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Jainism Before Mahâvîra
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Thammuz." The Egyptians regarded Sun god as the creator of the world. Among deities of that age the most popular were animal gods. Even among the animals bull and he-goat were regarded sacrosanct. In a religious text of Sumeria or Babylonia a word "Arhashamma" is found. This 'Arha' seems to be an abbreviation of 'Arhat'. As Paushadha-"day of fast" is sacred to the Jainas the Sabbath-day was sacred to them. On that day they abstained from all mundane activities and obligations involving violence. They regarded even the mere touch of wine to be sinful. Among their saints Moses and Daniel were pioneers of non-violence.
The Hittites, like the Babyloneans and Hebrews, were also influenced by the Indian religions. Their greatest god was named "Weather God". His riding animal was a bull the name of which was Teshub. It seems to be a derivation from Titthaya Ushabha (Tirthankara Rishabha). The religious beliefs of the Egyptions resembled those of the Jainas. They did not regard God as the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the universe. They did not eat raddish, onion and garlic. They wore shoes made of the bark of trees.
In the Vedic texts names of Ajita and Aristanemi, besides that of Rishabhadeva, are also mentioned.
Pârshvanâtha, the immediate predecessor of Tîrthankara Vardhamâna or Mahâvîra is regarded by historians to be a historical personage. German scholars like Dr. Booler and Jacobi have made it evident after deep study and research that Mahâvîra was not the founder of Jainism.11 He is said to have been born in 599 B.C. and died in 527 B.C. at Pâvâpur. He is said to have been born 250 years after Pârshvanâtha.12
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According to copper-plate in Kâthiavada a Babylonian king arrived at Dvârikâ, built a temple and dedicated it to god Nemi or Aristanemi of Raivatagiri (Girnâr). This copper-plate belongs to king Nebuchedanezzer First or second (1140 B.C. or 600 B.C.) A Buddhist epic entitles Mahâvamsa written by a senior monk (sthavira) named Mahâvîra in Ceylon during the reign of King Dhatusena (461-476 A.D.) makes it known to us that Jainism was popular in South India before 500 B.C. The Epigraphical Reports of Madras (1907 and 1910) refer to a rock inscription of 300 B.C. written in Brâhmi script and belonging to the Jainas. It was found during the excavations of Madurai and Râmnad. The
