- Understanding of God changed over time and still changing.

- Pagans used to call Jews, Christians and Muslims, atheists - because their notion of the sacred was so different.

- 'We cannot be as religious as our ancestors - our perspective has entirely changed. We've looked at the world from outer space for example' - Karen Armstrong.

NOTES from the documentary

- 'Each generation has the task of looking back at its traditions, looking back at its scriptures, looking at its own peculiar and unique circumstances and making a creative jump to apply the past traditions to the problem of the present.' - Karen Armstrong.

- Pagans were polytheist people who believed in many gods. It was attractive because:
- gods were near to them
- it was an immediate presence in life
- no struggle to see them

- Catholicism with saints - polythiests
- St Agatha

- 4000 years, monotheism emerged in the Land of Canaan in ancient middle east. Inhabitants: Canaanites . Chief god: El. El's son and daughter: Ba'al and Anat.

- Abraham worshiped El when he first came to Canaan- he didn't bring his own gods as they weren't effective in this new land.

- He was the first monotheist.

- His relationship with God was very similar to his neighbors' relationships with their pagan gods - the Bible suggests.

- Sacrifice: stress the interrelationship between God and human being. God often being the flesh of the animal being killed - 'share a meal with God'

- If you really mean it, there should be something you should give for it. WHy do people die in battle? Why do people give their life to save another?

- there was a time when human sacrifice was needed. Abraham was put to this task by God.

- Jacob : Grandson of Abraham and last of the biblical patriarchs.

- in the ancient world: to know someones name, gave you power over them.

Apparently, God takes a 'new' form:
He becomes different to how he was with the Biblical Patriarchs.

- 3600 years ago - famine struck Canaan. Jacob sought food with family in Egypt. Other Canaanites did too. Egyptians forced them into slavery.

- After 400 years, Moses told to lead the Israelites', decedents of Jacob out of Egypt by God. At the end, Moses asked: What is your name? and God answered: 'I am what I am.' Exodus 3:14.

Ya'qub wrote:

Woody, while this is interesting, be aware that this is a Judeo-Christian history of the prophets (as) that is being resented. A lot of things that they believe about the prophets we would find blasphemous.

Thanks. I was aware that they were Judeo-Christian history of the Prophets. I was simply just writing notes whilst watching because I erm tend to do that. Thought it might be useful for me put it up here too. But if it might be taken the wrong way, I'll keep the notes to myself.

I still haven't finished watching this.