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RELIGION IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

RELIGION IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA. RELIGION IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA. 1. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION 2. HISTORICAL REFERENCES 3. COSMOGONIA 4. THE PANTHEON 5. CUNEIFORM WRITING 6. TEMPLES - ZIGGURAT. 1. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. The teritory between Tigru si Eufrat

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RELIGION IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

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  1. RELIGION IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

  2. RELIGION IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA 1. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION 2. HISTORICAL REFERENCES 3. COSMOGONIA 4. THE PANTHEON 5. CUNEIFORM WRITING 6. TEMPLES - ZIGGURAT

  3. 1. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION • The teritory between Tigru si Eufrat • Cradle of civilization - first literate societies have developed here • There is not a political entity named like this and not even well defined boundaries • It is a conventional name given by Greek historians • - Very fertile area and coveted by all people

  4. 2. Historical References Empires and Civilisations which succeeded in the area

  5. Sumerian Civilisation

  6. Sumero-Akkadian Empire

  7. BABYLONIAN EMPIRE

  8. Hammurabi’s Code - 1780 BC

  9. Assyrian Empire

  10. World’s Babylonian Map Babylonian map includes some of the most important Mesopotamian cities and regions. It has been made around the year 600 BC and comes from the city Sippar. It is a very unusual type of map, different than the ones we are accustomed with; the map is more interested in areas that are believed to exist mystery behind the sea where lived the gods, heroes, animals and monsters.

  11. Today’s territory of Iraq and Syria

  12. 3. COSMOGONIA

  13. Each god and goddess had a specific task that had to do. Some digging and cultivating land, others brought water for watering crops.

  14. The work was hard and they were not happy. Therefore, they met to discuss how to reduce work

  15. They went for advice to Enki, who was wise. Enki was asleep in his under water house.

  16. Enki suggested to make other creatures in order to serve them working the land. In this way, the life of gods and goddesses would have been much easier.

  17. Gods and goddesses considered Enki's plan a very good solution. Enki took clay from his under water house and he used it to create people.

  18. He breathed life into his figurines but made them mortal. Only gods and goddesses are immortal.

  19. People were put to work in the fields. As servants of the gods and goddesses, they had to provide them food and drink

  20. People were taking water from rivers and wet areas that were dry. They dug the earth and planted different crops.

  21. Working hard, people gave life to the earth and the gods who gave life to humans were happy.

  22. 4. THE PANTHEON

  23. The Creation Triad: Anu, Ea, Elil

  24. Ea (Enki) Sacred number: 40 He is the God of fresh waters called ‘apsu’. He is a God of wisdom, agriculture, construction, arts and magic. He appears as a man surrounded by flowing water. He saves humanity from the flood.

  25. Ellil (Enlil) Sacred number: 50 Ellil is the God of Air, the son of Anu and Ki, Goddess of Earth. He is so strong that other gods can not even look at him. His city is Nippur. Here he receives gifts from the kings throughout Mesopotamia. Ellil guards 'tablets of destiny', which are some cuneiform tablets of fate in which he writes everything on earth.

  26. cosmic triad: Shamash, Sin, Ishtar

  27. Nergal is the Warrior God of darkness world. He uses against people fevers, plagues, fires

  28. Gods protectors of the cities

  29. Marduk Marduk is the protector of Babylon. In babylonian mythology, Marduk was called to fight the army of demons of the goddess Tiamat.

  30. Nabu Nabu was the god of scribes and the patron of writing and wisdom. During the Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian period, Nabu was associated with agriculture and irrigation.

  31. Apkallu He is the “wise man”. The babylonian tradition says that there were 7 Apkallu who lived at the beginning of the world, before the Flood. They were sent by the god Ea to teach the people about wisdom.They were represented as people with wings.They had bird heads but some wore fish skin, They protect people, and sometimes hold a bucket and cone for purifying

  32. The Bull-Man Bull man is a demon. Is a man to the waist and a bull below the waist. He helps people to fight against evil and chaos .

  33. The Bulls with human headsBulls with human heads are protective creatures decorating objects dating around 3000-1800 BC

  34. 5. The evolution of cuneiform writing icons bird bull tree

  35. 6. TEMPLES- ZIGGURAT 5200 i.Hr. 5000 i.Hr. 4900 i.Hr. Archaelogical excavations – Eridu Temples built on the platform of older temples: civilisations that succeeded

  36. 4000 BC 3600 BC

  37. Eridu 4.000 BC Temple – God’s House

  38. Archaelogical excavations in Uruk – 3.200 BC

  39. Ur 1850 – William Loftus measures Ur ziggurat and recommends archaelogical researches in the area

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