The Council of Ephesus (A. D. 431) declared Mary “Mother of God,” her assumption being declared in 813, and her Immaculate Conception by the Pope and Council in 1851 — after all, the previous religions had one. It was almost universal, for ages before the purported birth of Jesus, and “the pure virginity of the celestial mother was a tenet of faith for two thousand plus years before the western Virgin Mary now adored was ever born.
In almost every Roman Catholic Church on the continent of Europe may be seen pictures and statues of Mary, the “Queen of Heaven,” standing on the crescent moon, and her head surrounded with twelve stars.
INDIA
Devi, Maha-Devi—”The One Great Goddess” —and have temples erected in honor of her. Scholar Gonzales states that among the Indians he found a temple “Parituræ Virginis”—of the Virgin about to bring forth a child.
COUNTRIES OF THE ORIENT
Maya, was the mother of Buddha, Devaki was the mother of Crishna. They were both worshiped as virgins. They are both represented with the infant Saviours in their arms, just as the virgin of the Christians is represented at the present day. Maya was so pure that it was impossible for God, man, or Asura to view her with any carnal desire.
“No person could bear to gaze upon Devaki, because of the light that invested her.” “The gods, invisible to mortals, celebrated her praise continually from the time that Vishnu was contained in her person.”
CHINESE
The Chinese have several virgins they worshiped. At Canton worshiped an idol, to which they gave the name of “The Virgin.”
“Upon the altars of the Chinese temples were placed, behind a screen, an image of Shin-moo, or the ‘Holy Mother,’ sitting with a child in her arms, in an alcove, with rays of glory around her head, and tapers constantly burning before her.”
Shin-moo is called the “Mother Goddess,” and the “Virgin.” Her child, who was exposed in his infancy, was brought up by poor fishermen. He became a great man, and performed wonderful miracles.
In wealthy houses the sacred image of the “Mother Goddess” is carefully kept in a recess behind an altar, veiled with a silken screen. The Rev. Mr. Gutzlaff, in his “Travels,” speaking of the Chinese people, says: “Though otherwise very reasonable men, they have always showed themselves bigoted heathens. . . . They have everywhere built splendid temples, chiefly in honor of Ma-tsoo-po, the ‘Queen of Heaven.'”
EGYPT
Isis, mother of the Egyptian Saviour, Horus, was worshiped as a virgin. The religious monuments of Egypt have the infant Horus seated in the lap of his virgin mother. She is styled “Our Lady,” the “Queen of Heaven,” “Star of the Sea,” “Governess,” “Mother of God,” “Intercessor,” “Immaculate Virgin,”
The most common representation of Horus is being nursed on the knee of Isis, or suckled at her breast. Also in statues and basso-relievos, when Isis appears alone, she is entirely veiled from head to foot, in common with nearly every other goddess, as a symbol of a mother’s chastity.
The Christian Virgin Mary seen with child in arms and standing on a cresecent moon is a complete identification with Isis and Horus.” This crescent moon is the symbol of Isis and Juno, and is the Yoni of the Hindoos
The Christian Father Epiphanius accounts for the fact of the Egyptians worshiping a virgin and child, by declaring that i was a prophecy that was revealed to them —”Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son”
The Egyptian Isis was also worshiped in Italy, many centuries before the Christian era, and all images of her, with the infant Horus in her arms, have been adopted by Christians.
BABYLONIANS AND ASSYRIANS
The ancient Babylonians and Assyrians worshiped a goddess mother, and son, who was represented in pictures and in images as an infant in his mother’s arms . Her name was Mylitta, the divine son was Tammuz, the Saviour, whom we have seen rose from the dead. He was invested with all his father’s attributes and glory, and identified with him. He was worshiped as mediator.
ETRUSCANS
They worshiped a Virgin Mother and Son, goddess Nutria. Virgin Mother and Son, was represented in pictures and images a son in the arms of his mother. There is ruins of a temple dedicated to her. “To the Great Goddess Nutria,” is an inscription which has been found among the ruins of the temple. This goddess was also worshiped in Italy. Long before the Christian era.
ISRAEL
The children of Israel, who, were idolaters of the worst kind—worshiping the sun, moon and stars, and offering human sacrifices to their god, Moloch—were also worshipers of a Virgin Mother, whom they styled the “Queen of Heaven.“
Jeremiah, the prophet 625 B.C., rebuked the Israel idol worshipers.
16 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee.
17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
20 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,
21 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, and came it not into his mind?
22 So that the Lord could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. Jeremiah, 44:16-22.
PERSIANS
Persians worshiped the Virgin and Child. They erected monuments of Mithra the Virgin. She is seen suckling her child.
GREEKS AND ROMANS
Greeks and Romans worshiped the Virgin Mother and Child for hundreds of yeasrs before the Christians came into existence. Myrrha, the mother of Bacchus who had the title of “Queen of Heaven.”
Minerva, who went by the title of “Virgin Queen,” was worshiped in ancient Greece.
Juno was called the “Virgin Queen of Heaven.”
Diana, who had the title of “Mother,” was nevertheless famed for her virginal purity.
MUSCOVITES
Muscovites worshiped a sacred three, composed of a woman with a male child in her lap, and another standing by her. Her title was “Queen of Heaven.” This group was also symbolized by an animal symbol called the “Golden Heifer.”
ANCIENT GERMANS
The ancient Germans worshiped a virgin goddess under the the name of Hertha, or Ostara. She was represented in images as a woman with a child in her arms.
ANCIENT SCANDINAVIANS
The ancient Scandinavians worshiped a virgin goddess called Disa. The ancient Scandinavians also worshiped the goddess Frigga. She was mother of “Baldur the Good,” his father being Odin, the supreme god of the northern nations.
ANCIENT GUAL, DRUIDS
In Gaul, the ancient Druids worshiped the Virgo-Paritura as the “Mother of God,” and a festival was annually celebrated in honor of this virgin.
MEXICO
This mother, who had the title of “Virgin,” and “Queen of Heaven,” [334:9] was Chimalman, or Sochiquetzal, and the infant was Quetzalcoatle, the crucified Saviour. The annunciation to the Virgin Chimalman, that she should become the mother of the Saviour Quetzalcoatle, was the subject of a Mexican hieroglyphic. She appears to be receiving a bunch of flowers from the angel.