ISIS WORSHIP
The ancient Egyptian Goddess Isis was worshipped in many places far beyond Egypt.
Over a period of some three and half thousand years she was honoured across three continents and eventually became one of the most popular and significant religions of antiquity. Many aspects of this religion were adapted by the early Christian church and incorporated into the worship of the Virgin Mary.
Isis constitutes a significant part of the world’s cultural heritage and in particular of Western Europe.
For many people the above statement will come as a shock.
Many people whose descendants are of European origin will be surprised to hear that an Egyptian goddess forms part of their cultural history and inheritance. Many will struggle (as I did) to reconcile what are traditionally presented as two very different and distinct cultures; namely European culture and the culture of the Middle East.
A closer look at this matter however, will reveal the many cultural and spiritual traditions which linked these cultures in ancient times and have helped to establish an on-going influence between the two. Today the largest and most enduring religious influences in the Western hemisphere still originate from Middle Eastern sources. Christianity, Islam and Judaism each have their origin in the Middle East and attract a world-wide following.
This pan national tradition was established during classical Greek and Roman times and involved the worship of deities such as Mithras, Serapis and Isis. Isis, in particular, found widespread favour throughout the Roman Empire and was the last significant pagan deity to be worship in mainland Europe (Adams).
The Temple of Isis at Philae on the upper Nile was still operational in the 6th century CE and as late as 756 C.E. Christian clerics were complaining to the Pope about pilgrims ascending the slopes of Mount Anzin in Northern France to honour the great goddess.
‘…the cult of Isis continued when the other gods and goddesses of antiquity had been forgotten. Pilgrams from Greece and the Roman Empire came to worship her, heaping her shrine at Philae with offerings as late as the fifth century A.D. Owing to her, Philae was the last stronghold of paganism.’
‘The contribution to Christian thought and practice was considerable. It was natural for Christians to see parallels with the New Testament in the personality of Horus, and thence to identify Mary with Isis. The elevation of Mary to a quasi-divine rank was therefore a natural step. It was also natural for Christianity to adopt almost unconsciously the practical methods of the popular religion of the time. Christian priests and monks took to head-shaving and wearing the characteristic garments of the Egyptian priests because these seemed to simple distinguishing marks.’
William Macquitty
Island of Isis
The traditional assumption that the arrival of Christianity marked the complete extinction of pagan worship is currently being challenged. Part of this challenge includes the question of how significant deities like Isis are to the cultural history of the West and what influence they had on the Christian Church.
As our understanding of early European culture expands the relevance and significance of Middle and Far Eastern culture (particularly Egyptian culture) is becoming increasingly apparent.
Following are some examples of this cultural, religious and technological exchange which link the traditions of Europe to the ancient Kingdoms of the East:
1 In Ancient Egypt the Pharaoh was seen as the son of god (Amun-Ra). He was both an earthly king and a living god who represented his father on earth. Upon the occasion of his physical death, he was resurrected in imitation of Osiris and was raised up to live for all eternity with the Gods.
Part of this raising up involved the Pharaoh being symbolically transported to heaven by a ferryman (Maa-ha-f – he who sees what is behind him) who stood at the stern of a boat and faced backwards. This ferryman rarely spoke and had to be induced by various means to carry the deceased across a body of water that separated them from their final place of rest.
Likewise, in the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh the ferryman Ur-Shanabi helped transport the dead to the underworld. In both cases these stories pre-date the much later Greek tale of Charon crossing the river Styx.
2 During Greek and Roman times the worship of Goddesses was common. The Egyptian Goddess Isis, for example, was known commonly as Isis Myrionymos (Isis of a myriad names). She was also known as Theotokos (mother of God) Magna Mater (great mother) Pelagia (of the ocean) and Stella Maris (star of the sea). These titles and much of the iconography that accompanied them were later transferred by the early Catholic Church to characterise the Virgin Mary.
A clear example of this cultural transfer is the statues and figurines which show Isis with the infant Horus sitting on her knees. This was later echoed by the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus theme which served as inspiration for many European works of art.
Isis was also a healer of the sick:
‘Several people who were sent away by the physicians as incurable have been restored to health by her (Isis); and the lame have been made to walk and the blind to see by her powerful help. They say that she discovered a medicine which would raise the dead to life…’
E. A. Wallis Budge
Osiris & the Egyptian Resurrection Vol. 1
3 The entrance to the Egyptian heaven was symbolised by a gateway with double doors and was guarded over by a gatekeeper whom the deceased must petition. This echoes the Christian view of St. Peter holding a set of keys to the gates to heaven.
In the Egyptian tradition the keys which opened the gates of heaven came in the form of words which the deceased was required to speak in a particular order. This tradition of speaking words to gain entry to something was later echoed in the Near Eastern tale of Ali Baba.
The entrance to the Egyptian heaven was also portrayed as a radiant beam of light that provided a stairway by which the deceased might ascend to the sky. This metaphor was later echoed by Greek and Christian writers in their descriptions of heaven.
4 The male phallus (symbolising the lost body part of Osiris) was commonly used in both Egyptian and Greco-Roman cemeteries to symbolise the notion of resurrection or rebirth.
5 Contained within the Pyramid Texts are hymns written in couplets a style that parallels the much later Hebrew psalms. The Hebrew language, as it was originally written, resembled the Egyptian language insofar as it contained only the consonants. Both Hebrew and Ancient Egyptian belong to the same family of Afro-Asiatic languages. Many Biblical stories parallel earlier Egyptian writings.
In the Westcar Papyrus (for example) is the story of a magician named Tchatchaemankh who during the reign of Seneferu I parted the waters of a lake so as to retrieve a piece of jewellery accidentally dropped by a member of the Pharaoh’s court.
The Hebrew language was also influenced by the culture of Babylon. The Kol Nidre, a Jewish chant recited on the eve of the Day of Atonement has parallels with the Mesoptamian New Year ceremony. Indeed the influence of Babylonian culture upon the Jewish nation was both profound and lasting.
6 The Mesopotamians saw themselves as ‘the chosen people’. Following their captivity in Babylon, the religious outlook of the Jews was similarly writhe with apocalyptic visions and mystic visionaries. Entire stories and myths were adapted into the Jewish religion. Most prominent among these myths is the story of the flood which appeared earlier in the Tales of Gilgamesh.
7 During their long captivity in Egypt of approximately four centuries (circa 1600’s – 1200’s BCE) the Hebrew peoples were directly exposed to a larger, older and more dominant culture. The likelihood of the Hebrews having remained unaffected by this event and to have experienced no cultural exchange is, I believe, unthinkable. Indeed, there are a number of references in the Bible which indicate there was a cultural exchange between the two peoples.
‘…Strabo says that there were many places both in the Delta and beyond it in which a scared bull or cow was kept.’
E.A. Wallis Budge
Osiris & the Egyptian Resurrection Vol. 1
The Ten Commandments handed down to Moses by God himself included specific prohibitions against idol worship. Everywhere in Egypt various people, gods and goddesses were represented in the form of idols. These prohibitions were (presumably) motivated by a desire to break with certain practices of the past, or to prevent the resurgence of outside cultural influences.
8 Osiris who was the son of the Sun-god (Ra) was the victim of a traitor (Seth). Osiris died on earth and was later resurrected to be reunited with his father for all eternity. Those who believed in Osiris were promised the same deliverance in the afterlife. The genre of a hero/deity who was betrayed and later reborn was common throughout the ancient world.
9 The utterance of divine thought in the form of words (Pyramid Texts) is the likely basis of the later Alexandrian doctrine of logos. The Sun-god Re, for example, was able to bring things into existence simply by naming them aloud. This echoes the account in Genesis where God speaks a command like: ‘Let there be light’ and accordingly there is light!
10 In the Egyptian pantheon Horus (representing good) originally rules over Egypt side by side with Seth (representing evil); who is ultimately displaced. Horus meanwhile receives all of Egypt as a reward, while Seth falls from favour. Seth is often portrayed with a forked tail and is identified with the colour red.
In the Christian tradition this story is parallelled by Lucifer. Lucifer was originally an angel in the employ of heaven, but who later fell from favour and came to represent the forces of darkness. Traditional Christian portrayals of the devil have included the colour red and a forked tail!
11 Popular stories told of the Goddess Isis and how she raised the infant Horus by herself while concealing him amongst the reeds and marshes of the Nile delta. The tactic of concealing a new-born child amongst the reed beds of the Nile was also practiced by her sister Nephthys. This was a well established narrative in Egypt many centuries before the Hebrew tale of Moses.
12 The Pharaoh’s birth, like that of Osiris, is often referred to as an ‘unblemished’ birth. Virgin births were a common theme throughout pre-Christian times. Following are just some of the better known deities, holy figures and heroes who were said to have come from the union of a virgin mother and a divine father:
13 The state religion of the late Roman Empire (Deus Sol Invictus) involved the worship of the Persian Sun-god (Mithras) in the form of Sol. Mithras was born of a virgin (Anahita) in humble circumstances (usually a cave or rock grotto) on the 25th December. During his life on earth, Mithras was tormented and eventually killed by his enemies, whereupon he was resurrected three days later.
The Catholic Eucharist shares much in common with a similar rite that was observed in honour of Mithras in which bread and wine (representing the body and blood of Mithras) were consumed by initiates. Mithras was also referred to variously as ‘the way’, ‘the truth’, ‘the light’, ‘the word’, ‘the good shepherd’ and ‘son of God’. He was also depicted carrying a lamb across his shoulders, which was one of the many motifs associated with his worship.
14 As the chief priest or bishop of Sol Invictus, the Roman Caesar bore the title of pontifex maximus (most great bridge-maker). This title is still carried by today’s Pope who is commonly referred to as pontiff.
15 The labarum or Chi-Rho was an ancient Chaldean solar emblem later used in connection to Mithras as the Sun God. Later the Greeks adopted the symbol as a literary device to mark a particular passage in a story. The emblem corresponded to the first two letters in the Greek word Khrestos, meaning auspicious or good thing. Later again, the first two letters of the Greek word Khristos (Christ) were also adopted by early Christians as the Chi-Rho, symbolising Jesus in his sun aspect.
16 Many cultural practices and religious symbols were shared between Egypt and the early Greeks. For instance a sheath of corn was an emblem used by both Isis and the god Serapis in Egypt and of the Goddess Demeter in Greece. Architectural similarities also existed between the Egyptian temple at Dier el Bahri and later Greek temples. The Ionian capitals of Greek pillars (for example) were inspired by the lotus decorations on Egyptian pillars.
17 Both the Sun-god and the ruling pharaoh were often referred to in surviving texts as a herdsman or ‘Good Shepard’ for their people. This concept of a leader being a Shepard who guides and protects the community was a common motif throughout the ancient Middle East. As well as representing Jesus, the lamb was also used to symbolise Mithras.
18 During the first intermediate period in Egypt there was a popular hope or vision of an ‘ideal’ ruler (Messiah) who would deliver the country out of the hands of foreign invaders. The notion of a messiah shares much in common with the Egyptian practice of kingship. The pharaoh was simultaneously a political / spiritual leader. He was both the secular head of state and the living son of Amon-Ra.
19 The Egyptians saw the Sun-god as having moral sovereignty over the ruling king in the same way as the Hebrews acknowledged the sovereignty of Jehovah over the King of Israel.
20 The resurrection of Osiris was celebrated each year in various places along the Nile by the staging of a passion play. The first act of this passion play involved the mortuary god Wepwawet (‘Opener of the Ways’) scattering the enemies of Osiris and opening the way for him. This tradition of a prophesised coming became a popular device in many of the spiritual traditions of the ancient Middle East. In certain respects it can be seen reflected in the character of John the Baptist; who preaches about making ‘straight paths’ for the coming of Christ.
‘It is on this lake that the Egyptians act by night in what they call their Mysteries the Passion of that being whose name I will not speak. All the details of these performances are known to me, but – I will say no more. Similarly I propose to hold my tongue about the mysterious rites of Demeter (Isis), which the Greeks call Thesmophoria…’
Herodotus of Halicarnassus
The Histories, Book II
21 Writing about his travels in Egypt, the Greek historian Herodotus tells how these rites in honour of Osiris were the same as those in honour of Dionysus and Demeter. The same rites into which Herodotus himself had been initiated back at Eleusis in Greece! Herodotus makes a point of mentioning that the Egyptian ritual was clearly the original, as it was by far the oldest.
Following are some quotes by Herodotus from the second book of his Histories:
‘In other ways the Egyptian method of celebrating the festival of Dionysus is much the same as the Greek, except that the Egyptians have no choric dance.’
‘…. from Melampus the Greeks learned the rites which they now perform. Melampus, in my view, was an able man who acquired the art of divination and brought into Greece, with little change, a number of things which he had learned in Egypt, and amongst them the worship of Dionysus. I will never admit that the similar ceremonies performed in Greece and Egypt are the result of mere coincidence – had that been so, Greek rites would have been more Greek in character and less recent in origin.’
‘The names of nearly all the Gods came to Greece from Egypt. I know from the inquiries I have made that they came from abroad, and it seems most likely that it was from Egypt.’
‘These practices, then, and others which I will speak of later, were borrowed by the Greeks from Egypt.’
‘Another form of divination – by the inspection of sacrificial victims – also came from Egypt. It was the Egyptians too who originated, and taught the Greeks to use ceremonial meetings, processions, and processional offerings: a fact which can be inferred from the obvious antiquity of such ceremonies in Egypt, compared with Greece, where they have been only recently introduced.’
‘There is another point in which the Egyptians resemble one section of the Greek people – the Lacedaemonians: ….. This custom agrees with the rites known as Orphic and Bacchic (actually Egyptian and Pythagorean); for anyone initiated into these rites is similarly disbarred from burial in a garment of wool. They have a sacred story which explains the reason for this.’
‘The Egyptians say that Demeter and Dionysus are the chief powers in the underworld; and they were also the first people to put forward the doctrine of the immorality of the soul, and to maintain that after death it enters another creature at the moment of that creature’s birth. It then makes the round of all living things – animals, birds, and fish – until it finally passes once again, at birth, into the body of a man. The whole period of transformation occupies three thousand years. This theory has been adopted by certain Greek writers, some earlier, some later, who have put it forward as their own. Their names are known to me, but I refrain from mentioning them.’
Herodotus of Halicarnassus
The Histories, Book II
These direct observations are supported by some of the symbols and motifs representing both deities. For instance, Osiris like Dionysus, was associated with the plant ivy. The ceremonial staff or thyrsus belonging to Dionysus was entwined with ivy. Likewise, he was often portrayed with horns in imitation of the Apis Bull of Memphis, an incarnation of Osiris.
The Thracian Dionysus was closely associated with the deity of Zagreus (meaning torn in pieces). Dionysus was variously referred to as cow-born, bull, bull-shaped, bull-faced, bull-browed, bull-horned, horn-bearing, two-horned, or horned. These references bear a striking similarity to Osiris who was torn to pieces and later represented as the bull Apis.
Likewise, Orpheus the mythical poet was reported as being torn to pieces by Thracian Maenads and his body parts buried in various locations. His head was said to have washed out to sea where it was found on the island of Lesbos and buried at Methymma. Methymma later became the cult centre of the Orphici, an eastern-inspired religious group who emphasised the purification of the soul.
This Greek-based tradition closely mirrors that of Osiris whose head was buried at Abydos, which subsequently became a major site for religious pilgrimage throughout the ancient Middle East.
22 The Greek God Dionysus was sometimes portrayed crucified on a cross or anchor with seven stars (planets) above his head. The symbol of a crucified figure was not uncommon during Greco-Roman times. Such images represented the lower (animal) side of human nature (donkey, ass) that an initiate of the Eleusian Mysteries would be required to symbolically put to death.
The worship of Dionysus was finally outlawed by the early Christian Church and his cult centre at Eleusis destroyed. By this time the Dionysian mysteries had been an established part of the Greco-Roman pantheon for more than 1000 years. The outlawing of such a well established institution was not achieved without considerable time and effort.
The ultimate success of this religious reform was due in no small part to the recycling of pre-Christian iconography. Many Dionysian motifs were effectively re-adapted to Christian purposes. A good example of this cultural exchange is the monogram IHS.
IHS (in hoc signo / in this sign - shalt thou conquer), was originally used in reference to Dionysus. It has variously been suggested as in hoc igno / in hoc salus / and Iacchos - the ritual cry by which Dionysus was addressed. The early Christian church later used the term in reference to the cross of Jesus. Thus, In hoc salus - in this sign (cross) is salvation.
23 During the Late Period in particular, the Egyptians envisaged the Sun-god (Anun-Ra) as a single, Supreme Being whose various aspects were symbolised by the other gods and goddesses. This practise was strongly influenced by Amenhotep IV having raised the worship of the Aten to that of a single, Supreme Being.
During the reign of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) a solar city was established not only at Amarna in Egypt; but centres of worship were also established in both Nubia (south) and Syria (north). From these centres the worship of the Aton and the concept of a single supreme being was promulgated throughout the surrounding regions.
The concept of a single supreme being was well established long before the period described in the book of Exodus and the Hebrew peoples eventual return to the Promised Land.
24 The so-called negative confession in the Egyptian Book of the Dead served the purpose of absolving the deceased of all sin and allowing them to enter into the afterlife. The confessional later became a standard feature of Catholicism.
25 The beginning of existence was envisaged by the Egyptians as a primordial water (ie. the face of the deep) called Nun out of which arose the first mound of earth. This notion is mirrored by the ‘face of the deep’ reference in the Book of Genesis.
26 In the Egyptian Tale of the Two Brothers, a group of goddesses known as the Seven Hathors had the power to foretell the fate of a new-born child, or to bestow a gift. This mirrors the Greek tradition of moirai or Fates, who had similar faculties.
Likewise the Egyptian tradition of incestuous relations between various deities is mirrored (amongst others) by the story of Myrrha who bore Adonis to her own father Cinyras.
27 In many of the Egyptian creation myths the first man was said to have been modelled from earthen material on a potter’s wheel. This anticipates the Christian view of Adam having been formed of the dust of the earth.
‘The spirits who reaped this grain are said to have been nine cubits, i.e., over thirteen feet, in height, a statement which seems to indicate that a belief in the existence of men of exceptional height in very ancient days was extant in Egypt traditionally’
E. A. Wallis Budge
The Egyptian Heaven and Hell
This quote from Wallis Budge anticipates the later biblical mention of ‘giants’ and very tall warriors such as Goliath.
28 The Benu bird of Egypt served as inspiration for the later Greek myth of the Phoenix symbolising rebirth or resurrection.
29 The Christian notion of treating others as you would wish to be treated yourself is reflected in the writings of the Egyptian Petosiris: As you act so shall you be treated.
This particular moral was widespread throughout the ancient world and is mirrored also by the teachings of Confucius:
The doctrine of our master consists in having invariable correctness of heart, and in doing towards others as we would that they should do to us.’ Panthier: ‘La Chime’.
30 The Christian triad of Father, Son and Holy Ghost parallels the Ancient Egyptian triad of Father (Amun), Mother (Mut), and son (Khonsu). Holy Trinities were a salient feature of Egypt’s spiritual tradition and existed in numerous locations along the Nile. Osiris, Isis and Horus are another well known example of this tradition.
31 During the festivals in honour of the god Amon, the stations of the god were places where the cult statue came to a temporary rest. These stations allowed the common people to make submissions and offerings to the god. This practice was later echoed in the Christian tradition of the Stations of the Cross.
32 The Hymn to the Aten associated with Akhenaton’s (Amenhotep IV) reign shares similarities with Psalms 104 in the Bible. The Egyptian story known as ‘The wisdom of Amenemopet’, likewise shares much in common with Proverbs 22:17 through 24:22.
33 The Egyptian practice of deifying key figures of the King’s court (ie. Imhotep, Amenhotep son of Hapu); is reflected in the Greek practice of worshipping heroes (ie. Hercules, Achilles). Greek Heroes were often accorded divine qualities, or were said to descend from divine origins. This long-standing tradition has been preserved also by the Christian practice of awarding sainthood to outstanding members of the church.
34 The art of glass making, manufacture of gems (cameos, seals, rings and carved reliefs) and production of coloured paints (particularly kyanos / blue silicate of copper) are just some of the technical advances imported into the Aegean from Egypt and the Near East.
Trading centres such as those at Aegina, Euboea, Corinth, Corcyra, Rhodes, Miletus and Athens enjoyed a vigorous trade with Egypt via direct sea routes and indirectly through trade with places like Sidon, Tyre, Byblos, Cyprus and Crete. This trade extended over many hundreds of years and bought with it some of the cultural and spiritual influences mentioned above. Phoenician trade in particular was well established long before the classical age and helped to export Eastern influences throughout the entire Mediterranean basin.
NOTE:
These parallels are not intended to discredit or criticise Western culture or the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Rather they aim to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to the wider ancient community. They aim to place in context some of those ideas, stories and symbols that have come down to us as part of the Western cultural tradition.
Many popular writers have attempted to discredit Christianity by questioning its validity and originality. The majority of these criticisms fail to recognise that all religious traditions have been influenced by the cultural landscape in which they evolved. All religious traditions have (to some extent) borrowed from, or combined with the spiritual symbols, stories and practices of other traditions.
This process has been on-going throughout history and was especially evident in ancient times:
Osiris as we know him, was a compound of many gods, and his cult represented a blending of numerous nature cults, many of them being very ancient. As his worship spread throughout Egypt in the Dynastic Period he absorbed many of the attributes of local ‘gods’ and ‘spirits,’ but so long as his priests gave to the peoples whose own local gods had been dispossessed by Osiris the essentials which their belief demanded, they were content.
E. A. Wallis Budge
Osiris & the Egyptian Resurrection Vol. 1
That the Hebrews and Greeks evolved distinct cultures and traditions of their own is not in question. That these ideas and cultural traditions have influenced and inspired the rise of Western civilization is undeniable.
Yet these facts should not lead us to assume the Hebrews and Greeks originated those ideas we choose to associate with them. Nor should it prevent us from acknowledging the broader picture of our own cultural heritage. A key part of this heritage owes much to the cultural influences of the ancient Middle East and Near East.
The Eurocentric tendencies of Western scholarship have helped in forming a cultural identity. This identity has been used to support a notion of European supremacy and to promote the spread of Western influence throughout the globe. In my opinion, such attitudes not only fail to tell the whole story of Western culture, but they effectively distort our understanding of history into the bargain.
Part of this distortion involves the creation of separate and distinct categories of knowledge. By organising our knowledge into separate boxes we often mask the connections which link one to another. The links between early European culture and the older, more developed cultures of the East have not been accorded their proper context in European History.
A fascination with all things Egyptian has been a salient feature of Western Culture for more than two and half millennia. Even to this day, Egyptian-inspired products are sold throughout the Western World. This same fascination does not extend to other examples of ancient culture. Babylonian, Hittite, Assyrian, Minoan and Chaldean cultures are not represented to the same extent nor in the same numbers as Egyptian.
Carl Jung recognised the influence of these Eastern forms on the collective sub-conscious of his patients. He concluded that certain symbolic devices and ideas had been a part of our cultural schema for so long, that they have effectively become embedded in our collective subconscious. This in part accounts for the persistent fascination throughout the West with all things Celtic and Egyptian.
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