Bearing in mind that man is the same the world over, and the same through history, and all participate in one human nature, it's hardly surprising that there are religious concepts that are generic to humanity's spiritual seeking.
But let's refine your test:
Take the New Testament, cut out all direct references to Egyptian Religion, and see if there is any change to the message or its theology (what we call oikonomia and theologia).
Let me tell you the answer: No.
Now do the same, and cut out all the direct references to the Hebrew Religion ... and then your shredder image would apply.
This simple exercise alone is sufficient to demonstrate that any Egyptian references are purely incidental and of no consequence.
Another test:
If indeed you are a gnostic in the Coptic Tradition, then you will have read the Christology of Cyril of Alexandria so often and so thoroughly that you could probably recite it blindfold.
If you haven't, then be assured the Copts will be the first to refute you and your rather presumptive theories.
Thomas
Thomas, where would one begin in citing all the pagan references in the Old and New Testament..
Let's start with Adam and Eve, characters and story borrowed from Sumerian and Babylonian mythologies. Noah and the Flood? Revised Epic of Gilgamesh flood story by Hebrew authors. Abraham and Sarah and Hagar? Well, you now know where these characters came from. How about old Yahweh himself and his pagan Canaanite roots starting off as Yamm until Canaanite God Most High, EL renamed him Yah or Yahwe. Then there's "Moses" whose name supposedly is Hebrew yet there are quite a few Egyptian pharaohs with "moses" in their names, e.g. Tutmoses III (Tut= Thoth) who conquered and destroyed the Canaanite confederacy right close to the time of "Moses". "Moses" is just the Egyptian proper name without the pagan god name attached. The sons of David with their pagan god names? The Song of Solomon which is derived from a hymn to the two gods in love, Shalem and Shulmitu representing the planet Venus worshiped at Jerusalem as the Morning Star and Evening Star.
Here's more pagan influence:
The word "Tabernacle" means "bivouac of green branches" which was also what the "House of Baal" was called.
Baal and Marduk's triumphs over Tiamat (or Rahab or Leviathan), Ishtar's destroying sea-creature, is celebrated in Isaiah 27:1, 51:9 and in Job 26:13.
The Book of "Esther". The book symbolizes the adoption of Ishtar ("Esther" being the Hebrew version of Her name) and Marduk into Judaic theology. "Marduk" being the translation of "Morducai" in this Old Testament story where the Jews are miraculously saved by Esther's influence. The Jewish Purim festival commemorates this act of the Goddess in Hebrew disguise.
Divination is considered idolatry in the Bible yet divination through oracle knucklebones as "Urim" and "Thummim" was part of Mosaic Law. (see Exodus 28:30 and Samuel 28:6)
Baptism comes from the Mesopotamian religious mythology of Enki, a god of water, seas and rivers and, corresponding to Hermes and Thoth, a supreme god of wisdom and magic who had the power to impose or remove spells and curses.
The Mesopotamian religion had a rite of sacrificing a sheep and throwing it into a river as a "scapegoat" for the sins of the people. The Jewish atonement ritual "Kippur" comes from the Akkadian word for this ritual "Kupparu".
The Goddess' magic number 7 representing the seven planetary rulers and it's Judeo-Christian anti-Goddess reaction as the splitting of it in half is represented in many places in the Bible. Your mysterious "42" months. The story of Joseph in Egypt preparing the Egyptians for surviving 7 years of drought and Elisha restoring the dead son of a Shunammite woman back to life which is followed by announcing a 7 year famine upon the land, (2 Kings 8:1) is the Hebrew version of the Mesopotamian myth of Ishtar sending Anu to bring a 7 year drought and famine in revenge for Gilgamesh spurning Her as a his lover. Ishtar threatens also to break down the gates to the underworld to release the dead to swallow up the living.
The Hebrew Menorah has 7 branches ending in oil cups shaped like almond blossoms. Solomon's Temple also had almond blossom shaped cornices. Almonds were one of the Goddess' sacred fruits being yoni shaped and white inside, white symbolizing the Goddess as the Moon.
The "42" months, 3 1/2 years, symbolism that shows up in Daniel and Revelation continues the Patriarchal war on pagan polytheism. Egypt had 42 named gods they worshiped. 2 female bears maul 42 youths who mocked Elisha.
Pagan origins of the Peter/rock story
From "The Chief Gods of Rome:
"There were two gods of ancient Rome which were pre-eminently worshipped as PETER-gods. One was JU-PETER (Zeus-Peter). The other, says the Classical Manual, was JANUS, called PATER or PETER (see page 389). Sometimes these two gods are confused. But they are to be reckoned as distinct -- relative to Roman paganism of the First Century. The latter god, JANUS-PETER, had some interesting roles to play in the pagan religion at Rome. These roles answer the question: Who was the original Peter of Rome? Notice a brief history and some of the activities of this god.
Plutarch in his life of Numa, gives us the identity of JANUS. Originally, according to Plutarch, Janus was an ancient prince who reigned in the infancy of the world. He brought men from a rude and savage life to a mild and rational system. HE was the first to build cities and the first to establish government over men. After his death he was deified. There can be no mistaking who this JANUS was! This title was just another of the many names of Nimrod. This ancient prince who was violently killed, was later deified by the pagan religions. Because of his high authority, he was called a PATOR or PETER.
Here are some of the religious activities of which JANUS-PETER was in charge.
It was JANUS-PETER who was pre-eminent in interpreting the times -- especially prophecy. "The past and the future was always present in his mind" (Classical Manual, pages 388 and 389). He was pictured as being double-faced. Plutarch said this was a symbol of his endeavor to change men from barbarism to civilization -- that is, bring them to the civilization of NIMROD. One of JANUS' roles, after his deification as a god, was the continuation of his sacred task of "civilizing" men.
Janus-Peter Had "Keys": The PETER-god JANUS was to the ancient Romans the "KEEPER OF THE GATES OF HEAVEN AND EARTH." "HE IS REPRESENTED WITH A KEY IN ONE HAND . . . as emblematic of his presiding over GATES and highways." The pagan Romans were calling their JANUS a PETER hundreds of years before the birth of the Apostle Peter. It was this JANUS who was in charge of the "pearly gates"! The very word JANUS means "gates," that is, the one in charge of the GATES.
The Classical Manual continues: "Ovid speaks of him [Janus] in the first book of his Fasti; his face is double to denote his equal empire over the heavens and the earth -- [does not the Pope claim the same power today?] -- and that all things are open and shut to him AT HIS WILL -- [he was infallible and answered to no one for his actions, so the Pope] -- that he governs the universe [Catholicum], and alone possesses the power of making the world revolve on its axis; THAT HE PRESIDES OVER THE GATES OF HEAVEN."
Catholics Claim the "Keys":
The Catholic Church claims Peter gave to it the keys of the gates of heaven and that no one will enter into God's presence unless that church opens the gates. The very word "Cardinal" means "hinge." The Cardinals of the Roman Church are the HINGES upon which the GATE -- the Pope -- is able to turn.
The Classical Manual continues: "the successions of day and night are regulated by his influence; and that the east and the west is at one moment open to his view." It was JANUS-PETER who also controlled the calendar by his priests. The first month of the year was named after him to show his control over the years. So, today, we still have JANU-ary as the first month. The Catholic Church, like the priests of Janus, feels it has this same authority over the calendar today."
Petra was a counterpart of Hades in Greek mythology. Petra held the Key to the Pearly Gates of Celestial Aphrodite who deposited semen in rocks as gemstones. The "Petras" stones were very much like the phallic Asherah stone pillars. And that is why "Peter" is a nickname for penis, for Pete's sake."
And the climax of pagan influence is of course Jesus Christ himself as a Jewish version of the very well-known in the ancient world dying/resurrection gods and god-men, e.g. Mithra, Osiris, Dionysis, Attis, etc.
Thomas, do you know that your name "Thomas" is derived from Tammuz?