Essay - How Was Religion Used to Support Royal Authority in Ancient...

How was religion used to support royal authority in ancient Mesopotamia?

Mesopotamia or Babylon (territory of modern Iraq) was one ***** the most ***** states on Earth. Scientists found out that first people appeared *****re, in the Close East. This w*****derful land is famous for talented and smart people who lived there and created unique civilization which impresses millions of people even today. These first cultures, their knowledge, achievements ***** different spheres were assimilated by more late *****s - Greeks and Romans. Mesopotamians enriched Antic civilization. Herodotus wrote that many Greek towns had ***** Eastern culture, some ideas from Eastern religions etc. Mesopotamians knew astronomy, medicine, architecture, mathematics. Mesopotamian influence on people's development is incontestable. We owe this ***** various ***** in different ***** of our life. Many sciences ***** and developed ***** Mesopotamia. ***** was ***** of the greatest civilizations on Earth which had started new age in human races development and progress ***** human mind. It showed that ***** abilities are unlimited and human is the highest representative of nature ***** can change world and create special c*****ditions for himself.

As every ancient country of Close East (Persia), Mesopotamia had specific ***** and religion. In fact, first religion called Zoroastrism appeared in the ***** East. Zoroastrism *****fluenced practically all ancient *****s and Christianity. It described ***** ***** natural phenomena as an eternal fight of good against evil. According to ***** early religion people had to fight for good ***** evil and darkness. ***** found this ***** as sense of ********** life. The state, as Zaratustra said, had to be an embodiment of the heaven (good). Monarch had ***** protect people from ***** and teach them good. Also he had to reign using good methods and try not ***** use any evil ones. ***** ruler w***** gods' protege, that's why he was only a good man. This feature ***** this ***** is very interesting and explains w*****re Mesopotamian religion assimilated this idea from. All citizens of the ***** according to Zoroastrism had to be *****lerant, positive-thinking, had to love and forgive one ano*****r. This was the most developed ***** of early history of Close East and ***** a great influence on political power. It ***** used by *****s, priests to be the leaders ***** that society.

***** main ***** of Mesopotamian religion were created by Sumerians. At first Acadian names of different gods ***** replaced ***** Sumerian names; embodiments of natural phenomens were replaced by astronomic gods. Also local ***** could ***** worshiped in different regions (for example, Marduk in *****). *****s had assimilated ***** religion and used it for a long time.

Any god didn't h*****ve supreme *****. If all gods ga*****d together to solve some problem they had absolute power, but only ***** together. Their religion adm*****ted ***** there was nothing instant and *****thing could be changed. This religion is full of different myths ***** many of them we meet in Bible. Myths explained how Earth was created, said that gods created people of clay and wanted