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{{Mediawiki:kindleoasis}}__NOTOC__[[File:Mithras_banquet_Louvre_Ma3441.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|Mithras and Sol at a table]]Today the god Mithra or Mithras is not recognized by many in the West. In fact, for people who have heard of this god, he Mithra is often seen as just another one of the many gods that was once worshiped in Europe, the Near East, and South Asia. However, in the early centuries of Christianity, one can argue the worship of Mithras rivaled the Christian religion influence and if importance of Christianity. If Christianity had failed to plant itselfin Europe, then it may have been possible for the worship of this god Mithraism to have become more a lasting and significant religion in later religious history for Asia and Europe. The importance of this god in perhaps bringing influences that Mithra faith may have also get adopted in influenced both Christianity and other later religions may also be evident.

Mithra Mithraic belief likely borrowed or Mithras was incorporated within Zoroastrianism, which believed in a god with an origin cosmic struggle of evil vs. good. Mithra could be involved in Iran and Indiathe final struggle against evil, where his imagery and display good ultimately wins, but this is often associated with the sunnot clear. The religion is mostly god was seen as being born or December 25th, where he emerges out of a rock, although several other gods, particularly those associated with its peak in worship as sun gods, held that occurred around the 1st-4th century CE date of birth. <ref>For more on Christian and Mithraism connections, see: Hensen, A. (or AD2013). Mithras: der Mysterienkult an Limes, where it was worshiped from Scotland to IndiaRhein und Donau. Stuttgart: Theiss. Key beliefs include </ref> This date does likely influence later Christian adoptions as December 25th for the ritual slaughter birth of the bull by Christ. The god Mithra, which would likely lead to may have also been born of a virgin birth and the presence importance of new life. Worship centered around underground temples known as Mithraea that attempted communal meals, similar to represent caves. Sometimes early Christianity, are some aspects the temples were in cavesreligions share. These temples were representative of the world and the ceremonies held were The religious order also seems to reflect have a type of global worship. The worship ceremony often involved ritual feasting hierarchy of power, with local priests and was held in a type of secrecy that members taken an oath something akin to follow Bishops and worship chief leaders within the cult developed as part of the godreligious order that one can climb. Members would Worship and belief also seems to be gradually initiated related to water, where believers may have been baptized into the sacred rights were a total order. Nevertheless, aspects of seven levels Mithra worshiped within the Roman Empire also borrowed from other Greco-Roman gods, indicating that worshipers some adaptation of the original ideas of Mithra had to attain being part of their spiritual journeyoccurred after it was adopted from the original Indo-Persian god.<ref>For more on how Mithra is combined and integrated with Roman gods, see: Christensen, L. B. The religion seemed to mostly incorporate men, Hammer, O. Because no written sources have survived the at directly speak to the theology, outside & Warburton, D. (Eds.). (2013). The handbook of small inscriptions or secondary references religions in ancient Europe / edited by writersLisbeth Bredholt Christensen, there is still relatively known about the religionOlav Hammer and David A. Warburton. HoweverDurham ; Bristol, that is probably in part because it was a type of mystery cultCT: Acumen Pub Ltd, pg. 258.</ref>

Mithraic belief likely borrowed from Zoroastrianism, which believed in a cosmic struggle ==Extent of evil vsMithra Worship==[[File:Mithrasgrotte Halberg Saarbruecken.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 2. goodA Mithraeum site in Germany. ]]Although Mithra could be involved was worshiped in regions as far as India and Scotland, the extent of how widely spread within populations and how much of a true rival the final struggle against evil, but this religion was to other emerging religions like Christianity is not clearagreed upon by scholars. The god was seen There are hundreds of Mithra temples, such as being born or December 25ththat shown in Figure 2, scattered throughout the Roman Empire, with perhaps the chief Roman temple in Rome itself; sometimes existing temples to various gods also had Mithraea underneath them.<ref> For more on where he emerges out of a rockMithra was worshiped, see: Grant, J., Gorin, although several other godsS., particularly those associated as sun gods& Fleming, held that date of birthN. This date does likely influence later Christian adoptions as December 25th the birth of Christ(2008). The god Mithra may have also been born of a virgin birth archaeology coursebook: an introduction to themes, sites, methods and the importance of communal mealsskills (3rd ed). London ; New York: Routledge, similar to early Christianity, are some aspects the religions sharepg. 179. The religious order also </ref> It seems to have been a type religion that was brought to the Roman Empire by Roman soldiers stationed in the eastern part of hierarchy the empire, who became influenced by the worship of power, with local priests this god in the Parthian and something akin to Bishops later Sassanian empires and chief leaders within in the cult developed Near East in general as part of the religious ordersoldiers encountered the local population. Nevertheless, aspects of Mithra worshiped within the Roman Empire The god was also borrowed from other Greco-Roman godsvery popular in Indian and Iran, indicating that some adaptation of the original ideas of while Mithra had occurred after it was adopted from likely combined with earlier sun gods in the original Indo-Persian godNear East, including Shamash and Ba'al.

Although However, it is likely that the Mithra was worshiped in regions as far as India and Scotland, the extent Roman Empire was understood differently that that of how widely spread within populations Persia and Iran, although many similarities remained.<ref>For more on how much of a true rival Mithra was adopted across the Roman Empire, see: Beck, R. (2007). The religion was to other emerging religions like Christianity is not agreed upon by scholars. There are hundreds of Mithra temples scattered throughout the Mithras cult in the Roman Empire: mysteries of the unconquered sun (1. It seems to publ. in paperback). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.</ref> Thus, scholars do debate how unified the belief was of Mithra and the adoption of the god could have been a as such that local customs in different places adapted the religion that was brought to their own concepts, mainly incorporating the Empire by Roman soldiers station god with other gods or syncretizing religious ideas. Although in any one place the eastern part number of worshipers may have been low, the empire, who then became influenced by vast extent of the worship of this the god does make Mithra perhaps the most widespread god in until the Parthian rise of Christianity and later Sassanian empiresits subsequent proselytizing faith. The wide extent of the worship of this god was also very popular in Indian and Iranmay explain why some ideas were adopted by Christianity. However, while Mithra was more likely combined with earlier sun gods the animosity toward this cult reflects that it may have been seen as a threat to the early Christian faith in the Near Eastfirst few centuries after Christ. This could explain why some ideas of Mithra could have been adopted by Christians, so that some keeping some aspects of the faith may have been more attractive to some worshipers in joining Christianity; however, including Shamash and Ba'althe subsequent suppression of the Mithra cults likely reflects it was mostly seen as a threat.

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