Download Religions 1 Early - Kent Lutheran Church

Jerusalem
Central to Three Major Religions
(plus more there)
January Monthly Meeting
Holy Land Trip 2017
Religions 1 Early
the Three Major Religions
• First – the Israelites, the Hebrew people,
the Jewish religion
• Then – Christians – Christ –ians (ones),
Christianity as religion
• Then – Muslims – persons following the
teachings of Muhammed, the Islam
religion
Before the “First” (before Judaism)
Tel Aviv is on the coast,
56 km south of Caesarea
Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley
Before Judaism
From the early Bronze Age (3150-2200 BCE) a cultic
compound of several temples, a large round stone altar
with seven steps leading to top.
25 levels of settlement
spanning 3000 yrs
Before the First (before Judaism) and on through…
Megiddo:
• Another temple/altar uncovered from the 9th C. BCE
plus cultic objects
• A Solomonic settlement there but size/dating not clear
• Rebuilt in 8th C. BCE Israelites had a training site for
chariots and use of horses
• Shortly after that Megiddo area annexed to Assyria
• Settlement shifted south in 4th C. BCE
• But in 2nd C. CE seems a Roman legion stationed there
• Excavations from 3rd C. CE revealed a settlement with a
Christian prayer hall with an inscribed mosaic pavement
• Because of language in the book of Revelation
designated as the “Armageddon” for a metaphoric final
battle
Before or During Judaism
• Canaanites in Jerusalem before they were defeated
– Joshua 10:8 (Joshua - leader the Israelites after Moses
dies)
• Canaanites Superiority
– Building stone structures
– Making metal tools, implements, weapons
– Technical ability (Solomon used Canaanites to design and
construct temple)
• Religion of the Canaanites
– Only what was in the Old Testament was known about the
Canaanite religions until the 1928 discovery of clay tablets
at a site that was the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit
– What came to be known as the Ugaritic texts gave much
information about religious life and more
• Included a previously unknown North Semitic alphabet
• Diplomatic, legal, economic, administrative, scholastic, literary and
religious texts
Before the First
(before Judaism)
From Tyndale Bible Dictionary:
• Study of the polytheistic religion of the Canaanites has
contributed much to our understanding of the religion
of ancient Israel. The Hebrew theological and religious
structures were given by God to a people who were
influenced and affected by other religions. To
appreciate the Israelites’ monotheistic religion fully
that challenged their life and unity as a nation.
• Contact among the many religions of the ancient Near
East produced not only tension but also much
syncretism or borrowing of concepts and practices.
Before the First
(before Judaism)
From Tyndale Bible Dictionary:
• Among all those peoples, however, the Hebrews took
an independent course. Their God was the unique and
cosmic deity who demanded exclusive allegiance. Such
a concept ran against the grain of all the religions of
the day.
• Israelite morality (covenant laws at Mt. Sinai) was very
different from cultic traditions of Canaanite life
• Hebrew ethical monotheism was in many ways
opposite to the polytheistic nature worship of
Canaanite religion
Canaanites and Jews in the same land
• Jewish religion weakening with assimilation
• Elijah battles prophets of Baal & Asherah
17When
Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is it you, you
troubler of Israel?" 18He answered, "I have not troubled
Israel; but you have, and your father's house, because you
have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and followed
the Baals. 19Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at
Mount Carmel, with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal
and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at
Jezebel's table.” 20So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and
assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21Elijah then came
near to all the people, and said, "How long will you go
limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God,
follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”
1 Kings 18
Mt Carmel
Haifa
Tel Aviv
Mount
Carmel
According to Jewish, Christian, Druze and
Muslim belief, it is on the summit of Mount
Carmel that the dramatic battle between Elijah
and the prophets of Baal took place. Amid this
struggle, the fire that rained down from the sky
fell in this exact location. The battle's horrific
end is described in 1 Kings 18:38-40