Gods and Spirits

In the ancient Near East, every country, town and clan had its own gods. A distinction was made between higher gods, lesser gods and spirits.

The gods belonged to a larger community, just as people are part of a family. At the head of the collective of gods (also called a “pantheon”) was the king of the gods. The most important gods were his sons. They formed an assembly, which made all the decisions. The gods who formed part of this assembly and who were at its head, differed according to time and place.

Aside from the important gods, there were many gods of lesser importance. These lesser gods were usually helpers or messengers of the principal deities. In addition to this, there were spirits such as demons and the spirits of ancestors. The dividing line between spirits and lesser gods is not always clear.

The gods were usually described in terms of human characteristics — they had eyes, ears, hands and a mouth, and also feelings such as happiness, jealousy and anger. The difference is that the gods are much larger, wiser and more powerful than human beings. Unlike humans, the gods are also immortal.

The pantheon of a country or city was depicted as a royal court, with the king at its head and his royal entourage around him. The king of the gods chairs the assembly of the gods, just as a king is at the head of the council. The god lives as a king in a palace and sits there on his throne. An earthly temple was seen as an exact copy of the god’s heavenly temple. This meant the god was enthroned in heaven and on earth. Ordinary people approached the king of the gods with reverence and loyalty; in the same way that they would approach an earthly king.

In the Old Testament, the existence of other gods is not denied (see for example Judges 11:24). The idea that there is only one God stems from a later date. But Israel is forbidden from serving other gods. The God of Israel does not suffer other gods alongside himself (see for example Exodus 20:1-6). Gods other than the God of Israel are by definition foreign gods. Often the Bible speaks very generally of “the gods” or “foreign gods”. Sometimes they are mentioned by name.