Discovery Channel - Out of Egypt (2009) Part 3 The Birth of the Devil

Secret societies, ritual sacrifice, brutal religious edicts, macabre burials. How are ancient civilizations linked together and what does it say about human instinct? Join Dr Kara Cooney, UCLA Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture, as she visits tombs and temples around the world bringing an exciting new perspective to the most fascinating riddles in history.

Part 3: The Birth of the Devil

The Ancient Egyptians practiced a complex religion of many gods, and yet they had no devil in their mythology. In fact, most ancient cultures had no conception of the devil. It's only with later, monotheistic beliefs that the notion of pure evil emerges, along with its embodiment, the devil. By examining a historic period of dramatic transition in religious beliefs, Egyptologist Dr. Kara Cooney pinpoints a moment that brought profound change to cultures all around the Mediterranean – a shift in politics and society that molded the very nature of divinity and beliefs still followed by many today.