| With the astounding success of the movie "Zeitgeist," | | | | like we see in Christianity today! Other artifacts such |
| there has been a great deal of interest in the Egyptian | | | | as ossuary urns used to hold the bones of the |
| god Horus. In that movie, which purportedly has been | | | | deceased were marked with crosses centuries |
| viewed some 100 million times, there were several | | | | before the cross became important in Christianity. The |
| comparisons between the lives of Horus and Jesus | | | | cross in Egypt - the ankh - was a very sacred symbol |
| Christ. How true are these comparisons? | | | | of eternal life that can be found on countless artifacts. |
| As it turns out, they are true for the most part, | | | | The Egyptians were a very religious people, and they |
| because they represent mythical motifs, not "history." | | | | took their faith as seriously as people do today. It is |
| And this mythology is largely based on the | | | | estimated that over the thousands of years during |
| movements of the sun and other natural phenomena. | | | | which the Egyptian religion was popular there were at |
| One of the claims in the movie that draws a large | | | | least 500 million worshipers - that's a half a billion |
| amount of attention is that Horus was "crucified." Is this | | | | people! |
| claim true? | | | | Secondly, we have many artifacts from the ancient |
| If you are thinking that it means Horus was killed by | | | | world showing gods and goddesses with their arms |
| crucifixion, being thrown down to the ground and nailed | | | | outstretched in a cross shape, which is called |
| to a cross, then the claim is wrong. But if you | | | | "cruciform." These figures from religion and mythology, |
| understand that "crucify" can simply mean "to affix to | | | | which include the Greek god Prometheus and the |
| a cross," then the claim is correct, because Horus was | | | | Greek princess Andromeda, could be said - and have |
| both associated with and identified as a cross in | | | | been said - to have been "crucified." |
| ancient times. He was also placed on the cross of the | | | | The fact is that the cross was a very popular symbol |
| vernal equinox, between two "thieves," no less! That | | | | long before the Christian era and that Horus was one |
| would make his story even more like that of Jesus | | | | of many pre-Christian gods and goddesses who are |
| Christ, who purportedly lived after these myths were | | | | depicted on a cross or in cruciform. These facts mean |
| created. | | | | that Jesus Christ's placement on the cross is not |
| In the first place, it is important to know that the cross | | | | unique in religious and mythological iconography. |
| in a wide variety of forms, including the ones we | | | | Although it has been written about many times over |
| usually think of as being "Christian," was very popular | | | | the past centuries, this history has not been |
| for many centuries before the Christian or common | | | | extensively taught in schools or made available through |
| era. The cross can be found on many artifacts in | | | | mainstream publications such as textbooks. |
| several cultures around the world dating back | | | | For more on this subject, see my article "Was Horus |
| thousands of years. There are even ancient artifacts | | | | Crucified? |
| with people wearing crosses around their necks, just | | | | |