Parallels suggested between Jesus & Horus

Alleged comparisons between Jesus and Horus' life events.

What do similarities between Jesus and Horus mean?

There are an amazing number of identical or very similar life events, characteristics, and teachings shared by Horus and Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ). Horus was considered a god in ancient Egypt. Jesus was considered: A Jewish prophet by Jewish Christians in the rst century CE, As a man-god by later Christians, and As history's second greatest prophet by Muslims. If these points of similarity were between Horus and any other historical Jewish individual -- for example Pilate, the Procurator of Judea -- then

there would be universal agreement that someone in ancient times had simply copied elements of Horus' story and falsely attributed them to Pilate. That is, both life stories would be myths -- events that never happened but which have great spiritual signicance. But Pilate was not involved. The rst century CE individual was Yeshua of Nazareth! His story is found documented in in the Christian Scriptures -the New Testament of the Bible. How these points of coincidence are interpreted depends upon one's view of the Bible: If it is viewed as an inerrant book, free of error, whose authors were inspired by God, then one would suspect that a massive fraud must have taken place. The events really formed part of Jesus' life because the Bible is free of error. Somehow the events were also attributed to Horus in Egypt for many centuries before Jesus' birth.

 If the Bible is viewed as a historical document, like other cultures' holy books, then it is obvious that events in Jesus' life were copied from stories that had been associated with Horus for many centuries before Jesus' birth. The events are ctional. Probably none actually happened in reality. After removing these myths from the Gospel, there would be not much left of the stories other than an an account of: An exceptional Jewish itinerate preacher and native healer who had an uneventful birth, Who, at the age of about 35 gathered a small group of followers and toured the Galilee, Spread a type of reform Judaism that matched the teachings of Hillel from the rst century BCE,

Was convicted of aggravated assault in the Jerusalem temple, and Was routinely executed for treason by the occupying Roman army, along with thousands of others in the rst century CE. In short, Jesus' story would be very similar to that promoted by the Jesus Seminar today.

Life events allegedly shared by Horus and Yeshua (a.k.a. Jesus)

There is a near consensus that Yeshua was born circa 4 to 7 BCE. By that time, stories from the life of Horus had been circulating for centuries before. If any copying occurred by the writers of the Egyptian or Christian religions, it was the myths and legends of Horus that were incorporated into Jesus' biography, not vice-versa.

Tom Harpur, an author, journalist, Anglican priest, and theologian, studied the works of three authors specialized in ancient Egyptian religion: Godfrey Higgins (1771-1834), Gerald Massey (1828-1907) and Alvin Boyd Kuhn (1880-1963). Harpur incorporated some of their ndings into his book "Pagan Christ." 1 He argued that all of the essential ideas of both Judaism and Christianity came primarily from Egyptian religion. Harpur writes, in his book: "[Author Gerald] Massey discovered nearly two hundred instances of immediate correspondence between the mythical Egyptian material and the allegedly historical Christian writings about Jesus. Horus indeed was the archetypal Pagan Christ." 2 One problem with comparing events in the life of Horus and Yeshua relates to time. Horus was a leading gure in Egyptian mythology for millennia. Folklore about him naturally proliferated during this interval. So, for example,

there is more than one story about the method by which he died. Thus, if the writers of the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) did copy events from Horus' life, they would have had multiple options from which to choose. Further, one cannot compare crucixion in 1st century CE Judah, with a simlar procedure in ancient Egypt. Roman crucixion followed a specic procedure by which the victim was made to carry the crosspiece through the city, clothing was stripped from him, his limbs were tied -- or in rare instances, nailed -to the cross, etc. Nothing precisely like this existed in ancient Egypt. So, one cannot strictly call Horus' execution a crucixion, even if he was tied to a tree and died of exposure.

Comparison of some life events of Horus and Jesus:

Event Horus

Yeshua of Nazareth, a.k.a. Jesus Conception: By a virgin. There is some doubt about this matter By a virgin. 3 Father: Only begotten son of the God Osiris. Only begotten son of Yehovah (in the form of the Holy Spirit). Mother: Isis-Meri. 4 Miriam (now often referred to as Mary). Foster father: Seb, (a.k.a. Jo-Seph). 4 Joseph. Foster father's ancestry: Of royal descent. Of royal descent. Birth location: In a cave. In a cave or stable. Annunciation: By an angel to Isis, his mother. By an angel to Miriam, his mother. 3

Birth heralded by: The star Sirius, the morning star. An unidentied "star in the East." Birth date: Ancient Egyptians paraded a manger and child representing Horus through the streets at the time of the winter solstice (about DEC-21). In reality, he had no birth date; he was not a human. Born during the fall. However, his birth date is now celebrated on DEC-25. The date was chosen to occur on the same date as the birth of Mithra, Dionysus and the Sol Invictus (unconquerable Sun), etc. Birth announcement: By angels. By angels. 3 Birth witnesses: Shepherds. Shepherds. 3 Later witnesses to birth: Three solar deities.

An unknown number of wise men. 3 They are said to have brought three gifts; thus the legend grew that there were three men. Death threat during infancy: Herut tried to have Horus murdered. Herod tried to have Jesus murdered. Handling the threat: The God That tells Horus' mother "Come, thou goddess Isis, hide thyself with thy child." An angel tells Jesus' father to: "Arise and take the young child and his mother and ee into Egypt." Rite of passage ritual: Horus came of age with a special ritual, when his eye was restored. Taken by parents to the temple for what is today called a bar mitzvah ritual. Age at the ritual: 12 12 Break in life history: No data between ages of 12 & 30. No data between ages of 12 & 30. Baptism location:

In the river Eridanus. In the river Jordan. Age at baptism: 30. 30. Baptized by: Anup the Baptiser. John the Baptist, a.k.a. John the Baptist. Subsequent fate of the baptiser: Beheaded. Beheaded.

This list is continued in another essay

References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

 1. Tom Harpur, "The Pagan Christ; Recovering the Lost Light," Thomas Allen, (2004), Page 5. Read reviews or order this book. A Canadian Broadcasting Corp. documentary based on this book won the Platinium Award at the WorldFest Remi Awards in 2008. 2. Ibid, Page 85. 3. Ibid, Page 80. Items as seen in the Temple of Luxor, built by Amenhotep III, a pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty, before 1700 BCE.

Parallels suggested between Jesus & Horus

Similarities between Jesus & Horus' More life events, characterisics & teachings
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This table is a continuation from a previous essay

Comparison of some additional life events of Horus and Jesus:

Event Horus Yeshua of Nazareth, a.k.a. Jesus Temptation: Taken from the desert of Amenta up a high mountain by his arch-rival Sut. Sut (a.k.a. Set) was a precursor for the Hebrew Satan.

Taken from the desert in Palestine up a high mountain by his arch-rival Satan. Result of temptation: Horus resists temptation. Jesus resists temptation. Close followers: Twelve disciples. There is some doubt about this matter as well. Twelve disciples. Activities: Walked on water, cast out demons, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. He "stilled the sea by his power." Walked on water, cast out demons, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. He ordered the sea with a "Peace, be still" command. Raising of the dead: Horus raised Osirus, his dead father,from the grave. 1 Jesus raised Lazarus, his close friend, from the grave. Location where the resurrection miracle occurred:

Anu, an Egyptian city where the rites of the death, burial and resurrection of Horus were enacted annually. 1 Hebrews added their prex for house ('beth") to "Anu" to produce "Beth-Anu" or the "House of Anu." Since "u" and "y" were interchangeable in antiquity, "Bethanu" became "Bethany," the location mentioned in John 11. Linkage between the name of Osirus in Egyptian religion and Lazarus in the Gospel of John: Asar was an alternative name for Osirus, Horus' father. Horus raised Asar from the dead. He was referred to as "the Asar," as a sign of respect. Translated into Hebrew, Asr is "El-Asar." The Romans added the prex "us" to indicate a male name, producing "Elasarus." Over time, the "E" was dropped and "s" became "z," producing "Lazarus." 1 Jesus is said to have raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Transgured: On a mountain. On a high mountain. Key address(es):

Sermon on the Mount. Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 to 7); Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49). Method of death By crucixion or by the sting of a scorpion; sources differ. 2 See note above. By crucixion. Accompanied by: Two thieves. Two thieves. Burial In a tomb. In a tomb. Fate after death: Descended into Hell; resurrected after three days. Descended into Hell; resurrected after about 30 to 38 hours (Friday PM to presumably some time in Sunday AM) covering parts of three days. Resurrection announced by: Women. Women. Future: To reign for 1,000 years in the Millennium.

To reign for 1,000 years in the Millennium.

Comparison of some characteristics of Horus and Jesus:

Characteristics Horus Yeshua of Nazareth, a.k.a. Jesus Nature: Regarded as a mythical character. Regarded as a 1st century CE human prophet by Jewish Christians. Viewed as a man-god in the Gospel of John, and by Christians in the 2nd century CE and later. Main role: Savior of humanity. Savior of humanity. Status: God-man. God-man. Common portrayal: Virgin Isis holding the infant Horus.

Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus. Title: KRST, the anointed one. Christ, the anointed one. Other names: The good shepherd, the lamb of God, the bread of life, the son of man, the Word, the sher, the winnower. The good shepherd, the lamb of God, the bread of life, the son of man, the Word, the sher, the winnower. Zodiac sign: Associated with Pisces, the sh. Associated with Pisces, the sh. Main symbols: Fish, beetle, the vine, shepherd's crook. Fish, beetle, the vine, the shepherd's crook.

Comparison of some teachings of Horus and Jesus:

Characteristics Horus Yeshua of Nazareth, a.k.a. Jesus Criteria for salvation at the time of judgment "I have given bread to the hungry man and water to the thirsty man and clothing to the naked person and a boat to the shipwrecked mariner." 3 "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me..." Matthew 25:35-36 (KJV). "I am" statements "I am Horus in glory...I am the Lord of Light...I am the victorious one...I am the heir of endless time...I, even I, am he that knoweth the paths of heaven." 4 "I am Horus, the Prince of Eternity."

"I am Horus who stepeth onward through eternity...Eternity and everlastingness is my name." "I am the possessor of bread in Anu. I have bread in heaven with Ra." "I am the light of the world....I am the way, the truth and the life." "Before Abraham was, I am" "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today and forever." "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." (All from the Gospel of John)

References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today. 1. Tom Harpur, "The Pagan Christ; Recovering the Lost Light," Thomas Allen, (2004), Pages 128 to 136. Read reviews or order this book. A Canadian Broadcasting Corp. documentary based on this book won the Platinium Award at the WorldFest Remi Awards in 2008. 2. Google horus crucified to see conicting accounts on the way in which Horus died. 3. Ibid, Page 74. From the confession that humans made in the presence of Horus at the Hall of Maat -- the place of judgment for all. 4. "The Ritual: The Egyptian Book of the Dead."
Author: B.A. Robinson

Parallels suggested between Jesus & Horus

Debates about the validity of the evidence for the copycat thesis

Was Horus born of a virgin?:

Acharya S. quotes priest and author Joseph McCabe: "Whatever we make of the original myth, Isis seems to have been originally a virgin (or,

perhaps, sexless) goddess, and in the later period of Egyptian religion she was again considered a virgin goddess, demanding very strict abstinence from her devotees. It is at this period, apparently, that the birthday of Horus was annually celebrated, about December 25th, in the temples. As both Macrobius and the Christian writer [of the "Paschal Chronicle"] say, a gure of Horus as a baby was laid in a manger, in a scenic reconstruction of a stable, and a statue of Isis was placed beside it. Horus was, in a sense, the Savior of mankind. He was their avenger against the powers of darkness; he was the light of the world. His birth-festival was a real Christmas before Christ. 1,2 Acharya S. mentions a number of other references to Egyptian virgin births in her essay on Horus. 2 James Frazer writes in The Golden Bough: 3 "The ritual of the nativity, as it appears to have been celebrated in Syria and Egypt, was

remarkable. The celebrants retired into certain inner shrines, from which at midnight they issued with a loud cry, "The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing!" The Egyptians even represented the new-born sun by the image of an infant which on his birthday, the winter solstice, they brought forth and exhibited to his worshippers. No doubt the Virgin who thus conceived and bore a son on the twenty-fth of December was the great Oriental goddess whom the Semites called the Heavenly Virgin or simply the Heavenly Goddess." 4 On the other hand, Christian theologian Ward Gasque surveyed twenty contemporary Egyptologists. He asked them about the relationship whether Horus experienced a virgin birth. Ten responded; they unanimously agreed that there is no evidence that Horus was born of a virgin 5

Did Horus have 12 disciples?

Glenn Miller wrote: "...my research in the academic literature does not surface this fact. I can nd references to four 'disciples'--variously called the semi-divine HERU-SHEMSU ('Followers of Horus'). I can nd references to sixteen human followers. And I can nd reference to an unnumbered group of followers called mesniu/mesnitu ('blacksmiths') who accompanied Horus in some of his battles. ... But I cannot nd twelve anywhere." 6 Of course, the early Christian movement might have imported the concept of many disciples from Egypt and changed the number so that the number of Jesus' disciples matched the number of the tribes of Israel. Gasque's survey came up empty on the matter of Horus' disciples as well.

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Was Horus crucied?

If the term "crucied" is dened as a Roman crucixion, the answer is denitely no. The Roman Army that occupied Judea at the time of Jesus' execution had a highly organized method of executing uppity slaves and insurrectionists. It involved a ogging, forcing the victim to carry the cross arm to the place of execution, stripping the victim, tying his or her limbs in place (or rarely nailing them to the wood beams), waiting for the victim to die a slow, lingering death, and then throwing the body on a garbage heap for scavengers to eat. The whole procedure was carefully calculated to terrorize the population.

That type of crucixion did not exist in ancient Egypt, and thus Horus was denitely not given a Roman-type execution. However, some sources claim that he was crucied in the sense of being tied to a tree and allowed to die from asphyxiation and exposure. On the other hand, Glen M. Miller writes: I can nd no references to Horus EVER dying, until he later becomes "merged" with Re the Sun god, after which he 'dies' and is 'reborn' every single day as the sun rises. And even in this 'death', there is no reference to a tomb anywhere...
7

Some websites discussing Horus, Yeshua, and the copycat theory:

Unfortunately, reading these information sources can be frustrating. Many of them contain statements like "Horus was crucied" or "There is

no record of Horus being crucied," or "I have found no evidence for..." The reader is left hanging. Christian websites denying any connection: "Is Jesus a myth from Egypt," Living Sounds, 2007-AUG-12, at: http://livingsounds.org/ Zeitgeist Analysis, Part 1," Paxton's Blog, 2007SEP-11, at: http://paxblog.vox.com/ James Holding, "Walk like an Egyptian," Tektonics Apologetics Ministries, at: http:// www.tektonics.org/ "Horus: Is Jesus' life story a copy?," Not on your Mama's Religion, 2008-OCT-07, at: http:// www.notyourmamasreligion.com/

"Aren?t there some striking parallels between the Jesus and Horus stories?," King David 8, at: http:// www.kingdavid8.com/ Websites asserting a connection: Kersey Graves, "The World's Sixteen Crucied Saviors, Biblia y Nazarenos, at: http:// www.bibliotecapleyades.net Peter Joseph, "Zeitgeist, the movie," the Zeitgeist Movement, at: http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/ This site has the movie, the Zeitgiest Addendum" movie and various interviews online. "The Cult of Horus," The Atheist Empire of Liverpool," at: http:// atheistempire.wordpress.com/ "Jesus as a Reincarnation of Horus," Near Death, at: http://near-death.com/

Rev. Brian J. Kiely, "The Pagan Christ," Unitarian Church of Edmonton, 2004-MAY-16, at: http:// www.uce.ca/

References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today. 1. Joseph McCabe, "The Story of Religious Controversy," Stratford Co, (1929). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store 2. Acharya S., "Born of a Virgin on December 25th: Horus, Sun God of Egypt," at: http:// www.truthbeknown.com/ 3. James George Frazer, The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion." Oxford University Press, (1998). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store

 4. Les Carney, "Krishna born of a virgin?," at: http://www.lescarney.com/ 5. Tom Harpur, "The Pagan Christ; Recovering the Lost Light," Thomas Allen, (2004), Page 5. Read reviews or order this book. 6. James Patrick Holding, "Comparing Osiris, Horus and Jesus," at: http://tektonics.org/ 7. James Holding, "Walk like an Egyptian," Tektonics Apologetics Ministries, at: http:// www.tektonics.org/
Author: B.A. Robinson