Could someone refer me to a link or links to ancient religions which the people who wrote the bible borrowed?

Question

Lately I have been lucky about meeting people from other countries where their main religion was not Christian/Muslim/Jewish. Some religious people are trying to introduce them into Christianity... So they were telling me they have found similar stories on their religion I just have arriived to the conclusion that whoever wrote the bible borrowed their stories from earlier religions Now . What I want if someone who had already study this sort of plagiarism, could point to me to the right links ...example it is said that Jesus walked on the waters (no new it had been done by other person before) Jesus got upset and kicked some people from a temple (done before) Creation of Adam and eve.... Universal flood... resurrecting the dead etc etc... and many more. Thanks to the internet the age of obscurantism is gradually disappearing

Answer 1

Similarities between Jesus and
Horus, an Egyptian God...
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5.htm
Other myth sources...
http://home.earthlink.net/~pgwhacker/ChristianOrigins/
Some more...
http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2003/04/is-christianity-based-on-pagan-roots.php

Answer 2

It sounds like you are searching for evidence that your beliefs are right - - not finding information and letting your beliefs form and evolve. . . that's dangerous for you.

Meanwhile - the Bible was written by Jewish (Hebrew) and Greek people, primarily. Look into the Old Testament to understand the New. The writers of the Old Testament based their writings in the religions of the Hebrews at the time.

You need to also question whether the religions of the "people you've been meeting" are actually older than Judaism, which is far older than either Christianity or Islam, and is one of the oldest belief systems known to us. Perhaps the religions of your friends based THEIR beliefs on Judaism?

The other major religions that could have effected the writings of the Bible are local tribal pagan (many gods) religions of the time, or that of the Romans. This is unlikely, though, since the whole point of the Hebrew writings is to differentiate their monotheistic (one god) faith from that of pagans.

You fail to understand that although you will find similar allegories in ancient writings, the history is not the same. In other words, writers may have used a familiar comparison to explain something they saw Christ do - it doesn't mean he didn't exist, or that he wasn't who they thought he was. Also, some events in the history of the world did occur and were written and/or spoken about in different faiths. An example is the Great Flood (Noah and the Ark), the story of which occurs across many faiths and cultures, independently.

You are talking about very complicated subjects. It takes years of study for biblical scholars to even begin to make connections. For you to assume you or the people you meet, know enough to do that is just. . . . ignorant.

Educate yourself for years, and you'll have the equipment to go down the paths you are interested in exploring. Remember too that many people don't understand their own religion very well - much less that of others. Take what people tell you with a grain of salt, until you have checked into it yourself. If you are serious about learning more, I wish you all the best!

Answer 3

Check the links below (Laurence Gardner has written several books that detail the similarities):

Also, read anything by Joseph Campbell, including the Power of Myth. These are good places to start, then go from there.

Do not consider this sort of thing plagiarsim, because it isn't. These stories show common threads that connect all mankind and reflect universal themes and archetypes. Even studying the ancient religions of the Egyptians will open your eyes (the first monotheist? Akhenaton, who was considered a heretic by his own people.) Really explore this...

Answer 4

Read The Jesus Mysteries. Its main point is that Christianity is a Jewish form of a Pagan mystery cult.

Also check Zoroastrianism (this religion was mainly in Persia and now some of them live in India, and Iranians continue to follow some Zoroastrian traditional holidays and stuff.)

Ancient Egyptian thought, Ancient Greek religion and philosophy, Babylonian religion.

But get The Jesus Mysteries, by Freke and (I think this is his name) Gandy. It's about Gnostic Christianity--a real eye-opener.

I think there's a lot of syncretism among religions because people around the world are fairly similar and there has always been a lot of trade and moving around. I wouldn't necessarily call it plagiarism--some of it is just that people had the same stories in their backgrounds (like in traditional oral history) and they wind up with similar religions down the line. Most religions have more in common than they might like to admit.

Answer 5

The book from which the story told in the Bible was taken is the 'Enuma Elish' a Sumerian text explaining the cosmogony, the creation, the deluge etc etc...Hebrews started writing the first books of the Bible during their 50 years of captivity in Babylon and at that time politheism was still ruling; they adapted the original story told in the Enuma Elish (which means When on high',= first verse of the Bible too) to the new concept of a signle male God; you'll find Sumerians and their tablets very interesting;) another Sumerian text you should read is the LOst Book of Enki: it tells you the story of the fallen angels (also Annunaki) ...and much more....;)

Answer 6

I know what you are talking about. It has been years since I have read alot about that. I have put down some sites I could remeber. What is really interesting it zechariah sitchin, if I remeber he is the one that wrote in his books where alot of the stories originalted from. If I remeber correctly it was about annuki and sumeria, I have also included two sites. Make sure you check the links and the references in the books.
When you start to get into it, it will be an eye opener.
I wish you all the fun I had in investigating into the ancient religions.

http://history-world.org/sumeria.htm
http://www.sitchin.com/
http://www.halexandria.org/dward185.htm
http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/

This site is a good site to check out info.
http://www.crystalinks.com/

look also into the ancient indian and chinese beliefs. You will find interesting things in there.

And one more thing you will find interesting. Unexplained things in paintings.
http://www.dudeman.net/siriusly/ufo/art.shtml

Have fun

Answer 7

Are you severe? The bible is God's note or maybe with and once you're affirming "properly do not only study that reason it gained't make experience study the coed's writing too" then you truly're affirming the bible gained't make experience and also you shouldn't ought to study any pupil's writing's to appreciate the bible. The bible is meant to be the words to stay with techniques from and in case you want to extra are conscious of it with scholars writing's then you truly comprehend on your heart the bible is organic crap.

Answer 8

I would strongly reccomend a book called the Secret Orgins of the Bible. Amazing scholarly work showing the evolution of Judaism.

Answer 9

Has it ever occured that perhaps these stories developed independently, and therefore may have a grain of truth to them?