Polytheism

Polytheism is the practice of believing in more than one god. People of this religion believe in creator gods, sun gods, sky gods, fertility gods, earth gods, etc. All early civilizations practiced polytheism for they had no other way to explain why they and the things around them were there. Believers sacrificed themselves or other animals to these gods or prayed to the gods in order to keep them happy and bad curses away. Believers also built large temples, or ziggurats, in honor of their many deities. Some polytheism was based completely on nature and the divine power that nature had. Early civilizations based their entire cultures around polytheism, such as in their temples, monuments, art, books, and clothing. As civilizations developed, a new form of religion began, monotheism, called Judaism, which started the entire practice of monotheism, or the belief in one single God.

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Created by: Hannah Hollon 8/29/08

Edited by: Elizabeth Thompson 9/02/08

Edited by: Max Crawford 9/3/08

Edited by Christina Oelsner 9/4/08

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