Egyptian, Babylonian, And Hebrew Religions Essay, Research Paper
Egyptian, Babylonian, and Hebrew Religions
Egyptians, Babylonians, and Hebrews have similarities yet besides differences in
their faiths. The importance is non in the similarities every bit much as it is in
the differences that distinguish the civilizations from each other and their positions on
life. I would wish to indicate out each civilisation & # 8217 ; s creative activity and inundation narrative.
By analysing these narratives we can come to a better apprehension of their universe
positions. The Hebrew creative activity narrative from the book of Genesis is one that most
people know good. In the beginning God created the Eden and the Earth. The
Earth was without signifier and nothingness. God said, & # 8220 ; allow there be light, & # 8221 ; and there was
visible radiation. He so separated the visible radiation from the darkness. He besides created the land,
workss, and animate beings. He saw everything he created and, behold, it was good.
The celestial spheres and Earth were completed and all that dwelled within them. On the
7th twenty-four hours he rested. The Earth was complete, but there was nil to take
attention of this creative activity. So, God created adult male in the image of himself. Man was
created from the dust of the land. God gave him the breath of life and the
adult male became a life psyche ( Moses 1:1-2:7 ) . With the background of that narrative,
one should look at the Egyptian reading of the beginning. At first there
was nil but pandemonium that contained the seed of everything to come. In this
confusion the Sun God dwelled. By an attempt of his will he emerged from pandemonium
as Ra and gave birth to Shu, the God of air, and Tefnut, the goddess wet.
Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Geb and Nut, the Earth God and sky goddess. Thus
the physical existence was created. Peoples were created from Ra & # 8217 ; s cryings. Time
passed and Ra grew frail, so the thankless race of work forces plotted against Ra.
When Ra learned of this he called the Gods together. The Gods decided that
world must be destroyed. Tens of 1000s of work forces were killed until merely a
few were left. Then Ra relented and adult male was spared. Nevertheless Ra was ill
of the universe and retreated into the celestial spheres, go forthing Shu to reign in his topographic point.
At that clip the present universe was established. The Babylonians have their ain
reading of the beginning. All things came from the H2O. From the
mixture of sweet H2O, Aspu, with salt H2O, Tiamat, the Gods arose. Aspu and
Tiamat gave birth to a brace of mammoth snakes, Lakhmu and Lakhamu. These two
snakes produced Anshar and Kishar, the celestial spheres and the Earth. Anshar and
Kishar so conceived Anu, Enlil, and Ea. Aspu and Tiamat grew angry because
the younger Gods were noisy. So, they decided to destruct the new Gods. Ea, the
all knowing, learned of this program and used his thaumaturgy to capture Apsu. Tiamat
became ferocious and created and ground forces of Gods and monsters to penalize Ea and the
others. Marduk was asked to stand against Tiamat and her ground forces. Marduk promised
to get the better of Tiamat if he was given domination over the Gods. Marduk defeated
Tiamat and her ground forces. While he was cutting up Tiamat & # 8217 ; s organic structure he used half her
organic structure and created the dome of the celestial spheres. With the other half he made the Earth.
Then to do the other Gods happy he created work forces from the blood of the conflict.
He so made rivers, workss, and animate beings finishing creative activity. With these
narratives & # 8217 ; background one can now analyse the similitude and differences among them.
The Egyptian and Babylonian narratives show several Gods in charge of making the
universe. The difference between these two is that Marduk was given leading by
the Gods confering their powers upon him. The Egyptians do non really raise
one God above another. The Hebrews have merely one God, who created the Earth.
The Gods from each narrative created adult male from different points. The Egyptian and
Babylonian Gods created adult male from cryings and blood severally. The Hebrew God
created adult male from dust, but in the image of himself. This seems to hammer a
connexion or bond between the Hebrews and their God. They are non Gods
themselves, but with his image they have the ability to be divine. The inundation
narratives of the civilizations besides show how they view their Gods and the attitude the
Gods have toward the people. The Hebrew God flooded the universe because people
had turned their dorsums on God and were no longer idolizing him. In short, one
could state that the people in a manner deserved the penalty they received. This
is besides shown in the Egyptian creative activity narrative when the people turned against Ra.
Both of these Gods showed compassion and compunction after the violent death was done.
However, the Babylonian Gods flooded the Earth because it was so noisy that they
could non kip. Not a fitting penalty for the offense committed. The
Babylonian Gods were outraged when they realized Utnapishtim was delivered from
the calamity. The Egyptians do non hold a inundation narrative, is this because of
the regularity of the Nile & # 8217 ; s implosion therapy. The Egyptian proverb balance and harmoniousness
with the Nile & # 8217 ; s illustration. The different civilizations & # 8217 ; attitude toward their Gods is
besides shown in their literature. The Egyptians and Hebrews loved and worshipped
their gods.. This is shown in the Egyptian & # 8220 ; The Hymn to the Aten & # 8221 ; and the Hebrew
& # 8220 ; Psalms. & # 8221 ; Each of these plants congratulationss and laud their several God. The
Babylonians feared their God as they did their rivers that were unpredictable.
The life styles and geographics of each civilisation helped determine each civilizations
position of their Gods. For nature was the lone physical manifestation of their
Gods.
Plants Cited
Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. 1992 Madison: Wm. C. Brown
Communicationss. 1995
Godolphin, F, erectile dysfunction. Great Classical Myths. New York: Modern Library, 1964.
Moses. & # 8220 ; Genesis. & # 8221 ; The Holy Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1976.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by N. K. Sanders. Baltimore: Penguin, 1960.
