While the book became a popular sensation, it is widely criticized or dismissed by mainstream academic historians.
The authors contend that early Christianity was essentially a Jewish adaptation of the ancient .
Did Jesus Exist? | Notes & Review - vialogue - WordPress.com The Jesus mysteries : was the "original Jesus" ...
: The book suggests that "Literalist" Christians later took these allegories as historical facts and brutally suppressed the original Gnostic "True Christians". Critical Reception and Scholarship
The book by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy (published in 1999) presents a provocative "Jesus Mysteries Thesis". It argues that the Jesus of the New Testament was not a historical person but a mythical figure created by Jewish "Gnostics" who adapted ancient Pagan myths. Core Argument: The "Jesus Mysteries Thesis" While the book became a popular sensation, it
: The vast majority of scholars maintain that Jesus was a real historical figure, citing early independent sources like the letters of Paul and non-Christian references from Josephus and Tacitus.
: Freke and Gandy claim the Jesus story parallels myths of "Osiris-Dionysus"—god-men who were born of virgins, turned water into wine, and rose from the dead. | Notes & Review - vialogue - WordPress
: Many alleged parallels between Jesus and figures like Horus or Mithras are considered by scholars to be based on selective descriptions or later Christian influence rather than pre-Christian pagan origins. Related Reading