The philosopher teaches Sophie about the two most influential cultures on modern society, the Indo-European and the Semitic. Indo-European culture is reflected in that of ancient Greece, with its emphasis on sight. The visual representation of the gods was a major focus, resulting in visual arts—painting, sculpture, and so on—that are still evident. The Semitic culture, mainly through the Jews, was centered around hearing. The Scriptures speak about "hearing the word of God" and discourage visual representations of the holy.
Knox then reviews with Sophie the history of Israel,...
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