Concept of Divinity in Judaic, Sumerian and Hindu Society
Divinity is the core of all religions and rule most societies. Socialization based on divinity occurs almost everywhere. Most of the acceptable behaviors we have been taught since infancy have religious roots. I will compare and contrast the concepts of divinity in Judaic, Sumerian and Hindu culture, based on Genesis, The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Ramayana of Valmiki, respectively. Judging by the literature, the Judaic concept of divinity seemed to be both polytheistic and monotheistic. I conclude there were multiple gods by several passages in Genesis including when God said, “Let us make a human in our image, by our likeness…,” and in Job where it reads “…and one day, the sons of God…” indicating a belief in multiple gods. Monotheism is evidenced elsewhere throughout Genesis, including in Creation when God, not gods, created heaven and earth, and throughout Job where the title character seems monotheistic. He says things like, “The LORD has given and the LORD has taken. May the LORD’s name be blessed.” I do, however, see more evidence of monotheism than polytheism in Judaic culture. The Hindu and Sumerian are polytheistic concepts. The Hindus had multiple gods, like Brahma, the god of creation, Visnu, the god of preservation, and Siva, the god of redemption, from the Ramayana of Valmiki while the Sumerians, in The Epic of Gilgamesh, had Ea, Anu, Adad, Errakal, Shamash, Ninurta and Istar, among others. The Judaic God, from Genesis, was a vengeful entity as evidenced after the serpent hoodwinked Eve into eating and giving Adam fruit from the tree of knowledge, good and evil. All three involved were severely punished severely. God told the serpent “Because you have done this, cursed be you of all cattle and all beasts of the field. On your belly shall you go and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. Enmity will I set between you and the woman, between your seed and hers. He will boot your head and you will bite his heel.” He said to Eve,