Ancient Literature and People

Comparisons of the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and Ancient Hebrews:

First of all they all had some kind of social status and religion.

Upper Class- The Mesopotamian upper class included members of the ruling family, high-ranking government officials, priest, powerful merchants, and large landowners. The Egyptians also had those same people in their upper class but they also had doctors in their upper class. The Hebrews upper class included tribal patriarchs, judges, important military leaders, also priests and prophets.

Middle Class- Mesopotamian middle class were the merchants and farmers, artisans who were skilled in crafts, and lastly scribes. In Egypt their middle class were merchants, craftspeople, artisans, and other skilled workers, but they could move up in status by marriage. Lastly the Hebrew middle class included, landowners and warriors, but the merchants and artisans came as the population and cities grew.

Lower Class- The lowest social class in Mesopotamia were slaves. They preformed the lowest tasks. Some of these slaves where people captured by war some where locals sold into slavery by their parents. In Egypt, the middle class where farm laborers and people who worked on building projects. Bur slaves could own land and marry and eventually buy their own freedom. In the Hebrew society most people where farmers and herders or worked for people and where paid for their help. But they did use conquered peoples for help too.

The Women- The women of Mesopotamia had a lot of rights and opportunities. They could farm, do crafts, be merchants, and become priests. In Egypt upper and middle class women had almost all the same rights as men. Many owned land, had businesses and proposed marriage. But the Hebrew women had less rights. It was mostly dominated by men. They mostly had privileges only in there homes. But of course occasionally one woman stands up and proved the men wrong such as a female judge named Deborah.

Religion- The Mesopotamians where polytheistic and had different Gods and Goddesses for each city-state. The Egyptians where also polytheistic and had a big obsession with the afterlife. Lastly the Hebrews believed in following the Ten Commandments and the Bible.