When comparing cultures, it would be difficult to find two that are more diverse than the Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures. Mesopotamian culture was filled with tension and instability while the Egyptian people maintained a stable and somewhat more content lifestyle. Looking at these two cultures, it can be assumed that these differences are mainly due to the political, economic, social, religious and geographical differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia. These factors added to the overall mentality of the population. These mindsets have affected the stability of every culture, whether for better or worse. Geographic differences between these two countries have been a major factor in determining stability. Mesopotamia arose from a largely unorganized world around ten thousand years BC. As the cradle of civilization, the Mesopotamians had to deduce the best way to become civilized without example or instruction. The first step toward civilization was the transition to hunters and gatherers. The Mesopotamians established farms with domestic animals and seeds of barley and wheat. The fertile crescent, which stretched between the Tigris and the Euphrates, became the cradle of this young organized civilization. The fertile crescent did not always have enough water to support crops. The weather was unpredictable and rivers did not always produce enough water to irrigate crops. Alternatively, rivers could overflow without warning, causing serious hardship for the population. These calamities were due to the amount of rain or snow that fell in the north and south. This precarious lifestyle contributed greatly to the unstable mentality and economic difficulties of the Mesopotamians. Shortly after the establishment of Mesopotamia, Egypt began to emerge from the middle of paper...... 2008) 11. Hymns to the Pharaoh were written for Ramses IV c. 1166 BC. We can find Ibid. This paragraph is primarily derived from information contained in the textbook by Lynn Hunt, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia, Bonnie G. Smith. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures: 3rd Edition, Volume I. (Boston, New York 2009) 9-10The preceding three sentences were primarily derived from information in the textbookLynn Hunt, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-chia Hsia, Bonnie G. Smith. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures: 3rd Edition, Volume I. (Boston, New York 2009) 7This quote is from an assessment of the Code of Hammurabi, which was the law in ancient Mesopotamia: Marvin Perry, Sources of the Western Tradition: From Antiquity to Enlightenment, 8th edition, volume I. (Baruch College, 2008)7