The authors contend that early Christianity was essentially a Jewish adaptation of the ancient .
: Critics point out that the authors often cite no primary ancient sources for their claims about "standard" godman myths. The Jesus mysteries : was the "original Jesus" ...
: Freke and Gandy claim the Jesus story parallels myths of "Osiris-Dionysus"—god-men who were born of virgins, turned water into wine, and rose from the dead. The authors contend that early Christianity was essentially
: The book suggests that "Literalist" Christians later took these allegories as historical facts and brutally suppressed the original Gnostic "True Christians". Critical Reception and Scholarship : The book suggests that "Literalist" Christians later
: For a defense of the historical Jesus, retailers like Penguin Random House or Strand Book Store offer the book, while scholars like Bart Ehrman (in Did Jesus Exist? ) provide counter-arguments to the mythicist position.
: They argue the Gospels were never intended as eyewitness history. Instead, they were "Outer Mysteries" (spiritual allegories) designed to guide beginners toward "Inner Mysteries" or secret mystical knowledge (Gnosis).
: The vast majority of scholars maintain that Jesus was a real historical figure, citing early independent sources like the letters of Paul and non-Christian references from Josephus and Tacitus.