Similarities Between Egypt And Mesopotamia
Rebecca Jones
Dr. Hoefferle
GPS 120-8
9/13/15
Informal Writing Assignment
In my paper I would like to discuss with you the similarities and the differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt, while they may in fact be different I believe that they are very similar to each other. Maybe because they are so close together in time and very little has had a chance to evolve into something new.
Mesopotamia became the world’s first complex society in 3rd Millennium BCE. The Greek meaning of the word ‘Mesopotamia’ means between two rivers and they have earned that name from being located within the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It can also be known as modern day Iraq, Sira, and Southeast Turkey. Due to Mesopotamia’s agricultural land, water and easy …show more content…
Egypt grew out along the banks of the Nile River, and many people that migrated there came from either the Eastern and Western deserts of Sinai and Libya, or from the Mediterranean. These people came from complex cities and settled down down along the Nile creating their own unique culture which in turn created a prosperous state. Due to the fact that literacy was well established by this time, Egypt then became a scribal culture. Many Egyptians were trained as scribes to work in the king’s court, the army, or the Priesthood. They used two forms of writing, elaborate hieroglyphs and hieratic writing. Between the two, hieratic writing was more popular and was used for record keeping, writing letters, and works of literature. The moment literacy was learned by the people, both Sumerians and Egyptians began drafting historical records and literary compositions. Most writing was used for commemorative and religious purposes. Now speaking of religion, Egyptian beliefs were not so different from Mesopotamian beliefs. In fact, that were quite similar. In Egypt, every religion had its resident god, and most gods seemed to evolve into single dietes. Just like Mesopotamia most religious practices often occurred in main …show more content…
In this source, dating back to 2375-2345 BCE, hieroglyphs were found in Pharaoh Unas’s pyramid. These hieroglyphs represent some of the earliest religious writings and tell a story of the pharaoh’s passage into the afterlife. “Your natron is on your mouth: you should clean all your bones and end what is (bad) against you.” What is being stated here is that because the pharaoh is on his journey to the afterlife, he needs to rid his sins, and cleanse himself. Get rid of everything bad that he has done or has been done upon him before he completes his journey and arrives in the afterlife.
In conclusion, I have analyzed that while some things may be different between Mesopotamia and Egypt, I believe that the two are more alike than you may see. For example, the religion between the two is exactly the same and they are both located near a river, allowing the rivers to contribute to the growth of their societies. These are just some of the factors I feel help justify my above
Dr. Hoefferle
GPS 120-8
9/13/15
Informal Writing Assignment
In my paper I would like to discuss with you the similarities and the differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt, while they may in fact be different I believe that they are very similar to each other. Maybe because they are so close together in time and very little has had a chance to evolve into something new.
Mesopotamia became the world’s first complex society in 3rd Millennium BCE. The Greek meaning of the word ‘Mesopotamia’ means between two rivers and they have earned that name from being located within the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It can also be known as modern day Iraq, Sira, and Southeast Turkey. Due to Mesopotamia’s agricultural land, water and easy …show more content…
Egypt grew out along the banks of the Nile River, and many people that migrated there came from either the Eastern and Western deserts of Sinai and Libya, or from the Mediterranean. These people came from complex cities and settled down down along the Nile creating their own unique culture which in turn created a prosperous state. Due to the fact that literacy was well established by this time, Egypt then became a scribal culture. Many Egyptians were trained as scribes to work in the king’s court, the army, or the Priesthood. They used two forms of writing, elaborate hieroglyphs and hieratic writing. Between the two, hieratic writing was more popular and was used for record keeping, writing letters, and works of literature. The moment literacy was learned by the people, both Sumerians and Egyptians began drafting historical records and literary compositions. Most writing was used for commemorative and religious purposes. Now speaking of religion, Egyptian beliefs were not so different from Mesopotamian beliefs. In fact, that were quite similar. In Egypt, every religion had its resident god, and most gods seemed to evolve into single dietes. Just like Mesopotamia most religious practices often occurred in main …show more content…
In this source, dating back to 2375-2345 BCE, hieroglyphs were found in Pharaoh Unas’s pyramid. These hieroglyphs represent some of the earliest religious writings and tell a story of the pharaoh’s passage into the afterlife. “Your natron is on your mouth: you should clean all your bones and end what is (bad) against you.” What is being stated here is that because the pharaoh is on his journey to the afterlife, he needs to rid his sins, and cleanse himself. Get rid of everything bad that he has done or has been done upon him before he completes his journey and arrives in the afterlife.
In conclusion, I have analyzed that while some things may be different between Mesopotamia and Egypt, I believe that the two are more alike than you may see. For example, the religion between the two is exactly the same and they are both located near a river, allowing the rivers to contribute to the growth of their societies. These are just some of the factors I feel help justify my above