Reply #23: Where you got that from anything I've said, I have no idea.

[humblebum]

If many or all of the tribes, clans, and nations in the Middle East at that time had common ancestors and those ancestors told stories that were passed down to all decendents through the years and generations - it only makes sense that the same stories are common between peoples. As far as a coopted religion as you call it; if all these nations - babylonians, hebrews, etc. had been told to look for a messiah, then it makes perfect sense that the story is common to these societies. And so on. The question is: did anyone come along who fulfilled the description of said Messiah?