Located in the Tigris-Euphrates valley was the land of Mesopotamia. It was here that the world’s first cities were founded between 4000 – 3500 BC by the Sumerian people. They developed their own belief system, with a variety of gods and goddesses. They developed religious practices and rituals for worshiping these powerful deities.The cultures of Mesopotamia had a polytheistic belief system, which means that the people believed in multiple gods instead of just one. They also believed in demons created by the gods, which could be good or evil. The people of Mesopotamia worshiped these other worldly beings to keep the beings happy, because if one of these powerful beings was angered then the people of Mesopotamia would, in some way, be punished for that unhappiness. They believed that when something bad happened, whether a natural disaster or not, it was because the correlating god was angry at them, so they did their best to keep the gods happy. As the Mesopotamian civilization developed so did their culture. They developed a variety of festivals, ceremonies, traditions, and much more, which became an important part in the lives of many. Many of the rituals and ceremonies were based around certain rites of passage, such as birth and marriage, and these events were usually celebrated with a banquet that sometimes included music, dancing and food, though the food available was determined by the social status of the family. Burial customs in ancient Mesopotamia varied. One method was placing the body in a ceramic jar then covering the top with more ceramic. Since the jars usually found in excavations are small, possibly household ceramics, it is believed this was a burial custom for infants or small children, though larger vessels have been found that were used for adult burials. Other means of burial included using carpets and mats to wrap the body.
RELIGION
In ancient Mesopotamia, the meaning of life was for one to live in concert with the gods. Humans were created as co-laborers with their gods to hold off the forces of chaos and to keep the community running smoothly. According to the Mesopotamian creation myth, theEnuma Elish, (meaning,'When on High') life began after an epic struggle between the elder gods and the younger. In the beginning there was only water swirling in chaos and undifferentiated between fresh and bitter. These waters separated into two distinct principles: the male principle, Apsu, which was fresh water and the female principle, Tiamat, salt water. From the union of these two principles all the other gods came into being.
These younger gods were so loud in their daily concourse with each other that they came to annoy the elders, especially Apsu and, on the advice of his Vizier, he decided to kill them. Tiamat, however, was shocked at Apsu's plot and warned one of her sons, Ea, the god of wisdom and intelligence. With the help of his brothers and sisters, Ea put Apsu to sleep and then killed him. Out of the corpse of Apsu, Ea created the earth and built his home (though, in later myths 'the Apsu’ came to mean the watery home of the gods or the realm of the gods). Tiamat, upset now over Apsu's death, raised the forces of chaos to destroy her children herself. Ea and his siblings fought against Tiamat and her allies, her champion, Quingu, the forces of chaos and Tiamat's creatures, without success until, from among them, rose the great storm god Marduk. Marduk swore he would defeat Tiamat if the gods would proclaim him their king. This agreed to, he entered into battle with Tiamat, killed her and, from her body, created the sky. He then continued on with the act of creation to make human beings from the remains of Quingu as help-mates to the gods.
HISTORY
Mesopotamia (from the Greek, meaning 'between two rivers’) was an ancient region in the eastern Mediterranean bounded in the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and in the southeast by the Arabian Plateau, corresponding to today’s Iraq, mostly, but also parts of modern-day Iran, Syria and Turkey. The 'two rivers' of the name referred to the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers and the land was known as 'Al-Jazirah '(the island) by the Arabs referencing what Egyptologist J.H. Breasted would later call the Fertile Crescent, where Mesopotamian civilization began.
The Cradle of Civilization
Unlike the more unified civilizations of Egypt or Greece, Mesopotamia was a collection of varied cultures whose only real bonds were their script, their gods, and their attitude toward women. The social customs, laws, and even language of Akkad, for example, cannot be assumed to correspond to those of Babylon; it does seem, however, that the rights of women, the importance of literacy, and the pantheon of the gods were indeed shared throughout the region (though the gods had different names in various regions and periods). As a result of this, Mesopotamia should be more properly understood as a region that produced multiple empires and civilizations rather than any single civilization.
RELIGIOUS RITUALS
The Mesopotamians did not study or analyze their religious views. They believed in the existence of gods, ghosts, demons, and monsters without question. The Mesopotamians practiced rituals designed to keep the gods fed and comfortable, by making offerings in a temple dedicated to each particular god. It was their belief that mankind had only been created in order to serve the ruling gods. If the gods were not pleased with their service, humankind would suffer evils such as plagues and earthquakes. If the gods were content, humankind would thrive and be protected.
Our understanding of the Mesopotamian world view has been derived from the study of their ancient texts, including mythology, prayers, incantations, literary works, and even royal inscriptions, as well as artwork, and archaeological evidence. The Mesopotamian myth of Atrahasis explains the creation of man. Atrahasis tells of a rebellion of the lesser gods against Enlil (Akkadian Ellil) because their workload was too great. “For 3,600 years they bore the excess, hard work, night and day.” The lesser gods declared war, “Every single one of us gods declared war! We have put [a stop] to the digging. The load is excessive, it is killing us!” Ellil demanded the sacrifice of one rebel to ease his displeasure. “Call up one god and let them cast him for destruction!” Enki (Akkadian Ea) sympathized with the rebels and suggested a worker be created to toil in the gods’ place. “Let her (Nintu) create primeval man so that he may bear the yoke…Let man bear the load of the gods!” It was agreed that the rebel god Ilawela would be sacrificed and the goddess Nintu would create mankind from clay. “Ilawela who had intelligence, they slaughtered in their assembly. Nintu mixed clay with his flesh and blood. They heard the drumbeat forever after.”Because mankind was created with the blood of the god Ilawela, he was given a “soul” that would exist after death as a ghost. Mankind was fated to suffer death as a means to control population. The gods also decreed there would be a king to organize mankind. The king was responsible for providing the gods with whatever they needed as well as ruling his subjects. A kind of mutual dependency existed between the gods and mankind. The gods needed humans to provide them with a comfortable existence, while the humans needed to serve the gods properly or they would have to face the consequences of the deities’ anger.The king was required to provide and maintain the god’s house, or temple. There were many temples in each city, but there was one main temple which was the seat of the city’s patron god. Each temple had kitchens where food was prepared for the god. Later temples were designed to accommodate every activity of the god by including reception areas, sleeping areas, and even stables. A large staff was required to maintain these elaborate temples. The king and other wealthy citizens would help pay for temple expenses and the temple could also trade items grown and produced on its land.Each temple had a wooden statue of the main god. This human-like statue was dressed elaborately and was decorated with gold and precious stones. The statue was kept in a sanctuary chamber in the temple, in a wall-niche behind an altar made of brick. There were also additional brick offering tables and benches which held votive statues in the sanctuary. These statues were also ritually washed for purification before the feeding ceremony. Texts have been found that inventory the ornate clothing and jewelry worn by the god. These statues would be taken out of the temple during processions and the occasional trip to visit a god in another city.
RELIGION
In ancient Mesopotamia, the meaning of life was for one to live in concert with the gods. Humans were created as co-laborers with their gods to hold off the forces of chaos and to keep the community running smoothly. According to the Mesopotamian creation myth, theEnuma Elish, (meaning,'When on High') life began after an epic struggle between the elder gods and the younger. In the beginning there was only water swirling in chaos and undifferentiated between fresh and bitter. These waters separated into two distinct principles: the male principle, Apsu, which was fresh water and the female principle, Tiamat, salt water. From the union of these two principles all the other gods came into being.
These younger gods were so loud in their daily concourse with each other that they came to annoy the elders, especially Apsu and, on the advice of his Vizier, he decided to kill them. Tiamat, however, was shocked at Apsu's plot and warned one of her sons, Ea, the god of wisdom and intelligence. With the help of his brothers and sisters, Ea put Apsu to sleep and then killed him. Out of the corpse of Apsu, Ea created the earth and built his home (though, in later myths 'the Apsu’ came to mean the watery home of the gods or the realm of the gods). Tiamat, upset now over Apsu's death, raised the forces of chaos to destroy her children herself. Ea and his siblings fought against Tiamat and her allies, her champion, Quingu, the forces of chaos and Tiamat's creatures, without success until, from among them, rose the great storm god Marduk. Marduk swore he would defeat Tiamat if the gods would proclaim him their king. This agreed to, he entered into battle with Tiamat, killed her and, from her body, created the sky. He then continued on with the act of creation to make human beings from the remains of Quingu as help-mates to the gods.
HISTORY
Mesopotamia (from the Greek, meaning 'between two rivers’) was an ancient region in the eastern Mediterranean bounded in the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and in the southeast by the Arabian Plateau, corresponding to today’s Iraq, mostly, but also parts of modern-day Iran, Syria and Turkey. The 'two rivers' of the name referred to the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers and the land was known as 'Al-Jazirah '(the island) by the Arabs referencing what Egyptologist J.H. Breasted would later call the Fertile Crescent, where Mesopotamian civilization began.
The Cradle of Civilization
Unlike the more unified civilizations of Egypt or Greece, Mesopotamia was a collection of varied cultures whose only real bonds were their script, their gods, and their attitude toward women. The social customs, laws, and even language of Akkad, for example, cannot be assumed to correspond to those of Babylon; it does seem, however, that the rights of women, the importance of literacy, and the pantheon of the gods were indeed shared throughout the region (though the gods had different names in various regions and periods). As a result of this, Mesopotamia should be more properly understood as a region that produced multiple empires and civilizations rather than any single civilization.
RELIGIOUS RITUALS
The Mesopotamians did not study or analyze their religious views. They believed in the existence of gods, ghosts, demons, and monsters without question. The Mesopotamians practiced rituals designed to keep the gods fed and comfortable, by making offerings in a temple dedicated to each particular god. It was their belief that mankind had only been created in order to serve the ruling gods. If the gods were not pleased with their service, humankind would suffer evils such as plagues and earthquakes. If the gods were content, humankind would thrive and be protected.
Our understanding of the Mesopotamian world view has been derived from the study of their ancient texts, including mythology, prayers, incantations, literary works, and even royal inscriptions, as well as artwork, and archaeological evidence. The Mesopotamian myth of Atrahasis explains the creation of man. Atrahasis tells of a rebellion of the lesser gods against Enlil (Akkadian Ellil) because their workload was too great. “For 3,600 years they bore the excess, hard work, night and day.” The lesser gods declared war, “Every single one of us gods declared war! We have put [a stop] to the digging. The load is excessive, it is killing us!” Ellil demanded the sacrifice of one rebel to ease his displeasure. “Call up one god and let them cast him for destruction!” Enki (Akkadian Ea) sympathized with the rebels and suggested a worker be created to toil in the gods’ place. “Let her (Nintu) create primeval man so that he may bear the yoke…Let man bear the load of the gods!” It was agreed that the rebel god Ilawela would be sacrificed and the goddess Nintu would create mankind from clay. “Ilawela who had intelligence, they slaughtered in their assembly. Nintu mixed clay with his flesh and blood. They heard the drumbeat forever after.”Because mankind was created with the blood of the god Ilawela, he was given a “soul” that would exist after death as a ghost. Mankind was fated to suffer death as a means to control population. The gods also decreed there would be a king to organize mankind. The king was responsible for providing the gods with whatever they needed as well as ruling his subjects. A kind of mutual dependency existed between the gods and mankind. The gods needed humans to provide them with a comfortable existence, while the humans needed to serve the gods properly or they would have to face the consequences of the deities’ anger.The king was required to provide and maintain the god’s house, or temple. There were many temples in each city, but there was one main temple which was the seat of the city’s patron god. Each temple had kitchens where food was prepared for the god. Later temples were designed to accommodate every activity of the god by including reception areas, sleeping areas, and even stables. A large staff was required to maintain these elaborate temples. The king and other wealthy citizens would help pay for temple expenses and the temple could also trade items grown and produced on its land.Each temple had a wooden statue of the main god. This human-like statue was dressed elaborately and was decorated with gold and precious stones. The statue was kept in a sanctuary chamber in the temple, in a wall-niche behind an altar made of brick. There were also additional brick offering tables and benches which held votive statues in the sanctuary. These statues were also ritually washed for purification before the feeding ceremony. Texts have been found that inventory the ornate clothing and jewelry worn by the god. These statues would be taken out of the temple during processions and the occasional trip to visit a god in another city.