Was Jesus born on December 25th?
If you find someone who says Jesus is similar to a pagan god because of their birth date, you have just met someone who has not read the Bible they are attempting to criticise. The birth date of Christ is actually a matter or tradition, not a matter of theology. The Bible never actually mentions Jesus' birth date, nor does it command us to observe such a date. It doesn't necessarily condemn it either, nor does it rule out the possibility that he was, but neither history, nor the Bible, allows us to know exactly when Jesus was born. Interestingly, Jesus was most likely born between 6 - 4 B.C. Whenever he was born, we can be 100% sure his birth date was not influenced by Mithras.
The birth of Mithras
In actual fact, the birth of Jesus and the "birth" of Mithras share no similarities at all. Mithras was actually born from a rock. Interestingly, there are two conflicting accounts of Mithras' birth. In one version, Mithras is born before men and animals were created, however Franz Cumon, in his book "mysteries of Mithras", also claims that shepherds were present in the field when Mithras hatched from his rock. Now, I'm more than willing to admit that rocks are virgins. And yes, there is a fourth century depiction of Mithras surrounded by people who may be shepherds, but that is where similarities between Jesus and Mithras end. And obviously, the fourth century is way too late to have influenced Christianity. Given conflicting beliefs about Mithras' birth, it is more likely stories of his birth adapted over time. Jesus' birth, however, never changed. It was prophesied in the Old Testament, and was recorded in the New Testament. All of this remains written in black and white with ink and paper. Ink and paper that has been repeatedly and meticulously copied down for centuries, and has now been translated into many different languages.
Did Mithras die?
There are no accounts in which Mithras loses his life in any way, shape or form. He was not crucified, and thus he cannot have risen from the dead either.
Conclusion
Despite being one of the more popular pagan gods to compare Jesus to, Mithras is actually one of the weakest. Mithras was not called the son of God, or the light of the world. He did not die, nor did he rise from the dead. Jesus was not born on December 25th, and even if he was, Mithras' date of birth is also ambiguous. Mithras was born of a rock, and in later editions of the story, he was visited by shepherds. These later editions, however, post-date Christianity, and so cannot possibly have influenced stories of Jesus' birth.
Who was Mithras?
Mithraism was a major religion in the Roman empire. It was especially common among Roman soldiers. Mithras was the god of war, justice, faith and contract. Unfortunately for copycat theorists, and equally annoying for people trying to refute them, Mithraism wasn't a codified religion. Much of what we know about Mithras doesn't come from books or other writings left behind by his followers.
With no religious texts to study, how do we know about Mithras? Most of what we know about Mithras comes from speculations about artwork found in what is known as a "mithraeum", which is essentially a temple for Mithra. Mithraeums were usually caves, or buildings shaped to look like caves, which were designed to worship Mithras.
Was Mithras the son of God, or light of the world?
Outside of atheistic attack sites, no mention of Mithras being adressed as either of these things can be found.
Is Mithras like Jesus?
Article author: Jay Zeke Malakai
Article editor: Jay Zeke Malakai
Introduction
According to the Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, "Nothing in Christianity is original. The pre-Christian god Mithras - called the Son of God and the Light of the World - was born on December 25, died, was buried in a rock tomb, and then resurrected in three days." The same paragraph lists several other "pagan saviours" that Jesus is supposed to have immitated. Each of these pagan saviours, and more, have been examined in the pagan connection myth section. In this article, however, we will examine the claim that Mithras somehow inspired Christianity.
