Mesopotamia was the first identifiable civilization in the Ancient world. Located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, it was given its name by the Greeks, literally meaning "the country between rivers." The name referred mainly to the land of Sumer, however it also included the countries of Akkad, Babylonia and Assyria. All were connected by the Tigris and the Euphrates, which flooded swiftly and irregularly (at different times during the year).

Ancient Egypt was located closer to the Nile and Indus rivers. The Nile Valley of Egypt was notably different from the Tigris and Euphrates. The waters flowed slowly and flooded on a much more predictable basis . Rock walls and barren desert closed off Egypt from the rest of the continent.

In Mesopotamia, it was believed that gods ruled the world. They were said to have behaved like human beings only they lived much longer; they existed forever. Each individual god embodied the most important natural

It is clear that both civilizations revered gods as their ruler, but the number of them and the forms they took differed greatly. I think the most important difference is that Mesopotamia had many rulers and Egypt only had one. In situations where many are at power, chaos can occur, as it did in Mesopotamia. Aside from the gods, there were kings and military leaders who tried to assume control, creating conflict with the priests (who related the commands of the gods to the people). In contrast, the citizens of Egypt were at peace with one another, working together to create a greater society. I believe this was because confusion about their ruler did not exist since there was only one man to obey.

The people of Mesopotamia believed that the gods were petty, just as people could be. They feared a sudden change in their gods' moods and carefully kept track of each god's needs. There were special servants for each god; people who took care of their daily wants and needs, and also watched for "signs of their intentions." These "special servants" were priests. If the predictions they made about the gods' next move were correct, it was all the better. But, if their forecasts failed to materialize, they took credit for preventing disaster, which elevated their status in society even more.

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