Creation Stories of Egyptian, Mesopotamia, & Hebrew Cultures
Creation Stories
The Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and ancient Hebrew cultures were all very different. The earliest known creation writings were dated from the third millennium B.C.1 Whether it is belief in one God or several, each culture represents one or more. How each God or Gods comes into their world, how they interact, or how they worship each God is unique to their culture. The creation stories are the foundation of religious cultures that have spread throughout the world.2
In Ancient Egypt, they believed in the existence of Father of the Gods. 3 The Egyptians created a concept called “Maat” which means, “justice” or “right order”.4 “Maat” was a powerful ruling of the heavens.5 It was considered a social responsibility of the King and the commoner’s which, provided a moral society through the law.6 “Maat” was represented by the sun God Re (“lord of Maat”).7 The sun God Re came from a lotus flower known as Beben.8 The sun God Re fathered Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture).9 Shu and Tefnut then fathered Geb and Nut whom are associated with Osirian legends.10 The leading God in Ancient Egypt, Ptah emerged from the waters of Nun.11 Ptah was the creator of everything, as he is said to have used his teeth and lips to create.12
Sumerians were the people who created the first Mesopotamian civilizations.13 An important part of the Mesopotamian religious beliefs is destiny. 14 The universal law for the Mesopotamian was, one that couldn’t be changed.15 There was not to be a new creation of any phenomenon until the fate of it was dead and gone. This way they could control the pure existence of a threat against their community.16 If one broke the rules they would be punished by the old council of gods known as Annunak. Babylonian Enuma Elish (meaning When above the heaven) was created during the First Babylonian Dynasty. It is one of the most important creation stories of the Mesopotamian civilizations because, it records the political endeavors of the god Marduk.17
The Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and ancient Hebrew cultures were all very different. The earliest known creation writings were dated from the third millennium B.C.1 Whether it is belief in one God or several, each culture represents one or more. How each God or Gods comes into their world, how they interact, or how they worship each God is unique to their culture. The creation stories are the foundation of religious cultures that have spread throughout the world.2
In Ancient Egypt, they believed in the existence of Father of the Gods. 3 The Egyptians created a concept called “Maat” which means, “justice” or “right order”.4 “Maat” was a powerful ruling of the heavens.5 It was considered a social responsibility of the King and the commoner’s which, provided a moral society through the law.6 “Maat” was represented by the sun God Re (“lord of Maat”).7 The sun God Re came from a lotus flower known as Beben.8 The sun God Re fathered Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture).9 Shu and Tefnut then fathered Geb and Nut whom are associated with Osirian legends.10 The leading God in Ancient Egypt, Ptah emerged from the waters of Nun.11 Ptah was the creator of everything, as he is said to have used his teeth and lips to create.12
Sumerians were the people who created the first Mesopotamian civilizations.13 An important part of the Mesopotamian religious beliefs is destiny. 14 The universal law for the Mesopotamian was, one that couldn’t be changed.15 There was not to be a new creation of any phenomenon until the fate of it was dead and gone. This way they could control the pure existence of a threat against their community.16 If one broke the rules they would be punished by the old council of gods known as Annunak. Babylonian Enuma Elish (meaning When above the heaven) was created during the First Babylonian Dynasty. It is one of the most important creation stories of the Mesopotamian civilizations because, it records the political endeavors of the god Marduk.17
Bibliography: Moses, The Bible: The book of Genesis (586-539 BC), pp.1-3. Davis, Paul, Harrison, Gary, Johnson, m. David, Crawford, F. John, “The Bedford Anthology of World Literature: Beginings-1650 (Bedford/St.Martin’s:1994),1-17. Wasilewska, Ewa, “The universe 's watery birth,” World & I, Feb94, Vol. 9 Issue 2, p234. 0887-9346