Friday, June 25, 2010

From Mehr to Messiah


Mithraism or Mithraic Mysteries was one of religions in ancient Iran that has gone among the Aryans thousands of years ago, after Zoroastrianism emerged this religion was combined with Zoroastrianism and with the new board continued.

The birth of religion and believes of its followers as the reasons will be said, are ambiguous and there are some different theories about that. According to one of these votes that agrees with the Zoroastrian faith god Mitra was born from a virgin woman named Anahita. According to this view while Anahita was washing herself in the Lake Hamoon that sperm of the prophet Zoroaster was thrown into the lake and protected by angels, became pregnant and after a while Mitra was born.

The Mithraism religion as an effect of the wars between the Persians and the Romans (or Greeks) was gone to Europe and later with the ancient rituals in that land was mixed and found another figure.
After a while, this religion had so much power that was replaced in the place of all Roman gods so that at the time of Emperor Diocletian was recognized as the official religion of the country, but after a while the Christian religion got power and Mithraism ritual gradually retreated: Christians killed Mithraists wherever they found them and launched fire to their Mithraeums or by throwing dead bodies into Mithraeums (that Mithraists knew them unclean) drove out Mithraic priests from Mithraeums.

Julianus was the last Roman Emperor who came to help this religion. Although he was raised in a Christian family, when he was young as an effect of a Revelation happened to him, like their ancestors converted to Mithraism religion and in 361 AD he announced Mithraism as the official religion of the country. With the rise of Julianus, Mithraic Mysteries was again thriving. But life of Julianus was short and after his death Christians got the power and began to kill Mithraists again and this time they drove out the Mithraism forever.

However Christians apparently became able to overcome the Mithraists and destroyed their faith but original form of Mithraism remained and in the form of Christianity continued back to life. From traditions and symbols of the Mithraism religion that influenced Christianity religion and some of them has remained to this day and in fact they are heritage of Mithraism in Christianity, these cases can be cited:

1 - Fish symbol is one of the Mithraic symptoms that the during of early centuries of Christianity was recognized as a sign of Christians.

2 - Baptism, which is common among Christians, in fact rooted from Mithraism that according to it, Mithraists and beginners were washed with honey and were compiled Mithraism religion.

3 - Shaped building of churches and their amazing likeness with Mithraeums.

4 - Icon making of Virgin Mary and her child Christ and its similarity with the Virgin Anahita and her child Mithra.

5 - When Mitra was born [was] praised by shepherds and Jesus Christ was praised by shepherds too when he was born.

6 - Replacing the Mitra's birthday with Jesus Christ's birthday at the beginning of winter.

7 - and playing the bell in Mithraeum that became popular in church.

8 - Mithraists' chorus singing worshiping at the Mithraeums that were also common at the Churches.

9 - Twelve zodiac signs were succourers (supporters) of Mithra who became twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.

10 - Mithra was mediator between God and humanity and in Christianity, Jesus is recognized as a mediator.

11 - The cross symbol was sign of Mithraists that in Christianity is used.

12 - In Mithraism priest was called Father and high-priest called Father of Fathers these two titles are used in the church too.

13 - According to regulation of Mithraism Mithra ascended to heaven after eating the Last Supper with supporters, and in Christianity prophet Jesus ascended to heaven after eating the Last Supper with his followers (after the crucifixion).

14 - Mithraists wore purple clothes, and today the Pope wears the same clothes.

By: Ali Rabi-Zadeh

Source: Tchista

2 comments:

  1. very interesting article for those similarities in history.
    Even if Christians have a little
    " copied ", our designs are very close

    ReplyDelete