Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions by T. W. Doane

THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST JESUS. The punishment of an individual by crucifixion, for claiming to be "King of the Jews," "Son of God," or "The Christ;" which are the causes assigned by the Evangelists for the Crucifixion of Jesus, would need but a passing glance in our inquiry, were it not for the fact that there is much attached to it of a _dogmatic_ and _heathenish_ nature, which demands considerably more than a "passing glance." The doctrine of atonement for sin had been preached long before the doctrine was deduced from the Christian Scriptures, long before these Scriptures are pretended to have been written. Before the period assigned for the birth of Christ Jesus, the poet _Ovid_ had assailed the demoralizing delusion with the most powerful shafts of philosophic scorn: "_When thou thyself art guilty,_" says he, "_why should a victim die for thee? What folly it is to expect salvation from the death of another._" The idea of expiation by the sacrifice of a _god_ was to be found among the Hindoos even in _Vedic_ times. _The sacrificer was mystically identified with the victim_, which was regarded as the ransom for sin, and the instrument of its annulment. The _Rig-Veda_ represents the gods as sacrificing _Purusha_, the primeval male, supposed to be coeval with the Creator. This idea is even more remarkably developed in the _Tandya-brahmanas_, thus: "The lord of creatures (_praja-pati_) _offered himself a sacrifice for the gods_." And again, in the _Satapatha-brahmana_: "He who, knowing this, sacrifices the _Purusha-medha_, or sacrifice of the primeval male, becomes everything."[181:1] Prof. Monier Williams, from whose work on _Hindooism_ we quote the above, says: "Surely, in these mystical allusions to the sacrifice of a representative man, we may perceive traces of the original institution of sacrifice as a _divinely-appointed ordinance typical of the one great sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of the world_."[182:1] This idea of redemption from sin through the sufferings and death of a Divine Incarnate Saviour, is simply the crowning-point of the idea entertained by primitive man that the gods _demanded_ a sacrifice of some kind, to atone for some sin, or avert some calamity. In primitive ages, when men lived mostly on vegetables, they offered only grain, water, salt, fruit, and flowers to the gods, to propitiate them and thereby obtain temporal blessings. But when they began to eat meat and spices, and drink wine, they offered the same; naturally supposing the deities would be pleased with whatever was useful or agreeable to themselves. They imagined that some gods were partial to animals, others to fruits, flowers, etc. To the celestial gods they offered _white_ victims at sunrise, or at open day. To the infernal deities they sacrificed _black_ animals in the night. Each god had some creature peculiarly devoted to his worship. They sacrificed a _bull_ to Mars, a _dove_ to Venus, and to Minerva, a _heifer_ without blemish, which had never been put to the yoke. If a man was too poor to sacrifice a living animal, he offered an image of one made of bread. In the course of time, it began to be imagined that the gods demanded something more sacred as offerings or atonements for sin. This led to the sacrifice of _human beings_, principally slaves and those taken in war, then, their own children, even their most beloved "first-born." It came to be an idea that every sin must have its prescribed amount of punishment, _and that the gods would accept the life of one person as atonement for the sins of others_. This idea prevailed even in Greece and Rome: but there it mainly took the form of heroic self-sacrifice for the public good. Cicero says: "The force of religion was so great among our ancestors, that some of their commanders have, with their faces veiled, and with the strongest expressions of sincerity, _sacrificed themselves to the immortal gods to save their country_."[182:2] In Egypt, offerings of human sacrifices, for the atonement of sin, became so general that "if the eldest born of the family of Athamas entered the temple of the Laphystan Jupiter at Alos in Achaia, he was sacrificed, crowned with garlands like an animal victim."[182:3] When the Egyptian priests offered up a sacrifice to the gods, they pronounced the following imprecations on the head of the victim: "If any evil is about to befall either those who now sacrifice, or Egypt in general, _may it be averted on this head_."[183:1] This idea of atonement finally resulted in the belief that the incarnate _Christ_, the _Anointed_, the _God among us_, was to _save_ mankind from a curse by God imposed. Man had sinned, and God could not and did not forgive without a propitiatory _sacrifice_. The curse of God must be removed from the _sinful_, and the _sinless_ must bear the load of that curse. It was asserted that _divine justice_ required BLOOD.[183:2] The belief of redemption from sin by the sufferings of a _Divine Incarnation_, whether by death on the cross or otherwise, was general and popular among the heathen, centuries before the time of Jesus of Nazareth, and this dogma, no matter how sacred it may have become, or how _consoling_ it may be, must fall along with the rest of the material of which the Christian church is built. Julius Firmicius, referring to this popular belief among the _Pagans_, says: "The _devil_ has _his Christs_."[183:3] This was the general off-hand manner in which the Christian Fathers disposed of such matters. Everything in the religion of the Pagans which corresponded to their religion was of the devil. Most Protestant divines have resorted to the _type_ theory, of which we shall speak anon. As we have done heretofore in our inquiries, we will first turn to _India_, where we shall find, in the words of M. l'Abbé Huc, that "_the idea of redemption by a divine incarnation_," who came into the world for the express purpose of redeeming mankind, was "general and popular."[183:4] "A sense of _original corruption_," says Prof. Monier Williams, seems to be felt by all classes of Hindoos, as indicated by the following prayer used after the _Gayatri_ by some Vaishnavas: "'I am sinful, I commit sin, my nature is sinful, _I am conceived in sin_. Save me, O thou lotus-eyed Heri (Saviour), the remover of sin.'"[184:1] Moreover, the doctrine of _bhakti_ (_salvation by faith_) existed among the Hindoos from the earliest times.[184:2] Crishna, the virgin-born, "the Divine Vishnu himself,"[184:3] "he who is without beginning, middle or end,"[184:4] being moved "to relieve the earth of her load,"[184:5] came upon earth and redeemed man by his _sufferings_--to _save_ him. The accounts of the deaths of most all the virgin-born Saviours of whom we shall speak, are conflicting. It is stated in one place that such an one died in such a manner, and in another place we may find it stated altogether differently. Even the accounts of the death of Jesus, as we shall hereafter see, are conflicting; therefore, until the chapter on "_Explanation_" is read, these myths cannot really be thoroughly understood. As the Rev. Geo. W. Cox remarks, in his _Aryan Mythology_, Crishna is described, in one of his aspects, as a self-sacrificing and unselfish hero, a being who is filled with divine wisdom and love, who offers up a sacrifice which he alone can make.[184:6] The _Vishnu Purana_[184:7] speaks of _Crishna_ being shot in the _foot_ with an arrow, and states that _this_ was the cause of his death. Other accounts, however, state that he was suspended on a tree, or in other words, _crucified_. Mons. Guigniaut, in his "_Religion de l'Antiquité_" says: "The death of Crishna is very differently related. One remarkable and convincing tradition makes him perish on a _tree_, to which he was _nailed_ by the stroke of an arrow."[184:8] Rev. J. P. Lundy alludes to this passage of Guigniaut's in his "Monumental Christianity," and translates the passage "un bois fatal" (see note below) "_a cross_." Although we do not think he is justified in doing this, as M. Guigniaut has distinctly stated that this "bois fatal" (which is applied to a gibbet, a cross, a scaffold, etc.) was "un arbre" (a _tree_), yet, he is justified in doing so on other accounts, for we find that _Crishna_ is represented _hanging on a cross_, and we know that a _cross_ was frequently called the "accursed _tree_." It was an ancient custom to use trees as gibbets for crucifixion, or, if artificial, to call the cross a tree.[185:1] A writer in _Deuteronomy_[185:2] speaks of hanging criminals upon a _tree_, as though it was a general custom, and says: "He that is hanged (on a tree) is accursed of God." And _Paul_ undoubtedly refers to this text when he says: "Christ hath redeemed us from the _curse_ of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.'"[185:3] It is evident, then, that to be hung on a cross was anciently called hanging on a _tree_, and to be hung on a tree was called crucifixion. We may therefore conclude from this, and from what we shall now see, that Crishna was said to have been _crucified_. In the earlier copies of Moor's "_Hindu Pantheon_," is to be seen representations of Crishna (as _Wittoba_),[185:4] with marks of holes in both feet, and in others, of holes in the hands. In Figures 4 and 5 of Plate 11 (Moor's work), the figures have _nail-holes in both feet_. Figure 6 has a _round hole in the side_; to his collar or shirt hangs the emblem of a _heart_ (which we often see in pictures of Christ Jesus) and on his head he has a _Yoni-Linga_ (which we _do not_ see in pictures of Christ Jesus.) Our Figure No. 7 (next page), is a pre-Christian crucifix of _Asiatic_ origin,[185:5] evidently intended to represent Crishna crucified. Figure No. 8 we can speak more positively of, it is surely Crishna crucified. It is unlike any Christian crucifix ever made, and, with that described above with the _Yoni-Linga_ attached to the head, would probably not be claimed as such. Instead of the _crown of thorns_ usually put on the head of the Christian Saviour, it has the turreted coronet of the Ephesian Diana, the ankles are tied together by a cord, _and the dress about the loins is exactly the style with which Crishna is almost always represented_.[185:6] Rev. J. P. Lundy, speaking of the Christian crucifix, says: "I object to the crucifix because it is an _image_, and liable to gross abuse, _just as the old Hindoo crucifix was an idol_."[186:1] [Illustration: Fig. No. 7] [Illustration: Fig. No. 8] And Dr. Inman says: "Crishna, whose history so closely resembles our Lord's, was also like him in his being crucified."[186:2] The Evangelist[186:3] relates that when Jesus was crucified two others (malefactors) were crucified with him, one of whom, through his favor, went to heaven. One of the malefactors reviled him, but the other said to Jesus: "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." And Jesus said unto him: "Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." According to the _Vishnu Purana_, the hunter who shot the arrow at Crishna afterwards said unto him: "Have pity upon me, who am consumed by my crime, for thou art able to consume me!" Crishna replied: "Fear not thou in the least. _Go, hunter, through my favor, to heaven, the abode of the gods._" As soon as he had thus spoken, a celestial car appeared, and the hunter, ascending it, forthwith proceeded to heaven. Then the illustrious Crishna, having united himself with his own pure, spiritual, inexhaustible, inconceivable, unborn, undecaying, imperishable and universal spirit, which is one with _Vasudeva_ (God),[186:4] abandoned his mortal body, and the condition of the threefold equalities.[186:5] One of the titles of Crishna is "_Pardoner of sins_," another is "_Liberator from the Serpent of death_."[187:1] [Illustration: Fig. No. 9] [Illustration: Fig. No. 10] The monk Georgius, in his _Tibetinum Alphabetum_ (p. 203), has given plates of _a crucified god_ who was worshiped in _Nepal_. These crucifixes were to be seen at the corners of roads and on eminences. He calls it the god _Indra_. Figures No. 9 and No. 10 are taken from this work. They are also different from any Christian crucifix yet produced. Georgius says: "If the matter stands as Beausobre thinks, then the inhabitants of India, and the Buddhists, whose religion is the same as that of the inhabitants of Thibet, have received these new portents of fanatics nowhere else than from the Manicheans. For those nations, especially in the city of Nepal, in the month of August, being about to celebrate the festival days of the god _Indra_, erect crosses, wreathed with _Abrotono_, to his memory, everywhere. You have the description of these in letter B, the picture following after; for A is the representation of _Indra_ himself _crucified_, bearing on his forehead, hands and feet the signs _Telech_."[187:2] P. Andrada la Crozius, one of the first Europeans who went to Nepal and Thibet, in speaking of the god whom they worshiped there--_Indra_--tells us that they said _he spilt his blood for the salvation of the human race_, and that he was pierced through the body with nails. He further says that, although they do not say he suffered the penalty of the cross, yet they find, nevertheless, figures of it in their books.[188:1] In regard to Beausobre's ideas that the religion of India is corrupted Christianity, obtained from the Manicheans, little need be said, as all scholars of the present day know that the religion of India is many centuries older than Mani or the Manicheans.[188:2] In the promontory of India, in the South, at Tanjore, and in the North, at Oude or Ayoudia, was found the worship of the _crucified god Bal-li_. This god, who was believed to have been an incarnation of Vishnu, was represented with holes in his hands and side.[188:3] The incarnate god Buddha, although said to have expired peacefully at the foot of a tree, is nevertheless described as a suffering Saviour, who, "when his mind was moved by pity (for the human race) _gave his life like grass for the sake of others_."[188:4] A hymn, addressed to Buddha, says: "Persecutions without end, Revilings and many prisons, _Death and murder_, These hast thou suffered with love and patience (To secure the happiness of mankind), Forgiving thine executioners."[188:5] He was called the "Great Physician,"[188:6] the "Saviour of the World,"[188:7] the "Blessed One,"[188:8] the "God among Gods,"[188:9] the "Anointed," or the "Christ,"[188:10] the "Messiah,"[188:11] the "Only Begotten,"[188:12] etc. He is described by the author of the "Cambridge Key"[188:13] as sacrificing his life to wash away the offenses of mankind, and thereby to make them partakers of the kingdom of heaven. This induces him to say "Can a Christian doubt that this Buddha was the TYPE of the Saviour of the World."[189:1] As a spirit in the fourth heaven, he resolves to give up "all that glory, in order to be born into the world," "to rescue all men from their misery and every future consequence of it." He vows "to deliver all men, who are left as it were without a _Saviour_."[189:2] While in the realms of the blest, and when about to descend upon earth to be born as man, he said: "I am now about to assume a body; not for the sake of gaining wealth, or enjoying the pleasures of sense, but I am about to descend and be born, among men, _simply to give peace and rest to all flesh; to remove all sorrow and grief from the world_."[189:3] M. l'Abbé Huc says: "In the eyes of the Buddhists, this personage (Buddha) is sometimes a man and sometimes a god, or rather both one and the other--a divine incarnation, a man-god--who came into the world to enlighten men, to _redeem them_, and to indicate to them the way of safety. This idea of _redemption by a divine incarnation_ is so general and popular among the Buddhists, that during our travels in Upper Asia we everywhere found it expressed in a neat formula. If we addressed to a Mongol or a Thibetan the question 'Who is Buddha?' he would immediately reply: '_The Saviour of Men!_'"[189:4] According to Prof. Max Müller, Buddha is reported as saying: "_Let all the sins that were committed in this world fall on me, that the world may be delivered._"[189:5] The _Indians_ are no strangers to the doctrine of _original sin_. It is their invariable belief that _man is a fallen being_; admitted by them from time immemorial.[189:6] And what we have seen concerning their beliefs in _Crishna_ and _Buddha_ unmistakably shows a belief in a _divine Saviour_, who _redeems man_, and takes upon himself the sins of the world; so that "_Baddha_ paid it all, all to him is due."[189:7] The idea of redemption through the sufferings and death of a _Divine Saviour_, is to be found even in the ancient religions of China. One of their five sacred volumes, called the _Y-King_, says, in speaking of _Tien, the "Holy One"_: "The _Holy One_ will unite in himself all the virtues of heaven and earth. By his justice the world will be re-established in the ways of righteousness. He will labor and suffer much. He must pass the great torrent, whose waves shall enter into his soul; _but he alone can offer up to the Lord a sacrifice worthy of him_."[190:1] An ancient commentator says: "The common people sacrifice their lives to gain bread; the philosophers to gain reputation; the nobility to perpetuate their families. The _Holy One_ (_Tien_) does not seek himself, but the good of others. _He dies to save the world._"[190:2] _Tien_, the Holy One, is always spoken of as one with God, existing with him from all eternity, "before anything was made." _Osiris_ and _Horus_, the Egyptian virgin-born gods, suffered death.[190:3] Mr. Bonwick, speaking of _Osiris_, says: "He is one of the _Saviours_ or deliverers of humanity, to be found in almost all lands." "In his efforts to do good, he encounters evil; in struggling with that he is overcome; he is killed."[190:4] Alexander Murray says: "_The Egyptian Saviour Osiris_ was gratefully regarded as the great exemplar of self-sacrifice, in _giving his life for others_."[190:5] Sir J. G. Wilkinson says of him: "The sufferings and death of _Osiris_ were the great Mystery of the Egyptian religion, and some traces of it are perceptible among other peoples of antiquity. His being the _Divine Goodness_, and the abstract idea of 'good,' his manifestation upon earth (like a Hindoo god), his death and resurrection, and his office as judge of the dead in a future state, _look like the early revelation of a future manifestation of the deity converted into a mythological fable_."[190:6] _Horus_ was also called "The Saviour." "As Horus Sneb, he is the _Redeemer_. He is the Lord of Life and the Eternal One."[190:7] He is also called "The Only-Begotten."[190:8] _Attys_, who was called the "_Only Begotten Son_"[190:9] and "_Saviour_," was worshiped by the Phrygians (who were regarded as one of the oldest races of Asia Minor). He was represented by them as _a man tied to a tree_, at the foot of which was a _lamb_,[191:1] and, without doubt, also _as a man nailed to the tree, or stake_, for we find Lactantius making this Apollo of Miletus (anciently, the greatest and most flourishing city of Ionia, in Asia Minor) say that: "He was a mortal according to the flesh; wise in miraculous works; but, being arrested by an armed force by command of the Chaldean judges, _he suffered a death made bitter with nails and stakes_."[191:2] In this god of the Phrygians, we again have the myth of the _crucified Saviour of Paganism_. By referring to Mrs. Jameson's "History of Our Lord in Art,"[191:3] or to illustrations in chapter xl. this work, it will be seen that a common mode of representing a crucifixion was that of a man, tied with cords by the hands and feet, to an upright beam or stake. The _lamb_, spoken of above, which signifies considerable, we shall speak of in its proper place. _Tammuz_, or _Adonis_, the Syrian and Jewish _Adonai_ (in Hebrew "Our Lord"), was another _virgin-born_ god, who suffered for mankind, and who had the title of _Saviour_. The accounts of his death are conflicting, just as it is with almost all of the so-called Saviours of mankind (_including the Christian Saviour_, as we shall hereafter see) one account, however, makes him a _crucified Saviour_.[191:4] It is certain, however, that the ancients who honored him as their Lord and Saviour, celebrated, annually, a feast in commemoration of his death. An image, intended as a representation of their Lord, was laid on a bed or bier, and bewailed in mournful ditties--just as the Roman Catholics do at the present day in their "Good Friday" mass. During this ceremony the priest murmured: "_Trust ye in your Lord, for the pains which he endured, our salvation have procured._"[191:5] The Rev. Dr. Parkhurst, in his "Hebrew Lexicon," after referring to what we have just stated above, says: "I find myself _obliged_ to refer _Tammuz_ to that class of idols which were originally designed to represent the promised Saviour, the Desire of all Nations. His other name, _Adonis_, is almost the very Hebrew _Adoni_ or _Lord_, a well-known title of Christ."[191:6] _Prometheus_ was a crucified Saviour. He was "an immortal god, a friend of the human race, _who does not shrink even from sacrificing himself for their salvation_."[192:1] The tragedy of the crucifixion of Prometheus, written by Æschylus, was acted in Athens five hundred years before the Christian Era, and is by many considered to be the most ancient dramatic poem now in existence. The plot was derived from materials even at that time of an infinitely remote antiquity. Nothing was ever so exquisitely calculated to work upon the feelings of the spectators. No author ever displayed greater powers of poetry, with equal strength of judgment, in supporting through the piece the august character of the _Divine Sufferer_. The spectators themselves were unconsciously made a party to the interest of the scene: its hero was their friend, their benefactor, their creator, and their _Saviour_; his wrongs were incurred in their quarrel--_his sorrows were endured for their salvation_; "he was wounded for their transgressions, and bruised for their iniquities; the chastisement of their peace was upon him, and by his stripes they were healed;" "he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth." The majesty of his silence, whilst the ministers of an offended god were _nailing him by the hands and feet to Mount Caucasus_,[192:2] could be only equaled by the modesty with which he relates, _while hanging with arms extended in the form of a cross_, his services to the human race, which had brought on him that horrible crucifixion.[192:3] "None, save myself," says he, "opposed his (Jove's) will," "I dared; And boldly pleading saved them from destruction, Saved them from sinking to the realms of night. For this offense I bend beneath these pains, Dreadful to suffer, piteous to behold: For mercy to mankind I am not deem'd Worthy of mercy; but with ruthless hate In this uncouth appointment am fix'd here A spectacle dishonorable to Jove."[192:4] In the catastrophe of the plot, his especially professed friend, Oceanus, _the Fisherman_--as his name _Petræus_ indicates,[193:1]--being unable to prevail on him to make his peace with Jupiter, by throwing the cause of human redemption out of his hands,[193:2] forsook him and fled. None remained to be witness of his dying agonies but the chorus of ever-amiable and ever-faithful which also bewailed and lamented him,[193:3] but were unable to subdue his inflexible philanthropy.[193:4] In the words of Justin Martyr: "Suffering was common to all the sons of Jove." They were called the "Slain Ones," "Saviours," "Redeemers," &c. _Bacchus_, the offspring of Jupiter and Semele,[193:5] was called the "_Saviour_."[193:6] He was called the "_Only Begotten Son_,"[193:7] the "Slain One,"[193:8] the "Sin Bearer,"[193:9] the "Redeemer,"[193:10] &c. Evil having spread itself over the earth, through the inquisitiveness of Pandora, the Lord of the gods is begged to come to the relief of mankind. Jupiter lends a willing ear to the entreaties, "and wishes that his _son_ should be the _redeemer_ of the misfortunes of the world; _The Bacchus Saviour_. He promises to the earth a _Liberator_ . . The universe shall worship him, and shall praise in songs his blessings." In order to execute his purpose, Jupiter overshadows the beautiful young maiden--the virgin Semele--who becomes the mother of the _Redeemer_.[193:11] "It is I (says the lord Bacchus to mankind), who guides you; it is I who protects you, and who saves you; I who am Alpha and Omega."[193:12] _Hercules_, the son of Zeus, was called "The Saviour."[193:13] The words "Hercules the Saviour" were engraven on ancient coins and monuments.[193:14] He was also called "The Only Begotten," and the "Universal Word." He was re-absorbed into God. He was said by Ovid to be the "Self-produced," the Generator and Ruler of all things, and the Father of time.[193:15] _Æsculapius_ was distinguished by the epithet "The Saviour."[194:1] The temple erected to his memory in the city of Athens was called: "_The Temple of the Saviour_."[194:2] _Apollo_ was distinguished by the epithet "_The Saviour_."[194:3] In a hymn to _Apollo_ he is called: "The willing _Saviour_ of distressed mankind."[194:4] _Serapis_ was called "The Saviour."[194:5] He was considered by Hadrian, the Roman emperor (117-138 A. D.), and the Gentiles, to be the peculiar god of the Christians.[194:6] A _cross_ was found under the ruins of his temple in Alexandria in Egypt.[194:7] Fig. No. 11 is a representation of this Egyptian Saviour, taken from Murray's "Manual of Mythology." It certainly resembles the pictures of "the peculiar God of the Christians." It is very evident that the pictures of Christ Jesus, as we know them to-day, are simply the pictures of some of the Pagan gods, who were, for certain reasons which we shall speak of in a subsequent chapter, always represented with _long yellow or red hair, and a florid complexion_. If such a person as Jesus of Nazareth ever lived in the flesh, he was undoubtedly a _Jew_, and would therefore have _Jewish features_; this his pictures do not betray.[194:8] [Illustration: Fig. No. 11] _Mithras_, who was "Mediator between God and man,"[194:9] was called "The Saviour." He was the peculiar god of the Persians, who believed that he had, by his sufferings, worked their salvation, and on this account he was called their _Saviour_.[194:10] He was also called "_The Logos_."[194:11] The Persians believed that they were tainted with _original sin_, owing to the fall of their first parents who were tempted by the evil one in the form of a serpent.[194:12] They considered their law-giver _Zoroaster_ to be also a _Divine Messenger_, sent to redeem men from their evil ways, and they always worshiped his memory. To this day his followers mention him with the greatest reverence, calling him "_The Immortal Zoroaster_," "_The Blessed Zoroaster_," "The First-Born of the Eternal One," &c.[195:1] "In the life of Zoroaster the common mythos is apparent. He was born in innocence, of an immaculate conception, of a ray of the Divine Reason. As soon as he was born, the glory arising from his body enlightened the room, and he laughed at his mother. He was called a _Splendid Light from the Tree of Knowledge_, and, in fine, he or his soul was _suspensus a lingo_, hung upon a tree, and this was the Tree of Knowledge."[195:2] How much this resembles "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints."[195:3] _Hermes_ was called "_The Saviour_." On the altar of Pepi (B. C. 3500) are to be found prayers to Hermes--"_He who is the good Saviour._"[195:4] He was also called "_The Logos._" The church fathers, Hippolytus, Justin Martyr, and Plutarch (_de Iside et Osir_) assert that the _Logos_ is _Hermes_.[195:5] The term "_Logos_" is Greek, and signifies literally "_Word_."[195:6] He was also "_The Messenger of God_."[195:7] Dr. Inman says: "There are few words which strike more strongly upon the senses of an inquirer into the nature of ancient faiths, than _Salvation_ and _Saviour_. Both were used long before the birth of Christ, and they are still common among those who never heard of Jesus, or of that which is known among us as the Gospels."[195:8] He also tells us that there is a very remarkable figure copied in Payne Knight's work, in which we see on a man's shoulders a _cock's_ head, whilst on the pediment are placed the words: "_The Saviour of the World._"[195:9] Besides the titles of "God's First-Born," "Only Begotten," the "Mediator," the "Shepherd," the "Advocate," the "Paraclete or Comforter," the "Son of God," the "Logos," &c.,[195:10] being applied to heathen virgin-born gods, before the time assigned for the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, we have also that of _Christ_ and _Jesus_. _Cyrus_, King of Persia, was called the "Christ," or the "Anointed of God."[196:1] As Dr. Giles says, "_Christ_" is "a name having no spiritual signification, and importing nothing more than an _ordinary surname_."[196:2] The worshipers of _Serapis_ were called "_Christians_," and those devoted to Serapis were called "Bishops of Christ."[196:3] _Eusebius_, the ecclesiastical historian, says, that the names of "Jesus" and "Christ," were both known and honored among the ancients.[196:4] _Mithras_ was called the "Anointed" or the "Christ;"[196:5] and _Horus_, _Mano_, _Mithras_, _Bel-Minor_, _Iao_, _Adoni_, &c., were each of them "God of Light," "Light of the World," the "Anointed," or the "Christ."[196:6] It is said that Peter called his Master _the Christ_, whereupon "he straightway charged them (the disciples), and commanded them to tell no man _that thing_."[196:7] The title of "_Christ_" or "The Anointed," was held by the kings of Israel. "Touch not my Christ and do my prophets no harm," says the Psalmist.[196:8] The term "Christ" was applied to religious teachers, leaders of factions, necromancers or wonder-workers, &c. This is seen by the passage in _Matthew_, where the writer says: "There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."[196:9] The virgin-born Crishna and Buddha were incarnations of Vishnu, called Avatars. An Avatar is an _Angel-Messiah_, a _God-man_, a CHRIST; for the word _Christ_ is from the Greek _Christos_, an _Anointed One_, a _Messiah_. The name _Jesus_, which is pronounced in Hebrew _Yezua_, and is sometimes Grecized into _Jason_, was very common. After the Captivity it occurs quite frequently, and is interchanged with the name _Joshua_. Indeed Joshua, the successor of Moses, is called Jesus in the New Testament more than once,[196:10] though the meaning of the two names is not really quite the same. We know of a Jesus, son of Sirach, a writer of proverbs, whose collection is preserved among the apocryphal books of the Old Testament. The notorious _Barabbas_[197:1] or _son of Abbas_, was himself called Jesus. Among Paul's opponents we find a magician called Elymas, _the Son of Jesus_. Among the early Christians a certain Jesus, also called Justus, appears. Flavius Josephus mentions more than _ten_ distinct persons--priests, robbers, peasants, and others--who bore the name of Jesus, all of whom lived during the last century of the Jewish state.[197:2] To return now to our theme--_crucified gods before the time of Jesus of Nazareth_. The holy Father _Minucius Felix_, in his _Octavius_, written as late as A. D. 211, indignantly _resents the supposition that the sign of the cross should be considered exclusively as a Christian symbol_, and represents his advocate of the Christian argument as retorting on an infidel opponent. His words are: "As for the adoration of _crosses_ which you (_Pagans_) object against us (_Christians_), I must tell you, _that we neither adore crosses nor desire them; you it is, ye Pagans_ . . . who are the most likely people to adore wooden crosses . . . for what else are your ensigns, flags, and standards, _but crosses gilt and beautiful_. Your victorious trophies not only represent a simple cross, _but a cross with a man upon it_."[197:3] The existence, in the writings of Minucius Felix, of this passage, is probably owing to an oversight of the destroyers of all evidences against the Christian religion that could be had. The practice of the Romans, here alluded to, of carrying _a cross with a man on it_, or, in other words, a _crucifix_, has evidently been concealed from us by the careful destruction of such of their works as alluded to it. The priests had everything their own way for centuries, and to destroy what was evidence against their claims was a very simple matter. It is very evident that this celebrated Christian Father alludes to some Gentile mystery, of which the prudence of his successors has deprived us. When we compare this with the fact that for centuries after the time assigned for the birth of Christ Jesus, he was not represented as a man on a cross, and that the Christians did not have such a thing as a _crucifix_, we are inclined to think that the effigies of a black or _dark-skinned crucified man_, which were to be seen in many places in Italy even during the last century, may have had something to do with it.[197:4] While speaking of "_a cross with a man on it_" as being carried by the Pagan Romans as a _standard_, we might mention the fact, related by Arrian the historian,[198:1] that the troops of Porus, in their war with Alexander the Great, carried on their standards _the figure of a man_.[198:2] Here is evidently the _crucifix standard_ again. "This must have been (says Mr. Higgins) a Staurobates or Salivahana, and looks very like the figure of a man carried on their standards by the Romans. This was similar to the dove carried on the standards of the Assyrians. This must have been the crucifix of Nepaul."[198:3] Tertullian, a Christian Father of the second and third centuries, writing to the Pagans, says: "The origin of _your_ gods is derived from _figures moulded on a cross_. All those rows of _images on your standards_ are the appendages of crosses; those hangings on your standards and banners are the robes of crosses."[198:4] We have it then, on the authority of a Christian Father, as late as A. D. 211, that the Christians "_neither adored crosses nor desired them_," but that the _Pagans_ "adored crosses," and not that alone, but "_a cross with a man upon it_." This we shall presently find to be the case. Jesus, in those days, nor for centuries after, was _not_ represented as a _man on a cross_. He was represented as a _lamb_, and the adoration of the crucifix, by the Christians, was a later addition to their religion. But this we shall treat of in its place. We may now ask the question, who was this _crucified man_ whom the Pagans "_adored_" before and after the time of Jesus of Nazareth? Who did the crucifix represent? It was, undoubtedly, "the Saviour crucified for the salvation of mankind," long before the Christian Era, _whose effigies were to be seen in many places all over Italy_. These Pagan crucifixes were either destroyed, corrupted, or adopted; the latter was the case with many ancient paintings of the _Bambino_,[198:5] on which may be seen the words _Deo Soli_. Now, these two words can never apply to Christ Jesus. He was _not Deus Solus_, in any sense, according to the idiom of the Latin language, and the Romish faith. Whether we construe the words to "the only God," or "God alone," they are equally heretical. No priest, in any age of the Church, would have thought of putting them there, _but finding them there_, they tolerated them. In the "_Celtic Druids_," Mr. Higgins describes a _crucifix_, a _lamb_, and an _elephant_, which was cut upon the "fire tower"--so-called--at Brechin, a town of Forfarshire, in Scotland. Although they appeared to be of very ancient date, he supposed, at that time, that they were modern, and belonged to Christianity, but some years afterwards, he wrote as follows: "I now doubt (the modern date of the tower), for we have, over and over again, seen the crucified man before Christ. We have also found 'The Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world,' among the Carnutes of Gaul, before the time of Christ; and when I contemplate these, and the _Elephant_ or _Ganesa_,[199:1] and the _Ring_[199:2] and its Cobra,[199:3] _Linga_,[199:4] _Iona_,[199:5] and Nandies, found not far from the tower, on the estate of Lord Castles, with the Colidei, the island of Iona, and Ii, . . . I am induced to doubt my former conclusions. The Elephant, the Ganesa of India, is a very stubborn fellow to be found here. The Ring, too, when joined with other matters, I cannot get over. _All these superstitions must have come from India._"[199:6] On one of the Irish "round towers" is to be seen _a crucifix of unmistakable Asiatic origin_.[199:7] If we turn to the New World, we shall find strange though it may appear, that the ancient _Mexicans_ and _Peruvians_ worshiped a _crucified Saviour_. This was the virgin-born _Quetzalcoatle_ whose crucifixion is represented in the paintings of the "_Codex Borgianus_," and the "_Codex Vaticanus_." These paintings illustrate the religious opinions of the ancient Mexicans, and were copied from the hieroglyphics found in Mexico. The Spaniards destroyed nearly all the books, ancient monuments and paintings which they could find; had it not been for this, much more regarding the religion of the ancient Mexicans would have been handed down to us. Many chapters were also taken--by the Spanish authorities--from the writings of the first historians who wrote on ancient Mexico. _All manuscripts had to be inspected previous to being published._ Anything found among these heathens resembling the religion of the Christians, was destroyed when possible.[199:8] The first Spanish monks who went to Mexico were surprised to find the _crucifix_ among the heathen inhabitants, and upon inquiring what it meant, were told that it was a representation of _Bacob_ (Quetzalcoatle), the Son of God, who was put to death by _Eopuco_. They said that he was placed on a beam of wood, _with his arms stretched out_, and that he died there.[200:1] Lord Kingsborough, from whose very learned and elaborate work we have taken the above, says: "Being questioned as to the manner in which they became acquainted with these things, they replied that the lords instructed their sons in them, and that thus this doctrine descended from one to another."[200:2] Sometimes Quetzalcoatle or Bacob is represented as _tied_ to the cross--just as we have seen that _Attys_ was represented by the Phrygians--and at other times he is represented "in the attitude of a person crucified, with impressions of nail-holes in his hands and feet, but not actually upon a cross"--just as we have found the Hindoo _Crishna_, and as he is represented in Fig. No. 8. Beneath _this_ representation of Quetzalcoatle crucified, is an image of Death, which an angry serpent seems threatening to devour.[200:3] On the 73d page of the Borgian MS., he is represented _crucified on a cross of the Greek form_. In this print there are also _impressions of nails_ to be seen on the _feet and hands_, and his body is strangely covered with _suns_.[200:4] In vol. ii. plate 75, the god is crucified in a circle of nineteen figures, and a _serpent_ is depriving him of the organs of generation. Lord Kingsborough, commenting on these paintings, says: "It is remarkable that in these Mexican paintings the faces of many of the figures are _black_, and that the visage of Quetzalcoatle is frequently painted in a very deformed manner."[200:5] His lordship further tells us that (according to the belief of the ancient Mexicans), "the death of Quetzalcoatle upon the cross" was "_an atonement for the sins of mankind_."[200:6] Dr. Daniel Brinton, in his "_Myths of the New World_," tells us that the _Aztecs_ had a feast which they celebrated "_in the early spring_," when "_victims were nailed to a cross and shot with an arrow_."[200:7] Alexander Von Humboldt, in his "_American Researches_," also speaks of this feast, when the Mexicans crucified a man, and pierced him with an arrow.[200:8] The author of _Monumental Christianity_, speaking of this, says: "Here is the old story of the _Prometheus crucified_ on the Caucasus, _and of all other Pagan crucifixions of the young incarnate divinities of India, Persia, Asia Minor and Egypt_."[201:1] This we believe; _but how did this myth get there_? He does not say, but we shall attempt to show, in a future chapter, how _this_ and _other_ myths of Eastern origin became known in the New World.[201:2] It must not be forgotten, in connection with what we have seen concerning the Mexican crucified god being sometimes represented as _black_, and the feast when the _crucified man_ was shot with an arrow, that effigies of a _black crucified man were found in Italy_; that Crishna, the crucified, is very often represented _black_; and that _Crishna_ was shot with an arrow. Crosses were also found in _Yucatan_, as well as Mexico, _with a man upon them_.[201:3] Cogolludo, in his "History of Yucatan," speaking of a crucifix found there, says: "Don Eugenio de Alcantara (one of the true teachers of the Gospel), told me, not only once, that I might safely write that the Indians of Cozumel possessed this holy cross in the time of their paganism; and that some years had elapsed since it was brought to Medira; for having heard from many persons what was reported of it, he had made particular inquiries of some very old Indians who resided there, who assured him that it was the fact." He then speaks of the difficulty in accounting for this crucifix being found among the Indians of Cozumel, and ends by saying: "But if it be considered that these Indians believed that the Son of God, whom they called Bacob, _had died upon a cross, with his arms stretched out upon it_, it cannot appear so difficult a matter to comprehend that they should have formed his image according to the religious creed which they possessed."[201:4] We shall find, in another chapter, that these virgin-born "_Saviours_" and "Slain Ones;" Crishna, Osiris, Horus, Attys, Adonis, Bacchus, &c.--whether torn in pieces, killed by a boar, or crucified--_will all melt into_ ONE. We now come to a very important fact not generally known, namely: _There are no early representations of Christ Jesus suffering on the cross._ Rev. J. P. Lundy, speaking of this, says: "Why should a fact so well known to the heathen as the crucifixion be concealed? _And yet its actual realistic representation never once occurs in the monuments of Christianity, for more than six or seven centuries._"[202:1] Mrs. Jameson, in her "History of Our Lord in Art," says: "The crucifixion is _not_ one of the subjects of early Christianity. The death of our Lord was represented by various _types_, but _never in its actual form_. "The _earliest_ instances of the _crucifixion_ are found in illustrated manuscripts of various countries, and in those _ivory and enameled forms_ which are described in the