Nowicki, Stefan2023-05-082023-05-082010Scripta Biblica et Orientalia, 2010, T. 2, s. s. 37-48.2081-8416http://theo-logos.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/6892The aim of this article is to discuss the role of so-called private religion in the life of the Ancient Near Eastern peoples. The most important question in this matter is the origins and basic form of this kind of religion, especially its cult and private gods. These gods seem to be remains of the tribal life, where the cult of ancestors as well as protective deities was regarded the most important for the survival of family, society and tribe. There is a high probability that the state religion had originated from the private religion of those families, which later became royal, so their religion also turned into official religion of their states. We can also assume that, independently from existing different forms of private religion, “common religion” was growing up within developing societies, especially sedentists and farmers. By common religion we should understand all forms of the cults of natural powers, which are essential for those societies. The questions mentioned at the end of this article are the phenomenons of replacing private religion by official gods in the last centuries of Ancient Near Eastern civilizations and an absolute unique phenomenon of the Israeli’s religion, which, unlike all the others, has developed into monotheism.plAttribution 3.0 Polandhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/pl/bóstwabogowiekultkult domowykult państwowykult oficjalnykult prywatnystarożytnośćWschódstarożytny Wschódreligiaźródła historycznedeitiesgodscultdomestic worshipstate worshipofficial worshipprivate worshipantiquityEastancient Eastreligionhistorical sourcesArticle