history, Law :Compare and contrast the role of law (to include formal law codes as well as divinely inspired law such as the Ten Commandments and Leviticus). What problems do these codes seek to solve? In whose name are laws issued and enforced?Religion:

Write a 5 page (12 point/double space, standard margins) paper on ONE of the following
topics. The papers must incorporate evidence from the source book, and each paper must
examine evidence from at least THREE of the following regions: Mesopotamia, Egypt, the
Levant (i.e. Judea), Ancient Greece and the Roman Mediterranean.

choose one of the following topics:
Topic 1: Religion
Compare and contrast relations with the divine across ancient societies. What are the
various ways in which societies imagine and worship their god/s? What is the relationship
between the divine claims and political power?
Topic 2: Law
Compare and contrast the role of law (to include formal law codes as well as divinely
inspired law such as the Ten Commandments and Leviticus). What problems do these
codes seek to solve? In whose name are laws issued and enforced?
Topic 3: Elite Self Definition
Compare and contrast how elites define themselves and lay claim to special status within
their own society. To what extent are elite ideologies pro-social (admitting an obligation to
the broader community) or blatantly self-interested?