Is Christ a clone of Mithra?
In my book The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold appears a series of lists in a popular chapter called “The Characters.” These lists recite characteristics in common with the Jesus figure of the following gods and godmen: Attis, Buddha, Dionysus, Hercules, Horus, Krishna, Mithra, Prometheus and Zoroaster. One of the gods most obviously related to the origins of Christianity is Mithras or Mithra, the Perso-Roman hybrid whose cultus was widespread around the Mediterranean during the same period Christianity was being formulated.
Over the centuries, many scholars have pointed out the obvious correspondences between Mithraism and Christianity, based on the remaining evidence, including the writings of early Church fathers who were flummoxed by the similarities. Later writers, however, were not so startled, because they could discern that the Christ character was apparently a rehash of Mithra, among others.
Following is a list of the characteristics of Mithra as found in my book Christ Conspiracy, p. 119:
- Mithra was born of a virgin on December 25th in a cave, and his birth was attended by shepherds bearing gifts.
- He was considered a great traveling teacher and master.
- He had 12 companions or disciples.
- Mithra’s followers were promised immortality.
- He performed miracles.
- As the “great bull of the Sun,” Mithra sacrificed himself for world peace.
- He was buried in a tomb and after three days rose again.
- His resurrection was celebrated every year.
- He was called “the Good Shepherd” and identified with both the Lamb and the Lion.
- He was considered the “Way, the Truth and the Light,” and the “Logos,” “Redeemer,” “Savior” and “Messiah.”
- His sacred day was Sunday, the “Lord’s Day,” hundreds of years before the appearance of Christ.
- Mithra had his principal festival on what was later to become Easter.
- His religion had a eucharist or “Lord’s Supper,” at which Mithra said, “He who shall not eat of my body nor drink of my blood so that he may be one with me and I with him, shall not be saved.”
- “His annual sacrifice is the passover of the Magi, a symbolical atonement of pledge of moral and physical regeneration.”
In this Mithra section in Christ Con (p. 120), I also write:
Of Mithraism, the Catholic Encyclopedia states, as related by Wheless, “The fathers conducted the worship. The chief of the fathers, a sort of pope, who always lived at Rome, was called ‘Pater Patratus.'” The Mithraic pope was also known as Papa and Pontimus Maximus.
For more information on the subject of Mithra, including citations for these parallels, see The Christ Conspiracy, Suns of God and “Mithra: The Pagan Christ.” For a shorter, updated list, see also my article “Origins of Christianity and the Quest for the Historical Jesus Christ.” An update of the longer list will be provided in my forthcoming book The Christ Myth Anthology.
(NB: These popular lists from my book have been reproduced in a number of places on the internet, often without attribution. If you encounter these lists, note that they are in fact from my book – originating with me and in my own words – and feel free to inform the website owner or article writer as well. Thanks.)
8 thoughts on “Is Christ a clone of Mithra?”
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You mean like what was done in this thread?
“American Atheist Plagiarizes Acharya’s Work?”
That thread was very thorough.
🙂 as we know …one of the best ways to re think the religions is by historicity ! This process rules out the guilt factor associated with questioning the brainwash ! Freedom is my goal and Acharya’s research has helped me greatly in my quest ! THANK YOU . XX (left and right cheeks) . :kiss:
source documents
I was looking at the end of the book but did not see a list of references to primary sources, can you tell me from where you compiled this list? Are you associated with any university or how are you doing your research?
It’s an amazing list and I would really like to be able to repeat it in total confidence.
The are around 1,200 footnote citations in that book and many primary sources are cited throughout as well as many images. It looks like she compiled the lists by actually studying the religion and taking note of the parallels.
From above at the bottom of the article:
What Are Acharya’s Credentials?
I just wanted to clear up what I’ve heard elsewhere – is The Christ Myth Anthology going to be a type of 2nd edition to The Christ Conspiracy? If not, what can we look forward to?
I would love to see a type of “Christ in Greece” book by you since you specialize in Greek Classics; similar to your book Christ in Egypt but about Greek comparative religion and mythology. That would be awesome!
Thanks for the query, Paul.
The Christ Myth Anthology is a collection of essays along with excerpted or whole chapters from my books, which are specifically about Jesus Mythicism. (As opposed to the chapters, say, about Krishna and Buddha, as in my book Suns of God ([url][/url]).)
Although it’s not exactly an update of Christ Con per se, it does update the original article from which that book was written, “The Origins of Christianity and the Quest for the Historical Jesus Christ.” Believe it or not, that was the working title of my book, before it hit upon me to name it The Christ Conspiracy.
The update will include, however, other chapters from Suns of God as can be found on my websites, such as in my “Christ Conspiracy Articles” section. I will be adding quotes and editing citations.
I have included some brand-new chapters as well, which contain much fascinating information, including the significant trade between India and Rome just centuries before and into the common era. This information vital to Christ-myth studies is well documented and appears in scholarly books but is largely unknown to the public at large. In fact, this crucial and interesting cultural exchange is hardly given a mention in mainstream education. How many people are aware of the substantial commerce between the Mediterranean and India during the first centuries BCE and AD/CE?
CMA comes to a very interesting conclusion concerning the origins of much Krishnaism and Buddhism as well: Believe it or not, these three general mythoi of Krishna, Buddha and Christ were concretized in significant part at largely the same time!
Evidently there was a concerted effort from a multinational priesthood at Alexandria not only to unify the various religions of the Roman Empire but also of India. In other words, an archetypical mythos was adopted to individual cultures.
Christ Conspiracy by Archaya S
We agree with Ms. Archaya S, in her research about the origin of Christianity and her conclusions. The facts are clear and beyond any doubt. The truth has come out finally, after 2000 yrs and the murders of hundreds of millions of people that questioned the veracity and validity of what they were told to believe that defied common sense and were insults to their intelligence. That is not the outrage. The outrage is that billions of human beings have believed the deception for 2000 yrs and still believing and suffering and being exploited by it today.
Ms. Acharya has done a great job in writing this book and publicising this great 2000 yr old swindle. It is up to the billions of sheeple to wake up from their spiritual slumbers and awaken the God inside them and become free and happy at last…