Mid-East Cultures With Common Roots Imply Reconstructed Common Origin Myth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/aivp.96.11386Keywords:
: Intersection of science and mythology, Intersection of ancient history and mythologies, Comparative mythology, Genesis and mid-east origin myths, Sumerian and Egyptian myths, Chinese and Hindu mythsAbstract
The relation between the most ancient civilizations in the mid-east (aside from obvious political ones) is often understated. However, non-obvious connections can have spiritual implications not easily recognized. This paper surveys the cultures of the five earliest civilizations (Sumerian, Egyptian, Chinese, Hindu, and Hebrew) from a broader perspective for a more unified picture of the past than is at first apparent. Things that might lead to cultural commonality – geographic proximity, trade relations, or political affiliations – can disseminate ideas that are later assimilated into established tradition. However, the degree of linguistic closeness of different groups might also be an indicator of earlier common heritage and tradition that evolved during isolation following migration dispersal with time and distance. Evidence of this common root can hint at a unified base for their origin mythologies. The older unifying background is considered here, and comparisons of their mythic traditions are used to reconstruct a hypothetical “Common Origin Myth”. The outline of the reconstruction is based on Genesis 1: because, that can be reconciled with the modern scientific record, indicating an ancient “common source” possessed historical truth – not “just” symbolic analogy.
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