Ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian ideas about death and the afterlife
1.compare and contrast the depiction of the afterlife in “descent of Ishtar” and the three Egyptian texts (the old kingdom pyramid text, the middle kingdom coffin text, and the “negative confession” from the New Kingdom), and then 2. Discuss what these texts tell us about the relationship between humans and the gods in Mesopotamia and Egypt. (questions to think about here include, but are not limited to: what humanity’s role in the relationship between people and the gods? was the relationship equal? Did humans have obligations towards the gods (and did the gods have obligations toward humans)? what is the nature/tone of the afterlife and how (if at all) do the dead and the gods interact in this place?
1. Must use Chicago-style (with footnotes) citations and bibliography. Include line numbers in the citations
2. Must use primary source texts listed above and at least 3 outside sources. The outside sources must be reputable, peer-reviewed books, journals/ etc.
3. must adhere to the conventions of formal academic writing.
4. Discuss both aspects of the essay (comparison of texts and the discussion of the relationship between gods/ humans in both cultures
5. Don’t rely solely on quotes however what you think the similarities and differences are