Ancient Gods and the Basis of Religion in Myth

For those of us raised on Sunday Church and Bible School, religion is a given that is not questioned nor taken for granted. But the myths describing a hierarchy of Divine beings, worship by mortals and even a battle among the Gods for supremacy are found in numerous texts and depictions around the globe. Are we to dismiss them all as myth and legend though they have a recurrent theme?

Often scholars explain the similarities through original information being transported from land to land and word of mouth since the tradition of oral storytelling was passed on from generation to generation throughout the ages. This is a plausible explanation being that these stories were a part of humankind's history and telling them was a normal family and tribal tradition.

But what about the source of the origin of such myths? Was it truly a divine inspiration, the product of a vivid imagination or a historical account of civilization way beyond the scope of our own understanding? More than likely we will never know for certain yet there are many intriguing questions these myths, for lack of a better term, have spawned.

The very word that we conclude our prayers with may have obscure meanings and appears in Egyptian lore. In the Pyramid Texts we find references to the God Amen whose name was thought to mean hidden or that which cannot be seen. This seems to be more that just coincidence or a case of similar spelling or pronunciation. It is evident that there are overlapping similarities in the ancient Greek and Roman mythology, as well as that of other cultures.

Although it is difficult even for scholars and historians to determine, it certainly appears that the world's religions could have had their basis in one predominant myth or a series of historical events that have been attributed to myth. Spread from land to land by travelers to foreign ground, one myth may have perpetuated the very foundation on which global and societal organized religion has been based.