Egyptian influences in the Hebrew Bible
Encyclopedia
It is generally accepted that some of the texts of the Hebrew Bible
have precedents in earlier (Bronze Age
) Ancient Near Eastern religions and mythology, especially Mesopotamian (see Panbabylonianism), but to a lesser extent also Ancient Egyptian. For instance, material from the Book of Proverbs
derives directly from the Instruction of Amenemope.
The religion of the ancient kingdom of Judah
was an amalgamation of local Canaan
ite traditions. Yahweh
was in origin a Moabite
deity, Elohim
was a group of deities from Ugaritic religion, Jerusalem was in origin a Jebusite
city with the tutelary deity Tsedek
. These Canaanite traditions which gave rise to Israelite and ultimately ancient Jewish religion were in turn influenced by older Mesopotamian and possibly also Egyptian traditions.
The consensus of modern scholarship is, however, that there was little or no direct influence of Ancient Egyptian religion on early Judaism
.
Sigmund Freud
's theory deriving Israelite monolatrism
from Egyptian Atenism
, put forward in his Moses and Monotheism
of 1939, has little support among modern scholars.
, translated and introduction by Julius Guttmann, Daniel H. Frank edited by Andreas Höfele, Werner von Koppenfels (The Hebrew Mysteries or The Oldest Form of Freemasonry) under the pseudonym Decius
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
have precedents in earlier (Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
) Ancient Near Eastern religions and mythology, especially Mesopotamian (see Panbabylonianism), but to a lesser extent also Ancient Egyptian. For instance, material from the Book of Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
derives directly from the Instruction of Amenemope.
The religion of the ancient kingdom of Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
was an amalgamation of local Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ite traditions. Yahweh
Yahweh (Canaanite deity)
The hypothesis of a Canaanite deity named Yahweh or Yahwi is accepted by some Ancient Near Eastern scholars, although no direct evidence from archeology has been found. The name Yahwi may possibly be found in some male Amorite names...
was in origin a Moabite
Moabite
Moabite may refer to:*a person from Moab, the former country of the Moabite people, currently located in the area of Jordan east of the Dead Sea*the Moabite language, an extinct Canaanite dialect once spoken in Moab...
deity, Elohim
Elohim
Elohim is a grammatically singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew language. When used with singular verbs and adjectives elohim is usually singular, "god" or especially, the God. When used with plural verbs and adjectives elohim is usually plural, "gods" or...
was a group of deities from Ugaritic religion, Jerusalem was in origin a Jebusite
Jebusite
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Jebusites were a Canaanite tribe who inhabited and built Jerusalem prior to its conquest by King David; the Books of Kings state that Jerusalem was known as Jebus prior to this event...
city with the tutelary deity Tsedek
Tzadik
Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq is a title given to personalities in Jewish tradition considered righteous, such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q , which means "justice" or "righteousness", also the root of Tzedakah...
. These Canaanite traditions which gave rise to Israelite and ultimately ancient Jewish religion were in turn influenced by older Mesopotamian and possibly also Egyptian traditions.
The consensus of modern scholarship is, however, that there was little or no direct influence of Ancient Egyptian religion on early Judaism
Second Temple Judaism
Second Temple Judaism refers to the religion of Judaism during the Second Temple period, between the construction of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 515 BCE, and its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE This period witnessed major historical upheavals and significant religious changes that...
.
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
's theory deriving Israelite monolatrism
Monolatrism
Monolatrism or monolatry is the recognition of the existence of many gods, but with the consistent worship of only one deity...
from Egyptian Atenism
Atenism
Atenism, or the Amarna heresy, refers to the religious changes associated with the eighteenth dynasty Pharaoh Amenophis IV, better known under his adopted name, Akhenaten...
, put forward in his Moses and Monotheism
Moses and Monotheism
Moses and Monotheism, 1939 by Sigmund Freud, ISBN 978-0394700144 is a book where Freud hypothesizes that Moses was not Jewish, but actually born into Ancient Egyptian nobility and was perhaps a follower of Akhenaten, an ancient Egyptian monotheist, or perhaps Akhenaten himself...
of 1939, has little support among modern scholars.
See also
- Akhenaten#Akhenaten and Judeo-Christian monotheism
- Canaan#Late Bronze Age
- Habiru#Habiru and the biblical Hebrews
- History of the Jews in EgyptHistory of the Jews in EgyptEgyptian Jews constitute both one of the oldest and youngest Jewish communities in the world. While no exact census exists, the Jewish population of Egypt was estimated at fewer than a hundred in 2004, down from between 75,000 and 80,000 in 1922. The historic core of the indigenous community...
- Origins of JudaismOrigins of JudaismThe ancient roots of Judaism lie in the Bronze Age polytheistic Ancient Semitic religions, specifically Canaanite religion, and of the worship of Yahweh reflected in the early prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible...
- OsarsephOsarsephOsarseph is a legendary figure of Ancient Egypt who has been equated with Moses. His story was recounted by the Ptolemaic Egyptian historian Manetho in his Aigyptiaca ; Manetho's work is lost, but the 1st century AD Jewish historian Josephus quotes extensively from it.The story depicts Osarseph as...
Further reading
See The Guide for the Perplexed By Moses MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, translated and introduction by Julius Guttmann, Daniel H. Frank edited by Andreas Höfele, Werner von Koppenfels (The Hebrew Mysteries or The Oldest Form of Freemasonry) under the pseudonym Decius