StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Signfiance of the simularities between Psalms 104 and the hym of Aton - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The Great Hymn to the Aten has often been cited as being the first true example of monotheism in existence; it details Akhenaten worshipping the sun god known as Aten. This is unusual as it comes from a series of ancient Egyptian poems, a religion known for its polythestic…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.8% of users find it useful
Signfiance of the simularities between Psalms 104 and the hym of Aton
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Signfiance of the simularities between Psalms 104 and the hym of Aton"

What is the significance of the similarities between Psalms 104 and the Great Hymn to the Aten? The Great Hymn to the Aten has often been cited as being the first true example of monotheism in existence; it details Akhenaten worshipping the sun god known as Aten. This is unusual as it comes from a series of ancient Egyptian poems, a religion known for its polythestic style. Psalms 104 is also unusual in its own way. Originally written in Hebrew, it has become incorporated into the Christian religion, which is monotheistic (here we can see some of the simplest similarities between the two poems become apparent).

However, the unusual thing about Psalms 104 is that it attributes characteristics of the sun to the Christian God, something which is not found anywhere else in the Bible. In fact, it is actively forbidden in Ezekiel 8:16-17: “they worshipped the sun toward the east.Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here?”. So these two poems share a similarity in that they are both out of place within their own religion, and they both praise a god with characteristics of the sun.

There are, however, many similarities to be found at the text level, too.In Psalm 104, for example, we can see in line 12 that “By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches”. This is a reference to God sending springs into the valleys, and the sunlight allowing the growth of the “habitation”. The exact same inference is made in the Great Hymn to the Aten: “The birds flutter in their marshes/Their wings uplifted in adoration to thee.”. Not only do birds have a place in the scheme of the sun god found in both poems, both lines infer that all creatures show gratitude to the god in question for his kindness.

The only difference is that one set of birds sing and the other have wings uplifted. This is not the only obvious similarity. In line 27 of Psalms 104 we find that “These [animals]wait all for thee. That thou may give them food in due season”. In the Great Hymn to the Aten, we find “Thou suppliest his necessities”. Both of the gods in question, then, are said to supply food to all the creatures of the earth, something that can be attributed to the sun itself. Not only this, but the creatures in question are both said to originate in both the sun gods; in the Great Hymn, Aten is “Giver of breath to animals, every one that he maketh”, and in Psalms 104, God “sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

” So here, the Christian God and Aten are both creators, feeders/healers, and examples of a god to be thanked. It is difficult to say how these similarities benefit our society today. We could suggest from this that the monothestic worship of a giving, all-powerful God is an ancient, timeless idea, and that we should always be thankful for what we have been given, something that does not necessarily happen in modern times. We could also suggest that common themes run through many religions, even that of Ancient Egypt, and we could use this as an example to help settle religious differences today.

By pointing out the similarities between religions, we can often find a common thread. Aside from this, the similarities are of historical interest, and any knowledge gained from this can help expand our view of the world and how it came to exist in its current state today.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Signfiance of the simularities between Psalms 104 and the hym of Aton Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1579860-signfiance-of-the-simularities-between-psalms-104-and-the-hym-of-aton
(Signfiance of the Simularities Between Psalms 104 and the Hym of Aton Essay)
https://studentshare.org/literature/1579860-signfiance-of-the-simularities-between-psalms-104-and-the-hym-of-aton.
“Signfiance of the Simularities Between Psalms 104 and the Hym of Aton Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1579860-signfiance-of-the-simularities-between-psalms-104-and-the-hym-of-aton.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Signfiance of the simularities between Psalms 104 and the hym of Aton

Messianic Prophecies in Psalms

This essay discusses and analyses "Messianic prophecies in psalms" 45,50,69,72 and others.... The author expresses his attitude to the psalms and shares the views of other authors on them and describes his impressions.... Then, the psalms say he prepares the way....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Interpreting the Psalms

The following essay 'Interpreting the psalms' concerns the different categories of the psalms that are found in the bible.... The other category is praise and thanksgiving psalms.... Another category is that of the Hymn psalms.... There is another category of Trust psalms.... Royal psalms, on the other hand, is a category that was used or rather directed to the kings.... Wisdom psalms were designed for guiding or rather offering teachings....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Synopsis of the Book of Psalms in the Bible

The title ‘psalms' implies a book of praises.... Every chapter in this book is dedicated to thanksgiving and praise from the… psalms offer hope and confidence in God as the creator of all things and the eventual leader of everything and everyone including the universe.... psalms also portray God as omnipresent and with no restrictions.... psalms are an amalgamation of prayers, and songs and Synopsis of the Book of psalms in the Bible The book of psalms is alleged to be the most widely read and valued book in the bible....
2 Pages (500 words) Book Report/Review

Theology: The Image of God and Human Emotions

The "Theology: The Image of God and Human Emotions" paper contains a critical review of the psalms which contain human emotions and praises of God.... The psalms have become widely recognized as expressing a deep well of human emotions with an extremely wide range, scope, and intensity.... “The psalms express the deepest emotions of the heart … The psalms are one means by which the spirit of God helps us to articulate the thoughts and groanings of our hearts” (Deffinbaugh, 2006b)....
11 Pages (2750 words) Term Paper

Exegesis and Theological Meaning of Psalms 72

This report "Exegesis and Theological Meaning of psalms 72" discusses psalms 72 that is not clear about the authorship as the title declares that Solomon is the writer yet in verse 20 the conclusion of this psalms seems to declare that this was a prayer of David.... hellip; psalms 72 is a royal psalm with a historical orientation and a prophetic element.... The psalms look at several elements that relate to the traits of the Messiah, the nature of his reign in justice and righteousness, and the blessedness and prosperity of the kingdom....
5 Pages (1250 words) Report

Psalms 8

This paper ''psalms 8'' tells that that the psalms are both prayer and poetry and that these two features need to always be kept in mid as if either of them is forgotten, this will inevitably cause the psalms to be not only misused but also greatly misunderstood in their application and significance.... hellip; At their very core, the psalms are poems and prayers composed and made by old testament believers and had been set to be accompanied to music and either sung individually or corporately in Israel....
9 Pages (2250 words) Book Report/Review

The Epic of Gilgamesh and Hymn to Aton

… The paper "The Epic of Gilgamesh and Hymn to aton" is an exceptional example of an essay on literature.... This paper tells that "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and “Hymn to aton” represent valuable documents containing the important facts about religion, politics and social development with the changeable role of women.... The paper "The Epic of Gilgamesh and Hymn to aton" is an exceptional example of an essay on literature....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Determination of Elements by ICP-AES and ICP-MS

Its robust coefficient between the variations of the laboratory was relatively lower.... The differences between the results and their significance.... … DepartmentAbstract:The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer commonly referred to as (ICP-MS) together with the (DRC)-the dynamic reaction cell were deployed for determination of Co-59, Mo-95, Se-78, Se-80, Se-82, Rh103, Se-DRC80, Se-DRC-78, DepartmentAbstract:The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer commonly referred to as (ICP-MS) together with the (DRC)-the dynamic reaction cell were deployed for determination of Co-59, Mo-95, Se-78, Se-80, Se-82, Rh103, Se-DRC80, Se-DRC-78, Rh-1 103samples....
4 Pages (1000 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us