VIRGIN BIRTH There are two separate birth accounts in regards to Horus (neither depict a virgin birth):
Version 1: Hathor, the motherly personification of the milky way, is said to have conceived Horus but we are
told her husband, Ra, was an Egyptian sun god. Hathor (a sky goddess) was represented by the cow whose milk
brought forth the milky way. By the will of her husband Ra, she gave birth to Horus:

“I, Hathor of Thebes, mistress of the goddesses, to grant to him a coming forth into the presence [of the god]…
Hathor of Thebes, who was incarnate in the form of a cow and a woman.” Source and Source

Version 2: When we examine Isis as Horus’ mother, we are told Isis was not a virgin, but the widow of Osiris.
Isis practices magic to raise Osiris from the dead so she can bear a son that would avenge his death. Isis then
becomes pregnant from the sperm of her deceased husband. Again, no virgin birth occurs:

“[Isis] made to rise up the helpless members [penis] of him whose heart was at rest, she drew from him his
essence [sperm], and she made therefrom an heir [Horus].” Source and Source

THE FATHER AND SON UNITY Critics suggest the Christian trinity was adapted from the notion of Osiris, Ra,
and Horus being one god in essence. Because Horus was born after the death of Osiris, it came to be believed he
was the resurrection, or reincarnation, of Osiris:

“He avengeth thee in his name of ‘Horus, the son who avenged his father.” Source

Throughout the centuries, the Egyptians eventually considered Osiris and Horus as one and the same. However,
this son-as-the-father comparison more closely resembles the metamorphosis of Hathor into Isis than it does the
Christian trinity. We see Horus first as the son of Ra, then being the equivalent of Ra, then Ra finally becoming
just as aspect of Horus. Similar to Hathor and Isis, we simply see a merger of one being into another. In
Egyptian mythology, each god had a distinct beginning by being conceived from other gods. In Christian
theology, God and Jesus always existed as one and the same, neither having a beginning or an end. Jesus’ birth
did not represent His creation- only His advent in human from. Furthermore, the father-son concept was not
created by first-century Christians. Prophecies in the Old Testament referred to the future Messiah as the Son of
God up to 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. I Chronicles 17:13-14

CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION Horus is never said to have been crucified, nevertheless to have died.
The only connection we can make to Horus being resurrected is if we consider the eventual merger of Horus and
Osiris. But such a theory results in an catch 22, apparently noticed by the Egyptians as they later altered their
beliefs to fix the contradictions. In the Egyptian tale, Osiris is either dismembered by Set in battle or sealed in a
chest and drowned in the Nile. Isis then pieces Osiris’ body back together and resurrects Osiris to conceive an
heir that will avenge Osiris’ death (although technically Osiris is never actually resurrected as he is forbidden to
return to the world of the living). Source and Source

“[Set] brought a shapely and decorated chest, which he had caused to be made according to the measurements
of the king’s body… Set proclaimed that he would gift the chest unto him whose body fitted its proportions with
exactness… Then Osiris came forward. He lay down within the chest, and he filled it in every part. But dearly was
his triumph won in that dark hour which was his doom. Ere he could raise his body, the evil followers of Set
sprang suddenly forward and shut down the lid, which they nailed fast and soldered with lead. So the richly
decorated chest became the coffin of the good king Osiris, from whom departed the breath of life.” Source

BORN ON THE 25TH OF DECEMBER Horus’ birth was actually celebrated during the month of Khoiak,
(October/November). Though some critics claim Horus was born during the winter solstice, this shows more of a
relationship to other pagan religions which considered the solstices sacred.

TWELVE DISCIPLES Superficially this similarity seems accurate until we see Horus’ “disciples” were not disciples
at all- they were the twelve signs of the zodiac which became associated with Horus, a sky god. However
Jesus’ disciples were actual men who lived and died, whose writings exist to this day, and whose lives are
recorded by historians. Because Horus’ “disciples” were merely signs of the zodiac, they never taught his
philosophy or spread his teachings. The fact that there are twelve signs of the zodiac (twelve months) as
compared to Jesus’ twelve apostles is an insignificant coincidence.

MOUNTAINTOP ENCOUNTER Critics point out the similarity of both Jesus and Horus having an encounter on a
mountaintop with their enemies. Instead of dissecting this piece by piece, I will simply give each version of
events and let the reader observe the (obvious) differences:
Jesus: After Jesus completes His fast in the wilderness, Satan tries to tempt Jesus by offering Him all the
kingdoms of the world if Jesus agrees to worship him, but Jesus refuses. Matthew 4:1-11
Horus: During battle, Horus rips off one of Set’s testicles while Set (sometimes called Seth) gorges out Horus’
eye. Set later tries to prove his dominance by initiating intercourse with Horus. Horus catches Set’s semen in his
hand and throws it into a nearby river. Horus later masturbates and spreads his semen over lettuce which Set
consumes. Both Set and Horus stand before the gods to proclaim their right to rule Egypt. When Set claims
dominance over Horus, his semen is found in the river. When Horus’ dominance is considered, his semen is found
within Set so Horus is granted rule over Egypt:

“O that castrated one! O this man! O he who hurries him who hurries, among you two! These- this first
corporation of the company of the justified… Was born before the eye of Horus was plucked out, before the
testicles of Set were torn away.” Source “It is the day on which Horus fought with Set, who cast filth in the face of
Horus, and when Horus destroyed the powers of Set.” Source “Then [Set] appeared before the divine council and
claimed the throne. But the gods gave judgment that Horus was the rightful king, and he established his power in
the land of Egypt, and became a wise and strong ruler like to his father Osiris.” Source

Skeptic Interjection: Does the similarity between the names Set and Satan hold any significance?
Answer: Set’s variant names include Seth, Sutekh, Setesh, and Seteh. The root Set is usually considered to
translate into dazzler or stable pillar. The different suffixes of his name add the meanings majestic, supreme, and
desert. The name Satan comes from the Semitic root Stn which represents opposition. Before his fall, Satan’s
original name was Lucifer, or angel of light. The term Satan represents a general adversary, hence his accepted
identity. Though both names consist of an S and a T, their meanings have nothing in common. The spellings are
only a result of the original root words which represent their character. Source and Source

SIMILAR TITLES Critics allege Horus held similar titles used to identify Jesus such as Messiah, Savior, Son of
Man, Good Shepherd, Lamb of God, The Way, the Truth, the Light, and Living Word. However I can find no
evidence of any of these names ever being used in reference to Horus. I am especially suspicious of the word
Messiah since it is Hebrew in origin.

IN CONCLUSION We can see the differences between Jesus and Horus far outweigh any superficial correlations

I’ve done so. The similarities aren’t there. The pre-Christian Horus stories are easy to find online, such as the following websites:
http://www.theoi.com (just plug “Horus” into their search engine)
http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/
http://www.pyramidtextsonline.com/
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/coffintext.htm
Go ahead and read them for yourself. I did. The parallels are not there.

“Also you have to look at the fact that the writing and accounts of Jesus took place a few centuries after his death”

No, all four of the Gospels were written in the first century. Even skeptics like Bart Erhman agree with this.