A Christian Response by Stephen J. Bedard
Among the many gods of ancient Egypt, few were as important or as beloved as Osiris. For more than two thousand years, Egyptians looked to Osiris as the ruler of the underworld, the judge of the dead, and the promise of life after death. His story of murder, resurrection, and triumph over death became one … Read More “What Do We Know About Osiris? The Development of Egypt’s God of the Dead” »
Among the gods of the ancient Mediterranean, Serapis stands out as one of the clearest examples of a deliberately promoted syncretic deity. Unlike most ancient gods who emerged organically through long mythic development, Serapis was elevated—if not consciously constructed—during the early Hellenistic period to serve specific political, cultural, and religious needs. Understanding Serapis requires attention not only to … Read More “Serapis: The Invention of a God in the Hellenistic World” »
This is a continuation of a series of responses to “Questioning the Plausibility of Jesus Ahistoricity Theories” by Raphael Lataster. This time, we will look at his suggestion that some supposed parallels in other texts suggest the Gospels cannot be taken as history. I found this to be one of the weakest parts of Lataster’s … Read More “Raphael Lataster and Questioning the Plausibility of Jesus Ahistoricity Theories – Part Four” »
Among those who promote the Jesus Myth, one of the favourite pagan gods is that of Horus. It is claimed that much of what we read in the Gospels about Jesus is found in the story of Horus, including the virgin birth. Is this true? Let us begin by looking at how the virgin birth in … Read More “Was Horus Born of a Virgin?” »
Not only do Mythicists find their parallels by looking over a wide chronological range, they also cross cultures and even religions. So for example, there may not be enough material to support the parallels just in the myths about Dionysus, there may be if we throw in the myths about Osiris. Now, to be fair, … Read More “The Problem With Identifying Gods With Each Other” »
