The Egyptians did not necessarily believe in a predestined end of the world, even though it was believed that when the world did end, the god Nun—the primordial waters—would reclaim the earth. This alone sets them apart from many other belief systems. They believed that the world had once been balanced and this balance, ma'at, was disrupted when the god Seth killed his brother, Osiris (Newman 11). It was because of this act that the pharaohs—the only ones believed to have the ability to communicate with the Gods directly—had to make offerings on a daily basis to the sun god, Ra. If they did not, the gods could die, and balance would be lost forever, resulting in the end of the world. The Mayans did not believe that their gods could die, but also made scheduled sacrifices to stave off the end of days (Newman 11).