Assignment task:
1. Read through the Negative Confessions and note what situations are confessed. Is the religious concern cultic (having to do with sacrifices to the god or gods) or something else? Illustrate with examples.
2. The last pharaoh of the Old Kingdom was Pepi II. What weaknesses does Pepi II's reign reveal about a system of government which centers on an absolute monarch (or dictator)?
3. Compare Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, to either Isis or Sekhmet and their relations with people. Why do the Egyptian gods appear (at least in the long run) much friendlier to people than the Mesopotamian gods and goddesses? Do research on this and read the article and think about it before responding!
4. Compare the develop of cuneiform to Egyptian hieroglyphics. In the comparison make sure you consider the materials used for making texts, and how the writing changes over time.
(Hint: also consider how pictures developed into Bildzeichen, which you learned about in the Ted talk earlier this semester.)
YouTube Video: What is Goebekli Tepe | Klaus Schmidt | TEDxPrague