Latest / Anunnaki Origins Podcast / Eridu the First City and Sumerian Anunnaki Origin Evidence

Transcript

Eridu the First City and Sumerian Anunnaki Origin Evidence · Anunnaki Origins Podcast

0:00
Around 5400 BC, an enigmatic group of people arrived in
0:05
southern Mesopotamia. Eridu, the first city in what is
0:09
now Iraq, was established in Mesopotamia.
0:13
Despite historians traditional consideration of the location as
0:17
the first city in history, new findings have repeatedly called
0:21
into question this belief, too numerous to list here.
0:25
All of the typical features of an ancient town were present in
0:29
Eridu, including temples, administrative structures,
0:33
housing markets, agriculture, art, and of course walls to keep
0:39
out undesirable people. The odd thing is that we have no
0:43
idea of their appearance or language origins.
0:47
Linguistic isolates were their language, which we refer to as
0:50
Sumerian and it's later Acadian derivative.
0:55
Any other languages that Sumerian may have evolved
0:57
alongside or descended from have been lost to time, making
1:02
Sumerian the oldest known written language on earth.
1:06
It would be futile to try to deduce their confused ethnic
1:09
identity from their art because it was so stylized that one
1:14
could argue that it depicted people of any ethnicity or the
1:17
people they came into contact with.
1:20
The Acadian conquests in 2334 BCE broke the ethnic and
1:27
cultural isolation of the Sumerian people, and the
1:30
Sumerian language was not Semitic.
1:33
Since the Sumerian started speaking Acadian around 2000
1:37
BCE, the Sumerian and Acadian civilizations have been seen as
1:42
one. Does this imply that the origins
1:45
of the Sumerians and the evolution of the Sumerian
1:48
language will never be known? DNA testing could identify the
1:53
ethnic origin of Sumerian bones if they are found in a
1:57
reasonably well preserved state. Cuneiform writings offer
2:02
essential insights into their everyday lives and the
2:06
distinctive gods they worshipped.
2:08
Despite the ambiguity of the situation at times, the Sumerian
2:13
pantheon can be characterized as a bizarre mash up of science
2:17
fiction. Even though they frequently talk
2:20
about their ancestry in terms of their gods and familial
2:23
relationships, many have decided to disregard the information,
2:28
classify it as mythology, or treat it as a literary element.
2:33
Section 1. ANU Theory.
2:36
The ancestor of all gods is Anu, the sky God.
2:41
The history of the renowned Mesopotamian sky God Anu, who
2:45
has brought such modern day prominence to the Anunnaki
2:48
pantheon, is reminiscent of a science fiction film.
2:52
Nowadays, many people believe that the Greek pantheon is
2:55
merely an adaptation of the older Mesopotamian pantheon led
2:59
by Anu. Anu wasn't considered the father
3:02
of the gods and the king of the heavens until much later.
3:06
Much of the history comes from the terrible consequences that
3:09
befell his first born son, Enlil, when he inherited his
3:13
position as ruler of the sky. Originally the second child of
3:17
the primordial couple APS U and Tiamat at the beginning of the
3:20
world, Anu is the son of Anshar and Kishar, literally heaven and
3:26
earth. The fact that the king of the
3:29
Heavens is a second born is a mystery to scholars.
3:33
It sounds more like a European royal dynasty than an all
3:36
powerful entity. And which means in Sumerian was
3:40
his original name as a sky deity.
3:44
Later, around 2375 BCE, he was taken on by the Acadians as Anu,
3:52
Heaven, the all powerful Almighty.
3:56
In his writings, Sargon the Great of Akkad, 2334 to 2279
4:03
BCE, frequently refers to Anu and Inana, primarily to support
4:09
his conquests or legitimize his rule.
4:12
You cannot comprehend the Anunnaki or the Sumerian
4:15
pantheon without comprehending Anu and of course his
4:19
descendants. Since many people held Anu in
4:22
high regard, a crown or a crown on a throne is frequently used
4:28
to represent Anu. His position as king of the gods
4:32
is symbolized by this iconography.
4:35
Enlil Marduk, son of Enki EA, the God of wisdom, and a sewer
4:41
of the Assyrians were all later given this honor and
4:44
responsibility after Anu significantly elevated them and
4:48
they became associated with him. Antu, also called Uras, the
4:53
goddess of the earth, is his consort.
4:56
Together they have a large number of children, who are more
4:59
popularly referred to as the Anunnaki.
5:03
Their progeny, the Utuki, who are present throughout
5:06
Mesopotamian mythology, are less well known, with connections to
5:11
many ancient civilizations and influencing the majority of
5:14
ancient religions. The influence of Anunnaki and
5:17
Utuki is extensive and intricate.
5:20
Anu is frequently mentioned as a supporting character in myths,
5:24
but he is rarely a significant character.
5:28
This is due to the fact that God grew increasingly distant as
5:31
worship of him increased. Opsu and Tiamat gave birth to
5:36
numerous younger gods, including the sky God Anu.
5:41
He gradually rose to become the God who upheld all facets of
5:44
existence and the ruler of the heavens above.
5:48
In one version, Anu, Enlil, and Enki formed a trio that ruled
5:53
the earth, the sky, and the heavens.
5:56
In another, they ruled the earth, the sky, and the
5:59
underworld. Though he is rarely the
6:02
protagonist of mythology, Anu always plays a significant part
6:06
when he is mentioned. Elish, Enuma, and the sky God
6:11
Anu, the creation of the gods, the creation of the world, and
6:15
the subsequent emergence of humans are all described in the
6:18
Babylonian epic of Creation, also more famously known as the
6:22
Anuma Elish, circa 1100 BCE. At first, there was nothing but
6:29
the whirling Waters of Chaos, which was separated into a
6:32
female principle Tiamat, representing salt water, and a
6:36
male principle ABSU, representing freshwater.
6:40
These two gods produce the protective deities Lahmu and
6:44
Lahamu, as well as the younger ones who Anshar and Kishar
6:48
conceived gods. Anu is a member of this younger
6:54
group, and his history and position in the beginnings of
6:56
everything are revealed to us in this epic.
7:00
Because the group is troublesome and has nothing to do, they
7:02
entertain themselves in various ways, which aggravates APSU.
7:07
The noise keeps him awake at night and diverts him during the
7:10
day. After consulting with his
7:12
vizier, he ultimately determines that he must destroy them.
7:17
We are given a wonderful backdrop to Anu's position in
7:20
the world, even though the Epic of Creation is primarily about
7:24
Tiamat and Creation. Tiamat alerts her grandson Enki
7:29
to the danger. After overhearing her husband's
7:31
discussion, Enki carefully considers all of his options
7:35
before putting Apsu to sleep and killing him.
7:39
Astonished, Tiamat rejects all the lesser gods and promptly
7:43
gathers an army of monsters to destroy them.
7:47
As a result of the clash between the two armies, the younger gods
7:51
repeatedly lose and flee. Anu uses diplomacy with Tiamat
7:56
in this challenging situation and tries to find a solution.
8:00
The Younger gods appear to have complete faith in Anu's
8:03
abilities, but he breaks down when he encounters Tiamat and
8:08
returns to the others to inform them that the mission was
8:11
unsuccessful. However, Anu's diplomatic
8:16
failure ultimately helps the Younger Gods prevail in the end.
8:20
The gods were so sure that Anu would succeed that when their
8:24
expectations were dashed, they realized they needed to alter
8:28
their behavior. The old paradigm needed to be
8:31
abandoned, and they needed to either accept change or come up
8:35
with a new strategy to achieve their objective.
8:39
Enki's son Marduk steps forward to offer himself as their
8:42
savior, but only if they choose to make him king.
8:46
The Tiamat champion is vanquished and killed by Marduk.
8:51
However, if Anu had not failed in his diplomacy, he would not
8:55
have taken up the challenge. Therefore, Anu ushers in the new
8:58
era, which makes it possible for the gods to triumph.
9:02
Ultimately, following the restoration of peace, Marduk and
9:06
his father begin the process of creating, which leads to the
9:10
establishment of humans in the world.
9:13
The creation of humans is often described from a Mesopotamian
9:17
perspective in the Enuma Elish, also known as the Seven Tablets
9:22
of Creation. The stories themselves appear to
9:25
have existed much earlier, but this particular story was
9:29
discovered on several tablets dating to around 1100 BCE.
9:34
They were found at the Nineveh libraries by archaeologists.
9:38
The names of the gods and other characters vary depending on
9:42
whether the exact recording originated from Babylon or
9:45
Summa, even though the creation myth generally follows the same
9:49
introductory course regardless of its origin in Mesopotamia.
9:54
Since the well researched copies originated in Babylon, one of
9:59
the story's key characters is Marduk, the patron deity of that
10:03
civilization. For example, the reference to
10:06
Marduk may have been less common if we found a Sumerian copy.
10:11
The Enki versus Enlil saga's dynamic interactions are best
10:15
portrayed in the Enuma Elish. It describes how the divine
10:20
brothers Enki and Enlil initially decided to create
10:23
humanity as a labor force or servant class.
10:27
The origin of the gods, the creation of the world and the
10:30
universe, and every other detail that would be covered in a
10:34
traditional creation myth are also covered the origin of all
10:38
things. Many people consider this
10:41
Babylonian creation myth to be the world's oldest tale.
10:45
It narrates a creation story that has endured over the ages,
10:49
even in modern day religions. A rapid whirl of water rushing
10:54
through chaotic emptiness was all that existed at first.
10:58
The first event was the division of freshwater, represented by
11:01
the God APSU, and saltwater, represented by the dragon
11:06
goddess Tiamat. They came together again to
11:09
become the parents of more gods. As soon as they parted ways,
11:13
APSU, who like to sleep in peace, decided to get rid of all
11:17
the younger gods because he thought they were too noisy.
11:21
Enki, their oldest son, lulls his father to sleep and then
11:25
gets rid of him after Tiamat warns him.
11:29
Unprepared for such a result, Tiamat becomes enraged with the
11:34
younger gods and starts a conflict with them.
11:37
She gives her best advisor, Kingu, the Tablets of Destiny,
11:41
and he fights for her to combat her sons and other disobedient
11:46
gods. She also conjures up monsters.
11:49
When Marduk finally appears, he offers Kingu and Tiamat ultimate
11:54
power in exchange for stopping them, and he ultimately defeats
11:58
both. According to legend, he used an
12:01
arrow to strike the Dragon goddess, and when she screamed
12:04
in agony, her tears created the rivers Tigris and Euphrates.
12:09
Her body transforms into the surrounding heavens and earth.
12:13
After the battle is over, Marduk takes the Tablets of Destiny for
12:17
himself, enslaves the 11 monsters, and assigns different
12:22
younger gods to handle particular tasks.
12:26
Marduk and the High God EA Enki choose to use King's body and
12:31
the Earth's clay to create humanity as a last act of
12:34
retaliation. Similarities to Christian and
12:37
Judeo stories. This creation myth had some
12:41
influence on the Judeo-christian one.
12:44
The idea of a formless void and a God who created the earth, the
12:48
seas, the heavens, and eventually humanity were
12:51
concepts used by Hebrew scribes. Historians soon realized that
12:57
the Book of Genesis was not the oldest creation story still in
13:00
existence when Mesopotamian archaeology rose to prominence
13:04
in the 19th century. Mesopotamian times are also
13:08
where other biblical tales, such as Noah, the flood, and the fall
13:13
of man first appeared. After making their appearance in
13:17
summer, they were translated into ancient Babylonian and
13:21
passed on to the Assyrians, ultimately ending up in the
13:25
hands of the Hebrews. Throughout history, folklore has
13:29
frequently traveled through time and between places.
13:33
Of course, the stories of the monolithic God in the Bible and
13:37
the story of the Dragon Queen and the blood of a vanquished
13:40
God are very different. Numerous facets of the creation
13:45
that were not included in the Hebrew story are described in a
13:48
Numa Elish. They made extensive editing.
13:52
They emphasize the existence of a single, all powerful God who
13:57
created the universe out of chaos.
14:00
The expectation of humanity to worship and give thanks to the
14:03
gods for the gift of life is a main similarity between this and
14:07
Marduk. The Marduk priesthood.
14:11
Marduk became the primary source of worship and religious rituals
14:15
for the Babylonians in the middle of the 18th century BCE.
14:20
They had previously concentrated on the goddess Inanna.
14:24
These occasions signalled a shift in the status of some of
14:27
the most important deities of the time, from goddesses to
14:31
gods. They believed that allying
14:34
themselves with the most powerful God would benefit their
14:36
future. As Babylon continued to grow
14:39
stronger with the rise of Babylon's political and economic
14:44
dominance, the Marduk priesthood grew.
14:48
Stories evolve with the times. The creation myth eventually
14:52
started to imply that Marduk was the only king and that the other
14:56
gods mentioned were merely parts of him.
15:00
Many people would read the Enuma Elish, sing praise songs, honor
15:05
statues of Marduk, and enshrine him in a special small house or
15:09
temple as a way to honor him and celebrate the new year.
15:14
Wisdom. Skilled people were among the
15:16
first humans to be created, and Adapa was among the first of
15:20
them. The Meeting with Anu and the
15:23
Myth of Adapa The remarkable tale of the first man, a
15:28
creation of Enki, who was endowed with Enki's wisdom, is
15:32
told in the myth of Adapa, 14th century BCE.
15:37
Enki holds back on immortality because, despite his love for
15:40
his creation, he acknowledges that he cannot give him
15:43
everything or he will become a God.
15:47
Adapa's main quality is wisdom, but he also recognizes that
15:51
nothing he does will change the fact that he will die at some
15:54
point. He hunts, fishes, and entertains
15:57
himself, content with his possessions and his priestly
16:01
responsibilities at Eridu in Enki's temple.
16:05
This story serves as the setting for what is now known as the
16:08
myth of Adapa, which many people now acknowledge is theoretically
16:12
equivalent to the story of Adam and Eve.
16:16
The oldest copy of the Adapa story was inexplicably
16:19
discovered in the Egyptian city of Amarna, associated with
16:23
Akhenaten, demonstrating its importance to Mesopotamian
16:27
mythology and the region. In ancient mythology, the myths
16:32
of Adapa and the food of life are essential stories.
16:37
The myth of Adapa, which describes the fall of man and
16:41
their existence as mortal beings, is found among all the
16:44
other ancient tales of gods, goddesses, and humans.
16:48
Adapa was the name of the first human being that EA ever
16:51
created. The man is gifted by this God of
16:55
wisdom, which makes him bright and eloquent.
16:59
EA coerces a DARPA into turning down the offer of immortality
17:03
from Anu, another essential deity.
17:07
The story of Adam and Eve is directly influenced by this
17:10
tale, which dates back to a period long before the
17:13
judeo-christian Bible was written.
17:16
Because they consumed the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, they
17:19
were expelled from the Garden of Eden.
17:22
Just as Adam and Eve were compelled to leave their ideal
17:25
home and carry on with their lives as mortal humans, Adapa,
17:29
who also possessed wisdom, albeit as a gift rather than a
17:33
choice, was denied immortality. The problem with Adam and Eve
17:39
and the myth of Adapa was the presumed competition between
17:42
humans and gods. Yahweh rejected the idea that
17:46
his creation should be on par with him.
17:49
The notion that Adapa would also enjoy all the advantages of
17:52
godhood did not sit well with EA either.
17:56
This myth is about preserving power and keeping mortals in
18:00
their proper places. The protagonist of this tale is
18:04
King Adapa from Eridu City. He was blown overboard into the
18:08
ocean by a powerful gust. While fishing, he fought the
18:12
South wind and broke its wing, furious that he had lost his
18:15
boat and was now completely soaked.
18:18
During the seven days that the wind had to recover, it was
18:21
unable to generate any air movement.
18:23
The sky God Anu became very irate and insisted that Adapa
18:28
explain. EA provides the man with some
18:31
advice on appropriate behavior when visiting the gods domains
18:35
and instructs him on what to say before he appears in front of
18:38
Anu. However, because EA does not
18:41
want to risk the king obtaining the food of life, which would
18:45
give him immortality, he misleads Adapa with false
18:49
information. EA fears that Anu will present
18:53
the man with these items, and he cannot allow that to occur.
18:57
He gives the mortal visitor incorrect instructions.
19:01
The two guardians mentioned in the first piece of information
19:04
are Geshida and Tammuz. According to EA, if he
19:09
compliments them and claims to know them well, they are more
19:13
likely to let him pass. He should then meet with Anu and
19:17
decline food and drink because, as EA falsely discloses, it
19:22
would cause him immediate and serious harm.
19:26
This high guard persuades Adapa that the Sky Guard is furious
19:31
with the wind and will punish him severely.
19:35
EA does imply that he would be pleased to accept any oil or
19:39
clothing that was offered to him.
19:41
He will avoid upsetting the Sky Guard in this manner, but the
19:46
entire set of instructions was nothing more than misinformation
19:50
and omitted instructions. A DARPA complies with all of
19:55
EA's instructions, declines the gift of immortality that the
19:59
food of life would have given him, and returns to Earth to
20:02
spend his remaining years. Unfortunately, the story's final
20:08
tablet has been broken over the centuries, making the conclusion
20:11
hard to decipher. As a result, the myth of Adapa
20:17
is subject to interpretation. Some scholars contend that EA's
20:22
caution was quite genuine, while many others concur that EA
20:26
intended to deceive the king into rejecting immortality.
20:30
It is possible that he honestly thought Anu would punish the man
20:34
for breaking the wing of the wind.
20:37
It stands to reason that the sky God would not bestow gifts on
20:40
someone who attacked the wind. Anu's request that adopt A visit
20:45
and provide an explanation is not consistent with this more
20:47
serious possibility. In no way does the story appear
20:51
to be particularly violent or volatile.
20:54
The original description seems to make more sense when viewed
20:56
in the context of the proud God and the folklore that permeated
21:00
post Mesopotamian civilizations. Why has EA revealed to impure
21:06
mankind? The heart of Heaven and Earth is
21:10
another line from the story that illustrates Anu's willingness to
21:13
reward Adapa and his perplexity as to why EA would act against
21:18
him. His perplexity when the king
21:21
declines the gift does not fit with any evil schemes or chances
21:25
for retaliation. When the Kasite tribe ruled
21:29
Babylon, the myth of Adapa and the food of life first appeared
21:33
there. This period begins in the 1400s
21:36
BCE. This broad narrative was passed
21:40
down through the ages and circulated throughout the
21:43
Persian Gulf in various forms. Around 300 BCE, for instance, a
21:49
writer by the name of Barossas told a similar story about a
21:52
demigod called Ohanes who was described as being half fish,
21:58
half man. The main character was wise and
22:01
shared his knowledge with the people around him, which is one
22:04
of the story's many similarities to the much older Adapa tale.
22:09
In many religious and cultural traditions, the gods and
22:13
goddesses created humanity as equals and fellow citizens, but
22:18
when the time came, the gods became so conceited or afraid
22:23
that they refused to grant the people immortality.
22:26
Enki is aware that humans cannot emulate the gods since doing so
22:31
would disrupt the natural order. For creation to work as it
22:35
should, Adapa must continue to be mortal and remain in his
22:39
place. As you will see in the
22:42
Atrahasas, the gods determined that human life expectancy is
22:47
finite. Anu feels it would be a
22:50
disservice to Adapa to have been wise enough to recognize his
22:54
mortality, but powerless to do anything about it.
22:57
So he offers him immortality, even though doing so upsets the
23:02
natural order, as demonstrated by a Numa Elisha's attempt to
23:06
achieve peace through diplomatic negotiation as opposed to
23:10
ongoing conflict. Anu is known for his empathy and
23:14
understanding. The Epic of Atrahasis, the Story
23:18
of the Great Flood The Babylonian civilization told a
23:23
dramatic story that predates the judeo-christian Testaments, in
23:27
which the gods sent a massive flood that would wipe out all
23:30
life on Earth, including humans. The plot is closely followed in
23:35
the later biblical story of Noah and the Ark.
23:39
In the myth of Atrahasis, the gods forewarned a man of that
23:43
name to construct a massive boat for himself, his family and the
23:48
local fauna. This man laboured to build the
23:51
ship, assembled the people and animals as directed by the gods
23:56
and then climbed on board to brave the Great Storm.
24:00
It was discovered that the so-called epic of Atrahasis was
24:03
composed between 1645 and 1626 BCE.
24:09
The great grandson of King Hammurabi ruled Babylon during
24:12
this time. AMI Saduka was his name.
24:16
Even then, the story was widely known and regarded as a local
24:20
legend. All legends and stories would
24:23
have been passed down orally before these dates, taking
24:26
precedence over written documentation.
24:29
There is evidence that the story of the Babylonian, this flood
24:32
story was told in Summa Eridugenesis is a story that
24:37
predates the Atrehasis epic by a considerable amount.
24:41
The event was first documented in the early 17th century BCE.
24:45
If you go even further back in time, one of the oldest stories
24:49
ever written, The Epic of Gilgamesh, mentions a colossal
24:53
flood that occurred between 2100 and 1500 BCE.
24:58
This flood story has been passed down through various cultures
25:01
for hundreds of years, suggesting that it may have
25:04
occurred. It is doubtful and difficult to
25:07
accept that there could be a global flood so catastrophic
25:11
that it would wipe out all life as we know it.
25:15
Nonetheless, the Fertile Crescent was home to Babylonian,
25:18
Sumerian, and Mesopotamian civilizations.
25:23
This region of the ancient world was tucked away between the
25:26
Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Without a doubt, the people of
25:31
the time would consider it a global catastrophe if both of
25:34
these flooded. Flooded rivers aren't all that
25:37
strange. Archaeological evidence suggests
25:41
that the local population had to cope with floods on a somewhat
25:44
regular basis. These natural disasters have
25:48
fueled the legend of the Great Flood for many generations.
25:52
Geologists and other scientists are quick to point out that
25:55
there is no objective evidence of flooding that extended well
25:58
beyond the Mesopotamian Valley. Whenever someone suggests that
26:02
the floods were more widespread, particularly about the biblical
26:06
Noah's Flood, the narratives themselves adhere to the same
26:10
fundamental framework. It all began when the gods
26:14
created humans to assist them in keeping the earth functioning as
26:17
it should. There were various levels of
26:20
gods in these ancient societies. Because they were typically
26:24
stronger, the older ones could force the weaker, younger ones
26:28
to perform tasks for them. A few of the elder gods gathered
26:32
and created 14 individuals, evenly divided between males and
26:37
females. After the younger gods grew
26:40
weary of all that hard labor, it appears that the Mesopotamians
26:44
believed it was more appropriate to begin with a larger community
26:48
of God's assistance, as opposed to the later judeo-christian
26:51
stories where God created only one man and one woman.
26:56
At last, the gods were able to unwind and assign all of the
27:00
labor intensive tasks to the earthly inhabitants.
27:04
Unfortunately, because they reproduced so quickly, the
27:08
population became noisy and annoying.
27:11
Because of their actions, Enlil, the supreme God, tried to wipe
27:15
them out, first by famine, drought and plague, and then by
27:19
a great flood. A God called Enki, one of the
27:23
leading creators of humanity, felt sorry for the Wise 1
27:27
Atrahassis and warned them of the impending catastrophe.
27:32
At best, it's unclear how Atra, Hassis, and Noah managed to
27:36
survive for such a long time on the ark with all the animals on
27:39
board. The majority of these morality
27:42
tales are not so much explanations as they are
27:45
confrontational encounters. The interval between the first
27:50
drop of rain and the ultimate deliverance of the rescued
27:53
humans and animals was filled with detailed descriptions of
27:56
the storms and the responses of gods and goddesses.
28:01
Many of the gods and goddesses lamented the loss of their human
28:04
creations and thought the flood was a bad idea, and Lille is sad
28:09
that everyone else perished and furious with Enki for saving
28:13
Atrejasis. After much deliberation, the
28:16
gods decide to create creatures that are unable to bear children
28:20
rapidly, such as infertile women, devoted virgins, and baby
28:25
stealing demons. Undoubtedly, some of the natural
28:28
phenomena linked to low infant mortality and infertility in
28:32
general were explained away by the legendary accounts of these
28:36
last events. The majority of suffering in
28:39
those early days eventually acquired a more profound
28:42
significance than mere biology. The same factors led to the
28:46
creation of numerous ancient stories, such as the Epic of
28:50
Atrahases. First, it clarified some of the
28:54
human issues and natural occurrences that the inhabitants
28:57
of those ancient civilizations had to deal with.
29:01
The second is a moral caution to act as their gods and goddesses
29:06
would have them. Ultimately, they fostered
29:10
understanding and faith in the face of adversity.
29:14
These factors explain why the epic story of the gods sending a
29:18
massive flood has resonated throughout history.
29:21
From the dawn of civilization, considered the highest of all
29:25
the gods, Anu. As he retreated farther and
29:29
farther into the heavens, Anu's kindness spread to the other
29:33
gods. People eventually recognized him
29:36
as the Master Creator, responsible for all the
29:39
mechanisms of the universe, despite his separation from both
29:42
humanity and the other gods. His son Enlil, who progressively
29:47
inherited his father's traits and abilities, was the only God
29:51
with access to Anu. However, Anu's veneration
29:56
persisted across the nation even after Enlil's rise to prominence
30:01
In Uruk, where Inana was the patron goddess, Anu was honored
30:05
by a sizable temple that functioned as a library and
30:09
astronomical observatory from around 2000 BCE to around 150
30:15
BCE. An early example of the great
30:18
respect that was given to Anu is a hymn to him.
30:22
Part of the hymn says Lord of the Horned Crown, which is
30:27
marvelously magnificent. You travel here and there on the
30:31
raging storm. You stand in the royal chamber
30:34
to be admired as a king. You are the Prince of the gods,
30:38
whose words govern the submissive company of the gods.
30:42
When you give the order, the gods form a body like a Reed in
30:46
a stream, directing wind like blows and making food and drink
30:50
grow. When you give the order, the
30:53
angry gods withdraw to their homes.
30:56
May the kings of the nations bring you heavy tribute.
30:59
May men stand before you every day, offering sacrifices,
31:03
prayers and adorations. May all the gods of heaven and
31:07
earth appear before you with gifts and offerings.
31:11
You show Uruk your city a lot of favour.
31:14
Avenge your city and hostile lands.
31:17
Anu, your great God. People still regarded him as the
31:23
force behind the gods power, even though they eventually
31:26
prayed to him less and less directly.
31:29
The people continued to bring offerings to his temple at Uruk
31:32
long after they had stopped closely relating him to their
31:35
everyday lives. Anu was the August and esteemed
31:39
chairman of the board of the Mesopotamian Pantheon.
31:44
According to scholar Stephen Bertman, he was referred to as
31:48
Heaven. He was the highest authority
31:51
among the gods and humans, and he bestowed kingship upon them.
31:55
He administered justice and oversaw the meh, the set of laws
32:00
that govern the universe, in his capacity as the Grand Patriarch
32:04
of Heaven. Many of the Mesopotamian gods
32:08
associated with the Assyrian Empire were abandoned when it
32:11
fell in 612 BCE. The great God Assur Asher is a
32:18
prime example of how the Assyrians appropriated the
32:21
attributes of numerous other gods.
32:24
Those who felt oppressed by Assyrian rule took their
32:27
resentment and retaliation out on Assyrian cities, temples, and
32:31
statues of their gods. The Assyrians, however, still
32:35
recognized Anu and other gods due to his connection to Marduk.
32:40
Worship of Anu persisted into the Hellenistic era of
32:44
Mesopotamian history and continued until the Parthians
32:48
took control of the area around 141 BCE.
32:53
Anu is a pivotal figure in the mythology and its impact on
32:56
subsequent literature and beliefs.
32:58
As the father of the gods, Anu is one of the oldest gods, with
33:03
records tracing his existence back to at least 3000 BC.
33:08
The gods began to view Anu as their father and king.
33:13
The city of Eric in southern Babylonia is so strongly linked
33:16
to Anu that there are good reasons to think that this is
33:20
where the Anu cult first originated.
33:23
If this is true, then his consort was most likely the
33:27
goddess Nana or Ishtar of Eric. This highlights Anu's purely
33:32
theoretical nature even more. He is rarely presented as an
33:36
active force to whom a personal appeal can be made in the annals
33:40
vote of inscriptions, incantations, and hymns.
33:45
Even his title is King or Father of the Gods, lacks an individual
33:49
component, and his name becomes little more than a synonym for
33:52
the heavens in general. The second part the Anunnaki.
33:58
Moreover, IGIGI. The Anunnaki and Igigi's
34:02
historical mythology The terms anunnaki and Igigi are commonly
34:07
used in the study of Mesopotamian mythology.
34:11
They also appear in earlier Sumerian and Babylonian stories
34:15
about gods, rather than the more complex Babylonian writing.
34:20
The literature surrounding these two words typically takes the
34:23
form of Sumerian glyphs. Historians who work diligently
34:28
to identify the Anunnaki face challenges due to the wide
34:32
variety of references to them in different sources.
34:36
The general idea is that they were regarded as gods in ancient
34:40
Arkad and Sumer, along with the Igigi.
34:45
The Descent of Inanna to the Netherworld, A superb work of
34:49
mysterious historical prose, refers to the Anunnaki in a
34:53
rather sinister manner. The gods who governed that
34:56
violent and gloomy world were linked to unpleasant things.
35:00
As the story's title might imply, the narrative centers on
35:04
Ereshkigal, who persuades the Anunnaki to take her sister
35:08
away. Despite being primarily referred
35:11
to as deities, these entities have also been characterized as
35:15
sages, wise men, regulators, or even underworld minors.
35:21
Although the Sumerians wrote it as a particular historical
35:24
account, puzzled scholars have consigned all of this material
35:28
to the realm of gods and mythology, where the mystery
35:31
lies. Its nature is unaffected by the
35:34
fact that we call it mythology for our comfort.
35:38
People talked about the Anunnaki as though they were real, not
35:42
just some phantom or ethereal God.
35:45
The ambiguity surrounding Anunnaki's actual identity and
35:49
purpose is only heightened by the multifaceted descriptors
35:54
According to other myths from those prehistoric societies.
35:57
These creatures regularly fought or quarrelled with one another
36:02
to gain support from the populace or to assist them in a
36:04
particular struggle or unique circumstance.
36:08
They occasionally also allied themselves with human rulers.
36:12
Ancient writings made frequent reference to the Anunnaki.
36:16
Compared to the Agigi, they were more common or well liked.
36:21
This group of Anunnaki is mentioned explicitly in the now
36:24
famous Enuma Elish tales. There were 300 Igigi and
36:29
according to information gleaned from different legends, they all
36:34
resided in the Mesopotamian version of Heaven, not the
36:38
netherworld. Like the stories of the
36:41
Anunnaki. The unique group of Igigi also
36:44
engaged with people and asked for their help.
36:47
The marriage of Marduk and Sarpanet was one such tale that
36:51
suggested their descent from heaven to engage with humans.
36:55
For a long time, these two groups of holy beings have
36:58
existed across cultural boundaries, regardless of the
37:01
precise beliefs people hold about them.
37:04
Numerous parallels have been discovered by scholars
37:07
interested in multiple cultures between the Sumerian and
37:10
Babylonian Annunaki and the Nephilim as they are portrayed
37:14
in Judeo-christian histories. One example of the etymology of
37:18
the similarities is the Hebrew root of NFL, which is found in
37:23
the word Nephilim. This root sound represents the
37:27
action of falling or descending from a higher altitude.
37:30
The name Anunnaki also suggests that the Nephilim were beings
37:35
that descended from heaven. The root N denotes the sky or
37:40
heavens, while the root key denotes the earth or land.
37:44
The meaning of their name is from sky to land, which is
37:48
strikingly similar to falling or descending.
37:52
Some people think that the Nephilim are Anunnaki because of
37:54
this definition. They come from two different
37:57
cultures and believe the terms are interchangeable.
38:01
The Nephilim is merely a subset of the Anunnaki, a term used to
38:05
refer to all these beings. According to a closer
38:08
examination of historical writings and documents.
38:12
Since there were fewer of them and they all appear to be in
38:15
heaven rather than the netherworld, the Nephilim are
38:18
more like the Agigi. No real connections explain the
38:21
precise origin of Anunnaki as a word itself, even though the
38:25
word roots suggest this kind of relationship between the two
38:29
groups. To create well informed ideas,
38:33
those who study these topics in the modern world draw on their
38:36
understanding of ancient languages and the mythology
38:39
surrounding these deities. Scholars believe that Annunaki
38:43
does not refer to a notion of heaven to earth descent, but
38:47
rather to the sons or heirs of Anu, the primary Sumerian deity.
38:53
Additional ideas include the terms dhanuna, which refers to
38:57
all gods in heaven and the netherworld, and anuna, which
39:02
means noble and fear. In each of these cases, the key
39:07
component of Anunnaki is treated with grave disrespect.
39:12
There are numerous translations and variations of the name.
39:16
The meanings of the different word parts do not always hold up
39:19
to closer examination. For instance, why were both
39:23
terms used simultaneously if anunnaki was an incorrect form
39:28
of anuna? There are equally confusing
39:31
linguistic problems with the agigi.
39:34
The word parts in summer denotes a young man, eyes, a face, or
39:39
the environment. Are these chosen gods deities
39:43
who surround or besiege in combat, or do they symbolize
39:46
youth? Igigi might be referring to a
39:49
pair of eyes looking down at the people on earth below, since
39:53
there is evidence that in these ancient languages repeating
39:56
syllables pluralizes his words. The biblical description of the
40:00
Nephilim as the watchers is consistent with the symbol of a
40:05
pair of eyes. Which appears to support the
40:08
idea that the EGIGI watched and gazed down at humanity.
40:12
This implies that all spiritual beings from different
40:15
civilizations are closely related to each other.
40:20
A fascinating scholarly debate is created by the ongoing
40:23
investigation and discussion of the meaning and language of
40:26
these two ubiquitous terms. The precise definition of these
40:31
terms is unknown, although other scholars have proposed theories
40:36
that align with the current understanding of the
40:38
Mesopotamians and Sumerians. The primary question is whether
40:43
the Watchers and Nephilim are the same or closely related.
40:47
If so, the Book of Enoch significantly expands our
40:51
understanding of the mysterious Sumerians.
40:54
The plant of birth is an essential part of the myth of
40:57
Itana. It would take an eternity to go
41:00
through all the historical and mythological accounts, but the
41:05
myth of Itana is particularly noteworthy.
41:09
We sense a direct relationship between these gods and humanity,
41:13
as though an actual historical event, not a myth or a legend,
41:18
had occurred. The origins of this myth, which
41:21
date back to genuinely ancient times in summer, are
41:25
demonstrated by cylindrical seals that range in date from
41:28
between 2300 and 2279 BCE. To persuade the gods to grant
41:36
him the plant of birth, which would enable his wife to bear
41:39
him a son, the king of Kish travels to them in the myth of
41:44
Atana around 700 BCE. Some of the most significant
41:49
archaeological evidence for this story was found in the Nineveh
41:53
Library, which King Asurbanipal had first constructed.
41:57
Asurbanipal spoke every Mesopotamian language and kept
42:01
meticulous records. The British Museum currently
42:04
houses this specific fragment. The much older Babylonian story
42:09
served as the model for the Assyrian tale, which was written
42:12
more than a Millennium later, as evident in the comparison with
42:15
the cylinder seals. The myth of Itana shares
42:19
similarities with numerous other legends and folk tales from
42:22
ancient Sumerian culture, as well as those from other
42:26
cultures worldwide. Gods, magnificent cities,
42:31
powerful rulers, sentient animals, and a valiant quest are
42:35
all mentioned. Similar to different stories,
42:38
this one also conveys a direct message or allegory to those who
42:42
have a connection to kings. With 23 successive kings, the
42:47
first Kish dynasty was remarkably long.
42:50
The majority of other dynasties that existed at the time either
42:54
disbanded or had their authority usurped by another family within
42:58
a brief period. During this time, monarchies
43:02
started to adopt A male heir succession system.
43:06
To put it another way, a king would give his son the throne.
43:10
Any king who did not have a son would be expected to take
43:13
drastic measures because of how important it was under this
43:16
system to have a male child. This is illustrated in the myth
43:21
of Itana. Before they could find a
43:24
suitable ruler, the gods constructed the city of Kish.
43:28
The gods provided it with a great deal of protection,
43:31
erecting a giant wall to keep anyone inside safe.
43:36
As soon as Inanna chooses Itana to be the first king, he builds
43:40
a shrine in honor of Adad. In this story, the shrine is
43:44
obscured by a Poplar tree to bless the city and all of its
43:49
residents. It was customary for a ruler to
43:51
erect temples and shrines to various gods or goddesses.
43:56
An eagle nests in the uppermost branches, and a snake resides
43:59
close to its roots. These two animals, pledged to
44:03
stick by one another, remain friends and defend any children
44:07
they may have. The sun God Shamash observes and
44:11
confirms this oath. Everything goes wonderfully
44:15
until the eagle breaks his word. As soon as his kin leave the
44:18
nest and grow up, he releases a torrent of devastation upon the
44:23
snake's family. Naturally, the state notices
44:27
that the eagle's kin are also gone when he returns from his
44:30
daily hunt, and they are not present to welcome him.
44:34
The nest is deserted, but the characteristic talons are still
44:37
present in his house amidst the popular roots.
44:41
The snake learns of the situation instantly and grows
44:44
resentful of his old friend for so horribly betraying his
44:48
confidence. To exact revenge on the eagle,
44:52
he begs Shamash. It makes sense that this God
44:56
could punish the transgressor since he witnessed their initial
44:59
agreement. The sun God advises him to use a
45:03
wild ox's corpse as a trap. Slytherin inside the snake
45:07
awaits the eagle's arrival to feast.
45:10
He then darts out, wraps around the eagle, breaks his wings,
45:14
plucks his feathers, and tosses it in the pit with lightning
45:18
speed. The eagle is now in a position
45:21
to request assistance from the sun God.
45:24
Shamash instructs Etana to assist the eagle in leaving the
45:27
pit, assuming that the eagle has likely learned his lesson in
45:31
restating that the birds should not have attacked his friend's
45:34
family. But rather than assisting an
45:36
eagle, the king of Kish, who constructed the shrine close to
45:41
the Poplar tree, is more preoccupied with his family's
45:45
problems. He was worried that he wouldn't
45:47
have anyone to take the throne after his wife failed to bear
45:51
him a son. If Eetana helps the eagle first,
45:54
the sun God promises to help. The man does so, but his
45:59
companions, the bird, heal him and eventually carry them to
46:03
heaven, where they are given the plant of birth, a fantastic gift
46:08
from Inanna. When Eetana can no longer see
46:11
the ground and looks down during this incredible flight, he
46:14
becomes quite afraid. He releases the eagle's feathers
46:18
in fear and starts to fall towards the ground.
46:22
Fortunately, he is saved by the great bird and brought back to
46:26
Kish and his wife. King Atana can ask Inanna for
46:30
her gift and blessing after he is persuaded to try to reach the
46:34
heavens a second time by prophetic dreams.
46:38
Even though part of the story has been lost since it was first
46:41
written, Atana has a son who is capable of inheriting the
46:45
throne. Balik was his name, and it was
46:49
believed that the plant of birth had assisted in his birth.
46:53
In the past, the gods have played a significant role in
46:57
determining a dynasty's overall fate.
47:00
An essential aspect of ancient history is the tale of Naram
47:03
Sin's battle with the gods and the curse of Agadi.
47:08
The curse of Agada is older than its documented history, which
47:12
spans the Earth Three period from 2047 to 1750 BCE.
47:19
As is the case with most ancient tales, in this thrilling story,
47:25
Naram Sin, a powerful king in Acadia, fought Enlil, one of the
47:29
top gods. Sargon the Great, the founder of
47:33
the entire empire, is his father.
47:36
The Sun was highly esteemed and used battle and conquest to
47:39
enlarge the kingdom's territory. Like the majority of notable
47:44
historical personalities who demonstrated great strength and
47:47
skill, he was the subject of numerous legendary tales.
47:52
Many Mesopotamians took pleasure in learning about his exciting
47:56
life. Written versions of this tale
47:59
were found in the library of Nineveh, which was gathered by
48:02
Ashurba, Nepal. The curse of Agade, What is it?
48:07
This period was an excellent illustration of what is referred
48:10
to as narrative literature. One of the genres distinguishing
48:14
features is the interactions between humans and deities.
48:18
The majority are folk tales or fictional stories, though some
48:22
have historical roots. The Great Revolt and the Kutha
48:26
Legend are two more instances of these kinds of Naram Sin related
48:30
tales. One of the more well known works
48:33
of literature connected to this significant theme is The Curse
48:36
of Agade. Because it depicted Naram Sin
48:40
attempting to understand why the gods allowed him to endure such
48:43
suffering after the destruction of the city of Arkad, it posed
48:47
an interesting philosophical question once more.
48:51
Every historical analysis shows that Naram Sin behaved as though
48:55
these gods existed at every moment.
48:58
The king himself lacked piety and did not worship the gods
49:03
appropriately. As a result, Enlil stopped
49:06
having a favorable opinion of Akkad and prevented any other
49:10
gods from bestowing any blessings upon it.
49:13
Naram Sin sank into a deep depression, looked for answers,
49:17
and repeatedly asked the gods for guidance, but to no avail.
49:22
Finally, he mustered an army and demolished the Enlil temple in
49:26
the neighboring city of Nippur. Naturally, this attack enrages
49:31
the gods even more. In The curse of a God famine,
49:35
the destruction of a cod and a complete takeover by the
49:38
guitars, a group of people favored by the gods, were the
49:42
outcomes. It was documented as it
49:45
occurred, including the intentions of the gods, and is a
49:48
factual historical account rather than a myth.
49:53
By devaluing the idea of gods and claiming that they were
49:56
individuals who ideologically evolved into gods, scholars
50:00
circumvent this challenge. Although this morality tale is
50:05
widely believed to be true, historians have not found any
50:09
impartial evidence that Nuramsin's actions caused the
50:12
temple to be destroyed by the king or led to the fall of
50:16
Akkad. This ruler and city were likely
50:19
chosen by the author of The Curse of Agade because they were
50:22
well known and would make for a far more compelling story.
50:28
In certain instances, Nauru literature took the place of
50:31
historical accuracy. The mention of gods in
50:34
historical accounts, however, puts historians who reject the
50:38
existence of gods in a vulnerable position.
50:41
Teaching people not to annoy the gods was the aim of the Curse of
50:45
a God a it showed them how to have a healthy relationship.
50:50
Readers or listeners can visualize themselves in the
50:53
situations in the story because the gods don't respond to them
50:56
or provide a suitable explanation for what Naram Sin
51:00
did to irritate them in the first place.
51:03
Often, there is no clear solution to human suffering, and
51:08
Lill, the God, decides to stop guarding the city.
51:12
He is not under any external pressure, and he has the option
51:15
to allow Akkad to keep doing well.
51:18
According to academics, the narrative raises doubts
51:21
regarding the validity of Naram Sin's reign.
51:24
This literary work structure is similar to that of numerous
51:28
Nauru stories, as well as other legends and made-up historical
51:32
narratives. A typical day in Arkad opens the
51:36
story, portraying the city as remarkable and affluent due to
51:40
its thriving trade and commerce. It describes how the town was
51:44
blessed by the goddess Inanna, who felt privileged to be a part
51:48
of it all. Enlil then expresses his
51:52
disapproval of the city as a whole, which leads to conflict,
51:56
though the exact cause is still unknown.
51:59
Rumors point to a lack of regard for Narim Sin's kingship.
52:04
God's backing of Sargon, who aimed to dominate Mesopotamia as
52:08
a whole, is partially responsible for this phenomenon.
52:12
However, the historical records indicate that there were no
52:16
issues when Narim Sin succeeded Sargon.
52:19
Every conflict in the story needs to be resolved with
52:22
decisive action. But in response to his city's
52:26
demise, the king spends seven whole years in penitence,
52:30
prayer, and asking the gods for an explanation.
52:34
Regretfully, Enlil doesn't respond.
52:38
Naram Sin becomes quite irate with Enlil and the other gods in
52:41
The Curse of Agade and acts to extract some answers from them.
52:46
Rather than just destroying A hallowed site of prayer and
52:49
worship, the temple's destruction represents an
52:52
assault on God himself. With its treasure chest,
52:55
bedroom, and other amenities, the temple was regarded as
52:59
practically the home of God. A person will surely suffer
53:03
harsh punishments if they damage or destroy a God's physical home
53:07
or take his belongings. Enlil becomes even more irate
53:11
after Ikur is destroyed and other gods join the effort to
53:14
eradicate Akkad and Naramsin. Allowing a group of people known
53:20
as the Gitans to invade Arkad, who destroyed much of it and
53:24
causing famine and blight on the land is the ultimate punishment
53:28
for the enigmatic original purpose, as well as the final
53:32
sacrilege and blasphemy of destroying Enlil's home and
53:35
property. Like all old folk tales, the
53:39
Curse of Agade has one main lesson.
53:42
Don't annoy the gods. Historical mythology of the Utu
53:48
known by various names including Shamash Samas and Babar.
53:52
Uttu was a Sumerian son deity who also represented divine
53:56
justice. He is the son of the fertility
53:59
goddess Ningal and the moon deity Nana.
54:03
Although Uttu was a Sumerian custom, the Acadians, who
54:07
identified his father as Anu or Enlil, referred to it as Shamash
54:12
Samas. The Sumerian tradition makes it
54:16
abundantly clear that he is the twin brother of Ishqur, also
54:20
known as Adad, the God of storms, Ereshkigal, the queen of
54:26
the dead, and Inana, the goddess of war, love and sensuality.
54:32
The main deities of numerous Sumerian and Akkadian epics were
54:36
members of this close knit family.
54:38
One of the most important deities in the Mesopotamian
54:41
pantheon, Utu first appeared in Sumerian writings around 3500
54:47
BCE. After Nana, Utu is frequently
54:51
portrayed physically as an older man with shoulders that radiate
54:54
light and a long beard. In addition, he is symbolized by
54:58
the solar disk. He changes into a disk with
55:01
wings during the Neo Assyrian period circa 912 to 612 BCE.
55:09
Shamash is addressed explicitly by name and rank in the
55:12
Hammurabi Law Code 1792 to 1750 BCE, which asserts that Shamash
55:21
is the one who gave humanity the laws.
55:24
He centered himself on Larsa and a redo in summer.
55:27
While he was worshipped at Sipar in the northern Akkad region.
55:31
The name E Babar, which translates to White House or
55:35
Shining House, was given to his temples.
55:38
Consequently, it became associated with God Babar, the
55:41
Shining One, the goddess of the dawn, Cerida Aya Inacadian, was
55:48
the wife of Utu Shamash. The nation's patroness by the
55:52
Old Babylonian period, circa 2000 to 1600 BCE, was her.
55:57
Like contemporary orders of nuns, these were reclusive women
56:01
who had dedicated themselves to the divine.
56:05
Since their seclusion was linked to his gleaming temples, Utu
56:09
Shamash is frequently connected with nudity.
56:12
However, they worshipped and served his wife Aya.
56:16
Utu Shamash's generosity and kindness are mentioned in almost
56:19
all of Mesopotamian mythology. Around 2600 BCE, the first
56:26
writings mentioning this deity by the name of Shamash Samas
56:30
appeared. Nevertheless, during the 3000
56:33
year span from the introduction of QA form writing around 3500
56:38
BCE to its abandonment around 100 BCE, he was frequently
56:44
referred to interchangeably as Utu or Shamash.
56:49
The power, light, warmth, and reach of the sun are symbolized
56:53
by the solar disk symbol, which is a circle with four points
56:56
pointing towards the cardinal directions and four WAVY lines
57:00
radiating diagonally outward from between them.
57:04
With the additional cross quarter days embedded.
57:07
Some people theorize that this representation is connected to
57:10
the solstices and equinoxes. There was an intense portrayal
57:15
of U2 as the God of justice. I could see everything that
57:19
happened on earth because the sun was trailing across the sky.
57:23
Utu Shamash was the one who saw justice, in addition to being
57:28
the one who brought light. According to Utu Shamash expert
57:32
Ryan Morhan, Utu represents the brilliant light of the sun that
57:37
returns every day to illuminate the life of mankind, as well as
57:42
the beneficial warmth that causes plants to grow.
57:46
Since the illuminated sun was believed to be able to Pierce
57:49
every level of the earth, including the underworld, there
57:53
was nothing, so Utu Shamash did not see the whole perspective.
57:58
Author and historian EA Wallace Budget, who was associated with
58:02
the Utu Shamash, was believed to have walked across the heavens
58:06
on foot in prehistoric times. He was supposed to walk across
58:10
the sky in prehistoric times, but later on he rode in a fiery
58:15
chariot pulled by animals and steered by a man named Bunene.
58:20
Because he helped those in need raise the dead and release those
58:25
in bonds, he was revered as a kind God.
58:29
He could see everywhere, so he was well informed and made
58:33
accurate judgements about people.
58:36
One of the Sumerian gods rarely discussed is Bunene, who is more
58:40
frequently portrayed as his son and revered as a God of justice
58:45
at Sipar, Uruk, and Asher. Although Utu Shamash was Nana's
58:50
son and always came in second to his father, his importance
58:54
remained unchanged. His mythology and symbolism rank
58:58
among the most prevalent in Mesopotamian literature,
59:02
inscriptions, and artifacts. The extent of Utu's influence
59:07
over Mesopotamia is astounding. As a wise and cautious monarch,
59:12
Hammurabi knew that naming his renowned legal code after
59:16
Shamash would lend it greater authority.
59:19
This is not to imply that he did not think this God was powerful,
59:23
whether or not he was revered, but Hammurabi could have just as
59:26
easily selected Marduk. After all, Hammurabi's city of
59:31
Babylon was patronized by Marduk.
59:35
The same is true of Enki, who is widely recognized as the God of
59:39
wisdom. Since Hammurabi was present
59:42
every day by the light of the sun, Utu Shamash seemed to be
59:46
the obvious choice. The sun God in the east, the
59:52
doors of heaven opened each morning to reveal the sun God
59:56
Utu Shamash. As he emerged, these doors were
1:00:00
flung open for him by two somewhat lesser gods.
1:00:03
On his daily journey to the West, he got into his chariot
1:00:07
and rode across the sky once more.
1:00:10
Two other gods let him in every night until his wife woke him up
1:00:15
in the morning. He sought sanctuary in the
1:00:17
underworld, and he rode in his chariot through the cycle.
1:00:22
Because of this, the underworld of Mesopotamia was believed to
1:00:25
have its entrance in the West, near the sun God's western
1:00:29
gates. It was thought in specific eras
1:00:32
that Uttu Shamash entered the underworld at nightfall to
1:00:35
render judgements there. Uttu Shamash, the judgement of
1:00:40
the underworld is an intriguing minor departure from the
1:00:43
standard perspective. Where the spirits were all
1:00:46
equivalent, Death was the incredible equalizer who carried
1:00:51
Lords and peasants to the same spot.
1:00:54
There was no outline of paradise or damnation, however, just a
1:00:58
diminished domain where the spirits dwelled in the Sumerian
1:01:03
conviction. In any case, the souls were
1:01:05
judged and that judgement influenced their future in
1:01:08
existence in the afterlife. Regardless of anything.
1:01:12
Orientalist Samuel Noah Kramer states the deceased was not
1:01:18
treated all alike. There was a judgement of the
1:01:20
dead by the sun God Hutu, and to a certain extent by the moon God
1:01:25
Nana, and if the judgement was favourable, the dead man's soul
1:01:29
would presumably live in happiness and contentment and
1:01:33
have all it desired. However, the indications are
1:01:36
that the Sumerians had but little trust in hopes of a
1:01:40
blissful life in the nether world, even for the good and
1:01:43
deserving. By and large, the Sumerians were
1:01:48
convinced that life in the netherworld was but a dismal,
1:01:51
wretched reflection of life on Earth.
1:01:56
Since the sun could light up even the underworld, there was
1:02:00
trust that Utu Shamash would venture into this netherworld
1:02:03
and contact the afterlife. Like his dad Nana, Utu Shamash
1:02:09
at that point served as an intermediary between the living
1:02:12
and those who had passed away to the other side.
1:02:15
It was accepted that nourishment and water and different
1:02:18
contributions should keep on being brought for their souls.
1:02:22
Since they kept on existing just without bodies and still
1:02:27
required sustenance, Uttu Shamash's judgement of them
1:02:31
always passed. It was clear that the spirit
1:02:34
still existed to be judged. Thus, the living continued to
1:02:37
regard them with honor. If the dead were deserving of
1:02:41
recognition by the sun God, humans could respect and
1:02:44
recollect them also. Utu Shamash is often depicted as
1:02:49
a benevolent promoter, unreservedly bestowing the
1:02:53
blessings of life. However, like many of the most
1:02:56
significant Mesopotamian deities, he was a completely
1:02:59
acknowledged individual and was not above denying a request that
1:03:03
burdened him. Utu Shamash in mythology Most
1:03:08
myths featuring Utu Shamash emphasize his kindness and
1:03:12
generosity. In the myth of Itana, which
1:03:15
predates the reign of Sargon of Akkad, 2334 to 2279 BCE, the
1:03:23
hero petitions Shamash for aid in helping his wife conceive.
1:03:27
At the same time that an eagle and a serpent are feuding over
1:03:31
ownership of a Poplar tree and are also asking for help, the
1:03:35
God takes care of each request justly and carefully, in the
1:03:39
same way as in the Epic of Gilgamesh, he helps the hero
1:03:44
conquer the demon of the cedar forest, Humbaba.
1:03:48
He was not always so accommodating, however.
1:03:50
In the story of Inana and Hulupu Tree, the goddess takes a young
1:03:54
Hulupu tree, possibly a Willow, and transplants it in her city
1:03:59
of Uruk, thinking that when the tree reached maturity she would
1:04:03
use its wood to craft a throne and couch to recline on.
1:04:08
As the years went by, a snake built a nest in its roots, an
1:04:12
indugood bird nested in its branches and at its centre the
1:04:17
evil spirit of a Lily two set up house.
1:04:21
When Inanna came to water her tree 1 evening and found these
1:04:24
unwanted guests, she sat down and cried through the night.
1:04:29
At dawn her twin brother, Utu Shamash rose in the east and
1:04:32
began his journey across the sky.
1:04:36
Inanna called out to him and told him of her trouble, but he
1:04:39
could not stop his daily trek and further told her he felt no
1:04:42
need to. Inanna then sought the aid of
1:04:46
Gilgamesh, who took care of the snake, drove the bird away, and
1:04:50
sent the lilitude demon away. Afterwards he cut down the tree
1:04:55
and presented it to Inanna for her throne.
1:04:58
This was no selfish request on her part, because from the tree
1:05:03
she created the sacred drum and drumsticks for Gilgamesh, which
1:05:07
he was supposed to use for good but then misused for war.
1:05:13
They were taken from him and drawn down to the netherworld.
1:05:17
This story then sets the stage for the myth in which Nkadu, the
1:05:22
comrade in arms of Gilgamesh and his best friend, descends to the
1:05:26
underworld to bring them back, and after his death, Utu Shamash
1:05:31
parts the veil so that the two friends can talk one last time.
1:05:36
This myth highlights a central aspect of the personality of
1:05:41
Uttu Shamash, his involvement in the most intimate aspects of 1's
1:05:46
life. Jeremy Black comments on this
1:05:49
after listing the gods aspects regarding the son and justice
1:05:54
writing. 1/3 aspect of Uttu was his direct interest in the
1:05:58
affairs of humanity. One of the early legendary kings
1:06:02
of Uruk is described as a son of Uttu in the composition called
1:06:07
the Sumerian King List, and Utu acted as a special protector of
1:06:12
some of the later heroic kings of the city, for instance,
1:06:15
Gilgamesh. In the Babylonian Epic of
1:06:18
Gilgamesh, Shamash helps the hero against the monstrous
1:06:22
guardian of the cedar forest, whom Baba.
1:06:25
In the Sumerian poem Dumuzi's Dream, Utu helps Dumuzi to
1:06:30
escape from the gala demons who have come to take him to the
1:06:33
underworld. Throughout the Epic of
1:06:36
Gilgamesh, Utu Shamash is noted for his kindness and diligence
1:06:40
in watching over the hero, and for this reason came to be
1:06:44
regarded as the patron God of travellers and vagabonds.
1:06:48
He also became associated with the highest of the gods and was
1:06:51
even considered the benefactor of the gods who provided them
1:06:54
with a home. At one point in the Epic of
1:06:58
Gilgamesh, when Gilgamesh and Ankadu are setting out for the
1:07:00
cedar forest, Gilgamesh says to his comrade, Where is the man
1:07:05
who can clamber to heaven? Only the gods live forever with
1:07:09
glorious Shamash. But As for US men, our days are
1:07:14
numbered. Our occupations are a breath of
1:07:17
wind. The hopes and dreams, the
1:07:20
aspirations and struggles of humanity were considered little
1:07:23
more than a vapor. Still, Utu Shamash was eternal,
1:07:30
and he would continue long after any individual life was only a
1:07:33
memory. Although his name was forgotten
1:07:37
as other religions gained acceptance, the vision of a
1:07:40
loving Son of God, the light of the world, remained.
1:07:45
Part 3 The Mystery of Marduk The Mystery of Marduk and his
1:07:51
Anunnaki lineage Whilst Marduk is well defined as being from
1:07:57
the Anunnaki family tree, he is far from being associated with
1:08:01
Sumerian lore. Marduk was the patron God of
1:08:05
Babylon, the Babylonian king of the gods, who presided over
1:08:10
justice, compassion, healing, regeneration and fairness.
1:08:14
The name Marduk was probably pronounced Marutuk.
1:08:17
The etymology of the name Marduk is conjectured as derived from
1:08:21
Amar Utu, immortal son of Utu, or Bull, calf of the sun God
1:08:27
Utu. The origin of Marduk's name may
1:08:30
reflect an earlier genealogy or have had cultural ties to the
1:08:34
ancient city of Sipar, whose God was Utu, dating to the third
1:08:38
Millennium BC. He is also sometimes purported
1:08:42
as a storm God, an agricultural deity.
1:08:45
His temple, the famous ziggurat described by Herodotus, is
1:08:50
considered the model for the biblical Tower of Babel.
1:08:54
By the Hammurabi period, Marduk had become astrologically
1:08:57
associated with the planet Jupiter.
1:09:00
The Greeks associated him with Zeus and the Romans with
1:09:03
Jupiter. He is depicted as a human in
1:09:06
royal robes carrying a snake, dragon, and a spade.
1:09:10
Marduk appears to have originated from a local deity
1:09:13
known as Asar Luhi, a farmer's God symbolized by the spade,
1:09:19
also referred to as a maru, which remained part of his
1:09:23
iconography. Marduk's name, however, though
1:09:26
linked to the Maru, translates as bull calf, although he was
1:09:31
commonly referred to simply as bell Lord.
1:09:35
Far from the local deity he sprang from, Marduk would become
1:09:38
the most prestigious God of the Mesopotamian pantheon.
1:09:43
Marduk's original character is obscure, but he was later
1:09:46
associated with water, vegetation, judgement, and
1:09:49
magic. His consort was the goddess
1:09:52
Sarpanid. He was also regarded as the son
1:09:56
of IA, Sumerian, Enki, and Damkina, and the heir of Anu.
1:10:02
But whatever special traits Marduk may have had were
1:10:05
overshadowed by the political development through which the
1:10:08
Euphrates Valley passed, which led to people of the time
1:10:12
imbuing him with traits belonging to gods, who in an
1:10:15
earlier period were recognized as the heads of the pantheon.
1:10:19
There are particularly 2 gods, EA and Enlil, whose powers and
1:10:24
attributes Passover to Marduk. In the case of IA, the transfer
1:10:30
proceeded pacifically and without effacing the older God.
1:10:34
Marduk took over the identity of Asar Luhi, the son of IA and God
1:10:39
of magic, so that Marduk was integrated into the pantheon of
1:10:43
Eridu, where both IA and Asar Luhi originally came from.
1:10:49
EA, Marduk's father, voluntarily recognized the superiority of
1:10:54
the son and handed over to him the control of humanity.
1:10:59
This association of Marduk and EA, while indicating primarily
1:11:03
the passing of the supremacy once enjoyed by Eridu to Babylon
1:11:07
as a religious and political center, may also reflect an
1:11:10
early dependence of Babylon upon Eridu.
1:11:13
Not necessarily of a political character, but given the spread
1:11:17
of culture in the Euphrates valley from the South to the
1:11:20
north, the recognition of Eridu as the older center on the part
1:11:24
of the younger one. Although he was the son of the
1:11:27
God of wisdom, Enki, also known as IA, considered a creator God.
1:11:32
In some myths, he was also associated with fresh life,
1:11:36
giving water. Marduk's association with Enki
1:11:39
is undoubtedly linked to the earlier regional deity Asar
1:11:42
Luhi, who had a similar relationship and shared many of
1:11:45
Marduk's characteristics. Marduk's wife was the fertility
1:11:50
goddess Sarpanitu, though in some myths his wife is Nanaya,
1:11:55
and their son was Nabu, the patron God of scribes, literacy
1:11:58
and wisdom, much like the Egyptian God Thoth.
1:12:02
While the relationship between EA and Marduk is marked by
1:12:06
harmony and an amicable abdication on the part of the
1:12:09
father in favor of his son, Marduk's absorption of the power
1:12:14
and prerogatives of Enlil of Nepour was at the expense of the
1:12:17
latter's prestige. Babylon became independent in
1:12:21
the early 19th century BC and was initially a small city state
1:12:25
overshadowed by older and more powerful Mesopotamian states
1:12:29
such as Isin, Larsa, and Assyria.
1:12:34
The rise of Marduk is closely connected with the political
1:12:37
rise of Babylon from city state to the capital of an empire.
1:12:42
Marduk became the supreme God after the reign of
1:12:44
Nebuchadnezzar, the first in the 12th century, and therefore
1:12:49
replaced Enlil. Although Nepur and the cult of
1:12:53
Enlil enjoyed a period of renaissance during the over 4
1:12:56
centuries of Qassite control in Babylonia circa 1595 BC, 1157
1:13:03
BC, the definite and permanent from a regional agricultural
1:13:06
deity, Marduk gained increasing significance for the city of
1:13:10
Babylon and later the Assyrian and Neo Assyrian empires,
1:13:15
becoming ultimately the most important and influential God of
1:13:19
the Babylonian and wider Mesopotamian pantheon and
1:13:23
attaining a level of worship bordering on monotheism.
1:13:27
He was regarded as the creator of the heavens and earth, Co
1:13:31
creator with Enki of human beings and originator of divine
1:13:35
order following his victory over the forces of chaos led by the
1:13:38
goddess Tiamat. Once he legitimized his rule, he
1:13:43
conferred upon the other gods their various duties and
1:13:46
responsibilities and organized both the world and the
1:13:50
netherworld. During the Qasite reign, the
1:13:53
Babylonians were attacked by the Assyrians who took the statue of
1:13:57
Marduk. Asha, the supreme God in the
1:14:00
north, was the only rival of Marduk, who reigned supreme in
1:14:04
the South. While the statue was brought
1:14:07
back to Babylon. The Kasai dynasty, with a
1:14:10
weakened defence, fell to the Elamites 1157 BC, and the statue
1:14:16
of Marduk was taken to Susa, the Elamite capital.
1:14:20
Assyria remained an enemy of the Babylonians until the reign of
1:14:24
Marduk. Nadin ahe Marduk in the Enuma
1:14:27
Elish. The deity of Marduk is depicted
1:14:31
in the Enuma Elish, which recounts the story of Marduk's
1:14:34
birth, heroic deeds, and ascension to the throne of the
1:14:38
gods. The purpose of this creation
1:14:41
myth was to explain how Marduk came to power.
1:14:45
This can be viewed as a form of Mesopotamian apologetics.
1:14:49
Also included in this document are the 50 names of Marduk,
1:14:53
which represent all that Marduk symbolizes.
1:14:57
In the Anuma Elish, a civil war between the gods was growing
1:15:01
into a climactic battle. The Anunnaki gods gathered to
1:15:05
find one God who could defeat the gods rising against them.
1:15:09
Marduk, a very young God, answered the call and was
1:15:12
promised the position of head God.
1:15:15
We know the Babylonian creation myth, and Numa Elish tells the
1:15:19
story of Marduk's rise to power. At the beginning of time, the
1:15:24
universe was an undifferentiated, swirling chaos
1:15:28
that separated into sweet freshwater known as APSU, the
1:15:33
male principle, and salty, bitter water known as Tiamat,
1:15:37
the female principle. These two deities then gave
1:15:41
birth to the other gods and the principle of duality.
1:15:45
To prepare for battle, he makes a bow, fletches arrows, grabs a
1:15:50
Mace, throws lightning before him, fills his body with flame,
1:15:56
makes a net to encircle Tiamat within it, gathers the four
1:16:00
winds so that no part of her could escape, create 7 nasty new
1:16:04
winds such as the whirlwind and tornado, and raises his
1:16:09
mightiest weapon, the Rain Flood.
1:16:12
Then he sets out for battle, mounting his storm chariot,
1:16:16
drawn by four horses with poison in their mouths.
1:16:21
In his lips he holds a spell, and in one hand he grasps a herb
1:16:25
to counter poison. First, he challenges the leader
1:16:30
of the Anunnaki gods, the Dragon of the Primordial Sea Tiamat, to
1:16:35
single combat and defeats her by trapping her with his net,
1:16:38
blowing her up with his winds, and piercing her belly with an
1:16:42
arrow. Then he proceeds to defeat Kingu
1:16:46
who Tiamat put in charge of the army and wore the Tablets of
1:16:49
Destiny on his breast and rested from him the Tablets of Destiny
1:16:54
wrongfully his and assumed his new position.
1:16:58
Under his reign, humans were created to bear the burdens of
1:17:02
life so the gods could be at leisure.
1:17:05
Marduk was depicted as a human, often accompanied by his symbol
1:17:10
the snake dragon, which he had adopted from the God Tishbak.
1:17:15
Another symbol that stood for Marduk was the spade.
1:17:19
Babylonian texts talk of the creation of Eridu by the God
1:17:23
Marduk as the first city, the holy city, the dwelling of
1:17:27
there, the other gods delight. However, Eridu was founded in
1:17:32
the 5th Millennium BC and Marduk's ascendancy only
1:17:36
occurred in the second Millennium BC.
1:17:39
Hence, this is a revisionist back dating to inflate the
1:17:43
prestige of Marduk. Marduk's reign in Babylon.
1:17:47
This reign was centered not in the heavens, but in the temple,
1:17:51
the Essigila in Babylon. Deities in ancient Mesopotamia,
1:17:57
Egypt, and elsewhere were believed to reside in the
1:17:59
temples built for them literally, and this was equally
1:18:03
true for Marduk As for any other deity.
1:18:07
Marduk came to prominence in Babylon during the reign of
1:18:10
Hammurabi, 1792 to 1750 BCE. Before the elevation of Marduk
1:18:18
in Nana, the goddess of sexuality and warfare was the
1:18:23
principal deity worshipped in Babylon and elsewhere throughout
1:18:26
Mesopotamia. Afterwards, although Inana
1:18:30
continued to be widely venerated, Marduk became the
1:18:33
supreme deity of the city, and his worship spread as Babylon
1:18:37
conquered other regions. The rise of the cult of Marduk
1:18:42
is closely connected with the political rise of Babylon from a
1:18:45
city state to the capital of an empire.
1:18:49
From the Casside period, Marduk became increasingly important
1:18:53
until the author of the Babylonian epic of Creation
1:18:57
could maintain that not only was Marduk king of all the gods, but
1:19:02
that many of the latter were no more than aspects of his
1:19:06
persona. The Old Babylonian period offers
1:19:10
more evidence for Marduk's growing popularity.
1:19:13
Sommerfeld, 1982, which remains restricted to Northern and
1:19:17
Middle Babylonia. The proof of his cult in
1:19:20
southern Babylonian is relatively meager because the
1:19:24
Old Babylonian archives from the city of Babylon are still
1:19:27
largely unpublished catalogs of texts from Babylon.
1:19:31
The beginnings of Marduk's unprecedented rise to power in
1:19:34
the capital of Hammurabi's empire are still poorly
1:19:37
understood and will have to await further studies.
1:19:41
In the second-half of the second Millennium BCE, Marduk was often
1:19:46
invoked by rulers of the Qasite dynasty who had made Babylon
1:19:50
their capital. Summerfeld 1987 to 92165.
1:19:55
With the Elamite invasion of Babylonia, which ended the
1:19:58
Qasite dynasty, the divine statue of Marduk was abducted to
1:20:03
Elam, present day Iran, along with other Babylonian cultural
1:20:08
goods. It was not until Nebuchadnezzar,
1:20:11
the first of the second dynasty of Esin.
1:20:14
That Marduk's statue could be retrieved and returned to
1:20:17
Babylon in triumph. The Babylonian epic of creation
1:20:22
was probably either composed or at least popularized during this
1:20:26
period due to tensions between Assyria and Babylonia.
1:20:30
During the Neo Assyrian period, Marduk's cult and the city of
1:20:34
Babylon often became the focus of Assyrian kings, both in
1:20:39
positive and negative ways. It was not until the Neo
1:20:43
Babylonian period that Babylon and Marduk reached their apex.
1:20:47
Nebuchadnezzar, the second our 604-562-BCE, rebuilt the city of
1:20:54
Babylon along with its sacred district.
1:20:58
Most of the renowned architecture excavated in
1:21:00
Babylon, such as the famous Ishtar Gate with its glazed
1:21:05
brick reliefs depicting the symbol animals of Ishtar and
1:21:08
Marduk, dates to this period. The golden statue of Marduk,
1:21:13
housed in the inner sanctum of his temple, was considered a
1:21:17
vital aspect of the coronation of kings.
1:21:21
A new king needed to take the hands of Marduk to legitimize
1:21:26
his rule, a practice which seems to have been initiated during
1:21:30
the Qasite period, 1595 to 1155 BCE, when the Qasites made
1:21:38
Babylon their capital after driving out the Hittites.
1:21:42
Some scholars maintained that the new king had to take the
1:21:45
hands of the statue literally, and this seems to be
1:21:48
corroborated by ancient texts on the subject, while others claim
1:21:52
taking the hands of Marduk was a symbolic statement referring to
1:21:57
submitting to the guidance of the God.
1:22:00
It seems likely, however, based on the ancient written evidence,
1:22:03
that the statue needed to be present at the succession of a
1:22:06
new ruler and that the king was required to touch the statue's
1:22:10
hands. The importance of the statue is
1:22:14
attested by the ancient work known as the Akitu Chronicle,
1:22:18
which relates to a time of civil war in which the Akitu Festival
1:22:22
New Year's celebration could not be observed because the statue
1:22:26
of Marduk had left the city on New Year's Day.
1:22:31
It was customary for the people to carry the statue of Marduk
1:22:34
through the town and out to a little house beyond the walls
1:22:37
where he could relax and enjoy some different scenery.
1:22:41
During those times when hostile nations carried off the statue,
1:22:45
the Akitu Festival could not be observed because the patron God
1:22:49
of the city was not present. Furthermore, disaster was
1:22:54
thought to be imminent when the God was not in the town, as
1:22:57
there was no one to stand between the people and the
1:22:59
forces of chaos. This situation is depicted
1:23:03
clearly in the document known as the Marduk Prophecy circa
1:23:07
713-612 BCE, though the story is probably older, which relates to
1:23:14
Marduk's travels when his statue was stolen from the city.
1:23:17
During various eras, the absence of the patron deity from their
1:23:22
city caused significant disruption in the cult of that
1:23:26
deity and town in general. The absence of divinity was not
1:23:30
always metaphorical, but often the result of the theft of the
1:23:34
cult statue by raiding enemies. Divine statues were commonly
1:23:39
carried off in wars by the victors to weaken the power of
1:23:42
the defeated cities. The consequences were so dire
1:23:46
that the loss of the statue merited recording in the
1:23:50
historiographic texts. When Marduk's statue was not
1:23:54
present in Babylon, the New Year's festival, crucial to the
1:23:58
entire cultic year, could not be celebrated.
1:24:03
The Marduk prophecy relates how the Hittites, Assyrians, and
1:24:06
Elamites all captured Marduk's statue at one time or another,
1:24:10
and how it was finally returned to the city when King
1:24:14
Nebuchadnezzar the Fidsters 11/25 to 11/04 BCE, defeated the
1:24:21
Elamites. The document is written as
1:24:24
though Marduk himself chose to visit those foreign lands except
1:24:28
for Elam, and how it was prophesied that a great
1:24:32
Babylonian king would rise and bring the God back from the
1:24:36
Elamites. The Marduk prophecy was most
1:24:39
likely written as a propaganda piece during the reign of
1:24:42
Nebuchadnezzar the first, although the only extant copy is
1:24:45
a much later Assyrian copy. This work, as well as the Akitu
1:24:51
Chronicle and others, make clear how vital Marduk's presence in
1:24:54
the city was to the people. Without their divine protector,
1:24:59
the people felt helpless, knowing that they and their city
1:25:02
were left vulnerable to widespread and also personal
1:25:05
attacks. Coming from Assyria around 712
1:25:08
to 612 BCEA document called the Marduk Prophecy tells an in
1:25:14
depth story of this Babylonian God and how he travelled all
1:25:17
around the known world at the time to visit various groups of
1:25:21
people and rulers. The prophecy itself was
1:25:24
discovered in Asher in the House of the Exorcist near a central
1:25:29
temple. It was generally thought that
1:25:32
whoever wrote the story did so as a piece of propaganda to
1:25:36
support Nebuchadnezzar. At some point between 11:25 and
1:25:40
11:00 O 4 BCE, the king, who had just beaten the Elamites in
1:25:46
battle, undoubtedly ordered the story to be written for his
1:25:49
sake. The person who wrote this story
1:25:53
created the opportunity for prophecy by pushing the
1:25:56
narrative back through time. This would allow for the
1:25:59
currently ruling king to get a unique benefit from the tale
1:26:03
itself. The writer could therefore
1:26:06
pretend to foresee what would happen in the future, which was
1:26:09
happening in the present day. The events were related to the
1:26:13
statue of Marduk, which was used to inspire the populace to order
1:26:17
and peace. Nauru literature, which explores
1:26:21
the relationships between gods and humans, was one of the most
1:26:25
popular genres created during these ancient times.
1:26:29
Other examples include the Curse of Akkad, which tells the tale
1:26:34
of a king who defied a God and was severely punished as a
1:26:37
result. The Marduk prophecy is rife with
1:26:41
political comments cleverly combined with mythology and
1:26:44
legends. Obvious support for allies such
1:26:48
as the Assyrians and Hatti, and denunciation for enemies like
1:26:51
the Elam was directed directly from the statue of the God
1:26:56
rather than any human characters.
1:26:58
These pointed comments, presented in fictional form,
1:27:02
conveyed A distinct message to these groups of people.
1:27:06
However, the historical accuracy of moving the statue represented
1:27:09
what happened after it was conquered.
1:27:12
Marduk and Babylon were so intrinsically linked and held in
1:27:15
high regard that separating the two was considered quite a
1:27:19
drastic move. One of the high gods known as
1:27:22
either IA or Enki, sired Marduk with his consort goddess.
1:27:27
This God of wisdom had been placed in the highest position
1:27:30
of the pantheon after the creation of the universe by
1:27:33
Tiamat, the dragon goddess, and AB SU, the God who was her
1:27:38
spouse. This creation story was told in
1:27:42
the Enuma Elishe, and it described how a vast swirl of
1:27:46
water and chaos divided and finally transformed into the
1:27:50
earth, the heavens, and everything people came to know.
1:27:55
The other offspring of Tiamat and ABSU created and maintained
1:27:59
the world until they became too bothersome to their father, at
1:28:03
which time he decided to kill them all.
1:28:06
Luckily, Enki learned of this. He planned to make his father
1:28:11
fall asleep so he could not carry it out and ultimately
1:28:15
destroyed it. Tiamat retaliated and a fierce
1:28:19
battle began between her, her consort warrior Qinggu and Enki,
1:28:24
and the other young gods. The young ones were losing until
1:28:28
Marduk stepped forward and took control of the situation.
1:28:32
He would lead them to victory, he said, if they would celebrate
1:28:36
him as ruler over all the other gods.
1:28:39
Upon agreeing to this plan, he quickly put it into motion.
1:28:43
Qinggu was destroyed, Tiamat was killed, and Marduk used his new
1:28:48
found power and the deities corpses to create the world,
1:28:51
organize the heavens, and form people to serve the gods and
1:28:56
work alongside them. The goal was to end chaos and
1:29:00
establish a new existence of order and freedom.
1:29:04
The popularity of Marduk spread so much that the religious
1:29:07
expression in Babylon at that time almost became monotheistic.
1:29:12
It appears that through careful research, people began to view
1:29:15
the other gods as aspects of Marduk rather than as individual
1:29:20
entities. The association between Marduk
1:29:23
and Babylon is undeniable. He was, after all, called the
1:29:26
patron deity of the land. While King Hammurabi rolled in
1:29:30
the 1700s BCE, his prominence and popularity was so great that
1:29:36
the people who lived there maintained their honor of him,
1:29:39
even passed 500 BCE when Xerxes the Great brought Babylon to its
1:29:44
knees. Throughout all those years, the
1:29:47
Marduk statue was carried proudly through the streets
1:29:49
during the New Year's celebrations.
1:29:52
This statue symbolized the God precisely and had to be in place
1:29:56
in its temple or house before any festivities commenced.
1:30:01
The Marduk prophecy described in detail things that would happen
1:30:04
if the patron God of the city was removed for any reason.
1:30:08
These included a pile up of corpses around the city gates,
1:30:11
friends attacking each other with weapons, brothers consuming
1:30:15
each other, workers experiencing so much poverty they are begging
1:30:19
from the poor, usurpers attacking the region, dogs and
1:30:23
lions attacking, and many people dying.
1:30:27
Although some of these drastic things would not come to pass, a
1:30:31
city without its patron God or goddess would significantly
1:30:34
impact the politics and balance of power among Marduk cult
1:30:38
members and all other citizens who made the area their home.
1:30:43
The removal of such statues was one way that attackers could
1:30:46
psychologically destroy the power of the city they wanted to
1:30:49
conquer. Multiple instances of statue
1:30:52
removal or destruction were recorded in various documents
1:30:56
preserved in and around Babylon. Starting around seven O 5 BCE, a
1:31:02
king from Assyria named Senna Karib attacked and destroyed
1:31:06
much of Babylon. At first, he denied that Marduk
1:31:09
was the city's God. However, when he declared
1:31:13
himself king, he helped empower that decision by claiming that
1:31:16
the God supported it. His assassination by his sons
1:31:20
approximately 25 years later was some claimed payback by Marduk
1:31:25
directly. Sr.
1:31:27
Shaddon, who became king after the killing in 681 BCE,
1:31:32
immediately set about earning local favor by reinstating
1:31:35
Marduk in a stunning temple and doing everything in his power to
1:31:39
rebuild the city once more. This temple became a significant
1:31:44
focal point for worshipping the patron God.
1:31:47
It even houses beautiful and virginal women who were offered
1:31:50
up as consorts to Marduk himself.
1:31:53
In general, however, the temple provided the same services as
1:31:57
the old one did. Marduk lived there essentially,
1:32:01
and within the belief system of the people who worshipped him,
1:32:05
they believed that their God was also their neighbor.
1:32:09
They returned to the old ways of carrying his statue through the
1:32:13
New Year festivities and securing him in a small house
1:32:16
outside the city for fresh air and what amounted to a vacation.
1:32:21
Marduk's statues journeys. The in depth document historians
1:32:26
refer to as the Marduk prophecy does not include a specific
1:32:30
chronological list of everything that occurred in Babylon, nor is
1:32:34
it specifically related to the God's statue.
1:32:37
Other archaeological evidence did allow researchers to create
1:32:41
a timeline of invasions and kidnappings of the God himself.
1:32:46
It all started when the Hittites grabbed Marduk's statue until
1:32:49
the Persians destroyed their city.
1:32:52
It continued to travel from place to place from
1:32:54
approximately 1595 BCE to 485 BCE, when the invading persons
1:33:01
ultimately destroyed the statue. Just a few of the travels and
1:33:06
difficulties that the Babylonian patron God experienced included
1:33:11
the Hittites stole Marduk from Babylon in 1595 BCE.
1:33:17
The Hittite king possibly trades Marduk back to the Babylonians
1:33:21
around 1344 BCE. An Assyrian leader takes Marduk
1:33:27
to Asher city in 12/25 BCE. After attacking Babylon, the
1:33:33
Elam king reclaims Marduk when he destroys the city of Sipar in
1:33:38
1150 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar the Fine defeats
1:33:44
Elam and returns Marduk to Babylon around 11:25 BCE.
1:33:51
Another Assyrian king brings Marduk to Nineveh around 689
1:33:55
BCE. King Asarhadan stores Babylon to
1:33:59
its former glory, returns Marduk and builds him an incredible new
1:34:03
temple around 680 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar the Second widens
1:34:10
the streets and gates to facilitate more expensive
1:34:13
parades and festivals when Marduk is carried to the streets
1:34:16
between 6:30 and 560 BCE. Cyrus of Persia claims Babylon
1:34:24
but retains Marduk in his rightful place in 539 BCE.
1:34:31
Finally, during a revolt against the Persians, Marduk's statue is
1:34:34
destroyed utterly in 485 BCE. How accurate is this timetable?
1:34:42
A wide range of documents and historical records have been
1:34:45
compiled to create this comprehensive history of the
1:34:48
Marduk statue as it pertains to Babylon from its creation to the
1:34:53
time it was melted down and destroyed.
1:34:56
The Marduk prophecy itself is a work of fiction, but that does
1:35:00
not mean it fails to tell a lot of essential and accurate
1:35:04
information about historical goings on as it pertains to
1:35:07
Babylon and its patron God. Ultimately, the individuals who
1:35:13
wrote the history so long ago are not around to defend their
1:35:16
work. Some writers have been accused
1:35:19
of fabricating facts to suit their interests.
1:35:23
Two of them include Herodotus and Diodorus, who have both been
1:35:27
found to fabricate significant amounts of information regarding
1:35:30
first person accounts and world wonders such as the Hanging
1:35:34
Gardens of Babylon. As to be expected, these
1:35:38
individuals were strongly opposed to the Persians, so it
1:35:41
would make sense to write a story about how these enemies
1:35:44
destroyed their God in a cruel takeover of the city.
1:35:48
A story about this happening would elicit a strong reaction
1:35:51
from people who have experienced these horrible times themselves.
1:35:55
Inaccuracies and lack of reliability from the two primary
1:35:59
authors of the Marduk prophecy lead historians to wonder if
1:36:03
Marduk was melted down and destroyed by Xerxes.
1:36:07
No one has ever found evidence that the claim is not valid, and
1:36:12
it would make sense for a conquering ruler to kill the
1:36:15
people's reliance on their God. Additionally, subsequent
1:36:20
records, such as those from around 330 BCE, when Alexander
1:36:25
the Great conquered Persia, do not mention the Marduk statue at
1:36:29
all. Whatever its fate, it had surely
1:36:32
disappeared at that time and has never been heard of since.
1:36:37
The Marduk prophecy stands as a unique blend of historical
1:36:40
records and stylized accounts of the vital role a patron God
1:36:44
played in the city. Marduk existed as a genuine and
1:36:48
recognizable force and resident of Babylon that the people saw
1:36:52
as real and tangible. In some ways, unlike other gods
1:36:57
and goddesses who existed more as abstract concepts somewhere
1:37:00
in the heavens or the underworld, Marduk was right
1:37:03
there all the time. When various external attackers
1:37:07
and conquerors stole him, the people would undoubtedly feel a
1:37:10
profound sense of loss. Marduk the Protector Although
1:37:15
Marduk is referenced in several works throughout Mesopotamian
1:37:18
literature, 2 of them make it apparent how dangerous life was
1:37:23
for a person or city when one's God was absent.
1:37:27
The Ludlu Bell, Nemecchi, circa 1700 BCE and The Wrath of Era
1:37:33
circa 800 BCE address the individual's problems and a
1:37:38
city's suffering respectively, both making clear the necessity
1:37:42
of a protected deity. The Ludlu Bell Nimeki is a
1:37:46
treatise on suffering, on why a reasonable person should
1:37:49
seemingly be punished for no reason.
1:37:51
Framed as a long complaint by Tabu Utu Bell, an official of
1:37:56
the city of Nippur, another town in which Marduk was worshipped.
1:38:00
The speaker recounts how he has called out for help from his
1:38:03
goddess, but has not received a response from her.
1:38:07
Marduk from afar tries to send him help, but nothing can
1:38:11
alleviate the suffering. The speaker lists all the good
1:38:15
gifts Marduk tries to help him with, but none of them are
1:38:18
effective, and possibly this is because Marduk is not close at
1:38:22
hand. The Ludlow Bell Nemecchi has
1:38:26
often been compared to the biblical Book of Job in its
1:38:29
examination of the problem of suffering and the seeming
1:38:31
absence of 1's God. The work never explicitly claims
1:38:36
that Marduk has left the person, but certainly implies that
1:38:39
Marduk is far off and can only send what meager help is
1:38:44
available. The Wrath of Era is a distinctly
1:38:47
different work in which the War Guard Era, also known as Era or
1:38:52
Nergal, becomes bored and falls into a lethargy that he believes
1:38:56
can only be cured by attacking Babylon.
1:39:00
He is urged to abandon his plan by other gods, but ignores them.
1:39:06
He travels to Babylon, where he distracts Marduk by telling him
1:39:09
that his clothes have become shabby and he should attend to
1:39:12
his wardrobe. Marduk protests that he is too
1:39:15
busy, but Era assures him that all will be well and that he,
1:39:20
Era, will oversee the city. Once Marduk leaves to have a new
1:39:25
suit of clothes made, Era destroys the town, killing the
1:39:30
people indiscriminately until he is stopped by the other gods and
1:39:34
called to account. In some versions, he is stopped
1:39:37
by Marduk's return. The peace ends with praise for
1:39:41
Era, the God of War, who decided to spare a remnant of the city
1:39:46
so it could be repopulated. Marduk the protector was so
1:39:50
important to Babylon's sense of security and personal identity
1:39:54
that when the city revolted against Persian rule circa 485
1:39:58
BCE, the Persian king Xerxes had the statue destroyed during his
1:40:03
sack of the city. After Alexander the Great
1:40:06
defeated the Persians in 331 BCE, he made Babylon his
1:40:11
capital. He initiated efforts to restore
1:40:14
the city to its former glory, but died before this could be
1:40:17
accomplished. By the time the Parthians ruled
1:40:20
the region in 141 BCE, Babylon had become a deserted ruin and
1:40:27
Marduk had been forgotten. During the first Millennium BC,
1:40:32
the Babylonians worshipped a deity under the title Bell,
1:40:36
meaning Lord, who was a synchronization of Marduk,
1:40:39
Enlil, and the dying God Dumuzid.
1:40:43
Bell held all the cultic titles of Enlil, and his status in the
1:40:47
Babylonian religion was essentially the same.
1:40:51
Eventually, Bell came to be seen as the God of order and destiny.
1:40:57
The cult of Belle is a significant component of the
1:40:59
Jewish story of Belle and the Dragon, from the apocryphal
1:41:03
editions to the book of Daniel. In the account, the Babylonians
1:41:07
offer 12 bushels of fine flour, 20 sheep, and 50 gallons of wine
1:41:12
every day to an idol of Belle, and the food miraculously
1:41:17
disappears overnight. The Persian king Cyrus the Great
1:41:21
tells the Jewish wise man Daniel that the idol is alive because
1:41:24
it eats the food that is offered to it, but Daniel objects that
1:41:28
it is only clay on the inside and bronze on the outside and
1:41:33
has never tasted a thing. Daniel proves this by secretly
1:41:38
covering the floor of the temple with ash.
1:41:42
Daniel and Cyrus leave the temple, and when they return,
1:41:46
Daniel shows the king the human footprints that have been left
1:41:49
on the floor, proving that the 70 priests of Belle are indeed
1:41:53
eating the food. Belle is also mentioned in the
1:41:57
writings of several Greek historians.
1:42:00
Part 4. Nana and the Igigi.
1:42:05
Nana, the Igigi and the Afterlife Mysteries.
1:42:09
The Mesopotamian pantheon has given us many surprises, but one
1:42:12
such God in the pantheon is completely baffling.
1:42:16
The God of Wisdom and the moon, primarily known as Nana but also
1:42:20
referred to as Nanar, Nanasuan, Namrasid, and Inbu, is one of
1:42:24
the deities that appear in the earliest records of their
1:42:27
religion. He has a mention from around
1:42:30
3500 BCE when writing systems were first being developed.
1:42:36
The people who worshipped him primarily came from Ur, where he
1:42:40
was relatively quiet. Up through the 3rd Dynasty,
1:42:43
which spanned from 47 to 1750 BCE, the God Enzu was associated
1:42:50
with Nana as the Lord of Wisdom. Because he was one of the oldest
1:42:55
gods in the Mesopotamian religion, it makes sense that he
1:42:58
was considered the son of the high God and goddess Enlil and
1:43:03
Ninlil. He is usually recorded as the
1:43:06
first son that they had together.
1:43:08
Nana was married to Ningal, who was the goddess of fertility.
1:43:13
According to some of the tales, they had the sun God Utu Shamash
1:43:17
and the goddess of love and sexuality Inana or Ishtar
1:43:21
together. Among their children are the
1:43:24
queen of the dead, Ereshkigal, and the God of storms, Ishkour.
1:43:31
Although the family trees of gods and goddesses were somewhat
1:43:34
flexible in these early civilizations, this one depicts
1:43:38
the moon as giving birth to the sun.
1:43:42
Historians suggest that this would make sense in a relatively
1:43:45
nomadic, hunter gatherer society.
1:43:48
The sun only became much more critical once agriculture began
1:43:52
in earnest. As nomads, they could tell the
1:43:55
time of year more easily by the position of the moon, and may
1:44:00
have travelled by night more frequently while on the hunt.
1:44:03
In this way it is clear how the rise of religion followed the
1:44:07
rise of civilization, rather than the other way around.
1:44:12
In many artistic depictions, Nana is shown as the moon itself
1:44:16
lying down. Some of the images put him near
1:44:19
the early Mesopotamian lion, dragon and the mighty bull.
1:44:24
When he was depicted as a man, it was usually a pretty old one
1:44:28
with a long beard and the moon shining over his head.
1:44:32
Sometimes he would sit astride a bull with wings.
1:44:35
In early writings he was sometimes referred to with the
1:44:38
number 30, as that would be the number of days in a month as
1:44:42
understood by the people of that time.
1:44:45
In ER and the surrounding areas, Nana was worshipped quite
1:44:50
extensively. Not only was he one of the
1:44:53
oldest gods, but he was also incredibly popular.
1:44:57
Another temple was dedicated to him late in Haran.
1:45:01
This one gave equal attention to the God of light and fire, his
1:45:05
son Nusku. In many instances, the Father,
1:45:09
Mother, and Son were worshipped as a type of Trinity.
1:45:12
Although most attention was paid to the Father and Son in
1:45:15
general, as late as 556 BCE, when a ruler named Nabonidus
1:45:22
reigned, Nana was still worshipped quite extensively.
1:45:27
The mother of the king was a high priestess in Haran, while
1:45:30
his daughter was a high priestess in Ur.
1:45:34
This was not only a way to honor the God, but also to extend his
1:45:37
power throughout the civilization in a beneficial
1:45:40
manner. Earlier leaders such as Sargon
1:45:44
of Arkad, who ruled around 2300 BCE, did similar things with
1:45:50
their female family members. As mentioned above, the earliest
1:45:55
mentions of Nana using that name appeared around 3500 BCE.
1:46:01
Texts throughout the years called him the Illuminator, as
1:46:05
he was explicitly associated with the moon that would form
1:46:08
the only type of light at night time honored him and claimed his
1:46:12
name as part of their own. After all, if a king aligned
1:46:17
himself with the God of Wisdom, it would be much easier for him
1:46:21
to convince his people that he was a fair and just ruler.
1:46:26
This included Naram Sin, who ruled from approximately 2260 to
1:46:31
2224 BCE and is generally regarded as one of the most
1:46:36
powerful kings in the Acadian period of that first
1:46:39
civilization. During his time, Nana was given
1:46:42
multiple names, which meant everything from embellisher to
1:46:46
He who shines forth to the fruit.
1:46:50
In later years, when the Babylonians adopted him for
1:46:53
their purposes, he was considered.
1:46:55
A son of the. Great God Marduk rather than
1:46:58
enlil stories of Nana from long ago as the records.
1:47:04
Of Nana date back to very. Early in civilization, it makes
1:47:07
sense that he is associated with many well known stories.
1:47:11
The ultimate Mesopotamian tale, The Epic of Gilgamesh identifies
1:47:16
Nana and his parentage over Ishtar and Shamash.
1:47:21
Gilgamesh himself praises him in this work for inspiration and
1:47:24
changes that came to the hero. He is mentioned as the guardian
1:47:29
of the future and the keeper of time who can look either way
1:47:33
through time to see destiny and alter it.
1:47:37
Another great legend featuring Nana is called the Journey of
1:47:40
Nana to Nepur. This story has him load a boat
1:47:44
near his temple in Ur and travel to Nepur to give his father all
1:47:48
these great gifts. The ship is full of animals,
1:47:52
plants, and giant trees. During the journey up the river,
1:47:58
he pulls into port at 5 different cities to honor the
1:48:01
lesser gods that are patrons and protectors of those places.
1:48:05
Finally, he comes to Enlil's temple in Nippur.
1:48:09
They eat a great feast and Nana asks for a few favors.
1:48:13
These include a large quantity of Sweetwater in the river,
1:48:16
abundant crops for the people, plenty of honey and wine, and to
1:48:20
live a very long time so he can enjoy all of it.
1:48:24
Enlil fulfills his son's wishes and sends them back to Ur with
1:48:28
great appreciation. Although this can be simply a
1:48:31
story of the gods, it may also indicate the people's
1:48:35
understanding of how the moon was associated with abundance
1:48:38
and fertility. Because Enlil, the highest God,
1:48:42
was so generous with his gifts to Nana, it was clear that he
1:48:46
also found favor with the people who were able to take advantage
1:48:49
of all of these things. The Herds of Nana was another
1:48:54
poem in which he was given another moniker as the.
1:48:56
Leader of the land. And the creatures who live on
1:48:59
it. The people believed that human
1:49:02
beings came from Enki, but Nana sometimes shared some
1:49:05
responsibility for the beginnings of life as well.
1:49:09
Instead of directly creating creatures, he was more closely
1:49:12
associated with the gifts that allowed them and the people to
1:49:16
thrive and survive. This poem starts with a general
1:49:21
description of Nana's primary job, sailing his Crescent shaped
1:49:25
boat across the night sky to illuminate everything.
1:49:29
He spends some time afterwards talking to Enlil, counting his
1:49:33
herds and writing down their numbers by the goddess of
1:49:36
writing, Nisaba. The poem goes on to praise Nana
1:49:41
for his generous gifts of healthy herds of.
1:49:43
Animals and. Agricultural abundance.
1:49:46
This is focused explicitly on alcoholic drinks.
1:49:49
The Mesopotamians of the time associated the goddess Nan Kasi
1:49:53
specifically with beer, but this poem also assigns Nana to this
1:49:57
role. The Descent of Inana's story
1:50:01
also mentions Nana. When Inana has.
1:50:04
Trouble coming back from her underworld journey, they ask
1:50:08
Nana, among others to help. Another mention of this popular
1:50:12
God was in the Curse of Agade. In this instance, Nana acted as
1:50:18
an appeaser or mediator to try to.
1:50:20
Soften his father's anger. Towards others.
1:50:23
Nana and Ningal together early in Mesopotamian theology.
1:50:29
Inana's eldest sister. Ereshkigal became the.
1:50:32
Ruler of the underworld. This was not a judge mental
1:50:36
role. Instead, she kept all the dead
1:50:39
souls down there where they could not cause any trouble.
1:50:43
The people's religious beliefs did not encompass any concept of
1:50:47
afterlife rewards or punishments.
1:50:50
They just descended to the underworld where everything was
1:50:53
generally miserable. A surprising turn occurred in
1:50:57
the Third Dynasty of Ur when Nana.
1:51:00
Transcended his role. As the God of the moon and
1:51:02
wisdom, and also became the God of judgement in the afterlife,
1:51:07
people no longer went to a dusty realm of discomfort and darkness
1:51:11
automatically. When they died.
1:51:13
Now their friends and family members could appeal to Nana to
1:51:18
get them a better position after they passed on.
1:51:21
They also worshipped their home city's patron God or goddess, as
1:51:25
well as the one worshipped explicitly by the individual.
1:51:29
If they were successful, the deceased could enjoy drinking
1:51:32
beer, eating bread, and generally feeling much more
1:51:35
comfortable in the underworld. Nana took on the role of a type
1:51:39
of bridge between the living and the dead.
1:51:42
He handled both with wisdom and fairness, meted out judgement
1:51:47
and even intervened on behalf of both the deceased and the
1:51:51
living. In many cases, this was not
1:51:53
widely accepted as a general belief at that time.
1:51:57
For example, people in summer adhered to the idea of a dull
1:52:00
and dreary afterlife. Regardless of the evidence, some
1:52:05
of the responsibility for the judgement of the deceased also
1:52:08
fell to Ningal. Artwork created around those
1:52:12
times would sometimes depict the semi precious stone eyes of
1:52:16
Ningal. These were the types of warnings
1:52:20
or promises that this God used to judge people's activities and
1:52:24
decide what kind of afterlife they would have.
1:52:28
One of the most unique and special pairs of eyes was
1:52:31
presented to the ruler named Nabonidus.
1:52:34
It was not unusual for the Mesopotamian people to carve
1:52:37
eyes in stone, but these were specifically dedicated to ningal
1:52:42
and associated with the afterlife.
1:52:45
Others were used as amulets or talismans intended to protect
1:52:49
the wearer or. Carrier from.
1:52:50
Bad luck and judgement. Way back at the beginning of
1:52:54
Mesopotamian civilization, the people worshipped 7 primary gods
1:52:59
and goddesses as part of their pantheon.
1:53:02
This included Anu Enki and Enlil Ninhersag, Nana, Shamash and
1:53:08
Inana. Each had their particular role,
1:53:12
interacted with people in different ways, and was
1:53:15
responsible for various aspects of everyday life, the afterlife
1:53:19
and godly duties not specifically crucial in the
1:53:22
physical world. Throughout the centuries, many
1:53:26
of them change their identity or purpose.
1:53:29
However, Nana stayed the same as the God of the moon and wisdom.
1:53:35
Perhaps because of this extraordinary staying power.
1:53:38
He was also readily adopted by the Assyrians when they came to
1:53:42
power in the area around 600 BCE.
1:53:46
Evidence of his worship and belief spanned a remarkably long
1:53:50
period, from approximately 3500 BCE to around 300 BCE, which is
1:53:57
an exceptionally long time for any diverse group of people to
1:54:00
share the same belief in the same God.
1:54:03
The afterlife According to Mesopotamia's Ancient people.
1:54:07
Ancient texts about death and the afterlife have provided
1:54:11
historians with a wealth of information about civilizations
1:54:15
such as early Egypt and their perspectives on these topics and
1:54:19
life in general. Unfortunately, the Mesopotamian
1:54:23
people did not write extensive texts about their beliefs.
1:54:27
There is no one source for what historians have discovered about
1:54:30
how these ancient people thought about the concept of a soul or
1:54:34
what happened to it after their bodies died.
1:54:37
Instead, researchers have had to piece together the truth about
1:54:41
Mesopotamian afterlife beliefs from fragments of other
1:54:44
documents and stories that span the entire history of
1:54:48
civilization. It all began with the Epic of
1:54:53
Gilgamesh. In this well known story, the
1:54:56
title character and others he meets along the way think about
1:54:59
what death means. Wonder what happens to those who
1:55:02
die after they descend to the netherworld and even take part
1:55:06
in certain funeral rites. It becomes evident that the
1:55:10
people who lived during those formative years of civilization
1:55:13
on Earth had strong beliefs about what happened to people
1:55:17
after they passed away. Other texts that support the
1:55:21
current understanding of these ideas include Gilgamesh and Kedu
1:55:25
and the Netherworld, Ishtar's Descent to the Netherworld, and
1:55:29
Nergal and Ereshkigal. These three stories or documents
1:55:35
mimicked some of the same ideas seen in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
1:55:39
Also, they were supported by archaeological finds of graves,
1:55:43
burial tools and artifacts, royal records that spoke of
1:55:47
death and successions, private letters between educated people,
1:55:52
documents that describe death cults, financial statements
1:55:56
outlining funeral costs and disbursements, and a variety of
1:56:00
other texts and snippets about everything from opinion pieces
1:56:03
to medical directions to recorded prophecies and omens.
1:56:09
With such a diverse range of documentation, historians have
1:56:13
been. Able to piece together.
1:56:14
A relatively complete picture of the average Mesopotamian's
1:56:18
belief in the afterlife. However, it is essential to note
1:56:23
that all of these pieces of information came from a variety
1:56:27
of cultures within the ancient world and a considerable range
1:56:30
of time. For example, one story may
1:56:34
originate from Babylon, while the next comes from summer.
1:56:39
While much evidence suggests cultural sharing, it is
1:56:42
reasonable to assume that thoughts of the dead and the
1:56:44
netherworld evolved over time and across different groups.
1:56:48
Additionally, the perspectives of poor people and those of the
1:56:52
wealthy differ. What did the Mesopotamian people
1:56:56
believe about the afterlife? One of the most widely held
1:57:00
beliefs among people in this part of the ancient world was
1:57:03
the existence of a netherworld and a heaven.
1:57:07
These two places existed as opposites of each other.
1:57:10
Heaven was up, light and good, and usually where the gods and
1:57:15
goddesses existed. The netherworld was down, dark,
1:57:19
and existed as a shadow realm of the real world.
1:57:23
Although some stories described it as far removed from the
1:57:26
everyday life of ordinary people, others positioned the
1:57:30
netherworld directly beneath their feet.
1:57:34
As with most depictions of a dark afterlife, the
1:57:36
Mesopotamian. Netherworld sounded like.
1:57:39
Quite a dismal place to be. It was described as a place from
1:57:43
which no one ever returned a house.
1:57:46
That people could. Enter, but never leave again.
1:57:50
The door to the netherworld had a stout bolt that no one could
1:57:54
unlock. Still, the beliefs revealed by
1:57:58
further exploration of legends and other documents did not
1:58:02
indicate that the netherworld was a particular place of
1:58:05
torment or horror, as modern day attitudes toward hell often
1:58:09
suggest. Instead, it was a vaguely
1:58:12
unpleasant place where the spirits of dead people could no
1:58:15
longer enjoy any of the pleasant things they could while they
1:58:18
were alive. Other stories paint a different
1:58:21
picture, the ones associated with particular gods or
1:58:25
goddesses. Visiting the netherworld
1:58:27
sometimes showed the spirits and deities having fun and feasting
1:58:31
together. One such text from ancient
1:58:35
summer called The Death of Urnama.
1:58:37
Tells the tale of a. Grand party and a lavish feast
1:58:41
that takes place when the titular character dies and
1:58:44
ascends into the netherworld. The concept of rising from the
1:58:49
dead or being reborn had no basis in human beliefs.
1:58:53
However, deities were able to go to the netherworld and then come
1:58:57
out again without too much trouble.
1:58:59
For example, the sun God Shamash swept through the darkness every
1:59:04
night. Ishtar likewise visited the dull
1:59:07
world underneath the ground and returned once again.
1:59:12
Researchers saw indications of this belief in Sumerian graves.
1:59:17
There may have been a correlation between using
1:59:19
Ishtar's symbols on graves and the concept that the deceased
1:59:23
would not have a bad time in the netherworld.
1:59:26
What was the Mesopotamian netherworld like for the spirits
1:59:29
who dwelled there? The story of the descent of
1:59:33
Ishtar to the underworld, taken from the Acadian.
1:59:36
Historical. Tradition describes the
1:59:38
netherworld in quite vivid detail.
1:59:41
Of course, it was in conjunction with the goddess's journey, so
1:59:46
historians surmise it may not have been the exact belief of
1:59:49
everyday people. Still, since a goddess did not
1:59:53
write it, it offers an intriguing glimpse into the
1:59:57
idealization of a spirit's existence after the human body
2:00:01
has perished. Parallels between the Sumerian
2:00:04
concept of the netherworld and the ancient Egyptian necropolis
2:00:09
were considerable in the story mentioned above.
2:00:13
The characters describe a massive city that exists beneath
2:00:16
the Earth's surface. Around it lay 7 massive walls,
2:00:21
each with a large guarded gate. The story follows Ishtar as she
2:00:27
journeys into the City of the Dead through these gates.
2:00:31
It reveals how she was stripped of her earthly garments and
2:00:35
accessories at various stages as she went through the gates,
2:00:39
ending up entirely disrobed in the center of the city.
2:00:44
This story's description of the seven gates influenced the
2:00:46
funeral rites of the elite classes, which typically lasted
2:00:50
7 days. The specific rituals and
2:00:53
circumstances that occurred over the seven days have been
2:00:56
documented. No indication of stripping the
2:00:59
body in a ceremonial matter took place.
2:01:01
A variety of names referred to all of the spirits who lived in
2:01:05
the Netherworld City in summer. That word was Ganza, which was a
2:01:11
term also used for the netherworld itself and the main
2:01:14
gate leading into it. In Acadia, the spirits were
2:01:18
called Aralu. No etymological meaning or
2:01:23
source has been discovered for these words.
2:01:26
Besides the human spirits that lived underground, an entire
2:01:30
hierarchy of gods and goddesses also existed down there.
2:01:34
The earliest known records of a supreme ruler listed a goddess
2:01:38
named Ereshchigal. Her name means Mistress of the
2:01:42
Great Earth. As time marched on history, the
2:01:46
Queen disappeared and was followed up.
2:01:49
By a God named. Nergal.
2:01:51
His name means Chief of the Great City, although all
2:01:56
documentation does not support the idea there is an Akkadian.
2:02:00
Tale that places. This God King and Goddess Queen
2:02:03
in the netherworld together as spouses.
2:02:06
Although these and other lesser gods oversee most issues
2:02:10
surrounding the spirits of the dead and the governance of the
2:02:12
netherworld, Were the spirits punished in any way for how they
2:02:16
lived their life? The concept of afterlife
2:02:20
punishment was not a prominent aspect of Mesopotamian beliefs.
2:02:26
The netherworld, as mentioned above, is not synonymous with
2:02:29
hell. It was not a place of torment,
2:02:32
punishment, or banishment. It was just where the souls of
2:02:36
people who had passed away went to be after they left their
2:02:39
physical bodies. Although it was the opposite of
2:02:42
heaven, it had nothing to do with our modern concepts of that
2:02:47
spiritual locale. The spirits of good people who
2:02:51
died did not ascend to heaven either.
2:02:54
Everyone went to the Netherworld and lived together, much as they
2:02:59
seem to do on Earth. How did these ancient people
2:03:03
view the afterlife process? While it is evident.
2:03:08
That ancient Babylonians and Sumerians had limited medical
2:03:11
knowledge. They recognized that death came
2:03:13
to a person when they no longer had blood or breath.
2:03:17
The understanding of this truth undoubtedly came from simple
2:03:20
witnessing of either violent death in battle or ordinary
2:03:24
deaths from disease or old age. The divine explanation for these
2:03:29
descriptions of death makes more sense as you understand their
2:03:33
beliefs about where life came from to begin with.
2:03:37
Before humans existed, the gods and goddesses decided they
2:03:40
needed helpers to take care of the heavy work down on earth.
2:03:44
So they decided to kill Weilu, a God who had been causing some
2:03:49
trouble with his rebellious ways.
2:03:52
The other deities took clay from the ground and mixed it with Way
2:03:56
Elu's blood. Shaped the.
2:03:57
Humans and set them loose in the world.
2:04:01
Even though people had received a God's blood, there was nothing
2:04:05
particularly holy or divine about them other than a belief
2:04:09
in a spirit at all. Their life and death were viewed
2:04:12
very similarly to any other animal.
2:04:15
Enki planned that people would eventually die from the moment
2:04:18
he created them. It was their destiny or their
2:04:22
fate. This concept was demonstrated in
2:04:26
the Epic of Gilgamesh when he. Attempted to discover how.
2:04:29
He could become immortal like the gods.
2:04:33
He quickly learned that this was impossible, and if you wanted to
2:04:36
live on after his death, he would have to do something
2:04:40
particularly memorable that future generations would
2:04:43
remember him for. After physical death, people's
2:04:47
bodies returned to the clay from which they were formed, just as
2:04:50
the modern funeral phrase Dust to Dust describes.
2:04:55
Various texts indicated that people viewed the bodies as
2:04:58
nothing more than empty shells that would return to the earth
2:05:02
while the spirit went on to the netherworld.
2:05:06
What is their concept of a spirit or soul?
2:05:09
Like many ancient peoples, they held the belief that a spirit
2:05:13
retained all or most of the characteristics of the person
2:05:17
when they were alive. 2 Terms used to describe the spirit
2:05:21
include Atemu from the Acadian and Gideon from the Sumerian.
2:05:26
Comparisons between this spirit and the divine blood of we will
2:05:30
indicate that the soul carries some wisdom bestowed upon people
2:05:34
by the gods. This impression of how the body
2:05:37
and spirit function has been passed down through history and
2:05:41
is still believed to this day. The soul is part of the divine,
2:05:47
and the body is nothing but an organic.
2:05:48
Container for it. Instead of separate things,
2:05:51
however, the Mesopotamians believe that the ghost and the
2:05:55
shell were intrinsically linked. The spirit is not a formless,
2:06:00
shapeless energy field or anything that people think about
2:06:03
ghosts now. Instead, it has most of the
2:06:08
characteristics of the actual human.
2:06:11
Historians have found records suggesting that the spirit is
2:06:14
asleep in the grave after death, but still feels thirst and
2:06:19
hunger just as the body did. This belief implies that the
2:06:23
body becomes the spirit rather than both existing
2:06:26
simultaneously. This transformation and journey
2:06:30
to the netherworld required certain funeral rites and
2:06:33
rituals to operate smoothly. The ghost traveled past demons,
2:06:38
across the river, through the seven gates as mentioned above,
2:06:42
and met with the Anunnaki for analysis and placement in the
2:06:45
City of the Dead. Again, this judgement had
2:06:49
nothing to do with good or bad, but merely.
2:06:52
Fit the Spirit. Into an appropriate placement in
2:06:55
the Netherworld's hierarchy. Besides the ghost, like Atemu,
2:07:00
the people also believed in a Zakiq, which appeared to be a
2:07:04
more ethereal part of a person that could leave the body during
2:07:08
dreams and at the time of death. After a person died, their
2:07:13
living friends and family members would perform rites.
2:07:16
And rituals make. Offerings and do other things to
2:07:19
keep the spirit happy, and in the netherworld where it
2:07:22
belonged, food and drinks were quite popular offerings as
2:07:25
people believed the spirit still needed to eat.
2:07:28
Those who had no family members or other people to perform rites
2:07:32
and make offerings would turn into demons who cause suffering
2:07:35
back on Earth. What role does the Agigi play in
2:07:39
all of this? Discussions concerning ancient
2:07:42
astronauts and various ancient deities and spirits have made
2:07:45
several groups famous. For instance, they often discuss
2:07:49
the Nephilim and Anunnaki in their discussions.
2:07:52
Although the Igigi are not frequently mentioned, they
2:07:54
continue to play an intriguing role in Sumerian and ancient
2:07:58
Babylonian mythology and folklore.
2:08:01
Although they were gods, the Igigi lacked Enlil and Enki's
2:08:04
strength. According to ancient lore, they
2:08:08
were a group of lesser gods who pretended to be humans before
2:08:12
humans even existed. These servant gods are most
2:08:16
frequently mentioned about the Anunnaki although.
2:08:19
They are a. Subset of the other deities.
2:08:22
Some people think they belong to the same group.
2:08:25
The epic flood myth of Atrahasis provides evidence of this
2:08:29
division. The Agigi was initially created
2:08:32
by the original High Gods to supervise.
2:08:35
All earthly work. According to this story, the
2:08:39
Anunnaki were forced to create humans in response to the
2:08:41
Agigi's rebellion. The apparent division of labour
2:08:45
refutes the claim that the two groups are interchangeable.
2:08:49
The higher up gods wanted the Igigi to dig a canal, which led
2:08:52
to their rebellion. They protested outside the home
2:08:56
of the High God and Lille and set fire to their tools because
2:09:00
they did not want to engage in this physically demanding work.
2:09:04
It's possible that the incident was among the first labour
2:09:07
disputes ever documented. The pantheon of Mesopotamia.
2:09:12
The faith of these ancient people featured a wide variety
2:09:15
of gods and goddesses, as well as other divine beings who
2:09:19
either interacted with humans or remained aloof.
2:09:23
In contrast to the majority of modern religions.
2:09:26
Enlil and Enki were the names of the top gods.
2:09:30
Anu, the Mesopotamian counterpart of Zeus or the
2:09:34
Father God, was the father of these half brothers.
2:09:38
A son was born to Anu Earth Mother Kai and Sky Mother Antu.
2:09:44
Enki ruled the world in the waters, while Enlil ruled the
2:09:47
earth in the air. The two gods were more
2:09:51
significant than their sister Nin Coursag, who ruled the
2:09:55
mountain. The idea that the gods created
2:09:58
and maintained the world was one of the most widely held beliefs
2:10:02
at the time. They therefore needed someone to
2:10:05
take care of everything on Earth for them so that they could
2:10:09
unwind as if they were in heaven.
2:10:12
Making the Egigi was the first step.
2:10:15
When that failed, they turned to creating humans.
2:10:20
The human origin, clay and the blood of a God were used to
2:10:24
create the first humans. Even though they had some divine
2:10:27
traits, their actions angered the gods, except for one man
2:10:32
named Atrahasis or Utna Pishtim. Their actions led to a massive
2:10:36
flood that destroyed all life on Earth.
2:10:40
This tale was later renamed the Story of Noah and the Ark.
2:10:44
In the judeo-christian tradition, the Agigi were who?
2:10:49
Did they have any particular identities?
2:10:51
That were transmitted. Through the ages, apart from
2:10:54
being the first servants of the Anunnaki and the disobedient
2:10:58
lesser gods that caused the creation of humanity, according
2:11:02
to some historians, Marduk, who was long regarded as the patron
2:11:06
deity of Babylon, was an Igigi. His story describes his quick
2:11:11
ascent to prominence among the gods as the son of the high God
2:11:15
Enki. At the top of the Anunnaki
2:11:18
charts were the Dragons Tiamat and Apsu.
2:11:22
They began to quarrel. Other gods were slain, monsters
2:11:26
were let loose, and someone had to save the day.
2:11:29
As was often the case with gods and goddesses, it turned out to
2:11:33
be Marduk and Lille himself gave him great status and authority
2:11:38
in return for settling the dispute.
2:11:41
Tiamat and the God whose blood would eventually give rise to
2:11:44
humanity were both killed by Marduk.
2:11:48
Marduk killed this God and then seized the Tablet of Destinies.
2:11:54
There has been some debate among historians regarding Marduk's
2:11:57
historical identity. He fits in with the well known
2:12:01
ancient astronaut theory because he might have been one of the
2:12:04
Igigi. Was he an extraterrestrial or a
2:12:07
God? Marduk was originally an Igigi
2:12:11
according to the widely studied code of Hammurabi, but the
2:12:14
Anunnaki elevated his status. There is still some
2:12:18
misunderstanding regarding the meaning and identity of Marduk.
2:12:21
Because we now know that Anunnaki and Agigi are not
2:12:26
interchangeable, it's possible that the lesser gods were a
2:12:30
subset of the entire God group. It would make sense that the
2:12:33
Agigi were merely A subgroup or community within that race of
2:12:37
beings. If you believe that the Anunnaki
2:12:38
were reptilian aliens. Marduk can therefore be both
2:12:43
Igigi and Anunnaki. It would be equivalent to
2:12:46
referring to someone as both a servant and a human.
2:12:50
Overall, there is little information about the Igigi and
2:12:54
historical records and documents.
2:12:57
This suggests that following their rebellion or time of
2:12:59
servitude on Earth, they were kept very apart from humanity.
2:13:04
After all, the Anunnaki were often mentioned in the writings
2:13:08
of those ancient civilizations. Did the Agigi stop existing,
2:13:13
migrate to Nibiru from Earth, or remain in their divine place in
2:13:17
the heavens and stop interacting when the servant cast was
2:13:22
eliminated for the sake of humanity?
2:13:25
They might. Have also been invited.
2:13:26
Back into the Anunnaki community as a whole.
2:13:31
Part 5 Nergal versus Nenurta. Mesopotamian Gods Nergal versus
2:13:39
Nunurta The Mesopotamian civilization thrived for over
2:13:44
3000 years under a variety of leaders and in various forms.
2:13:48
It started around 4000 BCE and lasted until the Roman Empire
2:13:53
began to spread its influence throughout the known world.
2:13:57
It is widely regarded as one of the first organized
2:14:00
civilizations on Earth. For the diverse people of
2:14:04
Mesopotamia, religion had a profound impact on nearly every
2:14:08
aspect of their lives. Everyday activities, politics,
2:14:12
and the economy were all impacted throughout the ages.
2:14:16
Mesopotamian religion was highly flexible and pantheistic in
2:14:20
nature. The gods and goddesses were
2:14:23
viewed in various ways, and numerous myths and legends
2:14:26
offered conflicting perspectives on the same individual.
2:14:29
Simultaneously, most of them resembled humans in their
2:14:33
conception. They were gendered, married and
2:14:37
had children in the typical biological manner.
2:14:40
They also had many flaws and were very much like people in
2:14:44
terms of their emotions, thoughts and reactions.
2:14:49
Additionally, they were said to have very human like needs, such
2:14:54
as those for food, water, shelter and companionship.
2:14:58
The immortality and something known as Malamu, a kind of holy.
2:15:02
Aura or. Glamour that was both mystical
2:15:05
and occasionally terrifying were the traits that set the gods and
2:15:09
goddesses apart from humans. Temples also contained Malamu,
2:15:15
but if any of the gods travelled to the underworld, Malamu
2:15:19
vanished. Mesopotamian gods, of course,
2:15:23
were linked to particular natural powers.
2:15:25
Or forces that were. At the time, incomprehensible to
2:15:29
humans. In addition to activities such
2:15:32
as writing and farming, these included the sun, stars, moon,
2:15:36
wind, water, weather, and animals, both real and
2:15:39
imaginary. Despite sharing many
2:15:42
characteristics with humans, Mesopotamian gods were perceived
2:15:46
as remote and unattainable. The gods that people worshipped
2:15:50
had no personal connection to them.
2:15:53
Instead, their primary purpose was to be worshipped and offered
2:15:57
as sacrifices. Their primary function was to
2:16:00
make sure that the gods and goddesses continued to be happy
2:16:04
with the people below and did not inflict terrible harm on
2:16:08
them. While some gods were amiable,
2:16:11
others had very erratic tempers. Some were even notorious for
2:16:15
making poor choices that led to numerous life challenges.
2:16:19
The majority of people believed that the gods LED leisurely
2:16:22
lives, even though they were in harmony with necessities.
2:16:27
Indeed, according to the myth of human creation, the earliest
2:16:30
gods demanded that humans perform their laborers for them
2:16:33
on earth. Thus, with wholesome food and
2:16:36
comfort, the gods could rest, sleep, and have fun.
2:16:40
They frequently reacted negatively when people did not
2:16:43
worship them and make sufficient offerings.
2:16:46
Perhaps because they were so spoiled, they would then become
2:16:50
irate and bring about illnesses, natural disasters, and other
2:16:54
misfortunes. Early cuneiform writing often
2:16:58
described the actions of the gods and goddesses and their
2:17:01
connections to specific city temples.
2:17:04
In Mesopotamia, the idea of a patron deity was widely
2:17:08
embraced. For instance, Anne and the
2:17:11
goddess Inanna were the most revered deities in Uruk.
2:17:16
They worshipped Enlil, the high God of the earth in Nippur, and
2:17:21
Enki, the God in charge of the subterranean freshwater at
2:17:25
Eridu. Various cities adopted a variety
2:17:28
of gods to improve their political status.
2:17:31
Your city would be regarded as highly significant if the higher
2:17:34
God blessed it. Babylon serves as an
2:17:38
illustration of this. It was not very important around
2:17:41
3000 BCE, but gained prominence as other lands were conquered
2:17:46
and the balance of power shifted.
2:17:49
The Babylonian culture gained popularity in the third
2:17:52
Millennium BCE. As various.
2:17:54
Lands were conquered and rulerships changed around 3600.
2:17:59
Distinct gods and goddesses were mentioned at the time in various
2:18:02
Sumerian documents and legends. Naturally, many of those gods
2:18:07
were either displaced or absorbed into the gods of the
2:18:10
new people when Sumerian power was overthrown by Babylonian
2:18:14
power. Consequently, Enki changed into
2:18:18
Aya and An became Anu. At that time, Utu was known as
2:18:22
Shamash and Inanna was known as Ishtar.
2:18:26
Because no God matched their traits, the Babylonians adopted
2:18:30
specific deities such as Enlil, but Marduk took his place as the
2:18:35
world's and the universe's supreme leader.
2:18:38
However, the choice of which gods and goddesses are
2:18:42
worshipped belongs to the Conqueror, along with the loot.
2:18:47
In addition to the numerous beautiful temples and places of
2:18:50
worship that were already present, the cities expanded to
2:18:54
include what archaeologists refer to as cultic centers.
2:18:59
Gods and goddesses were typically worshipped by priests
2:19:02
rather than at home. On the other hand, people could
2:19:06
more easily access personal gods.
2:19:09
Such an act would be comparable to asking a St. to intercede
2:19:13
with a God or. Goddess in some ways.
2:19:16
Additionally, Mesopotamians believed in other supernatural
2:19:19
beings, both good and bad. Demons were present, and they
2:19:24
would carry out the wishes of the gods and goddesses because
2:19:27
it was the only way to kill them.
2:19:29
Other gods and goddesses killed some demons who were originally
2:19:33
deities. They could harm someone's
2:19:35
dreams, cause illnesses, punish them, or even kill them.
2:19:41
In ancient artwork, many figures were depicted as a mix of animal
2:19:45
and human characteristics. It was also thought that some of
2:19:50
them were the ghosts of deceased people.
2:19:53
Although they were mainly under the control of the gods, the
2:19:56
people believed that they could be protected from demons if they
2:20:00
so desired. People could try to obtain this
2:20:03
protection by making offerings or performing rituals.
2:20:07
Throughout Mesopotamian history, gods and goddesses were
2:20:11
portrayed in a strikingly uniform manner, in addition to
2:20:15
being directly depicted in sculptures and paintings.
2:20:19
Various deities. Were also symbolically
2:20:21
represented in early literature and artwork.
2:20:25
Except for being bigger and usually sporting horned crowns,
2:20:29
the majority resembled humans in appearance.
2:20:32
Naturally, the finest materials such as gold, lapis lazuli, and
2:20:36
other valuables were used by the artists who produced these
2:20:40
statues or other representations.
2:20:43
When depicted solely through their symbols, gods and
2:20:47
goddesses could represent a specific written symbol or the
2:20:50
actual entity they were associated with.
2:20:54
For instance, Asher was compared to a dagger and Lil to a net,
2:20:58
nabu to a cuneiform wedge, and Marduk to a spade.
2:21:03
Within the Mesopotamian pantheon, their symbols were
2:21:06
associated with their power and authority.
2:21:09
The Ninurta stories as early as 2000 BCE often depicted the
2:21:14
ancient Sumerian and Akkadian gods associated with the South
2:21:18
wind hunting and war. Among the particular deities
2:21:23
worshipped in the Larak and Gersu communities of Sumer was
2:21:26
Nenurta, who was closely related to Nimrod from the Christian
2:21:30
Bible, Ningersu, and Pabilsag. Before the entire group of early
2:21:35
civilizations became increasingly involved in war and
2:21:38
conflict, this hero God was initially an expert in
2:21:41
agriculture. Nenurta was more closely linked
2:21:44
to conflict, as Mesopotamia sought to enlarge its territory
2:21:47
by force and conquest. Nenorta's ancestry was dubious,
2:21:52
much like that of many other Sumerian gods.
2:21:56
He was once regarded as the son of Nilil and Enlil, the high God
2:22:00
and goddess. He is listed under Enlil and
2:22:04
Ninhersag in other texts. Depending on which text you
2:22:07
looked at. There was also disagreement over
2:22:10
which goddess he married. He was typically wed to the
2:22:14
goddess Gula, who was connected to Ninurta, is depicted as a
2:22:20
powerful man wielding a bow and arrow and his named Mace
2:22:23
Shahrour, who was rumored to possess the ability to speak and
2:22:27
think critically. The artist also occasionally
2:22:30
gave him wings that were spread wide.
2:22:33
Some gave him a horse that looked like a lion with a tail
2:22:36
like a scorpion. Of course, the more militant
2:22:40
facets of his image are not included in the artistic
2:22:43
representations of his association with agriculture.
2:22:46
Although he was regarded as great, he had very human flaws.
2:22:51
The gods and goddesses of the ancient civilizations were
2:22:54
incorporated into the new ones over time as a deity still
2:22:59
associated with protection and military power, Ninurta was
2:23:02
adopted by the Assyrians and Neo Assyrians circa 885 BCE.
2:23:09
He was added to their pantheon as the son of a well known deity
2:23:13
named Asur. In Kalhu, one of the major
2:23:17
cities of the time, a giant ziggurat was constructed.
2:23:21
It's interesting to note that the new God Ninurta seems to
2:23:25
have been worshipped on par with the higher God Asur.
2:23:29
Together with the winged disc connected to the most potent
2:23:33
deities, they were artistically depicted.
2:23:37
The history and significance of Ninurta As previously stated,
2:23:42
Ninurta was initially envisioned in Summer as one of the sons of
2:23:46
the Pantheon's highest deity when his mother was a goat,
2:23:50
according to Divergent Story, using his previous name of
2:23:54
Ningirsu as the center of his worship, a.
2:23:57
Leader by the name of. Gudea of Lagash selected Ninurta
2:24:02
around 2100 BCE. He also gave this God the name
2:24:07
of his successor. This leader was responsible for
2:24:10
constructing a massive temple in his honor and inscribing the
2:24:14
narrative of the related dream on terracotta cylinders that
2:24:18
would later be known as the Gudea cylinders.
2:24:22
These are still the longest writings from ancient summer
2:24:25
that have survived to this day. This early incarnation of
2:24:30
Ninurta is identified as a God of.
2:24:33
War in the later. Epic of Anzu from Babylon, which
2:24:36
dates to approximately 2000 BCE. This final form had not yet been
2:24:42
applied to his name. That wouldn't happen fully for
2:24:46
another thousand years or so. Some Sumerians continue to use
2:24:50
the older name, but starting in the second Millennium BCE,
2:24:55
Ninurta was the name used throughout Mesopotamia in the
2:24:59
spiritual beliefs of these ancient people.
2:25:02
He was often associated with both military protection and
2:25:05
agriculture. Ninurta was frequently revered
2:25:09
for his contributions to the comparatively advanced farming
2:25:12
technology that the Sumerians had comprehended and employed
2:25:15
due to his agricultural upbringing.
2:25:19
Many of these focused on efficient irrigation methods,
2:25:22
including those with built in reservoirs, dams, canals, and
2:25:26
sluice systems. The fact that these mechanisms
2:25:29
and construction projects existed along with the.
2:25:32
Tools that. Accompanied them demonstrated
2:25:35
that these prehistoric people were at least somewhat skilled
2:25:38
in using topographic mapping, measurement systems, levels, and
2:25:42
architectural planning to create the things they needed to
2:25:44
maximize their produce yields. A documented farmer's Almanac
2:25:49
from the Sumerians. Disseminated best.
2:25:52
Practices for crop. Management, irrigation and
2:25:55
planting to knowledgeable farmers throughout the region.
2:25:59
Created circa 1700, this so-called Almanac persisted
2:26:03
until 1500 BCE, speaking directly to farmers who would
2:26:09
subsequently instruct their sons on how to enhance the land and
2:26:12
the crops. It was written in a rather
2:26:14
inventive style. It covered everything, including
2:26:18
essential harvesting procedures, how to prevent birds and other
2:26:22
pests, and how to prepare the soil and plant.
2:26:26
There are only 35 lines in total.
2:26:28
The last one commends Ninurta for communicating this
2:26:31
information to the original recorder.
2:26:34
Having a God give farming instructions would surely
2:26:36
guarantee that they were followed.
2:26:39
Like Marduk or Heracles who became known as Hercules in
2:26:42
Rome, Ninurta was regarded as a hero.
2:26:45
In addition to being praised for his prowess in agriculture and
2:26:49
his ability to protect during times of conflict, he was known
2:26:53
for overcoming resistance. The Ninurta Myths The Epic of
2:26:57
Anzu was one of the most well known religious myths in ancient
2:27:00
summer. This is the story of how the
2:27:03
Tablets of Destiny were taken by a legendary bird named Anzu,
2:27:07
which was enormous and swooped up to where the high God Enlil
2:27:11
ruled. They contain all the information
2:27:14
regarding the fate of both gods and mortals, and they bestow
2:27:17
power upon their holders. The Anzu bird asks other gods
2:27:22
for assistance in pursuing him and retrieving the tablets after
2:27:26
stealing them, taking off and leaving Enlil.
2:27:31
The only person who answers the phone is Ninurta.
2:27:35
He grabs his bow and shoots the escaping bird with an arrow, but
2:27:39
Anzu returns the arrow to its basic elements, cane, stone and
2:27:43
feather by using the Tablets of Destiny.
2:27:47
The string of his bow also returns to the sinew in the
2:27:50
sheep from which it originated, and it turns back into a tree
2:27:53
branch. Fortunately, Anzu was blown so
2:27:57
hard that his wings tore off and he fell.
2:28:00
To the ground. After Nenorta summoned the power
2:28:02
of the South wind after killing the bird, Nenorta gets the
2:28:06
Tablets of Destiny back for his dad.
2:28:09
This God hero faces Asag, A feared demon associated with
2:28:14
illness, in another Mesopotamian poem, The Exploits of Nenorta,
2:28:20
Ninurta's intelligent Mace. Shahrour unexpectedly initiates
2:28:24
the fight. Ninurta descends to the
2:28:27
underworld for the battle after he gives him courage and the
2:28:31
conviction that he is powerful and capable of defeating the
2:28:34
demon. When Asag learnt that he was
2:28:37
approaching, he organized a group of plants and rock
2:28:40
monsters to protect him. Ninurta initially flees, but
2:28:44
Shahrour returns to remind him that he has defeated numerous
2:28:47
other terrible things in the past.
2:28:50
The God Hero ultimately vanquishes the demon.
2:28:54
Even though the defeat seems like a good thing, it causes a
2:28:57
lot of issues both on the land and in the underworld.
2:29:01
The Primer Evil Waters were prevented from inundating the
2:29:04
land above by Asag and his plants and rocks.
2:29:07
They stopped doing their duty after they were defeated and a
2:29:10
terrible upwelling of evil Water happened, but once more Nenorta
2:29:15
came to the rescue by using their corpses as a kind of dam
2:29:20
to block the waters from reaching the living world.
2:29:24
Ninma Nenorta's mother in this story descends.
2:29:28
To Earth to. Celebrate his triumph now that
2:29:31
he has declared victory and is the guardian of the fields,
2:29:34
towns, and cities above. In return, he honors her by
2:29:39
dedicating this Rocky Mountain he made out of the corpses.
2:29:43
The name Magnificent Queen is also changed to Lady of the
2:29:47
Mountain or Ninhersag by him. Numerous other myths from
2:29:52
ancient Mesopotamia also attributed Ninurta's destruction
2:29:55
to other strange creatures and malevolent entities.
2:29:58
These included strong copper, A7 headed snake, A6 headed wild
2:30:04
ram, and a palm tree king. They all stood for vital
2:30:08
components of life in this prehistoric society.
2:30:12
He battled inanimate objects such as the Magillim boat, which
2:30:16
was used to transport deceased souls into the underworld, as
2:30:20
well as sentient beings. The entire set of tales about
2:30:25
Nenurta's struggles bears a resemblance to later epics of
2:30:29
other God heroes such as Heracles in many respects.
2:30:33
In a similar vein, Nenurta. This later figure possessed very
2:30:38
human traits, not all of them good.
2:30:41
He occasionally succumbs to his ego or pride.
2:30:45
Ninuta is angry that he was praised for such a minor
2:30:48
accomplishment in a story called Ninuta and the Turtle, which
2:30:52
takes place after he vanquishes Anzu and gives back the Tablets
2:30:56
of Destiny. Instead, he desired to be
2:31:00
recognized for more significant accomplishments that would
2:31:03
benefit the entire world. Enki makes a giant turtle bite
2:31:07
ninurta and drag him into a pit because he is arrogant and
2:31:11
disdains honour. The higher God makes fun of him
2:31:14
to make him adopt A more humble mindset, much like a sluggish
2:31:17
turtle gnaws on its feet. The story's central message,
2:31:22
despite some parts being missing, is that people should
2:31:25
be grateful for what they have, accept their limitations, and
2:31:30
not be overly preoccupied with continually reaching greater
2:31:33
levels of glory. The Ninurta Neo Assyrian
2:31:37
However, Ninurta accomplished much more than just murdering
2:31:40
Anzu. His Assyrian parents gave him
2:31:43
more responsibility as he became more integrated, especially in
2:31:47
terms of protection and military power.
2:31:51
Around 12:40 BCE to Kulti Ninurta find, the ruler took the
2:31:56
God hero's name in remembrance of the combat triumphs he had
2:31:59
won while in power. Other rulers also bestowed this
2:32:03
kind of honor on Nenurta in the 11th and 10th centuries BCE.
2:32:09
The most incredible honor and glory were bestowed upon Nenurta
2:32:13
by Ashu Nasirpal too, who built Calhoun's capital as a place of
2:32:19
worship. He had a huge temple constructed
2:32:22
every wall. Was intended to.
2:32:23
Display God's numerous victories and accomplishments.
2:32:27
A Kalhu temple relief depicting Ninurta fighting Anzu has become
2:32:31
one of the most famous and frequently reproduced images
2:32:34
from the Neo Assyrian Empire and Mesopotamia in general,
2:32:37
particularly among those who have studied it.
2:32:40
In addition to serving as a place of worship, the temple
2:32:43
continued to be a hub of religious ceremony and
2:32:46
authority, providing refuge and solace to migrant workers, the
2:32:50
impoverished, the homeless, and orphans.
2:32:54
Nenurta was called Nimrod in the Christian Bible.
2:32:58
He was characterized as a mighty hunter who mainly ruled over the
2:33:01
large city of Kala, also called Kalhu.
2:33:06
Some academics disagree about Nimrod's identity, arguing that
2:33:10
he is. A leader by the name.
2:33:11
Of Tukulti Nenurta rather than the God Hero.
2:33:16
Since all other historical documents indicate that the
2:33:19
leader was not associated with Kalhu, this is usually dismissed
2:33:24
as the 7th century BCE rolled around Ninurta's.
2:33:28
Authority and. Sway started to wane Sargon the
2:33:32
second the ruler relocated the capital of the civilization from
2:33:36
Kalu. He elevated the God Nabu to the
2:33:39
forefront of religious practice by emphasizing writing and
2:33:43
education. During the six hundreds BCE, he
2:33:47
once again enjoyed considerable. Status after his.
2:33:50
Successor restored Ninurta. Unfortunately, outside forces
2:33:55
pillaged and destroyed the entire Neo Assyrian Empire,
2:33:58
which was ruled by Ashurbanipal at the time, in 612 BCE.
2:34:05
Although Ninurta suffered the same fate, his tales had an
2:34:08
impact on other cultures who incorporated some of his
2:34:12
concepts into their myths and legends.
2:34:15
Nergal Early in the Early Dynastic period, Nergal,
2:34:20
sometimes referred to as era, began to be associated with
2:34:24
agriculture, as many other gods were in ancient Mesopotamia.
2:34:28
He was most closely related to the city of Kutha in the
2:34:31
centuries spanning around 2900 BCE, and a sizable temple named
2:34:36
E Islam was built there in his honor.
2:34:40
Nergal soon became the God of death, destruction, and war.
2:34:45
Although it might seem that the God of agriculture would be more
2:34:48
directly associated with life, his most famous image was the
2:34:52
scorching summer sun, which would not aid in the growth of
2:34:55
crops, but instead dry them out and scorch them.
2:35:00
The ancient Mesopotamians believed that this kind of heat
2:35:03
and dazzling light was an expression of Nergal's wrath.
2:35:07
This resulted in a broader connotation of violence, death,
2:35:11
and plague. Nergal claimed that his early
2:35:15
agricultural roots were nearly entirely completed between 201
2:35:19
and 50 BCE, after his role in the pantheon had been refined.
2:35:26
According to various ancient texts, he had a similar purpose
2:35:30
to. That of the Babylonian.
2:35:31
God era. At first, they were two
2:35:35
different things. The civilizations eventually
2:35:38
fused and blended, becoming interchangeable objects that
2:35:41
represented the same forces. Ultimately, people believed that
2:35:46
they worshipped the same God. The majority of artistic
2:35:50
depictions of Nergal depict him as an influential.
2:35:53
Figure with. Flowing robes who move swiftly
2:35:56
and steps on people with his leading foot.
2:35:59
He carries a large Mace with a lion's head on top and a sharp
2:36:03
scimitar. He is linked to mighty bulls as
2:36:06
well as that big cat. These would rank among the most
2:36:10
lethal and dangerous animals in Mesopotamian life.
2:36:14
Nergal was regarded as the son of the goddess Ninlil and the
2:36:17
high God Ninlil. Just like many other lesser
2:36:21
deities, his ancestry was disputed, as was the case with
2:36:25
many of the Pantheon's gods. According to some documents, his
2:36:29
mother was Belet, Eli, or Nintur, the goddess who is said
2:36:33
to have created humans. Over the years, Nergal had a
2:36:37
wide variety of consorts, or goddess wives.
2:36:40
Las Mami, Ninshibur, and Areschigal were among them.
2:36:45
The Queen of the Dead and the Goddess of the East were both
2:36:48
merely minor local deities. Even though he was closely
2:36:51
linked to death in the underworld, believers were not
2:36:54
especially afraid of him. He was occasionally asked for
2:36:58
protection. He was initially mainly
2:37:01
worshipped in Kutha City, but over time his devotees dispersed
2:37:06
throughout the Mesopotamian civilization, as was the case
2:37:09
with most local deities. Despite using different names,
2:37:14
he was also revered by the Babylonians and.
2:37:16
Assyrians. Why and how Nergal is used
2:37:20
Nergal was typically not called upon for help because he was
2:37:23
connected to death and destruction.
2:37:26
He was nevertheless employed in a protective capacity or efforts
2:37:31
were made to placate him to provide people with respite from
2:37:35
unfavorable circumstances. With his weapons by his side, he
2:37:39
was consistently portrayed as a powerful force.
2:37:43
He had no regrets or feelings of guilt for any of the devastation
2:37:46
he caused, but there was nothing punitive or condemning about
2:37:50
what he did. That was just the way he moved
2:37:54
and behaved because he was temperamental and lacked
2:37:59
self-control. He was.
2:38:01
Somehow absolved of. Destroying Babylon or any of the
2:38:04
other evil deeds. Nergal did stand for death, but
2:38:09
he is not connected to all of its manifestations or causes.
2:38:13
Instead, he was associated with pestilence, plague, and war.
2:38:19
The general beliefs of the Mesopotamian people at the time
2:38:22
were in line with the idea that the devil was responsible for
2:38:25
any diseases that occurred. While some gods collaborated
2:38:29
with humans to carry out the cosmic plan, evil gods like
2:38:33
Nergal created all these opposing forces that destroyed
2:38:37
human life. An 800 BCE manuscript known as
2:38:42
the Wrath of Era, another name for Nergal, contains 1
2:38:47
illustration of this concept. The story of Era's Wrath Era is
2:38:53
bored at the beginning of this story because nothing
2:38:56
interesting is happening. They're complaining that they
2:38:58
can't do anything themselves and his weapons are dusty.
2:39:03
Era discusses ways to break the stalemate with his advisor Ishum
2:39:07
because his Mason scimitar is actively bothering him.
2:39:11
He instructs Era not to attack Babylon, but he still does so
2:39:16
because Marduk personally guarded Babylon.
2:39:19
The story portrays this as a rather rash endeavor.
2:39:23
By ridiculing the other gods clothing, Era deceives Marduk
2:39:27
into abandoning the city without protection.
2:39:30
In essence, he advises Marduk to buy new clothes because his
2:39:34
current ones are worn out and outdated.
2:39:37
Era begins destroying the entire city while Marduk goes to see
2:39:41
his tailor. Buildings are destroyed, people
2:39:44
are killed, and everything else sustains significant damage.
2:39:50
Once more Ishum tries to stop Era, but the.
2:39:54
God dismisses him. But after a while, he grows
2:39:58
weary of his devastation and gives Babylon a prophecy.
2:40:03
He claims that one day a great leader will emerge who will
2:40:06
protect everyone far more effectively than Marduk ever
2:40:09
did. Era uses his resentful nature as
2:40:13
the sole justification for his decision to demolish Babylon and
2:40:17
murder so many people after he departs and returns to speak
2:40:21
with the other gods. Ishum interpreted the fact that
2:40:25
he halted before everything was destroyed as a sign that Babylon
2:40:29
would rise and prosper once more.
2:40:33
This story concludes with a great deal of admiration and
2:40:36
respect for error. Why would someone tell such a
2:40:40
tale? And why would Nergal be exempt
2:40:42
from the devastation he caused? Because nomadic groups like the
2:40:47
Sutiens frequently invaded Babylon and the surrounding
2:40:50
area, historians hypothesize that this kind of death and
2:40:54
destruction happened often between 1200 and 900 BCE.
2:40:59
The inhabitants may have attributed these invasions to an
2:41:02
enraged God because they appeared completely arbitrary
2:41:05
and without any real reason. It served as a means of
2:41:09
explaining the adverse events in the world while preserving the
2:41:12
idea that the majority of gods and goddesses wished for the
2:41:16
welfare of humanity. The people would have hope if
2:41:20
they believed that a sacred prophecy had predicted the.
2:41:23
City's prosperity. And development the marriage of
2:41:27
ereshkigal and nergal, the God of death and.
2:41:30
Destruction. Was the subject of another tale
2:41:33
that centered on his union with the underworld goddess.
2:41:37
We can date this to approximately 1400 BCE if the
2:41:40
Amarna Letters of Egypt records are the primary source.
2:41:45
Around 700 BCEA copy of the same story was discovered at Sultan
2:41:50
Tepe. A version of the story dated
2:41:52
between 630 and 540 BCE was found on another website,
2:41:57
demonstrating its enormous popularity.
2:42:00
In this legend, the strong God Enki, who created humanity and
2:42:04
represented wisdom, sent Nergal to the underworld to wed
2:42:08
Ereschigal to curb his destructive tendencies.
2:42:12
The goddess of the underworld had to stay down there and keep
2:42:14
watch over things, so she was unable to attend the banquet
2:42:17
that the gods threw and invited all the other deities.
2:42:21
Naturally, the other gods were unable to enter the underworld
2:42:25
since they would become permanently trapped there.
2:42:28
Ereschigal sent her son Namtar to attend the banquet and bring
2:42:31
her some of the food as she still wanted to partake in the
2:42:34
feast. Except for Nergal, everyone
2:42:37
present shows Namtar the respect he deserves.
2:42:41
Namtar is sent back to the underworld to tell his mother
2:42:44
about the disrespect and Nergal is not given the punishment that
2:42:48
is rightfully his. After learning of this,
2:42:53
Ereshkigal becomes furious and sends.
2:42:55
Another message to the. Gods above asking them to bring
2:42:59
Nergal to her so she can destroy him.
2:43:03
This request seems reasonable to Enki, who sends Nergal to the
2:43:07
underworld to make amends for his rudeness, But he doesn't
2:43:11
travel alone to assist Nergal in passing through the. 7 gates of.
2:43:15
Hell Enki gives him a group of 14 demons.
2:43:19
He completes the trip successfully.
2:43:22
Ereschigal allows him to pass through every gate without
2:43:25
opposition and intends to murder him when he gets to her throne.
2:43:29
When Nergal spots a trap, he places his demon escorts at each
2:43:34
gate to keep it open and give himself a way out.
2:43:37
He approaches the throne room, engages Namtar in combat, and
2:43:42
tries to use his axe to chop off Eresh Giggle's head.
2:43:47
By offering herself for marriage, she persuades him to
2:43:50
spare her life. They make their home in the
2:43:53
underworld happily ever after, kiss, and swear to always be
2:43:57
true to one another. Sadly, Nergal is too impulsive
2:44:01
and ebullient to stay happy in the underworld indefinitely.
2:44:05
The demons who are still keeping the gates open assist Enki in
2:44:09
letting him go, while Nergal plans wars, devastation, and
2:44:13
illnesses in the human world above.
2:44:15
He and Oreshkigal spend 6 months living together in the
2:44:18
Underworld and the remaining six months apart.
2:44:22
This story's symbolism may have served as an explanation for why
2:44:26
wars. Tended to occur.
2:44:27
During the more comfortable times of the year when sieges
2:44:31
and troop movements were simpler.
2:44:33
Furthermore, it informed the populace that Enki had done
2:44:37
everything he could to contain or lessen Nergal's fury, which
2:44:42
increased their respect for him. Nergal protection as well as
2:44:46
destruction People called on Nergal for assistance with
2:44:50
demons and evil spirits, regardless of the season or
2:44:53
whether they thought he was living on Earth or in the
2:44:56
underworld at the time. He was explicitly mentioned in
2:44:59
several prayers for his assistance in warding off
2:45:02
underworld creatures, particularly exorcisms.
2:45:06
When it came to possession cases, as they were understood
2:45:10
in Babylon, priests would call upon Nergal for assistance.
2:45:15
More optimistic, he was regarded as an essential component of the
2:45:19
ceremony. Nevertheless, when people tried
2:45:22
to avoid him, his association with destruction made him a
2:45:27
potent ally. The Hittites renamed him Aplu
2:45:31
and accepted him as the God of plague in the 1300s BCE.
2:45:36
The people would fervently pray to God to stop him from wreaking
2:45:39
havoc on the living, rather than pleading for protection from a
2:45:42
play or other destructive force. Still, APLU's resemblance to the
2:45:48
older Nergal personality persisted.
2:45:51
He would commit all the evil deeds he desired until he became
2:45:55
weary of them. Part 6 Gilgamesh versus Enki
2:46:00
Gilgamesh and Enki are the two most well known Sumerian
2:46:03
deities. One of the principal deities in
2:46:06
the Sumerian pantheon was Enki, who also went by the names AIA,
2:46:12
Enkiig, Ninceku, and Nudimud. Freshwater intelligence and
2:46:16
wisdom, mischief, magic, creation, virility and
2:46:21
fertility, healing, handicrafts, and art were all under his
2:46:25
authority. He is typically portrayed in art
2:46:29
as an older man wearing rich robes, A horned hat, and a long
2:46:33
beard. Clearwater flows from his arms
2:46:37
as he ascends A majestic mountain, with symbolic trees
2:46:40
adorning his route as the sun rises over it.
2:46:44
The trees symbolize the male and female aspects of life.
2:46:48
The water streams symbolize the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
2:46:52
The loose translation of Enki is Lord of the Earth.
2:46:57
He focused only on freshwater. Was closely linked to the city
2:47:01
of Eridu and began his life as a God in Sumer.
2:47:05
Since water is the source of all life and that city was thought
2:47:09
to be the first ever built, this proved his absolute
2:47:12
significance. Around 2600 BCE, during the
2:47:17
Early Dynastic period, EEA Enki was first mentioned.
2:47:22
About 200 years later, the Acadians re envisioned him as
2:47:26
EEA. However, some evidence of
2:47:29
smaller shrines to the original water God dating back to
2:47:32
approximately 5000 BCE was discovered during archaeological
2:47:37
explorations. He travelled through numerous
2:47:40
cities and empires, adopting diverse names and purposes.
2:47:45
The history and progeny of Enki in both acadian and sumerian
2:47:50
religions Anu, the God of the. Sky was regarded.
2:47:53
As Enki's father, according to Babylonian mythology, his mother
2:47:58
was Namu, who created the earth and the sky, and his father was
2:48:02
Absu, who made existence itself. Asarlouhi, the God of magic and
2:48:08
Belulu, the God of canals, Marduk, the king of all gods,
2:48:14
and Adapa, a wise human, were born when Enki was weighed
2:48:18
against Ninma. The myth of Enki and Ninhursag
2:48:22
states that God also had eight more children with her.
2:48:25
They included the God of plants, Abu, the God of precious metal,
2:48:29
Nintula, the goddess of healing, Nincitu, the goddess of beer,
2:48:34
Nincasi, the goddess of justice and divination, Nanche, the
2:48:39
goddess of fertility, Emshag, the goddess of healing Azimua,
2:48:44
and the goddess of life, Ninti. Inanna, a highly esteemed
2:48:50
goddess connected to sexuality, love, fertility, and war, was
2:48:54
often credited to Enki as her father in numerous myths and
2:48:59
legends. This incredibly prolific deity
2:49:02
made appearances, frequently accompanied by his spouse or one
2:49:06
or more of his children. These comprise both creatively
2:49:10
written inscriptions by literary experts and scribes of the era,
2:49:14
as well as those made specifically for different kings
2:49:17
over the years. The creation of the world and
2:49:20
its inhabitants, as well as the tales of Marduk in particular,
2:49:24
including his struggle against chaos, are the overarching
2:49:27
themes. Additionally, Enki appears in
2:49:31
the well known Epic of Gilgamesh, the origin story of
2:49:35
Enuma Elish. Enki is portrayed as the son of
2:49:38
the primordial gods who have existed since the beginning of
2:49:42
time in the Babylonian tale Enuma Elish, which was written
2:49:47
circa 1100 BCE. Everything started with the
2:49:52
feminine existence of Tiamat salt water and the masculine
2:49:56
existence of Apsu freshwater. Together, Apsu and Tiamat
2:50:02
produced the first seven gods and goddesses.
2:50:06
Unfortunately, Apsu decided to destroy all of these young
2:50:09
deities because they were very noisy and disturbed him while he
2:50:13
was trying to sleep. As the devoted mother that she
2:50:16
was, Tiamat thought this was a terrible idea and alerted Enki
2:50:21
to his father's schemes. He was able to kill APSU after
2:50:25
he fell asleep to stop the upcoming murder.
2:50:28
Tiamat was equally appalled that her son would harm her husband
2:50:32
in this way. She promptly disowned all of
2:50:35
their children, raised a demonic army, forced her consort Kwingu
2:50:40
to leave them, and sent them to battle Enki and the other early
2:50:44
gods. This is where Enki's son Marduk
2:50:48
came into play. He claimed that he could lead
2:50:51
the holy army against the demonic horde and destroy them
2:50:55
in return for his strength and leadership abilities.
2:50:58
The younger gods chose to take advantage of this new chance and
2:51:02
chose Marduk as their king because they were fed up with
2:51:05
losing every time they took turns ruling.
2:51:08
He used a magical arrow to split Tiamat in two, which would later
2:51:12
become the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and he was able to
2:51:15
destroy Quingu. The Earth's land masses were
2:51:19
formed from the remnants of her body.
2:51:22
The first humans were created by the gods using Quingu's remains
2:51:26
after they convened. Even though Marduk was
2:51:30
principally in charge of the events leading up to the
2:51:32
creation of the world and humanity, he sought Enki's
2:51:36
approval and advice at every stage.