Religious Research

Religious Research

The Cult of Mithras and Mithraism: A Clear-Cut Origin or a Religious Bricolage

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 PhD student, Department of History and Archeology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Archeology, University of Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of History and Archeology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jrr.2024.393298.2104
Abstract
The Cult of Mithras (Mihr) is an ancient religion that originated in Iran. Evidence of this cult's presence can be found across its historical realm, from east to west. Over the past two decades, scholars from various fields have focused on this cult. Due to the lack of documented sources and conclusive empirical evidence, researchers have proposed different hypotheses about the cult's origins and its spread to other regions, each meriting investigation. This article examines these hypotheses alongside the existing evidence related to the Cult of Mithras. Understanding the origin of this cult is crucial for revealing the roots of Western Mithraism, which is undoubtedly connected to its Eastern counterpart. To achieve this, we consider three types of evidence: historical, archaeological, and theoretical. By analyzing these sources, we can trace the origin of the Cult of Mithras to Indo-European ethnicities in eastern antiquity. These groups, after merging with Persian culture, moved westward, forming a religious bricolage. Along the way, they absorbed various cultural influences, eventually developing into the recognized form of Western Mithraism.
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