Religion
Mesopotamian religion was the first to be recorded.
Mesopotamians believed that the world was a flat disc,surrounded by a huge, holed space, and above that, heaven. They also believed that water was everywhere,
the top, bottom and sides, and that the universe was born from this enormous sea. In
addition, Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic.
Mesopotamians believed that the world was a flat disc,surrounded by a huge, holed space, and above that, heaven. They also believed that water was everywhere,
the top, bottom and sides, and that the universe was born from this enormous sea. In
addition, Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic.
Although the beliefs described above were held in common among -
Mesopotamians, there were also regional variations. The Sumerian word for
universe is an-ki, which refers to the god An and the goddess Ki. Their son was
Enlil, the air god. They believed that Enlil was the most powerful god. He was
the chief god of the Pantheon, equivalent to the Greek god Zeus
and the Roman god Jupiter. The Sumerians also posed philosophical
questions, such as: Who are we?, Where are we?, How did we get here?.They
attributed answers to these questions to explanations provided by their gods.
Mesopotamians, there were also regional variations. The Sumerian word for
universe is an-ki, which refers to the god An and the goddess Ki. Their son was
Enlil, the air god. They believed that Enlil was the most powerful god. He was
the chief god of the Pantheon, equivalent to the Greek god Zeus
and the Roman god Jupiter. The Sumerians also posed philosophical
questions, such as: Who are we?, Where are we?, How did we get here?.They
attributed answers to these questions to explanations provided by their gods.
Mesopotamian Gods♦♣♠◘
Commonly thought of as a form of paganism, Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic, worshipping over 2000 different
deities, many of
which were associated with a specific city or state within Mesopotamia such as
Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, Assur, Nineveh, Ur, Uruk, Mari and Babylon. Some of the most significant of these
deities were Anu,
Ea, Enlil, Ishtar (Astarte), Ashur, Shamash, Tammuz, Adad/Hadad, Sin (Nanna), Dagan, Ninurta, Nisroch, Nergal, Tiamat, Bel and Marduk. Some historians such as Jean Bottero, have
made the claim that Mesopotamian religion is the world's oldest
religion, although
there are several other claims to that title. However, as writing was invented
in Mesopotamia it is certainly the oldest in written history. What we know about
Mesopotamian religion comes from archaeological evidence uncovered in the region,
particularly literary sources, which are usually written in cuneiform on clay tablets and which describe both
mythology and cultic practices. Other artifacts can also be useful when
reconstructing Mesopotamian religion. As is common with most ancient
civilizations, the objects made of the most durable and precious materials, and
thus more likely to survive, were associated with religious beliefs and
practices. This has prompted one scholar to make the claim that the
Mesopotamians' "entire existence was infused by their religiosity, just about
everything they have passed on to us can be used a source of knowledge about them.
deities, many of
which were associated with a specific city or state within Mesopotamia such as
Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, Assur, Nineveh, Ur, Uruk, Mari and Babylon. Some of the most significant of these
deities were Anu,
Ea, Enlil, Ishtar (Astarte), Ashur, Shamash, Tammuz, Adad/Hadad, Sin (Nanna), Dagan, Ninurta, Nisroch, Nergal, Tiamat, Bel and Marduk. Some historians such as Jean Bottero, have
made the claim that Mesopotamian religion is the world's oldest
religion, although
there are several other claims to that title. However, as writing was invented
in Mesopotamia it is certainly the oldest in written history. What we know about
Mesopotamian religion comes from archaeological evidence uncovered in the region,
particularly literary sources, which are usually written in cuneiform on clay tablets and which describe both
mythology and cultic practices. Other artifacts can also be useful when
reconstructing Mesopotamian religion. As is common with most ancient
civilizations, the objects made of the most durable and precious materials, and
thus more likely to survive, were associated with religious beliefs and
practices. This has prompted one scholar to make the claim that the
Mesopotamians' "entire existence was infused by their religiosity, just about
everything they have passed on to us can be used a source of knowledge about them.
Cedar Forest

A modern day cat (of course) hideing in the tall grass of the Mesopotamia Cedar Forest.A great tale is told here in the forest.