Difference between gods and humans
According to Segal, in the Hebrew Bible, the difference between gods and humans is based on the degree of the capabilities and not on the kind. For instance, it is developed that gods know more than humans but cannot be defined to be all-knowing. Moreover, gods can be more powerful than humans, and even though humans are not limited. They can develop and become gods. Segal believes that God is not omnipresent in the Hebrew bible. For instance, the incidence of the garden of Eden is not anticipated by God (43). Furthermore, the difference between gods and humans is that they have qualities of all kinds, unlike humanity. Segal further believes that heroism has the capacity of transforming ordinary individuals to become gods. It is through their ability to be celebrated in society and show capabilities that make humans treat them like gods. An example is a prophet Muhammad and Shakespeare, the hero in the poetry (Segal 46). Therefore, such heroes can transform to become gods through conferring them with divine qualities such as physical attributes and other intangible attributes such as intelligence.
The story of Jesus walking on water is projected as a new miracle in the Mediterranean world. It was, in most instances, associated with some form of stories among the Greeks and Roman myths. They were used to water running and riding, and the levitation of the miracle of Jesus to walk on water was projected as a new miracle. The Greek concept of physics was associated with superhuman speed and motion waves that enabled one to float on water (McPhee 765). The idea of walking on water was different hence, portrayed as a new miracle in the Mediterranean world.
In the legend of Sundiata, prophecy is very significant. They played the role of warning individuals about the evil acts that would result in causalities in the future. Prophets also had divine power to prophesy the about future actions such as the return of the king. For instance, they had projected the arrival of two hunters to the king with an ugly woman who would be married to the king as she would give birth to the greatest king ever. The prophets thus played the role of ensuring that the prophecy was honored in the land. It is worth indicating that Sundiata’s transformation is associated with divine inspiration to become a hero of the land. Sundiata transforms from an underachiever in the land to become a great hero through the inspiration by his mother that he would reclaim the kingdom and get back his griot and half-sister. Moreover, divine inspiration is evident through the manner he meets the baobab leave sellers and later transforms to command an army to reclaim the kingdom.
The sacrifices that Sundiata sort to make involved slaughtering of 100 oxen, 100 rams, and 100 cocks for purposes of helping him to garner supernatural powers to defeat Soumaoro. Hence, it is worth depicting that the divine power that was attained from the offering sacrifices, especially the cocks, gave him the authority to overcome Soumaoro. The cock that was divine power to destroy Soumaoro was manipulated by Sundiata, in the end, destroying him and winning the war. Sundiata is, therefore, projected to rise from an underachiever to a hero through the divine powers. The council soothsayers that harnessed supernatural powers contribute to his tremendous victory in the end.
References
McPhee, B. D. “Walk, Don’t Run: Jesus’s Water Walking Is Unparalleled in Greco-Roman
Mythology.” The University of North Carolina. Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 135,
No. 4 (Winter 2016), pp. 763-777.
Segal, Robert. “The Blurry Line Between Humans and Gods.” Numen, Vol. 60, No. 1, Special
Issue: The Gods as Role Models in Western Traditions (2013), pp. 39-53
The Kennedy Center ARTSEDGE. “Sundiata: Lion King of Mali.” Pp. 1-3.