Thursday, September 19, 2019
Ancient Religions Essay -- essays research papers fc
Religions of the Ancient World      Religions of the ancient world were in a state of constant flux. Karl Jaspers states that between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C.E, â€Å"great changes took place in all the civilized world†(qtd. in Basham 36), and the great thinkers of these times began thinking independently and individually. Moreover, â€Å"after these great thinkers the world was never the same again†(qtd. in Basham 36-37). These times were dubbed the â€Å"axial period†(qtd. in Basham 37). The axial religions that emerged during this period were profound and lasting. In fact, the religions discussed in this paperâ€â€Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianityâ€â€are considered the most practiced religions to do this day. Although these religions have changed over time, their underlying structure remains intact.      Ancient Hebrew Religion      Richard Hooker states that there are four main periods in the Hebrew Religion, they are: the Pre-Mosaic Stage (1950 - 1300 B.C.E.), the National Monolatry and Monotheism (1300-1000 B.C.E.), the Prophetic Revolution (800-600 B.C.E.), and the Post-Exile Revolution (538 B.C.E., and beyond) (Hooker n. pag.). Little is known about the Pre-Mosaic stage, but some scholars have formed four main conclusions drawn from the text of Genesis. The first conclusion states that the beginning of Hebrew religion was polytheistic, involving several gods. This conclusion is formed from the â€Å"plural form of the name of God, Elohim rather than El†(Hooker n. pag.). The second conclusions is that early â€Å"Hebrew religion was animistic...and as a result...had a number of practices that fall into the category of magic†(Hooker n. pag.).      In the Monolatry period, the most significant event was the flight from Egypt. The great migration led by Moses unified the Hebrew people. They began to refer to themselves as â€Å"bene yisrael†or â€Å"children of Israelâ€Å". Also at this time, Moses instructed the Israelites to worship one God, Yahweh, and to follow his laws (Torah). The Israelites looked up to Yahweh as their God and chief ruler. Towards the end of this period the Kingdom of Israel was in a state of turmoil. They longed for a â€Å"unified state under a single monarch†(Hooker n. pag.) and they forged ahead with this notion in mind.    ... ...ite their difficulties, these religions only strengthened throughout time. Works Cited Basham, A.L. The Origins and Developments of Classical Hinduism. Ed. Kenneth G. Zysk. Boston: Beacon, 1989. Brummett, Palmira, et all. Civilizations Past & Present. Ed. Priscilla McGeehon Longman, 2000.                         Dumoulin, Heinrich. Zen Enlightenment: Origins and Meaning. Trans.      Maraldo, John C. New York: Weatherhill 1979. Finegan, Jack. The Archeology of World Religions. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press 1952. Hooker, Richard. The Hebrews. 1996: n. pag. Online. Internet. 10 Oct. 2000. Available http://www.edu:8080/~dee/HEBREWS/RELIGION.HTM. Kashyap, J. et al. The Path of the Buddha. Ed. Morgan, Kenneth W. New York: The Ronald Press Co., 1956. Scheck, Frank Reainer, Manfred Gà ¶rgens. Buddhism: An Historical Overview. Baron's: 1999. From Jesus to Christ: the First Christians. PBS and WGBH/FRONTLINE 1998: n. pag. Online. Internet. 2 Nov. 2000. Available http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/.
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