number of other holy figures who took the form of men and then ascended into heaven, including: Salivahana of Bermuda Zulis or Zhule of Egypt Osiris of Egypt Oru of Egypt Odin of the Scandinavians Zoroaster of Persia Baal of Phoenicia Taut, "the only Begotten of God" of Phoenicia, inventor of letters Bali of Afghanistan Xamolxis (Zalmoxis) of Thrace Zoar of the Bonzes Adad of Assyria Deva Tat of Siam (Thailand) Sammonocadam (Sommona-Codom) of Siam (Thailand) Alcides of Thebes Mikado of the Sintoos Beddru of Japan Bremrillah of the Druids Thor son of Odin of the Gauls/Norse Cadmus of Greece Hil/Feta of the Mandaites Gentaut of Mexico Universal Monarch of the Sibyls Ischy of Formosa (Taiwan) Divine Teacher of Plato Holy One of Xaca (Fohi) of China Tien of China Adonis son of the virgin Io of Greece Ixion of Rome Mohamud or Mahomet of Arabia The book claims that a number of these deities or god-men shared at least some traits of Jesus as described in the New Testament, drawing the strongest similarities with Krishna. For example, some figures had miraculous or virgin births, were sons of supreme gods, were born on December 25, had stars point to their birthplaces, were visited by shepherds and magi as infants, fled from death as children, exhibited traits of divinity in childhood, spent time in the desert, traveled as they taught, had disciples, performed miracles, were persecuted, were crucified, descended into hell after death, appeared as resurrections or apparitions, or ascended into heaven. Graves also devotes chapters to the pagan roots of baptism and the eucharist, and concludes that Jesus was not a real person. Quotes Here I desire to impress upon the minds of my clerical brethren the important fact, that the gospel histories of Christ were written by men who had formerly been Jews (see Acts xxi. 20), and probably possessing the strong proclivity to imitate and borrow which their bible shows was characteristic of that nation ; and being written many years after Christ's death, according to that standard Christian author, Dr. Lardner, it was impossible, under such circumstances, for them to separate (if they had desired to) the real facts and events of his life from the innumerable fictions and fables then afloat everywhere relative to the heathen Gods who had pre-enacted a similar history. Two reasons are thus furnished for their constructing a history of Christ almost