The CougarBoard post regarding Job got me thinking. . .

[non sequitur]

The CougarBoard post regarding Job got me thinking about how much of our scripture is literal and how much is mythology. There are those that would say that the entire New Testament was fabricated by the Catholic Church, and that the Christ story is nothing more than a reworking of the Egyptian mythologies of Horus and Osiris.

How do we as members of the Church explain the similarities between the stories of Jesus and those of Horus? Here's an excerpt of something I found when I Googled "Horus":

Horus of Egypt

The stories of Jesus and Horus are very similar, with Horus even contributing the name of Jesus Christ. Horus and his once-and-future Father, Osiris, are frequently interchangeable in the mythos ("I and my Father are one"). The legends of Horus go back thousands of years, and he shares the following in common with Jesus:

Horus was born of the virgin Isis-Meri on December 25th in a cave/manger, with his birth being announced by a star in the East and attended by three wise men.
He was a child teacher in the Temple and was baptized when he was 30 years old.
Horus was also baptized by "Anup the Baptizer," who becomes "John the Baptist."
He had 12 disciples.
He performed miracles and raised one man, El-Azar-us, from the dead.
He walked on water.
Horus was transfigured on the Mount.
He was crucified, buried in a tomb and resurrected.
He was also the "Way, the Truth, the Light, the Messiah, God's Anointed Son, the Son of Man, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, the Word" etc.
He was "the Fisher," and was associated with the Lamb, Lion and Fish ("Ichthys").
Horus's personal epithet was "Iusa," the "ever-becoming son" of "Ptah," the "Father."
Horus was called "the KRST," or "Anointed One," long before the Christians duplicated the story.

In fact, in the catacombs at Rome are pictures of the baby Horus being held by the virgin mother Isis - the original "Madonna and Child" - and the Vatican itself is built upon the papacy of Mithra, who shares many qualities with Jesus and who existed as a deity long before the Jesus character was formalized. The Christian hierarchy is nearly identical to the Mithraic version it replaced. Virtually all of the elements of the Catholic ritual, from miter to wafer to water to altar to doxology, are directly taken from earlier pagan mystery religions.

Is there anything to these assertions, or are the similarities greatly exagerated? Perhaps Dan could shed some light.

[ute4ever]

From Wikipedia's entry of "Horus":

The previous brief enmity between Set and Horus, in which Horus had ripped off one of Set's testicles, was revitalised as a tale representing the conquest over the Hyksos. Since by this time, Set was considered to have been gay, Set is depicted as trying to prove his dominance, by seducing Horus (with the line how lovely your backside is) and then having Intercrural intercourse with him, in which Set takes the top role. However, Horus places his hand between his thighs and catches Set's semen, then subsequently cut the hand off, throwing it in the river, so that he may not be said to have been inseminated by Set.

Subsequently, Horus secretly masturbates, and deliberately spreads his own semen on some lettuce, which was Set's favourite food (the Egyptians thought that lettuce was phallic, since Egyptian lettuce was hard, long, and released a milk substance when rubbed). After Set has eaten the lettuce, they go to the gods to try to settle the argument over the rule of Egypt. The gods first listen to Set's claim of dominance over Horus, and call his semen forth, but it answers from the river, invalidating his claim. Then, the gods listen to Horus' claim of having dominated Set, and call his semen forth, and it answers from inside Set. In consequence, Horus is declared the ruler of Egypt.


That's a tale you won't find in the New Testament.

[Archaea]

undeniably graphic and Egyptian to say the least.

[non sequitur]

Originally Posted by ute4ever

That's a tale you won't find in the New Testament.

However, if it had been in the New Testament my seminary attendance back in the day might have been a whole lot better.

[fusnik11]

wow never heart of horus before.....

could it be the egyptians had a prophet that received revelation of jesus but the egyptians changed it to confirm to their paradigm?

[fusnik11]

and about job.....

i forgot the lord cites job to joseph smith in the d & c.....

so can it really be a metaphor?