Rollens & Hart/Many Sparrows, 5. Ontological and Zoomorphic Semiotics

Found in the mythography of saviour deities of the early Greco-Roman period are representations of their ontological origins, existences and any non-human animals associations. In its ontological development the semiotics of the saviour deity marked a shift toward a tactility located in human flesh. In order to understanding this shift in the conceptualization of a deity, this chapter compares the mythographies and representations of two Hellenistic saviour deities, Jesus and Mithras. By comparing their ontological origins, somatic morphology and zoomorphic associations, this chapter seeks to contribute to the fleshing out of a semiotics of the saviour deity.