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Nguyen Dang
Marshall
WHAP/ Period 5
29 September 2013
Water DBQ
Between the time periods of 8000 BCE to 600 CE, ancient civilizations acquired various
uses and meanings for water. For instance, technology, such as aqueducts and water systems,
helped establish further advantages of the uses of water, which also encourages agriculture to
thrive. In addition, water was also a necessary tool used in religion.
Water was used largely in religion in that it was a source of mystical belief and a
necessary tool for proper worship (doc 6, 8, 11). During this time period, every ancient
civilization had its own religion or belief system, and each system or religion developed its own
source of beliefs. For example, the Wadi Essiah believed that their Well of Essences was the
source of all life (doc 6). It is said that one of their important religious figures, Yeshua, and his
followers would have drunk water from the well, and its wine and fresh gardens produce created
from its healing waters (doc 6). The Rid Veda appears appreciative to water because of its
spiritual take on the importance of water to life stating that water is the soul of the world and it
provides us with vigor, however it provides no additional information explaining exactly what
the Rig Veda is, or what religion or belief these statements belong or relate to, thus making the
Rig Veda a questionable source (doc 8). Nonetheless, clearly water was an important source of
belief for several ancient civilizations. With religion, came the development of proper rituals and
ceremonies for worship. In many ancient civilizations, water was used as a tool of proper
worship. According to Surah, one must wash ones entire body to prepare for prayer (doc 11). In

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this case, water was used to cleanse oneself of impurity before praying. In all cases, water was a
source of some sort of belief; either it was the source of life (doc 6, 8) or cleanliness for
worshipping (doc 11).
Many new advances of technology in waterworks, such as aqueducts and water systems
(pipes and fountains), used by the ancient societies, allowed them to use water to their advantage
(doc 2, 5, 7). In Greece and Rome, aqueducts and intricate water systems were widely used.
They had aqueducts that would bring water to the pipes which would bring water to baths and
homes (doc 2). The water brought to the people allowed them to use it for cooking, bathing,
cleaning, even irrigation for crops (doc 2, 5). Strabo appears admirable to and proud of the
engineered waterworks of the Greeks because he calls the building of the pyramids idle and
useless in comparison to the aqueducts and water pipes built by the Greeks and offers more
explanation of how the water is brought to the houses of the people. However, since Strabo is a
Greek himself, his view is, indeed, somewhat biased (doc 5). The Greeks and Romans were not
the only ones to build great waterways that helped their civilization thrive. In August 23, 2006,
archeologists discovered ancient Biblical water systems that were remolded by the various
peoples who ruled the Holy Land, especially the Persians, to fit their needs (doc 7). Water supply
was important to the peoples of the Middle East because the region was (and still is) desert. The
source would be much clearer if it mapped out the aqueducts and waterways built in a city of
Greece. Technological advances in waterworks provided a greater water supply for the ancient
civilizations of that time.
These new technological advances in waterworks helped agriculture in the ancient
societies thrive (doc 1, 5, 7). Many of the waterworks that were built were largely used for
agriculture. The Babylonians used dams and ditches for irrigation purposes, according to the

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Code of Hammurabi (doc 1). The Greeks and Romans built aqueducts and water systems not
only for public uses, such as fountains and bathing areas, but also for agriculture (doc 5). The
aqueducts and water systems allowed further advancements in irrigation to help their crops and
produce grow successfully, especially since the soil in Greece and Rome is very difficult to work
with; the advancements in irrigation helped farmers overcome some of the harsh conditions of
the Greek and Roman soil. The archeologists in Israel who discovered were awed by the ancient
Biblical waterways they discovered in 2006 for they expressed the waterways as a thing of
beauty and seemed impressed with the developments and modifications of the waterways, due
to the fact that the Middle East region is mostly desert, where water is scarce; the waterways
provided water for their people to use, including for agriculture. Because the source is news
report from CNN, usually new reports are biased; however, the author of the article, Ramat
Rachel, does provide information beyond the discovery of the Biblical waterway itself, such as
background information about the remodeling of the waterway, that support their main topic,
making their point of view credible. However, it would be interesting to know what the
modifications made on the waterway were. Still, the waterway provided a source of water and
irrigation for the crops grown in the Middle East, since the region is mostly desert, where water
is scarce. Agriculture is what allowed these civilizations to thrive.
The ancient societies in 8000 BCE to 600 CE used water various ways. Technological
advances in waterworks helped these ancient societies use water to their full advantage, which
also allowed agriculture to flourish. Water was also used as an essential tool for religious
worship and the basis of belief.