Doane 140

Selected FOOTNOTES with Text - from: A MARTIAN EXAMINES CHRISTIANITY Chapter XI The Martian Inquires As To Miracles [More references at bottom of this page.]
Page 84 said the Fundamentalist, . . . “ the miraculous events which occurred at the time of the birth of Jesus are unique and prove He was God. A new star appeared in the heavens, the heavens rejoiced, the heavenly host sang, wise men came from the East and recognized Him, and a bright light shone around Him.” “ I have read those passages in your Bible,” said the Martian; “ but I have also read in the Buddhist sacred books, which antedate your Bible, that the birth of their Buddha, named Gautama, was announced in the heavens by a star which was seen rising on the horizon and known as the messianic star; that wise men known as Holy Rishis were informed by this celestial sign that a Messiah was born” ²⁰ ²⁰ Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions, 7th ed., p. 143. Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions (Page) 140 CHAPTER XIII THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. Being born in a miraculous manner, as other great personages had been, it was necessary that the miracles attendmg the births of these virgin-born gods should be added to the history of Christ Jesus, otherwise the legend would not be complete. The first which we shall notice is the story of the star which is said to have heralded his birth, and which was designated “ his star.” It is related by the Matthew narrator as follows: ^a ^a Matthew, ch. ii. “ When Jesus was born In Bethlehem, of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying: ‘ Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star, in the east, and are come to worship him.’ ” Herod the king, having heard these things, he privately called the wise men, and inquired of them what time the star appeared, at the same time sending them to Bethlehem to search diligently for the young child. The wise men, accordingly, departed and went on their way towards Bethlehem. “ The star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” The general legendary character of this narrative— its similarity in style with those contained in the apocryphal gospels— and more especially its conformity with those astrological notions which, though prevalent in the time of the Matthew narrator, have been exploded by the sounder scientific knowledge of our days— all unite to stamp upon the story the impress of poetic or mythic fiction. The fact that the writer of this story speaks not of a star but of his star, shows that it was the popular belief of the people among whom he lived, that each and every person was born under a star, and that this one which had been seen was his star. THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 141 “ All ancient nations were very superstitions in regard to the influence of the stars upon human affairs, and this ridiculous idea has been handed down, in some places, even to the present day. Dr. Hooykaas, speaking on this subject, says “ In ancient times the Jews, like other peoples, might very well believe that there was some immediate connection between the stars and the life of man— an idea which we still preserve in the forms of speech that so-and-so was born under a lucky or under an evil star. They might therefore suppose that the birth of great men, such as Abraham, for instance, was announced in the heavens. In our century, however, if not before, all serious belief in astrology has ceased, and it would be regarded as an act of the grossest superstition for any one to have his horoscope drawn; for the course, the appearance, and the disappearance, of the heavenly bodies have been long determined with mathematical precision by science.” ^b The Rev. Dr. Geikie says, in his Life of Christ : ^c ^b Bible for Learners, vol iii, p. 72. ^c vol i, p. 145. “ The Jews had already, long before Christ’s day, dabbled in astrology, and the various forms of magic which became connected with it. . . . They were much given to cast horoscopes from the numerical value of a name. Everywhere throughout the whole Roman Empire, Jewish magicians, dream expounders, and sorcerers, were found. “ ‘ The life and portion of children,’ says the Talmud, ‘ hang not on righteousness, but on their star.’ ‘ The planet of the day has no virtue, but the planet of the hour (of nativity) has much.’ ‘ When the Messiah is to be revealed,’ says the book Sohar, ‘ a star will rise in the east, in great brightness, and seven other stars round it will fight against it on every side’ ‘ A star will rise in the east, which is the star of the Messiah, and will remain in the east fifteen days.’ ” The moment of every man’s birth being supposed to determine every circumstance in his life, it was only necessary to find out in what mode the celestial bodies— supposed to be the primary wheels to the universal machine— operated at that moment, in order to discover all that would happen to him afterward. The regularity of the risings and settings of the fixed stars, though it announced the changes of the seasons and the orderly variations of nature, could not be adapted to the capricious mutability of human actions, fortunes, and adventures: wherefore the astrologers had recourse to the planets, whose more complicated revolutions offered more varied and more extended combinations. Their different returns to certain points of the Zodiac, their relative positions and conjunctions with each other, were supposed to influence the affairs of men; whence daring impostors presumed to foretell, not only the destinies of individuals, but also the rise and fall of empires, and the fate of the world itself. ^d ^d See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 52. (Page) 142 BIBLE MYTHS. The inhabitants of India are, and have always been, very superstitious concerning the stars. The Rev. D. 0. Allen, who resided in India for twenty-five years, and who undoubtedly became thoroughly acquainted with the superstitions of the inhabitants, says on this subject: “ So strong are the superstitious feelings of many, concerning the supposed influence of the stars on human affairs, that some days are lucky, and others again are unlucky, that no arguments or promises would induce them to deviate from the course which these stars, signs, &c. indicate, as the way of safety, prosperity, and happiness. The evils and inconveniences of these superstitions and prejudices are among the things that press heavily upon the people of India.” ^e ^e Allen’s India, p. 456. The Nakshatias,— twenty-seven constellations which in Indian astronomy separate the moon’s path into twenty-seven divisions, as the signs of the Zodiac do that of the sun into twelve— are regarded as deities who exert a vast influence on the destiny of men, not only at the moment of their entrance into the world, but during their whole passage through it. These formidable constellations are consulted at births, marriages, and on all occasions of family rejoicing, distress or calamity. No one undertakes a journey or any important matter except on days which the aspect of the Nakshatias renders lucky and auspicious. If any constellation is unfavorable, it must by all means be propitiated by a ceremony called S’anti. The Chinese were very superstitious concerning the stars. They annually published astronomical calculations of the motions of the planets, for every hour and minute of the year. They considered it important to be very exact, because the hours, and even the minutes, are lucky or unlucky, according to the aspect of the stars. Some days were considered peculiarly fortunate for marrying, or beginning to build a house; and the gods are better pleased with sacrifice offered at certain hours than they are with the same ceremony performed at other times. ^f ^f See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 221. The ancient Persians were also great astrologers, and held the stars in great reverence. They believed and taught that the destinies of men were intimately connected with their motions, and therefore it was important to know under the influence of what star a human soul made its advent into this world. Astrologers swarmed throughout the country, and were consulted upon all important occasions. ^g ^g Ibid. p. 261. The ancient Egyptians were exactly the same in this respect. According to Champollion, the tomb of Ramses V., at Thebes, contains tables of the constellations, and of their influence on human beings, for every hour of every month of the year. ^h ^h See Kenrick’s Egypt, vol. i. p. 456. THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 143 The Buddhists’ sacred books relate that the birth of Buddha was announced in the heavens by an asterim which was seen rising on the horizon. It is called the “ Messianic star.” ⁱ The Fo-pen-hing says: “ The time of Bôdhisatwa’s incarnation is, when the constellation Kwei is in conjunction with the Sun.” ^j “ Wise men known as “ Holy Rishis,” were informed by these celestial signs that the Messiah was born.’ ^k ⁱ See Bunsen’s Angel-Messiah, pp. 22, 23, 33. ^j See Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 23, 33, 35. ^k See Bunsen’s Angel-Messiah, p. 36. In the Rämäyana (one of the sacred books of the Hindoos) the horoscope of Rama’s birth is given. He is said to have been born on the 9th Tithi of the month Caitra. The planet Jupiter figured at his birth; it being in Cancer at that time. ^l Rama was an incarnation of Vishnu. When Crishna was born “ his stars” were to be seen in the heavens. They were pointed out by one Nared, a great prophet and astrologer. ^m Without going through the list, we can say that the birth of every Indian Avatar was foretold by celestial signs. ⁿ ^l Williams’s Indian Wisdom, p. 347. ^m See Hist. Hindostan, ii. 336. ⁿ See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 561. For that of Crishna, see Vishnu Purana, book v. ch. iii. The same myth is to be found in the legends of China. Among others they relate that a star figured at the birth of Yu, the founder of the first dynasty which reigned in China, ^o who— as we saw in the last chapter—was of heavenly origin, having been born of a virgin. It is also said that a star figured at the birth of Laoutsze, the Chinese sage. ^p ^o See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 618. ^p Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 137. In the legends of the Jewish patriarchs and prophets, it is stated that a brilliant star shone at the time of the birth of Moses. It was seen by the Magi of Egypt, who immediately informed the king. ^q ^q See Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 560, and Geikie’s Life of Christ, i. 559. When Abraham was born “his star” shone in the heavens, if we may believe the popular legends, and its brilliancy outshone all the other stars. ^r Rabbinic traditions relate the following: ^r See Ibid., and The Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 72, and Calmet’s Fragments, art. “Abaham.” “ Abraham was the son of Terah, general of Nimrod’s army. He was born at Ur of the Chaldees 1948 years after the Creation. On the night of his birth, Terah’s friends— among whom were many of Nimrod’s councillors and soothsayers— were feasting in his house. On leaving, late at night, they observed an unusual star in the east, it seemed to run from one quarter of the heavens to the other, and to devour four stars which were there. All amazed in astonishment at this wonderful sight. ‘Truly,’ said they, ‘ this can signify nothing else but that Terah’s new-born son will become great and powerful.’ ” ^s ^s Baring-Gould: Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 149. Doane, Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions, 7th ed., pp. 144 et seq. Doane, Bible Myths pp. 129 et seq. Martian Visitor: Quoted excerpts and Footnotes to: Bible Myths. INDEX of Subjects. Martian Visitor ( Home ) Metaphysics: Which is PRIMARY? The Pagan origins of Easter THE WORLD’S SIXTEEN CRUCIFIED SAVIORS or Christianity Before Christ CONTAINING New, Startling and Extraordinary Revelations In Religious History, Which Disclose The Oriental Origin Of All The Doctrines, Principles, Precepts, And Miracles Of The CHRISTIAN NEW TESTAMENT And Furnishing A Key For Unlocking Many Of It’s Sacred Mysteries, Besides comprising the History Of 16 HEATHEN CRUCIFIED GODS BY KERSEY GRAVES Copyright, 1875

Selected FOOTNOTES with Text - from:
A MARTIAN EXAMINES CHRISTIANITY
Chapter XI
The Martian Inquires As To Miracles

[More references at bottom of this page.]

Page 84
said the Fundamentalist, . . .
“ the miraculous events which occurred at the time of the birth of Jesus are unique and prove He was God.

A new star appeared in the heavens, the heavens rejoiced, the heavenly host sang, wise men came from the East and recognized Him, and a bright light shone around Him.”
“ I have read those passages in your Bible,” said the Martian; “ but I have also read in the Buddhist sacred books, which antedate your Bible, that the birth of their Buddha, named Gautama, was announced in the heavens by a star which was seen rising on the horizon and known as the messianic star; that wise men known as Holy Rishis were informed by this celestial sign that a Messiah was born” ²⁰

²⁰ Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions, 7th ed., p. 143.

Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions
(Page) 140 CHAPTER XIII

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

Being born in a miraculous manner, as other great personages had been, it was necessary that the miracles attendmg the births of these virgin-born gods should be added to the history of Christ Jesus, otherwise the legend would not be complete.
The first which we shall notice is the story of the star which is said to have heralded his birth, and which was designated “ his star.” It is related by the Matthew narrator as follows: ^a

^a Matthew, ch. ii.

“ When Jesus was born In Bethlehem, of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying: ‘ Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star, in the east, and are come to worship him.’ ”

Herod the king, having heard these things, he privately called the wise men, and inquired of them what time the star appeared, at the same time sending them to Bethlehem to search diligently for the young child. The wise men, accordingly, departed and went on their way towards Bethlehem. “ The star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.”

The general legendary character of this narrative— its similarity in style with those contained in the apocryphal gospels— and more especially its conformity with those astrological notions which, though prevalent in the time of the Matthew narrator, have been exploded by the sounder scientific knowledge of our days— all unite to stamp upon the story the impress of poetic or mythic fiction.
The fact that the writer of this story speaks not of a star but of his star, shows that it was the popular belief of the people among whom he lived, that each and every person was born under a star, and that this one which had been seen was his star.

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 141

“ All ancient nations were very superstitions in regard to the influence of the stars upon human affairs, and this ridiculous idea has been handed down, in some places, even to the present day. Dr. Hooykaas, speaking on this subject, says

“ In ancient times the Jews, like other peoples, might very well believe that there was some immediate connection between the stars and the life of man— an idea which we still preserve in the forms of speech that so-and-so was born under a lucky or under an evil star. They might therefore suppose that the birth of great men, such as Abraham, for instance, was announced in the heavens. In our century, however, if not before, all serious belief in astrology has ceased, and it would be regarded as an act of the grossest superstition for any one to have his horoscope drawn; for the course, the appearance, and the disappearance, of the heavenly bodies have been long determined with mathematical precision by science.” ^b
The Rev. Dr. Geikie says, in his Life of Christ : ^c

^b Bible for Learners, vol iii, p. 72.
^c vol i, p. 145.

“ The Jews had already, long before Christ’s day, dabbled in astrology, and the various forms of magic which became connected with it. . . . They were much given to cast horoscopes from the numerical value of a name. Everywhere throughout the whole Roman Empire, Jewish magicians, dream expounders, and sorcerers, were found.
“ ‘ The life and portion of children,’ says the Talmud, ‘ hang not on righteousness, but on their star.’ ‘ The planet of the day has no virtue, but the planet of the hour (of nativity) has much.’ ‘ When the Messiah is to be revealed,’ says the book Sohar, ‘ a star will rise in the east, in great brightness, and seven other stars round it will fight against it on every side’ ‘ A star will rise in the east, which is the star of the Messiah, and will remain in the east fifteen days.’ ”

The moment of every man’s birth being supposed to determine every circumstance in his life, it was only necessary to find out in what mode the celestial bodies— supposed to be the primary wheels to the universal machine— operated at that moment, in order to discover all that would happen to him afterward.
The regularity of the risings and settings of the fixed stars, though it announced the changes of the seasons and the orderly variations of nature, could not be adapted to the capricious mutability of human actions, fortunes, and adventures: wherefore the astrologers had recourse to the planets, whose more complicated revolutions offered more varied and more extended combinations. Their different returns to certain points of the Zodiac, their relative positions and conjunctions with each other, were supposed to influence the affairs of men; whence daring impostors presumed to foretell, not only the destinies of individuals, but also the rise and fall of empires, and the fate of the world itself. ^d

^d See Knight: Ancient Art and Mythology, p. 52.

(Page) 142 BIBLE MYTHS.

The inhabitants of India are, and have always been, very superstitious concerning the stars. The Rev. D. 0. Allen, who resided in India for twenty-five years, and who undoubtedly became thoroughly acquainted with the superstitions of the inhabitants, says on this subject:
“ So strong are the superstitious feelings of many, concerning the supposed influence of the stars on human affairs, that some days are lucky, and others again are unlucky, that no arguments or promises would induce them to deviate from the course which these stars, signs, &c. indicate, as the way of safety, prosperity, and happiness. The evils and inconveniences of these superstitions and prejudices are among the things that press heavily upon the people of India.” ^e

^e Allen’s India, p. 456.

The Nakshatias,— twenty-seven constellations which in Indian astronomy separate the moon’s path into twenty-seven divisions, as the signs of the Zodiac do that of the sun into twelve— are regarded as deities who exert a vast influence on the destiny of men, not only at the moment of their entrance into the world, but during their whole passage through it. These formidable constellations are consulted at births, marriages, and on all occasions of family rejoicing, distress or calamity. No one undertakes a journey or any important matter except on days which the aspect of the Nakshatias renders lucky and auspicious. If any constellation is unfavorable, it must by all means be propitiated by a ceremony called S’anti.
The Chinese were very superstitious concerning the stars. They annually published astronomical calculations of the motions of the planets, for every hour and minute of the year. They considered it important to be very exact, because the hours, and even the minutes, are lucky or unlucky, according to the aspect of the stars. Some days were considered peculiarly fortunate for marrying, or beginning to build a house; and the gods are better pleased with sacrifice offered at certain hours than they are with the same ceremony performed at other times. ^f

^f See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 221.

The ancient Persians were also great astrologers, and held the stars in great reverence. They believed and taught that the destinies of men were intimately connected with their motions, and therefore it was important to know under the influence of what star a human soul made its advent into this world. Astrologers swarmed throughout the country, and were consulted upon all important occasions. ^g

^g Ibid. p. 261.

The ancient Egyptians were exactly the same in this respect. According to Champollion, the tomb of Ramses V., at Thebes, contains tables of the constellations, and of their influence on human beings, for every hour of every month of the year. ^h

^h See Kenrick’s Egypt, vol. i. p. 456.

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 143

The Buddhists’ sacred books relate that the birth of Buddha was announced in the heavens by an asterim which was seen rising on the horizon. It is called the “ Messianic star.” ⁱ
The Fo-pen-hing says:

“ The time of Bôdhisatwa’s incarnation is, when the constellation Kwei is in conjunction with the Sun.” ^j

“ Wise men known as “ Holy Rishis,” were informed by these celestial signs that the Messiah was born.’ ^k

ⁱ See Bunsen’s Angel-Messiah, pp. 22, 23, 33.
^j See Beal: Hist. Buddha, pp. 23, 33, 35.
^k See Bunsen’s Angel-Messiah, p. 36.

In the Rämäyana (one of the sacred books of the Hindoos) the horoscope of Rama’s birth is given. He is said to have been born on the 9th Tithi of the month Caitra. The planet Jupiter figured at his birth; it being in Cancer at that time. ^l Rama was an incarnation of Vishnu. When Crishna was born “ his stars” were to be seen in the heavens. They were pointed out by one Nared, a great prophet and astrologer. ^m
Without going through the list, we can say that the birth of every Indian Avatar was foretold by celestial signs. ⁿ

^l Williams’s Indian Wisdom, p. 347.
^m See Hist. Hindostan, ii. 336.
ⁿ See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 561. For that of Crishna, see Vishnu Purana, book v. ch. iii.

The same myth is to be found in the legends of China. Among others they relate that a star figured at the birth of Yu, the founder of the first dynasty which reigned in China, ^o who— as we saw in the last chapter—was of heavenly origin, having been born of a virgin. It is also said that a star figured at the birth of Laoutsze, the Chinese sage. ^p

^o See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 618.
^p Thornton: Hist. China, vol. i. p. 137.

In the legends of the Jewish patriarchs and prophets, it is stated that a brilliant star shone at the time of the birth of Moses. It was seen by the Magi of Egypt, who immediately informed the king. ^q

^q See Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 560, and Geikie’s Life of Christ, i. 559.

When Abraham was born “his star” shone in the heavens, if we may believe the popular legends, and its brilliancy outshone all the other stars. ^r Rabbinic traditions relate the following:

^r See Ibid., and The Bible for Learners, vol. iii. p. 72, and Calmet’s Fragments, art. “Abaham.”

“ Abraham was the son of Terah, general of Nimrod’s army. He was born at Ur of the Chaldees 1948 years after the Creation. On the night of his birth, Terah’s friends— among whom were many of Nimrod’s councillors and soothsayers— were feasting in his house. On leaving, late at night, they observed an unusual star in the east, it seemed to run from one quarter of the heavens to the other, and to devour four stars which were there. All amazed in astonishment at this wonderful sight. ‘Truly,’ said they, ‘ this can signify nothing else but that Terah’s new-born son will become great and powerful.’ ” ^s

^s Baring-Gould: Legends of the Patriarchs, p. 149.

Doane, Bible Myths and their Parallels
in other Religions, 7th ed., pp. 144 et seq.

Doane, Bible Myths pp. 129 et seq.

Martian Visitor: Quoted excerpts
and Footnotes to: Bible Myths.
INDEX of Subjects.

Martian Visitor ( Home )

Metaphysics: Which is PRIMARY?

The Pagan origins of Easter

THE WORLD’S
SIXTEEN CRUCIFIED SAVIORS
or
Christianity Before Christ
CONTAINING
New, Startling and Extraordinary Revelations In
Religious History, Which Disclose The Oriental
Origin Of All The Doctrines, Principles,
Precepts, And Miracles Of The
CHRISTIAN NEW TESTAMENT
And Furnishing A Key For Unlocking Many Of
It’s Sacred Mysteries, Besides comprising the
History Of 16 HEATHEN CRUCIFIED GODS
BY
KERSEY GRAVES Copyright, 1875