Question

Read the following paragraphs from the section "Monotheistic Elements In Ancient Middle Eastern And Mediterranean Religions."

Polytheism, henotheism, pluriform monotheism, trinitarian speculations, and even a kind of monotheism are all found in Egyptian religion. Especially in the time of the New Kingdom (16th–11th century B.C.) and later, theological speculations arose about many gods and the one god, concepts that belong to the realm of pluriform monotheism. These ideas are especially interesting when related to trinitarian ideas, as they sometimes are. In a New Kingdom hymn to Amon are the words: "Three are all gods: Amon, Re and Ptah … he who hides himself for [humanity] as Amon, he is Re to be seen, his body is Ptah." As Amon he is the "hidden god." In Re, the god of the sun, he becomes visible; as Ptah, one of the gods of the earth, he is immanent in this world.
Much attention is given to the reform of Egyptian religion in the 14th century B.C. It was led by the pharaoh Akhenaten (Amenophis IV). It is clear that Akhenaten's theology, if not fully monotheistic, in any case strongly tends toward monotheism. At first, he singled out Aton, one of the forms of the sun god, for particular worship, but gradually this developed in the direction of exclusive monotheism. The names of other gods were to be deleted. This type of belief, however, quickly lost popularity.
How is the central idea developed in these two paragraphs?
Group of answer choices
1.They highlight how the concept of monotheism can take on many forms
2.They describe how polytheistic religions are a thing of the past.
3.They illustrate how the cultures of Egypt are unique in their religious beliefs.
4. They explain how henotheism has become a popular type of religious belief.

Answer 1

Monotheism in ancient Egypt evolved into various forms, with early trinitarian concepts evident and a significant monotheistic reform under Akhenaten's rule. This demonstrates the diverse development of monotheistic religious thought in ancient civilizations, which anticipates later fully-formed monotheistic religions like Judaism. option 3 is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The central idea developed in the paragraphs from the section "Monotheistic Elements In Ancient Middle Eastern And Mediterranean Religions" is that monotheism in ancient Egypt displayed a complexity of forms and a gradual evolution towards more exclusive worship of a single deity.

The mention of Egyptian religion's pluriform monotheism, notably during the time of the New Kingdom, illustrates an early form of trinitarian concepts with gods like Amon, Re, and Ptah, indicating a move toward a kind of monotheism in certain theological speculations. Additionally, the radical reform under Pharaoh Akhenaten's move towards atonism, signifies a tentative shift towards a monotheistic worship, which was focused solely on Aton, the sun god.

The correct answer is that these paragraphs highlight how the concept of monotheism can take on many forms (Option 1). They do not assert that polytheistic religions are of the past (Option 2), nor do they claim the uniqueness of Egyptian culture in its religious beliefs (Option 3) nor that henotheism is increasingly popular (Option 4).

Egypt's complex religious history provides insight into the evolution of religious thought, foreshadowing later fully-formed monotheistic religions like Judaism, which originated with the Hebrews who define religion with the worship of a singular god, Yahweh. This demonstrates that the idea of monotheism or worship of one god, although manifest in different ways within various cultures, held a significant place in the theological developments of ancient civilizations.