The Epic Of Gilgamesh
...actually was a King in Sumer by the name of Gilgamesh, who lived at about 2700 BC. The Epic casts Gilgamesh as a ruler and great hero and cast as being part man and part god. The story has Gilgamesh set off with a companion in search of cedar wood to bring back to their woodless land. His companion is killed during a violent storm. The Sumerian Epic blames the death upon the storm god, Enlil. Gilgamesh then searches for the plant that restores youth, a recurring theme throughout centuries of literature. The Epic concludes with Gilgamesh dying.
The text points out that the Epic is deeply pessimistic and provides insight into the Sumerian understanding of the universe. The gods are normally benevolent, but at times the gods exercised their power to carry out the harsh mandates of the deities. The gods of the Sumerians were viewed as setting the standards by which people had to live.
Maat
The ancient Egyptians believed in an ethical concept known as Maat. The text notes that the term is translated by Egyptologists as meaning “right order”. This right order was said to be mandated by the gods and if a king maintained maat and acted according to it, the king could not be evil or act improperly. The text states that most societies understood the importance of proper discipline, but that maat is an attempt to control moral behavior. This concept is an example of the higher level of thinking taking place in ancient Egypt.
Maat also demonstrates itself to be a clever tool to promote and maintain social order and political control. This is a common religious theme throughout history .
Exodus
The Israelites that had been living in Egypt decided to return to Israel due to harsh conditions. The were led in this journey by Moses and this occurred around 1240-1230 BC. The text notes that this event was the most critical formative event in Jewish history. Moses...
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