Mesopotamian mythology is so vast that it would be difficult to cover every aspect of the pantheon. While with prehistory only approximate dates can be offered, historical periods require a firm chronological framework, which, unfortunately, has not yet been established for the first half of the 3rd millennium bce. “They are no Elohim, but the work of men’s hands” [2 Kings xix. The Israelites remained a henotheistic people through the time of the Judges, which predates the rise of the monarchy, and throughout the time of the Kingdom of Israel (c.1080-c. 722). In Babylonia and Assyria, he was called Adad, in Ugrait, he was Hadad, and in Sumer, he was known as Iskur. Gibil was worshiped in Mesopotamia before the beginning of the Seleucid period. The descriptions of Yahweh appearing as a pillar of fire by night and cloud by day as well as the other fire-imagery from the Book of Exodus was interpreted by some scholars as suggesting a storm god or weather-deity and, particularly, a desert god since Yahweh is able to direct Moses to water sources (Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20). His disciples often credited him as the inventor of the plough. In addition, he brought forward the patronage of arts and crafts. Utu, later known as Shamash, is the ancient Mesopotamian god of the Sun, who was also revered as the god of truth, justice, and morality. Thank you so much for the info on Mesopotamia. Scholars J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes write: The origins of Yahwism are hidden in mystery. He had his primary temple in ancient Ugarit and was known as the god of the Philistines in Palestine. Model of Herod's Renovation of the Temple of Jerusalem, Although the Bible presents Yahweh as the god of the Israelites, there are many passages which make clear that this deity was also worshipped by other peoples in. Even so, the Israelite population continues to grow and so pharaoh orders all male infants killed (Exodus 1:15-22). Although the Bible, and specifically the Book of Exodus, presents Yahweh as the god of the Israelites, there are many passages which make clear that this deity was also worshipped by other peoples in Canaan. For the people of Mesopotamia, the moon was of more importance than the sun, and the role of the sun only became significant when they began to learn about agriculture. (2018, October 22). He was represented as a half-fish, half-goat creature. He became one of the important gods known as the lords of Abzu or Apsu, the god of fresh water. Though the names of the gods differed among different Mesopotamian civilizations, their roles were the same. 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. Nanna was the son of Ninlil and Enlil who later came to be known as Sin in Akkadian mythology. 6:1-6). “Yahweh, He is the Elohim, Yahweh, He is the Elohim” [1 Kings xviii. The Mesopotamian moon god, Sin (also called Nanna), has a lapis lazuli beard and rides a winged bull. It is from him that the figure of Capricorn derives. In Aleppo, Assyria, and Babylonia he was also known as the god of divination and oracles. This probably reflects the differing importa… Though his main trait was aggression, he had associations with protection and healing too. In the late middle ages, `Yahweh' came to be changed to `Jehovah' by Christian monks, a name commonly in use today. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. The most important god in the Sumerian pantheon is An (known also as Anu to the Akkadians). Related Content While Ea created mankind, Enlil attempted to destroy it with a large flood because their noise disturbed his sleep. In the Sumero-Akkadian pantheon, Nergal was a secondary Mesopotamian god. Nabu was said to be the inventor of writing. Books Abraham's initial community was developed by his son Isaac and then his grandson Jacob (also known as Israel). It was not until 1957 CE that a team under the archaeologist Michela Schiff Giorgini, excavated the site and found reference to a group of people described as “Shasu of Yahweh” at the base of one of the columns of the temple in the hypostyle hall. Moses learns his true identity as an Israelite and, after killing an Egyptian, flees to the land of Midian where, in time he encounters Yahweh in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3, 4:1-17). For Yahweh's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. Other Mesopotamian myths include the story of Atrahasis, a wise man who was saved from the Flood after being warned by one of the gods to build a ship to save himself. "Yahweh." He rode on a winged dragon called Sirrush, which initially belonged to his father. In 598 BCE they invaded Judah and sacked Jerusalem, destroying the temple of Solomon and taking the leading citizens back to Babylon. He was the son of Nanna, the younger brother of Ereshkigal, and the twin brother of Inanna. But when they came together to wage war against their common enemies, they would have turned to Yahweh, the divine warrior who could provide victory. He further claims that the name of the god of the Edomites, Qos, is an epithet for Yahweh and notes how the Edomites, a people closely associated with metallurgy, were the primary workers and administrators of the copper mines at Timna and, further, that Edom is never mentioned in the Bible as challenging Israel in the name of a foreign god; thus suggesting that the two peoples worshipped the same deity (390-392). In the Babylonian myths Atra-hasÄ«s and the Epic of Gilgamesh, Ea acts as both the creator and protector of humankind. (Updated 4/26/2013) – “Thou shalt have no other Elohim but Me” [Exod. Mesha Stele - Moabite Stoneby Henri Sivonen (CC BY). Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Being the god of water, he was the patron deity of cleaners as well. Image Credit: annunaki Mesopotamian gods like Anu were highly respected and worshiped in ancient land of Mesopotamia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 22 Oct 2018. 19 Feb 2021. The so-called “Song of the Sea” in Exodus 15:1-18 and the “Song of Deborah” in Judges 5 are typical in their praise of Yahweh, the divine warrior who could be counted on to intervene on behalf of his followers…Thus it may have been primarily in connection with Israel's wars that Yahweh gained status as the national god. Nanna was the tutelary deity of Ur, appointed as king of that city by Anu and Enlil. As time went on, the gods changed and developed. He invented the plough and was responsible for making plants grow. However, some scripts say that he was the son of the god of all lands, Bel. The god Shamash was served by scorpion people, a combination of man and scorpion. He took so much pride in his holiness that he thought the other gods should not even look upon him. He brings the deluge because he cannot sleep – a Sumerian perversion of the tradition that God rested on the seventh day of creation (Gen 2:3). The complete alphabetical list of Mesopotamian Gods and Goddess names. Adad’s symbol was a cypress, and his sacred number was six. They said something about how Yahweh was derived from a Sumerian god named Yah, and a Mesopotamian god Weh. First we must deal with the common myth and that is that there are no vowels expressed in the Hebrew text. (Deuteronomy 32:8-9, Masoretic Text). Ashur – Ashur (or Assur) pertains to the interesting synthesis of an ancient city and its patron … The terminology of kingship and lordship which dominates the Mesopotamian literature suggests that the power and authority of the gods was an essential factor in … The discovery of Amenhotep III's mention of the Shasu of Yahweh placed the god much earlier in history than had been accepted previously but also suggested that Yahweh was perhaps not native to Canaan. This may have come about because hunter-gatherers were guided by the moon as they traveled. Question about Yahweh after watching Rick and Morty After watching an episode of Rick and Morty recently that was clearly taking a shot at Christianity, I was left with a question from something that was said in the show. His union with Gula helped him invoke magical spells to head off demons and diseases. Mark, Joshua J. Sumerian IÅ¡kur and his Akkadian counterpart Adad, syncretised TT at an early stage, were storm gods, ambivalent figures whose intervention might either benefit or harm humankind. It is from him that the figure of Capricorn derives. His association with the forge, and with imagery of fire, smoke, and smiting, worked as well in describing a god of storms and war and so Yahweh's character changed from a deity of transformation to one of conquest. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. The two main places where he was worshiped were Harran and Ur in the northern and southern regions respectively. The way the Yahweh line was interpreted further supported the concept of Yahweh as the god of the Israelites alone since Mesha claims to have taken the Israelite god's vessels as tribute to his own. Amzallag notes that the Edomites, Kenites, Moabites, and Midianites all worshipped Yahweh to one degree or another and that there is evidence the Edomites who operated the mines at Timnah converted an earlier Egyptian temple of Hathor to the worship of Yahweh. He was a god who performed great deeds, but he was also seen as flawed in many ways. Yahweh was the national god of the kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah, with origins reaching at least to the early Iron Age and apparently to the Late Bronze Age. He is lord of the calendar, fixing the seasons, and also a vegetation-deity and patron of fertility. 18]. For example, the city of Babylon was said to have been built on top of the abzu.Sumerian texts … As the name of the supreme being was considered too holy to be spoken, the consonants YHWH were used to remind one to say the word 'adonai' (lord) in place of the god's name, a common practice throughout the Near East in which epithets were used in referencing a deity. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Every year, his statue was moved from Borsippa to Babylon in honor of his father. As with all ancient religions (as well as modern), the faith of the people was based on an understanding of quid pro quo (this-for-that) in which they would honor and serve a deity and, in return, would receive protection and guidance. Toggle text. the lid was understood as God’s “throne,” whereas the box was viewed as his “footstool” (e.g., 1 Chron 28:2, 2 Chron 9:18, Ps 99:5, 132:7). The Muslim's claim of continuity is essential to their attempt to convert Jews and Christians for if "Allah" … In his prophecies, Ezekiel describes a divine being as `a man was there, whose appearance shone like copper' (Ezek. A powerful and still popular symbol of ancient Egypt's religion is the ankh. The son of Enlil and Ninhursag, Ninurta first appeared in texts during the third millennium BC as the god of local towns and agriculture. As the first extra-biblical inscription found to mention Yahweh, much was made of the discovery as the stele reported the same event from the biblical narrative of II Kings 3 in which Mesha the Moabite rebels against Israel (though with the major difference of the stele claiming a Moabite victory and the Bible claiming Israel the winner). Jacob's favorite son, Joseph, was sold by his brothers into slavery and brought to Egypt where, owing to his skill in interpreting dreams, he rose to prominence and was able to save the region from famine (Genesis 25-50). His wife was Gula, the goddess of healing. The gods were all different, so let’s now have a look at some of the most famous ancient Mesopotamian deities. Yahweh as the all-powerful creator, preserver, and redeemer of the universe was then later developed by the early Christians as their god who had sent his son Jesus as the promised messiah and Islam interpreted this same deity as Allah in their belief system. With this rain, the land bore grain and people were able to feed themselves, so he was also called the god of abundance. In another Sumerian flood myth, Enlil rewards Ziusudra with immortality for surviving the massive flood. Enlil is involved in a Sumerian myth where he is seen separating heaven (An) from earth (Ki) as an act of making the land a place for humans. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Once the land is conquered, Joshua divides it among his people and, in time, they establish the Kingdom of Israel. Amzallag specifically cites the ancient copper mines of the Timna Valley (in southern Israel), biblical and extra-biblical passages, and similarities of Yahweh to gods of metallurgy in other cultures for support. He was the champion of the gods and savior of humanity. Even the final edited form of Genesis – II Kings [in the Bible] presents diverse views on the matter. He creates man by killing one of his sons. They also believed in genies, demons, and evil spirits. Written by Joshua J. Ancient History Encyclopedia. The discovery of Amenhotep III's mention of the Shasu of Yahweh placed the god much earlier in history than had been accepted previously. The Sumerian gods often had human characteristics in that they were sometimes good and sometimes bad. The myth of Ishtar’s Descent and return from the underworld was evidently connected to the cycle of fertility. If you include nicknames, official titles and honorifics, some gods have hundreds of names! The Moabite Stone has also been reinterpreted in light of recent scholarship which demonstrates that the people of Moab also worshipped Yahweh and the reference to Mesha taking the vessels of Yahweh to Kemosh most likely means he repossessed what he felt belonged to the Moabites, not that he conquered Israel and its god in the name of his own. Where hurricanes and storms were symbols of his anger towards his enemies and represented darkness and death, the rain showed his happiness. (394). The people of the Mesopotamian period were very religious, and they created gods for everything that existed on earth; the list is never-ending. Last modified October 22, 2018. A passage like this reflects the early beliefs of the Canaanites and Israelites in polytheism or, more accurately, henotheism (the belief in many gods with a focus on a single supreme deity). Unusually, in the cult of Nanna, the moon was thought to be the father of the sun. Evidence … He creates animals and human beings, destroys all in a great flood except Noah, Noah's family, and the animals Noah saves, and elects Abram (later known as Abraham) to lead his people to the land of Canaan and settle there (Genesis 1-25). He planned to use clay to create humans so that they could serve the gods by performing their work. Later on, An’s leadership role was either shared or taken over by other gods. Many years later, when the Israelites have grown too populous for the Egyptians, an unnamed pharaoh orders them to be enslaved and makes their lives harsh (Exodus 1-14). The biblical narrative, however, is not as straightforward as it may seem as it also includes reference to the Canaanite god El whose name is directly referenced in `Israel' (He Who Struggles with God or He Who Perseveres with God). Please support Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation. The character and power of Yahweh were codified following the Babylonian Captivity of the 6th century BCE and the Hebrew scriptures were canonized during the Second Temple Period (c.515 BCE-70 CE) to include the concept of a messiah whom Yahweh would send to the Jewish people to lead and redeem them. Depicted as a courageous warrior, he held a bow and an arrow along with a mace called a sharur. Adad or Ishkur - god of storms, venerated as a supreme power especially in Syria and Lebanon Sin, for example, is the moon god, and the father of Shamash, the god of the poor and travelers. The name of the Hebrew national god of the Iron Age kingdoms of Israel and Judah is Yahweh (Jahveh, Jehovah or Iehoua pronounced “yohweh” or … According to scholar Nissim Amzallag, however, Yahweh was a god of metallurgy. Known as Enki in the Sumerian language, Ea was the Mesopotamian god of water. The Babylonians and Assyrians believed in nearly all the Sumerian gods, plus more gods that each added. In Isaiah 54:16, Yahweh is explicitly mentioned as the creator of both the copperworker and his work…Such an involvement of Yahweh is never mentioned elsewhere for other crafts or human activities. xx. Initially, the people of Canaan, including the Israelites, practiced a form of ancestor worship in which they venerated the “god of the father” or the “god of the house”, in addition to paying homage to their earthly ancestors, in an effort to establish individual tribal and family connections (van der Toorn, 177). During the Second Temple Period (c.515 BCE-70 CE) Judaism was revised, the Torah canonized, and a new understanding of the divine established which today is known as monotheism – the belief in a single deity. He resides in the ocean underneath the earth called the abzu (Akkadian apsû), which was an important place in Mesopotamian cosmic geography. The Sumerians believed that Anu was the god that ruled over heaven, and was t… The only trace of a moral perspective is the character of the man who objects to Ellil’s measures: The god name Shamash is the same as the Hebrew word for the sun, Shemesh. He is generally involved in the creation of the world and/or the creation of humans. Some old inscriptions also state that he was married to Bau. Many legendary characters have more than one name. The gods of Mesopotamia were represented in human form. Bible \"correctors\" are either ignorant of this fact or they pretend th… Whoever the Shasu were, they were not Hebrew and the Habiru seem to be Canaanites who simply refused to conform to the customs of the land, not a separate ethnic group. Due to its many civilizations, the Mesopotamians had a variety of gods, and the ones who made it on to this list represent just a few of them. He was recognized as the god of war during the second millennium BC after he was featured in the Epic of Anzu. The word dagon was the Ugaritic and Hebrew collective noun for grain, and Dagon was worshiped as far back as the earliest days of 2500 BC. During times of peace, the tribes will have depended heavily on Baal in his various local forms to ensure fertility. The 10 Oldest Ancient Civilizations That Have Ever Existed, Top 10 Most Worshiped Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, Top 10 Inventions and Discoveries of Ancient Greece…, Top 11 Inventions and Discoveries of Mesopotamia, Top 10 Sumerian Inventions and Discoveries, Top 9 Outstanding Examples of Mesopotamian Art, Top 7 Most Important Events in Ancient Persia, Top 11 Most Important Events in Ancient Babylonia, Top 23 Fascinating Facts about the Ancient Persian Empire, Top 12 Surprising and Fascinating Facts about Ancient Sumer, Top 13 Surprising and Fascinating Facts about Ancient Babylonia. The Code of Hammurabi states Dagon as the protector of the people of Tuttle. His birth is related to the myth of Enlil and Ninlil where Enlil seduces Ninlil and she becomes pregnant. The inscription mentions how Mesha, after defeating the Israelites, “took the vessels of Yahweh to Kemosh” (the chief god of Moab), meaning the objects sacred to the worship of Yahweh in the temple, most likely the temple in Israel's capital of Samaria (Kerrigan, 78-79). We have 73 individual gods listed in the Mesopotamian pantheon of gods and spirits. His iconography depicts him as standing with his hands in the posture of a priest wearing a horned cap on his head. Ninlil, the Goddess of Wind. This god had a two-edged aspect: he was both the giver and the destroyer. The god of heaven, Anu, was his father, and Shalash was his consort. This fit with the theory that Yahweh was a desert god whom the Hebrews adopted in their exodus from Egypt to Canaan. His cult declined in 1230 BC when Nippur was taken over by the Elamites. He had many other sanctuaries, such as those found at Beth-Dagon in Asher and Gaza. The Mesopotamian storm god varied from place to place. He was believed to be the benefactor of humans, listening to their prayers, bringing life from death, and protecting livestock and agriculture. The monotheism of the Hebrew Scriptures would later be appropriated by the adherents of Christianity who would continue veneration of Yahweh, eventually known as Jehovah and then, simply, as “God”, and Islam would also develop the deity under the name of Allah (“the God”) beginning in the 7th century CE. (111). The three most important deities in the Mesopotamian pantheon during all periods were the deities An, Enlil, and Enki. "Yahweh." Tashmet, the Akkadian goddess was his wife. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Although the biblical narratives depict Yahweh as the sole creator god, lord of the universe, and god of the Israelites especially, initially he seems to have been Canaanite in origin and subordinate to the supreme god El. Mark, Joshua J. As the Israelites developed their community in Canaan, they sought to distance themselves from their neighbors and, as noted, elevated Yahweh above the traditional Canaanite supreme deity El. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Yahweh/. The Assyrian Empire fell to an invading force of Babylonians, Medes, and others in 612 BCE and the Babylonians claimed the region of Canaan. Lapis lazuli is a blue semiprecious stone. Thank you! Mesopotamian religion refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, particularly Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia between circa 3500 BC and 400 AD, after which they largely gave way to Syriac Christianity.The religious development of Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian culture in general was not particularly influenced by the … (It is important to note that the personal god was not conceived of in strictly individualistic terms, like present-day imaginings of guardian angels. In the second millennium, he appeared in different texts, letters, and lists of offerings. The Canaanites, like all ancient civilizations, worshipped many gods but chief among them was the sky-god El. Scholar Nissim Amzallag, of Ben-Gurion University, disagrees with the claim that Yahweh's origins are obscure and argues that the deity was originally a god of the forge and patron of metallurgists during the Bronze Age (c. 3500-1200 BCE). Was "Allah" the biblical God or a pagan god in Arabia during pre-Islamic times? I love history. Copper "Oxhide" Ingot, Uluburun Shipwreck. Whoever Yahweh was originally, and however he was worshipped, today he forms the basis of the three great monotheistic religions of the world. Soon his role changed as cities became militarized and began to fight each other. The Ark’s fourth feature was its wooden poles, which were inserted through four gold rings and never removed.5 Only the priestly tribe of Levi was permitted to carry the Ark, Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. He was identified with Meslamtaea and Irra as the god of war and scorched earth. Utu Utu god of the sun and also the god of justice and the law. Being the sun god, he overpowered the evils of darkness, and when night took over, he was one of several judges of the underworld. In the Babylonian myth related to the flood, Enlil is depicted as the flood itself. His chief cult lies in Ur, and he was mentioned in different inscriptions and hymns there between 2047 and 1750 BC. The Sumerian word for universe is an-ki, which refers to the god An and the goddess Ki.
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