Mithra

December 22 marks the first day of the Winter Solstice. For three days the sun rises at the same point on the horizon. On the fourth day, December 25, the sun starts to move back to the north. This has been celebrated as the birth of the Sun (or the son) by numerous cultures.

One of the most familiar is that of the Zoroastrian god Mithra.

Mitra: proto-Indo-Iranian - composed of "mi" meaning "to bind" and "tra" meaning "causing to". Means "that which causes binding, covenant, contract, oath". Origin of the name "Mithra".

Mithra was called "the good shepherd,” "the way, the truth and the light,” “redeemer of souls,” “savior,” and “Messiah." He was identified with both the lion and the lamb. He was considered the life giver, the mediator, the source of grace. His name was Love.

Mithra was born to a virgin mother and was considered both human and divine. He was born in a cave and was attended by shepherds and magi led there by a falling star. In the catacombs of Rome lies a relic showing Mithra resting in the lap of his virgin mother.

He was a traveling teacher with twelve disciples. One for each house of the zodiac.

In the spring he sacrificed himself for the world, was buried in a tomb, and after three days rose from the dead. This is known as the passover of the Magi.

Before the passover Mithra held a "Lord's Supper" at which he said, "He who shall not eat of my body nor drink of my blood so that he may be one with me and I with him, shall not be saved."

He was one of a trinity of deities that included the good Ahriman and the evil Ormuzd. Mithra was the moderator.

His followers took Sunday as sacred. They acknowledge a heaven, home of the beautiful ones, situated in the upper regions and a hell, home of demons, in the bowels of the Earth. They believe in a flood near the beginning of time, the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the dead, the last supper, and a war at the end of the universe.

All this from 600 years before the birth of Jesus.

p.s. In "Lord of the Rings" there's a super hard metal named Mithril that's incredibly valuable. Bilbo Baggins and then Frodo had a vest made of this that saved him repeatedly.
In the same series the wizard Gandolf was also know as Mithrandir.
The names of both the metal and the wizard have their origins in the god Mithra.