? Clearly written and easily understandable by the lay reader. ? Thoroughly researched: author's points are backed by references in the writings of acknowledged scholars. ? Special features of the book: lavishly illustrated with multiple images in each illustration that show at a glance the mythic themes paralleling the bible. This book demonstrates that the stories and themes of the Bible were part of the great mythic systems of the ancient world by u sing comparative mythology, tell tale verses in the Bible and archaeology. The abstract God of modern monotheistic Judaism, Christianity and Islam is a comparatively recent creation. In later times the myth of a messianic deliverer was combined with that of the pagan god-man who suffered a horrible, excruciating death but was physically resurrected to produce the Christ myth.