Email subject: assignment july 23

Follow up on Mithras (also Mythras) and December 25.

There are several scholarly books on the cult of Mithras. I found two books by Roger Beck particularly interesting and well researched: The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: Mysteries of the Unconquered Sun. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2006.

More recently he wrote The Roman Mithras Cult: A Cognitive Approach. Bloomsbury, 2017 (I haven't finished this one yet. It is one tough cookie.)

I checked on youtube and there are several documentaries, with a lot of sensationalistic junk. However, I found an old-style tv doc that takes the subject seriously  https://youtu.be/GKUwA58t0BQ   Give it at least 19 - 20 minutes to make the point.
 

Re December 25: Dec 21 is the winter solstice, or, the shortest day of the year. All ancient cultures reflect an even more ancient state of panic at the slow and progressive loss of power of the sun through the year. Given their archaic methods of observation, it took at least 3 days for them to register that the length of daylight was increasing after it bottomed out on Dec 21. I guess 4 days were necessary to make double sure.

The sun rises one degree per day (whence the 360 degrees of a circumference's angle,) Apparently 3 degrees is the minimum required for the difference to be noticed by the naked eye. Also to be remembered: whenever the day was cloudy, observation was not possible, therefore it took a long long time before sufficient data were collected.
Second: only the priests and the high casts possessed this knowledge. This was considered a secret, open only to the initiates. Hoi polloi had no access to it. All they were told was that the king, or pharaoh, or emperor or high priest "made" the sun come back with his magical powers.

It was a potent symbol to associate the birth of god with the return of the sun. This is also the foundation of the various myths of resurrection that, traditionally, takes place 3 days after death in many cults.

According to some theories, the year of birth of Jesus was actually year 7 of the CE, and more precisely in August. This hypothesis is based on the gospel story of the 3 kings who come from the East following a star. No comet or supernova explosion has been recorded in those years anywhere in the world. The only unique phenomenon recorded was the astral conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter (I believe it is Jupiter) that created the impression of a superstar moving progressively westward. The fact that the 3 kings or magi (stands for practitioners of magic, including astrology) came from the east suggests that they were Persians, which, coincidentally is also the birthplace of Zoroastrianism and possibly the cult of Mithras.

Keep in mind that after all he is certain that William and people like him will destroy the Church if they are not stopped. Our society jailed pro-communists and pro-Nazis when they were considered too dangerous for our democracy, for instance. We may abhor violence but a majority of us sees nothing wrong with the death penalty when it is applied in the right cases (leaving unanswered the question about how do we know what the right cases are.)

B Jorge is convinced he is a defender of orthodoxy (it literally means: the "correct opinion.")

 What does he oppose in principle, and why?

2) What is the topic of the debate that is scheduled between William and Bernardo?   

3)  Sex finds its way even into this monastery. Who are the FOUR characters involved?

4) Who is the author of the book that Jorge wants to destroy?

Keep up with the blog discussions. At the end of the semester, you will compile your COMMENTS (not the replies) into one single document. ONLY COMMENTS THAT MET THE DEADLINES WILL BE ACCEPTED.