FREE ESSAY ON ANCIENT EGYPTIAN AND MESOPOTAMIAN CULTURES

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN AND MESOPOTAMIAN CULTURES

Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian Cultures Around the time 4,000-1,000 BC there were two
major western civilizations. Those civilizations were the Ancient Egyptians and the
Mesopotamians. Many similarities exist between the civilizations of Ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia, as well as many differences. Both Egypt and Mesopotamia were polytheistic,
that is, they believed their worlds were ruled by more than one god. Both cultures also
believed that they themselves were created for the purpose of serving their gods. Their
similarities include the existence of educational systems and codes of law. Their
differences are found partly in those similarities, as well as their medical practices
and their interpretations of the great floods. There are many patterns that are common of
the civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, which shows that there were some
patterns of development that might be common to early civilizations, but they probably
didn't have very much contact with each other. Both of the civilizations believed in
education. The people of Sumer were expected to do what was asked of them and to behave
properly while in school. If the pupils were late for school or failed to complete their
assignments, they would be beaten with a stick, or caned. One story about a Sumerian boy,
who was not doing well in school, tells of the kinds of small things children would be
punished for, such as poor penmanship. This story shows us how common this sort of
discipline was: "Who was in charge of drawing said 'Why when I was not here did you stand
up?' caned me. My teacher said 'Your hand is not good,' caned me." (A Sumerian Schoolboy,
SPV 15). It seams that if they misbehaved at all during school they would be punished by
being by a cane. The school children of Egypt were advised by their fathers to be men of
pride and to listen to their people. The advice that a father gave to his son was very
important, telling that son how to behave to make both himself and his family proud.
"Take counsel with the ignorant, as well as the wise" (A Father's Advice, SPV 31) advises
that wisdom may be found from the lips of all people; not only from the scholars or
artisans, but from the slaves and common folk as well. The Ancient Egyptians and
Mesopotamians had different theories as to how they came about and why they were created.
Both civilizations believed that the gods created them. The Mesopotamians believed that
the mightier gods forced the lesser gods into slavery, and that the Mesopotamian people
were created to take over for those lesser gods when they revolted. "When the gods, like
man, bore the work, carried the labor-basket-the labor-basket of the great gods-the work
was heavy, much was the distress..." (A Creation Myth: "Let Man Carry the Labor-Basket of
the Gods, SPV 13) is saying that the lesser gods had to do the hard labor before man was
created. "While Nintu is present, let the birth-goddess create the offspring, let man
bear the labor-basket of the gods" was what Enlil said after he agreed to create humans
to do the physical labor. "I have removed your heavy labor, have placed your labor-basket
on man," is what he said to the gods after humans were created. (A Creation Myth: "Let
Man Carry the Labor-Basket of the Gods, SPV 13). The Egyptian creation theory is
different from that of the Mesopotamians. The Egyptians thought that Khepri created all
the humans and created the other gods as well. It was believed the Kherpi created the
lesser gods from his spit and humans from his semen. "I planned in my own heart, and
there came into being a multitude of forms of beings, the forms of children and the forms
of their children. I was the one who copulated with my fist, I masturbated with my hand.
Then I spewed with my own mouth: I spat out what was Shu, and I sputtered out what was
Tefnut." (The Book of Knowing the Creations, HD #5). The Code of Hammurabi is the
Mesopotamian written code of law. It is a very complete and specific code of law, which
allowed specific punishment for almost every crime that could be committed against the
Mesopotamian people. The laws are also very severe when it comes to punishment. Law
number twenty-two states that, "If a man has robbed and has been captured, that man shall
be put to death." Law number twenty-five say that "If a fire broke out in a man's house
and a man who has come to extinguish the fire has lifted up his eyes to the property of
the householder and has taken the property of the householder, that man shall be thrown
into the fire." Law number fifty-three states that "If a man has neglected to strengthen
the dyke of his canal, and a breach has opened in his dyke, and the waters have ravaged
the meadow, the man in whose dyke the breach has been opened shall make good the corn
that he caused to be lost." (The Code of Hammurabi, ARC 5). Despite these strict laws, it
seems as though their code was either never followed very closely or the Mesopotamians
didn't care much for the code, since a large amount of evidence of dispute over these
laws and their subsequent punishments exists. There are laws about stealing, divorce,
adultery, and negligence, just to name a few. The Egyptians did not have a written form
of law, at least that we know of, even though there is evidence that they did have laws.
When an Egyptian died and was buried they were typically buried with a tablet that had
their declaration of innocence on it. This shows us that they understood the difference
between what was right and what was wrong. A portion of the declaration reads: "Hail,
Fentiu, who come forth from Khemennu, I have not stolen. "Hail, you Flame, which comes
and goes, I have spoken no lies. "Hail, you two-headed serpent, who come forth from the
torture chamber, I have not defiled the wife of any man. "Hail, you who caused mankind to
flourish, who come forth from Sais, I have never cursed God." (Declaration of Innocence,
ARC 9) This shows that the Ancient Egyptians knew that if they stole, lied, cursed the
God, ect. they would not be let into the afterlife. The civilizations of Ancient Egypt
and Mesopotamia also had many differences. One major difference was the theory of the
great flood. The Mesopotamians thought that the great flood was put there to kill
mankind. They thought that the gods were angry with them because they were too loud and
the gods could not rest with all of their noise. Then Enlil said to the gods "The uproar
of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel." (The
Babylonian Account of the Flood, HD #3). The Babylonians knew that the gods were angry
with them and wanted to kill them because Ea came down to one the Babylonians and told
him of the gods' plan to destroy their civilization with the great flood. With that, the
Babylonian started building a gigantic ship. "For six days and six nights the winds blew,
torrents and tempest and flood overwhelmed the world, tempest and flood raged together
like warring hosts. When the seventh day dawned the storm from the south subsided, the
sea grew calm, the flood was stilled." (The Babylonian Account of the Flood, HD #3). The
Egyptians had a different attitude toward the annual flooding of the River Nile. They
realized that the flooding made their land more fertile for farming, which is how the
Egyptians grew their food to keep them alive. The Egyptians believed that the gods
rewarded them by flooding the Nile each year. They thought that the Nile was "The bringer
of all food, rich in provisions, creator of all food, lord of majesty, sweet of
fragrance." (SPV 21) Another major difference was in medicine. The Mesopotamians made
little mention of doctors or medical practices. However, the Ancient Egyptians had
specific treatments for different medical problems. An example from The Edwin Smith
Surgical Papyrus states that in a case with a wound to the head penetrating to the bone
the and the examination shows a wound penetrating to the bone, but does not has a gash he
should "bind it with fresh meat the first day and treat afterward with grease, honey and
line every day until he recovers." (The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, HD #6). In
conclusion, the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia had many similarities and
differences. They were similar by the fact that they had systems of education, theories
about their own creations and their codes of law, whether it be written or implied. Their
similarities makes one wonder how these two civilizations had limited contact with each
other. Their similarities are also a part of the differences between the two cultures.
From their similar educational systems came their very different means of discipline in
the schools, each created for different purposes, one was for the good of society and the
other was for the pride and honor of the family. There are obvious patterns of
similarities that could be common amongst all early civilizations.