Sun+day is the day to worship the Sun-God. Worship of the sun formed a most popular type of religion for the backward races of mankind. This grand and majestic luminary (the ancient Egyptians called it Ra) appears to a nascent, half-cultured mind as a source of life and the Lord of Light, and the various phases through which it has to pass provide him occasions for giving
expression to his inborn instincs of fear and hope and for celebrating festivals accordingly.
The sun begins to decline (in northern hemisphere) after the automnal equinox, and its decline reaches the last stage at the approach of the winter solstice, after which it again begins to increase in its light and warmth and ascends the horizon as if re-born in the underworld. This progress continues till the vernal equinox approaches, when days become of equal length with nights, and progress seems to be impeded. But the "crisis" is soon overcome; days becomes longer than night, meaning a final victory of the lord of light over the prince of darkness.
Thus among all Sun-worshipping communities, the autumnal equinox became an occation of fear and grief, because of the belief that their deity had fallen into clutches of the demon of darkness. On the other hand, the winter solstice and vernal equinox (the corresponding festivals in christendom are Christmas and Easter) became the day of the "birth" of the Sun-God and the second day of his "triumph" over the Prince of Darkness.
LEGEND OF THE MEDITERRANIAN SUN-GOD
Sun-worship was, at the time of the appearance of Jesus, the universally-prevelent religion of the Roman Empire, though the names given to the Sun-God in different countries were different. The well known Sun-Gods, whose worship had been popular in the Mediterranian countries at one time or the other, are: Attis of Phygia, Adonis of Syria, Dionysius or Bacchus of Greece, Bel of Babylon, Horus of Egypt, Mithras or Mithra of Persia. Brief sketches of the legends of these Sun-Gods will reveal the sources of the Christian legend.
Attis
He was regarded as "the only begotten Son "and Saviour". He was bled to death on March 24th at the foot of a pine-tree and his votaries believed that his blood had renewed the fertility of the earth, and thus brought a new life to humanity. He, however, rose from the dead, and his resurrection along with his death was celebrated by his votaries. Every year on the 24th day of march, they would first fasten his image to a pine-tree and then lay it in a tomb with wailing and mourning. On the next day they would find the tomb empty and celebrate the resurrection with the great rejoicing. Sacramental meal and baptism of blood was special feature of the festival of his cult.
Adonis or Tammuz
He was the "Saviour" of Syria. He suffered death for redemption of mankind, but rose again in the spring. His resurrection was commemorated by agreat annual festival. The old testament refers to the weeping and wailing of women over Tammuz (Ezekiel,viii,14). His votaries called him the "crucified" Tao (divine love personified, vide: Mythology of the Aryan Nations, vol.ii.p.113). Tammuz belonged to that class of idols which originally design to represent the Promised Saviour.
Dionysius or Bacchus
He was the "only begotten Son" of Jupiter (Zupitri = god the father) and was born on December 25th. He was a redeemer, liberator and saviour. "It is I," so says bacchus to mankind, "who guide you; it is I who protect you, and who save you; I am alpha and omega", vide: anacalypsis, vol.i.p.302. Wine had an important place in the festival of his cult. He was slain for redeeming humanity and was called "the Slain One", "the Sin Bearer", the Redeemer. His passion play was celebrated every year representing his death and resurrection.
Bel or Ba'al
He was the Sun-God of Babylon and the history of his life is extremely astonishing in so far as his passion play has a very close resemblance with the Christian passion story even in details.
Modern arhaelogical researches have brought to light some very bewildering facts which go to prove that Babilonian mithology played an important role in the early stages of Christianity. In 1903-4, the german exavators at kala shergat, the site of ancient assur, discovered two cuneiform documents. When deciphered, they were found to contain the narrative of passion play of ba'al. An english journal, the Quest, London, January 1922 published its translation. These are some of them:
1. Ba'al is taken prisoner
1. Jesus is taken prisoner
2. Ba'al is tried in the house on the hall of justice
2. Jesus is tried of the high priest and the hall of pilate
3. Ba'al is smitten
3. Jesus is scourged
4. Ba'al is led away to the mount
4. Jesus is led away to Golgotha
------
11 a goddes sits with ba'al; she comes to tend him
11 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sit before the tomb
------
13 Ba'al again brought back to life; he comes again out of the mount
13 Jesus' restoration to life, his rising from the grave
14 his chief feast in March at the spring equinox, is celebrated also as his triumph over the
powers of darkness
14 his festival approximately at the spring equinox ia also celebrated as his triumph over
the powers of darkness
Horus
Horus of Egypt was born on december 29th. He was slain, but came again to life after two or three days and three nights. Belief in the God-Man in the form of horus became the chief element in Egyptian religion, and remained for thousands of years the faith of the people through the tangled skein of religious life in Egypt until Horus passed into the form of the God-Man
Jesus Christ.
Mithras or Mithra
He was the Sun-God of the Persians, the perfect prototype of Jesus Christ in which Christmas and Easter were two most inportant festivals. This Divine Saviour's first worshippers were shepherd; and the day of his nativity was December 25th, His followers had seven sacraments of which the most important were baptism, confirmation and eucharist supper, at which the communicants partook of the Divine Mithra under the species of bread and wine.
The story, however, does not end here. Modern scholars have unearthed a vast mass of evidence which proves beyond doubt that not only the life of Chiristian Jesus but the whole superstructure of Christianity as such has been built up on pagan foundation. As a matter of fact, Christianity, as it has existed since the transformation wrought by the Neo-Platonist Paul, is simply a continuation of pre-Christian paganism. WaLlahu a'lamu bisshawab
expression to his inborn instincs of fear and hope and for celebrating festivals accordingly.
The sun begins to decline (in northern hemisphere) after the automnal equinox, and its decline reaches the last stage at the approach of the winter solstice, after which it again begins to increase in its light and warmth and ascends the horizon as if re-born in the underworld. This progress continues till the vernal equinox approaches, when days become of equal length with nights, and progress seems to be impeded. But the "crisis" is soon overcome; days becomes longer than night, meaning a final victory of the lord of light over the prince of darkness.
Thus among all Sun-worshipping communities, the autumnal equinox became an occation of fear and grief, because of the belief that their deity had fallen into clutches of the demon of darkness. On the other hand, the winter solstice and vernal equinox (the corresponding festivals in christendom are Christmas and Easter) became the day of the "birth" of the Sun-God and the second day of his "triumph" over the Prince of Darkness.
LEGEND OF THE MEDITERRANIAN SUN-GOD
Sun-worship was, at the time of the appearance of Jesus, the universally-prevelent religion of the Roman Empire, though the names given to the Sun-God in different countries were different. The well known Sun-Gods, whose worship had been popular in the Mediterranian countries at one time or the other, are: Attis of Phygia, Adonis of Syria, Dionysius or Bacchus of Greece, Bel of Babylon, Horus of Egypt, Mithras or Mithra of Persia. Brief sketches of the legends of these Sun-Gods will reveal the sources of the Christian legend.
Attis
He was regarded as "the only begotten Son "and Saviour". He was bled to death on March 24th at the foot of a pine-tree and his votaries believed that his blood had renewed the fertility of the earth, and thus brought a new life to humanity. He, however, rose from the dead, and his resurrection along with his death was celebrated by his votaries. Every year on the 24th day of march, they would first fasten his image to a pine-tree and then lay it in a tomb with wailing and mourning. On the next day they would find the tomb empty and celebrate the resurrection with the great rejoicing. Sacramental meal and baptism of blood was special feature of the festival of his cult.
Adonis or Tammuz
He was the "Saviour" of Syria. He suffered death for redemption of mankind, but rose again in the spring. His resurrection was commemorated by agreat annual festival. The old testament refers to the weeping and wailing of women over Tammuz (Ezekiel,viii,14). His votaries called him the "crucified" Tao (divine love personified, vide: Mythology of the Aryan Nations, vol.ii.p.113). Tammuz belonged to that class of idols which originally design to represent the Promised Saviour.
Dionysius or Bacchus
He was the "only begotten Son" of Jupiter (Zupitri = god the father) and was born on December 25th. He was a redeemer, liberator and saviour. "It is I," so says bacchus to mankind, "who guide you; it is I who protect you, and who save you; I am alpha and omega", vide: anacalypsis, vol.i.p.302. Wine had an important place in the festival of his cult. He was slain for redeeming humanity and was called "the Slain One", "the Sin Bearer", the Redeemer. His passion play was celebrated every year representing his death and resurrection.
Bel or Ba'al
He was the Sun-God of Babylon and the history of his life is extremely astonishing in so far as his passion play has a very close resemblance with the Christian passion story even in details.
Modern arhaelogical researches have brought to light some very bewildering facts which go to prove that Babilonian mithology played an important role in the early stages of Christianity. In 1903-4, the german exavators at kala shergat, the site of ancient assur, discovered two cuneiform documents. When deciphered, they were found to contain the narrative of passion play of ba'al. An english journal, the Quest, London, January 1922 published its translation. These are some of them:
1. Ba'al is taken prisoner
1. Jesus is taken prisoner
2. Ba'al is tried in the house on the hall of justice
2. Jesus is tried of the high priest and the hall of pilate
3. Ba'al is smitten
3. Jesus is scourged
4. Ba'al is led away to the mount
4. Jesus is led away to Golgotha
------
11 a goddes sits with ba'al; she comes to tend him
11 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sit before the tomb
------
13 Ba'al again brought back to life; he comes again out of the mount
13 Jesus' restoration to life, his rising from the grave
14 his chief feast in March at the spring equinox, is celebrated also as his triumph over the
powers of darkness
14 his festival approximately at the spring equinox ia also celebrated as his triumph over
the powers of darkness
Horus
Horus of Egypt was born on december 29th. He was slain, but came again to life after two or three days and three nights. Belief in the God-Man in the form of horus became the chief element in Egyptian religion, and remained for thousands of years the faith of the people through the tangled skein of religious life in Egypt until Horus passed into the form of the God-Man
Jesus Christ.
Mithras or Mithra
He was the Sun-God of the Persians, the perfect prototype of Jesus Christ in which Christmas and Easter were two most inportant festivals. This Divine Saviour's first worshippers were shepherd; and the day of his nativity was December 25th, His followers had seven sacraments of which the most important were baptism, confirmation and eucharist supper, at which the communicants partook of the Divine Mithra under the species of bread and wine.
The story, however, does not end here. Modern scholars have unearthed a vast mass of evidence which proves beyond doubt that not only the life of Chiristian Jesus but the whole superstructure of Christianity as such has been built up on pagan foundation. As a matter of fact, Christianity, as it has existed since the transformation wrought by the Neo-Platonist Paul, is simply a continuation of pre-Christian paganism. WaLlahu a'lamu bisshawab
KUMPULAN TULISAN H.M. NUR ABDURRAHMAN
(Dari Kolom Tetap Harian FAJAR bertajuk "Wahyu dan
Akal - Iman dan Ilmu")
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