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Babylonian Mythology

By Amy Patel. Babylonian Mythology . Geography. Located in Mesopotamia (between Tigris and Euphrates rivers) Now Iraq Climate Hot and dry in the summer Cold and wet in the winter Physical Challenges Drought in the summer Rivers would occasionally flood

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Babylonian Mythology

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  1. By Amy Patel Babylonian Mythology

  2. Geography • Located in Mesopotamia (between Tigris and Euphrates rivers) • Now Iraq • Climate • Hot and dry in the summer • Cold and wet in the winter • Physical Challenges • Drought in the summer • Rivers would occasionally flood • Located between numerous other tribes

  3. Map

  4. Creation Story • In beginning, there was only water, represented by the primal gods Apsu (male) and Tiamat (female) • They create several other gods that live inside them and make a lot of babel (noise), including Ea (the chief god) • Ea has a son named Marduk • Apsu tries to kill the younger gods, but Ea kills Apsu instead

  5. Creation Story continued … • Tiamat attacks some of the younger gods with the help of her new husbands Kingu, some other gods, and 11 monsters she creates • The younger gods decide to give a lot of power to Marduk so he can fight Tiamat • Marduk defeats Tiamat and rips her in half, creating the Earth and the Sky • Marduk also arranges the stars, rivers, mountain, the calendar, etc.

  6. Creation Story continued … • The Marduk kills Kingu and uses his blood to create humankind • The gods who allied with Marduk become the chief gods of Babylon (because they made much babel or noise)

  7. Story suggests . . . • Crime begets crime • Working together is more powerful than working alone • This explains how Babylon got its name and why it was such an important city

  8. Major Mythological Characters • Tiamat • The great goddess of sea and chaos • Represents Primordial Chaos • Looks like a winged dragon • Defeated in a battle with Marduk • Her body became the Earth and Sky

  9. Characters continued . . . • Marduk • God of thunderstorms • Ruler of the other Gods • Killed Tiamat the water god to create Earth and Sky • Had four ears and eyes; breathed fire

  10. Characters continued . . . • Enlil • Sun god • In charge of earth and air • Also in charge of fate • Caused a great flood • Ishtar • Goddess of love and war • Famously descends to the Underworld • Vengeful and jealous—cruel to her lovers • Tries to kill Gilgamesh when he spurns her advances

  11. Story of the Flood • Ea, god of wisdom, and the other gods decide that they want to kill all humans • Enlil is going to flood the world • Ea likes one human named Utnapishtim, so he gives him advice • Utnapishtim builds an ark for him and his wife, as well as “the seed of all living creatures” • They survive the flood and are given immortality

  12. Story suggests . . . • Gods can be merciful to those they favor. • Angering the gods can have severe consequences. • It explains some major flood that occurred in prehistoric Babylon

  13. Visual Marduk fights Tiamat

  14. Visual Marduk and his pet dragon

  15. Sources • http://www.pantheon.org/articles/u/utnapishtim.html • http://www.cresourcei.org/enumaelish.html • http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/BabyloniaBabylonian_Gods00000027.htm • http://www.gods-heros-myth.com/godpages/enlil.html • http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/egypt/a/babygodsindex.htm

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