History of Water
Our ancient fathers held water in great esteem. Thales of Miletus (635 BC-543 BC), often regarded as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition and the father of Science, hypothesized that water was the basic element from which all else was derived. He came to this conclusion because only water could be found in all three states: solid, fluid, and gaseous. Thales believed that the world originated from water.
Thales' notion that water is the primal origin of all things is interesting: it goes back to the notion of an origin for all living things. More importantly, this hypothesis holds within its framework the seed idea that all things are connected. Early civilizations always started around water sources, like rivers and lakes, because of the important role water played in the daily routines of man. Indus Valley, the location of the first civilization of India, was centered along the Ganges and Indus rivers. Meanwhile, in ancient China, the earliest civilizations started and flourished around the Yellow River, Yangtze and the West River. Similarly in ancient Egypt, people were dependent on the constantly flooding river Nile for their livelihood: and as far back as 5000 BC, people lived all along the river. Throughout human history, water has always been used (and in some instances continues to be) in religious and cultural practices. Seeing just how important this element is, let us examine it in greater detail.