Religion was one of the four main emerging characteristics in early civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. The people were not forced to believe in specific doctrine but allowed their environment to shape and form their beliefs and deities. Religious leaders and Monumental building structures are just a few aspects of these early civilizations that contain many similar and yet different qualities that we will soon delve into, however, if one were to travel back in time to view these ancient rulers and building structures, they would both be truly unparalleled.
Religious leaders in early Egypt were also political leaders or kings, later known as Pharaohs. In the beginning of this civilization, there would only be one king at a time whom they …show more content…
The treasury was under the king’s command which would give him much of the power and control. These kings also had big responsibilities to perform god- pleasing rituals which would prevent chaos and maintain a balance known as ma’at, or the divine order of things. Even though the king was responsible for the connection with the gods he did have help from the high priest in performing the religious rituals. These priests became powerful and could also challenge the king if he saw fit to do so. In Mesopotamia, the religious leaders were simply called priests. Each city-state had individual priests, meaning there were several at any given time. These priests had a responsibility much like the Egyptian king to perform rituals, but also performed other acts to honor their gods. Tributes, ceremonies, festivals, and sacrifices were among those various duties of the priest. The people of Mesopotamia believed that everything was determined by the gods and the only way they could access the gods was through the priests. The priests were the only ones allowed into the temples to attend the deities which gave the priests a lot of power and privilege, but they could not defy the king. In comparison, both the Egyptian religious rulers
Religious leaders in early Egypt were also political leaders or kings, later known as Pharaohs. In the beginning of this civilization, there would only be one king at a time whom they …show more content…
The treasury was under the king’s command which would give him much of the power and control. These kings also had big responsibilities to perform god- pleasing rituals which would prevent chaos and maintain a balance known as ma’at, or the divine order of things. Even though the king was responsible for the connection with the gods he did have help from the high priest in performing the religious rituals. These priests became powerful and could also challenge the king if he saw fit to do so. In Mesopotamia, the religious leaders were simply called priests. Each city-state had individual priests, meaning there were several at any given time. These priests had a responsibility much like the Egyptian king to perform rituals, but also performed other acts to honor their gods. Tributes, ceremonies, festivals, and sacrifices were among those various duties of the priest. The people of Mesopotamia believed that everything was determined by the gods and the only way they could access the gods was through the priests. The priests were the only ones allowed into the temples to attend the deities which gave the priests a lot of power and privilege, but they could not defy the king. In comparison, both the Egyptian religious rulers