Abrahamic Mythology: The Great Deluge from Creation, An Eternal Narrative
Author’s Notes
(The mythology of any religion refers to those narratives, events, and accounts of the past that the followers of that religion accept as true. These events may or may not be historical. Determining which of them correspond to actual history and which do not is a task of history, and is discussed in the history of religion or the study of religious history. This article discusses the mythology of the Abrahamic religions. Its purpose is not to decide which of the stories or ideas discussed here are historically true and which are not. Rather, it seeks to understand the mythological structure through which these religions have imagined, described, and preserved their past and their meaningful truths.)
Introduction
Human beings are strange creatures. We feel hunger in our stomachs, but the hunger of the mind is even stronger. We love stories. From the very beginning, people have looked up at the sky and asked themselves: Who am I? Where did I come from? What is the purpose of this endless field of stars, this vast universe? Human beings are not content merely to eat and survive; they want answers. In seeking those answers, mythology, or mythic narrative (Mythology), was born in the human mind. Many people regard mythology as nothing more than “story” or superstition, but the matter is far more complex. Mythology is the mirror of a nation’s or civilization’s mind, the foundation of its beliefs—the lens through which people see their world.
The world’s history is full of mythology. The Greeks placed their gods on Mount Olympus, the Norse imagined Valhalla, and the Egyptians believed in the afterlife and mummification. Yet the mythology that has most deeply shaped the thought, philosophy, law, and sense of life of billions of people throughout history is neither Greek nor Roman. It is Abrahamic mythology (Abrahamic Mythology).
This vast narrative was born in the harsh deserts of the Middle East, where survival itself was a struggle. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—the three major monotheistic religions of the contemporary world—are collectively called the “Abrahamic religions.” Why? Because they share a common root. All three regard the old man from the city of Ur, named Abraham or Ibrahim, as a spiritual forefather or ancestor. From a mythological or literary perspective, these religions display striking similarities and continuities in the origins, structures, characters, and events of their narratives. It can seem like a single epic told in three different historical registers—sometimes in Hebrew, sometimes in Greek or Latin, and sometimes in Arabic.
In this article, we will not approach these stories through religious belief, devotion, or a theistic lens. Our perspective will be that of literature, history, and anthropology. Just as a good novel has central characters, heroes and villains, and climaxes, we will analyze this mythology in the same way. We will try to understand how stories born in the hot sands thousands of years ago continue to shape our modern world. Here, we will treat God or the Creator (God) as the central character of this epic—sometimes angry, sometimes merciful. We will view the prophets as its heroes or protagonists, attempting to build a bridge between humanity and God. Let us enter the world of the most influential and complex story in human history, where faith and reason walk hand in hand.
Myth, Mythology, and History: The Many Dimensions of Truth (Myth, Mythology, and History)
The idea that usually comes to mind when we hear the word “myth” is that it is a false story meant only for children or superstitious people. In everyday speech, we often say, “That’s a myth,” meaning that it is untrue. In theology, anthropology, sociology, and academic discourse, however, the definition of myth or mythology is entirely different. The Greek word mythos originally meant “story,” “plot,” or “speech,” in contrast to logos, or reasoned account. In antiquity, the two were not necessarily opposed. Rather, myth was a way of expressing truths that could not be conveyed through logic alone. The twentieth-century theologian and scholar of mythology Joseph Campbell (Joseph Campbell) stated clearly in his television series and book The Power of Myth (The Power of Myth): “Mythology is not a lie. Mythology is a metaphor through which people express the deep truths of life that cannot be spoken in ordinary language.” For Campbell, myth is “the religion of other people,” while religion is “my own myth.” Mythology, then, is neither an insult nor a negative term; it is a community’s collective belief system. When a story or narrative is regarded as “absolute truth” or sacred truth by the people of a particular culture or religion, it functions as mythology. By Abrahamic mythology, therefore, we mean the sacred narratives of the Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—that their followers regard as the foundation of their existence and the source of their religious doctrine.
The Dialectical Relationship Between Mythology and History
Many people may ask whether the stories of Abraham, Moses, or Jesus are fictional. Is mythology the opposite of history? The answer is both no and yes. Mythology and history are different categories, but they are not enemies; they often complement one another. History seeks facts: when, where, and what happened. It relies on archaeological evidence, inscriptions, and contemporary documents. Mythology, by contrast, seeks meaning: what an event signifies. An event may be historical and mythological at the same time. For example, the crucifixion of Jesus is regarded by most secular historians as a historical event: a person named Jesus existed and was executed by the Romans. But the claim that Jesus died to atone for humanity’s sins and rose on the third day belongs to mythological or theological truth. Historians can investigate the date of the crucifixion; the remission of sins, however, belongs to the world of faith and mythology. The French philosopher Paul Ricoeur (Paul Ricoeur) called this mythico-history (Mythico-History), in which history and myth converge. Archaeologists may debate whether Moses crossed the Red Sea, but for Jews the event’s meaning as a symbol of liberation may be more important than any historical data. Sometimes history lies behind mythology, as archaeologists demonstrated that Troy was a real city. Heinrich Schliemann is a famous example. At other times, history itself becomes mythology, as in the life stories of Abraham Lincoln or Mahatma Gandhi. Much of Abrahamic mythology has been archaeologically supported—for example, the existence of King David and the Babylonian exile—while other elements, such as cosmology and Noah’s Flood, have not been established archaeologically or historically.
Sacred Narrative and Worldview
Anthropologists define mythology as a sacred narrative that forms a culture’s worldview. Mythology answers questions such as why people are born, why they die, what the sources of good and evil are, and how human beings should relate to the universe. In The Interpretation of Cultures (The Interpretation of Cultures), the American anthropologist Clifford Geertz (Clifford Geertz) showed that religious mythology provides both a “model of reality” and a “model for reality.” In other words, mythology not only explains the world; it also instructs people how to order it. In Abrahamic mythology, the story of Eden explains the origin of human suffering, while the account of the law at Mount Sinai instructs people how to build a society free from such wrongdoing. Whether these stories are true or false, billions of people have drawn meaning from them for thousands of years. The anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski (Bronislaw Malinowski) called this a social charter. In his view, mythology gives society cohesion, legitimizes law, and establishes morality. Abrahamic mythology performed precisely these functions for Western and Middle Eastern civilizations.
Multilayered Lessons of Truth
Modern theologians and literary critics use different methods to read the Bible and the Qur’an. Some regard the texts as literally or literally (Literal) true, as in fundamentalist interpretations, while others regard them as metaphorically or allegorically (Allegorical) true, as in liberal or mystical interpretations. In discussing Abrahamic mythology, we acknowledge both approaches, but our primary focus is on its literary and philosophical qualities. In The Great Code: The Bible and Literature (The Great Code), the Canadian critic Northrop Frye (Northrop Frye) argued that the Bible is a vast “mythological structure” forming the backbone of Western literature. The works of Shakespeare, Milton, Dante, and countless others cannot be fully understood without understanding the language of Abrahamic mythology. In this article, we use “mythology” as a neutral academic category that allows us to examine this immense monument of human belief from both outside and within. Mythology is the language through which human beings have tried to bind the infinite in finite words.
Cosmology: From Nothingness to the Universe (Cosmogony: Creation from the Void)
The epic journey of Abrahamic mythology begins with a vast and profound drama. Imagine that nothing exists anywhere: no stars, no nebulae, not even time. There is only an infinite primordial void. The Hebrew Bible calls it tohu wa-bohu (tohu wa-bohu), meaning “formless void.” In this infinite darkness, only one entity is awake—God, Yahweh, or Allah (God/Yahweh/Allah). This opening scene is an extreme expression of the human imagination. There is no corpse or cosmic egg of an earlier deity here, as we often find in other ancient mythologies. Instead, creation begins as an absolute expression of will. According to Genesis, God utters a single sentence: “Let there be light,” and the universe’s first light appears. It is a strikingly magical idea, is it not? The notion that things can be created through sound or “the word” (word/logos), without any physical material, is one of the strongest foundations of Abrahamic philosophy.
The mythology scholar Joseph Campbell (Joseph Campbell) observed that this creation idea has structural similarities with Mesopotamian mythology, especially the Babylonian epic Enuma Elish (Enuma Elish), which also describes the creation of the universe from chaos. Campbell nevertheless emphasized a fundamental and revolutionary difference in Abrahamic mythology (Campbell, 1949). In other mythologies, creation is often ex materia—formed from an existing substance. In Enuma Elish, for example, the god Marduk creates the heavens and the earth by cutting apart the corpse of his predecessor, the goddess Tiamat. The Abrahamic God, by contrast, depends on nothing. He creates from nothing—a concept called creatio ex nihilo (creatio ex nihilo) in theological Latin. This places God above nature, in a “transcendent” position. Nature or the universe is not part of God; it is God’s creation.
This great work of creation is completed in six days, or six periods. Scholars have long debated the meaning of the word “day,” or yom. Some understand it literally as twenty-four hours, while others interpret it metaphorically as a long era. On the first day, light and darkness are separated and day and night are created. On the second, the waters above and below are separated by the creation of the sky, or “firmament.” On the third, the sea and dry land are divided, and vegetation emerges from the soil. On the fourth, the sun, moon, and stars are placed across the vast canvas of space. Aquatic animals and birds are created on the fifth day, and land animals on the sixth. To modern, scientifically minded readers, this step-by-step movement from “chaos to order” may appear as a primitive metaphor for evolution. But mythology’s primary concern is not science; it is meaning. This entire arrangement prepares a stage on which the story’s main hero—humanity—will enter.
Adam: The Man of Earth and the Breath of Life
Everything is ready. The stage has been set. God now decides to create someone who will rule over this creation and bear the image of God himself, or imago Dei (Imago Dei). Like a potter shaping a figure from clay, God forms a human being from clay or dust. The Bible calls him Adam (Adam). The origin of the name carries its own meaning: in Hebrew, adamah means soil or earth. Adam is therefore the “child of the earth,” or earthling. Islamic mythology gives this story greater detail. God or Allah is said to have commanded the angels to gather soil from the earth. Soil of different colors—red, white, and black—was brought from different parts of the world, which explains the varied skin colors of Adam’s descendants. Once formed, the clay figure remained lifeless for a long time. Then comes the idea of spirit or soul. God breathed into Adam, and the clay figure immediately came to life. This “breath,” or breath of life (Breath of Life), is not merely oxygen; it is the divine spark that distinguishes human beings from other animals.
Greek mythology contains a strikingly similar creation process. In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus (Prometheus) makes human beings from mud. In Egyptian mythology, the god Khnum (Khnum) shapes human bodies from clay on a potter’s wheel. In Abrahamic mythology, however, the relationship between God and humanity is far more personal. God is not a distant craftsman; he draws close and breathes life from his own being. This reveals the dialectical character of human existence: on the one hand, human beings are mortal and insignificant creatures made of clay; on the other, they possess a divine breath. The Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria (Philo of Alexandria) understood Adam’s creation as a symbol of this duality—his body drawn toward the earth and his soul toward heaven (Philo, first century/1993).
Eve and Lilith: Finding a Partner and the Primordial Conflict
Adam was alone in the Garden of Eden. In that vast and beautiful garden, he named and observed the animals and birds but found no one like himself. Seeing his loneliness, God said, “It is not good for a man to be alone.” A dramatic turn in the mythology follows. Adam was put into a deep sleep, and one of his bones—or a “rib”—was removed to make his companion, Eve or Hawwa (Eve). When Adam awoke and saw her, he said, “This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” The Hebrew word tzela means not only “bone” but also “side.” Women, then, may be understood as being made from the side of man so that the two can move alongside one another. The nineteenth-century feminist theorist Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Elizabeth Cady Stanton), however, strongly criticized this myth in her groundbreaking book The Woman’s Bible. She regarded it as a political instrument of patriarchal society, presenting women as an afterthought or as a part of man rather than as fully independent beings (Stanton, 1895). For centuries, this narrative has influenced gender politics by portraying woman as created for man’s needs.
Outside the mainstream of Abrahamic mythology, Jewish folklore preserves another figure as Adam’s first wife: Lilith (Lilith). According to the medieval Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith was made from the same soil as Adam. Conflict arose when she refused to submit to him. Lilith argued, “We were both made from the same soil, so we are equal.” When Adam insisted on his authority, Lilith fled Eden after uttering God’s secret name and was later portrayed as a demon (Patai, 1967). Although the story of Lilith has no place in the original scriptural canon, it is significant in the mythological imagination. It shows that even in antiquity the question of equality between men and women existed in the human subconscious. Whereas Eve or Hawwa symbolizes accommodation, Lilith symbolizes rebellion.
The Mystery of Two Different Narratives
A close reading of the Bible or Torah shows that the creation story in Genesis is not a single account but two. In the first chapter, Genesis 1, God creates the universe step by step over six days and creates woman and man together at the end. God is called “Elohim” there. In the second chapter, Genesis 2, the story begins again: the earth is barren, God creates Adam first, then the Garden of Eden, and then Eve. Here God is called “Yahweh” (Yahweh). Modern biblical scholars and theorists explain this through the Documentary Hypothesis. The theorist Richard Elliott Friedman (Richard Elliott Friedman) shows in his book Who Wrote the Bible? (Who Wrote the Bible?) that the two accounts derive from different sources. One is the Priestly Source, or “P,” which emphasizes rules and rituals; the other is the Yahwist Source, or “J,” which is more skilled at storytelling and depicts God in more human terms (Friedman, 1987). For readers of mythology, this duality is not a confusion. It shows that Abrahamic mythology is not the work of a single author but a complex collage assembled from thousands of years of faith, folklore, and memory.
Thus, through the creation of the universe from nothingness, of humanity from earth, and of woman from a rib, the stage of Abrahamic mythology is prepared. The Garden of Eden is now arranged, the serpent waits behind the tree, and the forbidden fruit sways from its branch. Humanity’s cosmic childhood is drawing to an end; a difficult and lengthy journey lies ahead.
The Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man
At the end of creation, God placed his finest creation, humanity, in a refuge of absolute peace called Eden, or the Garden of Eden (Garden of Eden). According to Genesis, this garden lay somewhere in the east. Geographers and theologians have debated its location for thousands of years. Some place it near the meeting point of the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia; others look toward Armenia or the Persian Gulf. From a mythological perspective, however, Eden is not a geographical location but a symbol of humanity’s primordial, innocent, and carefree state—what Latin calls illo tempore (Illo Tempore), “that golden time.” Adam and Eve moved through the garden in God’s presence. They lacked nothing, felt no shame, and feared no death. Two special trees stood at the garden’s center: the Tree of Life, whose fruit grants immortality, and the mysterious Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God clearly commanded Adam, “You may eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except this tree of knowledge. On the day you eat its fruit, you will die.” This single prohibition is the key to the drama of Abrahamic mythology. It is not merely a story about a fruit; it is about human free will (free will) and the first test of obedience.
An ominous shadow suddenly entered Eden’s peaceful setting. It was the snake, or serpent (Serpent), called nahash in Hebrew. Modern theologians and ordinary believers quickly identify this snake with Satan. Yet the original text of Genesis never directly says that the snake is the devil or Lucifer (Lucifer). It describes the snake as “more crafty than any of the wild animals.” The identification of the serpent with the devil occurred much later, especially through Christian theology and literary works such as John Milton’s (John Milton) epic Paradise Lost (Paradise Lost) (Milton, 1667). The serpent approaches Eve and offers a philosophical argument, directly challenging God’s command: “You will not die. God knows that on the day you eat that fruit, your eyes will be opened and you will know good and evil like God.” The temptation is intellectual. The serpent does not offer wealth or power; it appeals to the desire for knowledge and equality with God. As Prometheus (Prometheus) steals the gods’ fire in Greek mythology and gives it to humanity, the serpent urges humans to seize the fire called “knowledge.”
The Forbidden Fruit and the Birth of Original Sin
Eve looked at the fruit. It appeared delicious and desirable as a means of gaining knowledge. She picked it and ate it, then gave some to Adam, who also ate. In popular culture and painting, this fruit is usually shown as an apple. But neither the Bible nor the Qur’an specifies its name. The idea that it was an apple arose from a Latin wordplay: malus can mean both “apple” and “evil.” Medieval artists used this ambiguity to make the apple a symbol of the forbidden fruit. According to various Jewish interpretations or Midrash (Midrash), it may have been a fig, grape, wheat, or etrog, a type of citrus fruit. Whatever the fruit, something extraordinary happened when it was eaten. The sky did not fall and no lightning struck, but their mental world changed completely. Their eyes were opened, and for the first time they realized that they were naked. This sudden acquisition of shame (Shem) marks, in mythological terms, humanity’s passage from childhood to adulthood. Until then they had been innocent like children, without self-consciousness about their bodies. The fruit of the tree of knowledge gave them self-consciousness (Self-Consciousness). They covered themselves with fig leaves and hid among the bushes. When God walked through the garden in the evening and called, “Adam, where are you?” Adam replied, “I was afraid when I heard your footsteps, because I was naked.”
God understood what had happened, and the blame game began. Adam blamed Eve—and indirectly God, since God had given Eve to him as a companion—while Eve blamed the serpent. From this event emerged one of the most controversial and influential concepts in Abrahamic theology: original sin (Original Sin). The Christian theologian Saint Augustine (Saint Augustine) systematized the doctrine in the fourth century. In his view, Adam’s sin corrupted human nature at its root. Every child is born carrying the burden of this sin, and the only way to escape it is faith in Jesus Christ and the grace of the Church (Augustine, 426). Judaism and Islam, however, hold very different views. In Islamic interpretation, Adam’s act was a lapse or mistake, not an indelible sin. Adam repented, and God forgave him. In Islam, every child is born innocent, with fitra (Fitra); no one is born sinful. Judaism likewise teaches that human beings possess both the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and the yetzer hatov (good inclination), and define themselves through their actions.
Expulsion from Heaven and the Struggle of Mortals
A great catastrophe descended as punishment for the sin or mistake. Theology calls it the Fall (The Fall). God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly and eat dust. The woman was condemned to the pain of childbirth and subordination to the man. Adam—or humanity—received the harshest punishment: labor. God said, “The ground is cursed because of you. By the labor of your life you will eat from it … you are dust, and to dust you will return.” Anthropologists read this myth as a metaphor for a major transformation in human civilization. When human beings left the hunter-gatherer way of life and entered agrarian society, life became harder and more laborious. The myth may have arisen to explain this difficult existence after humanity left nature’s abundant storehouse, Eden. In The Golden Bough (The Golden Bough), James George Frazer (James George Frazer) showed that many ancient cultures preserve stories in which people were once immortal or lived with the gods but accepted death after a mistake (Frazer, 1890). In the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, for example, a serpent steals a plant that preserves youth, causing humanity to lose immortality.
At last came the tragic scene of expulsion from heaven, or expulsion (Expulsion). God clothed them in leather and sent them out of the Garden of Eden so that they could not reach out again, eat from the Tree of Life, and become immortal. If immortality were combined with sin, it would become an eternal horror. To the east of Eden, God placed the cherubim (Cherubim)—powerful angelic beings—and a flaming sword that turned in every direction. The gates of paradise were closed to humanity. The mythology scholar Mircea Eliade (Mircea Eliade) interpreted this event as an enduring cry within the human subconscious, calling it nostalgia for paradise (Nostalgia for Paradise). Throughout history, human beings have been searching for that lost Eden. Our utopias and dreams of an ideal society are, at a subconscious level, desires to return to that primordial garden (Eliade, 1959).
Feminist and Epistemological Reinterpretations
The story of Eden has been used for thousands of years to suppress women. Eve is portrayed as weak, seductive, and the gateway through which sin entered the world. Early Church Fathers such as Tertullian (Tertullian) called woman “the Devil’s gateway.” In the modern era, however, the mythology has been subjected to new reinterpretations (Re-interpretation). In her book God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality (God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality), the feminist biblical scholar Phyllis Trible (Phyllis Trible) argues that Eve displays greater intellectual and theological agency than Adam in the Genesis story. When the serpent comes to speak, it speaks to Eve, not Adam. Eve does not eat the fruit blindly; she evaluates it. The Bible says that she saw it was “desirable for gaining wisdom.” Eve, then, is the first human being to value knowledge or wisdom above a bare command (Trible, 1978). From this perspective, Eve is not a villain but a pioneer of humanity’s epistemological journey (Epistemological Journey).
By contrast, Gnosticism or Gnostic philosophy reverses the entire story. In Gnostic texts such as The Hypostasis of the Archons, the tree of knowledge is not forbidden or evil but the source of liberation. The serpent is not the devil but a messenger or instructor (Instructor) who seeks to free humanity from ignorance. Gnostics believed that a god who wanted to keep human beings from knowledge could not be the true supreme God; he was instead a jealous, inferior deity or demiurge (Demiurge). Through knowledge, or gnosis (Gnosis), human beings could recognize their true divine nature. In The Gnostic Gospels (The Gnostic Gospels), Elaine Pagels (Elaine Pagels) shows how these alternative interpretations were suppressed by the mainstream Church, even though they constitute a fascinating parallel stream within Abrahamic mythology (Pagels, 1979). The Fall, therefore, is not merely a story about sin; it is a timeless account of the crisis of human consciousness, freedom, and existence.
First Bloodshed: Cain and Abel (The First Murder: Cain and Abel)
After humanity was expelled from Eden or Paradise, life was no longer as it had been. Where hands had once reached for fruit, people now had to break the soil, harvest crops, and hunt animals. Existence became an unending struggle. Adam and Eve built a family in this difficult world and had two sons: the elder, Cain, and the younger, Abel. In Hebrew, “Cain” is associated with acquiring or possessing, while “Abel” means breath or vapor, suggesting the transience of life. The story of these brothers begins a new and dark chapter in human history. It is not merely a quarrel between siblings but a primordial record of jealousy, resentment, and violence. Mythology suggests that once the holiness of heaven was lost, violence (Violence) in the human world became inevitable.
The brothers grew up and chose different ways of making a living. Cain became a farmer or agriculturalist (Agriculturalist), working the soil and raising crops. Abel became a shepherd or pastoralist (Pastoralist), tending animals. This detail is highly symbolic: the brothers reflect the traditional tension between settled agrarian society and nomadic pastoralism. In time, both brought gifts or sacrifices (Sacrifice) to God. Cain brought some of the produce of his land, while Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and their fat.
God’s Rejection and the Fire of Jealousy
The dramatic moment came when God accepted one offering and rejected the other. According to Genesis, God looked with favor on Abel’s gift but not on Cain’s harvest. Why? The original text offers no clear answer. This ambiguity (Ambiguity) makes the story more mysterious and profound. Perhaps Abel’s offering was blood-stained and therefore symbolized sacrifice, while Cain’s was given merely as a duty. Rabbinic literature suggests that Abel offered his best, whereas Cain offered ordinary or inferior grain. Whatever the reason, Cain was devastated. His face fell, and a primordial destructive emotion emerged: envy.
God warned Cain. For the first time in the mythology, God gives a human being the opportunity to make a moral choice: “Why are you angry? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to control you, but you must rule over it.” The passage is important because sin (Sin) is not presented as an abstract idea but as a fierce predator crouching at the door, called rovets in Hebrew. Cain ignored the warning. Within him burned hatred for his brother and anger at what he regarded as God’s injustice.
The First Murder in the Field
One day Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go into the field.” The sentence is incomplete in the Masoretic text, although the conversation appears in the Samaritan and Septuagint versions. Once they were alone in the open field, Cain attacked and killed Abel. This was the first murder in human history—more precisely, the first act of fratricide (Fratricide). There were only a handful of people in the world, yet one had already killed another. The soil was soaked in human blood. Mythology suggests that this event created a permanent rupture between humanity and the earth: the soil that once yielded crops now absorbed human blood.
In his famous book Violence and the Sacred (Violence and the Sacred), the French theorist and philosopher René Girard (René Girard) explains this event through mimetic desire (Mimetic Desire), or imitative desire. According to Girard, Cain wanted God’s love. When he saw that God favored Abel, his desire turned into jealousy. A scapegoat was needed to relieve that jealousy, and Abel became the victim of the sacrifice (Girard, 1972). Girard argues that human society and religion are founded on this primordial violence.
Am I my brother’s keeper?
After the murder, God confronted Cain again: “Where is your brother Abel?” The omniscient God must have known where Abel was, but he was giving Cain an opportunity to confess. Cain answered with an arrogant and timeless question: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” This sentence has echoed through Western literature and ethics for thousands of years. It is not merely an excuse but the ultimate denial of social responsibility. Cain not only killed his brother; he also denied the bond and responsibility created by blood.
God then said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.” Cain was cursed: “When you work the soil, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” There could be no greater punishment for Cain, the representative of an agrarian society; the very soil on which his livelihood depended rejected him. Cain was afraid and said, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Whoever finds me will kill me.” His fear implies either that more people existed in the world at that time—a gap in the mythology’s logic, or a plot hole—or that he was imagining future generations.
Cain’s Signs and the Fall of Civilization
God gave him a sign to protect Cain, which Mark of Cain (Mark of Cain) known as It is not a curse scar, but rather it was a divine protection or Divine Protectionthe God declared, “Whoever kills Cain, he must be subjected to sevenfold vengeance.” There are different opinions about what this sign was in Jewish and Christian traditions – some say it is a horn on the forehead, some say a special letter, while others say it was a scar of leprosy. But in the literary sense, it is the stain of the sinner’s forehead, which sets him apart from everyone else in the society.
The most ironic or satirical part of the story happens after that. Although he was cursed to live a vagabond, he settled, got married and built a city. He named the city Enoch or Inc. It carries a deep philosophical message. Mythology tells us that the first city of human civilization was built by a murderer. That is, our magnificent civilization, city life, is mixed with violence and blood at its foundation. famous writer John Steinbeck (John Steinbeck) His epic novel East of Eden (East of Eden)Used this theme. Steinbeck has shown that Cain and Abel are having conflicts within every human being, and man always has the power to choose ‘Timshel’ or ‘Timshel’ – will he conquer sin, or be a slave of sin (Steinbeck, 1952).
Anthropological and Sociological Analysis
Why did God like the shepherd Abel and reject the farmer Cain? anthropologists of a secular or Secular (Secular) Explain. James George Frazer (James George Frazer) His Folk-lore in the Old Testament (Folk-Lore in the Old Testament)It is mentioned in this story that this story The Semitic nations of the ancient Middle East reflection of cultural memories. Hebrew or Israelites Originally was a shepherd race. to them agrarian life was relatively new and in many cases their neighbors Canaanite or Canaanite culture…. The Canaanites were farmers and they the gods of fertility used to worship So in the eyes of the shepherds, farming or ownership of land was questionable and less acceptable to God (Frazer, 1918).
Again Regina Schwartz (Regina Schwartz) his book The Curse of Cain (The Curse of Cain)A different theoretical aspect has been highlighted. He called it Scarcity Principle or Policies of Scarcity…. Isn’t God’s blessings abundant? Why should one have to be deprived of the other to get one? In mythology, God’s grace is a limited wealth – which only one will get. This ‘only one’ mentality is the root cause of brother-brother conflict. In monotheistic mythology This ‘exclusivity’ or monopolisticism comes back again and again – Isaac vs Ismail, Jacob vs Esau, and Cain vs Abelthe Schwartz argues that this lack of sense and the concept of monopoly has led to violence in Western societies (Schwartz, 1997).
Finally, Cain and Abel’s story is not just a murder story. It is an excellent narrative of the dialectic of human nature. We all want to be as innocent as Abel, but we all have a Cain hidden in the subconscious – the one who is jealous, who blames others for his own failure, and who wants to remove the rival when he gets the chance. Mythology makes us stand in front of the mirror and asks – are you ready to be your brother’s keeper, or will you turn away like Cain?
The Great Flood: Noah and His Boat (The Deluge: Noah and the Ark)
A World of Sin and Divine Regret
When people Eden When it came out, it was hoped that they might start fixing in a life of trouble. But the opposite happened. History of the next ten generations of Adam This is just a history of degradation. the world was filled in sin, lawlessness and extreme violencethe In the Hebrew Bible to understand this violence ‘Hamas’ (HAMAS) The term is used, which means unreasonable destructionthe The situation was so out of control that The Creator himself or God repented of his own creationthe In the words of Genesis, “God’s mind is filled with pain.” This is a strange moment in mythology – that God is omniscient, how can he make mistakes or repent? In Theology It is called it Anthropomorphism (Anthropomorphism) Or The imposition of human qualities in God… God saw that the thoughts of the human mind were only running towards evil. Then he took a tough decision. He thought, this hard drive is full of viruses, it is no longer possible to repair it. So he is the whole Decision to ‘format’ or reset the system took He said, “I will destroy all people and animals.” It is called in theoretical language Uncreation (Uncreation)… God at the time of creation Waters or ‘Kawas’ (CHAOS) From Discipline or Cosmos made; Now he has re-opened the water to the earth plan to restore primitive chaos did
Test of Faith: Building a huge boat
Only a lamp was shining in this darkness. he has been Noah (Noah)… The Bible tells him “Righteous in His Generation)…. God called Noah and informed him of his secret plan. He commanded Noah a huge Boat or Arc (Ark) to make This boat was not an ordinary vessel. Its design or blue-print was given by God himself. It will be made Gopher Wood (Gopher Wood) through, inside and outside tar or pitch (pitch) Apply so that water does not enter. It will be 300 cubits in length, 50 cubits in width and 30 cubits in height. In modern sizes it is almost half or larger of a Titanic ship. Imagine, Noah lived in a desert or plain area, where there is no sea near the edge. Sitting there, he is making a huge ship! His neighbors and contemporaries must have thought he was crazy. Qur’an and Jewish Midrash (Midrash)In his description, it is found that people used to mock Noah. But Noah was his Faith or Faith (Faith)Steadfast on it. It is a central theme of Abrahamic mythology – to observe that God’s command seems beyond reason.
Floating Zoo and a family’s tragedy
The boat was complete. Now came the time to bring the passengers aboard. God commanded Noah to take his family and a pair of every animal in the world (male and female) into the boat. He was also instructed to take seven pairs of clean, or “kosher,” animals, but only one pair of unclean animals. This enormous collection of animals, a floating zoo, may seem biologically or taxonomically impossible, but in mythology it is a powerful symbol. The ark became a “microcosm,” or miniature earth: while the outside world was destroyed, the seeds of life were preserved inside the wooden vessel. Noah, his wife, his three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and their wives boarded the ark. The Qur’anic account adds a tragic scene: one of Noah’s sons, traditionally called Canaan or Yam, refused to board. He said, “I will take refuge on a mountain; the water will not reach me.” Noah pleaded with him, but he refused and was eventually drowned. The episode teaches that in Abrahamic religion, trust and ideological bonds are considered more important than blood relations.
The turmoil of the water and the purification of the earth
Finally came that terrible day. The Deluge (The Deluge) started In the words of the Bible, “The Windows of Heaven opened and all the fountains underground exploded.” That is, the water has not only fallen from the sky, but has also come out from the ground. Drawn 40 days and 40 nights rain is As the water rose, the highest peak of the mountain also sank. Every animal that breathes on the earth – birds, animals, reptiles and humans – all perished. Only water and water around. There is no pulse of life anywhere, only that wooden boat floats on the eternal water. This scene is both scary and soothing. It’s like a long silence, where God washes the earth Purification or Purification (Purification) running The boat floated in the water for about a year. Then God changed the speed of the wind and the water began to recede. the boat went off Ararat Mountain (according to the Bible) or In Judi Hill (Qur’an according to).
Rainbow Covenant: The promise of divine mercy
Noah first has a to check if the water has moved or not. Raven or Raven (Raven) sent The crow flew away and ate the remains of the dead animal and remained there, did not return. Then Noah sent a dove or dove (dove)… The first time the dove came back without getting a place to sit. Sent again after seven days. Now the dove came back to the lips Olive leaf (Olive leaf) with This scene – white doves and olive leaves – is still around the world today Symbol of Peace (Symbol of Peace) is used as. In mythology it means: God’s wrath has been soothed, the world has become habitable again. After the third time the dove did not return. Noah understood, it’s time to get down. Getting off the boat, Noah first made an altar for God and sacrificed an animal. God was pleased with the fragrance of that sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never curse the earth again because of man, even though the human mind’s instincts are driven to evil from an early age.”
This is where a huge change in the equation of God and man’s relationships in Abrahamic mythology takes place. God is a man with a Contract or Covenant (Covenant) did He promised that he would never destroy the whole world with water. As a witness or signature of this agreement, he is in the sky Rainbow or Rainbow (Rainbow) set up For both rainbows and battle bows in Hebrew – for both ‘Keshet’ (Qeshet) The word is used. In ancient times, after the war, the kings used to hang their bows upside down as a symbol of peace. It was as if God also hung his battle bow (rainbow) on the cloud, whose face was not towards the earth, but to the sky. It God’s self-restraint or Divine Mercy (Divine Mercy)A wonderful sign of it.
Roots of Mythology: Gilgamesh to Genesis
flood This story is simply Abrahamic religion not property. When archaeologists in the 19th century Ancient Mesopotamian ruins When digging, they are some clay plaques or Cuneiform Tablet Find, which shocked the entire Western world. Assistant of the British Museum in 1872 George Smith (George Smith) Determined that those plaques contained the exact description of the story of the Bible’s flood, but it was written many centuries before the Bible! It was famous Sumerian epic The Epic of Gilgamesh (The Epic of Gilgamesh)the It is seen there, Gilgamesh meets in search of immortality Utnapishtim (utnapishtim) With a man named, who survived the Great Flood by building a huge boat at the behest of the gods. Noah’s story is so similar to the story of Utnapishtim that it is impossible to call it a coincidence – the size of the boat, the animals being picked up, and even The case of sending crows and doves there is.
Recently the curator and scribe of the British Museum Irving Finkel (Irving Finkel) His research papers and books The Ark Before Noah (The Ark Before Noah)– Mentioned a new Babylonian plaque. There are more detailed instructions for making boats before flooding. According to Finkel’s study, the ancient Mesopotamian boat was actually like a huge round raft, called Coracle (Coracle), which was used in the local river (Finkel, 2014). Finkel and other historians believe that the Tigris and Euphrates river basins often had devastating floods in ancient times. Such a devastating flood left a deep scar in the minds of people that it Collective Memory (Collective Memory) or becomes a part of collective memory. From generation to generation, the local flood is one Cosmic metaphor (cosmic metaphor)is turned into. When the Jews Babylonian Exile (Babylonian Exile) were, then they probably came into contact with this Sumerian narrative and their own Monotheistic In the light of philosophy, the story is reorganized. The flood in the story of Gilgamesh was the result of the whims and quarrels of the gods, r Abrahamic story floods the moral judgment of human sinsthe
Hamm’s Curse: A Controversial Narrator
However, there is a controversial and dark event in the later chapter of the flood, which ‘Curse of Ham’ or Curse of Ham known as At the end of the flood Noah started grape cultivation and one day drink his own wine Drunk lying naked inside a tent… his little boy Ham (Ham) Seeing the father in this condition and going out and telling the brothers. But the other two brothers, Shem and Japheth, walks backwards and covers father with cloth, so that he does not have to see his father’s nakedness. When Noah wakes up and finds out everything, he Ham’s son curses Canaan (Canaan): “Let Canaan be cursed; he will be the slaves of his brothers.” There is a lot of disagreement as to why this strange story came to the Bible. But unfortunately, for centuries Racist theorists using this mythology Religiously validating slavery of black people Tried to give, although modern Bible experts and historians Norman Cohn (Norman Cohn) his book Noah’s Flood: The Genesis Story in Western Thought (Noah’s Flood: The Genesis Story in Western Thought)He proved that there was no relation to this curse in the original text of the Bible (Cohn, 1996). It was originally A Political and Religious alibi or Excuse of Land grabbing by the Israelitesthe
The story of the Great Flood ends with a new world and the beginning of a new humanity. Abrahamic mythology is believed to have originated from the three sons of Noah – Shem, Ham and Japheth – originated from all ethnic groups in the world. It is called it Table of Nations (Table of Nations)the The Flood teaches us how helpless people are in front of nature and God, but at the same time it is Hope or Hope (Hope)The story of The rainbow reminds us, At the end of the destruction there is a new creationthe No matter how strong the storm is, one day the sky will clear, and the stream of life will come to some Judi mountain.
Abraham: Father of Faith and the Division of a Family (Abraham: The Patriarch and the Great Schism)
At the center of the vast epic of Abrahamic mythology is a man – Abraham or Ibrahim. He is called ‘Father of Faith’ or Father of Faith (Father of Faith)the Why? For he had heard the call of an invisible God at a time when the world was polytheistic or Polytheistic (Polytheistic)the Ur (ur) city (present-day Iraq) Despite being the son of a noble family Chandradevata Nanna Leaving the worship, he stepped towards an unknown destination. This journey in the history of mythology Lech Lecha (Lech Lecha) or known as ‘leave your own country’. It was not only a geographical journey, it was a huge leap of human consciousness – a journey from the visible idol or nature worship to an invisible entity. Abraham left with his wife Sarah (Sarah), nephew Lut and some followers, and left the promised land or Promised Land (Promised Land)toward which today Canaan or Palestine Regionthe Abraham’s relationship with God stands on a legal and spiritual covenant, called Hebrew Berit (Berit) Or Covenant (Covenant)…. God promised him, “I will make you the father of a great nation, and your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.” Sounds great, doesn’t it? But like every big story in mythology here is a tragic problem or Plot Conflict (Plot Conflict) there is Abraham and his wife have reached old age, but they have no children. The lamentation and urge to protect the lineage of this childless couple was born in the greatest drama and division of Abrahamic history.
Hagar and Ismail: The Beginning of Family Politics
God promised right, but there were no signs of it in reality. Sarah is getting older, the chances of conceiving are near zero. In this situation Sara herself made a pragmatic or realistic decision. Ancient Mesopotamian Law, e.g. Code of Hammurabi (Code of Hammurabi) Accordingly, an infertile wife could give her husband as a mistress to her husband for a legitimate heir. Sara handed over her Egyptian maid Hagar or Hagar to Abraham. Abraham meets Hagar and Hager gets pregnant. From this moment, a psychological war started inside Abraham’s tent. When Hagar realized that she had gone a step ahead of her master-spouse (because she could be a mother), her behavior changed. In Bible words, “He began to despise his master.” On the other hand, Sara is intense jealousy or Jealousy (Jealousy) And began to suffer from insecurity. Abraham’s first son was finally born in Hagar’s womb – Ismail (Ishmael)the The name Ismail means ‘God heard’. Abraham was sixty-six years old. Naturally, Abraham thought that this Ishmael was the promised child through whom God’s promise would be fulfilled.
But the story turned 13 years later. At the age of ninety-nine, God appeared before Abraham again and said, “No, not Ishmael. Your wife will be born in Sarah, your original heir.” This announcement was incredible. Old Abraham laughed and fell to the ground, the Bible says Sarao stood behind the tent and laughed. This smile was named for the child Isaac (Isaac), in Hebrew which means ‘he will smile’ or ‘smile’. Miraculously, Isaac was born in Sarah’s womb in old age. Now Abraham’s two sons – Ismail, the first child of the maid Hagar, on the one hand, Ismail, the miraculous child of the free wife Sarah, on the other, Isaac. The position of these two brothers in the mythological structure created a perpetual conflict or Rivalry (Rivalry)the On the day of Isaac’s weaning, Sarah saw Ismail making fun of Isaac (or playing). Sarah’s motherhood and sense of rights awoke. He gave Abraham a hard command, “Get out this maid and her son. For this maid’s son will not inherit with my son Isaac.”
Exile: One Father, Two Peoples
It was a great crisis for Abraham. On the one hand is his first child Ismail, for whom he has a father’s love; On the other hand is his wife Sarah’s claim and God’s plan. God told Abraham to listen to Sarah. As a result, one morning Abraham put some bread and a musk of water on the shoulders of Ismail and Hagar and sent them into exile in the desert. This phenomenon is the cornerstone of the breakdown of the Abrahamic family and the origin of two different civilizations. Hagar and Ismail wandered in the Bear-Sheba or the desert of Arabia. The water ran out. When Ismail was in agony in thirst, Hagar left his son under a bush and cried because he could not see his son’s death. Just at this moment God’s angel came and reassured Hagar and miraculously created a water source or well. In the Jewish-Christian tradition It is called ‘Bear-Lahai-Roi’, and it is sacred in Islamic tradition. Zamzam (Zamzam) the well
feminist Phyllis Trible (Phyllis Trible) his famous book Texts of Terror (Texts of Terror) describes Hagar’s narrative as one of the most tragic and powerful stories in the Bible. Trible has shown that Hagar is the only woman in the entire Bible who gave God a name – El Roy (El ROI) or ‘that God sees me’. A repressed, exiled Egyptian maid is getting and talking to her – this is a huge exception to the conventional structure of mythology (where only men get professies). Hagar and Ismail remained in the desert. Ismail grew up to be an accomplished archer and married an Arab woman. According to Islamic belief, Abraham later went to Mecca and rebuilt the Kaaba with Ismail. The originator of Islam was born from the descendants of this Ismail. Muhammadthe On the other hand, Isaac remained in the land of Abraham in Canaan, and from his descendants (Jacob or Israel) originated from the Jewish nation and later on. Jesus Christ’sthe This juncture of Abrahamic mythology is in today’s world geopolitics And the main reason for the religious map.
Aqedah: The final test of faith
The climax or final dramatic moment of Abraham’s life comes later. God wanted Abraham to verify. He said, “Abraham, to your son, your only son, whom you love… Take him to the mountains of Moria and there sacrifice him for my sake or Burnt Offering (Burnt Offering) Dedicate it to the Bible’s Genesis chapter 22. Notice that the order is called ‘only boy’, although Abraham had two sons. It was Ismail, because Ismail was the eldest and he was the ‘only’ boy before the birth of Isaac, but whatever the name or identity, the main focus of mythology is the mental state of the father and the faith or faith. Faith (Faith)on the nature of it.
Abraham did not argue. He put wood on the back of the donkey the next morning and left with his son. Three days’ way. What a storm was blowing in Abraham’s mind during these three days is not written in detail in any scripture. It is this silence that makes this story one of the most powerful narratives in the history of literature or Narrative (Narrative) made Reaching the bottom of the mountain, Abraham left his followers and climbed up with his son. The boy asked the father, “Father, there is fire, there is wood, but where is the sacrificial animal?” Abraham answered calmly, “God will arrange for his sacrificial animal, Father.” In this answer lies both false comfort and deep faith. Climbing the mountain, Abraham Bedi arranged, tied his son and picked up a knife. Just at that moment – when the knife is near the throat – the angel of God called from the sky, “Abraham! Stop! Don’t put your hands on the boy. Now I know you fear God, because you didn’t hesitate to give your son for me.” Abraham raised his eyes and saw a male sheep in the bush or RAM (RAM) is stuck The sheep were sacrificed instead of the boy.
Kierkegaard and the Leap of Faith
19th century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (Søren Kierkegaard) his timeless book Fear and Trembling In (fear and trembling) Abraham has made a deep philosophical analysis of this incident. Kierkegaard wrote under the pseudonym (Johannes de Silencio) that Abraham’s work is of general morality or Ethics (Ethics)The criteria cannot be judged. Killing one’s own son socially or morally is a heinous crime. But Abraham temporarily suspends that moral or Suspend (Suspend) He did it for a higher purpose. Kierkegaard called it Teleological Suspension of the Ethical (Teleological Suspension of the Ethical)the Abraham knew that killing was a sin, yet he was going to do so at the command of God. It is not a madness, rather it is an extreme state of faith.
Kierkegaard says to Abraham Knight of Faith (Knight of Faith)…. a tragic hero (eg advance, who sacrificed his daughter for war) sacrifices his own passion for the good of society, which people can understand. But no one will understand Abraham’s work; People will think he is a murderer. Abraham is completely alone. In spite of this loneliness and uncertainty, the trust he put in God is called Kierkegaard. Leap of Faith (Leap of Faith)the What is impossible in logic (how to kill a boy will be a descendant?), in faith it is possible (God may bring the son back to life). Abraham’s belief is not a simple belief; It was an existentialist acquired through fear and trembling (fear and trembling) or Existential (existential) The way to the passage of crisis (Kierkegaard, 1843).
This story of Abraham teaches us that obedience to God in Abrahamic mythology is above logic, emotion, or even morality. Abraham proved through his experiments that he was ready to defend that covenant with God for anything. Because of his sacrifice, he is respected as the ‘father’ of all three religions. But at the same time, the events of his life – Hagar’s exile and the separation of Ismail and Isaac – have created a long-lasting division of human history. Two children of a father have been looking at each other with suspicion for thousands of years, while their roots are under the same tent, buried in the same desert sand. The beauty and tragedy of Abrahamic mythology is right here – it is an epic of union and separation.
Sodom and Gomorrah: Sin, Hospitality and Rain of Fire (Sodom and Gomorrah: Sin, Hospitality, and the Rain of Fire)
Abrahamic mythology in epic weaving The narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah Not only the story of the destruction of two cities; It is an extreme test of divine justice, human ethics and our behavior towards ‘others’. Located on the fertile plains of the Jordan River, these cities were centers of abundance and luxury, but in mythology they are immortalized as the ultimate symbol of human degradation. The story begins with a lazy afternoon scene, when Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent and three strangers came to him. These strangers were not ordinary people; They were the angels of God or the human form of God himself. Abraham provided their royal hospitality, which is a sacred duty in ancient Middle Eastern culture or Sacred Duty (Sacred Duty) was regarded as After the meal, the visitors informed that they were going to Sodom and Gomorrah, because the cry of sin there reached the sky and God decided to wipe out the two cities. Hearing this announcement, Abraham not only nodded and agreed, but he engaged in an unprecedented argument with God. This is the first time in the history of mythology that a man has made a moral argument against God’s judicial decision. Abraham asked, “Will you destroy the righteous along with the wicked? If there are fifty righteous men in that city, will you not forgive the whole place for their sake?” God agreed. Abraham then bargained or Bargaining (Bargaining) Started – fifty to forty five, then forty, thirty, twenty and finally ten. God promised that if only ten good people were found, he would not destroy the city. This conversation establishes a very important concept of theology, which is Collective Punishment or opposition to collective punishment and Individual Justice or demanding personal justice. Abraham shows here, God’s justice cannot be blind; It must be selective.
Hospitality versus Dishonor: The True Nature of Sin
What was the sin of the city of Sodom? In popular culture and religious discourse for thousands of years homosexuality or Homosexuality (homosexuality)It has been seen together, from which the word ‘sodmi’ originates. But modern Bible scholars and historians have given a different picture by analyzing the original text and the cultural context of the time. theologian Derrick Sherwin Bailey (Derrick Sherwin Bailey) his book of research Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition-A shows that the main crime of sodom was not sex, but a violation of hospitality or Inhospitality (Inhospitality)… In the ancient world, where being alone in the desert meant death, sheltering a stranger was an unwritten law of survival. The Greeks called it Xenia (Xenia)…. Abraham’s nephew Lot or Lot (Lot), who lived in Sodom, when he saw the strangers (angels) in the evening, he forcibly took them to his home, because he knew how dangerous the night sodom was. But in the darkness of the night, the men of the city – the elderly – surrounded the house of the lot. They said to Lat, “Take out the people who have come to you, we will meet them (know/yada).” The Hebrew word ‘yada’ means ‘know’. It is true that in the Bible it is used in the sense of sexual intercourse, but its primary meaning is to know or interrogate. Many theorists believe that Sodomians were xenophobic toward outsiders or Xenophobia (Xenophobia)– Infected. They wanted to assert their dominance by raping or insulting the strangers and wanting to drive them away.
ulterior The Jewish Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel) The interpretation of Sodom’s sin is not related to sex. He says, “Your sister Sodom was the crime: she and her daughters were arrogant, they used to eat a lot and spend idle time, but they did not help the poor and the needy” (Ezquiel 16:49). That is, Sodom’s sin was social injustice, arrogance and cruelty to the weak. When the crowd went mad in front of Lott’s house, Lat made a terrible offer to save his guests. He said, “I have two virgin daughters, I give them to you, but do not do anything to these strangers, for they have taken refuge in the shadow of my roof.” Lat’s behavior may seem disgusting and inexcusable to the modern reader. Feminist theorists, such as Phyllis Trible (Phyllis Trible), it patriarchal He has been identified as an extreme cruelty of society, where the honor or life of women was considered insignificant than the honor of men (guest protection). To the lot his daughters were interchangeable goods, but guests or male visitors were sacred deposits. This part of mythology is our strict Honor-Shem Culture of that time or Honor-Shem Culturereveals a dark side. The angels rejected Lot’s suicidal offer and blinded the attacking crowd with a miraculous light. They informed Lott that the destruction of the city is imminent, he and his family must flee immediately.
The Rain of Fire and the Tragedy of the Pillars of Salt
At dawn, God rained sulphur (sulphur) and fire on sodom and gomora from the sky. It is not a common fire in the description of mythology, it was a cosmic disaster or Cosmic Catastrophe (Cosmic Catastrophe)the All the trees and people of the cities, the plains were destroyed in an instant. Archaeological Steven Collins (Steven Collins) Jordan Valley Tall al-Hammam (Tall El-Hammam) Excavations in a place called found the ruins of a Bronze Age city, which had melted into the scorching heat. Collins and his team suggested that maybe a meteorite or Cosmic Airburst (Cosmic Airburst)– of (eg – Tunguska Event) As a result, this destruction occurred, which later became a myth of divine punishment in the memory of man (collins). & Scott, 2013). Lott, his wife and two daughters managed to escape just before the destruction. The angels gave them a strict command, “run to save lives, do not look back.” ‘Looking Back’ in Abrahamic Mythology or Looking Back (Looking Back) a powerful metaphor. It’s not just physical looking; It is an addiction to the past, a fascination for what has been left out. Lott’s wife (which is often called ‘Edith’ in Jewish tradition) could not obey the order. He ran back to the burning city and immediately turned into a pillar of salt (Pillar of Salt).
There has been a lot of discussion in literature and philosophy about this fate of Lot’s wife. Russian poet Anna Akhmatova (Anna Akhmatova) In his poetry, Lott’s wife is painted as a tragic character, who looks back in the illusion of his house, his garden and his memory. Akhmatova saw him not as a disobedience, but as a man, who could not completely erase his past. In mythological point of view, Lot’s wife is the one who fails to adapt to change, who looks to the ruined past without looking at the future, and as a result, he himself is stagnant. Jesus Christ too Referring to Lott’s wife, he said, “Remember the wife of the lot” – which means, when the final time comes, do not be stuck in the illusion of anything earthly. Lat and his daughters took refuge in a small town called Sauer, but instead of staying there, he went to the mountains and settled in a cave.
The Darkness of the Cave and the Origin of a Nation
The last chapter of Sodom and Gomorrah’s narrative is even more controversial and uncomfortable. Lat’s two daughters, who took refuge in the cave, thought that the whole world was destroyed by fire and mankind was wiped out (just like Noah’s flood). They thought that there were no more men left in the world to protect the offspring, except their old father. So they made a plan. They drank the wine in the lot for two nights and met him. Lott was so drunk that he felt nothing. this incest or Incest (Incest)As a result, Moab was born in the womb of the elder daughter and Ben-Ammi was born in the womb of the younger daughter. It is from this Moab that the Moabite race and the Ammonian race from Ben-Ammi originated. Bible Expert James Kugel (James Kugel) his book How to Read the BibleExplained that this story is actually a Etiological Myth (Etiological Myth) Or the myth about the origin, which the Israelites created to degrade their neighbors and arch-enemy Moabites and Ammonites. Through this story, the Israelites wanted to say, “Look, what our enemies are the product of atrocious relationships.” It was a kind of political propaganda of ancient times or Political Satirethe
This whole narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah presents a complex equation of God’s wrath and mercy in Abrahamic mythology. On the one hand we see Abraham’s brave bargain, which proves that God is just; On the other hand we see the tragic end of the wife of Lot and the complete destruction of the two cities. This story reminds us that if the foundation of society is based on injustice and cruelty, no matter how rich it is, its downfall is inevitable. The fire of the sodom not only burns sinners, it is a perpetual warning for the people of the future or Monument stands to be The Qur’an also describes this event as the destruction of the people of the Prophet Lot or Lut and is referred to as a ‘mark for the travelers’. The salt waters of the Dead Sea or the Dead Sea and its surroundings are still silent witnesses to the ancient devastation, where mythology and geography have become one.
Moses and Exodus: Freedom from Slavery and the Fall of Law
Abrahamic mythology is the epic journey Genesis or Genesis There was basically a family story – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s family drama. But Exodus or ExodusComing to the story, the canvas of the story suddenly becomes huge. It is no longer a story of a person or family, it becomes an eternal document of the birth-history of a nation and freedom from slavery. Joseph or Joseph At the time the Israelites went to Egypt as royal guests, but the wheel of time turned brutally. A new one sits on the throne of Egypt pharaoh, who “didn’t know Joseph.” The Hebrews or Israelites became state slaves due to the change in political equations and demographic fears. Their lives became miserable. Pyramid Or the smoke of the brick kiln to build the building and their cries made the sky heavy. At this stage of mythology we are familiar with a reality called sociology. Institutional Slaverythe This period of Egypt is ‘iron hopper’ in Jewish memory or Ion Furnace (Iron Furnace) It is called, where a nation burned as hard as steel. It is in the midst of this extreme lamentation that he entered the stage, one of the most influential and complex characters in Abrahamic history – Moses (moses)…. It would be an understatement to call him only a prophet; He was a rebel leader, a lawmaker and a lonely man facing God.
The Nile’s Cry and the Birth of the Hero
The time of Moses’ birth was terrible. Pharaoh issued a cruel decree – every son born in the Hebrew family should be killed by throwing it into the Nile. It was a planned Genocide (Genocide), whose purpose was to destroy the future generation of a nation in the bud. Moses was born in this valley of death. His mother Jokabed hid him for three months, but when it was no longer possible, he did a strange thing. He made a basket or small boat out of papyrus reeds, smeared tar on it and swamped the child and floated the child into the Nile. From a mythological point of view this ‘basket’ or ark (ark) The word is very significant. Just as Noah saved mankind through a boat, Moses was saved using the same word here. Floating in the stream of the river, the child went to the ghat of Pharaoh’s palace. Pharaoh’s daughter picked him up and named him ‘Mozes’. The etymological meaning of the name Moses in Hebrew is ‘to be taken from water’, but in ancient Egyptian the word ‘mos’ or ‘mess’ means ‘child’ or ‘son’ (eg – Thutmos, Ramesses). Moses is hidden in this naming Dual Identitythe He carries Hebrew blood, but grows up in the wealth and teachings of the Egyptian palace.
With Moses’ Birth Story Ancient Mesopotamian Mythology A wonderful match is found. Founder of the Akkadian Empire Sargon of Akkad (Sargon of Akkad)It is also seen in his birth record that his mother floated him in a basket in the Euphrates River and a gardener rescued him and brought him up. Austrian psychologist Auto Rank (Otto Rank) his famous book The Myth of the Birth of the HeroIn – shows that in almost all the major mythology of the world, the hero is born in a hostile environment, he has to be abandoned and later returns in a royal or miraculous way. According to the rank, this Exposure Myth (Exposure Myth) In fact, in the subconscious man’s subconscious, it symbolizes a rebellion against parents and the desire to make one’s own destiny. It is true that Moses grew up in the palace, but the Hebrew essence was dormant in his chest. One day he saw an Egyptian guard brutally beat a Hebrew slave. In a moment of anger, Moses killed the guard and hid it under the sand. This one incident turned his life around. He was no longer a prince, he became a Ferrari defendant. He fled to the rough wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula or the Sinai Desert. From the palace to the shepherds from the palace – the journey of the hero this fall or Descent (Descent) Essential, because from here his spiritual rebirth will take place.
The Burning Bush and the Declaration of Existence
After spending a long time in exile in Midian, Moses was tending sheep near Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai) when he witnessed a supernatural scene. A fire burned in a bush, yet the bush was not consumed. This is called a theophany (Theophany), a visible manifestation of God. A voice came from the fire: “Moses! Take off your sandals, for the ground on which you stand is holy.” God then entrusted Moses with the task of returning to Egypt and liberating his people. Moses hesitated, citing his stammer and asking, “If they ask who sent me, what shall I tell them?” God’s answer produced a revolution in theology and philosophy: “I am who I am” (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh). From this statement comes the sacred divine name YHWH, or the Tetragrammaton (Tetragrammaton).
The German philosopher Martin Buber (Martin Buber) explains in Moses: The Revelation and the Covenant that through this naming God did not identify himself with a specific natural force, such as the sun or a storm, like the ordinary gods. Instead, he manifested himself as eternal existence, or ontological reality (Ontological Reality). God is not an “object”; he is being itself. Moses’ experience is therefore not merely a prophet’s experience but a leap in human consciousness, in which a finite person enters into conversation with infinity. The burning bush transforms Moses. He is no longer a fugitive killer but God’s representative. The staff in his hand is not merely a shepherd’s stick; it is a symbol of divine power, the staff of God (Staff of God).
The Ten Plagues: Cosmic War and Deconstruction of Polytheism
Moses returned to Egypt and took his brother Aaron or Aaron with him and stood in the court of the pharaoh – “Let my people go” (Let my people go). But Pharaoh, who considered himself God, rejected that claim. A cosmic conflict began. As readers of mythology we need to understand, this is not just the Moses vs. Pharaoh’s fight; It was the Abrahamic God Yahweh Versus Egyptian Pantheon fight It is called in theoretical language Theomachy (Theomachy) or the Battle of the Godsthe Ten Epidemics One by One on God Egypt or Plague (Plagues) He brought it down. A deep analysis shows that each plague was actually designed to challenge or insult a certain god in Egypt.
At the first blow, the water of the Nile became blood. The Nile was a god to the Egyptians ‘Hapi’ (HAPI)-Symbol of life and source of life. The blood stream of that river proved that Hapi was defeated. Then came the origin of the frog. In Egypt ‘Hekut’ (Heqet) There was a goddess named whose head is like a frog, who symbolizes fertility. The death of countless frogs and the rotting body revealed the inability of the goddess. When the sky darkened (ninth hit), it was Egypt’s main sun god ‘Ra’ (RA)direct hit against. And the last and most terrifying blow – the death of every firstborn child in Egypt – was the self Pharaoh’s divinity Extreme blows, because Pharaoh’s son was also a future god. Abrahamic mythology is here Polytheism or polytheism systematically deconstruct or Deconstruction (Deconstruction) doing These ten blows prove that there is no separate god for every power of nature, but there is only one Almighty God who can change the laws of nature at will.
The Parting of the Red Sea and Nationalism
Finally Pharaoh surrendered and the Israelites left Egypt. The name of this journey Exodus (Exodus) or emissions. But Pharaoh changed his mind and chased them. In front is the Red Sea (Red Sea), Egypt’s huge charioteer in the back. At this critical moment, Moses raised his stick and the sea split. Millions of people crossed the dry path through the middle of the water wall. When the Pharaoh’s army descended, the water reunited and swallowed them. This event is the most powerful and iconic scene of Abrahamic memory. Sigmund Freud (Sigmund Freud) the last book of his life Moses and monotheismA controversial but in-depth analysis of this incident and the character of Moses. Freud claimed that Moses was probably an Egyptian and he Pharaoh Akhenaten (Akhenaten) monotheistic sun worship The idea was introduced in the Hebrews. Although historians do not obey all of Freud’s words, Freud points to an important point – that is Trauma and Memory (Trauma and Memory)… This incident of crossing the Red Sea is a reminder of the birth of a nation. It’s like a huge Baptism (Baptism) or Abgahan, through which a slave race is reborn from the womb of the sea as an independent nation.
Sinai Mountains and Rule of Law
After crossing the sea, the Israelites reached the Sinai desert. Here Moses climbed the mountain and from God the ten commandments carved on two stone plaques or Ten Commandments (Ten Commandments) Or brought ‘decalg’. This is a huge paradigm shift in Abrahamic Mythology. Prior to this, the relationship between God and man was based on personal commitment. But what happened on Mount Sinai is that one Social Contract (Social Contract) or covenant. These laws were not limited to religious rituals; It said – “Don’t kill”, “Don’t steal”, “Don’t give a false witness”, “Don’t covet the wealth of a neighbor”. In the ancient world, such as the law code of Hammurabi or Code of HammurabiThe law was made by the king and it was different from class to class. But Moses’ law integrates morality and religion. It is called it Ethical Monotheismthe Here God does not only want worship, He wants people to be righteous to each other. The way to please God is to do justice to people. It Western Civilization And of the rule of law lays the foundation stone.
But there is another drama going on under the hill. Seeing Moses’ delay in his return, the impatient crowd returned to their old habits. They melt gold to a calf or Golden Cuff (Golden Calf) He made it and started worshiping. This event is human Slave MentalityIntroduction to. It is true that they are physically freed, but mentally they are still enslaved by idolatry in Egypt. Moses went down and broke the stone plaque in anger. This swaying of broken and fabricated, faith and disbelief is an integral part of Abrahamic history.
Wandering in the Desert and the Tragedy of Moses
The Israelites had to roam the desert for forty years to punish sin and to shake off the mentality of slavery. The intention was that the slave generation born in Egypt would end in the desert and a completely independent new generation could enter the promised land. In this long journey, Moses was their sole leader, judge and mediator. But the most tragic and tragic scene of mythology awaited at the very end. God did not allow the Moses who devoted his entire life to take his nation to the promised land, God did not allow him to enter that land. Moses was told, “You will see the land from afar, but cannot enter,” due to the slight deviation of God’s command at the place called Maryba.
Standing on the top of Mount Nebo, the old Moses saw the green valley of the land of Canaan across the Jordan River. Before his eyes the land of his dreams, but his feet will not fall there. This death of Moses carries a deep philosophical message. It teaches us that a leader’s job is not to reach the destination, but to guide. Moses is the tragic hero, who is full or FulfillmentHe was unsatisfied even when he came to the threshold. the fifth book of the Bible Deuteronomy or DeuteronomyAt the end of it it is said, “No other prophet like Moses has climbed into the chest of Israel, with whom God used to talk face to face.” No one knows where Moses’ grave is, lest people start worshiping him. He merged into history as a huge shadow, leaving behind a law and a nation’s dream.
Concept of King, Prophet and Messiah: Glory, Fall and Eternal Waiting
After the death of Moses, a long political and spiritual vacuum was created in the history of the Israeli nation. Joshua or Yusha They were taken to the land of Kanan, but there was no central governance. This period is called Era of Judges… It was an abysmal time, in the Bible – “There was no king in Israel at that time; he did whatever he wanted.” In this chaos a new desire was born in people’s minds. They wanted them to have a king, like the other nations in the vicinity, who would lead them in battle. But this was in conflict with the original spirit or philosophy of Abrahamic mythology. Because Israel is a Theocracy, where the only king is himself God (YHWH)the The idea of man reigning over man is a kind of distrust of God’s sovereignty. Nevertheless, Prophet Samuel Reluctantly demanding the people Saulke (Saul) Anointed as the first king. Saul was tall and handsome, but mentally unstable and tragic. His downfall was inevitable, because mythology teaches us that the kingdom of God cannot be ruled by physical force alone; This requires purity of the heart. Saul’s failure set the stage for the most colorful, romantic and complex character in Abrahamic history – David or David (David)the
David: From Shepherd to King, and from Sinner to Saint
David’s character is a unique paradox or contradiction in Abrahamic literature. He is a poet and composer with a tender heart, who synchronic or Sams (psalms) Or book of jab composed; On the other hand he is a fierce warrior whose hands are stained with blood. His rise as an ordinary shepherd teenager in Bethlehem begins with a slingshot or slinging of a giant man named Goliath. This Underdog Archetype (Underdog Archetype) – where the weak beat the strong – later became an integral part of Western literature. After becoming king, David captured Jerusalem and established it as the political and religious capital of the state. He wanted to build a permanent house or temple for God, but God Nathan Prophet “David, you shed a lot of blood, so you won’t build my temple. But I’m a new covenant with you or Davidic Covenant (Davidic Covenant) will do Your descendants will be on the throne forever.” This promise is The concept of Messiah (Messiah) seed From here it begins to believe that God’s chosen savior must come from the ‘House of David’ or the lineage of David.
But the most dramatic and human part of David’s life is Bathsheba (Bathsheba) with his illicit relationship. David, one of his trusted commanders, was lusted by the wife of Eurya, Bathsheba, and made her pregnant. Later, to cover up his sins, he sent Euria to the frontline of the war and killed him. A ‘designed’ king can do such a heinous act – this is a bold confession of mythology. Famous literary critic and Bible scholar Robert Alter (Robert Alter) his book The Art of Biblical NarrativeAnalyzed that the Bible never shows its heroes perfect or ‘whitewashed’. David’s rift proves that no matter how high a man rises in Abrahamic mythology, his Human Nature And the possibility of sin always remains. David repented of his sins and God forgave him, but as a result of his actions, bloody civil wars and disasters came down in his own family.
Solomon and the First Temple: The Pinnacle of Wisdom and Its Cracks
After David, his son ascended the throne Solomon or Sulayman (Solomon)the His reign is considered the golden age of Israeli history or Golden Age (Golden Age)the Solomon did not fight, he was a magician of diplomacy and trade. But in mythology he is immortalized in his wisdom or Wisdom (Wisdom)– for. When God asked him in a dream, “What do you want?”, Solomon wanted a ‘wise heart to judge’ rather than wealth. Solomon’s greatest feat is Construction of the ‘First Temple’ in Jerusalem…. It was not only a place of worship; According to theologians, it was Axis Mundi (Axis Mundi) or the center of the universe, where heaven and mortal meet. Inside the temple is the ‘Holy of Hollis’ or the holy place Ark of the Covenant (Ark of the Covenant), which was inside Moses Ten command stones found. It was as if God had finished his nomadic life after so long and sat in a permanent address.
But the end of Solomon’s story is not pleasant. Mythology shows that excessive power and wealth blind people. Solomon married hundreds of foreign women for political alliance or alliance needs. To satisfy these wives, he allowed the idolatry of foreign gods in Jerusalem. The wisdom that lifted him up was the cause of his downfall. sociological Max Weber (Max Weber) His Ancient Judaism described it in the book Charismatic authorityAs a transformation of routine or traditionalism, where the early religious emotions are lost and bureaucratic and consumerist state systems are formed. After Solomon’s death, rebellion arose due to the huge tax burden and forced labor imposed on his kingdom. An unbroken kingdom broke into two pieces – Israel (ten tribes) in the north and Judah in the south (the descendants of David)… This partitioning or Great Schism (Great Schism) There was a huge tragedy of Abrahamic history, which later accelerated their political decline.
The Rise of Prophets: Voice of Conscience
When the kingdom was shrouded in corruption, lawlessness and idolatry, a new class of people appeared in the scene – Prophet or Prophet (Prophet)… In Hebrew they are called ‘Navi’, which means ‘one who calls’ or ‘whoever is called’. They were not magicians or fortune tellers. They were the most sensitive and intense emotional people in the society. famous Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel (Abraham Joshua Heschel) His masterpiece The ProphetsIn explaining the psychology of the prophets in Divine Pathos (Divine Pathos) Or incarnated the theory of ‘divine pain’. According to Heshel, the prophets kept the feelings of God within themselves. When God was angry or saddened by human sin, the Prophet felt that anger or sorrow in his own body and shouted it to people.
Elijah or Elijah (Elijah), Amos, Isaiah or Isaiah (Isaiah), And Jeremiah or Yarmiyah – They used to look into the eyes of the kings and speak the unpleasant truth. They used to say, “Your temple, your sacrifice – all meaningless, if you do not fulfill the rights of orphans and widows.” In Abrahamic mythology, prophets are the first to remove the focus of religion from ritual or ritual. Social JusticeBring it to. As Amos said, “Let justice flow like water and honesty to flow like a river of drought.” When Jeremiah was crying when he saw the fall of Jerusalem imminent, people thought he was crazy. But the tragedy of the prophets is that they see the future, but they do not have the power to change it. Their job is just to warn. They were both poets, politicians and social reformers – who stood in the storm of history and sustained the moral demands of God.
The Evolution of Exile and Theology
The warnings of the prophets came true. In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded Jerusalem… He burnt the magnificent temple of Solomon and took the Jews to Babylon in chains. It is called it Babylonian Exile (Babylonian Exile)the In the history of mythology it is an existential crisis or Existential Crisis (Existential Crisis)the In ancient times it was believed that losing the war was the loss of one’s god. So what is Abraham’s God Yahwee The Babylonian god Marduk Lost to? In searching for the answer to this question Judaism It took a new form. They realized that God is not limited to a particular land or temple. He is universal. He punished them because of their sins, not because of the power of other gods.
During this exile, Judaism is a Temple-based Religion (Temple-based Religion) From Text-based Religion (Text-based Religion)Converted to. There is no temple, so there is no sacrifice. So where can God be found? can be found Torah or scriptures in the leaves and in synagogue or collective prayers…. It was during this period that the old stories, the cosmology, and the history of the kings were recorded and edited. From this pain of exile, a strong cry and a desire to return home was born. They thought that this punishment was temporary. God will again want to face up. But this time no more ordinary judge or king will be given, this time a miraculous savior is needed.
The Concept of Messiah: A Cosmic Optimism
Dreaming of freedom from the shackles of broken hearts and subjugation, blossomed into Jewish mythology The concept of Messiah or ‘Messayah’. The Hebrew word ‘Mashiah’ means ‘Anointed John’ or Anonented One (Anointed One)the In ancient times, kings were anointed by pouring oil on their heads, so first Messiah meant a legitimate king. But in the long night of exile, this idea evolved into a cosmic form. They were no longer just waiting for a political leader, they were waiting for a superhuman being who would come and free not only Israel, but the whole world from sin and death.
renowned scholar Gershom Scholem His The Messianic Idea in Judaism The book shows that there are two retrograde currents in the concept of the Messiah. one is the Restorative (Restorative) or restorative – which will take us back to David’s golden age. the other is utopian (utopian) – that will create a new world that has never existed before, where “wolf and lamb will live together” (Izaya 11:6). The image of this Messiah was mysterious in the prophets’ words. Ajaya Nabi is his famous ‘Saffaring Servant’ or Suffering Servant In the poem (Chapter 53) he speaks of a Messiah, who “becomes piercing for our sins and through whose wounds we will be healed.” The idea that the Messiah may be an afflicted servant without being a royal hero – later on Christian theology becomes the main basis.
In Jewish mythology there is no inactive sitting than the Messiah; This is an active hope. It is called it Tikkun Olam (Tikkun Olam) or ‘repair the world’. They believe that when man obeys God’s law and prepares the earth, the Messiah will come. This eternal wait is the persecution of thousands of years of the Jewish nation, Holocaust And impotence kept in. They believe that the last chapter of history is yet to be written, and the hero of that chapter will be the descendant of David, the Messiah who will build the third temple in Jerusalem and the kingdom of God on earth or Kingdom of God (Kingdom of God) will establish This trio of the king, prophet and Messiah narrative gives Abrahamic mythology a unique dynamic that respects the past, criticizes the present and looks at the future with an unstoppable hope.
Jesus Christ: A new twist and bloody covenant
Along the epic journey of Abrahamic mythology, we have seen one dramatic twist after another. An indomitable wait was created in the Jewish mind through Moses’ law, David’s sword and the wails of the prophets. Roman Empire Judea, crushed under the iron-hard boots, was sniffing. Their only hope, prophets The Promised Men in the Book: Messiah or Mesayah – Will appear. He will be the ‘Lion of Judah’ or the Lion of Judah, who will re-establish David’s throne in Jerusalem by shattering the Roman Eagle. But when that moment came to the stage of history, the script changed in a way that no one could have imagined. In a dusty village in the province of Galilee, a young man born in a carpenter Son of God He demanded. He had no sword in his hand, no army. He did not declare war against the Romans, but said, “Love your enemy.” This curve of Abrahamic mythology is so sudden and revolutionary that it is called Paradigm Shift…. The Jews wanted a political liberator or Political Liberator, but Jesus (Jesus) Ellen is the spiritual liberator or Spiritual Redeemer (Spiritual Redeemer) as This is where the ‘new rules’ were born. New Testament (New Testament) – Where the relationship of man with God is not fear or law, but of love and sacrifice.
Avatarism: When the word turned into flesh
The birth story of Jesus is a very important and touching chapter in Christian mythology (academic sense). the Gospels or the Gospels According to the description, he was not born in a simple biological process. Virgin Mary or Mary Become pregnant under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is called it Virgin Birth (Virgin Birth) or virgin birth. In Comparative Mythology The occurrence of the children of the gods is not new. Greek hero Hercules or Perseus He was the son of Zeus. But there the gods used to engage in physical relations with people. In Abrahamic mythology, Jesus was born on a completely different philosophical foundation. Here God is not a biological father, rather he is his ‘sentence’ or Logos (logos)He gave the form of man. The Fourth Gospel or the Gospel of JohnAt the beginning of it it is said, “Adi was in the word, and the word was with God… and that word became flesh (and the word became flesh). In Greek Philosophy, in particular Stoicism, ‘Logos’ was the driving force or logic of the universe. Christian theologians He transformed that abstract argument into a flesh-and-blood man. This event is called Incarnation (Incarnation) or Avatarismthe
The idea of this incarnation separated Jesus from all the prophets of Abrahamic mythology. Moses Or Isaiah He was the messenger of God, they pointed to the moon with their fingers. But according to Christian belief, Jesus is the moon itself. He and God are one. This dual entity is called in theology of theology Hypostatic Union (hypostatic union)…. That is, Jesus is 100% full of God and 100% fully man. He feels hunger, thirst and pain like a human, and has the power to forgive sins like God. Famous writer and theorist C.S. Lewis (C.S. Lewis) Compilation of his essays God in the DockA explains this as a ‘myth became fact’. According to Louise, deep in the human mind is always one ‘Dying and Rising God’ Myth was (eg – Egyptian Osiris Or Norse Balder). That eternal myth in the life of Jesus has become a reality in history. The baby born in the stable of Bethlehem is therefore not only a child, but is the center of history, whose arrival also divides the calendar time into two (BC and AD).
God’s Kingdom and Radical Ethics
At the age of thirty, Jesus began his public life. He is in the Jordan River baptism Niel and fasted forty days in the desert, where Satan He was tempted. After winning this temptation, he started campaigning from village to village in Galilee. His message was very simplistic but explosive – “Mind the mind, for the kingdom of God is near.” But this ‘the kingdom of God’ or Kingdom of God (Kingdom of God) There were no geographical boundaries or political states. It was a state of human heart. The teachings of Jesus were the Jewish religious leaders of the time (Faris or Pharisees (Pharisees)) challenged the strictness of the law. The Pharisees believed that religion is to follow the 613 rules of the Torah thoroughly. Jesus said, “Sabbath is made for man, not for man, not for Sabbath.” He brought religion out of ritualism and put it on mercy and humanity.
His most famous teaching is ‘hill advice’ or Sermon on the Mount (Sermon on the Mount)… Here he incarnated an ethics or ethics which is completely opposite to the natural instincts of man. It is called it Inversion of Power (Inversion of Power)…. He said, “Blessed are those who are humble, for they will possess the earth.” He said, “If someone slaps one of your cheeks, let the other cheek too.” According to Christian theology this Non-violence or pacifism (Pacifism) Not weakness, but rather an extreme manifestation of spiritual strength. Jesus mingled with society’s fraternities, tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers and untouchables and eating with them. ‘eating together’ in the society of the time or Table Fellowship (Table Fellowship) was a symbol of social recognition. Jesus breaks these boundaries into a new society or Egalitarian Community (Egalitarian Community) He called to build, where everyone is equal in the eyes of God. he story or Paradol (Parables)He used to convey complex spiritual truths through this. ‘Lost Boy’ (Prodigal Son) Or ‘Good Samaritan’Through the story, he explained that the love of God does not obey any conditions, it is abundant and unreasonable. This unconditional love is called in Greek Agape (Agape) – which Christian Philosophy the basic foundation.
Last Supper and new covenant proposals
As Jesus’ popularity grew, he was becoming a threat to the religious and political establishment of Jerusalem. When he entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey (Palm Sunday), the crowd greeted him as ‘King’. It was a direct challenge against the Roman authorities. But Jesus knew his destination was not the throne, but the cross. The night before his death he Twelve disciples had dinner for the last time, which is in history The Last Supper (The Last Supper) known as Leonardo da Vinci We see this scene in the famous film, but its theological importance is deeper. In this feast, Jesus said, “This is my body,” and with a cup of wine, “This is my blood, which is the new rule or New Covenant (New Covenant)It will be distilled for.”
This is where there is a huge change in Abrahamic mythology. On Mount Sinai, Moses made a covenant of Israel with God with animal blood. And here Jesus is making a covenant of all mankind with God with his own blood. This event is later Christianity Eucharist Or Holy Communion became a major worship called. Through bread and wine, believers accept the being of God within themselves. Jesus’ disciple on this night Judas Iscarriott He was handed over to him for only thirty coins. Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gettshimani – “O Father, if possible, take this cup away from me, yet not my will, but your will be fulfilled” – a tragic document of his human suffering. He knew what terrible death awaited him, yet he voluntarily accepted it. It is called in Theology Canosis (Kenosis) Or emptied himself – he assumed the form of a slave even though he was equal to God.
Crucifixion: Atonement of Sin and Scapegoat Mechanism
Jesus’ judgment is like a farce. Jewish convention or sunhedrin him Blasphemy (Blasphemy) charged, and Roman Governor Pontius Pilate He was sentenced to death for royalty. He was whipped, crowned with thorns on his head and forced to take his cross on his shoulders to Golgotha Hill. Hands and feet were nailed on the cross. The death penalty was the most humiliating and painful punishment of the Romans, which was given only to slaves and rebels. The sky became dark at noon. Jesus shouted from the cross, “Eli, Eli, Lama Shabaktani?” That is, “O my God, my God, why did you leave me?” This cry or Cry of Dereliction (Cry of Dereliction) Prove that at that moment he was experiencing the pain of God’s separation or hell.
Why did Jesus have to die? Could God not simply have forgiven humanity? At the center of Christian mythology lies the theory of atonement. Because Adam and Eve committed “original sin” (Original Sin) in Genesis, a perfect sacrifice was thought necessary to repair the separation between humanity and God. Human beings are sinful, so no ordinary person can bear the sins of others. God, meanwhile, is immortal and cannot die. God therefore became human in Jesus so that he could die and bear the sins of humanity as a perfect sacrifice. The eleventh-century theologian Anselm of Canterbury (Anselm of Canterbury) explained this in his book Cur Deus Homo (Why Did God Become Man) through what became known as the satisfaction theory. In his view, human sin had injured God’s infinite honor; the compensation therefore had to be infinite, something only the God-man, Jesus, could provide.
philosopher René Girard (René Girard) His Things hidden since the foundation of the world In the book, this phenomenon is seen by the sociological point of view. He called it Scapegoat Mechanism (Scapegoat Mechanism)Final revelation. An innocent person was sacrificed to maintain peace in primitive society. Jesus is the ultimate ‘scapegoat’ or scapegoat, which society has killed with all its jealousy and sin. But according to Girard, the death of Jesus uncovered this myth and proved that sacrifice is meaningless, because God is not for violence, he is for the victim or the victim. When Jesus said “it is finished”, the curtain of the temple in Jerusalem was torn from top to bottom. It symbolically implies that no more priests or sacrifices are needed to go to God; The road is now open to all.
Resurrection: Death Death and the Beginning of a New Dawn
If the story had ended on the cross, Jesus would be another failed rebel in history. But the biggest miracle of Abrahamic mythology happened three days later. Jesus’ dead body was kept in a cave with stone tombs and was guarded by the Roman guards. Sunday morning a few women (among whom Mary Magdalene Main) went and saw that the stone was removed and the tomb was empty. There the angel declared, “The one you are looking for is not here. He is alive.” It is called it Resurrection or resurrection. It was not just a spiritual rebirth, it was a physical resurrection. In the Bible account, the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples, fished with them and asked the unbeliever Thomas to touch the nail on his hand. But his body was a special type of ‘glorified body’ or glorious body, which could move through the wall.
German theologian Rudolf Bultmann In his famous essay ‘New Testament and Mythology’, he suggested that the story of this resurrection could be incredible for modern people, so it Demytholologize Or by freeing myths and accepting its existential meaning. According to him, the resurrection of Jesus means the awakening of Jesus’ teaching in the heart of the believer (Bultmann, 1941). However, the traditional Christian faith and many modern historians, such as N.T. Wright (n.t. wright) His The Resurrection of the Son of God The book argues that first-century Jews did not believe in metaphorical resurrection. The disciples who had turned from a frightened fugitive overnight to a fearless martyr and called ‘Jesus Lord’ Roman Empire Shaking, there must have been some real and unimaginable events behind it. Wright says the resorption is New Creation (New Creation) or the beginning of a new creation. Jesus conquered death and proved that evil forces and death are not the last words.
This resurrection changed the course of Western world and Abrahamic history forever. The Jews had a holy day Saturday (Sabath), but Christians began worshiping Sunday (Lord’s Day), because it was on this day that Jesus died. This victory of Jesus is called Christus Victor (Christus Victor)the It declares that Satan’s reign is over, and the kingdom of God has begun. It is based on this belief that the Church or congregation is built, which has deeply influenced the art, literature, politics and philosophy of human civilization for the next two thousand years. This ‘new covenant’ of Jesus Christ or the New Covenant taught man that God is not only the entity to tremble in fear, he is a father who runs for his child and hugs him to his chest. The cross, which was a symbol of shame, became the universal symbol of love and victory.
Islam: End the final seal (Islam: the final seal)
at the beginning of the seventh century, when Byzantine And of the Sassanid empire The most dramatic and final chapter of Abrahamic mythology is unfolded in the rough and uninhabited deserts of Arabia just as the Middle East is destroyed by prolonged conflicts. Mecca is a trading center, which was a pilgrimage site for the ancient Arabs, where Quraysh a thoughtful man, Muhammad, Hera was meditating in the solitude of the cave. This stage of Abrahamic history is called Jahiliyyah or ‘Age of Ignorance’ – where idolatrythe clan conflict And bury the girl alive Such customs were prevalent. In this chaotic background, Muhammad’s appearance was not an isolated event, rather it was the traditional structure of mythology – Chaos (Chaos) From Cosmos (Cosmos) or the process of restoring order. Muhammad He did not claim to be the founder of any novel or new religion; He presented himself as the restorer of the lost monotheistic heritage of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. In Islamic theology it is called Khatamun Nabiyyin (seal of the prophets)… this ‘seal’ or the final seal The idea is highly symbolic; This implies that, Adam start from prophethood that long clause or Prophetic Cycle (Prophetic Cycle) was coming, Muhammad It is his completion and fullness. At the end of a letter such as the final seal Merely it was stopped so that nothing could be added, so the divine message was fulfilled through Muhammad, and then there was no new one. revelation Or prophet not needed. According to the Islamic Narrative, earlier Jews and Christians have deviated from their original message and through human intervention in their sacred texts Tahrif (Tahrif) or distorted. hence Qur’an It was revealed as an ultimate, immutable and unaltered truth, which verifies and corrects the truth of all previous books.
The concept of God in Islamic mythology is more abstract and uncompromising than the previous Abrahamic religions. God has no form, son or partner. It is called it Tawhid or absolute monotheismthe Christianity where God has become man (Incarnation (Incarnation)), In Islam, God has become a book or word. theologian and philosopher Harry Austrin Wolfson (Harry Austrin Wolfson) The history of his philosophy explains this process excellently. He calls this process of Islam unlike the ‘Incarnation’ of Christianity Inlibration (inlibration) or ‘to become the Book of God’. As Jesus is ‘Logos’ or God’s Word to Christians, Qur’an Just like the eternal message of God or Uncreated Word (Uncreated Word) is regarded as. In Hera Cave Gabriel or Gabriel This oral verbal miracle began when Muhammad hugged him and said “Iqra” (read it). Moses divided the sea with sticks, Jesus brought the dead back – these were visual miracles. But Muhammad’s main mojaja or miracle is linguistic. In a society in Arabia where poetry was as powerful as magic, there of the Qur’an Rhythm, language and depth were an incredible challenge. Islamic mythology is therefore not iconographic or iconographic, rather it is calligraphy or script and phonetic. God’s presence in this religion is felt through recitation or recitation, not through any painting.
Reconstruction of Ismail and Kaaba: Transfer of Abrahamic Geography
Abrahamic mythology in geopolitics Islam brings a huge change. In the Jewish and Christian traditions were the Holy Land or Promised Land Canaan or Jerusalem, and Abraham’s spiritual successor was to be captured Isaacthe But the Islamic narrative turns the focus to Abraham’s eldest son Ismail And to his mother Hagar. In Genesis The tragic story of Hagar and Ismail being exiled to the desert becomes a sacred custom or ritual in Islam. Today, the haggard run for the water of Hagar between the Safa and Marwa hills of Makkah Hajj an inseparable part, called Sai (Sa’i)the This mythology teaches us that God’s mercy is not only for a particular lineage, but the cry of an abandoned maidservant and her son in the desert can shake the throne of God. The Zamzam coupe caused by Ismail’s leg or the blow of Gabriel’s wings is the source of life or Fountain of Life (Fountain of Life)The symbol of. According to Islamic belief, Abraham later returned to Mecca and took Ismail with him. Kaaba rebuilt. This Kaaba is Islam Axis Mundi (Axis Mundi) or the center of the earth. In the pre-Islamic period, this house was the abode of 360 idols, symbolizing the deities of various tribes. Conquest of Mecca Then Muhammad When he broke those idols with a stick and declared “the truth has come and the falsehood is abolished,” he is actually the primitive of Abraham. Iconoclasm or anti-figure movement was repeating. Through this, the spiritual center of Jerusalem moved to Mecca, and Ismail – whom in the Bible ‘Wild donkey’ was despised – he became the father of the Arab nation and the ancestor of the last prophet.
Jesus vs Jesus: Prophet vs God-Son
In Islamic mythology, Jesus or Isa (Isa) is a highly respected and central figure, but his identity differs completely from that of Christian theology. In Islam, Jesus is not the Son of God; he is a human prophet created by the spirit and word of God, or kalima. The Qur'an acknowledges Jesus' birth as a miracle, a virgin birth comparable to Adam's creation: both came into existence by God's command beyond ordinary biological processes. The greatest division within Abrahamic mythology concerns Jesus' death. The foundation of Christianity is the crucifixion and resurrection, through which humanity's sins are redeemed. In the Islamic narrative, Jesus was neither crucified nor killed. The Qur'an states, “They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them” (Qur'an 4:157). This idea resembles the teaching of some early Christian groups, especially Gnosticism and Docetism (Docetism), which held that Jesus' body was illusory and could not be physically harmed. Islamic interpretation holds that God did not allow his beloved prophet to suffer such a humiliating death at the hands of his enemies. Someone else may have been made to resemble Jesus and crucified in his place, a view known as the substitution theory, while the real Jesus was raised to heaven by God. From a mythological perspective, this is another expression of divine omnipotence: God protects his messenger from tragedy rather than turning him into a scapegoat. In Islam, Jesus is an eschatological figure (Eschatological Figure) who will return at the end of time, defeat wrongdoing, and establish justice. He will not bring a new religion; he will follow the Shariah brought by Muhammad and bring an end to the cross and Christian Trinitarianism.
Mi’raj: Cosmic Ascent and the Architecture of Heaven
The most mystical and visual phenomenon of Islamic mythology is Isra and Mi’raj (Isra and Mi’raj)the It’s not just a geographical trip, it’s the ascent of the human soul or AscensionThe ultimate metaphor. one night Gabriel in Muhammad to Muhammad awakened and Borak (Buraq) He took him from Mecca to Jerusalem with a strange winged animal called. The original word Borak means ‘Barak’, which symbolizes motion. This animal is neither a horse nor a donkey – but rather a hybrid entity between mortals and heaven. Arrive in Jerusalem Muhammad With all prophets including Abraham, Moses and Jesus prayer read This phenomenon brings the mythological timeline or timeline to a point, where all the prophets of the past and present are standing in one line. Then the ascent or meraj begins. He crossed the seven heavens or heavens. In every heaven he meets a prominent prophet – in the first sky Adam, in the second sky Jesus he John the Baptist, in the third sky Yusuf, in the fourth heaven Idris, in the fifth heaven Aaron, in the sixth heaven Mousa and in the seventh heaven Abraham… This sequence or Hierarchy of Prophets Islamic spirituality indicates the status of prophets. Baitul Mamur in the seventh or highest sky of Abraham (heavenly kabah) is seen sitting leaning against, which proves how high Abraham’s position is in Islamic tradition.
This journey ends Sidrat al-Muntaha (Sidrat al-Muntaha)To the. It is the end of the universe, beyond which no creation or angels can pass, and even Gabriel stops there. Only Muhammad Cross that border and reach the closeness of God. this place Sufi philosophy It is seen as an absolute moment of the union of creation and God. This is where Muhammad was ordered to pray five times a day. Muhammad’s conversation with Moses and Repeatedly returning to God and reducing the number of prayers A wonderful human aspect of Abrahamic mythology. It reminds me of The people of Sodom and Gomorrah by Abraham The incident of bargaining with God for… Famous Spanish scholar Miguel Asín Palacios his groundbreaking research la escatología musulmana en la divina comediaThe Italian poet has shown that Dante Alighieri his epic The Divine Comedyat The detailed and substrate description of Hell and Heaven gave, with him of Islamic miraz hadith And Narration of Ibn Arabi There are wonderful similarities. Although Dante has portrayed Islam negatively in his poetry, Mi’raj’s influence on literary structure or structural influence is very undeniable. Comparative Literary Expert think Mi’raj is not just a miraculous journey, it is a story of the infinite possibilities of man – that man is made of clay but can face the Creator himself beyond the boundaries of the stars.
Spiritual Struggle and Last Day Epic
In Islamic mythology, the purpose of life is seen as a constant struggle or Jihad (Jihad) as In the Western world, this term is often mistakenly interpreted only as a ‘holy war’, but Mythological And theological Its depth is much higher in the sense. Prophet Muhammad Returning from the war said, “We have returned from small jihad (war) to big jihad (self purification).” Here are the people Nafs or Repur is called war with Jihad al-Akbar (Greater Jihad)the It Joseph Campbell’s ‘Heroes Journey’Like an inner journey, where man has to surrender to the will of God by suppressing his inner animal or ego. The word ‘Islam’ means surrender, and the one who surrenders is ‘Muslim’. Satan in this mythology or Iblis not an equal power opponent (as in Zoroastrian seen in religion), rather it is only in the minds of people bad advice An examiner empowered to give. man Free Will or Free Will And God’s prejudice or qadar (qadar)The subtle balance in it is a complex chapter of Islamic philosophy.
The final scenario or climax of Abrahamic mythology is doomsday or Eschatology (Eschatology)… Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam has a linear or linear concept of time – creation has a beginning and has a sure end. In the last days the world will be filled with lawlessness, injustice and lies. will then appear Imam Mahdi (The Mahdi) or of the ‘guide’, who Muhammad’s Be a descendant and fill the world with justice. join him to come down from the sky Jesus… their main opponent will be Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal (Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal) or ‘false Messiah’. Dajjal will be one eye Kana (a symbol of spiritual blindness) and he will claim to be God by showing people a vulki. Dajjal will be defeated in this cosmic battle. Then the wall will break out Gog and Magog The barbaric nation named, who will want to devour the earth like a locust. Eventually Israfil Angels Blow the horn and the great deluge will begin. The sky will burst, the mountains will fly like dust, and the seas will turn into fire. will then be Hashar or Resurrection… The depiction of the Day of Judgment in Islamic Mythology is very graphic and frightening. A man’s record of deeds or actions will be hung around his neck. Everyone has to get through Pool Sirat (as-Sirat) A bridge is thinner than a hair and a sharp bridge than a sword. Those who are virtuous will pass with the speed of lightning, and sinners will fall down into the fire of hell. paradise or heaven Description Islam is very sensible – milk and honey canals, cool shades and eternal youth – which symbolize the ultimate desired peace for the people of the desert. on one side hellish The description of fire and suffering gives people an eternal warning to be morally honest. Thus, ‘the end of the final seal’ As Islam completes the circle of Abrahamic mythology – the story that begins with Adam’s ejection, ends with the return of man to Paradise.
Supernatural World: Angels, Jinns and Devils (Angology and Demonology)
The universe of Abrahamic mythology is not limited to the dialectical relationship of the visible world, the flesh and blood man and the infinite God. Behind this cosmic theater and behind the human eye lies a vast, complex and noisy supernatural world. Jews, Christians and Islam – The presence of these invisible entities in all three religions is not only part of faith, but rather cosmology or cosmology essential ingredients. GOD HAS BEEN Transcendent (Transcendent) Or a entity beyond the reach, and man is mortal and limited. To connect between these two poles requires a group of intermediaries who will carry God’s command and manage the universe. It is called in theology of Theology Great Chain of Being (Great Chain of Being) or the essence of existence, where God is above all, then angel, followed by humans and lastly other animals. In Abrahamic religion this invisible world is called Al-Ghaib (Al-Ghaib) or the world of the unseen. such as modern science Dark Matter Or Dark Energy By filling the vacuum of the universe, just as mythology fills this void with beings like angels, jinn and devil. They are closely related to human life – sometimes as protectors, sometimes as testers or temptingers. Their world runs parallel to our world, just like a mysterious reflection on the other side of the mirror.
Heavenly Bureaucracy: Angels and Their Offices
Angels or Angels (Angels) The purest and purest creation of Abrahamic mythology. The Hebrew word ‘Malakh’ (Malakh) and the Arabic word ‘Malak’ literally means ‘messenger’. The same meaning is derived from the Greek word ‘Angelos’. According to mythological description, they are created in pure light or Nur (Nur) from (according to Islam), or from the breath of God or the holy fire (according to Jews and Christians). Their main characteristic is that they are free from sin and are completely loyal to God’s commands. However, there is a subtle philosophical difference here. According to Islamic belief, angels have their own Free Will or Free Will no; They are much like computer code – the work for which they are programmed can do only that, they do not have the power or desire to go beyond it. On the other hand, in Christian theology It is believed that angels also had free will, because of which Lucifer or the devil was able to rebel and a group of angels with him Fallen Angels (Fallen Angels) or became a fallen angel. The mystic theologian of the fifth or sixth century Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagit his famous book The Celestial HierarchyThe nine-tier complex of angels in Celestial Hierarchy or described the heavenly sequence. These layers are – Seraphim (close to God, made of fire), Cherubim (holder of knowledge), Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principles, Archangels, and Common Angels. This sequence had a profound influence on medieval art and literature and gave the court of heaven a well-arranged royal court.
The world of angels is not only to sing praises, but it is a very busy ‘cosmic bureaucracy’ or cosmic bureaucracy. Here the main four angels or Archangel are in charge of four important offices.
- Gabriel or Gabriel (Gabriel/Jibrail): he was revelation or revelation Head of Department. He is called Ruhul Kudus (Holy Spirit) or the Holy Spirit. At every crossroads in Abrahamic history – Daniel In the vision of the Prophet, Mary’s To Jesus The good news of the birth, or in the cave of Hera Muhammad’s To of the Qur’an With the message – he appeared. In Islamic narration, his form is very vast and glorious, with six hundred wings covering from one end of the horizon to the other.
- Michael or Mikail (Michael/Mikail): He is the head of the cosmic army and the controller of the power of nature. He is the protector of Israel in Jewish mythology. According to Islam, he is responsible for rain, wind and livelihood (residue). He is a symbol of God’s kindness, who is said to never laugh (because he has never laughed again after the creation of hell).
- Azrael or Malak Al-Maut (Azrael/Malak Al-Maut): He is the angel of death. Although the Bible or in the Qur’an The name ‘Azrail’ is not directlyByword he Eczeosis It comes from), but this character instills the most fear and admiration in people’s minds. He is not a villain, but a devoted servant of God who frees the bird of life from the cage. His body is covered with countless eyes and tongues in some narrations, which is a symbol of omniscience.
- Raphael or Israfil (Raphael/Israfil): He is the cosmic signalman. His job is to blow the horn or trumpet. He has been waiting for God’s orders with the horn in his mouth from the beginning of creation. The end of the universe when its blowing or resurrection will begin. In Jewish and Christian traditions, he is also seen as an angel of healing.
also munkar and Nakir (the questioner of the grave), Kiraman-Katibin (shoulder writer who writes the sins of man), and Ridwan and Malik (the guard of heaven and hell, respectively) – All of them are part of this huge administrative system. This presence of angels puts people under a kind of ‘divine surveillance’ or divine surveillance, which helps control human morality.
A Parallel Order: Jinn and Smokeless Fire
A unique and diverse addition to the Islamic branch of Abrahamic mythology is Jinn (Jinn)the In Jewish or Christian mainstream theology there is no direct concept of the genie (what is there is Damon or evil spirits), but in Islam and in pre-Islamic Arab folklore, jinn is a distinct and vast chapter. The word ‘Jin’ is derived from the Arabic ‘Janna’, which means ‘hidden’ or ‘behind’. According to mythological biology or cosmology, angels are made of light, humans are made of clay, and genes are made Marij (Marij) or from ‘smokeless fire’. It is the nature of this fire that makes them sway, invisible and shape-shifter. The concept of genes is a curious parallel to human existence. like their humans Free Will or Free Will There is, as a result of which they can be as good or bad as humans. They have their own society, have kings and subjects, get married, have children born and die. They may even have different religions (Muslims, Jews, Christians or atheists). In this respect they are much closer to humans than angels.
In folklore and religious narratives, jinns are divided into five categories – Jan (common Jinn), Jinn (with special powers), Satan (disobedient and evil), Ifrit (extremely powerful and cunning) and Marid (the most huge and destructive). Solomon or Sulayman Nabi In the story of the jinns Introduction very important. God gave Solomon the power that he could subdue the jinns and make them do great buildings, divers, and heavy work. This story is later Arabic Rajni (One Thousand and One Nights) And the concept of ‘Ginny in the Lamp’ in Western literature gave rise to it. But of pop culture The concept of religious genes is much more serious than blue magic genie. In Islamic belief, every human being has a gene partner, which is called Karin (Qareen)the This Karin induces people to do bad things. Jinns usually live in abandoned places, deserts, cemeteries or dirty places of humans. They can interfere in people’s lives, which in common language’Possession or Possession is said. This existence of jinn creates a kind of fearful thrill in the human mind – we are not alone in this world, someone invisible next to us may be watching us, but we are not seeing him. In the modern era, many people try to explain these genes as the entities of the parallel universe or different dimensions, which is proof of the adaptability of mythology.
The Fall of Ego: Iblis and the Psychology of the Devil
The most tragic and complex character in the supernatural world is Devil or Devil (The Devil)the The Hebrew word ‘ha-satan’ originally meant ‘impedance’ or ‘prosecutor’ – who used to show hypocrisy of man in the court of God. Jib or Job (Job) Prophet In the book we see this entity testing Job with God’s permission. But over time, especially in Persia Zoroastrian dualism (Zoroastrian dualism) or dualism In influence, the devil is simply an adversary of God from a complainant or Adversary (Adversary)becomes to. Satan’s Name in Islamic Mythology Iblis (Greek’Diabolos’ may come from), and the story of his downfall is highly psychological. Iblis was one Saddle (hasan Al-Basrir according to) or a very high-ranking entity among angels (Ibn Abbas According to), one who rose to the level of angels through his worship. But the crisis was created when God Adam to He created Iblis was jealous of this new animal made of clay. When God ordered everyone to prostrate or honor Adam, everyone bowed down, except Iblis.
Iblis’s disobedience was not caused by unbelief but by hubris (Hubris), extreme arrogance, and a kind of racist logic. He said to God, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from earth” (Qur’an 7:12). Fire rises above the ground, he reasoned, so a being made of fire should not bow before one made of earth. Because of this refusal, Iblis was driven from God’s mercy and came to be called Satan, meaning “one who has moved away.” John Milton gave this fall an epic form in Paradise Lost. Milton’s Satan is a rebellious hero who declares, “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” Literary critics such as William Empson have seen a kind of democratic rebellion in Milton’s Satan, although theologically he symbolizes evil. In Abrahamic religion, Satan is not an anti-god or an opponent equal to God, as in Manichaeism or other dualist systems. He is God’s creation and tests human beings only with God’s permission. His power is limited to persuasion and whispering evil (waswasa); he cannot force anyone to sin.
Demonology: Equations of Evil Energy
angels and jinns as well as the world of evil energy or Demonology (Demonology) A dark chapter in Abrahamic mythology. In Christian Traditions Dimons are essentially those Fallen Angels (Fallen Angels) or fallen angels, who Lucifer’s Joined the rebellion and was thrown from heaven. Saint Augustine And Thomas Aquinas Such theologians have discussed them in detail. in medieval grimhore or magic books (eg – The Lesser Key of Solomon) Names and works of 72 major demons are available, which reflect the world of superstitions and fears of the people of the time. According to Islam, the evil followers of Satan are Satan or Damon. They can enter the human body, drive people crazy, and help in magic. in Jewish folklore (Kabalah And lot) ) Lilith (Lilith), Azazel and Samel (Samael)Strong demonic entities like this are mentioned. especially ‘debuk’ (dybbuk) the idea of a evil spirit called in jewish mysticism Strong, which takes refuge in the body of a living person.
This supernatural world – the sanctity of angels, the mysticism of the jinn and the temptation of Satan – is basically an expression of human moral struggle. famous historian Jeffrey Burton Russell (Jeffrey Burton Russell) his book The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity– Shows that man has created the image of Satan or Demon to explain his inner evil instincts and worldly evils through the ages. Again he imagined angels to embody God’s infinite mercy and sense of protection. In Abrahamic mythology, these entities are not only fairy tales; they are the Theodici (Theodicy) or an integral part of the idea of God’s justice. Why did God allow evil to live on earth? Satan’s existence answers that question – without trial there is no value of reward, and light does not exist without darkness. Angels, jinns and devils – these threesomes have made the spiritual journey of man thorny yet thrilling.
Mysticism: Sufism, Kabbalah and Gnosticism (Mysticism: Sufism, Kabbalah, and Gnosticism)
The external structures of Abrahamic religions generally stand on law, precepts, and rituals. In Judaism this is Halakhah, in Christianity Canon Law, and in Islam Shariah. All are designed to order social and moral life. Yet within this outward shell, or exotericism (Exotericism), an inner stream has always flowed: esotericism or mysticism. Ordinary believers see God as king or judge and follow his commands in the hope of reaching heaven; mystics see God as a beloved or supreme reality and seek to encounter him in this life. This strand of Abrahamic mythology suggests that behind every scriptural word lies an infinite mystery accessible only to the initiated or spiritually advanced. God is not a distant entity but a reality deep within the human soul and every particle of creation, realized not through reason alone but through experience or intuition (Intuition). Kabbalah, Gnosticism, and Sufism developed in different religious contexts, but their central impulse is similar: returning to the source through the apparent illusion of the material world.
Kabbalah: Map of Infinity and Geometry of Creation
Jewish mysticism or Kabbalah (Kabbalah) Abrahamic mysticism is one of the most ancient and complex branches. The Hebrew word ‘Kabalah’ means ‘to receive’, indicating that this knowledge cannot be acquired by reading a book, rather it is Guru-disciple tradition or oral tradition have to be accepted through. This trend developed in southern France and Spain in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, which is based on Zohar (The Zohar) Or a mysterious book called ‘Dipti’. Kabbalahists believe, Torah or Hebrew Bible Not just a collection of historical stories or laws. Every letter, every space and every number of the Torah is God’s code or signal. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a mathematical value, and the method of analyzing the secret meaning of the word is called by analyzing this value. Gemetria (Gematria)the In Kabala’s philosophy it is called God Ein Sof (Ein Sof), which means ‘infinite’ or ‘endless’. This Ein Soph is formless, unqualified and completely beyond human understanding. The question is, how was this finite and material universe created from this infinite and formless being?
Kabbalahists to answer this question Sefirat (Sefirat) Or introduced the concept of ten divine immanence. These ten Sefirats are the ten channels of God’s qualities or energy, through which the infinite God manifests himself in the finite world. They are arranged in a special geometric design, called Tree of Life (Tree of Life) or the tree of life. At the top of this tree is the ‘Ket’ (crown), and below is the ‘Malkhut’ (state), which is our physical world. The universe survives through the balanced interaction of these ten Sephiras. Famous Kabbalahist of the Sixteenth Century Isaac Luria (Isaac Luria) Gives this cosmology a more dramatic form. His Lurianic Kabbalah (Lurianic Kabbalah) According to the theory, the light of God was so intense at the beginning of creation that the cosmic vessels could not be contained and crumbled. It is called it Shevirat Hakelim (Shevirat Hakelim) or ‘the brittleness of the pot’. The pieces of this broken vessel and the sparkling of God’s holy light or the Divine Spark (Divine Spark) are spread in this imperfect world of ours. Man’s job is to recover those sparks through good deeds and pray and repair the broken world. This repair process is called Tikkun Olam (Tikkun Olam) or ‘the world’s correction’. That is, according to Kabbalah, man is not only a servant of God, he is a partner in the process of God’s creation.
Gnosticism: Forbidden Knowledge and Rebellious Theology
At the very beginning of Christianity, when the Church did not get its institutionalized form, there were some spiritual groups that emerged in the Mediterranean region who Jesus The words were interpreted completely differently. They are called Gnostic (Gnostic), which originates from the Greek word ‘Gnosis’, which means ‘secret knowledge’ or ‘insight’. An ancient papyrus manuscript recovered from the ground in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945, which Nag Hammadi Library (Nag Hammadi Library) Known by name, we knew little about nastisism until we got it. The Gospel of Thomas (The Gospel of Thomas) Or Apocryphon of John (Apocryphon of John)Texts like this show us that the Gnostics had a revolutionary and somewhat pessimistic idea of the Bible’s God and the world. They believed that this visible world of ours was not the creation of a merciful God, but a mistake, a prison or a trap. This prison was created by a low-level, ignorant and arrogant god, whom they named Demiurge (Demiurge)the This Demiurge considers himself to be the only God and Old Testament Jealous and angry GodYahweh‘ This is actually the image of Demiurge.
According to Gnostic Mythology, the true supreme God or Monad (Monad) An entity beyond the grasp of this universe. Demiurge is ignoringly trapped some of the light particles or souls of the true God in the human body. People have forgotten where his real house is; He is trapped in this earthy body and worldly charm. The only way to get rid of this condition is not faith or devotion, but knowledge or gnosis. Jesus Christ Gnosticism is not the sacrificer of sin, but he is the messenger of divine knowledge, who has descended from the world of light to remind man that he is a part of God. Gnostics believed that Jesus had no flesh-and-blood body (which Docetism (Docetism) It is said), because the Holy God can never come in contact with the malicious ‘matter’ or object. they are biblical eve or breeze And to the snake did not see negatively; Rather, according to them, the snake was a symbol of knowledge, who wanted to free people from the blindness of Demiurge. Institutional Church or Orthodoxy doctrine’harrassy’ or heresy It was forbidden, because it deny the authority of the Church and the historicity of Jesus’ crucifixion. theologian Elaine Pagels (Elaine Pagels) His research showed that Gnosticism was essentially a spiritual rebellion, which emphasized its own experience rather than blind faith.
Sufism: The Fire of Love and the Pursuit of Annihilation
Islam’s Strong Monotheism And Shariah of Inside the framework of the law, a deep loving stream was born, which Sufism or ‘Tasawuf’ known as In the 8th and 9th centuries, when the Islamic Empire was engrossed in wealth and luxury, a group of people would leave the worldly pleasures and wear thick cloths of fur (‘suf’ in Arabic) and meditate in the desert or solitude in the meditation of God – this is where the name ‘Sufi’ originated. is thought to be. According to Sufis, Shariah is the body of religion, and Tasawwuf is his soul or heart. They divide the journey of religion into three stages: Shariah (law), Tariqat (path), and Haqiqat (Truth)the The Shariah says, “Your is yours, mine is mine”; Tarikat says, “Mine is yours, yours is yours”; And Hakikat says, “No I have, nor you have – all of God.” At the center of Sufi philosophy is a totalitarian love for God or Ishq (ishq)the Here God is seen ‘darling’ or Beloved (beloved) as Rabia Al-Basri (Rabia Basri)The early Sufis like that, hated worshiping for fear of heaven or the fear of Hell; They used to say, “O Allah, if I worship you for fear of hell, burn me in hell; and if I do for the sake of heaven, forbid heaven for me. I worship you only to get you.”
Thirteenth-century Persian poet and Sufi saint Jalaluddin Rumi (Jalaluddin Rumi) Sufism has been given a universal form. its famous Masnavi (Masnavi)In the beginning, he used the metaphor of the bamboo flute. Just as a flute cut from a bamboo grove makes a cry for its root, so does the human soul cry in the pain of its source or separation from God. The ultimate goal of Sufism is Fana (fana) or dissipation in Godthe Just as when a drop of water falls into the sea, it has no separate existence, so in Sufi pursuits man ‘nafs’ or ego Burns to ashes and he becomes immersed in the existence of God. This situation is called Baka (BAQA) or to be eternal in God. Famous Andalusian Sufi philosopher Ibn Arabi (Ibn Arabi) The theoretical form of this philosophy, which Wahdat al-Wujud (Wahdat al-Wujud) or known as ‘the oneness of existence’. It means that nothing exists in the universe except Allah; Everything we see is the reflection or mirror of that one being. Sufis worship methods or Zikir (DHIKR), dance or SAMA (SAMA) (As the Turkish swirling dervishes do), and poetry—all are a way to indulge in the meditation of that Supreme Being. Abrahamic religion These three mystical genres prove that, although geographical or religious labels are different, the human soul’s thirst and the desire to meet with the infinite is eternal and one.
Eschatology: The End Times
Any epic or good story has an inevitable ending or ‘closure’. Abrahamic mythology, which began ‘God created the heavens and the earth at the beginning’ – ends with the sentence, ending it Apocalypse (Apocalypse) or through the Great Deluge. The Greek word ‘apocalypse’ means ‘unveiling’ or removing the curtain. That is, the fall of history and the manifestation of the ultimate truth. Oriental native philosophy, such as Hinduism Or Buddhism Time is seen cyclical or Cyclical Time As, where creation and destruction are repeated. But in Abrahamic mythology time is linear or Linear Time (Linear Time) – It’s like an arrow, which runs from the bow and is running towards a certain goal. That goal is to Doomsday or ‘End Time’the Jews, Christians and Islam – The narrative of the end of the period in these three religions or Eschatology (Eschatology) There are detailed and exciting descriptions. Although there are differences in their character and arrangement of events, the original tone is the same: the present world will be destroyed by sin and lawlessness, and an eternal world of justice will be established on his ruins. This belief is a kind of responsibility towards history and an indomitable optimism toward the future or Messianic Hope (Messianic Hope) provides
Cosmic Anarchy and the Redemption of Gog and Magog
Before the Great Deluge, the world is an extreme chaos or Chaos (Chaos)will go through. This is called ‘Mesialic Pangs’ or labor pains. Just as the mother has to endure intense pain before the new baby is born, this world has to go through pain before the new world comes. According to mythological description, the laws of nature will be reversed during this time – Earthquakes, epidemics and famines It will become a daily occurrence. Morality or morality will collapse completely; The children will kill the parents, and the rulers will be tyrannical. The final form of this anarchy will be revealed Gog and Magog or Yajuz-Majuz Through the liberation of two evil nations. Hebrew Bible Ezekiel Prophet in the book and ‘Revelations’ of the Christian New Testament Or in the Revelation chapter Gog and Magg are a barbaric nation declaring war against God. Their description in Islamic mythology is more dramatic. of Surah al-Kahf in the Qur’an According to Kahf, the Great King Zulqarnain (Dhul-Qarnayn) (which many Alexander the Great Or Cyrus the Great think) between two mountains he had blocked this destructive race by building a huge wall of iron and molten copper. In the end, they will break that wall and come out like locusts and drink all the water on the earth. This mythology is a symbol of man’s subconscious fear of civilization – the barbarism and violence that we have locked through the wall of civilization, can break that dam at any time.
The Great Deceiver: Antichrist or Dajjal
In this dark time of anarchy, the biggest villain or villain will enter the stage in history. He is called in Christian mythology Antichrist (Antichrist), and his name in Islamic mythology Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal (Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal)…. ‘Antichrist’ means not only against Jesus, it means that he wants to put himself in the place of Jesus. And the word ‘Dajjal’ means ‘great deceiver’. This character is the ‘False Prophet’ in Abrahamic mythology or the archetype of the false prophet. He will come wearing a mask of a savior. When the earth is fed with famine, it will have a mountain of bread (earthly abundance) in one hand and fire (suffering) in the other hand. But mythology warns us – his bread is actually an insult, and his fire is actually cool water. The Islamic narration emphasizes the physical characteristics of the Dajjal – his right eye will be a blind or grape-like swelling, symbolizing his spiritual blindness. The word ‘Kafir’ or unbeliever will be written on his forehead, which only the believers can read. Dajjal is a test of people or Trial (trial)He will throw it in his mouth, where faith must be sacrificed to live. He will show the velki of resurrecting the dead and bringing down the rain from the sky. Many modern theologians and theorists do not see Dajjal as a person but metaphor of materialistic, atheistic and consumerist civilization Or Systemic Evil (Systemic Evil) As explained, which makes man a slave of mechanics by moving man away from the soul.
The return of Armageddon and Messiah
The real hero will appear in the climax or final scenario of the play. He is Jesus Christ or Jesus. In Christian theology it is called Parusia (Parousia) or second arrival. He will come as a glorious king and judge. According to Islamic narration, he will descend from the sky to a white minaret in Damascus on the shoulders of two angels. The purpose of his arrival is to kill the Dajjal and establish peace and justice in the world. Will Join Jesus in Islamic Mythology Imam Mahdi (The Mahdi) or the ‘guide’, who will lead the Muslims. These two holy beings will engage in a final battle against evil forces, which are in the Bible Armageddon (Armageddon) known as The name originates from the Hebrew word ‘Har-Magiddo’ or from the mountain of Magiddo. Historically and archaeologically this Magiddo Valley witnessed many ancient wars. In mythology, this geographical space becomes a cosmic battlefield, where light and darkness will be the last conclusion. In this battle, Dajjal will be defeated – according to Christianity, according to Christianity, and according to Islam, the place called Lud is by the blow of Jesus. A golden age on earth after this war or Millennium (Millennium) Will come down, where tigers and deer will drink water in one ghat and there will be no warfare. these utopian dreams or Millenarianism (Millenarianism) For ages the oppressed people have given hope that the reign of injustice is not eternal.
Judgment Day: The Sound of the Trumpet and Resurrection
After this age of peace will come the moment for which the entire universe is waiting – the Great Deluge or The Hour (The Hour)… the main angel Israfil Blow on his horn or trumpet. Everything in the universe will be destroyed by the intensity of this sound. Then a second blow will be blown, and will begin Bodily Resurrection or physical resurrection. A unique feature of Abrahamic mythology is that it is not only the liberation of the soul or the attainment of salvation, but also the body and the soul – both revived. Because, it is with this body that man has committed sin or virtue, so the participation of the body is essential in the process of judging. Millions of people will rise from the graves and gather in a huge field. In Christian tradition it is called ‘Great White Throne Judgment’, and in Islam it is called ‘The Maidan of Hashar’. Here everyone’s life record book or record will be opened before God. Human actions will be measured in the scales of justice. Islamic mythology mentions a terrible bridge at this stage, which is called Pool Sirat (as-Sirat)the It hellish Got over the fire and it is thinner than the hair and sharper than the sword. He has to cross this bridge according to everyone’s faith and action. Some will cross the speed of lightning, some will crawl, and sinners will fall down. This scenario is accountable to people or Accountability (Accountability)the final form of.
Destination: Map of Heaven and Hell
After the trial man will reach his eternal destination. For those who are successful, they are waiting for heaven, paradise or heaven. The description of heaven in Abrahamic mythology is highly sensible and pleasant. There will be rivers of milk and honey, there will be high-rise buildings, and there will be no sorrow, rust or death. However, according to theologians, the highest reward in heaven is Beatific Vision or gaining the vision of God. The ultimate satisfaction of the soul is to see the Creator with his own eyes and attain His presence. On the other hand, Hell, Hell or Hell is waiting for the sinners. The description of hell is highly graphic and frightening in Abrahamic literature. There the fire will burn, the skin of the sinners will be burnt and the new skin will grow again so that they may suffer punishment. There the food will be forked trees or jakkum and the drink will be boiling water or pus.
Italian Poet Dante Alighieri his epic The Divine Comedythe first part of Inferno– The layered map of hell that he painted in the western mind has made the concept of hell permanent. In Dante’s description, hell is a huge hole descending towards the center of the earth, which has nine circles or circles. According to the type of sin, sinners are punished in different circles – as the sensuals wander in the storm, and the traitors accumulate in the lake of ice (Alighieri, 1320). Although Dante’s description is not a literal translation of the scriptures, it is a powerful example of mythological imagery. Many modern theories, such as Jerry L. Walls (Jerry L. Walls), interprets the concept of hell and heaven from a philosophical point of view. According to him, hell is not the cruelty of God, but rather it is man’s free will Respect to God. If man wants to be without God, God gives him that freedom, and a state without God is hell (Walls, 2002). On the other hand, heaven is the place where man’s joy is fulfilled. Historical Allan E. Bernstein (Alan E. Bernstein) his book the formation of hellIt shows that the idea of hell is born out of the desire to establish justice in society – its purpose is to ensure the punishment of those who have passed wrong in this worldly life (Bernstein, 1993). Thus, the epic of Abrahamic mythology ends with an ethical equation, where the final judgment of good and evil takes place.
Conversation of the Ancient World: The Influence of Other Civilizations on Abrahamic Mythology (Intertextuality and Syncretism)
Abrahamic mythology was not born on an empty or isolated island; Rather, it was the product of a vast and lively conversation in the ancient world. Middle East or ‘Fertile crescent’ The region was the earliest crucible or melting vessel of human civilization, where Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Canaan, Persian and Greek civilizations Thoughts have been intertwined with each other for thousands of years, have been in conflict and evolved. Modern archeology and comparative theology or Comparative Religion (Comparative Religion) proved that, Genesis Cosmology starting from the Logos or sayings of Jesus, or The Meraz of Islam Events – The roots of each are deeply rooted in pre-Abrahamic mythology. It is called in theoretical language Syncretism (Syncretism) or syncretism And Cultural Diffusion (Cultural Diffusion) or cultural diffusion. The Abrahamic writers borrowed the stories, metaphors and iconography of their neighboring nations, but did not copy them exactly; Rather, they break them down monotheistic philosophy Moulded anew. This process can be called Theological Polemic (Theological Polemic) or theological debate – where old mythology is used by the old gods invalid to do In this part we will see how the ancient stories of the Tigris, Euphrates and Nile Rivers came to the banks of the Jordan River to take a new look.
Mesopotamian shadow: primordial waters and monsters of chaos
The most profound and clear influence of Abrahamic mythology has come Ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) from, especially Sumerian and Babylonian civilization from Biblical Genesis or Genesis In the beginning we see that deep water or ‘tehom’ (tehom) existed before creation. Linguists have shown that this Hebrew word ‘Tehome’ and Babylonian creation – Epic Enuma Elish (Enuma Elish)Goddess of Disorder Tiamat (Tiamat)The name comes from the same linguistic source. Enuma Elishacan be seen in The god Marduk He is making the sky and the earth by cutting his body by killing Tiamat, the monster of the sea. Although the Bible does not directly kill a goddess, there is also God created the heavens and the earth by bisecting the water. Many Psalms or Psalms (Psalms) And In the Book of Ezekiel or Job Prophet God the sea monster Leviathan (Leviathan) or ‘Rahab’He is seen fighting and crushing him. German scholar Hermann Gunkel (Hermann Gunkel) His famous research Chaoskampf (Chaoskampf) Or marked the ‘War Against Discipline’ as a motif. In Abrahamic mythology, God does not completely destroy this power of chaos, but rather control it and bind it to the boundary.
the story of the flood or Flood Myth (Flood Myth)This effect is more direct. In the nineteenth century George Smith When The Epic of Gilgamesh (The Epic of Gilgamesh)The eleventh plaque deciphered, and it turns out that its similarity to the story of Noah’s flood is not just coincidence. Gilgamesh Epic Flood Survivor Hero Utnapishtim (utnapishtim) Gilgamesh told that, god enlil annoyed by the noise of the people, he sent floods, but god ya He asked him to make a boat secretly. Like Noah’s story, there are descriptions of boat-making, raising animals, and finally sending crows and doves. Even the scene of making an altar of gratitude at the end of the flood is exactly the same. Famous Sumerologist Samuel Noah Kramer (Samuel Noah Kramer) his book The Sumerians (The Sumerians)It has been shown that the concept of the Eden Gardens is also Sumerian mythology ‘Dilmun’ (Dilmun) can be inspired from, which was a sacred and sad place. even The story of Eve or Hawwa made from Adam’s rib (RIB) Behind the Sumerian word ‘t’ (ti) is a pun or Get (pun) may have In Sumerian language ‘nin-ti’ means ‘the goddess of ribs’ and ‘one who gives life’ at the same time. In Hebrew the meaning of these words is lost, the original pun is lost, but the skeleton of the story remains.
The story of Adam, the first man described in the Bible Genesis with the character of ancient Mesopotamian mythology Adapa (Adapa)The story has amazing similarities. Sumerian myth Accordingly, Adapa was a wise priest or fisherman in the city of Eridu, whom god enki created Just as Adam lost immortality by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, so did Adapa lose immortality due to a wrong decision. the god of heaven anu Adapa was given ‘the bread of life’ and ‘the water of life’ which could immortalize him. But Adapa’s creator Enki had already warned him that what he would be given to heaven was actually ‘food of death’. Believing in Enki, Adapa rejects that nectar and as a result mankind is deprived of immortality. Both stories present the tragedy of a primitive man, God’s proximity, a food-related experiment and the loss of immortality. Modern Assyrologists It seems, ‘Adapa’ and ‘Adam’ – both are probably two different versions of the same Semantic mythological tradition to explain the mortality of man and his relationship with God.
Also, as described in Genesis Tower of Babel or Babel Tower The story is like a huge staircase to Mesopotamia or temples or Ziggurat (Ziggurat)– of (eg – Babylon’Atmananaki‘) bears memories. The ziggurats were created to touch the sky, which is the pride of man to Hebrew writers or Hubris (Hubris)It felt like a symbol. Abrahamic writers have portrayed these vast structures as a rebellion against God and interpreted its decline as a cause of language confusion.
Egyptian wisdom and the predecessor of monotheism
The Israelites were in Egypt for a long time, so it was natural to fall into the influence of Egyptian mythology in Abrahamic thought. The most controversial and interesting theory is that the source of monotheism with Pharaoh of Egypt in the 14th century BC Akhenaten (Akhenaten) The worship of all gods and goddesses prohibits only one The sun god ‘Aten’ (Aten)He started worshiping. It is called it Atenism (Atenism)… famous psychologist Sigmund Freud (Sigmund Freud) According to, Moses Perhaps Akhenaten was influenced by this monotheistic philosophy or he himself was an Egyptian prince who spread this idea among the Hebrew slaves. Although modern historians do not accept all the demands of Freud, the Bible number 104 is composed by Psalm 104 and Akhenaten. Great Hymn to the AtenThe literary similarities between them are so deep that it is difficult to deny the influence of one on the other. In both the hymns God is described as the light, the giver of life and the sole lord of nature.
Egyptian wisdom or Wisdom Literaturethe effect of Bible Proverbs (Proverbs) It is clearly seen in the book. Specially Instruction of Amememope Many verses from chapters 22 and 23 of Proverbs are found to be similar to the Egyptian works of the name. Scholars believe that the advice of not doing injustice to the poor, not removing boundaries and listening to the wise was extracted directly from Egyptian morality. Furthermore, in Abrahamic cosmology God created through the ‘sentence’ or words (Genesis and John’s Gospel), along with the cosm of the city of Memphis in Egypt or Memphite TheologyThere is a similarity. There The gods ‘Ptah’ (Ptah) He thinks in his heart and creates the universe by uttering words with his tongue. Christian’s ‘logos’ or sentences Here we see the primitive form of the concept. circumcision or Circumcision There is historical evidence that the practice was also received from the Hebrews from the Egyptians, because long before the arrival of the Hebrews, it was practiced as a symbol of holiness in Egypt.
Canaanite Neighbors: The Transformation of El and Baal
When the Israelites settled in the Promised Land or Canaan, they deeply mingled with the local religion and culture there. Canaanite Mythology was the main god El (El), who was the father of the gods and the kind old man. The Abrahamic God is often called ‘El’, ‘El Elion’ (the Supreme God), or ‘El Shaddai’ (the mountain or the almighty God). Modern Bible experts, such as Mark S. Smith (Mark S. Smith) His The Origins of Biblical Monocism (The Origins of Biblical Monotheism) The book shows that the primitive Israelites are the characteristics of the gods of ‘L’. Yahweh (Yahweh) Consolidated into. Another popular deity of the Canaanites was the storm god Baal (Baal), which was called the ‘Arid of the Clouds’. In the Bible, Yahweh is also often described as a ‘climber of clouds’ and his voice is compared to lightning.
Discovered from an ancient city called Ugarit Ras Shamra Tablets After deciphering, it was found that the Hebrew language and the rhythm of poetry Ugaritian literature very close much of the Bible epilepsy (eg – Sam 29) There was actually a hymn for the god Baal, which was later changed to Yahweh’s name. God is not alone in Canaanite mythology, He is a Divine Council (Divine Council) or the head of the heavenly meeting, where other’God’s Sons’ (Bene Elohim) is present. Genesis and Job We find references to this heavenly meeting, which is later Monotheistic The meeting of angels has been transformed into the structure. Yahwe that sea-monster To Leviathan Defeated, it is actually the Canaan god Defeat of the sea-monster Lotan by Baal The Hebrew version of the story. But the difference is that in Canaanite mythology the gods die and reborn, but the Abrahamic God is above history and deathless.
Sacrifice of son Isaac by Abraham in Genesis, which Aqedah (Akedah) Known as, the Canaani culture of the time is considered a revolutionary turn. Archaeological evidence and the Bible’s own testimony (such as Leviticus 18:21) suggests that the ancient Canaan Molech (molech) or the god of Baal It was customary to sacrifice children for the purpose, especially in a place called Tofet. Abraham’s story begins with this traditional custom – God is asking for the most beloved thing to him. But at the end of the story God sets a new paradigm by accepting the sacrifice of an animal (sheep) instead of man (Isaac). theoretic John D. Levenson (Jon D. Levenson) his book The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son (The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son)– argued that the main purpose of this mythology was to declare a fundamental change in the Israeli religion: their God. Yahweh Child-sacrifice does not want, but rather he wants loyalty and symbolic sacrifice. It was a strong theological protest against the worship of Maloch or Polemic (polemic), which seeks to indicate that the Abrahamic God is the protector of life, not the destroyer.
Gift of Persia: Dualism and Doomsday
in the 6th century BC Babylonian exile time and after the Persian Cyrus the Great’s Jewish thought while being under the Persian religion or Zoroastrianism radically changed by. Earlier in Hebrew religion Satan had no distinct evil power and had no clear idea about the afterlife or resurrection. In Zoroastrian religion, the universe is seen as the battlefield of two absolute powers – the god of good Ahura Mazda (Ahura Mazda) and the power of evil Angra Mainyu… Scholars think that this Cosmic Dualism (Cosmic Dualism)In the influence of Abrahamic religion Satan or Iblis God has only evolved from a servant of God to the kingdom’s main enemy or ‘God of this World’.
resurrection Or Eschatology (Eschatology)Most of the ideas came from Persia. posthumous judgment, the happiness of heaven and the fire of hell, the physical resurrection of the dead or Frashokeretti (Frashokereti), and a savior in the last term or Saoshyant (Saoshyant)The arrival of – all these ideas existed long before Abrahamic religion in Zoroastrianism. Islamic mythology Pool Sirat (as-Sirat) or Zoroastrian with the idea of the paraloque bridge Chinvat Bridge (Chinvat Bridge)It has a strange similarity. In both cases this bridge becomes wide for the pious and narrow for sinners. even on the day five times prayer And ablution Or the similarity of Zoroastrian rituals can also be observed with the concepts of holiness. the British scholar Mary Boyce (Mary Boyce) His Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices) The book shows that Judaism (and later Christians and Islam) borrowed the structure of this cosmic drama from the Persians, where history is leading to a final battle.
In Islamic Mythology Prophet Muhammad’s meraj or ascending event with Sassanian Persian Zoroastrian texts Book of Arda Viraf (Book of Arda Viraf)The structural similarity of the story has attracted the attention of the scholars. Arda Viraf There was a pious Zoroastrian priest who slept for seven days and seven nights after drinking a special drink, and his soul set out to heaven. He was led by two angels – Sarosh and Adar. In the case of Muhammad, it can be seen that Gabriel about him Seven Heaven or Heaven crossed Arda Viraf in Heaven Ahura Mazdar (God) witness the punishment of the throne and hell, just as it is Muhammad did In particular, the graphic description of the punishment of sinners in hell – such as cutting the tongue or burning it on fire – is almost exactly the same in both narratives. French researcher James Darmesteter (James Darmesteter) and others think, The Persian influence in seventh century Arabia was prevailing, and perhaps this ancient Persian narrative is in the narration of the Islamic Mi’raj (especially hadith in literature) entered subconsciously or through cultural memory, although the original belief is revelation-dependent.
Greek Philosophy: The Redemption of Logos and Souls
Alexander the Great After the victory in the Middle East Hellenistic or Greek culture The tide comes. At this time Jewish intellectuals, especially Philo of Alexandria (Philo of Alexandria)the plato And Stoic Philosophy He tried to reconcile their scriptures. Greek Philosophy The concept of logos (logos) or cosmic logic/sentence in Christian theology blends deeply. The Gospel of JohnAt the beginning of it, when it was said that “the original was the word (logos)”, it was directly the Greek philosopher. Heraclitus and using the idea of the stoics The Divinity of Jesus Proving In Plato’s philosophy, the body was considered the prison of the soul and the soul was called immortal and immortal. In primitive Hebrew thought, man was an integral unit of body and airways; After his death he had no conscious existence (Shilal). But in the Greek influence in Abrahamic religion (especially in Christianity and later in Islam) dualism of body and soul or Body-Soul Dualism It becomes strong, where after death the soul leaves the body and travels to the immortal world.
god of wine greek Dionysus (Dionysus) Or the parallel seen between the story of Bakkas and Jesus Christ is a fascinating chapter of comparative mythology. Both characters are children of a mortal mother and a divine father (Zeus and God). The Death and Rebirth of Dionysus Jesus ResurrectionSimilar to the idea. More significant is that wine was regarded as the blood of the gods in the worship of Dionysus, which is Christian. EucharistThe original image of it. Timothy Freak (timothy freke) And Peter Grandy (Peter Gandy) Their controversial books The Jesus Mysteries (The Jesus Mysteries)He claims that primitive Christians borrowed the motifs of this pagan mystery (Freke) & Gandy, 1999). However, mainstream historical Barry B. Powell (Barry B. Powell) His Classical Myth (Classical Myth) Books and researcher Peter Wick (Peter Wick) His analysis showed that it is not only fake; Rather, it was a profound of Jewish theology with the Hellenistic culture. Syncretism (Syncretism) or cultural exchanges, which are particularly observed in the Gospel of John (Powell, 2007; Wick, 2004).
Also, the metaphor of the scriptures or Allegorical InterpretationThe method also comes from the Greeks. Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey As Greek philosophers interpreted as metaphors, so did phyllo and later Church Fathers (e.g. origen) began to interpret the difficult or irrational parts of the Bible as metaphors. This method is subsequently Sufi And Kabbalahists Spread in.
Arabic Folklore and Islamic Combinations
On the eve of the origin of Islam, the Arabian Peninsula was a combination of different religions and beliefs. There are idolatrous Arabs as well as Jews, Christians and Hanif (Hanif) (who were monotheists without being in any religion) were inhabited by the community. Islamic mythology recognizes and purifies these local elements. Jinn (Jinn)the idea of Pre-Islamic Arab Folklore came directly from. Arabs believed that invisible entities live in the desert. Qur’an this folk belief invalid It did not, but brought it into the monotheistic structure – the jinn is also God’s creation and they will be judged.
Rituals of Hajj or Pilgrimage, eg – circumambulation of the Kaaba house (circumambulation), running Safa-Marwa, or standing in the Maidan of Arafat – these were common among the Arabs in the pre-Islamic period as well. According to the Islamic narrative, these are actually worships introduced by Abraham and Ismail, which the Arabs distorted. Muhammad Reconstructed these rituals and converted them into worship of Allah alone, excluding the elements of idolatry. It is called it Re-sacralization or re-sacralization… Kaaba black stone or Hajr al-AswadRespect is also a continuation of this ancient tradition, described in Islamic mythology as a stone falling from heaven.
Ultimately, the influence of other mythology on Abrahamic mythology does not prove that these are mere stories of ‘fake’ or ‘stealing’. Rather, it proves that religion and culture are always like a flowing river. Abrahamic religions have gathered material from the world around them, but they are embedded in a new moral and philosophical thread that has become a distinct and powerful epic. Where the flood of Gilgamesh was the eccentricity of the gods, the flood of Noah became a symbol of moral judgment. Where the sky was created by cutting the body of Tiamat, God’s ‘sentence’ or willpower has become the source of creation. this transformation or Transformation (Transformation)-E is the true beauty and source of power in Abrahamic mythology.
Dissection of Mythology: Theoretical Perspectives on Abrahamic Mythology
Abrahamic mythology is not just a collection of ancient stories; It has developed the thought structure, ethics and social order of human civilization in such a way that it is impossible to ignore it. For the past two centuries, Bagha Bagha scholars, philosophers, psychologists and sociologists of the world have dissected this mythology. They have tried to know why people have been clinging to these stories for thousands of years? Why did the idea of the God of a Jajabar nation change the history of the whole world? In this part we are all Theoretical (theorists) and their Theory (Theories) I will discuss about those who have seen Abrahamic mythology as an epistemological lens rise above belief or disbelief. Their analysis helps us to understand that from eating Adam’s apple to blowing the horn of doomsday – behind every event lies the deep equations of human psychology, sociology and existentialism.
Comparative Mythology and the Journey of the Cosmic Hero
One of the most influential mythologists of the 20th century Joseph Campbell (Joseph Campbell) his timeless book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (The Hero with a Thousand Faces)It shows that all the mythology of the world works at the root of the same structure, which he has named Monomyth (monomyth) Or Hero’s Journey (Hero’s Journey)the In Abrahamic mythology, this theory is consistent. According to Campbell, the hero’s journey is divided into three stages: departure, initiation and return. Notice the Abraham, Moses, Jesus or Muhammad towards life Abraham had to leave his homeland and father’s house and travel to the unknown (departure). Moses had to leave the palace and be exiled to the desert of Midian and there was to see God through the burning bushes (initiation). He then returned to his nation with new knowledge and strength to free them (return). The same is true of Jesus – to conquer the temptation of Satan in the desert and resurrect from the world of death. Campbell argues that these prophets are not just historical characters; they have been Archetype (ArcheType) Or primitive specimens, who teach people how to cross their own small boundaries (ego) to meet the greater truth. Campbell’s theory teaches us to understand that mythology is actually a map of human spiritual evolution.
On the other hand, the Scottish anthropologist James George Frazer (James George Frazer) his great book The Golden Bough (The Golden Bough)By comparative method, it has shown that many rituals or rituals of Abrahamic mythology are actually Prehistoric Fertility Worship And sacrificial tradition implied in Fraser shows that the ‘dead and resurrected god’ or Dying and Rising God (Dying and Rising God)The idea is that long before the birth of Jesus, in ancient agrarian societies (such as – Egyptian Osiris Or Mesopotamian Tammuz) was prevalent. Abrahamic mythology has given it a new moral and historical dimension, which focuses on the death of the seasonal grain and its rebirth in the spring. This analysis of Fraser Victorian era It stunned people, because it proved that Bible stories did not fall from the sky, but were the product of the long evolution of human culture. Fraser’s work is furthered by the Romanian theologian Mircea Eliade (Mircea Eliade)… Eliad Her The Sacred and the Profan (The Sacred and the Profane) Show in the book that the people of Abrahamic religion divide the world into two parts – sacred and profane. He Axis Mundi (Axis Mundi) Or explain the concept of the center of the universe. The Temple of Jerusalem, Mount Sinai or the Kaaba in Mecca – all these are Axis Mundi, where heaven, mortal and underworld meet at one point. Eliad highlights another important difference: time in other mythology is cyclical or Cyclical Time, where everything is repeated. But in Abrahamic mythology time is linear or Linear Time (Linear Time) and immutable. history in this religion or History (History) itself is the means of expressing God or Theophany (Theophany)the According to Elijah, it is this idea of linear period that has made man accountable to history and leads to the Day of Judgment.
Psychological Analysis: The Play of the Subconscious Mind
If mythology is called a mirror of the human mind, then the most in-depth analysis of that mind Sigmund Freud (Sigmund Freud) And Carl Jung (Carl Jung)… Freud’s controversial book Moses and Monotheism (Moses and Monotheism)He claims that monotheism was born out of a kind of psychological trauma. According to Freud, in primitive society, boys seized power by killing their fathers, but later suffering from remorse. This primitive guilt or Primal Guilt (Primal Guilt) It is from this that the idea of the Almighty Father or God has been created, which people follow the rules to please them. Freud thought that religion was a kind of Collective Neurosis (Collective Neurosis) or collective neuropathy, which protects man from his repressed lust and anger. Although modern historians do not accept all of Freud’s historical claims (such as Moses were Egyptians and killed him by his followers), the Freudian interpretation of man’s complex relationship with the Father God has opened a new horizon in mythology reading mythology.
As a Freud student Carl Jung (Carl Jung) Walked completely different paths. Yung did not consider mythology as a disease or neurosis. According to him, mythology is Collective Unconscious (Collective Unconscious) or collective subconscious disclosure Just as our DNA has the physical characteristics of our ancestors, there are some universal symbols deep in our minds or Archetype (ArcheType)the The characters of Abrahamic mythology are actually the embodiment of this archetype. such as, Satan Or Iblis is the dark side of the human mind or Shadow (Shadow) – What we deny but what is inside us. Messiah Or Jesus became Self (self) Or the symbol of a complete being, which is the goal of our life. According to Yung, religious narratives are human Individuation (Individuation) or helps in the process of self-realization. When Noah When he boarded the boat during the flood, it is actually a symbol of the human subconscious journey into the deep sea and coming back with new knowledge from it. This positive view of Yung has made mythology relevant to modern people.
Sociology and the Politics of Purity
Mythology is not only a matter of the mind, it is also a tool for social formation. french sociologist Emile Durkheim (Emile Durkheim) His The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (The Elementary Forms of Religious Life) The book shows that religion and mythology are actually society’s own worship. When a group of totem Or worshiping symbols, then they actually worship their own unity. In Abrahamic mythology, when God gave Bani Israel a law on Mount Sinai, it was not just a religious law; It was a chaotic nomadic group into a disciplined nation or Nation (Nation)social contract to turn into. According to Durkheim, rituals or rituals take people out of everyday life. Collective Effervescence (Collective Effervescence) Or floats in the tide of collective emotions, which protects the solidarity of society.
British Anthropologist Mary Douglas (Mary Douglas) his famous book Purity and Danger (Purity and Danger)Abrahamic mythology in particular leviticus Book diet or Dietary Laws Made a groundbreaking analysis. Why is it forbidden to eat pigs? Why is it forbidden in Judaism to eat shrimp fish? Douglas shows that it is not just a matter of health or hygiene. THIS IS IN Classification (Classification) or classification matters. Ancient Hebrew thought, whatever is beyond its class or ‘hybrid’, is impure. For example, fish should have scales and fins. He who does not have (like shrimp), being a water animal does not follow the rules of the fish, so he is impure. Pig hoofed animals but do not cut jabar – because of this dual behavior he is forbidden. According to Douglas, “Dirt is matter out of place” (dirt is a displaced object). This desperate attempt to preserve sanctity in Abrahamic mythology is actually a cosmic order or Cosmic Order (Cosmic Order) A social form of maintaining. Keeping society pure means protecting God’s creation from chaos.
On the other hand, the German sociologist Max Weber (Max Weber) Prophets in the development of Abrahamic religion Introduction with its Ancient Judaism (Ancient Judaism) Discussed in detail in the book. Weber gave an important theory, which is Charismatic authoritythe Moses, Jesus or Muhammad Such prophets were not traditional or bureaucratic leaders. Their power came from their personal ‘charisma’ or divine grace. They stood against the prevailing structure of society and established new values. But Weber shows that after the death of the Prophet, his followers institutionalized to retain that charisma, which he called Routinization of charismathe It is through this process that mythology or revelation is ultimately Law Or in the right is turned into
The theory of violence, scapegoats and aspirations
The presence of violence in Abrahamic mythology – Cain’s murder, Abraham’s sacrifice, Jesus’ crucifixion – comes back again and again. French philosopher and literary critic René Girard (René Girard) A revolutionary theory has been given to explain this violence, which Mimetic Theory (Mimetic Theory) or known as imitation desire. According to Girard, man has no basic desire of his own; People learn to look at others. “He wants that, so I have to ask for that too” – from this mentality in conflict or Rivalry (Rivalry)is born. This is what we see in the story of Cain and Abel. When this conflict becomes extreme in the society, society kills or exiles a person to save himself from destruction. This unfortunate person is Scapegoat (Scapegoat) or scapegoat. Girard wire Violence and the Sacred (violence and the sacred) And Things Hidden Since The Foundation of the World (Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World) The books show that ancient mythologies actually tried to cover this scapegoting mechanism, where sacrifices were considered sacred. But Abrahamic mythology, especially the Bible, has uncovered this mechanism. Girard said the Bible always favors the victim or the victim (eg – Abel, Joseph, Jesus). The crucifixion of Jesus is the ultimate scapegoting of history, which has proved that God does not want violence, but that man uses violence to cover his sins. According to Girard, it is because of the unfolding of this truth of Christianity that we have learned to sympathize with the victims in the modern world.
Literary criticism and noble codes
Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye (Northrop Frye) His The Great Code: The Bible and Literature (The Great Code: The Bible and Literature) The book analyzes Abrahamic mythology from the perspective of literature. Fry saw the Bible as a ‘genome’ or DNA in Western literature rather than a scripture. He shows that the biblical structure is a U-Shaped Narrative (U-Shaped Narrative) or as the English letter ‘u’. In the beginning the Eden Gardens were high up with God, then fell down because of sin (Fall), and at the end of New Jerusalem or Heaven rose again (liberation). It is the structure of this fall and rise that gave rise to comedy, tragedy and romance. According to Frye, the language of Abrahamic mythology is Metaphorical (Metaphorical) or metaphorical. Here ‘day’ may not mean 24 hours, ‘sat’ means not just numbers but fullness. Fry argues that this mythology expands our imagination and shows us a world that we do not see in reality, but can feel.
Feminist Lesson: Recovering lost tone
A new lesson in Abrahamic mythology from the late 19th century or Re-reading (re-reading) Started by feminist theorists. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Elizabeth Cady Stanton) His The Woman’s BibleThe first question is, why would Eve be blamed for sin? Why should God always be called in a masculine word? Stanton shows that, patriarchal interpretation of scriptures Women have been suppressed for thousands of years. in modern times Phyllis Trible (Phyllis Trible) His Texts of Terror (Texts of Terror) And God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality (God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality) In the books, the stories of the neglected women of the Bible – such as Hagar, Tamar, or the Girl of Zepattha – are brought forward. Treble shows that the original Hebrew text depicts God not only as a father, but also as a mother (who conceives or has mercy – from the uterus or ‘Rehem’). This ‘literary-feminist’ analysis of the Tribel proves that the mythology lies in the seeds of equality and justice, which patriarchal interpreters have covered.
Conflict of Existentialism and Explanation
19th century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (Søren Kierkegaard) Abrahamic mythology faces an extreme test of philosophy. His Fear and Trembling (Fear and Trembling) In the book he focuses on the incident of the sacrifice of his son by Abraham Existentialism (Existentialism) or existentialism laid the foundation. Kierkegaard shows that faith is not a comfortable or logical thing. It is a Leap of Faith (Leap of Faith) or jumping into the darkness. When Abraham took the knife, he became completely alone, separated from the world of ethics or logic. this loneliness and helplessness of man before God or Angst (Angst)This is the essence of existentialism. This analysis of Kierkegaard only brought religion out of the subject of Sunday’s prayer and turned it into a living and burning experience.
French philosopher in the 20th century Paul Ricoeur (Paul Ricoeur) in the interpretation of mythology Hermeneutics (Hermeneutics) or explanatory Highlighted the importance. His The Symbolism of Evil (The Symbolism of Evil) In the book, Rikowar says, Mythology is a kind of symbolic language, which expresses the deepest traces of our existence (such as – sin or fault). Require speaks of two different approaches: one is Hermeneutics of Suspicion or explanation of doubts (eg. Freud Or Marx, who seek the secret purpose behind religion), and the other is Hermeneutics of Faith (Hermeneutics of Faith) or interpretation of faith (which wants to hear the truth inside the symbol). According to Recourse, modern man has to reconcile these two – what he calls Second Nivete (Second Naivete)the That is, after knowing all the criticisms of science, accepting the truth of mythology again, but this time not blindly, but consciously.
On the other hand, the German theologian Rudolf Bultmann Aiming to make the Bible relevant for modern science-minded people Demytholization (Demythology) Or proposes the theory of ‘miseralization’. Bultman argues that the concept of a three-story universe (heaven, mortal, underworld) or miracles is immobile in today’s age. So we should throw away the literal peel of mythology and the existentialist message inside it or Kerigma (Kerygma) to accept For example, resurrection does not mean walking of a dead body, but a rebirth of faith in man.
The End of History and the New God
British historian Norman Cohn (Norman Cohn) His The Pursuit of the Millennium (The Pursuit of the Millennium) The book shows that Abrahamic mythology Eschatology (Eschatology) Or how the idea of the end of the period inspired various revolutionary movements from the Middle Ages to the modern period. According to him, this dream of establishing heaven on earth by killing Dajjal or Antichrist is secularly Marxism Or Nazism Like doctrines, where bloodshed is legalized to build a utopia or a perfect society. Cohn’s analysis warns us how destructive the power of mythology can be if it is used as a political tool.
Finally, theologian Karen Armstrong (Karen Armstrong) His A History of God (A History of God) The book shows that the concept of God in Abrahamic mythology is not fixed, but rather it has evolved along with human history. From the tribal god of Abraham to today’s universal, formless and philosophical God – this journey is actually the history of the evolution of man’s own consciousness. Armstrong and his contemporaries Yan Assman (Jan Assmann)Theorists, such as this, have shown that Moses’ monotheism or Mosaic Distinction (Truth vs. False Religion) has deeply influenced the concept of truth and falsehood in Western civilization. Book of heaven Moses the Egyptian (Moses the Egyptian)He shows that the roots of monotheism may have been rooted in the sun worship of Akhenaten in Egypt, which later became a Hebrew memory.
The work of all these theoretical, philosophers and critics presents before us a vast and multidimensional picture of Abrahamic mythology. They prove that these stories are not mere legends that are lost in the sands of the desert. These are the living archaeological artifacts of the human mind. Freud’s subconscious, Marx’s society, Gerard’s sacrifice or the fear of Kierkegaard – everything has become one in the vast canvas of this mythology. Theoretical dissections do not destroy the magical influence of these stories, but help them to understand and feel more deeply. We can understand why we still haven’t forgotten the taste of that primitive apple, or why we still look at the horizon waiting for some Noah’s boat.
Conclusion
The vast canvas we have traversed is not merely a collection of ancient stories. From the beginning of creation to the Great Deluge, it is a complex weaving of human hope, desire, fear, and morality. Abrahamic mythology presents the conflict between good and evil and has taught billions of people, for thousands of years, how to live, how to confront mortality, and how to face the unknown. Whereas the Greek and Roman gods often acted according to their own whims, the Abrahamic God gave humanity law and moral instruction.
The psychologist Carl Jung (Carl Jung) and many anthropologists argue that mythology is part of our “collective unconscious” (Jung, 1968). Whether we want it to or not, the structure of these stories is woven into our cultural inheritance. Adam’s loneliness is the loneliness of us all. Cain—the brother who kills his brother—still exists within human society. Noah’s patience, Abraham’s extraordinary sacrifice, Moses’ hunger for freedom, Mary’s holiness, Jesus’ mercy, and Muhammad’s steadfast faith are not merely historical events; they are metaphors and archetypes of the human mind.
Some may think that in a science-minded, technology-driven age, mythology is no longer necessary. That is not so. Mythology does not die; it changes form. The influence of Abrahamic mythology remains visible in literature, art, cinema, and politics. In Hollywood blockbusters such as Star Wars, the journey of Luke Skywalker, and in The Matrix, the journey of Neo, we can still see the shadow of the ancient messiah or savior. What Joseph Campbell called the “hero’s journey” has been embedded in our imaginative vocabulary.
Ultimately, Abrahamic mythology reminds us of something important: human beings are not merely flesh and blood; we are made of stories. Stories distinguish us from other animals. The fire lit beneath the starry skies of those desert nomads still illuminates our path. These narratives have sustained generations and carried forward the dream of a Promised Land. We are all participants in an infinite and mysterious cosmic drama, continually searching for our lost Eden.
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About This Article
Genre: Semi-Academic Mythological, Literary, Historical, and Anthropological Analysis
Epistemic Position: Comparative Mythology, Religious Studies, Literary Criticism, Cultural Anthropology, and Critical Historical Awareness
This article examines Abrahamic mythology as a vast sacred narrative tradition shared, reshaped, and contested across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Its purpose is not devotional interpretation, apologetic defense, or direct historical verification of every religious claim. Rather, the article studies how Abrahamic religions imagine creation, God, humanity, sin, obedience, exile, violence, prophecy, covenant, salvation, judgment, and sacred history through mythic storytelling.
The term “mythology” is used here in its academic sense, not as an insult or synonym for falsehood. A myth is treated as a sacred narrative that gives meaning, identity, moral structure, and worldview to a community, regardless of whether every event in that narrative can be established as literal history.
This article distinguishes between historical fact, theological truth-claim, literary structure, symbolic meaning, and cultural function. A story may be historically uncertain yet culturally powerful; it may be religiously sacred to believers yet still open to literary, anthropological, philosophical, and comparative analysis.
Special attention is given to creation myths, Adam and Eve, Lilith, Eden, the Fall, Cain and Abel, Noah's flood, prophetic archetypes, divine command, sacred geography, covenantal memory, moral law, eschatology, and the recurring patterns through which Abrahamic traditions construct meaning from human suffering, guilt, hope, fear, and authority.
This article does not require the reader to accept or reject Judaism, Christianity, or Islam as faith systems. It asks the reader to examine these traditions as some of the most influential story-worlds in human civilization—story-worlds that shaped law, literature, politics, morality, gender, war, identity, empire, resistance, and modern imagination.
Strong analysis in this article should not be mistaken for hostility toward believers. Treating sacred narratives as mythology does not erase their cultural importance; it allows them to be studied with the same seriousness given to Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Hindu, Buddhist, or any other mythological tradition.
This article should be evaluated through conceptual clarity, comparative depth, literary sensitivity, historical awareness, anthropological relevance, philosophical insight, and fairness in handling religious narratives—not through theological sensitivity, devotional expectation, literalist anxiety, or the demand that sacred stories must remain outside critical study.