Jesus in History
Christianity copied older pagan myths like Horus or Mithras.
Short answer
Most of the claimed parallels collapse when you read the actual ancient sources. Horus was not born of a virgin on December 25 or crucified. The early Christians were Jews who strongly rejected pagan religion, and the Gospels are rooted in a specific time, place, and set of public figures.
In simple words: Some people say the Jesus story was copied from old myths, but when you check, the old stories are really different.
Response
This idea is popular online, often from documentaries and memes, but it is rejected by specialists, including non-Christian scholars of ancient religion.
When checked against the actual sources, the parallels usually disappear. For example, ancient Egyptian texts do not describe Horus as born of a virgin, having twelve disciples, being crucified, or rising after three days. Mithraism is known mostly from sources later than the New Testament, so if anything borrowed, it was not Christianity.
It is also unlikely historically. The first Christians were Jews who were fiercely opposed to pagan religion. They were far more likely to be shaped by the Hebrew Scriptures than by Egyptian or Persian myths.
Myths are set in a vague, timeless past. The Gospels name real rulers, real places, and a recent execution by a known Roman governor. When the documentary Zeitgeist promoted these claims, even many skeptical scholars criticized it as historically baseless.
Key evidence
- Ancient Egyptian sources do not support claims that Horus was crucified, born on December 25, or had twelve disciples.
- Most evidence for Mithraism dates from the 2nd century and later.
- Agnostic scholar Bart Ehrman rejects the copycat claims in Did Jesus Exist? (2012).
- The Gospels are set in a specific historical context: Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas, Tiberius.
Bible passages
- 2 Peter 1:16 "We did not follow cleverly devised stories."
- Luke 3:1-2 Jesus' story set in named history.
- Acts 26:26 "It was not done in a corner."
Discussion questions
- Why do you think these claims spread so easily online?
- How can we check a claim like this ourselves?
- What is the difference between a myth and a historical account?