1. 3.3 Global Religious Systems
2000 – 1000 BCE | The Development of Civilization

2. Similarities and Differences
All religious developments would be polytheistic with a supreme divine ruler
Religion would come to define cultures differently but all would justify existing social and political structures

3. East Asia
While China would never develop a fully- functioning religion by modern definition, it did have some structure
Highly bureaucratic (like its political system)
Oracle bones were meticulously kept and marked
Tombs were constructed (evidence of an afterlife)
Spiritualistic rituals and animistic tendencies
Mystical ways of interacting with spirits

4. South and Southeast Asia
The Vedic Period c BCE
The Indo-Aryans justified their victory over the indigenous Indians
They would write a series of epics to define their history (the Vedas)
This would define their religion and society
Hinduism is polytheism with a supreme essence-god
Brahma (the creator) and various other manifestations
Shiva (the destroyer), Vishnu (the preserver), and many others
Life (samsara), reincarnation (varnas), and moksha
Emphasized the indigenous tradition of purity (the Ganges)

5. The Near (Middle) East
Tiamat (chaos)
The Babylonians assimilated the various gods of Mesopotamia
Adopted Sumerian and Akkadian gods
The Enuma Elish as Babylon’s creation story c.1750 BCE
The Babylonian gods then great the world
Light, firmament, dry land, the sun and moon, and man created in order
There was also the sacred grove of Anu, which was guarded by sword
1,150 years later, the Israelites would be exiled to Babylon (and adopt this)
Canaanites c.1200 BCE
Polytheistic: Baal (god of rain), El Elyon (god most high), among others
Would influence the Phoenicians, who spread Baal across the Mediterranean
Would influence the Israelites, who referenced these gods in their Torah
Abraham would speak with El Elyon (polytheistic until later)
Marduk

6. Africa Polytheistic paganism defined human and environmental nature
Amun-Ra (supreme god), Osiris (life and death), Anubis (the embalmer)
Gods were often combined with other/new gods
Isis would become popular in the Greco-Roman world
Akhenaten c BCE
Attempted to push Egypt to monotheism
He, would be the one god
After his death, Egypt would return to polytheism

7. Europe Mycenaean cities have few major religious buildings
There are various smaller offering sites, perhaps suggesting local deities
Some major, regional shrines
Suggesting permanent and specialized clerics
The Oracle of Delphi

8. The Americas It is hard to say what the religions were really like
The Spanish will destroy all traces they could find
What we know is that pre-Columbian peoples
Were polytheistic
A supreme god alongside a pantheon
A Maize god, a mother goddess, and demon gods
Sacrificed
Animals, plants, and sometimes humans
Self-sacrifice was seen as a important honor
Built large religious structures
Alongside a priestly class, with focus on the stars