15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
{{Mediawiki:kindleoasis}}__NOTOC__[[File:Akhenaten_as_a_Sphinx_(Kestner_Museum).jpg|thumbnail|left|Akhenaten as a Sphinx with the Sun God]]The first monotheistic religion developed in Ancient Egypt during the reign of Akhenaten, but it failed to gain a foothold and disappeared soon after his death. Monotheism did not become a permanent fixture in the world until the adoption of monotheism by Hebrews in Babylon. While monotheism is often seen as something that has derived from Judaism, the history of how monotheism became pervasive and expanded beyond Judaism is complex. Integrating both historical and archaeological data, we find that the rise of monotheism is has been influenced by key political events. These political events help transform not just these early monotheistic faiths but also by extension many parts of the world today.
==Ancient JudaismWhat was the first Monotheist Religion? ==How did monotheism start? The first evidence of monotheism emerges from Egypt in the 14th century BCE (1353-1336 BC) during the reign of Akhenaten.<ref>For information about Akhenaten see: Reeves, Nicholas. 2005. ''[https: Not Very Monotheistic//www.amazon.com/gp/product/0500051062/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0500051062&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=677e84cbaa3df8a547a903e9e58c82b0 Akhenaten: Egypt’s False Prophet]''. 1. Aufl. London: Thames & Hudson.</ref> The king was known to have worshiped Aten, the sun disk god (Figure 1). While initially, Akhenaten allowed the worship of many gods, as Egyptian kings had always done so, by the 5th year of his reign there was a decisive move that made the worship of Aten the only recognized religion in the kingdom. [[File:376px-Statuette_Goddess_Louvre_AO20127.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|Figurine of Astarte (Asherah) with a horned headdress, Louvre Museum]]The worship of Aten constituted the first monotheistic religion in the world.<ref>For information about monotheism in this period see: Hoffmeier, James Karl. 2015. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199792089/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0199792089&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=2ff8db798db59fc236b0c547f0d958ea Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism]''. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.</ref>
==The New MonotheismWas Ancient Judaism Monotheistic? ==In Biblical chronology, we see that the establishment of the state of Israel would constitute the world’s first true monotheistic state. However, the reality is there is no evidence yet that shows monotheism existed or was beyond a limited minority either in Judah or Israel, the two main states of the Jewish people in the Bible.<ref> For information regarding the diversity of gods in ancient Israel and Judah, see: Stavrakopoulou, Francesca, and John Barton, eds. 2010. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0567032167/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0567032167&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a6fddd78b93aaa866baffd50a135f2a0 Religious Diversity in Ancient Israel and Judah]''. London ; New York: T & T Clark.</ref>
[[Category:Bronze Age History]]
[[Category:Ancient History]]
[[Category:Religious History]]
{{Contributors}}