Path: shell.portal.com!shell.portal.com!not-for-mail From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (mordred) Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick Subject: Re: Messianic History Date: 11 Feb 1995 12:42:09 -0800 Organization: Portal Communications (shell) Lines: 31 Sender: tyagi@shell.portal.com Message-ID: <3hj7f1$14t@jobe.shell.portal.com> References: <1.15242.1684.0N27EE27@dscmail.com> <791217221snz@metallia.demon.co.uk> Reply-To: pet@netcom.com (Paul Trejo) NNTP-Posting-Host: jobe.shell.portal.com Xref: shell.portal.com alt.magick.tyagi:2080 alt.magick:37981 [from alt.pagan: pet@netcom.com (Paul Trejo)] : clucy@liverpool.ac.uk (Mr D.A.V. Clucas) writes: : As we know, Mithraism continued to the 4th century AD, so if we only have : post 1st Century AD references, how do we know who copied whom? This : is a very important question as we know that Mithraism changed quite a : bit over the centuries, presumably from external influences. With the translations of the GATHAS OF ZARATHUSTRA (ca 700 BC) and the various Sanskrit VEDAS (1,000 BC) of India which mention Mithra as a God, we are on fairly certain ground when we speak of the antiquity of Mithra and the religions which build upon him. Mithra was the very, very ancient god of Justice, the god of Contracts, and very useful to the international soldier of fortune of ancient times. Mithra was since ancient times an Achilles, a Samson, a Hercules, a warrior god who warred for the Righteous Cause with strength and fearlessness. Miracles of justice and healing were his legend. We know that the Baptism and Eurcharist (however varied) were part of the ancient Mithra cave rites, and that the earliest Christians held their first Baptisms and Eucharists in caves also. And, before Christianity arose, there were Mithra-caves as far East as China and as far Northwest as Ireland. Peace, --Paul --