A Comparison of Egyptian and Mesopotamian Societies

In ancient times, Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies established their civilizations in the Middle East, mainly due to the abundance of rivers surrounding the area. As two of the most powerful civilizations in the area at the time, there were similarities, and very few differences between the two. Ultimately, texts that were written at the time reveal much information regarding the two societies, including political rule, laws, and the role of women – highlighting key similarities and few, if any, differences between Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies.

One area worth investigating is the nature of political rule for the two societies. The Akkadian Dynasty located near Mesopotamia was a political system that featured nobility and a distinct class division. This is evidenced during The Epic of Gilgamesh when Gilgamesh is revealing a dream, stating: “The nobles will kiss his feet; Thou wilt embrace him and… Thou wilt lead him to me” (The Epic of Gilgamesh 46). It is also stated that there was a king in Akkadian society (The Epic of Gilgamesh 49). The Armoite Dynasty, another Mesopotamian society said to have been created by the Enum Elish, also featured a centralized form of government with class distinctions, with a king having supreme command over the land. The king during this story is Hammurabi, who served as the king of the Armorite Dynasty for 43 years (“The Code of Hammurabi” 138). Regrading the history of Egypt, Egyptians were also ruled by a king, as it is stated that the, “King of Upper and Lower Egypt” was informed of a situation (“The Story of Sinhue” 9) .The story also discusses hereditary princes and nobles, showing that there was a privileged class in Egyptian society. As evidenced in the texts, both societies had similar forms of government with a centralized political system and class divisions.

Another area discussed in the texts is the law of each society. “The Code of Hammurabi” details a variety of laws that were enacted by the king during the Armorite Dynasty. Many of the laws were what many would consider to be strict and possibly barbaric. One law states that, “If a seignior accused another seignior and brought a charge of murder against him, but has not proved it, his accuser shall be put to death” (“The Code of Hammurabi” 138). Another law outlined the punishment for false testimony, stating, “If a seignior came forward with false testimony in a case, and has not proved the word which he spoke, if that case was a case involving life, that seignior shall be put to death” (“The Code of Hammurabi” 138). The society also placed great importance on both the church and the state, with harsh punishments for any citizen found guilty of stealing property: “If a seignior stole the property of church or state, that seignior shall be put to death; also the one who received the stolen goods from his hand shall be put to death” (“The Code of Hammurabi” 138). Countless other laws were also enacted in Armorite society, with death being the punishment for a good portion of crimes involving theft or lying. Although Egyptian laws are not as clearly outlined, there are many acts that were frowned upon that would have also been illegal in Mesopotamian culture. In the “Egyptian Book of the Dead,” the prayer states that, “I have not killed,” I have not added to or stolen land,” and “I have not added weights to the scales to cheat buyers” (“Egyptian Book of the Dead” 67). The passages show how both societies placed an importance on honesty, with members of the respective societies placing importance on not stealing property from others.

Labor is also briefly discussed in the two stories. Mesopotamian society had a division of labor that was dependent upon slave labor. This is clear due to a number of laws. One particular laws states that, “If that slave has not named his owner, he shall take him to the palace in order that his record may be investigated, and they shall return him to his owner” while another laws states, “If the slave has escaped from the hand of his captor, that seignior shall (so) affirm by god to the owner of the slave and he shall then go free” (“The Code of Hammurabi” 141). Egyptians also utilized slave labor. One passage claims that a servant arrived one day, and also that craftsmen constructed pyramid-tombs (“The Story of Sinhue 11). Although the Egyptian texts never specifically use the term slave, terms like servants are used, making it possible to conclude that both societies employed the use of slavery to perform labor.

Lastly, the role of women in the respective societies is briefly discussed. Women were given very few rights in Armorite society, as evidenced by numerous laws. For example, one laws states, “If the wife of a seignior has been caught while lying with another man, they shall bind them and throw them into the water. If the husband of the woman wishes to spare his wife, then the king in turn may spare his subject” (“The Code of Hammurabi” 152). In “The Story of Sinhue,” it states, “He married me to his eldest daughter” (“The Story of Sinhue 7), leading one to believe that women were treated as the weaker sex in both Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies.

In conclusion, a comparison of the various texts provides valuable insight into how the Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies were structured. Although they were located at opposite ends of the spectrum in the current-day Middle East, the two very similar. The Mesopotamian societies enacted strict laws with harsh punishments, such as death, for crimes as simple as stealing a piece of property. Egyptians also valued honesty and had punishments for crimes such as theft. Both societies also featured a centralized political system with a king who ruled over his subjects. Despite the fact that the two civilizations were dissimilar in a few ways, they both established a centralized political system that was dependent upon a king to preside over society, enacted laws aimed at promoting honesty, and provided few rights for women.

Works Cited

“The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead”. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1990[PDF file].

“The Code of Hammurabi”. [PDF file].

The Epic of Gilgamesh. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. PDF file].

“The Story of Sinhue”. [PDF file].