Download File - Ms. Stocks` World History Class

Ancient History: Religions
What is religion?
What is religion?
● a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature,
and purpose of the universe
● usually involving devotional and ritual
observances
● often containing a moral code governing the
conduct of human affairs
Mesopotamia
● polytheism = belief in many gods
○ the gods controlled weather, fertility,
harvests, and the underworld
■ An = sun god
■ Enlil = air god
Mesopotamia
● temple = building where believers
worshipped their gods and where the
deities had earthly residences
○ temples housed different gods in
different cities
○ temples ran like households
Mesopotamia
● temples displayed cult image
○ cult = religious movement, often based
on the worship of a particular god
Mesopotamia
● Mesopotamian temple = ziggurat
Egypt
● polytheistic- 2,000+ gods
● the main gods
○ Osiris = god of the dead
○ Isis = goddess of protection
○ Horus = god of the sky
○ Set = god of chaos
Egypt
● pharoah as divine figure
○ represented god on earth
○ buried in royal tomb
http://video.nationalgeographic.
com/video/king-tuts-tomb
Egypt
● Book of the Dead
○ religious texts
containing Egyptian
beliefs, especially
about the afterlife
○ includes spells
○ many different texts
Mummification in Egypt
● the soul could not achieve
immortality (forever alive)
without the physical body
being preserved
● stressed importance of the
afterlife- reason for
mummification
Indus River Valley
● no royal tombs or monumental structures
● no elaborate elite or priestly culture
Can you account for the difference in
religious rituals between Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and the Indus River Valley?
Mesoamerica (Olmecs)
● devotion to rulers and the gods
○ snakes, jaguars, crocodiles
were also sacred
● powerful priestly class
○ shamans (priests) could
communicate with the
beyond
Mesoamerica (Olmecs)
● rituals included athletics
○ cities as athletic hubs
○ ball courts
■ used small leather balls
■ winners honored with
trophies
■ losers were sacrificed and
“fed” to the gods
China (Qin)
● Legalism- set of political rather than
religious ideas
○ humans are inherently selfish and the
government must combat humans’
shortcomings
○ valued written law code and harsh
punishments
China (Qin)
● Confucianism- ethical and social system
○ stressed family and moral character
■ ancestor worship = the living honor the
dead
○ believed all men could be equal
○ people should concentrate on doing the
“right thing”
Compare Legalism and Confucianism
● why do YOU think the Qin preferred
Legalism over Confucianism?
Classical Greece
● polytheistic- worshipped a
pantheon of gods
○ Zeus = sky
○ Hades = underworld
○ Poseidon = sea
○ cities had patron gods
■ Athens = Athena
■ Olympia = Zeus
Classical Greece
● temples as sacred sites
○ Parthenon in Athens
● priests could receive signs
from the gods using
divination (seeking the
future)
○ Oracle at Delphi
Roman Empire
● blend of religious influences- Greek and
native Etruscans (Latin tribes)
○ main gods worshipped throughout the
empire
○ religious rituals included festivals and
sacrifices
○ different cults based on regions
Greek and Roman Gods
http://www.pinterest.
com/pin/330662797613152567/
Roman Empire
● rise of Christianity
○ crucifiction of Jesus of Nazareth
○ persecution of Christians by
pagans
○ 312 CE- Constantine legalized
Christianity after having a vision
of the cross before battle
Map of Today’s Religions
What are similarities between the different
religions? What are some differences?
1) Introductory sentence- what are you writing
about?
2) specific evidence- refer to evidence from the
civilizations!
3) conclusion- why is this important? Connect to a
course theme! (cultural diffusion, multiple
perspectives, power structures)