The Jesus Myth Theory claims that the story of Jesus is based on pagan parallels. Those, like myself, who refute this theory demonstrate that these parallels are unfounded.
But does that mean that there are no pagan parallels?
There are some pretty clear pagan parallels. One is the flood story in the Epic of Gilgamesh and flood story if Genesis. There are also some parallels between some of the Proverbs and some Egyptian wisdom literature.
Being against the Jesus Myth Theory does not require a dismissal of all parallels. The Bible was not written in a vacuum and we would expect some similarities. The direction of borrowing is a separate discussion.
The problem with the Jesus Myth Theory is not that they claim that there are pagan parallels, it is that they are claiming parallels in passages where there are none.
It is good to study the contemporary pagan literature to help understand the context of the Bible. But do you homework to find out if they are real parallels.
Here are two resources that I recommend:
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (IVP Bible Background Commentary Set)
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (IVP Bible Background Commentary Set)
