The Great Hymn to the Aten and Early Monotheism
The Great Hymn of the Aten is the earliest view of monotheism. The King praises Aten as the one single god. He calls him the sun god, but he is really the god of everything. King Akhenaten praises him for every good thing that is happening in his kingdom. In the story, he refers to Aten as the “giver of breath” (Norton 50) and even “sole god” (Norton 65). Throughout the hymn, the King never speaks of another god. The King is so devoted to Aten that he renames himself to Akhenaten, which means “He who is effective for Aten” (Norton 29).
Professor Mark Damen of Utah State University states that the religion of Aten came before the creation of Christianity. He says, “The ancient Hebrews were not
…show more content…
the first people on record to adopt the notion of a single cosmic entity overseeing everything” (Damen). In simpler words, Professor Damen is saying that many people today are not even aware of the religion of Aten, the sun god, let alone the fact that it was the earliest form of monotheism. In fact, Egyptian monotheism may have largely influenced Hebrew monotheism. Many also think that monotheism began in the United States, but that is also false. It all started in the west with the Egyptians. Alexander Lee from History Today refers to Akhenaten as being iconoclastic.
The dictionary definition of iconoclastic is “attacking or ignoring cherished beliefs and long-held traditions” (“The Definition of Iconoclastic”). This is the perfect word to describe the unpopular ruler. Akhenaten was the one who ignored past beliefs and started something new. Before his time, everyone praised multiple gods. Akhenaten says, “You yourself are lifetime” (Norton 114). This statement means that life begins and ends with Aten. Aten is also in control of everything in between life and death. The ruler is telling Aten that he does not have any time or need for other gods. He only praises one god and that is Aten. He completely ignored what his people wanted and did something that was crazy at that …show more content…
time. The concept of monotheism is constantly reinforced throughout the hymn. Akhenaten leaves no doubt that he only serves Aten. This idea is proved to be a fact by Akhenaten’s name. His birth name was Amenhotep IV, but he changed it to Akhenaten to praise his god. In the first stanza, Aten is titled “creator of life” (Norton 2). The King is letting everyone know what Aten has accomplished. He says that the sun god is the one who made every single thing possible. He is not just referring to human life, but plant life, animal life, and even the life of the Earth. King Akhenaten believes that Aten created the Earth and everything in it. Aten is not just in charge of creating life. He also tends to the people, plants, and animals throughout their whole lives and he is the only one who does this. During the third stanza, Akhenaten depicts what life is like at nighttime. He proclaims, “Earth brightens when you dawn in highland” (Norton 24). Since Aten is the sun, when the moon comes out he is gone. Being unable to see the sun god makes Akhenaten afraid. He is fearful because his only god is gone. But, in the morning he is happy that his god is still alive and watching over his people. In the night, the Ruler does not believe that another god comes out. This is another line of evidence that Aten is his only god. When Aten disappears, Akhenaten is lonely and frightened. In the fourth stanza of the hymn, Akhenaten outlines all the things that Aten does for his people. He describes how he creates people, soothes them, and feeds them. He also provides sunlight and all the seasons. Specifically, Akhenaten calls him the “giver of breath” (Norton 50). This means that Aten gives them life. Akhenaten believes that without Aten there would be no life on Earth. The King pronounces, “You supply their needs” (Norton 74). By ‘their’ he is referring to the Egyptian followers of Aten. Aten gives the people all of the things that they need in life. They do not have to rely on anyone else to be given life’s basic necessities. They are without want. More than once Akhenaten calls Aten “Lord of all” (Norton 85). He literally means that Aten takes care of it all and that is why he is the only god. He is what people would now call a ‘jack of all trades’. In the past, there were many gods and each of them was in charge of an individual thing. For example, in Greek times, Alectrona was the goddess of sunlight. Her only power was to make the sun shine at daytime and go away at night time. Aphrodite was the goddess of love and sex. So, she was the one who helped with creating people/getting people pregnant. In the present Egyptian time, Aten was the only god. He controlled everything. Being the only god makes this a monotheistic religion regardless of previous polytheistic beliefs and practices. “How many are your deeds” Akhenaten asks in his hymn (Norton 63).
This is actually a rhetorical statement because the King believes that Aten does all the deeds for his people. Since Aten in the only god, he does it all. Akhenaten reinstates this point again and says “O Sole god whom beside you there is none!” (Norton 65). He makes this statement once more by also saying, “You made the earth as you wished” (Norton 66). This means that because he is the sole god he decided how he wanted the Earth to look. He also decided how he wanted the people to look and act like. There are no other gods for him to argue with. “You alone” (Norton 65) is what Akhenaten also says. This proves the point that he is the only god. He did not need any help to create anything. That is why the Egyptian subjects of King Akhenaten praised
Aten. There are multiple clues in history that this was the first monotheistic religion. Before Akhenaten’s reign, the ancient Egyptians were traditionally polytheistic. The new king made very drastic changes. After Akhenaten died, his former subjects converted back to polytheism. At the time, monotheism was not something everyone agreed with. Their traditions were polytheistic, and as soon as they had a chance to be again they let their traditions take over. In conclusion, King Akhenaten leaves no doubt that he only worships one god. Throughout his hymn to Aten, he refers to him as “O Sole god” (Norton 65). He also says “You yourself are a lifetime” meaning that he is the only god they need for their lifetime. Despite previous polytheistic beliefs, the people from this area are monotheistic. They are the first to develop this view of monotheism.
During the New Kingdom of Egypt (from 1552 through 1069 B.C.), there came a sweeping change in the religious structure of the ancient Egyptian civilization. "The Hymn to the Aten" was created by Amenhotep IV, who ruled from 1369 to 1353 B.C., and began a move toward a monotheist culture instead of the polytheist religion which Egypt had experienced for the many hundreds of years prior to the introduction of this new idea. There was much that was different from the old views in "The Hymn to the Aten", and it offered a new outlook on the Egyptian ways of life by providing a complete break with the traditions which Egypt held to with great respect. Yet at the same time, there were many commonalties between these new ideas and the old views of the Egyptian world. Although through the duration of his reign, Amenhotep IV introduced a great many changes to the Egyptian religion along with "The Hymn", none of these reforms outlived their creator, mostly due to the massive forces placed on his successor, Tutankhamen, to renounce these new reforms. However, the significance of Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten as he later changed his name to, is found in "The Hymn". "The Hymn" itself can be looked at as a contradiction of ideas; it must be looked at in relation to both the Old Kingdom's belief of steadfast and static values, as well as in regards to the changes of the Middle Kingdom, which saw unprecedented expansionistic and individualistic oriented reforms. In this paper I plan to discuss the evolvement of Egyptian Religious Beliefs throughout the Old,
In New Kingdom Egypt, in the 14th Century BCE, one man would attempt to force a change, a revolution, on a people that had remained unchanged and unchanging for 2000 years. This man, the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, promoted monotheism primarily because of religious intentions and not for political or personal gain. He selected one God, Aten, and it was this deity that was the center of attention during Amenhotep’s reign. Amenhotep IV, who would later take the name Akhenaten, would lead a controversial reign which would result in failure. He would eventually be deemed the “heretic king” (Assmann 149), but what was it that earned him this title? Was Amenhotep IV truly a “heretic king?”
There it is the blue book. It used to be red, but in 1982 a new book was made. The blue book has a cross with a circle behind it on its spine. Also on the spine are the words Lutheran Worship. At the bottom of the spine is the logo for the Concordia Publishing House. On the front cover is another cross with a circle behind it and the printed name David Edward Mahen. This is the modern Lutheran Hymnal used by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. This Lutheran Hymnal is not just a symbol of Lutheranism but the moderate views of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
The people are given a sense of forgiveness, something that they do not deserve. Sartre purposefully creates this king and god pair to be the head of the internal force governing and enslaving the Argives. While talking to Aegistheus, Zeus explains this enslavement, but Sartre has him do it in such a way that it appears as a burden, “the bane of gods and kings” (100). Sartre puts Zeus in the form of man to appeal more clearly to Aegistheus about their shared “passion for order” so that Aegistheus maintains rule of his kingdom (101). Sartre’s technique here is to insert a character that manipulates with words. Therefore, all of this is simply an act. Zeus’s true intentions are selfish and corrupt; he only desires praise and suffering from his subjects. He doesn’t want to lose the “profit” of twenty thousand lamenters that he bargained for with the life of Agamemnon (100). Sartre provides the audience with a moment to think about religion in general. If Zeus behaves like this and “[likes] crimes that pay,” then maybe the real god is the same (99). Sartre imparts to the audience that religion is flawed in itself. He continues to have Aegistheus exploit his power
The relationship with God and people started almost four thousand years ago with Abraham. Abraham was born in about 1800 B.C. in Mesopotamia, in what is now central Iraq. His father was a maker of idols, which were statues of gods, such as mountain gods, fire gods, or sun gods. The people where Abraham lived worshipped many gods.
As Greek governing power was within aristocracy, their gods were also viewed as somewhat of an aristocracy. I say this to elucidate that there is a unique relationship between a leader or ruler and his society’s god – in perception by the people, and by interaction.
Judaism Judaism was a parent of Christianity, and we probably know more. about it than any other religion, excluding our own, right off the top of our. heads. Then the sands were sunk. The ancestors of the Jews, called the Israelites, established a kingdom in Canaan-the land of Milk and Honey. The Israelites first began to see themselves in a special relationship with their God at about 1000 B. C. E. God had selected them to be a Chosen People.
1. Xenophanes said "there is one god, among gods and men the greatest... "[1] but why would that idea be unusual for his culture, in its history? He explains that everyone in his culture had been taught by the famous poets and writers, including Homer, that a pantheon of multiple deities existed and affected the lives of humans in various ways. The nature of these gods, however, defies the whole notion of deity. Anaximander had earlier conceived of the underlying "stuff" of the universe as apeiron, an unexplainable something. But Xenophanes carries the notion much farther by attacking the mythology of his time and giving definition to the ineffable source of life. The famous writers "attributed to the gods all things that are shameful and a reproach among mankind: theft, adultery, and mutual deception" [2]. Illogically also, humans thought that gods were born and had clothing, voices, and bodies as well [3]. Surely, gods had to be more than glorified albeit often more immoral than humans, by the definition of "god."
Christianity was a monotheistic religion that was practiced in the ancient world. Christianity was a religion
Psalm 115 does not have a documented writer and it is not even known when it was written. We do however, know that it was written in a time when there were not many Jews. Some estimate that it was before the exile when the Assyrians and the Babylonians took them away however it is not known exactly. Many believe that the Psalm was written during times when the church of God was in trouble and its enemies were creating a threat. The church during ths time did not complain about the situation it had found itself in but placed its confidence in God. By having confidence in God the Church came out with a triumph. In the Septuagint Psalm 114 and 115 are joined to create one complete Psalm.
Christianity was founded from Judaism. The first people to convert to Christianity were Jews so Christianity was seen as a branch of Judaism. The converts, who were encouraged by the Apostle Paul, eventually acknowledged that their faith was distinct from Judaism.
As someone who is relatively new to the craft I had heard the term “Blessed Be,” but I had no knowledge of its history and usage. As a result, I didn't know it was used in the Five Fold Kiss, and in fact I didn't even know what the Five Fold Kiss was. Before researching the term “Blessed Be” I had very little knowledge of coven ritual practices, since I have always practiced as a solitary Pagan. Additionally, I've never read anything about the term “Blessed Be,” so all I knew was how it was used by other Pagans and Witches that I've encountered in on-line forums. Based on my observations, I developed the idea that it was a term used as a greeting, and employed during certain rituals.
In the Iliad, the gods do have some control, but not as much as the humans think they do. When he is killing Hektor, Achilleus says,
Psalm 23 is by far my favorite Psalm; it has gotten me through a lot in life. In this reflection paper I will be discussing what I think the psalm means, how it applies to life, the genre and set-up of the Psalm. I will first discuss what I think it means and how it has affected me.
All welcoming, all loving, all knowing God, for me my Church is like a an close up of heaven will look . All colors, all ages, all backgrounds invited, souls are saved weekly. Faith is increased every Sunday and the Bible is even reflected on heavier Wednesday. Word Church is more then just a big grey, white, and red building, on the corner of Britain Road, with a big W symbol on the side. My church is a hospital, in the middle of a slowly dieng area. Previously dispositioned as an old furniture store, I am currently a member of, the newly remodeled Word church Akron. This was not my first church I attended, however it is the building block of my faith in Christianity . During the foundation of my childhood, I had my first experience with religion, at catholic and Pentecostal churches