In ancient times mankind did not have churches and you did not have to "know Jesus" to get into heaven. If you knew the chief priest or shaman really well he might let you have a glimpse of heaven.
There are several good sources on the roots and history of ancient religions including Judaism and Christianity. However, it is not necessary to read anything to know what is real and what is not, all you have to do is look inward and feel what is real. All of us have a connection to God and the church cannot sever this and has no influence at all in this regard. The church cannot forgive you or redeem you and has no power to judge you. The “church†is only an institution.
No one should dictate their view of god (Religion) on anyone else. With enough knowledge out there, eventually people will return back to a state of self-interpretation of spirituality instead of being told what God wants or has said.
The ancient people held a set of belief systems which were very primitive as far as simplicity but they were extremely knowledgeable in their understanding.
 It doesn't matter what religion you are today, there is a common underlying source of ideas and these ideas are what have come down through history. Therefore all religions have certain things in common and have all borrowed their current ideas and doctrines from older religions. This can be seen by looking at the common symbolism.
First of all, in ancient times, there were certain things which obviously mystified the early people and there were certain apparent features of the landscape which were difficult to ignore.
The Sun for example; a little difficult to ignore, don't you think? If the sun, which is the source of all life fails to come up the next morning the ancient people would not have lived long and they knew this. The Sun invigorates you with its energy and causes the crops to grow. The Sun gives up its life force to provide us with warmth and food and many other things. It could be said that the Sun of God gives its life up for US and it is the TRUE SAVIOR for it has risen; "Risen Savior". When the ancient people would track the Sun on the "Sun dial", as it still does today, the Sun travels south until the Winter Solstice when it is cold and harsh, representing death and the Sun would stop "ON THE SUN DIAL FOR THREE DAYS and on December 25th, the Sun would be said "To be BORN AGAIN" on the CROSS OF THE ZODIAC" after having died for three days. This is when the Sun begins its annual journey back to the Northern Hemisphere.
The Ancient calendar also started at a different time. It began in Virgo and ended in Leo. That is why the Sphinx has the head of a Virgin and the Body of a Lion. When the Sun of God was re-born, it was in the Constellation of Virgo, so it was said "Born of a Virgin". The Sun is the "Eye of God" or "Eye of Horus". Ra was the Sun God in Egypt. His full name was Amen Ra. That is why some of us say "A-men" after our prayers. The Egyptians knew this and some say that all of the Egyptian beliefs and customs are built into our society secretly by the Freemasons.
The Origin of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; Horus comes up at the "Hor-izon". He is born, this is the beginning, 12:00 he is the "Most High", and then the Sun "Sets", hence "Set" or "Satan", the prince of darkness does battle with the light of the world and wins, until the Sun is re-born the next day. This is a representation of the evolution of life; the birth, or the beginning, mid-life starting in your teen years, and old age, leading to death, the end of life. This is also symbolized in other religions going very far back. In India, there is Brahma, the Father, Vishnu, the Son, and Shiva.
In Malachi 4:2 of the Old Testament, it states "But unto you, fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." Look at the symbol from Egypt of the Sun and his wings. Jesus was supposed to have 12 apostles. There were the 12 Houses of the Zodiac.
In the book of Job Chapter 38:33 "Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? 38:31 "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Plei-a-des or loose the bands of Orion?" 38:32 "Canst thou bring forth Mazz-a-roth in his season? Or canst thou guide Arc-tu-rus with his sons?" This is all in reference to the zodiac and astrology. The definition of Mazzaroth in the King James Version of the bible is "The twelve houses of the zodiac".
Jesus is said to have fed his people with two fish and five loaves. The two fish represent "Pisces" and the age of Pisces or that particular House of the Zodiac. That is why Jesus is referred to as the "great fisherman". It is also why the Pope's headdress is shaped like a fish. If you turn it sideways you will see this. Rome ruled the world for 2000 years under the age of Pisces. "Dagon" is the fish God, which is what is actually represented. The New Testament is Astrology.
In Matthew 28:20 it states "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age". What is being talked about is the "End of the Age", the age of "Pisces". The end of the "Age" is often mistaken for the "end of the world", creating the "Apocalypse fears". Joshua was called the Son of Nun, which in Hebrew means "fish". The new "Age of Aquarius" is coming. The symbol for the Age of Aquarius is the "Water-bearer", or the man with a water pitcher.
In Luke 22:10, when Jesus is asked by his 12 apostles where he will go to settle his new kingdom, he responds, "Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in." This is the "House of Aquarius".
In Matthew 12:32, "The holy spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." In Matthew 13:39, "The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels". 13:40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age". In Matthew 24:3 "and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" and from Luke 18:30 "the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." First Corinthians 3:6, "We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing". Hebrews 6:5 "Who have tasted the goodness of the word of god and the powers of the coming age", and in Revelation 15:3 "Great and marvelous are you Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the Ages."
The Sun, our Lord, is the King of the Ages and we are in the "End Times" and entering a "New Age". There is nothing to fear in this regard, of a "New Age" or the "End Times".
The "Passover" is the Sun passing over into the Winter Solstice from the Fall Equinox. This too was borrowed from the Hebrews who borrowed it from the Egyptians.
Mushrooms (Particularly Amanita Muscaria); yes these little things were also quite a wonder. Where did they come from? The ancient people had no immediate concept of spores. So a mushroom was considered a "virgin birth". Also they immediately noticed that mushrooms came after the rains and they would pick them in the early hours of the morning. This was the "MANNA FROM HEAVEN" that the Israelites would gather. The word "Manna" means "What is it". Well, after consuming it you would probably be wondering "What is it" as you were talking to God.
(Gen 3:3 KJV) "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." (Gen 3:4 KJV) "And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die:" (Gen 3:5 KJV) "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
John Allegro has authored one of the most interesting books in the world on the origins and sources of religion. It is called "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" and was published in 1970. Allegro was one of a team of researchers hired by the State of Israel and the British government to decipher the "Dead Sea Scrolls" when they were discovered in the 1950's. Allegro was hired because he was a biblical scholar and was familiar with ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MAJOR LANGUAGE including SUMERIAN, EGYPTIAN, HEBREW, AND CUNIEFORM.
His ultimate conclusion (and he was kicked off the team for his opinions) was that Jesus was a Mushroom consumed by the Essenes and covered up to keep the Roman authorities in the dark about the fertility cult of the Essenes.
Allegro claims that the ancient people considered the rain similar to God's sperm in that it would fertilize the soil (of Mother Earth) and allow the crops to grow. If the rain was a source of "Heavenly Sperm" then there must be a giant penis in the sky producing this "Heavenly Sperm", assumed the ancients. Well, after the rain, the mushroom would grow, allowing them to "Talk to God" and the mushroom looked like a miniature penis growing up from the ground. This, allegro adds, was to them the "Son of God come down in the flesh to show the way to himself.
These were indeed the mysteries and only the appropriate priest / shaman knew the exact amounts to take and how to prepare it without dying from over ingestion of the poisons. That's why, today, the business of pharmaceuticals and the secret societies have been proposed to be intertwined.