MMW 11 Lecture 6: The Ancient Israelites and Ethical Monotheism

• School: UCSD
• Department: Making of the Modern World
• Course: MMW 11
• Professor: Edmond Chang

Document Summary

Outline lecture six the ancient israelites and ethical monotheism. The journey (teleological) narrative (a) predictable, cyclical sense of time in sumerian religions very agricultural based. Think the rotation of seasons (b) hebrew scriptures" sense of time based on the motif of the journey progressing towards one destiny (2) monotheism"s emphasis on an interpersonal relationship with the one god (a) emphasis on individualism. There is a responsibility for the individual to maintain their own relationship with the one true god. Polytheistic relies on the collective good and collective efforts to please the gods. Once the states of polytheistic gods, there is a dissolution of those gods. But because in this religion, because there is an intrapersonal relationship with god, there is a resilience to maintain their faith (b) despite having nations overtaken, lands ravaged, because they maintained their relationship with god. Seems more like much feared/loved yahweh (2) in e source, god is a much more transcendental figure.