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Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia. Religion. Mesopotamia: Creation Myth. How Humans Were Created. Religious Beliefs. ANTHROPOMORPHIC Mesopotamians believed that their gods had the traits and appearances of human beings. These gods and goddesses ate, drank, developed relationships, got married, and had children.

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Mesopotamia

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  1. Mesopotamia Religion

  2. Mesopotamia: Creation Myth • How Humans Were Created

  3. Religious Beliefs • ANTHROPOMORPHIC • Mesopotamians believed that their gods had the traits and appearances of human beings. • These gods and goddesses ate, drank, developed relationships, got married, and had children. • They felt anger, hate, jealousy, and love.

  4. Anthropomorphic • Polytheistic • Sumerians had over 3000 different deities. • Associated with Nature • Lived in the skies or heavens and ruled over the earth. • They came to earth often and houses were built for them called ZIGGURATS (page 55) • Terraced pyramids topped with a shrine.

  5. Babylonians and Assyrians replaced names, but kept pictures and ideas of Sumerian deities. • These deities controlled everything, and if there were any major human events or natural events, it was due to the gods/goddesses.

  6. Anu (An) • Anu is the sky god. He is the supreme ruler of all the gods. His symbol is the horned cap. • Mesopotamian myths tell the story of how the earth was separated from heaven at the beginning of time. In these myths, heaven becomes Anu's home. • Anu controls shooting stars, called 'kishru'. Anu is also in charge of the Bull of Heaven who can be sent to earth to avenge the gods. • Although Anu is an important Mesopotamian god, there are no known pictures of him.

  7. Ashur • Ashur is the principal Assyrian god. He appears as a man wearing a horned cap. • Ashur is the main god of the first Assyrian capital city, also called Ashur. He became more important when the Assyrians conquered Mesopotamia.

  8. Ellil (Enlil) • Ellil is one of the most important gods of Mesopotamia. Ellil is so powerful that the other gods can't even look at him. He is therefore only shown as a horned cap. • Ellil's main city is Nippur. Kings from all over Mesopotamia sent offerings to him there. • Ellil is the father of many other important Mesopotamian gods and goddesses. • Ellil guards the 'tablets of destiny'. These are cuneiform tablets on which he writes the fate of everything on earth.

  9. Marduk • city god of Babylon. When Babylon became the capital of Babylonia (from about 1500 B.C.), Marduk became more important. • In Babylonian mythology, Marduk is called upon to fight an army of demons led by the goddess Tiamat. • He goes into battle when the other gods agree to elect him as their leader. He hunts down Tiamat, kills her and is crowned as the supreme god. • The citizens of Babylon celebrated a New Year festival, during which the king would kneel before a statue of Marduk and vow that he was a good ruler.

  10. Shamash is the sun god. He is also the god of truth and justice because he can see everything. Shamash holds a knife with a jagged edge so that he can cut his way through the mountains at dawn. • Shamash's symbol is a disc, sometimes with sun-rays, or a winged disc.

  11. Adad (Iskur) • Adad is the god of storms. He is usually shown carrying a lighting fork, symbolizing his power over the storm forces of nature. • The Babylonian and Assyrian god Adad was known to the Sumerians as Ishkur, and is often shown with a lion-dragon or bull. Adad's wife was the goddess Shala.

  12. Death and the Afterlife • Mesopotamians feared death. • After death was an underworld that was dark and lonely. • Those dying would have their most treasured possessions with them to take into the afterlife.

  13. Death of a King • Sprinkled with perfumes • Anointed with oils • Clad in royal robes • Laid in a stone chest (SARCOPHAGUS) • A curse was attached to the outside to frighten away grave robbers. • The sarcophagus was buried along with the treasure usually in the palace.

  14. Comparison Assignment: What are the Similarities and Differences Between the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Deities EgyptMesopotamia ________________ ________________ ________________ ______________ _______________ ______________ _______________ ______________ _______________

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