Final Exam

Question: Describe the importance of water in the ancient world

Theses: Water made living during the ancient world possible. Water brought life to lands, water the orchards that aloud humans to live, and was also was used to protect people against the devil.

Primary source #1:

Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt! Mysterious is thy issuing forth from the darkness, on this day whereon it is celebrated! Watering the orchards created by Re, to cause all the cattle to live, you give the earth to drink, inexhaustible one! Path that descends from the sky, loving the bread of Seb and the first-fruits of Nepera, You cause the workshops of Ptah to prosper!

Ancient History Sourcebook:

Hymn to the Nile, c. 2100 BCE

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hymn-nile.html

Primary Source #2

Then he shall designate a spot in the vestibule where the fire is to be made for the water, and shall first sprinkle the place with holy water, and shall also sprinkle the kettle when it is ready to be hung and the water in it, to guard against the illusions of the devil. Then, entering the church with the others, he shall celebrate the ordeal mass. After the celebration let the priest go with the people to the place of the ordeal, the Gospel in his left hand, the cross, censer and relics of the saints being carried ahead, and let him chant seven penitential psalms with a litany.

Medieval Sourcebook: Ordeal of Boiling Water,

12th or 13th Century

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/water-ordeal.html

Primary Source #3

was in Portugal, in 1484, there came a person to the King from the island of Madeira, soliciting for a vessel to go in quest of land, which he affirmed he saw every year, and always of the same appearance. He also says that he remembers the same was said by the inhabitants of the Azores and described as in a similar direction, and of the same shape and size. Having taken in food, water, meat and other provisions, which had been provided by the men which he left ashore on departing for Grand Canary to repair the Pinta, the Admiral took his final departure from Gomera with the three vessels on Thursday, 6 September

Medieval Sourcebook:

Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html>

Argument:

Without the water people could not live. According to source one , the Nile played a huge role in keeping the system of life going because without water the plants could not grow, which would make the animals die. According to source two, water was used by priest to repel evil, and the devil from entering places. Finally the last source was a repetition of Columbus saying that water was a needed to live.