Good Life In Mesopotamians

What is a good life? In Greek it is pronounced as kali zoi, in Hebrew it is חיים טובים, but no matter how you say it the definitions are all the same. A good life is defined as “a life lived according to the moral and religious laws of one 's culture” (Good Life). Depending on an individual’s religion or personal beliefs these values can be interpreted in different ways. Over time the Greeks, Hebrews, and Mesopotamians all built strong cultures and left defining marks on history. Several of the defining characteristics are still major foot holds for society today in people 's christian views and for those who have an entirely different religious affiliations. The Mesopotamians were an interesting group of people. They were a group of people who took great pride in their buildings and cities. Mesopotamians used their pride to aid in writing about their way of life once the art of writing was invented. They wrote about every detail of their daily lives as well as about their buildings and customs (Mark). Being a good person in Mesopotamia involved a special relationship with the gods. We see this in Gilgamesh in his being a descendant of the gods, talking with them daily and in some cases he even insulting a few of them (Gilgamesh). In the case of Mesopotamian beliefs the success of a King and his land was based on how positive of a relationship he had with the gods. If he showed special praise to the gods, they would allow him and his kingdom to flourish. Religious services and the more sacred events of daily life were overseen by the priest and priestesses. These people were chosen to be the interpreters of any signs sent from the gods.They also served the gods more directly. One of the most significant high priestess was Enheduanna, who was the daughter of Sargon of Akkad who favored the god Inanna. She acted as a healer at Ur, a city in southern Mesopotamia. Enheduanna is also the first author known by name (Mark). The next level under priests and priestesses in the hierarchy goes to the upper class. These individuals were usually shop owners, scribes, or other forms of high ranking men. The upper class was known for the perks it carried. These men enjoyed relaxation time and were highly educated. Typically the teachers and tutors came from this group of individuals. Women in this class also had a high status compared to other women in different classes. Women were not allowed to attend school, that was only for the boys, but they did have equal rights to men. The only major difference between women and men is that women were not considered intelligent enough to become literate (Mark). The lower class is the second to last class as well as the last class with any type of rights at all. After the lower class are the slaves. The lower class kept the city running, they did the dirty jobs, while slaves worked the lands for the higher classes. Slaves gained their status by selling themselves or being captured (Mark). All of these positions were needed to run the cities. These same cities unlike those of the Greek and Roman people, never had a stable and unified civilization (Mark). These people lived their lives with a sense of faith in the gods …show more content…
The Hebrews felt a little differently than the Mesopotamians and the Greeks. While they looked at worshiping the gods and working side by side with them, when it came to the Hebrews they lived by God’s teaching. The Hebrews believe that one must live by God’s law causing them to be loved. By living for their God, the Hebrews would also be protected while their enemies suffered (Dannin). With this as long as one continues to show love toward God and does right by the commandments he or she will be blessed. The Hebrew way is more straight forward than found in previously cultures. They view God as an almighty being who can control everything. We see a transition from a culture who has many gods to a culture who only has one almighty God. The Hebrews learned that hardships would happen but they must hold strong to their faith and trust that God would take care of