Before there was life on Earth, Mithras was born from a rock, which may have been a cosmic egg, beneath a sacred tree beside a river.Shepherds witnessed His birth, adored Him and made offerings - before there was life?
Naked and hungry in the cold winds, Mithras ate figs from the tree and made clothes from its leaves, thus gaining strength - like Popeye with spinach?
He defeated the Sun, received a crown from Him, raised Him up and befriended Him.
The first living creature made by Ahura-Mazda was the Bull. Mithras, who lived in a cave, defeated and captured the Bull but It escaped.
The Sun sent the Raven as a messenger to tell Mithras to kill the Bull so He tracked It down with His dog and killed It with His knife.
From the Bull's body came life on earth and from Its blood sacramental wine.
Ahriman tried to destroy life with his evil creatures and the world with a flood followed by fire. One man foresaw the flood and built an ark that saved his family and every kind of animal. Mithras saved the world from destruction by fire.
With the Sun and other companions, He ate a last supper and ascended to Heaven. Ocean tried but failed to drown him en route.
He commands Ahura-Mazda's army in the war against Ahriman for the world and for every soul.
On the Final Day, Ahriman will be destroyed, the righteous will be resurrected and eternal peace will begin.
Source: Roma Mater, pp. 306-307.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And more recent historical scholarship seem to put more stress on how pagan Mithraism was and quite likely borrowed from Christianity, rather than the other way about.
Sean
Borrowing probably went both ways.
My impression is that the notion of Satan as an opponent of YHWH in Christianity & later Judaism, was borrowed from Ahriman of Zoroastrianism & Mithraism.
Kaor, Jim!
Possibly, but I don't believe that to have been the case. The more I read about the earliest Church, the more unique Christianity appears and less and less affected by any kind of paganism. A "popular" but solid discussion of such issues can be found in Daniel-Rops' book JESUS AND HIS TIMES.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment