‍ A visual representation of the evolution and interplay of religious and philosophical ideas across several ancient civilizations, focusing on how different cultures conceptualized and influenced the idea of God or the divine.

Canaan is at the center, showing the ancient religious dynamics between YHWH (Yahweh), El, and Baal, each representing different aspects or understandings of deity, influenced by the surrounding regions.

Egypt and Phoenicia to the south and west contribute their own religious ideas, such as the Shasu of Egypt influencing YHWH and the Phoenician alliance with Baal.
To the east, Babylon and Assyria impact religious evolution, with the Babylonian exile playing a significant role in shaping the Jewish understanding of God, eventually leading to monotheism.

Further north, Persia introduces dualistic elements, which influenced Jewish thought, as well as early Christian ideas.

Greece and Rome are depicted as influencing early Christianity, with Neo-Platonism and Stoicism being major philosophical currents that shaped Christian theology.

Rome is shown as a pivotal center where Pauline Christianity emerges, merging Jewish monotheism with Greek and Roman philosophical thought, leading to the concept of the Trinity.

This diagram demonstrates how the concept of God evolved through cultural exchanges and religious syncretism across these civilizations, leading to the development of major religious ideas that still persist today.

© The Archaeologist

#archaeohistories