Subject: xmas2
Jerusalem Institute of Biblical Polemics
PO Box 13099, Jerusalem 91130
Telephone: 02-414299; FAX: 972-02-414522
e-mail: jipb@jer1.co.il
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Christmas
Birthday of a Pagan God
By Shmuel Golding
Christmas or "Mass of Christ" was instituted by the Church of
Rome. It is not a festival which has its origins in the New
Testament, nor did it originate from the apostles - but it
gravitated in the fourth century into the Roman Catholic
Church from paganism. The Catholic Encyclopedia under the
heading "Christmas", states: "Christmas was not among the
earliest festivals of the Church. Pagan customs centering
around the January calends (first day of the ancient Roman
month) gravitated to Christmas."
Turning to the Encyclopedia Britannica 1975 edition, we read,
"Christmas, the festival of the birth of Jesus Christ, was
established in connection with a fading of the expectation of
Christ's imminent return. The Christmas festival is the
Christian revision of the Roman day of the winter solstice -
the festival of Dies Invicti Solis (the Day of the Invincible
Sun) on December 25. The Fathers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries
such as Clement, Origen and Epiphanius contended that
Christmas was a copy of a pagan celebration." The New
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge points out
that "the pagan Saturnalia and Brumalia were too deeply
entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian
influence." The Saturnalia was one of the most well- known
festivals of ancient Rome, Dec 17-24, this was followed by the
birthday of Mithra, the god of light on Dec 25. This is
confirmed by Encyclopedia Britannica under Roman Religion
Vol.15 which states, "The ecclesiastical calendar retains
numerous remnants of pre-Christian festivals - notably
Christmas which blends elements including both the feast of
the Saturnalia and the birthday of Mithra."
Turning away from encyclopediaic knowledge our own common
sense tells us that Jesus could not possibly have been born in
December, that is if we are to believe the account of his
birth as it is recorded in the gospel which states, "There
were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night." (Luke 2.8). Many
Christians are unaware of the fact that, December in Israel
especially in Judea is the same climate as most of Europe.
Snow falls in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Hebron Hills. Rain,
winds and cold nights with temperatures down to below zero.
December corresponds to the ninth month of the Biblical
calendar. Concerning the ninth month it states in Ezra 10.9,
"The people trembled because of this matter and on account of
the great rain" which is also made clear in v 13, "it is the
season of much rain." During the rainy season shepherds do not
abide in the fields, thus Jesus could not have been born in
December.
The story of the birth of Jesus has numerous similarities with
older pagan beliefs.
Luke 2.8ff states that Jesus was visited by shepherds who had
been notified by angels about his birthplace. Are we surprised
that at the birth of Mithra, the child was adored by
shepherds, who brought gifts? (Encyclopedia Britannica Vol 17
p 623), or that the god Hermes was wrapped in swaddling
clothes when he was born and placed in a liknon:
manger-basket? Matt 2.1-6 states that the couple went to
Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy. Yet the place shown in
Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus is actually a rock shrine
in which the god Tammus (Adonis) was worshipped. Our source
for this is none other than the early Christian father Jerome
(Epistle 58 ad Paulinum). He was horrified to discover that
Tammuz ultimately became confused in men's minds with Jesus.
The story of Mary, fleeing from Herod to Egypt with her son,
Matt 2.14-15, is akin to the tale of Isis who hid her son from
Seth the murderer of Osiris until Horus was fully grown. Both
official theology and popular belief is that Isis and Horus
are the perfect mother and son, thus Isis is represented in
bronze statues as madonna and child. Archaeologists have had
difficulty differentiating between relics of Isis with Horus
in her arms, and those of Mary holding the infant Jesus.
In Egypt, it was believed that Horus the son of Isis, (Queen
of Heaven) was born on December 25th. Pagans celebrated this
day centuries before the birth of Jesus.
Concerning the virgin birth, Encyclopedia Britannica states:
"The virgin birth of a god was a theme common in the mythology
of the Hellenistic world. Births of deities were often
described in miraculous terms. Mithra, the god of light, is
described as being born from a rock, the birth being witnessed
by shepherds on a day (December 25) that was later claimed by
Christians as the nativity of Christ."
Both Matthew and Luke were wrong to suppose that the birth of
Jesus fulfilled any Biblical prophecy.
The Gospels cite Isa 7.14, but this verse clearly states in
the original Hebrew, "the young woman is with child." Thus the
woman Isaiah was referring to could not have been Mary the
mother of Jesus, for no woman can be kept pregnant for 700
years, the time from Isaiah till the birth of Jesus. Also the
prophecy referred to by Matthew, Matt 2.6 was not fulfilled by
the birth of Jesus, "And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah
art not least among the princes of Judah, for out of you will
come a governor who shall rule my people Israel".
This prophecy refers to the Jewish belief that the Messiah is
to come from the descendants of David who was of old times
described as 'the son of the Ephratite of Bethlehem' (1 Sam
17.12). Micah is simply saying, that from David will come the
Messiah.
The prophecy could not refer to Jesus because,
a] He was not a ruler in Israel, quite the opposite, Jesus
said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18.36).
b] He was not a descendant of David (Joseph came from David
but Joseph was not the father of Jesus).
c] The prophecy refers to the 'last days' as seen by reference
to the preceding and following chapters.
All of the customs observed by Christians at Christmas are
also of pagan origins.
The pagans used to kiss under the mistletoe during the night
of revelry and drunken debauchery when celebrating the birth
of the new sun at the winter solstice. Holly was also
considered sacred to the sun-god.
The Yule Log comes from the ancient fire-festival of the
winter solstice. In some communities the Yule Log was known as
the Christbrand and was replaced on the fire whenever a
thunderstorm broke, because it was believed to protect against
lightening. In various parts of France the Yule Log is thought
to guard the house against sorcery as well as against
lightening . As the Yule Log was of oak, it is possible that
the belief may be a relic of the old Aryan creed associated
with the god of thunder. [The Golden Bough by Sir James
Frazer]
The Bible itself does have something to say about the
Christmas tree. Jer 10.2-6. "Learn not the way of the
nations...for the customs of the people are vanity: a tree
from the forest is cut down... they deck it with silver and
gold." The Bible regards the Christmas tree as "the way of the
heathen." The use of evergreen trees decorated with garlands
were a symbol of eternal life used in ancient customs of the
Egyptians.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica Vol 2 p 904, "The modern
Christmas tree originated in Germany known as a "Paradise
tree." They hung wafers upon it (symbolizing the host, the
Christian sign of redemption); the hosts eventually became
cookies of various shapes.
The exchanging of gifts at Christmas is also of pagan origins.
The celebration of birthdays is unknown in traditional Jewish
ritual. Jesus was a Jew therefore he himself would never have
celebrated his own birthday. The early Christians of the first
three centuries, like traditional Jews only celebrated the
Yarzeit (memorial of one's death). The only reference to a
birthday in the Bible is that celebrated by Pharaoh, a pagan
king of Egypt, Gen 40.20. In fact the presenting of gifts
between friends according to Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol 12, page
153-155, "is alike characteristic of Christmas and the
Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the
pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows." The
Catholic Encyclopedia states, "Sinners alone, not saints,
celebrate their birthdays."
Christmas is kept alive not only by Christians who have been
nurtured in a false belief dishonouring to God, but also by
the retail shopping centers around the world. Advertisements
about the "season of goodwill" and the "Christmas spirit"
eulogise the pagan season. Christians have become so
inoculated by the Christmas festival with all its pagan
sources that they quickly take offense when told the truth.
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