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Environment and Religion in
Egypt and Mesopotamia
Topography in Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: “The land between the rivers” which are the Tigris and Euphrates
• In modern day Iraq—now much of it is desert, but near the rivers it is lush
• the plain between them is full of fertile silt from floods
• contains or is bordered by mountains, deserts, and the Persian Gulf
Topography in Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Egypt: “The Gift of the Nile”--90% desert after 3000 B.C.E.
• The drying up process in Egypt gradually forced people to move closer to the
Nile
• predictable flooding of the Nile created a strip of rich, black soil for agriculture
Climate in Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: hot, arid (dry), requires irrigation
•The Nile flooded unpredictably, so climate did not direct agriculture the same
as in Egypt.
Egypt: hot, sunny, favorable to agriculture.
•Nile flooded in September for grain agriculture
•Papyrus reeds grew for sails, ropes, and paper
• before 3000 B.C.E. the Sahara was mild and wet, gradually drying up and
forcing human migration to the Nile Valley
Urban Geography in Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: Farmers lived in small villages of a few hundred people (this
provided protection, marriage partners, and sharing of resources)
• this formed an urban center where people in the city depended on the
outlying agriculture for survival (people inside the city had specialized jobs)
• in return, the city provided protection to the outlying areas
• This relationship between a self-governing urban center and the outlying
areas it controlled was called a city-state.
• the city maintained irrigation networks
• the temple is usually found in the center of the city, the king somewhere less
prominent, suggesting the later arrival of an official ruler
Urban Geography in Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Egypt: Ruling dynasties usually put their capitals near their original power base.
• Memphis (near Cairo) was the capital during the Old Kingdom
• Thebes was the capital during the Middle and New Kingdoms
• Egypt was a land of villages without real cities because everything was an
extension of the palace and central administration.
• Compared with Mesopotamia, far more Egyptians lived in farming villages
• tombs were located on the edge of the desert, freeing up land for farming—this
includes the pyramids.
Government Structure in Egypt
and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: originally ruled by the priests
• eventually a ruler we’d call a king replaced the priests as rulers and was backed
by the army
• some kings claimed divinity but that never lasted like in Egypt
• eventually the king was responsible for upkeep and building temples, city walls,
irrigation, and keeping justice.
Egypt: ruled by the Pharaoh under divine kingship
•The government included bureaucrats who kept track of land, labor, products,
people, and taxes
• low level officials, local leaders and other professionals made up the next class
in the government
Social Structure in Egypt & Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: very pronounced social divisions:
1) Free land-owning class included royalty, high ranking officials, warriors,
priests
2) Dependent farmers and artisans legally attached to others
3) Slaves
•
It seems like women lost social status with agriculture and become lower
class citizens, not on the level of slaves.
Egypt: less pronounced than in Mesopotamia
1) Pharaoh by divine kingship—was considered a god on earth who ensured
the welfare and prosperity of the country. Low level officials followed in
class in the government.
2) peasants—vast majority of population made up lowest class, devoted to
agriculture
3) Slavery was very limited
•
women seem to have enjoyed more rights and privileges than in
Mesopotamia
Laws in Egypt and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: Hammurabi’s Code
• this written code of law was the most important in Mesopotamia
• based on strict social divisions with severe punishments according
to class
Egypt: The Pharaoh
• Since the Pharaoh ruled by divine kingship he maintained ma’at, or
the authorized order of the universe.
• The Pharaoh acted as the link between gods and people, so no
written laws were necessary.
• women and men could own property, divorce, inherit and will
property
Religious Beliefs/Rituals in Egypt
and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: gods embodied nature and were seen as human-like
• public, state organized religion-priests tended to the images of gods
every day
• ziggurats seem to have religious significance
• amulets have been found on bodies—charms meant to protect the
wearer
• festivals were many and popular with all classes
• the unpredictable flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates led people to
worship nature in fear of it
Religious Beliefs/Rituals in Egypt
and Mesopotamia
Egypt: Again, the Pharaoh was seen as a god on earth, or at the very least a
link between gods and people
•Built temples and tombs to win the favor of gods
•Local deities were celebrated in festivals
• household gods were popular, especially those of fertility and happiness
• Egyptians had a huge belief in the afterlife, the journey there was taken
seriously
• The Egyptian Book of the Dead contained the details of burial rituals
• mummies
Cosmic Order in Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: the universe is unpredictable and should be feared
• the Babylonian Creation Myth says Marduk and Tiamat (sea) fought. Marduk
cut up Tiamat and from her body made the sky and the earth, celestial bodies
and humans
• everything Mesopotamians did was to make order of this and appease the
gods to promote better agriculture and fertility.
• People are always at the mercy of the gods, who embody the forces of
nature.
Egypt: The earth is in cycles of renewal (based on the predictable flooding of
the Nile)
• the sky was a great ocean surrounding the world, the Sun god Re traversed
in a boat all day and went to the underworld at night
• the predictability of the Nile helped Egyptians feel the world was a
predictable, benevolent place.