And Some Of These Traditions Are The Reason Why Eggs And Bunnies Are Such A Big Part Of This Holiday. Secondly, what evidence do we have that might explain why his early followers so firmly believed in his resurrection from the dead? It’s no coincidence that Jerusalem would be built on the site where Isaac was nearly sacrificed. Why did the Christians not do so? Specifically regarding Ēostre, Grimm continues that: According to some scholars, such as Dr. Tony Nugent, teacher of Theology and Religious Studies at Seattle University, and Presbyterian minister, the Easter story comes from the Sumerian legend of Damuzi (Tammuz) and his wife Inanna (Ishtar), an epic myth called “The Descent of Inanna” found inscribed on cuneiform clay tablets dating back to 2100 BC. How Was There Peace on Earth at Jesus’ Birth? It is a plea for caution and restraint in claiming that the Jesus narrative was just another riff on the Ishtar story. What Does it Mean to ‘Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord’? But there are foreshadows of the crucifixion from Genesis to Malachi; in Sarai’s barren womb brought to life; in desert springs (Isaiah 43:19), Ezekiel’s dry bones; and the Passover. “Jesus died once and for all” according to the teachings of the New Testament. Get your FREE Easter Guide here. The theory holds that Easter was a pagan festival that Christians “baptized.” This false narrative rests on the use of the word “Easter” itself to designate the Solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection. The early followers of Jesus clearly believed that their leader had risen in actual fact. Does God Hold Us in the Palm of His Hand? The hare and egg are symbols “associated with Eostre, representing the beginning of Springtime. “Dionysus was a divine child, resurrected by his grandmother. Do You Have to Believe in God to Go to Heaven? Instead, the life of Jesus ended with him being stripped naked and brutalized by the most painful methods known to the Roman soldiers. Unfortunately, the public tends to remain ignorant of the results of alternative scholarship. Baal was impotent. So, while these groups may have had some similarities to the emerging Christian movement, the differences were rather stark. All the fun things about Easter are pagan. Some argue that even the Christian version of Easter merely perpetuates an age-old, familiar theme of resurrection rather than honoring an actual person or event in history. One common myth about the Resurrection that even some Christians wrongly embrace, at least in part, concerns its celebration at Easter. Find out more about her here. Christians die to sin, share in Christ’s suffering, and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven as co-heirs with Christ. The story goes something… The entire Bible is God’s story of Jesus — not a fictional story, but the history of creation, fall, and redemption. Addressing skepticism towards goddesses mentioned by Bede, Grimm comments that "there is nothing improbable in them, nay the first of them is justified by clear traces in the vocabularies of Germanic tribes." Eostre “healed a wounded bird she found in the woods by changing it into a hare. In Germanic mythology, it is said that Ostara a.k.a. Any theory that Easter is named after Ishtar is pure speculation. The messiah was to be a figure of grandeur and power who overthrew the enemy. Events in Genesis are dated to before 4000 BC, and the offering of Isaac to around 2054 BC. The usual argument for the pagan origins of Easter is based on a comment made by the Venerable Bede (673-735), an English monk who wrote the … Historically Easter is not the first instance of a pagan ritual described by Bede that is now imbued with Christian meaning. The movement continued, grew, and conquered the Roman conquerors. The star of Easter—painted, dyed, gilded in silver and gold, blown empty and … Many of these stories are similar to the Christian account. They invented the idea that the messiah had to be crucified.”. Claims like these are at least as old as James Frazer’s The Golden Bough, published in 1890. So does controversy. Birdsong fills the air. That should have ended the messianic movement; Jesus should have been simply one among hundreds of others upstart Jewish leaders and would-be “Messiahs.” Only, it didn’t. These are all antichrist activities! Even a “Christ mythicist” (someone who believes that Jesus never existed) like Richard Carrier admits that he can only find two “resurrected” figures who bear an uncanny resemblance to the Jesus story. According to the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary: “The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honour sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. Whether it’s Ishtar, Osiris, or Attis, these claims are tantalizing but devoid of scholarly content–much like the sugar rush of the chocolate bunny, with its deficit of actual nourishment. [14] Unless something is done, all life on earth will end.”. Sensationalism (like sex) sells. The weary old theory that Christianity is just paganism warmed up always circulates around this time of year. But where did the Easter Bunny come from? Other gods associated with resurrection include Horus, Mithras, and Dionysus. The notion that the Easter Bunny is a pagan symbol developed in the 19th century. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2021, Christianity.com. You may not get any chocolate bunnies this Easter, but you’re bound to stumble across an article or meme suggesting that the story of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead is just a reincarnation of some pagan myth. Meanwhile, the myths of Sumeria and Egypt have retained all the power of a chocolate Easter bunny. Since this myth was discovered on tablets dating back to around 2500 BC, Tammuz and Ishtar might be the protagonists of the first pagan Easter story. The Pagan Origins of the Easter Bunny by Wackoid February 20, 2020 0 The Easter Bunny is an important mythical symbol for the Easter holiday, and the bunny is said to deliver Easter baskets full of candy or drop off Easter eggs for children to find. Glenn Scrivener wrote that “the Old Testament is extraordinarily Jesus-shaped.” He was “patterned,” “promised,” and “present” even before the Virgin Birth. Have encouragement delivered straight to your inbox! In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are painted red to symbolize the blood Jesus shed on the cross.” Easter traditions can be redeemed, and the fun of Easter is still permissible. In Greek myths, Ēṓs is described as living on the farthest shores of the Ocean; in the slavic perception Zoras/The Dawn , her home is in Boyan/Bujan (a mysterious island that appears and disappears with high tides), where the Sun also inhabits the breezy north, south and east winds. Once Grimm started the rumor, it began to spread, refined to suggest the Easter Bunny comes from the Saxon Goddess Eostre. Christ was the one and only sacrifice for all sin, for all time, for all who believe; not as part of a seasonal cycle. In his 1835 Deutsche Mythologie, Jacob Grimm cites comparative evidence to reconstruct a potential continental Germanic goddess whose name would have been preserved in the Old High German name of Easter, *Ostara. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) A bit more of an answer: Nope, and let’s stop the “Easter is pagan” madness. Gregory Soderberg serves as the Academic Dean at LAMP Seminary RDU and has 16 years of classroom experience teaching Theology, Literature, Church History, and Biblical Greek at classical Christian schools. “Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38). It concerned the origin of the Easter Bunny. You may have heard that Easter has some pagan roots. All rights reserved. Tweet your question to @biblemesh with the hashtag #BibleQA or email us. Often, these themes are regarded as part of recurring cycles, like the seasons. In contrast, “The death of the god described in the pagan cults is a mythical drama with no historical ties; its continued rehearsal celebrates the recurring death and rebirth of nature.”, “Unlike the mystery gods, Jesus died voluntarily.”, Lastly, according to the Biblical writers, “Jesus’ death was not a defeat but a triumph … The New Testament’s mood of exultation contrasts sharply with that of the mystery religions, whose followers wept and mourned for the terrible fate that overtook their gods.”. Does the Bible Say Anything About Sleep Habits? The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. While pagan gods were remote and impotent, the Christian God is omnipotent yet personal. For Christians, the egg is a symbol of the tomb [...] while cracking the egg represents Jesus' resurrection. We don’t have to explain or justify Easter eggs in order to doubt claims that Easter is really a pagan festival. “Easter” is tainted by residual pagan etymology. Some of the more popular “mystery religions” included the Eleusinian mysteries (centered around the stories of Demeter and Persephone), Mithraism, the devotees of Isis and Osiris, the Dionysian mysteries, and the cult of the “Great Mother”—Cybele, and her consort Attis. Although some claim it’s outside the realm of historical proof, many today still believe the impossible actually happened: a Savior of mankind rose from the dead, conquering the grave. Thus, were the cycles of winter death and spring life.” Since this myth was discovered on tablets dating back to around 2500 BC, Tammuz and Ishtar might be the protagonists of the first pagan Easter story. The eggs that this original Easter bunny laid have a history as old as the rabbit they came from. This idea was not part of the Greco-Roman thought world (who believed the body was generally a nasty encumbrance for the pure soul) or ancestral Judaism (which tended to teach that the “resurrection of the dead” would happen to all the righteous ones, at the end of history). It is also no coincidence that Christianity persists today with the number of believers rising daily, two millennia after Christ’s death and resurrection. Robby Gallaty, Senior Pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, connects the nine plagues in Egypt with Egypt’s gods: Khnum, River god (blood), Heket, frog goddess (frogs), Imhotep, healing god (boils), and so on. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. They were expecting a leader to liberate them from the Roman oppressors. ; Jacob Grimm claimed that he found evidence of her existence in the oral traditions of certain parts of Germany. April 10, 2020. Some elements, such as the three-day timeline and the hero going to Hell, are also scattered among the myths. The name “Easter” was derived from “Eostre,” “originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover.”. After the six months are up, Tammuz returns to the underworld of the dead, remaining there for another six months, and Ishtar pursues him, prompting the water god to rescue them both. The first century was filled with many “mystery religions” and many of them centered on stories where a god, or legendary figure, would die and then rise again. Jesus! Outside the city gates, Jesus was crucified. As a church historian, I only aim to brush aside the cobwebs of sensationalism and summarize some of the facts that many serious historians and theologians agree on. Eostre's first appearance in primary sources in when the Venerable Bede tells us that April is known as Eostremonath, named for a goddess that the Anglo-Saxons honored in the spring. This article is an attempt to separate historical fact from modern mythology. What is Pentecost Sunday? Bunnies are a leftover from the pagan festival of Eostre.” Hot cross buns are related to “Israelites baking sweet buns for an idol, and religious leaders trying to put a stop to it.” Eventually, “defiant cake-baking pagan women” were successful and a cross was added to the buns to Christianize them. Other stories involve the “god” dying every year, corresponding to changing seasons. Today we eat chocolate bunnies and hunt for colorful eggs. “Only Jesus died for sin …” The other “dying-gods” tend to die because of accidents or quarrels. The interpretation of the Samson narratives as a whole as an adaptation of a solar myth seems forced, but it still seems best to find in the name a memory of the sun god, Shemesh. Because they believed specifically that Jesus was the Messiah. The colourful myths of Eostre and her hare companion, who in some versions is a bird transformed into an egg-laying rabbit, aren't historically pagan. Bunnies are a leftover from the pagan festival of Eostre, a great northern goddess whose symbol was a rabbit or hare. Light conquering darkness; Barren winter giving way to spring birth. According to an ancient “Sumerian legend of Damuzi (Tammuz) and his wife Inanna (Ishtar), [...] Tammuz dies, Ishtar is grief–stricken and follows him to the underworld.” Here, “‘naked and bowed low’ she is judged, killed, and then hung on display. Before explaining it in-depth, here’s the meme debunking the myth: Flowers emerge. You may have heard of Asherah poles or Baal in the Bible. This would of course be a Lady of poor morals. Animals give birth to their young. Does Easter Have a Pagan Origin and Roots? Two questions deserve careful discussion this Easter season: is the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection influenced by the stories and legends of other “dying saviors”? Last Easter and the Easter before that, and for several more Easters, a story circulated both among neopagans and those they wished to educate. Your religion is a heaven without a sun, an arch without a keystone, a compass without a needle, a clock without spring or weights, a lamp without oil.”. One meme catching the attention of many social media users addresses common pagan myths about Easter. Yet, even when men and women worshipped false gods, the Lord had the last word. Still partially a bird, the hare showed its gratitude to the goddess by laying eggs as gifts.”, One writer draws “parallels between the story of Jesus and the epic of Inanna.” This “doesn't necessarily mean that there wasn't a real person, Jesus, who was crucified, but rather that, if there was, the story [...] is structured and embellished in accordance with a pattern that was very ancient and widespread.”, Other sacrificial heroes have included Attis, lover of Cybele, both of them gods, but Attis “was born of a virgin.” “Attis was Cybele’s lover, although some sources claim him to be her son.” Attis “fell in love with a mortal and chose to marry.”, In response to Cybele’s rage, Attis “fled to the nearby mountains where he gradually became insane, eventually committing suicide.” She regained her sanity, and “appealed to Zeus to never allow Attis’s corpse to decay.” Every year, “he would return to life during the yearly rebirth of vegetation; thus identifying Attis as an early dying-and-reviving god figure.”. Christ’s existence is historically verifiable, and His resurrection is backed by evidence. None of this denies that there aren’t some similarities between the “dying gods” and the Jesus narrative. But prior to Christianity, there were no Jews at all, of any kind whatsoever, who thought that there would be a future crucified messiah. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. However, they circulate routinely in new packaging. You may not get any chocolate bunnies this Easter, but you’re bound to stumble across an article or meme suggesting that the story of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead is just a reincarnation of some pagan myth. He rose for us, victorious over our sin, and He calls us to live eternally with Him in sinless paradise. https://www.mookychick.co.uk/.../hare-links-ostara-easter-witchcraft-myth.php And they knew full well that he was crucified. But you may not have heard that … Ask us! By using our website, you agree to our Cookie Policy. “All the fun things about Easter are pagan. Have a question about the Bible? MYTH: Easter is derived from false pagan goddess. Popular themes have included: 1. I do not propose to decisively solve any questions about faith or belief. There is zero evidence for the existence of Eostre and definitely nothing that connects this word to Ishtar in any historical text. Easter eggs potentially stem from a pagan myth surrounding the goddess Eostre, who revived a dying bird and turned it into the iconic egg-laying rabbit, who in turn gifted Eostre with colorful eggs (via Food Network Canada). Summary and Conclusion “Easter” is simply one of the names of a woman who mightily deceived the world and whose religion has caused untold suffering and misery. Obviously this is an effort to discredit a Christian holiday set aside to worship the Ressurection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A second question to ponder: What would have to happen for the first followers of Jesus to concoct the outrageous story that their beloved leader had risen bodily from the dead? The point was “God, Himself, was showing He reigns supreme over any false gods who try to usurp Him.” We can adjust this statement: false gods had no power to try anything; no power to act. The truth is that the forty days of Lent, eggs, rabbits, hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon. They enjoy the hope of eternal life. The Christians did not invent Jesus. This post originally was published on Intellectual Takeout and is reprinted with permission. While Easter, as we know it today, was never a pagan festival, its roots and many of its traditions have associations with ancient pagan customs and beliefs. Every spring, the world comes back to life. Mythology has bequeathed us with painted eggs and chocolate: short-term amusement, nothing as the joyous or lasting as a believer’s hope in Christ. A Hero Among Many Even though Ehrman is no believer in the divinity of Jesus, he admits that something changed the minds of Jesus’ followers: “Aspects of the Jesus story simply would not have been invented by anyone wanting to make up a new Savior. Christ died for us personally, willingly, and lovingly. The differences are also apparent when we compare the various “dying god” stories and the Christian story. He describes the “substitutionary pattern” beginning in Eden after the Fall where “the guilty [...] are robed by an alien righteousness — clothed in Christ.”. the story of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead is just a reincarnation of some pagan myth, tantalizing but devoid of scholarly content, undoubted influence of pre-Christian cultures on Easter, Dr. Ehrman concludes with a significant admission. Elijah declared to the Baal worshipers, Israel’s enemies, “the god who answers by fire — he is God” (1 Kings 18:24). A couple years ago a Letter to The Editor in our local paper claimed that Easter was derived or was based upon Astarte - a goddess of ancient Ninevah. The meme below corrects a myth saying Easter originated from the the pagan goddess Ishtar. Since the myth was discovered on tablets dating back to around 2500 BC, Tammuz and Ishtar might be the protagonists of the first pagan Easter story. The origins of Easter are wrapped up in a celebration of seasonal renewal that has taken place in numerous cultures for thousands of years around the time of the Spring Equinox. Such a claim would ring hollow to the first century Jews who followed Jesus. This Satanic myth is interwoven with the sun’s cycle of vernal equinox (dawn) and autumn equinox (sunset).” The passion and resurrection of these sun gods are well known to have occurred on what is called Black Friday, with resurrection on Sunday (Sun-Day). This didn’t fit with the trajectory of his life, or with their sacred stories. … Candice Lucey is a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her family. Easter Tradition: Eggs. In fact, Ishtar’s sacred animal seems to have been the lion. Despite any explanation that “Easter” is derived from … The earliest followers of Jesus declared that he was a crucified messiah. In his article contra “Christ mythicism” Dr. Ehrman concludes with a significant admission. Death always leads to new life. “Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the dead, showing that life could win over death. But the next time you hear these dubious claims about Easter and pagan mythology, remember it is just that: a myth. t is a popular notion among anti-Christian polemicists and liars to state that Gospel’s narratives about Jesus of Nazareth and the Christmas (Birth of Jesus) and Easter (Resurrection of Jesus) Holy Days are all of pagan origin; that they are not based upon real events, but, rather, are a myths themselves based upon much older myths and pagan celebrations. Dionysus also brought his mum, Semele, back to life.” The Sumerian goddess Inanna, or Ishtar, was hung naked on a stake and was subsequently resurrected and ascended from the underworld. Bible Meaning and Holiday Traditions, Christian Mother's Day Gifts to Share Your Love and God's Love. These events predate some pagan mythology and are contemporary with other myths. Pagan Easter Traditions Actually Date Back Before Christianity Existed. And when the sensation or the controversy revolves around beliefs that millions believe in whole-heartedly, sorting fact from fiction becomes increasingly difficult. We use cookies to provide you with the best possible experience on our website. Inanna is missing for three days after which her assistant seeks help from other gods. Pagan Easter Themes Commentators have cited numerous reasons why cultures have chosen to celebrate Easter in some form. There seems to be an undoubted influence of pre-Christian cultures on Easter as we know it, as well as an evolution of the holiday itself in the U.S. within the last 200 years. The first Christians were totally shocked that their leader was tortured and crucified. In 1835, Jacob Grimm, the popular collector of fairy tales, suggested that the Easter Bunny came from primitive German pagan traditions. Armchair atheists like to point out the similarity between the word “ However, using the name Easter “is not a problem” because “the origin of the word does not mean that the word is bad.” If we want to “be consistent and avoid using [pagan] words,” Christians will also have to find new names for the planets and the days of the week. Cybele, the Phrygian fertility goddess, had a consort, Attis, who was believed to have been born via a virgin birth. Nor will I try to explain or justify many of the cultural traditions and practices surrounding Easter. The Easter egg is a symbol of the pagan Mother Goddess, and it even bears one of her names. Passover) festival 'Easter' is named. Professor Ronald Nash highlighted the differences: Bart Ehrman, noted New Testament scholar, best-selling author of Misquoting Jesus, and former conservative Christian, summarizes: “The alleged parallels between Jesus and the ‘pagan’ savior-gods in most instances reside in the modern imagination: We do not have accounts of others who were born to virgin mothers and who died as an atonement for sin and then were raised from the dead (despite what the sensationalists claim ad nauseum in their propagandized versions).”. One of them goes “to the Underworld” gives Tammuz and Ishtar “the power to return to the earth as the light of the sun for six months. Since this myth was discovered on tablets dating back to around 2500 BC, Tammuz and Ishtar might be the protagonists of the first pagan Easter story. Eostre: The Making of a Myth Note to those who've read it before: Part 2 is now up! AI, Transhumanism & the Question of the Person, STUDENT POST: The Bible’s Central Message, “None of the so-called savior-gods died for someone else …. Here, “God promises ‘the seed of the woman,’” the offspring which “would crush the head of the house of the wicked” but “at great cost to himself.” Christ was present as the one “who walks with his most favored creatures in the cool of the day.” Christ is patterned, promised, and present with Abraham and Isaac, at the Exodus, and numerous other places in the Old Testament. Why Were People Healed from Touching Jesus’ Clothes? For those who bash the word Easter as a pagan feast I pray that you research this myth thoroughly rather than basing your claims on only one historical witness in the writings of an 8th century Roman Catholic Monk. I would differ with Dr. Erhaman only in his last statement. However, there is absolutely no conclusive connection between the pagan goddess Ishtar and the Christian celebration of Easter. Whether it’s Ishtar, Osiris, or Attis, these claims are tantalizing but devoid of scholarly content –much like the sugar rush of the chocolate bunny, with its … How Should We Respond to Old Testament Polygamy? “Easter” is only a name, adopted and transformed over centuries to become a Christ-centered reference until recent generations where many young people no longer recognize the name of Jesus as anything more than an expletive. These secretive groups observed rituals that involved self-castration, sacrificing a bull and having the initiate positioned under the sacrifice to drink the blood, “sacred” prostitution, and, for followers of Dionysus (god of wine), getting totally drunk and tearing apart a live goat or fawn. Anyone who wanted to make up a messiah would make him like that. Eostre - name sounds similar to Easter, which can play into where we got the original root of the word for the holiday, but who exactly is this goddess of pagan myth… Jesus was born of a virgin; He died on a cross and was resurrected. Easter is a joint worship of the two. Satan is a master deceiver, and has filled the lives of … There is also no proof that Ishtar was ever associated with eggs or rabbits as symbols. Meanwhile, God examines the heart. Pagan origins of Easter: Many, perhaps most, Pagan religions in the Mediterranean area had a major seasonal day of religious celebration at or following the Spring Equinox. Eostre and Easter Customs ... or read about it in any number of popular mainstream or pagan press books, and you will find reference to the goddess Eostre or Ostara after whom the springtime Paschal (i.e. “If you have not yet found out that Christ crucified is the foundation of the whole volume, you have read your Bible hitherto to very little profit. 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