Israelite and Greek Mythology Essay - 1132 Words

The Works and Days is a Greek myth containing an appropriated version of the Israelites Ten Commandments from The Bible. Throughout Works and Days, the myth constructs a virtually identical set of rules pertaining to moral conduct; all which, if disobey, are punishable by Zeus. Both the Israelites and the Greeks believe that their Lord (for the Greeks, specifically all powerful Zeus) distributes retribution to those who disobey these moral rules of conduct. In both texts, these guidelines for judgment are crucial because they give formal validity to the punishments that each god distributes. The similarities found are as a result of the Greek appropriation of the Israelites mythology, however, the differences and variations within the†¦show more content†¦Peace I about the land, fostering the young, and wide-seeing Zeus never marks out grievous war as their portion (West, 43). Within Works and Days, there is an equal amount of emphasis placed on the rewards as well as the consequences. However, within the book of Exodus, there is an elaborate list of consequences attributed to certain actions and very few discussions about rewards for ones actions. It is therefore sufficient to say that the Israelites put more emphasis on punishing those who are deviant and the Greeks provide incentive to behave justly as well as include consequences for deviants. This reflects on the societies in which they live in because the Israelites were not ruled in a kingdom and therefore essentially responsible for their own individual actions. The Greek society is distinctly different. The Greeks are ruled in a kingdom and therefore are encouraged to behave responsibly on behalf of the king. In many Greek kingdoms, those who represented the king well were rewarded with trophies. These myths reflect how each are rewarded and punished for their actions within society. In addition, within the Works and Days, there is no retribution for those who do not worship the Greek gods. Perhaps this is because the story is only directed at the Greeks themselves; in any case, this is an inherently distinguishing feature. In addition to constructing moral guidelines, the TenShow MoreRelatedThemes Of Art : Religion / Mythology And Worship1271 Words   |  6 Pagesthe most popular reoccurring themes in art is Religion/Mythology and worship. For thousands of years, humans have used art as a tool to showcase their beliefs to the world. From an idol that can be filled with blood and used as a sacrifice to a god, to a ceiling painted with events telling the story of the Bible, humans have used art to recognize the religious beliefs they hold so dearly. Sometimes, an artist would use a religion or mythology they didn’t practice solely as the subject of their workRead MoreEssay on Christianity vs. Greek Mythology1309 Words   |  6 PagesChristians and Greek s. Both have similarities and differences in their religious beliefs that have been compared often and I have chosen to discuss the similarities and differences of Christianity and ancient Greek mythology. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, or belief in only one God, and spiritual practices are based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as written in the New Testament of the Bible, with the role of Jesus as savior and the Son of God. Greek mythology is a polytheisticRead MoreThe Influence of Ancient Greek Mythology on Modern Society Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesAncient Greek society fell over 2000 years ago but despite this, its mythology still continues to influence our western society. References to Greek mythology can be found all through time and in our western culture. The influence of Greek mythology can be found in our science, arts and literature and our language. When Ancient Greece fell to the Roman Empire, Rome adapted its mythologies which still influence us today as they have through history. That is not to say that Greek mythology wasn’t influencedRead MoreThe David Story, And The Iliad1194 Words   |  5 Pagesgod have similarities but a re also significantly different. The Iliad takes place in a city, Troy, which is in modern-day Turkey. Achilles  a great warrior of Greek mythology participated in the  Trojan War, on which Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad is based. Achilles was the son of  Thetis and Peleus, king of the Myrmidons. In The Iliad, the Greeks and the Trojans were at war. War played a large part in this culture because the people used this as a method to settle arguments. They knew how to do it wellRead More The Myth of Exodus Essay1180 Words   |  5 Pagesgods before me† (Exodus 20:1-3). 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How does the suzerainty treatyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel The Great God Pan 941 Words   |  4 Pagessupernatural. However, Machen’s gothic novella The Great God Pan (1894) and H.G. Wells’ sci-fi novel The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896) further exemplified the theme of humankind’s relationship to God. In the late Victorian period, the influence of religious mythology fell upon writers in England, and stories of the â€Å"unseen† became popular and abundant. This era was a time when the public started to seriously question their religious lives. Nevertheless, The Great God Pan was denounced by the public upon its publicationRead MoreEssay on Book Summary of the Bible Among the Myths2904 Words   |  12 Pagesessentially similar to, or essentially different from, the religions of its neighbors.†1 Oswalt is swift to acknowledge a major difference between the Old Testament and the religions of the Israelites Near Eastern neighbors. The divine med ium of the Israelites’ neighbors was nature. 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They seem more creative and imaginative in comparison to the ApolloniansRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Biblical Creation Myths with Other Creation Myths from Greece and the Ancient Near Eas2116 Words   |  9 Pagesconcerns itself with gods blessings , they added to the original Yahwist text to include gods creation of the universe and genealogy of Noahs descendants (to name a few additions), their priority was to propagate a much needed sense of hope among the Israelites in a time of exile and desperation. Genesis 1:1-5 (Day One), God created heavens and earth, the primeval sea covered the earth. God created light and separated light from dark and named it day and night. Genesis 1:6-8 (Day Two), God separated