How Did Hebrews Influence Western Civilization

Monotheism: The basic definition of monotheism is the belief in one God. The opposite of polytheism, which is the belief in many Gods, who each serve a different purpose. However, for a monotheistic religion, the God is all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful; this God would be the sole creator and provider. There are three major religions associated with monotheism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all have similar origins, development, beliefs, and sacred texts. Contrary to popular belief all three of these religions share more common ground than one would think. The differences are present of course, but the similarities help one understand where all three were derived from and why. All of the religions share the common ground as to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the belief of monotheism, and “ethical standards required social justice for individuals and for the community” (144). Judaism is the oldest religion out of the three, then falls Christianity, and lastly Islam.

The Hebrews believed that they had a special unique relationship with God; they called themselves “the chosen People”. Prophets played a dominant role in this history. They believe this because they were rescued from Egypt and God wanted them set the examples of righteousness behavior for all to follow. The Prophets are emergence of spiritually inspired people. The profits cared nothing for money or possessions and feared no one and preached without invitations. The prophet said that is was God’s wish to forgive human sins and to renew his relationship with a contrite Israel. The prophets aided in the modeling of the learning that is part of the Western Tradition. They also additional established the Hebrew idea of “moral individuality”. Rejecting parochialism for universalism, the prophets accomplished a profound alertness of human disposition, a conscious commitment to the Law. The prophets said that individuals are responsible for their own actions and this would be the key component to the Western thought.

When you look back on history there were many defining religions, beliefs and values among different cultures and societies. The beliefs varied from believing in one single God to multiple gods, from being patriarchal to matriarchal. When discussing difference you can see numerous among the Ancient Hebrew culture and the Archaic Greeks. Greeks believed in multiple gods, the Olympians and the Chthonian whereas Ancient Hebrew’s believed in one God whose name shouldn’t even be pronounced it was so sacred. These two cultures perceived the world and their surrounds in a completely different way.

Moses: Like the other monotheistic faiths, my people believe in one God, and only one. The Greek, for example, believe in more than one God; this makes them polytheistic.

In the first century Palestine, during this period, many people from Judaism believed that there was only one God because of the Jewish biblical tradition. Since “both Jesus and his original disciples were children of Israel, that primarily explainable in terms of Jewish customs and beliefs” (pg. 43). The shared beliefs were from the Hebrew Bible, which proclaimed that there is one God of Israel by the name of Yahweh (Deut. 6:4-5). They did this by remembering the most important commandment (Mark 12:28-30). This made them loyal to worship the God of Israel named Yahweh.

In modern times when one thinks of Monotheism, the first religion that comes to mind is Christianity. But what is Monotheism? Monotheism is the belief that there is only one god. But is Christianity the first group of people to believe in one god? The answer is no, monotheism comes a long way. Zoroastrianism was the first monotheistic religion approximately 3500 years ago. The religion was founded by Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran. The second monotheistic religion known to man kind is Atenism founded by the Pharaoh Akhenaten. And the third Monotheistic religion is Judaism.

Mesopotamia was the land of four primary civilizations: the Sumerian, the Akkadians, the Babylonian and the Assyrians. The Hebrews, like the Akkadians, belong to a group of people known as Semites and from there we can see the influence of Mesopotamian culture in some of the Hebrews traditions. During the same time, civilization began in Egypt, and there can be seen a distinct difference in the social, religious and political system from Mesopotamia; that the link between the two

Ancient polytheistic and Judaism are two of the most opposite beliefs possible. Polytheistic belief is the belief in more than just one god. Polytheism was brought to this world by the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Greeks. The Greek gods often took on the form of being humans while the Egyptian gods were the main cornerstone to their beliefs and religion. Judaism or the belief of Monotheism is the belief in one main god. Monotheism we brought to the world by the Jewish culture. It was originated from the Hebrew bible and is one of the oldest religions still living today. Judaism was a monotheistic religion of the Jews having its spiritual and ethical ideas embodied mainly in

Although there are echoes of Mesopotamian and Greek creation myths all through Genesis, especially the order in which creation transpired, all three also represent the universe as a three tiered dome including heaven, earth, and the underworld. However, the differences are also plentiful. Both the Greeks and Sumerians/Babylonians believed in a polytheistic monarchy whereas the Israelites (particularly after their exile from Babylon) adopted a non-pagan retelling focusing on a single gods omnipotence , however through much of Genesis 1:1-31 we find the LORD addressing another presence; "Let us make man in our likeliness ." evidently their was some difficulty in the complete abortion of a polytheistic belief system when evolving the new creation story.

Since the time the Hebrew people settled in the land that God had given them, they have made an impact on the world. A tiny people that started with a mighty call from God, the Hebrew civilization has had a lasting influence on Western Civilization. When God called Abram, he told him, “…all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3 [New International Version]). Looking back, it is plain to see the truth that God was speaking. Although other civilizations, such as the Sumerian’s and the Egyptian’s, had earlier starts and were larger, they played a smaller part in influencing Western Civilization than the Hebrew civilization.

Judaism as well as its offshoot and formation into the Christian religion both place great emphasis on the notion of their monotheistic God as revealed in the early scriptures. To them God has revealed Himself as the one Lord of all. Evident in the first Commandment that was

The rise, development, and spread of monotheism (the belief in one God), is one of the most significant and fascinating dimensions of human civilization. The three major monotheistic faiths are Judaism, Christianity and Islam, these religions have spread to other kingdoms throughout the world by use of missionaries.

Sumer is the earliest civilization known to mankind, stretched from the first settlement of Eridu until the rise of Assyria and Babylon. Akkadian Empire on the other hand, was regarded as the world’s first empire until it was split into Assyria and Babylonia. At the east of Sumer and Akkad, is ancient Elam. Before Elam was part of the Assyrian Empire in the 9th to 7th centuries BC, it is the kingdoms on the Iranian plateau. From 3200 BC to 2700 BC, where the proto-Elamite civilization was heavily influenced by the cultures of the iranian plateau was characterized as the Banesh period. The Amorites, nomadic Semitic people, controlled the west of Euphrates from 3500 BC and eventually settled in Mesopotamia. Middle Bronze Age includes Assyria, Babylonia, Canan, and the Hittite Empire. Assyria became a powerhouse after enduring a short period of Mitanni domination, ruling much of the near east. Babylonia founded by Amorite tribes and was under the rule of Kassites for more than 4 centuries. Canaan was a combination of Ugarit, Kadesh, Megiddo, and Kingdom of Israel. The Hittite Empire dominated Asia minor and the Levant until it was taken over by

Judaism began as early as 7th century BCE as the religion of the small nation of the Hebrews (which would later become the Jews). It was originally practiced by believing that there is only one God, known as