Adonis, the "Lord" and "Saviour," was placed in a cave shortly after his birth.[156:8]
Apollo (Phoibos), son of the Almighty Zeus, was born in a cave at early dawn.[156:9]
Mithras, the Persian Saviour, was born in a cave or grotto,[156:10] at early dawn.
Hermes, the son of God by the mortal Maia, was born early in the morning, in a cave or grotto of the Kyllemian hill.[156:11]
Attys, the god of the Phrygians,[156:12] was born in a cave or grotto.[156:13]
The object is the same in all of these stories, however they may differ in detail, which is to place the heaven-born infant in the most humiliating position in infancy.
We have seen it is recorded that, at the time of the birth of Jesus "there was a great light in the cave, so that the eyes of Joseph and the midwife could not bear it." This feature is also represented in early Christian art. "Early Christian painters have represented the infant Jesus as welcoming three Kings of the East, and shining as brilliantly as if covered with phosphuretted oil."[157:1] In all pictures of the Nativity, the light is made to arise from the body of the infant, and the father and mother are often depicted with glories round their heads. This too was a part of the old mythos, as we shall now see.
The moment Crishna was born, his mother became beautiful, and her form brilliant. The whole cave was splendidly illuminated, being filled with a heavenly light, and the countenances of his father and his mother emitted rays of glory.[157:2]
So likewise, it is recorded that, at the time of the birth of Buddha, "the Saviour of the World," which, according to one account, took place in an inn, "a divine light diffused around his person," so that "the Blessed One" was "heralded into the world by a supernatural light."[157:3]
When Bacchus was born, a bright light shone round him,[157:4] so that, "there was a brilliant light in the cave."