Living in the Empire

I am not sure why I enjoy so much those boring ancient history documentaries about the early Mesopotamian civilizations. I really enjoy watching those shows while I’m in the studio sculpting and painting. I try to understand human behavior through the history of these people and at the same time I try to picture myself during that time. How would it look like if I was living in the empire? There was a group of people making sure that their king was obeyed, feared, honored, venerated, and pleased. The king was the target of hate and could at any time be killed by enemies or by people in the kingdom seeking power or revenge. Society itself moved accordingly risking their lives every minute. At the same time they had to fear the possibility of war with outsiders. Life was very uncertain no matter your position in that time. It was not only one generation but the things that were going on for thousands of years.

I’ve been reading the book of Daniel in the Bible lately as well. Daniel lived during the times when Babylon became the capital under the kingship of Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar is attributed with one of the long gone wonders of the world, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC. Daniel was taken to Babylon during that time. Although Daniel was a captive he served a few of the kings during his lifetime according to the Bible and did it respectfully and successfully. He was well respected by the kings and hated by his counterparts. I try to imagine being in a position like that. It reminds me of one of my favorite stories of the Bible with lots of parallels to it: the story of Joseph, the king of dreams. Joseph was also a stranger in the land of Egypt and became very respected in a high position of authority. As Daniel, Joseph was not only good at what he did but also faithful and honorable. The best part is that none of them surrendered their values and their love of God even though they were living in the empire.

I don’t think society changed that much since. Many things that made Mesopotamia the cradle of civilization are still alive today. History is a continuum and everything is somehow interconnected. I don’t think humans changed at all since besides the obvious cultural differences and technological advances. Human character and behavior doesn’t seem different to me from that time to ours. Some people want power and they do whatever they need to do to get it and keep it. There are wars. People kill, steal, fight, take sides, become victims of power struggles, and try living until it is their time. Religious hate is no different either. People in power use religion to control others, while others use religion to hold on to life and afterwards. If you ask me, I would like to live in this empire we live today like Daniel and Joseph did. I want to hold on to my values and be faithful, respectful, and honorable. Needless to say, I am also a stranger in the land.

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