Christian Origins in Egyptian Mythology

A pattern of similar themes between Christianity and Egyptian Mythology, along with proof the early Gospel writers had
access to it, shows that Christianity has no more credibility than Egyptian Sun God worship.
Let me put my biases on the table: Im an atheist. To me, all gods are myths. Im not, however, a "christ-myther." I believe
that Jesus was a real person; Im convinced that certain passages in the gospels portray a real man. Im also convinced that
Jesus was a man who hoped to be a non-divine Messiah, and that he was certainly no deity.
Horus, Isis and Osiris: Significant and material similarities exist between Egyptian Myth and Christian Theology
Civilization in Egypt developed about 4,000 years b.c., with the development of hieroglyphics, a kind of picture writing,
about 3,000 b.c. By 2,500 b.c., Re was the principal god of Egypt, typically represented in Egyptian art as a falcon-headed
man crowned with a sun, and holding an Ankh. Osiris was the god of life, death, and resurrection; he was the god of
grain, and of the Nile river.
In Egypt, the entire economy was dependent on the regular flooding of the Nile river. Its waters created lush farmland
which would otherwise be barren, lifeless desert. The fear of the Egyptians was that the Nile would dry up permanently. In
contrast, in Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers would flood violently and unpredictably, making course
changes within a single year that would destroy everything in its path, while leaving other areas subject to drought and
famine. The Egyptian gods were therefore more benign and predictable than were the Mesopotamian gods.
Egyptians prayed to their gods, like most other primitive god-believing cultures. They prayed for success in hunting, for
generous production of crops, for the health of their children, and for eternity in an afterlife in the "other world". From the
most ancient times, the Egyptians believed in an afterlife: When a human died, he or she would leave this earth, and travel
to a different world. They also believed their Pharaoh was both human and god, in a single form, no different than Jesus
was viewed as a combined god-man. The great pyramids are vivid testimony to the Egyptian belief in an afterlife. (This is
quite a bit different from Judaism, where one is hard pressed to find any indication of an afterlife in the Old Testament.
The Sadduccees were a class of Hebrew priests who specifically denied an afterlife.)
Just as the Nile would flood, and revive the farms and vegetation along its banks, Osiris lived, suffered, died, and would be
reborn again. His life represented the annual flood cycle, and his suffering and death represented the death of the
vegetation when the Nile dried up. His regeneration represents the regeneration when the Nile flooded, and the vegetation
was reborn.
The story (as related by Budge in his introduction to the "Book of the Dead" and others) goes like this: Re, the Sun God
and creator of all things, was the husband of Nut, the Goddess of the Sky. Re became furious when she was caught
schtoinking Geb, the earth God, and Thoth, god of Justice. Re cursed Nut, and decreed that she could not give birth during
any calendar year.
Nut then had to play card games with the moon God Selene and gradually won enough "light" from the moon (which
explains why the moon is dimmer than the sun) to create five extra days during the end of the year, which had been only
360 days. Nut then gave birth to five children, first Osiris, then Horus the Elder (not to be confused with Horus son-ofIsis), then the evil Set (who was so mean, he dug himself out of his mother's body), Isis (who fell in love with Osiris while
in the womb) on the fourth day, and Nephthys (future wife of Set) on the fifth day. Literally the son of two gods, Osiris'
birthday falls five days before the end of the calendar year, and is celebrated traditionally on December 25th.
Osiris, typically shown as a dead king in mummy wrappings in Egyptian art, was the son of a god, the Sun god Re. He
became a King of Egypt, and is therefore as allegedly historical as Jesus. Osiris was the King who united the wandering
tribes of Egyptians, taught them the art of farming, and brought the Egyptians from a nomadic life, to a highly civilized
society. As with Jesus, Osiris had the reputation as a teacher.
Set and Osiris apparently never got along well, and was jealous of Osiris' successful rule of Egypt. Set eventually murdered
Osiris by tricking him into entering a coffin, which was then sealed shut with molten lead, to insure his death by
suffocation. The box was then placed adrift in the Nile, and settled in a bush which, over time, grew into a great tree
surrounding the coffin. Isis searched for the body of Osiris, and found it, in the tree trunk, which was now a column
supporting the ceiling of a palace. She retrieved the body, and hid it. With a little magic, Osiris was breathed back into life.
However, Osiris soon died for a second time, and was left hidden in the box. Soon, it was found by the evil Set, who
dismembered the body into fourteen pieces, scattering them all over Egypt. Isis then traveled about with, of all people,
Nepthys (Set's wife) and found all the pieces--including the all-important penis.
Isis had a child from the dead Osiris, Horus, typically represented by a falcon-headed male figure. Isis became pregnant in
a miraculous manner: Taking Osiris dismembered penis with her, Isis traveled to the underworld with it. An ancient
Egyptian relief depicts this conception by showing his mother Isis in a falcon form, hovering over an erect phallus of a
dead and prone Osiris in the Underworld.As with Jesus, Horus is the result of a miraculous pregnancy.
Isis was the great goddess of Egypt, depicted in Egyptian art as a female with a vulture headdress, sitting on a throne. Isis
protected young Horus, the earthly future king of Egypt, by concealing him in a swamp, to be kept away from danger while
he was being raised, hidden away in the papyrus plants.
By now, Isis had recovered all the body parts of Osiris, and she got to work. She reassembled Osiris, using wax to attach
the body parts. Linen wraps and ointments were used to preserve the corpse, which was buried. Horus (the result of the
miraculous union between Isis and her dead husband's penis) took Isis to the Underworld, where they found Osiris.
Magical words gradually brought the god back to life. Re now helped, by building a ladder so tall, they could climb to the

"Other World," and be with the rest of the gods, which they did. Osiris was promoted to "King of the Gods," and Horus
inherited Osiris' earthly rank as King of the Egyptians. The themes of suffering, dying a gruesome death, descending into
Hell, resurrection, and ascending into heaven are common with Christianity.
Osiris suffered a cruel death of mutilation, after which he resurrected bodily. This became the basis, for Egyptians, of a
belief in a personal bodily resurrection. Just as with Jesus, Osiris resurrection gave the ancient Egyptians hope that they,
too, who had led good lives, would return to life after death. For the ancient Egyptian, the key to eternal life was leading a
good life on earth. The theme of overcoming death through god-given immortality parallels Christian theology. (One must
struggle to find the concept of sin being punished in the afterlife in the Old Testament: Yahweh punishes sin immediately,
during the sinner's life. Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.)
The Egyptian festival of Osiris celebrates in a dramatic manner the death of Osiris, the finding of his corpse, and his
return to life-- just as Easter and the passion plays celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Osiris was appealing to the common Egyptian because, having once been human, he could understand the common
sufferings of humans, and sympathize with them. As a god, he could help humans in this world, through prayer. The same
is true for Jesus. As with Christians, the attainment of a renewal of life in the "other world" was the intent of every
Egyptian believer.
In ancient Egypt, the pharoahs actually became Horus in life, somewhat similiar to the beliefs of the Catholics that the
Pope is god's agent on earth.
Horus was a resurrected form of Osiris, and acted as an intermediary between Osiris, who could grant immortality, and
Egyptians who were about to die. It worked like this: The spirit of the recently deceased would appear before Osiris, and
would tell the god about all the good deeds during his life. Osiris would weigh the persons heart, and the God Thoth, god
of Justice, would record the result. If the heart weighed less than a feather, the person would be granted immortality. If the
heart was heavy, the person would be thrown to jackals. As with Christianity, evil was punished in the afterlife.
The Isis cult was popular outside of Egypt, throughout the area of Egyptian influence. A Greco-Roman sanctuary existed
on Philae, an island, now submerged, off the coast of Egypt, which temple has been relocated in Agilqiya. Isis sanctuaries
have also been found on the island of Delos, Greece, and in Roman city of Pompeii. Strong arguments have been made
that the portrayal of the Christian Virgin Mary was based upon the Isis cult, as the portraits of Isis with the child Horus are
strikingly similar to those of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child.
Set is the evil brother of Osiris. He represents evil, catastrophes, destruction and death. Set plots against Osiris, Isis and
Horus, who represent the forces of good. Set cannot destroy the good gods, nor can they destroy Set; therefore, evil
remains a force in the world. The parallels between Set and Satan should be obvious. (In the Old Testament, Satan isn't
much of a bad guy. It's usually the Hebrews themselve who irritate Yahweh. It's a Christian assumption that the serpent in
Genesis is Satan, and in Job, it's arguable that, in Job, Satan doesn't nothing but report to Yahweh the current situation.)
Horus finally battles Set, in the form of two men, then in the form of a bear. The battle lasts three days and three nights.
Horus finally wins, takes Set prisoner, only to have Isis suddenly feel pity for Set, and orders Set freed.
The Christianization of Egypt:
A Historically Plausible Scenario for How the Borrowing Occurred.
Both Greece and Israel traded extensively with Egypt, both importing beer, papyrus, jewelry, and exporting various
products. As I mentioned earlier, there were temples of the popular Egyptian god Isis outside of Egypt, in Greece and
Rome. There is little doubt that both the Jews and Greeks of the 1st century had access to Egyptian religious ideas.
Egypt was converted to Christianity very early, perhaps in the times of the apostles of Jesus. Mark, the alleged author of
the first gospel, is traditionally credited as the founder of Egyptian Christianity, referred to as the "Coptic" church. The
Coptics adhered to the "monophysite" heresy, which held that Jesus has but one nature, an idea consistent with ancient
Egyptian theology, where a distinction between the human and the divine was unnecessary. That doctrine was held
heretical by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 a.d.
Is it possible that Christianity originated in Egypt? It seems realistic that Christianity may have existed prior to the official
conversion in 69 a.d. by Mark, and this is therefore a realistic possibility. If Egypt became Christian, it didnt happen
overnight. It seems a reasonable inference that there was significant contact between the early Christians, perhaps even the
apostles themselves, very early in the evolution of Christianity. Religious ideas probably went in both directions.
The timing, prior to that of the earliest known gospels, seems appropriate for this to have happened. There was therefore
an opportunity for the early Gospel writers to be influenced by the Egyptian themes of a man-god suffering, dying,
descending into hell, resurrecting, and ascending into Heaven, with the result that common people could achieve
immortality in the afterlife.
According to almost all critical scholars, the Gospel of Mark is the oldest of the four gospels, probably authored
somewhere around 70 a.d Is it not possible that this original gospel writer took the story of a Jewish messiah wannabe,
who faked a death on the cross, allegedly rose from the dead, and added to it the Egyptian theme of a man-god who died to
enable eternal life?. Mark is caught with his hands in the proverbial cookie jar of Egyptian mythology.
Christianity, in its earliest days after the death of Jesus, must have been a struggling idea. On the other hand, the very
popular religious ideas of Egypt had been around for about 2,500 years. To fuse the very popular core themes of Egyptian

religion with the story of Jesus, the wannabe messiah who allegedly rose from the dead, would have improved the story,
making it more popular with the common people. Tell them that not only did Jesus die and rise from the dead, proving he
was the Messiah, but also his death gives you all a ticket to eternity in Paradise! Tell them Jesus was born under
miraculous circumstances. Add a villain, Satan, who is responsible for all evil, whom Jesus fights and now you add drama
to the story. Tell them Jesus will intercede in your prayers in this life, keep that nasty Satan away from you, and insure
your immortality in the next. All this is from Egyptian mythology. (Christians couldnt steal the whole thing, hook line
and sinker, or people would recognize it as Egyptian.) Early Christians therefore had a sufficient motive to steal ideas from
the Egyptians.
Egypt eventually converted to Islam about 450 a.d., but the Coptic Christians still exist in Egypt as a group never having
been influenced by Roman Christianity.
Below: The Eye of Horus
CONCLUSION:
There are clear, substantial & material similarities between the core teachings of Christianity and Egyptian myth, the
totality of which cannot be explained away as mere coincidence, or vague similarity.
These similarities undisputedly predate Christianity by at least 2,000 years.
A historically plausible mechanism exists to explain how the borrowing occurred, both in the Christianization of Egypt
prior to the first gospels being written, and in the existing Isis cults outside of Egypt.
Borrowing the themes of immortality, justice in the afterlife, miraculous births, and an evil villain would have improved
upon the Christ story, over its original story as a Messiah wannabe who claimed to have risen from the dead, and would
have improved the popularity of the gospels.
Since borrowing from Egyptian mythology is established, the credibility of the gospel writers is fatally compromised.
Christianity is no more real than Egyptian sun god worship.
Typical Objections:
Typical Christian objections include "The concept of a dying and rising god is actually more recent than Christianity." Ive
heard this one from several Christians. The fact is, the myths of Osiris, Isis, Set and Horus are well formed from the most
ancient of Egyptian writings, dating back thousands of years before Christianity existed. References exist to the stories in
the Pyramid Texts and The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Depictions of these stories exist on the walls of every major
archeological find in Egypt; it is hardly contemporaneous with Christianity.
I quote from Budges: "The essential beliefs of the Egyptians remained unchanged from the earliest dynasties down to the
period when the Egyptians embraced Christianity, after the preaching of St. Mark the Evangelist in Alexandria, a.d. 69."
The Book of the Dead, Budges (p. 52).
Others have said, such as the web site on "CopyCat Myths" <http://www.christian-thinktank.com/copycat.html> that: It is
not simply enough to point to some vague similarities and yell "copy cat!" The author of the above web site offers the
following quote in support:
"Osiris was murdered and his body dismembered and scattered. The pieces of his body were recovered and rejoined, and
the god was rejuvenated. However, he did not return to his former mode of existence but rather journeyed to the
underworld, where he became the powerful lord of the dead. In no sense can Osiris be said to have 'risen' in the sense
required by the dying and rising pattern."
"In no sense can the dramatic myth of his death and reanimation be harmonized to the pattern of dying and rising gods."
Osiris cant be said to have risen from the dead, because he didnt come back to earth, and instead went directly to the
"other world"? This is a trivial detail, and flies in the face of the Egyptian worship of Osiris as a source of immortality.
This isnt just a "vague similarity" with Christianity; the Osiris-Isis-Horus myths parallel the core teachings of
Christianity: That a man-god, born under miraculous circumstances, died, descended into Hell, resurrected, and returned
to Heaven (or the "other world"), so that the rest of mankind could have eternal life.
"Jesus death was an actual event in history." (Isnt this begging the question?) Im sure Jesus died, so I agree its an actual
event. Horus was the first Pharaoh of Egypt. As there must have been a first Pharaoh, the death of Horus, also, MUST have
been an actual event.
By the way, the title of the above Christian web site is a straw man argument, if you havent noticed: Im not saying the
gospel writings "copied" the whole Jesus story from Egyptian mythology; only that they borrowed enough so as to preclude
the Gospels from being original.
"Other Religions with Dying-rising gods are all talking about same god, since there is just one god." Ive heard this
popular argument in a hundred variations. The simple truth is, Egyptian mythology, while it shares core allegations with
Christianity, is otherwise like night and day. They cannot both be true. Sometimes Christians argue the other side of this
argument, without realizing it: For example, on the "CopyCat" Christian web site above, the author argues that none of the
other dying and rising gods died for your sins, Jesus death was voluntary, Jesus died on behalf of others, when Jesus died,
it was a victory, not a defeat, Isis wasnt really a virgin, etc. These details, argued with the intent to disprove the parallels
with pagan myths and Christianity, actually show that the two stories are so radically different that both cannot be true.
"The Egyptian myths are really telling the story of Jesus." This is a variant of the above objection. As I explained above,
the Osiris-Isis-Horus stories, while retaining core ideas with Christianity, are impossibly different. Im curious, though, as

to how, if the Egyptian myths are really about Jesus, why couldnt Yahweh properly inspire them? Doesnt Yahweh speak
Egyptian well?
"There are dozens of Horus gods. No wonder you can find similarities." Actually, theres one main Horus god, the son of
Osiris. He has different names to refer to himself as a child, a specific name referring to the period of time when he was a
king, and another name after his resurrection. Technically, every Egyptian Pharaoh became a "Horus" after he died, so
there are as many Horus gods as there were pharaohs, but Im not speaking of these in this article, nor does the mythology
refer to them.
"You are ignorant on matters of Ancient Near East History, using out-dated scholars who are rejected by all contemporaries
knowledgeable in the area." This is a common objection. Show me a modern scholar who disputes that the story of Osiris,
Horus and Set as Ive described it. The "CopyCat" web site, a Christian author, admits Budge is a reliable primary source.
"You have poor Logic. I don't understand how anyone, understanding that the Egyptian mythology is about a man-god, son
of God the creator of the universe, who suffered, died, was buried, descended into Hell, resurrected, then ascended into
heaven, who will judge good and evil in the afterlife, who is responsible for the resurrection of the flesh and eternal life-This is the complete theme of Christianity. You can't read the "Apostles Creed," after understanding Egyptian mythology,
and not see the parallels. (Okay, Pontius Pilate wasn't in the Osiris myth.) Now that commonality of themes is established,
what reasonable inference can be drawn? Is any other explanation other than that the Gospels drew upon Egyptian
mythology possible? The gospels therefore are Egyptian mythology, rewritten. How can one conclude the Gospels are
believable?
Sources:
Encyclopedia of Gods, Michael Jordan (1993, Facts on File, Inc.)
Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, E.A. Wallis Budge, Vol. I, (Dover reprint)
Egyptian Religion, E. A. Wallis Budge (1900; 1959 Bell/Crown Reprint)(Budge was keeper of the Egyptian and Assyrian
Antiquities in the British Museum, and is acknowledged by Christian scholars as a reliable primary source).
World Mythology, Donna Rosenberg (1994, NTC Publishing Group Reprint)(This is a college level textbook on
Mythology).
The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, R. O. Faulkner, (1969)
Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt, R.T.R. Clark (1960)
The Book of the Dead, The hieroglyphic translation of the Papyrus ANI, E. A. Wallis Budge
A prayer sums up Osiris: "Invocation of Osiris "I am Osiris Onnophris who is found perfect before the Gods. I hath said:
These are the elements of my Body perfected through suffering, glorified through trial. The scent of the dying Rose is as
the repressed sigh of my Suffering. And the flame-red Fire as the energy of mine undaunted Will. And the Cup of Wine is
the pouring out of the blood of my heart, sacrificed unto Regeneration, unto the newer life. And the bread and salt are as
the foundations of my body, which I destroy in order that they may be renewed. For I am Osiris Triumphant. Even Osiris
Onnophris the Justified One. I am He who is clothed with the body of flesh yet in whom flames the spirit of the eternal
Gods. I am the Lord of Life. I am triumphant over Death, and whosoever partaketh with me shall with me arise. I am the
manifester in Matter of Those whose abode is the Invisible. I am the purified. I stand upon the Universe. I am it's
Reconciler with the eternal Gods. I am the Perfector of Matter, and without me the Universe is not." Inscription found at
the temple of Isis at Philae:
The pylon was built for the sungoddess the mistress
the lifegiving Isis
queen of the pure island
Queen of Philae and Abaton
From glowing sandstone it is built
Its height is wonderful
its width marvellous
Everything is used as it should
It gives life and domination
to the lord of the sun
the lord of the two lands
the hereditary god and lotus bud
Ptahs chosen one
Son of Re, the master
appears in glory
Ptolemaios, beloved of Isis
the eternal life
The gods love what has been brought forth
Through the work of hands
the bread of eternal life is prepared

The following hymn is written on the walls in the pylon portal between the birth house and the outer court, at the relocated
Temple of Isis:
The Sunrise
The great god Edfu
The lord of Mesen
stands before the temple of Egypt
The great sun disc
rises in the sky
He sees the Horus falcons
which give life in all eternity
Horus protects the gods
in their sanctuaries
The winged sun-disc
shines over the two lands
The goddesses comes to life
at the sight of his radiance
Horus of the abodes of the gods
The gread god Edfu
the lord of the sky
the colourful feather
steps forth in the temple court
the place where the sun rises
before the temple of Upper Egypt
The Horus falcon that travels across the sky
is the life of Maat
All faces receives life
in all eternity