Did the New testament writers borrow from pagan myths?

No.

I'm not sure... but it is pretty obvious that the Old Testament borrowed many neighbouring myths from contemporary Mesopotamia and the Middle East.foxhound_fox

LJS, first off, about the quote, I disagree, and second, surely you've encountered this theory floating around in the endless depths of stupidity of the internet that the New Testament authors incorporated pagan myths and philospophies into their writings? fanofazrienoch

You disagree with the quote or with me?

My answer is no...they didn't. What someone else thinks I can't control.

really? what makes you say that? fanofazrienoch

[QUOTE="fanofazrienoch"]LJS, first off, about the quote, I disagree, and second, surely you've encountered this theory floating around in the endless depths of stupidity of the internet that the New Testament authors incorporated pagan myths and philospophies into their writings? LJS9502_basic

You disagree with the quote or with me?

My answer is no...they didn't. What someone else thinks I can't control.

[QUOTE="fanofazrienoch"]really? what makes you say that? foxhound_fox

I disagree with you, but that's QUITE a different issue friendfanofazrienoch

Fine..but I'll tell you why it's wrong. INHERITANCE....check out the Burgundy region of France for a good example.

I am not here to prove anybody right or wrong but here is my 2 cents

Nobody really comes up with anything completely original and everybody is influenced by something. For example, the crescent moon, which is the de facto symbol of Islam (though that actually was because it was the insignia of the Ottoman Empire) originates from pagan goddesses such as I believe Isis. It is possible that the flood of Noah, which is present in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, could have originated from the flood of Giglamesh or something, but maybe not. I know some of you may think that is divine and completely original, but hey, who am I to question that?

I am not here to prove anybody right or wrong but here is my 2 cents

Nobody really comes up with anything completely original and everybody is influenced by something. For example, the crescent moon, which is the de facto symbol of Islam (though that actually was because it was the insignia of the Ottoman Empire) originates from pagan goddesses such as I believe Isis. It is possible that the flood of Noah, which is present in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, could have originated from the flood of Giglamesh or something, but maybe not. I know some of you may think that is divine and completely original, but hey, who am I to question that?

JulesMclain

The flood is not a myth though. A flood did occur in history.:|

Read the epic of Gilgamesh and note the similarities. Mesopotamian myth is definitely in there.bman784

The Hebrews took from the bablyonian creation myth

you can read through Genesis and I think some of the psalms and maybe some other parts about God killing the dragon and creating the world

This is directly related to the babylonian myth of Marduk slaying Tiamat and creating from her remains

You can even find Tiamats name in genesis

but in the New Testament, no probably not

[QUOTE="bman784"]Read the epic of Gilgamesh and note the similarities. Mesopotamian myth is definitely in there.fanofazrienoch

[QUOTE="fanofazrienoch"][QUOTE="bman784"]Read the epic of Gilgamesh and note the similarities. Mesopotamian myth is definitely in there.bman784

Probably due to the fact that the symbols were understood. And the flood was not a myth.

[QUOTE="bman784"][QUOTE="fanofazrienoch"][QUOTE="bman784"]Read the epic of Gilgamesh and note the similarities. Mesopotamian myth is definitely in there.LJS9502_basic

Probably due to the fact that the symbols were understood. And the flood was not a myth.

Is that a fact or a hypothesis? From what I've read there are only theories as to whether there was actually a natural event in the Mediterranean that spawned the many different flood myths.
bman784

I've read it as an historical fact.....

[QUOTE="bman784"] Is that a fact or a hypothesis? From what I've read there are only theories as to whether there was actually a natural event in the Mediterranean that spawned the many different flood myths.
LJS9502_basic

I've read it as an historical fact.....

bman, I'd recommend that you read this: http://www.tektonics.org/af/babgenesis.htmlfanofazrienoch

"Substantial differences, first of all, render this unlikely. Tiamat was only one of two water-deities involved in this story; the other was the water-god Apsu. Tiamat was salty water; Apsu was fresh water. Apsu, at any rate, has no parallel in Genesis at all, and the tehom is inanimate."

some things I see wrong here

why would apsu be mentioned in this myth? He was dead before Tiamat died and wasn't involved in the creation

and Tehom is presented as being inantimate to make a sense of one-upmanship towards the babylonians

Its basically saying that our god is so much more powerful than yours that he doesn't even have to try to overcome her

I can't tell you anything about the hebrew linguistics but I was taught this by my bible teacher who has a doctorate in the old testament and knows fluent hebrew

and Holding is also using a source over 60 years old

Edit: I also remember a new testament verse saying god created out of water. I think I may be somewhere in Peter's letters

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]

[QUOTE="bman784"] Is that a fact or a hypothesis? From what I've read there are only theories as to whether there was actually a natural event in the Mediterranean that spawned the many different flood myths.
bman784

I've read it as an historical fact.....

Yeah...it wasn't on Wiki dude.

[QUOTE="bman784"]Read the epic of Gilgamesh and note the similarities. Mesopotamian myth is definitely in there.fanofazrienoch

Yeah, but we have hundreds of versions of the flood myth after that and each time it gets a little bit more epic until you end up with the one in the old testament. And for the record the Epic of Gilgamesh was not the original myth either, it too was based off an earlier work.

Also, any problem with the Old Testament is a problem with the New Testament since the NT is based off of the religion set forth by the OT. If the OT can be proven to have mortal origins then the validity of Judaism and thus every religion based off of it is thrown into question.

Anyway, Christianity does incorporate some Pagan practices (Christmas being one of the more notable ones) but I don't think any of the mythology made it into the NT since it had already existed for quite awhile before Christians met Pagans. The OT, however, is saturated with Babylonian and Mesopotamian influences.

These are two different questions you asked. I don't believe that the actual gospels of Jesus had any pegan aspects to it. I do however believe that the different versions of the New Testament as we see them today, have pagan influences.

[QUOTE="bman784"][QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]

[QUOTE="bman784"] Is that a fact or a hypothesis? From what I've read there are only theories as to whether there was actually a natural event in the Mediterranean that spawned the many different flood myths.
LJS9502_basic

I've read it as an historical fact.....

Yeah...it wasn't on Wiki dude.

For a truly informative and thorough read on Christianity and its various influences, Paul Johnson's "A History of Christianity" is a must read. It is far more informative than any forum.

If this is a verifiable fact how is it not mentioned by more sources?
bman784

It was on the internet. And verified. A flood did occur. Can't remember where I read it...but it wasn't one place. I'll look it up again when I'm not so lazy.

[QUOTE="bman784"]
If this is a verifiable fact how is it not mentioned by more sources?
LJS9502_basic

It was on the internet. And verified. A flood did occur. Can't remember where I read it...but it wasn't one place. I'll look it up again when I'm not so lazy.

i also remember reading it in my 10th grade history book a while back that in fact there was a giant flood in the fertile crescent that this may have been based on

There is a big website here that has many links to Christian ideas and their pre-Christian origins.

The faith borrows heavily from the Egyptian book of the dead.

John G Jackson maintained the pre-Christian origins of Christianity.

The worship of Mithras was widespread in much of the Roman Empire from the mid-2nd century CE, and mainstream historians regard it as possible that many Christian practices derived originally from Mithraism through a process known as christianization, including 25th December being Jesus' birth-date, and Sunday being the dedicated day of worship. Mithras was a solar deity, closely associated with the Roman Sol Invictus later identified with Christ.

Actually, I don't know if I want to believe in anything.

Because if you look at the Old Testament in the Bible, other Religions have a story like that too and maybe twisted a little. Like they have different versions. Then in the New Testament, it can be possible that the writers borrowed from Paganism. I don't know.

Only faith will tell, I think.