The Hymn Of The Nile - 857 Words

Ancient Egypt believed in many gods, making them polytheistic. One of their major gods was Ra, the god of the sun. They believed in a process called mummification. Mummification is a process that an important man in Egypt had to go through before going into the afterlife. The afterlife was very important to the Egyptians because they believed in second chances in life. Osiris and Anubis would judge an individual s heart to the feather of Ma’at. If the heart outweighed the feather, then Ammut would devour the heart, condemning the individual to oblivion (Book of the Dead, Pinedjem II). The Hymn of the Nile was written in 2100 BCE by a man named Khety. The Hymn of the Nile refers to the Egyptian religion and the relationship to the Nile. It states that the Egyptians appreciated what the Nile has done with the food. By the flooding the Nile has done, it has made the soil rich to plant crops. It is said that the Nile is flooded every year because that same day, Isis lost Osiris to death. If it was not for the Nile River, the Egyptians could not have made a civilization because they had no food (Hymn of the Nile, Khety). The Story of Ra is the creation story of the Egyptians. It is about Ra’s different names and how he created the world.; â€Å"I am Khepera at the dawn, and Ra at noon, and Atum in the evening†. When he spoke other names, they came into existence. â€Å"He first passed across the sky and set for the first day. Then he named Shu, and the first winds blew;Show MoreRelatedThe Nile Is Unknown1219 Words   |  5 Pagesproperly analyze the meaning of the texts, it is necessary to recognize the background of the source. The author of Hymn to the Nile is unknown, but a reader can conclude that the writer is most likely an Egyptian. The Egyptian praises the Nile for the purpose of sharing the wonders of the Nile. He presents his argument to the Egyptians in the form of a poetic praise or hymn, stating that the Nile is â€Å"the creator of all good things† and supplies food for them such as fish and crops. Upon reading the paperRead MoreDeath and Afterlife in Ancient Egyptian Society and the Mesopotamian Society746 Words   |  3 Pagesreliable Nile for constant irrigation as well as a location that was almost impossible to invade. Egyptians didn’t have to deal with warfare for some two thousand years. The Nile’s annual flood was so predictable that it provided the moisture needed to sustain life. (Hause, 2001, pg. 11) An example of how important the Nile was can be seen in â€Å"Hymn to the Nile.† This hymn praises the Nile as well as the gods of the Nile. They received such great praise for its abundance since this the Nile wasRead MoreComparing Religious And Political Authority Of Early Civilizations1352 Words   |  6 Pageshuman society, whereby a high level of culture and science, as well as industry and government has been attained. This paper compares civilization in the line of authority, both in religious and political spheres among the three groups; Mesopotamia, Nile in Egypt and Indus Valley (Mahenjodaro and Harrapa) in India. Mesopotamia Political organization The name Mesopotamia is derived from a Greek word that means the land between two rivers identified as Euphrates and Tigris in this case. Much of it isRead MoreThe Myths Of Ancient Egypt And The Near East1554 Words   |  7 Pagesfear into a world full of beauty, Hamilton contends, and this imitates a deep sagacity of humanism and even intention amongst the primordial Greeks. This is further explored in the myths involving Persephone in the Homeric Hymns. Persephone is Zeus’ daughter in this particular hymn, Persephone is on the brink of adulthood, and she is standing in a flowery field looking on fleek on the cusp of getting married. Hades approaches on his chariot, and snatches her and takes her to the underworld. DemeterRead MoreMyths And Poems Of Mesopotamia And Egypt920 Words   |  4 Pagesreptiles and vegetation. Water, wind, sky, warmth, and anything that one may perceive has a god that creates this. â€Å"Hymn to the Nile† shows us the importance of the Nile to the people, and the understanding that the Nile nourishes all. Very different from the stark, desert landscape of the Mesopotamians; the Egyptians enjoy cattle, orchards, corn, barley and fish all sustained through the Nile. Their life is easier and calmer than the life of the Mesopotamians, which I assume gives rise to the kinder opinionRead MoreAncient Egypt And Ancient Egyptian Culture2322 Words   |  10 PagesRevolution. Their civilisation was situated adjacent to the Nile River. Evidently, this allowed for the ancient Egyptians to transition into an agricultural lifestyle with relative ease, as stated by Marc Van De Mieroop â€Å"wherever its waters reaches the soil can be farmed; where it does not reach the earth is parched and it is impossible to grow anything on it.† This subsequently allowed the ancient Egyptians to begin farming with relative ease as the Nile River stretched some 6500 kilometres, which is moreRead MoreThe Influence of Geography and the Enviro nment On the Development of Early Civilization 790 Words   |  4 Pagesthe banks of the Nile River, which overflowed on a regular timetable, provided the necessary nutrients to the normally dry desert soil, allowing the people to build a thriving empire that lasted over 3000 years. This overflowing and irrigation of the river regulated Egyptian farming, and allowed for specialization within the society. (Chavalas, 42) The people of Egypt recognized this, and there are many places in their writings where they thank the gods for gifting them with the Nile: for example,Read MoreMesopotamia and Egypt Essay1125 Words   |  5 PagesEgypt, on the other hand, was centered on the dependable Nile. The rich and fertile soil of the Nile Valley provided agricultural wealth. Even though the river was known to flood yearly the Egyptians had no reason to fear it. It helped them predict nature and they began to use this knowledge to their benefit. Since the Nile Valley was surrounded by des erts and the Red Sea, Egypt was free relatively free from foreign invasions. The Nile was also used for travel in their civilization. Read More The History of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt Essay1323 Words   |  6 Pagesastrology and astronomy, and even created a lunar calendar. The early cities of Mesopotamia fell from one warlord to another, and were constantly changing, unlike the kingdoms of Ancient Egypt that kept its stability. The Egyptians lived along the Nile River, which probably made it easier to govern the people. The King was the owner and ruler of all Egypt and was considered a god by the people. The economy was a royal monopoly, the peoples duties was to serve the King. In the old Kingdom the EgyptiansRead MoreEgyptian Art and Religious Influences1461 Words   |  6 Pagesof religion and its famous aspect of afterlife. Two art forms are included to demonstrate that religion influenced Egyptian art. The two art forms that will be analyzed in this excerpt are The Tomb of Seti I, and pyramid texts such as The Cannibal Hymn. Egyptian Art and Religious Influences â€Å"The art of Egypt is heavily influenced by spiritual and religious ideas and culture that extends back thousands of years† (Dagan, 2008). The Egyptians wrote their history and painted images