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The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God? Paperback – September 25, 2001

by Timothy Freke (Author), Peter Gandy (Author)

4.6 765 ratings

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Drawing on the cutting edge of modern scholarship, this astonishing book completely undermines the traditional history of Christianity that has been perpetuated for centuries by the Church and presents overwhelming evidence that the Jesus of the New Testament is a mythical figure.

“Whether you conclude that this book is the most alarming heresy of the millennium or the mother of all revelations, The Jesus Mysteries deserves to be read.”
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Far from being eyewitness accounts, as is traditionally held, the Gospels are actually Jewish adaptations of ancient Pagan myths of the dying and resurrecting godman Osiris-Dionysus. The supernatural story of Jesus is not the history of a miraculous Messiah but a carefully crafted spiritual allegory designed to guide initiates on a journey of mystical discovery.

A little more than a century ago, most people believed that the strange story of Adam and Eve was history; today it is understood to be a myth. Within a few decades, authors Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy argue, we will likewise be amazed that the fabulous story of God incarnate—who was born of a virgin, who turned water into wine, and who rose from the dead—could have been interpreted as anything but a profound parable.

From the Back Cover

""Whether you conclude that this book is the most alarming heresy of the millennium or the mother of all revelations, The Jesus Mysteries deserves to be read."
-- Fort Worth Star -Telegram
What if . . .
* there were absolutely no evidence for the existence of a historical Jesus?
* for thousands of years Pagans had also followed a Son of God?
* this Pagan savior was also born of a virgin on the twenty-fifth of December before three shepherds, turned water into wine at a wedding, died and was resurrected, and offered his body and blood as a Holy Communion?
* these Pagan myths had been rewritten as the gospel of Jesus Christ?
* the earliest Gnostic Christians knew that the Jesus story was a myth?
* Christianity turned out to be a continuation of Paganism by another name?

About the Author

Timothy Freke has a degree in philosophy and is an authority on world mysticism, with more than twenty books published internationally. Peter Gandy has an M.A. in classical civilizations, specializing in the ancient Pagan Mystery religions. They have coauthored three previous publications: The Complete Guide to World Mysticism, Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs, The Wisdom of the Pagan Philosophers, and Jesus and the Lost Goddess.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus said, "It is to those who are worthy of my Mysteries that I tell my Mysteries."

The Gospel of Thomas

On the site where the Vatican now stands there once stood a Pagan temple. Here Pagan priests observed sacred ceremonies, which early Christians found so disturbing that they tried to erase all evidence of them ever having been practiced. What were these shocking Pagan rites? Gruesome sacrifices or obscene orgies perhaps? This is what we have been led to believe. But the truth is far stranger than this fiction.

Where today the gathered faithful revere their Lord Jesus Christ, the ancients worshiped another godman who, like Jesus, had been miraculously born on December 25 before three shepherds. In this ancient sanctuary Pagan congregations once glorified a Pagan redeemer who, like Jesus, was said to have ascended to heaven and to have promised to come again at the end of time to judge the quick and the dead. On the same spot where the Pope celebrates the Catholic mass, Pagan priests also celebrated a symbolic meal of bread and wine in memory of their savior who, just like Jesus, had declared:

He who will not eat of my body and drink of my blood, so that he will be made one with me and I with him, the same shall not know salvation.

When we began to uncover such extraordinary similarities between the story of Jesus and Pagan myth we were stunned. We had been brought up in a culture which portrays Paganism and Christianity as entirely antagonistic religious perspectives. How could such astonishing resemblances be explained? We were intrigued and began to search farther. The more we looked, the more resemblances we found. To account for the wealth of evidence we were unearthing we felt compelled to completely review our understanding of the relationship between Paganism and Christianity, to question beliefs that we previously regarded as unquestionable and to imagine possibilities that at first seemed impossible. Some readers will find our conclusions shocking and others heretical, but for us they are merely the simplest and most obvious way of accounting for the evidence we have amassed.

We have become convinced that the story of Jesus is not the biography of a historical Messiah, but a myth based on perennial Pagan stories. Christianity was not a new and unique revelation but actually a Jewish adaptation of the ancient Pagan Mystery religion. This is what we have called The Jesus Mysteries Thesis. It may sound far-fetched at first, just as it did initially to us. There is, after all, a great deal of unsubstantiated nonsense written about the "real" Jesus, so any revolutionary theory should be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism. But although this book makes extraordinary claims, it is not just entertaining fantasy or sensational speculation. It is firmly based upon the available historical sources and the latest scholarly research. While we hope to have made it accessible to the general reader, we have also included copious notes giving sources, references, and greater detail for those who wish to analyze our arguments more thoroughly.

Although still radical and challenging today, many of the ideas we explore are actually far from new. As long ago as the Renaissance, mystics and scholars saw the origins of Christianity in the ancient Egyptian religion. Visionary scholars at the turn of the nineteenth century also made comparable conjectures to our own. In recent decades, modern academics have repeatedly pointed toward the possibilities we consider. Yet few have dared to boldly state the obvious conclusions that we have drawn. Why? Because to do so is taboo.

For 2,000 years the West has been dominated by the idea that Christianity is sacred and unique while Paganism is primitive and the work of the Devil. To even consider that they could be parts of the same tradition has been simply unthinkable. Therefore, although the true origins of Christianity have been obvious all along, few have been able to see them, because to do so requires a radical break with the conditioning of our culture. Our contribution has been to dare to think the unthinkable and to present our conclusions in a popular book rather than some dry academic tome. This is certainly not the last word on this complex subject, but we hope it may be a significant call for a complete reappraisal of the origins of Christianity.

Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harmony
Publication date

September 25, 2001
Dimensions

6.1 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
ISBN-10

0609807986
ISBN-13

978-0609807989
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harmony (September 25, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0609807986
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0609807989
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #306,621 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #67 in Gnosticism (Books)
- #422 in Comparative Religion (Books)
- #544 in Christology (Books)

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4.6 765 ratings

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Peter Gandy
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Timothy Freke
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Tim is an internationally respected authority on world spirituality. He is the author of over thirty books that have established his reputation as a scholar and free-thinker. He became well known for his groundbreaking work on Christian Gnosticism with his close friend Peter Gandy, including The Jesus Mysteries, which was a top 10 best-seller in the UK and USA, and a 'Book of the Year' in the UK Daily Telegraph.
In his latest book, The Mystery Experience, Tim presents a revolutionary approach to spirituality. He creates a new language of awakening, which makes profound ideas simpler to understand, so it's easier to experience a real transformation of consciousness.
Tim runs Mystery Experience Retreats throughout the world in which he guides people directly to an experience of oneness and all-embracing love that naturally arises in the ‘deep awake’ state.
Website: www.TheMysteryExperience.com
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Tim Freke
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Tim Freke is a pioneering philosopher whose bestselling books, inspirational talks, and life-changing retreats have touched the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
He is the author of 35 books, translated into more than 15 languages, including 'The Jesus Mysteries', which was a top 6 Amazon Bestseller and Daily Telegraph 'Book of the Year'.
In his latest books 'Deep Awake' and 'Soul Story', Tim offers a revolutionary approach to awakening for the 21st century and a visionary new understanding of the nature of reality.
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David Fairthorne

The Jesus story began as a myth; Constantine took it literally

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2007

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"The Jesus Mysteries" by Freke and Gandy.

The authors conclude that Jesus was originally a mythical "god-man", like the Pagan gods Osiris and Dionysus. But under orders from Roman Emperor Constantine, Christian doctrines were chosen to support the theory of Jesus as a historical figure capable of actually doing the miraculous things previously attributed only to the mythical Jesus.

In the pre-Christian era there were traditional Pagan "Mystery Religions", in which there were mythycal "god-men". These included Osiris in Egypt; Dionysus in Greece; Adonis in Syria; Attis in Turkey and Mithras in Persia. These stories had much in common, and the god-man is sometimes called Osiris/Dionysus. This god-man is God made flesh, the "Savior" and the "Son of God". His father is God and his mother is a virgin; he is born in a cave at the winter solstice before three shepherds; he offers rebirth by baptism; he miraculaously turns water into wine; he rides triumphantly into town on a donkey; he dies at Eastertime as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; he descends into hell; he rises on the third day and ascends into heaven, promising to return as judge; his death and resurrection are celebrated a ritual meal of bread and wine, which symbolizes his body and blood. These Pagan legends were not considered to be the literal truth.

In the first century CE, after a long history of military defeats, the Jews wanted a god-man of their own. It was decided that Jesus would fill the role of the legendary god-man Osiris/Dionysus. But the Jews already had a God, Yahweh (Jehovah), the God of Abraham as in the Old Testament, and the all-powerful Yahweh had little in common with the Pagan Mystery Religions, so it was debatable how to merge the religion of Yahweh and the god-man Jesus into a single belief system. What emerged was an early form of Christianity called "Gnosticism". Both Pagan and Gnostic philosophies defined four levels of human identity: physical, psychological, mystical and spiritual. A Gnostic would progress through these levels by initiation ceremonies of baptism. The physical level was for the uninitiated; at the psychological level you would be initiated into the "Outer Mysteries", understanding the Jesus story as literally true; at the mystical you would be initiated into the "Inner Mysteries", understanding the Jesus story as an allegorical myth; and at the spiritual level you would realize your identity as the Christ or Logos. Much of our knowledge of Gnosticism from early Christian texts discovered in 1945 hidden in a cave near Nag Hammadi in Egypt, and called the Gnostic gospels.

As time went by, a movement (which the authors call literalism) developed; the idea was to accept only the "Outer Mysteries", understanding the Jesus story as literally true. The literalist view was that you need a priesthood to interpret religion, unlike Gnosticism in which it was left to the individual. Literalism gained the upper hand, especially when the Roman Emperor Constantine, whose mother was a Christian, decided to consolidate his claim of "One Empire, One Emperor" by adopting an official "One God, One Religion" policy. So he appointed propagandist Bishop Eusebius to rid Christianity of Gnosticism, accepting only literalism. Eusebius obliged by actively suppressing Gnosticism (and Paganism), and destroying much of the Gnostic culture. The literalists were not above modifying texts and adding new material to suit their purposes. When Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, the stage was set for the establishment of the authoritarian Roman Catholic church along with its dogmas and the Holy Bible, whose contents were determined according to their suitability for inclusion in the church hierarchy. This dictatorship of belief tended to stifle philosophical enquiry, and was followed by the "Dark Ages". Not until the Reformation, many centuries later, did Western society begin to emerge from the darkness imposed by Constantine at Nicaea.

I found the theory expounded in this book far more plausible than the orthodox view, and I recommend it to anyone seriously interested in the history of Christianity.

30 people found this helpful

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Brian

Extraordinary book

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2023

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Really enjoyed this book. Well written, easy to understand and meticulously researched.

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Read with a critical eye!

Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2007

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The central thesis of Freke and Gandy - that Jesus was a Hellenized Jewish creation along the lines of Osirus-Dionysis (a "godman" that is killed and resurrected) is thought provoking in the least, outright heresy at most.

The first quarter of the book borrows heavily from Campbell and universal myths, and specifically discusses the Hellenized world's mystery cults of Osirus, Dionysis and Mithras, claiming (tenuously) that they are all cut from the same cloth. The authors proceed to claim that, due to Biblical inconsistencies, Jesus was a similar godman to these mystery cults, invented to make the concept more palatable to Hellenized Jews. This is supported by drawing parallels between the Christian stories attributed to Jesus and those of the mystery cults; this syncretism is well trod ground.

Other evidence they use to support their thesis are the facts that Paul's epistles (a) were directed primarily at urban, Hellenized Jewish communities, (b) the epistles predate the other Gospels, and (c) Paul makes no direct reference to the historical Jesus even though his followers and Paul lived at the same time. The evidence is not new; their interpretation of it IS, however.

Freke and Gandy go on to infer that Paul (and the Gnostics) were a part of this movement to make Jesus a godman the likes of Osirus-Dionysis. I found this a bit far-fetched. I similarly had difficulty supporting their position that the early Church was so clearly delineated between Gnostics and (what Freke and Gandy refer to as) "literalists" and their supposition to how the "literalists" managed to dominate the faith.

Regardless, I was impressed with the extensive citation of sources as they presented their thesis. Admittedly, some of the sources are old; but much of the scholarship they reference is above reproach. I am less enthusiastic regarding their use of what primary sources there are dealing with early Christianity. The authors are correct in pointing out that Eusebius is notoriously suspicious, and Josephus is also questionable. However, their extensive use of Celsus and Tertullian without the same level of skepticism is problematic.

It's a fascinating read, and certainly has pointed me towards some sources that I need to examine and draw my own conclusions from. Depending on your familiarity with the New Testament and your tolerance for questioning faith (or the faith of others as the case may be) will determine your reaction to the book. It is, in my opinion, worth reading, but do so with the same critical eye the authors turn towards the subject they are examining.

22 people found this helpful

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Michael R. Young

Who is Jesus? This book can help answer that question.

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2013

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I have read and studied at various tmes during the last 40 plus years of my life the subjects of theology, the perennial philosophy and non dualistic metaphysics. I have just completed reading the Jesus Mysteries. I have already started reading Jesus and the Lost Goddess and plan to read The Laughing Jesus next. After having already read a number of good books about Gnosticism this book and Jesus and the Lost Goddess fills in much of the lost story of the origins of the early church in a concise yet in depth manner, style and context not found in most books on gnostcism even in the best ones. I find that this both does not over look the mysticism of the first century while focusing on the mythological content of the early church movements. This is a vast subject and while one book may not coompletely satisfy it will be found to be, in my opinion both more than satisfactory for its intended purpose and satisfying enough that you may want to read the other two books by the same authors that I have listed above or even research some of the many books that the authors have identified as their soource and/oe reference books. These three books while they may have common threads to the books by DM Murdoch, a mythologist but not a mystic, will examine both sides of that proverbial and provocative coin of inexplicable and lost knowledge that was apparently prevalent during the formative tears of the Christian church and contemporay movements. All three books are thouroughly foot noted and referenced in detail. Even so, the text of the book flows in a relatively easy to read yet educational and informative style. I can easily see why this book was so popular and so widely read following its initial publication.

13 people found this helpful

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soudanto

Excellent

Reviewed in France on July 19, 2021

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Excellent livre qui présente le christianisme sous un jour nouveau et convaincant : l'histoire de Jésus est complètement mythique et s'inspire des cultes à mystères de l'antiquité. Les Gnostiques l'ont bien comprise ainsi. Mais les "littéralistes" qui ont pris cette histoire pour des faits historiques, et qui l'ont tardivement emporté sur leurs adversaires grâce à l'appui du pouvoir politique ont finit par imposer leur vision des choses au prix de nombreux mensonges et en réécrivant l'histoire du christianise afin qu'elle coïncide avec leurs vues. Cela a donné naissance à religion totalitaire et intolérante, le Catholicisme, qui a imposé pour des siècles son emprise sur l'Occident au prix d'une répression féroce de la liberté de penser.

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Author and Publisher

Highly recommend.

Reviewed in Australia on July 22, 2018

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An engrossing read. Highly recommend.

Kindle Customer

A 'must read' for all literalists

Reviewed in Canada on October 18, 2010

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While all religions start out as being man's interpretation of the visible and invisible world around him, all result in being not only corrupt and controlling, but actually leading that same man not to a place of fulfillment, but one of dogmatic emptiness. "The Jesus Mysteries" explores how this was done to the Christian religion.

Be prepared to think the unthinkable thought that the Bible is not the word of God. Instead it is a compilation of tribal histories whereby the men who wrote it, namely the Jews, proclaim themselves to be God's 'favored race'. This, in itself, should cancel the validity of the Old Testament; What type of God would choose a certain people as being His 'favorite' while the rest are to be subjected to His wrath? The second unthinkable thought is that the New Testament is as fanciful and deceitful as the "Old". Its contents are filled with duplicated stories taken from other 'pagan' religions of the time, scriptural rewrites such that a standard Catholic dogma can be enforced or actual forgeries were made to appear as if they reinforced "God's truths' and then passed off as being written under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

As this book so clearly points out, the truth of all that is visible and invisible around us lies within each of us. No, none of us needs a congregation of worshipers or a ego-driven pastor to tell us what 'their truth' is. It is already there lying quietly inside each of us simply waiting for its discovery. I strongly advise all persons who feel that fundamentalism or literalism is the 'path to the truth' to read and reread this text. Yes, this book has a few historical errors in it, but the thrust of the book is to inspire its readers to only accept fact over fiction and reality over faith. For that is deserves 5 Stars!

8 people found this helpful

Mark Eaton

A very enlightening text

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2011

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I purchased this book after becoming aware of the similarities between the myths of Mithras, Osiris and Jesus and wanting to look further into it. This book provides a coherent and well researched review of the evidence that surrounds the creation and propagation of some of the most powerful influences on the human mind that have ever existed. It brings to light what has been lost through the adherence to a literalist Christian church, and indeed what had to be lost to enable this form of christianity to survive. It also explains many of the contradictions that exist in christianity that, it seems, very few believers ever seek to challenge or even understand.

What I will say is that after reading this book you will be left with a profound sense that we have lost so much rich culture and that many of the traditions and sayings (from Seventh Heaven to the number of the beast) are actually drawn from a completely different way of viewing the christian myths.

8 people found this helpful

g..g..

Amazing

Reviewed in Canada on January 6, 2023

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I am blown away again. I highly recommend these books to anyone, like me, who are always searching for more. More meaning, more truth. I actually feel deep joy when I read the books by these authors.

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