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Molly Clemons

English Composition Two

Dr. Cassel

21 July 2020

How Were Religion and Politics Related in Mesopotamian, Aztec, and Egyptian Cultures?

When it comes to debates or arguments, it seems that politics and/or religion are always

involved. Nothing seems to divide people quite like religion and politics. Religion and politics,

though divisive, often seem to go hand in hand. In America, foundations of religion can be seen

in our government and different political parties, despite the separation of church in state. Has it

always been that way, and is that true across the world? How about in African and Asian

cultures? What about Mesoamerica? What was the relationship between religion and politics in

Mesopotamian, Aztec, and Egyptian cultures?

In Ancient Egypt, the relationship between politics and religion was quite evident. They

were so tightly intertwined that it could be difficult to separate the two. According to Etim E.

Okon in his article “Religion and Politics in Ancient Egypt” in the American Journal of Social

and Management Sciences, “Religious Influence was the dominant social force in Ancient

Egypt” (Okon 93). The Egyptian kings were direct links to the gods, and they personally

identified as gods. The Egyptian religion focused heavily on the afterlife, and every aspect of

their religious, social, and political lives were focused on preparing for their death. Ancient
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Egyptians would even write instructions in an attempt to guide themselves or their loved ones to

the afterlife after their death.

Although there are a lot of similarities between the cultures of Ancient Egypt and Ancient

Mesopotamia, there are also a handful of differences. While Ancient Egyptians would write

thorough instructions for guidance into the afterlife, there is no evidence of this in Mesopotamia.

According to Nathan Wasserman, author of “The Susa Funerary Texts: A New Edition and Re-

evaluation and the Question of Psychostasia in Ancient Mesopotamia” says that there are no

passages dictating instructions on how to gain passage into the afterlife (Wasserman). The Susa

Funerary Texts contain a substantial amount of personal prayers and excerpts of longer religious

texts, however there is nothing like what was found in Ancient Egyptian culture. Despite this,

Ancient Mesopotamia didn’t lack in its political and religious vigor. Andrew Jamieson describes

in his journal titled “Ancient Mesopotamia: Discovering Civilisation” how temples had become

the center of Mesopotamian cities. They were the first monumental buildings built in this ancient

civilization, and they became the center of the Mesopotamians societies. According to Jamieson,

Mesopotamia’s political structure took the form of city-states. Each city-state had its own

administration, and it heavily influenced the economics, religion, and culture of the surrounding

area. Each city-state also had its own temple and patron god.

Likewise, the Aztec people also centered their city, and even their empire around a

temple. Kristin de Lucia, author of “Style, Memory, and Production of History: Aztec Pottery

and the Materialization of a Toltec Legacy” speaks extensively on how Aztec style can “lend

insight into political affiliation, social relations and identity, learning processes, cultural

transmission, ethnicity and identity, cosmological narratives, and ritual practices” (de Lucia 742-

743). Their art, whether it be pottery, architecture, or carvings, allows for people to understand
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how tightly interwoven the many aspects of this culture were. For the Aztecs, cosmology played

heavily into how they organized their calendar year. Their calendar year affected when they

performed rituals, both political and religious. Their religion relied heavily on the cosmos, and it

was all bound in a full circle. This is not something that is seen in other cultures, despite

Egyptian gods being based on different elements of life and nature. What was the difference?

Why did the Aztecs rely so heavily on the cosmos telling them what to do, but the Egyptians

didn’t? Perhaps it is because the Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs were gods themselves, but

the Aztecs believed their kings were merely descendants of gods? Maybe the Egyptians didn’t

feel the need to look for answers because they had a deity there with them. According to Etim E.

Okon in his article “Archaeological Reflections on Ancient Egyptian Religion and Society” the

Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh served as an intermediary between the other gods and

humans. This would explain their lack of questioning, as they believed that they were to be given

answers by the Pharaoh on behalf of the gods.

Ultimately, despite each culture having their differences, they also had many similarities.

They all were polytheistic and worshipped in temples. The Aztecs and Egyptians believed that

their rulers had relation to the gods. In both Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica, the temples became

the center of religious and political life. It would be interesting to see how the three cultures

views on the afterlife compare, as their religious beliefs have so many similarities. All in all, the

generally consensus by scholars is that religion and politics were heavily influenced by each

other, and one really couldn’t exist without the other.

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Works Cited

Okon, Etim E. “Archaeological Reflections on Ancient Egyptian Religion and Society.”

European Scientific Journal, vol. 8, 15 Nov. 2012, pp. 107–117.

Okon, Etim. “Religion and Politics in Ancient Egypt.” American Journal of Social and

Management Sciences, vol. 3, no. 3, 2012, pp. 93–98., doi:10.5251/ajsms.2012.3.3.93.98.

Wasserman, Nathan. “The Susa Funerary Texts: A New Edition and Re-Evaluation and the

Question of Psychostasia in Ancient Mesopotamia.” Journal of the American Oriental

Society, vol. 139, no. 4, 1 Oct. 2019, p. 859., doi:10.7817/jameroriesoci.139.4.0859.

Jamieson, Andrew. “Ancient Mesopotamia: Discovering Civilisation.” AGORA, vol. 50, 1 Oct.

2015, pp. 23–28.

Lucia, Kristin De. “Style, Memory, and the Production of History: Aztec Pottery and the

Materialization of a Toltec Legacy.” Current Anthropology, vol. 59, no. 6, 1 Dec. 2018, pp.

741–764., doi:10.1086/700916.