Excellent link, Bill. Thank you so much. The author clearly shows that Christ-mythers, anti-Christians etc either exaggerate or else outright make up some of their alleged "similarities". As it rightly concludes: "What’s incredible about these parallels is that of the six listed, every one of them is either dubious or certainly false. Let’s look at them one at a time."
"These sources are not general history sources designed to inform us about the cult of Mithras. They are articles written specifically for the purpose of arguing that Christianity is derived from a well known myth, as a way of showing that Jesus of Nazareth as depicted by Christians is a mythical figure, thereby discrediting Christianity. In other words, the sources are not dispassionate. In summary, here is what these writers tell us. Mithras, according to the Mithraic myths, was:
- Born of a virgin
- Born on the 25th of December
- Born in a stable with shepherds present
- Had twelve disciples
- Was killed and buried in a tomb/cave
- Rose from the dead three days after his death
If you were an unwary web surfer with no background in ancient mythology, you would be justifiably impressed by these similarities. Perhaps you’d even accept the claim that because of these similarities, it’s clear that Christianity just borrowed the Mithraic myth and added a new face: that of Jesus of Nazareth.
What’s incredible about these parallels is that of the six listed, every one of them is either dubious or certainly false. Let’s look at them one at a time."
http://www.rightreason.org/2009/merry-mithras/
And this is what the author says about the 25th December date in particular: "
"This feature of the Mithras mythology requires little comment, for one primary reason: being born on the 25th of December is actually not part of the account of the life of Jesus, so it is frankly irrelevant if it matches the story of Mithras.
That being said, out of mere interest it looks doubtful that Mithras was thought to be born on the 25th of December anyway. The 25th of December was the ceremonial birthdate of Sol Invictus, the pagan Emperor Aurelian’s Sun God. This date was not used for Sol Invictus until the late fourth century, when Christianity was already a few centuries old and the Christians had already used that date for Christmas. While the earlier Mithras was a god of light and of the sun, this is no proof that he too was said to be born on the 25th of December. Another source (which I located via Wikipedia), Manfred Claus, said that “”the Mithraic Mysteries had no public ceremonies of its own. The festival of natalis Invicti [Birth of the Unconquerable (Sun)], held on 25 December, was a general festival of the Sun, and by no means specific to the Mysteries of Mithras.” [Clauss, Mithras: Kult und Mysterien (München, 1990), p. 70.]"
Gentle reminder that Evodius, disciple of Christ and 1st Century Bishop, is our earliest source for Christ's date of birth.
The other second and third century sources I post below. In the 4th century, St. Augustine and St. Chrysostom, two highly respected and very learned Church Fathers, state the birth of Christ was on Dec. 25th. If, for e.g. the Bishops had made a prudent decision to celebrate this Christian Feast on 25th to supplant on a pagan feast, then one of these 2 Bishops - Augustine or Chrysostom, one in the East, one in the West - would have mentioned it. But they mention no such thing.
"The Baptist being born in late June, as shown in the Second Point, Christ Our Lord certainly would have been born around late December. The witness of Tradition, of very early historical Tradition, is clear on this point.
Bp. Theophilus (115–181 A.D.) stated: “We ought to celebrate the birthday of Our Lord on what day soever the 25th of December shall happen.”
Saint Hippolytus (170–240 A.D.) wrote: “The First Advent of our Lord in the flesh occurred when He was born in Bethlehem, was December 25th, a Wednesday, while Augustus was in his forty-second year, which is five thousand and five hundred years from Adam.”
St. Augustine finally confirms: “But he was born, according to Tradition, upon December the 25th.”
https://onepeterfive.com/dates-years-birth-death-christ/
Will find the citation of St. John Chrysostom of Constantinople next. I believe he says there was still a record preserved of the Roman Census in his time, and that that census date backs up the Christmas date.
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