Khrisna of India. Thammuz of Syria. Esus of the Celtic Druids. Mithra of Persia. Quexalcoati of Mexico. All were crucified gods, and all met their fates hundreds of years before Jesus appeared on the scene. In this foundational work of modern atheism, American spiritualist KERSEY GRAVES (1813-1883) breaks the Christ myth down into its component parts and ably demonstrates how the story of Jesus has its roots in the depths of antiquity. Here you'll read about the surprising prevalence throughout global folklore of: . the miraculous and immaculate conception of the gods . stars that point out the time and place of a savior's birth . angels, shepherds, and magi visiting an infant savior . the 25th of December as the universal birth date of gods . saviors who descend into Hell . and much more. This is essential reading for students of comparative mythology and modern freethinkers. Also available from Cosimo: Graves's The Biography of Satan and The Bible of Bible.

The complete title of the book is The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors; Or, Christianity Before Christ, Containing New, Startling, and Extraordinary Revelations in Religious History, which Disclose the Oriental Origin of All the Doctrines, Principles, Precepts, and Miracles of the Christian New Testament, and Furnishing a Key for Unlocking Many of Its Sacred Mysteries, Besides Comprising the History of 16 Heathen Crucified Gods. It is an 1875 book written by American freethinker Kersey Graves. Graves asserts that Jesus was not an actual person but was a creation largely based on earlier stories of deities or god-men saviors who had been crucified and descended to and ascended from the underworld.

Truth has made its ingress into the human mind in the ratio by which man has attained the capacity to receive and appreciate it. Hence, as we tread back the meandering pathway of human history, every step in the receding process brings us to a lower plane of intelligence and a state of mind more thoroughly encrusted with ignorance and superstition.

This is one of the most controversial books about the Christian narrative of Jesus ever published. Graves tried to gather together all of what was known at the time about other similar stories of gods who walked the earth, preached ethical and mystical doctrines, and ended up as Deicides. Today, folklorists have discovered a set of world-wide themes relating a story of a culture-hero who has a miraculous birth and tragic death. This is one of the archetypal stories which Jung and Campbell discussed. This does not lessen the impact, however, on traditional believers in these narratives as the absolute truth. So is the need for a deathless hero who saves humanity part of the deep structure of our brain? Is religion simply filling a psychological need which is part of being human? The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors raised a host of questions, few of which have yet been adequately answered, over a century later.

The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors: Christianity before Christ, written by legendary author Kersey Graves is widely considered to be one of the greatest classic and historical texts of all time. This great classic will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors: Christianity before Christ is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Kersey Graves is highly recommended. Published by Classic Books International and beautifully produced, The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors: Christianity before Christ would make an ideal gift and it should be a part of everyone's personal library.

CONTAINING NEW, STARTLING, AND EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS IN RELIGIOUS HISTORY, WHICH DISCLOSE THE ORIENTAL ORIGIN OF ALL THE DOCTRINES, PRINCIPLES, PRECEPTS, AND MIRACLES OF THE CHRISTIAN NEW TESTAMENT, AND FURNISHING A KEY FOR UNLOCKING MANY OF ITS SACRED MYSTERIES, BESIDES COMPRISING THE HISTORY OF 16 HEATHEN CRUCIFIED GODS.