Compare and contrast the religious practices and beliefs about the afterlife in Egypt to those of India and Shang China

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary, but should include the following information: The Egyptians thought that the afterlife was full of dangers, which could be overcome by magical means, among them the spells in the Book of the Dead. The goals were to join and be identified with the gods, especially Osiris, or to sail in the "boat of millions." Originally, only the king could hope to enjoy immortality with the gods, but gradually this became available to all.The elaborate bath facilities of Indus civilizations suggest that ritual bathing and water purification rites were important, as they are still in India today.The many images of male animals such as the humped bull might be symbols of power and fertility or of deities, or possibly indications of animal worship.Also found in Indus artifacts are the pipal tree and the left-handed swastika, both symbols of later importance to Hindus.The Shang believed in a supreme "Deity Above," who had authority over the human world. Also serving at the court of the Deity Above were lesser natural deities—the sun, moon, earth, rain, wind, and the six clouds. Even the Shang king sacrificed not to the Deity Above but to his ancestors, who interceded with the Deity Above on the king's behalf.In Shang times, as later, religion in China was closely associated with cosmology. The Shang people observed the movements of the planets and stars and reported eclipses. Celestial happenings were seen as omens from the gods.
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