During the course of the earth’s history societies have changed from its primitive ways to more civilized ways. The world in which we live today is sculpted by the ancient civilizations that once flourished on their own land. If it was not for them who knows in what ways we would be living in now. The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China were all different from each other, but at the same time they all shared certain characteristics. Religion was a very important aspect for each of these civilizations. Every society had different rituals, beliefs, and deities; but they also shared some common religious beliefs. Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China were all polytheistic societies, but their beliefs and worldviews were different.
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Mesopotamians left a couple of big structures, ziggurats, as their temples to praise their gods and bring offerings. They believed the good gods fought the evil gods to protect them and that nature and other physical things had souls. The writing Enuma Elish explains how the world was created according to Mesopotamians. The epic taken place in Mesopotamia shows how through a battle between a good god, Maarduk, and an evil god, Tiamat, the world was created (Enuma Elish, p. 41-42). Also, their view of the afterlife was very different from that of Egypt and China. They did not think the afterlife was a good place to be or that their former kings lived well in peace. The Epic of Gilgamesh shows their understanding of the underworld. In this story Enkidu, a man made by the gods, sleeps in sickness and dreams about going to the underworld. When he wakes up he tells Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, about the darkness and the horrible conditions in which former kings were in. Enkidu relates the underworld as a place full of darkness where people ate their food with dust and the kings put their crown away to become servants …show more content…
Similar to Egypt and Mesopotamia the Chinese were polytheistic. Not only they believed in many gods such as weather and sky gods, but they thought of their ancestors as gods. In the text “The Book of Songs,” one of the Five Confucian Classics, there is a poetic song titled “Glorious Ancestors” which worships their ancestors, refers to bringing them offerings, praising, thanking and asking them for their blessing (The Book of Songs, p.28). Their concept of the afterlife was somehow similar to Egypt. They would praise their ancestors because they believed that when parents or grandparents died they became gods. They also believed in a heaven as a cosmic and powerful force. There were many philosophies during this time and other than Confucianism the Mandate of Heaven was a very important one. Heaven was a very important belief for them as they thought it was a great source of power upon them. They did what heaven dictate they could or not do. The thought of Heaven as a powerful thing did not only affect their religious beliefs, but their rulers and politics as
Mesopotamians left a couple of big structures, ziggurats, as their temples to praise their gods and bring offerings. They believed the good gods fought the evil gods to protect them and that nature and other physical things had souls. The writing Enuma Elish explains how the world was created according to Mesopotamians. The epic taken place in Mesopotamia shows how through a battle between a good god, Maarduk, and an evil god, Tiamat, the world was created (Enuma Elish, p. 41-42). Also, their view of the afterlife was very different from that of Egypt and China. They did not think the afterlife was a good place to be or that their former kings lived well in peace. The Epic of Gilgamesh shows their understanding of the underworld. In this story Enkidu, a man made by the gods, sleeps in sickness and dreams about going to the underworld. When he wakes up he tells Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, about the darkness and the horrible conditions in which former kings were in. Enkidu relates the underworld as a place full of darkness where people ate their food with dust and the kings put their crown away to become servants …show more content…
Similar to Egypt and Mesopotamia the Chinese were polytheistic. Not only they believed in many gods such as weather and sky gods, but they thought of their ancestors as gods. In the text “The Book of Songs,” one of the Five Confucian Classics, there is a poetic song titled “Glorious Ancestors” which worships their ancestors, refers to bringing them offerings, praising, thanking and asking them for their blessing (The Book of Songs, p.28). Their concept of the afterlife was somehow similar to Egypt. They would praise their ancestors because they believed that when parents or grandparents died they became gods. They also believed in a heaven as a cosmic and powerful force. There were many philosophies during this time and other than Confucianism the Mandate of Heaven was a very important one. Heaven was a very important belief for them as they thought it was a great source of power upon them. They did what heaven dictate they could or not do. The thought of Heaven as a powerful thing did not only affect their religious beliefs, but their rulers and politics as