Was Jesus Copied From Dionysus, Serapis, Osiris, and Buddha?

Mythicists and TikTok skeptics are addicted to attacking the Bible. They always claim that Jesus was copied from pagan gods. Which one, you might ask? They can't pin it on one. When you debunk one, they just abandon their position and move to another. It's an argument as inconsistent as it gets. Despite the fragility of their focus, they make the same claims for practically any gods or cults they may bring up. Knowing the context of the claims and whether they are true or not is very crucial to countering and defending what we believe as Christians. It also serves as an opportunity to sharpen our communication skills for spreading the Gospel by clearing up confusion about what is historical and what is not.

Before we begin, I must mention the fact that practically all modern scholarship affirms that Jesus actually existed. Even contemporary, skeptical scholars will say that the Gospels and the New Testament as a whole pass all historiographical standards for biographies of antiquity (Gary Habermas, On the Resurrection: Vol. 1 Evidences, pp. 89-151). Dr. Bruce Metzger summarizes the majority opinion when he says,

“Today no competent scholar denies the historicity of Jesus.”

1. Did Christians Copy Dionysus?

Dionysus-Bacchus, Greco-Roman mosaic, Daphne, 4th century A.D.

Many claim that Dionysus, the god of wine, winemaking, and grapevines, was copied by Christians to make Jesus. These claims are the same old same old slogans that they all repeat about dieties. These include:

1. He was born on December 25th to a virgin mother.

There is no evidence that Dionysus was born on December 25th or to a virgin. One legend says that he was the son of Zeus and Persephone (Arthur Evans, The God of Ecstasy, Pg 153). While another says that he was the son os Semele after Zeus impregnated her in the form of a lightning bolt (Mark P.O. Morford and Robert J. Lenardson, Classical Mythology, Pg 331). Hera became jealous and killed her, after which Zeus sewed the prenatal Dionysus into his thigh until he was ready to be born (Diodorus Siculus, 3.64.3-6). This is not even close to the birth narrative of Jesus, and Dionysus had many, many half-siblings due to Zeus's promiscuity.

2. He was a teacher who performed miracles.

Almost all divine figures and deities perform miracles. This claim is far too general to draw a connection if it were copied.

3. He was placed in a manger after he was born.

In every birth narrative of Dionysus, he is never laid in a manger. It is up to the person making this claim to then offer some sort of positive, supportive evidence that Dionysus was actually said to have been laid in a manger after birth. This claim is made-up.

4. He was known to turn water into wine and was called the god of wine.

Dionysus actually did turn water into wine. But the first mention of this in history is from Achilles Tatius in Leucippe and Clitophon, 2.2.1, from the 2nd century A.D., which indicates that the Dionysus cult copied from the earlier Gospels and Christian preaching. As for Dionysus being the god of wine, Jesus never claimed to be the God of wine. In John 15:1-8, Jesus says he is the vine, but elaborates that his Father is the vinedresser and gardener, not the God of wine.

5. He was a king who was killed and then eaten by his followers in a eucharistic-like ritual.

The actual legend says that Dionysus was taken by giants, called titans, as a child. He was then boiled by them and eaten. Zeus came by and took Dionysus' heart and restored him. In this legend, there is no evidence that his followers were present or ate him with the titans (Diodorus Siculus 3.62), (Thomas H. Carpenter and Christopher A. Farone, Masks of Dionysus, Pg 26).

6. He rose from the dead on March 25th

There is not a shred of evidence that Dionysus rose from the dead in a glorified physical body and walked among men. Or that he was raised on March 25th. Dionysus was cut into pieces, and Zeus swallowed his heart, and impregnated a woman to birth Dionysus. He did this by crushing his heart into a potion for the woman to drink and become pregnant by. This is the closest that one could get to this claim, and even then, it's a large stretch to believe that.

7. He was crucified on a cross and died for his followers.

There is no evidence that Dionysus was crucified, and the only evidence comes from the Orpheus Amulet (Seen above). The amulet is a known 20th-century forgery and originates from the cover of Jesus Mysteries by James Hannam. One source said this about the Orpheus Amulet:

“In summary, not only is the cover of The Jesus Mysteries probably a fake, but at least one author of the book knew this and kept quiet about it.” (http://bede.org.uk/orpheus.htm)

Dionysus was not said to have been crucified by the cult at any point in the ancient past. And if they did, it is far more likely they copied from already existing Christian sources.

8. He was called "King of kings," "God of gods," "Savior," "Anointed One," and "Alpha and Omega."

There is no evidence that Dionysus was ever called any of these names. Why would he? Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, and he himself was Jewish. Why would titles like Son of Man from the book of Daniel, or Annointed One, coming from the Hebrew word Meshiach (Messaiah) be applied to a non-Jewish pagan deity? 1st-century Jews were strictly monotheistic. It just doesn't make any sense.

9. He was put on a trial similar to Jesus'.

Dionysus was put on trial for making a group of women go mad. He then let himself be taken into trial to humiliate the king, and then escaped his prison cell when an earthquake made him able. After he escapes, he returns to the group of mad women and orders them to kill King Pentheus. Throughout these legends, Dionysus is described in homoerotic terms and language. This legend, along with its language, bears no resemblance to the Gospel's description of Jesus whatsoever. The only similarity seems to be that they were on trial to begin with, which nobody needs to discuss whether that makes it a valid claim.

A. N. Sherwin-White showed that it takes about two generations for myths to develop in ancient reports of events (A. N. Sherwin White, Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament). Thus, the dating of the gospels does not allow for myths ot even intrude on the text. It’s simply too early. Timothy Frek and Peter Grandy have this to say:

“Why should we consider the stories of Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, Attis, Mithras, and the other Pagan Mystery saviors as fables, yet come across essentially the same story told in a Jewish context and believe it to be the biography of a carpenter from Bethlehem?” (Timothy Freke and Peter Grandy, Jesus Mysteries, 1999)

It seems obvious that Dionysus is in no way similar to Jesus. None of these claims bears any weight, and any similarities fit the context of the cultists copying Christians more than vice versa. With this one out of the way, we can move on to our next TikTok university graduate claim.

2. Did Christians Copy Serapis?

Depiction of Serapis

The next pagan god that Mythicists claim was used to create Jesus is the 3rd-century B.C. syncretic god, Serapis. The god who was created to unite the Greek and Egyptian populations in Ptolemy I Soter's kingdom.

1. Serapis was called the "Good Shepherd" by his followers.

There are 0 ancient records that call Serapis the "Good Shepherd"; thus, it is a completely made-up claim with no supporting evidence.

2. He was a healer and performed miracles.

All deities work miracles and healings. This claim is again too general to make connections to Jesus.

3. Christians copied the Serapian Worship practices.

This claim is often that Christians using candles, bells, processions, music, and instruments somehow means they copied all of it from the practices of Serapis followers. This claim is way too general, like miracles, because practically all religious figures use all, or some combination of those elements. By this logic, all deities were copied from Serapis, and that is absolute bologna.

4. Serapis and Jesus have similar features.

This claim is rather dishonest because similarities in facial hair are a bogus claim, and a huge leap to "Jesus was copied from Serapis". Beards and hair were common, like those depicted above, and were often seen as symbols of masculinity in ancient times. Men also did not have access to cheap razors, as can be seen with the wealthy elite often being depicted as having clean-shaven beards. To stay consistent, all ancient men would have to be copies of Serapis, because they all had similar beards and hair.

We also do not know exactly what Jesus looked like. So to say Jesus was copied from Derapis because they look similar is to ignore the fact that we have no idea what Jesus would have exactly looked like.

5. Serapis was a sacrificial bull, while Jesus was a lamb.

Serapis and Jesus were not sacrificial in the same way. Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for the sin-debt of the world. Serapis was a hybrid deity between Osiris and the bull Apis. The two are said to have merged in the underworld to form Osorapis, often called Serapis in the Hellenistic period onward. This is nothing like Jesus.

6. Serapis was sacrificed annually for the sins of Egypt.

First, Jesus wasn't sacrificed every year for the world's sins; second, neither was Serapis. Serapis was tied to many festivals related to Osiris and Apis, aswell as seasonal events, which is nothing like the death and resurrection of Jesus.

7. There is a letter from Emperor Hadrian that says Serapians were called Christians and their priests were called Bishops of Christ.

This claim finds its way from Diegesis by Robert Taylor, in which he claims there is an early letter from Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 76 - A.D.138) claiming a group of people were in Egypt who worshipped Serapis and called themselves Christians. Even if this letter were legit, it dates to 134 A.D., a century after Jesus Christ, meaning it is far more likely that Serapians copied from the Christians who were in the regions spreading the Gospel at the time. The Serapis cult synchronized Osiris and Apis into their beliefs, so it is far more likely that they would also adopt Christian traditions and claims.

The collection of forged biographies, Historia Augusta. In which the supposed letter from Emperor Hadrian resides.

But this letter is a forgery. Sadly, the letter is found in a 4th-century collection of forged biographies called Historia Augusta. Moreover, Hadrian was only in Egypt once in A.D. 131, while the letter mentions events that have not yet happened, and people in positions not yet achieved. The letter is obviously from an author who was collecting and writing ancient biographies, either not aware or not caring about their historical validity. It is also very obvious that Christians did not copy from the Serapians.

3. Did Christians Copy Osiris?

Some online bullies are trying to say Christians copied Jesus from Osiris.

This is my childhood dog, Osiris (he is still alive). Unfortunately, some people on the internet are saying that early Christians copied Jesus from him... I'm kidding, but on a serious note, while these claims seem to fly in subreddits and comment sections, there is very little evidence that actually supports the claims that Christians copied from the Egyptians God of the underworld, Osiris.

Statue of Osiris, housed in the State Museum of Egyptian Art, Munich.

Movies like Zeitgeist: The Movie and The God Who Wasn't There have popularized the theory that Christianity copied from pagan myths and gods. This film highlights every similarity between pagan deities and Jesus, while ignoring the vast differences and general sweep claims. It's a biased representation of the facts. Modern skeptics like to claim that:

1. Osiris' birth was announced by three wise men seen as the three stars of Orion's belt, which pointed to Osiris' star, Sirius.

There is no evidence that Osiris' birth was announced by three wise men, and the Bible says only three types of gifts were provided by an unnamed number of wise men. Some connect Osiris to the Orion constellation, but not in the fashion TikTok claims (John Gwyn Griffiths, The Origins of Osiris and His Cult, Pgs 12-13).

2. His flesh was eaten as cakes by his followers in a eucharistic ritual.

There has never been an ancient source that mentions Osiris being consumed, with his flesh represented as cakes, by his followers in any ritual, let alone one like the Eucharist.

3. Psalm 23 is copied from Egyptian texts that call Osiris the "Good Shepherd".

No scholar had offered hard evidence that even comes close to showing that Psalm 23 is a copy of a prayer or any Egyptian text. Sometimes Osiris is depicted holding a shepherd's hook, but this was a symbol of leadership in Egypt and not at all tied to a title of "Good Shepherd".

The symbol of the crook and flail indicated leadership and power in Egypt.

This is simply not a mention of Osiris as a "Good Shepherd" as the symbol itself is not even a shepherd's hook, but a crook and a flail.

4. The Lord's Prayer (Matt 6:9-13) was copied from a prayer to Osiris from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Some claim that the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; and Luke 11:2-4) was copied out of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, but nobody ever offers a specific reference as to where. Most people look for similar words or phrases, without looking at the surrounding context or meaning. Moreover, they are not even looking at the original Hebrew and Egyptian to see if there are similarities, but are looking for words and phrases in English translations. They are not looking at the issue in light of the historical context, as English was not a language yet for these people to copy the Book of the Dead from. Also, different words in different languages can be translated as the same word or phrase in English; thus, looking at the English translations makes no sense when you're claiming they are copied.

But even given this, there is nothing in the Egyptian Book of the Dead that is remotely similar to the Lord's Prayer.

5. Osiris was called the "Good Vine".

Neither Jesus nor Osiris was called a god of the vine. Jesus never calls himself "God" of the vine; he calls himself the vine in a symbolic manner in John 15, but not in a literal way.

6. He was also called "King of Kings," "The Resurrection," and "The Truth and the Life".

No sources are ever provided regarding the names Osiris was called by his followers, which were similar to the ones Christians called Jesus. We do know what Osiris was called: "God Above Gods," "King of Eternity," "Good Being," "Lord of the Underworld," "Ruler of the Dead," and "The Begetter," which are all very common titles applied to ancient deities, which are not similar to Jesus.

7. Osiris was resurrected for humanity in the same way Jesus was.

Osiris was never resurrected in the Biblical sense. Osiris was cut into several pieces, then reassembled by his wife Isis, who proceeded to have intercourse with him and birth their son Horus, after which Osiris descended and became the ruler of the underworld.

In no sense can Osiris be said to have 'risen' in the sense required by the dying and rising pattern... In no sense can the dramatic myth of his death and reanimation be harmonized to the pattern of dying and rising gods. The repeated formula 'Rise up, you have not died,' whether applied to Osiris or a citizen of Egypt, signaled a new, permanent life in the reaim of the dead." (Jonathan Z. Smith, Dying and Rising Gods, Encyclopedia of Religion, Pages 524-525).

Jesus returned to the physical world with a glorified body. Egyptians' idea of rising was not that of resurrection back to the living; it meant that an Egyptian was making his/her journey into the underworld, the realm of the dead. Osiris did not rise in the Jewish sense of rising from the dead.

Jesus was not copied from Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld.

4. Did Christians Copy Buddha?

Was Jesus a product of Buddhist influence?

Before we begin, our earliest dates for Buddha post-date the life of Jesus, which was recorded in the four Gospels. We do know that the legend is older, but if Christians copied from Buddhists, there must be concrete evidence to support that these similarities existed before Jesus. If there is none, then it makes more sense that Christian influence from missions influenced Buddhists. The people making these claims rely on sources that post-date the Gospels, around the time when the Church was being spread via missions. One such source, The Buddha Carita of Asvaghosa, dates to the 2nd century A.D., so the late dates for these sources indicate that Buddhists were actually borrowing from Christian sources.

Anyhow, the claims from modern mystics go something along the lines of this:

1. Buddha was born on December 25th to the virgin Maya.

Buddha was born on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month, not December 25th. His mother was named Maya, but there is no etymological evidence that Mary originated from Maya. The name of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the Gospels comes from the Hebrew name Miryam. Buddha was also not born of a virgin; he was born to a wealthy king.

2. His birth was attended by three wise men and announced by a star.

There were wise men present at his birth, but his father was a king, so he would have had these men at his council either way. There is also no mention of a stay announcing his birth.

3. He was pronounced to be the ruler of the world.

The closest one can find to something even like this claim is in Narada Maha Thera, A Manual of Buddhism, Pgs 9-12, where he is offered a choice to be a spiritual leader or a great ruler like his father.

4. His life was threatened by a king who wanted him dead.

The legend actually says that he was prophesied to leave the palace to become a holy man. And when his father found out about his choice, he prevented him from leaving. Buddha then left in secret to seek meaning.

5. He began teaching in the temple at twelve years old.

There is no historical evidence that any sources mention that Buddha taught in a temple at a young age.

6. Buddha was of royal lineage, just like Jesus.

If Buddha were born to a king, he would then be part of the royal lineage. Jesus, on the other hand, was not born of a king, so this is not similar in any way other than the lineage being royal.

7. He is depicted crushing a serpent's head.

First, the Bible does not directly say Jesus crushed the head of a snake; it was later Church Fathers who drew that parallel from Genesis 3:15. It was also a 12th-century Buddhist author who first mentions Buddha killing a snake that was murdering people (M. A. Stein, Kaljana's Rajatarangini, Volume 2, Pg 172).

8. He was tempted by a demon named Mara.

Buddha was tempted by Mara, but the temptation was not similar to that of Jesus. There is no temptation regarding bread from rocks, jumping from the temple, or being offered all the kingdoms of the world.

9. He was baptised in water, where the Spirit of god appeared.

This claim is purely imagination, as there are no historical sources that mention Buddha being baptised in water, and no spirit of god appearing.

10. He was a miracle worker who fed 500 men from a basket of cakes.

This, too, is a made-up claim that is commonly quoted in comment sections and TikTok videos. Being a miracle worker is far too general to draw parallels, and there is no mention of him feeding 500 men.

11. His followers renounced worldly possessions and lived in poverty.

First, Christians were not called to live in poverty. Second, Jesus called people from many paths of life, not just those who were poor.

12. The Buddha glowed in a transfiguration.

Buddha was said to glow because of his state of Nirvana, and he never had a transfiguration like Jesus did on a mountain.

13. Buddha died on a cross.

He was also never crucified.

14. His tomb was opened, and he ascended into Nirvana.

This claim is also common, but it makes no sense because Nirvana is not a place, but a state of being. So a person does not "ascend" to Nirvana from a location like their grave. The only mention close to this is the Muhamaya Sutra, which says Buddha opened his grave to speak before closing it to die, never to return.

15. He will return to judge the dead.

Some say that Buddha will return to restore order to the world and judge the dead who were wicked. But Buddha is not going to "return"; the tradition is that another future person is going to achieve the status of Nirvana (Maitreya) after the people of the world reach a widespread state of wisdom and compassion for one another. Nothing like Jesus returning when the world comes to a maximum of sin to punish evil and create a new creation in complete harmony with God.

Conclusion

As we have seen, Jesus was not a copycat savior based on earlier pagan myths. All historical evidence points towards the other way around, where pagan cults copied from earlier Christian sources. The dating of eye witness details in passages such as the creed that Paul recalls in 1 Corinthians 15 indicates that the Apostles claimed Jesus was God incarnate, risen from the dead, and sacrificed for the sins of the world from the very beginning. Jesus simply was a real spacetime person, who died a spacetime death and experienced a spacetime, historical resurrection that not only changed lives, but the entire course of human history into the modern era. And the best part is, Jesus is still changing hearts and the world today!

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

"I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost I believe a holy catholic church; the communion of saints The forgiveness of sins The resurrection of the body And the life everlasting. Amen." (Historic Creeds and Confessions, The Apostle's Creed, electronic ed. Oak Harbor: Lexham Press, 1997).