Thursday, December 28, 2006
Nations (Religion)
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your forefathers including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.’” (Joshua 24:2)
“Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot …, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.” (Genesis 11:31)
Nanna, the moon god in Mesopotamian mythology, was exalted in the City of Ur. Interestingly, Nanna was also worshipped in Haran. As the Mesopotamian area developed under the Babylonians and Assyrians, Nanna was added to the pantheon of gods, his name was changed to Sin, and he was elevated to the title of chief god.
Common among ancient societies is the large pantheon of gods and goddesses. The development of religion is still highly debated. There are many theories on why man “created” religion. Nevertheless, unknown to historians a god or a few gods would develop in various cities. As the cities were unified under a single power, the more popular gods would survive, and the pantheon of gods would increase. Therefore, polytheism was very common among ancient civilizations.
Note the Hall of Fame of mythological gods in ancient societies:
Egyptian
Amun, creator deitynubis, God of Embalming, Friend of the Dead, originally god of the dead
Apep, Serpent of the Underworld, enemy of Ra
Atum, a creator deity, and the setting sun
Bast, Goddess of Cats
Bes, God-Demon of Protection, Childbirth and Entertainment
Geb, God of the Earth
Hapy, God of the Nile and Fertility
Hathor, Goddess of Love and Music
Heget, Goddess of Childbirth
Horus, the falcon-headed god, God of Pharaohs and Upper Egypt
Imhotep, God of wisdom, medicine and magic
Isis, Goddess of Magic, sister of Nephthys
Khepry, the scarab beetle, the embodiment of the dawn
Khnum, a creator deity, god of the innundation
Maahes, god of war
Ma'at, Concept of Truth, Balance and Order, sometimes depicted as a goddess, God of Justice
Menhit, Goddess of war
Mont, god of war
Naunet, the primal waters
Neith, goddess of war, then great mother goddess
Nephthys, mother of Anubis
Nut, goddess of heaven and the sky
Osiris, god of the underworld, fertility and agricultural, possible father of Anubis
Ptah, a creator deity, also god of crafts, possibly Men-Nefer (Memphis)
Ra, the sun, possible father of Anubis, also a creator deity
Sekhmet, goddess of war and battles
Sobek, Crocodile God
Set, God of Storms, possible father of Anubis, later became god of evil, desert, also Lower Egypt
Shu, God of wind.
Taweret, Goddess of pregnant women and protecter at childbirth
Tefnut, goddess of rain and weather
Thoth, god of the moon, drawing, writing, geometry, wisdom, medicine, music, astronomy, and magic
Greek
Aphrodite - goddess of love and beauty, one of the twelve Olympians
Apollo - god of poetry, music, the sun, and prophecy, and an Olympian
Ares - god of violent war, an Olympian
Artemis - goddess of the hunt, virginity, and childbirth, twin sister of Apollo, and an Olympian, often associated with the moon
Athena - goddess of wisdom, defensive and strategic war, guardian-goddess of Athens, an Olympian
Chaos - non-gendered primordial entity from which Gaia was created
Cronus - leader of first generation of Titans, also a harvest deity
Demeter - goddess of the harvest and of grain, mother of Persephone, an Olympian
Dionysus - god of wine and sensual pleasures, took Hestia's place as an Olympian
Eos - goddess of the dawn
Eris - goddess of discord
Eros - god of love
Gaia - primordial goddess of earth, mother and grandmother of the first generation of Titans
Hades - god of the underworld and material riches, brother of Zeus
Hebe - wife of Heracles and goddess of youth
Hekate - goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, and the harvest moon
Hephaestus - god of smiths, an Olympian
Hera - Queen of the Gods and Heaven, goddess of marriage, an Olympian
Heracles - porter of Olympus, patron god of gymnasia and wrestling rings, god of strength
Hermes - messenger of the gods and transporter of souls to the Underworld, an Olympian
Hestia - goddess of the hearth, gave up seat at Olympus to Dionysus
Hypnos - god of sleep
Pan - god of shepherds and forests
Persephone - daughter of Demeter, queen of the dead, also a grain-goddess
Poseidon - god of the sea and earthquakes, an Olympian
Selene - goddess of the moon
Thanatos - god of death
Ouranos - sky god and ancestor of many of the other gods
Zeus - King of the Gods and god of the sky, air, and storms
Incan
Apo- mountain god
Apocatquil- god of lightning
Chasca- goddess of dawn, twilight, and Venus
Coniraya- moon god
Ekkeko- god of hearth and wealth
Illapa- weather god
Inti/Punchau- sun god
Kon- god of rain and wind from the south
Mama Allpa- multi-breasted fertility goddess
Mama Cocha- goddess of sea and fish
Mama Pacha- dragoness fertility goddess
Mama Quilla-moon goddess
Mama Zara- goddess of grain
Pacha Kamaq- creator god
Pariacaca- water god
Supay- god of death
Urcaguary- god of metal and jewels
Mayan
Ahaw Kin - Sun God
Bacabs - Gods of the 4 directions
Balac - War God
Balam - Protector God
Bolon tza cab - Ruling God of All
Chaac - Rain God
Hunah Ku - Creator God
Itzamna - Reptile Creator God
Ix Chel - Moon Goddess
Kukulcan - Feathered Serpent God
Xbalanque - God of the Jaguar
Xi Balba - God of the Death
Yum Kaax - Corn God
Mesopotamian
Anshar - father of heaven
Anu - the god of the highest heaven
Apsu - the ruler of gods and underworld oceans
Ashur - national god of the Assyrians, thought by the Assyrians to be king of the gods
Damkina - Earth mother goddess
Ea - god of wisdom
Enlil - god of weather and storms
Ereshkigal - Goddes of Darkness, Death, and Gloom
Hadad - weather god
Ishtar - goddess of love and one of the highest-ranking deities in Mesopotamian myth
Kingu - husband of Tiamat
Kishar - father of the earth
Marduk - national god of the Babylonians, later thought to be king of the gods
Mummu - god of mists
Nabu - god of the scribal arts
Nintu - mother of all gods
Ninurta - god of war
Nergal - god of war, disease, death and destruction; ruler of the underworld
Shamash - god of the sun and of justice (Shapash in Ugaritic, Shamsa in Sumerian)
Sin - moon god
Tiamat - dragon goddess slain by Marduk
Etc.
(This partial list was brought to you by Wikipedia. For a overwhelming list go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gods.)
“Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot …, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.” (Genesis 11:31)
Nanna, the moon god in Mesopotamian mythology, was exalted in the City of Ur. Interestingly, Nanna was also worshipped in Haran. As the Mesopotamian area developed under the Babylonians and Assyrians, Nanna was added to the pantheon of gods, his name was changed to Sin, and he was elevated to the title of chief god.
Common among ancient societies is the large pantheon of gods and goddesses. The development of religion is still highly debated. There are many theories on why man “created” religion. Nevertheless, unknown to historians a god or a few gods would develop in various cities. As the cities were unified under a single power, the more popular gods would survive, and the pantheon of gods would increase. Therefore, polytheism was very common among ancient civilizations.
Note the Hall of Fame of mythological gods in ancient societies:
Egyptian
Amun, creator deitynubis, God of Embalming, Friend of the Dead, originally god of the dead
Apep, Serpent of the Underworld, enemy of Ra
Atum, a creator deity, and the setting sun
Bast, Goddess of Cats
Bes, God-Demon of Protection, Childbirth and Entertainment
Geb, God of the Earth
Hapy, God of the Nile and Fertility
Hathor, Goddess of Love and Music
Heget, Goddess of Childbirth
Horus, the falcon-headed god, God of Pharaohs and Upper Egypt
Imhotep, God of wisdom, medicine and magic
Isis, Goddess of Magic, sister of Nephthys
Khepry, the scarab beetle, the embodiment of the dawn
Khnum, a creator deity, god of the innundation
Maahes, god of war
Ma'at, Concept of Truth, Balance and Order, sometimes depicted as a goddess, God of Justice
Menhit, Goddess of war
Mont, god of war
Naunet, the primal waters
Neith, goddess of war, then great mother goddess
Nephthys, mother of Anubis
Nut, goddess of heaven and the sky
Osiris, god of the underworld, fertility and agricultural, possible father of Anubis
Ptah, a creator deity, also god of crafts, possibly Men-Nefer (Memphis)
Ra, the sun, possible father of Anubis, also a creator deity
Sekhmet, goddess of war and battles
Sobek, Crocodile God
Set, God of Storms, possible father of Anubis, later became god of evil, desert, also Lower Egypt
Shu, God of wind.
Taweret, Goddess of pregnant women and protecter at childbirth
Tefnut, goddess of rain and weather
Thoth, god of the moon, drawing, writing, geometry, wisdom, medicine, music, astronomy, and magic
Greek
Aphrodite - goddess of love and beauty, one of the twelve Olympians
Apollo - god of poetry, music, the sun, and prophecy, and an Olympian
Ares - god of violent war, an Olympian
Artemis - goddess of the hunt, virginity, and childbirth, twin sister of Apollo, and an Olympian, often associated with the moon
Athena - goddess of wisdom, defensive and strategic war, guardian-goddess of Athens, an Olympian
Chaos - non-gendered primordial entity from which Gaia was created
Cronus - leader of first generation of Titans, also a harvest deity
Demeter - goddess of the harvest and of grain, mother of Persephone, an Olympian
Dionysus - god of wine and sensual pleasures, took Hestia's place as an Olympian
Eos - goddess of the dawn
Eris - goddess of discord
Eros - god of love
Gaia - primordial goddess of earth, mother and grandmother of the first generation of Titans
Hades - god of the underworld and material riches, brother of Zeus
Hebe - wife of Heracles and goddess of youth
Hekate - goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, and the harvest moon
Hephaestus - god of smiths, an Olympian
Hera - Queen of the Gods and Heaven, goddess of marriage, an Olympian
Heracles - porter of Olympus, patron god of gymnasia and wrestling rings, god of strength
Hermes - messenger of the gods and transporter of souls to the Underworld, an Olympian
Hestia - goddess of the hearth, gave up seat at Olympus to Dionysus
Hypnos - god of sleep
Pan - god of shepherds and forests
Persephone - daughter of Demeter, queen of the dead, also a grain-goddess
Poseidon - god of the sea and earthquakes, an Olympian
Selene - goddess of the moon
Thanatos - god of death
Ouranos - sky god and ancestor of many of the other gods
Zeus - King of the Gods and god of the sky, air, and storms
Incan
Apo- mountain god
Apocatquil- god of lightning
Chasca- goddess of dawn, twilight, and Venus
Coniraya- moon god
Ekkeko- god of hearth and wealth
Illapa- weather god
Inti/Punchau- sun god
Kon- god of rain and wind from the south
Mama Allpa- multi-breasted fertility goddess
Mama Cocha- goddess of sea and fish
Mama Pacha- dragoness fertility goddess
Mama Quilla-moon goddess
Mama Zara- goddess of grain
Pacha Kamaq- creator god
Pariacaca- water god
Supay- god of death
Urcaguary- god of metal and jewels
Mayan
Ahaw Kin - Sun God
Bacabs - Gods of the 4 directions
Balac - War God
Balam - Protector God
Bolon tza cab - Ruling God of All
Chaac - Rain God
Hunah Ku - Creator God
Itzamna - Reptile Creator God
Ix Chel - Moon Goddess
Kukulcan - Feathered Serpent God
Xbalanque - God of the Jaguar
Xi Balba - God of the Death
Yum Kaax - Corn God
Mesopotamian
Anshar - father of heaven
Anu - the god of the highest heaven
Apsu - the ruler of gods and underworld oceans
Ashur - national god of the Assyrians, thought by the Assyrians to be king of the gods
Damkina - Earth mother goddess
Ea - god of wisdom
Enlil - god of weather and storms
Ereshkigal - Goddes of Darkness, Death, and Gloom
Hadad - weather god
Ishtar - goddess of love and one of the highest-ranking deities in Mesopotamian myth
Kingu - husband of Tiamat
Kishar - father of the earth
Marduk - national god of the Babylonians, later thought to be king of the gods
Mummu - god of mists
Nabu - god of the scribal arts
Nintu - mother of all gods
Ninurta - god of war
Nergal - god of war, disease, death and destruction; ruler of the underworld
Shamash - god of the sun and of justice (Shapash in Ugaritic, Shamsa in Sumerian)
Sin - moon god
Tiamat - dragon goddess slain by Marduk
Etc.
(This partial list was brought to you by Wikipedia. For a overwhelming list go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gods.)
# posted by Wesley Son of Cornelius @ 3:30 PM 
Comments:
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I have been reading your blogspot since last week and have really enjoyed your insights on the nations and this part of Genesis. I think it is interesting that most religions have many, many gods. Yet our God is only one God (although a trinity) and is the God of everything.
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# posted by 
: 12/28/2006 9:25 PM
: 12/28/2006 9:25 PM 
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