Hi history_ky.  While I can't write your essay for you, and I'm not well-versed in these areas of history, I can perhaps point you in the right direction.  I'm guessing your professor wants you to indicate specific things that people in these civilizations would do in terms of their religion.  Pay special attention both to ritual and to morality.  Ask yourself whether there was a moral code in Mesopotamian religions, and contrast this with what you find among the Hebrews.  You'll find some things to compare and contrast.

Ask yourself whether there was a moral code in Mesopotamian religions, and contrast this with what you find among the Hebrews.  You'll find some things to compare and contrast. ::) ::) 😛

Phid I have to disagree.  I'm pretty sure there were moral codes embedded within Mesopotamian religions, we just can't systematize or standardize them as we would like.  We have to assume the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Neo-Babylonians relied on oral traditions for their religion as it was still practiced on a localized even tribal level.  Just because they were centralized civilizations, they were not “urban” by our standards, and only the very elite had access to any forms of writing.  Moral codes, I would argue, are a necessary requirement for any burgeoning society no matter how simple or complex it may be.  Furthermore, it is highly possible that many records did not survive in the same manner as Hammurabi's Code.  The Epic of Gilgamesh is a prime example of a moral code embedded within existing literature.  The Sumerians didn't have a “Bible” as we know it, but rather a collection of writings and traditions, that were combined to form their civic religions.

Okay I did some digging and the Descent of Inanna into Hell is perhaps a morality play embedded in Sumerian religion.  I don't have time tonight to get known scholars who have written about this, but you can get the gist of Inanna on Wikipedia here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inanna and I found a bibliography to investigate since you have JSTOR access here:  http://ikhet-sekhmet.livejournal.com/14211.html.  Sorry I can't do more tonight.

I don't disagree with his statements here.  Mesopotamian religion was fatalistic just as was the Greek and Roman religions which were based on Fate and Fortuna.  I guess it's merely an interpretation of what “morality” is.  Fear of gods can be interpreted as “moral” because showing respect to authority is some form of moral conduct….at least ethical.  My issue is it is somewhat irresponsible to make umbrella statements when concerning the ancient world because our sources are very limited.  Furthermore, comparing and contrasting the Hebrews with the Mesopotamians is somewhat misleading because the Hebrews were more closely related to Egypt than the Levant.  I do highly agree with his statement about the importance of ritual in maintaining order.  We have to remember that these were civic religions as well as spiritual ones.

I’m revisiting this thread because I saw some incredible lectures which discussed how Jews behaved at the time of Christ.  Basically, it was quite different from the way we think of Judaism today.  To be a “good Jew” 2000 years ago meant that you followed the Jewish law.  In other words, Judaism was based on practice.  Contrast this with Christianity, which is based on belief, or a creed.

The Jewish law contained a list of rules/regulations by which one needed to abide.  Breaking ritual purity laws may require purification, but it did not necessarily mean that a person did anything morally wrong, or even voluntary.  Touching a corpse, for example, led to ritual impurity, and those of the priestly class were required to be purified before entering God’s presence.  This seems to be part of the context to the story of the Good Samaritan and why the Levite and the priest avoid the person who appeared to be dead.