As the story of Jesus goes, he was born on December 25 through immaculate conception, could turn water into wine, walk on water, was betrayed by one of his 12 followers, and then crucified, died and subsequently resurrected three days later.
However, Biblical scholars controversially believe that these claims are directly stolen or heavily influenced by stories of other ancient deities.
One of the most prominent claims that the story of Jesus is a fake is when he is compared to the ancient Greek God Dionysus.
According to greek-gods.org, “Dionysus was a descendant of Zeus and mortal woman Semele,” a stark similarity of Jesus, who was a descendant of God and the mortal Mary.
Additionally, Dionysus was considered the God of the wine and could turn water into wine.
He was also identified with the Ram – whereas Jesus was known as the lamb of God.
Website Truth Be Known adds that his “sacrificial title of ‘Dendrites’ or ‘Young Man of the Tree’ indicates he was hung on a tree or crucified,” before he descended to the Underworld after being resurrected three days after his death.
In his book ‘Clash of the Gods’, former New York University historian Dr Thomas claims that early Christians recognized the influence that the story of Dionysus had on that of Jesus’.
He writes: "Early Christian art is rich with Dionysiac associations, whether in boisterous representations of agape feasting, in the miracle of water-into-wine at Cana, in wine and vine motifs alluding to the Eucharist, and most markedly...in the use of Dionysiac facial traits for representations of Christ."
Another God is the deity Mithra, who was worshipped in ancient Persia and even by ancient Romans hundreds of centuries before Christ.
This God was also allegedly born on December 25, and once again to a virgin birth.
Gerald Berry wrote in Religions of the World: “Both Mithras and Christ were described variously as 'the Way,' 'the Truth,' 'the Light,' 'the Life,' 'the Word,' 'the Son of God,' 'the Good Shepherd.'
