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Introduction
to
Monotheistic
Religions
Early Religion - Polytheistic
•In a harsh climate, where
famine often prevailed, the
Sumerians looked to nearly
3,000 gods helped explain and
“order” their world.
•Temples—or “ziggurats”—were
dedicated to the chief god or
goddess of the city. (3000—500
BCE)
The Ancient Hebrews
Abraham’s Journey from Ur
•Perhaps as early as 2000
BCE, a man named Abraham
left the city of Ur with his
family and traveled to
Canaan.
•The Bible states Abraham’s
God advised him to do so.
Canaan  The
“Promised Land”
•Abraham’s God represents
a shift/evolution from the
polytheistic relgions of the
era to the age of
monotheism.
Abraham’s Geneaology
HAGAR
ABRAHAM
Ishmael
SARAH
Isaac
12 Arabian
Tribes
Jacob
Muslims
12 Tribes of
Israel
Jews
Esau
Yahweh’s (YHWH”s) “Covenant”
With His People
 Abraham’s story—and
that of his ancestors,
was written down in the
“Torah.”
The Torah is the first 5
books of the Hebrew
Bible (referred to by
Christians as the “Old
Testament.)
The Torah
God wanted to know if
Abraham would obey him.
God told him to sacrifice
Isaac on a mountain.
Abraham loved his son very
much. He did not want to
sacrifice Isaac. But
Abraham wanted to obey
God.
God told Abraham to go to a
mountain. He took Isaac and
two men with him. Abraham
and Isaac rode on a donkey.
They traveled for three days.
The two men stayed with the
donkey. Abraham and Isaac
walked up the mountain.
Abraham took a knife. Isaac
took some wood.
Isaac asked where the lamb
was for the sacrifice.
Abraham told him God
would provide Himself a
lamb.
Abraham built an altar. He
put wood on it.
Abraham tied Isaac and put
him on the altar. He held the
knife over Isaac. Abraham
was ready to sacrifice his
son.
But an angel spoke to
Abraham. He told Abraham
not to sacrifice Isaac.
Abraham had obeyed God.
God loved Abraham.
Abraham looked
around. He saw a ram
in the bushes. God
had given the ram for
the sacrifice.
Abraham sacrificed
the ram on the altar.
God was happy
Abraham had obeyed
him. God said he would
bless Abraham’s family.
Abraham and Isaac went
home. Abraham had
obeyed God. He was
willing to let his son die,
but God had spared him.
Moses and Israel
•Probably around 1300 BCE, Abraham’s
descendants fled drought in Canaan and
traveled to Egypt—where they were
enslaved by the Egyptian king.
•Yet God had promised Abraham that a
great nation would rise from his
descendents . . . Presumably in Canaan
(near modern day Lebanon, Israel,
Palestinian territories).
“Shepherd of His
People”
•Moses led his people back to Canaan
between 1200-1000 BCE—where they
organized their tribes and established a
kingdom known as “Israel.”
Story of Moses link
Moses and the 10
Commandments
A new “covenant”
with Yahweh
Mount Sinai
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites finally
returned to Canaan . . .
King David’s Empire
King David—the first effective
“King of the Israelites,” established
Jerusalem as Canaan’s capital
(1006 BCE).
Solomon’s
Kingdom
(970-928 BCE)
David’s son
Solomon would
build the first
temple to
YHWH. Worship
becomes more
formal.
The Temple Mount, Jerusalem
(Today)
Solomon’s Temple Wall: The “Wailing” Wall
Kingdoms
of Israel
and Judah
•In 922 BCE—rebellion
divided Canaan
Origins of
“Judaism”
•@ 722 BCE, Israel was overrun by
surrounding empires. Israelites scattered—
some joined the Kingdom of Judah, others
merged with surrounding peoples and lost
their identity.
•The people of Judah survived captivity and
a period of nomadic existence—and
ultimately moved back to Jerusalem (now
part of Persian Empire.)
•They would become known as “Jews”— their religion, “Judaism.”
Diaspora
• In the years after the destruction of Israel, Jewish
people would scatter throughout the world.
• Prophets (Ezekiel & Isaiah) would explain that
YHWH was “mobile,” an in fact the “one true God
for all the people of the world.” The stories of
Abraham, Moses, etc. were committed to
scripture “People of the Book.”
• The synagogue evolves as center of study and
worship.
The Rise of
Christianity
Roman Palestine
•27 BCE: Augustus becomes 1st Roman emperor.
•Official state religion focused on worshipping gods
and goddesses such as Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
•Judea—lands of the old Jewish kingdom of Judah,
was a province of Rome.
•Unrest was
widespread in
Judea—some favoring
violent overthrow of
Roman rule.
•The Jewish temple in
Jerusalem was
destroyed by the
Romans in 70CE
The Beginnings of Christianity
generally agree that a
in Bethlehem •Scholars
child named Jesus was born
between 7 and 2 BCE…that year
would be renamed “0” in the sixth
century.
•In his young adult life, Jesus
became a well-known teacher.
•Jesus’ preaching stirred controversy—
seen as threat to Roman leadership, as
his followers (like other Jews) refused
to worship state gods.
Christianity Spreads
•Ponitius Pilate, chief magistrate of Judea,
ordered Jesus’ crucification sometime in
the 1st century CE.
•Upon his death, followers of Jesus came
to be called “Christians,” separate from
the Jews.
•Christians believed that Jesus was the
son of God, the Messiah mentioned in
early Jewish text, who would save the
Israelites from oppression and usher in an
age of peace.
(Jews do NOT believe that Jesus was the
son of God or the messiah.)
The Spread of Christianity
•Early followers of Jesus—known as apostles—
spread Jesus’ message during and after his
death.
•These teachings would be recorded in the “New
Testament,” the second part of the Christian
Bible.
•After a period of
persecution,
Christianity
flourished when
Constantine became
the first Christian
Roman emperor in
312.
The JudeoChristian
Foundations of
Islam
The Prophetic Tradition
Abraham
Moses
Jesus
Muhammad
(According to Islam, the Qur’an=God’s last revelation)
The Origins of the Qur’an
 Muhammad received his first
revelation from the angel
Gabriel in the Cave of Hira in 610.

622  Hijrah  Muhammed
flees Mecca for Medina.
* The beginning of the
Muslim calendar (1 A.H.)

Muhammad’s revelations were
compiled into the Qur’an after
his death.
IslamAn Abrahamic
Religion
Muslims
are strict monotheists.

They believe in the JudeoChristian God, which they call
Allah.

Muslims believe that the Torah
and the Bible, like the Qur’an,
is the word of God.
Peoples of the Book
The Origins of Islam
The Qur’an
 Muslims believe it contains the
word of God.

114 suras (chapters).

In the name of Allah,
the compassionate,
the merciful.

Written
in Arabic.
The Mosque
 The Muslim place of worship.
The Spread of Islam

Easy to learn and practice.

No priesthood.

Teaches equality.

Non-Muslims, who were “Peoples of
the Book,” were allowed religious
freedom, but paid additional taxes.

Easily “portable”  nomads & trade
routes.

Jihad (“Holy War”) against pagans
and other non-believers (“infidels”).