Egypt And Mesopotamia Religion

Geography not only plays a part in the spread of a religion but also can be inspiration or reflection for the religion itself. Many societies have numerous deities inspired by the landscape in and around their civilization. However, I believe not all religions drew inspiration from the land they lived in.

The Mesopotamian and Hebrew societies lived in two very distinct sphere of influence, as they were Polytheist and monotheist, respectably. This difference ensured that each society would operate using different methods.

Religion in Western civilization has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in shaping and developing Western society. Regardless of the form of religion, such as polytheism or monotheism, people in ancient societies believed in a God or Gods. This belief in a higher power was an important part of human progression and expansion. Religion was the backbone of Western civilization and has always been a very important foundation of culture, schooling, philosophy, art, and social interaction. Before Judaism and Christianity, philosophers such as Aristotle ponder the thought of a higher power and in his book Metaphysics wrote about eternal motion was an unmoved mover. Throughout time and from the expansion of ancient people, new religions formed from the thoughts of morality and virtue. With the help

Mesopotamia is one of the earliest civilizations in the world; hence it is called the cradle of civilization. Located between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, Mesopotamia is the perfect word for this region since Mesopotamia also means the land between rivers. These two rivers created the Fertile Crescent which was surrounded by barren territories. People in this area gave up hunting and gathering and instead slowly shifted into agricultural means of getting food to help them survive. They started domesticating animals and planted their own crops. They began building houses for themselves which were primarily composed of reeds or mud bricks. Granaries, built by the people in Mesopotamia, were the place where they stored extra grains from their

The civilizations that flourished in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Palestine were located in river valleys or along the Mediterranean coast. These civilizations developed highly complex cultures that shared many common characteristics.

Religion was one of the most important and influential aspect of the ancient Egyptians’ lives. Religious impact affected almost everything in Ancient Egypt from the most important to very minor thing. Ancient Egyptian literature, philosophy, art and also governance had religious sense. Egyptian religion developed from simple polytheism to philosophic monotheism. Ancient Egyptian religion also has a great influence on government, medicine, art, and by means of these factors influenced Egyptians as well. The religious beliefs centered on the worship of numerous deities who signified various features of ideas, nature and purposes of power. Religion played a part in every aspect of the lives of the ancient Egyptians because life on earth was seen as only one part of an eternal journey, and in order to continue that journey after death, one needed to live a life worthy of continuance. So, the information about what did religion affect and how did religion affect the lives of the ancient Egyptians will be provided in this paper.

Our government is based on a theocracy. A theocracy is a government in which the religious authority rules. This person who rules Egypt is the pharaoh. The pharaoh is considered to be godlike and have ka, or an eternal life force. Besides being religiously involved, he is also responsible for the government, army, and justice of the kingdom. We believe that he is responsible for the Nile’s flow, sun rise, etc. Famous pharaohs are Tutankhamun and Cleopatra. This government system is better than others because it easier to obtain control, laws or orders are applied more quickly, and social reform can be created more efficiently.

Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt were two early human civilizations that lived during the bronze age in harsh desert environments located not far from each other. Both civilizations were built around rivers that they depended on for survival. There is evidence that these rivers had great influence on both the societies politics and culture. Egypt was built around the very strong and reliable Nile River. Ancient Mesopotamia was established in the fertile crescent between the less reliable Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. During the bronze age both Ancient Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians developed forms of religion that highly reflected their habitat. They had many similarities in their politics even though they had completely different forms of government. Both societies were also known for their discoveries in art and technology. They developed their own forms of writing, different tools and architecture.

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life” (Buddha). Throughout different time periods religion has impacted the society in which people live. Religion has and continues to dictate the rules citizens have to follow in all areas, especially social, educational, and political. Religion influences morals, values, and people’s identities. Many people turn to religion for not just spiritual answers, but for guidance and help in everyday life. Religion also affects the inner workings of a society. However, religion has evolved with time. In earlier societies, only one religion was usually allowed and accepted. In Salem Massachusetts during the Witch Trials, every citizen had to be seen as a good Christian. In this case, religion determined whether or not a person was good and trustworthy. Currently, all religions are accepted and many do not judge others based upon it. For

Civilization is the cooperation between individuals within a region. The first civilizations were Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. Both civilizations acquired a different environment. However, their environment promoted religion, specifically polytheism. Although their environments were different, both civilizations were in harmony about the existence of many gods. Religion played an important role in civilization as government laws and divine kingship derived from it. Both civilizations were quite similar, but acquired some differences unique to each civilization. These differences include the environment, divine kingship, and sense of security from either nature or law. The idea and practices of ancient Mesopotamia originated from the Sumerians. Moreover, both Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization diffused their practices and ideas to other ancient civilizations like the Hebrews and the Greeks. The laws from the Mesopotamian civilization were diffused into the Hebrew civilization as the Exodus. Both Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization also influenced the Greeks with the idea that the gods were in control of the fate of humans and the environment. In addition, the Greek idea of gods evolved, which was not identical to both Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations.

Religions have greatly shaped their followers' lives by their origin stories, societal teachings, and tone in their writings. Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are different in their attitudes and creation stories, but similar in their social impacts.

Each age had it religion: Greece had many gods who behaved in humanly ways, Rome adopted the Greece gods but changed and added to them and also adopted Christianity, Gupta India was based on Hinduism and made it more personal, Han China adopted ethical systems of Confucius and Olmec worshiped Jaguar spirits. Religion has an impact on the way Classical the Ages lived. Religion effected the laws of the people, each religion has their own laws and rules to follow. Religion effected the way these people live, the way the people lived effects the territory and the ability to expand.

Religion affects the lives of its followers socially. Religion impacts the way people treat others. For example, The Ten Commandments are 10 beneficial laws that were created by God to help us live a better life. These 10 laws were apart of Christianity and Judaism. One of the commandments is, “You shall not covet” (Document 1).

Preliminary Thesis Statement: Religion is an essential constituent of any civilization with a unique spiritual pathway.

Religion matters because in ancient times, the people looked towards the gods as a source of answers to their questions, especially in matters of agriculture. Some religions even believed in sacrifices and rituals to appease the gods in order to have a successful harvest.