Imperial cult

An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title), are worshipped as demigods or deities. “Cult” here is used to mean “worship,” not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult may be one of personality in the case of a newly arisen Euhemerus figure or one of national identity (e.g., Egyptian Pharaoh, Ethiopian Empire or Empire of Japan) or supranational identity in the case of a multi-ethnic state (e.g., Imperial Era China, Roman Empire). A divine king is a monarch who is held in a special religious significance by his subjects, and serves as both head of state and a deity or head religious figure. This system of government combines theocracy with an absolute monarchy.

The Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs were, throughout ancient Egyptian history, believed to be incarnations of the god Horus; thereby derived by being the son of Osiris, the afterlife deity, and Isis, goddess of marriage.

In Imperial China, an emperor was considered the Son of Heaven. The scion and representative of heaven on earth, he was the ruler of all under heaven, the bearer of the Mandate of Heaven, his commands considered sacred edicts. A number of legendary figures preceding the proper imperial era of China also hold the honorific title of emperor, such as the Yellow Emperor and the Jade Emperor.

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Author: Wikipedia

Keywords: Imperial cult, Roman emperor, Roman empire, Ancient Rome, Julio-Claudian dynasty, Julius Caesar, Julius Cesar, Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Claudius Nero, Nero Germanicus, Tiberius, Tiberius Caesar, Octavius Caesar, Augustus, Caesar Augustus, Agustus, Cesar Augustus, Cesar, Caesar, Kaiser, Kaisar, Roman ruler, Roman king, King of the Romans, Caesar worship, Worship Caesar, Offer incense to Caesar, Domitian, Imperial worship, Emperor worship, Emperor, State religion, Mark of the beast

Bible reference(s): Matthew 22:17, Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:14, Mark 12:17, Luke 2:1, Luke 3:1, Luke 20:22, Luke 20:25, Luke 23:2, John 19:12, John 19:15, 1 Corinthians 8:5

Source: This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Imperial cult,” which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

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