Happy Solstice!*
In a program debuting on June 22, 2013, I discuss with Miguel Conner of Aeon Byte Radio the possible Orphic influences on Christianity, including a human figure on a cross that appears to be pre-Christian. This small gemstone of a crucifix was featured on the cover of a popular book on the Jesus myth, giving it renewed notoriety and making it the target of various “debunking” efforts because of its resemblance to Christian iconography.
Nevertheless, as I reveal in my 40-page ebook “A Pre-Christian ‘God’ on a Cross?,” there exist a number of reasons to suspect that this artifact is genuinely ancient and uninfluenced by Christianity. The inscription on the crucifix, “Orpheos Bakkikos,” in itself indicates that the artifact is unrelated to Christianity but is a cult object of the famed pagan mysteries.
Here’s a new Examiner article regarding my ebook and radio program about the possible pre-Christian “god” on a cross, as well as the origins of Gnosticism. Be sure to have a listen!
Scholars reexamine a crucifix that may predate Christianity
Here is Miguel’s write-up of our latest program together:
Our seven year anniversary takes on an odyssey of wonder and discovery. We begin by understanding the mystic Cult of Orpheus and the God Dionysus (and how the amulet made famous in ‘The Jesus Mysteries’ is actually authentic). We learn how it was part of a current of Mystery Religions that influenced the formation of so many mainstream religions and even political empires, and unfortunately all manner of orthodoxy, from India to Rome. Through this fascinating maze, uncovering dangerous truths concerning the machinations of gods and men, we find the origins of the Gnostics. It’s a vast tapestry of solar myths and civic manipulations. From Ancient Egypt to the rise of Christianity, we leave no heretical stone unturned.
Now playing! Per Miguel’s write-up:
Topics discussed:
–The influence the Cult of Orpheus had on Gnosticism and early Christianity, from its theology to its rituals.
–Understanding the stream of Mystery Religions that even gave shape to ancient Judaism.
–Are aliens behind ancient humanity’s gods and creation myths?
–How the Gnostic view of a Cosmic Christ in an astrological realm shifted to that of a carnal Messiah for Rome.
–Understanding the universal concept of the Cross, even used by Plato.
–How India and the Greco-Roman cultures exchanged theologies and informed each other’s religions.
–Evidence pointing that the early church fathers already knew that Jesus was part of a mythic story that existed thousands of years before.
–The secret (and greedy) cult of merchants that truly spearheaded various mainstream religions across the world.
And much more!
http://www.aeonbytegnosticradio.com/
Note that Miguel is doing a fundraiser to continue his program. He will use some of the funds to put together an ebook of transcripts of our programs. Please support his work – and mine, by obtaining a copy of my ebook and a monthly subscription!
*Although the solstice technically was the 21st, the ancients perceived the sun to “stand still” – the meaning of “solstice” – for THREE days, after which it was reborn or resurrected on the 24th. Hence, in the summer we have St. John’s Day on the 24th, while in the winter it is Christ’s Birthday, the two solar figures “born” six months apart.
