Ancient Egypt (Jackson Langfeld, outside class reading)

 Ancient Egypt had a deep connection between religion and the environment, and the Nile was at the center of it. The river wasn't just a water source, it was sacred. The yearly flooding deposited fertile soil across the banks and people understood that both in practice and spiritually, their survival depended on working with that cycle rather than against it. That understanding showed up in how they lived, respecting animals, avoiding waste, treating the natural world as something worth maintaining. Compared to now it's hard not to notice the difference. They weren't perfect, but there was a sense that the environment was something to be in relationship with, not just something to takefrom.

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