The Babylonian and Egyptian Civilizations

Civilization in any particular community is identifiable through establishing the changes that the culture and the systems in that community undergo. Understanding the culture of a community is of great importance when trying to understand the process of civilization that the community has undergone because culture describes a community fully, including its origin and the changes it has undergone over time. In retrospect, the piece describes, analyzes, and explains the development of civilization in Babylon and Egypt concerning their political, social, economic, and religious development.

A substantial portion of the civilization in Babylon is attributable to the ancient period of King Gilgamesh of Uruk. The development of civilization in Babylon is captured in "The Epic of Gilgamesh," considered the oldest written story. To begin with, an individual's leadership during the development period of civilization in Babylon was already defined at birth. For instance, Gilgamesh was declared the king from the moment of his birth. Additionally, the capabilities of an individual define whether they are attributed to any political positions in Babylon. For instance, King Gilgamesh has opened mountain passes, crossed seas, and toured many parts of the world, making him incomparable. The development of Babylon into a political capital from a provincial headquarters is also a significant indicator of the civilization in Babylon (Beaulieu, 2018). The Babylonian hegemony eventually spread its influence over a large section of Iraq. Babylon became a hegemonic power when they were politically unstable following the increased rivalries among the dynasties (Beaulieu, 2018).

The development of social civilization in Babylon is evident in the organization of the people living in Uruk. The Epic of Gilgamesh portrays Babylon as being classified by varied social classes. For instance, the social class entails the kings in Babylon, with King Gilgamesh superior to all others. Next follows the class that consists of the fellows who receive orders from Kings like Gilgamesh (Beaulieu, 2018). Religious civilization also developed significantly in Babylon. The development of a religious civilization among the Babylonians entails the belief in Gods, who the people believe to be more powerful than human beings. The Gods, who, according to the Epic of Gilgamesh, are mighty, have a role in protecting the people (Beaulieu, 2018). The Gods are additionally responsible for the creation of the earth, made evident by Goddess Aruru. She makes Enkidu equal to Gilgamesh when the people cry out about Gilgamesh's harshness. The religious civilization of the Babylonians also entails temples, which are the holy residences of the Gods.

The ancient Egyptian civilization is thought to have occurred over 5000 years ago and lasted for over 3000 years (Mega Social Studies, 2013). Many social, economic, and political organizations are attributed to civilization. The Egyptian civilization is thought to have started with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt in 3150 BCE under the leadership of Pharaoh Menes (Grochowski, 2019). Egypt was strategically located, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the North African Empires, Sudan in the south, and crossed by the famous river Nile. Politically, Pharaohs ruled Egypt from 3150 BCE to 30 BCE (Grochowski, 2019). The ruler was the link between the living and the many deities worshipped in Egypt. Pharaohs could be females or males and were entrusted with maintaining law and order in the empire, making Egypt peaceful and prosperous (Grochowski, 2019). They also commissioned the construction of temples for worshipping gods and burial tombs in preparation for the afterlife. Notably, the pharaoh's position was hereditary, inherited by birthright.

The River Nile was a real blessing to the ancient Egyptian civilization. It triggered and sustained numerous economic activities associated with ancient Egypt (Walsh, 2017). For instance, Egyptian civilization was characterized by earlier forms of agriculture, such as cultivation along the River Nile and the domestication of animals (Grochowski, 2019). Alongside agriculture, the River Nile also enhanced transport and trade. Since there were no monetary systems in ancient Egypt, ancient Egyptians practiced barter trade, with grains being the major trade items (Walsh, 2017). Other Egyptians who did not practice agriculture got involved in other economic activities such as building and construction, and many were drafted into the military (Grochowski, 2019). Ancient Egyptian civilization is also associated with unique engineering and architectural skills. These skills are evidenced by the construction of pyramids and other infrastructural structures, such as tombs, which are available in Egypt today (Grochowski, 2019).

The social structure of ancient Egypt comprised three social classes and enslaved people. The upper class comprised royal family members, priests, and landowners (Mega Social Studies, 2013). The middle class comprised merchants, skilled laborers, and manufacturers, and the lower class comprised unskilled laborers, mainly farmers (Mega Social Studies, 2013). Ancient Egyptians were religious and practiced polytheism. They worshipped numerous gods (nature deities) representing water, wind, sky, animals, and trees (Mega Social Studies, 2013). When pharaohs died, they became gods too. Civilization in ancient Egypt is credited with arithmetic and the invention of the solar calendar. Ancient Egyptians invented water clocks and sundials to tell time, developing a 24-hour day and a 365-day year (Stignace, 2020). The earliest type of writing in Egypt was hieroglyphics, which emerged in 3000 BC. This form of writing used pictures and entailed priest-carvings and sacred writings (Stignace, 2020). It was used to write temple walls and tombs. An ink writing form called hieratic script followed. Egyptians made paper from papyrus, readily available on the River Nile. This form of writing was simplified and used for business transactions and record keeping (Stignace, 2020).

Additionally, ancient Egyptians prospered in Mathematics. Arithmetic helped them calculate the measurement of flooded areas and during construction. Ancient Egyptians believed that a person's soul would never die, and they prepared the dead for the afterlife by preserving their bodies (Stignace, 2020). Death was seen as a gate pass to the afterlife. Many Egyptians were buried with personal items such as food, gold, and pets.

In summary, the essay has described, analyzed, and explained the development of civilization in Babylon and Egypt based on the political, social, economic, and religious development. Egypt was more civilized. Egypt was more civilized because the social differences were eliminated in the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. The link between the living and the deities established by the rulers makes Egypt more civilized than Babylon, where leaders like Gilgamesh were considered partial Gods. The practice of agriculture as an economic activity also made Egypt more civilized than Babylon, whose primary economic activity was not clearly outlined.