Crite of Chaldea - CRUCIFIED
Crite of Chaldea - CRUCIFIED
Crite of Chaldea - CRUCIFIED
1200 BCE
The account of Crite of Chaldea comes exclusively from 19th-century mythicist literature—most directly Chapter XIV of Kersey Graves’ The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors (1875), which derived the claim from Godfrey Higgins’ Anacalypsis (1836).
In modern Assyriology, Near Eastern archaeology, and ancient cuneiform records, no god, king, or mythical figure named "Crite" exists in the historical Chaldean or Babylonian pantheons.
Profile & Specific Attributes
- Time Period & Dates:
- Claimed Date: Active around 1200 BCE.
- Historical Reality: The region of Chaldea (southern Babylonia) did not emerge as a distinct political entity in historical records until the 9th century BCE, well after 1200 BCE.
- Calendar Date of Birth:
- No specific calendar day, month, or birth records exist in ancient texts.
- Age at Death & Manner of Slaying:
- Claimed Cause of Death: Died as a sacrificial offering, explicitly cataloged by Graves as being crucified.
The event was accompanied by cosmic upheaval where "both heaven and earth were shaken to their foundations."
- Who Killed Him / Age: Graves and Higgins provide no specific age or named executioner; the death is described as an offering to appease an angry supreme deity.
- Geographical Locations:
- Chaldea (the marshlands and river plains of ancient southern Mesopotamia/Babylonia).
- Mission & Salvation:
- Relegated in 19th-century accounts to the role of an atoning mediator who bore the wrath of the divine on behalf of humanity.
- Appearance & Visual Record:
- There are no genuine ancient statues, reliefs, or cylinder seals depicting "Crite".
Actual Chaldean and Babylonian religious art portrays primary gods such as Marduk, Nabu, Enlil, and Ea wearing horned headdresses, multi-tiered robes, and holding divine rods or measuring cords.
Theological & Doctrinal Categories
| Category | 19th-Century Mythicist Claim (Graves) | Mesopotamian Cuneiform / Historical Record |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Birth | Grouped among divinely conceived savior figures. | No Chaldean deity matches this name or concept. |
| Crucifixion | Asserted to have been crucified as an atoning sacrifice. | Crucifixion was unknown in 1200 BCE Mesopotamia; execution by impalement or slaying was standard. |
| Death & Resurrection | Claimed to have been offered up, resurrected, and ascended. | Mesopotamian dying-and-rising motifs belong to Dumuzi/Tammuz, not a figure named Crite. |
| Descent & Ascent | Implied descent into the underworld and ascension into heavenly realms. | The descent myth in Mesopotamia belongs to Inanna/Ishtar and Dumuzi. |
| Title: "Son of God" | Titled "The Ever Blessed Son of God," "The Redeemer," and "The Savior of the Race." | Standard Mesopotamian divine epithets included "Lord of Wisdom" (Ea) or "King of the Gods" (Marduk). |
| Alternate Names | None listed; name is likely a garbled transliteration of an ancient name (such as the Ugaritic legend of Keret or the Cretan Zeus Krites). | Unattested in Akkadian, Sumerian, or Aramaic pantheon lists. |
| Part of a Trinity | Attributed to Chaldean divine triadic structures. | Mesopotamian religion featured prominent triads (e.g., Anu, Enlil, Ea or Sin, Shamash, Ishtar), none of which contained "Crite." |
| Judgment in Heaven | Assigned the role of divine intercessor and judge. | Souls in the underworld (Kur/Irkalla) were overseen by the goddess Ereshkigal and judge-gods like Nergal, not an atoning savior. |
Origin of the "Crite" Claim
- Source Attribution: Kersey Graves copied this entry directly from Godfrey Higgins' work without citing any primary cuneiform tablets or ancient inscriptions.
- Philological Errors: 19th-century antiquarians frequently misread classical Greek sources, confused Cretan legends (e.g., Kres/Krete) or Levantine royal epics (the Epic of Keret) with Mesopotamian god lists, and retrofitted Christian theological vocabulary ("Redeemer," "Atoning Offering," "Son of God") onto fragmented notes.