Ancient Middle EastCulture and Religion

Social Classes

• High Social Class King, priests Wealthy Merchants

• Middle Class Most of the People

Property owned or Family

• Lowest Class Slaves (Prisoners of war/Criminals)

King/Priests

Rich MerchantsMost

OthersSlaves

Ancient Culture(Sumeria)

• Men had more authority and rights than women.

• Women were allowed to own land, businesses and seek divorce

• Educated were privileged elite (Male)• Government officials, scribes

The human-like gods were agents in mythology, of greater or lesser status

• Zi or 'spirit' to actual Deities

• Polytheistic (Pantheon-Many Gods)

• Gods represented forces in the world

• Gods feared- “super-human”

• Purification

• Sacrifices (Animal and sometimes human)

• Magic (Divination, Astrology)

Teachings• One society built off the

last

• Incorporated gods of captured peoples (Hittites)

• Many shared common traits through cultural contact

History

Mesopotamian Beliefs (Sumer-Akkad, Assyria, Babylon)

• Anu- Sky God (Sumerian)

• Marduk-Sacred animals (Babylonian)

• Ashur-"bull of heaven" (Assyrians)

During the reigns of Cyrus and Darius in Persia a new religion called Zoroastrianism took hold, based on the teachings of Zoroaster.

• Ahura Mazda, source of good

• Ahriman, evil spirit

• Dualism = good and evil

• Heaven and Hell

• End of time, final judgment (fire)

• Recognize the individual morality and ethics

individual responsibility

Teachings

• Much of Persian Empire

• Darius worshipped Ahura Mazda

• Other religions discouraged

• Zoroastrianism never completely disappeared

• Foundational

Spread

Zoroastrianism (Persia)

Set of beliefs and practices originating from the ancient Israelites, embodied in the Hebrew Bible

• First monotheistic religion (Yahweh )

• Belief in divine revelation (Covenant)

• Set of laws called the Ten Commandments

• Code of ethics, or moral standards of behavior

• No central authority -Sacred Texts

Teachings• Land of Israel Sacred

(Promised)

• 11c BC Israelite Kingdoms

• Series of Deportations-Diaspora

History

Judaism (Israel/Palestine)

Review (Group)

Mesopotamian Beliefs

Zoroastrianism

Judaism

Teachings: Teachings: Teachings: