Authoritarianism and resultant social control was the basis for religion. The first nations, with rare exception, were authoritarian theocracies. The Harrapan culture (aka: the Indus Valley culture) of northern India may well be the sole exception.
Sumer, Akkad, Pharaonic Egypt, Mycenean and Hellenic societies were authoritarian societies. These centers of human civilization were controlled by a privileged class. This privileged social class had evolved from ‘Headman’ tribal leaders; a hierarchy endemic to most societies.
The privileged class (i.e. noble family) was fronted by a strongman who became known as ‘king’. The priesthood - the god’s earthly representatives - then propped up the nobility and the King in a symbiotic arrangement; undoubtedly sharing with the nobility the booty collected to honor the city’s patron ‘god’.
As civilization proceeded, the centers grew from villages that serviced the farmers to cities which serviced the gods, the nobility and the priesthood. (The city states of Greece make for a ready example of this new social organization.)
Each city had a patron god serviced by the priesthood, the nobility and the people. The patron god was revered and served as the guide for the character of the city. Very similarly, the cities of Mesopotamia each had patron gods with central temples, a servicing priesthood and a king to maintain order.
For example, the goddess, Athena, was the patron deity of Athens and Sparta. Apollo presided over Delphi; Dionysus became Thebe’s divine patron. The god, Ashur was the patron god of the city named ‘Ashur’ in Sumer.
Initially, the authority for control of the new social grouping (i.e. the city) came from the patron god or pantheon of gods proposed by the earthly representatives of that god – the priesthood. the priesthood was a privileged ‘earthly’ authority which benefited personally from the collection of goods and products to placate the gods. (At what point in human development of civilization this hierarchy was formed is buried in the depths of pre-history.)
It was declared by the priests that each patron god and goddess had an actual physical presence in the temple at the heart of the city. Each temple was the home of the god on earth; so declared the priests. Each god also had very evident physical needs which were seen to by the temple priests and their staff. The priests declared that the people would gain the god’s beneficence and protection for the host city by making offerings to the patron god.
(If this doesn’t smell like a con nothing does.)
These offerings to the deity came in the form of agricultural products (grain and animals) as well as the products of artisans such as wine, beer, cloth, jewelry, gold, etc. These offerings were collected from the people.
Where else?
In order that the priesthood to be allowed to demand the gathering of private property - the result of labor and special skill – and be protected in that endeavor, the priests and temple attendants were afforded deference in the society. Deference even beyond the privileged standing they had as the god’s earthly representative. They had to have been granted that deference or the people would have refused to share the products of their labors, otherwise.
A little fear of terrible reprisal from the god doesn’t hurt, either.
The inevitable resultant graft in which the priesthood partook was undoubtedly seen with disfavor by the farmers and artisans. The attendants of the Temple were appropriately armed. Subsequently, the nobles (as strongmen) were needed to bolstered the temple authority.
Thus was born the protection racket which is called ‘religion’. (Later, the protection money for the present life would include protection and the guarantee of the after-life but that’s a discussion for another time.)
Obviously, this essay should include loads of footnotes and references to studies and peer reviewed papers supporting this subject. However, I don’t have any of that. Sorry. Check with Dr. Joshua Bowen; he’s an Assyriologist and an atheist.
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