Final answer:
Early civilizations did not separate government and religious institutions; these were deeply connected with rulers often embodying divine authority. Religion was institutionalized and wielded by officials to maintain order and collect taxes, reinforcing social hierarchies. The modern separation of church and state is a development of later societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
In early civilizations, government and religious institutions were not separated; rather, they were deeply intertwined. The development of early urban societies saw a shift where religion became institutionalized into what is known as a state religion. These state religions had full-time administrators and were structured with hierarchies similar to government bureaucracies. In Mesopotamia and other early civilizations like Egypt and Greece, the conception of divinity became more anthropomorphic, with each city-state often having its own patron deity, elevating the temporal leader as a representation or manifestation of that god's will. Therefore, conflicts and wars between city-states were often seen as battles between these divine figures.
As populations grew and societies became more complex, the roles of priests, kings, and other officials evolved to command obedience and maintain social order. They collected taxes and built infrastructures, which in turn reinforced the social hierarchy and specialization of labor. The separation of religious and government institutions that we see in some modern societies, such as the United States, where there is an explicit notion of a "wall of separation," evolved much later. This separation between church and state is a product of an evolving understanding of religious freedom and the role of government in religion.