| Aren’t there some striking parallels between the Jesus and Inanna stories? |
| Some parallels, but nothing striking. Inanna, the Sumerian goddess
of love, procreation, and war, was at times considered either a virgin or
very promiscuous. In some versions of the story, Inanna descends to
the underworld to visit her sister Ereckigala, the goddess of death. As
she passes through seven gateways, she is forced to surrender all seven articles
of her clothing, one item at a time, finally arriving at her sister's lair
naked. Ereckigala becomes furious and kills Inanna, then hangs her
on a meathook or nail. Inanna's minister, Nincubar, sends a pair of
flies to Ereckigala to bargain for Inanna's release. Ereckigala releases
Inanna on the condition that she find someone to take her place. Inanna
is either reincarnated into a new body or is resurrected to life, ascends
from the underworld, and finds that her consort,
Tammuz, had taken over her throne. She
sends Tammuz to the underworld in her place.
Critics claim that Inanna was crucified, though no cross or tree was involved, and, besides, she was already dead when placed upon the meathook or nail. Critics claim that Inanna was resurrected, which is true in some pre-Christian versions of the story, so this is a valid similarity. However, since the death and resurrection took place in the underworld, and not in ours, the similarity lacks much in the way of comparisons to Jesus. Critics claim that Inanna was a savior. She was not. |