Mithraism and St. Paul

Mithraism / Mythraism
And its connection to St. Paul's Gospel of Jesus Christ

I'm 100% sure (in my mind and from my research) that there was a human called Jesus (in Aramaic) or Joshua (in Hebrew) that lived on this planet around 1 A.D. - 33 A.D. Moreover, I believe his message 100%. However, you've got to understand that a man named Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul) came along and perverted Jesus' message. He turned the message into something different from what Jesus intended. Why? Because Saul was a follower of Mithras, and he only became Paul in order to "fix" the Christian religion from within. I guess he figured, if you can't beat them, join them.

Paul's Jesus = Mithras = Sun (Mithras was the personification of that which vanquishes darkness; i.e. THE SUN).

PROOF

The "Jesus" that Paul (Saul of Tarsus) taught is a mixture of the original gospels and his own understanding from the common religion of his time and station. Saul was from Tarsus, which is in present-day Turkey. Sure, he was a Jew by birth, but he clearly was not a Jew in spirit. You see, originally, Paul (a Roman agent) set about, legally I suppose, to kill Christians. But, just because you can legally kill someone doesn't make it right.

Who was Saul really? Well, Saul was a Roman agent, (and quite possibly a Roman military commander). I say that, because he led around some Roman soldiers to do the killing of Christians. How it was legal for him to kill Christians is not made clear in the Bible. Perhaps he trumped up some charges, like treason (which would make sense, because the Christians believed that Jesus was their rightful king).

How does Mithraism play into all of this? Well, Mithraism was a religious cult consisting almost entirely of Roman soldiers. Saul was a Roman soldier! (Source: Wikipedia)

How did Saul become Paul? Well, he didn't become Paul. Paul was his Roman name. Saul was his Hebrew name.

This is pure speculation on my part, but I strongly suspect that when Saul finally realized that killing the Christians only turned them into martyrs and drove the religion underground, he wisened up. He decided to "fix" the religion from within by becoming a Christian himself and by inserting his own Mithraic religious doctrines (many of which contradict those of Jesus). [More about this below]. "What about the alleged conversion on the road to Damascus?" you ask. I say that Paul/Saul made it all up to convince the Jews that this once-Christian-killing machine was now one of them. I mean, how else would the Christians trust him?

Who was Mithra(s)? [I've done a lot of research on this, because I want to get it right.]

Mitra

Mithra

Mithras
(Hindu Solar Deity) -> (Persian Solar Deity) -> (Roman Solar Deity)

Surya / Mitra

Pictures are in the public domain.

This is Varuna. He is conveyed by a demon-like, dragon-like entity, and together they are the symbol of darkness and chaos. Varuna is the enemy of Mitra.

Mitra = Sun
> Sanskrit, meaning "Friend".¹
Mitra is a Hindu solar deity (one of many solar deities).
It is the Hindu solar deity that represents the Sun as Friend to humankind.¹
The picture to the right is Surya (another one of the solar deities of Hindu mythology). I could find not a single depiction of Mitra, but I found that Mitra is just another one of the avatars of the Hindu sun-god.²
Surya (and Mitra) are depicted as a bright being riding a horse-drawn chariot across the sky.

Mitra is paired with, in opposition to Varuna (god of rain, water, water cycle, and darkness). [Compare Leviathan!]. Mitra and Varuna are primordial deities. They were not born, but have always existed.² Compare also Jormungandr (a serpent so big that it could encircle the entire Earth in darkness and still be able to swallow its own tail.

Sources:

1. Wikipedia's article on Varuna

2. Sreenivasarao's Blog on Varuna

3. Wikipedia's artilce on Mitra

Mithra

Picture is in the public domain. Carving is dated to 4th century.

Mithra = Sun
> Old Persian "bond" > Sanskrit "friend"
Mithra is the Zoroastrian (Persian) version of Hindu Mitra.

The Avesta (Zoroastrian scriptures) states that Mithra is an ANGEL of LIGHT and is the creation of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Mithra is equated with the SUN.

Compare:
Hindu Brahma = Persian Ahura Mazda
Hindu Mitra = Persian Mithra
Hindu Varuna = Persian Angra Mainyu

Mithras
Picture is in the public domain.

Notice that Mithras (the Persian sun-god) is looking back over his shoulder at Sol Invictus (the Roman sun-god), as if to show reverence to the ROMAN supreme god. It's as if the Romans said, "You can have your sun-god [Mithras], just so long as you remember that OUR sun-god [Sol-Invictus] is supreme." [I know, childish, huh?] It's like, "Whatever!"

BUT WHY KILL AN INNOCENT BULL?
Mithras (the sun) figuratively kills the Bull of Heaven when it is in the Age of Taurus. Or, maybe this iconic scene of Mithras killing the Bull of Heaven commemorates the END of the AGE of TAURUS, and the beginning of the AGE of AIRES, when Abraham came upon the scene. For some reason unbeknownst to us, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, took a liking to Abraham

Mithras = Sun
Mithras is the Roman version of Mithra and Mitra. Mithraism was the secret religion of Roman soldiers in the 1st century A.D to 4th.

In the Roman version, Mithras is almost always depicted as slaying a bull (Taurus). It is believed (by me) that the bull represents the constellation of Taurus.

START	END	AGE	PATRI-
6000 yr.ago	4000 yr.ago	Taurus	Noah
4000 yr.ago	2000 yr.ago	Aires	Abram
2000 yr.ago	9 yr.ago	Pisces	Jesus
c.2012 A.D.	c.4012 A.D.	Aquarius	Mankind?

So, maybe the scene of Mithras killing the bull commemorates the end of the AGE of TAURUS and the beginning of Mithraism about 4000 years ago.
I believe that Noah commenced the age of Taurus.
I believe that Abraham commenced the age of Aires (and that is why Lambs were sacrificed). I believe that Jesus commenced the Age of Pisces (and that is why he turned fishermen into fishers of men). We have recently (as of 2012) entered into the Age of Aquarius. It is the age of humankind. It is also the Age of WATER. Sea levels are rising. Floods are happening all over the Earth (except West of the Rockies in the U.S.A.) See more about end-time prophecies!

Mithras (in Latin) was originally an Indian god (Mitra) and Persian god (Mithra). He was associated with the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda (Hormuzd) and Greek sun-gods Helios & Apollo. All were sun-gods.

Well, there have been many websites and posts on the internet claiming that many of the aspects of the story of Jesus were borrowed form the story of Mithras (via Paul of Tarsus). When I read those posts, it infuriated me. Why? Because I believed it. Now, I'm finding that it might not be true. (See this article that refutes the aforementioned claim.) Since, I love TRUTH, I have delved deeper into the allegations that St. Paul's Christianity was borrowed from Mithraism. And, this is what I came up with.

- Firstly, please note that Christian scholars consider the similarities in Mithraism to be evil copies (counterfeits) of the true religion.¹ But, according to scholars, Mithraism (the Roman cult) was around long before Christianity. So, who copied whom? According to the Greek writer Plutarch, Mithraic rites were practiced at least as far back as 67 B.C.²

- Secondly, I had a look at the ALLEGED similarities between Mithraism and St. Paul's Christianity; And, I did some fact-checking. (That means: I did my own research, instead of taking the allegations at face value). Here's what I found:

Mithraism (Secret Cult-religion of Roman Soldiers) THESE are CLAIMS made by various sites on the INTERNET	vs.	Christianity (Christian Tradition) THESE are CLAIMS of Christianity based upon tradition, but not necessarily fact.	Fact Check
RE: Date of Birth
Birth of Mithras: December 25^th	It is a known fact that all around the ancient world of the Northern Hemisphere, that the Winter Solstice began on December 22nd and lasted 3 days. Then, the Sun was "reborn" on December 25th, as it began to rise higher and higher in the sky. [Source]	Birth of Jesus: December 25^th	YES, It is celebrated thusly; AND, NO. There is no evidence that this really was Jesus' true birthday. In fact, many people have proven that it is not possibly Jesus' true birth date. It was most likely that during the Council at Nicea [c.300A.D.] that it was decided to celebrate Jesus' birthday on the birthday of the sun. This idea came from either the birthday of Sol Invictus (Decmeber 25th) of Mithra's birthday (December 25th). Or, both! [Source] HOWEVER, no matter when Jesus' real birthday was, this is PROOF positive that there was outside influence on the Christian religion.
RE: Virgin Birth
Mithras was born of a virgin.	NO! NOT TRUE. Actually, Mithras was born from a cave. (The cave represented the darkness of the cosmos). And, actually, the word "born" may not be correct at all, because if we go all the way back to the origins of Mithras (Back to the Indian Mitra), we see that Mitra was not born at all. He was one of the primordial, unborn, deities of Hindu religion. It would be more accurate to say that Mithras eminated from a "cave" (i.e., from darkness).	Jesus was born of a virgin.	NO! ACCEPTED, BUT... NOT VERIFIABLE, The Bible doesn't say that Mary was a virgin (by modern definition), but rather that she was a virgin by the original definition of the word. The word virgin comes from Latin and means an unwedded woman. Source: Etymology Dictionary Also the original Hebrew word from which the Latin came means a nubile female, unwedded, but of marriageable age. Source: Blue Letter Bible
*Personal note: I find it interesting that they are BOTH wrong. Neither one was born of a virgin (by modern definition of the word). Some claim that Buddha was born of a virgin. That's just not true. It would seem that some would declare a virgin birth to give some credence to the idea of divine birth.
RE: Son of God
Mithras was called the "Son of the Sun" (The Son of God).	Maybe? NOT VERIFIABLE. I don't know where this came from. I cannot find verification of this claim from any reliable source. It could be true.	Jesus was called the "Son of God".	YES. Jesus said that we are all the children of God, in effect making himself equal to all of us (see Psalms 82:6, John 10:34). Please note: It was Paul called him the Son of God, elevating him to a status of God.

RE: Baptism
Ritualistic bathing as initiation rite.	Maybe? NOT VERIFIABLE. If it is true, this is not surprising. Most temples of ancient times required bathing rituals before entering.	Baptism as initiation rite.	YES. Jesus himself was baptized to set the example.

RE: Priest called "Father"
The highest initiate is called "Father".	I verified this. See the other table below this one for verification.	A clergy-man is called "Father". And, "pope" means "father".	This is a tradition, even to this day in the Catholic Church. And, it is not mentioned in the Bible, so where did they get the practice from?
Initiates must recite a catechism to be promoted in grade.	There were 7 levels or degrees of initiation rites. We know, because writings have been discovered.	Initiates must recite a catechism.	Still done in the Catholic Church.
Sunday was sacred. (As it should be if you worship the sun.)	If you are a sun-worshipper, then Sunday is your holiest day!	Sunday was sacred.	As of 321 A.D. Emperor Constantine declared Sunday the official day of rest of the Roman Empire.
RE: 12 Disciples
Mithras had 12 disciples (the zodiac).	Maybe? It would seem that it was common knowledge amongst the ancients of the Middle East region (at least) that the SUN flowed through each sign of the Zodiac each 2000 years. The so-called "GREAT YEAR" was when the sun completed its journey through ALL the signs, and that took 24,000 years. I'm pretty sure that Hinduism also has a 24,000-year GREAT YEAR.	Jesus had twelve disciples.	TRUE. Why did he choose 12? I don't think anybody really knows. This is a very interesting coincidence, and I've often wondered...
RE: Communion
Mithraism initiates had a ritualistic communion of eating bread and wine in remembrance of the Mithra slaying the Bull of Heaven (for humankind).	Maybe? It is true that feasts were held in secret temples, but the rituals were so secret that we don't know exactly what they ate or drank. Crumbs of bread were found, and empty cups. It is also true in many ancient religions (especially the Greek) that Dionysus (a solar deity) was responsible for the growth of the wheat, from which the bread was made, and the growth of the grapes, from which the wine was made. AND, it was said that Dionysus gave his life (or more literally gave of his life light) for the wheat and the grapes, and Dionysus "died" every winter solstice and was reborn on December 25th. Perhaps, Mithras/Mithra/Mitra had the same birthday. However, I cannot verify this.	Christian initiates had (and still have) a ritualistic communion of eating bread and wine in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus that was slain for humankind.	TRUE.

RE: Lion
Mithras is associated with a Lion.	See table below.	Jesus is associated with a Lion.	See Rev. 5:5

THE DATA: 5 out of 10 confirmed similarities + 3 maybes.
ANALYSIS: There is a suggestion here that some of the Mithraean ideas were adopted into Christianity.

But WAIT!!! There's more! We do know that there were 7 degrees of initiation (in Mithraean circles). Initiates have to complete certain rites in order to "level up". Not much is known. It was a secret cult and only the initiates knew everything. I think you will find this very, very interesting!

Mithraism's Initiate Degrees	Correlations & Possible Meanings Yes, this is my speculation. Give Leon credit for this. No one else has come up with anything like this. ©2019 to present. Thesis: The degrees of Mithraism are metaphors for the phases of creation, which specific reference to the sun of our solar system.
1st Degree = Raven	Raven = Darkness Remember the Cave? The cave represented the darkness of the universe. The Raven must also represent the darkness of space before Mithras (the sun) appeared / was created /was born. As support for this notion, I give you the American Aborigines: In some American Aboriginal tribes, the raven symbolized the darkness of space, and the theft of the sun (during eclipse). Source: https://worldbirds.com/raven-symbolism/
2nd Degree = Bridegroom	Sun is Bridegroom. This correlates well with the Bible: See Psalms 19 "[1] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. "[2] Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. "[3] There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. "[4] Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, "[5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber."
3rd Degree = Soldier/ Warrior	Apollo Mithras The arrows of Apollo and Mithras represent the rays of the sun.	Sun = Warrior The sun is sometimes portrayed as a warrior. Apollo (of whom, the Mithraites surely knew), had a bow and quiver of arrows, which represented the rays of the sun. The sun is our friend, but sometimes the sun can cause destruction as well. Mithras was seen in depictions shooting an arrow into something. So-called "experts" say that he's shooting into a rock, out of which water began to flow. A ROCK in the SKY?????!!!! Are they completely bonkers?! It is obviously a cloud. (Does not the sun cause rain?)
4th Degree = Lion	pic by Leon	Since ancient times in many cultures, the lion has been a symbol of the sun. The Persians, especially liked the symbol. This was their official symbol:
5th Degree = Persian	Well, what I can say? Mitrhaism did come from Persia!
6th Degree = Sun-runner	This correlates well with Psalms 19: "[5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. "[6] His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof." ----------------------------- Also, let it be recognized here that in some cultures, the sun was driven across the sky; but in others the sun "ran" (personification) across the sky.
7th Degree = Father	Preface: I, Leon, have always called sun "father," and earth "mother." It just seemed logical to me to do so. Well, I wondered if the ancients felt the same way. This is what I found out: (1) RE: Indian (Hindu) Vedic gods Mitra & Varuna Mitra is the Lord of Light. Varuna is Lord of Water, Rain, and All-encompassing darkness. Mitra and Varuna are primordial twins. There is a correlation in Zoroastrianism with the twin primordial deities: Spenta Mainyu (like Mitra) and Angra Mainyu (like Varuna). I couldn't find where Mitra was called "father," but there were no other deities before Him, so it would seem logical to call him the father of all (except Varuna who would be the mother of all). Source1. Source2. Source3. (2) RE: Persian Zoroastrian Mithra I went straight to the Zoroastrian scriptures (Avesta) and found that Mithra is mentioned there as an Angel of Light; one who does the bidding of Ahura Mazda (Hormuzd). He is the Lord of wide pastures. He has 1000 ears and 10000 eyes. But, no where can I find that he was called "father." (3) RE: Greek Helios Helios was the Greek TITAN god of the SUN. Helios is equated with Mithras and Sol Invictus. Helios was the creator of all living things (plants and animals). Source1. Source2. Thus, he might have been called "father." (4) RE: Roman Sol Invictus (The Invincible Sun) Sol was the Roman god of the SUN. His birthday was December 25th (and celebrated widely in the 3rd century A.D.). Emperor Constantine was a worshipper of Sol Invictus. Emperor Constantine decreed on March 7, 321 A.D. that Sunday would be the official Roman day of rest (Codex Justinianus 3.12.2). Source. Furthermore, let it be said here that it was Constantine (who was a non-Christian at the time) at the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.), who established Christianity as the state religion and established its "official" doctrines. Those doctrines became "universal" (or "catholic") throughout the entire empire. (5) RE: Incan Sun-God The Incan Sun-God was called "Father". Source. And, of course, the Incans' ancestors came from Asia. (6) RE: My Conclusion After all my research, I cannot say for sure that the SUN (or Mithras) was ever called "Father." (At least not in that region of the world). So, why the degree of "Father"??? I'm sticking with my gut on this one. The Earth has always been looked upon as feminine (in pretty much all cultures); and the Sun has for the most part been looked upon as masculine. We call Earth our mother. Why not call the Sun our father??? This may actually be the evidence that I was looking for all along! Sun = Father!

It seems from all my research that it was BOTH Paul [with 5 Yeses (+3 maybes) out of his 10 Mithaean influences] AND Emperor Constantine were key figures in the changing of the Christian religion. Emperor Constatine made Paul's changes to Christianity "official" and "universal" (i.e., "catholic") 200 years after Paul introduced those changes. Paul was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He became one of the Christians after trying to destroy them. He went undercover. He infiltrated the religion and changed it from within.

Please note that since Paul's Mithraean views were very similar to Constantine's Sol-Invictus views, Constantine was more likely to accept those views.

It is important to understand that Saul (St. Paul) was a Roman soldier, and that the common religion of Roman soldiers of the time was Mithraism. With that in mind, please note the discrepancies between what Paul taught and what Jesus actually taught, which are listed in the table below.

I am a big believer in Jesus! (So, don't get me wrong). Jesus was a real person. He was not a solar deity. He was a man on a mission--a mission of love, peace, and education. Saul (AKA: Paul) tried to kill all the Christians, then later he decided that it would be better not to make them martyrs. Instead, he joined the religion and changed it from within, through his own lens of what he thought was right, namely Mithraism (Mithras under the name of Jesus).

As a leader of Roman soldiers, he was probably a member of the popular religious cult of Roman soldiers at the time, namely Mithraism. It is most-likely that on the road to Damascas, when Saul was blinded by the light, and was told that Jesus was his "god", he most likely interpreted that as Jesus was the incarnation of his God, Mithra.

I have come upon some allegations that it was the Emperor Constantine was solely responsible for the changes to Christianity (and not Paul) so as to be more in the image of his religion (i.e., The Worship of Sol Invictus). As I explained above, Constantine played his role in establishing Church doctrine and Paul had his role in establishing Church doctrine. Let's look at some more facts:

Constantine never really became a Christian himself (until on his deathbed). And, at the "Council of Nicaea" in the 4th century (325 A.D.), where Constantine presided, there were three factions of Christians, who presented their cases. They were as follows:
(Faction #1) The Arians
Led by Arius, the Arians taught that Jesus and God were two separate beings, Jesus being subservient to God (even created by God).
(Faction #2) The Orthodox Christians
The Orthodox Christians were led by three individuals. They were: (1) Bishop Hosius, (2) Bishop Alexander (Bishop of the City of Alexandria), and (3) a Deacon by the name of Athanasius. They taught the orthodox view that Paul taught, namely that Jesus was fully God (in the flesh) and that God was fully Jesus. I.e., Father = Son.
(Faction #3) The Eusebian Group
The Eusebius Group was led by Eusebius (first great church historian). The Eusebius Group only differed from the Orthodox view in that while the trinity was all God, they were separate in manifestations. I.e., Father is NOT equal to the Son, but they are both God. (I know; it doesn't make any sense).

It was put to a vote, and Emperor Constantine went with the majority (or so the story goes). The Orthodox (Catholic) Christians won out and the Nicaean creed (AKA: Athanasian Creed) was formed. The dissenters were banished from the religion.

So, while it was Emperor Constantine who would united the empire under one universal ( or Catholic ) DOGMA, it was St. Paul (hundreds of years prior) who established the dogma that was finally made universal. It is clear that there were dissenting views. Paul was the greater salesman, it would seem, and he won a lot more converts than the other factions.

If Paul did have a vision, and I'm not so sure he did, on the road to Damascus, he must have taken it to mean that Jesus was the incarnation of his god Mithras. The light was so bright, that Paul would have taken it be "The SUN" (Mithras); and when "The SUN" identified himself as "Jesus" he surely understood that Jesus was Mithras. If that is so, then it COULD BE (and I only present this as a possibility) that what he saw was NOT Jesus at all, but rather a fallen angel appearing as a being of light. (2Cor.11:14). It was masterful timing by the powers of evil; the Satan, himself. Probably set human evolution back by 2000 years in that one act alone.*

* What do I mean when I attest that the vision on the road to Damascus probably set human evolution back by 2000 years? I mean that the false belief in Jesus as a solar deity, deserving of worship and devotion, instead of the focus being on his message may have damned all of Christendom to a stagnation of evolution in thought.