Other ancient peoples, including the Egyptians, practiced circumcision?!? I thought the whole point of circumcision was to set the Hebrews apart from the pagans around them, and they got the idea for circumcision direct from God, yet evidence abounds that others engaged in this rite!
2007-09-08 06:05:11 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Ten thousand years before Ibrahim "circumcised" himself with a hatchet, some tribes of east Africa were mutilating their penises to look like those of baboons, which they held to be sacred. From east Africa, the practice spread north into Egypt, where the Hebrew adopted it, and then east into Arabia. Now 15,000 years later some people are still altering their baby boys to look like ground dwelling apes. The only doubtful part of this is the existence of Ibrahim, some scholars now believe this person never existed and that "circumcision" story was fabricated by the priests in about 550 BC.
2007-09-08 15:25:27 · answer #1 · answered by cut50yearsago 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
No, that's not the point of circumcision. First of all, a brit milah and a circumcision are two different things. The brit milah is a ceremony that includes performing a circumcision, but it's much more than that.
The brit milah is the sign of the Covenant between G-d and the Jewish people. It's not to set them apart, but it has many other religious and kabbalistic explanations.
As for other cultures practicing it, well it was given to Abraham and Abraham went to Egypt. It's a common myth to say that circumcision was adopted by the Hebrews from the Egyptians when in reality is the other way around. There's nothing in Jewish law that rejects other faiths from being circumcised, it's not the same as having a brit milah.
As for the poster above me, bunch of lies coming from obvious bitterness. Not an ounce of truth in that reply.
2007-09-10 15:34:46 · answer #2 · answered by Lovemybabies 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Circumcision was the mark of the covenant with the Hebrew people, not just Jews. It began with Abraham who was not a Jew but was the ancestor of the Jews. The Hebrew people went to Egypt after Joseph became the supreme ruler, next only to Pharoah himself. I noticed when reading the history of Egypt that they wore very plain clothing, then about the time or shortly after Joseph rule, they began wearing colorful clothing. When Joseph became ruler he probably wore clothing of color, (his father made him a coat of many colors) and since he was looked up to and respected as the movie stars of today are, people adopted his dress. I have heard that this coat of many colors was a tartan plaid that later peoples wore to identify which tribe they descended from. In the desert in China the remains of a woman and her servant were dug up, the dry sand had preserved the bodies and clothing. The woman had yellow hair and wearing the plaid.
There were many converts to the worship of the one true God everywhere the Hebrew people went and they adopted the rite of circumcision, also the servants of the Hebrews were circumcized...it has reached into all regions whether pagan or not. Besides this if the religions of the world are traced back to it's roots you will find that all religions began with the worship of one God.
2007-09-08 13:59:57 · answer #3 · answered by soterion 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
So if you BBQ and tailgate at a football game, its meaningless because others do it?
That argument makes little sense.
But your point is well taken. There are many things that gave the Jews a separate identity including circumcision, but none moreso than Gods very own revelation and presence.
2007-09-08 13:30:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Circumcision is only one law of many laws that set the Jews apart from their neighbors at the time.
This is the true meaning, I think, of "do not covet your neighbor's etc..."
That was written in a time when the neighbors were people like Canannites and Egyptians who the Jews were trying to overcome.
It was not a reference to your nice neighbors next door in the suburbs!
2007-09-08 13:09:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Where do you think the Egyptians got the idea from? The Jews were there for 430 years!
2007-09-08 13:22:31 · answer #6 · answered by firebyknight 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Maybe they realized that my having circumcision, you don't run the risk of having an infection in an area that could cause a lot of problems... Circumcision, after all, wasn't copyrighted.
2007-09-08 13:18:43 · answer #7 · answered by Tony C 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I guess God must have taught the Egyptians that before the Hebrews.
2007-09-08 13:12:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
It was a covenant with the Jews and God
2007-09-08 13:09:08 · answer #9 · answered by sego lily 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
God gave the instruction to Abraham. he visited Egypt several times before Joseph took Israel there. do you think they could have copied the Israelites.
Jacobs descendants were in egypt 400 years no wonder they have records of the practice.
2007-09-08 13:10:20 · answer #10 · answered by Mim 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋