Civilisations

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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The Egyptian, Hebrew and Greek Civilizations were all very significant early civilizations.While they all shared the essential characteristics of a civilization, rules/laws, system for foodstorage and Religious beliefs or system, they also differed in certain aspects of their civilization.

The Egyptians, were one of the earliest civilizations to arise. This civilization arose out of theneed to regulate the food and water supply. This need for regulation was due to the flooding of the Nile. The Egyptians were therefore also always in much closer proximity to one another than for example the Greek Civilization. Another difference was that the Egyptians didn't have quite as many influences from other groups of people as did the Greeks. The location of the Nile and surrounding area provided a natural barrier from others. Thus their development was largely due to themselves and not a result of the surrounding peoples influences. Their religious beliefs differed from other civilizations, Egyptians had many gods but the dominant worship was the worship of Amon-Re.

While this religious system did change later to a more monotheistic religion - the worship of Aton it was for many years, up until the Eighteenth dynasty, the worship of many gods. Another unique characteristic of the Egyptians was their form of writing, hieroglyphics. This was a complicated system of pictographs with sound symbols.

There is really one significant difference to be noted about the Hebrew Civilization. This big difference was that in a time when all surrounding civilizations believed in many gods, the Hebrews believed in one God. The God was unique also in that he controlled nature. Their God was called Yahweh. The significance of this difference was that although a radical idea in it's early day, this monotheism came to predominate later on.

The Greek Civilization, unlike...