Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence: Did Ancient Near Eastern Gods Have Them?

Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence: Did Ancient Near Eastern Gods Have Them?


When most people think of God, they imagine an all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present being. But these ideas—omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence—are not originally Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) concepts. They are largely a product of Greek philosophy that was later applied to the Hebrew God. Let’s unpack this.



How Ancient Near Eastern Gods Were Viewed


In civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Canaan, gods were incredibly powerful but limited in scope:


Marduk, the Babylonian chief god, battled chaos but did not have infinite power.


Ra, the Egyptian sun god, could be challenged by Apep, the serpent of chaos.


El, the Canaanite high god, presided over a council of gods and delegated authority; he was not omnipresent.



These gods often had territories or spheres of influence, were anthropomorphic, and sometimes were surprised or deceived. They had influence, not absolute control.



Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence: A Greek Innovation


The clear, philosophical concepts of “all-powerful,” “all-knowing,” and “everywhere” arise in classical Greek thought:


Plato and Aristotle described God as the ultimate actuality, perfect and unchanging.


Hellenistic philosophers emphasized a God who is outside time, logically unlimited, and perfectly rational.



When Greek philosophy encountered Judaism, thinkers like Philo of Alexandria applied these abstract traits to Yahweh. This is how the fully “omni” God became a core feature of later Jewish and Christian theology.



The Hebrew God: A Middle Ground


The Hebrew Bible presents a God who is supremely powerful, but still relational and narrative-driven:


Omnipresence: God is everywhere, but His presence is especially tied to the Temple (1 Kings 8:27).


Omniscience: God knows hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), yet sometimes deliberates or negotiates with humans (Genesis 18:16–33).


Omnipotence: God controls nature and nations but works through messengers and events, rather than acting immediately everywhere at once.



In other words, Yahweh has “omni” traits in narrative form, but not the abstract, infinite perfection seen in Greek philosophy.



Why This Matters


Many people assume that omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence are ancient universal ideas, but historically, they developed gradually. ANE gods were powerful yet finite, while the concept of a completely unlimited deity is a Greek intellectual import applied to Jewish and later Christian theology. Understanding this helps us see God not as a timeless idea, but as a concept that evolved across cultures, blending narrative, philosophy, and theology.



Conclusion 


ANE gods: powerful, local, finite, and often relational.


Hebrew God: supreme, narrative-driven, partially “omni,” but still interacts and deliberates.


Greek-influenced God: fully omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent in abstract perfection.



So, if you think “omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence” were a universal feature of all ancient religions, think again. These traits reflect philosophical evolution, not original ANE theology.


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