AI – ‘While ancient civilizations in the Middle East didn’t explicitly articulate a concept of “all life on Earth interconnected” in the same way modern ecological thought does, they did recognize a deep connection between humanity and the natural world. Many believed that the divine or sacred sphere was reflected in all aspects of life and nature. For example, in ancient Egypt, Thoth, the scribe god, was seen as the archetype for mortal scribes, demonstrating a connection between the divine and the earthly realm. 

Here’s a more detailed look:

• Agency of the Gods:

Ancient Middle Eastern cultures generally viewed the gods as having agency in all aspects of life and nature. 

• Reflex of the Divine:

Everything on Earth was seen as a reflection or manifestation of its prototype in the divine or sacred sphere. 

• Creation Stories:

Creation stories, like those in the Bible, often depict humanity as created in the “image of God,” further emphasizing a connection between the divine and the human. 

• Examples from Egyptian Religion:

The example of Thoth, the scribe god, shows how mortal scribes were viewed as human reflections of the divine scribe. 

• The Tree of Life:

The concept of the tree of life, found in various religious and mythological traditions, can be seen as a symbol of interconnectedness, representing the connection between different realms and aspects of existence. 

• World Maps:

Early depictions of the world in Mesopotamian and Egyptian thought, like flat disk models, show an understanding of the world as a unified entity, with the earth surrounded by water and the sky as a dome. 

While these examples don’t explicitly state that all life is interconnected in the modern ecological sense, they demonstrate a worldview that recognizes a fundamental link between the divine, the human, and the natural world. This suggests a level of interconnectedness beyond a purely physical one, encompassing spiritual and symbolic dimensions.’