Moon over Sun? The Religion of the Ancients

The Bible repeatedly warns against bowing down to the sun, moon, and stars. These warnings are due to the widespread culture of people worshipping these celestial bodies as gods. In the ancient Near East, the practice of regarding and worshipping the sun, moon, and stars as deities was extensive.

One of the two routes from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia was the inland 'King's Highway.' This road passed through present-day Jordan and was an important trade route used by ancient pilgrims and students for field studies.

The Bethany area of the Jordan River in Jordan, known as the site of Jesus' baptism, was once crowded with pilgrims from around the world. However, due to war, pilgrim traffic has ceased, leaving it quiet. The Jordan River's water volume has decreased, its color has turned yellowish-brown, and its width has narrowed compared to the past, while the Dead Sea is also gradually shrinking.

On a stele discovered in Turkey, a crescent moon shape is depicted as the moon god 'Sin.' Scholars also argue that there is a historical connection between the crescent symbol of Islam and the crescent symbol of the ancient moon god 'Sin.' The crescent moon was one of the important symbols of the moon god 'Sin.'

Today, in East Asia, the yin-yang concept generally associates the sun with masculinity and the moon with femininity. However, in ancient Mesopotamia, it was the opposite: the moon was a male deity, and the sun was initially worshipped as a female deity. This gender perception illustrates ancient people's different views of nature compared to modern times.

One important reason why ancient peoples preferred the moon over the sun was the computational convenience of the lunar calendar. The moon's cycle is 28 days, which exactly matches the 7-day week, making it easy to calculate time. Since four weeks completed one lunar cycle, it was much easier to observe and track than the sun. Nomads also found it useful for navigation and planning their movements by the moon in the night sky.

In Hebrew, 'Shemesh,' meaning 'sun,' was used in its feminine form in ancient times. However, as social systems developed and sun worship became a dominant belief, 'Shemesh' transformed into a masculine form. Scholars refer to this process as the 'gender transformation of the sun god,' citing it as an example of how the perception of a deity's gender changed alongside shifts in belief systems.

In Mesopotamian cultures like Babylonia, the crescent moon was considered more important than the full moon. The full moon was seen as having passed its peak and beginning to wane. In contrast, the crescent moon was perceived as a symbol of growth and hope, signifying the moon god regaining strength and starting anew. The appearance of the crescent moon marked the point when the moon god began to rise again.

The first day of each month, the New Moon, was considered the most important day in moon god worship. Many festivals in the ancient Near East, especially in Mesopotamia, were held based on the lunar New Moon. This shows that the moon's cycle was deeply rooted in daily life and religious rituals.

Nabonidus, the last king of Neo-Babylonia, sought to curb the corrupt Marduk priests who were at the center of power. He tried to establish a new royal theology by promoting moon god (Sin) worship instead of the corrupt Marduk cult. However, the Marduk priests, who opposed these religious reforms, conspired with opposing forces, including King Cyrus of Persia. Ultimately, Nabonidus's reforms failed, and Babylonia fell due to foreign invasion.

In the ancient Near East, it was generally customary for women not to leave records. However, Adad-guppi, the mother of Babylonian King Nabonidus, broke this custom and left several records. She personally inscribed prayers asking the moon god for the protection of the dynasty, which is important evidence showing that moon god worship was widespread among both the common people and the ruling class at the time. Adad-guppi's records are also a rare example of glimpsing the voice of an ancient woman.

In 2 Kings 4:23, a husband asks his wife, "Why are you going to him today? It is not the New Moon or the Sabbath." This verse suggests that in ancient Israelite society, the New Moon and the Sabbath were considered special days for visiting prophets.

There is a scene where David, speaking with Jonathan, says, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; and your seat will be empty, and your father will miss you." This shows that attending the royal New Moon feast was an essential custom for a prince. The New Moon was more than just a date; it held significant social and ritual meaning.

Throughout the ancient Near East, various activities and rituals were performed on the New Moon. Even if not direct moon worship, the New Moon was an important day where religious faith and cultural customs intertwined. This can be interpreted as having become a cultural habit beyond religious meaning, similar to visiting religious facilities on modern holidays.

Isaiah 1:13 records prophets saying, "New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies!" criticizing formal sacrifices and Sabbath observance. This conveys a warning against performing religious rituals outwardly without sincerity. The prophets emphasized genuine worship from the heart rather than mere show.

Even after the establishment of monotheism following the Babylonian exile, the New Moon rituals did not completely disappear. The temple liturgy regulations recorded in Nehemiah include regular offerings on the New Moon. This shows that the New Moon persisted throughout Israelite history as a cultural trace, both formally and substantially, for a long time.

Some scholars propose the hypothesis that the name Mount Sinai is derived from the moon god 'Sin.' According to this hypothesis, 'Sin' in 'Sinai' means the moon god, and 'ai' is interpreted as 'my,' leading to the meaning 'my moon god.' This raises the possibility that Mount Sinai may have historical connections with moon god worship, but it remains a hypothesis with counterarguments within academia.

The moon god worship, widely believed in ancient Near Eastern regions like Ur, is presumed to have been introduced into the Canaan region by Abraham and his group. In this way, the moon god culture spread along Abraham's migration path, and subsequently coexisted within Israelite history, formally and substantively, for a long period, leaving cultural traces.