Comparative Religion 1 One God, Three Faiths Flashcards
monotheism
the opposite of polytheism — which comes from the Greek for “one god.”
polytheism
which means “many gods.”
Egyptians developed several important gods, including one named Ptah.
He was once the chief deity of a city, but eventually became the main god of the country. The other gods were seen as manifestations of Ptah. All people had to do was pray to Ptah, regardless of other gods.
Who had replaced Ptah in the Egyptian belief?
The god Amon.
Amonhotep IV changed his and god Aton” s name to which name?
Amonhotep IV became tired of having his rule interfered with by priests. So, he changed his name to Ikhnaton around 1300 BC and declared that the god Aton was the only god.
Which was the first-known true monotheism and occurred when?
Ikhnaton’s religion was the first-known true monotheism and occurred about 1,300 years before Jesus. The belief in Aton was recorded in pictures on temple walls and in letters.
Who is Ikhnaton’s wife?
Ikhnaton’s reign today is best known for the magnificent bust of his beautiful wife, Nefertiti, which is considered the finest statue to survive from ancient Egypt.
Who are the Semites?
The Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Israelites were all Semites. Today, Semite means Jewish to most people. This is the main usage, versus a general term for a group of people who created a civilization in and around the ancient Middle East.
Who was The first famous Semite who promoted monotheism?
The first famous Semite who promoted monotheism was a man we know as Abram, who would later have his name changed to Abraham. He would identify his God as Yahweh.
What means Yahweh?
Yahweh means “I am that I am” or “I was what I was.” Yahweh was originally viewed as a mountain deity who appeared in thunder and lighting. His “still, small voice” was heard by those who believed in him and who listened to him.
What means El?
El is the name of the bull god of the Canaanites. Later, followers of Yahweh borrowed that name and gave it to their God.
Who introduced monotheism to the jews?
The king of Judah, Josiah ordered the other religious symbols stored in the temple to be destroyed.
From that time on, monotheism was the only belief of these people, whom we know today as Jews.
Where does the name jews derive from?
Their name was derived from the country, Judah, which was once the name of a mountainous region around their capital city, Jerusalem. The people living there were known as Judahites. When the Judahites became the largest tribe, their name evolved into the name of their religion, Judaism.
Where do the ten tribes come from?
The ten tribes north of Judah had banded together under the name of Israel. When they were conquered by the Assyrians around 722 BC, they adopted the Assyrian gods and disappeared from history. We know them as the Ten Lost Tribes. They probably accepted the Assyrians gods when their deity failed to shield them.
Which important decisions did the priests of Judah make that helped guarantee that their religion would survive?
- They said there were no other gods. Other monotheists accepted the existence of different gods, but said their god was watching over them. Jews simply argued there were no other gods
- The priests banned images of God. Previously, people always made idols to represent their deities. Jews did not. Their God was invisible and would always be with them.
- The priests insisted that their God was not responsible for just the Jews, he was universal. Previously, deities were assigned different countries as their “portion.”
