280 THE REV. W. ST. CLAIR TISDALL^ D.D.^ ON MITHRAISM. 



early Egyptian conceptions and Christian doctrines, and also between 

 ea¥ly Babylonian beliefs and Jewish ones." With this I have dealt 

 in some measure in Mythic Christs and the True (Hunter and Long- 

 liurst) and in articles entitled "The Relation between the Hebrew 

 ^nd the Babylonian Cosmologies " (JVineteenth Century, August, 1905), 

 ^nd "Hasisatra and Noah" {Churchman, November, 1906). But of 

 •course my paper on Mithraism was not the place for dealing with 

 these subjects. 



Turning now to the kindly criticisms of the main subject of the 

 paper, I may be allowed to say that I had to omit manj^ important 

 points because my time was so short. As it is, I fear I have unduly 

 trespassed on the endurance of my hearers. 



Professor Cumont gives only a tentative explanation of the carvings 

 encircling the figure of Mithra and the bull in the bas-reliefs. We 

 have no Mithraic scriptures to cast light on their real meaning. 

 I have done my best to explain " what Mithraism became in its 

 highest development," but I differ from certain writers on the 

 subject in limiting my statements to facts proved by reasonably 

 reliable evidence, instead of giving free reins to imagination. My 

 reason for tracing Mithraism as far back in Persia and India as 

 possible was to show that Mithra was nowhere regarded as having 

 once lived on earth as a man. I think T have shown that he was 

 not regarded as the incarnation of a deity. As we have no proof 

 that he was believed to have been a man, to have died or to have 

 been put to death, it is absurd to assert (as has been done) that his 

 worshippers believed in his HoUenfahrt and in his "resurrection." 

 It has been said that Mithraists believed in the final destruction of 

 the world by fire. Of that I am unable to find any proof. The 

 Stoics held that tenet, and it is taught in certain Indian Puranas, 

 but no inscription or ancient author, as far as I know, attribute the 

 same view to the Mithraists. 



With regard to Mithra and the bull the question arises whether 

 the killing of the animal was in sacrifice or not. Animal sacrifices 

 are found, early or late, in almost all religions, but I am not aware 

 of any passage in which Mithra is represented as offering a sacrifice 

 or as worshipping any being superior to himself. It is therefore 

 somewhat rash to conclude that the fact of his driving a dagger 

 into the bull's neck proves that he offered a sacrifice to Ormazd. 



