Antiquity Unveiled : Ancient Voices From the Spirit Realms Proving Christianity to be of Heathen Origin

In submitting to the reader Antiquity Unveiled, we feel sure that its contents will fill a vacancy that has long existed in the field of literature. Shrouded in mystery as the origin of Christianity has always been, the evidence contained within this volume seems destined to draw aside the veil and let the light of truth shine upon its history.

Antiquity Unveiled comprises a series of remarkable communications from ancient and modern spirits bearing upon Oriental religions and their relation to Christianity with the comments thereon by the late J. M Roberts, Esq. The following is a brief account of the manner in which they came into existence:

On March 26th, 1880, Mr. Roberts, then editor of "Mind and Matter," received through the medium the communication from Potamon, the founder of Eclecticism, which opened this regular series. This was followed by communications from other spirits upon the same subject. These continued until 1886, and were printed in a weekly journal as received. They contain in a small space a vast amount of knowledge, most of which was unknown to the world before. It is this valuable information, with the comments by Mr. Roberts, which we now place before our readers.

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The object of publishing these important and startling revelations is not only because they are of universal interest, but to preserve them to the world as well as meet the popular demand of progressive minds in all civilized lands, civilized not by Christiantiy, but through education and intelligence. The corroborative evidence embraced in them demonstrates conclusively that Apollonius of Tyana was the Jesus of Nazareth, the so-called Saviour of the Christian Scriptures. This great teacher now returns to earth, and inspires a medium through whom he explains the mysteries which have surrounded the origin of so-called Christianity. These facts being so highly important, it seems imperative that they should be widely disseminated; therefore we have concluded to issue them in a volume entitled Antiquity Unveiled.

The work would have been published by Mr. Roberts, in book form, had he remained in earth life a few years longer and received the encouragement and support he was entitled to in view of the great work he was called upon to fulfill for the enlightenment of mankind.

We can not hope to compile the work so completely and ably as Mr. Roberts would have done, he being fully prepared with all the details, as well as possessing marked ability and wonderful adaptation for such a task. The only thing which now seems possible, in view of the demise of Mr. Roberts, is to insert the communications in the order they were received as far as practical, [Many of these spirit witnesses could not deliver their testimony in the order arranged by the spirit guides of the medium, for the reason that conditions were unfavorable.] and as much of his comments as the size of the volume will admit. These will rest upon their merits as bearing upon the religious history of the world. The work will at least be suggestive of thought, and cause many minds to look below the surface of the present religious teachings.

A considerable number of publications have been brought to the attention of the reading world heretofore by able authors and scholars upon the subject of ancient religions. These works, however, have been based upon what history of past ages has not been destroyed and is now accessible, and such researches as could be made at a time so remote from the age in which these religions had their origin.

Other works have been published within the last twelve years, whose authors have had the opportunity to draw facts and data from these communications and comments, which have been in print since 1880, and therefore accessible as sources of information upon the subject since that date. While it is gratifying to know that other writers have seen their value and importance, it is only just to the authors of these spirit messages, as well as to Mr. Roberts, in view of his exhaustive labors in this field of research, that we accord them due credit by placing on record the time when they were first received and published.

This work differs from all others preceding it from the fact that it is dependent upon history only so far as to identify the individuals giving the communications, and to bring to notice collateral facts bearing upon their testimony. (It is clearly proven in these pages that history has been so mutilated by eliminations, forgery and interpolation in the interests of Christianity, as to render it unreliable and misleading in the extreme.) Instead of the conflicting statements of history, we have the corroborative testimony from spirit life of those who were conspicuous in the ancient history of our world.

Some of these distinguished individuals were the leading lights in the propagation of the ancient religions from which the teachings of Christianity were borrowed. Others of their number lived at and subsequent to the date of the Christian era, and testify definitely as to the part they acted in the origination and promotion of Christianity, as formulated from ancient religions. Many of these witnesses now return and contradict the assertions of Christian writers, viz: that they taught and upheld Christianity while on earth. Others testify that they have learned in spirit life the fallacy of the teachings of Christianity.

Still others testify, as they did in earth life, that they knew the teachings of Christianity were not in accord with truth, but were composed of fragments gathered from the decayed religions of the past, and moulded by skillful minds into the shape best suited for their purpose; after which all traces of their ancient origin were destroyed as far as possible, that they might appear as a direct inspiration from God. Hence we cannot expect to find the root of the Christian religion at the comparatively recent date of eighteen hundred years ago, but back through the dim vista of the Oriental ages. Many of these spirit witnesses it appears, fearing for their lives, withheld the truth while on earth, but return and divulge it now.

A few of them, only, were unwilling witnesses, who finally yielded to the force of truth and rendered their testimony. We know of none more competent to testify upon these vital questions than those who were the religious teachers at the periods before mentioned.