Where Did Jesus Die? — Page 111
Chapter Nine—Paganism and Paul 111 name meaning simply ‘the Lord’. The place at Bethlehem selected by the early Christians as the scene of the birth of Jesus (for want of any knowledge as to where the event had really occurred) was none other than an early shrine of this pagan god, as St. Jerome was horrified to discover, a fact which shows that Tammuz or Adonis ultimately became confused in men’s minds with Jesus Christ. This god was believed to have suffered a cruel death, to have descended to Hell or Hades, to have risen again, and to have ascended into heaven: and at his festival, as held in various lands, his death was bewailed, an effigy of his dead body was prepared for burial by being washed with water and anointed, and on the next day, his resurrection was commemorated with great rejoicings, the very words, ‘The Lord is risen’ probably being used. The celebration of his ascension in the sight of his worshippers was the final act of the festival. 1 There is one feature of the gospel story which seems really to have been borrowed from the Adonis religion, and in fact from other pagan religions also, namely, the descent to Hell. 2 4. Another religion which had its influence on Christianity was the worship of the Spartan god or divine hero, Hyacinth, who 1. Weigall, Paganism in our Christianity, p. 110–111, Hutchinson & Co. Ltd. , London. 2. do. p. 113