Shelby Morris

History 134
12.11.14

What can I, as an historian of the ancient world, learn and apply from the history of my
ancient ancestors to my own role in contributing to and acting responsibly for the betterment of
society? To answer this question I have to think about what significantly influenced an individual
from the ancient world to act responsibly and contribute towards society. For me this influence is
religion morals and tradition. In this paper I will address some of the influenced that religion and
its tradition and morals made to the people of 3 different historic times and how this differed and
is the same in todays society.
Religion is a major part in society today. Having or believing in a religion means you have the
belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
(Dictionary) In America today there are many religions but the three most prominent ones are
Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Christianity which accounts for 76.5% of the United States
population is the belief in the oral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New
Testament. Judaism which accounts for 1.3% is the belief is that the expression of the covenantal
relationship that God established with the Children of Israel. Islam accounts for 13.2% and is the
belief that a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah.
(Wikipedia)
The first religion Christianity had its rise during medieval Europe. During this time it
was called the Byzantine Empire. Political control gradually declined, distinctly Roman culture
continued long afterwards. Heraclius became the Emperor in Constantinople as the Persian
Empire is attempting the takeover of Byzantine civilization.(Evansville) This was during the fall
of Rome. As the political boundaries of the Roman Empire diminished and then collapsed in the
West, Christianity spread beyond the old borders of the Empire and into lands that had never

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History 134
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been under Rome. Beginning in the fifth century Christianity spread from Roman Britain to
Ireland.(Evansville) With the Muslim invasions of the seventh century, the West and East areas
of Christianity began to take on distinctive shapes. Although the greater number of Christians
remained in the East, the developments in the West would set the stage for major developments
in the Christian world.
The next religion is Islam, during this time a merchant by the name of Muhammad had
begun to preach of his religious visions in an attempt to proselytize (convert) the various Arabic
tribes and sway them from their regional polytheistic beliefs. (Explorethemed) During this time
Judaism, Christianity and even Zoroastrianism were all well-known and established. His
message was Islam and his followers would come to be known as Muslims and to understand
that the messages received were Arabic. This last message was the final form of the Abrahamic
religions. Muslims controlled Arabia and what is now Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, North
Africa, Spain and parts of southern France and stretched as far as the borders of China and India.
The last religion is Judaism, It was founded in the Middle East around 2000 B.C. and
1800 B.C. They believe in the Hebrew God who is portrayed as unitary and solitary. They use
the Torah as there foundational text. Judaism was founded is Israel during the time of Moses.
(Simpletoremember) During this time the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. Abraham is thought of as
the first Jew, the archetype. Judaism was believed to be the first major religion to teach a belief
in one God.
All these religions and the responsibilities and moral that accompany them all started in a
similar fashion. A person or a society that fought for the right to what they believed in. Along the
way people also realized that what they were preaching they also believed in. This is a running

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theme in todays and the past history. For Judaism We learn Jewish history not only to avoid the
mistakes of the past, but to understand where our destiny is taking us. (Simpletoremember)
There was and will always be a change in what people believe in. When it comes to religion this
has remained steady for the past decade. Religion and history go hand in hand. They both had
wars to get a dominant leader. They both evolved over time. The similar responsibilities and
morals are all the same too. Stay true to your religion and spread the great word about it.
So now the question What can I, as an historian of the ancient world, learn and apply
from the history of my ancient ancestors to my own role in contributing to and acting responsibly
for the betterment of society? When it comes to religion I have learned to value what people did
to fight for the religion they believed in. To protect the morals and responsibilities of that
religion. I l can take what I have learned and educate other as I myself was educated
So in conclusion there are three major religions that are prominent in todays society.
Those are Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Each religion has its own morals and tradition.
Christianity was the result in the fall of the Roman Empire. Islam was founded by Muhammad
and His message was Islam and his followers would come to be known as Muslims and to
understand that the messages received were Arabic. Judaism is the belief in the Hebrew God who
is portrayed as unitary and solitary. They use the Torah as there foundational text.

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History 134
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Work cited/bibliography

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"History of Judaism (crash Course)." History of Judaism. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
Http://eawc.evansville.edu/chronology/mepage.htm. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
"Islam." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
"Judaism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Dec. 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
"The Rise of Islam." The Rise of Islam. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
"Top 20 Religions in the US." Top 20 Religions in the US. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.