Robert Price describes shortly the reasons for a death in outer space
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:31 am
One of the most controversial aspects of Christ Mythicism is that the crucifixion of Jesus was originally conceived as a celestial event, not an historical one. Jesus was executed on the “cross” of the ecliptic and the equinox, done in by fiendish Archons, Principalities and Powers (1 Cor. 2:8; Col. 2:14-15). The saving death was eventually historicized. Personally, I hold to this theory. It puzzles me that some ridicule this notion as an “outer space crucifixion” when the mytheme is well known from ancient Gnosticism, where it was believed that the Primal Man of Light was dismembered by the Archons in the heavenly realm (“outer space” if you want to call it that). Mythicists are not nuts who think this actually happened. You could jeer at that, but the real point is that these ancient nuts believed it— and a good number of other nutty things.
Price, Robert M. . The Journal of Higher Criticism: Volume 13 Number 2 (p.151). Kindle edition.
Differently from dr. Carrier, prof Price doesn't list Pagan deities as examples of deaths in outer space, but Gnostic deities.
Surely a first example of a gnostic deity crucified in outer space is the "superior Christ" of the Valentinians.
The animal and carnal Christ, however, does suffer after the fashion of the superior Christ, who, for the purpose of producing Achamoth, had been stretched upon the cross, that is, Horos, in a substantial though not a cognizable form. In this manner do they reduce all things to mere images — Christians themselves being indeed nothing but imaginary beings!
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0314.htm
Probably Paul localizes this death of Jesus in outer space at the origin of the world because he preaches only "Christ crucified" (Gal 3:1).
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
There was no reasons for Paul ignoring other things about the life of (even a mythical) Christ, if the his death was recent in the past.
In addition, in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8, Paul means the Wisdom as a living entity, not an impersonal knowledge:
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. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
If the Wisdom is meant here as a living entity, then she existed "before the time began", i.e. before the creation of the world. The implication is that the Wisdom knew already then about the death of Jesus in outer space.
The cross is the symbol of the creation of the world by the Logos, in Plato.
And the physiological discussion concerning the Son of God in the Timæus of Plato, where he says, He placed him crosswise in the universe, he borrowed in like manner from Moses; for in the writings of Moses it is related how at that time, when the Israelites went out of Egypt and were in the wilderness, they fell in with poisonous beasts, both vipers and asps, and every kind of serpent, which slew the people; and that Moses, by the inspiration and influence of God, took brass, and made it into the figure of a cross, and set it in the holy tabernacle, and said to the people, If you look to this figure, and believe, you shall be saved thereby. Numbers 21:8 And when this was done, it is recorded that the serpents died, and it is handed down that the people thus escaped death. Which things Plato reading, and not accurately understanding, and not apprehending that it was the figure of the cross, but taking it to be a placing crosswise, he said that the power next to the first God was placed crosswise in the universe. And as to his speaking of a third, he did this because he read, as we said above, that which was spoken by Moses, that the Spirit of God moved over the waters. For he gives the second place to the Logos which is with God, who he said was placed crosswise in the universe;
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0126.htm
To this cosmic creation/crucifixion by/of the Logos the incipit of the fourth gospel refers:
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
(John 1:3)
Hence also for Paul Jesus was the pre-existing entity who helped God to create the world. How? By the his crucifixion in outer space.
