When I first began researching ancient mythology for this article I was writing under the impression that many pagan myths paralleled the life of Christ; the miraculous events surrounding his birth, ministry, death, and ultimate resurrection. The reason for my assumption was obvious: virtually everyone, including historians, authors and mainstream archaeologists seemed to be arriving at the conclusion that the biblical authors plagiarized ancient themes of redemption, victory over evil, and salvation, from the myths of old. Indeed, I didn't have to look very far to find articles, books, and even a few History Channel and National Geographic specials to support this claim.
However, upon closer examination of the myths in question, I soon discovered that much of the alleged evidence used to support these pseudo-messianic theories is circumstantial at best, or otherwise nonexistent.
Suffice it to say, I was dumbfounded by just how many people were being deceived by those who are attempting to use mythical parallels as evidence against Christianity.
That being said, while historically unfounded, the basis for the plagiarism hypothesis seems obvious: Christianity originated in the First Century AD whereas contemporary pagan myths had existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Therefore Christianity must have borrowed ideas from other religions.
At first glance, the logic of this argument seems sound. However, upon further study, it soon becomes clear that the plagiarism hypothesis is in fact a poat-hoc fallacy that not only ignores historical and cultural evidence to the contrary, but also crucial counter-evidence found in the scriptures themselves.
According to the book of Genesis (ca. 1440-1400 BC) there was a time when all mankind knew about God. They did not necessarily worship Him, but they at least knew of Him.
For example: Genesis 4 recounts the story of Cain and Able–both of whom made offerings to the Lord (Yahweh/Jehovah) thousands of years before the Old Testament Law was written. Likewise, Noah also built an alter and made sacrifices to the Lord after exiting the Ark in Genesis 8:20.
In Genesis 4:26 we are told that "...people first began to worship the Lord (Yahweh/Jehovah) by name." While Genesis 14:17-20, speaks of a meeting between Abraham–the first of the Old Testament Patriarchs, and father of the Jewish Nation–and a Canaanite named Melchizedek, who is identified as the King of Salem (that is, Jerusalem) and a priest of the Most High God.
All that to say, there is strong evidence from the earliest biblical text to support the notion that at least some of the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia were worshiping the Hebrew God, Yahweh/Jehovah at least 430 years before the Jewish religion ever existed.
That said, this conclusion is also based in part on what some might consider to be another post-hoc fallacy: the belief that ancient, pagan religions based their mythologies on historical events from the biblical record, simply because the biblical record states that these events took place before the pagan religions began. However, if one attempts to use this argument to dismiss the biblical record, then one must also be willing to apply the same logic to the rest of history. After all, every history book in existence was written long after the events they record actually took place, and generally hold to an interpretation of history that favors those who wrote them. (History is written by the victor after all.) Yet, despite this admittedly biased representation of historical evidence, most historical documents are widely accepted, while the Bible is generally dismissed without so much as a second thought.
However, if the Bible is indeed an historically accurate document that truthfully records the dawn of human civilization, then the aforementioned conclusion is no longer in error, and is in fact highly plausible.
If this is indeed true, and the biblical record is historically sound, then it is not outside the realm of possibility for ancient societies to share a common mythology. This is especially significant when you stop to consider the fact that, like the rest of the Old Testament, Genesis is filled with Messianic Prophesies, all of which would be fulfilled by Jesus Christ some 1400 years later.
The first of these Messianic Prophesies is recorded in Genesis 3:15:
"And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel."
~ Genesis 3:15 NLT (New Living Translation)
This one prophesy–which predates both Judaism and Christianity by thousands of years in the biblical timeline–is enough to form the foundation of every alleged pseudo-messianic myth from Adonis to Zoroaster. Therefore one could easily argue that Judaism and Christianity did not borrow their inspiration from ancient, pagan religions, but rather the ancient, pagan religions created their mythology based on a prophesy given to mankind by the Most High God when sin first entered the world.
However, as previously stated, most–if not all–of these alleged similarities are not ancient at all, but are in fact post-Christian and/or modern fabrications. (ie. the Horus-Jesus Myth.)
In short, any parallels that may exist between ancient mythology and the Bible can be attributed to the fact that mankind once knew of God; they had heard of the coming Messiah, but slowly lost sight of God's promise as truth gave way to myth. But unlike the vague prophecies and myths of paganism, God's prophecies were specific and to the point, and were ultimately fulfilled by the only true Messiah–a man named Jesus, in the year 30 AD.
The old religions, along with their mythologies, are all but forgotten. Yet Jesus, the stone the builders rejected, has become the cornerstone of a church that will never be overcome. (Matthew 16:16-18, Acts 4:11-12)
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