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In Indo-European religion, the most powerful god was *Dyews, literally "sky" (later became Zeus in Greek, Jupiter in Latin). I think it has to do with the fact
by kgeist 3y ago
In Indo-European religion, the most powerful god was *Dyews, literally "sky" (later became Zeus in Greek, Jupiter in Latin). I think it has to do with the fact that "a sky god" influences a lot more things than other gods: the sky gives rain (harvest etc.), its sun gives warmth, it gives light, and the sky is literally always right above you, as if watching. Abrahamic religions referring to god as someone in the skies could have been a remnant from previous polytheistic religions where the sky god was the most dominant god.
- triyambakam 3y agoAha, that's very helpful and interesting, thank you
- satiric 3y agoYahweh also originated as an Israelite warrior storm god, later merging with the head of the Canaanite pantheon El (from whom we get the word Elohim). And it makes sense to think of the storm god as in the sky.