Gerald massey, an english poet and amateur egyptologist is among the first authors to link comparisons between the egyptian religion and christianity through his books. Jan 08, 2012 lets go back to ancient history and compare ancient egyptian religion horus with modern religion christianity jesus. The history of christianity in egypt dates back verily to the beginnings of christianity itself. Hieroglyphic writing hieroglyphic writing christianity and the greek alphabet. Stephen quirke offers a critical outline of problems in discussing ancient egyptian religion. Mar 26, 2016 debunking the claim that christianity was plagiarized from egyptian mythology. The titles, epithets, appellatives and attributes show how the religious beliefs of ancient egypt agree with those of christianity. Hieroglyphic writing christianity and the greek alphabet. Kemetic spirituality vs christian religion kemetic. The overall egyptian system of religion endured, even through several periods of foreign rule, until the coming of christianity in the early centuries c. Are there parallels between the lives of jesus and horus. Egyptian religion left behind number religious monuments and writings, as well as significant influence on cultures both ancient and modern.
Is christianity copied from egyptian beliefs, what about. Christianity is an abrahamic, monotheistic religion which developed out of second. Skeptics sometimes use ancient deities like horus, mithras or osiris as examples of dying and rising precursors to jesus. Debunking the claim that christianity was plagiarized from egyptian mythology.
Lets go back to ancient history and compare ancient egyptian religion horus with modern religion christianity jesus. But make no mistake, the new dogmatic information of christianity is not true. Nov 06, 2017 according to this ancient religion, this god came to fulfill the law and was supposed to reign one thousand years. Many atheists, neopagans, and other disbelievers of christianity claim the story of jesus christ was borrowed from earlier mythologies. History of christianity in egypt birth and early growth. The new religion fought against the egyptian polytheism and traditions, and with its victory the greek script triumphed.
The situation was altered with the conversion of egypt to christianity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries ce. The cult of serapis was very successful throughout the mediterranean and asia minor, especially in rome, where it supplanted the state religion as the most popular belief system by about 105 bc. Anyone with any book learning in ancient religionsmythology, knows that horus is the obvious source for a lot of jewishchristian ideas. Jews and christians were not the first to have this knowledge, but they were the first to be uniquely honored by the earth life of an incarnate god. In other cultures, this same story of a slicedup god returning to life is similarly reflected. The city of alexandria was the city of science and theology.
To what extent did ancient egyptian religion influence. Is jesus simply a retelling of the horus mythology. Jan 02, 2020 promoters of esoteric christianity contrast themselves with those they call exoteric christians. Asar was an alternative name for osirus, horus father. So christianity and egyptian religion existed next to each other. The religion of ancient egypt included numerous gods and goddesses, belief in the afterlife and a welldefined hierarchy of celebrants and priests. Christianity and islam are the two largest religions in the world and share a historical traditional connection, with some major theological differences. Egyptian religion as it was of ancient times was in full swing until 452ad. I scoffed at the remark, until i began studying the origins of religion. Read on to learn more about christianitys pagan traditions, holidays and practices.
They are slight variations of what i published in my book rational religion, which i wrote under the pseudonym daniel diamond. Rosalie david and emily teeter provide modern introductions to egyptian religion. The roots of christianity are pagan, and so i beg to differ with those who argue you cant be christian and pagan. Egyptian book of the dead translated kemet vs christianity duration. Khemetic spiritual system is the basis of the christian religion. Horus is one of the oldest recorded deities in the ancient egyptian religion. Ancient egyptian religion and christianity a comparative. The book of the beginnings, the natural genesis, and ancient egypt. And in the prophetic books, one of the oracles against egypt seems to have been composed using an egyptian tradition isa 19 and the egyptian oracle of the potter. May 25, 2012 religulous 2008, an antireligious diatribe that takes on islam and judaism in addition to christianity, presents a list of parallels between jesus and horus, the falconheaded egyptian deity identified with the sky and the rule of the pharaohs. In the book of proverbs, a whole paragraph prov 22.
May 16, 2019 someone wise once said to me, christianity is paganism. Linkage between the name of osirus in egyptian religion and lazarus in the gospel of john. The egyptian texts clearly show that he was known as creator, lord, god, and incarnate god long before historic times. The two faiths share a common place of origin in the middle east, and consider themselves to be monotheistic.
These gods are false gods according to biblical beliefs. The roots of egyptian christianity studies in antiquity and. I believe christianity to be the last phase of ancient egyptian religion. Is christianity plagiarized from ancient egyptian religions. The underworld in the egyptian religion was not hell as christians consider it today. The bible, the gospels, and personages in the bible are all of ancient khemetic egyptian origin. The quarrel between the christian sects in egypt arises always from the struggle between the greek and egyptian opinions, or rather the struggle how far christianity, which entered egypt as a greek religion, and which readily met the egyptian opinions so far as to ally itself with the new platonismhow far it will yet further consent to become.
The alleged parallels between ancient egyptian religion and christianity frequently touted on the internet are greatly exaggerated in the best cases and flatout madeup in the worst. Copts in egypt constitute the largest christian population in the middle east and north africa, as well as the largest religious minority in the region, accounting for roughly 520% of the egyptian population, although the exact percentage is unknown as researchers are forbidden by authorities to ask about religion. Most ancient belief systems crosspollinated their ideas among the scattershot of societies in that region. The ancient religion died out little by little as christianity spread in egypt. The roots of egyptian christianity studies in antiquity and christianity pearson, birger a. Muata ashbys book sets the stage with discussions of kemetic ancient egyptian civilization, and how the original teachings of the great shepsu led to the rise of other traditions like ayurveda on the indian subcontinent and, of course, christianity. The christian destruction of the classical world by catherine nixey an exceptional account of murder and vandalism wrought by. Egyptian creation stories 1 the following are two comparisons of the biblical creation story with the accounts of ancient pagan myths. Mesopotamia used irrigation and developed cities with governments and formed new religious thoughts based off of the unknown. The book of the dead, also called the book of coming forth by day, was a book of funeral texts to be recited at a persons death to help them to the underworld where they would be judged by osiris. In recent times, some nonchristians outside of egypt have taken an interest in egyptian gods. Writers have made much of these similarities, maintaining that judaism borrowed. One of the more controversial theories sometimes called the copycat thesis suggests that many of the miracles, other life events, and beliefs about horus an ancient egyptian god were recycled and incorporated into stories about jesus as recorded in gospels and other books in the christian scriptures new testament.
The kemetic spiritual system is the basis of the christian religion. Ancient egyptian religion vs christianity the story. Esoteric christianity is ecumenical, having a desire to unite with esotericists of other faiths to establish a universal religion. In recent years, a claim has been making the rounds that jesus is based on the egyptian god, horus. Comparison of some additional life events of horus and jesus, as asserted by believers in a jesus myth that jesus life events were copied from horus life. Ancient egyptian religion had many of the same concepts which today are known in christianity. Jul 24, 2019 because christianity promised everyone something.
Jan 20, 2016 egyptian religion was a combination of beliefs and practices which, in the modern day, would include egyptian mythology, science, medicine, psychiatry, magic, spiritualism, herbology, as well as the modern understanding of religion as belief in a higher power and a life after death. Ancient egyptian and israelite religions both had polytheistic periods. Egyptian religion vs mesopotamian religion free essays. The christian destruction of the classical world by catherine nixey an exceptional account of murder and vandalism wrought by religious zealotry and one that suggests modern. The african origins of western civilization, religion, and ethics philosophy. For instance the egyptian gods, horus and osiris both share similar attributes with jesus, some of them including, being the son of god, born of december. But, that makes sense, since ancient israel had a lot of interaction with ancient egyptian culture. Similarities and differences between the egyptian god.
The numerous parallels between the egyptian writings and the bible offer important insights into our religious origins. Both vividly present egyptian religion and its approach to the gods. Gods in ancient egypt oxford research encyclopedia of religion. The literary similarities between the ancient egyptian. In addition to those you mention, horus supposedly had 12 disciples and was crucified, then. These are the sources and citations used to research is christianity plagiarized from ancient egyptian religions this bibliography was generated on cite this for me on friday, october 9, 2015. It should be recommended reading for those interested in the history of christianity, the abrahamic religions,and comparative religion. Many christians hold that christianity was brought to egypt by the apostle saint mark in. Ancient egyptian religion ancient history encyclopedia. Ancient egyptian religion vs christianity the story between. The monotheism that is the foundation of christianity was founded within ancient kemetic egyptian spirituality and subsequently became a part of christianity through the greek gnostics.
The thoth religion has been absorbed into christianity. How is it that christianity was spread across the world. This table is a continuation from a previous essay. Ancient egyptian religious influences on the psalms of the bible. Mar 12, 2016 the reason christianity can hold people in beyond the fear is that they keep juuuuust enough of the ancient spiritual truths in to support the misinformation. Debunking the claim that christianity was plagiarized from. Religion played a part in every aspect of the lives of the. According to those who deny the existence of jesus, however, this description is of a mythological precursor to christianity, the egyptian god named horus.
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