The Biblical Magi, or “Three Wise Men,” were Zoroastrian priests. Their presence, along with numerous references to Satan, suggests a Zoroastrian influence within the New Testament. Christianity, an independent Jewish sect, is based on an Old Testament that is not dualistic and shows little concern for an evil demigod. However, the New Testament is replete with references to Satan, which bear a striking resemblance to the Zoroastrian adversary of Ahura Mazda, Angra Mainyu (meaning ‘destructive spirit’). For Zoroastrians, Angra Mainyu is the source of death and all evil in the world. The Persians, who were Zoroastrians, were also the people of Cyrus the Great, who rebuilt the Jewish temple and returned the Jews to Israel from Babylonian captivity in 539 BC.
It is hard to believe that the Apostles, who wrote in Greek, or especially Paul, who hailed from the Greek/Persian city of Tarsus where Mithraism was practiced, would have been unaware of these striking similarities to the Zoroastrian faith and its secretive sect, the Cult of Mithra.
Tarsus was located in the Roman province of Cilicia. Plutarch, a Greek historian who lived from 46 to 120 AD, noted that the Cilician pirates in 68 BC worshiped Mithras. However, it is unclear whether this refers to the Persian god Mithras or a local deity. There is no archaeological evidence to support the claim that Mithraism originated in Tarsus, but it was known to be prevalent there. Some scholars believe that Mithraism originated in Persia and spread to the Roman Empire through trade routes, while others think it originated in the Roman Empire and spread to Persia.
In any case, St. Paul, of all people, must have recognized the similarities between the Christian apocalyptic logos and the Zoroastrian end times, viewing Satan as Angra Mainyu and God as Ahura Mazda.
Mithraism is known as one of the most secretive and least understood religions. Given that secrecy is a powerful tool for those seeking to maintain control, it is worth examining this cult closely.
Before the first century, it was believed that the stars were fixed in the sky within 12 constellations that moved with the seasons. Only seven celestial objects were known to move independently of the heavens: five planets, the moon, and the sun. These were considered gods by many, such as Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. In contrast, the fixed stars were seen as souls that motivated the material world, inhabited each person, and gave life. Upon death, it was believed that one’s soul would return to the heavens.
Around 150 BC, in Nicaea—the same village that would later host the Council of Nicaea and give rise to the Catholic Church—Hipparchus, a Greek astronomer and mathematician, made a groundbreaking discovery: the stars were not fixed but moved in what we now call the precession of the equinoxes. In a world where the study of the heavens was the primary science, this revelation was transformative.
I believe that the Cult of Mithra emerged as a secret religion from Hipparchus’s observations, blending elements of the Roman cult of Sol Invictus and Zoroastrianism.
This new understanding not only birthed a new religion but also a new calendar spanning approximately 26,000 years, repeating on a significant anniversary. For first-century Rome, this might have been the deification of Augustus or, as commonly believed, the birth of Christ.
This calendar is divided into 12 zodiacal parts, each lasting 2,166 years, marking the complete precession of the stars. As of 2024, it is understandable why some Rabbis and Priests claim that Revelation is imminent, as we approach the end of a 2,166-year epoch.
Mithra serves as the mediator between good and evil, embodying the conflict between the Zoroastrian God Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu. Mithra is also the deity who governs the precession of the equinoxes and the astrological destiny of humanity. It is likely that the influence of the Cult of Mithra brought us the three wise men, or Zoroastrian Magi, who astrologically foretold the birth of Christ. Additionally, the apocalyptic themes in the New Testament may have originated from this cult.
For Greek Platonists, the Roman cult of Sol Invictus, and Persian Zoroastrians, the secretive Cult of Mithra, combined with this new interpretation of the heavens, would have been highly appealing. The Roman Cult of Mithra, operating in secrecy, could easily have laid the groundwork for Christianity.
There are several instances where Mithraic temples were repurposed or converted into Christian churches. One of the most notable examples is the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome, Italy. The current church sits atop an earlier 4th-century basilica, which was built over a Mithraic temple dating back to the 2nd century. Archaeological excavations beneath the basilica have revealed the remains of the Mithraic temple, providing evidence of the site’s earlier use.
Other examples include the Church of Santa Prisca in Rome and the Church of Santa Maria Capua Vetere in Italy. In these cases, the presence of Mithraic artifacts or inscriptions near the churches suggests a connection to the earlier Mithraic cult.
Overall, while it is challenging to provide an exact number, it is evident that Mithraic temples were sometimes repurposed or incorporated into Christian churches during the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
If you’re interested in exploring a fascinating theory, consider the idea that the cult of Mithra still exists today and forms the basis of all modern secret societies, including the Catholic Church. This cult is believed to interpret the precession of the heavens as astrological markers for predicting the apocalypse and finds signals in astrology before significant events. Nancy Reagan was not alone in seeking astrological advice; astrology remains an important and widespread mystical belief.
By 325 AD, Christianity had splintered into various beliefs, each influenced by different aspects of Jewish, Gnostic, and Platonic concepts. Despite these differences, they all shared a core belief in Christ as a savior, with a Logos expected to transform humanity, which ultimately did not happen.
In my view, power is best maintained in secrecy and through religious eschatology. Machiavelli, in The Prince, describes religion as a tool for rulers to convince the masses of their goodness:
“They are sustained by the ancient institutions of religion, which are so powerful and of such a quality that they keep their princes in power no matter how they act and live their lives.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
Among all the first-century religions, Mithraism is the most Roman and the exact cult I would expect the Roman Emperor Constantine to have been initiated into. Its similarities to Catholicism and its focus on power make it plausible that this religion and the society behind it gave rise to the Catholic Church through the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
It is quite plausible that the Apostle Paul, being a loyal Roman, was also an initiate of the Cult of Mithra, and that the communities he wrote to were part of this same cult. He may have promoted Christianity to support the new Flavian Caesars, Vespasian (69–79 AD) and his sons Titus (79–81 AD), and to make both Jews and Gentiles more compliant within the newly conquered territories.
The Jews have no specific word for religion. The Hebrew term for religion, “yahadut,” meaning “Judaism,” first appeared in the Middle Ages. The word ‘religion’ itself comes from the Latin “religare,” meaning “to re-tie, re-bind,” or “unite.” The primary function of a religion is to unify people under a ruler, as the Kingdom of David and Solomon was unified under Judaism. Later, the Persians under Ezra reintroduced Judaism to Israel to unify the faith for Persian rulers. It is reasonable to consider that the Christ story was created or later managed and promoted for political reasons, to serve Roman Caesars, as was clearly the case with the Neo-Flavian Emperor Constantine, who convened the Council of Nicaea in the 4th century and coined the term “In hoc signo vinces.”
From a political perspective, religion is a proven method for ruling a state. The Christian gospel has striking similarities to many pre-existing belief systems of the time. There are common motifs with Krishna, the Avatars of Vishnu, the Greek Platonic Trinity, the Persian deity Mithra, and the Egyptian god Horus, among others. For Christianity to effectively unify people under a common belief, it would need to incorporate symbolic elements from the existing beliefs of the region it aimed to rule.
In the first century, under Augustus, the Romans had conquered the Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks. Christianity emerged as a fusion of various religious beliefs, incorporating elements from Egyptian, Zoroastrian, Gnostic, Jewish, and Platonic traditions. Understanding Christianity from both a religious and political perspective can provide a more honest foundation for our faith. Honesty should be our guiding principle, and we should adopt the motto, “the truth will set us free.”