Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism: With an Essay on Baal Worship, on the Assyrian Sacred "Grove," and Other Allied Symbols

In Short

Thomas Inman argues that the symbols, vestments, and rituals of modern Christianity are direct inheritances from ancient pagan faiths, particularly those centered on phallic and generative worship. By collecting and explaining dozens of illustrations originally used in a larger work, Inman and contributor John Newton attempt to demonstrate that ancient Chaldean, Egyptian, and Hebrew religions paid homage to the male and female creative principles. They assert that early bartering for divine favor evolved into elaborate sacred iconography, where crosses, crescents, and altars secretly typified the physical organs of generation and the renewal of life.

The Story

The work opens with an explanation of its purpose: to provide a compact, accessible guide to the visual "alphabet" of ancient religious art. Inman asserts that the British public remains largely unaware of the extent to which sexual symbolism permeates ancient and modern faiths. To establish his premise, he points out that even within Hebrew scripture, strict prohibitions against graven images coexisted with the veneration of physical objects like the brazen serpent and the ark of the covenant. He maintains that such sacred secrets were maintained by priesthoods to blind the populace while preserving hidden meanings.

Moving from Hebrew texts to broader ancient customs, the text examines how physical sexuality was deemed completely compatible with deep piety. Inman cites traditions from India and the Middle East where the generative organs were openly or secretly revered as mundane emblems of the Creator. He argues that this focus on reproductive energy naturally influenced the development of Christian iconography. Rather than being unique revelations, Christian symbols are shown to be adaptations of older motifs: the cross function as a male emblem, the crescent as a female element, and their combination as a representation of divine union.

As the book progresses, it systematically decodes specific figures and artifacts. It covers the position of hands used in priestly benedictions, comparing them to Indian mythological postures and traditional hand gestures. It explores representations of the virgin and child across diverse cultures—including Cyprus, Egypt, and India—arguing that figures like Mary, Astarte, and Isis fulfill the same underlying desire to honor the celestial mother. Furthermore, the text addresses the symbolism of the "Asherah" or Assyrian sacred grove, identifying its arched shape as an emblem of the female creative principle, often paired with male symbols like the pine cone or arrow.

In its closing sections, the treatise grounds all these varied rites and icons in a single driving force: the universal human craving for "fullness of life." From ancient Egyptian resurrection rituals to the searches of medieval alchemists, Inman argues that humanity has always sought immortality, long life, and abundant offspring. Religious symbols, whether an Egyptian sistrum, a Hindoo lingam, an Assyrian grove, or a medieval heraldic cross, are presented as artistic attempts to depict the divine source of life. The book ends by concluding that despite the efforts of modern religious authorities to discourage independent inquiry, these shared visual emblems reveal a common, ancient human heritage.

How It Unfolds

The visual alphabet established Inman introduces the collection of woodcuts as a simplified key to understanding ancient faith traditions, asserting that overwhelming evidence is required to prove the sexual origins of religious symbolism to a skeptical public.

Scriptural contradictions highlighted The argument examines the Hebrew Bible, pointing out the paradox between the commandment against graven images and the veneration of the brazen serpent and the ark.

Sacred sexuality introduced The text details how ancient cultures, particularly in India and the Middle East, integrated explicit sexual homage into elaborate religious rituals and daily pious practices.

Symbols systematically decoded A detailed breakdown of specific visual motifs shows how crosses, crescents, hand gestures, and geometric shapes like the pentangle symbolize male and female creative principles.

The celestial mother examined Excerpts trace the iconography of the virgin and child across various ancient cultures, illustrating how pagan mother-goddesses were transformed into Christian representations of Mary.

The Assyrian grove explained Contributor John Newton analyzes the complex symbol of the "Asherah," identifying its arched form as a representation of the female principle paired with male emblems of vitality.

The universal desire for life The work concludes by connecting all phallic and generative symbolism to humanity's underlying, timeless pursuit of continuous life, health, and spiritual immortality.

The People

Thomas Inman The primary author, a Liverpool physician and scholar, seeks to educate the general public on the pagan and sexual origins of religious symbolism. Driven by a desire for open historical inquiry, he faces opposition from religious hierarchs who discourage independent thought. He maintains that understanding these symbols exposes the shared barbarous roots of ancient and modern faiths.

John Newton A contributing scholar who provides detailed essays on specific symbols, such as the Assyrian sacred "Grove" and Baal worship. He analyzes ancient languages, sculptures, and architectural forms to demonstrate how specific motifs like the arched doorway represented the female creative force.

Indra A Hindoo god of the sky whose mythological story is cited to explain the hidden meaning of eye symbols. After being punished for his lustful designs by having his body covered with representations of the female organ, those marks were transformed into eyes, symbolizing the androgyne creator.

Ceres The distressed Roman goddess of agriculture whose myth is used to illustrate the ancient belief in the protective or comforting power of displaying female sexual emblems. Her grief over her lost daughter is relieved only when the mortal Baubo exposes herself, leading the goddess to accept food and comfort.

In Its Own Voice

"The one is, as it were, an alphabet; the other, an essay. The one opens the eyes; the other gives them opportunities to use their vision."

In his preface, Inman explains why he compiled this shorter visual volume from his previous massive work, framing it as an accessible tool to help readers independently interpret religious art.

"The idea of sexuality in religion is quite compatible with a ritual and practice of an elaborate character, and a depth of piety which prefers starvation to impurity..."

Inman introduces the central premise of his study, arguing that modern readers should not view ancient sexual worship as mere immorality, but as a deeply pious devotion to the source of life.

"'Tis Life, whereof our nerves are scant, / O life, not death, for which we pant; / More life, and fuller, that I want."

Quoting Lord Tennyson's poetry, the author illustrates the overarching theme of the book: that all religious symbols ultimately stem from humanity's intense, universal longing for vitality and endurance.

What It's Really About

Beneath its catalog of woodcuts and ancient artifacts, the book argues that human religion is fundamentally unified by a single preoccupation: the preservation and continuation of life. Inman asserts that modern theological distinctions mask an ancient, common origin rooted in nature worship. By demonstrating how Christian symbols borrow directly from pagan phallic and generative art, the text challenges the idea of unique divine revelation in modern dogmas. It presents religious symbols not as mystical abstractions, but as concrete, historical attempts by early societies to represent the physical mechanics of creation, fertility, and survival.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to readers interested in 19th-century intellectual history, comparative religion, and the history of art and iconography. Reading it feels like sitting in the lecture hall of a Victorian rationalist who takes immense delight in poking at religious orthodoxy using archaeological evidence. Inman's style is direct, academic, and unsparingly controversial for his era, combining medical frankness with dense antiquarian citation.

The prose reflects its time, featuring lengthy sentences, references to untranslated Latin and Greek phrases, and frequent mentions of obscure 19th-century scholarly texts. Its period attitudes toward non-Western cultures and ancient peoples are visibly shaped by Victorian ethnography, which may strike modern readers as dated or eurocentric. However, what stays with the reader is the author's relentless obsession with finding a single, unifying explanation behind every cross, crescent, and arch in religious architecture, offering a fascinating glimpse into the Victorian quest to demystify faith through empirical science.

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