#mithraism

I recently started learning about Judaism and the differences between that beautiful religion and christianity. Something that I noticed with the latter is how Jesus, or Joshua, may not have actually been a God at all but just a man (TM). This made me wonder about where in the ever loving fuck that deification came from and that led me to learning a little bit about Mithraism. So Judaism does not have that perfect God v evil Devil or any intermediary at all. Islam has a similar portrayal for God to that of Judaism but does acknowledge some rendition of a devil figure but not as blatant as Zoroastrianism or christianity. They do have a prophet but not exemplified in the same way as Joshua. I believe that both are just messengers, just men that spoke lovingly of the same God. Joshua is not that God but is for some reason associated with Him as if these were one and the same. In Mithraism, specifically, Mithras is considered a son of that God and was born to save humanity from some evil devil. His day is supposedly Sunday and He had twelve followers that represented the zodiac. I am wondering if the deification of Joshua was just an assimilation with Mithras. So, christianity has then greatly diverged from the original thought and belief that is Judaism even though both express great disdain over deification of a human. I am wondering if the misrepresentation of Joshua today is due to Constantine who adopted worship of Mithras and combined that with christianity which is what we have today. The irony is that christians supposedly hate Constantine but will defend him in the same breath. So all of this regarding a holy trinity, that does not exist in Judaism, and the deification of Just a Man (TM) is a lie from the time of Constantine. I'm worried that this is just me falling for some shit again because I started thinking that christianity is therefore false and a horrid disfigurement of two ancient religions. That it's just Neo-Nazi cult overall, even if it wasn't originally that. I am wondering that the christianity from before the influence from Zoroastrianism was supposed to be more like Islam with following the teachings of a messenger and working to grow closer to the same God. But due to the influence of Zoroastrianism and Constantine, christianity became bastardized and no longer resembles what it was supposed to be.

Am I falling for something? I greatly appreciate your perspective if you are able. Thank you for any advice or help that you can give.

So, Constantine didn't invent Christian mythology. It was well-established by his time.

There's also no evidence that Jesus's disciples represent the Zodiac. Besides the Star of Bethlehem and the Magi, astrology doesn't really play a role in Christianity. If this was a big thing early Christians believed, they would've openly said so. As it is, there's another reason for the number twelve to be significant to early Christians - the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Furthermore, I can't find any reputable sources to back up the claim that Mithras had twelve disciples. Everybody repeats this, but nobody ever cites a primary source.

I have found a page that debunks many of the alleged similarities between Jesus and Mithras, and I recommend reading it.

Most Roman Mithraism followed the classical Persian version of Mithra's birth, where, according to myth, he was born without parents from a rock, immediately with a dagger in his hand. However, it seems that some Mithraeums followed a much less well-known version of Mithra's birth, which may have originated in Anatolia.

The birth of Mithra of Sabazios.

On the following reliefs, the horseman (who in later times was fully syncretized with Sabazios) is with three raised fingers, the sing of Sabazios in front of the symbol of the god Sabazios, or according to A. Fol, in front of his zoomorphic image.

On some of these reliefs, we can also see little Mithra in his characteristic Phrygian cap, standing under the Tree of Life.

On a substantial number of the several hundred thousand of known reliefs of the Thracian Horseman, which appeared at the same time with the reliefs of the Roman Mithraism, the horseman makes a gift, a sacrifice or sends the appeal in front of a sacrificial altar, behind which there are the Tree of Life and the serpent coiled around it.

The Tree of Life with the serpent coiled around it can be found also on the reliefs of the Roman Mithraism, the tree, from which Mithra was born.

Taking the serpent as an zoomorphic image, or more precisely a spirit of god Sabazios, he himself was identified with the Sun, explains the images of the Roman coins from Pautalia, Augusta Traniana and Serdica, on which the chthonic creature, the serpent, bears the sign of the Sun. The symbols engraved on the coins are interesting. There are three elements in them that connect them to Sabazios, the first of them being the sigh of the Sun. The second sign also leads to Sabazios is that some serpents are shown with beards, some have a crest too. The third element is more essential, the tip of the tail ending with three wheat ears, a symbol of fertility.

The three ears on the tail tip are identical to the ones found on the bull's tail from the reliefs of the so-called Roman Mithraism. [The mysteries of Mithra or the mysteries of Sabazios, Peter Georgiev]

Bronze plaque from Emporiae most likely depicts the same myth, but with more detailed Sabazian iconography.

On the right, we see the familiar and very typical iconography of Sabazios. The aforementioned Tree of Life, wrapped in a bearded serpent in a solar crown, the zoomorphic spirit of Sabazios himself. Below, we see the image of a woman with a child, which is often found on the Hands of Sabazios, as a cycle of fertility and life, which he represents.

On the left, we see the iconography mentioned above. Sabazios once again stands triumphantly on a bull. We also see the altar with offerings described above, with two Hands of Sabazios standing at its edges. From the Tree of Life on the left side, we see the moment of Mithra's birth, with his signature dagger depicted next to him, observed by Hermes. Above him, there is also a crescent moon with a star, the signature iconography of Mēn, with whom Sabazios was also completely syncretized. Incidentally, the same moon with stars appears in the iconography of Mithraism after Mithra kills the bull, as it is believed that after this, the cosmos is born from Mithra's cloak, while he himself becomes Sol Invictus. It is also said that the moment of the bull's killing is also observed by the moon god.

Sabazios performs his signature gesture, Benedictio Latina, blessing the newborn Mithra.

who up slayin they sacred bull

Pater of Mithras (Dura Europos)