Before Christ

[claymore]

If there were no Christians before the birth of Jesus Christ, what were the major religions of the time before his birth?.....Were there any?

[chrisrob]

There were many. Think of the Ancient Greeks. And of course, Judaism.

[Octavius]

Thousands, millions probably.

Mithraism is just another one.

[keyplus90]

All the prophets including Jesus (pbuh) gave the same message �total submission to the will of God�. Of course few people believed and followed them and their message but many started different religions. Even Christianity is never known in Bible (even word bible is not in the bible) nor Moses preached Judaism. It is just few people started believing and worshiping the messengers and gave religions name after them.

Otherwise I will not go as far as Adam (pbuh) but please someone let me know what was the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham) pbuh? As all three major religions are from his descendants.

[Clanad]

The primary sun god diety of the Euphrates about 2,000 B.C. which encompasses the time frame most likely to be when Abram received his call to leave Ur of the Chaldees, was Marduk... who encapsulates most of the characteristics of nature based pagan dieties.
Marduk seems to have been, as stated, a sun god, but more specifically he represented the re-birth at spring sun god.
In the Old Covenant book of Joshua (Josh. 24:2), Joshua states that before Abram and Sari were called from Ur, they served "other gods", implying they, too, were polytheistic...

[chakka35]

Christianity did not start with Jesus' birth, claymore.
Jesus (if he existed) and his disciples were Jews.

If we take the traditional dates for the period of Jesus' life, (which are doubtful) then Christianity didn't start until 20-25 years after his death, when Paul started writing his epistles in AD55.

With absolutely nothing before that, and no eyewitnesses, Paul was free to claim that Jesus was the son of God, who was crucified and rose from the dead, and that everyone who believes that will also have everlasting life. That was the start of it all.

The gospels came much later, written by we know not whom.

[Octavius]

I think it might be safe to assume that the OP could mean �before the birth of Christianity�.

Which would more or less provide the same answers.

[chakka35]

Of course he could, Octavius, but until he tells us otherwise we are entitled to assume that he means what he says.

[Octavius]

Perhaps, but I would say it is implied by the term �Before Christ� as is becoming more common, BCE.

I wouldn�t presume he OP is a he either, but you never know, half a chance.

[chakka35]

You are just quibbling, Octavius.

I thought it reasonable that in answering the questioner (I don't know what OP means) I should point out that Jesus himself belonged to a religion that existed before Christianity - for thousands of years, I might add.

[joggerjayne]

OP is Ocean Pacific.

They make tee shirts.

Did This Help?

[jno]

Christianity arose out of Judaism: Jewish tradition was that a Messiah would come and for Christians, this was Jesus. For Jews (and later Muslims), he was not, though I think all accept him as a prophet - just not the son of God.

The oldest religions were to do with the forces of nature - weather, death, fertility (of people and the land), things people couldn't understand or explain were attributed to supernatural beings. The earliest god was probably the earth mother, thought to be responsible for crops growing, on which human life depended. She was gradually surrounded by other gods, as in Greece and Rome, particularly male ones (you can see organised religion, run by males, taking over here) and her role diminished to that of lesser goddesses like Diana or Isis. Adoration of the Virgin Mary is probably a distant descendant of worship of the Goddess.

[Lil O'lady]

Building on Jno's post, the people living in the Levant at the time of Joshua Ben-Joseph's birth followed a number of religions. Judaism was one - the worship of Baal and Astarte was also widespread. The Baal cult comprised a triad / family - 'The Lord' or 'father' Baal, the good son (also confusingly called Baal), and mother Astarte. This tradition must surely have made some kind of transition into what became Christianity.

[Octavius]

Of course, it occurred � as everyone knows � on 25 December 0

OP, is original poster.

[chakka35]

Octavius, what does 25 December 0 mean?

[keyplus90]

jno
Wed 12/11/08
14:37 Christianity arose out of Judaism: Jewish tradition was that a Messiah would come and for Christians, this was Jesus. For Jews (and later Muslims), he was not, though I think all accept him as a prophet - just not the son of God.


I always thought that Messiah really means the one who was born miraculously and then performed many miracles like giving life to dead, sight to blind etc. Muslims do believe in all these things about Jesus (pbuh). Yes Muslims do not accept Jesus (pbuh) as son of God.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, if you believe Jesus was conceived miraculously, but wasn't the Son of God, who was responsible for impregnating Mary?

Additionally, I take it you don't believe he was the Messiah, but from what you've said, he seems to meet all the criteria, so why not?

[keyplus90]

So first of all I better make this clear because I do not want to say anything without having a full knowledge. As I said there that Muslims (and I believe Jews as well) believe about all those things that I said earlier apart from being Son of God. Or does Messiah means Son of God?

Who impregnated Mary? Who created Adam? Where did Eve come from?

God says there is nothing impossible for him. He is capable of doing anything. Human will not understand and be astonished and that is the difference between God and human.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, so Mary becomes pregnant, God is responsible, but he isn't the father of the child - and we mustn't question the logistics of that?

Messiah doesn't mean 'Son of God'. So do you believe he was the long-awaited Messiah?

By the way, I don't think Jews believe there was anything special about Jesus at all. To them, he was an ordinary man, born to ordinary parents.

[keyplus90]

Yes. God is able to do anything. You question if you want to, answer has already been given. God is able to create from nothing. And again it was a test for the followers of Jesus (pbuh) because Jesus never said he was Son of God. As I said if Jesus (pbuh) is Son of God then so is Adam because he was born without mother or Father.

Jesus (pbuh) is Messiah. But not long �awaited then. He now is and will come back. So we may say that he is long awaited now.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, ah, that mysterious test has reared its ugly head again - and you still haven't told us what it's for, or what purpose it serves.

According to the bible, Adam wasn't 'born' at all - he was formed of the dust of the ground, and therefore cannot be compared to Jesus, who was born in the usual way - of a woman.

If you read the bible, you'll find that the Messiah was long-awaited - even then - and the Jews are still waiting.