A research paper on the burial and ceremonial traditions of egypt

A on the burial and ceremonial traditions of egypt compared to the romans and how it influenced america today - Research Paper Example Study of their beliefs and practices show that there existed a communication or interaction between the cultures of these two different continents, but any solid proof is still lacking. Later on, as believed, it is the influence of Christianity and that of Pilgrim Fathers led to the development of significant differences in the beliefs and practices of American cultures. In the case of Egypt, there was significant influence from Roman and Greek cultures. Thus, as time passed, there arose considerable differences among the cultures. A look into historical evidence proves that the practices related to the dead vary among various civilizations. However, it seems that all the civilizations share certain degree of similarity too. To illustrate, the Romans, Egyptians, and the ancient American civilizations like Mayan and Inca held the belief that the dead deserve some sort of rituals and planning. In addition, history proves that in societies the practices and beliefs undergo changes as ti me passes, and as civilizations decline. This work intends to look into the burial practices that existed among the ancient Egyptians and Romans, and it analyses if they had any influence on the American cultures. ... Consequently, their treatment of the dead varied accordingly. Ancient Egyptians buried their wealthy in expensive tombs which were filled with artifacts and wall paintings depicting families during their everyday lives. However, one can see that as time progresses, the positive outlook of the Egyptians about the afterlife changes significantly; the afterlife began to be considered as a place of fear; filled with evil spirits. As a result, they began to bury their dead with ‘The Book of Dead’ that contained spells that help the dead navigate in the afterlife. According to Davies (29), it is wrong to use the term ‘resurrection’ when one talks about the Egyptian belief because the Egyptians believed in the four stages of life starting from birth, life, death, and rebirth where death is an opportunity for fulfillment, not a matter of negation. Consequently, for them, death rituals were meant to ensure easy transcending of the dead to afterlife. In fact, the beli efs of the Egyptians regarding death and after life were based on the cult of Isis that had its birth around fourth millennium BCE. According to the belief, death is followed by a long journey through a number of tests and trials. The ones who pass the tests are sure to enjoy eternal life. In fact, the Egyptians were optimists about afterlife. Now, a look into the Roman burial customs proves that though they shared certain similarities in burial practices, their basic ideology was entirely different from that of Egyptians in the beginning. The first point of difference is the fact that while Egyptians believed in an exquisite afterlife, there was no such doctrine among Romans that taught there is an afterlife for which the present body is to be preserved. So, for them, the dead