Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 138

In all religions of antiquity the number _twelve_, which applies to the twelve signs of the zodiac, are reproduced in all kinds and sorts of forms. For instance: such are the _twelve_ great G.o.ds; the _twelve_ apostles of Osiris; the _twelve_ apostles of Jesus; the _twelve_ sons of Jacob, or the _twelve_ tribes; the _twelve_ altars of James; the _twelve_ labors of Hercules; the _twelve_ shields of Mars; the _twelve_ brothers Arvaux; the _twelve_ G.o.ds Consents; the _twelve_ governors in the Manichean System; the _adectyas_ of the East Indies; the _twelve_ a.s.ses of the Scandinavians; the city of the _twelve_ gates in the Apocalypse; the _twelve_ wards of the city; the _twelve_ sacred cushions, on which the Creator sits in the cosmogony of the j.a.panese; the _twelve_ precious stones of the _rational_, or the ornament worn by the high priest of the Jews, &c., &c. (See Dupuis, pp. 39, 40.)

[499:1] See Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 505.

[499:2] Luke, ii. 32.

[499:3] John, xii, 46.

[499:4] John, ix. v.

[499:5] I. John, i. 5.

[500:1] Monumental Christianity, p. 117.

[501:1] See Monumental Christianity, pp. 189, 191, 192, 238, and 296.

[501:2] See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 283.

[501:3] King's Gnostics, p. 68.

[501:4] Ibid. p. 137.

[501:5] See Chapter XX.

[501:6] Hist. of Our Lord in Art, vol. i. p. 31.

[502:1] Geikie: Life of Christ, vol. i. p. 151.

[502:2] Monumental Christianity, p. 231.

[502:3] King's Gnostics, p. 48.

[502:4] Ibid. p. 68.

[502:5] See Bell's Pantheon, vol. i. p. 13.

[503:1] Following are the words of the decree now in the Vatican library: "In quibusdam sanctorum imaginum picturis agnus exprimitur, &c.

Nos igitur veteres figuras atque umbras, et veritatis notas, et signa ecclesiae tradita, complectentes, gratiam, et veritatem anteponimus, quam ut plenitudinem legis acceptimus. Itaque id quod perfectum est, in picturis etiam omnium oculis subjiciamus, agnum illum qui mundi peccatum tollit, Christum Deum nostrum, loco veteris Ayni, humana forma posthae exprimendum decrevimus," &c.

[504:1] "The _solar horse_, with two serpents upon his head (the Buddhist Aries) is Buddha's symbol, and Aries is the symbol of Christ."

(Arthur Lillie: Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 110.)

[504:2] Quoted by Lillie: Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 93.

[504:3] Quoted by King: The Gnostics &c., p. 138.

[505:1] Quoted by King: The Gnostics, &c., p. 49.

[505:2] Ibid. p. 45.

[505:3] _Indra_, the crucified Sun-G.o.d of the Hindoos, was represented with golden locks. (c.o.x: Aryan Myths, vol. i. p. 341.)

_Mithras_, the Persian Saviour, was represented with long flowing locks.

_Izdubar_, the G.o.d and hero of the Chaldeans, was represented with long flowing locks of hair (Smith: Chaldean Account of Genesis, p. 193), and so was his counterpart, the Hebrew Samson.

"The Sakya-prince (Buddha) is described as an Aryan by Buddhistic tradition; his face was reddish, his hair of light color and curly, his general appearance of great beauty." (Bunsen: The Angel-Messiah, p. 15.)

"Serapis has, in some instances, long hair formally turned back, and disposed in ringlets hanging down upon his breast and shoulders like that of a woman. His whole person, too, is always enveloped in drapery reaching to his feet." (Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 104.)

"As for _yellow hair_, there is no evidence that Greeks have ever commonly possessed it; but no other color would do for a solar hero, and it accordingly characterizes the entire company of them, wherever found." (Fiske: Myths and Mythmakers, p. 202.)

Helios (the Sun) is called by the Greeks the "yellow-haired."

(Goldzhier: Hebrew Mytho., p. 137.)

The Sun's rays is signified by the flowing golden locks which stream from the head of Kephalos, and fall over the shoulders of Bellerophon.

(c.o.x: Aryan Mytho., vol. i. p. 107.)

Perseus, son of the virgin Danae, was called the "Golden Child." (Ibid.

vol. ii. p. 58.) "The light of early morning is not more pure than was the color on his fair cheeks, and the golden locks streamed bright over his shoulders, like the rays of the sun when they rest on the hills at midday." (Tales of Ancient Greece, p. 83.)

The Saviour Dionysus wore a long flowing robe, and had long golden hair, which streamed from his head over his shoulders. (Aryan Mythology, vol.

ii. p. 293.)

Ixion was the "Beautiful and Mighty," with golden hair flashing a glory from his head, dazzling as the rays which stream from Helios, when he drives his chariot up the heights of heaven; and his flowing robe glistened as he moved, like the vesture which the Sun-G.o.d gave to the wise maiden Medeia, who dwelt in Kolchis. (Tales of Ancient Greece, p.

47.)

Theseus enters the city of Athens, as Christ Jesus is said to have entered Jerusalem, with a long flowing robe, and with his _golden hair_ tied gracefully behind his head. His "soft beauty" excites the mockery of the populace, who pause in their work to jest with him. (c.o.x: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. p. 63.)

Thus we see that long locks of golden hair, and a flowing robe, are mythological attributes of the Sun.

[506:1] c.o.x: Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 49.

[506:2] We have already seen (in Chapter XX.) that the word "_Christ_"

signifies the "Anointed," or the "Messiah," and that many other personages beside Jesus of Nazareth had this _t.i.tle_ affixed to their names.

[507:1] The theory which has been set forth in this chapter, is also more fully ill.u.s.trated in Appendix C.

[507:2] These three letters, _the monogram of the Sun_, are the celebrated I. H. S., which are to be seen in Roman Catholic churches at the present day, and which are now the monogram of the Sun-G.o.d _Christ_ Jesus. (See Chapter x.x.xVI.)

CHAPTER XL.

CONCLUSION.

We now come to the last, but certainly not least, question to be answered; which is, what do we really know of the man Jesus of Nazareth?