Osiris.

The story of the death and resurrection of Jesus has strange parallels with the ancient Egyptian myth of Osiris.

Osiris was murdered by his brother Set (the Egyptian Devil) and miraculously resurrected every year when the wheat began to rise.

This was the natural fertility cycle of the Nile Valley.

Each year the life force would withdraw into the earth and was rejuvenated by the Nile flood.

Although the dates are different this cycle was celebrated at the beginning of Spring in Israel.

And it was during the first month of Nissan (March/April) that the Passover fell.

So the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Passover was in line with the myths of death and resurrection of fertility gods in the ancient world.

Osiris was also the god of the afterlife who judged whether the dead entered into eternal life.

Another parallel with Jesus.

Perhaps these similarities were part of the ancient religious psyche and became absorbed into the new religion of Jesus Christ.

But they are also part of the primordial consciousness of humanity and as such have a timeless relevance.

It could be that the dates were chosen to reflect the natural cycle of death and resurrection.

But it is also possible that the events actually took place at those times.

God is often symbolic in His actions.

This does not mean that the death and resurrection of Jesus is a myth.    

All it means is that we celebrate these things on dates that reflect ancient mythology.

Photo Credit: andrevanb Flickr via Compfight cc