Myth Association, or whatever you want to call it

Greetings!

I am looking for more cultural similarities between religious texts; here are some examples:

• The 7 years of famine (present in the bible and egyptian texts - plus, dream allegory to the pharaoh from God)
• The Babel Tower - present in Genesis and Sumerian/Babylonian cuneiform tablets. [also the figure of 'Nimrod' and his mother, Semiramis, are discussed to be the 'birth' of paganism, when they rebelled against God and started calling themselves gods - allegedly, Nimrod originated Marduk and Semiramis, Ishtar (or Inanna). It is also theorized that Samiramis gave birth being a virgin - then we have the christian similarities present once again. But in a way different reason in its essence ]
• The 'Genesis' similarities with different creation myths, such as men, or even gods, being created from dust (sumerian texts, if I am not mistaken), and the emphasis on water in the process of the creation displayed in Enuma Elish.

Judaic-Christian counterparts are the focus but feel free to share your knowledge if you know anything out of this sphere, if you know any hindu or islamic facts that you would like to share, please do.
I would appreciate some bibliography as well, if possible.

Hi Newby

Interesting thread.

I think it was inevitable that as formal religion evolved from pure superstition, that elements of the original beliefs still managed to cling in there.

Carlyle expresses it well;

“Delusions needs must come: yet how gently, in softening diffusion, in mild succession, was it made to fall. Like gentle showers, till all was indeed buried, and yet little was destroyed that could not be replaced.”

Might I suggest some of the early post crucifixion Gnostic tracts. “The Gospel of Thomas” is a good one. In the early Church there was this battle for supremacy in which the Established Church eventually gained ascendency. Both sets of beliefs contain strong similarities & differences, which you might find interesting.

Best regards. M.

Thanks!

Don't thank him, LOL. He is a Gnostic apparently.