In “How the Ancient Religions Viewed the Afterlife,” author Patrick Kiger discusses the differences in the afterlife practices and beliefs of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
The religion of Mesopotamia had a very bleak outlook on death and regarded the afterlife in a negative light. They believed the underworld to be a hopeless place filled with corruption and torment, and that it would be necessary to bribe the gods, Ereshkigal and Nergal, that ruled over them in death. The author describes a poem that depicts a Mesopotamian king’s descent into the afterlife where he gifts the god's garments and weapons to secure a place for himself and be given the power to rule over dead soldiers and criminals. Even a king would have to persuade the deities that he is worthy enough to continue to rule in the afterworld.
Opposite of the Mesopotamians, Egyptians looked forward to the afterlife. They believed that their life on earth was temporary and that the afterlife held more importance hence why they spent an immense amount of
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They also worshipped many gods and had an elaborate system; when examining their beliefs and their deities, it resembles more of a fairy tale or fable-like quality. They worshipped many gods and prayed for things that we pray about today, but they believed their fate in the afterlife was doomed. In comparison with Egyptians, I personally would have preferred the outlook of the Greeks for the reason being that they must have put more emphasis on enjoying their earthly life. I could not imagine going through life as the Egyptians did in dedicating their life to prepare for a promised eternal life in death. Although I am a Christian, I struggle with my faith and what we do not know or what we cannot see, especially in hard times; the Egyptians were confident in their life after