Final answer:
Religious advisers and priests were responsible for counseling kings on walking in the way of their gods, with divine omens and rituals playing central roles in various cultures' decision-making processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout different civilizations and eras, counseling the kings and ensuring they walked in the way of their gods was typically the duty of religious advisers or priests. In ancient Egypt, for example, priests such as those serving the oracle of Ammon provided guidance to kings like Bocchoris. Similarly, in the Assyrian kingdom, kings were considered viceroys of the gods, following divine omens that were interpreted by religious advisers. Meanwhile, in the Bible, Hebrew kings such as Hezekiah sought to cleanse their kingdom from unauthorized worship, guided by religious reformers promoting centralized worship.
Divine omens played a critical role in the decision-making processes of kings, reflecting beliefs that kingship was intertwined with the supernatural realm. Rituals, such as the annual New Year Festival in Assyria, had the king undergo ritual humiliation to satisfy the gods. Furthermore, in the biblical narrative, figures like Moses were seen as divine guides sent to lead people in accordance with God's will. Thus, across these cultures, kings were expected to lead with wisdom and virtue inspired by divine counsel.
The Mayan kings also engaged in ceremonies that were believed to put them in contact with transcendental realms, emphasizing the spiritual aspect of their rule. Kings were expected to live virtuously, reflecting the practices of revered figures like Shun and Yu from Chinese tradition. Overall, these examples show that the job of counseling kings on divine matters stretched across many cultures, ensuring that they followed the path set by their respective deities and religious traditions.