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ANCIENT GREEK AND HEBREW THOUGHT

"In the world, past and present, there are two major types of culture, the Hebrew (or eastern) culture and the Greek (or western) culture. Both of these cultures view their surroundings, lives, and purpose in ways which seem foreign to the other" (no author 2002 1). While most of the Hebrew culture has disappeared, except for a few Bedouin tribes, the essence of Judaism -- the idea of a single God, rather than a series of gods based on nature, war, and fear -- makes the essence of this so-called "Eastern" culture far more important -- certainly from a theological viewpoint -- today.

Perhaps the diminution of this so-called Eastern culture came to an end with the emergence of the new Greek culture in approximately 800 BC. When the Greeks pushed southward into ancient Israel, around 200 BC, there seemed to be a collision of the two cultures, with the Greek, or western, culture surviving.

One major difference between these two cultures was the fact that "Greek thought views the world through the mind (abstract thought). Ancient Hebrew thought views the world through the senses (concrete thought)" (no author 2002 1). According to the Ancient Hebrew Studies website (2002) some of the differences between these two cultures are:

Greek: Teach students to trust the state.

Hebrew: Teach children to trust God in everything.

Greek: Examine the world by classifying whole things into parts- removing them from their Creator

Greek: Immerse students in literature written by Greek philosophers

Hebrew: Teach children to love learning so they will become self-motivated, lifelong learners.

"Greek thought describes objects in relation to their appearance. Hebrew thought describes objects in relation to their function" (no author 2002 1). For example, Greek thought about a pencil might be "it is yellow and about 8 inches long". Hebrew thought would be related to its function: "I write words with it". So, in the Heb...

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ANCIENT GREEK AND HEBREW THOUGHT. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:01, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1706189.html