World Civilization: Compare and contrast the institution of kingship among the Egyptians, Mesopotamians and Israelis.

Institution of Kingship in Mesopotamia , Egypt and Israel

A Brief Comparison and Contrast on the Institution of

Kingship in Mesopotamia , Egypt and Israel

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A Brief Comparison and Contrast on the Institution of

Kingship in Mesopotamia , Egypt and Israel

Kingship , particularly of the ancient civilization , has long been the interest of many scholars . The ancient reigns in Mesopotamia , Egypt and Israel remained to be a good discussion point in history , anthropology and religious studies in gain insight in its

institution and development

This seeks to know how kingship in the old Mesopotamia , Egypt and Israel evolve during its times , and discern the underlying factors that came about its existence

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia , which encompasses what is now occupied by Iraq , Syria Turkey and Iran , was among the earliest civilizations that has exhibited divinized kingships . The same with ancient Egypt , self-deification was common among Mesopotamia 's early rulers . The use of religion as a means of legitimizing rule , power and authority came to light . Divine kingship , according to Gebhard J . Selz , preconditions the humanization of deities in ancient Mesopotamia (Selz , 1997

The early kingship can be drawn during the Heroic Age of Mesopotamia There was city-state under the leadership of a king (Hallo and Simpson , 1997 . Leadership is more of religious influence rather than military command . After the Heroic Age , elective kingship passed and paved way to kingship by royal succession . The office of the king became more institutionalized and a new belief on kingship emerged - considering the king as the son of god . Similar to Israel , the Mesopotamian king ruled in the court of law and acted as the army commander and chief

Egypt

Like Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt was also anchored on the divinity of kingship . Kingship in early Egypt sees the ruler or pharaoh as an incarnation of what is believed as sacred . In his book , The Culture of Ancient Egypt , John A . Wilson asserts that divine kingship was native to Egypt (Wilson , 1951 . While kings in ancient Mesopotamia and Israel were seen as ruling for the gods , the Egyptians , on the other hand , sees their king as god

The concept of kingship , however , has evolved as several dynasties ruled the land . First , the Pharaoh , who exercised absolute powers , was regarded as the only contact with the gods (Wilson , 1951 . Then during the Middle Kingdom , the Pharaoh was viewed as the son of Re . And in the period of the New Kingdom , during the Amarna Age in particular , the king was regarded as the intermediary of the gods

Israel

There was no political unity during the period of Judges . Leadership was mostly carried out by the elders and there was a suspicion of the concept of kingship . Yahweh should rule Israel (Jud 8 :22f

When Saul became the first king of Israel , varied reactions were received . Some regarded kingship as a rejection of God 's reign (1 Sam 8 10 :17-26 . Others see it as a secular institution and still others compare it to the kingship of the Ancient Near East

Since the king of Israel is obliged to rule from the book of the law (Deut 17 :18ff ) the permanence of royal dynasty would largely depend on the king 's submission to the law . While kingship in Egypt and Mesopotamia regard the king as god , this was never acceptable in Israel .Unlike in Egypt , kingship in Israel does not reveal references on the of the gods . Neither is it bequeathed from the heavens to dutifully serve the gods just like in Mesopotamia . In ancient Israel kingship is in itself rooted in the society

References

Hallo , W . W . and Simpson , W . K (1997 . The Ancient Near East : A History (2nd ed . Fort Worth : Holt Reinhart and Winston . 43

Selz , G . 1997 . The Holy Drum , the Spear , and the Harp : Towards an Understanding of the Problems of Deification in Third Millennium Mesopotamia (In Sumerian Gods and Their Representations ed . I .J . Finkel and M .J . Geller . pp . 167-209

Wilson , J . A (1951 . The Culture of Ancient Egypt (Phoenix ed Chicago : University of Chicago Press . 45

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