Religions of the World

1. Religions of the World

2. Sumerian Religion • Sumerians were the first civilization to form in Mesopotamia. • Since it was in the BC era there were no formal religions like we have today. • Sumerians had a polytheistic type of religion. • Polytheism- belief in many gods/goddesses

3. Sumerian Beliefs • “The Sumerians thought that a great domed roof contained the sky, the stars, the moon, and the sun which lighted the cities beneath it; they also believed that below the earth swirled the dim netherworld, a fearsome abode of demons and the kingdom of the dead.” • “They believed that man was fashioned from clay and given breath so he might tend the sheep and cultivate the fields for the gods.” • “The gods of Sumer, were much like mortal men, and they “walked” amongst the people in everyday life.”

4. Some of the Sumerians Gods • Nammu- Goddess of the Primeval Sea, "the mother who gave birth to heaven and earth." • Ki- Goddess of the Earth • Enlil- God of Air and Storms • Utu- sun god who lights the world with rays blazing from his shoulders • Enki, Lord of Water and Wisdom • Inanna, Goddess of Love and War

5. Babylonians • The Babylonians were also a polytheistic civilization. • Remember, this is a time in the BC era so there were no “formal” religions at the time. • In a Polytheism religion the gods were attributed with certain tasks and responsibilities.

6. Babylonian religion • The Babylonians had many gods. Some of these were Sumerian, some Akkadian and other later groups and some imported from the mountainous regions to the north and east of Mesopotamia.

7. List of the Babylonian Gods/Goddesses • Anu:the god of the highest heaven Marduk: national god of the Babylonians Tiamat: dragon goddess Enlil: god of weather and storms Nabu: god of the scribal arts Ishtar: goddess of love Ea: god of wisdom Enurta: god of war Anshar: father of heaven Shamash: god of the sun and of justice Kishar: father of earth

8. Assyrians • Assyrians have practiced two religions throughout their history • Ashurism- was the first religion of the Assyrians. The very word Assyrian, in its Latin form,derives from the name of Ashur, the Assyrian god. Assyrians continued to practice Ashurism until 256 A.D • Christianity- By 256 A.D. most Assyrians had accepted Christianity. Indeed, Assyrians were amongst the first nation to accept Christianity.

9. Assyrians • Ashur:national god of the Assyrians

10. Judaism Brief History • Sometime between 2000-1500 BC a new people appeared in Southwest Asia. They were the Hebrews. • Most of what is known about early Hebrew history comes from the work of archaeologists and from accounts written by Hebrew scribes. • LET’S LOOK AT page 144 time line

11. Judaism history continued… • The bible traces the Hebrews back to a man named Abraham. • One day, the Bible says, “God told Abraham to leave his home in Mesopotamia. He was to take his family on a long journey to the west. God promised to lead Abraham to a new land and make his descendants into a mighty nation”

12. Judaism history continued… • Abraham left Mesopotamia and settled in Canaan (KAY-nuhn) on the Mediterranean Sea.

13. Judaism continued… • Later some Hebrews moved to Egypt and their civilization began to grow. • The Hebrew population grew so much so that the Pharaoh (King of Egypt) began to worry that he wouldn’t be able to control that population, so he made the Hebrews slaves.

14. Judaism continued… • According to the Hebrew Bible, a leader named Moses appeared among the Hebrews in Egypt. • In the 1200s BC, God told Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.

15. Judaism continued… • Moses asked the Pharaoh to release the Hebrews from slavery, but the Pharaoh refused. • After the Pharaoh refused, plague and disaster struck Egypt. • This frightened the Pharaoh so much that he would later release the Hebrews from slavery.

16. Judaism continued… • Overjoyed by the news of the release, Moses led his people out of Egypt in a journey called EXODUS. Headed back to Canaan. • To the Hebrews, this release was considered to be a sign from God that they were protected. • On their journey back, It is said that God gave Moses 2 stones with the 10 Commandments on them. This was to be the laws of the Hebrews.

17. Judaism continued… • Once the Hebrews reach Canaan, they had to fight to regain control. After they did they were now known as the ISRAELITES. • LETS READ ON PAGE 145 “A SERIES of INVASION”

18. Jewish Beliefs • Most importantly, Jews believe in one God. • The belief in one and only one God is called monotheism. • In the ancient world where most people worshipped many gods, the Jews’ worship of only on God made them different.

19. Judaism Beliefs continued… • With the structure of their religion, the foundation showed that the Jews were God’s chosen people. • They believed that God had guided their history through relationships with Abraham, Moses, and other leaders.

20. Judaism beliefs continued… • Justice- The Jewish culture believes that everyone is entitled to justice. Meaning everyone deserves kindness and fairness. • Righteousness- refers to doing what is proper. The Jewish culture is also thought to be more concerned with having proper behavior towards others even if they are not treated as so.

21. Judaism beliefs continued… • The 10 Commandments is the “backbone” for the Jewish culture. • Another set of everyday laws are called the Mosaic Laws, which are said to be sent down from God and it guides people in many areas such as prayer and observing holy days.

22. Judaism Beliefs continued… • The Torah- The ancient Jews recorded most of their laws in five books. Together, these books are called the Torah. The Torah is the most sacred text of Judaism. • In addition to laws, the Torah includes a history of the Jewish people until the death of Moses.

23. Christianity • A man names Jesus of Nazareth was believed to be the Messiah. • Messiah means a great leader the ancient Jews predicted would come to restore the greatness of Israel.

24. Christianity • Jesus' life and teachings form the basis of a religion called Christianity. • However, we know little about his life, everything we do know is contained in the Bible or the holy book of Christianity.

25. The Bible • The book of following for the Christian culture. • The Bible is made up of two parts. The first part is the • Old Testament, it is the same as it is for the Hebrew/Jewish culture. It explains the creations of the one god shared by Christians and Hebrews The second part is called the New Testament. It consists of the life and teachings of Jesus and of the early history of Christianity.

26. Christianity continued… • According to the Bible, Jesus was born to a family of Mary and Joseph; However, Joseph is said to NOT be the father, but God is. • Joseph is said to have raised Jesus under the Jewish ways of life. • Like all others who practiced Judaism, Jesus followed the laws of Judaism.

27. Christianity continued… • By the time Jesus was 30 he began to travel and teach. • The traveling and teaching make up the beginning of the New Testament

28. The Crucifixion • As a teacher Jesus drew many followers. • But his words challenged many prior religious beliefs, so he was arrested while in Jerusalem around 30 AD. • Shortly after his arrest he was tried and executed by crucifixion. • Crucifixion is the Latin word for cross

29. Christian Beliefs continued.. • Resurrection- Coming back from the dead. • It is believed by Christians that after Jesus was buried he rose from the dead and that the “Resurrection” was a sign that Jesus was the Messiah and the son of God.

30. Christian Beliefs continued… • Jesus’ Message was rooted in older Jewish traditions. • Example: He emphasized two rules that were also in the Torah: Love God and Love other People. • Jesus believed that all people should love one another, even their enemies equally. • Also he taught about “salvation” which means: if someone who offered up forgiveness would be admitted into God’s kingdom when they die.

31. Christian Beliefs continued… • Apostles- 12 men that help spread Jesus’ teachings. • Peter: Leader of the group. He traveled to Roman cities to teach about Jesus. Later said to be thought of as the first follower or leader of the Christian belief.

32. Christian Beliefs continued… • Probably the most important person in the spread of Christianity after Jesus died was Paul of Tarsus. • Although he never met Jesus, Paul did more to spread Christian beliefs and ideals than anyone else. He had so much influence that many people think of him as another Apostle. • After he died they called him a Saint.

33. Paul • Paul is said to have heard the voice of Jesus • The voice told him to teach about Jesus • P. 156 let’s read about Paul and his travels

34. Let’s look at Two Christian paintings and analyze them in our own perspective.

35. Last Supper

36. Sistine Chapel

37. Islam • Like the previous religions we have studied • Judaism • Christianity In early times, Arabs were Polytheistic as well. That changed, however, when a man named Muhammad brought a new religion called ISLAM to Arabia.

38. Islam • Like Jesus of Nazareth, little is known about the early life of Muhammad. • When Muhammad was around the age of 40, he was practicing his meditation and prayers in a cave, It is said Muhammad heard the voice of an angel speak to him.

39. What did the angel say? • The angel that is said to have come to Muhammad in the cave said to him: • “Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from clots of blood! Recite! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One, Who by the pen taught man what he did not know.”

40. Islam continued… • Muslims- the name given to people who practice Islam. • Muslims believe that God had spoken to Muhammad through the angel and had made him a prophet. • Prophet- a person who tells of messages from God.

41. Islam continued… • The messages that Muhammad received are the basis of the religion called Islam. • The messages Muhammad received were collected in the Qu’ran, or the holy book of Islam.

42. Qu’ran • Pronounced (kuh-RAN) it is the collection of messages received from Muhammad by God. • The Qu’ran is the holy book for Islam • Let’s read on page 174 about the Qu’ran • This is similar to the New Testament in the Bible for Christians, except the Bible tells the reader about the life of Jesus, not messages from God.

43. Islam continued… • Around 613 Muhammad began to talk about his messages. • Muhammad taught that there was only one God and his name is Allah, which means “The God” • Although people of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic, their beliefs about God are not the same.

44. Islam continued… • Muhammad’s teachings also deal with how to live. • He taught that all people who believed in Allah were bound together like members of a family. • As a result, he taught, people should help those that are less fortunate than others.

45. The spread of Islam • At first not too many people followed Muhammad and his teachings. • Over time though his word became well acknowledged and many started to listen.

46. Spread of Islam continued… • Around 622 Muhammad was invited to move to Medina (muh-DEE-nuh) from Mecca. • Medina- the Prophet’s city in Arabic.

47. Spread of Islam continued… • Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina is called the Hegira (hi-JY-ruh). • Who have we learned about so far that also had an important journey, and what was that journey called? • LET’S LOOK AT THE TIME LINE ON p.172

48. 5 Pillars of Islam • The 5 Pillars of Islam are the 5 acts of worship required of all Muslims.

49. 1st Pillar • Statement of faith • At least once in their lives, Muslims must state their faith by saying: • “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet.” • Muslims say this when they accept Islam, and it is often said in the daily prayers.

50. 2nd Pillar • Daily Prayer • Muslims must pray 5 times a day: • 1.) before sunrise • 2.) at Midday • 3.) In late afternoon • 4.) just after sunset • 5.) before bed • At these times a call goes out from a mosque, inviting people to pray. • Prayer is proof that someone has accepted Allah