Analyze the ancient Hebrews and the development of monotheism — including the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) as both a religious text and a historical text, the biblical narrative of Abraham + Moses + the Exodus from Egypt + the Davidic kingdom + the Babylonian Exile + the Second Temple period, and the survival of the Jewish people through diaspora after the destruction of the Second Temple by Rome in 70 CE
Exercise
Difficulty 2
~4 min
hist.g6.f.ex_20
Definition
Prompt
Define monotheism. How does it differ from polytheism (e.g., Egyptian religion in Lesson 5-6 OR Mesopotamian religion in Lesson 3-4)?
How it's presented
mode
text
Answer criteria
type
rubric scored writing
rubric
3 stars: defines monotheism (belief in ONE universal God) + contrasts with polytheism (belief in MANY gods) + names at least one polytheistic ancient religion. 2 stars: definition + contrast. 1 star: definition only. 0: incorrect.
Hints
- Mono = one; Poly = many.
- Hebrew monotheism developed in a polytheistic ancient world.
Misconceptions to watch
- Confusing monotheism with henotheism (worship of one god while acknowledging others)
- Treating the Hebrew Bible as the first monotheistic text — Akhenaten's Aten reform c. 1353 BCE preceded it
Used in lessons