Translating the Jesus Myth For You
If you have encountered the Jesus Myth Theory (JMT), you may be confused. They claim that the stories of pagan god-men are almost exactly the same as the story of Jesus. But when you read the Gospels and then read the myths, the connections are not so clear.
I will attempt to help by translating what the JMT says and what they really mean.
You may come across a JMT statement such as:
God X was born of a virgin on Dec. 25, had twelve disciples, was crucified and was resurrected on third day, just like Jesus.
Let’s go through this statement as I translate each piece for you.
Virgin Birth: When the JMT says virgin birth, they don’t mean virgin birth. The child may be born to a woman who had previously lost her virginity. The child may have been conceived through sexual intercourse between the father and mother. What the JMT really means is that there is some supernatural element to the conception.
Dec. 25: Aside from the fact that the Bible does not claim that Jesus was born on Dec. 25, there is another problem. God X is not necessarily described as being born on Dec. 25. What happens is that there is some solar element to the god and so this is linked to the winter solstice, which is usually Dec. 21 or 22.
Twelve Disciples: God X does not have twelve disciples. What is really meant is that in some of the art depicting god X, you sometimes find engravings of the Zodiac. There is no narrative of disciples, just the common use of the Zodiac for decoration.
Crucified: Many of the versions of god X are not even killed. But those who are, are not crucified. When god X is described as being crucified, they simply mean that he was killed.
Resurrected on the Third Day: Many versions of god X are not resurrected. Osiris remains dead but is given dominion over the underworld. Attis’ body remains dead but his body does not decay. When there is a return to life, it does not happen on the third day.
I share this information because I believe that some proponents of the Jesus Myth Theory are not honest. When they tell someone that Horus was born of a virgin, the person they are talking to probably believes that Horus was born of a virgin, even though it is false. We need to clarify terms and not let the JMT get away with making connections that are not there.
The JMT is, as you say, a tad ridiculous. But then, so is the entire story of Jesus. Born of a Virginia? Even the Bible describes the scene as more of an angelic rape. So, in that respect, the various myths are similar. Crucified? I’d have to say that any death at the hands of mortals would be close enough. Risen on the third day? Whatever. The exact timing hardly matters.
The real similarity between the Jesus myth and all the other myths is simply that it is just another myth. He didn’t even meet his own requirements for God hood. The basic prophesy, that he be born of the branch of David, it’s nullified by the claim that he was born of a virgin. If he wasn’t the son of Joseph, then he wasn’t related to David. The rest of the so-called fulfilled prop prophesies are one which he knew from his own studies how to fulfill. And then, when he’s dying on that cross, be loses his faith and asks his God why he’s been forsaken: hardly something an actual deity would do.
None of this even matters. It’s all just good storytelling. The Bible is a wonderful literary masterpiece. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. But it’s nothing I would base a religion on.