

a
undoubtedly

was

Williams'

Brahman8

and

"

Siam

to the borders

Like

his Christian

of

is contained

Mongolia and

Siberia.

Hinduism, pp. 109,

Wisdom, p. 493.
9 See
Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 576, for the
authorityof Prof. Max Mu.ler.
8
Buddhism
The religionknown
as
from
the title of
The
Buddha,' meaning ' The
existed
Wise,' The Enlightened '"has now

converted
After his conby a miracle.
version,which took place in the tenth year of
bis reign,he became
a very zealous
supporter
of the new
religion. He himself built many
and dagabas, and provided many
monasteries

for

monks

"

"

'

'

2460

years,

and

may

be

prevailingreligionof the world."

Encyclo.)

said

to

be the

(Chambers's

assembled
This Council was
by Asoka in
eighteenth year of his reign. The name
of this king is honored wherever the teachings
of Buddha
have
spread, and is reverenced
from
the Volga to Japan, from
Ceylon and
*

the

prototype Constantine,he

was

with

the

necessaries

of

life ; and

he

encouraged those about his court to do the

6ame.
He
published edicts throughout hi*
empire, enjoiningon all his subject*morality
and justice.
"
Rhys Davids' Buddhism, p. 10.
" See
Chapter VH.

452

BIBLE

MYTHS.

their sacred book or Bible. This book is very

Zend-Avesta,
ancient.
Prof. Max
Miiller speaksof
the sacred book of the
Zoroastrians
than the cuneiform
as being older in its language
and Xerxes (b.c.
of Cyrus (b.
Darius (b.
c. 560),
c. 520),
inscriptions
who knew that theywere
485)those ancient Kingsof Persia,
kings
and
the
of
who
his
sacred
Auramazda,
by
placed
image high
grace
in the

"

"

"

the mountain-records

on

of Behistun."1

have
at least,
fragments,
and

is stillbelieved in

now

settled at

survived

by

known

book, or

its

and kingdoms,
dynasties

many

of the Persian

small remnant

Bombay, and

That ancient

all over

the world

by the

race,
name

of Parsees.3
"

The

Phenician

Babylonianand
and
antiquity
;
"3

fabulous

sacred books

date back to

do the sacred books

so

and

of
religion

Egypt.
Prof.

his

in
Mahaffy,

"

to
Prolegomena

Ancient

History,"
says :

There

is indeed hardlya great and fruitful idea in the Jewish or Christian

and all these theological
systems which has not its analogy in the Egyptian faith,
oldest
the
conceptions
religion
pervade
ofEgypt."*
"

The

the Lord and Saviour,

must
have been of
worshipof Osiris,
ancient
is
as
date,for he
extremely
represented
"Judge of the
of the PyraDead," in sculptures
contemporary with the building
mids,
centuries before Abraham

the many

titleswhich
hieroglyphic
in many

and
sculptures,
"

tombs, are,
of

is said to have been

Good,"

"

Lord

of

other

accompany

placeson

"

Life," The

Eevealer of

Truth,"

Among

in those
figure

the walls of

Eternal
"

his

born.

Euler,"

Full of Goodness

templesand
"

Manifester

and

Truth,"

etc.

In
"

of
speaking

This

"

the

Myth

of

Mr. Bonwick
Osiris,"

great mystery of the Egyptians demands

serious

says

consideration.

Its

antiquity its universal hold upon the peoplefor over five thousand years its
identification with the very life of the nation
and its marvellous likeness to the
"

"

"

date, unite in excitingthe greatestinterest."5

of modern

creed

MUlier

Lectures

the

on

Science

of Re-

ligion,p. 235.
2

This

from

small

tribe of Persians

their native

land

under
conquerors
seventh century of
ancient

Khalif

the
our

driven

were

by the Mohammedan
in the

Omar,

Adhering

era.

to the

religion of Persia, which resembles

Veda, and bringing with them the

that of the

records of their faith,the Zend-Avesta

of their

Their religionprevented them

from
making
proselytes,and they never
multipliedwithin
to any extent, nor
themselves
did they amalpopulation,so that
gamate with the Hindoo
their number
even
now
to about
only amounts
seventy thousand.
Nevertheless, from their
busy,enterprising
habits,in which they emulate
Europeans, they form an important section
of the population of Bombay
and
Western

prophet Zoroaster, they settled down in the

neighborhood of Surat, about one thousand one

India.

hundred

p. 261.

Chants

years
and

centuries

ago,

and

became

shipbuilders. For
we

know

little of

great
two

their

or

mer-

three

history.

*
"

Movers

Quoted in Dunlap's SpiritHist.,

Prolegomena, p. 417.
Egyptian Belief,p. 162.

Bonwick's

THE

myth, and

This

b.

years

was

"

In all probability
she

"

worshiped three

was

least six thousand

We

in

known

before the
from

Egypt
"

dates back

which

thousands

of

'Isis nursing her child Horus,

wrote.

Horus,were

VirginMother
imported into Europe'
says

453

RELIGIONS.

the

Mr. Bonwick

c.

PAGAN

that of Isisand

Pyramid time.1
The
worshipof
country it

OF

ANTIQUITY

thousand

years

before

Moses

represented,'
says Mariette Bey,

was

read the

of Isis

'

at

years ago.'
dynasty,and she lost none of her popularityto the close of the empire."
"
The Egyptian Bible is by far the most
ancient of all holy books."
Plato
told that Egypt possessedhymns dating back ten thousand years before his
name

on

of the

monuments

fourth
"

was

time."3

Bunsen

says

the ancient prayers and hymns of the ' Book of the Dead,' is
anterior to Menes ; it impliesthat the system of Osirian worship and mythology
was
alreadyformed."4
The

"

originof

And,
"

says Mr. Bonwick

Besides

have

opinions,we

facts

as

basis for

the assertion of Dr. Birch, that the work

justifying
to the rise of Ammon

Now,
that

"

this most

worship at

arrivingat
dated from

conclusion,and

a
a

terior
periodlong an-

Thebes."6

ancient of all holybooks,"establishes the fact

and
virgin-born

resurrected Saviour

was

in Egypt
worshiped

thousands of year before the time of Christ Jesus.

P. Le
The

"

Page Renouf

earliest monuments

says

which

have

been

discovered

present to

us

the ter%

civilization and the same

the later monuments.
as
fully-developed
religion
in
oldest
tombs
The gods whose names
the
were
worshiped down
appear
The same
kind of priesthoodswhich are mentioned
in
to the Christian times.
the tablets of Canopus and Rosetta in the Ptolemaic
period are as ancient as
ancient than any pyramid of which
know
the pyramids, and more
the
we

same
.

date."6

regardto the doctrine of the Trinity.We have justseen

that
the developmentof the One God into a Trinity pervades
the oldest religion
of Egypt,and the same
be said of India.
may
Prof. Monier Williams,
this subject,
on
speaking
says :
In

"

"

"It should
to

This

that the native commentaries

on

the Veda

often allude

in the Rig-Veda.
is also mentioned
thirty-three
gods, which number
of
sacred
w
hich
is
number
a
three,
constantly
appearingin the
multiple
It
that
is
although the Tri-murti is
religious
probable,indeed,
system.

Bonwick's

Ibid. p.
Bonwick's

observed

is a

Hindu

and

be

143.

Egyptian Belief,p. 163.

143, and King's Gnostics,p. 71.
Egyptian Belief,pp. 185,140,

Quoted in Ibid. p. 186.

"

Ibid.

"

Renouf

Religionof Ancient Egypt, p. 81

454

MYTHS.

BIBLE

hymns, ! yet the Veda is the real source of this Triad of

afterwards
so
conspicuousin Hindu mythology. This much,
personifications,
is clear, that the Vedic
at least,
poets exhibited a tendency to group all the
forces and energiesof nature under three heads, and the assertion that the number
ing
amounted
of the gods was
to sayingthat each of the three leadthirty-three,
modifications."2
of
eleven
was
personifications
capable
in the Vedic

not named

The

of the legendsreferred
greatantiquity

to

in this work

is

theywere found in a great measure

set foot
on the continent of America, by the first Europeans who
Mr. Lundy,in his
its soil. Now, how did they get there?
on
Monumental
Christianity,"
speakingon this subject,
says .:
in the

demonstrated

fact that

"

between
of the Christian
So great was
the two
sacraments
the resemblance
cans
Church
(viz. that of Baptism and the Eucharist)and those of the ancient Mexi"

so

also,in
points of similarity,

other

many

doctrine

existed,as

to

the

the Resurrection,
unity of God, the Triad, the Creation,the Incarnation and Sacrifice,
induced to
scholar and thinker,
was
Witsius, no mean
etc., that Herman

of the

one
had been preached on this continent by some
Christianity
is
have
St.
from
fact
he
to
the
that
Thomas,
reported
apostles,
perhaps
he came
to America."3
the Gospel to India and Tartary,whence

believe that

carried

could have
who do not think that St. Thomas
writers,
other saint,
gottento America, believe that St. Patrick,or some
unaccountable
must
have,in some
manner, reached the shores of
and preachedtheir doctrine there.4 Others
the Western continent,
which is,that the devil,
have advocated the devil theory,
being
of
his
the
of
Christ
of
set
a
Jesus, up
worship
religion
own,
jealous
of
Christ.
All
the
o
f
and imitated,
nearlyas possible, religion
these theories beinguntenable,
we
must, in the words of Burnouf,
"
learn one
French
the eminent
Orientalist,
day that all ancient
Some

and
traditions disfigured
by emigration

to
legend,
belong

the

history

of IndiaP
That America

legendsare

American

There

is an

In contrast
of
written

was

inhabited
of Asiatic

that

the idea of
forth

the facts that the

were

have

Tri-murti

in the

table.
indispu-

of

whose

was

first

Rig-Veda, where
triad of principal gods" Agni, Indra
a
and
Surya" is recognized. (Ibid. p. 88.) The wor-

ions
relig-

not
Gospels
they bear,that they were

names

1 That
is,the Tri-murti Brahm5, Vishnu and
Siva,for he tells us that the three gods, Indra,
Agni, and Surya, constitute the Vedic chief
triad of Gods.
(Hinduism, p. 24.) Again he

dimly shadowed

believe to be

we
origin^

written many years after the time these men

and
and that they are full of interpolations

tells us

that the

and
emigrants,

and

Paganism,
by the persons
we

Asiatic

proofto this effect.5

of the sacred books
great antiquity

abundance

to the

by

are

said to have

errors.

The

lived,

firstthat

of the Tri-murti,
ship of the three members
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, is to be found in the
500 tc 300
from
period of the epic poems,
o.
b.
(Ibid.pp. 109, 110,115.)

Hinduism, p. 25.
Christianity,p. 390.

Williams1

Monumental

See Mexican

"

See

Antiquities,vol. vi.
Appendix A.

THE

of the four

know

OF

ANTIQUITY

PAGAN

is at
gospels

455

RELIGIONS.

the time of

Irenseus,
who, in the
second century,intimates that he had received four gospels,
as authentic
This
t
he
author
of
pious forgerwas probably
scriptures.
shall presently
the fourth,
as we
see.
Besides these gospels
there were
which were
quently
subsemore
many
deemed apocryphal
; the narratives related in them of Christ
Jesus and his apostles
were
stamped as forgeries.
The
to Matthew
is believed by the maGospel according
jority
of biblical scholars of the presentday to be the oldest of the
of a pre-existing
four,and to be made up principally
one, called
The Gospelof the Hebrews."
The principal
difference in these
two gospels
being that "The Gospelof the Hebrews" commenced
with givingthe genealogy
of Jesus from David,throughJoseph
to the flesh."The story of Jesus beingborn of a virgin
according
not to be found there,
it being an afterpiece,
was
originating
either with the writer of
The Gospelaccording
to Matthew"
or
after
and
taken
from
The
some
one
was
him,
evidently
Gospelof
the Egyptians." The Gospelof the Hebrews
from which,we
have said,the Matthew
Jewish
narrator
copied was an intensely
we

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

and was
gospel,
who
Ebionites,

be found

to

in

"

the narrowest

were

of its forms

one

Jewish

the
among
Christians of the second
"

century. "The

the
is,therefore,
Gospelaccordingto Matthew"
Jewish gospel
the most
Jewish book in
of the four ; in fact,
most
the New
the Apocalypseand the
Testament,excepting,perhaps,
Epistle
of James.
Some

of the

are
gospel,

follows

as

Jesus is sent
twelve

They

are

Israel.

onlyto

sit

The

stops.1The

There

is a

There

to go among

of
genealogy

there

works

Jesus

no

The

the Gentiles or the Samaritans.

thrones,
judging the
is traced back

of the law

regardfor
superstitious
is

in this

the lost sheepof the house of Israel.

twelve

on

found

forbidden
to

are

Jewish traits,
to be
conspicuous

more

are

the

twelve tribes of

to

Abraham,

insisted
frequently

and
on.

Sabbath,"c.

evidence of the existence of the

Gospelof Matthew,

It is at this time,
until the year 173,a. d.
that it is first ascribed to Matthew,by Apollinaris,
Bishop of
also,
in itspresentform

"

Hierapolis.The
kowever,
"

oracles
original
were

made

use

genealogy which traces him back to

his religionnot only
makes
(Luke iii.)
Jewish, but a Oentile one.
According to

Adam
a

The

which

"

of the

Gospelof

the

of

by

this

sent to
Gospel he is not only a Messiah
Jews, hnt to all nations,sons of Adam.

the

the author of

Hebrews,

our

present

456

BIBLE

MYTHS.

Gospelof Matthew, were written,

likely
enough,not longbefore
the destructionof Jerusalem,
but the Gospelitselfdates from about
"

100.1

A. D.

"

in
is believed to come
to Luke
next
according
Gospel
order
to that of Matthew,and to have been written
chronological
fifteenor twenty years after it. The author was " foreigner,
some
far removed
from the
his writings
show that he was
as
plainly

The

"

"

"

which he records.

events

In
the

author made

the
his Gospel,
writing

Gospelof

the

Hebrews, and Marcion's Gospel. He

there

still other
had,also,

which

not

are

that of the

sources, as
found in them.

"ProdigalSon"

have

must

to it,
peculiar
parables

are

Among

Matthew,

these may be mentioned

Samaritan"
Other

and the "Good

that of the two

it are

to
parables
peculiar

bread at

of that of

use

night; the

the lost pieceof silver; the

rich man's

debtors ; the friend borrowing

Lazarus
barns ; Dives and
;

unjuststeward

; the Pharisee and

the

\j Publican.
Several miracles
the

of
raising

are

also peculiar
to the Luke
of Nam's

the widow

narrator'sGospel,

beingthe

son

remarkable.

most

he is
and perhaps
Perhapsthese storieswere delivered to him orally,
the author of them, we shall never
The foundation of the
know.
from the "certain scriptures
came
however,undoubtedly
legends,
of the Essenes in Egypt. The principal
which the writer of
object
"

"

this gospelhad in view

Jewish forms of
The

to reconcile Paulinism

was

of

more

Christianity.3

in

to
order,according
chronological
is "The
to Mark."
critics,
Gospelaccording
next

and the
the

same

This

school

gospelis

supposedto have been written within ten years of the former,and

its author,
of the other two
It was
is unknown.
as
gospels,
probablywritten at Rome, as the Latinisms of the author's style,
and the apparentmotive of his work,strongly
suggestthat he was
Jewish citizenof the Eternal

City. He made use of the Gospel

and probably
of Matthew as his principal
referred to that
authority,
in common
of Luke,as he has things
with Luke only.
The object
which the writer had in view,was to have a neutral
between Matthew as too Petrine (Jewa compromise
ish),
go-between,
a

Luke

and

Matthew

and

as

Luke

too Pauline

The
(Gentile).

found

were

to be

and
to believers,
confusing

provocativeof hostile criticism from without

a
writing

shorter

elements of both.

that
gospel,
Luke

fleeThe Bible of To-Day, under

was

"

; hence

Matthew:'

the idea of

the most

should combine
itselfa

different aspects
of

between
compromise
*

essential
the op-

See Ibid,under "LuttS9

458

BIBLE

John

MYTHS.

developed
stageof
is
scene, the atmosphere,
different. In the Synoptics
Judaism,the Temple,the Law and
In John theyare remote
the Messianic Kingdom are omnipresent.
Jesus is alwaysyearning
for his own
In Matthew
and vague.
tion.
naEverywherein

In John
In Matthew
his

John
"

Do

he has

upon
Synoptics.The

more

other sentiment for it than hate and

no

the sanction of the

scorn.

Prophetsis his greatcredential

In

tolerate no

can
dignity
we

come

we

than in the
Christianity

ask,"
says Francis

previousapproximation.
Tiffany, who wrote this wondrous
"

that wind of which

its origin,
as
Gospel? Mysterious
and thou nearest
which bloweth where it listeth,
speaks,
it cometh

thereof and canst not tellwhence

of the book of

with the Great Unknown

or

itsauthor
the sound

whither it goeth.As

Job,the

Great Unknown

The firstabsolutely
the ages keep his secret.
of the later Isaiah,
evidence of the existence of the book dates from the
indisputable
latter halfof the second
The firstthat
at the time

the

96),St. Ignatius
(a.d.

(a.d. 108).
etc.
sayings,

All

or
four canonical Gospels,

find is incidents from

can

we

look in vain for

for

piousforger
says

press
ex-

distinct

the life of

That Irenseus is the author of it is very evident.

and

an

of St. Clement (a.d.

them, in the writings
107),St. Justin (a.d. 140),or St. Polycarp

of

one

for certainty,
is
fourth Gospel,

(a.d. 179).1We

of Irenseus

of any

of the

know

we

of
recognition
mention

century."

Jesus,

This learned

"John, the discipleof the Lord, wrote his Gospel to confute the doctrine
taughtby Cerinthus,and a great while before by those called Nicolaitans,
lately
a

of the

branch

thingsby

Gnostics

his WORD

of

the Father

another

and
our

and

not,
Lord

to
as

show

they
and

one

that there

is one

God

who

made

all

say, that there is one the Creator,and

the Son of the Creator,and another,

above upon the Son of the Creator,and

returned
and at length
to his pleroma or fulness."8
continued impassible,
the Christ,who

even

The
write

idea

of

of
history

descended

God
the

from

four
having inspired
same

transactions

the fourth stands quite alone,

firstthree form a singlegroup, not
general course, but
only following the same
Bometimes
even
showing a verbal agreement
which cannot possibly be accidental."
(The
Bible for Learners,vol. ii.p. 27.)

we

notice that

while

the

"

Irenseus is the firstperson who mentions

Gospels by name."
(Bunsen : Keys

the four
of

St. Peter, p. 328.)

"Irenseus,in the second century, is the first

of the fathers who, though he has nowhere
given.
u
a professedcatalogue
of the books of the New

"

or

different

of
rather,

men

many

to

dif-

Testament, intimates that he had received four

the authors of
Gospels,as authentic Scriptures,
which he describes."
(Rev. R. Taylor : Syntagma, p. 109.)
"The
authorship of the fourth Gospel has
learned and anxious
been the subject of much
theologians. The earliest,
controversy among
and only very important external testimonywt
have is that of Irenjsus
(a.d.179.)" (W. R.
Grey : The Creed of Christendom, p. 159.)
"
Against Heresies,bk. i d. ch. xi. sec. 1.

THE

ferent

ANTIQUITY

OF

PAGAN

459

RELIGIONS.

of whom
God
havingundertaken to write such a history,
write
inspired
four only to
correctly,
leavingthe others to their
unaided resources, and givingus no
test by which
own
guish
to distinmen

the

from
inspired

the

uninspired certainly
appears

futing,
self-con-

"

and

anythingbut natural.
reasons
by Irenaeus
assigned

The
as

are

follows

beingfour Gospels

"It is impossiblethat there could

four

for their

climates,and

be

four cardinal winds

more

less than

or

four.

For

there

are

but the

tion
Gospel is the pillarand foundaof the church, and its breath of life. The church therefore
to have four
was
to man."1
pillars,
blowingimmortalityfrom every quarter,and givinglife

It

with
by this Irenseus,

was

and

the assistance of Clement

of the Latin

one
Tertullian,

that
Fathers,

of Alexandria,

the four Gospels

introduced into

generaluse among the Christians.

In these four spurious
and in some
which are considered
Gospels,
Apocryphal because the bishopsat the Council of Laodicea
were

"

them
(a.d. 365) rejected
Nazareth.

Now,

his Apostles
were

"

we

if all accounts

have
or

the

onlyhistoryof

Jesus of

narratives of Christ Jesus and

as it is admitted
forgeries,

that all the

Apocryphal
character of the received Gospels
ones
were, what can the superior
executed
geries
forprove for them, but that they are merelysuperiorly
in the New
? The existence of Jesus is implied
Testament
but hardlyan incident of his life
outside of the Gospels,
is mentioned,
that
he
has
sentence
been
hardlya
spoke
preserved.Paul,
writingfrom twenty to thirtyyears after his death,has but a
said or did.
reference to anything
he ever
single
Beside these four Gospelsthere were, as we said above,many
others,for,in the words of Mosheim, the ecclesiasticalhistorian :
Not long after Christ's ascension into heaven, several histories of his life
doctrines,full of piousfrauds and fabulouswonders, were
composed by persons
whose intentions,perhaps,were
not bad, but whose
writingsdiscovered the
and
ignorance. Nor was this all ; productions appeared,
greatest superstition
"

and

which

imposed upon
apostles."*
were

Dr.

the world

by fraudulentmen,

ConyersMiddleton,speakingon

as

the

writings
of

this subject,
says

the

holy

in which
periodof time in all ecclesiastical history,
in
which
n
or
so
so
spurious
publiclyprofessed,
many
many
of Christ,
books were
forged and published by the Christians,under the names
Several
and the Apostles,and the Apostolicwriters,as in those primitiveages.
and
the
books
c
ited
to
these
are
applied
defenseof Christianity
frequently
forged
of
ages, as true and genuine pieces."*
by the most eminent fathersof tliesame
"There

never

rank

was

any

heresies

were

Against Heresies,bk. iii.ch. xi.

Mosheim:

vol. i. p. 109.

sec.

8.

'

Middleton's

Works, vol. i. p. 59.

460

MYTHS.

BIBLE

ArchbishopWake
It would

"

be useless to insist on

ted to St. Paul

Some

by

attribu

were

"

to be the word

many

Testament,
says

"It is certain

of God.*
the

in speakingof
BishopFaustus,

learned

the JVew

spuriouspieceswhich

all the

attributed to St,
spuriouspieceswhich were
found to day in our canonical New
Testament,and

be

believed
The

alone,in the primitive

ages of Christianity."1

of the

Paul,"may
are

also admits that

New

that the

of
authenticity

Testament

not

was

written

by

Christ

himself,

persons, who,
by his apostles,but a long while after them, by some unknown
of
be
credited
affairs
should
not
when
wrote
lest they
quainted
they
they were littleacnor

with, affixed

supposed to

were

to their works

written

themselves,was

the

of

names

the apostles,or of such

as

that what they had written

companions,asserting
ascribed
to
these
whom
to
according
they
persons

been their

have

it."8

Again he

says

"Many things have been inserted by our ancestors in the speechesof our
pecially
Lord, which, though put forth under his name, agree not with his faith ; esten
since
not writas
already it has been oftenproved these thingswere
but a long while after their assumption,by I
by Christ,nor his apostles,
know
not what sort of half Jews, not even
agreeingwith themselves,who made
of
and
their
tale
out
reports
opinionsmerely,and yet,fatheringthe whole
up
of the apostlesof the Lord, or on those who
the names
were
supposed to
upon
follow the apostles,they mendaciouslypretended that they had written their
lies and conceits accordingto them. "4
"

"

What

been

half -Jews

"

these

had

"

been done in

said to have
to have been

done in Palestine ; the

with the mixing up of

places,
Greek and
Persian,Phenician,
Egyptian,
and

names

all that
with

it

necessary.

was

theybuilt.
in

historian
"

The

had

foundation

by

changeof

various sketches of the

Roman

was
mythology,

abundance

an

said

of

which

upon

and
material,

theybuilt was

of the Essenes in
or
Scriptures"
Diegesis,
Egypt,which fact led Eusebius,the ecclesiastical

undoubtedlythe
Alexandria

They

India,was

"

"without

whom,"

says

Tillemont,"we

should

scarce

of the firstages of Christianity,

have had any knowledgeof the history
in that time "
wrote
to say that the
or of the authors who
"

used by
writings
Gospels."

sacred

this sect

were

Genuine

See Chadwick's

tolos

"Nee

cundum

Epist.Apost. Fathers, p. 98.

Bible of To-Day, pp. 191,

192.
8

partim apostolorum, partim

eecuti

ab
ipso ecriptum constat, nee
ejus apostolis sed longo post tempore a quibusdam
incerti nominis
viris,qui ne Bibi non
haberetur
fides scribentibus
quae nescirent,

viderentur

frontibus

suorum

ab

other than

none

eos,

se

(Faust, lib. 2.
Diegesis,p. 114.)
4

"

Multa

enim

eorum

nomina

"

Our

qui aposBcriptorum

seindiderunt,aeseverantes
scripsissequae scripserunt."
Quoted by Rev. R. Taylor :

eloquiii
majoribus vestris,

THE

We

ANTIQUITY

offer below

OF

PAGAN

401

RELIGIONS.

few of the many proofs

showingthe
to have been written a long time after the events narrated
to have occurred,
and by persons unacquainted
with the

Gospels

are

said

countryoi

which

theywrote.

"He

unto the sea of Galilee,

came
(Jesus)
throughthe midst of
is an assertion made by the Mark narrator
Decapolis,"
when
there were
coasts of Decapolis,
(vii.
no
the name
31),
nor
was

the coasts of
much

known

before the

reignof the emperor Nero.

and came
into the
Again, He (Jesus)
departedfrom Galilee,
coasts of Judea,beyondJordan,"
is an assertion made by the Matthew
narrator
(xix.1),when the Jordan itself was the eastern
boundaryof Judea,and there were no coasts of Judea beyond it.
heard that Archelaus did reign
Again, But when he (Joseph)
so

as

"

"

in

Judea,in the

of his father Herod, he

room

thither,
notwithstanding,
beingwarned

of God

in

afraid to go
dream,he turned

was
a

aside into the partsof Galilee,

and
and he came
called Nazareth ; that it might be fulfilled,
which
the

he shall
prophets,
made
by the Matthew

be called

dwelt in
was

city
spokenby
a

Nazarene,"is another assertion

narrator
1. It was
a son
22, 23),when
(ii.
of Herod who reigned
in Galilee as well as Judea,so that he could
in one province
not be more
than in the other ; and when
secure
2. It was
for him to have gone from Egypt to Nazareth,
impossible
a

"

"

without

traveling
throughthe whole extent
making a peregrination
throughthe

kingdom,or

north and east of the Lake

of Archelaus's
deserts

on

the

and
Asphaltites,

the country of Moab ;

into Samaria or the Lake of

and

the Jordan
then,either crossing
Gennesareth
into Galilee,
and from thence going to the city of

Nazareth,which

than if one should describe

geography,
shire
a person as
turningaside from Cheapsideinto the partsof Yorkwhatever who had
3. There were
no
prophets
; and when
that Jesus
should be called a Nazarene"
prophesied
The Matthew
narrator
(iv.13)states that "He departedinto
and leaving
and dwelt in Capernaum,"
as
came
Galilee,
Nazareth,
is

better

no

"

"

if he

imaginedthat

Galilee
as

as

if

the

Capernaumwas

Nazareth

cityof

is much

; which

should relatethe travels of

one

Middlesex,and leavingLondon, came

Domini

nostri inserta verba

sunt ; quae nomine

fide

congruant,
ejus
jam ssepe probatnm a
nobis est,nee
ab ipso haec sunt, nee ab ejus
sed multo post eorum
apostolisscripta,
assumptionem, a nescio quibus, et ipsisinter se non
concordantibus semi-Juix"eis,
per famas opin-

eignata ipsius,
praesertim,quia,

cum

ut

non

was

not

such
a

as

in
properly

racy,
accugeographical

hero,who departedinto

and dwelt in Lombard

street.1

omnia
ionesque comperta sunt ; qui tamen
conferentes
in apostolorum Domini
eorum
vel
nomina
qui eecuti apostoloe
eadem

viderentur,

errores

ac

mendacia

sua

scripsissementiti sunt."
lib. 33. Quoted in Ibid. p. 66.)
l Taylor'sDiegesis.
eos

se

secundum

(Faust.:

462

BIBLE

There

are

these,which,

other falsehoods in gospelgeographybeside

many
it is needless to mention, plainly
show
that the

not the persons

writers were

MYTHS.

theyare generally
supposedto

Of

be

statistics
there are
gospel
mentioned the following
:
"

came

them may

and

Annas

the word of God

Caiaphasbeingthe highpriests,
is an asJohn the son of Zacharias in the wilderness,"
unto
sertion
made by the Luke narrator (Luke iii.2); when all Jews,or

persons
but
was
mayor

them, must
living
among
at a time,as
one
highpriest

of

read

"

(Johnvii.52),

for out of Galilee ariseth

of the Jewish
its

orders of
monastic

that there

known

never

with ourselves there is but

one

the popes.
Bishops"" Priests"

and
Priest,"

and

"

"

abode of the Essenes

See the words for

and, as
or
"

"

"

is well

distinguished
both Galileans.

were

Saints"

etc.,when,
fasting,
Deacon
were
givento

bius callsChristians

the most

order,
religious

Also,references

life; to
"

"

to
Epistles

originto
"

and look,
(theScriptures)

and Jonah

"

in the

Search

when
prophet,"

no

prophets Nahum

See reference

owing

have

city.

Again we

"

falsehoods ; among

many

be.

Deacons"
the

the distinct

to

and

titles of

the Essenes

"

callsto
"

Bishop,"
Euse-

whom

known, monasteries

the

were

Therapeuts.
turion"
legion" aprons" " handkerchiefs"cen"

"

etc.,in the
in Greek

not beingGreek,but Latin,written

original,
first to be found in the historian
a
characters,
practice

Herodian,in the third century.

In Matt. xvi. 18, and Matt, xviii. 17, the word " Church " is
referred to as then
and infallibleauthority
used,and itspapistical
which
existing,

is known

not

to have

existed tillages after. And

the daysof John the Baptist

From
the passage in Matt. xi. 12 :
until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth
"

"

violence,"
etc.,could
not have been written tilla very late period.
Luke ii.1, shows that the writer (whoeverhe may have been)
about the fifteenth
lived,longafter the events related. His dates,
cations
and the government of Cyrenius
(theonlyindiyear of Tiberius,
false. The
of time in the New
are
Testament),
manifestly
of the four Evangelists,
not merelyof the geogignorance
general
raphy
of its language, their
and statisticsof Judea, but even
which no writers who had lived in that age
egregiousblunders,
not only
could be conceived of as making, prove that theywere
to be deceived have
such persons as those who have been willing
no
been in
taken them to be,but that theywere
not Jews,had never
the times to
and neither lived at,or at anywherenear
Palestine,
"

"

THE

which

ANTIQUITY

their narratives

PAGAH

OF

to refer.

seem

463

RELIGIONS.

The

ablest divines at the

have yieldedas much

presentday,of all denominations,
The

in the hands

were
Scriptures

of the

clergyonly,and they
theypleased
; thus we
Solomo
Semler,one of

had

to insert whatsoever
every opportunity
find them full of interpolations.
Johann

the most
of

this.1

as

influentialtheologians
of the

eighteenth
century,speaking

this,
says :
"The

doctors

Christian

brought their sacred

never

books

before the

to think
; althoughpeople in generalhave been wont
"8
the firstages, they were
in the hands of the clergyonly.

people

Concerningthe

time when

Mosheim
settled,

was
"

The

when

the

of the New
of

authors

questionis attended

of the New

canon

common

during

Testament

rather the

opinions,or

the books

about

says

the

otherwise

of
conjectures,

Testament

the learned

concerning the

collected into

were

volume

one

that

are
collection,
extremelydifferent. This
with great and almost insuperable
difficulties to

; as

time
also

important
in these

us

later times."3

Rev. B. F. Westcott

The
"It is

present

impossibleto point
determined.

was

canon

novelty,but

as

an

late

so

had

as

not been

any periodas marking the date at which

When
it first appears, it is presentednot

the middle
settled

Smith

upon
the earliest external evidence

of "Acts"

book

of them
thor.

by

this

"

one

of its auprofesses to give the name

titles
The
They appeared anonymously.

their
placed above them in our Bibles owe
originto a later ecclesiastical tradition which
(Bible for
deserves no confidence whatever."

Learners, vol. iii. pp. 24, 25.)

These
had

Gospels

authors

at

"

all.

can

of the sixth century,the canon

of the New
tament
Testhat
decisive
and
was
authority
universally
any

unauthentic, tor not

are

our
as

All
point :
pointsto the conelusion that the synoptic gospelsare non-aposwritten apostolic
folic digests of spoken and
tradition,and that the arrangement of the
earlier material in orderlyform took place only
essays."
graduallyand by many
ltr. Eooykaas, speaking of the four "Gospels,1'and " Acts,1' says of them : "Not one
was
of these five books
reallywritten by the
name
it bears,and they are all
person whose
recent
date than the heading would
of more
lead us to suppose."
"We
cannot
say that the "Gospels" and

Says Prof.

ancient tradition."4

Dr. Lardner says

"Even

to

says

hardly be said to have

They had only editors or

I mean
is, that those who
compilers. What
enriched the old Christian literature with these

Gospels did
writers and

not

of the accounts
took

up

their

they had

they found
already reduced

narratives

in

sets

or

of

sent

so

stories

the oral tradition

writiug,adding

to

out

collected,hut simply

current

there, and

expanding

independent

as

own

the different stories

which
or

to work

go

compose

here and

into the world

out

of composition. These
very artless kind
works were
then, from time to time, somewhat
a

enriched

by introductorymatter

tions from

perhaps
Our

the hands

were

first two

through

more

third,whose

of

modified

later

littlehere and

Gospels appear
than
writer

or
interpolaChristians,and

to

such

one

in

have

there,

passed

revision.

his

The

preface,thar,
to put together a narrahad undertaken
many
tive (Gospel),1before him, appears to proceed
from a singlecollecting,
arranging,and modifyinghand." (Ibid.p. 29.)
2 "Christiani
doctores non
in valgus prodebant libros sacros, licet soleant pleriqnealiterin manibus
opinari,erant tantum
clericorum,
priora per saecula." (Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis,p. 48.)
says

'

Mosheim:

General

vol i. pt.

Survey

2, ch. li.
Canon, p. 469.

of the

464:

MYTHS.

BIBLE

to judge for themselves concerning

acknowledged,but Christian peoplewere at liberty
and to determine
as
the genuinessof writingsproposed to them
apostolical,
evidence."1
to
according

learned Michaelis says :

The

manuscript of

"No

Testament

the

found

of the manuscripts which

none

BishopMarsh

And

"It is a

nothing

more

are

at

he himself
were

says :

Church

(a.d. 230) that

acknowledged,theywere
received."3
very generally

printedtext are
authoritywas so great in
emendations
which he proposed,though,
script,
supportedby the evidence of no manu-

Eusebius
his EcclesiasticalHistory,

In

books at that time

follows:
as
The

tury,
cen-

presentremaining."8

certain fact,that several readingsin our

than alterations made
by Origen,whose

the Christian
as

is priorto the sixth

extant

be

quotationsof
in

now

lamented, various readingswhich, as appears from the

in the text of the Greek Testament,are to be
Fathers, were

is to

and what

the Newr

list of what

considered canonical.

(a.d. 315)were

writingsof

givesus

They

are

Evangelists," The Acts of the Apostles,"

The Epistles
of Peter," after these the first
of John, and that of Peter," All
these are received for undoubted."
The Revelation of St. John, some disavow."
"The
books
which are gainsaid,
though well known unto many, are these :
the Epistle of James, the Epistle of Jude, the latter of Peter, the second and
third of John, whether they were
John the Evangelist,
other of the same
or
some
"

four-fold

common

"

the

"

"

"

"

name."*
tions
century,is the firstwho menthe evangelists,
and Origen,
in the third century,is the first

in
Though Irenseus,

who

givesus

of
catalogue

Mosheim's

groundsof

the second

the books

contained in the New

admission stillstands before

assurance

that the

or
evangelists
by Irenseus,
were
catalogue
by Origen,
by whom, or where,or when, the

of the

mention

mere

We

us.

tament,
Tes-

have

names

no

of the

the

arbitrary
drawingup of a particular
of any authority.
It is stillunknown

settled.

But

of
know
in

proof. We
negative

it was

the

middle

in this absence

not

of

of the New

canon

Testament

evidence
positive

know

when

settled in the time of the

it

was

we

was

have abundance

not settled.

We

nor
EmperorJustinian,
at any time before
the

of Cassiodorus ; that is,not

the sixth century," by any authority
that

time

decisive
was
of
and universally
at liberty
were
acknowledged
; but Christian people
the genuineness
to judge for themselves concerning
of writings
proposedto them as apostolical."
1

of the Gospels.
Credibility
Michaelis,vol. ii. p. 160. The
Sinaitic MS.
is believed
to
by Tischendorf
belong to the fourth century.
a

Marsh's

Ibid. p. 368.

Eusebius

xxii.

Ecclesiastical

Hist. lib. 8, ch.

CHAPTEK

XXXIX.

EXPLANATION.

what

After

have

we

the
concerning

seen

born,crucified and

resurrected

world

centuries before the time

for

so

many
of the Christian Saviour,the

real personages ? did

believed
Saviours,

numerous

in the

on

virginPagan

for the birth

assigned
arise : were
naturally
they
questions
exist in the flesh ? whence

they ever

these storiesconcerning
them ? have

theya

foundation in

came

or
truth,

?
theysimplycreations of the imagination
The historical theory according
to which all the persons mentioned
in mythologywere
and the legends
real human
once
beings,
fabulous traditions relating
to them were
merelythe additions

are

"

and

embellishments

and

scholars of the last

Under

of later times

century,has

"

been

which

Pontiff-chieftains who

have

so

popularwith

abandoned.
altogether

the historical point of view the

mortals,either heroes who

was

been

gods are

deified

mere

deified after their

death,or
gods,and

passed themselves off for

who, it is gratuitously
supposed,found peoplestupidenoughto
in which,
believe in their pretended
divinity.This was the manner
writers explained
the mythologyof nations of antiquity
formerly,
;
but a method
that pre-supposed
historical
historical
an
an
Crishna,
historical Mithra,an historical Hercules,an historical
an
Osiris,
or
Apollo,

an

have

historicalThor, was

found

and therefore,
untenable,

does not, at the presentday,stand in need of a refutation.

writer of the earlypart of the presentcenturysaid :
shall

have

ancient

historyworthy of the perusalof men of

and send back such percease
common
treatingpoems as history,
sonages
their history
as Hercules, Theseus, Bacchus, etc.,to the heavens, whence
is taken, and whence
they never descended to the earth."
' '

We

As

never

an

sense, tillwe

The

historical theory
was

which supposes
and

that all the

and
symbolical,

[466j

contain

succeeded

by

the

myths of the ancients

some

allegorical
thory,

allegorical
moral, religious,
or philosophical
were

467

EXPLANATION.

truth

historicalfact under

the form

of

which came
allegory,
in process of time to be understood literally.
In the precedingpages we
have spokenof the several virginWe
real personages.
as
born,crucified and resurrected Saviours,
or

an

have

attributed to these individuals words and acts,and have regarded

the words and acts recorded in the several sacred books

from

which

have

doing this,we

gods and

have

we

heroes

were

of the
Lectures
One

"

on

hard

for

Sun.

the Science of

Prof. Max

As

a
us

sign or
to

a name

realize the

Miiller observes

in his

:
Religion

of the earliest objectsthat would

for which

looked

said and done by them.

But in
as
quoted,
simplyused the languageof others. These
not real personages ; they are
merelypersonificati

would

strike and

stir the mind

of man,
and
l
It is very

be wanted, is surelythe Sun.

soon

feelingswith

which

the first dwellers

on

the earth

the Sun, or to understand

fullywhat they meant
by a morning
morning sacrifice. Perhaps there are few people who have watched
than once
twice in their life ; few people who have ever
more
or
known
the meaning of a morning prayer, or a morning sacrifice. But think of
of time.
think of the Sun awakening the eyes of
at the very dawn
man
from sleep,
and his mind
from slumber 1 Was
man
not the sunrise to him the
firstwonder, the firstbeginning of all reflection,
all thought,all philosophy?
Was
it not to him the first revelation,
the first beginning of all trust, of all religion?
upon

prayer or
a sunrise

....

"Few

nations

the natural

awe

only have preservedin

with

which

their ancient poetry

the earth
on

the earlier dwellers

remnants

some
saw

of

that brilliant

being slowlyrisingfrom out of the darkness of the night,raisingitself by its

own
might higher and higher,tillit stood triumphant on the arch of heaven,
and then descended
in its fieryglory into the dark abyss of the
and sank down
In the hymns of the Veda, the poet still wonders
heaving and hissingsea.
whether
the Sun will rise again ; he asks how he can climb the vault of heaven ?
why he does not fall back ? why there is no dust on his path ? And when the
him from sleepand call him back to new
life,when
rays of the morning rouse
he sees the Sun, as he says, stretching
to bless the world and
out his golden arms
it from
of darkness, he exclaims, Arise, our life,
the tenor
our
rescue
spirit
back ! the darkness is gone, the lightapproaches.
has come
'

"

^1 any years ago, the learned Sir William

Jones said :

acters
a close examination, that the charon
surprisedat finding,
of all the Pagan deities,
male and female, melt into each other,and at
last into one or two ; for it seems
as well founded
opinion,that the whole crowd
of gods and goddesses of ancient Rome, and modern
Varanes, mean
only the
in
of
and
a variety
those of the SUN, expressed
principally
powers of nature,
"2
ways, and by a multitude of fanciful names.

We

"

must

not

be

Vedas, the Sun has twenty difnot

puTe equivalents,but each
term descriptiveof the Sun in one
of its asfriend (Mitra),
peels. It.is brilliant (Sflrya),the
".Aryaman), beneficent (Bhaga),that
generous
"

"

ferent

In

the

names,

which

nourishes

the Creator (Tvash(Pfishna),

and so
sky (Divaspati),
on."
(Rev. S. Baring-Gould : Orig. Relig.
Belief,vol. i. p. 150.)
* Asiatic
Researches, vol. i. p. 867.

tar), the master

of the

468

MYTHS.

BIBLE

the firstlearned

Since

paved the

for the science of

way

the

of
president

Royal Asiatic Society

has

much
comparative
mythology,

the Rev. George W. Cox

so that,
as
subject,
the conto justify
seem
viction
remarks,"recent discussions on the subject
that the foundations of the science of comparative
mythology
and that its method is unassailable."1
have been firmlylaid,
of the ancestors of
If we wish to find the gods and goddesses
learned

been

this

on

look to the sun, the moon, the stars,the sky,the

earth,the sea, the dawn, the clouds,the wind, "c, which they
sonified
perbeen
and
the gods
and worshiped.That these have
desses
godour

race,

we

must

of all nations of
The

had denoted the

which

words

established fact.2

is an
antiquity,

sun

and

j not merelylivingthingsbut livingpersons.

stepswould

to deificationthe

would
I

mythology.

at

All the

From

denote

personification

tegration
be but few ; and the process of disin-

furnish the materials for

once

would

moon

attached

had

which
expressions

vast fabric of
a

force
living

and
of personal
would remain as the description
objects
gods. Every word would become an attribute,
anthropomorphous
would branch off
and all ideas,
once
groupedaround a simpleobject,
to natural

The sun had

personifications.
of the chariot of the day ; he had

into distinct

the driver

of men, and sunk down

the lord of
evening. But now
the

to

sons

while

Helios would
labors and

toils and

remain

the lord of

been

in the
rest,after a hard battle,

lightwould

enthroned

Phoibos

be

in his

would
death-struggles

Apollon,

and
fierychariot,
be transferred

and his
greethis rising

The violetclouds which

light,

toiled and labored for

his

cules.
to Her-

would
setting

represented
by herds of cows which feed in earthly
pastures.
ing
which would stillremain as floatThere would be other expressions
not attached to any definite deities. These would gradphrases,
ually
be

now

be converted into incidents in the lifeof

at

and
heroes,

be

woven

these gods or heroes,

narratives. Finally,
lengthinto systematic
the incidents of their

and

local habitation and

mythicalcareer,

would

These would

name."

receive each

remain

as

"

genuine

meaningof the words

had been either

in part forgotten.
the Yedic
the proofsof these assertions,

furnish

when
history,

the

originand

whollyor
For

evidence,that
indisputable
of Greek

and Teutonic

such

as

perhapsof most, of the Greek

have not
which,if endued with life,
Preface

to

"

was

growth

mythology.In

many,

this

poems
and
the origin

Tales of Anct.

Greece."

these poems, the names

of
natural
gods,indicate
objects

been

reduced

"

See

to human

Appendix B.

per-

469

EXPLANATION.

6onality.In them Daphne is stillsimplythe morning twilight

born sun ; the cattle of Helios
of the new
usheringin the splendor
there are stillthe light-colored
clouds which the dawn leads out into
the fields of the sky. There the idea of Hercules has not been
and struggling
from the image of the toiling
separated
sun, and the
Helios has not been transferred to the god
gloryof the life-giving
of Delos and Pytho. In the Vedas
of
the myths of Endymion,
and
in
and
exhibited
the
Prokris,Orpheus
Eurydike,are
Kephalos
form of detached mythicalphrases,
which furnished for each their
sion
but the concluThe analysis
may be extended indefinitely:
germ.
have the foundation,
can
we
onlybe,that in the Yedic language
of Hellas,
but of the dark and
not onlyof the glowinglegends

mythologyof the Scandinavian and the Teuton. Both alike

have grown up chiefly
which have been groupedaround
from names
the sun ; but the former has been groundedon those expressions
sombre

which

describe the

recurrence

of

day and night,the

of nature,in the alternation of

greattragedy
Of this vast

of solar myths,some

mass

others
legends,
others
epics,

beautyno poet has

"

The

wedded

mythologyhas
our

eyes

room

no

pendent
inde-

the

to his verse.1

results obtained from the examination

several forms leaves

shut

simplyas

emerged into

groundworkof whole
tales whose intrinsic "//
floating

have furnished

have remained

the

and winter.

summer

have

latter on

for doubt that the

been traced to itsfountain head.

to the fact that there

was

in its
language
generalsystem of

of

We

can

stage in the

longer
of
history
no

speech,duringwhich all the abstract words in constant use

had formed no
ourselves were
unknown, when men
utterly
among
of slavery
and intellect,
of thought
notions of virtue or prudence,
who
was
or freedom,but spokeonlyof the man
strong,who could
pointthe way to others and choose one thingout of many, of the
who was
not bound to any other and able to do as he pleased.
man
guage
of lanthis stagewas not the earliestin the history
That even
is now
a growingopinionamong
philologists
; but for the
of legendscurrent in different countries it is not necessary
comparison
to carry the search further back.
Language without words
impliesa condition of thoughtin which
denotingabstract qualities
rounded
were
men
only awakeningto a sense of the objectswhich surthem
the
world
to
when
time
and
to
was
them,
points a
and sounds,some
some
full of strangesights
bewildering,
beautiful,
of
themselves
in
little
knew
beyond V7
some
when,
short,
terrific,
they
human

"

Aryan Mytho., vol ii.pp. 51-53.

470

EIBLE

MYTHS.

consciousness of their

the vague

of the world

and nothingof the pheexistence,

nomena

without.

In

such

they could but

which was
or
heard,a life
theysaw or
in its consciousness,
like their own
its joys,and its sufferings.
That power of sympathizing
with nature which we are apt to regard
as the peculiar
giftof the poet was then shared alike by all. This
it was
bound
sympathywas not the result of any effort,
inseparably
attribute to all that

up with the words which rose to their

purityof heart or mind ; it pointedto
knew
shepherds
We

that the
iwould
as

not how

say that the

sun

was

We

"

each other.

or

the
sunlight
clasping

they said
poet

own

earth,or the moonbeams

sea.

have then before

us

to
stageof languagecorresponding

that life were

described their

in which

mind

instinct with

regardedas

phasesof

lips. It impliedno special

Arcadian paradise
where
no

oppress or torment
lightrests on the mountains

to wrong

of the human
stagein the history
were

state

morning
as our
greetinghis bride,as naturally

speakof the

the
kissing

touched

conscious

therefore described

as

all sensible objects

life.The varying
as
truthfully
they

hence every phase

or
feelings
became a picture.But so longas the conditions of their life remained
knew
what
the
unchanged,
they
perfectly
picture
meant,
and ran no risk of confusing
with
another.
Thus
had
but
one
they
to describe the things
which they saw, felt,
in
or
heard, order to
inexhaustible
store of phrasesfaithfully
the
keep up an
describing
the
facts of
world from their pointof view.
This language
was
the inductive
was

observation not less keen than that

an

extorts
philosopher

its range
of

measure

leave

own

the result of

indeed

Nor

sufferings
; and

much

for

the secrets of the natural world.

Each

narrower.

and
attention,

no

one

by which

received
object

phenomenon

was

so

its

treated

own
as

to

others in their turn.

They could not fail to

of days and years, of growth and decay,of calm
note the changes
which so changedwere
and storm ; but the objects
to them living
and the rising
and setting
ter
things,
of the sun, the return of winno

and
enemies

"

room

summer,
or

became

drama

in

which

the actors

their

were

their friends.

That this is

strictstatement

of facts in the

of
history

alone would abundantlyprove

mind, philology
of these

phraseshave

pointto

the

come

down

to

us

; but not

in their earliest

the human
a

few

form,and

of language
stratum
of which theyare the
long-buried
fragments.These relics exhibit in their germs the myths which
became the legends
afterwards
of gods and heroes with human

471

EXPLANATION.

forms,and furnishedthe groundwork of

of the eastern
The

"

or

if the

so

horizon,we

not

in them

by

which
we

know

may
"

sun

simulate
fairly

less than

not

we.

him

the dawn

as

the earth

were

that

him

travel

and the dew

called forth

spokeof
as

over

many
he could bestow

clouds,or

last with
would

him

as

life depends,
although

our

or

would

with his spears, and of

The

go

on

forsaking

that the fruits of

feeling

warmth

would

find utterance

the friend and the benefactor of

lead them

would

in

man

scribe
to de-

doomed
to
as
beingconstrained to toilfor others,
and as finding
lands,
thingson which
everywhere
his love or which he might destroy
by his power.
cloudless

across

or
skies,

tions
alterna-

amid

calm ; his light

might break fitfully
through
be hidden for many a weary hour,to burst forth at
and

as
dazzling
splendor

resentful ;
as

he sank down

facing
many

as

whom, however,may

loved,or

phraseswhich

of his work

recurrence

thus be described
of

dew

by his

again,
mightbe
journey,
of storm

of

"

in the heaven.

rose

while the constant

had

tialities
par-

of
extent
a large
occupies
of the cause.
Men
ignorance

of its nature.

the
killing

as

he

words which

none

no

which described the

grew up a multitude of expressions
of the darkness,
the child of the night,
as the destroyer
as

speakof

the

had

Thus
as

His

they,feel

more
something

the lover of the dawn

to

mankind

failto put into words the thoughts

or emotions
the varyingphasesof that mighty world
on

placedwould

roused

of the Sun

career

cannot

whet/ter

epicpoems,

world.

of
or my thmaking
mythical
language

; and

the

the western

the

dangersand

his course

arrest

for the
grieving

as

in the western

nursinghis greatwrath

as

enemies,
or
sullen,
cious,
caprimany

loss of the dawn

and

sky. He

whom

he

geance.
venvowing a pitiless

eventide,
theywould speakof
his armor
who had longremained still,
the chief,
on
girding
; or of
Then

the wanderer

as

the veil was

throwingoff

rent

his

at

his
and seizing
disguise,

bow

or

spear to smite his enemies ; of the invincible warrior whose face

is over, as he greets
when the fight
gleamswith the flush of victory
the fair-haired Dawn
wealth of

or

to

imagesthus

there would

Sun

who

be

no

the
as she had begun,the day. To
closes,

lavished
limit.

on

He

the
was

dailylife and

death

the child of the

of the

morning,

husband,or her destroyer

; he forsook her and he returned
in deeper
or onlyto sink presently
her,either in calm serenity
her

gloom.
and sounds. The darkness of night
brought
sights
of vague horror and dread ; the return of daylight
with it a feeling
of unspeakable
cheered them with a sense
gladness
; and thus the
"

So with other

472

BIBLE

Sun who

MYTHS.

scattered the black shade of

nightwould

be the

mighty

snake which lurked in its

championdoingbattle with the biting
But as the Sun accomplishes
his journey
drearyhiding-place.
day
by day throughthe heaven,the character of the seasons is changed.
The buds and blossoms of spring-time
expand in the flowers and
fruitsof summer,
and the leaves fall and wither on the approach
of winter.

Thus

dying

dead,

or

as

the
as

months,not to be

of
daughter

severed from her mother

restored to her

from the dark land should

than that of the Sun

power
of the earth would

the earth would

be

can

more

alone could

frost and

lie like snakes around

cold which

But

recall vegetation
to

the touch of the Sun

"

time

arrive.

as buried
represented
arouse

spokenof

for five or

againuntil the

once

be

in

for her
as

turn
re-

other

no

this child
life,

sleepfrom

her,when

as

six weary

he

which

slaysthe

her motionless

form.

That thesephrases
would

furnishthe germs ofmythsor legends

the meaningof the phrases
as soon
as
teemingwith human feeling,
in part or whollyforgotten,
that in the
were
was
as inevitable as
the
infancyof our race men should attribute to all sensible objects
kind of lifewhich theywere
conscious ofpossessing
selves."
themsame
Let

us

We

can

the history
of the Saviour which we have already
compare
with
that
of
the
in
the Vedas.
Sun, as it is found
seen,
follow in the Vedic

hymns,stepby step,the development

which changesthe Sun from a mere
ator"
luminaryinto a CrePreserver"
Ruler"
and
Bewarder of the World
in
fact,into a Divine or SupremeBeing.
The firststep leads us from the mere
of the Sun to that
light
which in the morning wakes man
and
from sleep,
to
seems
light
not only to man, but to the whole of nature.
He
givenew life,
who wakes us in the morning,
who recallsall nature to new
is
life,
called The Giver ofDailyLife."
soon
by another and bolder step,the Giver of DailyLight
Secondly,
and Life becomes
and life in general.He who
the giverof light
is the same
and life
who brought
and life
bringslight
to-day,
light
the first
is the beginning
of the day,so light
on
of days. As light
the beginning
of creation,
and the Sun, from beinga mere
was
light"

"

"

"

"

"

"

becomes
bringeror life-giver,

Creator,
and,if a Creator,then

soon

also a Ruler of the World.

and

as
Thirdly,
drivingaway the dreaded darkness of the night,
likewise as fertilizing
the earth,
the Sun is conceived as a " Defender"
and kind "Protector"
of all living
things.
the
Sun
both
that
which is good and
sees
Fourthly,
everything,

474

BIBLE

division of

"The

the firstdecan

flowing hair,sittingin

with

of the

Virgin represents

chair,with

infant called Iesusdv

sucklingan

MYTHS.

two

of

ears

beautiful

in her

corn

nations,and Christ

some

virgin

hand, and

in Greek."1

This denotes the

of the winter solstice,

Sun, which,at the moment
of the
when the Persian magi drew the horoscope
precisely
placedon the bosom of the Virgin,risingheliacally
year, was

new

in the eastern

astronomical

horizon.

On

under
pictures

this account

the form of

he

child suckled

their

in
figured

was

by

chaste

virgin.2
Thus

we

see

that Christ Jesus

born

was

the

on

day as

same

Buddha, Mithras,Osiris,Horus,Hercules,Bacchus,Adonis
other

personifications
of the

2. Christ Jesus

the

Sun, for

who
virgin,

born

was

'tis the

sun

Sun.3

of a Virgin. In

alone who

him

conceived

and

can

this respectlieisalbo

be born of

without carnal

immaculate

an

and who
intercourse,

is

after the birth of her child,

a virgin.
still,
This

of
Yirgin,

whom

isborn,iseither the
Hence

Night*
Virgo,as

or
or

This

the

Sun,the

"

true

and beautiful Dawn*

bright

one

hand, and the lotus

Saviour Horus

in both hands.
carries

of

ears

in the other.

See

The

Chap. XXXIV.
Dawn
was
by the ancients
personified
a3
a
virgin mother, who bore the Sun.
(See
Max
Muller's Chips, vol. ii. p. 137.
Fiske's
Myths and Mythmakers, p. 156,and Cox : Tales
of Ancient Greece, and Aryan Mytho.)
6
In Sanscrit
Ida
is the Earth, the wife of
Dyaus (the Sky;, and so we have before us the
mythical phrase, " the Sun at its birth rests
the earth."
on
In other words, " the Sun at
birth is nursed in the lap of its mother."
"

of

"

The

moment

"

we

understand

the nature

contradictions
myth, all impossibilities,
and immoralities
disappear. If a mythical
be nothing more
tnan a name
of the
personage
Sun, his birth may be derived from ever so
a

different mothers.
many
the Sky or of the Dawn

Night."
7

"

above

The

(Renoufs

Hibbert

sign of the

the horizon

He
or

may be the son of

of the Sea or of the

Lectures,p. 108.)
Virgin rises

Celestial

at the moment

in which

corn

we

in

ears

of

corn

In Kircher's Zodiac of

In other

In Roman

Belief,p. 236.
*

Jones,with

in the other.

Quoted by Volney, Ruins, p. 166, and note.

See Ibid, and Dupuis : Origin of Religious

"

or

have,as we
already
seen, the Virgin,
of the signsof the zodiac.7
one
Celestial Yirginwas feignedto be a mother. She is represented
we

Hermes, she has corn

she
Egyptianpriests

Mankind,"
Earth?

the dark

have

in the Indian Zodiac of Sir William

in

Saviour of

one

of the
planispheres
hand,and the infant

Catholic

she is
countries,

fix the birth of the Lord

Jesus Christ/'
(Higgins : Anacalypsis,vol. i.p. 314,and Bonwick
:
EgyptianBelief,p. 147.)
"We
have in the first decade
the Sign of
the Virgin, following the most
ancient tradition of the Persians,the Chaldeans, the Egypa young
woman
tians,Hermes and JEsculapius,
called in the Persian
language,Seclinidos d*
Darzama
; in the Arabic, Aderenedesa"th"t
is to say, a chaste, pure, immaculate
virgin,
nations call
suckling an infant,which some
Jesus (i.e., Saviour), but which we
in Greek
call ChrisV
(Abulmazer.)
In the first decade
of the Virgin, rises a
maid, called in Arabic, Aderenedesa,'that is :
'
virgin,1graceful in person,
pure immaculate
in habit,
charming in countenance, modest
with loosened hair,holding in her hands taro
of wheat, sittingupon
embroidered
ears
an
throne, nursing a boy, and rightlyfeedinghim
in the place called Hebraea.
A boy, I say,
names
which signifies
Iessus by certain nations,
Issa, whom
they also call Christ in Greek."
(Kircher,GLdipus iEgypticus.)
"

'

475

EXPLANATION.

with
represented
generally
the other.

in
lily

as

female

nursinga child,with

legendiao.

The

readingof the Greek

the Gods."

is seated

of

ears

clouds,a

on

the lotus or

work, she
her

corn

star

is at

is represented

hand,and
her

from rightto left,

show
letters,

hymns Aditi,the Dawn,

She is the mother

with

head.
this to

is called the "Motlier

of

with royal
terrible,
powerful,

givenbirth

to the Sun.1

"

As

the Sun

all the solar deities rise from

and
we

the

She

She is said to have

sons"
"

"

hand,and

one

In Vol. II. of Montfaucon's

the

be very ancient.
In the Yedic

the child in

well understand

can
'

Mother

how

the east" says Prof. Max Mailer,

Aditi (theDawn) came
to be called
"a

of the

BrightGods.'
The poets of the Yeda indulged
in theogonic
freely
speculations
without being frightened
contradictions.
by any
They knew of
Indra as the greatestof gods,theyknew of Agni as the god of
gods,theyknew of Varuna as the ruler of all; but theywere by no
startled at the idea that their Indra

means

Yaruna

had

nursed in the

was

for their god was

the

lapof Aditi. All this was

Sun, and the mother who bore

mother,or that
true to nature

and nursed him

the Dawn.3

was

We

find in the Vishnu

mother
Purana, that Devaki (thevirgin
of the Hindoo
whose history,
Saviour Crishna,
have seen,
as
we
in most
with that of Christ Jesus)
is
corresponds
every particular
called Aditi* which,in the Rig Veda, is the name
for the Dawn.
Thus we see the legendis complete. Devaki is Aditi,Aditi is the
-

Dawn, and

the Dawn

who

is the

VirginMother.

is born of her is the

"

kind"
The Saviour of Man-

Sun, the Sun

is

Crishna,and

Crishna is Christ.
In the

Mahabharata,Crishna

is also represented
as the

As the hour of his birth grew near, the mother

brilliant.6
and her form more
beautiful,

Aditi"*
more

"'Son of
became

Indra,the sun, who was worshipedin some partsof India as a

in the Vedic hymns as the Son
God, is also represented
Crucified
He is said to have been born of Dahana,who is
of the Dawn.
of the Dawn.7
Daphne,a personification
The humanityof this solar
god-man,
Miiiier

Origin of Religions,p. 261.

Max

"

Ibid. p. 230.
"With
scarcelyan

"The

We

the

also read

Sun

of

in the Vishnu

Purana

that

is strongly
demiurge,

the lotus
in the dawn
of Devaki, to cause
petalof the universe (Crishna) to expand. On
the day of his birth the quarters of the horiirradiate with joy," "c.
were
zon

rose

exception,all the names

Virgin goddess of the Akropolis
known
was
point to this mythology of the
Dawn."
(Cox : Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 228.)
"

by which

this

Achyuta (God, the Imperishable)

6 Cox
: Aryau
130, vol. ii.
"

Myths, vol. iii.pp. 105, and

Ibid. p. 188. See Legends in Chap. XVT.

Fiske : Myths and Mythmakers, p. 113.

476

MYTHS.

BIBLE

in the

insisted on

He

of Aditi.

son

is

called the

He

Rig-Veda.

Purusha,the

man,

Son of man."

"

God, but also the

quently
the male.
Agn: is freis expressly
explainedthat

is the
It

of

son

the titlesAgni, Indra,Mitra,"c, all refer to

when

And
names."
many
who once
lived upon
"

manity of

find the

we

earth,included

of

name

mortal,Yama,

these names,

among

stillmore

demiurgebecomes

the

Sun-godunder

one

and
accentuated,

the hu

get

we

at the root idea.

Horus, the EgyptianSaviour,was the son of the virginIsis.

is the same
the virgin
in Egyptianmythology,
as
Now, this Isis,
in Hindoo
Devaki
Isis,as we
mythology. She is the Dawn.1
the
is
infant
have already
Horus, and,
represented
suckling
seen,
in
in the words of Prof. Renouf, we may say,
whose lapcan
the
?"*
Sun be nursed more
than in that of the Dawn
fitly
of Egypt,the highest
was
Neith, who
Among the goddesses
in the upper
with Amun
sphere.She was
reignedinseparably
"

"

called

feminine

originof

held the
there

"

are

On

at Sais

one

Amun

as
things,

Amun

as

of the sun."

She

the male

was

the

was

origin.She
Her

did at Thebes.

temples

in colossal grandeuranythingever

said to have exceeded

before.

seen

all

rank

same

gods," Mother

of the

Mother

of these

was

the celebrated

thus
inscription

by Champollion:
deciphered
"

all that has

am

been, all that is,all that will be.

me.
My offspringis the Sun."

No

of the

Prof.

mortal

has

ever

raised the veil that conceals

She

mother

was

Sun-godRa, and,says

commonly supposedto representHeaven y but some

which are hardlyapplicable
render it more
to heaven,
she is one
If

of the many
names
Indian
turn from

we

shall also find that their

we

the

virginmother.

same

Aithra, the pure air"

"

Perseus

of morning."
called the
"

sacred

"

Son

of the Dawn."3
and

was

to
Egyptian,

Sun-gods and

Theseus
and

was

Grecian

solar heroes

said to have

(Edipusof Iokaste, the

born

of the

mother

also of

"
*

Renouf

Hibbert

Ibid. p. 161 and

Ibid. pp. 179.

Lectures,p. Ill and 161.

179.

we
Hercules,

See Tales of Ancient

the

Greece,pp. xxxi. and

82.
6

The

in

Bull,symbolized the productiveforce

are

born of
born of

violet

light

virginDanae, and
see

mother

nature, and

hence

was

of the

the violet-tinted

morning from which the sun is born ; all these gods

being,like Christ Jesus,personifications
of the Sun*
3

mythology,

been

"

In 16,the
of the bright
morning."*'

the
bull,"6

"

Renouf, is
expressions
that
probable

it

was

and

heroes

associated

with

venerated by
Sim-gods. This animal was
nearly all the peoples of antiquity. (Wake :
in Anct. Religs.,
Phallism
p. 45.)
" See
Aryan Myths, vol. i. j: 229.

477

EXPLANATION.

"

The

of the

"

Saviour of Mankind"

duskymother"

which

also represented
as

was

beingborn

for many
Pagan,and socalled Christian,
black.1
This is the
goddessesbeing represented
dark night,
who for many
weary hours travails with the birth of
her child.

accounts

is also the
Sun, which scatters the darkness,
and
the
that
went
he was
darkness, so
phrasenaturally

of the

The

child

bom
in
r
elated
the
afterwards combined
legends
poems
in the " Hymn to Apollo,"
the former relates the birth of
Apollo,the Sun, from Leto, the Darkness,which is called his

of her.

Of the two

mother.3

In this case, Leto would

either with
The

as
a
personified

without the child in her

or

dark earth

ha

was

also represented
as

"black

arms.

beingthe mother

of the

born of her,in
out of,or was
came
god Sun, who apparently
to have been born of
as Minos
East,8
(thesun)was represented

(theearth).4
In Hindoo mythology,
the Earth,under
receives
of the

certain share of honors

Yeda, beingthoughtof

as

as

the

the
Ida

of

Prithiviy
primitive
goddesses
mother."
Moreover,
name

of the

one
"

the

gin,"
vir-

kind

various deitieswere

from the fancied

as the progeny resulting
regarded
union of the Earth with Dyaus (Heaven).*
Our Aryan forefathers looked up to the heavens and theygave
it the name
of Dyaus, from a root-word which means
to shine."
"

And

when, out

fashioned other

of the forces and

forms of nature,theyafterwards
of Dyaus became Dyausjpitar,
the

gods,this name

Lord
or
Heaven-father,

in far later times,when

western

in

of All ; and
Aryans had found their home

of the central Asian land became

the

the

Europe,the Dyaus pitar

Zeupaterof the Greeks,and

Jupiterof the Romans, and the firstpart of his name

gave us
the word Deity.
Isis was
also the Earth.'
Accordingto Egyptianmythology,
Again,from the union of Seb and Nut sprung the mild Osiris.

the

Earth,Nut is Heaven,and Osiris is the Sun.1

of the Germans
the .Roman historian,
Tacitus,
speaking

Seb is the

98, says

a.

d.

There

"

in

is

nothing in these several tribes that merit attention,except that

worshipingthe goddessEarth, or as they call her, Uerlh, whom

they all agree in

they consider

as

the

"

See

Chap. XXXII.

See

Tales

"

common

of Ancient

mother

of all."8

Greece, p. xviii.

entertained
by the ancients
god-begotten heroes were
engenand that
dered without any carnal intercourse,
of Jupiter,is, in plain
the sous
they were
i. e.,
language,the result of the ethereal spirit,
the Holy Spirit,
operatingon the virginmother
3

that

The

these

idea

Earth."

(Knight : Ancient Art and Mythology,

p. 156.)
* Cox

Aryan Myths, p. 87.

Hinduism, p. 24, and MQ1290.
ler's Chips, vol. ii.pp. 277 and
"

See Williams'

"

See Bulfinch, p. 389.

Hibbert
Renouf's

'See
111.

"

Manners

Lectures, pp.110

of the German*,

p. xL

478

MYTHS.

BIBLE

These

of antiquity,
were
virginmothers,and virgingoddesses
of the Moon, or of Nature.1
also,at times,personifications
Who

is

"

the Father"

God

who

? The

the maiden

overshadows

Father,"whether he
be called Zeus, Jupiteror Jehovah, is simplythe Heaven, the
shadowing
Sky,the "All-father"*
lookingdown upon with love,and overthe maiden, the broad flushing
lightof Dawn, or the
of
overshadowing

Earth.

From

the maiden

this union the Sun

The

mother is yet
mythologyby the union of
"

Heaven."

the

Yedic
and

by

"

God

the

course.
any carnal intervirgin.This is illustrated in Hindoo

is born without

Pritrivi,Mother Earth," with Dyaus,

Various deities were
regardedas their progeny.3In
deemer
the Lord
and Saviour,the Rehymns the Sun
"

"

Preserver of Mankind

called the
is frequently

"

"

Son

of the Sky."'
Seb (theEarth) is overshadowed
Accordingto Egyptianmythology,
the result of this union beingthe beneficent
by Nut (Heaven),
Lord and Saviour,Osiris.6 The same
thingis to be found
in ancient Grecian mythology.Zeus or Jupiter
and
is the Sky,6
Io and others,
the Dawn, or the violetlight
are
Danae,Leto,Iokaste,
of morning.7
1

pp.

See Knight : Ancient

81,99,and 166.

Art

and

classics for the Supreme Power,

ruling and governing all the affairs of men
with an omnipotent and omniscient
ness
righteousand goodness." (James Legge.)
in the Chinese

Mythology,

The

Moon
called by the ancients,
was
The
Queen ;"
Highest Princess ;"
"The
Queen of Heaven ;" The Princess and
She
was
Queen of Eeaven ;" "c.
Istar,
Ashera, Diana, Artemis, Isis,Juno, Lucina,
Astarte". (Goldzhier,
pp, 158, 158. Knight, pp.
99, 100.)
In the beginning of the eleventh book of
Apuleius' Metamorphosis, Isis is represented
as
addressing him thus: "I am
present; I
am
who
Nature, the parent of things,queen
The primitive
of all the elements, "c, "c.
Phrygians called me Pressinuntica,the mother
of the gods ; the native Athenians, Ceropian
Minerva
the
floating Cyprians, Paphian
;
Venus
; the arrow-bearing Cretans, Dictymian
Diana ; the three-tongued Sicilians,
Stygian
Proserpine ; and the inhabitants of Eleusis,the
voked
ancient goddess Ceres.
Some
again have inme
as
Juno, others as BeUona, others
"

"

The

"

as

and

Hecate,

others

Rhamnusia

as

and

are
enlightenedby the emerging rays
rising Sun, the Ethiopians, Ariians
and Egyptians, powerful in ancient learning,
who
reverence
divinitywith ceremonies
my
perfectlyproper, call me by a true appellation,
Queen Isis? "
(Taylor'sMysteries,p. 76.)

those who
of

In
Shu-

The

"

God

the Father

"

of all nations

of

the Chinese
and Earth

sacred
are

books

called

"

"

the

Father

of all things." Heaven

being the
itive
(Taylor: PrimFather,and Earth the Mother.
Culture,pp. 294-296.)

and Mother

The

"God

the

Father"

of the Indians

is

Dyaus, that is,the Sky. (Williams'Hinduism,

p. 24.)
Ormuzd, the god of the ancieat Persians,
of the sky. Herodotus,
was
a personification
speaking of the Persians,says :
They are
to ascend the highest part of the
accustomed
muzd),
mountains, and offer sacrifice to Jupiter (Orand
they call the whole circle of the
heavens by the name
of Jupiter." (Herodotus,
book 1, ch. 131.)
In Greek iconography Zeus is the Heaven.
above
As Cicero says:
The refulgentHeaven
is that which all men
call,unanimously, Jove."
"

"

The

Christian

God

supreme

of

teenth
the nine-

century is stillDyaus Pitar,the

the

of

one

king" Shaven

"

enly
Heav-

Father."
"

Williams'

Miiller

Renouf

"

See Note

Hinduism, p. 24.
Origin of Religions,pp. 261,290.
: Hibbert
Lectures,pp. 110, 111.
2.

7 See Cox
of Ancient
than a tion
: Tales
Greece, pp.
nothing more
personificaxxxi. and 82, and Aryan Mythology, vol. 1. p.
of the Sky or the Heavens.
term
"The
229.
Heaven (pronounced Thien) is used everywhere

antiquitywas

479

EXPLANATION.

11

The

Sky appeared

to

to perform
(saysPlutarch),

men

the functions

of

The sky was

the father,for it cast seed
Father, as the Earth those of a Mother.
of the earth, which
into the bosom
in receivingthem became
fruitful,and
brought forth,and was the mother."1

This union has been sung in the

"

Turn

Phenician

Heaven

aeons, whose

adventures

Earth

the

on

the

Ghe) are

are

same

principles.

at the head of

conceived

which
mysteries,

established
anciently
and

and

(Geor.ii.)

in the

logical
mytho-

physical
allegorists.'

In the Samothracian
Heaven

founded

Ouranos
(called

styleof these
most

lretsedescendit."

theogonyis

and Earth

genealogyof

:
by Virgil

pater omnipotens fecundis imbribis a?ther

Conjugis in grenium
The

verses
following

ceremonies

seem

have

to

of the kind in

been

the

Europe,the

worshipedas a male and female

divinity
',and as the parentsof all things.*
The SupremeGod (theAlfader),
of the ancient Scandinavians
were

of the Heavens.
The
Odin, a personification
principal
dess
godthem
Earth.
It
of
the
was
a
Erigga, personification
among
these peoplethat this Supreme Being or
the opinionamong
was
Celestial God had united with the Earth (Frigga)
to produce Baldur the Good
to the Apollo of the
(theSun), who corresponds
Greeks and Romans, and the Osiris of the Egyptians.4
in the Mexican language,
Xiuletl,
Blue,and hence was
signifies
which the Mexican
a name
gave to Heaven,from which Xiuletiwas

"

"

epithet
signifyingthe God of Heaven"
Lord
who was
the
upon Tezeatlipoca,
"

they bestowed
the
Supreme God."

He

"

Tula, Chimelman,

of

which

"

cvtli is derived,
an

who

it

who

was

overshadowed

begat the Saviour

of

the

All,"

Virgin

Quetzalcoatle(the

Sun).
3. His
star

birth

by a
foretold

was

thy brightcirclet

which heralds the birth of the

glanceat

"
"

god Sol,the

benificent Saviour.
"

pure, immaculate

geographyof the heavens will show the chaste,

Virgin,sucklingan infant,"precededby a

Quoted by Westropp

Phallic

Worship,

p" 24.
"

In
Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 66.
(Heaven) weds
Phenician
Mythology Ouranos
father of
Ghe (the Earth) and by her becomes
*

morning
bright

Fairest of stars,last in the train of Night,

If better,thou belongstnot to the Dawn,
Sure pledgeof day, that crown'st the smilingmorn
With

"

This is the

"

"

star.

Oceanus, Hyperon, Iapetus,Cronos, and oth"*

gods." (PhallicWorship, p. 26.)
"
Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 64.
" See Mallet's Northern
Antiquities,pp. 80,
93, 94,406,610, 611.

480

BIBLE

MYTHS.

the Virginand her

Star,wliiclirises immediately
preceding
This can
trulybe called his Star" which informed the

"

"

"

Men," the

Magi

shepherdswho
Mankind

"

child.
Wise
"

"

watched

and
the
and Sun-worshipers
Astrologers
their flocks by night"that the Saviour of
"

about to be born.

was

4. The

HeavenlyHost sang praises.All nature smiles at the

birth of the HeavenlyBeing.
To him all angels
cry aloud,the
and all the powers therein."
heavens,
Glory to God in the highest,
"

"

of
earth peace, good will towards men." " The quarters
diffused
the horizon are irradiate with joy,as if moonlight
was
and

on

and nymphs of heaven dance

spirits
and sing." Caressing
breezes blow, and a marvelous lightis
produced."For the Lord and Saviour is born, to givejoy and
in the dark places,
and to
and Devas,to shed light
peace to men
to the blind."1
givesight
visited by the Magi. This is very natural,
for the
5. He was
and at earlydawn on the 25th of DecMagi were Sim-worshipers,
and other Oriental
of the Arabs,Chaldeans,
cember,the astrologers
nations,
greetedthe infant Saviour with gold,frankincense and
of
myrrh. They started to salute their God longbefore the rising
the Sun, and havingascended a high mountain,they waited anxiously
the East,and there hailed his firstrays
for his birth,
facing
with incense and prayer.3The shepherds
also,who remained in
in the habit of
the open air watchingtheir flocks by night,
were
and payinghomage to their god,the Sun.
themselves,
prostrating
And, like the poet of the Veda, they said :
"

the whole earth."

over

The

"

"

Will the powers

"

And

when

mighty.

so

"

of darkness

the god

the Sun rose, they wondered

him :
They greeted

t
oflight

"

how, just
born,he

was

Hail, Orient Conqueror of Gloomy Night."

And

the

majesty of

eye felt that it could not bear the brilliant

"
whom
the Breath,
The Life,
the
they called,

human
him

Brilliant Lord and Father."

"

arms,

mother, the

6. He

See

See

And

theysaid

of Heaven, the Son of Strength,Arusha, the

rises as a mighty flame, he stretches out his
His lightis powerful,and his (virgin)
he is even
like the wind."
Dawn, giveshim the best share,the firstworship among men."3

Let us worship again the

BrightLight of the Sacrifice."
wide

conqueredby

be

Child
"

He

"

was

born in

Cave.

Chap. XIV.
Dupuis : Orig. Relig. Belief,p. 234.
Biggins'Anacalypsis, vol. ii. pp. 96, 97, and

In this

of
respectalso,the history

Prog. Relig. Ideas,vol. i. p. 272.

"

Extracts

from

vol. ii.pp. 96 and

the Vedas.
*37.

Mflller'i

Chip*,

482

MYTHS.

BIBLE

is generally
mythology,the destroyingprinciple
of the sphere
Now, the position
as a serpentor dragon.1
represented
the birthday
of the Sun, shows the Serpentall
on
Christmas-day,
that is,the figand certainly
but touching,
ure
aimingat the woman
in
her
of the constellationVirgo who suckles the child Iessus
In oriental

"

"

Thus

arms.

when
sent to kill Hercules,

was

infant in his cradle

an

soughtthe

storyof Typhon,who

by Orion,and

pursuedby

the monster.3

Mary,with

her

babe

beset

;aalso in the

lifeof the infant Saviour Horus.

Again,it is illustrated in the storyof

her babe beset

storyof the snake who

it illustrated in the

have

we

the

mother Astrea,with
virgin

when
Latona,the mother of Apollo,
And
that of the virginmother
last,
But like Hercules,Horus,
by Herod.
of

Apollo,Theseuf,Romulus, Cyrus and

Jesus has yet a longcourse
before him.

other solar
Like

Christ
heroes,

them, he grows up

both wise anc1 strong,and the "old Serpent"is discomfited by him,

by others.
justas the sphynxand the dragonare put to flight
7. Hi

over

the
1

when

day comes
Even

late

as

seventeenth

the

as

would

writer

German

he makes

illustrate

himself

century,

warmth

storm
thunder-

Sun.

destroying a crop oi corn, by a picture

dragon devouring the produce of the field
with his flaming tongue and iron teeth.
(See
Fiske : Myths and Mythmakers, p. 17, and
Cox : Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.)
2 The
historyof the Saviour Hercules is so
of

similar

to

that of the Saviour

that the learned

say,
been

"

The

Saviour

what

of the

of

Hercules

the

Bonwick's

as

real

world, was

Orphic hymn
3

and

labors

sakes, bringing

the

Parkhurst

Dr.

originallydesigned
of

our

The

by,and victory
temptation

tho evil one, whether Mara or Satan,is the victoryof the Sun
the clouds of storm and darkness.4 Growing up in obscurity,

over

temptedby the devil.

was

cure

Christ
was

to have

seem

emblematic
Son

of

to do and

for all

Jesus,

forced to

morials
me-

God, the
suffer for
our

ills,as

speaks of Hercules."
Egyptian Belief, pp. 158, 1G6,

168.

4 In
of
ancient
mythology, all heroes
opposed by the "Old Serpent,"the
lightwere
Devil, symbolized by Serpents, Dragons,
The
Serpent
Sphinxes and other monsters.
the ancient Eastern
nations,the
was, among
symbol of Evil,of Winter, of Darkness and of
Death.
It also symbolized the dark
cloud,
venting
which, by harboring the rays of the Sun, preits shining,and therefore,is apparently
attempting to destroy it. The Serpent is one of
the chief aiysticpersonifications
of the Rigof Ahi, Suchna, and
Veda, under the names
othera
They represent the Cloud, the enemy
of the Sun, keeping back
the fructifying
rays.
indra strugglesvictoriously
against him, and
spreads life on the earth, with the shining

known,

tries himself in his

of the Father

of

Life,the Creator, the

Buddha, the Lord and Saviour,was described

a
a
superhuman organ of light,to whom
superhuman organ of darkness,Mara, the Evil
Serpent,was opposed. He, like Christ Jesus,
resisted the temptationsof this evil one, and is
queror.
a
on
serpent, as if its conrepresentedsitting
(See Bunsen's Angel-Messiah, p. 39.)

as

Crishna

also

overcame

the evil one, and

is

represented bruisingthe head of the serpent,"

and standing upon
it. (See vol. i. of Asiatic
Researches, and vol. ii.of Higgins'Anacalypsis.)
of the names
In Egyptian Mythology, one
Rd.
of the god-Sun was
He had an adversary
who was
called Apap, representedin the form
of a serpent. (See Eenouf's
Hibbert Lectures,
p. 109.)
diator,
Horus, the Egyptian incarnate god, the Meand Saviour,is representedin
Redeemer
Egyptian art as overcoming the Evil Serpent,
him.
and standing triumphantly upon
(See
mental
Bonwick's
Egyptian Belief,p. 158, and MonuChristianity,
p. 402.)
Osiris, Ormuzd, Mithras, Apollo, Bacchus,
Hercules, Indra, Oedipus, Quetzalcoatle,and
the Evil One,
other Sun-gods, overcame
many
and are
represented in the above described
"

manner.

p. xxvii.

(See Cox's Tales of Ancient Greece,

Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 129.

and

Baring-Gonld's Curious Myths, p. 256. Bulfiinch's Age of Fable, p. 34. Bunsen's

AngelMessiah, p. x., and Kingsborough's Mexican
vol. vi. p. 176.)
Antiquities,

483

EXPLANATION.

firstbattleswith his

gloomyfoes,and

is rife for his destined

who

but is met
mission,

disputewith
darkness
struggle
against

him

floatin the

vain to

to

runs

shines without

by

rival. He

the demon

in the duel of the storm.

of storm,
In this

the beneficent hero remains the conqueror,

the gloomyarmy of Mara, or Satan,broken and rent, is scattered ;
the Apearas,
of the demon, the last light
daughters
vapors which
he

heaven,try in

himself from
disengages

claspand

their

retain the

vanquisher
;
; they

them
embraces,repulses

writhe,lose their form,and vanish.

Free from every obstacle,
and from every adversary,
he sets in
motion across
space his disk with a thousand rays, havingavenged
the attemptsof his eternal foe. He appears then in all his glory,
and in his

sovereign
splendor
; the god has
his course, it is the moment
of triumph.
8. He

was

his extreme

put

to death

Southern

on

the cross.

his
limit,

attained the summit

The

Sun has

now

of

reached

is

ended,and he is at last
The powers of darkness,
and of winter,
overcome
by his enemies.
which had soughtin vain to wound
the
won
him, have at length
in the
Sun of summer
is finally
slain,
victory.The bright
crucified
career

and piercedby
heavens,

the arrow, spear or thorn of winter.1

he dies,
however,he sees all his discipleshis retinue of
"

and the twelve hours of the

fore
Be-

light,

of the year
day,
in the sanguinary
melee of the clouds of the evening
disappear

"

the twelve months

or

his doom.
Throughoutthe tale,the Sun-godwas but fulfilling
These thingsmust be. The suffering
of a violent deatliwas a necessary
his
hour had come, he must
part of the mythos;and, when
the
must
meet his doom, as surely
as the Sun, once
risen,
go across
sky,and then sink down into his bed beneath the earth or sea. It
iron fate from which

an

was

there

was

the crucifiedSaviour of the

Crishna,
of the Sun crucified in the heavens.
the Yedic

hymns is Vishnu? and

Sun-gods is simply
the
over
triumphing
power
"Lord
of Light," and Winter
overpowering
*

The

crucifixion of the
of

the

the Summer.

Darkness

It was

at the Winter

solstice that

the fair Adonis,

the ancients wept for Tammuz,
were
other Sun-gods, who
put to death by
(See
the boar, slain by the thorn of winter.

and

escaping.
Hindoos,is a personification

no

One of the

Crishna is Vishnu

of

of the Sun in

names

in human

Meleagros dying as the torch

is burnt

pure, smitten by
of Crishna and others

out, of Baldur, the brave

the fatal mistletoe, and

of doom

form.1

and

being crucified.
In Egyptian mythology, Set, the destroyer,
triumphs in the West. He is the personification
of Darkness and Winter, and the Sun-god whom
the Saviour.
he puts to death, is Horus
(See

Mythology, vol. ii.p. 113.)

Hibbert Lectures, pp. 112-115.)
Renoufs
of the same
myth tell us of
2
In the BiffVeda the god Vishnu is often
Eurydike stung to death by the hidden serpent,
of the Solar energy,
manifiestation
a
named
as
of
Thorn),
smitten
Sifrit
(the
of
by Hagene
of the Sun.M
of Rusor rather as a form
(IndianWisIsfendiyarslain by the thorn or arrow
tern,of Achilleus vulnerable only in the heel, dom, p. 322.)
8 Crishna
Vishnu, Brahma,
of Brynhildenfolded within the dragon'scoils,
says : "I am
Cox

Aryan

Other

versions

"

484

MYTHS.

BIBLE

In the

hymns

of the

in the

his arms"

ing out

Pig

Veda the Sun is spokenof as

to bless the

heavens,"

"

stretch

world,and

to

cue
res-

itfrom the terror

Indra,the
identical with

of darkness."
in Nepal and Tibet,1
crucified Saviour worshiped
is
Crishna,the Sun.9

in his
Phenician deity,
El,which,says Parkhurst,
principal

The

Lexicon,"

Hebrew

the heathens gave to their

the very name
Ruler of the Hosts of Heaven,"was called

was

god Sol,their Lord or

of the World" for the benefit of which
The Preserver (orSaviour)
he offered
a 'mystical
sacrifice*
is the cruciThe crucified Iao ("Divine Love
fied
personified)
"

"

Lord

The

Adonis,the Sun.

Saviour Adonis

and

was

called

Iao.*
crucified in the heavens.

the EgyptianSaviour,
was
Osiris,
the

Egyptianthe

of the

cross

the

was

emblem
an
symbolof immortality,

Sun, and the god himself

denoted his
Horus

To

crucified to the tree,which

was

power.6
fructifying
also crucified in the heavens.

was

Jesus,with

like Crishna and Christ

He

outstretched

represented,

was

in the vault

arms

of heaven?
for
storyof the crucifixion of Prometheus was allegorical,
Prometheus
was
providenceor
onlya title of the Sun, expressing
The

in the extremities of the

wherefore his beingcrucified
foresight,
than the restrictionof the power
more
no
earth,signified
originally
of the Sun duringthe winter months.7

Who
the

was

god

Ixion,bound

on

the wheel ? He

was

Whatever

Sol,crucified in the heavens.8

other than

none

be the

of
origin

the name, Ixion is the uSun of noonday,"crucified in the heavens,

whose four-spoked
wheel,in the words of Pindar,is seen whirling
in the

heaven.9
highest

Indra, and the source as well as the destruction

of things,the creator and the annihilator of the
whole
(Cox : Aryan
aggregate of existences.
Mythology, vol. ii. p. 131.)
1 See
Chap. XX.
3
Indra, who was
representedas a crucified
is he born than
god, is also the Sun. No sooner
he speaks to his mother.
Like Apollo and all
other
Sun-gods he has golden locks, and
he
like them
is possessed of an inscrutable
wisdom.
He is also born of a virgin the Dawn.
"

Crishna

and Indra

(See Cox

Aryan
Mythology, vol. i.pp. 88 and 341 ; vol. ii.p. 131.)
"
4

Wake

are

one.

Phallism,"c, p. 55.
See Cox : Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 113.
:

"Ibid. pp. 115 and 125.

" See Bonwick's
Egyptian

Ancient

great number

gods

Art and

forced to endure

are

Mythology, p. 88.

of the Solar heroes

or

Sun-

being bound, which

indicates the

tied-uppower of the sun in winter.

Mythology, p. 406.)
8 The
Sun, as climbing the heightsof heaven,
is an arrogant being,given to making exorbitant claims, who
must
be bound
to the fiery
The phrases which described the Sun
cross.
as
revolving daily on his four-spokedcross, or
(Goldzhier:

Hebrew

"

as

doomed

reached

to sink

the

of Ixion

on

in the sky when

his orb had
zenith, would give rise to the stories
his flaming wheel."
(Cox : Aryan

Mythology, vol. ii. p. 27.)

9

and

Belief,p. 157.

Knight

"

So

the

Ixion

was

day by day

as

bound

the

fierywheel,
flaming spokea
it whirls in the higi.heaven.'"

of

sons

men

see

on

the

485

EXPLANATION.

wheel

The
been

which

upon

extended

Ixion and

criminals

said to have

were

althoughthe

of the thingwas
name
Christians
it
was
a St. Andrew's
;
among
cross, of which
confined
and
the
two the legs.(SeeFig.
No. 35.)
spokes
arms,
was

cross,

dissembled
two

The

tales of the triumphsand misfortunes of the

allegorical
the alternate
Sun-godsof the ancient Greeks and Romans, signify
exertion of the

and
generative

destructive attributes.

Hercules

is torn limb from limb ; and in this catastrophe

we
see
the blood-red sunset which closes the career
of Hercules.1

The

Sun-god cannot rise to

the life of the blessed gods until he has
been slain. The morningcannot come
until
the Eos who
closed the previous
day has
faded away

the black

and died in

abyssof

night.
Achilleus and

Meleagros
representalike

the short-lived

Sun, whose course is one of

toilfor others,
death,after
endingin an early
a

series of wonderful

with

victories

periodsof darkness and

In the tales of the

of Achilleus

alternating

gloom.3

Trojanwar,

that he

it is related

the

at
expires

He
Skaian,or western gatesof the evening.
is slain by Paris,who here appears as the Pani,or
of
light

blots out the

the Sun

have also the story of

in the countries where he was
We

killed
ascended

and
"

My

put

Lord

The

is

"

from the heaven.'

Adonis,born
as
worshiped

known

and
virgin,

The

kind,"
Saviour of Man-

"

simplythe Sun.

He

is crucified in the

heavens,

wild boar,i.e.,
Winter.
Babyloncalled Typhon
the boar / theysaid he killed Adonis or the fertileSun.^ *
"

by the

Dove
Crucified

said, Hail
"

No. 35 is the

"

Adonis

poet of Greece,born
lyric
Tales

"

Crucified Dove

of Ancient

Cox

Ibid. p. xxxiii.
"
That the story of the Trojan

wholly mythical, has been

as

about

Greece, p. xxxii.

was

was
ancients,

war

conceded

is almost
even

by

described

522

b.

none

called the Dove.

! the Restorer

to the Dove

the

worshipedby

of his resurrection from

in honor

the ceremonies

"

boar,afterwards "rose from the dead,

This Adonis,Adonai
heaven."
in Hebrew

other than the crucified Sun.

of
"

the wild

into

"

to death

Winter

or

by

dark power, who

the
of

At

votees
dead,the de6

Light." Fig.

by Pindar,the great

c.

stoutest
champions
(Kev. G. W. Cox.)

the

See Muller's

See Calmet's

of

Homeric

unity."

of Religion,p. 186.
Fragments, vol. ii.pp. 21, 22.
Science

486

MYTHS.

BIBLE

read in Pindar, (saysthe author of a learned work entitle 1 " Nimrod,")

of the venerable bird lynx bound to the wheel, and of the pretendedpunishment
But this rotation was
of Ixion.
reallyno punishment,being,as Pindar saith,
"We

if it was, it was
or
appointed
pretensions,
whereby he gave himself out as the crucified
The four spokesrepresent St. Andrew's
spirit
cross, adaptedto
of the world."
and
furnish perhaps the oldest profaneallusion to the
the four limbs extended,

voluntary,and preparedby himselfand for himself

;
in derision of his false
"

crucifixion.

The

same

of St. Andrew

cross

was

Taw, which

the

Ezekiel

mands
com-

from all
of the faithful,
as
appears
upon
idea was
familiar to
Israelitish coins whereon
that letter is engraved. The same
them

mark

to

the

foreheads

the veneration for the

Certainly,
of crucifixion.
bound to the fouris very ancient.
cross
lynx, the bird of Mautic inspiration,
T
he
the
of
Divine
Love
wheel denotes the
notion
wheel,
crucified.
legged
gives
and
is
the
the
of
the
made for that
which
she
cross
world,
spirit,
sacrifice

Lucian,

the letter

calls T

who

world."1

This

"

Love"

Divine
"

Son
begotten

Ximrod

of whom

Platonists.

of the
found

is often

heaven

space, between

and

earth.

the greatestand
Miletus,(anciently
in Asia

were
Minor),

Semi-Ramis

was

the

Supreme

survivor

Dove.

both

She is said to have

Dove.

from

which

foughta

againwe

jewelof the

she flew away

have the crucified

At

Rosier ucians.

The

in the form

remarkable

words

was

banks

she

of

was
"

the

was

Dove.

the

thy blest mother

bore, and pleased
assign'd
The wil lingSaviouk
of distressed mankind."

finally
ered,
overpowwas
crucifixion

Dove, the Sun, for

jewelof

vol. i. p.

Miletus

the

on

the Sim femaleas

personified

278,in An"c., i. p. 503.

crucined
Apollo"
the Serpent or evil prinApollo,who overcome
ciple. Thus
Callimachus, celebrating this
achievement,in his hymn to Apollo,has these
Nimrod

by

in which
Staurobates,

also the fable of the Crucified

have

the last

says :

that the ancients

also

fies
signi-

name

slain

battle

name

We

Thee

Her

been

Semiramis
Staurobates,the king by whom
which she perished" and that,
alluded to the cross
on
adorers. "3
made into a glorious
mystery by her infatuated

44

and
celebrity,

"

this Nimrod

known

or

of her sons, while others say, she flew away as a bird a

and
Hindoo
histories this mystical
In both Grecian

and
defeated,

Here

"Divine

cording
Juno, acsuspendedin
Ixion,Prometheus,Apollo of
most
flourishing
cityof Ionia,

queen of unrivaled
the form of a Dove.

is said to have
queen Semiramis
of the Indus,with a king called

"The

First-

all crucified.2

worshipedunder
goddess,

Of

crucifixion of

the Greeks. Ionali

among
with fetters,
bound
and
to the Iliad,
was

Zove"

The

"The

was
speaks,

it is well

well

as

male.

Rose,illustratedin

the

the Rosicrucians is formed

3 These
words apply to Christ Jesus,as well
Sem'ramis, accoiding to the Christian Father
at
Ignatius. In his Epistle to the Church
of Mary,
Ephesus, he says :" Now the virginity
and he who was
born of her, was
kept in secret
also the
from the prince of this world, as was
death of our
Lord : three o the mysteriesthe
the world, yet done
most spoken of througliout
in secret by God."
as

487

EXPLANATION.

of

red stone,with
transparent

red

and a red
side,
rose
The Rossi,01
a
rose.
crucified
idea
thisemblematic
red cross,''
Rosy-crucians'concerning
says Harin
his
Historyof the Rosier ucians, probably
grave Jennings,
a

the other

on

cross

on

one

thus it is

"

"

"

from the fable of Adonis

came

who

"

tJieSun

was

whom

have

we

oftenseen crucified
being changedinto a red rose by Venus."1
The emblem of the Templarsisa red rose on a cross.
it
When
it
is
and placed
be done,
surrounded with a glory,
can
on
a calvary
No. 36). This is the Naurutz,Natsir,
of
or Rose of Isuren,
(Fig.

so

"

"

or the Water
Tamul, or Sharon,
Rose,the
in the
LilyPadma, Pena, Lotus,crucified

heavens

for the salvation of man?

Christ Jesus
Rose of Sharon
the

was

called the Rose-

of Maia

son

which

bloweth

Maia.

the

salutation to the

hundreds

in

seen

Italy. We

Crucified,"the
and the

Jesus.
Plato
of

of his

briel
angelGahe
Virgin,

lily
; as may
in
old pictures
that

Adonis,

Resurrected

(429b. c.)in

his

"

Dove,"

Rose of

"

the Restorer of

is
Light,"

crucified Christ

the
Sharon,"

the Son

about
Pimceus,philosophizing

God, says :
"

of

was

"the
Virgin-born,"

with the

same

He

or

therefore

see

"

one

of

Lord," "the

"the

Wisdom.

in the month

presentsher with the lotus

be

the

ley,
Lilyof the Val-

Thus,when

givesthe

the

"

was

Maria.

or

the Rose of Sharon and the

mother

He

of Isuren.

"

incarnation of Divine

renewed
He

was

The
cross

to the

next power
on

Supreme God

was

decussated

or

in
figured

the

shape

the universe."

tian
recollectionthe doctrine of certain so-calledChriswho maintained that Christ Jesus was crucified in the
heretics,

This

to
brings

heavens.
The

Chrestos

was

the Logosor Wisdom

the
to

Logos,the Sun

men

; or,

as

the manifestation of

was

it was

held

by 6ome,

it was

his

habitation. The Sun being crucified at the time of the

peculiar
the Bull
winter solsticewas represented
by the young man slaying
and the slain
(an emblem of the Sun) in the Mithraic ceremonies,
lamb

at the foot of the

Chrestwas

the
1

Logos,or
The

cross

in the Christian ceremonies.

Divine

Kosicruciaus, p. 260.

Wisdom,

or

portionof

Ibid.

The
divine

488

BIBLE

wisdom
power

incarnate ; in this

MYTHS.

he is

the Sun or
really
to the
everything
applicable

sense

and to him
incarnate,

the solar
Sun

will

apply.
anity,"
ChristiFig.No. 37, taken from Mr. Lundy's Monumental
is evidently
a representation
of the Christian Saviour crucified
in the heavens. Mr. Lundy callsit Crucifixion in Space,"
and
"

"

believes that it was

intended for the Hindoo Saviour Crishna,

who
isalsorepresented
crucifiedin space (SeeFig.
No. 8,Ch. XX.). This
in
(Fig.37)is exactly

of

WWMW

Romish

the form

but
crucifix,

not

fixedto a pieceof wood, though

the legsand feet are put together
in the usual way.

There

is a

gloryover it,comingfrom
not shining
above,
from the figure,
is

as

Roman

crucifix.It has

Parthian

or

Parthian

Fl Gi 37.

reasons

not
of
in

the

"

True

space ; but

whether

it

these

the Christian author will

that it is

own

intended

was

tars,
ava-

Yishnu,

For

coronets.

Justice,"for he

of

Son

or
paintedwith Ethiopian

are

All the

incarnations of

pointed

instead of

coronet

of thorns.

crown

in

seen
generally

to

was

tion
representa-

not

crucified

representCrishna,

it tells a secret : it shows that some

one
was
Wittoba,or Jesus,1
has something
and undoubtedly
in the heavens,
represented
crucified
to do with
The next power to the Supreme God," who, according
to Plato, was
in the shapeof a cross on the
decussated or figured
"

"

universe."
Who

was

the crucified

and whom
a

man

he

was

on

this
on

In the

god

to
according
they,

same

Sol,whose
crucified

we

Justin

the 25th of December

shiped,
wor-

as
Martyr,represented

have seen, that

brated
birthday
theyannual^cele-

doubt,after what

cross

Can

the ancient Romans

whom

we

the same
Scandinavians,
legendis found. Frey,the Deityof the Sun, was fabled to have
been killed,
at the time of the winter solstice,
by the same boar who
offered
put the god Adonis to death,therefore a boar was annually
tales of
poetical

the ancient

1 The
or
Sun-gods Apollo,Indra, Wittoba
Crishna,and Christ Jeaus, are represented as
hayingtheirfeet piercedwith nails (See Cox :

Aryan Mytho., vol. ii.p. 23, and Moor's

Pantheon.)

Hindu

490

BIBLE

Testament)the
it is called

No.

cross

38)denoted

its power.

It

Saviour.

MYTHS.

a serpentine
as
crucifix,
probably
by Justin Martyr. The crucified serpent(Fig.
the quiescent
after it had lost
or the Sun
Phallos,

It is the Sun

was

noted
winter,crucified on the tree,which de"
its fructifying
power.1 As Mr. Wake remarks, There can

be

no

doubt

in

that both the Pillar

and the Serpent

were
(Phallus)
Sun-godsof antiquity."2

associated with many

of the
This is seen in Fig.'No. 39,taken from

medal,which

ancient

an

his head.
representsthe serpent with rays of glorysurrounding
The

who
Ophites,

Jesus,are
who

venerated the

said to have

into the

broughtwisdom

Logos,the Ophitesare

by

the

were

which

of Christ

said to have revered

ChapterXII.

believed to have

Holy Ghost.

to be the form

Christ Jesus.

"

The

The
by the Chaldee paraphrast.

the emblem

all the arts of civilizedlife. In

illustriousfemales

serpentof Genesis

was

"

of Christ

emblem

Divine

the serpent as
considering
the

an

Wisdom, which was crucified; thus we

BeLinga,or Phallus,with the serpentupon it. sides

was
Word, or Logos,
or

that the

world

called the Word

brazen serpentwas
have the cross,

maintained

serpentas

In

some

it assumed.

been

cases,

This

was

it
we

as

Jesus,or

of

the

of

cause

that several

saw

selected and

serpent

was

nated
impregsupposed

the incarnation of the

Logos.
death of Winter.
In the brazen Serpent of the
Being the most intimatelyconnected with
of the Cross and
reproduction of life on earth, the Linga
Pentateuch,the two emblems
became
the symbol under which
voked Serpent,the quiescent and energizingPhallo*,
the Sun, inhas been
with a thousand
united.
are
ii.pp.
shiped
wor(Cox : Aryan Mytho., vo
names,
113-118.)
throughout the world as the restorer of
a Wake
the powers
of nature after the long sleep or
: Phallism, "c, p. 60.
1

the

491

EXPLANATION.

The
as

we

and

held in great veneration by the ancients,

who,
have seen, considered it as the symbolof the beneticent Deity,
emblem
of eternity.
an
As such it has been variously
expressed

serpentwas

ancient

on

and
sculptures

globe.
it did
Althoughgenerally,

not

medals

in various

parteof the

always,
symbolizethe god Sun,

the power of which the Sun is an emblem ; but,invested with

it entered widelyinto the primitive
various meanings,
mythologies.
or

As Mr.
"

It

Squireobserves
typifiedwisdom,
in

"

duration,the good and evil principles,

production
life,reshort, in Egypt, Syria,Greece, India, China, Scandinavia,

America, everywhere on

The

power,

the

globe,ithas

been

prominent emblem."1

the

serpentwas

the
Saviour,

Sun.2

It

symbol of Vishnu,the preserving

god,the
emblem
of the Sun-godBuddha,the
was
an

The Egyptian
is assothe Saviour,
ciated
Angel-Messiah.8
Sun-godOsiris,
with

the snake.4

The

Persian

deemer,
Mithra,the Mediator,Rewas
Saviour,
by the serpent.6The Phesymbolized
nicians represented
their beneticent Sun-god,
Agathodemon,by a
serpent.6The serpent was, among the Greeks and Romans, the
of a beneficent
emblem
genius.Antipatorof Sidon,calls the god
Amnion, the Renowned
Serpent."7The Grecian Hercules the
and
Sun-god was symbolizedas a serpent; and so was JEsculapius
shiped
Apollo.The Hebrews,who, as we have seen in ChapterXI.,worhim in the form of a serpent.
the god Sol, represented
This is the seraph spokenof above
as set up by Moses
(Num.
xxi. 3) and worshipedby the children of Israel. Se ka ph is the
singularof seraphim,
meaning Semilice splendor,
fire,light
and
under
emblematic
the name
disk of the Sun,
of the fiery
which,
broken up by the reforming
of Nehush-tan, Serpent-dragon,"
was
and

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

Hezekiah.

god of the Aztecs

principal
SerpentSun.6
Lord
The Mexican virgin-born

The
the

which
Tonac-atlcositl,

was

means

was
Saviour,Quetzalcoatle,
in the form of a serpent. In fact,
his name
signifies
represented
of the
"Feathered
was
a
personification
Serpent."Quetzalcoatle

and

Sun.9
Under
1
%
"

the

we
aspect of the active principle,
may

Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 155.

: Phallisni in Anct.
Religs..p. 72.
Ibid. p. 73.
Squire : Serpent Symbol, p.
Wake

158.

Faber

Orig. Pagan Idol.,in Squire, p.

Ibid.

"

Kenrick's

Ibid.

196.
*

"

"

rationally

Egypt, vol. i. p. 375.

Squire : p. 161.
Ibid. p. 185.

492

BIBLE

MYTHS.

Serpentand the Sun, as corresponding

symbolsof the
or creativepower.
reproductive
FigureNo. 40 is a symbolical
sign,
connect

the

the
representing

meaningthe

"

disk of the Sun

King

Sun," or

encircled

Royal

"

by

Sun," as

the persons of Egyptian

confirmed
monarchs,
neck.1
dependingfrom the serpent's
The

the

serpentTJraeus,

it often surmounts

by the

emblem

oflife

of Osiris,
and Horus, in Egypt/ Atys
Isis,
mysteries

and

in Phrygian Ceres and Proserpine,

of Yenus
at Eleusis;
Cybele,
in Rome, are
and Adonis,in Phenicia;of Bona Dea and Priapus,
allsusceptible
of one explanation.
They all set forth and illustrated,
rites,and mystical
by solemn and impressive
symbols,the grand phenomenon of nature,
connected with the creation of
as
especially
it
of life. In all,
and the perpetuation
things

is worthy of

remark, the

serpent

was

more

or

and always as
introduced,
conspicuously
of the invigorating
or active energy
symbolical
less

of nature,the Sun.
We
have seen
art Christ Jesus also

earlyChristian

This crucifiedlamb is

Lamb.

"

the

that in

(in ChapterXX.)

as a crucified
represented
God
Lamb
of
takingaway the
was

world,and slain from the foundation of the world."2 In

the crucified
Sun, for the
other words,the crucified lamb typifies
shall presently
see.
another symbolof the Sun, as we
lamb was
ent
We find,then,that the storiesof the crucifixionsof the differ-

sins of the

of mankind

so-calledSaviours

Saviour

"

for
allegorical,

are

death

being put to

of the power

Martyr,then,we

than the restriction

the cross, signifies
more
no
of the Sun in the winter quarter. With Justin

by whatsoever
ignorantof arts or

9
3

Squire : p. 169.
Lundy : Monumental
'"

Saviour

was

Sun,

as

the

"

Things ;" the

"

"

Ruler

Phallism

of

speak of the

Nourisher

and

and

in Anct.

World

the
the

"

;" the
Supreme Lord

Gods,"
Art
Beings." (Knight : Ancient
Mytho., p. 37.)
Pausanias
(500 b. c.) speaks of "The
First of the

of all

of all

and
Sun

very

shoulders

man's

the

are

(Ibid.p.

Saviour."

remarkable

Payne Knight's Work,

pediment
of

of

surname

is

"There
in
a

writers

Generator

having the
98, note.)

titleof the Sun-

common

Greek

ancient

Christianity,
p. 185.

gods of antiquity.1'(Wake
Religs.,p. 55.)
The

say

people,whether Greek or barbarian, or any other race

ever
howor
manners
they may be distinguished,
appellation
under
dwell
the
wanwhether
or
tents,
they
agriculture,

of men,

was

all melt into one, and that they

onlya titleof the Sun,9and his

on

can

exists not

There

"

"

figurecopied

in which

cock's

we

head, whilst

see

on

on

the

placedthe words : " The Savioub

(Inman : Anct. Faiths,vol.

World."

cock
The
537.) This refers to the Sun.
was
he
of
the
herald
natural
the
day,
being
the ancients, to the
therefore sacred, among
Sun."
(See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho.,
Lardner : vol. viii. p. 377.)
and
70,
p.
i. p.

493

EXPLANATION.

der about

in crowded

whom
wagons, among
prayers are not offered up in the
Saviouk1
to the Father
and creator of all things."8

Crucified

of A

name

9. "And

tender mother
maidens

women

many

who

whom

remain with

had watched

has

he

over

loved,will

afar off"% The

beholding
him at his birth,
and the fair

who

forsake him.

never

him, and while their tears

their voices cheer him

kiss,

Dawn,

there

were

dropon

in his last hour.

bore him,and the fair and

the Eastern

the Sun sinks

sky as

the tears of

In these

beautiful

They yet
they

which
feet,

which
lights

dies in the West.4

or

have the

we

Hush

Their

tears

Eos weeps at the death of her child.

All the Sun-gods
forsake their homes and virginmothers,and

are

wander

dew, such

his

as

nally,
throughdifferent countries doing marvellous things.Fiat the end

of their career, the mother, from whom

they
is
in
their
side
cheer
them
their
last
to
partedlongago,
by

were

hours.5
The

ever-faithful women

the lifeof Buddha.

to be found

were

the

Kasyapahavingfound

in

at the last scene

departedmaster's

feet soiled and wet, asked Nanda

the cause
of it. " He was
told
that a weepingwoman
before
had embraced Gautama's feet shortly
his feet and left the marks

his death,and that her tears had fallen on

them."6

on

In his last hours,(Edipous

(theSun) has been cheered

by

the

presence of Antigone.7
At the death of Hercules,Iole

(thefair-hairedDawn) stands
hands she
him to the last. With
her gentle
by his side,cheering
words to cheer him in
soughtto soothe his pain,and with pitying
his

Then

woe.

joy,and he said
"

the

the face of Hercules flushed with

more

once
:

of maidens, thy voice shall cheer

Ah, lole,brightest
I

sleepof death.

again thou hast

the dying Sun.

in the

soughtto

fair as
evening,

me

I sink down

as

brightmorning time,and

loved thee in the

and

saw

come,

in
now

gatheraround

the soft clouds which

"

black mists

The

deep

the fair face of

on

gaze

over
spreading

were

the

sky,but

stillHercules
her in her

to comfort

and
Iole,

sorrow.

"Weep

not, Iole,"he said,"my

I shall see thee

again in

the

toil is done, and

brightland

which

is the time for rest.

now

is never

trodden

by

the feet of

night."
"

The

same

Joshua,

as

Justin

Quoted

Martyr

in Gibbon's

Matt,

The

Typho.

Dialog. Cum

Rome,

vol. i. p. 582.

xxvii. 55.
ever-faithful

at the death

tender

and

the Eastern

Saviour.
signifies

and

near

Jesus is the

name

woman

who

of the Suu-2od

is
is

"

beneath

lightwhich
heaven

as

the Western

sheds its soft hue

the Sun
waters."

over

sinks in death

(Cox

Aryan

Myths, vol. i. p. 223.)

6 See Ibid. vol. i.
p. 80.

always

Buusen

the fair

Cox

The

Aryan

Angel-Messiah, p. 49.
Mythology, vol. i. p. 223.

494

BIBLE

MYTHS.

legendof Apollo. The Dawn,

from whom
he partedin the early
to his
partof his career, comes
side at eventide,
and again meets
him when
his journey
earth
on
The

storyis related

same

has well

nigh come

When

to

the Lord

in the

end.1

an

Prometheus

crucified on

was

his
Caucasus,

Mt.

Peas his name,

professed
friend,
Oceanus,the fisherman,
especially
him to make his peace
on
indicates,2
traeus,
beingunable to prevail
with Jupiter,
by throwingthe cause of human redemptionout of
his hands,8" forsook him

and fled." None

of his

the chorus of ever-amiable

but
dyingagonies,
which

women,

There

"

ends

manner

gods.

also bewailed and lamented

The

darkness

was

the tale of the

last scene
He

solar myth.

all

him,but

unable

were

die the

not

and dies.
finally
overcome,
eveningshades,and finallythere
"

din of itsthunder

of
picture

awful,yet not

of
spirit

the

Blacker

and

is darkness

blacker grow the

the face of the
on

clashes throughthe air.6

in wild

sunset

him,
arrayedagainst

are

of
confusion,

sad,than that which

more

to the

common

dark clouds who

he is

It is the

same

of other Sun-

sorrows

manifest return

In the

death of all men, for no

touch the body of the brilliantSun. After

must

can
corruption
the
longstruggle
against

earth,"and the

the land."*

over

longtoil and

exhibits

disease or
a

and ever-faithful

his inflexible philanthropy.4

to subdue

10.

to be witnesses

remained

sunset

more

in the lasthours

is seen

of many other /Sun-gods.7

It is the picture
of the loneliness of the
hues of death upon
Sun, who sinks slowlydown, with the ghastly
his

face,while

is

none

cheer him

nigh to

the ever-faithful

save

women.

11. "He

the lower

See

Petrous

of the
8

It
regions.

Tales

name

descended into hell."* This is the Sun's descent into

of Ancient
was

an

the

enters

or the Goat,and
signCapricornus,

Greece, p. xxxi.

Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 91.)

"

interchangeablesynonym

Oceanus.

the

"

Then
Peter took him, and began to rehim, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord,
this shall not be unto
thee."
(Matt. xvi. 22.)
* See
Potter's ^Eschylus.

buke

Matt, xxvii. 45.

As

blacker

the

Sun

dies, or

sinks

in the

West,

and

Then

from the high heavens comes

the
down
clouds,and the din of its thunder crashes
through the air. (Descriptionof the death of
Hercules,Tales of Ancient Greece, pp. 61, 62.)
thick

It is the

battte

of

dying Sun, which

legendaryhistory of many
or

was

one

the

clouds

is to be

over

seen

Sun-gods.

the
in the

(Cox

of

the

latest additions

of

to the

history of Christ Jesus.

This has been proved not only to have
been
an
invention after the Apostles'time, but even
after

the

doctrine

time
of the

of Eusebius
descent

the ancient creeds

blacker grows the evening shades,

tillthere is darkness on the face of the earth.

dead

This

Sun-myth

to be

found

or

(a.d. 325).

into hell

was

rules of faith.

The

not

in

It is not

in the rules of faith delivered by

(a.d.190), by Origen (a.d.230), or by
Tertullian (a.d.200-210). It is not expressed
in those
creeds which
made
were
by the
Councils as
larger explicationsof the Aposties' Creed ; not in the Nicene, or Constantinopolitan; not in those of Ephesua, or Chalcedon ; not in those confessions made at SarcUca,
Antioch, Selencia,Sirmium, "c.
Irenseus

495

EXPLANATION.

the astronomical winter

span, and the Sun
winter

solstice

southern
hell

has reached his extreme

and
reigns,
For

course.

the lower

"

begins.The dayshave
the

three

Sun

In
regions.1

southern limit.
stand

to

seems

daysand

reached their shortest

three

The

still in his

nightshe

remains

in

this respectChrist Jesus is like other

Sun-gods.2
In the ancient sagas of Iceland,
the hero who is the Sun ified,
persondescends into a tomb, where he fights
a vampire. After
a
the
desperate
struggle,
the earth.

"

hero overcomes, and rises to the surface of

This,too,representsthe Sun in the northern realms,

into the
descending

tomb

of

and
winter,

there

the power
overcoming

of darkness."3
12. He

rose

againfrom

Resurrections from

the

acknowledgedto

the

dead,and

be solar

the

as
features,
particular.

slain by the thorn of winter

"

of
history

"

to death

and

erally
genmany

muz,
for Tam-

wept and mourned

done
Adonis,and other Sun-gods,

boar,or crucified

into heaven.

dead,and ascensions into heaven,are

solar heroes agree in this

At the winter solsticethe ancients
the fair

ascended

by

the

the third

on

at the resurrection of their

Lord of Light."*
day theyrejoiced
With her usual policy,
the Church endeavored to givea Christian
to the riteswhich theyborrowed from heathenism,and
significance
in this case, the mourningfor Tammuz, the fair Adonis,became the
of the natural Sun
mourningfor Christ Jesus,and joyat the rising
Sun of Righteousness at the
became joyat the rising
of the
"

"

"

"

resurrection of Christ Jesus from the grave.

This festivalof the Resurrection was generally
held
on

the 25th of

March,when

said to be the result of the return

off regions
to which
1

At

the end

he had

of his career, the Sun

the lowest

awakeningof Springmay

of the Sun

departed.At
enters

regions, the bowels of the earth,

to
made
therefore
nearly all Sun-gods are
"descend
into hell," and
remain
there for
three nights, for the reason
three days and
that from the 22d to the 25th of December, the
in the same
Sun
place.
apparently remains
Thus Jonah, a personification
of the Sun (see
Chap. IX.), who remains three days and three
nights in the bowels of the earth" typifiedby
fish" is made
a
Out of the belly of
to say :
hell cried I, and thou heardst my voice."
a See
Chapter XXH.
"
Baring-Gould : Curious Myths, p. 260.
"The
mighty Lord appeared in the form of
a man,
and enlightenedthose placeswhich had
ever
before been in darkness; and broke asun"

the

the

by

from the lower

the

der the fetters which

equinox
"

or

cients
an-

be
far-

say, the

before could not be

broken;

with his invincible power visited those who

sat in the deep darkness
by iniquity,and the
Then
the King of
shadow
of death by sin.

and

Glory trampled upon Death, seized the Prince

Hell, and deprived him of all his power."
into Hell.
(Descriptionof Christ's Descent
Nicodemus
: Apoc.)
4
was
The women
weeping for Tammuz
than expressiveof the Sun's loss of
no
more
power in the winter quarter." (King's Gnostics,p. 102. See also, Cox : Aryan Mytho.,
of

"

vol. ii.p. 113.)

After remaining for three

days and three

nights in the lowest regions,the Snn begins to
rises from
the dead," a* It
ascend, thus he
"

were,

and

"ascends

into heaven."

496

BIBLE

vernal- -at Easter',the Sun

risesabove
it exhibits

has been

It has

it.

MYTHS

to lifeand
powers of darkness,
when the Sun rises in Aries.

Throughoutall
Sol,under

denly
equator,and sudto us, but

Saviour rises triumphantover

the
on
immortality,

the ancient

different names,

the

been,as it were, dead

resurrection.1 The

below

25th of

now

the

March,

world,the resurrection of the god

celebrated

was

on

March

25th,with

great rejoicings.2
In the words
"

and

The

of the Rev. Geo. W.

wailingof

the Hebrew

Cox

at the death

women

of Tammuz,

the crucifixion

resurrection

of Osiris,the adoration of the Babylonian Mylitta,

the Sacti
ministers of Hindu
the
and
of
crescent
rites
of
the
ish
the Jewcross
Isis,
temples,
altar of Baal-Peor, wholly precludeall doubt
and
festivals

Yoni.

"

of the great
dus."3
Hin-

mysteries of Phenicians, Jews, Assyrians,Egyptians, and

All this was

and

of the real nature

Sun

and Nature

As Mr. Bonwick

symbolizedby the Linga

worship,

says

The

philosophictheist who reflects upon the story,known from

Asia and Europe, to the plateauof Mexico, cannot
that
materialistic theoryof it can be satisfactory."4
no
impression

the

of China, across

walls

resist the

alone explains
it.
Allegory
at an earlydate,selected the heathen festivals of Sun worship
the resurrection at
a fixed time, and
orderingthe birth at Christmas,
in
all
rectly
dia
as
Easter, varyingtime,
Pagan religions
; since,though the Sun rose
to be correct
in a heathen pointof
after the vernal equinox,the festival,
"

The

Church,

for its own,

view, had

The

to be associated with

then,may
Christian,

"When

kingdom
13.

the

thou

hadst

of heaven

overcome

(i.e., bring on

well say

of all things.We

not God

that it was

the sharpness of winter, thou didst open

the reignof summer), to all believers."

Christ Jesus is Creator

ChapterXXYI.)
by the ancients to
Son,the Redeemer

moon."5

new

the

who
Father,

have been the Creator of the

and Saviour of Mankind.

have
was

the

(in
supposed
seen

world,but God the

Now,

this Redeemer

Miiller
Saviour was, as we have seen, the Sun, and Prof. Max
the Sun is not the bright
Detellsus that in the Vedic mythology,
and

only, who performshis dailytask in the sky,but he is supposed

as the
to performmuch
greaterwork. He is looked upon, in fact,
as the Creator of the world."*
Ruler,as the Establisher,
"

va

Having been
1
3

"

invoked

Egyptian Belief,p. 174.

Anacalypsis,vol. ii.p. 100.
Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 125.
Bonwick

as

the

"

the Sun
Life-bringer,"
*

Egyptian Belief,p. 182.

Ibid.

"

Origin of Religions,p. 264.

is also

498

BIBLE

which

MYTH8.

in the legend,
so conspicuously
was
figures

the universal sym

bol of the Sun

among Oriental nations.

Christ Jesus is the
Throughoutthe whole legend,

for
laboring
for

the benefit of
and

mean

cruel

not his
others,

own, and

generation.Watch

Sun,
toiling

doinghard

his sun-like

ice
serv-

career

of brilliantconquest,checked with intervals of storm,and declining

to a death clouded with sorrow
and derision. He
is in constant
with his twelve apostles,
the twelve signs
of the zodiac.1
company

Duringthe course of his life'sjourneyhe is

The Saviour throughwhom
Earthly
Blessing,"

called " The

"

"

The

Preserver," The Redeemer,""c.

"

God

of

lifesprings,"

a new

at his birth the

Almost

him.
to sloth
Serpentof darkness attempts to destroy
Temptations
and luxuryare offered him in vain.
He has his work to do, and
him
from doingit,
as
nothingcan stay
nothingcan arrest the Sun
in his journeythrough
the heavens.
Like all other solar heroes,
he
has his faithful

who

women

playthe part.
detail. They are but

here

love

him, and

the

Marys

and Martha

Of his toilsit is scarcely

necessary to

speakin

thousand variations on

the storyof the great

conflictwhich allthe Sun-gods
the demon of darkness.
wage against
He astonishes his tutor when sent to school. This we mightexpect
to be the case, when

and
incomparable

an

incommunicable

He also representsthe wisdom and

of the Sun.
heritage
of the brightBeingwho bringslifeand light
to men.

is the

wakens

the Sun

the earth to lifewhen

the winter

and Christ
Buddha, Horus, .iEsculapius,

na,

wisdom

the dead.

When

As

is done,so Crish-

Jesus

the leaves fell and withered

neficence
be-

on

were

raisers of

the

approachof

"

of the earth
would be spokenof as dying
winter,the daughter
other power than that of the Sun can recall etation
or dead,and,as no
vegthis child of the earth would be represented
to life,
as
"

buried in

sleepfrom

which

the touch of the Sun

alone could

her.

rouse

Christ
death.

The

and early
Jesus,then, is the Sun, in his short career
violet hues tint
He is the child of the Dawn, whose soft,

number

twelve

in many

appears

of

Sun-myths. It refers to the twelve hours

of the
of the day or night,or the twelve moons
lunar year.
(Cox : Aryan Mythology, vol. i.
Bonwick
: Egyptian Belief, p. 175.)
p. 165.
Osiris,the Egyptian Saviour, had twelve
apostles. (Bonwick, p. 175.)
In all religiousof antiquity the number
twelve,which appliesto the twelve signs of the
zodiac, are reproduced in all kinds and sorts
the

of

forms.

For instance

such

are

the ttoelve

great gods ; the twelve apostlesof Osiris ; the

twelve

apostlesof Jesus ; the twelve

sons

of

Jacob,

or

the twelve

tribes ; the

twelve altars

; the twelve labors of Hercules ; the

shields of Mars ; the twelve brothers

of James

twelve
Arvaux

; the twelve

governors

in

the

gods

; the twelve

Consents

Manichean

adectyas of the East Indies

System
; the

twelve

the
asses

of the Scandinavians;
the city of the twelve
gates in the Apocalypse ; the twelve wards of
the city; the twelve sacred cushions, on which
of the Japthe Creator sits in the cosmogony
; the twelve preciousstones of the rational,

anese
or

the ornament

Jews, "c,

"c.

worn

by

the

high priestof the

(See Dupuis, pp. 39, 40.)

499

EXPLANATION.

the clouds of

earlymorn

Father,"who

has looked down

When

her.
the

; his father

his

lovingmother,who

is at his

body like rain

of his

career

the

on

in the

which

is

From

her he is

and

he

his

life,

she cannot
fall

tears

partedat

his

on

the

her he is united at its close. But

; to

shadowed
over-

expires,

morningof

him, while her

on

Heavenly

Dawn,

earth is ended,and

the death of the Son whom

at sundown.

course

love upon

partedfrom him

side,lookingon

from the doom

save

with

beingthe Sky,thu

ning
beginChrid

Jesus,like Crishna,Buddha, Osiris,Horus,Mithras,

Apollo,Atys
and thus the myth takes us a step beyond
and others,
rises again,
the legendof Serpedonand others,
which stop at the end of the
^eastward

when
the nightis done.
journey,
the birthday
of John the
Accordingto the Christian calendar,
is
when
the sun
Baptist on the day of the summer
solstice,
begins

How

to decrease.

him

true

in the fourth

then

to nature

when
Gospel,

are

the words

attributed

he says that he must

to

and
decrease,

Jesus increase.

Among

the ancient Teutonic

the 24th

on
tops of hills,

This custom

June,in

it is the

day selected by

of John
nativity

to celebrate the

on
lighted,

honor of the

is stillkept up in Southern

and
highlands,

the Roman

Christ Jesus

of the time when

pointis of

the Scotch

Catholic church

the

was

born,says :

great consequence.

no

the

Sun.

wending

Germany and

Baptist.1
ecclesiastical
of
historian,
speaking

Mosheim, the
of this

of

fireswere
nations,

We

"

the

The

uncertainty
uncertainty

that the Sun

know

shone upon the world ; and although

we
not
canfix the precise
periodin which he arose, this will not preclude

has
ofRighteousness
from

us

the
enjoying

direction and influence of his vital and

tary
salu-

beams."
abound with such expressions
have
as can
legends
to any other than to the
conceivable application
or
no
possible
and to be
the Gentiles,
to lighten
God of day." He is a light
into
He is come
of his people."2
the glory(orbrightness)
a light
These sacred

"

"

"

world,that

the

He

darkness."8
him

"Lighten
"

is

"

the

of
light

should

the world."4

He

"

not

abide in

is light,
and in

darkness is."6

no

defend

believeth in him

whosoever

us

God

our

from

darkness, we

and
all perils

of God,

See

Luke, ii.32.

John, xii. 46.

thee,Adonai, and by thy great mercy

in Evening Service.
night.""Collect,

dangersof this

lightof light,
very

Mallet's Northern

i
a

beseech

God

Antiquities,
p. 506.

of very God.""

*
*

John, Ix. v.
I- John. *" 5.

Nicene

Creed.

500

MYTHS.

BIBLE

"Merciful Adonai,

beseech

we

Church.""

thy brightbeams

of

aloud, the heavens, and all the powers

thee all angelscry

"To

thee to cast

lightupon thy

Collectof St. John.

therein."

"

majesty of thy glory (orbrightness).

of
the
The glorious
months, or)apostlespraisethee."
{twelve
company
Thou
art the King of Glory,O Christ !"
thou passestthrough the conthou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
"When
stellation,
zodiacal sign the Virgin."
or
"When
the sharpnessof winter,thou didst open the
thou hadst overcome
lievers."
the reignof the summer
e. bring on
months) to all bekingdom of heaven (**.
Heaven

"

and earth

full of the

are

"

"

"

other than
agreed,1'
says Cicero, that Apollois none
the Sun, because the attributes which are commonly ascribed to
Apollodo so wonderfully
agree thereto."
All

"

Just

"

are

surelyas Apollois the Sun, so

so

That which

the Sun.

Christ Jesus

is the Lord

the Pagan deities,

respecting

is so conclusive

the God

also to
applies

of the Christians ; but,like the Psalmist of

and do my
Touch
not my
Christ,
prophetsno

"

old,they cry,
harm."

Christian writers have

Many

and Saviour is

of
simplythe history

nothing,or, like
is

that the Sun

Lundy,in

his

"Is there

God, of whom
all nations f

no

"

Dr. Parkhurst
a

Monumental

brightSun

What

of

and

that the
the

of
history

their Lord

Sun, but theyeither

say

the Rev. J. P.

Lundy,claim
Mr.
the true Sun of Righteousness.
Christianity,"
says :

type of

Righteousness
"

no

personal and

loving Son

of

Sun

has been the typeor symbol,in all ages and among

is it that comes
from the Sun to give lightand heat

the material

power

If the

symbolicalSun

leads

such a great earthlyand

heavenlyflock, what must be said to the true and only begottenSon of God ? If
Apollo was adopted by earlyChristian art as a typeof the Good Shepherd of the
all nations must be
New
of the Sun-god among
Testament, then this interpretation
the solution of the universal mythos,or what other solution can it have ? To what
it apply ? If this mythoshas no spiritual
other historical personage but Christ can
all
the worshipof material things."1
then
becomes
or
mere
idolatry,
religion
meaning,

to

all created

seen

things?

Lundy,who seems
illustratesit as
theory,
Mr.

to adhere to this

follows

ite
favoronce-upon-a-time

Hebrew
Isaac is his (Christ's)
type, bending under the wood, as
young
of all earthlyfame
Christ fainted under the cross
; Daniel is his type, stripped
and greatness,and cast naked into the deepestdanger,shame and humiliation."
"

"

The

Noah

across

from utter destruction,and bringingthem

is his type, in saving men
world
and a new
life." "Orpheus is a type of
of
death
to a new
the sea

Agni

Christ.

Egypt, are

and

Crishna

and Apolloof
of India ; Mithra
of Persia ; Horus
feating
"Samson
carryingoff the gates of Gaza and de-

all types of Christ."

the Philistines

by
1

his

own

Monumental

death, was

considered

Christianity,
p. 117.

as

type of Christ

TjOI

EXPLANATION.

and

burstingopen
enemies

our

by

carryingaway

his death

the

gates of Hades, and

conquering

ELis and

and resurrection."1

the whole Pagan religion

was
Accordingto this theory,
typical
Christ and Christianity.
not the Pagans the
Why then were

of

Lord's chosen

peopleinstead

of the children of Israel?

The

earlyChristians were chargedwith being a sect of Sun

worshipers?The ancient Egyptiansworshipedthe god Seraj"is,
and Serapis
the Sun.
was
ner
Fig.No. 11, page 194, shows the manin which Serapis
It
for
was
a
personified. mighteasily
pass
of
the
of
the
Christians.
Mr.
in
representation
Sun-god
King says,
"

his
"

their Remains

and
Gnostics,
There

be

can

no

doubt

that the head

the
grave and pensivemajesty,supplied
the Saviour."3

The

ImperialRussian

Jesus which

":
of Serapis,
marked
the face is by a
as
idea for tlveconventional portraits
first
of

Collection boasts of

is said to

It is

of Serapis,
in front and
a head
seen
reality
mistaken
for
thorns,though the bushel
boughs, easily

on

Mr.

emerald.

be very
says of it :

King

ancient.

"It is in

doubt

as

fine

of Christ
on
intaglio

crowned

with

the head

in connection with this,

that
forgotten,
of Serapis,
called Christians.*
or the Sun, were
Mrs. Jameson,speaking
this subject,
on
says :

"

We

not

be

evidence
lightest

in vain for the

search

of his

semblance, in the writingof those discipleswho

this instance the instincts of
overruled.

He

whom

earthlyaffection
of

all races

men

seem

even

he has left

after the flesh.

Master

but
craving,
Lord

our

it is

taken from

word

him

to indicate what

manner

no

shipers
wor-

vidual
indiIn

well.

mysteriously
not

was

to be

too

loved
St. John, the be-

one.

freedom
of

so

been

to call brother,

were

the

human,
(Christ's)
knew

to have

lineaments of any
closelyassociated with the particular
Jesns with all the
could
lie
of
the
breast
on
disciple,
but not

Persia

leaves

intended."4

to the real personage

It must

head

of

fellowship,
the Divine

was

man

ural
Legend has, in various form, supplied this natof picturesof
hardlynecessary to add, that all accounts
.

Himself

are

without

historical foundation.

We

are

tliere-

the character of him who took

most
imagine the expression
befitting
and sins of mankind
himself our likeness,
and looked at the woes
through

foreleftto

upon
the eyes of

The
"No

our

mortality."8

hint is

given in

the New

earlyChurch, in the absence

"

"

Rev. Mr. Geikie says, in his

See Monumental

of all

Testament

Christianity,
pp. 186,191,

"
"

See Bonwick's

"

"

Egyptian Belief,p. 283.

King'sGnostics,p. 68.

of Christ's appearance ; and the

to fall back on imagination."

guidingfacts,had

192,238, and 296.

s

Life of Christ ":

Ibid. p. 137.
See Chapter XX.

Hist, of Our Lord

In

Art, toI. 1. p. 31.

MYTHS.

BIBLE

502

its Lord's visage and form

In itsfirst
years, the Christian church fancied
have had no attractions
than those of other men
marred
more
; and that he must
Justin Martyr (a.d. 150-160)speaks of him as without
of
"

personalbeauty.
and of
beauty or attractiveness,

mean

appearance.

Clement

of Alexandria

(a.d.

Tertullian
and almost repulsive.

appearance,
200),describes him as of an uninviting
human
had
he
not
even
ordinary
d.
200-210)says
(a.
he
that
far
was
to
so
as
went
say
Origen (a.d. 230)

'

as

well

'

low-born, and that, his only beauty was

as

of the favorite ways

remarks :

One

Lundy

"Under

the

figureof

beautiful

with
of age, beardless,
in
curls
abundant hair flowing

encircled

by

diadem

or

in his soul and

deformed*

"l
life.'

of depicting
him, was,
finally,

eighteenyears
long and

beauty,far less heavenly.

small in body and

and
a

Mr.

youth, of about fifteen or

expressionof countenance, and

adorable

sweet

over

as

his shoulders.

His brow

is sometimes

bandeau, like a young priestof the Pagan gods ; that is,

and
in fresco paintings
in fact,the favorite figure. On sculpturedsarcophagi,
was
figured
as
a
s
Apollo
is
thus
represented a gracefulyouth,just
Mosaics, Christ

by the Pagans, and

Thus

we

as

see

by Christians."2
angelsare represented
and
paintings

that the Christians took the

Sun-godsSerapisand Apolloas models,when

of the

statues

theywished

representtheir Saviour. That the former is the favorite at the

at Fig.No. 11,
present day need not be doubted when we glance

to

page 194.
Mr. King,speaking
of this god,and his
"

was

There

change of

not

name,

worship of Serapis
graduallymerged into it with an
tions
substance,
carryingwith it many of its ancient no-

is very good reason

with
first
combined
at

entire

worshipers,
says

to believe that in the East the

and
Christianity,

and rites."3

Again he
"In

says

dria,
sects that had sprung up in Alexancentury the syncretistic
found
in
hotbed of Gnosticism,
out
Serapisa prophetictypeof

the second

the very

Christ,or the Lord and Creator of all.''4

of the Sun, under the name

or worshipers
earlyChristians,
of "Christ" had, as all Sun-worshipers,
a peculiar
regardto the
to which pointthey
East the quarter in which their god rose
directed theirprayers*
ordinarily
The followers of Mithra always
turned towards the East,when
done by the Brahmans
of the East,
was
theyworshiped
; the same
The

"

"

and

the Christians of the West.

catechumen

In the ceremony of baptism,

the
his face to the West, the symbolical

placedwith
in opposition
of the princeof darkness,
to
representation
East,and made to spittowards it at the evil one, and renounce
was

works.
"

Geikie

Monumental

"

King's Gnostics,p. 48.

Life of Christ, vol. i.p. 151.

Christianity,
p. 231.

*
"

Ibid. p. 68.
See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 13.

the
his

503

EXPLANATION.

Tertullian says, that Christians were

taken for worshipers
of the
Sun because theyprayedtowards the East,
after the manner
of those
who

The Essenes

alwaysturned

"

the Sun.

adored

week, and

to the east

spent

soon

The

to pray.

calls Christians

Essenes met

once

singinghymns, "c, which lasted

dawn
theyretired to their
appeared,

as

after saluting
one
cells,

another.

met
Bithynia

before it was

God.

their service

After

Eusebius

night in

the

till sun-rising.
As

whom

"

Plinysays

and
light,

the Christians of

hymns

sang

to
as
Christ,

to

theysaluted one another. Surelythe

circumstances of the two classesof peoplemeetingbefore daylight,
is a very remarkable coincidence. It is justwhat the Persian Magi,
who were
in the habit of doing.
Sun worshipers,
were
When
he
terms

Christian

to
required

was

curse

came

tians,
Chris-

to the orthodox

over

his former friends in the

following

"

Manichaean

Zarades

curse

(Zoroaster
?) who,

Manes

said,had

before his time among

the Indians and
Persians,and
I curse
is
Christ
those who
the
and
who
make
Sun,
say

appeared

as

god

lie calls the Sun.

whom

pra}'ers to the Sun, and

the East,but who turn themselves

who
do not pray to the true God, only towards
round, followingthe motions of the Sun with their innumerable

curse

all one

those person
and

not

are

Christ Jesus

Budas

and

and

circumstances

many

supplications.
the Sun

Christ and

are

As

Lamb

"

of

have

we

God, which

seen
already

the form of

taketh away

the Council of

called In TruUo, held

Constantinople,

year 707, that

in the form of

of
pictures

ordered

were

Lamb

the sins of the

(inChap.XX.), it was

Christ Jesus

that of

than
striking

more

under
beingoriginally
worshiped

the actual

world."

say that Zarades

the same."

There

"

who

so

not

late

to be

as

till

the

drawn

that,in the placeof the figure

of a man
of a Lamb, the symbol used to that time,the figure
nailed to a cross, should in future be used.1 From this decree,the
of
identity

the

It

man.

was

worshipof

ordained

the CelestialLamb

and

the Christian

of doubt,and the mode

possibility
is satisfactorily
were
propagated
by which the ancient superstitions
than
shown.
practice
Nothingcan more clearly
prove the general
it.
the order of a council to regulate
the worshipof
The worshipof the constellation of Aries was
the Sun in his passage throughthat sign. This constellation was
Saviour is certified beyond the

"

Following

are

the

words

of the
"

decree

library: In quibuedam
sanctorum
imaginum picturis
agnusexprimitur,
Nos igiturve teres figurasatque umbras,
"c.
et veritatis notas, et signa ecclesiae tradita,
gratiam, et veritatem anteponicomplectentes,
now

in the Vatican

ut plenitudinem legisacceptimus.
mus, quam
Itaque id qnod perfectum eBt, in picturisetiam
illam qui
oculis eubjiciamus, agnum
omnium
nosDeum
Christum
mundi
tollit,
peccatum
forma poBthJi
trum, loco veteris Ayni, humana
exprimendum decrevimuB," "c.

504

BIBLE

MYTH8.

by the ancients the Lamb of God. He

Saviour,and was said to save mankind from
of Dominus
alwayshonored with the appellation

called

called The Lamb

The

of God

Lamb

of God, that

(and described

Citium

Lamb

of God is described
that theywere
both

shows

Lord.

or

was

He

was

taketh away the sins of the world.

in their litany,
the
repeating
constantly
taketh away

have mercy upon us.

Grant us
On an ancient medal of the
from

their sins. He

which

devotees addressed him

words,'O

also called the

was

in

with

the sins

of the world,

"

thypeace?
Phenicians,
broughtby Dr. Clark
this
his
vol. ii.ch. xi.)
Travels,"
"

the Cross and

the

Eosary, which

used in his

worship.
was
Sun-god,
supposed
(Aries)
Yedic
die
Hence
the
to
to
all
the
save
Aryans
flesh.
by
practice
horses. The
of
the
of sacrificing
guardianspirits
Sakya
prince
Buddha singthe following
hymn :
Yearlythe

the zodiacal horse

as

"

"

"

Once

when

the white

thou wast

howe,1
of man,
suffering
Thou didst flyacross
heaven to the regionof
To secure the happiness
of mankind.

In

pityfor the

Persecutions

without

Revilingsand many
Death and murder
;
These

the evil demons,

end,

prisons,

hast thou suffered with love and

patience,

Forgivingthine executioners."3
We

have seen, in

as
symbolized

ChapterXXXIII.,

Fish, and that it

But what

Christian monuments.
with

Fish f

the fishwas

his

is to be

of the Sun.

(Christ's)
coming

seen

all the ancient

on

is the

The

to do

is,because

answer

Abarbanel

of
junction

also

was

has the Christian Saviour

he called a Fish ?

was

another emblem

signof

"The
the

Why

that Christ Jesus

says :

in
Saturn and Jupiter,

Sign Pisces"*

Applyingthe
absurd

more

seem

astronomical emblem
than

applyingthe

of Pisces to

Jesus,does

astronomical emblem

not

of the

him

of the Sun,IHS, the

the monogram
astronomical and alchemical signof Aries,or the ram, or Lamb
"p ;
in
what
there
that
Heathenish
that
have
was
was
short,
and,
they

They appliedto

Lamb.

appliedto him %
The preserving
as a fish,
god Yishnu,the Sun, was represented
the
and so was
SyrianSun-godDagon,who was also a Preserver or
sacred among
Saviour. The Fish was
many nations of antiquity,

not

"

The

his head

bol,

and

solar horse, with two serpents upon

(the Buddhist Aries) is Buddha's symAries

(ArthurLillie :

is the
Buddha

symbol
and Early Buddhism,
of

Christ."

p. 110.)
a

Quoted by Lillie : Buddha

and

Early Budd-

hism, p. 93.
*

Quoted by King

The

Gnostics

"c, p. 138.

506

BIBLE

of the Sun

were

MYTHS.

changedinto goldenhair,into

spears and lances,

the shoulders of Phoibus Lykegenes,
the

and robes of

light.From
flow the sacred locks over
which no razor
light-born,
might pass.
On the head of Nisos,
that of Samson,theybecame a pallaas
on
dium
invested with a mysterious
From
t
he
Helios,
Sun,
power.
scorch as well as warm, comes
who can
the robe of Medeia,which
garmentsof Deianeira.1
appears in the poisoned
We
see, then,that Christ Jesus,like Christ Buddha,3Crishna,
Hercules and others,
is none
other
Mithra,Osiris,
Horus,Apollo,
than a personification
of the Sun, and that the Christians,
like their
the Pagans,
are
predecessors
reallySun worshipers.It must not
be

inferred,
however,that
Jesus

as

is

of Nazareth

evidentlyan

ever

advocate the

historicalpersonages

the

theorythat

such son
perlived in the flesh. The man
Jesus

historical personage,

Buddha, Cyrus,
King of
are

we

justas

no

the

Sakaya prince
and Alexander,King of Macedonia,
Persia,
the Christ Buddha,
; but the Christ Jesus,
the mythical
Alexander,never lived in the

mythical
Cyrus,and
flesh.The Sun-mythhas
in

greateror

been added to the historiesof these sonages,

perit
been
less degree,
has
added
the
to
justas

of
history

other real personages. If it be urged that the

many
attribution to Christ Jesus of qualities
to the
or powers
belonging
the
reasonable,
Pagan deitieswould hardlyseem
in
that nothingis done
his case which has not
case

must

answer

be

been done in the

of almost

gods.

The

of the great company

of the
every other member
with differences
themselves,
tendencyof myths to reproduce

and local coloring,

becomes especially
fest
manionlyof names
after perusing
the legendary
historiesof the gods of antiquity.
It is a fact demonstrated by history,
that when
nation of anone
tiquity
in
with
each
contact
other's
came
another, theyadopted

myths without hesitation. After

around the history
of
to Babylon,
the fables which

were

the Jews had been taken

their King Solomon

related of Persian

heroes.

captives

accumulated

When

the fame

of

Cyrus and Alexander became known over the then known world,
the popular
The
Sun-mythwas interwoven with their true history.
of Perseus is,in allits essentialfeatures,
the history
history
mythical
of the Attic hero Theseus,
and of the Theban OEdipus,
and
colors in the myths of Hercules.
theyall reappear with heightened
We have the same
and religious
thingagainin the mythical
history
of Crishna ; it is,in nearlyall its essential features,
the history
of
1

Cox

Aryan Mythology, vol. i.p. 49.

We
have already seen
(in Chapter XX.)
the word
that
"Christ"
signifies the
8

"Anointed,"

or

the

"

Messiah," and that many

other personages beside Jesus

this titleaffixed to their names.

of Nazareth

had

507

EXPLANATION.

Buddha, and

in the history
again,with heightenedcolors,
and Jesus differ from
myths of Buddha
the
legendsof the other virgin-bornSaviours only in the fact that in
their cases
it has gathered round
historical personunquestionably
ages.
In other words, an old myth has been added to names
doubtedly
unhistorical. But it cannot
be too often repeated that from
the myth we
learn nothingof their history.How
much
we
really
know
of the man
Jesus will be considered
in our
and
next,
last,

reappears
of Christ Jesus.
The

chapter.1That

his

Testament,contains
the

historian

as
biography,

recorded

in the books

of the New

few

is all that
grains of actual history,
venture
to urge.
Bat
philosophercan rationally

or

some

the very process which

has strippedthese legendsof all value as a
chronicle of actual events
has invested them
with a new
interest.
Less than

ever

afford to

philosopher
may
death

and

of

were

In

own.

the

"Latium

thee, Sol, because

rays,

affirm

they

because

thou

formest

tion
condi-

before the

to pass

as

the time

these

early

unlike

the
Capella,

our

universal

alone

art in

thy

sacred

that

number

honor, after(lieFaiJier,

head

bears

of months

golden brightness

and

that

ber
num-

guidest four winged steeds, because thou

say that thou
chariot of the elements.
For, dispellingthe darkness, thou re-

They

hours.
rulest the

vealest the

shining heavens.

Hence

the secrets

of the future

because

thee

thou

that

or

birth,life,

and
society

had

of Martianus

following
shown
is clearly

light; and

in twelve

worships

of

all mankind

verses

invokes
of

the centre

alone

us

legendsof the

form

for the Sun

veneration

of

Sun, present

to

the- historian

real
as
history. Yet that state of thingswas
live. They who
we
spoke the languageof
and women
with
not
men
joys and sorrows

in which

tales

of the

fictions which

despise.These

thoughtthrough which

of

dawn

they worthless

are

as

; or,

they

Serapis,and Memphis

Thou

Osiris.

as

art

worshiped by

ferent
dif-

Thou

cruel Typhon.
art alone the beautiful
Thou
of
the
bent
art
the Ammon
of arid
son
plough.
fostering
Atys,
Thus
under
of
varied
the
the
Adonis
whole
and
a
world
appelation
Byblos.
Libya,
the
and
of thy father's face 1 thou
gods,
worship thee. Hail 1 thou true image of
rites

and

608.

number
to

the

the

sacred

whose

and

as

Mithra, Dis, and

thee, Phcebus, the discoverer of

preventest nocturnal crimes.
Egypt

esteem

thou

name,
2

know

Grant

surname,
us, oh

and

omen,

Father,

to

three
reach

"

These

letters,the monogram

the celebrated

in

Sun,

are

in

seen

in Roman

C.
three

May

the great and

versally
uni-

"

set forth
has been
theory which
this chapter, is also more
fully illustrated

The

Appendix

to agree with
the
eternal intercourse of mind,

under this sacred name.

the starry heaven
increase these his favors.
Father

adorable

letters make
the

of the

day, and which

Sun-god Christ

Catholic
are

now

Jesus.

I. S.

H., which

churches
the

at the

monogram

are

to be

present
of the

(See Chapter XXXVL)

XL.

CHAPTEK

CONCLUSION.

We

now

but certainly
not least,
to be
last,
question

to the

come

answered

; which

Nazareth

is,what

we

of the

much

How

do

know of the
really
Gospel narratives can

Jesus of

man
we

relyupon

fact ?

as

Jesus of Nazareth
his

to what

We

the sand.

know

some

of the past,and
be

has been

one

compared

to

there,but

as

know
little
he may have been,we certainly
Gospels,the only records we have of him,1 have been

of

manner

fact.

as

obscured

so
history

in
footprints

envelopedin the mists

by legend,that it may

is so

The

and

man

historical and

legendary
; to state
is nothingmore
less than
about the man
nor
anythingas positive
only. Liberal writers osophiz
philassumption
/ we can therefore conjecture
proven,

over

and

over

again,un

littlepurpose, when, after demolishing

of the New
Testament, they end their

eloquentto

wax

the historical accuracy

the man
Jesus, claimingfor him the highest
by eulogizing
th e best and grandest
of our race ;9
that he was
and asserting
praise,
to many)facte
of reasoning
but this manner
(undoubtedly
consoling
his name, and place
We
do not warrant.
revere
consistently
may
it in the longlistof the greatand noble,the reformers and religious
task

teachers of the

have

done

enjoy,but

to go

past,all of whom

about the freedom

we

now

their

part in bringing

is,to
beyond this,

our

unwarranted.
thinking,
If the life of Jesus of

Nazareth,as

related in the books

of the

who really
lived and
Testament,be in part the storyof a man
that story has been so interwoven with imagesborrowed
suffered,

New

"

knowledge of the

For

idea and

his aims, and

man

Jesus, of his

of the outward

form

of

is our
his career, the New
Testament
only hope.
of his
If this hope fails,the pillaredfirmament

starry fame is rottenness

; the base of Christianily, so far as it was
personal and individual,
is built
"

M.

on

stubble."

Eenan,

"fanatic" and
508

after

(John W. Chadwick.)
declaring Jesus to be

admitting that, "his

friends

beside himself;"
thought him, at moments,
and that,"his enemies
declared him possessed
here delineated
by a devil," 6ays : "The man
merits
of human
a
place at the summit
grandeur."
"This
is the Supreme man, a sublime
personage;" "to call him divine isnoexaggeration." Other liberal writers have written
in the

same

strain.

509

CONCLUSION.

from
of

mythsof

bygone age,

which
history

to conceal forever any

as

lie beneath them.

fragments

Gautama

Buddha
was
doubtedly
unmay
historicalpersonage, yet the Sun-godmyth has been
added to his history
to such an extent
that we really
know nothing
an

him.

about
positive

yet

Alexander

is
his history

one

the Great
of

mass

was

historicalpersonage,

an

legends.So

it is with Julius

and scores
of others.
Cesar,Cyrus,King of Persia,
in infancy
to solar mythology
as
Cyrus'perils
belongs
"

The

storyof

much

as

the

storiesof the

of Charlemagne
and Barbarossa.
His
magicslipper,
is purely
his name
a mythical
creation,
grandfather,
Astyages,
being
identical with that of the nightdemon, Azidahaka,
who appears in
the Shah-Nameh
The

the

as

bitingserpent."

actual Jesus is inaccessibleto scientificresearch. His

be recovered.

cannot

his followers

Pie left no

memorial

illiterate
; the mind

were

image

in

of himself ;
writing
of his age was
confused.

Paul received

onlytraditionsof him,how definitewe have no means

not
nor
knowing,apparently
significant
enoughto be treasured,

of

consistent enough to oppose a barrier to his own

M. Renan says : " The Christ who communicates
is

As
speculations.
revelations
private

he listens
phantomof his own making;" "it is himself
to,while fancyingthat he hears Jesus"
In studyingthe writings
of the early
advocates of Christianity,
look
and Fathers of the Christian Church,where we would naturally
that would indicate the real occurrence
of the facts
f^r the language
of the Gospel if real occurrences
not
we
theyhad ever been
find every sort of
but everywhere
onlyfind no such language,
and evasions of
from the subject,
ambages,ramblings
sophistical
to him

"

"

the very business before them,as if on purpose to balk our research,

of
If we
travel to the very sepulchre
and insult our
skepticism.
there : history
it is onlyto discover that he was
Christ Jesus,
never
seeks evidence of his existence
it than

as

man, but finds no

that flitsacross

of the shadow

the wall.

more
"

The

trace of

Star of

and the order of the universe

shone not upon her path,
without her observation.
suspended

Bethlehem
was

"

asks,with the Magi of the East," Where is he that is born

quiry,
King of the Jews ?" and, like them, finds no solution of her inShe

that guidesas well to

guidance
Buddha
that applyto JEsculapius,
descriptions
but the

"

"

but

The

an

about
boasted

Christ of Paul

idea; he took no
individual
the
that

the

not

was

was

person,

an

He

actually
taught him
ideal conception,

Jesus.

Apostles had

nothing. His Christ

pains to learn the facts

evolved
and

from

taking on

placeas another ;
and Crishna,
as well

one

his

own

feelingand imagination,

powers and attributes from

to suit each new
emergency."
new

year to year
(John W. Chadwick.)

510

BIBLE

without
prophecies,

Jesus ;

to

as

MYTHS.

evidence

that

they were

ever

which those who

said to have seen, are
are
prophesied
; miracles,
said also to have denied seeing;narratives without authorities,
facts

dates,and records without

without

In vain do the so-called

names.

of Jesus pointto the passages in Josephusand Tacitus ;'

disciples
in vain do theypointto the spot on which he was
crucified ; to the
of the true cross, or the nails with which he was
fragments
pierced,
and

for
Did
on

to the tomb

of

scores

in which

he

laid.

was

Others
who

mythological
personages

have

done

much

as

lived in the flesh.

never

of Apollonius
of Tyana,while
Damis, the beloved disciple
his way to India,
see, on Mt. Caucasus,the identical chains with
not

which

Prometheus

shown
Was

the

Was

V
not

the tomb

not

the tomb of

it

be

seen

in

the river Lusius f

saved

from

the

be

Apolloto

upon

Arcadia,in

Was

not
"

Jonah

"

covered

he who

"

was

Nebi-Yunus,near

it with

swallowed

Mosul

?n

not

tomb

by

the

the Great

to

him, near

he who

"

was

sanctuaryof

of Osiris to be

not

big fish

Are not the tombs of

were

not

went
priests

flowers?10 Was

their

Was

the

near

the

seasons, the

up

did

Greece

Was

and

the tomb of ^Es-

not

grove consecrated
the tomb of Deucalion

Olympian Jove, in Athens?'

in Egypt,where, at stated
seen

the

in

seen

Alexander

Was

itV

not

his bones

DelphiV

at

Deluge long pointed out

and
procession,

be

to

Dodona, where

at

seen

country?

Cadiz,where

seen

Did

rock to substantiate

of Bacchus

a crown
by placing

to
culapius

visited their

printof

tomb of Achilles to be
honored

had

the rocks ?

to

his foot upon

at
not his tomb to be seen

show
Was

storyV

bound

been

that Hercules

Scythians9
say

theynot

had

"
"

in solemn

the tomb

of

to be

at

seen

Adam, Eve,Cain,
to be
characters,

Abel, Seth,Abraham, and other Old Testament

did not the Emperor Constanat the presentday ?12 And
seen
even
tine dedicate

beautiful church

warrior saint ?13 Of what

of such

an

individual

records of his life are

the tomb

over

value,then,is such
as

Jesus of Nazareth

of St.

evidence
?

The

George,the
of the existence

fact

is," the

very scanty,and these have been so shaped

and colored and modified by the hands of ignorance
and superstition
so

subject is considered in Appendix D.

a name
employed in ancient
Scythia was
and almost
times, to denote a vast, indefinite,
unknown
north and east of the Black
territory
Sea, the Caspian, and the Sea of Aral.
8 See
Herodotus, book 4, ch. 82.
4 See
Dupuis, p. 264.
5 See
Knight's Anct. Art and Mythology,p.
96, and Mysteries of Adoni, p. 90
1

This

"

See

See

Dupuis, p. 264.
Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 7.

See Ibid. vol. i. p. 27.

"

Ibid.

*"

Bonwick, p. 155.
Chambers, art. Jonah."
ia See Bible for
Learners, vol. i. p. 152, and
Goldzhier, p. 280.
Curious Myths, p. 264.
"See
"

Ibid. vol. i. p. 2, and

See

"

CONCL

and

and ecclesiastical
partyprejudice
purpose, that it is Lard

of the

sure

611

JTSION.

to be

outlines."
original

In the firsttwo

centuries the

of Christianity
vided
diprofessors
were
into many sects,
but these might be all resolved into two
divisions one
of Nazarenes,
and orthodox
consisting
Ebionites,
"

the other of

themselves.

under
Gnostics,

The

in the
crucified,
"

former

which

all the

sects
remaining

supposedto have

are

arranged

believed in Jesus

literalacceptation
of the term ; the latter
believers in the Christ as an jEon
thoughthey admitted the
common,

"

considered
crucifixion,

it to have

in

been

mysticway

some

what

haps
percalled
it
is
be
in
called
the tion
Revelaas
might
spiritualiter,

but

the different opinions

notwithstanding
theyheld,theyall

"

denied that the Christ did

of the
die,in the literalacceptation
really
Christians undoubtedly
or Oriental,
term, on the cross.1 The Gnostic,
took their doctrine from the Indian crucifixion*
(ofwhich we
have treated in
with

tenets

tainted.

XX.
Chapters

which

They

have

we

held that

and

XXXIX.),

well

as

other

as

many
the Christian Church

found

deeply

the Genius
captivein darkness,the Prince of Light,'
of the Sun,' charged with the redemptionof the intellectual world, of which the
Sun is the type, manifested
itself among
men
; that the lightappeared in the
darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not ; that,in fact,lightcould not
of the human
unite with darkness ; it put on only the appearance
body ; that at
the crucifixion Christ Jesus only appeared to suffer. His person having disappeared,
in his placea cross
of light,
which
over
the bystanders
saw
a celestial
voice proclaimedthese words ; The Cross of Light is called Logos, Christos,
the Gate, the Joy.'"
"

To

deliver the soul,a

'

'

'

Several of the texts of the

Gospelhistorieswere

by the Gnostics
greatplausibility

in

quoted with

supportof their doctrine. The

throughthe midst of the Jews when

storyof Jesus passing
headlongfrom

about to cast him

were

theywere goingto stone

refuted.
examplesnot easily

29, 30),and when

39),were
The
the
"

Christian

Manichean

manner
following

Do

you

other

nature

part

of

the

the

of his person

they

hill (Luke iv.

(Johniii.59

31,

; x.

expresses himself in

gospel? (ask ye). Undoubtedly I

life of Jesus, in anworld

the views

Christian

that
idealistic,
his humanity was reduced to a phantom without
reality. The various Gnostic systems generally
agreedin saying that the Christ was an JSonf
of the spiritsof men, and that
the redeemer
taken

receive

and human

him

BishopFaustus

" " Whilst, in

one
part of the Christian
the
world, the chief objectsof interest were

human

of

the brow

because

so

he had

littleor

nature."
the
2

no

contact

(A. Eeville

do ! Why
their

with

Hist, of the

Deity of Jesus.)
Epiphanius says that there

heresies

before

Christ, and

then,

were

there

corporeal
Dogma of
twenty
can

be

no

truth in the observathat there is much

tion,for most of the rites and doctrines of the
doubt

Christians of all sects existed before the time

of Jesus of Nazareth.

512

BIBLE

that Christ was

you also admit

think that he

then

you

that I should

ever

is also in the

of
King,speaking

Mr.

for it

by

no

' "

in

saw

the Gnostic

Do

hath said, Far be it

etc. !

the evidences of Christianity

reasoningon
we

born

was

'

Manes

follows that

means

that Christ

last chapter.9

our

Christians,
says :

been held for centuries before

chief doctrines had

Their

Jesus Christ

vein,as

same

so

VirginMary

Lord

of

manner

Not

therefore believe

of the

was

that Our

own

Tertullian's

11

born

gospel,I should

believingthe

in

MYTHS.

(their
time)in

many

into existence
There, it is probable,they first came
the establishment of direct intercourse with India,under the Se-

of the cities in Asia Minor.

Mystce,upon
leucidaB and Ptolemies.
as

collegeof

The

Essenes

and

Megabyzm at Ephesus,the
all merelybranches of one antiqueand

Orphicsof Thrace, the Curets of Crete,are

Asiatic. "8
and that originally
religion,

common

earlyChristian Mysticsare

These

For

Testament.

\a the New

that confesseth
Every spirit
confesseth
that
spirit
every

"

and

of God."4

For

deceivers

many

alluded to in several instances

example:

that Jesus Christ is come

not

entered into the

are

world, who

that could not have been

This is language
Christ Jesus' existence

certainly
seem,

as

could not

man

if the

confess not

that

of
used,if the reality

have been

himself
apostle

had

denied,or, it
been able to give

of the claim.

evidence whatever

any

in the flesh is not

in the flesh."6

Jesus Christ is come

would

in the fleshis of God

that Jesus Christ is come

this subject
lasted for a longtime
on
quarrels
of this,
speaking
earlyChristians. Hernias,
says to the

the
among
brethren :

The

children,that your dissensions depriveyou not of your lives.

will ye instruct the elect of God, when ye yourselveswant
correction ?
How
admonish
Wherefore
one
another, and be at peace among
yourselves; that I,
of
account
standingbefore your father,may givean
you unto the Lord."6
Take

"

heed, my

in
Ignatius,

Only

"

him

; he

knowing,

do

death, rather

Moses, have

to
Epistle

the

name

was

of Jesus Christ,I

made

man

ProAccipis avengelium ? et maxime.

Non ita
et natum
accipisChristum.
est.
Neque enim sequitur ut si evangelium
accipiam Christum.
accipio,idcirco et natum
Maria Virgine esse f
ex
putas enni
Ergo non
nostrum
Jesum
Manes dixit,
Absit ut Dominum
mulieris
de
naturalia
Christum
pudenda
per
ecendisse confitear."
(Lardner'sWorks, vol.
1

"

inde ergo

iv. p. 20.)
9 " I
maintain,1' says he, " that the Son of
God was born : why am I not ashamed
of main-

taining such

Smyrnaeans,
says :*

undergo all,to suffer togetherwith

Whom
perfect
strengtheningme.
some, not
denied
deny ; or rather have been
by him, being the advocates of
Whom
neither the prophecies,
than of the truth.
the law of
nor
the
this
to
nor
the
even
nor
Gospelitself
persuaded ;
day,
sufferings

in the

who

his

thing "

Why

I because

it is

itself a shameful

thing I maintain that the Son

well,that is wholly credible beit is monstrously absurd.
cause
I maintain
that after having been buried,he rose again :
and that I take to be absolutelytrue,becau"i
it was
manifestlyimpossible."
s
King's Gnostics,p. 1.
" I.
John, iv. 2, 3.
" II.
John, 7.
" 1st Book
ch. iii.
Hermae
: Apoc
T
Chapter II.

of God

died

"

514

BIBLE

The

to
Koran, referring

said

'

doubt

spoken againstMary
Christ Jesus, the

slain

Verilywe
Yet theyslew him not, neither crucified
him,

to this

as

Jews,says :

have

(theapostleof God).
by one in hi* likeness.
a

the

believed in Jesus,and have

"They have not

calumny, and have

in

MYTHS.

but he

were

"

which

In the books

therefore cast
the

among

"

of the canon,

out

us

among

we

and
strifes,
do

Why

we

Christ, and raise seditions againstour

of madness,

In his

as

to

forgetthat
the

to
Epistle

we

were

and which
others,

reasons

"

and

were

as

follows

anger, and divisions,and schisms,and

of
rend and tear in pieces the members

body

own

members

are

which

find many
allusions to the strife
instance ; in the " First Epistle

read
we
Corinthians,"9
there

are

the

for obvious

"

For

earlyChristians.

Wherefore

wars,

of God

knowledge

Apocryphal,but

equalauthoritywith

the word

to the

of Clement

called

now

are

of

quoted,and

voted not

were

resented
rep-

Bible,is sufficient
the earlyChristians

the Mohammedan

wanting,that
him," and that they had no sure
"disagreed
concerning
but followed onlyan uncertain opinion/'
thereof,
show, if other evidence

most

was

verilythey who disagreedconcerning him w^rc

but followedonly an
had no sure knowledge thereof,

alone,from

This passage

the

'

uncertain opinion.

to

grievous
Mary

of

son

And

matter, and

"

? and

are

come

to such

height

of another."

one

Trallians,
Ignatius
says

:a

that ye use
you, or rather not I, but the love of Jesus Christ,
of another
which
is
but Christian nourishment
pasture
none
; abstaining from
trine
I mean
kind.
Heresy. For they that are heretics,confound togetherthe doctheir own
poison ; whilst they seem
of Jesus Christ with
worthy of belief.
"'

I exhort

therefore,as often as any one shall speak contrary to

was
of the race of David, of the VirginMary. Who
truly
was
Jesus Christ, who
Pontius
under
was
Pilate;
and
did
and
eat
was
persecuted
drink;
truly
born,
the earth,
and
under
and
heaven
on
those
in
dead
both
earth,
and
crucified
truly
;
who
are
atheists,that is to say,
But if,as some
being spectators of it.
infidels,
pretend,that he onlyseemed to suffer,why then am I bound ? Why do I
.

Stop your

ea"s,

desire to

fightwith

beasts ?

find St.

We

Therefore

do I die in vain."

pressly
exPaul,the very first Apostleof the Gentiles,

avowing that he

%oas

made

minister

which
of the gospel,

alreadybeen preachedto every creature under heaven* and

had been believed on
who
in the flesh,
God manifest
a
preaching
the commencement
of his ministry;
in the world,"therefore,
before

had

and who

could not have been

not been

the

at
preached,

the

that

of

man

time,nor

who
Nazareth,

believed
generally

tainly
ceron

in

"We find also that :

world,tillages after that time.'

"

Col. i. 23.

I- Timothy, Hi. 16.

The

Koran, ch. iv.

Chapter XX.
8
Chapter II.

had

authenticityof

these

Epistlesha%

515

CONCLUSION.

1. This Paul

gradeof

himself

owns

deacon,the lowest ecclesiastical

the

Therapeutanchurch.
2. The Gospel of which
these Epistles
tensively
speak,had been exand
preached
fullyestablished before the time of Jesus,
the
who believed in the doctrine of the
or Esseues,
by
Therapeuts
the ^Eon from heaven.1
Angel-Messiah,
Leo, the Great,so-called (a.d.

writes
440-461),

thus:

Let those who

"

with impious murmurings find fault with the Divine dispensations,

complain about the lateness of our Lord's nativity,
from
cease
their grievances,
carried out in later ages of the world, had not
was
as if what
been impending in time past.
What the Apostles preached,the prophets (inIsrael)
had announced
before,
and what has always been {universally)
be said to have been fulcannot
believed,
filled
too late.
By this delay of his work of salvation, the wisdom and love of
God have only made us more
fitted for his call ; so that,what had been announced
by many .Signsand Words and Mysteriesduring so many
centuries, should
before
not be doubtful
uncertain in the days of the gospel.
or
God
has not provided
for the interests of men
by a new council or by a late compassion; but he
had instituted from
the beginning for all men,
and
the same
one
path of saland who

"

vation."*

This is equivalent
to saying
that,"
has sent
or

his

Son, Christ Jesus,to

'

murmur

about

'

God, in

save

his ' late compassion

,'

us, therefore do

the lateness of his

not

plain
com-

for the Lord

coming,'

has

for those who precededus'}he has giventhem

already
provided
'the same
path ofsalvation? by sendingto them,as he has sent to

us,

Redeemer

and

Saviour."

Martyr,in his dialoguewith Typho,'makes a similar

wherein he
(aswe have alreadyseen in our lastchapter),

Justin
confession

civilized or semi-civilized,
who
people,
Saviour to
of a crucified
prayers in the name

says that there exists not

have not offered up

the Father and Creator of all things.

medleythe fact that St. Irenssus (a.d. 192),one of

and most quotedof the early
most
celebrated,
respected,

to this

Add
the most

Christian
who

tellsus
Fathers,

had it from St. John

Asia,that

Jesus

was

not

of
authority
and from
himself,

on

the

his master,Polycarp,
all the old peopleof

crucified at the time stated in the

Gospels,

but that he lived to be nearly

fifty
years old. The passage which,
is
of allsuch evidence,
the destroyers
has escaped
most
fortunately,
to be found

in Irenseus'second book

of which
heresies,4
against

the

is a portion
:
following
been

freelyquestioned,even

eervative
"

most

con-

Quoted by Max

Relig.,p. 228.

critics.

See Bunsen's

XXXVII.

by the

Angel-Messiah, and Chapter

this work.

cxvii.

Ch.

"

Ch. xxii.

Mailer

The

Science

of

MYTHS.

BIBLE

516

As the chief part of thirty

years belongsto youth,and every one will confess
him to be such tillthe fortieth year: but from the fortieth year to the fiftiethho
pel,
declines into old age, which our Lord (Jesus)
havingattained he taught us the Gos"

all the elders who, in Asia, assembled with John, the disciple
ofthe Lord,
remained
he
And
with
(John ?)
himself had taughtthem.
testify
; and as John
and

tillthe time of

them

Trajan.

And

of them

some

not

saw

only John

bear the same

thingfrom tliem,and

the same

heard

and
Apostles,

but other

testimonyto this

revelation"

be accounted
can
The escape of this passage from the destroyers
for onlyin the same
way as the passage of Minucius Felix (quoted

Chapter XX.) concerningthe Pagans worshipinga crucifix.

stroyed,
dehundreds
These two passages escapedfrom among, probably,
under the decrees of the emof which we know nothing,
perors,
by which theywere ordered to be destroyed.
yet remaining,

in

"
Your
say to the Jews :
day : and he saw it and was

viii.56, Jesus is made

In John

to
rejoiced

father Abraham

see

said the Jews

glad." Then

to

my

him

unto

"

Thou

yetfifty

art not

V9
years old,and hast thou seen Abraham
If Jesus was then but about thirty
years of age, the Jews would
"
have said :
thou art not yetfortyyears old,"and would
evidently
have been

not

unless he

was

There
Annas

to say :
likely
pastforty.

was

that
tne early
Christians,
among
Jesus was crucified. This is evident

Now, Annas, or Ananias,was

if Jesus
about the year 48 a. d. ;atherefore,
he

crucifiedat that

was

of age
outside of the New
there exists,
elsewhere,
about

have been

must

evidence whatever,in

til
unhigh-driest

not

from the Acts.1

time

old,"

tradition current

when
high-priest

was

thou art not yet fifty

years

"

fifty
years

;*but,as

we

marked
re-

Testament,no
that Jesus

or
book,inscription,
monument,

scourgedor crucifiedunder Pontius Pilate.

Plinius,
Tacitus,
Philo,nor any of their contemporaries,
Josephus,
refer to the fact of this crucifixion,
or express any belief
ever

of Nazareth

thereon.4

either

was

In the Talmud

Jesus is not referred to

"

"

as

the

"

traditions

Jewish
containing

the book

crucifiedone,"but

as

the

"

hanged

stoned to death ; so that

was
of death which he
of the manner
ignorant

one,""while elsewhere it isnarrated he

it is evident

theywere

suffered.6
Ch. iv. 5.

Josephus : Antiq.,b.

It is true

there

atJerusalem,
priest

was

but

xx.

ch.

another
this

was

v.

and

2.

Annas
when

highGratus

twelve or
Judea, some
years before Pontius Pilate held the same
office. (SeeJosephus : Antiq.,book xviit. ch.

procurator of

was

teen

ii. 3.)
4

Appendix D.
See the Martyrdom of Jesus, p. 100*
See

According to Dio Cassius,Plntarch, Strabo

others,there existed,in the time of Herod,
the Roman
Syrian heathens, a wideamong
Crucified
spread and deep sympathy for a
the youngest
King of the Jews.'" This was
"theheroic Maccabee.
In the
of Aristobul,
son
"

fif-

"

year

43

gonus"
cause

Caesar.

b.

in

c,

we

find this young

claiming the

Palestine

having been
Allied with

declared
the

man"

crown,

Antihis

just by Julias

Parthians,he main-

CONCLUSION.

In

Sanhedr.
whom

among

43

a, Jesus is said to

Mattheaus and

were

517
have

had

Thaddens.

He

five

disciples,

is called

"

That
"
The
JSTazarine," Fool,"and
The Hung." Thus
Aben Ezra says that Constantine
of
put on his labarum " a figure
the hung;" and,according
to R. Bechai,
the Christians were
called
"
of
the
Worshipers
Hung."
Little is said about Jesus in the
Talmud,except that he was a
scholar of Joshua Ben Perachiah
(who lived a centurybefore the
time assigned
by the Christians for the birth of Jesus),
accompanied
him into Egypt, there learned
and
was
a seducer of the
magic,
and
was
to
death by beingstoned,
people,
finally
put
and then

Man,"

"

The

"

hung

as

blasphemer.

a
"

The conclusion

Jesus remain
The

the

on

silence of

defined
clearly

other secular historians may be accounted

back
on
a
or
falling
tempt.1
contheoryof hostility

Christ-idea,cannot

be

sparedfrom

but the
The

"

Jesus,in some
personal
though it
person of Jesus,

indistinct. That
wherein
precisely
Of

the eminent

mankind,none
The

view.

traces of the

personal
of Christendom.
or beneath the surface,
surface,
no

Josephus and

for without
The

is,that

greatcharacter

the character

measure,

Christian

may have been immense,is

there may be conceded ; but

was

great,is left

was

ment,
develop-

be."

can

to

our

conjecture.

destinies of
persons who have swayed the spiritual
has more
from the critical
disappeared
completely

image which Christians have, for nearlytwo

thousand years, worshipedunder the name
of Jesus,
has no authentic,
visible,
distinctly
counterpartin history."
"

His

ideal

the process of idealization

him higher
and higher
existence more
placing
; makinghis personal
and more
essential; insisting
and more
the necesmore
on
sity
urgently

from

on

with

privateintercourse

him ;

'

royal positionfor six

Mark
At
Antony.
years against
last,after a heroic life and reign,he fell in
the hands of this Roman.
Antony now gave
the kingdom to a certain Herod, and, having
and scourged
stretched Antigonus on a cross
done beforeto any other
him, a tiling never
to death."
king by the Romans, he put him
(Dio Cassius, book xlix. p. 405.)
fact that all prominent historians of
The
this extraordinary occurthose days mention
and the manner
they did it,show that
rence,
Mark Antony's worst
of
one
considered
It was
tained

with

the Father subside

letting
and the Holy Ghost lapse
the background,
as
an
effluence,'
in order that he
into impersonal
individual identity
influence,

of
into

followers have gone

himself

in his

Herod

and

"

"

crimes

that the sympathy with the

: and
Cruwas
wide-spread and profound,
King
(See The Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth, p.
106.)

cified

Some
between

"

writers think that there is a connection

this and

the

Gospel story ; that they,

put Jesus in the placeof
in the
Antigonus, just as they put Herod
place of Kansa.
(See Chapter XVIH.)
l Canon
thinks
that
Farrar
Josephus
silence on the subject of Jesus and Christiandishonest
as
deliberate as it was
ity, was
(See his Life of Christ,vol. i. p. 63.)
in

certain measure,

518

BIBLE

allin all as

mightbe
the

Jesus
personal

MYTHS.

has been made

the

From

Saviour.

and
Regenerator

objectof

age to age
extreme
tion,
adora-

an

tillnow

Christ is the heart of the Gospel;

faithin the living
science,culture,
aside,
philosophy,
humanityare thrust resolutely
and the great teachers of the age are extinguished
in order that his
lightmay shine." But, as Mr. Frothinghamremarks,in "The
Cradle of the Christ

"

"

In the order of

historicaland
experience,
off layerafter layer
by stripping

truth is discovered
biographical
and goingback to the statements
of exaggeration,
of contemporaries.
As a rule,figures
not
are
reduced,
enlarged,
by criticism.
The influence of admiration is recognized
and falsifyas distorting
ing,

while

The
exalting.

process of

and
rapidly

goes on
allowed for
liberally

by the

with

diately,
legend-making
beginsimme-

accelerating
speed,and

seeker after truth. In

scores

be

must

of instances

the historicalindividual turns out to be very much smaller than he

In no single
was
paintedby his terrified or lovingworshipers.
has it been established that he

case

greater,or

was

as

great. It is,

doubt,conceivable that such a case should occur, but it never

in known
has occurred,
and cannot
be presumed to have
instances,
no

occurred in any particular

instance. The presumptions
are
against
the correctness of the glorified
The
to
image.
dispositionexaggerate
is so much

that
to underrate,
strongerthan the disposition

really
greatmen
lower.

are

The

placedhigherthan theybelongoftener

historical method

works

backwards.

even

than

Knowledge

shrinks the man."1

this

Many examples might be cited to confirm

view, but the case of Joseph Smith, in our
time

own

The

and

country, will suffice.

Mormons

Christians

regard him

do Mohammed

of

sort

coarse

to have

appears
seems,
on

and

as

; as the Mohammedans
the Buddhists do Buddha.

regard Jesus

or

as

religiousfeeling and
been

in Smith's

all accounts, to have

from

theology, as
cracked

so

to

many

such

an

zealots
extent

acquaintances regarded him

as

fervor

nature.

been

He

cracked

have

been,
early
downright

that his
a

fanatic.
view that he

an
was
impostor
of him.
by what is known
He was, in all probability,
of unbalanced
mind,
a
monomaniac, as most prophets have been ;

The

is not

common

sustained

but there is
believe in

no

reason

to think that he did not

himself,and

substantiallyin what
taught. He has declared that, when he was
about
he began to reflect on the imfifteen,
portance of being prepared for a future state.
he

He went

from

one

church

to

another

; he

and

of all accredited
much

very

sought solitude
meditation

without

findinganything to satisfythe hunger of his

goal,consequently,he retired into himself ; he

the visits of
him

when

the house

spent hours

angels.

he

and

days in

prayer, after the true manner

saints,and was soon repaidby

was

in which

but
he

One

of these

came

to

eighteenyears old,and
was

seemed

filledwith

he stylesit a
presence
and pro
had a pace like lightning,
personage"
himself to be an
claimed
angel of the Lord,

consuming fire.

The

"

to Smith
a vast deal of highly
He vouchsafed
important information of a celestial order. H6
told him that his (Smith's)prayers had been
heard, and his sins forgiven; that the covenant which the Almighty had made with the old
to be fulfilled; that the introductory
Jews was
now
work for the second coming of Christ was
to begin ; that the hour for the preaching of
at
the gospel in Its purity to all peoples was
hand, and that Smith was to be an instrument

in the hands
pose

in the

of God, to further the divine purdispensation. The celestial

new

strangeralso furnished him with a sketch of

origin,progress, laws and civilization of
the American
aboriginals,and declared that
been withthe blessingof heaven had finally
the

CONCLUSION.

As

we

history,
we

The

allowed to

are

shall now

death of

do

of disorder
Judea
the

as to what
conjecture

is true in the

Gospel

so.

Herod,which occurred a few years before the time

birth of Jesus,
followed by frightful
was
socialand

for the
assigned
convulsions
political
throne of

519

in Judea.

For two

abroad.

were

or

Between

three years all the elements

pretendersto the vacant

to
Herod, and aspirants

and devastated.

torn

was

higherenthusiasm

of faith

the Messianic throne of David,

Revolt assumed the wildest form,

yieldedto

the lower

furyof fanaticism,;
a
were
completely
banished by the smoke and flame of political
hate. Claimant after
claimant of the dangeroussupremacy
of the Messiah appeared,
raised the banner,
pitcheda camp in the wilderness,
gathereda
the celestialvisions of

drawn

from

them.

Smith

To

the momentous

was

kingdom of heaven

cated
communi-

circumstance

that

tain
cer-

plates containing an abridgment of the

ets,
aboriginalsand ancient proph-

records of the
who

had

in
was

and

lived

hill

counseled
did

to

so.

them

possess

on

as

this continent,

den
hid-

were

prophet

The

Palmyra.

near

go there and look at them,

Not
being holy enough to

yet, he passed

months

some

spiritualprobation,after which the records

put into his keeping. These had been
prepared, it is claimed, by a prophet called
who
had been ordained
Mormon,
by God for

written by an eccentric
rhapsodical romance
ex-clergyman named Solomon Spalding.
Smith and his discipleswere
ridiculed and
sociallypersecuted; but they seemed
to be
ardentlyearnest, and continued to preach their
creed,which was to the effect that the millennium
was
at hand ; that our
aboriginalswere
to be converted,and that the New
Jerusalem
"

the last residence

in

to

were

Vermont

the

and to
purpose,
should produce them

with

of his will.

Book
Mormon"

and

of

he

of

the

them

benefit

and unite them

faithful,
achievement

until

conceal
for the

Mormon"

the Bible for the

They

form

whence

brated
the celethe

name

esteemed

by the Latter-Day
Saints as of equal authoritywith the Old and
as
an
and
New
Testaments,
indispensable
supplement thereto,because they include God's
are

world.
These precious
sealed up and depositeda.d.
had viewed them
420 in the place where Smith
disclosures to the Mormon
records

were

by the direction of the angel.

The records were, it is held,in the reformed
Egyptian tongue, and Smith translated them
through the inspirationof the angel,and one
Oliver Cowdrey wrote down
the translation as
reported by the God-possessed Joseph. This
translation was
published in 1830,and its divine
attested by a dozen
origin was
persons" all
relatives and friends of Smith.
Only these
have ever
pretended to see the originalplates,
traditional. The
which
have already become
tics,
plateshave been frequentlycalled for by skepversy
controbut all in vain.
Naturally,warm
arose
concerning the authenticityof the
Book

of

Mormon,

and disbelievers have asserted

be

the

near

and

home

of the saints"

of this continent.

centre

prophet, later on,

mobbed,

shot

even

construed

His

at.

was

The

repeatedly

was
narrow

escapes

of divine provinterpositions
idence,
but he displayed perfect coolness and
intrepidity
through all his trials. The Church
were

of Jesus

as

Christ

firstestablished

of the Latter-Day Saints

in the

was

at Manchester,

spring of 1830

N. Y.; but it awoke

such fierce opposition,
particularlyfrom the orthodox, many
of them
ates
preachers,that Smith and his associfarther west.
deemed
it prudent to move
at Kirtland, O.,
They established themselves
converts.
and won
there many
Hostilityto
them
still continued, and grew so fierce that
the body transferred itself to Missouri, and
next
to Illinois,settlingin the latter 6tate
which
was
named
renear
the villageof Commerce,
Nauvoo.
The
made

the

war
"

of
to

and

Governor

favored

them

on

Illinois

Legislatureof
but

Mormons,

in every

the anti-Mormona
way,

and

the

tom
cus-

is yet mysterious
serious outbreaks,

sealingwives," which

the Gentiles, caused

of the prophet
Carthage. Fearing
ties,
that the two might be released by the authoriin
a band
of ruffians broke into the jail,
and resulted in the incarceration
and his brother

the

of

summer

blood.

This

of Smith

at

Hiram

1844,and murdered
was

and

most
for

his

them

in cold

fortunate for the

doctrines.

It

ory
mem-

placed

they have indubitable evidence that it is, him in the lightof a holy martyr, and lent to
fore
bethey had never
polations,them a dignityand vitality
with the exception of various unlettered interenjoyed.
principallyoorrowed from a queer,

that

520

BIBLE

was
force,

MYTHS.

banished
attacked,
defeated,

or

crucified
; but

thefrenzy

did not abate.

The

popularaspectof

the Messianic

not religious
hope was political,
The name
Messiah was
or moral.
with King
synonymous
The
of the Jews; it suggested
political
designsand aspirations.
assumptionof that character by any individual drew on him the
of the police.
vigilance

That Jesus of Nazareth

assumed

the character of

as
"Messiah,"
simply

did many before and after him, and that his crucifixion1was
act of the law on political
an
grounds,justas it was in the

of
case
other so-calledMessiahs,
believe
be
the truth of the matter.*
to
we

the insurgent
trict
disGalilee,
of the country; nurtured,if not born,in Nazareth,one of its
chief cities; reared as a youthamid traditionsof patriotic
devotion,
"

He

is represented
as

and amid

scenes

Galileans

were

beinga

native of

and endeavors.

associated with heroic dreams

excitable people,
restless,
beyondthe reach of
remote

from

The

ventionalities
con-

of power, ecclesiasticaland

the centre

in thought,
bold of speech,
secular,
simplein their lives,
independent
1

we

was

When

do

not

we

speak of Jesus

intend

put toueath

on

being crucified, modes

to convey the
of the
a cross

idea that he

form adopted
the symbol of

This cross
was
by Christians.
cestors
life and immortality among our heathen an(see Chapter XXXIIL), and in adopting
Pagan religioussymbols,and baptizing them
the Christians
took
this along with
anew,
others. The crucifixion was
not a symbol of the
earliest church
the Catacombs.
appear,
and No.

no

trace of it can

Some

be fonnd

in

of the earliest that did

however, are similar to figuresNo. 42

43,above, which representtwo of the

slaves

in which
and

the Romans

criminals.

the Crucifixion of
9

According

to

Jesus' head

crucified

their

(See Chapter XX.,

on

Jesus.)
the Matthew

and Mark

rators,
nar-

sitting
at table in the house of Simon the leper. Now,
this practicewas
the kings of
common
among
Israel. It was
the sign and symbol of royalty.
the
Anointed
The word " Messiah " signifies
of the kings of Israel were
One," and none
(See The
styledthe Messiah unless anointed.
Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth, p. 42.)
was

anointed

while

"

522

BIBLE

of them

slain

And

an

thus
It

this means,
and others
put to this sedition."1

by

end

was

such deeds

was

that made

inflictedupon
these,

as

think of the

them

There is reason

He

"

imaginethemselves to be

as
believe,

to

burstingwith suppressed
energy.

the Jews

by

their oppressors,
who

was

made

reth
said,that Jesus of Naza-

have

the titleof "Messiah."

assumed

wounded.

away

tics
many zealous fanashould come."8

who

we

ran

promisedMessiah

bondage,and which

from

to deliver them

MYTHS.

His age was

The pressure

and
throbbing
of the Koman

"

The Messianic hope had

to
Empirewas required
into
the moral result of
moments
such vitality
that it condensed
to see the heavens open,
peoplewere watching
ages. The common
and saw divine potents
pealsof thunder as angelvoices,
interpreted
in the flight
of birds. Mothers dreamed their boyswould be Messiah.
The wildest preacher
drew a crowd. The heart of the nation
swelled bigwith the conviction that the hour of destiny
about
was
at hand.
The crown
that the kingdom of heaven was
to strike,
it"*
was
readyfor any kinglyhead that mightassume
his public
The actions of this man, throughout
career, we believe

keepit down.

to be those of

; in

zealot whose

zeal overrode considerations of wisdom

a Galilean fanatic. Pilate condemns

fact,

that he is
feeling

him

reluctantly,

but is obliged
to condemn
visionary,
him as one of the many
who persistently
claimed to be the
siah"
Mesinstrument
an
or
King of the Jews" an enemy of Caesar,
the empire,
to the throne,
bold inciter to
a
a pretender
against
a

harmless

"

"

death he

rebellion. The

is the
undergoes

death of the traitor and

the
many such claimants,
death that would have been decreed to Judas the Galilean,6
had he
and that was
been captured,
inflicted on thousands of his deluded
death that

the
mutineer,4

It

followers.

the

was

was

inflictedon

who crucified
the man
Romans, then,

Jesus,

and not the Jews.

Josephus

xviii.

Antiquities,book

chap.

iii.2.
"

death

From

the death of

Herod, 4

b.

c,

to the

132 a.d., no less than

fiftydifferent enthusiasts set up as the Messiah,
of

Bar-Cochba,

and

obtained

W.

Chadwick.)
8

"

There

more

was,

pectationthat
about

to

some

appear

or

less

following.1' (John

at this time,
remarkable
in Judea.

prevalentex-

personage
The Jews

was

were

anxiously looking for the coming of the Mesbiah.

This personage, they supposed,would
be a temporal prince, and
exthey were
pectingthat he would deliver them from Roman
bondage." (AlbertBarnes : Notes, vol. i.
p 7.)
*

"

of the
advent

The

central and dominant

characteristic

siah.

teachingof the Rabbis, was the certain

of a great national Deliverer" the Mes.

The

national

mind

had become

inflammable,by constant brooding on this

one
theme, that any bold spiritrisingin revolt
against the Roman
power, could find an army
who trusted that it should be
offiercedisciples
Israel.'1''(Geikie: The
he who would
redeem
Life of Christ,vol. i. p. 79.)
* " The
penalty of crucifixion,according to
inflictedon slaves,
law and custom, was
Roman
and in the provinces on rebels only." (The
Martyrdom of Jesus,p. 96.)
*
or
Judas, the Gaulonite
Galilean, as
Josephus calls him, declared,when Cyreniua
so

came

to tax

ation was

no

the Jewish

people,that

better than

an

"'

this tax-

introduction to

523'

CONCLUSION.

"

In the Eoman

individual must

law the State is the main

live and

die,with

againsthis

or

which

for
object,

the

In Jewish

will.

law,the

for which the State must

person is made the main object,
live and die ; because the fundamental
idea of the Koman
law is
fore
Therepower, and the fundamental idea of Jewish law is justice."1
did not act from the Jewish
Caiaphasand his conspirators
and
standpoint.They represented
Rome, her principles,
interest,
barbarous
Jewish

JSTotone
caprices.3

laws and custom.3

given up

as

pointin

It is

transparent and

the whole trial agrees with

to
impossible

save

it ; it must

unskilled invention

of

be

Gentile

who knew nothing

of Jewish law and custom, and was
Christian,
of the state of civilization in Palestine,
in the time of
ignorant

Jesus.
Jesus had

Jews"

and

been

proclaimedthe

the restorer of the

could understand

"

Messiah"

kingdomof

the

heaven.

"

Ruler

No

of the

Koman

ear

these

otherwise than in their rebellious

pretensions,
That Pontius Pilate certainly
understood under the
sense.
is evichief of the nation),
dent
title,Messiah" the king(thepolitical
from the subscription
of the cross, Jesus of Nazareth,King
in spite
of the Jews,"which he did not remove
of all protestations
"

"

of the Jews.

There

is

onlyone pointin which the four Gospels

in the morning Jesus was
delivered
agree, and that is,that early
to the Roman
over
governor, Pilate ; that he was accused of highRome
treason against
having been proclaimed
King of the Jews
"

thereof he

that in consequence

and

"

slavery,1'and exhorted the nation to assert

liberty. He therefore prevailed upon his
countrymen to revolt. (See Josephus : Antiq.,
b. xviii. ch. i. 1,and Wars of the Jews, b. ii.ch.
viii. l.)
i The
Martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth, p.
their

30.
a

"

That

the

High Council

did

accuse

Jesus,

; and 6ince they

the Eoman
Gov-

will doubt
one
no
I suppose
could neither wish or expect
himself judge of their sacred
ernortomake
certain

it becomes

that their accusation

law,
was

this :
as
and took such a form
purelypolitical,
shouts
that he is
He has accepted tumultuous
the legitimateand predicted King of Israel,
'

in this character

and
with

the forms

has ridden into Jerusalem

of state understood

and sacred ; with what

to

overturn

our

purpose,
institutions,and

we

to be

royal

ask, if not
your domin-

spoke, at the crisis which Matthe virulent speech attributed

thew represents,
we
to him (Matt,xxiii.),
may well believe that
ion V

If Jesus

this gate
U such ia

a
no

new

incentive to the rulers ; for it

government in Europe would

over-

look

or

first to be

condemned

was

forgive; but they are not likelyto have

care
for any conduct which

expected Pilate to

might be called an ecclesiastical broil. The

clearlythe point of
assumption of royaltywas
their attack.
them

the

Even

mildest

man

among

thought his conduct dangerous

and needing repression." (Francis W. NewWhat
is Christianity
without Christ ?")
man,
According to the Synoptic Gospels,Jesus
was
completely innocent of the charge which
has sometimes
been brought againsthim, that
may

have

"

he tvished to be considered

as

God

come

down

would not have

certainly
failed to make
such a pretension the basis and
tne continual
theme of their accusations,if it
had been possibleto do so.
The two grounds
which
he was
brought beforethe Sanheupon
he was
the bold words
drim
were, first,
supposed to have spoken about the temple ; and,
the fact that he claimed to
secondlyand chiefly,
The King of the Jews."
be the Messiah, i. e.,
(AlbertReville : The Doctrine of the Dogma
of the Deity of Jesus," p. 7.)
" See The
Martyrdom of Jesus, p. 30.
to earth.

His enemies

"

"

524

BIBLE

to be crucified ; all of which

then

and
scourged,

widely,and
accounts;

so

nor

and
criticism,

done in hot

was

differ
pointsthe narratives of the Evangelists

In all other

haste.

MYTHS.

of the four

that one storycannot be made

essentially
can
pointsstand the test
any particular
vindicate its substantiality
as a fact.

of historical

The Jews could not have crucified Jesus,according

to their laws,
if

inflictedon

theyhad

crucifixion was

law, since
Pharisees,
If the priests,
elders,

of
highest
penalty

the

of the way so badly,

did theynot have him quietly
put to death while he was in their

why

all of them

done

and

power,

at

he could die

us

Gospelseems
that they could

death he should die /

dire necessity,
that the heathen

what
prophesied
It

other.

no

informs

and
difficulty,

kill hiin,because he had

not

out

writer of the fourth

The

this

Jesus

wanted

once.

understood

have

so

the

Roman.1
exclusively

Jews,or

to

him

was

should be broughtto
immortality the cross
and Jesus had to die on
the
the earlyChristians,
honor among
cross
accordingto John3 simplybecause it was
(theRoman Gibbet),

symbolof life and

so

"

The
prophesied.

fact

the crucifix itself,

came
intention of

"

is,the crucifixion story,like the symbolof

abroad?

from

It

was

told with the avowed

the Jews,so
the Romans, and criminating
exonerating

take water, " and wash his hands

I am
before the multitude,saying,
innocent of the blood of this

they make

the Roman

just
person
Jews
"

say

see

:
"

His

ye to it."

To be

blood be

us, and

on

fact is this.

Another
and

governor

of their case, theymake

sure

on

ruination befell the Jews

children."*

our

Just at the

the

periodof time when

in the
most
severely,

fortune
misfirst

the Christians were

most active in making
post-apostolic
generation,
Gentiles. To have then preached
that a crucified
proselytes
among
Jewish Rabbi
of Galilee was their Saviour,would have sounded
supremelyridiculous to those heathens. To have added thereto,
that the said Rabbi
because

been

he had

fatal to

crucified by command
'

been

proclaimedKing

the whole

heathen,where

the Roman

the former
conflict,

decidedlywrong.
condemned

was

scheme.

8
"

John xviii. 31, 82.

and

Roman

Governor,

Jews,'would

opinionof
Jewish

the

Rabbi

To

slave and

That

in the
'

it

is, the crucifixion

xxvii

24, 25.

in

came

justly

certainly
was

story

Gospels. See note 1, p. 520.

Matthew

vulgar

was

would
villain,

Therefore
enterprise.

have

the latter

and
be right,
unquestionably
have preacheda Saviour who

must

to die the death of

See note 4, p. 522.

See Matt. xx. 19.

of the

In the

Governor

have provedfatal to the whole

of

neces-

as

related

625

CONCLUSION.

Pilate and the Romans,and to throw the whole

sary to exonerate
burden upon the Jews,in order to establishthe innocence and martyrdom
of Jesus in the heathen mind."
That

was

by

the crucifixion story,as related in the synoptic

Gospels,
and not in the Hebrew, or in the dialectspoken
written abroad,
the Hebrews
is evident from the following
of Palestine,
ticular
parnoticed by
points,

scholar
The
"

Dr. Isaac M.

Mark

and

the

Matthew

call the

narrators

the Mark

The

the John

placeof

crucifixion

"

terprete
adds, which is,beingin-

narrator

place of skulls."

which
interpretation,

word

learned Hebrew

Golgotha"to which

same

Wise, a

Matthew

adds the

narrator

copieswithout

narrator

the

"

Luke

The
Golgotha"and adds,it was a place near Jerusalem.
narrator callsthe place
of crucifixion Calvary"which is the
Calvaria,
viz., the place of hare skulls" Therefore the
"

Latin

"

does not

name

refer to the form of the

it.1 Now

upon

Jewish

"

and
literature,

Jerusalem

near

there is no

such

was

no

The

Jews

or

such word

there is

place;

as

to the hare skulls

Golgotha

anywherein

such

placementioned

anywhere

hy any

writer;and, in

fact,there

no

in Palestine

hut
hill,

there could have

been

near

none

Jerusalem.

Also the executed convict

carefully.
in the sun,
had to be buried before night. No bare skulls,
bleaching
It was
Jerusalem.
could be found in Palestine,
not near
especially
the hare spinalcolumn, and also the imperlaw,that a hare skull,
fect
make
skeleton ofany human
unclean
and
man
hycontact,
heing,
could
also hyhavingeither in the house. Man, thus made unclean,
not

buried their dead

eat of any sacrificial

meal,or

of the sacred

before he had
tithe,
whatever

; and
gone throughthe ceremonies of purification
Hil. Tumath
touched was also unclean (Maimonides,

he

Meth.,iii.1).

of this law was to prereader can see that the object

Any impartial
vent
skulls and
of heathens of havinghuman
the barbarous practice
skeletons lie about exposed to the decomposinginfluences of the
did in Palestine after the fallof Bethar,
as the Romans
atmosphere,
to bury the
for a longtime they would giveno permission
when
in the
enforced most rigidly
This law was certainly
patriots.
is
of Jerusalem, of which they maintained "Jerusalem
vicinity
more
holythan all other cities surrounded with walls,"so that it
or to
to keep a dead body over
not permitted
was
nightin the city,

dead

endeavoring to get over

from the
this difficulty,
say that, it may come
bald,round, and
look or form of the spot itself,
"

Commentators,

in

"

and
skull-like,

hut, if it
such

construction

the word.

hillock,"
no
skulls,'''
be put to
the above can

therefore

means

"

mound

the placeof bare

as

or

526

MYTHS.

BIBLE

bones. Jerusalem

throughit human
transport

of the sacrificial
place

the

was

which was considered

tithe,
Hil. Beth Habchirah,vii. 14); there,
holy(Maimonides,

consumptionof

meals and the

very
skulls and
and in the surroundings,
seen

earth,and

the surface of the

on

called

there

Golgotha"and

"

It is

never
certainly
there was
no place
consequently
were

in the Hebrew

such word

by the Mark narrator

with the
which,together

Calvaria"

"

Latin term

no

skeletons

coined

word

was

the sacred

to

lect.
dia-

translate the

crucifixion story,

Syrianword was made, nobody

to expound it."1
understood it,and the Mark narrator was
obliged
the crucifixion story,as
In the face of the arguments produced,
be upheldas an historical fact. There
cannot
related in the Gospels,
rational groundwhatever for the belief that the
no
exists,
certainly,
the Evangelists
describe it. All that
affairtook placein the manner
after the

But

Rome.

from

came

story is,that after Jesus had

be saved of the whole

can

?" which

Jews

he

supposedonly,he was givenover

before
disposedof as soon as possible,

be

could

to his rescue,

come

He

was

in

some

to the Roman

his admirers

the

also this

soldiers to
and

in his favor

followers
be made.

and guarded
as
possible,
night,as quietly
cluded
secourt, completely
probablyin the high-priest's
place,
from the eyes of the populace
; and earlyin the morning he
and quietly
it could be
as
cautiously
of by the soldiers as quickly
command, disposed

at his

done, and

Pilate

and in
practicable,
All this

on

King of

asked,and

was

any demonstration

or

the

the

capturedin

brought before

was

as

it is natural to suppose

be

can

thou

"Art
Pilate,
viz.,

before
the first question

answered

of the Man

not

manner

known

to the

mass

of the people.

while the multitude worshiped

likely,
end
nobody had an intimation of the tragical

done, most

was

Moriah,and

Mount

as

of Nazareth.

bitter cry of Jesus,as he hung on the tree," My God, my

ance
why hast thou forsaken me ?" disclosed the hope of deliver-

The

God,

sustained his

that tillthe last moment

and hooting
hope was blighted
; the sneers
their conviction that he had presoldiers expressed
tended

the

anguishfelt when
of the Roman

to be what

The
his

he

was

not.

miracles ascribed to

mouth,

the
heart,and betrayed

in after years,

are

him, and the moral

what

precepts put into

was
might be expected; history

itself; the same

thing had been done for others.
simplyrepeating
does
The preacher
of the Mount, the prophetof the Beatitudes,
"

"

The

Martyrdom

of Jesus

of

Nazareth, pp. 109-111.

627

CONCLUSION.

but

with persuasive
what the law-givers
of his race prorepeat,
lips,
claimed
in

of command."1

mightytones

The

martyrdom of Jesus of Nazareth has been gratefully

whose liveshe saved by the sacrifice
by his disciples,
acknowledged
of his own, and by their friends,
who would have fallen by the score
had he not preventedthe rebellion ripeat Jerusalem.2 Posterity,
infatuated with Pagan apotheoses,
made of that simplemartyrdom
colored with the myths of resurrection and
an
interesting
legend,
ascension to that very heaven which the telescope
has put out of
man's way. It is a novel myth,made to suit the
of
gross conceptions
ex-heathens. Modern
well enoughthat the
understanding
theology,
myth cannot be saved,seeks refugein the greatnessand self-denial
who died for an idea,
of the man
as thoughJesus had been the only
who had died for an idea. Thousands,
tens of thousands of
man
Mohammedans
and Heathens,have died for ideas,
Jews,Christians,
and

of them

some

He

idea.
for.

He

very foolish. But Jesus did not die for an

advanced anything
new, that we know of,to die
were

never
was

has

sayingor teaching
original.
anything
and
anythingnew
original
the
of
his
died to save
lives
friends,
evidently

been

able to discover

more

meritorious than if he had

ever
Nobody
Gospels.He

in the

and this is much

idea.
is

But

then the whole

demolished,and

that the

of

accused

not

modern

AlmightyLord

died for

tionable
ques-

fabric of vicarious atonement

cannot get over

theology

of the

the
Universe,

the

absurdity

infinite and

eternal

of all causes, had to kill some

innocent person in order to be
However
reconciled to the human
race.
abstractly
theyspeculate
cause

bone of man-god,godundigested
in the theological
and vicarious atonement
stomach.
fore
Therephy.
philosotheology
appears so ridiculous in the eyes of modern
far
cannot
The theological
enough to hold
speculation
go
the idea may be
with modern
nicely
astronomy. However

there
subtilize,

and
man,

pace

is alwaysan

upon
too

the

cross

Calvary;

virtues and

numerous

dependenton,
way or
human

of

Rabbi

one

to be
vices,

of Galilee.

another,they must

connect

O. B.

Frothingham

The

Cradle

The

reader
and

Printed

at

is referred

to

"

Judaism

his

of the

Its

Precepts,"by Dr. Isaac M. Wise.

the office of the

"

American

has
large,
by,and
represented
perfectly
too

Speculateas theymay,

one

the Eternal and the fate of the

That is the very
of martyrdom,and brings

and fate of Jesus.

Christ, p. 11.
Doctrines

looks too small

familyis

the human

and

familywith the person

Jesus of
thingwhich deprives
1

universe

of the immense

dressed,the great God

Israel-

crown

ite,"Cincinnati,Ohio.
2 If
Jesus, instead of giving himself up
quietly,had resisted against being arrested,
have
been bloodshed, ai
would
there certainly
there

was

on

many

other similar occasions.

028

BIBLE

MYTHS.

conflictwith philosophy.
in perpetual
It
religion
idea which
all its

with

as

the

not

was

crucified in Jesus and resurrected with

was

ligious
re-

him,

martyrs ; althoughhis belief in immortality

may

him in the agony of death.

It was
the idea of
strengthened
and friends which led him to the realms of
duty to his disciples
but no more.
death. This deserves admiration,
It demonstrates
the nobility
of human
nature,but proves nothingin regardto providence,
scheme of government.
or the providential
The Christian story,
the Gospels
narrate
as
it,cannot stand the
and it falls. Dogmatic
test of criticism. You
approachit critically
have

built
Christology

a very frail foundation.

it,has, therefore,
upon
so-called lives of Christ,
of Jesus,are works of
or biographies

Most

the

erected by imagination
on
fiction,
and

unreliable records.

Gospelswhich
In modern
the

There

foundation
shifting

of

gre
mea-

very few passages in the

stand the rigidapplication
of honest criticism.

can

science and

are

orthodox Christology
is out
philosophy,

of

question.
"

This

'

sacred tradition'has

in itselfa

which
glorious
vitality,
Christians may unblameablyentitleimmortal. But it certainly
will
not lose in beauty,
if all the details concerning
or
truth,
grandeur,
Jesus which are current in the Gospels,
and all the mythology
of
his person, be forgotten
discredited.
or
without Christ.
"This

formula

has in it

it simplymeans

moral

will
Christianity

remain

preted,
nothingparadoxical.
Rightlyinter-

All that is best in Judodo- Christian sentiment,

will survive,
without Rabbinical fanspiritual,
cies,
cultured byperverse logic
without
hugepilesoffablebuilt
/
upon them : without the Oriental Satan, a formidablerival to
the throne of God ; without the Pagan invention of Hell and
or

Devils?
In modern
and
a

the Gospelsources
criticism,
it takes

that
unreliable,

largeportionthereof

Jesus

the criticdo with

It what

iubject

was

in which

books

under

is recorded

true, no

be called

the bare fact that Jesus

save

guessedfrom

The

less
worthutterly
faith to believe
ordinary
so

Eucharist
sacrament.

not

was

The

lished
estab-

trialsof

: theyare
cifixion
pure inventions.1 The cruis
narrated, certainly
not true,and it is extremely

story,as
difficultto

than

more

to be true.

by Jesus,and cannot
not true
are
positively

become

in the
historian

the mountain
Gospels on
of
2

that

the

was

crucified. What

few facts must

of

be

can

ingeniously

childish miraghoststories,2

could fail to have noticed

there is nothing.
day
See Matthew, xxvii. 51-53.

it,but instead of this

530

As

it

the

at

was

church

as

naked

political

Christian

faith.

European

continent,

consciousness

of

these

Like

facts.

have

fought

the

castles,

and

which

there

of

and

of

the

and

matic
dog-

in

the
to

eyes
was

the

the

ground

humanity,

upon

one

the

cient
an-

sal
univer-

one

and

covenant,

new

intelligence

demolished

intelligence,

brighter

Series

China,

Minister

its

live
like

Look

back,

by
of

the

in

and

of

Rev.

the

great

gospel

of

the

George

Parish

tottering
the

Innell"n.

the

at

and

fierce

hell,

start,

younger

Wm.

1882.)

time,
shall

his

grave

day

of

libertine,

burgh,
of

to

human

memory

shudder

felt

has

horrors,

penitent

Faiths
the

million

but

Who,

is

awaits

morn

with

The

selfishness
and

death-blow,

Shall

of

headed

Hoary

War

P.,

the

is

of

reason."

D.

of

religion

the

over

our

of

debris, preparing

gorgeous

of

Christianity

arms

and

temple

This

Its

llatheeon.

right

conquered

the

now

"

Second

battles,

the

telescopes, microscopes,

These

"

shut

to

dogmatic

typography,

universal

one

humanity

Religion

Judaism,

steam.

the

useless

is

all

Christology

of

to

decline

intelligence

death

It

culture.

the

the

persons

decline

State

between

delusion,

doubt

and

now

and

The
a

Church

the

without

be

brotherhood.

World.

hostility

remove

universal

Lectures,

the

titanic

shall

republic,

of

rabbinical

of

beyond

proves

it

themselves,

truth.

majestic

is

so

masquerade

demonstrates

power

for

it

conflicts
and

ages

and

telegraphs,

do

or

but

modern

of

product

Paganism,

the

power

The

Christianity,

the

fooled,
prefer

of

sublimity

Roman

of

and

fantasies

vivacious

simple

end

deceived

are

masses

of

MYTHS.

BIBLE

Blackwood

years.'*

Son*

"din

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX

the ancient

Among

tribes of North
Eden

Myth.
of

out

Mexicans,Peruvians,and
found
South America, were

and

The

man's

A.

Mexicans

of twins.1

the mother

was

of the Indian

fragments of the
primevalmother was made

said that the

bone,and that she

some

down and
supposed that heavenly beings came
of clay.2
and woman
made
the world, after which they made
a man
should live always. But
The intention of the creators was that men
not land
that there was
the Sun, when ho passed over, told them
enough, and that peoplehad better die. At length,the daughterof
The
died.
bitten by a Snake, and
the Sun
Sun, however
was
whom
they worshipedas a god consented that human beingsmight
live always. Ho intrusted to their care a box, charging them that
they
they should not open it. However, impelled by curiosity,
the
the
and
to
the
of
Sun,
spiritit
injunction
opened it,contrary
contained escaped,and then the fateof all men
was
decided,that they
Cherokees

The

"

"

must

die.%

The

of the New

inhabitants

had

World

legend of

Deluge,

in
excepting
landed on a mountain.*
a boat, which
They also related that birds
if the flood
sent out of the ark, for the purpose of ascertaining
were
was
abating.6
The ancient Mexicans had the legend of the confusion
of tongues,
and related the whole storyas to how the gods destroyedthe tower
which mankind
was
buildingso as to reach unto heaven.8
which

The

destroyedthe human

race,

Mexicans, and several of the Indian

believe in the doctrine

of

few

who

were

tribes of North

Metempsychosis,or

saved

America,

of
transmigration
have alreadyseen,8

the

This, as we
body into another.7
believed in the Old World.
universally
swallowed by a fish,
and,
The legend of the man
"being

60uls from
was

one

Baring-Gould'sLegends

of the

Patriarchs,

303.

Squire'sSerpent Symbol, p. 67.

the parallel to the
see
we
Ibid. Here
Grecian fable of Epimotheus and Pandora.
"

Brinton

ii. p. 27.

"Ibid.

p. 46.

"

Higgins: Anacalypsis,vol.

after

Myths

of

the

New

World, p.

'"

"

Brinton

See

: Myths of the New

Chapter V.

See

Ibid,

and

Chambers's

Transmigration."
333

World, p. 204.

Encyclo,,art.

534

APPENDIX.

days'sojournin

three

his

the Mexicans

found
The

among
ancient
which

belly,
coming
and

Mexicans,and
common

was

Circumcision,
tribes,
practiced

Indian

some

safe and sound, was

out
l

Peruvians.

all Eastern

among

nations of the Old

World.9
also had

They

commanded

seen,4 was

legend to

the

sun

familiar

the effect that

to stand

still.3

one

This, as

of their

holypersons
have already

we

the inhabitants

legend among

the Old

of

World.
The

ancient Mexicans

the ancient
fire-iuorshipers
; so were
Peruvians.
They kept a firecontinually
justas
burning on an altar,
the fire-worshipers
habit
of
in
the
of the Old World
were
doing.*
Sun."6
the
also
and
had
of
were
They
Sun-worshipers,
temples
The Tortoise-myth
found in the New
World.7
was
Now, in the
Old World, the Tortoise-mythbelongsespecially
to India, and the
idea is developedthere in a varietyof forms.
The tortoise that
holds the world is called in Sanscrit Kura-mraja, King of the
Hindoos
believe to this day that the world
Tortoises,"and many
its back.
The strikinganalogybetween
rests on
the Tortoisemyth of North America and India," says Mr. Tyler, is by no
were

"

"

"

"

means

Father

by

of

matter

Lafitau

observation ; it
nearly a century and

new

features of the Asiatic stories are

indeed

remarked

upon
Three great
half ago.
the North American
among
was

found

Indians,in the fullest and clearest development. The earth is supported

the back of a huge floating
the tortoise sinks
on
tortoise,
the water

under
as

and

being itselfthe
have

We
God

born

deluge,and
earth,floating
upon the
causes

also found

of

them
among
One
God
the
virgin;"

;10the
Trinity

the tortoise is conceived

crucified Black

face of the

the

belief in

worshiped in

god ;"

the descent

deep."8
an

Incarnate

the form

into hell

of

;iathe

resurrection and ascension into heaven," all of which is to be found

in the oldest Asiatic religions.We
also found monastic habits
"

friars and

See

See

"

nuns."

Chapter XI.
Chapter X.
See Chapter XI.

"

Ibid.

"

See

the summit

Early Hist. Mankind, p. 252;Squire's

Serpent Symbol; and Prescott: Con. Peru.
" See
Ibid.,and the Andes and the Amaion, p. 454.
" See Early Hist.
8
"

Mankind, p. 342.

Ibid.

Chapter XII.
Chapter XXV.
"
See Chapter XX.
Mr. Prescott,speaking of the Pyramid of
On
Cholula, in his Mexican
History, says :
""

stood a sumptuous temple,in which

image of the mystic deity (Quetzalwith ebon features,
unlike the fair comcoatle),
he bore upon
earth."
And
plexion which
Kenneth
R. H. Mackenzie
says (inCities of the
Ancient
the woolly
World, p. 180): "From
texture of the hair,I am
inclined to assign to
the Buddha
of India,the Fuhi of China, the
Sommonacom
of the Siamese, the Xaha
of the
Japanese, and the Quetzalcoatleof the Mexiand indeed an
African, or
cans, the same,
rather Nubian, origin."
"
See Chapter XXII.
"
See Chapter XXTH.
"
See Chapter XXVI,
was

See

See

"

the

535

APPENDIX.

Mexicans

The
"

or

called

are

heavens,and

There

God's House."1
the notion that there

thingsconnected

with the ancient

certain than that there existed in that

more

were

did the ancient Mexicans.3

so

few

are

America

sacred houses,
high-places,
correspondingsacred structures of the

The

"

their

nations of the East entertained

Many
nine

its

of God."

Houses

Hindoos

denominated

discoveryby Columbus,

Now, the Serpent was

veneration

extreme

venerated

mythology of
country before

for the

Serpent.9
worshiped throughout the

and

East.4
The

ancient Mexicans

and

of the Indiau
many
not only to be brother and sister,

Peruvians,and

believed the Sun and Moon

tribes,
and wife ; so, likewise,
man
among

but

World

nations of the
many
this belief prevalent.5The belief in were-wolves,
or

was

wolves, man-tigers,man-hyenas, and

universal
found

among
to be the

the
calling
both

the

earth

Old

Lapps, and
It appears

Slinking
things."
Among
"

the

nations

case
"

of

mother," was

and

New

in
one

Worlds.7

China, where

races

and

books

Africa,was

tribes.6

The

also

idea of

divinelyhonored

Heaven

and

man-

almost

was

the inhabitants of
among
the mythology of Finns,

"In
is

of their sacred

the native

American

common

Esths, Earth-Mother

like,which

Europe, Asia

South

among

the

Old

"

Earth

"Father

personage.
called in the

are

and

Mother
is

the Earth-Mother

of America

of all

one

greatpersonages of mythology. The Peruvians worshipedher

there was
The Caribs, when
Mama-Phacha, or Earth-Mother.
the

earthquake,said
to them

it

was

to dance

their mother-earth

and make

merry

dancing,and

which
likewise,

of
as
an

fying
signi-

ingly
theyaccord-

did.8
It is well-known

that the

natives of

Africa,when

there is an

being devoured by some

that they,in order to frightenand drive it
noises in other ways.
and make
So, too,the
away, beat drums
to drive the attacking
of rough music
clamor
rude Moguls make
a
Arachs (Rahu) from Sun or Moon."
there is an
The
Chinese, when
eclipseof the Sun or Moon,
proceedto encounter the ominous monster with gongs and bells.10
ancient Romans
The
flung firebrands into the air,and blew
trumpets,and clangedbrazen pots and pans.11 Even as late as the
of the sun or
eclipse
great monster, and

moon,

"

Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 77.

Ibid. p. 109.
See Ferguson's Tree and

believe that it is

"

SerpentWorship,
Squire'sSerpent Symbol.

"

See Ibid.

"

See

and

861, and

Tylor, Primitive Culture, vol. i. p.

Squire'sSerpent Symbol.

" Primitive
Culture, vol. i. p. 280, and
Squire'sSerpent Symbol.
7 Primitive
Culture, vol. i. p. 294, and
Squire'sSerpent Symbol.
"
Tylor : Primitive Culture,vol. i. pp. 295,

296.
"

Ibid. p. 800.

"

Ibid.

"

Ibid. p. 801.

536

APPENDIX.

seventeenth century,the Irish

ran
Welsh, duringeclipses,

or

about

l
Among the native races of America was
beatingkettles and pans.
the same
to be found
superstition.The Indians would raise

and

howl,
frightful

shoot

into the

arrows

sky to drive the

Caribs,thinking that the demon

off.9 The

hater

Maboya,

monsters

of all

seekingto devour the Sun and Moon, would dance and

The Peruvians,
howl in concert all night long to scare him away.
beast,
imaginingsuch an evil spiritin the shape of a monstrous
the Moon
din when
raised the like frightful
was
eclipsed,
shouting,
sounding musical instruments,and beatingthe dogs to jointheir

light,was

howl

to the hideous

The

chorus.8
that lies like

starryband

road

the

across

sky,known

South African

the Basutos

as

tribe of

(a
by
milky way,
of
Gods
the
the
"
The
;"
Ojis(anotherAfrican tribe
Way
savages),
which
souls go up to
of savages),
say it is the "Way of Spirits,"
it as "the Path of the
tribes know
heaven by. North American
"the Eoad of Souls,"where
of Spirits,"
Master of Life,"the "Path
they travel to the land beyond the grave.4
the inhabitants of Africa,
It is almost a generalbelief among
of Europe and Asia, that
the inhabitants
and
so
was
among
and
that they can
and
even
now
monkeys were once men
women,
their
should
lest
hold
be
they
tongues,
reallyspeak,but judiciously
is called

the

made
in

to work.

Central
is

which

South

and

one

idea

This

found

was

America.6

"The

myths

of the marked

as

serious matter

Bridge

of the Old

of

belief,
Dead,"

of the

World,

was

found

in

the New.6
that the natives

It is well known

inland there

Spaniardsthat
of which
Leon

turned

fitted out

Youth."

of

mythologyof
The

mighty

men

two

back

into

youths,and

and went
caravels,

Now, the "Fountain

of

America

told the

fountain,the
how

Juan

waters

Ponce

de

to seek for this "Fountain

Youth"

is known

to the

India.7
of

myth
men,

old

found

to be

was

of South

stamped
foot-prints

is to be found

among

into

the

rocks

the inhabitants

of

by gods or
Europe, Asia,

Egyptians, Greeks, Brahmans, Buddhists, Moslems,

and
Christians,have adopted it as relics each from their own
pointof view, and Mexican eyes could discern in the solid rock at
zal
Tlanepantlathe mark of hand and foot left by the mighty Quetand

Africa.

coatle."

"

Tylor ; Primitive

"

Ibid. p. 296.
Ibid.

"
"
"

Ibid. p. 234.
Ibid. p. 239 and

Culture,vol. i. p. 801.

"

Early Hist. Mankind, pp. 357 and 361.

Ibid. p. 361.
The legend of the
Western
343.

World,

was

"

Elixir

of Life

well-known

in

"

of the
China,

(Buckley : Cities of the Ancient World, p. 167.)

" Ibid.
p. 118,and Squire'sSerpent Symbol.

538

APPENDIX.

symbolizedunder

the

cognate forms ; and it is

of her primitive
a
analysis
with those of other parts of the globe,
systems,in connection
conducted, would establish the grand fact,that in
philosophically
their leadingelements,and in many
of their details,
all
they are
same.1
the
essentially
The architecture of many
of the most ancient buildingsin South
bodied

or

asserted that
confidently

America

which

speak of
Spence Hardy, says :

monuments,
E.

The

"

edifices of

ancient

tower

Around

Lake

very ancient and

The

shape of

the summit, the trees

on

Titicaca

one

that

my

growing on

Squire,speakingof this,says

Bud'hist

"The

Archipelago,
the

templesof

described

as

and

semblance
strikingre-

domes, its apparent

the sides,the appearance
and

the small

way
door-

Anuradhapura,
the
these
remarkable
fellupon
ruins,1 supposed
engravings
of
eye first
presentedin illustration of the ddgobasof Ceylon."3

theywere
E. G.

of the

of masonry
here and there,the styleof the ornaments,
I had
at the base, are so exactlysimilar to what
seen
that when

massive

are

civilized nation.9

Chi Chen, in Central America, bear

to the topes of India.

size,the small

or

comparisonand

the Asiatic.

resembles

same

writers

numerous

Southern

India, and of the islands of the Indian

the learned

of the Asiatic Society,

members
by
and antiquities
the religion
of the Hindoos, correspond,

to us
on

at

great exactness, in all their essential and in many

with

of their minor

features,with those of Central America."41

of

Structures

which
pyramidal style,

also discovered

were

The

common

pyramidtower

in

India,

of Cholula

of these.5

one

was

in Mexico.

are

Sir R. Kir Porter writes

as

follows

of the old continents

analogiesexist between the monuments
striking
Mexican
built
several of these
and those of the Toltecs,who, arrivingon
soil,
like the temple of
colossal structures, truncated pyramids, divided by layers,
Bel us at Babylon. Whence did theytake the model of these edifices?Were theyof
stock with tfieChinese,
the
the Mongolian race ? Did theydescend from a common
Hiong-nu,and the Japanesef6

What

"

in featuresof the Asiatic and the American

race
similarity
striking.Alexander de Humboldt, speakingof this,says :

The
is very
"

"

There

Over
the

to

are

strikingcontrasts

River

between

the

Mongol

and

American

races."7

half of square leagues,

from the Terra del Fuego islands
and
St. Lawrence
Behring's Straits,we are struck at the first

million and

We
in the features of the inhabitants.
glancewith the general resemblance
that theyall descended from the same
think we perceive
stock,notwithstandingthe
enormous
diversityof language which separates them from one another."1

"
9
"
"

Serpent Symbol, p. 193.

and the Amazon,
The Andes
Eastern Monachism, p. 222.
Serpent Symbol, p. 43.

p. 454.

See

"

Travels

New

"

Ibid. p. 141.

Ibid.
in Persia,vol. ii.p. 280.
Spain, vol. i. p. 136.

APPENDIX.

"

This

evident in the color of the skin and hair,in

analogy is particularly
beard, high cheek-bones, and in the direction of the eyes."1

Dr. Morton
"

539

says

the defective

In

the aboriginal
on
of America, we are at once
races
reflecting
met by the
their
that
fact,
striking
physicalcharacters are whollyindependentof all climatic
or known
their immense
physicalinfluences. Notwithstanding
distribution,
geographical
embracing every varietyof climate,it is acknowledgedby all travellers,
that there is among
this people a prevailing
type, around which all the
tribes north, south, east and west
cluster,though varying within prescribed
limits. With
exceptions,all our American Indians bear to each other
trifling
some
degree of family resemblance, quite as strong,for example, as that seen at
the present day among
full-blooded Jews."2
"

"

James
the

Orton, the traveler,

was

American

Indians

Speakingof the
"The
middle

Zaparos

the

also struck with the likeness of

Zaparosof the

the
Chinese,including
Napo River,he says :

in

somewhat

stature, round

Oscar Paschel

to

physiognomy
face,small eyes

set

resemble

and
angularly,

the
a

flatted

nose.

Chinese,havinga

broad, flat nose."*

says

"The
of the inhabitants of
obliquely-set
eyes and prominent cheek-bones
noticed by Monitz Wagner, and accordingto his description,
out
Veragua were
of four Bayano Indians from Darien, three had thoroughlyMongolian features,
includingthe flatted nose."

In 1866,
of-war which
the

officer of the

an

the Parana

entered

words

same

of the
him

vividlyreminded

the
Sharpshooter,

natives at the falls of

English man-

River in

Brazil,remarks in almost
of that district,
that their features

Indians

Chinese.

of the

first

Burton

describes

the Brazilian

Cachauhy as having thick,round

muck
Kal-

heads, flat Mongol faces,wide, very prominent cheek bones,

obliqueand

traveler,J. J. Von

Another

that he has

words
for

narrow-slit

sometimes

Chinese

seen

Chinese

eyes, and

Tschudi, declares

whom

taches.
slightmus-

in

so

many

at the firstglancehe mistook

Botocudos, and that since then he has been convinced that the
to be

separatedfrom the Mongolian. His

St. Hilaire, noticed narrow,
obliquely-set
predecessor,
eyes and
American
broad

race

ought not

among
the Coroados, that
noses

to the

Reinhold

the Malali of Brazil.

their features

prominenceof

the

Hensel

says of
due
are
Mongoloid type,
cially
espebut
that
the
cheek-bones,
oblique
of

the eyes is not perceptible.Yet the obliqueopening of

essential characteristic
a good though not an
the eye, which forms
of the Mongoliannations,is said to be characteristic of allthe Guathe
Even
in the extreme
rani tribes in Brazil.
south, among
of
position

"

New

Spain, vol. i. p. 153.

3

The

Andes

and

the Amazon,

Types of Mankind, p. 275.

p. 170.

540

APPENDIX.

Hiullitches of

Patagonia,King

saw

with

greatmany

Those writers who separatethe Americans

as
eyes.
to
them
fail to give distinctive characters,
common
the Asiatic

from

them

All the

Mongols.

set
obliquely
peculiarrace

all,which

tribes have

tinguish
dis-

stiff,

in section.
The beard and hair of the body
long hair,cylindrical
The color of the skin varies conabsent.
is alwaysscanty or totally
siderably,
as might be expectedin a district of 110" of latitude ; it
ranges from a lightSouth European darkness of complexionamong
the Aymara, or to copper
the Botocudos, of the deepestdye among
Sonor

red in the
between

on

races

tribes.

are

Charles

G. Leland

has

one

no

of these shades

account

of every conceivable

But

of

tried to draw

limits

as they
color,especially

gradation.

says

nally,
Tunguse, Mongolians,and a great part of the Turkish race formed origiaccordingto all external organictokens, as well as the elements of their
language,but one people,closelyallied with the Esquimaux, the Skrdling,or
The

of the Norseman, and the

dwarf

races

of the New

This is the irrefutable

World.

in anatomy and physiology,as well

all the more
recent inquiries
Americans
All the aboriginal
have conduced.
comparativephilologyand history,
recall their neighborsdwelling
have those distinctive tokens which forcibly
the other side of Behring'sStraits. They have the four-cornered
head, high
on
and a retreatingforehead.
cheek-bones, heavy jaws,largeangulareye-cavities,

result to which
as

tokens as the heads of

graves exhibit the same
It
is
California."2
Oregon
very certain that thousands
bear
those of small stature or of dwarfish tribes,
Indians,especially

skulls of the oldest Peruvian

The

of American
a

and

tribes of

the nomadic

likeness
extraordinary

most

D.

John

to

Mongols."3
America"

Baldwin, in his "Ancient

says

inclined to believe that the wild Indians of the

and more
myself more
to which
where the race
rom
Asia,
they belong seems
originally
found
in
the
and
that
Koraks
still represented
Cookchees,
by
part of Asia which
extends to Behring'sStraits."4
I find

"

North

came

of the United States

Poston, late commissioner
"
The Par sees" speakingof
of America
in Asia, in a work entitled,
incident which took place"beyond the Great Wall," says :
an
Hon.

Charles

D.

"A
on

ridingup on
Mongolian came
like
a windmill.
camel, rocking
salutations.

was

enemies

was

was

an

and

littleblack
He

pony,
moment

Paschel

"

Fusang, p. 7.

"Ibid.

"

118.

Races

of

by a servant
mimic
exchange panto-

They

and

look reminded

the true descendants

are

every instinct of the race.

lilybut timidly,keeping all the time in motion like an

"

to

full of

neighborsin Arizona.

Tartars of Asia and

followed

stopped
and alive with motion; the blood
electricity,
fire was
bright in his eye. I could have sworn
a

veins,and the
Apache ; every action,motion

in his

warm

that he

He

preserve

Man, pp. 402-404.

4
"

Quoted
Quoted

He

of my old
me
of the nomadic

shook

Apache."6

in Ibid.
in Ibid. p. 94.

hands

friend-

APPENDIX.

That

the continents of Asia and America

togetherby an isthmus,at
straits is
of Asia

found, is

now

from

shown

541

the

by

bears the

America

During

of the northern

fact.

That

the

joined

Behring's
severance

geologically
speaking,very recent,

was,

is

not

lie at anchor

in which

manner

the

time

one

the channel of

but the sea which

only the straits,
Behring,is extraordinarily
shallow,so much so,

of

indeed,that whalers
the

at

were

placewhere

well known

fact that

name

the

in the middle

America

Champlain
portionof the

of it.1 This is evidently

peopled.9

was

periodin the earth's

the
history

climate

American

continent,instead of being
like the
country
ice,was more
climate of the Middle States of the present day. Tropicalanimals
went
North, and during the Terrace period which followed the
and
frigid,

the

covered

with sheets of

"

Champlain the
animals
tropical

climate

"

discovered

were

It

changed
in the

frozen

were

and
frigid,

to

ice,and

some

of these
many
of their remains

centuries after.

probably during the time when the climate in those

crossed over, and
regionswas warm, that the aborigines
if they did not do so at that time,we must
not be startled at
was

northern
even

the idea that Asiatic tribes crossed

the

country was

lived in

covered

state of

day,a

naked

where

the

with

from

over

ice.

Asia to

There

have

ice-fields,
and,

nudity among

nation of fishermen

America, when

been

nations who
at the

even

still exist in Terra

present

del

Fuego,
stretch down
to the sea, and even
into it.*
glaciers
Chas. Darwin, during his voyage round the world in H. M. S.
struck with the hardiness of the Fuegians,
Beagle,was particularly
who go in a state of nudity,or almost entirely
He says :
so.
these central tribes the

"Among

small scrap, about as largeas a

which is barelysufficient to cover

generallyhave
to
pocket-handkerchief,
men

their backs

down

low

as

an

otter

as

-skin,or

some

their nakedness,

cover

their loins."4

day while goingon shore near Wollaston Island,Mr. Darwin's

contained six Fuegians,who
which
party pulled alongsidea canoe
solutely
abone
was
full-grownwoman
were, he says, "quite naked, and even
with
aud the fresh water, together
It was raining
so.
heavily,
tant,
the spray, trickled down her body. In another harbor not far diswho
one
child,came
was
a
sucklinga recently-born
woman,
One

Paschel

To

World
we

those

Races
who

of
may

pp. 400, 401.

think that the Old

Man,

might have been peopled from the

refer to Oscar

Paschel's

"

Races

new,

of Man,"

p. 32. The author, in speaking on this subject,

"
time existed a great conThere at one
says :

belonged Madagascar and

perhaps portions of Eastern Africa, the Maitlives and Laccadives, and also the Island of
tinent, to

which

attached
to India,
never
Ceylon, which was
the island of Celebes in the far
perhaps even
East, which possesses a perplexingfauna, with
semi-African
which
must

we

features."

look for the cradle

"

Paschel

Darwin's

Races

this

On

situated in the

was

contineut,
Ocean,

Indian

now

of humanity.

of Man,

p. 31.

Journal,p. 213.

542

APPENDIX.

the vessel,
and
day alongside
whilst the sleet fell and
skin of her naked
This

there out' of

her

on

naked

curiosity,

mere

bosom, and

the

on

baby I"1
winter

during the

was

remained

thawed

A few pages farther

22d December, a small

season.

Mr.

says that on
family of Fuegians who

Darwin

the

nightof the
were
livingin a
the quarters
cove
near
soon
joined our party round a blazing
fire. We were
close to the firewere
well clothed,and though sitting
far from
too warm
; yet these naked
savages, though further off,
to
were
observed,to our great surprise, be streamingwith perspiration
at undergoingsuch a scorching. They seemed, however, very
well pleased,
and all joinedin the chorus of the seamen's songs ;
but the manner
in which they were
a littlebehind was
invariably
quiteludicrous."2
on

"

"

"

The

over

evidentlyin a very barbarous

how to produce fire,
and use

were

known
who

first crossed

Asiatics who

inhabited Mexico
had

time

taken

continent
have

bows

and

The

tribe

it was

discovered

the

iards
Span-

arrows.8

by

they had driven out

ple,
peo-

them.4

country from

the

American

stage,althoughthey may

the first to settle there ;

not

was

and

the

at

the

to

by Orientals,who brought and planted

their religion
recent period,is very probathere,in a comparatively
ble.
this subjecta special
Mr. Chas. G. Leland, who has made
study,says :
That

Mexico

"While

the

visited

was

proofs of
and

extremelyvague

the existence

residence of Orientals

or

uncertain,and

while

of
probability

their

the antecedent

in America

are

dences,
coinci-

they are supported only by

hither,or having been
having come
discoveryof the New World, or even

able to come, is stronger than the Norse

Let the reader take a map
than that of Columbus
himself would
appear to be.
himself
of the Northern
ascertain
him
for
the fact that from KamtPacific;let

schatka,which
less arduous

intercourse
probability
the Chinese

from

did

some

been

journey is far

the chain of the Aleutian

over
simply like stepping-stones

shallow

For

Darwin's

Journal, p. 213.
Ibid. pp. 220, 221.
from
the fact that
This
is seen
not

known

know
the

surely have
mountains,
ore, and
*

have

the

it is a well ascertained fact,that a sailor in an open boat

Asia to America
by the Aleutian Islands in summer-time, and

child.

of

Chinese,to Alaska

that there was

in all
proper, and it will be seen
kind between
In earlytimes
the continents.

China

bold and skillful navigators,

to whom

were

Islands would

to the old

well known

was

than from

The

the
of

use

gone
which

made

use

Aztecs

of

use

iron.

Had

they
they

metal, they would

and dug into their
abundantly filled with

this

to work
are

preceded by the Tol-

tecs,Chichimeckp, and the Nahualtecs.

boldt's New
Spain, p. 133, vol. i.)
of barbarians
which
"The races

(Humsuccess-

to a

ively followed each other from the north to

the south always murdered, hunted
down, and
subdued
the previous inhabitants, and formed
social and
in course
of time a new
political
life upon

the

ruins

of the old

again destroyed and renewed

invasion
turies, by a new

system, to be
in
of

few

cen-

barbarians,

World
in the New
later native conquerors
in the
be considered
can, of course, no more
light of originalinhabitants than the present
in the Old World."
of men
races
The

of it.
were

brook

might cross
hardly ever

543

APPENDIX.

be out of sightof land, and this in a part of the

fish,as is proved by the fishermen who inhabit many
fresh water

is

always to

BarclayKennon, formerlyof
surveyingexpedition,
says :
"From

the result of the

China
a

of these islands,on

which

U. S. North

Pacific

be found."1

Colonel

that the voyage from

than
of land more

generallyabounding in

sea

most

hours

scientific observation,it is evident

be made without being out of sight

accurate

to America

few

at

can

any

the

time.

one

To

landsman, unfamiliar

with

idea of being 'alone on the wide, wide sea,'with

long voyages, the mere
but
water
e
ven
for an
visible,
of desolation,
nothing
hour, conveys a strange sense
of daring,and of adventure.
But in truth it is regardedas a mere
trifle,
not onlyby regularseafaring
men, but even
by the rudest races in all parts of the
world

and

in

I have

doubt

that from

boats,canoes,

open

currents, have

no

not

natives of many

heskated

or

the remotest

on

sightof

land.

stars

At the present

Pacific Islands undertake, without

which

all shores, fishermen

coracles,guided simply by the

even

to go far out of

of the South

ages, and

and

day,

compass, and
regularJack-tar,who is not
a

a
successfully,
long voyages
often astonished at anything. If this can
be done by savages, it hardly seems
was
not successfully
performed by
possiblethat the Asiatic- American
voyage
of
advanced
scientific
who
it
is
culture,
had,
pass,
people
generallybelieved,the comand who
from an earlyage were
in
proficient astronomy."2

Prof. Max

it would
Miiller,

expressed

as

own,
"

In

astonish

follows

even

entertains similar ideas to

seem,

our

Indians')languages,as well as in their religions,

(theAmerican
traces may
migrations
possiblystillbe found, before it is too late,of pre-hisioric
the
Continent,either across
of men
from the primitive Asiatic to the American
the
lower
Aleutic
the
in
w
ith
or
South,by
North,
bridge
stepping-stones
of
drifting
landed or wrecked
was
favorablewinds from island to island,tillthe hardy canoe
the American
on
coast,never to return again to the Asiatic home from which it had
their

started."*

and mythologyof the

It is very evident then, that the religion
Old and ftew Worlds, have, in part,at least,a common
origin.
Lord
16th

Kingsborough
century were

colonized

from

found

was
religion

And

Mr.

"Among

the

informs

mass

that the

Spanish historians

disposedto admit that

West, "chieflyon account

not

in the

Tylor says

the

us

new

America

had

of the
been

ever

of the state in which

continent."4

of Central American

traditions

there

occur

certain

in the story of an
earlyemigrationof the Quiche race, which
passages
and broken
stories derived in some
of vague
the appearance
much
way
latitudes."6
Northern
high

Mr.

"
*
"

McCulloh, in his

Fusang, p. 56.
Quoted in Fusang, p. 71.
Science of Religion,p. 131.

"

"

Researches, observes that

*
*

Mexican Antiq.,vol. vi. p. 181.

Early Hist. Mankind, p. 807.

have
from

544

APPENDIX.

analyzingmany partsof their (theancient Americans')institutions,

especi*
and
their religions
superstitions,
allythose belongingto their cosmogonal history,
astronomical computations,we have, in these abstract matters, found abundant
proof to assert that there has been formerlya connection between the people of
Their communications, however, have
the two
continents.
taken place at a
periodof time ; for those matters in which they more
decidedly
very remote
coincide,are undoubtedly those which belongto the earliest historyof mankind.
"

In

"

It is

unquestionablyfrom

India

that

have

we

derived,partly

through the Persians and other nations,most of our metaphysical

and theological
doctrines,as well as our nursery tales. Who then
can
deny that these same doctrines and legends have been handed
and in this
down by oral tradition to the chief of the Indian tribes,
in
althoughperhaps an obscure and imperfect
way have been preserved,
at
in
instances
until
the
some
least,
presentday ? The
manner,
facts which

had, point with

to be

are

have before

we

the
fatherland^

cradle of

us, with

others like them

many

which

greatestlikelihood to a common
all nations,
from which theycame, taking
the

these traditions with them.

APPENDIX
at the farthest

Commencing
of China
of the

the

same

the Chinese

India, is

of

days
ancient

for the

books

understood

as

same

by

them

Chinese
at

Sun, Moon, Stars and

in one respect the same
that

planetsthat

seven

of the

fact

ligion
re-

universal in all quarters

was

of the

the

shall find the ancient

we

was
religion

from

seen

East

that which

adoration

globe,viz.,an
That

that

B.

they

the

show

that

which

occurred

named

Hindoos

ments.1
eleas

sive
succes-

did.8

The

not

only
but
that
it
formed
an
period,
early
very
and the basis of publicceremonies.
policy,

importantbranch of state
recorded
Eclipsesare accurately

astronomy

was

fore
twenty centuries be-

Jesus ; and the Confucian

books refer continually
to observations
bodies
the
rectification
of the heavenly
and
of the calendar.
ancient

The
the

excess

"

Chinese

astronomers

of the solar year

seem

beyond 365

Paganism is at bottom a worship of

form
in all Pagan
or other,and
religionsthe deepest and most awe-inspiring

to

days.

have
The

known

precisely

of
religion

China,

that the real objectsworshiped

personifications
unknown.
became
At first the real Sun,
Moon, Stars,"c, would be worshiped, but as
of reproattribute
of nature was
man
its power
as
soon
personified them, other terms
duction."
art.
be introduced,and
peculiar rites ap(Encyclo.Brit.,
Christianity.") would
2 In
Montfaucon's
L'Antiquite Expliquee
propriatedto each, so that in time they came
different dela representation
of the
to be considered
as
so
(vol.i.),may be seen
many
tie*.
seven
planets personified. It was
by such
1

nature

All
in

some

"

546

APPENDIX.

from

avert

she-wolf

the

us

Oh, morn!
darkness,which

soothingrest!
the cloud
the

and

the

suffer us to pass thee in

this black,yet visible overwhelming
thou
enablest
to remove
as
me

wolf; and, oh!

in due

remove

time

at present enfolds me,

of their dells.

as
Daughter of Heaven, I approach thee with praise,
approaches her milker; accept,O Night 1 not the hymn only,but the

cow

oblation of

Some

who
thy suppliant,

prays that his foes may

be subdued."

principal
gods of the Hindoo Pantheon are, Dyaus
(theSky), Indra (the Eain-giver),
Surya (theSun),the Maruts
and Siva,her
(Winds),Aditi, (theDawn), Parvati (the Earth,)1
The worshipof the Sun is expressed
in a variety
consort.
of ways,
and by a multitude of fanciful names.
One of the principal
of
these is Crishna.
is a prayer addressed to him :
The following
"Be

of the

lay,O Chrishna,thou only God of the seven heavens,

O universal
through the immensity of space and matter.
sway
and resplendent Sun ! Thou
of
the
heavens
thou
mighty governor
;
sovereignregulatorof the connected whole; thou sole and universal deityof
mankind
noblest and most
spiration
Supreme Spirit
; thou graciousand
happy in; my
is thy praiseand glory. Thy power
I will praise,
for thou art my
forces itself on my attention,
sovereignLord, whose brightimage continually
Thou
of war;
the
whom
heroes pray in perils
art
to
Being
eager imagination.
their
nor
are
vain, when thus they pray; whether it be when thou
supplications
illuminest the eastern
in thy meridian
region with thy orient light,when
thou majestically
descendest in the West."
or when
splendor,
to
auspicious

who

est

Crishna
"I

my
the universe

is made

to say

lightin the Sun and Moon, far,far beyond the darkness. I

in flame,the radiance in all that's radiant,and the light
of
brilliancy
lights."9
the

am

the

am

In

the

Maha-bharata,Crishna,who havingbecome the son of

Aditi (the Dawn), is called Vishnu, another name
for the Sun.'
The demon
Putana
assaults the child Crishna,which identifies him
with Hercules,the Sun-godof the Greeks.4
In his Solar character
he must againbe the slayer
of the Dragon or Black-snake Kulnikay
the

"

Old

Serpent"

with the maidens

Alpheios,Paris

greetingthe

with

makes
and

the thousand

him
the

moon

Crishna's

amours

like Indra,Phoibus,Hercules,Samson,

Sun-gods. This

other
and

heads.5

dew,

is the hot and

with

the Sun

or

Sun
fiery

his brides the

Stars.'

Moore, in his Hindu

"

Although all the

and character of
or

merge

Vishnu

; whether
Avatara
glorious

The

emblem

Hindu

Surya,or

in,him, yet

Pantheon, observes

no

deities partakemore

the Sun, and all

one
is,I think,so

considered

of Crishna.
of

in his

own

the

less remotelyof the nature

or

more

or

radiate from,
less directly

identified with
intimately

person,

or

in the character

him

as

of his most

"

"

Mother
Parvati, the
Yoni, and that of her con-

Goddess,"
sort Siva,the Lingham.
" Williams
Hinduism, p. 213.
" See Cox
: Aryan Mytho., vol. ii. pp. 105
w"e

and

130.
*
"
"

Ibid. p. 135.
Ibid. p. 137.
See Ibid. p.

theon, p. 63.

88, and Moor's

Hindu

Pan-

547

APPENDIX.

The

ancient

of Egypt, like that of Hindostan,was

religion
founded on astronomy,and eminently
in its character.
metaphysical
The Egyptianpriests
far advanced in the science of astronomy.
were

They

made

astronomy their peculiarstudy. They knew the figure

earth,and how to calculate solar and lunar eclipses.From
ancient
time, they had observed the order and movement
of
very
of the

the stars,and

Great,

recorded

them

generallycalled

thousand

with

is
Sesostris,

the utmost

care.

Eamses

the

supposed to have reignedone

five hundred

years before the Christian era, about coeval

with Moses, or a centurylater.
In the tomb of this monarch
was
found a large massive circle of wrought gold,divided into three
hundred

and

and each division marked

the rising
sixty-five
degrees,
and setting
of the stars for each day."
This fact proves how early
they were advanced in astronomy. In their greattheories of mutual
lief
dependence between all thingsin the universe was included a bein some
of the Stars and
mysteriousrelation between the Spirits
human
the
that
of
souls,so
destiny mortals was regulatedby the
motions of the heavenlybodies.
This was the originof the famous
system of Astrology. From the conjunctionof planetsat the hour
of birth,they prophesiedwhat would
be the temperament of an

infant,what lifehe would live,and what death he would die.

dorus, who wrote in the centuryprecedingChrist Jesus, says
"

They frequentlyforetellwith
; showing the failure

to mankind

befall

Dio:

the greatestaccuracy what is about to happen

abundance
of crops, and the epidemicdiseases

or

cattle.

Earthquakes,deluges,risingof comets,
all those phenomena, the knowledge of which
to common
appears impossible
of their long continued
tion."
observacomprehensions,they foresee by means
about

and

P. Le

to

ancient

bert Lectures
The

or

probablythe best authorityon the

Egypt which can be produced,says, in his Hib-

Page Eenouf,

of
religion

"

men

who

is

:9

Language, delivered nearlytwenty years

Muller,have, I trust,made us fullyunderstand how, among the

Lectures

on

the

Science

of

ago by Prof. Max

of the Sun, of Sunrise and Sunset,and of other
Indo-Europeanraces, the names
to be talked of and considered as personages, of whom
such phenomena, come
wondrous
legendshave been told. Egyptian mythology not merely admits, but
dent
evithe more
this becomes
demands, the same
explanation.And
imperatively
to be
consider the questionhow these mythical personages came
when
we
had
like
the
men
invested with the attributes of divinity
who,
Egyptians, so
by
livelya sense of the divine."

Kenrick, in his

"

Historyof Egypt,"says

According to Champollion, the tomb of

V. at Thebes, contains tables of the
constellations and of their influence (on human
i

"

Ramses

beings)for

every

hour

of every month

of the

yeai." (Kenrick'eEgypt, vol. 1. p. 456.)

*

p. 118.

548

APPENDIX.

We

"

have

abundant

evidence

that the

Egyptian theologyhad

its

originin

and female attributes,

of the powers
of nature, under male
the personification
state of the
and that this conceptiontook a sensible form, such as the mental

peoplerequired,by the identification of these powers with the elements and the
Such apand the Nile.
pears
heavenlybodies,fire,earth, water, the sun and moon,
of
and
it is
f
orm
be
of
the
the
polytheism;
origin
objective
everywhereto
tion
equallyevident among the nations most closelyallied to the Egyptiansby posiin remote
the Phenicians,the Babylonians,and
and general character
"

connection,the Indians
The

Ormuzd,

"

Source

exists,""The
"The

the

the Greeks

the other."

ancient Persians

Goodness"

and of Truth.

of Sunshine

First-born

and

Light,"

of the

Eternal

SovereignIntelligence,""The

were

also personificati

was

described

"

He
The

was

Centre

One," "The

called "The
of all that

Creator,"

All-seeing,""The

Just

the throne of the good

on
sitting
of pure light,"crowned
in regions
with rays, and
and the perfect,
his finger a circle being an emblem
with a ring on
of infinity;
sometimes
a
as
venerable, majesticman, seated on a Bull,their

Judge."

He

on

Sun, Moon, Stars,the elements,"c.

King of Light," was god of the Firmament, and

The

"Principleof

Eternal

side and

the one

gods and goddessesof

of the

the

on

as

"

"

emblem

of creation.
"

god-Sun. Their most splendid

ceremonials
in honor
of Mithras.
were
They kept his birth-day,
with many
the
of December, when the
on
rejoicings,
twenty-fifth
Sun perceptibly
begins to return northward, after his long winter
journey; and they had another festival in his honor, at the vernal
festival was ever more
equinox. Perhaps no religious
splendidthan
Salutation of Mithras ," duringwhich/or^/days were
the
Annual
set apart for thanksgivingand sacrifice. The procession
to salute
the god was
formed long before the rising
of the Sun.
The High
followed by a long train of the Magi, in spotless
Priest was
white
sers.
robes,chantinghymns, and carryingthe sacred fire on silver centhree hundred
Then came
to
and sixty-five
youths in scarlet,
of
the
the year and the color of fire. These were
represent
days
followed by the Chariot of the Sun, empty, decorated with garlands,
and drawn by superbwhite horses harnessed with pure gold. Then
white horse of magnificent
came
a
size,his forehead blazingwith
Close behind him rode the king,in a
gems, in honor of Mithras.
chariot of ivoryinlaid with gold,followed by his royalkindred in
embroidered
garments, and a long train of nobles ridingon camels
richlycaparisoned.This gorgeous retinue,facingthe East, slowly
ascended Mount
Orontes.
Arrived at the summit, the High Priest
assumed
his tiara wreathed
with myrtle,and hailed the first rays of
the risingSun with incense and prayer.
The other Magi gradually
him
in
to
of all blessing,
joined
Ormuzd, the source
singinghymns
Mithras

"

"

the Mediator

was

the

APPENDIX.

by whom

the radiant Mithras

had

549
been

sent to

gladdenthe earth
and preserve the principle
of life. Finally,
they all joinedin one
universal chorus of praise,while king,princesand "nobles,
trated
prosthemselves before the orb of day.
The
Hebrews
worshiped the Sun, Moon, Stars,and " all the
host of heaven."1
El-Shaddai was one of the names
givento the
god Sun.
Parkhurst,in his Hebrew Lexicon," says, "El was the
the heathens gave to their god Sol,their Lord or Ruler
very name
"

of the

hosts
"

heaven

of heaven."

the

"

Sun,

nations,before

Sydon

and

were

Tyrus, before

Sun

"the

means

strong

one

in

invoked

was

there

El, which

by the ancestors of all the Semitic

Babyloniansin Babylon,Phenicians in
there were
Jews in Mesopotamia or Jerusalem.3

of
worshiped by the Hebrews under the names
Baal, Moloch, Chemosh, "c; the Moon was Ashtoreth,the
Queen
The

was

"

of Heaven."3

gods of the ancient Greeks and Romans were the same as

the gods of the Indian epic poems.
We have, for example : Zeuto Dyaus-pitar(the Heaven-father),
piter(Jupiter),
corresponding
t
o
and Apollo,
Juno, corresponding Parvati (theMother Goddess),
Crishna
the
Another
to
name
Saviour).4
(the Sun,
corresponding
An Orphic verse,
those peoplewas Bacchus.
for the Sun among
of Bacchus)
to the Sun, says, " he is called Dionysos(aname
referring
because he is carried with a circular motion through the immensely
The

heavens."6

extended

ing
Prichard,in his "Analysisof EgyptianMythology,""speak-

Dr.

of the ancient Greeks

and Romans,

says

lished,
indeed, and embelof nature, mitigated,
will not be
of the Greek and Roman
constituted the foundation
religion,
disputedby any person who surveys the fables of the Olympian Gods with a
more
antiquarian."
penetrating
eye than that of a mere
"That

M.

the

by

of the powers

Coulanges,speakingof them,

De

beneficent and

destructive,"such

gods. But from each

could make

says

givesfecundity;the Earth, which

Sun, which

"The
turns

worship

one

were

of these

nourishes; the Clouds,

of which they

tliedifferent
powers
elements

thousands

of

gods were

received
aspects,
physicalagent,viewed under different
called in one
The
place
names.
Sun, for example,was
and
still
Phoebus
i
n
Apollo
again,
(the shining);
Hercules (theglorious); another,
(he who drives away nightor evil);one called him Hyperion(theelevated being);
of time groups of men,
another,Alexicacos (the beneficent);and in the course
that
saw
to the brilliant luminary,no longer
who had given these various names
theyhad the same god."1
created ; because the
different
from
men

See

Miiller
See

See

"

Chapter XL

"
a
"

same

The

Science

Chapter XL
Wisdom,

Indian

of

Kelig.,p. 190.

"
T

p. 426.

Taylor'sMysteries,p. 163.
Page 239.
The

Ancient City,p. 168.

550

APPENDIX.

Richard
"

Payne Knight

says

"

of the Greeks,
like that of all other nations not enlightened
primitivereligion
and
consisted
have
have
been
to
to
elementary,
by Revelation,
appears
indistinct worship of the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, the Earth, and
in an
the Waters,
or
rather,the spirits
supposed to presideover these bodies,and
of existence.
to direct their motions, and regulatetheir modes
Every river,
and
had
local
men
rally
natumountain
its
or
as
spring
genius,or peculiardeity;
such
endeavored
to obtain the favor of their gods by
means
as
they feel
best adapted to win their own, the firstworship consisted in offering
to them
At
be
most
valuable.
the
certain portionsof whatever
held
to
same
time,
they
and
the regular motions of the heavenlybodies,the stated returns of summer
the
order
of
universe,taught
winter, of day and night,with all the admirable
them to believe in the existence and agency of such superior
lar
powers; the irreguand tempests, inundations
and destructive efforts of nature, such as lightnings
and earthquakes,
persuaded them that these mighty beings had passions
and
and affections similar to their own,
only differed in possessinggreater
and intelligence."1
power,
strength,
The

not

Grecian

the

When

person, but

They

them.

huge

stillfarther West

Odin

against

outcryarose

"blaspheming atheists"

and

was

from

that

is made which seems

to
discovery
any new
"
"
Atheist
is instantly
raised.
his god,the cry of

take away from man

If we turn from
Teutonic

ball,instantly
an

present,when

time to the

had

hot

called

were

first declared that the Sun

astronomers

the ancient Greeks

and

nations
Woden

North,
the

were

from

we

same

and

Romans, and take

shall find that the

as

whom

we

have
have

seen

gods of

elsewhere.

look

all the

They
the Al-

Wednesday
(theEarth), "Baldur
have our
from whom
the Good," and Thor
we
Thursday (personifica
other genii,
of the Sun), besides innumerable
among
have our
them Freyja from whom
we
Friday and as she was the
that day.8
Goddess of Love," we e"tjish
on
called the
The gods of the ancient inhabitants of what are now
The
the
"British
Islands" were
shiped
identically same.
bun-god worcalled
Budd
Ancient
Druids
and
the
was
Hu, Beli,
by
Buddu-gre.
The same
worship which we have found in the Old World, from
fader

or

"

we

(theSky),Frigga,the Mother

our

"

Goddess

"

"

"

"

the

farthest

East

to

the

remotest

West, may

also be

traced

in

defined form, among

the
clearly
rovinghunters and squalidEsquimaux of the North, through every
intermediate stage of development,to the imposing systems of
it took a form nearlycorrespondingthat
Mexico and Peru, where
the banks of the Ganges,and on
which it at one time sustained on
the plainsof Assyria.4

America,

from

its simplest
or least

Frigga and Freyja are originallyowe.

Mythology, p. 1.
8 See
Myths of the British Druids, p. 116.
Antiquities.Though
* See
Squire'sSerpent Symbol.
spoken of in Northern mythology as distinct,
1

Ancient

See Mallet's Northern

Art and

551

APPENDIX.

Father Acosta,speakingof the

Mexicans,says

"Next to Viracocha, or their Supreme God, that which rcost commonly they
have, and do adore,is the Sun ; and after,those thingswhich are most remarkable
in the celestial or elementarynature, as the Moon, Stars,ftea,and Land.
"Whoso
shall merely look into it,shall find this mauner
which the Devil
hath used to deceive the Indians,to be the same
wherewith
he hath deceived
the Greeks and Romans, and other ancient Gentiles,giving them to understand
that these notable creatures, the Sun, Moon, Stars,
and elements,
had power or
do

authorityto
We

good

or

harm

to men."1

then, that the gods and heroes of antiquity

were

ally
originof certain elements
of Nature, and that the
personifications
legendsof adventures ascribed to them are merelymythicalforms
of describing
the phenomena of these elements.
These legendsrelating
to the elements of Nature, whether
they
had

see,

Sun, the Moon, the Stars,or a certain natural

counts
phenomenon, became, in the course of time, to be regardedas acof a high order,who had once
of men
inhabited the earth.
Sanctuaries and templeswere
erected to the"e heroes,their bones
searched
and
when
found
which was
were
for,
always the casereference to the

"

regarded as

were

them
form

of

The
a

of

great source

; all relics of their

strengthx,o

stayon earth

the town

were

worshipwas specially
adapted to them.
of
idea that heavenlyluminaries were
inhabited by spirits,
intermediate

nature

God

between

and

men,

first led mortals to

address prayers to the orbs over which they were

these deities,
when
In order to supplicate
Stars

were

consecrated
invocations
their

that sessed
posand
a
hallowed,

not

visible,
theymade

imagesof

supposedto
Sun, Moon,

them, which

the

preside.
and

priests

with many ceremonies.

Then theypronouncedsolemn
into the statues providedfor
the spirits
to draw down
this process it was
supposedthat a mysterious
and the image,so
the spirit
established between

reception. By

connection

was

thenceforth heard by the other.

that prayers addressed to one were
This was probablythe originof image worshipeverywhere.
all nations of
the same
motive of this worship was
The
among
i. e.,fear, They supposed that
antiquity,
and
reason

these

deities

were

tated
irri-

merciful,
time, were
by the sins of men, but, at the same
capableof being appeasedby prayer and repentance; for this
men

natural that such

observes:

How
deities sacrifices and prayers.
have been the case, for,as Abbe Dubois

offered to these

"To

should
the

clothed in that calm

Heaven/
Oriental night,
an
distinguishes

rude, untutored

beautywhich

eye, the

'

Host

of

endowed
divine principle,
appear to be instinct with some
of
throne
from its
with consciousness,and the power to influence,
"
mortals.
unchanging splendoron high,the fortunes of transitory

might well

"

Acosta

vol. ii. pp. 303-305.

552

APPENDIX.

APPENDIX
All the chief storiesthat

know

well

so

all countries.

in almost

times,and

we

O.
are

to be found

for
Cinderella,

one,

the languageof every countryin Europe, and the

in the fanciful tales related by the Greek
found

in all

is told in

legend is

same

poets; and still

further back, it appears in very ancient Hindoo legends. So, again,
familiar tale of Jack, the
does Beauty and the Beast ; so does our
of other fairystories,
each
Giant- Killer ; so also do a great number

being told

in different countries

likeness

much

and

source,

versions

are

the

compare

as

to show

that all the versions

enough
copied from
directly
myths and legendsof

much
must

been

alike,and yet in
have been

that each
home

and

so

same

of the

none

they have
We

come

to be

see

that there

so

that they must have

stories,

these

part

that

the

"Indeed, when we
countrywith another,and of
different.

this

from

other.

how

thingsso

some

originfor all
that
invented by one people,

brought into its new

must
have shaped
in which
they came

one

find out

one

divided, and

each

with
periods,

came

difference to show

yet with

periodwith another,we

one

in different

and

peoplemust
division

or

the

legendsonce common
altered these accordingto

have been afterwards

of it must
to

them

have

all,and

the kind of

place

to live ; those of the North

beingsterner and
those of the South
softer and fuller of light and
terrible,

more

delicate fancy." And this,

color,and adorned with touches of more
All the chief stories and legendsare
indeed, is reallythe case.
alike,because theywere firstmade by one people; and all the nations
in which

they are

theyare

now

all descended

From

from

one

this

form
one

or

common

which

were

made

another

tell them

because

stock,the Aryan.
The Rev. George
Mtiller,

by Prof. Max
W. Cox, and others,in England and Germany, in the science of
ComparativeMythology,we beginto see somethingof these ancient
forefathers of ours ; to understand what kind of peopletheywere, and
to find that our fairy stories are really
made out of their religion.
The mind of the Aryan peoplesin their ancient home was full
and
of imagination.They never
ceased to wonder at what they saw
the earth. Their languagewas highly
heard in the sky and upon
which struck them with wonder, and
and so the things
figurative,
and
which
described under forms
they could not explain,were
names

researches

told in

familiar

to them.

"

Thus, the thunder

was

to

bellowingof a mightybeast,or the rollingof a great

In the lightningthey saw a brilliant serpent,or a spear
chariot.
shot across
the sky,or a great fish darting
swiftlythrough the sea
of cloud.
The clouds were
heavenly cows, who shed milk upon
the earth and refreshed it 5 or theywere webs woven
by heavenlj
them

the

554

APPENDIX.

into his

enemies,or

wise

chieftain skilled in

he

knowledge.1

Sometimes

doomed

earlydeath, which

to

an

might

as

appear

no

power

could

hidden

and

deep

gloriousbeing
avert

delay.*

or

conflicts might be followed

grievoushardshipsand desperate
of serene
repose.8Wherever he went, men
by a long season

Sometimes

him

might welcome
anguish.4 He
would

in

would

might be brilliant and

As compelledto
capricious.6
not his own
fightin quarrels
;
course

aid of

which

arm

an

lands,and

brides in many

aspects beautiful,strangeor

assume

in fear and

him

from

shrink

love, or

have many

his offspring

horrible.6

His

beneficent ; or gloomy, sullen,and

toil for others,he would
be said to
he

or

might

for

time withhold

the

He
could withstand.7
might be
enemy
with
he loved,he might slaythe Dawn

no

of all whom
destroyer
his children ;
his kindlingrays, he might scorch the Fruits,who were
and an
the deep blue sky,the bride of heaven
he might woo
itself,
inevitable doom
might bind his limbs on the blazingwheel for ever
Nor in this crowd of phrases,
all of which have borne
and ever.
their partin the formation of mythology,is there one which could
not be used naturally
by ourselves to describe the phenomena of the
has not
outward world, and there is scarcely
one, perhaps,which
which
been used by our own
can
poets. There is a beautyin them,
the

never

grow

old

or

times

in
instinctively

but, in the words

Poets of all ages

deepest griefor the

lose its charm.

of the

of Professor

recur

to them

greatestjoy;
impossibleto
passedthrough the

Mtiller,"it

Max

is

which
fullyinto the thoughtsand feelings
for that far East
minds of the earlypoets when they formed
names
life
the earlyDawn, the Sun, the Day, their own
from whence
even
lifeflashed up every morning before their
seemed to spring. A new
reached them like greetings
eyes, and the fresh breezes of the Dawn
threshold
of
the distant
the sky from
the
wafted across
golden
lands beyond the mountains, beyond the clouds,beyond the dawn,
beyond the immortal sea which brought us hither! The Dawn
seemed to them to open goldengatesfor the Sun to pass in triumph ;
enter

and while those

open, their eyes and their minds strove,

to piercebeyond the limits of this finite

gateswere

their childish way,

silent aspectwakened
That
world.

in

of the
of the Dawn

in the human

the Immortal, the Divine

Infinite,

became

the
naturally

1 This
would give us the stories of Tkor, the
mighty warrior,the terror of his enemies, and
or
those of Cadmus, Romulus
Odin, the wise
founded
chieftains, who
nations, and taught
their people knowledge.
8 This would
give us the story of Christ Jebus, and other Angel-Messiahs;Saviours of men.
" This would
give us the stories of spell-

of

names

bound

mind
; and

the
the

maidens, who

sleepfor years.
counterparts,

and his

This is Hercules

again is Hercules,
depend upon whether
obscured by clouds,or not.
This again /s Hercules.
This is Apollo,Siva and Ixion.

was
7
8

"

names

higherpowers.9

"

ception
con-

This

This would

Rev. G. W. Cox.

his light

555

APPENDIX.

This

"

imageryof

the

Aryanswas appliedby them

to all theysaw

in the

sky. Sometimes, as we have said,the clouds were cows ; they

also dragons,which
were
sought to slaythe Sun ; or greatships
the sky,and casting
anchor upon earth ; or rocks,or
across
floating
mountains, or deep caverns, in which evil deities hid the golden
light. Then, also,they were
shaped by fancy into animals of
various kinds
the bear,the wolf, the dog, the ox ; and into giant
"

birds,and into monsters which were both bird and beast.

"The
ters
winds, again,in their fancy,were the companionsor minisof India,the sky-god. The spirits
of the winds gatheredinto
their host the souls of the dead
and Teutonic

through

the

him,

and

were

the sunbeams

his weird

gods,and
and
the

made

restored

legendof

thus

the Wild

givingbirth

to the Scandinavian

Horseman, who

rides at midnight

stormy sky,with his long train of dead behind

hounds before.1 The Ribhus, or Arbhus, again,
or

their
out

"

the

who
lightning,

forged the

thunderbolts,and turned

of the hides alone the

gods had feasted."2

Aryan myths, then,were

armor

of the

old

people young,
which
cow
on
slaughtered

poeticfancies about light

and darkness,cloud and rain,night and day, storm and wind ; and
when
they moved westward and southward, the Aryan race brought
these legends
merable
with it; and out of these were
shapedby degreesinnuthe
and
of
and
demons
of
the
devs
Hindoos,
jinns the
gods
Persians ; the great gods,the minor deities,
and nymphs, and fauns,
and satyrsof Greek mythology and poetry; the stormy divinities,
the giants,
and trolls of the cold and rugged North ; the dwarfs of
the German
forests ; the elves who dance merrilyin the moonlight
of an Englishsummer
good people who playmischievous
; and the
no

than

more

"

"

tricks upon
that

straypeasantsamong

the

Irish

hills.

Almost

deed,
all,in-

of a legendarykind comes to us from our Aryan

sometimes
changed,sometimes so altered that
scarcely
forefathers
have to puzzleout the links between the old and the new
we
; but
when we come
and old-world stories,
all these myths and traditions,
the
the meaning of them, take us back to the time when
to know
Aryan race dwelt together in the high lands of central Asia,
tween
the same
and
things that is, the relation bethey all mean
the Sun and the earth,the succession of night and day, of
of storm and calm, of cloud and tempest,and
winter and summer,
golden sunshine,and brightblue sky. And this is the source from
and tales of gods and heroes ; for
which we get our fairystories,
fanciful meanings,only
underneath
all of them there are the same
changed and altered in the way of puttingthem by the lapseof ages
we

have

"

"

Who

"

Bunce

howling
Meaning.

has not heard it said that the

:

Fairy Tales,Origin

and

or

whining of

dog forebodes death

656

of

APPENDIX.

fancyof those who kept the

what they meant.
their

of

wonderful

tales

of years ago, the Aryan

old countryin mid- Asia.

Thousands
out

different

of

time, by the circumstances

likeness of their

the

language,and

and I / the
countries,
alive without knowing

turned

of them

into

westward

went

Europe

was

country grew
from

away

Persia,and

it.

the

of Asia to the islands

no

between

sea

them

too

Some

of them

some

time, perhaps,when

the borders

other

land
of

of

Great

the main

and

they made their long and toilsome march we know not.

of an ancient tribe,so
Kingsleywrites of such a movement
"the tall,
old
Aryans marching westward
fancy these

land.

But,

"

there

when

the

Europe

stretched from

Britain,and

into India and

southward

of their

those among

ages ago their

move

march

the remains

From

legendsto

that ages and

know
nations,we
small for them, so they were
obligedto

their

people began

How
as

we

may
bare-limbed

"

with stone

men,

axes

their shoulders

on

and

horn

bows

backs, with herds of gray cattle,

guarded by huge lap-eared
white
w
ith
horses,heavy-hornedsheep,and silky
mastiffs,
shaggy
at their

through the boundless steppes,

goats,moving always westward
whither or why we know not, but that the Al-Father had sent them
And behind us (he makes them
forth.
say) the rosy snow-peaks
and
died into ghastlygray, lower and lower,as every eveningcame;
and
with gleaming salt-lakes,
before us the plainsspread infinite,
fresh tribes of gaudy flowers. Behind us, dark lines of living
ever
beings streamed down the mountain slopes; around us, dark lines
Who could
crawled along the plains all westward, westward
ever.
stand againstus ? We met the wild asses on the steppe,and tamed
"

them, and made

path ;
we

rivers

broad

swam

them

the wolves

slew them

our

their skins.

on

wild

and

and went

on.

the
new

were

creatures
come

down

tales ;

herds,and

smote

we
so

our

of their

coverts ;
met us, and eagle
them, hip and thigh,

they went

on,

ward
straightto-

spread
West, or, as they turned North and South, and thus overlands,theybroughtwith them their old ways of thoughtand

and
forms ofbelief,
these

bison

python snake layacross

dogs snarled at us out

Strangegianttribes

foolish ;
ever."1 And

on, westward

went

slew the

The

and

visaged hordes,fierce
and

We

slaves.

the stories in which

these had taken form

; and

on

built up the gods and heroes,and all wonder-working

fables and fancies which have
and things,and the poetical
which

to us, and

brightand

sunny

stilllinger
in

our

customs

and

fairy
regions of

many-coloredin the warm

rougherin the North, more
countries ; but alwaysalike
western
and

our

like
home-

the South, sterner and wilder and

in the middle

and

Quoted by

Bunce

Fairy Tales.

in

their

657

APPENDIX.

main
to

features,and alwayshavingthe

dig

it out, and

these forms

the lands of the West

Aryans

meaning when we come

their meaning beingthe same
in

and

same

in those stillpeopledby the

as

Aryans

of the East.
The

story of Cinderella is one

find

to

us

far-off land
them.
of

where

This

of the many
meaning, and take us

their

out

fairylegendsbegan,and
fairytale has been

well-known

Aryan ancestors,and from

our

the Sun

and

this

fairytales which help

straightback to the
to the peoplewho made
found among
the myths

know

we

that it isthe

story of
dull,is all

the Dawn.

Cinderella,
gray and dark and
is
she
from
the
neglected
Sun, obscured by the envious
away
her
and
her
clouds,
sisters,
by
step-mother,the Night. So she is
when

Aurora, the Dawn, and the Fairy Prince is the Morning Sun, ever
This is the legendas it
pursuing her, to claim her for his bride.
is found
the

in the
and

source

Another

the

Hindoo

books

of the

meaning
helps us
is reallyone
of

tale which

Giant-Killer

known,

ancient

who

characters

little fellow ?

is

in

task

our

the hero

and

with monsters
and overcomes
ages, fights
ancient Hindoo
Sun-god,whose thunderbolts

drought in
the

maiden

Thor,

"The

whose

tales,in German
Still another

have
One

of Jack

the

who, in all countries

them ; like Indra, the
slew

the

demons

of

seen

in

are

throw

the

himself

frost

found

into the

sea

giantsof the North.

in Tartar

Hindoo
stories,

in the fables of Scandinavia.

"

of Little Red

Riding Hood,

(aswe

to

down

Jack

upon

is that

in the German

"

beats

legends,and

called

him

causes

hammer

giftsbestowed

Little Red

is that

the far East ; or Perseus,who, in Greek

story,delivers
from
the sea-monster
Odysseus,who tricks the
; or

giantPolyphemus, and
or

once

the very oldest and most widely

Now, who is this wonderful

other than

none

explainsat

fairytale.1

in wonder-land.

He

this

; and

as

we

call

tales,also

Riding-Hood. The storyof

her, or Little Red-Cap, as she is

comes

Chapter IX.),refers

of the fancies in the most

from

the

same

to the Sun

ancient

source,

and

Night.

Hindoo

Aryan
was
trying to
or

and

stories

devour the
great dragon that
it
Sun, to prevent him from shining upon the earth, and filling
and life and beauty,and that Indra, the Sun-god,
with brightness
killed the dragon. Now, this is the meaning of Little Red RidingHood, as it is told in our nursery tales. Little Red Riding-Hood is
is always described as red or golden ; the
the Evening Sun, which
the rays of the Sun bring
old grandmother is the Earth, to whom
which is a well-known
The wolf
and comfort.
warmth
figurefor
was

that

there

was

"

See Bunce

Fairy Tales,p. 84.

558

APPENDIX.

the Clouds and

blackness

of

Night (inTeutonic mythology)1is the

First,he devours the grandmother ; that
the
earth
in
he
thick clouds,which
the Evening Sun is
is, wraps
not strongenough to piercethrough. Then, with the darkness
of
and all is dark and
Night,he swallows up the Evening Sun itself,
desolate.
Then, as in the German
tale,the night-thunderand the
storm. winds are represented
by the loud snoringof the wolf ; and
then the huntsman, the Morning Sun, comes
in all his strength
and majesty,and chases away the nightclouds and kills the wolf,
and revives old grandmother Earth and Little Red Riding Hood
to
lifeagain."

dragonin another

"

form.

"

Nor

is it in these

stories alone

that

we

trace the ancient

can

Hindoo

serves
legends,and the Sun-myth. There is,as Mr. Bunce obin his
Fairy Tales,their Origin and Meaning," scarcelya
tale of Greek or Roman
mythology,no legendof Teutonic or Celtic
dle
of what we call the midor Scandinavian
growth,no great romance
fairystorytaken down from the lipsof ancient folk,
ages, no
and dressed for us in modern
shapeand tongue,that we do not find,
"

in

form

some

another,in these Eastern poems,

or

which

are

posed
com-

tales ofgodsand heroes.

ofallegorical

When, in the Vedic hymns, Kephalos,Prokris,Hermes, Daphne,

for the Sun, the Dew, the
Zeus,Ouranos,stand forth as simplenames
Wind, the Dawn, the Heaven and the Sky, each recognized
as such,yet
each endowed
with the most perfectconsciousness,
feel that the
we
great riddle of mythology is solved,and that we no longerlack the

key
the

shall disclose its most

which

people saying,

Will

Dawn

the

Our

"

friend

back

come

hidden

is dead.

the Sun

again?"

When

treasures.

Will he rise ?

the death

see

we

hear

we

of

Hercules,

and the weary waitingwhile Leto struggles

with the birth of Phoibos.
the return of day we hear the cry
When
on
"

"

Rise !

our

near

I"

draws
we

"

carried

are

joyousshout

spirithas

at

once

of all the

back, the darkness

come

to the Homeric

gods when

hymn,

Phoibos

is gone, the

and

springsto

we

light

hoar the

life and

light

Delos.8

on

That

life,our

"

rate

The
as

the

peasant folk-lore
"

Sun," said Gaugler, 6peeds at such

if she feared

that

some

one

was

purwell she

"And
suing her for her destruction."
replied Har, "for he that seeks her is
not far behind, and she has no way
to escape
but to run
"And
before him."
who
is he,"
asked Gaugler, that causes
her this anxiety V
"It is the Wo(f Sk6U,
answered
who
Har,
pursues the Sun, and it is he that she fears,

may,"

"

"

"

of

modern

Europe

still

displays

one
day overtake and devour her."
Mallet'g
See
Edda.
(Scandinavian Prose
Northern
Antiquities,p. 407). This Wolf is,
of Night and
as
we
have said, a personification

for he shall

Clouds,

therefore

we

practiceamong
at

the

monsters
a

time
who

have

savage
of

the almost

to
eclipses,

would

universal

making noises
frighten away the

nations of

otherwise

devour

Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 108.

the Sun,

APPENDIX.

episodesof nature-myth,may

be

559

in tLe

seen

followingstoryof

the Beautiful,
Vassalissa,
Vassalissa's stepmotherand two sisters,
plottingagainsther life,
send her to get a lightat the house of Bala
Yagd, the witch,and
her

journeycontains the followinghistory

of
in
truest
fashion
Tylor says,
:
mythic
"Vassalissa

shudders.

goes

and

wanders, wanders

Suddenlybefore

her

bounds

the

in the forest.

Day, told,as

She

Mr.

goes, and

she

rider,he himself white, and clad in

white, and the trappingswhite.
And
She goes farther,
Bay began to dawn.
when
a second
rider bounds
himself
forth,
red, clad in red, and on a red horse.
The Sun began to rise. She goes on all day, and towards
evening arrives at the
witch's house,

black, and

on

Suddenly there
a

black

horse;

disappearedas if Tie had

Vassalissa

asks

have

again

bounded

rider,himself black, clad

the gates of the Bdba

throughthe earth. Night fell. After
to

the witch, Who

the white
was
'Who
was
the red rider?' 'That
'

my clear Day;'
the black rider ?' 'That

We

sunk

comes

he

is my

another

black

in all

Yagd, and

this,when
rider ?' she answered, That is

Night. They

'

is my
red Sun;' 'Who
was
all my trusty friends.'"1

are

illustration of

allegorical
mythology in the
with
his
the head of
axe
Hephaestossplitting
open
and
Athene
from
full
armed
for
Zeus,
it,
we
springing
perceive
;
behind this savage imageryZeus as the brightSky, his forehead the
East, Hesphaestosas the young, not yet risen Sun, and Athene as
the Dawn, the daughter of the Sky, steppingforth from the fountain-head
of light, with eyes like an
owl, pure as a virgin; the
golden; lighting
glorious
up the tops of the mountains,and her own
Parthenon
in her own
favorite town of Athens ; whirlingthe shafts
of the morning ; the foremost chamof light; the genialwarmth
pion
in the battle between
night and day ; in full armor, in her
ing
drivingaway the darkness of night,and awakenpanoply of light,
to brightthoughts,to brightendeavors.3
to a brightlife,
men
Another
sort is that of Kronos.
Every one
storyof the same
Grecian

storyof

"

is familiar with the

Now, Kronos

is a

storyof Kronos, who

mere

creation from

devoured

his

own

children.

the older and misunderstood

these
epithetKronides or Kronion, the ancient of days. When
to be regardedas a person the myth would
days or time had come
is the
follow that he devoured his own
children,as Time
certainly
devourer of the Dawns.3
Saturn,who devours his own children,is
the Greeks called Kronos
(Time),which may
the same
power whom
trulybe said to destroywhatever it has broughtinto existence.
The

idea of

is also born of the

Heaven, the "Elysianfields,"

sky.
The

"

"Elysian plain"

is far away

in the

West, where the

sun

9 Muller
S( ience of Religion,
: The
p. 65.
Tylor : Primitive Culture,vol. i. p. 308.
* Cox
: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii.p. 1.

560

APPENDIX.

gladdens the
the sky. The
her violet tints over
in a sea of blue,
of the Blessed" are golden islands sailing
"Abodes
in the pure ether. Grief and sorrow
the burnished clouds floating
touch them.
cannot approach them ; plague and sickness cannot
herits
The blissful company
gatheredtogetherin that far Western land ina tearless eternity.
would be
Of the other details in the picturethe greaternumber
suggesteddirectly
by these images drawn from the phenomena of
sunset
and twilight.What
spot or stain can be seen on the deep
of the

beyond the bonds

day as she sheds

goes down
close of

Eos

earth,when

"

blue

unseemly forms can

lightedby the radiance of
What

the

mar

Sun

repose forever ?

of the Blessed"

the "Islands

in which

ocean

that

beautyof

which

then

Who

set ?

never

can

golden home,

but the pure in heart,the truthful and the generous, can be suffered
how shall they be tested save
to tread the violet fields ? And
by

thoughtsand the interests of the heart ?

fore
that joyousland, was brought beThus every soul,as it drew near
the august tribunal of Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Aiakos ; and
they whose faith was in truth a quickeningpower, might draw from
the ordeals those goldenlessons which Plato has put into the mouth

judgeswho

of

can

of Buddha
persons into the mouths
to itself the meetings
belief of earlier ages pictured

Socrates,and

and Jesus.

unknown

some

The

that blissful

in

the

weigh

of old wrongs,
land, the forgiveness
the

of

the

belief of

deadly feuds,1just as
thingsto itself.
The storyof a War in Heaven, which was
is allegorical,
and refers to the
antiquity,

the

and

ciliation
recon-

presentday

these
pictures
of
and

darkness,sunshine and

storm

examples of the prevalenceof

strugglebetween the co-ordinate powers
Python, Indra
Oidipous and

hand

As

the

hand

clouds,we

and

Vritra,Sigurdand

Sphinx, Ormuzd

strugglebetween

of Hector

of the hero who

the

the

of the

character

and

is

slew him.

clasped in the
There,

as

the

"

light

battle between

cloud.9

As

darkness,the Sun

to all nations

known

the
of

legend relatingto the

good and evil,lightand

have

that

of

Phoibos

Fafuir,Achilleus

and

and

and

Ahriman,
Indra and Vritra,and

and

Paris,

from

the

againbe-

tion ; and it is unnecessary

to say
human
thus
mind, having advanced

that the

far,must
Aryan My-

the lovely Helen

pardoned and
purified,"became the bride of the short-lived,
as
Iole comAchilleus, even
yet long-suffering
forted the dying Hercules on
earth, and Hebe
became
his solace in Olympus.
But what is
and
the meeting of Helen
Achilleus,of Iole

its way stillfarther.

(Cox :
thology,vol. ii.p. 322.)
3 The
black storm-cloud,with the flames of
lightningissuingfrom it, was the originalof
the dragon with tongues of fire. Even as? late as

Hercules, but the return of the

violet tints to greet the Sun in the West, which

thunder-storm

story ran,

and

Hebe

had

and

greeted him in the East in the morning r

was
purelyphysical,yet it suggested
and purificathe thoughts of trial,
atonement,

The

idea

make

a.d.

1G00,a German

writer

would

illustrate

destroying a crop of corn bf "

pictureof a dragon devouring the produce "
the field with his flamingtongue and iron teO
(Baring-Gould: Curious Myths, p. 342.)

562

APPENDIX.

of

Traces

in the

similar refinement

OrphicPhanes,

identified with

Phanes,

the

Sun,

and

to the

Sun,

be found

yet

embraced
and

in the

Greek

Metis,who

and
JEJricapeus

Creator

Protogones,the

or

may

were

mythology,
all

in

the first person,

Generator.1
The
cation
invo-

in the

Mysteries,
accordingto Macrobius,was as
follows: "0 all-ruling
Sun!
Power
of the
Spiritof the world!
world ! Light of the world !
We have seen in Chap. XXXV,
that the Peruvian Triad was represented
three
statues, called,respectively,Apuinti,Churiinti,
by
which
Father Sun; Son Sun;
and
and
is,"Lord
Intihoaoque,"
Brother Sun."3
and Air or Spirit,
Mr. Faber, in his "Origin of Pagan Idolatry,"
says :
"2

"

"The

peculiarmode

in which

the Hindoos

their three greatgods with

identify

the solar orb,is a curious specimen of the physicalrefinements of ancient mythology.

At night,in the west, the Sun is Vishnu ; he is Brahma
in the east and
in the morning; and from noon
to eveninghe is Siva."4

Mr.

Moor, in his "Hindu

Pantheon," says

of the gods of the Hindoo

"Most, if not all,
into

Mr.

one

Squire,in

"It is

Pantheon

will,on close investigation,

(Brahma, Vishnu,
Deity,Brahm, typified
by the Sun."6

resolve themselves
those powers

into the three powers

his

SerpentSymbol," observes

"

highlyprobable that

the

triple
divinityof

and

Siva),and

the Hindoos

was

originally

of the Sun, whom

in the
personification
they called Three-bodied,
his
of
forms
them
heat,
producing
general
preserving
by his
triplecapacity
by
the
of
his
f
orce
ma,
Brahthem
matter.
or destroying
igneous
by
counteracting
light,
indicated by the heat of the Sun; Vishnu, the Preserver,by
the Creator,was
In the
the light
of the Sun, and Siva,the Reproducer,by the orb of the Sun.
Siva."6
Sun
was
at
at
the
noon
Brahma,
Vishnu,
evening
morning
more

no

than

once," says Mr. Cox, in speakingof the Sun, "the

Saviour ' and
Comforter'
and 'Healer/ the
Destroyer/who can
whose
from
piercingglanceno
slayand make alive at will,and
is at

"He

'

'

'

secret

can

be

kept hid."7

Sir William
of the

Hindoos

mythicalterm
The

Jones

idea

were

was

opinionthat the whole Triad

with the Sun, expressed
under the

also of the

identical

0. M.
of

Tri-murti,or

was
triplepersonification,

veloped
de-

accretions.
and as it grew, received numerous
gradually,
in
forth and vaguelyexpressed the RigIt was first dimly shadowed
gods,Agni, Indra, and Surya is
Veda, where a triad of principal
recognized.And these three gods are One, the Sun.8

Squire : Serpent Symbol, p. 59.

"

Ibid.

"

Ibid. p. 181.

Book iv cb. i.in Anac, vol. i. p. 187.

"p. 6.
Squire Serpent Symbol, p. 88.
*
Aryan Mytho., vol. ii.p. 83.
" Williams'
Hinduism, p. 88.
"

APPENDIX.

We

then

see

that

legends

of

mental

habits

the

earliest

ancient

religiousmyths
and

of

recorded
of

the

modern

of

antiquityand

times, have

primeval humanity,

utterances

the

563

world

of

into

men

which

the

in

root

common

and

side
fire-

that

they

the

are

concerning the visible phenomena

born.
At first,
roughly
thothey were

understood, the meaning in time became

unknown.
How
stories originallytold of the Sun, the Moon, the Stars,
"c, became
believed
in as facts, is plainly illustrated in the following
story told

by

Mrs.

tried
the

Jameson

to

fact ; she
never

she

settled

told

"

that

the

Lord

in Art

old woman,

:"

the

to

his

quite sure
disciplesthat was

in

her

own

that

was

onee

of

not

was

Jesus

not

mind, and

"

meaning

story of the Prodigal Son

she

"

matter

Max

would

true.

thought

Thus

it best

to

Miiller,in speaking of "the

ferent
comparison of the difAryan religion and mythology in India, Persia,
such
Germany," clearly illustrates how
legends
from
into
unintelligiblemyths. He
intelligible

of

Greece, Italyand
transformed
:

In

"

each

of

to them.

into

changed
which

divine

Dawn,

or

the

modern

words
we

instead
modern

of

of

tendency to change

misunderstand

to

heroes, and
into

in

the

of the

mythology

ancient

author,

of this learned
discover

the

being

satisfied

most

"

ancient

with

their

Miller's

legend

fades

been

be

divine

away
the
called

lose,we

later

always

of sacred

tions,
tradi-

aspect,and

their

intention

Chips, voL ii.p. 980.

velous
mar-

Aryan race."1

never

we

misinterpretations."
i

The

well

have

the

or

story, or

same

men.

of

myths

can

process

The

Germany.

tales

nursery

were

at last the

This

mortals.

common

many

names

originallyof the Sun,

legends or fables too

of

Our

divine

the

of

told

the

the

dressed
misinterpret the praisesad-

to

gods, of heroes, and

the heroic
heroic legend, and

patois of

gain,when

was

some

turned

were

is told

tale.

nursery

In the

manner

as
intelligible

believed

nearly the same,

an
myth became
a

and

India, in Greece, and

in

watched

and

Storms,

be

to

powers,

powers,

this

In

there

half-divine,half-human

true

were

nations

these

originalconception of
names
given to these

into

Our

undisturbed."

forms

says

History of
to a good
she,

anything

the

it there

Prof.

"

scandalized

was

have

are

her

explain," says
parable, and

word

leave

in

"64

APPENDIX

APPENDIX
maintain that not

We

Christian era, can

that time of such
of such

who

Those

set of

men

would

have not done

much

within
history,
be produced to

written,as

to be

so

D.
as

singlepassage

one

the

purporting

years of the
existence
at or before
the

first hundred

show

Nazareth,called the Christ,or

person as
his disciples
or followers.
as could be accounted
Jesus of

be

to
likely

about

so, wrote

refer to Jesus

or

his

but who
disciples,

Philo.1

A. D. 40

Josephus.

40

79 C. Plinius Second, the Elder.1 )

69 L. Ann. Seneca.
" Philosophers.
Laertius.
79 Diogenes
J
) n
79 Pausanias.
Geographers.
79 Pompon Mela.
79 Q. Curtius Euf.
79 Luc. Flor.
110 Cornel Tacitus.
" Historians.
123 Appianus.
140 Justinus.
141 iElianus.
-,

Out of this number

of

_"

that

ithas been claimed

of the Christians.
Jesus,and another (Tacitus)

almost

needless

divines many
clingto it we

speak,as

to

Of the former

it is

givenup by Christian
still
of those who
the
sake
for

that has been

However,
years ago.
the
shall state
following:

Lardner, who wrote about

Dr.

spoke
(Josephus)

one

1760, says

a.d.

was
never
quoted by any of our Christian ancestors before Esuebius.
the name
else mentioned
or word
Christ,in any of
2. Josephus has nowhere
his works, except the testimonyabove mentioned,8 and the passage concerning

1. It

James, the Lord's brother.4

the narrative.
interrupts
4. The languageis quiteChristian.
5. It is not qudted by Chrysostom,6though he often refers to Josephus,and
could not have omitted quotingit,had it been then,in the text.
3. It

The

Rev. Dr. Giles says

"

Great

is

findingnothing in the works

of Philo about the

or
their doctrines,
Christians,

their sacred books.

need
about

not

About

expect any notice

the Christians

Bilence is more

and

the books indeed

of these

we

works, but

their doctrines

remarkable,seeingthat he

his
was

sixtyyears old at the time of the crucifixion,and living mostly in Alexandria, so

closelyconnected with Judea, and the Jews,
could hardly have failed to know
something of
the wonderful events that had taken place in
the city of Jerusalem."
(Hebrew and Christian Records,vol. ii.p. 61.)
about

The

our

disappointment at

Rev. Dr.

assumes

that these

"

wonder-

reallytook place,but, if they did

Philo's silence on the
not take place,of course
subjectis accounted for.
9 Both
were
these philosophers
living,and
have experienced the immediate
must
effects,
ful events

or

received

istence of

"

of the

the earliest information

Christ Jesus,had

such

ex-

person as
existed,

Gospels make him out to be ever

ignorance or their willful silence on the
the subject,is not less than improbable.
" Antiquities,
bk. xviii. ch. iii.8.
the

Their

ch. ix. 1.

Ibid. bk.

"

John, Bishop of Constantinople,who

xx.

died

665

APPENDIX.

6. It is not

quotedby Photius,though

he has three articlesconcerningJose-

phus.
7. Under

the article Justus of

this author (Photius)

Tiberius,
states
expressly
(Josephus),
beinga Jew, has not taken the leastnotice of Christ.
8. Neither Justin,in his dialoguewith Typho the Jew, nor Clemens Alexandrinus,who made so many extracts from ancient authors,nor Origenagainst
Celsus,have even mentioned this testimony.
9. But, on
the contrary, Origen openly affirms (ch. xxxv., bk. i.,against
t
hat
did not acknowlCelsus),
edge
Josephus,who had mentioned John the Baptist,
that this historian

Christ.1

In the
"

in

a.

Bible for

"

well-known

d.

after the death

Josephus,the
37, only two years

The

hand.

follows

historian of the Jewish

was
people,

born

of Jesus; but though his work is of

chief authority
for the circumstances of the times in

Apostlescame

forward, yet he does

not

seem

to have

ever

At any rate, the passage in his ' Jewish Antiquities

that
a
nd
is certainly
Christian
was
inserted by a later and a
spurious,
'

Talmud

the

compresses
writers concoct

later Jewish

fathers mention

from

our

as

Jesus himself.

refers to him

Greek

as

Jesus and his

mentioned

from

read

Flavius

inestimable value
which

Learners,"we

historyof
slanderous

mere

Jesus into

anecdotes.

single
sentence, and
The

ecclesiastical

sayingsor events, the knowledge of which they drew

oral tradition or from writingsthat have since been lost. The Latin and
This meager
his name.
harvest is all we reap
historians just mention
outside the Gospels."2
sources
a

few

passage in Josephusis

compelledto admit that this

consoles himself by saying:
interpolation,

finds himself

Farrar,who

Canon

an

alludes to Him (Christ)

is interpolated,
singlepassage in which he (Josephus)
doubt that his silence on the
and no one
if not wholly spurious,
can
dishonest."3
it
deliberate
as
as
was
was
of
Christianity
subject
"

The

The

Key. Dr.

concludes
Giles,after commenting on this subject,

by saying:
"

ment,
quotes the passage, and our reliance on the judging
of this writer is not so greatas to allow of our considerthe honesty,

Eusebius is the firstwho

or

even

everything
found

in his works

as

undoubtedlygenuine."*

Eusebius,then, is the first person who refers to these passages.'

ing
Eusebius, whose honestyis not so greatas to allow of our consider"

everything
found in

his works

as

bius,
undoubtedly
genuine" Euselie and cheat for the cause
of

says that it is lawful to

Christ.* This Eusebius is the sheet-anchor of reliance for most we
of the first three centuries of the Christian history. What
know
of the firstthree centuries of the
then must we think of the history
who

Christian era ?
i
"
"
4
"

vol. vi. ch. Hi.

Bihle for Learners, vol. iii.p. 27.
Life of Christ, vol. I. p. 63.
Hebrew and Christ. Kec. vol. ii. p. 62.
In his Eccl. Hist. lib.2, ch. xii.

Lardner

"

Prce paratio
Ch. 31, bk. xii. of Eusebius
"
it may be
far
How
:
entitled
Is
Evangdlca
"

for the
medium
proper to use falsehood as a
benefit of those who requireto be deceived ;"
"
I
and he closes his work with these words :
the
to
rebonnd
may
have repeated whatever
and suppressedall that could tend to the

glory,
disgraceof

our

religion."

666

APPENDIX.

celebrated passage in Tacitus which Christian divines and

liberal writers attempt to support,is to be found in his
some

The
even

"

"

In

Annals.
"

had

Tiberius,was

put

who
speakof Christians,
in
the
Christus,who,
reign of
Pontius
criminal by the procurator

he is made

this work

their denomination

from

to death

as

to

Pilate."
In

to this

answer

have the

we

:
following

tian
would have served the purpose of Christhe
of
other
in
all
than
better
writings Tacitus,
quotation
any
tian
of any Pagan writer whatever,is not quotedby any of the Chris1. This passage, which

or

Fathers.

quoted by Tertullian,though he

2. It is not

had

read and

of Tacitus.

quotesthe works
largely
3. And
though his argument immediatelycalled for the use of
that his omission
this quotation
with so loud a voice (Apol.ch. v.),
to a violent improbability.
amounts
of it,if it had really
existed,
4. This Father has spokenof Tacitus in a way that it is absolutely
that he should have spoken of him, had his writings
contained
impossible
such

passage.

quoted by Clemens Alexandrinus, who set himselj

sions
all the admisto the work ofadducingand bringing
together
entirely
exist'
the
and recognitions
which Pagan authors had made of
his time.
ence
of Christ Jesus or Christians before
6. It has been nowhere
stumbled upon by the laborious and allhave overlooked it,
seekingEusebius,who could by no possibility
it would have saved from the labor of forgingthe pasand whom
sage
in Josephus; of adducingthe correspondence
of Christ Jesus
tion
and Abgarus,and the Sibylline
verses
; of forginga divine revelafrom the god Apollo,in attestation of Christ Jesus' ascension
into heaven ; and innumerable
other of his piousand holycheats.
in
made the least
other part of his writings
7. Tacitus has
no
5. It is not

allusion to

"

Christ"

Christians."

"

or

this passage as part of the evidences

Christian religion,
is absolutely
modern.
8. The

of

use

9. There

is no

of

The

MSS.
original

Tacitus

"

were

century.1

containingthe
"

trace of its existence anywhere in the

nor
vestige

world before the 15th

1

discovered

"

"

Annals
in

the

fifteenth century. Their existence cannot

be
traced back further than that time. And as it
age of Imposture,
disposed to believe that not
was

an

6ome

persons

are

acount
of
on
antiquity,
Popes, in their efforts to revive learning,
giving money rewards and indulgencesto those

of the chief writers of

the

who

should

ancient

procure MS. copies of any

Roman
authors.
or
Greek

turned
uscripts

only portionsof
the Annals, but the whole work, was
forged at

direction ;

that time.

obscure

work

Mr. J. W.

Ross,

published in London

contended

that

the

Annals

of the

in
some
were

an

elaborate
years

ago,

forged by

their professeddiscoverer.
Poggio Bracciolini,
At the time of Bracciolini the temptation was
forgeries,
great to palm off literary
especially

as

up as if by
libraries
from

well

as

famous

of the
Man-

magic, in every
of
monasteries,

; the

most

out-of-

the-way places, the bottom of exhausted wells,

besmeared
by snails,as the History of Velleius
Paterculus,or from garrets, where they had
been contending with cobwebs
and dust,as the
"

poems

of Catullus.

APPENDIX.

10. No

reference whatever

5(37

is made

to this passage

by any

writer

monkish
historian,
before that time,1which, to
or #therwise,
say
the least,is very singular,
that after that time it is
considering
or

quoted,or

referred to, in an
all but conclusive that it was
; which

that

endless listof works, which by itselfis

not in existence tillthe fifteenth century

age of

impostureand of credulity
so immoderate
easily
imposed upon, believing,
as they did,without

was

an

peoplewere

sufficient evidence,whatever

foisted upon them.

of the passage makes
interpolator
Tacitus speak of
"
Christ" not of Jesus the Christ,
showing that like the passage
in Josephus it is,comparatively,
for
a modern
interpolation,
12. The
word "Christ"
is not a name, but a title f it being
was

The

11.

"

"

simplythe

Greek

for the Hebrew

word

"Messiah."

Therefore,
speak of Jesus as "Christ," it is
equivalentto my speakingof Tacitus as
Historian,"of George
of
individual
out
Washington as "General," or
as "Mister," withany
13. When

Tacitus

is made

to

"

adding a

which

by

name

either could

be

And
distinguished.

therefore,
14.

It has

15.

Tacitus

denomination
so-called

no

16.

was

death"

is found

that

the Christians

relatingto
were
put
Sacra

in the Historia

writer did not take it from

the Annals.

contrary, the passage

taken"

of

from

the

was

Historia

as

Sacra,

On

the

Mr. Ross
and bears

of

"

"

The

name

and

known

of Jesus
honored

and

among

Christ
the

was

both

ancients."

(Eusebins : Eccl. Hist., lib. 1, ch. iv.)

Jesus is of Hebrew
origin,and
The name
It is the
Savior.
signifiesDeliverer, and
44

well

as

to

as

(Abbottand Conant; Die. of Relig.Knowledge,

Christ.'")
In the oldest Gospel extant, that attributed

art. " Jesus

to Matthew,

read that Jesus

we

"Whom
disciples,
Simon

upon
art
.

having been so appropriated. (See

the Annals forged in the
Tacitus " Bracciolini,
XVth
century, by J. W. Ross.)
2
Christ is a name
having no spiritual
than
and importing nothing more
signification,
an
ordinary surname.'''' (Dr. Giles : Hebrew
and Christian Records, vol. ii. p. 64.)
traces

Judea,

"

Sulpicius Severus, a Christian Father, who

died a. d.
420; but it is evident that this

shows"

in

Christian" or " Christian,"

Christ,but because
at that time, to any good man.3
And,
applied,

in which

to

to death

And

portionof the passage"

manner

put

were

to be the

name

the

to

called Christians firstat Antioch"

were
disciples
(Acts
because they were
followers of a certain Jesus who

xi. 26), not

claimed

say that the Christians had their

Christywhich would applyto any other of the

Christs who
The

he is said to have used it.

meaning as

or

is also made
from

Christ Jesus.
"

sense

Peter

answers

tell

his

where-

and says : " Thou

of the livingGod.

that they
charged he his disciples

Then

should

said unto

that I am?"

the Son

Christ,

the
.

say ye

no

that he

man

was

Jesus

thb

(Matt.xvi. 15-20.)
the Christ " was
that
This clearlyshows
Jesus, theresimply a titleappliedto the man
Christ."

"

fore,if

it cannot be
title,

sages in the New

Christ as a name,
a " This
name

All pas-

name.

which
Testament
betray their modern
occurs
(Christian)

speak

of

date.
but

three

Testament, and is never

used by Christians of themselves,only as spoken
times

by
The

or

in

the

New

coming from
general names

those without

by which

the

the Church,

earlyChris-

'
brethren,'' discitians called themselves were
that translated in the Old Testament
'
'saints.'The
presumption
and
Greek
of
believers,'
origin,
word
Christ,
pies,1
The
Joshua.
by th"
Christian was originated
but a title signifying is that the name
is properly not a name
is therefore, Heathen:'
(Abbottand Conant : Die. of Relig.
The whole name
The Anointed.
or
Jesus the Messiah."
Knowledge, art. " Christian.")
Jesus the Anointed

same

as

668

APPENDIX.

his

Christians," and
So

"We

called

are

the

disciples Bishops

{not,
So, then, we

we

the

whole

the

who

have

he

have

been

"

have

never
men
(Chrgstians), and it can
just to hate what is (ChrSst) good and ktnd
therefore
to hate
what
is Chrestian
[or,

"

"

(Justin Martyr
of the

Some

have

and

Socrates,
heathen

the

Apol.

writers

scrupled expressly

not

nian

ancient

call

to

others

some

1.

the

of

moralists, by the

Lucian

Relig.,

of Revealed
(Clark : Evidences
Quoted in Ibid. p. 41.)
lived according to the
Those
who

11

(i.e., the

Platonists),

in

for

this

toe

are

and

reason,
anointed

with

is the

Note."
[to be

Multitudo)

of
the
knew

so

Sovereign

Tacitus

says

cannot

be

days
"

has

statement

according

"

first

M.

not

disputed,"

yet
Nero, A. D.
not escaped
the
to
is
attempts
of

"

little about

Christians

the

the

to

much
may

of

Adrian

The

called
to

me,

be

to

my

wholly

continually wafted

fame.

are

Chrestus

to

found

of

"All

worshipers

Christians, and
god Serapis (I

the

Bishops of Christ.'1'' (The

to Servianus, written
a.d.

by Dr.

Giles, vol. ii, p. 80.)

whom

seized,

so

Renan

commended

devoted

are

Quoted

134.

you

breath

(here)

who

Emperor

(The-

of

Reason

Serapis

since

Gentiles."

inconsistent, and
every

find),call themselves

because

of God.'1''
399.)

by

those

Christians,

p.

were

convicted,

in the

Jesus

oil

the

Although

"

passage
in Rome,

called

other, than

Christians]

were

mankind.'1''

of

in Ibid.

ophilus of Antioch,
"Christ

Ibid.)

about

in heaven.

the

Servianus, I have

fickle and

are

none

"

Logos,
really Christians.''''

were

(Clemens Alexandrinus,
"
we
Undoubtedly

among
Egypt, which

affairs

the

recorded,

even

dearest

p. 384.

there

are

exists

Chris-

Triephon

called

recorded

were

Atheists."

as

xlvi.)

c.

person

upon

1.

Apol.

to

question, whether

Christians

nations

best of

tians."

All those

right reason,
notwithstanding that they

looked

been

makes
the

the

race

conformably

Christians,

answer

Athe-

of

name

is

Church

the

human
lived

always
(Justin Martyr

iv.)

c.

of the

participates.

in Tacitus.

passage

call

are

beet Cf

unjust."]

called

of Christ."1

"

Christians

Christians).

also

Sun-god, Serapis, were

then, for the celebrated

much,

ourselves

of

worshipers

The

17.
"

on

to him
attributed
their evidence

passage

and

then
the

on

charge

of

that

"

"those

huge

incendiarism

as

who

multitude
for

hatred

their

the authenticity
Lectures, p. 70) that
"
of
Christians
absurdity of " a huge multitude
about
after
the time
thirty years
assigned for the

say
the
64"

{Hibbert

of
eye
reconcile

that

he

thoughtful
it with

confounded

Gibbon

scholars.

common

sense

them

with

the

"

who

saw

fessed
con-

(Ingena

how

that
by supposing
that
the
Jews, and

of

to

this

being
fixion
cruci-

lous
ridicuTacitus

hatred

he
believes
Tacitus
fell upon
the former.
In this way
universally felt for the latter
gets his
"
in Rome
themselves
established
as
the Jews
as
early as 60 years B. C, where
huge multitude,"
the
most
abject portion of the city,
they multiplied rapidly, living together in the Traslevere
where
old clothes " men,
the porters
aud
where
all kinds
of rubbish
they became
was
put to rot
and
Other
for broken
by the mass
pitied by the few.
hucksters, bartering tapers
glass, hated
whom
be mentioned
(JohannZeit., ii. 229); Kostlin
scholars, among
Sohwegler (Nachap
may
the
absurdity of
{First Three
Centuries, i. 133); also being struck with
Lehrbegr., 472); and Baur
"

"

"

writers
of the early Christian
concerning the wholesale
tion
prosecuit must
have
taken
have
at that time, suppose
place during
happened
the persecution of Trajan, A. D. 101.
It is strange we
hear of no Jewish
Jewish
or
martyrdoms
times
to the
of the Jewish
and
then
persecutions till we
come
! But
chiefly in Palestine
war,
"
"
be
the
fables
made
must
have
ridiculous
realities, so we
of Christians
story of a
huge multitude
in Rome,
in A. D. 64, evidently for the purpose
of bringing Peter there,
being put to death
him
the
first Pope,
and
crucified
head
downwards.
making
This
having him
absurd
story is
when
find
that
it was
until
made
about
evident
more
not
we
before
the
A. D. 50
only 14 years
the
first
handful
Christians"
entered
the
a
mere
alleged persecution" that
capitol of the
Hibbert
Lectures,
(See Renan's
were
a
Empire.
They
p. 55.)
dirty set, without
poor
manners,
clad in filthy gaberdines, aud smelling strong of garlic. Prom
who
these, then, with others
came
"
from
of
14 years.
the space
The
Syria, we
in
statement
huge multitude
attributed
get our
to Tacitus
outdone
that
the persecution extended
asserts
is, however,
by Orosius, who
through
all the provinces."
it was
matter
for some
a
(Orosius, ii. 11.) That
Christian
writer
very easy
in the Annals
of Tacitus
to interpolate or
alter a passage
be seen
from
the fact that the ms.
may
world before
known
the
the
15th
to
from
was
not
information
which
is to be
century, and
from
shows
derived
that
reading Daille On the Right Use of the Fathers, who
they were
tomed
accusthat
these writings are, to a large extent, unreliable.
to doing such
business, and

the

statement
of

made

Christians,

by

said

some

to

"

"

"

"

570

INDEX.

America, populated from

Asia, 540;
time joined to Asia, 541.
at one
was
American
the, 378.
Trinity,
Americans, their connection with the
old world, 533.
Ammon, Jupiter,his temple visited by
Alexander, 127.
Amphion, son of Jove, 124.
Amulets
and
Charms, worn
by the
Christians,405; are relics of Paganism,

503;

personifiedand

called

tha

of God," 504; the worship

"Lamb
of, the worship of the Sun, 504.
Arimanes, the evil spirit,
according to

Persian

legend,3.

Arion, a Corinthian

Arjoon

harper,78.
Arjuna, the cousin and
of Crishna,247.
disciple

or

Ark, the, of Noah, 20; and

loved
be-

others,22-

27.

Armenian,

sion
the, tradition of "Confuof Tongues," 35.
Ananda, and the Matangi Girl,294.
Andrew's, St.,Cross, of Pagan origin, Aroclus,son of Jove, 125.
of Jesus,
Artemon, denied the divinity
339.
135.
Angel Messiah, Buddha an, 116; CrishAscension,of Jesus, 215; of Crishna,
na
an, 196; Christ an, 196; the Esto
the
215; of Rama, 216; of Buddha, 216;
senes
legendof, Jesus,
applied
of Lao-Kiun, 216; of Zoroaster; of
442.
^Esculapius,217 ; of Osiris, 222 ;
Angels,the fallen,386; believed in by
386-388.
all nations of antiquity,
Atys, 222; Mithras, 222.
sacrificed in
the
Animals, none
early Asceticism,as practiced among
400.
Christians,of great antiquity,
times,182.
Antiquity,the, of Pagan religions,Ashera,the, or upright emblem, stood
in the Temple at Jerusalem, 47.
451.
compared with Christianity,
time
the
Asia, the continent of, at one
Apis, or the Bull, worshiped by
habited
children of Israel,107; symbolized
joinedto America, 541; America inin Nature,
from, 454, 533.
the productive power
Asia Minor, the people persecutedin
476, note 5.
of
by orders of Constantius,448.
Jove,
Apollo,a lawgiver,61; son
at
Saviour," 194; Asita,the holy Rishi,visits Buddha
125; has the titleof
his birth,151.
is put to death, 191 ; resurrection of,
Asoka, the council of, 303.
218; a type of Christ, 500; is a personification
500-506.
of the Sun,
Assyrian Dove, the, a symbol of the
Holy Ghost, 400.
the, 500.
Apostles,
written
not
the, worshiped a sun-god
Assyrians,
the,
Creed,
by
Apostles'
called
Sandon,
74; had an acconnt
385.
them,
of
in
a
war
Heaven, 388; kept the
the, of Pagans, 126.
Apotheosis,
seventh day holy,393.
divine, 126;
Apollonius,considered
Astaroth,the goddess,saved the life of
cured diseases,261; raised a dead
life
written
his
a Grecian
maiden, 39.
maiden
to life,
262;
Astarte,or Mylitta,worshiped by the
by Flavius Philostratus, 264.
Hebrews, 108.
came
from, 150,
Arabia, "wise men"
405.

"

note 1.

worshipedSaturn,
Arabs, the,anciently

practicedby
Astrology,

the

ancients,

141, 142.

Astronomers, the ancient Egyptians

great, 547.
Astronomy, understood by the ancient
Chinese, 544.
Ararat, Mount, Noah's ark landed on,
Athanasian
Creed,the, 381.
21.
Parthenon
the
125.
Athens,
of, 333.
of
a
Jove,
son
Areas,
of the sun, 83.
India
a
Atlas,
of
as
same
personification
Architecture,the,
doctrine
of taught bethe
fore
Atonement,
Mexico, 538.
the time of Christ Jesus, 181.
Aries,the sign of a symbol of Christ,
393 ; celebrated the birth of the Sun
of
December
25th, with offerings
on
480.
and
frankincense
myrrh,
gold,

INDEX.

Atys,the Crucified,
190; is called the
"Only-begotten Son," and
viour,"
"Sa-

heads, 437.

Aurora

considered

Thibet,317; by the Brahmins,

317; by the followers of Zoroaster,
318; administered in the Mithraic mysteries,319; performed
by

the ancient Egyptians,319.

Baptismalfonts,used by the Pagans

into St. Aura

placida, made
and St. Placida,399.

Avatar,Jesus

and

lia

190; rose from the dead, 223.

Augustine,St., saw
men
and women
without

571

an, 111

406.

Bar-Cochba,the "Son of a Star,"144;

143,479: an "Angelbelieved to be the Messiah,432.
"Christ," 196; an, expected Beads (see Rosary).
: a

star

at birth of every,

Messiah,"a
about

every 600 years, 426.

B.

Baal,

Beatitudes,
the,the prophet of,527.
or
Belief, faith,salvation by,existed

in

the earliest times,184.

a mighty Grecian
Mcloch, worshiped by the Bellerophon,
hero,75.
the
Belus,
tower
34.
1
08.
of,
Israel,
the Priaposof the Jews, 47.
Baal-peor,
Benares,the Hindoo Jerusalem,296.
Berosus,on the flood,22.
Babel,the tower of,33; literally
"the
Gate of God," 34; built at Babylon, Bible,the Egyptian,the oldest in the

and

children of

34; a parallel
to in other countries,
35
built for astronomical

world, 24.

Birth, the Miraculous,of Jesus,111;

Crishna,113; Buddha, 115; Codom,
118; Fuh-he, 119; Lao-Kiun, 120;
Yu, Hau-Ki, 120; Confucius, 121;
378.
Horus, 122 ; Zoroaster,123 ; and
Bacchus,performed miracles,50; passothers,123-131.
ed
the
Red
Sea
51
through
ber
dry-shod, : Birth-day,
the, of the gods,on Decemdivided
the waters
of the rivers
25th, 364.
Orontes
and
the, of Christ Jesus,in a
Hydaspus, 51; drew
Birth-place,
from a rock, 51; was
water
giver,
lawa
cave, 154; the, of other saviours,in
the
son
of
a cave,
52;
155-158.
Jupiter,124;
born in a cave,
was
156; torn to Black God, the, crucified,
201,
viour,"
Black Mother, the,and child,336.
pieces,193, 209; was called the Saacles,
193; "Only-begotten Son," Bochia,of the Persians,performed mirened
256.
193; "Redeemer,"
193; the sun darkat his death,208; ascended into
Bochica,a god of the Muyscas, 130.
of Buddha, 115.
heaven, 208; rose from the dead,228; Bodhisatwa, a name
of the sun, 492.
heathen nations,
a personification
Books,sacred,among
61.
Baga, the, of the cuneiform
tions
inscripof the Supreme Being, Brahma, the first person in Hindoo
a name
35.

purposes,

Babylonian Captivity,
the, put an end
to Israel's idolatry,
108.
Bacab,the Son, in the Mexican Trinity,

"

391 ; is in

English associated

with

an

369.
Trinity,

Brahmins, the,perform the riteof baptism,

ugly fiend,391.

317.

Balaam, his
in

ass
to
speaks,91 ; parallels
Egypt, Chaldea and Greece, 91.

Bala-rama, the brother of Crishna,74;

the Indian

Hercules, 74.

Bread

and

brated
Wine, a sacrifice with, cele-

by the Grand Lama of Thibet,

306; by the Essenes, 306; by Mel-

were
chizedek, 307; by those who
Baldur, called The Good," 129; The
ras,
of Mithinitiated into the mysteries
Beneficent Saviour,"129; Son of the
307.
Supreme God Odin, 129; is put to
death and rises again,224; a personification Blind Man, cured by Jesus, 268; by
dria,
the Emperor Vespasian at Alexanof the sun, 479.
268.
Bambino, the,at Rome is black, 336.
fix
the firetower
of,199; a cruciBrechin,
the
Baptism,a heathen rite adoptedby
"

"

in MongoChristians,317; practiced

cut

upon,

198.

572

INDEX.

Buddha, born of the VirginMaya, 115;

his birth announced
by a star,143;

in a, 156 ; Mithras
born in a,

156 ;

Apolloborn

born

in a, 156 ; Hermes

156.
delight at his
visited
is
birth,147;
by Asita,151; Caves,all the oldest temples were in,
of royal descent, 163; a danger286.
was
ous
400-404.
child,168; temptedby the devil, Celibacy,
among Pagan priests,
the, Legend of the Deluge found
176; fasted,176; died and rose again Celts,
demonstrations

of

27.
life,216; ascended into heaven,
among,
with
289.
of Jesus,
216; compared
Jesus,
Cerinthus,denied the divinity
136.
Buddhism, the established religionof
dia,
believed to have been the
Burmah, Siam, Laos, Pega, CamboCeylon,never
Thibet,Japan, Tartary,Ceylon,
Paradise,13.
and Loo-Choo, 297.
Chaldean,the,account of the Deluge,
Buddhist religion,
with
22.
the,compared
302.
Chaldeans,the,Legend of the Deluge
Christianity,
the monastic system among,
borrowed
Buddhists,
from, 101; worshiped the
401.
Sun, 480.
of the sun, 476.
Bull,the,an emblem
Champlainperiod,the,28.
Roman
Bulla,the,worn
children, Chandragupta,a dangerouschild,171.
by
and
404.
Mexican
now
a lamb, the Agnus
405;
priests,
Chastity,
among
to

Dei,405.

Charlemagne,the

376.
Cabala,the,had its Trinity,
Cadiz,the gates of, 70.
C(Esar

believed to be

(Augustus),was

Ccesar (Julius),
was

likened

before

the, a
Shepherds,

few

weeks

Winter

into
came
solstice,
the pipes,365.
Cam-Deo, the God of Love, 216.
when the planets
met in,the
Capricorn,
Rome

world

to

was

play on

deluged with water,

Cardinals,the,of Rome,

wear

102.

the robes

senators,400.
by Roman
the,and Essenes the same,
Carmelites,
once

worn

422.

Canon, the, of the New

when settled,
463.
a farewell
Carne-vale,

"

371 ; have
tivals
"Fesworship a Trinity,
of gratitudeto Tien," 392;
friars
have monasteries for priests,
and

food,

Carnutes,the,of Gaul, 198, the Lamb

of, 199.
tate,
Castles,
Lord, a ring found on his es199.
of those of the

are

tions
imita-

Pagans, 384.

Catholic theory,the, of the fall of the

angels,386.

Cave, Jesus born

in a, 154 ; Crishna
born in a, 156 ; Abraham
born in a,

the

race, 539.

of,36.

(Buddha), compared

sus,
Je-

with

289.
Christ

Catholic rites and ceremonies

401; identified with

nuns,

American

Christ

to animal

tan
Sa-

years when

334.
Chimalman, the Mexican virgin,
of
Virtue,
Chinese,the,have their Age
14; have a legend of a deluge,25;
worship a Virgin-bornGod, 119
Queen of Heaven," 327;
worship a

Cholula,the tower
Testament, Christ,the,568.

227.

of medieval

is bound, 242.

vine,
to the di-

126.
Calabrian

thousand

the
Chiliasm,

divine,126.

Messiah

Teutondom, 239.
giver
Cherokees,the, had a priestand lawcalled Wasi, 130.
Cherubim, the, of Genesis,a dragon,14.
Child,the dangerous,165.

compared with Jesus,

(Crishna),

278.
Christ

born
(Jesus),

of

Virgin,111

birth,140; is visited
and
wise men,
150; is
by shepherds
scent,
of
born in a cave, 154; is
royal de160; is tempted by the devil,
175; fasts for fortydays,175; is put
to death, 181; no
tions
early representastar heralds his

201 ; descends
211 ; risesfrom the dead,215;
into hell,

of, on

Christ

was

the cross.

-JtS

ortpin,

*"J4f

INDEX.
ascends

073

into heaven, 215; will

come
121 ; had seventy-two disciples,
121 ;
judge of the dead,
author of the
Golden Rule," 415.
245; as creator, 246; performs miracles,
Confusionof Tongues,the Scripture
252; compared with Crishna,
account
of,33; the Armenian
tion,
tradi278; compared with Buddha, 289;
35; the Hindoo
of,
legend
35;
his birth-day
not known, 359; a perthe Mexican
sonification
legendof, 36.

again,233;

will be

"

"

of
identical with

the

Sun, 498;

not

the historical Jesus,

506

Constantine (Saint),
the
to check

emperor

name,

originated
by

thens,
Hea-

567, note 3.
identical
Christianity,

384; why

with

Paganism,

it prospered,
419.

the disciples
firstcalled,at
Christians,

Antioch, 567; the worshipers of Serapiscalled,568; heathen moralists

called by the name
of, 568.
Christian Symbols,of Pagan origin,
339.
a Pagan rite,
320.
Christening,

the
Circumcision,

universal practiceof,

first Roman

thought,444;

the

Christian
faith, 444;
murders, 444; baptizedon
his death-bed,
445; the first Roman

accepts

the
Christian,

free

"

commits

emperor

who

embraced

the Christian

faith,446; his edicts againstheretics,

446; his effigies
engraved on Roman
coins,446 ; conferred dignities
on the
446.
Christians,
the mother of iEsculapius,
Coronis,
128;
impregnatedby a god, 128.
Creation,the, Hebrew
legend of, 1;
two

different and

counts
accontradictory

85.

of,5; Bishop Colenso on, 5;

Persian legendof,7 ; Etruscan legend
Claudius,Roman
sidered
Emperor, 126, conof, 7; Hebrew
divine,126.
legend of, borrowed
from Chaldeans, 98.
Cobra, the, or hooded snake,held sacred
in India, 199.
Creator,the, Jesus considered, 247;
Siamese
the
iour,
SavCodom,
Crishna,according to the Hindoos,
Virgin-born
118. The legend of, contained
nese,
247; Lauther,accordingto the Chiin the Pali books, 316 B. C, 451.
248 ; Iao,accordingto the Chaldeans,
Comets, superstitions
248; Ormuzd, accordingto
concerning,144,
210.
the Persians, 249; Narduk, according
to the Assyrians,249; Adonis
Coming, the second, of Christ Jesus,
and Prometheus
233: of Vishnu, 236; of Buddha, 237;
believed to be, 249.
of Bacchus, 238; of Arthur, 238; of
Creed, the Apostles',385; compared
fore
Charlemagne, 239; of Quetzalcoatle, with the Pagan, 385; not known bethe fourth century, 385; addi239.
tions
to since A. D. 600, 385.
Commandments, the ten, of Moses, and
of the female
of Buddha, 59.
Crescent,
the,an emblem
the immaculate, of Jesus,
328.
principle,
Conception,
generative
111; of Crishna, 113; of Buddha,
Cresios,
the, was the Logos, 487.
115; of Codom, 118; of Salivahana, Crishna, born of the Virgin Devaki,
113; the greatestof all the Avatars,
119; of Fuh-he, 119; of Fo hi,119;
of Xaca, 119; of Lao-kiun, 120; of
113; is ''Vishnu himself in human
cius,
in
form," 113; his birth announced
Yu, 120; of Hau-ki, 120; of Confuthe
Raamof
heavens
a
of
star,
278;
Horus,
by
122;
121;
spoke to
ses, 123; of Zoroaster, 123:

of

cules,
Her-

seus,
124; of Bacchus, 125; of Per125; of Mercury, 126; Apollo,
129.
126; of Quetzalcoatle,

the, of sins,of Pagan

Confession,
403.

gin,
ori-

shortlyafter birth,279;
adored by cowherds, 279; presented
with gifts,
279; was of royaldescent,
280; performed miracles,281; was
his mother

crucified,
280; descended into hell,
282; rose from the dead, 282; a personification

of the sun, 483.

gan
the, of children,of PaConfirmation,
used
as
a
319.
Cross,the,
symbol
religious
origin,
Christian
era, 338; adored
origin, before the
Confucius,was of supernatural

574

INDEX.

in India,340; adored

by

the

of Thibet, 340; found on

342; found
monuments,

hists
Budd-

tian
Egypunder

sally
the temple of Serapis,342; univeradored before the Christian era,

with

the

scribed
in-

Virgin

the

words, 338.
the
Derceto,
goddess,represented as a
mermaid, 83.
Deucalion,the legend of,26; derived
Chaldean

sources,

101.

scribed,
Devaki, a
earliest Christian,de-

the
Crucifixes,

virginmother, 326.
Devil,the, counterfeits the religion
of

203-205.
of "Saviours

the,of Jesus,180;
Crucifixion,
"

before the Christian era, 181484,

193; of all the gods,explained,
485.

Ansata, the, of Egypt, 341.

the, of
CuneiformInscriptions,
relate the
and

Soli,picturesof

from

339-347.

Crux

Deo

fall of man,

legendsof

nians,
Babylo-

"Mother

of

Cyril,St.,caused

the

death of

Hypa-

for

her

333.
virginity,
of Bacchus,
Dionysus,a name
Divine incarnation,the idea of

by

a,

was

general and

the Heathen, 183.

among
Divine incarnations,
common

51.

redemption
popular

before the

of Jesus, 112.

time

God," 333.

of the

name

Diana, called "Mother," yet famed

creation

9, 98.

the goddess,called
Cybele,

Christ,124; formerlya
Supreme Being, 391.

Divine

Love, crucified,
484; the

sun,

487.

tia,440.

Cyrus,king of Persia,127;

considered

divine,127; called the

Christ,"127,
196; believed to be the Messiah,433;
sun
myth added to the historyof,

Divus, the titleof,given to Roman

506.
D.

perors,
em-

125.

"

Docetes, Asiatic

Christians

who

vented
in-

the

phantasticsystem, 136.
Dove, the,a symbol of the Holy Ghost
all nations of antiquity,
357;
among
485.
the,crucified,

Dag, a, Hercules swallowed up by, 78.

of the Philistines,
82;
Dagon, a fish-god
identical with the Indian

Dragon, a, protectedthe garden of the

sis,
Hesperides,11; the cherub of Gene14.

fish Avatar
Drama

of Vishnu, 82.

Danae, a "Virgin Mother," 124.

Dangerous Child, the,myth of, 165.
of the morning,
Daphne, a personification

of Life,the, 29.

Druids, the, of Gaul, worshiped the

Virgo-Parituraas
Durga,

469.

the

Mother

of

God, 333.
a

fish

deity among

doos,
the Hin-

82.
Darkness, at crucifixion of Jesus,206;
to, 206-210;the,explained, Dyaus, the
parallels

Heavenly Father, 478;

of the sky,478.
personification

494.

David, killed Goliath, 90; compared

with

Thor, 91.

and called AdiDawn, the,personified,

of the Gods," 475.
ti,the "Mother
Day, the, swallowed up by night,79.
December

25th.

birth-dayof

the

gods,

359.

Delphi,Apollo'stomb at, 510.

Deluge,the,Hebrew legendof,19;parallels
to, 20-30.

Demons,

cast

real

467.
out, by Jews

269.

Denis, St.,is Dionysus,399.

the

March

not
Demi-gods,the, of antiquity

personages,

East, turning to in worship,practiced

by Christians,503.
na,
Easter,originof,226; observed in Chi227; controversies about, 227;
dyed eggs on, of Pagan origin,
228;

and

tiles,
Gen-

primitive was

celebrated

on

25th, 335.

Eating,the forbidden
101.
of, figurative,

fruit,the story

Ebionites,the first Christians called,

134.
the Essenes
Ecclesiastics,

called,424.

INDEX.
the Essenes called,424.
Eclectics,
Eclipse,
an, of the Sun, occurred at the
death of Jesus, 206; of Romulus,
207; of Julius Caesar 207; of ^Esculapius, 208; of Hercules, 208 ; of

575

Essenes,
the, and

the

Therapeute the

419; the originof not known,

419; compared with the primitive
Christians,420; their principal
rites
connected
with the East, 423 ; the
208.
Quirinius,
Scriptures of,443.
Edda, the,of the Scandinavians speaks Etruscan, baptism,320; Goddess, 330.
of the
Golden"
Etruscans,the,had a legend of creaAge, 15; describes
tion
the deluge,27.
similar to Hebrew, 75 ; performed
the rite of baptism,320; worEgypt,legendof the Deluge not known
shiped
cumcision
in, 23; the Exodus
from, 48; cira
VirginMother," 330.
practiced in, 85; virgin- Eucharist,the, or Lord's Supper,305;
born
instituted before the Christian era,
gods worshiped in,122; kings
of considered gods, 123; Virgin Mother
305; performed by various ancient
nations,305-312.
worshiped in,329,330; the cross
adored in, 341.
Eudcs, the, of California,
worshiped a
Egyptian faith,hardly an idea in the
mediatingdeity,131.
Christian system which
has not its Euscbius,speaksof the Ebionites,134;
in
414.
of Easter,226; of Simon Magus, 265;
analogy the,
of Menander
er,"
Workthe "Wonder
Egyptiankings considered gods,123.
266; of an "ancient custom"
Egyptians,the, had a legend of the
"Tree
the Christians,
of Life," 12; received their
316; the birth
among
tians,
of Jesus,361 ; callsthe Essenes Chrislaws direct from God, 60; practiced
422.
circumcision at an earlyperiod,85;
3.
miliarEve, the firstwoman,
fawere
142; were
great astrologers,
in heaven, Evil,originof,4.
with
the war
387.
Exorcism, practiced
by the Jews before
the time of Jesus,268.
El,the Phenician deity,484; called the
the,of the Universal My"Saviour," 484.
Explanation,
and
466.
of
a
thos,
Elephant,the, symbol
power
Ezra, added to the Pentateuch, 94.
wisdom, 117; cut on the firetower at
ica,
Brechin, in Scotland,198; in Amersame,

"

"

"

"

537.

F.

310.
Eleusinian,the, Mysteries,
Faith,salvation by, taught before the
Eleusis,the ceremonies at, 310.
Christian era, 184.
allel,
Elijahascends to heaven, 90; its paraccount
of,
Fall of Man, the, Hebrew
90.
ded
allu7-16;
hardly
t
o,
Creation
of
the
narrative
parallels
4;
the,
Elohistic,
rical
to outside of Genesis,99; allegoand Deluge differs from the Jehovis101.
meaning of,
tic,93.

of the Angels,the, 386.

currence,
ocFasting,for fortydays,a common
of,101.
certain
at
179
periods,
vine,
;
Emperors,the, of Rome considered diby the ancients,177, 392.
practiced
126.
gan
Father,Son and Holy Ghost,the,of PaEocene period,
the, 29.
3
69.
origin,
Eostre,or Oster,the Saxon Goddess,
Elysium,the, of

the Greeks, 11 ;

ing
mean-

Females, the, of the Orinoco

226, 227.
first man,

Epimetheus,the
Prometheus,

brother of

10.

Spring,most nations
ings
apart a day to implore the bless492.
of their gods,

Equinox, at the
set

Fall

book of, 95.

Esdras, the apocryphal

fasted forty days

before

tribes,

marriage,

179;
nese,
held by the Hindoos, the ChiFestivals,
the

Egyptians,and others, 392.

Fifty,Jesus said
age of, 515.

to have

lived to the

576

INDEX.

the, sacred,13.
Fig-tree,
circumcision,86.
the,practiced
Fijians,
and
Fire,worshiped by the Mexicans

of

163; of

Buddha,

cius,
Rama, 163; of Fo-hi,163; of Confu163; of Horus, 163; of Hercules,

163; of Bacchus, 164.

accounts
Genesis,two contradictory

Peruvians, 532.
Fire Tower, the, of Brechin, 199.
Firmicius (Julius),
says the Devil

Crishna, 163;

has

the Creation

of

in, 2.

his Christs,183.
Gentiles,the, religionof, adopted by
Christians,384; celebrate the birth
Fish, the, a symbol of Christ Jesus,
of god Sol on
December
355 ; meaning of, 504.
25th, 303.
Fleur de Lis, or Lotus, a sacred plant, Germans, the ancient, worshiped a

Virgin-goddessunder

329.

legendof, 19 ;

Flood, the, Hebrew

allels
par-

Germany,

to, 22-27.
called a, 487.
Mower,
of China, born of a Virgin,119.
Fo-lii,
Jesus

Forty, a sacred number, 179

tians,
Fraud, practicedby the earlyChris434.

Frey, the deityof

the Sun, 488; killed

at the time of the winter

Virgin
of the
personification

Mary, 399;

of

name

of

baptism

Boniface, 322.

in, by
gin
Glwst,the Holy, impregnates the Vir-

Mary,

111 ; and the

VirginMaya

117; is one with the Father and the

Son, 368; is symbolized by the Dove
and

Heathen

among

Christian

tions,
na-

357.

Giants,fossil remains

into the

transformed

practice

the

found

488.
solstice,

vians,
Freyga, the goddess,of the Scandina-

the

Hertha, 334-477.

of animals

posed
supthose of, 19 ; the
of the Hindoos
the origin

to have

Rakshasas

been

of all,19.

earth. 479.

day, why,
(seeFreyga).
Fi'igga
Friday, fish

Glacial

period,the,24.
Gnostic,the, heresy,135.

354.

sage, 119; considered

Chinese
Fuli-he,
divine,119.

Life,the doctrine of,taughtby

388.
nearlyall nations of antiquity,

Future

that Jesus
Gnostics,the, maintained
Essenes
the
a
was
mere
135;
man,
their
the same
doctrine,511.
as, 422;
God, a, believed in by nearlyall nations
of

G.

384.
antiquity,

Gabriel,the angel,salutes the Virgin

Godliead,the,a belief in the Trinitarian

nature
of, before the Christian era,

Mary, 111.
Galaxy,the, souls

God

368.
dwell in,45.

the,same
ofLsrael,

surgent 87-88.
native of, 520 ; the inthe
of
district
country, 520; Gods, the, created

Jesus
Galilee,

the Messiahs

all started out

from,

sung

now
was

once

in
sung

Christian

by

the

of Cybele,333.
priests

Ganesa,

earth, 4,
heaven

521.

Galli, the,
churches,
the

as

the

Gentiles,

Indian

God

of Wisdom,

117.
sacred river,318.
Garden, the, of Eden, 2; of the Hesperides,11; identical,11; hardly
alluded to outside of Genesis,99.

Ganges,the, a

men,

note

and

were

the

1; descended
made

and

heaven

from

incarnate

in

112.

God's

applied
first-born,
Virgin-borngods,195.

to

Heathen

God

the Father, the, of all nations, a

of the sky, 478.
personification

Golden
in

by

Age, the, of the past,believed

all nations of

8-16.
antiquity,

Goliath,killed by David, 90.

Good

Friday,the, "Agonie" at Rome

same
as the weeping for Adonis,

Gaul, the worship of the Virgo-Pari- on,

226.
turain, 334.
297.
of
Buddha,
Gospel,the,of the Egyptians,443.
Gautama, a name
not written by the
the,were
Gospels,
Geetas,the,antiquityof, 451.
they bear,454;
persons whose names
Genealogy, the, of Jesus, 160; of

578

INDEX.

Nepaul, 187; his festival days in

doo8, called the " Benefactor of the
na,
806.
World,"
August, 187; is identical with Crishof
born
the
484; a personification
Horns, the Egyptian Saviour,122;
sun,
484.
of the Virgin Isis, 122; is put to
death,190; descended into hell, 213; JnfantBaptism,practicedby the Per.
the dead, 222 ; performed
from
sians, 318; by the Etruscans, 320;
rose
raised
dead
the
to life,
miracles,256 ;
by the Greeks and Romans, 321 ; by
the Scandinavians, 321; by the New
256; is representedas an infant on
the lap of his virginmother, 327; is
Zealanders, 322; by the Mexicans,
tical,
December
born on
322; by the Christians,
25th, 363 ; a per323; all idensonification
fied
323.
of the sun, 476; cruciin the heavens, 484.
Innocents, the, slain at the time of
birth of Jesus, 165; at the birth of
chus,
Hydaspus, the river,divided by Bacham,
51.
Crishna, 166; at the birth of AbraEypatia,put

to

death

by

I.
the bushes
Iamos, left to die among
and violets,
170; received from Zeus
the giftof

loo, a

the

ples,
Inscriptions,
formerly in Pagan temand inscriptions
in Christian
churches compared, 397.
Incense,burned before idols or images
in Pagan temples, 406.

lona, or Yoni,

prophecy, 171.
sacred in

name

169.

Christian

mob, 440.

same

as

Egypt,49

an

of

emblem

the

male
fe-

199.

ably Ionah,
prob-

Jehovah, 49; the

generativepowers,
or
Juna, suspended

in

space.

486.

484.
crucified,
Ida, the earth,481.

Irenceus,the fourth gospel not known

until the time of,458; reasons
given

Idolatry,practicedby the Hebrews,

107; adopted by the Christians,384.
tians,
ChrisIdols, the worship of, among

45ft
by, for there being four gospels,
Iroquois,the, worshiped a god-m*
called Tarengawagan, 131.
Isaac, offered as a sacrifice by Abra
ham, 38; parallels
to, 39^41.
Isis,mother of Horus, 122; a virgin
mother, 327; representedon Egyptian

397.
of the
/. H. S., formerlya monogram
and
the
gram
mononow
god Bacchus,
of Christ Jesus, 351.

Images,the worship of, among

tians.
Chris-

monuments

with

an

infant

in

327; she is styled"Oui

Immaculate
er
Conception,the,of Jesus,
Lady," Queen of Heaven," MothCoof
God," "c, 327.
111; Crishna,113; Buddha, 115;
dom, 118; Fo-hi, 119; and others, Islands of the Blessed,11; meaning of,
119-130.
101,559, 560.
believed
in
Islands
the
countries
Soul,the,
of the Sea, Western
Immortalityof
called the, by the Hebrews, 103.
385.
by all nations of antiquity,
the religion
then,
as the HeaIsrael,
of,same
Incas,the, of Peru, married their own
108.
537.
107,
sisters,
of a black crucified man,
-born god worshiped in, Italy,
India,a virgin
effigies
fants
in, 197 ; the cross adored in, before
113; the story of Herod and the inChristian era, 345.
of Bethlehem
from, 166; the
crucified god in,186; the Trinityin, lxion,bound on the wheel, is the crucified
tales
484.
and
Sun,
370; our
religion
nursery
Izdubar,the Lion-killer of the Babylonians,
from, 544.
74 ; the foundation
for the
trine
Indians, the, no strangers to the docSamson
and the Hercules myths, 105;
lieve
of originalsin,189; they bethe cuneiform
man
to be a fallen being,189.
inscriptions
speak of,
105.
Indra, worshiped as a crucified god in
397.

her arms,

' '

"

INDEX.
J.

as

his vision of the

Jacob,

ladder,42; explained,

42, 104.
Janus, the keys of, transferred

Japanese,the American
the

race

stock

same

as

to Peter,

descended

the, 538.

Jason,a dangerous child,171;brought

up by Cheiron,171 ; the same
name
as Jesus,196.
Jehovah, the name,
esteemed
sacred
the

among

Egyptians,
48;

John, 84; the myth of,explained,

105.

Jordan, the river,considered

399.
from

679

the

same

sacred

318.

Josephus,
does
Joshua,arrests

not

speak of Jesus,564;

Sun,'

the course of the

91 ; parallel
to, 91.
Jove,the Sons of, numerous, 125; the
Supreme God, 125.
Judea,the Virgin of, 111; a counterpart

to, found by the firstChristian

missionaries in China,119.

Judaism, its doctrine and precepts, by

I. M. Wise, referred to, 527.
Judge of the Dead, Jesus,244; Sons of
Jehovisticwriter,
the,of the Pentateuch,
God, 244; Buddha, 244; Crishna,
93.
245;
Osiris,
245; ^Eeacus,245; no examples
Jemshid,devoured by a great monster,
of Jesus as, in earlyChristian
18.
Y-ha-ho,48
Heathens,49.
as

Jerusalem,Jews
sack

of, were

well

taken

known

at the Ebionite

sold to the

103.

to the

art, 246.
Julius Ccesar (seeCaesar).

Grecians, Juno,
was

Jesuits,
the, in China,appalled at

ing,
findin that country, a counterpartto
the Virginof Judea, 119.

Jesus,not

born

of

to the Ebionites

the

day, month

or

"Queen of Heaven," 333;

representedstandingon the crescent
333; considered the protectress
of woman,
333; often represented
with a dove on her head, 357;

moon,

Virgin according suspended in space,

Nazarenes,134; Jupiter,
the Supreme

year of his birth

not known, 359; was
historical
an
506
no
personage,
;
clearlydefined
traces

the

or

of, in history,
517; his person

indistinct,
ter
517; assumed the characof
Messiah," 520 ; a native of
Galilee,520; a zealot,522; is put to
death by the Romans, 522; not crucified
by the Jews, 524; the martyrdom
edged,
acknowlof,has been gratefully
527; nothing originalin the
teachingsof, 529.

125; a

statue

486.
God

of the Pagans,

of,in St. Peter's,

Rome, 397.
Justin

Martyr,on

the work

of the

Devil,

124, 265.
K.

"

Kadmus, king of Thebes, 124.

86.
the, practicecircumcision,
Kaffirs,
Kama, attempts the life of Crishna,
of Night,
166; is a personification
481.

Ke-lin,the, appeared at the birth of

Jews, the, where their historybegins,
Confucius, 121.
driven
of
out
shiped
54;
Key, the, which unlocks the door to
Egypt, 52; worBaal and Moloch, 108; their
the mystery, 441.
other nations, Knichahan, the Supreme God
of the
as
religionthe same
of
108 ; did not crucifyJesus, 524.
130.
Yucatan,
Mayas
name
as Jonah, 83; the
John, the same
Kings,the,of Egypt considered divine,

gospel according to,

457 ; Irenseus

the author of,458,

is on
his birth-day
John the Baptist,

day

of the Sumner

the

122.
559.
Kronos, the myth of,explained,
(see Confucius).
Kung-foo-tsze
t

499.
Solstice,
L.

77; paJonah, swallowed by a big fish,

rallels
scribed
the
Labarum, the, of Constantine, inof,79;
meaning
to, 78,79;
of
with
the
with
identified
Sun
80
the
monogram
called, ;
J
850
Osiris,
Dagon and Oannes, 82,83; the same

580

INDEX.

Ladder,the, of Jacob, 42; explained, Magi, the religionof, adopted *

y the

Jews, 109.

42-47.

vine, Magic, Jesus learned,in Egypt, 272.

the, of Thibet, considered ditars, Magician,Jesus accused
of being a,
of the Tar118; the high priest
273.
118; the Pope of Buddhism,
118.
Mahabharata, the, quotations from,
415-417.
of
of
Lamb, the, God, a personification
the Sun, 492.
Mahomet, the miracles of, 269.
Lamb, the oldest representationof Maia, the mother of
125; the

Lama,

Christ

Jesus

the

was

figureof

a,

202, 503.
feast of, 392.
gin,
Lanthu, born of a pure spotlessVir248; the creator of the world,

Lamps,

Mercury,
Mary, 332.
the
Fall
Man,
of,4; parallels
to, 4-16;
the antiquity
of,29.
Manco
Capac, a god of the Peruvians,
same

name

as

130.

248.

Manes, believed himself to be the

lieved
Lao-Kiun, born of a Virgin,120; be"Christ," 429; the word, has the
in one
God, 120; formed the
iour,"
"Savor
meaning of "Comforter"
Tao-tsze,or sect of reason, 120.
429.
Lao-tse (seeLao-Kiun).
Manetho, an Egyptian priest,
gives an
Latona, the mother of Apollo,125.
ites
of
of
the Israelthe sojourn
account
Law-giver,Moses a, 59; Bacchus
a,
in Egypt, 53.
59; Zoroaster a, 59; Minos a, 60; Manicheans, the,transferred pure souls
Thoth a, 60; Lycurgus a, 61;Apollo
to the Galaxy, 45 ; their doctrine of
a, 61.
the dirinity
of Christ Jesus, 511.
Lazarus, raised from the grave, 273.
Manu, quotations
from, 415.
of darkness, March
Leto, a personification
emnized
25th, the primitiveEaster sol477.
celebrated
225, 495;
on,
all nations
Libations,common
among
in
throughout the ancient world

of antiquity,
317.
of God," 335;
honor of the "Mother
Library,the, of Alexandria, 438.
appointedto the honor of the ChrisLights,are kept burning before images
tain Virgin,335.
in Pagan temples,406.
same
as
Maria, the name,
Mary, 332.
all
Lily,the, or Lotus, sacred among
Mark, the Gospelaccordingto, 456.

nations, 529; put into the

Virgin Mothers," 329.
and
Yoni, adored by the
Linga, the,
Jews, 47; the symbol under which
the sun
was
worshiped,47, 496.
an
Logos,the,
Egyptian feature,373;
of the
Apollo called,373; Marduk
Assyrians,called,374; the, of Philo,
374; the,of John, 374; identical,
374.
black
338
as
an
the
Loretto,
Virgin of,
;
Eastern

hands

of all

"

Ethiopian,338.
Lotus,the, or Lily, sacred
Eastern

"

Lycophron, says
three nights in

507.

Martyr (Justin),compares Christianity

with Paganism, 124.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, 111; same
name
as
Maya, Maria, "c, 332;
called the
Masons'

"

Mother

of God," 398.

Marks,

conspicuous among
symbols,358.
Mass, the, of Good Friday, of Pagan
226.
origin,
Christian

among

all

nations,329.

Luke, the Gospel

Matangi girl,the, and Ananda, the

of Buddha, 294.
disciple
Martianus
his ode to the Sun,
Capella,

according"to, 456.
that

the

Hercules

bellyof

in
Mastodon, the remains of, found
19.
America,
fish, Mathura, the birth-place
of Crishna,
was

78.

113.
M.

Madonna, the, and child, worshiped

by all nations of Antiquity,326.

Matthew, the "Gospel according to,"

455.

May,

the

month

of, dedicated

to the

INDEX.

Heathen

VirginIfothers,335; isnow

the month

'

of Mary, 335.

as Mary, 332.
Maya, the same name
Mayus, the, of Yucatan, worship a
Virgin-borngod, 130.
May-pole,the, of moderns, is the "Ash-

581
Miracles,
the,of Jesus,252;

of Crishna,
253; of Buddha, 254, 255; of Zoroaster,
256; Bochia, 256; Horus, 256;
Osiris,256; Serapis,257; Marduk,
257; Bacchus, 257; ^Esculapius,
257 ;

261;
Apollonius,

Simon Magus, 264;

Menander, 266; Vespasian, 268,
Miraculous
Conception,
the, of, Jesus,
111; parallels
to, 112-131.
Mediator between God and
Jerusalem, Mithras,a
Mecca,the Mohammedans'
296.
Man," 194; called the "Saviour,"
and the "Logos," 194; is put to
Mediator,the titleof,appliedto Virginborn gods before the time of Jesus,
death, and rises againto life,223; a
195.
of the Sun, 507.
personification
Kenite
of
Mohammed
the
Melchizedek,
King
eousness,
Right(seeMahomet).
then
brougnt out bread and wine
Molech,the god,worshiped by the Heaas
a sign or
rael,
symbol of worship,307.
nations,and the children of IsWonder
er,"
Work108.
Menander, called the
lievedMonad, a, in the EgyptianTrinity,
373.
performed miracles, 266; behimself to be tne Christ,429.
Heathen
Monasteries,among
nations,
the Buddhists
in
400.
Mendicants, among
tution
China, 400-403.
Monasticism,a vast and powerfulinsti403.
in Buddhist countries,
Menes, the first king of Egypt, 122;
considered divine, 122.
Heathen
Monks, were common
among
nations before the Christian era, 400Menu, Satyavratathe Seventh, 25.
and
tal
morSon
of
a
the
404.
Mercury,
Jupiter
senger,"Montanus, believed himself an Angelmother, 125; called "God's Mes195.
Messiah, 428.
Meru (Mount), the Hindoo
Paradise, Months, the twelve,comparedwith the
"

of the ancients,47; an emblem

of the male organ of generation,47 ;
the Linga of the Hindoos, 47.

era

' '

out

of which

went

'

four rivers,13.

Messiahs,many, before the

196; 519, 521, 522.

time

sus,
of Je-

transmigrationof
souls,42 ; the doctrine taught by all
nations of antiquity,
the Heathen
43;
43.
and
Jews
the
Christians,
by
Mexicans,the,had their senii-nsh gods,
pared
circumcision,86 ; com83 ; practiced

or
Metempsychosis,

with the inhabitants of the old

world, 533.
Mexico, the architecture of, compared
with that of the old world, 538.

Apostles,500.
cient
anMoon, the, was personified
among
Queen
nations,and called the
of Heaven," 478.
tament,
Moral Sentiments,
the,of the New Tes"

compared

17.

Mother

109 ;
his angels against the

Mother

fought with
dragon,386.

Chaldean

sources,

Miletus,the crucified god of,191.

Millennium, doctrine of the,239.

Mummy,

Felix,on

197.

the

crucified man,

24th

of December

of

the Gods, the, Aditi

called,

475.

13.

Minutius

Night, the

called,365,

Mount

Minos, the Lawgiver of the Cretans,60;

receives the Laws from Zeus, 60.

those from

Moses, divides the Red Sea, 50 ; is

into the Nile, 89.
thrown
Mother, the, of God, worshipedamong
the ancients,326.

Michabou, a god of the Algonquins,131.

rowed
Michael,the angel,the story of, borfrom

with

Bibles,415.
a
the so-called,
Mosaic history,
myth,
Heathen

Meru, the Hindoo

a

cross

Egyptian, in

on

paradiseon,

the breast of

the British

an

Museum,

341.

the,worshiped a virginand
Muscovites,
378.
child,333; worshiped a Trinity,

INDEX.

582

the

the goddess,
worshiped by
Mylitta,

Hebrews,
the

Myrrha,

108.

Bacchus, 332;

of

mother

Mary, 332.
the theologyof Christendom

as

same

Myth, a,

17.
built upon,
founded
Mythology,all religions

Noah, the ark of, 119

Noel, Christmas in French called,365.
of Heaven, 477.
Nut, a personification
of
the Egyptians,
Nuter
Nutra, the,
Hebrew

the

corresponds to

El-

Shaddai, 49.
upon,

O.

563.

Mythos,the universal,505.

fish-god,82; the
Oannes, Chaldean
as Jonah, 83.
same
dinavians,
Odin, the Supreme God of the Scan-

K
the

Nganu,

of Lake, had

Africans

of

"Confusion

similar story to the

Tongues," 36.

Nakskatias,the, of the Indian Zodiac,

142.
are
regarded as deities,
Nanda, the foster-father of Crishna,
158.

Nared,

of
personification

479.

(Edipus,the historyof, resembles that

and Hercules, 72; tears
of Samson
is

his

eyes, 72;
child,170; cheered
out

great prophet and astrologer,

than

mere

man,

135.

273.

personification

of the Sun, 493.

to the Heathen

made
(Votive)
Offerings

deities,259.

Olympus, the.

of
Nebuchadonazar, repairedthe tower
Babel, 35.
Necromancer, Jesus representedas a,

dangerous

in his last hours

by Antigona,493;
a

143 ; pointedout Crishna's stars, 143.

in Jesus nothing
Nazarenes, the, saw
more

479;
the Heavens,

Pagans, restored,

of the

398.
0. M.,

M.," sacred name

the Hindoos, 372; an emblem

or

among
of the

A.

U.

Trinity,352.

Nehush-tan, the Sun worshiped under

of Hercules with,
Omphale,the amours
the name
of,491.
71.
of
Osiris, 364; One, the myths of the crucified gods
Neith, the mother
called the
Holy Virgin,"364; the
melt into,492.
and
the
of
"Mother
Gods,"
One God, worshipedby the ancestors of
of the Sun," 476; a per"Mother
sonification
our
race, 384.
of the dawn, 476.
before the
OnlyBegottenSons, common
Christian era, 193.
Nepaul, the crucified God found in,
"

187.

Oort, Prof., on

Nicaragua, the inhabitants

principal God

their

of, called

Thomathoyo,

ized
Nice, the Council of,381; anathematthose who
time when

say that there was

the Son

of God

was

not,

Nile,the

temples on

the river dedicated

Egypt, 122; a

the north bank

to

the

kings

sacred river,318.

of
of

as

of Christ,355.
all nations of

400-404.
antiquity,

Origen,declared
and

381.

of

ancient nations, 61.

Orders,religious,
among
a

laws

Ophites,the, worshiped serpents

emblems

130.

sacred

the

fall of

man

the

story of creation
to

be

allegorical,

100.

OriginalSin, the doctrine of, of great

gers
184; the Indians no stranantiquity,

Nimrod, built the tower of Babel, 34.

to, 189.
sians,
Jonah
Ninevah,
goes to, 81; cylinders Ormuzd, the Supreme God of the Perof creadiscovered
on
tion
the site of, contained
7; divided the work
into six parts,7.
the legendof the flood,101.
Orontes,the river,divided by Bacchus,
Niparaga, the Supreme Creator of the
131.
Endes of California,
51.
confined in a chest and thrown
from the
Osiris,
Nisan, the angel, borrowed
into the Nile, 90; a Virgin-born
Chaldeans, 109.

683

INDEX.

erected to him
God, 190; suffers death, 190; rose
in Athens, 134; a
from the dead, 222; the judge of the
dangerouschild,16 ).
dead, 245; performed miracles,256; Persia,pre-Christiancrosses found in,
the worship of, of great antiquity,
343, 344.
of the Sun,
Persians,
452; a personification
the,denominate the firstman
484.
Adama, 7; had a legendof creation
Bal-li worshiped
Oude, the crucified God
correspondingwith the Hebrew, 8;
had a legend of the war
in heaven,
at, 188.
tempsychosis,
387.
Ovid, describes the doctrine of Me43.
Peru, crosses found in,349 ; worshipof
found in,378.
a Trinity
Peruvians,the, adored the cross, 349;

P.

378.
worshiped a Trinity,

Peter,St.,has the keys of Janus, 399.

the, adopted by the
Pagan Religion,
Phallic tree,the,is introduced into the
tianity,
Christians,
384; was typicalof Chrisnarrative in Genesis,47.
501.
Phallic worship,the story of Jacob setting
Pan, had a flute of seven
pipes,31.
a
lludes
a
46;
to,
pillar
up
ticed
pracin Grecian
Pandora, the first woman,
46,
by the nations of antiquity,

mythology, 10.

47.

Pantlieon,the, a niche always ready

ity,
divinin, of the ancients,for a new
123.

358.
"

Hermes, set up on the

Phallus,the,a
road-side,was the symbol of, 46.
ander,
Pamphylian Sea, the,divided by Alex"

Simon Magus claimed

Paraclete,
the, 164.
Paradise,all nations believed in

to be

a,

389,

55.

Pharaoh, his dreams, 88; parallel

to,

390.
of the
Parsees,the, direct descendants
was
Persians,25 ; say that man
once

destroyedby

the

ark

of

lion
Deuca-

rested on, 26.

Partlienon,the, at Atheas, sacred to

Minerva, 333.
Passover,the, celebrated by the Jews
the

same

celebrated

day

Gods, 226 ; the Jews

of their

used eggs in the

feast of, 228.

Patriarchs,the, all stories of, unhis54.
torical,
Paul, St., a minister of the Gospel
which

had

been

preached to

every

heaven, 514.
ascribed
Pentateuch, the, never
creature

under

to

of Hebrew
in the inscriptions
manuscripts,92; ascribed to Moses
after the Babylonian captivity,
92;
originof,93, 96.
a Virgin mother, 127.
Perictione,
Moses

was
deity,the principal,

El,

sis
Philo,considered the fictions of Gene100; says nothingabout
allegories,
Jesus, or the Christians,564.
the, of ancient Greece,
Philosophers,
409.
called Christians,
the
Philosophy,

that the Heathens

the resurrections

89.
Phenician
484.

deluge,25.

Parnassus,Mount,

on

Phallic Emblems, in Christian churches,

Christian

called
religion

a, 567.

55.
Phcedrus,the river,dried up by Isis,
of
fairest
offered
the
Phoenicians,the,
their children to the

gods,41.

Phoznix,the, lived 600 years, 426.

Phrygians, the, worshiped the god

Atys, 190.
the temple treasury,
Pilate,pillaged
521; crucified Jesus, 526.
Pillars of Hercules,the, 79.
Pious Frauds, 231.
sus,
the signof,appliedto Christ JePisces,
355-504.

Plato,believed to have

been the

127.
a pure virgin,
Perseus,shut up in a chest, and cast
in
believed
of
the,
PJatonists,
the
son
Jupiter
into the sea, 89;
375.
by ihe Virgin Danae, 124; a temple

son

of

Trinity,

584

IKDEX.

cients,
Q
Pole,or Pillar,a, worshipedby the an47.
46,
the Virgin-born
Saviour,
Quetzalcoalle,
blematic
PolynesianMythology,in, a fish is emand fasted, 178;
129; was
tempted
of the earth,80.
was
crucified,199; rose from the
Pontius Pilate (seePilate).
dead, 225; will come
again,239; is a
of a Buddhist
the name
mo
Poo-ta-la,
of the Sun, 489.
personification
nastery found in China, 401.
Heaven,
the,was
worshiped
Queen of
Pope, the, thrusts out his foot to be

kissed

the Roman

as

in the habit of

Emperors
doing,400.

by

were

in
Portuguese,the, call the mountain
Ceylon,Peco d' Adama, 13.
Porus, the troops of, carried on their
standards

figureof

the

198.

man,

dead, made

Prayers,for the

by

hist
Budd-

all nations

of

antiquitybefore

the Christian era, 326-336.

of Romulus,
name

126;
torn
2
08;
shepherds,
among
to piecesat his death, 208 ; ascended
into heaven, 208; the Sun darkened
at his death, 208.

Quirinius,a
educated

401.
priests,

Priests,the Buddhist, have fasting,

saries
Ed, the Egyptian God, born from
prayers for the dead, holy water, roof beads,the worship of relics,
122.
side of his mothe.

the

and

monastic

habit

resemblingthe

Franciscans,401.
the ancients,similar
Priestesses,
among
modern
the
to
nuns, 403, 404.
male, the, offered himself

Primeval

sacrifice for the gods,181.

Prithivi,the Earth worshiped under

the name
of, by the Hindoos, 477.
vine
united the di-

Prometheus, a deitywho
and

human

124;
an

nature

in

one

son,
per-

crucified Saviour, 192;

earthquakehappened

at the time

Raam-sees,king of Egypt, 123; means

"Son
of the Sun," 123.
terpretat
inRabbis,the, taught the allegorical
of Scripture,
100; performed
miracles, 267; taught the
of
the Trinity,
376.
mystery
Rakshasas, the,of our Aryan ancestors,
the

originalsof

all

giants,ogres

or

of
demons, 19; are personifications
the dark clouds,19; fought desperate
battles with
Indrea, and his
of light,
387.
spirits

or Lamb, the,used as a symbol of

storyof the
Christ Jesus,202; a symbol of the
crucifixion of allegorical,
484; a title
Sun, G03, 504.
of the Sun, 484.
incarnation of Vishnu, 143;
an
Rama,
Prophet,the, of the Beatitudes, does
a star at his birth,143; is hailed by
but repeat the words of others, 526.
aged saints,152.
mother of iEthlius,125.
Protogenia,

of the death

of,207;

Ram

the

Rayme,

believed
Ptolemy(Soter),
127.
of divine origin,

to have

been

Puranas, the, 451.

of, of

pre-

Esther

written for the purpose

44.

Pyrrha,the
saved
an

the

glory,surround

in the

mas
Christ-

the heads

of

Presence,the, in the Eucharist,

of

story

80.
was

Deluge by entering

ark with her husband, 26.

of

our

borrowed
from Paganism, 305-312.
of scribing,
deplained,
of, exRed-Riding-Hood,the

wife of Deucalion, 26;

from

festival held

all the Gods, 505.

Real

Picrim, the feast of,44; the book

Mexican

of, answeringto
366.
celebration,

Rays

Purgatory, the doctrine

389.
Christian origin,

month

Red

Sea, the, divided by Moses, 50;

by Bacchus, 51.
the, of Paganism, compared
Religion,
divided

with Christianity,
384.
Pythagoras,taught that souls dwelt in
of
all
the Galaxy, 45; had divine honors
the,
nations,formerly
Religions,
a
paid to him, 128; his mother impregworship of the sun, moon, stars
nated
and elements,544.
through a spectre,128.

5S6

INDEX.

worshiped by the Christians,355;

symbolizedthe Sun, 490; called the
Word, or Divine Wisdom, 490.
Seven,the number, sacred among

all

nations of

31.
antiquity,
the, kept sacred
Seventh-day,

by

the

Soul,the, immortality
of, believed

by

nations of

Sosiosh,the virgin-bornMessiah, 146;

yet to come, 146.
Space,crucifixion in,488.
who went
to
Spanish monks, the first,
Mexico

ancients,392, 393.

in

385.
antiquity,

surprisedto

were

find the

had, disciples, crucifix there,199.

Confucius
Seventy-two,

the Hebrew
Spirit,
nine gender,134.

121.

"Shams-on," the Sun

in Arabic, 73.

SJtaron,the Rose of, Jesus called,486.

word

for,of femi

Standards,the,of the ancient Romans,

the infant Jesus worshiped

were
crosses
Shepherds,
giltand beautiful,345.
of
150.
Bethlehem,
140; parallels
Star,the,
by,
sacred
of
142-145.
book
the
the, a
to,
Shoo-king,
Seuiithe King by whom
Chinese,25; speaks of the deluge,25. Staurobates,
ramis was
Siamese,the, had a virgin-borngod,
overpowered,486.
Stone pillars,set up by the Hebrews
118.
Simon Magus, believed to be a god, 129 ;
of the Phallus, 46.
emblems
were
the gods
his picture placed among
Rama"
the,of the Hindoos, a
''Strong
in Rome, 129; professedto be the
counterpart of Samson, 73.

"Word

God;" the "Paraclete,"

"Comforter," 164; performed
great miracles,125.
Sin-Bearer,the, Bacchus called,193.
the doctrine of, believed
Sin, Original,
in by Heathen
nations,181, 184.
ity,
Siva,the third god in the Hindoo Trinof

or

369 ; the Hindoos

of,392.

held

into the

power of
his enemies, 72; a Solar Myth, 72.
the, of the innocents at the
Slaughter,
time of Jesus, 165; parallels
to, 166172.

the dreams

with Pharaoh's

two

of,compared
dreams, 88.

Sun, the,nearly all the Pagan deities

were
of,467; Christ
personifications
Jesus

said to have been

born

of,473 ; Christ Jesus

birth-day

the

on
a

sonification
per-

shiped,
worof,500; universally

507.

festival

in honor

SkylladeliversNisos

Suddho-dana,

San-day, a pagan holidayadopted by

the Christians,
394-396.
and Hercules
San-gods, Samson
are,
71-73.

San-myth,the, added

to the histories of

Jesus

of Nazareth, Buddha, Cyrus,

mother
of Quetzalcoatle,
Alexandria
and others, 506.
Sochiquetzal,
129; a VirginMother, 129; called the
Stoeden,the famous temple at Upsal in,
dedicated to a triune deity,
377.
Queen of Heaven," 129.
of the gods,466.
the history
Socrates,visited at his birth by Wise
Symbolical,
152.
between
the discrepancies
Men, and presentedwith gifts,
SynopticGospels,
"

Sol,crucified in the heavens, 484.

Soma, a god of the Hindoos, 306; gave
his

body

and

Codom

Sommona

blood

306.

to man,

(seeCodom).

Son of a Star (seeBar-Cochba).

Son of God, the Heathen
worshiped

mediatingdeitywho

had

of

Tacitus,the allusion

to Jesus

gery.
in, a for-

the titleof,
Tables of Stone,the, of Moses, 58; of

the

means,

S%VJ$CO-3W
T.

111-129.
Son

the fourth and the,numerous,

,457.

Sun, the

name

Raam-ses

123.

"Sons

of Heaven," the virgin-born

men
called,122.
Song, the, of the Heavenly Host, 147;
of China

parallels
to, 148-150.

Bacchus, 59.
Talmud, the books containingJewish
tradition,95; in the,Jesus is called
the "hanged one," 516.
the Saviour, after being put
Tammuz,
from
the dead, 217;
to death, rose

687

INDEX.

worshiped in
at

the

temple of

the Lord

Jerusalem, 222.

Tanga-tanga,the

in the flesh

"Three

in One, and

One

in Three," or the Trinityof the

ancient Peruvians, 378.

Tao, the

god"

"one

Tombs, the,of persons who

shiped
wor-

supreme,
the Chinese

by Lao-Kiun,

to be

were

places,510.
Tower, the,of Babel,33

35-37; storyof,borrowed

at

ent
differ-

parallels
to,
from

102 ; nowhere
to outside of Genesis,103.
sources,

lived

never

seen

dean
Chal-

alluded

sage, 120.

Transmigration
of Souls,the,represented
of Reason,"
Taotse, the, or "Sect
on
Egyptiansculptures,
45; taught
formed by Lao-Kuin, 120.
42-45.
by all nations of antiquity,
Tau, the cross, worshiped by the Egypthe
Heathen
trine
doctians, Transubstantiation,
341.
of,became a tenet of the Christian
Temples,all the oldest,were in caves,
faith,313, 314.
286.
Tree,the,of Knowledge, 2,3; parallels
of
ha,
Buddof
ter
the, Jesus,175;
Temptation,
to, 3-16; a Phallic tree, 101 ; Zoroas176; of Zoroaster,177; of Quethung upon the,195.
the
zalcoatle,177; meaning of, 482.
the, a sacred plant among
Trefoil,
Druids of Britain,353.
Temples,Pagan, changed into Christian
churches, 398, 397.
Trimurti,the,of the Hindoos,369 ; the
Ten Commandments, the, of Moses, 59 ;
the Christian Trinity,
same
as
369,
of Buddha, 59.
370.
Ten, the,Zodiac gods of the Chaldeans, Trinity,
the,doctrine of,the most mysterious
of the Christian church, 368 ;
102.
adored
of India,
Tenth, the, Xisuthrus, King of the
by the Brahmins
23.
Chaldeans, 23; Noah, patriarch,
369; the inhabitants of China and
the Supreme God of the
Japan, 371; the Egyptians,373; and
Tezcatlipoca,
373Mexicans, 60.
many other nations of antiquity,
written
be
can
Testament, the New,
378;
explainedby
allegory
many
years later than
454.

generallysupposed,

Therapeuta,the,and

Twelve, the number

Essenes

the same,

the twelve
found

423.

Tlwr,

only,561.

Scandinavian

ered
god, 75; considand "Avenger,"

which

appliesto

signsof the Zodiac, to be

of antiquity,
religions

in all

498.

the "Defender"
Twins, the Mexican Eve the mother of,
15.
tions,
75; the Hercules of the Northern naha,
Sun
the
76; Types of Christ Jesus, Crishna, Budd76;
personified,
ris,
Bacchus, Hercules, Adonis, Osicompared with David, 90, 91; the
Horus, "c, all of them were,
of Odin, 129.
son
408
and
veals
reThoth, the deityitself,
; all the sun-gods of Paganism
speaks
his elect among
of God, 60.
to

the will

men

tianity,
Thibet, the religion
of,similar to Chris-

500.

in the
Typhon, the destroyingprinciple
EgyptianTrinity,correspondingto
the Siva of the Hindoos, 561.

400.

Three, a sacred

were,

number

among

all

tions
na-

368-378.
antiquity,
sacred
the Scandinavian
to
Thursday,

U.

of

god,Thor, 82.
the religion
Tibet,
of,similar

to Roman

UprightEmblem, the, or the "Ashera,"

stood in the temple at Jerusalem, 47.
dean
Uriel,the angel,borrowed from Chal-

400.
Christianity,

Tien, the
among

name

of the

sources,

Supreme

Power

388.

to the

the Chinese, 476.

Titans,the, struggledagainstJupiter,

109.

pared
ZJshas,the flame-red chariot of, com-

fierychariot of Elijah,

90.

Utsthala, the island of, 78.

588

INDEX.

V.
vian
Valentine,St.,formerly the Scandinagod Vila,399.
Valhalla,the Scandinavian Paradise,
390.
of Crishna, 114.
Vasudeva, a name
Vedas,the, antiquityof, 450.
Vedic Poems, the, show the originand

growth

and

of Greek

393.
Scandinavians,
of
emblem
an
Wolf,the,

thology,
my-

sacred to the

was

151; and others,151, 152.

185.
Witiooa,the god, crucified,
Wodin, or Odin, the supreme
god of
the

Teutonic

468.

Venus,the Dove

West,the sun-godsdie in the,498.

Wisdom, Ganesa the god of, 117.
Wise Men, worshiped the infant Jesus,
150; worshiped the infant Crishna,
151 ; worshiped the infant Buddha,

power,

dess,
god-

the

ing
Destroy-

80.

or
Logos,the,of John's Gospel,
374.
Pagan
origin,
Vernal equinox,
the,festivals held at the
ever
whentime of, by the nations of antiqnity, World, the,destroyby a deluge,
all the planetsmet in the sign
392.
of Capricorn,103.
the Miracles of, 268, 269.
Vespasian,
bound
Vestal Virgins,
the, were
by a

Word,

357.

of

solemn
for

to preserve

vow
a

space of

Vicar of God

on

ty
their chasti-

thirtyyears,

403.

Earth, the Grand

of the Tartars

considered

ma
Lato be

the,118.
Vila,the god, of the Scandinavians,
changed to St. Valentine,399.
Virgin,the worship of a, before the
Christian era, 326.
as
the,of the Zodiac personified
Virgo,
a Virgin Mother.
Vishnu, appeared as a fish,at the time
of the Deluge, 25; the mediating or
ty,
preservingGod in the Hindoo Trini-

Xaca, born of a Virgin,119.

Xelhua, one of the seven
giantsrescued
from the flood,37.
day,
Xerxes, the god of, is the devil of to391 ; the Zend-avesta

older than

the

of, 452.
inscriptions
Xisuthrus,the delugehappened in the
days of,22; was the tenth King of
three sons,
the Chaldeans, 23; had
translated to heaven, 90.
was

23;

X-P, the, was

the

formerlya monogram
Egyptian Saviour Osiris,but

of
now

of Christ Jesus,350.

the monogram

369.

Votan,of Guatemala, 130.

Votive offerings,
given by the Heathen
to their gods,and now
practicedby

Y.

Tadu, Vishna
House

the Christians,258, 259.

became

incarnate in the

of, 113.

Too, or Jao, a sacred name, 49.

taken by the males
Vows of Chastity,
of
the favorite disciples
Yan-hwuy,
and females who
entered Pagan monasteries,
Confucius, 121.
Tar, the angel,borrowed

402, 403.

dean

W.
in Heaven, the,believed in by the
nations of antiquity,
368.
principal

War

Wasi, the priestand law-giverof the

Cherokees, 130.
gan
from sin by, a PaWater, purification
ceremony,

31*7-323.

Wednesday, Woden's

or

Odin's

day,

sources,

from

Chal

109.

Fen-she,the mother of Confucius, 121.

esteemed sacred among
T-ha-ho,a name
vah,
the Egyptians,48; the same
as Jeho48.
Jesus is pronounced
Yezua, the name
in Hebrew, 196.
Yoni, the, attached to the head of the
crucified Crishna, 185; symbolized
nature, 496.

393.
late

as
Welsh, the,as
ran
century, during eclipses,

beatingkettles

and

the seventeenth

pans, 536.

about

YosSr,the
into

use

term

by
99.

first brought
(Creator)
prophetsof the Captivity,

the

589

INDEX.

Yu,

virgin-born

Yucatan,

Mayas

the

virgin-born
in,

201.

Yule,

the

Chinese

god,

120.

sage,

130;

Zeru-akerene,

worshiped

of,

found

crosses

the

Persians,

Supreme

God

of

the

245.

Zeru-babel,

supposed

be

to

Messiah,

the

432.
old

Yumna,

the

name

for

river,

divided

Christmas,

305.

Zeu-pater,

the

Crishna,

by

Zeus,

57.

the

477

Dyans-pitar
of

the,

of

Greeks,

Supreme

visited

the

God

Danae

of
in

Asia,

came
be-

477.

Greeks,

the

golden

er,
show-

481.

Zome,
the

Zama,

only-begotton
God,

of

according

Yucatan,

(see

Zend-Avesta,

the

Word

inscriptions
Zephyrinus,
135.

to

the

preme
Su-

the

Mayas

in

supernatural

Brazil,

Zoroaster,

Zoroaster).

the

sacred

older

of
the

than

Cyrus,
truth

writings
the
the

"

Law
of

the

"Living
cuneiform

from
123

"Divine

195;

by,

by,

491.

worshiped

of

of

of

the

the

sians,
Per-

"Book

of
the

59;

the

of

child,
194;

Eternal

miracles,
Persians

the

Son

dangerous

Messenger,"

performed

religion

the

Ormuzd,

"First-born

452.

corrupted

Law-giver
receives

Ormuzd,
169;

being

130.

59;

signifies

7;
;" 59

of

130.

Zarathrustra

Parsees,

Son

the

One,"
256;

established

the