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 Bibles