Cult of Mithras Explained

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  • čas přidán 17. 04. 2017
  • The Cult of Mithras was a thriving religion in the Roman Empire. But by the 5th century....it was gone. What do we know about the Cult of Mithras? And what was its relationship with Christianity?
    Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry
    Blog: www.religionforbreakfast.com
    Facebook: religionforbreakfast
    Patreon. / religionforbreakfast
    Andrew's religious studies book recommendations: amazon.com/shop/religionforbre...
    Thanks to our Patreon patrons!:
    Dan D
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    Cain D
    Danny H
    Bibliography:
    Clauss, Manfred. The Roman Cult of Mithras.
    Beck, Roger. The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire.
    Sources debunking the "Christ/Mithras" myth can be found at The Tertullian Project: Tertullian Project: www.tertullian.org/rpearse/mit...
    Incredible resource of every citation about Mithras in Greco-Roman literature: www.tertullian.org/rpearse/mit...
    Photo attributions:
    San Clemete Mithraeum: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
    Ostia Mithraeum: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca...
    Mithraeum of Seven Spheres:
    www.flickr.com/photos/archer1...
    Baths of Caracalla: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baths_o...
    Rock Born Mithras: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mi...
    upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
    upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
    Mithras Fresco: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca...
    7th Ostia Felicissimus Panel: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Os...
    Sol and Mithras: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithrai...
    Ritual Meal: www.biblicalarchaeology.org/da...
    Hawarte Picture: palmyra2010.blox.pl/html/13107...
    Aurelian Coin: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ra...
    Saarbrücken: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca...
    Santa Prisca: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
    Capua Mithraeum: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
    Capua Fresco: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
    Dura-Europos House Church: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dura-Eu...
    Constantine the Great bust: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constan...

Komentáře • 5K

  • @ReligionForBreakfast
    @ReligionForBreakfast  Před 3 lety +104

    Next watch: The Reason Why They Gave Jesus a Beard: czcams.com/video/7DUekrCnye8/video.html

    • @kingchief4038
      @kingchief4038 Před 3 lety +4

      Great channel you should read Manly P Halls secret teachings of all ages 'readers edition' it will clarify the more mystical aspects overlooked in the mainstream

    • @sunakonakahara6663
      @sunakonakahara6663 Před 3 lety +1

      Are you a Christian? or Atheist?

    • @hayleyyardley3408
      @hayleyyardley3408 Před 3 lety

      czcams.com/video/9g_PyuSBYQg/video.html

    • @hayleyyardley3408
      @hayleyyardley3408 Před 3 lety

      @@kingchief4038
      czcams.com/video/9g_PyuSBYQg/video.html

    • @lukasliubertas8813
      @lukasliubertas8813 Před 3 lety +2

      Vienas j kad j j tai j j j jau jj j kad j tai jog j j j

  • @sallybubbles8091
    @sallybubbles8091 Před 6 lety +1665

    I got lost in a Croatian forest once ,near Dubrovnik, and found a Mithras cave covered up by roots and foliage. One striking feature on the carved rock was the scorpion attacking the bulls testicles. What the hell is that all about ?!

    • @lairdhaynes1986
      @lairdhaynes1986 Před 5 lety +181

      Sally Bubbles interesting adventure you had. Perhaps the scorpion explains something of the "raging of the bull"..

    • @willempasterkamp862
      @willempasterkamp862 Před 5 lety +78

      The mother-promise from Hebrew bible: It might strike your heels, you might strike it the head. better translated as: It will spill your testicles, but you will spill it the head. (genesis)
      Isaac was the manhood (firstborn) of Abram. God demanded Abraham to spill Isaac as a sacrifice. And Abram was willing to do so. Then God stopped Abraham and gives an animal to replace Isaac. (genisis)
      Jacob (Not the firstborn of Isaac, He stole this right from Esau his brother) had a fight on a riverbank with God. And God smashed Jacobs manhood (always translated as hip, very eufemistic). Jacob not giving up struggled on and no side was gonna win. Then Jacob demanded a blessing and receives it. (genesis)

    • @nadabenic1635
      @nadabenic1635 Před 5 lety +110

      Dear Sally, could you give me some more info on the location so I could visit & document? Art historian here

    • @NoName-ze4qn
      @NoName-ze4qn Před 5 lety +30

      Perhaps an esoteric dirty joke? Imagine how a bull sounds when his balls get stung...

    • @juanvelez8564
      @juanvelez8564 Před 5 lety +6

      Can you recommend any scholarly source that identifies and corrects the many mistranslations in the Bible?@@willempasterkamp862

  • @anubis2814
    @anubis2814 Před 6 lety +1642

    Mithraism almost sounds like it wasn't even a religion but was more like the masonic lodge of its day, loving symbols and hidden knowledge. And being secret would inspire fear and suspicion among people outside of the group.

    • @Ewan3926
      @Ewan3926 Před 6 lety +197

      anubis2814 In those polytheistic days, many cults were also social clubs. You weren't expected to worship the same gods as everyone around you like in Christian societies.

    • @manisoni9950
      @manisoni9950 Před 6 lety +78

      I don't know if anyone has mentioned it but the Rigveda (an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns) has complete 28 hymns dedicated to him. In the late vedic texts,he was associated with the light of dawn and morning sun.Later,he evolved into the patron divinity of friendship. Together with Varuna(a Vedic deity associated with waters),they form the 'dvandava' pair. Infact ,the 'Chhath' festival observed in the Nepal,and provinces of India like UP, Bihar and Jharkhand is celebrated till today in the memory of Mitra The 25th december was celebrated as the day of 'Sol Invictus' of the later roman empire in the name of Mithra,the same vedic Mitra,that today we celebrate as Christmas. So basically the world celebrates every year for an ancient Vedic Indian God in disguise :D .Mitra was also one of the deities of Mittani empire(was a Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and southeast Anatolia).

    • @dlwatib
      @dlwatib Před 6 lety +70

      In truth there is not a lot of difference between freemasonry and a mystery religion. Many consider freemasonry just a modern manifestation of a mystery religion. Certainly many freemasonic writers take inspiration from whatever knowledge they can glean of ancient mystery religions and even falsely claim that freemasonry originates in one or more ancient religious belief systems.

    • @mephi654
      @mephi654 Před 5 lety +29

      One of the favorite attacks by those opposed to Christianity is to speak of the similarities it had with Mithraism. Again, these people fail to do their homework.
      .
      .
      - Mitra (Mitra-Itu) was a god spoken of in the Hindu Vedas, though nothing in the Vedas is remotely close to Judaism/Christianity.
      .
      .
      .
      - The Persian Zoroastrianism borrowed from the Hindu's their own version of that deity that they called Mithra. It is from this particular religion that the vast majority of the similarities can be cited (like a Virgin Birth).
      What these critics fail to recognize, is that the children of Israel were conquered and taken into captivity into Babylon; which in turn was conquered by the Persians. So their was *direct contact* between the cultures of the Hebrews and Persians. Take the story of the Virgin Birth for an example. The critics say that Christianity borrowed the idea from the Persians. In reality, the first Christians were ALL Jewish. Jesus, his apostles, and all of his disciples were all Jewish.
      A Hebrew prophet by the name of Isaiah wrote of a virgin giving birth to the Messiah approximately one hundred (100) years before Zoroaster was even born in Persia. Zoroaster is the *founder of the religion* from which Christianity is alleged to have borrowed key elements.
      .
      .
      14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14
      .
      .
      Any honest and intelligent person could see that Christianity didn't borrow anything from Zoroastrianism or Hinduism. Their beliefs come directly from Judaism, and originally all Christians were Jews that believed in Jesus Christ.
      .
      .
      .
      - Mithraism was a secretive religion made up mostly of roman soldiers. Nothing in written form exists from those that practiced it. Some contributions about the religion exist from later times by people that were not practitioners. Virtually *everything known* about the religion is surmised from artwork, sculptures, and reliefs that have survived.
      That would be akin to looking at the art of Michelangelo and saying: "After studying his sculptures we can conclusively say he believed ...."
      .
      .
      .
      That *IS* the wisdom of those that use the Mithraism believed it first argument. These very same people will argue that words written by eyewitnesses are unreliable. That scriptures are a conglomeration of other men's thoughts and beliefs. That there's not a shred of evidence to prove that many of the things written in scripture happened. Or, that even Jesus actually lived.
      But claims that oppose Christianity, that are based upon what is surmised by looking at art (like what we know of Mithraism) . . . that they find reliable!
      .
      .
      .
      21 Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God or given thanks: but became vain in their thoughts. And their foolish heart was darkened.
      22 For, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. - Romans 1:21,22
      .

    • @gregbowe9442
      @gregbowe9442 Před 5 lety +26

      That's exactly what I was thinking the whole time....especially after saying there were levels that most people never saw

  • @annwood6812
    @annwood6812 Před 3 lety +535

    Thank you for putting this together. I'm tired of Bill Maher's complete butchery of this subject. It's not like he couldn't afford to hire someone to actually open a couple of books to find out the truth.

    • @youtubezcy
      @youtubezcy Před 3 lety +69

      That movie was like 20 years ago... Now Bill just whines about people who are too snarky on Twitter.

    • @hecticfreeze
      @hecticfreeze Před 2 lety +102

      Bill Maher isnt exactly known for arguing in good faith. He will willingly use sketchy sources as long as they back up his point, then mock others who do the same

    • @ktom5262
      @ktom5262 Před 2 lety +1

      What "truth"?

    • @skeletalbassman1028
      @skeletalbassman1028 Před 2 lety

      Bill Maher is a committed atheist type and will never give religion any benefit or courtesy.

    • @stevenbollinger9776
      @stevenbollinger9776 Před 2 lety +21

      "It's not like he couldn't afford to hire someone to actually open a couple of books to find out the truth."
      He'd have to open his mind first.

  • @alexanderrahl7034
    @alexanderrahl7034 Před 2 lety +41

    I came here because I'm a fan of Conan the Barbarian and Mithra is seen as a "good god" compared to the others and I always wondered what his inspiration was.
    Then while playing as Palmyra in Rome Total War 2, I saw "The Cult of Mithras" appear in some of my towns with some nice benefits, so I let them grow. But then it got my brain gears really turning.
    Now that I know how mysterious the Mithraic cult is, and how little we know, I now understand exactly why Howard put it into Conan

    • @17Watman
      @17Watman Před 5 měsíci

      Now I wanna play Rome 2

  • @AstralMarmot
    @AstralMarmot Před 3 lety +115

    It's always a delight to stumble across someone on CZcams who is so sincerely passionate about dispelling misinformation. Not to mention that watching someone who cites their sources is refreshing in these times. Thank you for being you.

  • @bekimbal9658
    @bekimbal9658 Před 4 lety +436

    Wow, my history professor in college taught about Mithras coming into being on December 25. I have spent my entire adult life unlearning falsehoods I have learned in school. I just discovered another one here. Thank you.

    •  Před 4 lety +6

      If interested. Origins of Mithra. Data is from the Hittite
      cuneiforms found during 1907 archeological excavations of Ancient
      Armenia. In the Armenian heathen of Pantheon, Mithra (Mihr) was considered a
      supreme deity. Mihr/Mithra was the personification of the illuminating
      rays of the sun. The grand temple of Mithra was located in the town of
      Bagaharich of ancient Armenia, which covered a great deal more territory
      during ancient times. The earliest mention of the worship of Mithra
      has been recorded in the Armenian Kingdom of Hurri-Mitani. The Hittite cuneiform
      inscriptions mentioned some of the notable Armenian gods and goddesses that
      made up the Armenian pantheon of gods in the Armenian kingdom of Mitanni,
      (meaning one home). The Hittite king Suppiluliuma (Reigned 1344 to 1322
      BCE,) ordered the recording of a peace treaty between himself and The
      Armenian king Sattivaz (reigned 1350 - 1320 BCE ) who represented
      the Hittite and Armenian kingdoms respectively. Suppiluliuma swears upon the
      great deities of Armenia and specifically calls on Mithra to protect and defend
      the treaty of friendship and peace between the kingdoms of Hatti and Mitanni.
      This treaty was made in the 14 century BCE. And this is the earliest
      recorded inscription that mentions Mithra as one of the supreme gods of
      Armenia. This is 1000 years before the god Mithra is mentioned in the Iranian
      inscriptions and the Indian Vedas. From Language as a fingerprint. (V.Setyan).

    • @keyvanshiri4934
      @keyvanshiri4934 Před 4 lety +50

      Actually I agree with your history professor on this case. In Iran still 21st of December ( the longest night in northern hemisphere) is a big celebration for birth of Mithra since ancient times. In Persian call it Shab-e-Yalda or Night of Yalda and as the end of this longest night Mithra or Mehr (Sun) is born ( longest darkness defeated by first arrays of light) we as Persians/Iranians celebrating that night. As You see the date is so close to 25th December. One of the reason is because the Christianity calendar wasn’t accurate and also has big mistakes in naming the few last months too.

    • @bekimbal9658
      @bekimbal9658 Před 4 lety +16

      @@keyvanshiri4934 That's interesting. The creator of this video does raise some interesting points though. It is always difficult to guess what really happened after 1800 years have passed. My under-educated guess is that 3rd century Roman Christians assigned the birth of Jesus to the birth of Mithras (December 25), and then they created theological arguments to dampen the criticism.
      My personal belief is that Jesus was born in the spring. Several people have argued that spring time is most likely the time that Romans would have required everyone to return to their place of birth, so they could be counted and taxed. Another thing is that when ewes are giving birth to their lambs in the spring, the shepherds will stay up all night in the field watching over them. They make sure that there are no complications, and they also make sure that the ewes are producing milk. Jesus is symbolic of the sacrificial Lamb of God, born among the lambs. The shepherds were out and about and witness to it.

    • @JiveDadson
      @JiveDadson Před 3 lety +18

      @@bekimbal9658 The travelling to ones ancestral home to be taxed never happened. The Romans kept meticulous records that make no mention of it. Besides, think about how silly that would have been. The author of Luke saw a problem; how could he rationalize Jesus of Nazareth being born in Bethlehem, to reconcile conflicting prophecies? The taxation thing was his clumsy solution. Two of the other three gospels imply that Jesus was born in Nazareth. Matthew implies that Joseph and Mary lived in a house in Bethlehem. I'm saying this from memory. Check a bible to see if I got the gospels mixed up.

    • @claytonveno3710
      @claytonveno3710 Před 3 lety +3

      The Catholic Encylopedia admits Mithras was born on December 25 and worshipped on Sunday
      www.newadvent.org/cathen/10402a.htm
      czcams.com/video/qBfAHsUHtiY/video.html
      THX to Ken Humphries
      czcams.com/video/HdSJG_aixLI/video.html
      Eliot Nesh Refutation
      vimeo.com/user5660524
      Was Zeitgeist right?
      czcams.com/video/8HJ-9KYCtUo/video.html
      I shall be discussing these issues and others extensively on Ex Christian.Net and will post a link to it here when I am done
      www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Religions/iranian/Mithraism/mithra.htm

  • @eckelstein2
    @eckelstein2 Před 3 lety +163

    I gotta say that I really appreciate the positivity of the comments for this channel's videos. I feel like the overall objectivity of this channel really does a good job or warding off some of the extremely unpleasant interactions that can (Unfortunately and unjustly) arise during discussions of comparitive religion. It really is refreshing!

    • @mspaint93
      @mspaint93 Před rokem +3

      Agreed in 2022, December 31st, before waiting for a New years dinner! I love learning about all religions and culture, and I'm happy other people share the same mindset! Hope you have the most lovely following year!

    • @poiuytrewq11422
      @poiuytrewq11422 Před rokem +3

      Just read the replies if you're looking to ruin that notion.

    • @MicaiahBaron
      @MicaiahBaron Před rokem

      Good mods also help with that tbf.

  • @johnd.7606
    @johnd.7606 Před 3 lety +65

    Almost all rocks are virgins, technically.
    Almost.

  • @schoolofalchemy
    @schoolofalchemy Před 4 lety +421

    It sounds like a breakfast club, not the movie but literally a place where people gather to eat and talk about astrology. Its a meetup.

    • @egg_bun_
      @egg_bun_ Před 3 lety +5

      Is that an actual term?

    • @UNITDW
      @UNITDW Před 3 lety +49

      It sounds more like a fraternal order. Only male imagery and initiates, strict initiation rituals and hierarchy, discussion and adoration of astrological belief and imagery.

    • @EudaemonicGirl
      @EudaemonicGirl Před 3 lety +15

      Clubs for sharing meals with or without social and religious aspects where definitely heard of during the Roman empire, called collegium.

    • @andrew7955
      @andrew7955 Před 3 lety +3

      @@egg_bun_ yes but not in that context. Breakfast club is literally just a meeting of people to have breakfast. Not astrology, which is a load of bs anyway

    • @Perririri
      @Perririri Před 2 lety +2

      …and without the Saturday detention! 😂

  • @martintabony611
    @martintabony611 Před 5 lety +33

    I used to pass a Temple of Mithras everyday. It's in the middle of a housing estate in Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne. But then what's left of Hadrian's Wall runs through the city.

  • @AnyaChuri
    @AnyaChuri Před 3 lety +24

    In India , we chant the name Mithra while worshiping the Sun and while performing Surya namaskar yoga!

    • @stephanpopp6210
      @stephanpopp6210 Před 3 lety +18

      This is because the ancient Vedic god Mithra (with separate t and h) and the ancient Iranian god Mithra (with an English th) derive from an older Mithra, revered by the ancestors of both people. What we do not know is how this ancient Mithra is connected to the Roman Mithra cult.

    • @Aryaveer_jadli
      @Aryaveer_jadli Před 3 měsíci +1

      ​@@stephanpopp6210wrong. Mithras is stolen by the Romans from the Persians. Its a fact. However the vedic Mitra and Persians Mithra are cognates. No other cognate is there in any indo european language. And Roman mithras is a later adaptation of indo iranic God mitra

    • @Aryaveer_jadli
      @Aryaveer_jadli Před 3 měsíci +2

      Its mitra in hinduism . The Romans stole it from the Persians Mithra.

    • @RahimMehrpoush-er2pv
      @RahimMehrpoush-er2pv Před 2 měsíci +1

      ❤❤❤❤❤

  • @spynae
    @spynae Před 3 lety +166

    I really appreciate this video a lot. I was one of the people who bought into the "Jesus was modeled after Mithras" notion for a long time, and it's nice to have my own misconceptions dispelled when I'm not even aware they were misconceptions.

    • @a.s2205
      @a.s2205 Před rokem +6

      Samantha, this guy is a bible thumper. Look up Dr Jason Reza jorjani explaining mythraism.

    • @juwebles4352
      @juwebles4352 Před rokem +16

      @@a.s2205 regardless of what you think of him that dosn't disprove the fact that none of the victorian sources of these rumors have actual sources themselves.

    • @a.s2205
      @a.s2205 Před rokem +2

      @@juwebles4352 nor did the 70s people denying it. Look up Jason Reza Jorjani, he has way better sources and he's way more articulate than our Bible thumping friend

    • @histguy101
      @histguy101 Před rokem +20

      @@a.s2205 pretty sure he's an atheist, but go ahead and slap on a label if helps you feel success in your cause. Or perhaps he's an atheist bible thumper, because if someone disagrees with your ideological view, truthful or not, they must be in the "other camp," i.e. the Bible thumpers. He's taken sides! And must and will be dismissed.
      Or better yet, throw us 3 good ancient sources we can quickly look up and verify that contradict the video.

    • @a.s2205
      @a.s2205 Před rokem

      @@histguy101 look up Jason reza jorjani, he has a book called Iranian leviathan all about mithra, there are lectures on CZcams that you can watch. He uses references in his book. 👋 your mate here is a bible thumper, not an athiest from what I heard from him. Maybe he's changed, idk much about him. I just know he knows nothing about mithraism and it's eastern roots.

  • @Joe-po9xn
    @Joe-po9xn Před 4 lety +546

    Secret Mithraic Initiation Ritual:
    "Welcome to our club! Welcome to our club! Welcome Squidward! Welcome Squidward! Welcome Squidward! Welcome Squidward!"

    • @chronosx7
      @chronosx7 Před 4 lety +12

      It does sound like a sort of "male honor group" based solely in the use of ranks and apparent lack of scriptures

    • @ryleesoares90
      @ryleesoares90 Před 4 lety +6

      @@chronosx7 Mitra is a women. All souls have male and female characteristics. Only the male characteristic of Mitra is acknowledged in history

    • @peng2816
      @peng2816 Před 3 lety +5

      Where is your evidence for that ?

    • @peng2816
      @peng2816 Před 3 lety +5

      @@ryleesoares90 Do you have any evidence for Mithra being female? Where do you get that, religion, a philosopher, history? And you can't just apply your understanding of something to another's perspective or ancient perspective unless what your saying is correct( I don't want to say your wrong I don't really know if Mithra is male or female.) (Well I'm kind of wrong about that) but I'm trying to say you shouldn't apply female and male characteristics to a god who I think is from a different religion than yours if your religious and could be made up (Or is real, I hope my last sentence didn't offend you I don't want to offend you or offend your beliefs.)
      I don't know what you are when it comes to religion I don't want to know because that is personal information. The internet is the worst place to tell anything about yourself.
      Also (I don't want to argue with you about the characteristics of souls thing) But because a soul is both male and female doesn't that mean Mithra is also male? Also sorry this doesn't make sense, I don't know if I'm making sense of it I sound crazy, let me know if I sound crazy.
      If anything offends you let me know and I will try to put what ever it is into a sentence that isn't offensive. I hope I don't do anything to your beliefs I don't want to shatter them.

    • @kayem3824
      @kayem3824 Před 3 lety +1

      @@peng2816 In modern Iran Mitra is used as a female name.

  • @Kenmoos
    @Kenmoos Před 4 lety +41

    ive been studying so intensely the last few days that I can tell which books and articles this information comes from. what is my life becoming

    • @davidoverstreet2875
      @davidoverstreet2875 Před 3 lety

      The Urantia Book has several pages of information, namely 1,081 through 1,084.

    • @heberthr.6978
      @heberthr.6978 Před 3 lety +1

      r/iamverysmart

    • @davidoverstreet2875
      @davidoverstreet2875 Před 3 lety +3

      Check out new Urantia Book my friend. It will tell you all you need to know at this planetary stage of our spiritual development

  • @CameronGoble
    @CameronGoble Před 3 lety +33

    6:50 The relief image evokes the arrangements of constellations we today call Orion, Taurus, and Eridanus (not a snake, but a river). These are some of the oldest and most recognizable sky images across cultures of the Persian and Roman regions. The association with a scorpion and a dog are also interesting for their parallels in the mythologies.
    I would like to learn more about any connections between the Mithras Cult and the region of the night sky that includes these figures. Only Taurus and the Scorpion are Zodiacal constellations. Is there is a connection between Mithras and Orion for example?

  • @alecbrown66
    @alecbrown66 Před rokem +18

    Romans were genius in blending Greek, roman, and pagan gods and their most popular aspects, to actually form spiritual bridges throughout their empire, achieving what even most modern religions can't do, by bringing wide swathes of people together, even those religious factions today that cause so much deviciveness, hurt and bloodshed.

  • @PFR1930
    @PFR1930 Před 4 lety +301

    I've heard that the slaying of the bull was a symbol of the passing from the Age of Taurus to the Age of Aries.

    • @IshtarLinqu
      @IshtarLinqu Před 4 lety +7

      Chamber 81 Mithra degree
      Re Zten Amittai Idren Ninu ItaI Ishai Elkhikhi Sidom
      The Ark of the covenant !
      This is wis-om ! Oh it is Mithra the great mother Oxygen. Why was the mother Oxygen called Mithra , the goddess of Light , the oath , and covenant ? Here me now my idren , The principle layers of the Atmosphere of Qi (Earth) 9 cipher Mithra ( Mesosphere , Ionosphere , Thermosphere , Heliosphere )- RA . So It was from the O cult that birthed your sciences and your religions . The great mother Mithra birthed Meso where in the waters of Nu Noah's Ark Floated ! This is wis- om , The Reign (Throne , upper Regions ) of the Sun ( Ra ).

    • @xymonau2468
      @xymonau2468 Před 4 lety +19

      That is just speculation, though.

    • @honkytonkinson9787
      @honkytonkinson9787 Před 4 lety +18

      I was wondering if this trickled down into Spanish and Mexican culture to become the bull fighting arena

    • @haigansmith4081
      @haigansmith4081 Před 4 lety +26

      I subscribe to your logic... just as the Christian age or introduction to Christ was represented by Pisces ( the fish god) who brings us into the age of Aquarius... the proverbial fish out of water led towards the waters of life.

    • @cameleonfleuri
      @cameleonfleuri Před 4 lety +2

      @@haigansmith4081 and Gabriel Gonzalez Wow, I think you just found out something important here! ☆

  • @user-se8mi2io1v
    @user-se8mi2io1v Před 6 lety +220

    About Mithra in Zoroastrianism: you have made a mistake. Mithra is not a god of light who wages war against darkness(personified by Angra-Mainyu, The Evil(Angry) Spirit), but the yazata of trust, credibility and contracts. The God, Eternal Source of Light, Truth and Good, is Ahura Mazda(can be translated as "The Master of Wisdom", or as "The God who named Wisdom"), or Spenta-Mainyu("Holy Spirit). Mithra is a guardian of all contract, as it is said in Mehr-yasht: "Don't break the contract with a person that is good and with the one that bad." In Zoroastrian religion(which I follow) there is a belief in hierarchy of yazatas(which influenced judeo-christian belief in angels a lot), who are the personifications of good personality traits, with God Himself on the top. Yazatas, and Ameshaspentas, the most important of yazatas, are emmanations of Ahura Mazda, like candles, clamped from one fire. And for every yazata there is a symbolical association in physical world, for example, Kshatra Vairya, the Ameshaspenta of masculinity and will to order things, is associated with metals. And Mithra is associated with the Sun.
    Sorry for my English if it is bad. You can find more information in various Zoroastrian texts which are presented on avesta.org

    • @willempasterkamp862
      @willempasterkamp862 Před 5 lety +5

      (can't read your name) The Persian warrior on the bull is Perseus and his compagnion is Saggitarius the Persian archer. His arrow is the key to unbind the living water from the rock.

    • @donlucchese7280
      @donlucchese7280 Před 5 lety +2

      Is that the glagolitic alfabeth, some letters are the same or look very similar,where are you from?Croatia,Bulgaria,Macedonia or are you Persian?

    • @mrh4742
      @mrh4742 Před 5 lety +10

      You are correct. He is mistaken.

    • @kamskas6226
      @kamskas6226 Před 5 lety +12

      Ⰴⱆⰿⱀⱏⰹ Ⱄⱐⰾⱉⰲⰹⰰⱀⰹⱀ Thanks I am always interested in Zoroastrian.

    • @mrh4742
      @mrh4742 Před 5 lety +7

      Mitra wasnt zoroaterian. It is false to relate zoroasterian texts to him.

  • @Themadness42
    @Themadness42 Před 3 lety +9

    I was a student of Professor Walsh's I'll always remember his lectures about digs on the Roman Frontiers and trying to determine if odd buildings were Mithraea. Glad you found the old boy.

    • @hikeoganessian9729
      @hikeoganessian9729 Před 2 lety +1

      . The Hittite king Suppiluliuma (reigned between 1344 to 1322 BCE) ordered the recording of a peace treaty between himself and the Armenian king Šattivaz (reigned ca. 1350-1320 BCE), who represented the Hittite and Armenian kingdoms respectively. Suppiluliuma swears upon the great deities of Armenia and specifically calls upon Mithra to bless and protect the treaty of friendship and peace between the kingdoms of Hatti and Mitanni.As was noted, this treaty was made in the 14th century BCE, and this is the earliest recorded inscription that mentions Mithra as one of the supreme Gods of Armenia. This is roughly one thousand years before the God Mithra is mentioned in the Iranian inscriptions and the Indian Vedas.

  • @readeroftheelderscrolls
    @readeroftheelderscrolls Před rokem +5

    I was looking for info about the cult of Mithras for my novel, and your video is of great help, I finally understood how a proper Mithraeum must look like. Thank you!

  • @Keylontic1
    @Keylontic1 Před 4 lety +139

    "...He also appears a whit a snake, a dog, a raven, and a scorpion as he stabs a bull..." 6:55. All of these animals are astrological representations of the zodiac. Each are either a major star sign or a decon of a major star constallation. Which is understandable with a group that worship the Sun.

    • @TheDavidlloydjones
      @TheDavidlloydjones Před 4 lety

      "Each" is singular. "Each is either a major star sign or..." emphasizes what is true of every one, individually, get it?
      Mark Henry rings his own change on this error at about 13:18 when he says "None of these changes hold water." Sorry, Mark, "none" is even more singular than one -- even if "changes" ends in S. None of those changes holds water would be your claim.

    • @IshtarLinqu
      @IshtarLinqu Před 4 lety

      Nupuqi Om-Re Khonectics
      Chamber 81 Mithra degree
      Re Zten Amittai Idren Ninu ItaI Ishai Elkhikhi Sidom
      The Ark of the covenant !
      This is wis-om ! Oh it is Mithra the great mother Oxygen. Why was the mother Oxygen called Mithra , the goddess of Light , the oath , and covenant ? Here me now my idren , The principle layers of the Atmosphere of Qi (Earth) 9 cipher Mithra ( Mesosphere , Ionosphere , Thermosphere , Heliosphere )- RA . So It was from the O cult that birthed your sciences and your religions . The great mother Mithra birthed Meso where in the waters of Nu Noah's Ark Floated ! This is wis- om , The Reign (Throne , upper Regions ) of the Sun ( Ra )

    • @dragonboyjgh
      @dragonboyjgh Před 4 lety +2

      i recognize the others, but what constellation is a raven?

    • @kaloarepo288
      @kaloarepo288 Před 4 lety +4

      @@dragonboyjgh Corvus the crow or raven

    • @kootdirker2448
      @kootdirker2448 Před 3 lety +7

      Jesus astrological sign was pisces.
      He devided the two fish for his followers
      Abraham's ram
      He had to offer his son but offered the ram instead.
      The bull was the constellation sign at the time of Adam or Noah.
      The alphabet the Hebrews inherited first letter is alleph the bull.
      It's even shaped like a bulls head.
      Their time begins 5782 years ago about the time of Taurus as the constellation sign in heaven.
      They were sun worshippers in those days

  • @thekylemarshall_
    @thekylemarshall_ Před 7 lety +418

    I'm not religious in the slightest, but I do love these videos. I like approaching religion as a academic pursuit. There's some fascinating stuff to learn. And it definitely informs history. Thanks for the hard work!

    • @ReligionForBreakfast
      @ReligionForBreakfast  Před 7 lety +78

      Ironically enough, one of my next videos is titled: "You don't need to be religious to study religion." Fascinating stuff to learn indeed.

    • @BeauJames59
      @BeauJames59 Před 6 lety +4

      I was attracted early, struggled and became more agnostic....but always amazed with folks, even those sent to worship by their families, who just don't get the religion bug. (born agains need not make the adolescent religion vs relationship with Jesus semantic psuedo distinction, we're grownups here)

    • @profshad3429
      @profshad3429 Před 6 lety +2

      This is Theology not religion

    • @Houston810
      @Houston810 Před 6 lety +1

      Whats the difference??

    • @tufftraveller4784
      @tufftraveller4784 Před 6 lety

      Houston Davis potato potato

  • @SKH-kg1xw
    @SKH-kg1xw Před 3 lety +4

    In Iran, we still celebrate the winter solstice as the birthday of Sun, calling it Yalda that comes from an Aramaic word for birth. One antient synonym for the common word "sun" is "Mehr" originating from the word "Mitra". We still use the word "Mehr" in different contexts and combine it with other prefixes and suffixes to make other words and proper nouns.

  • @nicolathefourth3458
    @nicolathefourth3458 Před rokem +2

    Thank you for your informative video! I’ve been to the Mitreo in Santa Maria Capra Vetere (near Caserta in Italy) & recognize some of your images being from there. Did you personally visit as well?? It’s my dad’s home town and I was amazed to find so much history buried underneath all that cobblestone!

  • @jvsuryanarayana
    @jvsuryanarayana Před 5 lety +25

    In Vedas, Mithra is the Sun God. Varuna is the God of Water. In our Morning Offering , Mithra is mentioned several times. My Gothra Rishi is MaithraaVaruna apart from, Vasishta and Koundinya.As Mithra is another name for Sun, He can be surrounded by the 12 Zodiac signs. Mithra also means Friend.

    • @shashwatsinha2704
      @shashwatsinha2704 Před 3 lety

      What is the significance of Gotra?

    • @mareksicinski3726
      @mareksicinski3726 Před 3 lety +2

      that is just common indoeuropean word origins, indo-iranian specifically

    • @Mythical.History
      @Mythical.History Před 2 lety

      Wasn't Mithra represented friendship and oaths too? the word Mithra also meant "friend/close friend"

    • @p.mrtynjy
      @p.mrtynjy Před 2 lety +2

      @@Mythical.History mitr still means friend in Hindi

  • @aspektx
    @aspektx Před 4 lety +13

    Thank you. I find myself at times in a regular state of face-to-palm when listening or conversing about religious history.

  • @LaurenceQuint
    @LaurenceQuint Před 2 lety +8

    Great video! I had heard the name Mithras bandied about here and there, but was really intrigued when I visited the Mithraeum in San Clemente in Rome. Tried (in an admittedly cursory way) to find out more about this "mystery cult", but came up empty-handed. Now I know why! Thanks very much!

  • @tulyopereira9915
    @tulyopereira9915 Před rokem +1

    What a great video to stumble upon as I study the history of London's Roman Temple of Mithras... Thank you for all the references and book recommendations!

    • @sebastian122
      @sebastian122 Před rokem

      How is the study going? Any good books to recommend on London's mithraeum?

  • @shydawghanbowski4683
    @shydawghanbowski4683 Před 4 lety +90

    I would say the slaying of the bull has to do with the zodiacal signs like mitra representing the sun moving from Taurus to a new zodiac house. The same way jesus feeds the people with two fish then tell his followers to walk with the guy with the water pitcher into his house symbolizing the sun moving at the end of the age from pisces to aquarius zodiac signs.

    • @dark_white101
      @dark_white101 Před 4 lety +1

      Yeah, I Also Came Here For Astrological Study Cause Mithra Is Associated With Hasta Nakashtra Which Is In The Virgo Zodiac Sign!

    • @cameleonfleuri
      @cameleonfleuri Před 4 lety

      Good point! ;)

    • @JiveDadson
      @JiveDadson Před 3 lety +2

      Remember what the wine was made from? You got it. Water! The fish out of water represent the move into the Age of Aquariums.

    • @Sinsteel
      @Sinsteel Před 3 lety +7

      It's a convenient explanation, except the age of Taurus ended around 2500 BC. That's right, the Age of Taurus was ended more than 2000 years before the Mithraic cult, and the age of Aries itself was already over by 300BC, centuries before the cult.
      So if anything, they'd be showing the transition from Aries to Pisces, which had already happened half a millennia before the cult rose to prominence.

    • @selecttravelvacations7472
      @selecttravelvacations7472 Před 2 lety +3

      @@JiveDadson Age of Aquariums!? Loved that! Thanks for the giggle.

  • @michaelcolello2735
    @michaelcolello2735 Před 7 lety +185

    I've always found the Zeitgeist parallels far too tidy to be taken seriously. Thanks for setting the record straight, and for the overall great work!

    • @ReligionForBreakfast
      @ReligionForBreakfast  Před 7 lety +50

      Tidy is a good word to describe it. The argument hangs on too many assumptions.

    • @matthewholding6092
      @matthewholding6092 Před 6 lety +16

      ReligionForBreakfast great work. I have read that a scholar at Cambridge said that Jesus and Mithras are very very different. You are very correct in stating that too! We can’t let bias get in the way.

    • @totaltotalmonkey
      @totaltotalmonkey Před 6 lety

      Did you look at D.M. Murdock/ Acharya S's work that was the source of the section on religion in the film?

    • @miteruno
      @miteruno Před 6 lety

      probably didn;t

    • @Skinnymarks
      @Skinnymarks Před 6 lety +5

      People are really only convinced by details being the same. Though the whole proto-indo-eruopean origin theory depends more on concepts and tropes than anything else. The specific details of the individual cult don't matter so much especially when considering that a cave is an ancient symbol of the womb then being born of a rock isn't all that weird, nor braking of the tradition of sun deities being born of a pure woman.
      You simply can't argue that most comic book superhero characters aren't influanced by Superman. Yes some brake the mold so drastically it's hard to find any specifics. But by virtue of being a powered superhero there are themes and tropes that where structured durring superman's time that later comic book artists are innovating on.

  • @rafaeldiromano2085
    @rafaeldiromano2085 Před 2 lety +6

    Thank you for doing all the research, posting sources and making these great videos!

  • @jackiereynolds2888
    @jackiereynolds2888 Před 3 lety +3

    One thing cannot be denied, - Mithras both pre-dated and also was contemporary with Christendom.

  • @nt4382
    @nt4382 Před 6 lety +64

    "All over the Mediterranean..." ...shows a map of Germany...

    • @larrynivren8139
      @larrynivren8139 Před 3 lety

      The Mithras-RELIGION was popular in Germany this time.... (all over Germany....)

  • @abhikoolblue
    @abhikoolblue Před 3 lety +362

    Raised by Wolves brought me here.

  • @Vortragskunst
    @Vortragskunst Před rokem +6

    In his famous text "On the Cave of the Nymphs" Porphyry, a neoplatonic philosopher of the 3. century, gives us a lot of insights into what we could call a Mithraic theology. Not only does he write about Mithras himself and his meaning, but also about the reason, why he is worshipped in a cave and about the grade of "Leontes" (the Lions) and some specific ritual elements ot this grade. For some strange reasons this very important evidence is almost completely ignored by the scientist dealing with the Mithras cult.

    • @Arclibs
      @Arclibs Před 11 měsíci

      Very interesting, thank you!

  • @CaptiveReefSystems
    @CaptiveReefSystems Před 2 lety +6

    I *love* the map in the background! 😳 I have been looking for a similar, 'classically'-stylized world map of the same, "old school", aged, parchment-style color for quite a while now! (I guess that I am just rather picky)... 😄
    I'm looking for a similar world map that I can frame (for a reasonable price) that is both practical (accurate) AND 'artistically' and aesthetically pleasing, like the one in the background of this video! (Rather than the brightly-colored eyesores that are modern, academic world maps printed nowadays)! Does anybody have any links/sources as to where I may be able to find something similar? 🤔 Any suggestions would be *greatly* appreciated! 😎👍

  • @Gjergji311
    @Gjergji311 Před 4 lety +38

    I came to this video pretty skeptical, expecting the usual internet claptrap about Mithras. I’m really impressed by the level of research behind this video. The only observation that I have is that it might have been useful to start with a description of what a “mystery cult” means in the context of Classical antiquity.
    Basically, mystery cults were called such because their teachings were expected to be held secret. There are a number of these scattered in the Roman and Hellenistic world, such as the [mystery] cult of Isis (based on the Egyptian goddess), and the more ancient Eleusinian and Orphic mysteries, which were native to Greece. The teachings of these mystery cults were so secretive that scholars still don’t have a definite idea of what they entailed.

  • @prathamalur386
    @prathamalur386 Před 3 lety +102

    The name Mithra or Mitra comes from the Vedic texts; he is a diety parallel to Savitr (the diefied form motion) as they are both related to Surya (sun diety). Mitra became mithra from Vedic Sanskrit to Avesta respectively. The word itself comes from the root “mitr̥” which means friend; he is described with qualities according to his name and even had a chant “Aum Mitravē NamaH” (to Mitra I bow) in the Vedas. It’s interesting to see a Vedic and Zoroastrian diety in European grounds.

    • @yoeyyoey8937
      @yoeyyoey8937 Před rokem +1

      Yes very much so. Thanks for sharing

    • @wiry7428
      @wiry7428 Před rokem +4

      In indonesian/malay language, "mitra" means "partner"

    • @sreenivasamurthy4163
      @sreenivasamurthy4163 Před rokem +11

      Even to this day, ‘Aum, Mithraya NamaH’ is the first of the twelve mantras chanted by yoga practitioners in India and it’s neighbouring countries. Traditionally Surya Namaskara starts with chanting of this mantra, with hands folded at chest in namaskara posture. After completing one cycle of surya namaskara asanas, one returns to namaskara posture, before chanting the next manthra, and so on.

    • @mojojojo3682
      @mojojojo3682 Před rokem +3

      @@wiry7428 in sanskrit [मित्र] mira also mean same malay got this word from Sanskrit

    • @koordrozita7236
      @koordrozita7236 Před rokem +9

      It is Kurdish religion and called “Mehr”, we have names of Mihrî, Mehrdad, Mitra names come from and the sun of Kurdistan flag also comes from this Mithat sun.

  • @GaramondGourmond
    @GaramondGourmond Před 2 lety +6

    What have we learned from all these videos? "We just don't know". Probably the sincerest battle cry to anyone who's past 24 years old and is well educated. The things we don't know far outweight the things we do. But . . . there's always hope. The thing researchers cling to; that next excavation, that next tomb, that next inscription might just be the answer.

  • @Tht1Gy
    @Tht1Gy Před rokem

    Huge THANK YOU for this post. And - Bonus points for citing your sources!

  • @techniqueswithtodd
    @techniqueswithtodd Před 6 lety +347

    Nice! You even pull in Zoroastrianism!! Your scholarship continues to impress. It's thorough, deeeeeeply concerned with history and archeology as well as socio political concerns. You are combining a vast array of scholarship. It's something that I tried myself and got a LOT of "Stay in your lane" advice from all my mentors. I'm surprised you have not been chastised by your Ph.d mentor. Either way, keep it up. Also very cool that you are using youtube to "publish" instead of just doing academic papers. Well done :)

    • @ReligionForBreakfast
      @ReligionForBreakfast  Před 6 lety +80

      My department and advisor in particular are very interdisciplinary. I'm part historian, part archaeologist, part sociologist.

    • @alhassani626
      @alhassani626 Před 6 lety +15

      I wish you had some insight in psychoanalysis, pharmacology and mysticism, that'd just make you a complete philosopher... ReligionForBreakfast

    • @bektastic2386
      @bektastic2386 Před 6 lety +2

      TechWith Todd Christianity didn't thrive until 3rd century. Check out not the impossible faith by Richard carrier

    • @neilstiener5553
      @neilstiener5553 Před 6 lety +7

      Not being a religious scholar, but my understanding of Zoroastrianism, it was Median, as opposed to Persian. It was also one of the first, if not THE first, monotheistic religions, whereas Persian (and everyone else) had pantheons full of gods. Ahura Mazda was the 'senior/creator' god, and Mitra was the 'junior/son' deity. Mitra slayed the bull, and it's blood is what fertilized the earth and allow life to spring forth.Therein the similarity in the roman Mithras... Zoroaster was it's primary 'priest' . Also, the Hebrew's were captured when Babylon sacked Jerusalem, and returned them to Babylon as slaves. There is when they were exposed to monotheistic Zoroaster, or at least his teachings,
      and also the Persian creation myth, which their(Genesis) creation myth is a copy, only a monotheistic one. but the timeline of it's writing times it at that time. Hence any similarities...

    • @Marcusjnmc
      @Marcusjnmc Před 6 lety +6

      the hebrew mythology was founded prior to their arrival in that area of the world as far back as somewhat verifiable records go let alone the founding of hebrew jerusalem, delving into zoroastrianism is fine but trying to draw meaningful connections based on baseless assumptions derived secondhand at best from ancient events is going to be ultimately meaningless

  • @Atlaspower78
    @Atlaspower78 Před 5 lety +49

    They all preached "love and respect your children, your elders and one another". That should be the focal point of these enquiries. How long have we been failing at getting along?

    • @dylanmillhausen8552
      @dylanmillhausen8552 Před 4 lety +1

      Atlaspower78 you’re assuming the point is to get along.

    • @materialcompuesto9719
      @materialcompuesto9719 Před 4 lety +2

      I'm getting along just fine

    •  Před 4 lety +1

      Because anyone who becomes an actual figure for peace, love and respecting one another gets clapped 100%

    • @corettaha7855
      @corettaha7855 Před 4 lety

      Atlaspower78 cane and Abel.

  • @giuliocirullz158
    @giuliocirullz158 Před 3 lety +2

    I've seen few time the Mithreum of San Clemente Basilica, when I was a child, with school and recently, everytime is a big emotion for me.

  • @JasonBonnerMusic
    @JasonBonnerMusic Před rokem

    Strange that this is the first time I've seen a video of yours. But I'm glad I did. Excellent work. New subscriber

  • @Dan_C604
    @Dan_C604 Před 4 lety +34

    Thank you for this very interesting video! As an atheist I heard many folks making too many assumptions at this level. Thank you for the clarification.

    • @vocaldjiane
      @vocaldjiane Před 2 lety

      As a Christian, the creator of this video is biased. Better watch unbiased material czcams.com/video/0E_bRADucBI/video.html

  • @lostenfound
    @lostenfound Před 3 lety +22

    16:14 I didn't know Sylvester Stallone was a Roman emperor

    • @leaderofthebunch-deadbeat7716
      @leaderofthebunch-deadbeat7716 Před 2 lety +1

      Now I want to see Sylvester Stallone play Constantine

    • @S3b0rg
      @S3b0rg Před 2 lety +1

      I have a friend who looks just like nero, pull him into this RCU as well

  • @Polderjongen
    @Polderjongen Před 3 lety +8

    I have to say your videos are extremely valuable .

  • @christiansky942
    @christiansky942 Před 2 lety +3

    I really like your videos. I'd love to see one covering the Eleusinian Mysteries

  • @victororestis5967
    @victororestis5967 Před 5 lety +7

    i adore everything in this channel. Careful and well prepared approaches . Andrew thank you for posting also your sources. This channel deserves more

  • @youforgotpoland
    @youforgotpoland Před 3 lety +10

    Great video and channel, I learned a lot. Humble suggestion: will you make analysis of religious tropes in Raised by Wolves (HBO)? It uses tropes from at least three religions you described on your channel (Sol, Mithraism, Christianity) and could bring more viewers to you (but I'am already sold ofc).

  • @trifunjovanovic6521
    @trifunjovanovic6521 Před 2 lety +2

    Hey, great video and even better content! Can you make a video about Bogomils of medieval Bosnia? It would be really interesting.

  • @welcometonebalia
    @welcometonebalia Před 3 lety +3

    One of the most fascinating sites I've ever visited, and several times actually, is the monolithic church of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, in southwestern France. There is a crypt underneath which is or was supposed to have been dedicated to the cult of Mithras, although that seems to be a matter of debate these days, and I don't find it in the Wikipedia list of French mithraea. Nevertheless, the whole site made a strong impression on me.

  • @DarkMoonDroid
    @DarkMoonDroid Před 4 lety +44

    I love Ancient Religions and Spiritual Traditions.
    Endlessly fascinating.

    •  Před 4 lety

      let me quote Merrick (2012) All religions are descended from and ancient Vedic cosmology
      described in the Rib - Veda, originating in Armenia near Mt. Ararat at
      least 6800 ys ago and the basic concepts of a transcendental mountain extending
      into space and populated planet Star-gods were developed...he further
      says...This Astrotheology then migrated with Armenian Aryans to found the
      Sumerian Ethiopian/Egyptian and Indian civilizations and religions...from
      Language as a fingerprint Setyan

    • @davidoverstreet2875
      @davidoverstreet2875 Před 3 lety

      You should read the Urantia book, it has in-depth, detailed eyewitness information, including the origins of religion and worship.

    • @liltito1519
      @liltito1519 Před 3 lety +1

      @@davidoverstreet2875 urantia is pseudohistoric gobshite

  • @robertcantarero7652
    @robertcantarero7652 Před 6 lety +111

    It never says Yeshua was born on December 25 in the bible

    • @ReligionForBreakfast
      @ReligionForBreakfast  Před 6 lety +46

      +Robert Cantarero Right. That is a later tradition. I have another video on that topic.

    • @robertcantarero7652
      @robertcantarero7652 Před 6 lety +9

      ReligionForBreakfast your awesome bro! Keep it up

    • @zadeh79
      @zadeh79 Před 5 lety +5

      yeah but christianity adopted that later.

    • @albusai
      @albusai Před 5 lety +5

      S.N. Lee September 11 is the date according astronomers

    • @nenabunena
      @nenabunena Před 5 lety +10

      who says the bible is the only source? there was no canon for the first 400 years, open your eyes

  • @TheHunterGracchus
    @TheHunterGracchus Před 3 lety +1

    If you're in the northeastern US, you can see a reconstruction of the Mithraeum from Dura Europos in the Yale Art Gallery. That collection is worth seeing for many reasons, especially the only extant Roman scutum.

  • @dabrownone
    @dabrownone Před 3 lety +7

    "Seemingly pulling these notions out his own ... imagination"

  • @emilyschmidt5630
    @emilyschmidt5630 Před 4 lety +11

    Shared with my students! Thanks whoever did the captioning!

    • @babhag5481
      @babhag5481 Před 4 lety

      Emily Schmidt dont you dare to spread delusional view on kids. Mithra predates Christ. Christianity is a copy.

    • @emilyschmidt5630
      @emilyschmidt5630 Před 4 lety

      @@babhag5481 You're wrong.

    • @babhag5481
      @babhag5481 Před 4 lety

      @@emilyschmidt5630 ....carry on....how so....???

    • @babhag5481
      @babhag5481 Před 4 lety

      @@emilyschmidt5630 you have students....???Are you a teacher in Vatican...??? That must be right.
      I must say that's the most eloquent statement I ever heard. Outstanding. Brilliant. Essential.

    • @emilyschmidt5630
      @emilyschmidt5630 Před 4 lety +1

      @@babhag5481 You want my knowledge? Pay me. Teaching is my job.

  • @rr5710
    @rr5710 Před 3 lety +4

    Thanks for the video, I recall seeing many claims made on various ancient religions, but in my linguistic studies, I saw no such texts. At the time I figured they were simply better read than me. Your video on the gnostics brought me here and you seem to have more authority on the topic than random 'comedians' and writers, Maher among them.

  • @watchtowerwitch4426
    @watchtowerwitch4426 Před 3 lety

    I'm back! Another have-to-watch topic. THANKS!!

  • @odysseusrex5908
    @odysseusrex5908 Před 2 lety +35

    Thank you! I have always doubted the supposed parallels between Mithras and Christ, they just seemed a little too neat, but I had no facts at hand to dispute the claims. Now my intuition is validated.

  • @werewolf4358
    @werewolf4358 Před 3 lety +26

    "I've never thought of rocks as virginal"
    Those stones have some real rockin' parties, eh? Once they get rolling they know how to set up real bangers.

  • @satariel777
    @satariel777 Před 3 lety +11

    It can't be overstated how admirable the amount of research you do is. These videos are so valuable to me and, I'm sure, many others. Thank you!!

  • @longan12
    @longan12 Před rokem

    Terrific video, I loved it. Congratulations for making this amazing documentary!

  • @onlyhis5870
    @onlyhis5870 Před 3 lety +2

    This was highly informative. Thank you! 🙏

  • @boutetmichelgerald1634
    @boutetmichelgerald1634 Před 6 lety +7

    For the Celts it was Lugio, from Lugion "serment, contract;" thus Lugus / Lugos in Gallic, Lugh in Gaelic and Lleu in Welsh. Thus the axiom from the plates of Chamalières, France: Bissiet Luge dessummiis Luge
    Dessumíis Luge dessumiis luxe
    "Be it to Lugus, the righteous, to Lugus, the rightful gold-dark one."

  • @kcp2967
    @kcp2967 Před 4 lety +41

    Rome's military soldiers picked up the practices in Persia and brought it back to Rome, where it was modified.

    • @cameleonfleuri
      @cameleonfleuri Před 4 lety +5

      Agree!

    • @KLG2018
      @KLG2018 Před 4 lety

      no, rome is a lie. those people are also known as the romim, the kittim - japhethites. same people as the aryans/alans. scythians basically, the northern "lost" tribes of israel. not lost, hidden. "those who say they are jews and are not". today it's israel, russians, the USA. just... look. dont take my word for it.

    • @kcp2967
      @kcp2967 Před 4 lety

      @@KLG2018 I thought that was the Kenites?

    • @jmilly4360
      @jmilly4360 Před 4 lety +1

      @@KLG2018 you do know being a "jew" is not ethnic, it is about following the laws, ordinances, and commandments of our creator. Its in the laws, anti-semetism is hating those who follow the laws of our creator. If someone is "born Jewish" and stops following the laws, commandments and ordinances. Does not matter if native nor convert, they are cut off from His People.

    • @thorpenator9148
      @thorpenator9148 Před 4 lety

      @@jmilly4360 it is totally ethnic. Read the interview with Harold Wallace Rosenthal.

  • @andersfaust5567
    @andersfaust5567 Před 2 lety +2

    Every religion involving slaying of a beast or animal, is the allegory of your innerself, slaughtering your ego. People read the religious texts as litteral history - when its all about your inner struggles.

  • @johnpatterson6448
    @johnpatterson6448 Před rokem

    Well done for sharing and crediting your sources.

  • @TheZebbedee12
    @TheZebbedee12 Před 6 lety +172

    this sounds like an ancient version of a masonic lodge...

    • @GlenCarne
      @GlenCarne Před 4 lety +1

      No. How many windows? And why does it matter?

    • @IMOLDIN
      @IMOLDIN Před 4 lety

      Mirror mirror on the wall

    • @AdonaiZedek
      @AdonaiZedek Před 4 lety

      Masons created most religions anyway. Thats why they openn withthe bible. its an Cocult cookbook. They have a different version they use codes to find out deeper meanings. There was a real Buddha but the main story is mythology

    • @uselesshero.official
      @uselesshero.official Před 4 lety +1

      @@AdonaiZedek oh please Buddha was a historic figure. Lots of people, kings were contemporary of his era ie around 500 BC.

    • @AdonaiZedek
      @AdonaiZedek Před 4 lety

      @@uselesshero.official siddhartha gautama yes but the story is a template. Find original sources from his time period.

  • @theanonymousmrgrape5911
    @theanonymousmrgrape5911 Před 4 lety +28

    Galaxy brain opinion:
    The cult of Mithras never died out and survives to this day in the form of the masons.

    • @IshtarLinqu
      @IshtarLinqu Před 4 lety

      Nupuqi Om Re Khonectics chamber degrees will guide you

    • @johnbull9195
      @johnbull9195 Před 4 lety +2

      It's one of the foundations. Certainly is not the same though.

  • @VinzRex
    @VinzRex Před 3 lety +4

    5:40 I'd like to point out there was also a mithraeum at Mainz (Germany) not shown in the map here, which was partly destroyed due to it being found at a construction site. The reason it is not shown here is probably because there is not much left there to visit, apart from two stones with dedicative inscriptions.

    • @peterderwolf6435
      @peterderwolf6435 Před rokem +1

      Well, that is interesting. Originating from Mainz, I highly recommend to visit the "Isis and Mater Magna" site at Römerpassage - a cult mentioned in the video.
      The site was discovered during construction work, too - building the mentioned "Römerpassage".
      The deal was to resituate the whole complex true-to-scale, such avoiding hinderance to ongoing setup.

    • @VinzRex
      @VinzRex Před rokem

      @@peterderwolf6435 Yes, I've been there as well and I highly recommend it, too! Especially the lead tablets found there written by common folk with wishes and curses give precious insights into the religious reality of the common people in the Rhine provinces.

  • @watchtowerwitch4426
    @watchtowerwitch4426 Před 3 lety

    I love how you speak. No ADHD here! Speaking FAST, no floppy talking, no sagging snagging tired word whiskers dragging attention away from HOT topic we're hanging on the edge of our seats to learn.
    Anyway - Joseph Atwill's fairly new Caesar's Messiah is a fascinating topic I've discovered. Hope you will or have covered it.
    I'm sharing your videos all over my fb sites, and I have LOTS of them.
    Thanks RFB!

  • @bliss45
    @bliss45 Před 4 lety +44

    As a freemason (apprentice), I can really see a lot of similarities between Mithraism and a modern-day lodge. The temple, the level system, the fact that only men are allowed (this is not true for every rite in freemasonry, but it is in the Scottish Rite) and astrological signs.

    • @IshtarLinqu
      @IshtarLinqu Před 4 lety

      Chamber 81 Mithra degree
      Re Zten Amittai Idren Ninu ItaI Ishai Elkhikhi Sidom
      The Ark of the covenant !
      This is wis-om ! Oh it is Mithra the great mother Oxygen. Why was the mother Oxygen called Mithra , the goddess of Light , the oath , and covenant ? Here me now my idren , The principle layers of the Atmosphere of Qi (Earth) 9 cipher Mithra ( Mesosphere , Ionosphere , Thermosphere , Heliosphere )- RA . So It was from the O cult that birthed your sciences and your religions . The great mother Mithra birthed Meso where in the waters of Nu Noah's Ark Floated ! This is wis- om , The Reign (Throne , upper Regions ) of the Sun ( Ra ).

    • @drjanitor3747
      @drjanitor3747 Před 4 lety +8

      Isaac Bolaños you realise free masonry is based on the worship of Lucifer? CZcams: Bill Cooper -Mystery Babylon

    • @bliss45
      @bliss45 Před 4 lety +14

      @@drjanitor3747 Not even once has the name Lucifer been uttered. I don't know where this is coming from

    • @drjanitor3747
      @drjanitor3747 Před 4 lety +2

      Isaac Bolaños It comes from the writings and teaching of the Masonic leaders themselves. CZcams: Bill Cooper - Mystery Babylon.

    • @thorpenator9148
      @thorpenator9148 Před 4 lety +14

      @@drjanitor3747 That can be true for some Mason's because in the Bible, it was Lucifer who wanted man to learn, and aquire knowledge. But in reality we don't know who the cast of characters were in the Bible. I am a Freemason of the blue lodge, and Scottish Rite, and I am secretly an Atheist. Most Mason's I know are Deist, and some are Catholics, and Jewish. So you really can't lump us all together with the same beliefs, even though people try. We are forbidden to talk politics, and religion in the Lodge, as not to offend our brothers beliefs. Hope that helps.

  • @lillydee5978
    @lillydee5978 Před 4 lety +179

    Bill Maher is a complete joke. You can't him remotely seriously, he's almost always completely wrong, not to mention not funny. Thank you for spilling the facts.

    • @jonsey3645
      @jonsey3645 Před 4 lety +12

      Maher BLOWS, intentionally.
      The most despicable of sellouts.

    • @ZackMeetsWorld
      @ZackMeetsWorld Před 4 lety +4

      yeah he sucks not even funny just a joke. my grandma is the only one i know who likes him LOL!

    • @chrischapman7026
      @chrischapman7026 Před 4 lety +2

      Lilly Dee u forgot the word “take”

    • @youtubezcy
      @youtubezcy Před 4 lety +11

      Bill has become a grumpy sheltered man stuck in his era. But will always deserve credit as an advocate for liberalism, an ally against religion and promoter of marijuana legalization

    • @JTSDAD67
      @JTSDAD67 Před 3 lety +2

      He never mentions that exploitive epic film he starred in "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death". Look it up. Dude is just a comedian looking for a sarcastic punchline.

  • @clavicleofcernunnos
    @clavicleofcernunnos Před 3 lety +10

    Great video! Have you ever seen the big Mithraeum at Ostia with the 3-dimensional statue? It's incredible! I do wish you could have mentioned Mithras' two "disciples" Cautes and Cautopates, the torchbearers that usaully appear on either side of the Tauroctony. I also wanted to ask if you would ever consider doing a video on the mysterious winged lion-headed figure wrapped in a serpent that have been found in some Mithraea and are for some reason associated with the Gnostic deity Yaldobaoth/Ialdobaoth

    • @romanusgecius3311
      @romanusgecius3311 Před rokem

      Well, for further knowledge read the book David Ulansey "The Origins of Mithraic Myseries", Oxford, 1989

  • @Notmehimorthem
    @Notmehimorthem Před 2 lety +1

    Excellent learning materials again. My fav historical source

  • @josephbenson4413
    @josephbenson4413 Před 4 lety +120

    Are the, so-called, "12 disciples" perhaps the 12 "houses" of the zodiac through which the sun passes? (Legit question, just contemplating.)

    • @sebastian122
      @sebastian122 Před 4 lety +10

      Typically, the answer is yes.

    • @sebastian122
      @sebastian122 Před 3 lety +4

      Then what are the 12 disciples, Keith, since you have a small opinion.

    • @josephbenson4413
      @josephbenson4413 Před 3 lety +8

      @Keith Davis I don't think this is about "your pearls". It is entirely about the beliefs of people 2000 years ago who did not share your beliefs.

    • @josephbenson4413
      @josephbenson4413 Před 3 lety +7

      @Keith Davis Okay... I see where we are now. This conversation about an ancient religion has gone off to another mythic system's la-la-land. Thank you Sebastian for having tried to make some sense of my question about a 2000yo non-Judeo-Christian religion, our attempt at a conversation has come to an end, no point in continuing now.

    • @sebastian122
      @sebastian122 Před 3 lety +1

      Which part is the beast?

  • @babhag5481
    @babhag5481 Před 4 lety +18

    "The name Mithras (Latin, equivalent to Greek "Μίθρας",[1]) is a form of Mithra, the name of an Iranian god,[2] a point acknowledged by Mithras scholars since the days of Franz Cumont.[3] The Greek form of the name appears in Xenophon's biography of Cyrus, the Cyropaedia,[4] a work written in the fourth century BC.
    The word Mithra occurs as the name of a praiseworthy being in the Zoroastrian text, the Zend Avesta.[5][6] Similar deity names in related Indo-european languages include Mitra, "मित्रः" found in Rig Vedic hymns.[7][8][9] In Sanskrit, "mitra" means "friend" or "friendship".[10]
    In the inscribed peace treaty of c. 1400 BC between Hittites and the Hurrian kingdom of the Mitanni in the area southeast of Lake Vanin Armenian Highlands, the form mi-it-ra-appears as the name of a god invoked together with four other divinities as witnesses and keepers of the pact.[11] Robert Turcan describes this inscription as "the earliest evidence of Mithras in Asia Minor""

    • @IshtarLinqu
      @IshtarLinqu Před 4 lety

      Nupuqi Om-Re Khonectics
      Chamber 81 Mithra degree
      Re Zten Amittai Idren Ninu ItaI Ishai Elkhikhi Sidom
      The Ark of the covenant !
      This is wis-om ! Oh it is Mithra the great mother Oxygen. Why was the mother Oxygen called Mithra , the goddess of Light , the oath , and covenant ? Here me now my idren , The principle layers of the Atmosphere of Qi (Earth) 9 cipher Mithra ( Mesosphere , Ionosphere , Thermosphere , Heliosphere )- RA . So It was from the O cult that birthed your sciences and your religions . The great mother Mithra birthed Meso where in the waters of Nu Noah's Ark Floated ! This is wis- om , The Reign (Throne , upper Regions ) of the Sun ( Ra )

    • @ShubhamMishrabro
      @ShubhamMishrabro Před 4 lety +2

      Bro one more thing you don't picked on. In hinduism sun god another name is mitra

  • @udz5480
    @udz5480 Před 2 lety +1

    My understanding was that Mithra is another name for the Hindu Sun god Surya/Aditya and it is a name still found in India.

  • @sinapariroo7192
    @sinapariroo7192 Před 2 lety +1

    Mitrea religion is a completely Iranian religion that dates back thousands of years and has had a great impact on other religions around the world that can't deny or unsee this reality.

  • @HeavenlyEchoVirus
    @HeavenlyEchoVirus Před 3 lety +8

    Man the 18th and 19th century writers really loved their wild evidence-lacking elaborations.

  • @darlenev9988
    @darlenev9988 Před 3 lety +3

    Yooo, just found you, subscribed, and marathoning your vids

  • @havefunbesafe
    @havefunbesafe Před rokem +1

    Martin Luther King jr wrote a very good essay on this subject in 1949 if anybody is interested. It’s a clear concise detail on the beginnings of Mithra.

  • @theodorewinston3891
    @theodorewinston3891 Před 3 lety +7

    Thank you ReligionForBreakfast for this evidence-dominant analysis of the relationship between the roman Mithras cult and Christianity. It's refreshing after searching through much dubious material fond of making statements without invoking sources and the nature of those sources. While I'm not saying YT videos need to have the same methodological rigor of academic history, info-videos whose research doesn't go deeper than someone else's heresay quickly become tiring. Particularly disappointing is Bill Maher's "Jesus exposé" which turned out to be more about a political agenda to discredit various forms of non-rational fanaticism - i.e. his particular flavour of "debunking", than a desire to "get to the bottom of things". While I also consider fighting all forms of toxic fanaticism in today's world a very worthy endeavour, I think he should be honest and declare it as such, and neither try to sell it as debunking myth with scientifically enlightened history, nor be willing to use sloppy research in order to do it.
    Subscribed! You fill a much needed niche between quickly consumable reporting and academic level material. Thand you and keep it coming.

  • @pepehorhae
    @pepehorhae Před 5 lety +52

    As a law student myself, i just want to say, that sometimes things just happen but is considered unbelieved or inadmissible because of lack of evidence. Evidence is such an important aspect like mathematics and physics are, evidence is what convinces man to find the truth about certain things.
    Wish we had a time machine to go back in time to see these things for ourselves man..

    • @daithiocinnsealach3173
      @daithiocinnsealach3173 Před 4 lety +3

      I'm convinced that in many cases law study only shows men how to convince themselves of what they want to believe. The amount of Christian lawyers I know of who have either competing views of Christianity or are convinced that the poor evidence leads them confidently to assert Jesus rose from the dead.
      It doesn't give me much faith in lawyers in general when I see that, since my own studies have only convinced me that there isn't much we can know with certainty.

    • @annabelle7626
      @annabelle7626 Před 4 lety +2

      @@daithiocinnsealach3173 I'm convinced that you have wilfully misunderstood the OP's comment.

    • @twoaddictive
      @twoaddictive Před 4 lety +4

      The sad thing is even with all evidence and testimonies there are people who will continue to be willfuly ignorant to the truth. Creation requires a creator. There is no way random chance and mutations can create everything from nothing. It's called the "impossibility of the contrary." Logically it makes sense.

    • @babhag5481
      @babhag5481 Před 4 lety

      twoaddictive you have no idea what logic means.
      Impossibility of the contrary argument is logical fallacy.
      I can prove it right here, but there is no way to explain mentally ill person anything.

    • @twoaddictive
      @twoaddictive Před 4 lety +2

      @@babhag5481 someone who tries to defend their position with insults is a sign of a truly weak mind. One not open to others position nor do they use logic themselves. Just infantile ranting because they have no clue to what they are trying to say. At least as a skeptic/atheist/agnostic admit you dont know how creation started. That would be at least a logical truth. Truth isnt subjective but absolute.

  • @GlenCarne
    @GlenCarne Před 4 lety +25

    There's a Temple of Mithras in London also.

    • @rebeccalankford2652
      @rebeccalankford2652 Před 3 lety

      London
      Rome
      Washington Dc

    • @nullarborjack
      @nullarborjack Před 3 lety +1

      Restored with millions provided by the Rothchild Institute and now used for private parties by the London Elite. Some say they have rituals there for Mithras.

    • @rebeccalankford2652
      @rebeccalankford2652 Před 3 lety

      @@nullarborjack Rome worshiped mithra

    • @micasache8229
      @micasache8229 Před 3 lety

      what did i say? Fear the unknown

    • @micasache8229
      @micasache8229 Před 3 lety

      @@nullarborjack this may be true. They cannot live without their rituals, do they?

  • @a.s2205
    @a.s2205 Před 2 lety +2

    Mithraism is much more than Rome. It may have died in Rome after Christianity, but the effects of it can be seen throughout the world like shabe yalda in Iran on December 21st-25th

  • @joegallegos9109
    @joegallegos9109 Před 2 lety +1

    I just read religions of the Hellenistic Roman age by Tripolitis and it was a great overview of the mystery cults, gnostics, and Christianity. Recommend.

  • @thesaurusakasickakatheomc7688

    This video really made me want to re-read "Maestros" by Steve Skroce. And now I'm going to spend the rest of the night thinking about how flabbergasted I was when I heard it got cancelled, and trying to figure out how I can get Image to re-launch it.

  • @shomariwilliams5971
    @shomariwilliams5971 Před 7 lety +84

    Please do a video about the book of Enoch.

    • @shomariwilliams5971
      @shomariwilliams5971 Před 7 lety +9

      Thank you for the work you are doing. I especially appreciate your unbiased and well researched presentations. Each video I have watched feels like food for thought and has broadened my perspectives on the topics.

    • @ReligionForBreakfast
      @ReligionForBreakfast  Před 7 lety +33

      Glad to hear it. I try my best to be unbiased in my research. The Book of Enoch is definitely on my priority list.

    • @HeinzArsch
      @HeinzArsch Před 6 lety +1

      +ReligionForBreakfast Awesome video.

  • @lankyGigantic
    @lankyGigantic Před 2 lety +3

    Imagine a parallel universe where Christianity died out and Mithras became the global religion

  • @ewqdsacxz765
    @ewqdsacxz765 Před 3 lety +5

    Judging by the thumbnail, those Greeks really knew how to draw the most gorgeous anime eyes.

  • @jesusmark3872
    @jesusmark3872 Před 5 lety +4

    I must say. Your channel has impressed me. Good man and good info.

  • @danguillou713
    @danguillou713 Před 3 lety +20

    Hi, newcomer to the channel. Neat video!
    ”Mystery cult” seems like a contemporary misunderstanding based solely on the secrecy. As far as I understand it other mystery religions shared some kind of claims to transformation and rebirth on a personal and existential level. And we have no evidence that the Mithras worshippers had anything like that.
    Is it possible that they were more like a guys club with ranks and initiations; should we perhaps think more in terms of freemasons or hellsangels?

  • @astridaranda2109
    @astridaranda2109 Před 3 lety

    Great video😃😸 thanks for sharing!!!

  • @leafcurtis2532
    @leafcurtis2532 Před 3 lety +1

    Thank you for providing the bibliography, this will be really useful for my comparative essay on Christianity and the cult of Mithras in the Roman Empire

  • @elfarlaur
    @elfarlaur Před 6 lety +6

    I visited a couple of Mithraea when I was in central Italy last summer. They were really cool.

  • @jbelme1
    @jbelme1 Před 4 lety +4

    I share a birthday with my grandmother and one great-great grandmother. My daughter shares a birthday with her grandmother. We aren’t the same person. It’s just a really cool coincidence.

  • @v.ra.
    @v.ra. Před rokem

    Greeting from sunny Sofia. Adore your content!