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Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity

Series: Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity
4.3
(36)
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Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2020
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

Meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to better understand the foundational role religion played in their daily lives. This series makes a wonderful lens through which to gain a deeper knowledge of their world.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1 to 3 of 24

1. Early Pagan Religion in Mesopotamia

35m

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Explore the ways in which the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia tried to understand, worship, and cultivate supernatural forces in the world around them. Learn how the Enuma Elish, the great Mesopotamian creation myth, mirrors human concerns we still address today (power struggles, gender issues, family discord) as it explains the origin of the world, its organization, and humanity's place in it.

2. The Rigveda and the Gods of Ancient India

32m

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While most of the early religions of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome have been supplanted over time, the early religions of India are still thriving today. Explore the ancient Rigveda, one of the four sacred texts of modern Hinduism. An ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns, it is alive with riddles and paradoxes that leave plenty of room for stimulating speculation.

3. State Religion in Ancient Egypt

30m

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Explore how the Egyptian Book of the Dead and a pyramid inscription reveal the existence of Atum, the creator god who rose from primordial chaos to create himself and nine additional gods. But what happens to Atum when the cities of Memphis and then Karnak rise to power? Learn how political power and religion were interwoven in ancient Egypt.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great Coursesdirector
The Great Coursesproducer
Hans-Friedrich Muelleractor