Bible myths and their parallels in other religions : being a comparison of the Old and New Testament myths and miracles with those of heathen nations of antiquity, considering also their origin and meaning

44.7 MB·English

by  Doane, T. W. (Thomas William), 1852-1885

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MYTHS
BIBLE
AND THEIR
PARALLELS IN OTHER RELIGIONS
BEING A COMPARISON OF THE
Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles
WITH
THOSE OF HEATHEN NATIONS OF ANTIQUITY
CONSIDERING ALSO
THEIR ORIGIN AND MEANING
DOANE
BY T. W.
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS
FOURTH EDITION
*ffe who knows only one religion knows none." PROF. MAX MULLER.
"The same thing whichis nowcalled CHRISTIAN RELIGION existed among the
Ancients. They have begun to call Christian the true religion which existed be
fore." ST. AUGUSTINE.
"Our love for what is old, ourreverence for what our fathersused, makes us
keep still in the church, and on the very altar cloths, symbols which would excite
the smileof an Oriental, and lead him to wonderwhy we send missionaries to his
land, whilecherishinghis faith inours." JAMES BONWICK.
NEW YORK
THE COMMONWEALTH COMPANY
sS LAFAYETTE FLACK
r
COPYRIGHT,
BY J. W. BOUTON,
1882.
125145
SEP 2887
INTRODUCTION.
THE idea of publishing the work here presented did not sug
gest itself until a large portion of the material it contains had
been accumulated for the private use and personal gratification of
the author. In pursuing the study of the Bible Myths, facts per
taining thereto, in a condensed form, seemed to be greatly needed,
and nowhere to be found. Widely scattered through hundreds of
ancient and modern volumes, most of the contents of this book
may indeedbe found ; butanyprevious attempt to traceexclusively
the myths and legends of the Old and New Testament to their
origin, published as a separate work, is not known to the writer
of this. Many able writers have shown our so-called Sacred Scrip
tures to be unhistorical, and have pronounced them largely legend
ary, but have there left the matter, evidently aware of the great
extent of the subject lying beyond. As Thomas Scott remarks,
in his English Life of Jesus: "How these narratives (i. e., the
New Testament narratives), unhistorical as they have been shown
to be, came into existence, it is not our business to explain; and
once again, at the end of the task, as at the beginning and
throughout, we must emphatically disclaim the obligation." To
pursue the subject from the point at which it is abandoned by
this and many other distinguished writers, has been the labor of
the author of this volume for a number of years. The result of
[iiij
IV INTRODUCTION.
this labor is herewith submitted to the reader, but not without a
painful consciousness of its many imperfections.
The work naturally begins with the Eden myth, and is fol
lowed by a consideration of the principal Old Testament
legends, showing their universality, origin and meaning. Next
will be found the account of the birth of Christ Jesus, with his
history until the close of his life upon earth, showing, in con
nection therewith, the universality of the myth of the Virgin-
born, Crucified and Resurrected Saviour.
Before showing the origin and meaning of the myth (which
is done in Chapter XXXIX.), we have considered the Miracles
of Christ Jesus, the Eucharist, Baptism, the Worship of the
Virgin, Christian Symbols, the Birthday of Christ Jesus, the
Doctrine of the Trinity, Why Christianity Prospered, and the
Antiyuity of Pagan Religions, besides making a comparison of
the legendary histories of Cri-shna and Jesus, and Buddha and
Jesus. The concluding chapter relates to the question, What do
we really know about Jesus?
In the words of Prof. Max Mliller (The Science of Re
ligion, p. 11) : "A comparison of all the religions of the world,
in which none can claim a privileged position, will no doubt
seem to many dangerous and reprehensible, because ignoring that
peculiar reverence which everybody, down to the mere fetish
worshiper, feels for his own religion, and for his own god. Let
me say, then, at once, that I myself have shared these misgivings,
but that I have tried to overcome them, because I would not and
could not allow myself to surrender either what I hold to be the
truth, or what I hold still dearer than truth, the right of testing
truth. Nor do I regret it. I do not say that the Science of Re
ligion is all gain. No, it entails losses, and losses of many
things which we hold dear. But this I will say, that, as far as
my humble judgment goes, it does not entail the loss of anything
that is essential to true religion, and that, if we strike the
balance honestly, the gain is immeasurably greater than the loss"
INTRODUCTION. V
"All truth is safe, and nothing else is safe ; and he who keeps
back the truth, or withholds it from men, from motives of expe
diency, is either a coward or a criminal, or both."
But little beyond the arrangement of this work is claimed as
original. Ideas, phrases, and even whole paragraphs have been
taken from the writings of others, and in most, if not in all cases,
acknowledged but with the thought in mind of the many hours
;
of research this book may save the student in this particular line
of study with the consciousness of having done for others that
;
which I would have been thankful to have found done for myself
;
and more than all, with the hopethat it may in some way help to
hasten the day when the mist of superstition shall be dispelled by
the light of reason ; with all its defects, it is most cheerfullycom
mitted to its fate by the author.
BOSTON, MASS., November, 1882.