Thulis of Egypt  -  CRUCIFIED

Thulis of Egypt  -  CRUCIFIED

1700 BCE    –   

3500 YEARS AGO.

The identification of Thulis (or Zulis) as a pre-Christian crucified savior was constructed in the 19th century by British antiquarian Godfrey Higgins in Anacalypsis (1836) and popularized by American free-thought writer Kersey Graves in The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors (1875).


 

Rather than relying on translated hieroglyphic records, Higgins and Graves drew upon late Greek lexicons, etymological speculation, and authentic Osiris temple reliefs to construct their narrative.


 

The Linguistic & Textual Bridge

  1. The Suda Lexicon Connection:


     

    • Higgins discovered the name Thulis in the Suda (a 10th-century Byzantine Greek encyclopedia) and the writings of John Malalas.


       

    • The entry described a legendary king of Egypt named Thulis who ruled "all the way to the ocean" and consulted the Oracle of Serapis. The oracle told him that God is a Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and that Thulis’s rule would soon end. Upon leaving the oracle, Thulis was assassinated by his own subjects.


       

  2. Equating "Thulis" with "Zulis" and "Osiris":


     

    • Higgins argued through comparative linguistics (common in 18th- and 19th-century philology) that names across languages evolved from common solar roots. He asserted that Thulis was simply a Hellenized variant of Zulis, which in turn was an epithet or root name for Osiris (or O-Siris / O-Zulis).


       

Merging Osiris's Theology into the "Thulis" Profile

Once Higgins established that Thulis was Osiris, he and Graves mapped the central tenets of Egyptian Osirian theology directly onto this figure:


 

  • The 28 Lotus Stalks and Lifespan:


     

    • In Anacalypsis, Higgins references early French archaeological surveys of temples at Philae and Dendera. In the roof chapels (the western adytum), reliefs depict the body of Osiris on a funerary couch flanked by 28 lotus plants.


       

    • In authentic Egyptian mythology (recorded by Plutarch in De Iside et Osiride), Osiris reigned for 28 years—corresponding to the 28 days of the lunar cycle. Higgins interpreted this as evidence that Thulis/Zulis lived an earthly life of 28 years.


       

  • The Violent Death and Murder:


     

    • The murder of King Thulis in the Greek legend was synchronized with the slaying of Osiris by Set (Typhon), framed by Graves as a sacrificial "martyrdom" or "crucifixion" for humanity.


       

  • Descent, Resurrection, and Cosmic Judge:


     

    • In Egyptian religion, Osiris was reassembled, brought back to life through the magic of Isis, and installed as the Lord of the Underworld (Duat), where he judges every soul via the Weighing of the Heart.


       

    • Higgins and Graves directly translated this into Christian theological terms: Thulis was a savior who died, descended into the underworld, rose again, ascended to heaven, and acts as the supreme future judge of mankind.


       

Higgins vs. Graves: How the Narrative Developed

FeatureGodfrey Higgins (Anacalypsis, 1836)Kersey Graves (Sixteen Crucified Saviors, 1875)Academic Egyptology Reality
Core GoalProve a universal solar/pantheistic religion predated all modern faiths.Attack Christian exclusivity by claiming 16 identical prior crucifixions.Deciphering authentic native hieroglyphs and religious texts.
Source BaseByzantine lexicons, classical Greek accounts, early architectural sketches.Copied heavily from Higgins without consulting primary archaeological records.Temple inscriptions, Pyramid/Coffin Texts, Book of the Dead.
Method of DeathSlaying/Treason followed by mystical rebirth.Explicitly classified as a "Crucified Savior".Slain and dismembered; not crucified.
Identity of the DeityRegarded Thulis as an avatar/name of Osiris and Serapis.Treated Thulis as an independent historic individual/savior god.Represents the classical Osiris myth fused with late Greco-Egyptian king tales.
Through this pipeline, the temple reliefs of Osiris at Philae and Dendera became the foundation for the 19th-century legend of "Thulis of Egypt."

The account of Thulis of Egypt originates primarily from 19th-century comparative religion and mythicist writings—most notably Godfrey Higgins’ Anacalypsis (1836) and Kersey Graves’ The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors (1875). In mainstream historical Egyptology, "Thulis" is not an authenticated god or pharaoh; the details attributed to him are largely a fusion of Osiris mythology, late Byzantine lexicons (such as the Suda mentioning a legendary King Thulis), and 19th-century polemical claims.

Profile & Specific Attributes

  • Time Period & Dates:

    • Start / Active Date: Claimed in 19th-century sources to have lived around 1700 BCE (~3,700 years ago).

    • Calendar Date of Birth: No specific calendar day or month (e.g., modern dates) exists in any historical record.

  • Age at Death & Lifespan:

    • Age: 28 years old. The legend describes 28 lotus plants surrounding his tomb or chamber, symbolizing each year of his earthly life (a detail borrowed from the 28-year reign attributed to Osiris in Egyptian myth).

  • Death Details:

    • How & When: Suffered a violent death at age 28. In the 19th-century mythicist framing, he is listed among "crucified" or violently slain saviors.

    • Who Killed Him: Late accounts (such as the Byzantine Suda entry on King Thulis) allegorize his downfall through assassination or treason by his own countrymen after he claimed supreme divine power over the elements.

  • Salvation & Mission:

    • Said to have descended from heaven to benefit mankind, walking among humans "full of grace and truth" to bring civilization, moral order, and ultimately salvation through his resurrection.

  • Geographical Locations:

    • Ancient Egypt, with sacred depictions claimed to be located in temple adyta (inner sanctuaries) along the Nile, specifically associated with the chambers in Philae and Abydos traditionally tied to Osiris.

  • Actions During Life & After Death:

    • In Life: Taught wisdom, governed justly, and performed miracles to uplift humanity.

    • After Death: Descended into the underworld/death, resurrected, ascended to the heavens, and took up the role of presiding judge over departed souls.

  • Worship & Followers:

    • How Worshiped: Through temple mysteries, ritual offerings, and funerary rites promising immortality to initiates.

    • Followers: Ancient Egyptian priesthood, initiates of mystery cults, and the general populace seeking safe passage to the afterlife.

Theological & Doctrinal Questions

CategoryClaimed Detail / Status
Virgin BirthAttributed to divine conception/birth in comparative mythicist catalogs; standard Egyptian parallels trace this to the divine birth myths of solar and royal deities.
CrucifixionClaimed by Kersey Graves as one of sixteen "crucified" saviors; in authentic Egyptian archaeology, deities were depicted as dismembered, slain, or bound (like Osiris), not crucified on a Roman-style cross.
Death & ResurrectionYes; the tradition states he was slain, buried, rose from the dead, and triumphed over mortality.
Descent & AscensionYes; descended into the realm of the dead and subsequently ascended to the heavenly realms.
Title: "Son of God"Yes; held divine royal titles reflecting solar parentage common to Egyptian savior figures (e.g., Sa-Ra, "Son of Ra").
Alternate NamesZulis, Thules, or identified syncretically with Osiris-Apis (Serapis).
Part of a TrinityYes; associated with Egyptian theological trinities (typically structured as Father, Mother, Son, such as Osiris–Isis–Horus or Serapis–Isis–Horus).
Judgment in HeavenYes; designated as the supreme judge who weighs and evaluates human souls in the afterlife.

Appearance & Visual Record

No verified ancient statues or inscriptions bear the name "Thulis" as an independent deity in academic Egyptology. The sculptures referenced in 19th-century accounts—described as resting in western temple adyta surrounded by lotus motifs—are authentic relief carvings of Osiris depicted in his funerary bed (the Osiris beds of Philae and Dendera), where Osiris is shown mummiform, crowned with the Atef crown, and flanked by lotus flora symbolizing rebirth and eternal life.