The Jesus Mysteries : Was The "original Jesus" ... -

While the book became a popular sensation, it is widely criticized or dismissed by mainstream academic historians.

: Freke and Gandy claim the Jesus story parallels myths of "Osiris-Dionysus"—god-men who were born of virgins, turned water into wine, and rose from the dead.

: Many alleged parallels between Jesus and figures like Horus or Mithras are considered by scholars to be based on selective descriptions or later Christian influence rather than pre-Christian pagan origins. Related Reading The Jesus mysteries : was the "original Jesus" ...

The authors contend that early Christianity was essentially a Jewish adaptation of the ancient .

: For a defense of the historical Jesus, retailers like Penguin Random House or Strand Book Store offer the book, while scholars like Bart Ehrman (in Did Jesus Exist? ) provide counter-arguments to the mythicist position. While the book became a popular sensation, it

: The book suggests that "Literalist" Christians later took these allegories as historical facts and brutally suppressed the original Gnostic "True Christians". Critical Reception and Scholarship

: Critics point out that the authors often cite no primary ancient sources for their claims about "standard" godman myths. Related Reading The authors contend that early Christianity

The book by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy (published in 1999) presents a provocative "Jesus Mysteries Thesis". It argues that the Jesus of the New Testament was not a historical person but a mythical figure created by Jewish "Gnostics" who adapted ancient Pagan myths. Core Argument: The "Jesus Mysteries Thesis"