Book Reviewed: Influences of Ancient Hinduism on Early Christianity by A.L. Herman

Lord Shiva and Greek God Dionysus Author A.L. Herman employs the perspective of “Great Man,” the 19th-century historical methodology attributing human events and their outcomes to the singular efforts of men associated with a society or an ancient land. This book reveals the early influences of Vedic (Rigveda) Dharma on early Christianity. The Harappan religion of the Indus Valley civilization of 2500-1800 B.C.E. significantly influenced the Christian religion of the ancient Greek and Roman world of 50- 300 C.E. By comparing similarities between the Harappan 'religion and the Greek Dionysian religion, and similarities between the Dionysian religion and the Christian religion, the author reveals Shiva and Dionysus are the Hindu and Greek gods respectively of magical power, the omnipresent Gods of Transcendence and Ecstasy. Revealing the earliest sources of the Shaivite and Dionysian traditions, the author reconstructs the fabric of our ancient relationship with creation, and related practices of the Indus Valley and early Greek religion. Alan Danielou, a well-known French historian made similar observations that Greek followers of Dionysus, which later became Bacchus with the Romans is in fact a branch of Shaivism from Indus Valley. Other scholars have found many scriptural similarities, for example, the structure of the Christian Church resembles that of the Buddhist Chaitya. Buddhism had the earliest missionaries spreading the message of Buddha. The rigorous asceticism of certain early Christian sects, which reminds one of the asceticism of Jain and Buddhist saints; the veneration of relics, the usage of holy water, which is an Indian practice, and the word “Amen,” which comes from the Hindu (Sanskrit) “OM.” Gnostic gospels that drastically contrasted the message contained in the Canonized gospels, Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John were destroyed without traces in the second century. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene rejects Jesus' suffering and death as a path to eternal life. Her gospel says that we are not sinful (Mary 4:26). This narrative presents a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings as a path to inner spiritual knowledge. Mary proclaims that the true spiritual treasure is to be found within the mind, the medium for spiritual sight. The discovery of one’s true spiritual self is found within, by orienting the mind towards the soul rather than the ego. These ideas are similar to the Sankhya Philosophy of Hinduism that was proposed by Sage Kapila around 800 B.C.E. There are many tables in the book that show how the similarities between Shaivism of Indus Valley and the Dionysian religion of Greece, similarly Dionysian religion with Christian religion. The book is written well, and it is highly recommended to anyone interested in ancient history and ancient religions.