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Geography, Kingship, and Religion in Egypt and

Mesopotamia

The History of Western Civilization to 1500 Prof. Dr. George S. Vascik

GEOGRAPHY

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The Nile

•  Identity –  KMT (Black Land)

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Floodplain profile

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The Nile •  Identity

–  KMT (Black Land) •  Agricultural bounty

–  Flood patterns –  Agricultural bounty –  “breadbasket” of Antiquity

•  Political unity –  Ease of transportation –  Ca. 3200, Upper and Lower

Egypt united under one dynasty

–  Menes/Narmer

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Geography

•  Mesopotamia - the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates – Unlike the Nile, the Tigris and the Euphrates

were turbulent, irregular, dangerous rivers •  Floodplain profile

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Floodplain profile

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Geography

•  Mesopotamia - the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates – Unlike the Nile, the Tigris and the Euphrates

were turbulent, irregular, dangerous rivers •  Floodplain profile

– Cities are isolated – Growth of independent, warring city states

•  Mental state of Mesopotamian civilization

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Kingship

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Egyptian kingship •  Per-aa

–  Pharaoh –  “Great House”

•  Semi-divine –  “god in creation” –  “Living Horus”

•  Responsible for human society to the gods –  Maat

•  War leader Vascik

Mesopotamian kingship •  Each city/state was

ruled by a king –  Chief priest –  War leader –  Judge

•  King’s job was to intercede with the gods and maintain order

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Hammurabi

•  King of Babylon •  Ruled 1792-1750 BC •  Goals

–  Bring all Mesopotamia under his control

–  Impose Babylonian culture and laws on his conquests

•  Law code

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Hammurabi’s Code •  How we know of it

–  Depiction –  The stele as item and symbol

of conquest •  What we know from it

–  Detailed description of Mesopotamian society

–  What mattered –  Social class and gender

relations –  Nobles and slaves –  Evolution of property rights

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Religion

Egyptian religion •  Egyptian religion

–  Pantheon –  Isis and Osiris

•  Egyptian conception of the soul –  Ba and ka souls

•  Egyptian mortuary customs –  Mummification –  Daily life

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