scitsofreaky Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 I don't know why it took me so long to actually think of this, but a few months ago in a book I was reading the author, Ken Wilber, briefly mentions that the ritual eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood that is described in The Babble is just a ripoff of an older pagan(or whatever) ritual. Does anyone know anything about this? If not (or even if so), any good places (preferably online) to look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sokudo Ningyou Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 ....did you want them in alphabetical order, or just as we think of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scitsofreaky Posted November 17, 2005 Author Share Posted November 17, 2005 Just some examples would be nice, and dates if you have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstInTheDance Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Well, I don't actually have references available and I don't know if it is true, but I've heard modern Pagans claim that the "this is my body (bread) and this is my blood (wine)" tradition comes from earlier Pagan rituals involving vegetation deities. To me, anyway, it makes a lot more sense for a god of the harvest to refer to grain as his body and wine as his blood, than it does for Jesus to. Since it is fact that most, if not all of Christianity is stolen from older religions, I can believe it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Mithras 3000BC This is my favorite website. (I got my avatar from it) He's not finished with the site, but he gives lots and lots of books as references for his information which most of them I have read. Another online site that gives lots of info (but I don't know where in the site would be the answer to your question) is Jesus Never Existed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megistias Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Consider also rituals where hallucinogins are consumed to get nearer to the gods. Food of the gods, if you will. A gathering, praying, passing a bowl of bitter milky liquid around with each member of the party taking a sip. Isn't it a parallel ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scitsofreaky Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 Thanks for the links and ideas guys. I'll do some searching and see what I can find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkepticOfBible Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 I don't know why it took me so long to actually think of this, but a few months ago in a book I was reading the author, Ken Wilber, briefly mentions that the ritual eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood that is described in The Babble is just a ripoff of an older pagan(or whatever) ritual. Does anyone know anything about this? If not (or even if so), any good places (preferably online) to look? and it is also prohibited by the OT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trashy Posted November 21, 2005 Share Posted November 21, 2005 Mithras 3000BC This is my favorite website. (I got my avatar from it) He's not finished with the site, but he gives lots and lots of books as references for his information which most of them I have read. Another online site that gives lots of info (but I don't know where in the site would be the answer to your question) is Jesus Never Existed That is indeed a great site. In doing a bit of searching on that topic, I find it interesting that Justin Martyr, who lived and wrote from 100-165AD, defended against similar 'pagan' saviours like Mithras and Perseus by claiming that they merely imitated Daniel and Isaiah (as opposed to actually 'fulfilling' their prophecies. Now this was a century after Christ's death. Why not say that they copied Jesus? Instead he gives them legitimacy by acknowledging that, although they were somewhat contemporary with Christ, they were merely imitations. Instead of refuting their claims as to fulfilling OT prophecy, he merely states that they are counterfeit! In other words, their religious claims actually met the test of prophetic fulfillment every bit as much as Jesus did, but were brushed off as illegitimate. Good reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megistias Posted November 22, 2005 Share Posted November 22, 2005 "Refuse pits accompanying Mithraic sites indicate that feasting was part of their ritual, and the drinking of the bull's blood; if no bull was available, other animals were used, or bread and fish were used as substitutes for meat, and wine for blood. They believed that by eating the bull's flesh and drinking its blood they would be born again just as life itself had once been created anew from the bull's blood. " http://www.borndigital.com/tarsus.htm Bread for flesh, check Fish, check Wine for blood, check "born again", check Sound vaguely familiar ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qadeshet Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 There are a lot of great sources for the Pagan origin of Christ. The site below is a good start. POCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathuria Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 According to my recent readings (see below), the "body & blood" guzzling was a common feature of most savior cults (Mithras, Attis, Dionysus, et al). The assumption is that it was an adaptation of common prehistoric rituals celebrating the vegetation god or goddess who was reborn each spring (such as Persephone). The resurrection or rebirth rites of most "savior gods" were celebrated in the spring. pertinent books: The Ancient Mysteries, A Sourcebook of Sacred Texts; Marvin W. Meyer Myth & Mystery, An Introduction to the Pagan Religions of the Biblical World; Jack Finegan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts