The popularity of Isis and her associates, including Anubis, is highlighted by Dr. Frank Cole Babbitt (1867-1935), a professor of Greek language and literature at Trinity College, and a translator of Plutarch's Moralia: That the worship of Isis had been introduced into Greece before 330 B.C. is certain from an inscription found in...Peiraeus...in which the merchants from Citium ask permission to found a shrine of Aphrodite on the same terms as those on which the Egyptians had founded a shrine of Isis. In Delos there was a shrine of the Egyptian gods, and in Plutarch's own town they must have been honoured, for there have been found two dedications to Serapis, Isis, and Anubis, as well as numerous inscriptions recording the manumission of slaves, which in Greece was commonly accomplished by dedicating them to a god, who, in these inscriptions, is Serapis (Sarapis)....[1062]

The Greco-Egyptian god Serapis, a combination of Osiris and his "Apis bull," was especially created to appeal to the Greeks-and the Jews, with the Jewish patriarch during the reign of Hadrian compelled to attend a congregation of Serapis-worshipping Jews at Alexandria, an important fact that will be explored later. Concerning Serapis, in the Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress of Egyptologists, Serry remarks: The god Serapis was a fusion of Egyptian and Greek religious concepts originating in Alexandria, where Ptolemy the First started his cult and constructed the first known shrine for him called the Serapeum. Serapis was frequently combined with other deities both Egyptian and Greek. Such combinations were Serapis-Zeus, Serapis-Helios and Serapis-Amun. His statues are characterized with the long face, heavy curled beard, long moustaches with curling ends and five locks of hair falling over the forehead.[1063]

Hence, in Serapis emerges a pre-Christian hybrid god created by the priesthood specifically to unite factions of the Roman Empire, as we contend the Jesus figure was designed to do as well. Moreover, not a few observers have commented on the similarities between the two gods' appearances, to the point where the commonly imagined visage of Christ has been claimed to be a copy of Serapis, with his long, curly hair and beard.

In addition, the god Apis himself likewise represents an important example of the amalgamation and syncretism of Egyptian gods, as related by Dr. Dieter Kessler, a professor of Egyptology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat: Depending on the text, Apis was Ptah, Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, Geb-Shu, Osiris, Re, Atum, and/or Horus-or, as later texts say, "all in one."[1064]

Regarding Serapis, Hornung relates, "From the very beginning, he was the personification of Osiris, who was at this time not only ruler of the underworld and the dead but also the sun god."[1065] Thus, Osiris is the same as Serapis, and Serapis, it turns out, was confounded with Jesus as early as the true beginning of Christianity, i.e., the second century, demonstrating the firm connection between Osiris and Jesus as well. Concerning the spread of the cult of Anubis, Hornung states, "The worship of Anubis was well established in the sanctuaries of Isis, with the god in third place, ranking behind Isis and Sarapis."[1066]

The jackal-headed god Anubis was known well enough to the Greeks by the time of Plato in the fourth century that in his book Gorgias (482b) the philosopher depicts his mentor, Socrates, as swearing "by the dog, the God of the Egyptians."[1067] Plato also mentions "frequent contacts between Egyptians and Phoenicians" that "point to an even older cultural encounter."[1068] As Hornung relates, "Egyptian objects and religious concepts were spread throughout the Mediterranean world by Phoenician traders and colonists."[1069]

In his Antiquities of the Jews (18.3.4), Josephus also tells a story about Anubis, demonstrating that the god was famous enough in the Roman Empire at the end of the first century to warrant mention by the Jewish historian.[1070]

The profound importance of Anubis is further illustrated by his considerable presence in the Egyptian texts and images, such as those depicting him with Horus at the weighing of the deceased's heart.[1071] Indeed, Anubis factors significantly in the Pyramid Texts, in which he is the "prince of the court of justice (or, divine court)" (PT 610:1713c/M 375), "chief of the temple" (PT 665A:1909a) and "chief of the house" (PT 694:2150c/N 457).[1072] Also in the Pyramid Texts (PT 437:804d/P 31), Anubis is said to preside "over the pure (holy) land."[1073] In the Coffin Texts (CT Sp. 55), the deceased says he is "within the arms of Anubis in the Pure Place."[1074]

When we are aware of these facts of the importance and pervasiveness of the Egyptian religion around the Mediterranean and elsewhere at the time, knowing how its myths and rituals were usurped in numerous instances, as well as that several of its major players have essentially been morphed into Christian characters, we may logically ask what happened to the others, especially one as important as Anubis? Who replaced Anubis within the Christian mythos and ritual? A scientific analysis reveals John the Baptist to represent the most likely candidate.

Who is Anubis?

The worship of Anubis/Anup/Anpu, also styled Anep, Anepo or Anebo, as well as Anupu and Inpu, among others, may extend back some 6,000 years, making him one of the older gods.[1075] As noted, Anubis is often portrayed with the head of a jackal, while the jackal constellation is also called the "Jackal of Set," the latter god at times being identified with Anubis.[1076] Hence, this god of the underworld is sometimes deemed "Set-Anubis" or "Sut-Anup." Furthermore, Anubis is at times also depicted as a human being,[1077] an important fact to know when comparing him to John the Baptist. Sired by either Set or Osiris,[1078] depending on the myth, Anubis is the son of their sister Nephthys. Thus, like John's mother, Elizabeth, who was the Virgin Mary's cousin, Anubis's mother, Nephthys, was related to Horus's mother, Isis.[1079] Hence, as John and Jesus are related to each other, Anubis and Horus are also relatives, even sharing the same father, Osiris. While Nephthys was Osiris's protector when he was the moon god,[1080] in BD 151, in which Anubis attends to the mummified deceased and makes a speech, the god himself is "the Osiris's" protector.[1081] Indeed, Anubis helps Isis and Horus restore Osiris's body after Set kills him. Anubis is also Osiris's embalmer, and, in BD 64, he is the "bearer" of the deceased/Osiris.[1082] Moreover, Anubis is depicted as carrying the infant Horus, much like St. Christopher-the "Christ-bearer"-who in the Christian myth conveys the baby Jesus across the Jordan River.[1083] Indeed, like Anubis, St. Christopher was depicted on ancient coins with a dog's head.[1084] As professor of Religion at Southwestern University Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster says, "...there are probable links between the dog-headed Christopher and Hermanubis, a god of healing whose tradition comes from both Egyptian and Hellenistic sources."[1085]

A popular god who was "eventually worshipped throughout Egypt," Anubis was involved in the "purification of the dead" and was also identified with Horus, as Anubis-Horus, as related by Egyptian art curator Dr. Denise M. Doxey of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.[1086] Anubis as the god "cleansing me," as the deceased says in CT Sp. 341, prevents or ceases the putrefaction of the dead,[1087] truly representing the "preparer of the way" for the eternal life of the savior. Indeed, Anubis has been described as the "divine physician" who resurrects Osiris.[1088] Of course, Christ himself, who resurrects Lazarus, was called by Augustine and others the "Divine Physician."[1089] Anubis's role as "guardian of the way of life"[1090] can be seen further in an image in which the god appears "in his office...of assisting at the renovation and restoration of the dead."[1091]

As Anubis is thus the "Preparer of the Way of the Other World,"[1092] so too is John the Baptist called the "preparer of the way of Christ." John is likewise the "precursor," "forerunner" and "messenger," as found in the "prophetic" Old Testament book of Malachi (3:1), directly preceding the New Testament. In fact, John is considered the link between the two testaments, as the last Jewish prophet and the first Christian saint.[1093] Anubis is also the messenger of the gods,[1094] equivalent to the Greek god Hermes or Mercury,[1095] the counterpart of the Egyptian lunar god Thoth or Djehuty/Tehuti. Moreover, like Thoth, whose emblem is the Tau or T, Anubis is "never without a cross,"[1096] specifically the life-giving ankh, one of the holiest symbols in Egyptian religion. As related by the ancient writer Iamblichus (c. 245-c. 325 AD/CE), "The cross with a handle which Tot [Thoth] holds in his hand was none other than the monogram of his name."[1097] Concerning the cross, in Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, famed adventurer James Bruce remarks: Besides many other emblems and figures, the common Tot...has in his hand a cross with a handle, or Crux Ansata, which has occasioned great speculation among the decypherers. This cross, fixed to a circle, is supposed to denote the four elements, and to be the symbol of the influence which the sun has over them. Jamblichus [de Myst. sect. 8. cap. 5] records, that this cross, in the hand of Tot, is the name of the divine Being that travels through the world.[1098]

The cross being the name of the "divine being" sounds Gnostic, especially in consideration of the fact that in Gnosticism the cross or stauros is identified with the character Horos, as we have seen. Like the Egyptian holy precursor Anubis/Thoth, John too was strongly associated with the cross, depicted in images holding one or having one nearby.

Furthermore, it is intriguing that Thoth is the speaker of the "Word of God" or Logos uttered to create the universe,[1099] while at the beginning of John's gospel, the Baptist is sandwiched into a discussion of the Word/Logos. This association of the magical word and Thoth/Anubis appears in the Pyramid Texts (PT 437:796c/P 31), with the "going forth" by the deceased "at the voice of Anubis, while he has spiritualized thee, like Thot..."[1100] Thus, again, Anubis is important in the "akhifying" or resurrection and immortalization of the dead.

In actuality, the Gospel of John, which opens with a pious discourse regarding John "the Baptist"-although never using that title-is without a doubt the most Egyptian of the four canonical gospels, and it appears that some of its lofty spiritual language was designed to convert to Christianity the followers of this highly important god Anubis. Moreover, when "the Baptist" is introduced in John's gospel, he is said not to be "the light" itself but to "bear witness to the light" (Jn 1:8), precisely the same role a lunar god such as Anubis/Thoth would serve in regard to the sun.

In keeping with the interchangeability of gods within mythology, Anubis is identified not only with Thoth but also with Osiris, his father, depending on the version of the myth.[1101] Osiris and Anubis alike not only were associated with the afterlife but also symbolized both the star Sirius and different aspects of the sun, Osiris frequently representing the sun at night, while, like Horus, Anubis was the sun at the horizon, whether rising or setting.[1102] According to Plutarch (44, 368E), Anubis is the horizon itself, representing the line between light and dark.[1103] He may thus also be considered "twilight."[1104] As the baby whom she suckles with her finger, Anubis (the horizon) is Isis's "attendant," who accompanies her when she seeks her own newborn son (the rising sun).[1105] In addition, like Osiris, Anubis is the "god of the dead or the night god."[1106]

According to Budge, "An was an old name for the sun-god."[1107] Interestingly, the original Greek name for "John" is Io-An-nes, while, again, the Egyptian name of Anubis is commonly rendered An-up or An-pu, while in Coptic, it is Anoub. Another very famous water god from Babylonia is Oannes, who likewise shares many characteristics with John the Baptist, as demonstrated in my book Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled.

Anubis is further the "'giver of Sirius,' the starry opener of the year,"[1108] corresponding to the summer solstice, which just happens to be the traditional nativity and feast day of John the Baptist, as we have seen. Indeed, St. John's Nativity or Feast Day occurs on June 24th, the last of the three days the sun "stands still" during the summer solstice. Like John, who was said to be born six months before Jesus, Anubis was born shortly before Horus. The connection between John the Baptist and Anubis becomes more pointed when it is realized that, while John's feast day is on the summer solstice, Anubis actually represents the personification of the summer solstice. As Budge states: ...strictly speaking, Anubis was the opener of the roads of the North, and Ap-uat the opener of the roads of the South; in fact, Anubis was the personification of the Summer Solstice, and Ap-uat of the Winter Solstice.[1109]

Anubis is sometimes confounded or identified with the god Ap-uat as the "opener of the ways," while, again, Apuat/Wepwawet is also "identical with Osiris."[1110] Like Anubis, Osiris too was the opener of the way, being born at the beginning of the Egyptian New Year, when it occurred at the summer solstice with the inundation of the Nile. However, since Wepwawet has been identified with Osiris, who in turn has been identified with Jesus, this comparison between John and Anubis becomes increasingly apparent, as Anubis would represent the summer solstice and Osiris the winter, while John the Baptist was supposedly born at the summer solstice, six months before Jesus, who was purportedly born at the winter solstice, according to popular tradition dating from at least the third century onward and taught to billions of people worldwide since then. This juxtaposition of John and Jesus as the sun at the summer and winter solstice brings vividly to light the meaning of the enigmatic remark made by "the Baptist" at John 3:30, previously mentioned: "He must increase, but I must decrease." As the sun passes through the summer solstice, the days begin to decrease in length, until the winter solstice, when the days increase again. This peculiar remark, which would not seem to be applicable to a human being, is all the more interesting in view of the fact that it appears only in the gospel of John, again the most Egyptian of the canonical texts, likely written at Alexandria for an Egyptian audience. It may thus serve as evidence that the writer of the gospel was aiming to usurp Anubis with the Jewish "prophet."

In addition, as the jackal-headed god, Anubis ranks as "one crying in the wilderness," as those animals notoriously do, and is likewise considered a guide to those who are lost in the desolation.[1111] Indeed, one thesis holds that, in the biblical story, the Israelites wandering in the wilderness worshipped Anubis, the dog-headed guide.[1112] In the Bible (Neh 2:13) appears the "jackal's well," which is traditionally placed in the Hinnom Valley[1113] and which also demonstrates a relationship between that animal and water, possibly based on the "dog's" ability to find water in the wilderness. This relationship may explain the pervasive aquatic connection to Anubis and jackals in the Egyptian texts as well. The jackal's cry in the wilderness was unquestionably well known to the nomads of the biblical era. While John the Baptist is depicted as the "one crying in the wilderness" to prepare the way of Lord Jesus, Anubis the jackal would be crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of Lord Osiris.

The Boat of the Dead.

Anubis is not only the protector of Osiris but also the conductor or guide of the Osiris, or the deceased as he or she passes through the underworld. Indeed, Anubis is "associated with the Eye of Horus," steering the dead to Osiris.[1114] In The Horus Myth in Its Relation to Christianity, William Cooper describes the function of Anubis as guide or "psychopomp," the traditional role of the god Hermes in Greek myth: Having quitted the boat of the river of Hades, the deceased is met by the god Anubis, who conducts him in safety through the devious windings of an intricate labyrinth, and leaves him at the threshold of the judgment-hall of Osiris, the hall of the Two Truths.[1115]

In the judgment hall, if the deceased is not sufficiently pure, he is changed into a pig and "reconveyed to earth by Anubis in a boat."[1116] The "bark of Anubis" is likewise referred to in the Coffin Texts, as at CT Sp. 344, in which we also find reference to the "celestial ferryman."[1117] Moreover, as "the 'opener of the road' it was the duty of Anubis to guide the boat of the Sun through the underworld during the hours of darkness."[1118]

Anubis is thus deemed the "ferryman of the dead" or "ferryman of souls."[1119] Perhaps not surprisingly, in a similar role we find John the Baptist: The idea that the souls of the dead were ferried over to the Land of the Blessed by a righteous ferryman passed from the Books of the Dead into the literature of the Christian Egyptians, or Copts. Thus St. John Chrysostom tells us that our Lord gave to John the Baptist a boat of gold, which he was to use in transporting the souls of the righteous over the river of fire in Amente. This boat was provided with oars, to which lamps were attached. The oars, apparently, worked themselves under the direction of John the Baptist, and when the souls landed from the boat the lamps rekindled themselves and lighted the paths over the roads of darkness until John brought the souls to the Third Heaven.[1120]

The Coptic text Budge cites here is called Encomium on John the Baptist, which is in reality pseudonymously attributed to Church father John Chrysostom (c. 347-c. 407 AD/CE), but which is nonetheless an ancient work. And who may be the "righteous ferryman" who "passed from the Books of the Dead into the literature of the Christian Egyptians," specifically as John the Baptist? Could it be Anubis, the protector, conductor and guide of the dead, who himself was said to possess a "bark" or boat? It appears these early Christians recognized the correlation between Anubis and John the Baptist, as others did many centuries later.

In his Coptic Apocrypha (xx), Budge further elucidates upon this theme: The boat was intended for the use of the souls of those who had loved John upon earth. These souls would, after the death of their bodies, find their way to the boat of gold, and John would ferry them over the Lake of Fire, and land them in the Third Heaven, which was John's peculiar appanage [station]. No soul, good or bad, could enter this Heaven except after baptism in the river of fire...[1121]

One of the most important Egyptian rituals, in fact, was to conduct the dead through the Lake of Fire, in a form of "baptism by fire." In the Book of the Dead (e.g., BD 98), the deceased is instructed on how to "catch a ferryboat in the sky" or "Sacred Bark," also making reference to the "Great Waterway" and the "Lake of Fire" or "Lake of Burning in the Field of Fire."[1122] Assman calls this passage a "spell for fetching the ferry" that arrives "at the place of eternal life."[1123] As in the later Christian myth, it is into this Lake of Fire that the "wicked were to be thrown," for purposes of purification.[1124] Not only the wicked but also the righteous were purified in this baptism by fire. The baptism by fire also made it into the New Testament, with Jesus said to be its initiator. (Mt 3:11)

The Living Water.

As noted, the sacred ritual of baptism by water can be found dating back millennia in many places around the world, including and especially in Egypt. As a source of life, particularly along the Nile, water figured prominently in the spiritual imagery of ancient Egypt. As Renouf remarks, "The water from heaven was supposed in Egypt to be especially refreshing for the dead."[1125] This concept may also be found at PT 685:2063a/N 519: "The waters of life which are in the sky, the waters of life which are in the earth come," to purify and cleanse the king, who is afterwards reborn.[1126] The "water from heaven" and "in the sky" would sensibly refer to rain, of course, which comes from "the Weeper," who is "primarily Heaven."[1127] As Renouf points out, "The Nile god who proceeds from [the Weeper] also bears the same name." [1128] The Nile god traditionally is Osiris; hence, it could be said that Osiris's tears resurrect the dead. Indeed, one popular theme during the Middle Kingdom in particular was that "mankind was created out of the tears of the creator-god, especially the sun-god."[1129] This motif of life-giving tears is reminiscent of the scripture at John 11:35: "Jesus wept," in the pericope of raising Lazarus from the dead. It is interesting that this odd saying too appears only in the gospel of John-which is clearly the most Egyptian of the canonical texts-again, in the resurrection of Lazarus, who is demonstrably Osiris.

Regarding this Egyptian "living water," Plutarch (36, 365B) remarks, "Not only the Nile, but every form of moisture they call simply the effusion of Osiris; and in their holy rites the water jar in honour of the god heads the procession."[1130] Plutarch (38, 366A) continues: "As they regard the Nile as the effusion of Osiris, so they hold and believe the earth to be the body of Isis, not all of it, but so much of it as the Nile covers, fertilizing it and uniting with it. From this union they make Horus to be born."[1131]

Thus, Osiris's "effusion" combining with the "virgin matter" of Isis produces the divine son, Horus, another variant of the myth that has nothing to do with a phallus or any other human body part. The effusion of Osiris, also called "effluxes" or "sap," is abundantly discussed in the ancient Egyptian texts. In a note to BD 63a, for example, regarding a sentence about the "effluxes of Osiris," Renouf states: Effluxes,...the ["ichor"], the vital sap, as it were, of the body of Osiris, which is the source of life both to men and the gods, and in default of which his own heart would cease to beat. It is celebrated in all the mythological texts extant from the time of the Pyramids down to the latest inscriptions of Denderah and Edfu, and even in Demotic documents. All moisture was supposed to proceed from it, and the Nile was naturally identified with it.[1132]

Regarding the remark that the "sap of Osiris" is the "source of life both to men and the gods," Renouf further notes, "In one of the ancient chapters preserved in the tomb of Horhotep, the deceased, speaking in the person of Horus, talks of quenching his thirst with the [effluxes/sap] of his father Osiris."[1133] Thus, like Jesus, who presents the woman at the well in John (Jn 4:10-11) with the "living water," Osiris too is the source of the "living water." Once again, it is interesting that it is the most Egyptian gospel, John, which contains this concept of living water, so highly emphasized in the Egyptian religion.

The watery language continues in a number of other utterances in the Pyramid Texts, including one (PT 33:25c/N 125) addressing Osiris as "you being young in your name of Fresh Water."[1134] The "coolness," "cold water" and youthfulness in Osiris's name of "Fresh water" are also discussed at PT 423:765-767/P 7.[1135]

Moreover, "effusion," "purification" and "immersion" are terms used over the centuries in discussions of Christian baptism as well.

The Baptism.

Along with the concept of holy, living water in Egyptian religion comes its use for purification in actual baptism, with immersion into water or sprinkling of water. Concerning Egyptian baptism, Bonwick relates: The baptism in Egypt is known by the hieroglyphic terms of "water of purification." In Egypt...the water so used in immersion absolutely cleansed the soul, and the person was said to be regenerated. The water itself was holy, and the place was known, as afterwards by the eastern Christians, by the name of holy bath. The early Christians called it being "brought anew into the world." The ancients always gave a new name at Baptism, which custom was afterwards followed by moderns. The Mithraic font for the baptism of ancient Persians is regarded as of Egyptian origin.[1136]

We have already seen abundantly this ritual of purification in water within the Egyptian religion, in which the deceased becomes revivified, a cleansing equivalent to Christian baptism. Indeed, one definition of "baptism" is a "ceremony, trial, or experience by which one is initiated, purified, or given a name."[1137] As do Christians during baptism, the deceased/Osiris frequently received a new name, depicted in the texts as speaking from the perspective of many deities, as demonstrated. Since "baptism," which comes from the Greek word baptizo, is called "purification by water" in the Egyptian, the word for "baptizer" or "baptist" would be "purifier."

In this regard, concerning the use of the term "baptism" in his article on the purification of the kings called "The Baptism of Pharaoh," Gardiner states: The analogy of our rite to that of Christian baptism is close enough to left the title given to this article. In both cases a symbolic cleansing by means of water serves as initiation into a properly legitimated religious life.[1138]

Far from belonging to Christianity, the term "baptizo," its root "bapto," or other derivative thereof, meaning "to dip" or "to baptize," can be found in several pre-Christian and non-Christian texts.[1139]

Naturally, the early Church fathers were aware of the baptismal commonality, although, as usual, they worked hard to create distinctions that denigrated the Pagan religion and elevated their own. For example, the ancient "heathen" practice of water purification is discussed by Church father Tertullian in his treatise "On Baptism" (5), in which he attempts to assert Christian superiority:

Chapter 5. Use Made of Water by the Heathen...

"...the nations, who are strangers to all understanding of spiritual powers, ascribe to their idols the imbuing of waters with the self-same efficacy." (So they do) but they cheat themselves with waters which are widowed. For washing is the channel through which they are initiated into some sacred rites-of some notorious Isis or Mithras. The gods themselves likewise they honour by washings. Moreover, by carrying water around, and sprinkling it, they everywhere expiate country-seats, houses, temples, and whole cities: at all events, at the Apollinarian and Eleusinian games they are baptized; and they presume that the effect of their doing that is their regeneration and the remission of the penalties due to their perjuries. Among the ancients, again, whoever had defiled himself with murder, was wont to go in quest of purifying waters. Therefore, if the mere nature of water, in that it is the appropriate material for washing away, leads men to flatter themselves with a belief in omens of purification, how much more truly will waters render that service through the authority of God, by whom all their nature has been constituted![1140]

Tertullian further discusses the "pool of Bethsaida," which appears only in the highly Egyptian gospel of John (5:2), as does the "pool of Siloam" (Jn 9:7, 11), with a focus of having the infirm bathe in it to be healed. Naturally, we find the precedent of the "Pool of Truth," "pool of right and truth," "divine pool," "pool of the water of life" and the "pool of peace" in the Egyptian religion as well.[1141] The Pool of Bethsaida or Bethesda, in should be noted, provides an evidently unambiguous anachronism within John's gospel, in that the building at Jerusalem with the five porches in which the healings took place was apparently not in existence until after the reign of Emperor Hadrian, beginning in 135 AD/CE.[1142] John's gospel, therefore, could not have been written before that time and indeed does not clearly show up in the historical record until the end of the second century.

In addition to these "Pagan" precedents of baptism, the Catholic Encyclopedia focuses on pre-Christian Jewish "foreshadowings," such as the mythical Great Flood representing a "type of purification to be found in the Christian baptism": Other forerunners of baptism were the numerous purifications prescribed in the Mosaic dispensation for legal uncleannesses. The symbolism of an outward washing to cleanse an invisible blemish was made very familiar to the Jews by their sacred ceremonies. But in addition to these more direct types, both the New Testament writers and the Fathers of the Church find many mysterious foreshadowings of baptism. Thus St. Paul (1 Corinthians 10) adduces the passage of Israel through the Red Sea, and St. Peter (1 Peter 3) the Deluge, as types of the purification to be found in Christian baptism. Other foreshadowings of the sacrament are found by the Fathers in the bathing of Naaman in the Jordan, in the brooding of the Spirit of God over the waters, in the rivers of Paradise, in the blood of the Paschal Lamb, during Old Testament times, and in the pool of Bethsaida, and in the healing of the dumb and blind in the New Testament.[1143]

As can be seen, the "water of purification"-or baptism-is an old concept long predating the common era, found not only in Judea but also in Egypt, from which the Jews garnered a number of their rituals and beliefs. As another example, in describing the initiation into the mysteries of Isis undergone by the character Lucius in ancient Latin writer Apuleius's The Golden Ass, Dr. Assman clarifies that, when Lucius is "first bathed," he is baptized. The German scholar then comments, "The bath thus has the sacramental sense of a remission of sins."[1144] In this regard, at CT Sp. 761, the deceased is instructed as follows: "...Go up and bathe in the Lake of Life; what is evil on you will be purged in the Lake of the Firmament..."[1145]

As we can see, in the Egyptian religion appear "divine pools," the "lake of fire" and other lakes for purification as discovered in the funerary literature. In this same regard, in BD 125 the deceased addresses Osiris, saying: ...for I have done the right for the Lord of Truth. I have purified myself and my fore parts with holy water, and my hinder parts with the things that make clean, and my inward parts have been [immersed] in the Lake of Truth. There is not one member of mine wherein truth is lacking. I purified myself in the Pool of the South....[1146]

The purpose of the purification in the south and north pools is clarified by Massey, who further explains the two different types of Egyptian baptism and their relationship to Christian doctrine: There was a double baptism in the ancient mysteries: the baptism by water and the baptism by spirit. This may be traced to the two lakes of heaven at the head of the celestial river in the region of the northern pole, which were also repeated as the two lakes of purification in Amenta. The manes [soul/spirit] says, "I purify me in the southern tank, and I rest me at the northern lake" (ch. 125). They will account for the two forms of baptism mentioned in the Gospels. John baptizes with water, Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with fire.[1147]

Hence, again we have precise and detailed correspondences between spiritual concepts of the Egyptian and Christian religions, specifically as concerns baptism.

In the Pyramid Texts (PT 665b:1919a) as well can be found a divine lake in which the deceased may be purified to attain to everlasting life: "Draw fully from the divine lake, the lake in which [they] purify thee, as a god."[1148] At PT 670:1979a/N 348, Osiris comes forth from the "Lake of Life, having been cleansed" in the "Lake of Cool Water," which Breasted calls the "celestial lake."[1149] In the Coffin Texts, at CT Sp. 891, the speaker remarks, "I am cleansed in the Lake of the Netherworld..."[1150] Concerning the sun god's nightly journey back to life, Egyptologist Dr. Jacobus Van Dijk of the University of Groningen says that "according to the Pyramid Texts, the sun god purifies himself in the morning in the Lake of the Field of Rushes."[1151] Thus, the morning sun-or Horus-was said to pass through the purifying or baptismal waters to become reborn, revivified or resurrected.

Horus the Baptist.

Horus is not only purified or baptized, but, as we have seen from his role as purifier in the funerary literature, Horus himself is a baptizer as well, as in CT Sp. 74, in which the deceased is told that "Horus has purified you."[1152] Horus is depicted as the baptist also in CT Sp. 345: "Ho N! Horus himself will cleanse you in that pool of cold water."[1153] In a "supplementary ceremony," Horus "hath purified the Osiris in the Lake of the Jackal,"[1154] in which the deceased is purified also in CT Sp. 33-35.[1155]

Moreover, Horus is the "anointer with water" of the pharaohs: "In scenes from temples, [Thoth] and Horus anoint the king with water."[1156] In this regard, Gardiner discusses numerous "Scenes Representing the Baptism of Pharaoh" depicting the purification or baptism by Horus and Thoth of kings/pharaohs such as Sethos I, Ramesses II, III and IV, et al.[1157] In this regard, Dr. Gabriel remarks: The officiating priests...wore the masks of Thoth and Horus, both of whom had prominent roles in the Osirian myth. It was these gods who performed the ritual of resurrection over the corpse of Osiris. New life was brought to Osiris' limbs and body by washing, clearly linking washing with magic water to rebirth.... So important was the ritual of baptism to the Egyptians that some form of it, purification or offering of a libation, became an essential rite in all important religious and state rituals. It even appeared in the funerary liturgy where the daily ritual was repeated in the washing of the dead.[1158]

It is important to note that Gabriel specifically refers to the "ritual of resurrection" as concerns Osiris's body, which was brought new life. Furthermore, Gardiner avers that scenes in which four gods are purifying the king represent the four cardinal points,[1159] demonstrating another astrotheological motif.

Anubis, the Jackal Lake and House/Tent of Purification.

Sharing the same father after a certain point, Horus has been identified with Anubis, as we have seen from the hybrid Anubis-Horus, the god of Cynopolis or "Dog City," for example.[1160] As Hornung says of Anubis, "From the New Kingdom on, he was also considered to be son of Osiris and thus often appeared in the role of Horus."[1161] Anubis also shares with Horus the role of purifier/baptizer: In addition to previous examples, the purification of Anubis is also referred to in CT Sp. 527.[1162]

In this same regard, in the Pyramid Texts we find much discussion of the "purifying lake," which, as at PT 697:2170a/N 564, is that of the jackal: "Thou purifiest thyself in the lake of the jackal; thou cleansest thyself in the lake of the Duat [Netherworld]."[1163] In addition, at PT 504:1083b/P 458, the Osiris says, "I have cleansed myself in the lakes of the jackal."[1164] At CT Sp. 551, we also discover the Osiris bathing in the "Lakes of the Netherworld" and washing in the "Lakes of the Jackals."[1165] The "lake of the jackal" or "jackal lake," in which the deceased or the souls are purified in their progress to immortality, as also at PT 697:2170a/N 564,[1166] could be understood to be that of Anubis. In CT Sp. 61, the deceased is "cleansed in the Lake of Cold Water," while Anubis "burns incense for you...."[1167] The Jackal Lake, in fact, features prominently in the purification of the sun during its nightly journey.[1168]

Anubis as a jackal purifying the dead is undoubtedly based on that scavenger's role in keeping the land free of putrefaction. This idea is indicated by certain passages in the sacred scriptures, as in CT Sp. 73, discussing the names of Anubis and the "Jackal of Upper Egypt" associated with protection against "rotting" and "putrefaction."[1169]

Moreover, as embalmer, Anubis's purifying role in mummification is made clear in the fact that he presides over the "House of Purification"[1170] and "Tent of Purification," the latter called tp-jbw in Egyptian.[1171] In describing the funerary rituals, Dr. Lesko states: Pouring of water, for its life-giving as well as purification qualities, was part of every ritual. The corpse, whether first desiccated or not, would have been washed (in the Tent of Purification) and then anointed and wrapped in the embalmer's shop. Seven sacred oils used for anointing the body are known already in the first dynasty....[1172]

As we can see, not only was the Osiris baptized but he was also anointed or Christed, as the word would be in Greek. In the "mortuary workshop," the "rites of embalmming and purification"[1173] thus go hand in hand. Hence, the deceased-who is at times Osiris and at others Horus-is purified or baptized.

Concerning the cleansing of the deceased in the "Tent of Purification," in The Apis Embalming Ritual, Dutch Egyptologist Dr. Rene L. Vos states: This washing of the corpse with water is an ancient solar rite, the object being the removal of impurity and the bringing about of resurrection, just as the sun rises from the primeval waters or, which amounts to the same thing, from the horizon.[1174]

After the corpse is purified, it is moved into the House of Embalming, about which Dr. Vos remarks that it was "above all the house in which the mystery of resurrection was performed, as Osiris had risen from the dead... Purity is a precondition for resurrection... The embalmers enter the House of Embalming after they have met the requirements of purity..."[1175]

Dr. Roth also describes the ritual for the deceased, in which the procession "went aboard a special boat," which "carried the procession to the sh ntr Jnpw" or the "divine booth of Anubis-probably to be equated with the purification tent..."[1176]

Throughout this complex ritual of purification and resurrection, in which "Osiris is risen from the dead," as is Horus as the morning sun rising from the "primeval waters," Anubis is thus the "purifier"[1177]- or baptist-a role spelled out also in BD 97, as recapped by Massey: The scene of the baptism by John can be paralleled in the Ritual (97). Horus claims to be the master of all things, including the water of the Inundation. When he comes to be baptized, it is "said at the boat," called the "staff of Anup," "Look upon me, oh ye great and mighty Gods, who are foremost among the spirits of Annu; let me be exalted in your presence." The plea for baptism is very express. "Lo, I come, that I may purify this soul of mine in the most high degree: let not that impediment which cometh from your mouth be issued against me, let me be purified in the lake of propitiation and of equipoise: let me plunge into the divine pool beneath the two divine sycamores of heaven and after." After the baptism, he says, "Now let my Fold be fitted for me as one victorious against all adversaries who would not that right should be done to me. I am the only one just and true upon the earth."[1178]

In this analysis, Massey accurately quotes Renouf's translation of BD 97, concerning a speech made by the deceased, who is essentially identified as Horus, as he approaches the "bark" or "boat" of Anubis: Said at the Bark: Staff of Anubis, may I propitiate those four Glorified ones who follow after the Master of [all] things. I am the Master of the champaign at their behest, and I am the Father of the Inundation, when he who hath charge of the canals is athirst. Look therefore upon me, oh ye great and mighty gods, who are foremost among the Spirits of Annu [Heliopolis]; let me be exalted in your presence. I am a well-doer towards you. Lo I come, that I may purify this Soul of mine in the most high degree; let not that impediment proceeding from your mouth be issued against me which giveth one over to ruin: let me be purified in the lake of propitiation and of equipoise: let me plunge into the divine pool beneath the two divine sycamores of Heaven and Earth. Now let my Fold be fitted for me as one victorious against all adversaries who would not that right should be done to me. I am the Only one; just and true upon the Earth. It is I who say it.[1179]

In the previous chapter/spell 96, the deceased is identified as "he who dwells in his Eye,"[1180] which would basically be Horus, although the deceased is more often Osiris, while the priest plays the role of Horus. In this case, however, Horus-evidently called here the "Only One," which Renouf identifies as an appellation of the sun[1181]-would be approaching the "staff of Anubis" at the boat, asking for purification and exaltation in the "lake of propitiation" and "divine pool." With such a role for Anubis, it is obvious why the connection has been made between Horus approaching Anubis for "water purification" and Jesus drawing near John for "baptism," both terms, as we have seen, referring to the same sacred ritual. Thus, it could be said that Horus is baptized by Anup the baptizer!

In BD 145 (or 146),[1182] which Budge calls the "Chapter of the Pylons," and Massey labels the "chapter of the baptisms," the deceased, as Horus, must pass through a series of "pylons" or portals in order to become purified.[1183] According to T. George Allen, the pertinent BD 145 was composed in the 21st dynasty, and it differs from prior editions in that the "Osiris" or "N." is clearly identified as "Horus."[1184] In this chapter/spell, each pylon/portal is dedicated to a different god, and at every one Horus is washed in the name of that god, as well as anointed with unguent, or, again, Christed. After each washing-or "baptism"-the deceased/Horus is pronounced "pure." At the fourth pylon, Horus washes himself in the water in which the "Un-nefer"-meaning "Good Being," an epithet of Osiris-also washed himself after his victory over Set (Satan). In the fifth pylon, the deceased washes himself in the water in which Horus was purified "when he made himself the Chief reader and Sa-mer-f ["his beloved son"] for his father, Osiris."[1185] This passage is reminiscent of the New Testament scripture in which Jesus is baptized by John, and God's voice from heaven booms, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mt 3:17) In the eighth pylon, Horus washes himself in the water "wherein the god Anpu washed when he had performed the office of embalmer and bandager," also called the "Chief reader of Osiris."[1186] Here too Horus becomes anointed or christed. Massey summarizes the scene: Here we find...that Anup was the baptizer in preparing Osiris (or the mortal Horus) to become the Horus in spirit, the anointed and beloved son of the father in the rite of embalmment, or baptism; that Osiris, or Horus, was baptized preparatory to or at the time of his contest with Sut (Satan); and that the baptism of Horus took place when he became chief minister, the beloved son Su-meri-f of his father....[1187]

It is at this point when Horus becomes the "Chief reader" and the "anointed and beloved son of the father," Massey contends, that he attains to manhood, reaching the sherau ("adult son") stage of 30 years old, like his Jewish counterpart Jesus, who is about 30 when he is baptized by John (Lk 3:23).[1188] In other words, it is not necessarily that Horus is 30 years old when he is baptized but that through his baptism he becomes a man, traditionally associated with the age of 30. The affect remains the same, however, that a central mystery in the Egyptian religion is the baptism of the king or godman, evidently in association with the age of 30-a ritual that makes sense in consideration of the importance given to the 30-year period or "age" celebrated, for example, in the Sed festival of the Horus-kings, at which sacred water was used for purification.

This notion of the baptism at the "age of 30" or a 30-year interval is given validation by Gardiner, who discusses the "baptism of pharaoh" or "Hes-purification": It is not often that the legends beside the picture of the Hes-purification allude to its ultimate purpose, but they do so in one Karnak example of the time of Sethos I..., where we read: I purify thee with life and dominion, that thou mayst grow young...like thy father Re and make Sed festival like Atum, being arisen gloriously as prince of joy.[1189]

Here we see in an inscription the purification in association with the Sed festival designed to allow the king to rise "gloriously" as "prince of joy," another "Christian"-sounding attribute.

To summarize, in the ancient Egyptian texts we discover a number of instances in which the deceased, as Horus, must be purified by water-or baptized-in order to attain to immortality, including one portal or station where Anubis or "Anup" himself acts as a purifier or baptizer. Of course, every time the king/pharaoh is baptized/purified, so too is Horus, as the royal alter ego.

Significantly, the Christian Baptist too has been called "John the Purifier" over the centuries, during which a controversy erupted regarding this appellation and role, with proponents citing the biblical verse at Malachi 3:3 as referring to John: "...he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi..."[1190] (RSV) In actuality, "purifier" may be a more appropriate term, since the word "baptist" or "baptizer" as applied to John "has no precedent in Second Temple Judaism."[1191] What this fact means is that such a title did not exist within Judaism at the time John supposedly lived, with this figure then becoming anachronistic and, in reality, likely fictional. Indeed, even though he is highlighted in the Gospel of John, John is never called therein by his epithet of "baptist." Since not even John is to be considered a "baptist," per se, when we apply the term to "Anup," it should not be viewed as the exclusive property of the Jewish character or, therefore, inappropriate to the Egyptian figure. In other words, as Anubis was not necessarily termed "the baptizer," so too was John not called "baptist" during his alleged lifetime. Both of these figures, in fact, are deemed "purifiers," involved in the act of purification by water, i.e., baptism.

While John the Baptist is sketchy as a historical character, even in light of his mention in the writings of Josephus, the idea of a god who baptizes or purifies by immersion in water is as old as the hills and highly popular. The Egyptian god Anubis/Anup is evidently just such a god, as is the Babylonian water god Oannes, while the Christian figure Ioannes/John seems to be based on both of these mythical forerunners.[1192]

Aquarius the Water-Bearer.

Like his popular predecessor the Babylonian water and fish god Oannes, over the centuries the biblical figure of John the Baptist has been associated repeatedly with the zodiacal sign and constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer, who "pours down the water on the heads of the people." As Dr. Herbert J. Hardwicke relates of John: His nativity is fixed by the Catholic church at June 24th, at the first moment of which day Aquarius rose above the horizon, to pursue his course along the ecliptic; and thus is accounted for the passage "he must increase, but I must decrease," which means that John's days become shorter from June 24th to Dec. 25th, when Jesus is born; after which the days grow longer. At midnight on Aug. 28th and 29th Aquarius was seen at Alexandria above the southern horizon, travelling along the ecliptic with his head above the equator, as though it had been cut off. (Matt. xiv. 10). On that very day the Church keeps the anniversary of John's death. In the fourth gospel we find the same personification of Aquarius depicted...[1193]

As we can see, the story of John the Baptist's beheading is written in the stars, like so much else of the gospel story, casting doubt once more on his place in "history."