Although one needs to be careful about defining Judaism prior to the emergence of Christianity, congratulations to Jonathan Hill, of London SE14, on his letter to The Observer:
The notion that the early Christians simply adapted earlier stories about pagan gods to create the stories about Jesus is popular today, but rests upon no good evidence and has been debunked by scholars. Your correspondent Barry Thorpe unaccountably mentions Mithras. We know virtually nothing about his cult. Most of the material in the Gospels is best understood against a background of Judaism.
Unfortunately for those who wish to paint the early Christians as plagiarists, it is hard to see any pagan mythology in there. I agree that it would be good if true religious history were taught in schools; it would protect children from being taken in not only by the myths of religions, but by the myths spread by those who seek to discredit religion even at the expense of truth and integrity.
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