Has anyone else read 'The Jesus Mysteries'?

[PhuLoi]

It documents the plagerism of Indo-European paganism by Christianity. The cites are amazing.

[Behind the Aegis]

1. have not read it

Is that the full title? Who is the author? Can you give a brief snapshot of the book? Have I asked too many questions? :)

[PhuLoi]

2. 'The Jesus Mysteries' by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy

published by Harmony Books, copyright 1999, subtitled 'was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God?.' The cover jacket bears a photo of a carved medallion(?) upon which a figure is crucified. Writing engraved upon the medallion identifies the figure as pagan godman Osiris-Dionysus. Of course you haven't, hope this helps.

Edited for spelling.

Again, dammit.

[kimchi]

3. No, but it sounds great.

I, too, would like more information. Would you feel comfortable giving a short summary?

[PhuLoi]

4. I shall try with the caveat that it has been at least 3 years since

having read it. As my memory capacity seems to be inversely proportional to my age I offer this brief and wholly inadequate summary:

The J.M. is at, its core, a critical comparative annalysis of Indo-European paganism, specifically the Osiris-Dionysian godman, versus early Christianity. Christianity is sub-divided into its initial Gnostic group and the Literalist which evolved. Cites are plentiful and rely heavily on documents surviving, many of which were unearthed only within the last seventy-five years. Graphic representations are given, in one case a one-for-one listing of specific core dogmas that obviates the plagarism of the pagan philosophy. A personal favorite is the response of the then head of the Literalists to a leading Pagan philosopher. When confronted publicly with the obvious plagarism, the Literalist states that Satan, knowing four thousand years earlier that Christianity was coming, pre-plagarized (my term) Christianity by creating the pagan philosophy in order to undermine Christianity's legitimacy.
How can you argue with a statement like that? Rather, how can you argue with someone who would make a statement like that?
The book goes well beyond the example above. A litany of well documented outrages upon pagans is included, should you need your blood pressure elevated. Chronicalling the history of Christianity, the book left me wondering how any thinking person would allow themselves to be sucked into such a religion.
Importantly, in my opinion, the book also gives a clear description of the paganism, the beliefs and practices, of that time.
I would hope my feeble summary does not preclude your reading of this book. I found it to be one of the most enlightening books I have ever read, short though it is. I had the good fortune to have read 'The Jesus Mysteries' at about the same time as having read 'Guns, Germs and Steel' by Jared Diamond, a tome of work which I strongly recommend.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Guess what just made my holiday list?!

I am getting this book or having it on my holiday wish list! This sounds like it would be a GREAT read! Just out of curiosity, have you read "Black Athena?" I thought that would be a great book, and I was very disappointed! However, "Athena: A biography" is a fun read!

[PhuLoi]

8. I have not but my wife may have, I'll ask. On the subject, sort of:

For those interested in descriptions of ancient Germanic Pagans and their culture I recommend translations of the writings of Polybius, a Greek historian who worked for the Romans circa 312 b.c.e.

[Beaverhausen]

6. looked it up on Amazon- read this!!!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609807986/qid=1100732906/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/102-1773060-3929723

Here is the publisher's weekly review. shows what we are fighting against:

From Publishers Weekly
This is at once a wonderful and a terribly flawed book; at times it is absolutely on target, and yet it yields to such vitriol and inflated language that it will be easily dismissed. The authors postulate that Christianity as we know it, regardless of the teachings of its founder, ultimately distilled and usurped the greatest wisdom inherent in pagan traditions. Specifically, they charge that Christianity looted the traditions of the Osiris/Dionysus cultsAborrowing, synthesizing and domesticating what was most sacred to Greco-Roman civilization. Freke and Gandy assert that Christian history is "nothing less than the greatest cover-up of all time. Christianity's original Gnostic doctrines and its true origins in the Pagan Mysteries had been ruthlessly suppressed by the mass destruction of the evidence and the creation of a false history to suit the political purposes of the Roman Church." The authors compare the revolution of the imperial Christian church (which finally suppressed pagan worship) to the Communist revolution in Russia, arguing that both saw enormous bloodshed and suppression of all dissent. This kind of polemic detracts from the usefulness of this study. The book's great tragedy is that many of its most scholarly kernels of insight, such as the authors' discussion of Secret Mark or their tantalizing analysis of the Lazarus material, will be lost to responsible discussion. In sum, this is a disappointing, sensationalist polemic. (Aug.)

[PhuLoi]

7. It seems it is the tone and the assertions they have taken issue

with. They do not discredit the factual veracity of the authors. I attended a function where the authors spoke during a speaking tour and took our questions, they were brilliant. This took place at Third Place Books a few years ago. Both authors are English and eloquent. I suggested that they do not tour the midwest or south as the reception would likely be poor if not dangerous. They said they were well aware and had no intention of doing so. Too bad really.

[Chovexani]

9. Wow I will have to check it out

So many books to read, so little cash! :(

[MountainLaurel]

10. Another book by Freke and Gandy

That everyone might be interested in as well. I haven't read it, since I haven't done any pleasure reading since I started graduate school two years ago. But now that that era will be coming to an end in less than a month (hooray!), I might look into this one as well:

Jesus and the Lost Goddess : The Secret Teachings of the Original Christians, published in 2002. ISBN: 1400045940

[PhuLoi]

11. I wasn't aware of it thanks for the post and good luck w/postgrad

[MountainLaurel]

12. Thanks!

I'm finishing my next-to-the-last assignment as we speak.

[ogradda]

13. hey i looked for that book at the library

and they don't have it. is it fairly eay to find a copy at used bookstores or do you think it's worth the trouble of ordering online?

[PhuLoi]

14. imo yes. nt

[GraphicQueen]

15. I haven't read it...

but my husband has. In fact he is the one in the family who reads all of the religious type of books and studies religion, all kinds. I read non-fiction political books more than anything. But he discusses all that he reads with me, as I do him with what I read.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. Guess what I bought?!

YES!! I bought it today. I look forward to reading it! The first few pages were already new information for me! I am VERY excited about reading this book!

THANK YOU for the recommendation!

Brightest Blessings!

[T Roosevelt]

17. Reading it now

amazing stuff, and not really surprising.

[mrgorth]

18. I've also heard good things about this similar book

The Germanization of Early Medieval Christianity: A Sociohistorical Approach to Religious Transformation

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0195104668/qid=1103122376/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-0496603-2391324?v=glance&s=books

[Chalco]

19. My personal take on Jesus

I've done research in archaeological artifacts that date from 30,000BC to 3500BC. The primary source of my research was the work of the archaeologist, Marija Gimbutas.

What I glean from her work is the following:

From 30,000BC to 3500BC the female was revered/worshiped. Figurines found from that time period were small and could be carried in the hand. Society was matriarchal and peaceful. People worshiped natural cycles. The concept of vegetation goddess emerged as a result of the notion that in winter vegetation shriveled and went back into the earth, then, in the spring the vegetation emerged. The vegetation goddess went into the earth around the time of the winter solstice and emerged in the spring. Around 3500BC a group from the middle eastern area (can't remember the name right now but DNA analysis proved this point) that was very aggressive started migrating into Western Europe and then into Eastern Europe. This changed the gene pool. As the culture became more aggressive it became more and more male dominated and the vegetation goddess shifted to a vegetation god. Artifacts of worship changed from small to huge and from female to male. Society became less and less peaceful.

It is my belief that the vegetation god gradually morphed into Jesus who went into the earth at around the same time and emerged (Easter) at about the same time. The more earth centered or pagan religion gradually became blasphemous.

I think these changes are probably cyclical. I just wish we were in a different part of the cycle. I worry for us and for our planet.

[indigobusiness]

20. Freke and Gandy are fascinating to listen to.

While I've never read their books, I never pass up the chance to tune into streaming intws. Very interesting.