The purpose of this book is to show how the ancient cult of the dead contributed to the emergence of the Christian religion and to help understand how the prehistoric cult of the dead gained immense power over the Western world.
Long before the dawn of civilization, people were sacrificed, and their skin and flesh were used for religious rituals. The use of human fat to make sacred oils is well-documented and acknowledged by all archaeologists and historians. However, even more shocking is the fact that human flesh was used to prepare sacred food. The process of extracting flesh from human bodies to create this sacred food is not very well studied, but it was practiced in the Middle East and in many regions of Europe. The author provides documentary evidence for the existence of these practices, starting from ancient Crete, and shows how these rituals spread to Southern Europe and influenced the development of Western religion during the Middle Ages. Using historical documents, the book demonstrates rituals involving dead bodies, including the practice of dismemberment to obtain flesh and the practice of extracting bodily fluids from decomposed corpses, which could then be added to sacred meals and balms.
Those unfamiliar with the cult of “saints” may be surprised by the Catholic Church’s interest in dead bodies. Clergy would specially process and publicly display the relics of saints and conduct worship services and memorial meals in cemeteries.
This unique book will help you understand the essence of the intricate funeral rites of the Egyptians, Greeks, Jews, and early Christians, as well as the activities of heretical Christian sects of the medieval era. It is noteworthy that many of these ancient symbols have survived to our time. After reading this book, you will understand the origins of today’s living dead: Dracula, Frankenstein, the mummy, and many other undead ghouls and zombies… For the widest circle of readers.
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