In time an elaborate system of beliefs in such natural forces was developed into mythology. Each civilisation and culture had its own mythological structure, but these structures were often quite similar. The names of the gods may have been different, but their functions and actions were often the same. The most prominent myth to cross cultural lines was that of the fertility cycle. Many pagan cultures believed that the god of fertility died each year during the winter but was reborn each year in the spring. The details differed among cultures, but the main idea was the same.

According to the Old Testament, the many pagan gods that served as a temptation to the Hebrew people may be conveniently grouped into four distinct types: the false gods of (1) Mesopotamia (Assyria and Babylon) (2) Egypt (3) Canaan (4) Greece and Rome.

The biblical references to pagan gods begin with the statement that Terah, Abraham and Nahor, when they dwelt on the other side of the River (that is in Mesopotamia), "served other gods". - Josh.24:2 - Ancient Mesopotamia covered the region that is roughly equivalent geographically to present day Iraq and Iran.
The prominent gods in Mesopotamia were those over heaven, air and earth, personified by Anu, Enil and Enki (Ea). Another group was made up of those that controlled the heavenly bodies: the sun, the moon and the planet Venus (the "morning star")

In fact, Ur, the city from which Abraham came, was the center for worship of the moon god - Sin - As Mesopotamian religion developed, each god had his own star, and the worship of the stars became popular with the development of ASTROLOGY. Many of the astrological texts and charts of the ancient Babylonians read like modern horoscopes.

The worship of the sun, moon and the stars eventually spread across the entire ancient world. The Egyptians, Canaanites and Phoenicians all incorporated features of this form of worship. Place names in pre-Israelite Canaan reflect the practice. Beth Shemesh - Josh. 15:10 - means house of the sun [god]. Jericho - Num. 22:1 - probably means moon city. Joshua's miracle of the sun and the moon standing still takes on greater significance in light of this fact. It was a demonstration of the sovereign power of the Lord God of Israel over the pagan gods identified as the sun and the moon, worshiped in pagan cities. - Josh. 10:12-13 -

Another god of ancient........

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -