Lands of Asia layouts (Eng) 26.11.21

3.2
However, the historical significance of the discovery of Kara-Kamar is not only the
fact that it represents the first mithraeum to have been found in Central Asia, but also the
fact that the Latin inscriptions from here are the most easterly Old Latin inscriptions to
have been discovered. Until now, the first such Latin inscription was the one discovered
in Kabristan (present-day Gobustan in Azerbaijan, 4 km west of the Caspian Sea),
carved on a rock by Julius Maximus, centurion of the Legio XII Fulminata under the
emperor Domitian, Caesar, Augustus, Germanicus (AD 81–96 AD).
The renowned scholar of religion, Prof. I.A. Borichevsky is known to have made
the extraordinary observation that ‘The forgotten rival of Christ has now risen from
the ashes.’ In a number of European countries Mithraic readings are regularly held,
and journals, collections of articles and books on Mithraism are published – and
hundreds of millions of Christian Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on
25 December, perhaps not realising that this was originally a day to pay homage to
the sun god, the uncompromising fighter against evil, the invincible Mithras.
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