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"We know not," once wrote Andrew Lang, "whence the Egyptians came; we only trifle with hypotheses when we conjecture that her people are of an Asiatic or an African stock; we know not whether her gods arose...to narrate and as far as possible elucidate this myth is the chief task of the student of Egyptian mythology" (Andrew Lang, Myth, Ritual and Religion, ii, p. 107, 135).
As
we saw in earlier teachings on this website the Osiris Myth found it's
ultimate origin in Astro-theology. We
followed the synthesis of the Osiris myth from man's observations of the
Sun and the illuminaries in the Heavens. Primitive
man also made the connection that as these celestial changes occurred in
the Solstices and the Equinoxes that conditions changed within Nature.
Man personified these
changes reflecting either "life" or "death" in stories
about the Sun where it took on a life of its own in the heroes and
villains of each nation. Such personifications of the
Sun
contributed to Sun-Worship not only in Egypt but eventually permeated all
non-Jewish nations to some extent. Osiris served as the "pattern"
for all subsequent Godmen Saviors and corresponding theologies and "Sun-myths"
connected with him were later applied to agriculture and nature since
Cosmic changes in the Sun and its course in the sky determined the
productivity of vegetation in each season.
Let me say for starters that to understand the myth of Osiris is mandatory for Christians as you will quickly come to see since it provides the origin for many major parts of Christian theology let alone with the Jesus stories within the New Testament. We all wish to worship God in Spirit and in Truth; and that being the goal and purpose of faith, let us not be deceived any longer by our lack of knowledge concerning our faith. Without further delay, let us acquaint ourselves with the legend of Osiris, because only then are we able to "spot" the same solar-myths when they are repeated in the New Testament. Only in weeding out such Sun-myths can the truths that remain concerning Jesus be approached as possible truth.
Let us first, then, narrate the old legend, which is given by Plutarch as follows in the version by C. W. King's Isis and Osiris, pp. 12-19.
The following myth is related in the briefest terms possible, divested of everything unnecessary and superfluous. They tell that the sun having discovered Rhea secretly copulating with Kronos, laid a curse upon her, that she should not bring forth a child in either month or year: that Hermes being in love with the goddess copulated with her; and afterwards playing at draughts with the Moon and winning from her the seventy-second part of each one of her lights, out of the whole composed five days (no longer 360 but 365 days in a year), the which he added to the three hundred and sixty, which days now the Egyptians call “additional”, and keep as the birthdays of the gods; that on the first of these was born Osiris, and that a voice issued forth with him in the birth that “the Lord of all is entering into light.” But some relate that a certain Pamyles, when drawing water out of the Temple of Zeus at Thebes, heard a voice ordering him to proclaim with a loud cry, “A great King, beneficent Osiris, is born”, and for this cause he nursed Osiris, when Kronos put him into his hands, and also the festival “Pamylia” is celebrated in his honour, resembling in character the Phallephoria. On the second was born Aroeris, whom some call Apollo, some the elder Horus. On the third Typhon, neither in due time, nor in the right place, but breaking through with a blow, he leaped out through his mothers side. On the fourth was Isis born, in very wet places. On the fifth was Nephthys, the same as Teleute and Aphrodite, whom some call also Nike. They say that Osiris was begotten by the Sun, as also Aroeris, by Hermes Isis, by Kronos Typhon and Nephthys; that Osiris and Isis fell in love with each other and copulated under the cloak of darkness in the womb; some say that in this manner was Aroeris also begotten, and therefore is called by Egyptians the elder Horus, by the Greeks Apollo.
(Notice that the same gods and godesses, (the pattern) were known in other nations by other names...)...this shows the prevalence of such a myth among the non-Jewish nations
When Osiris reigned as a king, he made the Egyptians reform their destitute and bestial mode of living, showing them the art of cultivation, and giving them laws, and teaching them how to worship the gods. Afterwards he travelled over the whole earth, civilizing it; far from requiring arms, he tamed mankind through persuasion and reasoning joined with song of all kinds and music and brought them over to his side; wherefore Osiris is held by the Greeks to be the same with Dionysus (again the pattern of solar Godmen with different names in different nations). Typhon (personified "darkness" later understood as a type of Satan), during his absence, did not rebel, because Isis was on her guard, and able to keep watch upon him vigorously; but after Osiris returned Typhon laid a plot against him, having taken seventy and two men into the conspiracy, and having for helper a queen coming out of Ethiopia, whom they call Asó. He secretly measured the body of Osiris, and made to the size a handsome and highly ornamented coffer which he carried into the banqueting room. And as they were all delighted with its appearance and admired it, Typhon promised in sport that whoever should lie down within it and should exactly fit, he would make him a present of the chest; and after the others had tried, one by one, and nobody fitted it, then Osiris got in and laid himself down; thereupon the conspirators running up shut down the lid, and fastened it with spike-nails from the outside, and poured melted lead over them, and so carried it out to the River, and let it go down the Tanaite branch into the sea: which branch on that account is hateful even now and abominable for Egyptians to name. These things are said to have been done on the 17th day of the month Athor, when the sun is passing through the Scorpion, Osiris then being in the eight and twentieth year of his reign. Some have it that he had lived, not reigned, such a time.
The first to discover the mischief were the Pans and Satyrs inhabiting the country round Chemmis and to give intelligence about what had happened, whence the sudden terrors and fears of the multitude are to the present day called “panics”. Isis on the news sheared off one of her tresses, and put on a mourning robe, whence the city even to the present day has the name of “Copto” (I beat the breast), but others think the name signifies bereavement, from “coptein”, “to deprive”. As she wandered about everywhere, not knowing what to do, she met no one without speaking to him, nay, even when she fell in with little children, she enquired of them about the coffer; these last chanced to have seen it, and told her the branch of the river through which Typhon's accomplices had let the chest drift into the sea. From this circumstance the Egyptians believe that little children possess the faculty of prophecy, and especially divine the future by their cries when they are playing in the temple courts and calling out whatever it may be. And having discovered that he (Typhon) had fallen in love and copulated with his sister in ignorance, as Osiris had done with herself, and seeing the proof thereof in the garland of melilote flower which he had left behind him with Nephthys, she sought for the infant (for she had at once exposed it, on bringing it forth, through her fear of Typhon); she found it at last with trouble and difficulty, through dogs guiding her to the place. This infant Isis nursed, and he grew up her guard and minister, being denominated Anubis and said to watch for the gods just as dogs do for men.
Proceeding thence, she learnt by inquiring that the chest with Osiris within it had been washed up by the sea at a place called Byblus, and that the surf had gently laid it under an Erica tree (impaled or encased on a tree). This Erica, a most lovely plant, growing up very large in a very short time, had enfolded, embraced, and concealed the coffer within itself. The king of the place, being astonished at the size of the plant, and having cut away the clump that concealed the coffer from sight, set the latter up as a pillar to support his roof. They tell how Isis, having learnt all this by the divine breath of fame, came to Byblus, and sitting down by the side of a spring all dejected and weeping, spoke not a word to any other persons, but saluted and made friends of the maid servants of the queen, by dressing their hair for them, and infusing into their bodies a wonderful perfume out of herself when the queen saw her maids again, she felt a longing to see the stranger, whose hair and whose body breathed of ambrosial perfume; and so she was sent for and, becoming intimate with the queen, was made nurse of her infant. The kings name, they say, was Malacander; herself some call Astarte, others Saosis, others Nemanous, who is the same with the Greek Athenais.
Isis is said to have suckled the child by putting, instead of her nipple, her finger into his mouth, and by night she singed away the mortal parts of his body. She turned herself into a swallow and flew around the pillar, twittering mournfully, until the queen watched her, and cried out when she saw her child all on fire, and so took away the boys immortality. Then the goddess, manifesting herself, asked for the pillar of the roof, and having removed it with the greatest ease, she cut away the Erica that surrounded it. This plant she wrapped up in a linen cloth, pouring perfume over it, and gave it in charge to the king; and to this day the people of Byblus venerate the wood which is preserved in a temple of Isis. But she fell upon the coffin and wailed so loud that the younger of the kings sons died of fright at it; the elder she took with her and, putting the coffer on board a ship, put to sea; but when the river Phaedrus sent forth too rough a gale, she grew wrath and dried up the stream.
As soon as ever she obtained privacy and was left to herself, having opened the coffer and laid her face upon the face of the corpse, she wailed and kissed it; but when the little boy observed this and came up quietly from behind to spy, she perceived him, and turning round gave him a dreadful look in her rage; the child could not stand the fright and died. Some say it was not so, but in the manner just stated he tumbled (in his fright) into the sea, but that he receives honours for the sake of the goddess, for the Maneros, whom the Egyptians sing about at their feasts, is this child. Others say that the boy is called Palaestinos, or Pelousios, and that the city was named after him, having been founded by the goddess. The Maneros that is sung about, they relate, first invented music. But some pretend “Maneros” is not the name of a person, but an expression suited to people drinking and keeping holidays and signifying “May things of the sort come with good luck,” for that the Egyptians exclaim this each time upon the Maneros being uttered; just as, indeed, the exhibition of the image of a dead man in his coffin carried round at feasts is not a reminder of the mourning for Osiris, as some interpret it, but merely intended to warn one to make use of the present and enjoy it, as very soon they themselves shall be as he, which is why they bring it into the feast.
But when Isis had gone to see her son Horus (who was at nurse in the city Buto), and had put the coffer away, Typhon being out a-hunting by moonlight came upon it, and recognizing the corpse, tore it into fourteen pieces, and scattered them abroad. Isis, having heard of this, sought after the fragments, passing over the swamps in a papyrus boat; for which cause such as sail in papyrus boats are never injured by the crocodiles, because they either fear or respect the goddess; from this circumstance there are many places called “Tombs of Osiris” all over Egypt, because she, whenever she came upon a fragment of the body, there celebrated a funeral. Some deny this but say that she made images and gave them to the several cities, giving them as the actual body, in order that it may receive honours in many places, and that if Typhon should get the better of Horus, when searching for the real tomb, he may be baffled, from many being so called and pointed out. Of the members of Osiris the only one Isis was unable to find was the genital member, for it had been thrown at first into the river, and lepidotus, phagrus, and oxyrhyncus had fed upon it, which kinds of fish the natives scruple to eat above all others, and Isis in its stead made a model and consecrated it, namely, the phallus, in honour whereof to this day the Egyptians hold a festival. Isis made a new penis for Osiris' body. After the body was complete she impregnated herself with her husband's dead body. This impregnation was seen an the planting of seeds in a field. This is where he gets the name of god of vegetation.
ThenOsiris came from the shades to Horus, and trained and exercised him for war, and then asked him “What he thought the finest thing possible?” and when he replied “to avenge ones father and mother when ill-treated”, he asked him secondly “What he considered the most useful animal to people going to battle?” and when Horus answered “the horse”, Osiris wondered at it and was puzzled why he said the horse instead of the lion. But when Horus explained that the lion indeed was serviceable to one standing in need of aid but the horse can both save him that flees and also destroy the enemy: Osiris on hearing this was rejoiced at the supposition that Horns had provided himself with horses. And as numbers came over from time to time to the side of Horus, Typhons concubine, Thoueris by name, Carrie also, and a serpent pursuing her was cut to pieces by the friends of Horus; and now in memory of this event, they throw down a rope in the midst of all and chop it to pieces. The battle between Horus and Typhon (Set) lasted for many days, and Horus vanquished; but Isis, having received from him Typhon in chains, did not destroy, but on the contrary unbound and let him go free. This Horus did not endure with patience, but he laid hands on his mother, and pushed the crown off her head; whereupon Hermes placed a bull-headed helmet upon her instead. And when Typhon brought a charge of illegitimacy against Horus, Hermes acting as his counsel, Horns was pronounced legitimate by the gods. After this Typhon was completely subdued in two other battles; and Isis conceived by Osiris copulating with her after death, and brought forth the prematurely born, and weak in his lower limbs, Harpocrates.
There, to quote Andrew Lang, the Greek narrator ends, but he expressly declines to tell the more blasphemous parts of the story, such as “the dismemberment of Horus and the beheading of Isis.” Why these myths should be considered “more blasphemous” than the rest does not appear.” One point from the rest of the text, as I think, requires here to be added. The moon, so we gather, was full, when Osiris was murdered by Set, whom the Greeks in their writings called Typhon.
Answer for yourself: Where does one turn to learn the esoteric religious meanings attached to this myth?
It is to this question that we now give answers.