Comparison between Heracles and Gilgamesh
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A five page paper which looks at the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh and the Greek hero Heracles, in terms of the way in which their narratives fulfill similar cultural roles within their respective societies and the similarities and differences between the tasks which they undergo in their quests for enlightenment.
Filename: JLheracles.doc

Egyptian Journey to the Afterlife
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A 15 page discussion of the critical components of the ancient Egyptian's belief in an afterlife. Notes that much of our contemporary knowledge regarding ancient Egyptian culture is based on archaeological findings. Among the most interesting of these findings are those which relate to the elaborate worship rituals of the Egyptians, rituals which to a large degree were comprised of those relating to death and the afterlife. Provides an overview of Egyptian belief, preparation for the afterlife, mummification, the preparation of the body, rituals instructing the dead, the tombs, and ceremonies. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: PPegyDth.wps

Ernst Cassirer: Language & Myth (1946)
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(5 pp) Philosophers are always asking themselves questions. What a philosopher is trying to do, is figure out the way in which people understand the world, or their sense and place of reality in the world. The German philosopher, Ernst Cassirer (1874- 1945) felt that we use mentally created symbols to understand our current reality. It was Cassirer's idea that scientific laws, theories of religion and the unique qualities of a given language were all symbols, which we as humans create to facilitate understanding the world. The logic of understanding then is to give some sense of order in the chaos of the world that we face on a daily basis.
Filename: BBcassir.doc