Mesopotamians and Egyptians believed that deities intervene again really in human affairs and that proper cultivation of the Gods was an important community responsibility. Before the creation of Egypt, Mesopotamia inhabitants have had the idea of worship in their lives for decades. With majority of the population of Mesopotamia being polytheistic (meaning believing in more than one “God”) there were many “gods” that were based on natural objects. One noted example of these worshipped “gods” was the “god of air” named Enlil, which he was considered one of the most powerful “god” in the Sumerian States. With having more than one “god” being worshipped by the people, many religions have been created in the future to be carried on to the other society, Egypt.
Mesopotamia and Egypt were early river valley civilizations. Archaeologists have discovered an incredible amount of information about them, and in that research many similarities and differences about the civilization’s religions stood out. Both Mesopotamian and Egyptian religions were polytheistic and believed in an afterlife, however Mesopotamians viewed gods as human-like and had grim views of life after death, while Egyptians viewed gods as a cross between humans and animals and had brighter views concerning their afterlife. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt were polytheistic civilizations. Mesopotamians believed in gods such as Utu, the sun god, and Ereshkigal, the god of the afterlife (Mesopotamia ppt).
Yet the relationship shared in religious views between Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt was very different. They both believed in gods and afterlife, but their characterization was very much unalike. Differences in their religious believes serving ones’ individual needs were important in demonstrating the religious impact in Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian Civilizations. Therefore, I shall discusses the geography, government, and art in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt civilizations. Geography played a big role in both Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian civilization.
Mesopotamia and Egypt are in different worlds, both of which have different cultures compared to one another. Although their cultures were different, they did have similarities. For example, they both had a similar form of writing and both were excellent with science and technology. They both established civilization “marked by an advanced stage of artistic and technological development and by corresponding social and political complexities” (Fagan 1). From the help of “symbolizations, specializations, and organization,” it “enable[d] civilized societies[Egypt and Mesopotamia] to extend greater control over their environments” (Fagan 1).
Ancient Egyptian Practices and Beliefs Ancient Egyptian culture was comprised of numerous, rich practices and beliefs. The Ancient Egyptians believed in magic or heka which in their eyes created the world, healed them from their ailments, as well as gave them life after death. The Egyptians also had very structured practices when it came to temples and pyramids which served as places of worship for deceased pharaohs and places where images of the gods were displayed. Finally, the Egyptians also had set funeral practices that influenced their ways of life. Heka was a very important aspect in the Ancient Egyptians lives.
The Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Greek civilizations are some of the world’s oldest civilizations that thrived due to the influence and effort of various important characters. However, each of these civilizations had one key character without which the civilization would not have flourished as much at it did. For the Mesopotamian civilization, Hammurabi was an important character because he was the first person ever to create and write down a ‘Code Of Law’. In the Egyptian civilization, Osiris was one character who was very influential because he is the main reason the Egyptians believe in the afterlife. For the Greek civilization, Alexander was very significant because he was the one who spread the Greek culture around the world.
Intellectual seeking’s were valued greatly across Mesopotamia. The schools were said to be “as numerous as temples and taught reading, writing, religion, law, medicine, and astrology.” Over 1000 divinities in the pantheon of the gods in the Mesopotamian cultures with many stories concerning the gods. It’s generally credited to the Mesopotamian lore that biblical tales like “the Fall of Man” and “the Flood of Noah,” since they are appeared in Mesopotamian works like “The Myth of Adapa” and “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Mesopotamians believed they’re coworkers with gods and that their land is infused with spirits and demons. Mesopotamians believed that the beginning of the world was “a victory by the gods over the forces of
Usually men would inherit property, money, or other values. They both had organized and centralized religion. The Ancient Israelites and the Mesopotamians were also different in many ways. One way was that the Israelites practiced monotheism, while the Mesopotamian s practiced polytheism. Also, Mesopotamians laws was based on the Hammurabi's Code.
Hence, almost the entire Egyptian culture was built around the Nile and its operation. Moreover, the tomb painting in Document E depicts all aspects of Egyptian life being surrounded by the blue waters of the Nile. This demonstrates how much the Egyptians revered the Nile, to a point that they included it in something as holy as a tomb. Thus, even they knew that all parts of Egyptian life connected to the Nile, no matter how rich, poor, young, or old the person was. This idea is furthered in the belief that "heaven in Ancient Egypt was called the Field of Reeds .
The legal status of women in society, the different roles that each unique nation’s women played, and the possible education permitted and occupations available to these women will be discussed, as well as, their domestic atmospheres will be critically compared in this short essay to demonstrate the different treatment (if there were a difference) of women in both these imposing periods of ancient history. 2. Economic and legal standing Both the Roman and Egyptian societies in the ancient world were predominately ruled by the male gender, men were the rulers and lawmakers, in ancient Egypt, however, women were their own mistress and were accorded the same legal rights as men from the same social class. When it came to property and locus standi, women in Egypt enjoyed similar freedom in performing legal acts as women do in today’s modern society. All landed property was passed down through the female line, from mother to daughter.