The Impact of Religion on the Rise of Ancient Mesopotamia Essay Sample

Ancient Mesopotamia was the first large-scale civilization in human history. Mesopotamia began from the beginning of the neolithic age. Mesopotamia was very developed for its time in history. While other parts of the world were trying to survive, Ancient Mesopotamia had already begun to develop into an empire! An example of this is their trading. Ancient Mesopotamia lacked useful natural resources. So they fixed this by making use of  their natural resources and eventually trading with other far away groups of people. They then inven Also they had specified jobs like artisans or architects. Their economy mainly consisted of trading jobs and services. But they also had a currency called the shekel. They wrote in cuneiform which is made up of  wedge-shaped characters. The religions within Ancient Mesopotamia impacted its development due to their laws, worship, and religious texts.

Firstly, a reason as to why religions heavily affected the rise of Ancient Mesopotamia relates to the laws they had in place. The Babylonians came to Mesopotamia after the Akkadians and sumerians. One of their most prominent leaders was Hamurabbi.  The laws in Mesopotamia were made by Hammurabi, the laws he created were called Hammurabi's code. Within document 3 it is stated that “The Babylonians believed Hammurabi  received these laws from a god.” This means that the codes/laws that Hammurabi had put into place were where believed to be told to him by gods. This  is important because the people of Mesopotamia viewed gods very highly in their society. Therefore they would trust and follow these laws more.` Also in document 4 it is stated that “In the Code of Hammurabi, the laws concerned daily life, business, medicine, property,  and family. Punishment for breaking these laws was very harsh.”This means that the laws were very harsh and strict, and the laws affected everyone. This is important because it shows how important it was in Mesopotamia to follow and respect the laws they had in place.

Furthermore, the worship in Ancient Mesopotamia impacted its development because of how tied the people were to the gods. And how much the gods mattered in their society. People in Mesopotamia would rely on the gods for prosperity. Thus they decided to worship and praise the gods. In document 1 it is stated that “They  believed that keeping the gods happy was key to their own happiness and prosperity.” This was in the times of the Sumerians and Akkadians. They believed that pleasing the gods would help their society thrive. This is important because it shows how vital worship was to the people of Ancient Mesopotamia. But there were also uncommon but still important religions in Mesopotamia. “The Hebrews in ancient Mesopotamia were one of the first groups to practice  monotheism, the worship of only one God.” This means that the Hebrew people were the first people in Mesopotamia to introduce the idea of monotheism. This shows how not only where polyethic religions important to the development of Ancient Mesopotamia. But all religions were important. All of them introduced new ideas and concepts that helped further develop Ancient Mesopotamia into an empire

Finally, the religious texts used impacted the advancement of Ancient Mesopotamia because the religious texts. These texts made up a large part of the writing in Ancient Mesopotamia. Most of these religious writings were myths or an explanation of their religion.In document 2 it is remarked that “The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest pieces of literature, is made up of ancient folklore, tales, and myths.” This means that the epic of Gilgamesh was a myth in Mesopotamia, specifically about a god. This is important because it shows how Mesopotamia people were making literary myths about the gods they believed in. 

Conclusively, the religions of Ancient Mesopotamia impacted its development because of their laws, worship, and religious text. These aspects of religion in Mesopotamia affected people's daily lives and what they believed in. The way Mesopotanians had zigurats to worship their gods reminded me how religions such as christianity have churches to worship their god/gods. Also in the United states there are many different religions and cultures, which I believe helped the US develop.