Ancient Mesopotamia The Land Between the Rivers Photo

Ancient Mesopotamia The Land Between the Rivers Photo by Cåsbr

TABLE OF CONTENTS PART II Geography and Writing Religion and Literature

GEOGRAPHY & WRITING Map Credit: Nord. West

Fertile Crescent

Mesopotamia “The Land Between the Rivers” Euphrates Map Credit: Nord. West Tigris

Sumer The Sumerians established the first city-states c. 3, 000 B. C.

Writing 1. What purposes does writing serve? 2. Why is writing necessary and useful? Photo by Pascal Maramis

The Sumerians were the first to develop Writing

Sumerian Clay Tablet

Cuneiform (Latin: Wedge-Shaped) Photo by tortipede

Pictograms Earliest writing form Words represented by symbols.

Scribes Professional Writers high social status rigorous education

A Scribe Remembers… My headmaster read my tablet, said: “There is something missing, ” caned me. Photo by JD Hancock The fellow in charge of silence said: “Why did you talk without permission, ” caned me. The fellow in charge of the assembly said: “Why did you stand at ease without permission, ” caned me.

Scribes Employed in temples and palaces, recording: • financial transactions • legal documents • literature Photo by Astacus

Sumerian Numbers

RELIGION & LITERATURE

Deities and Existence 1. What kind of characteristics do modern humans typically attribute to God? 2. What is the purpose of human existence?

Enuma elish “When on high…” What does the Enuma elish tell us about Mesopotamian ideas about their gods? CLICK HERE to Read

Questions to answer: Were the ancient Babylonians monotheists or polytheists? Of what substance were the first humans made? __ What does this say about the relationship between god and man? For what purpose did the Babylonians create humans?

Creation story comparisons Using the stories about the creation from the texts, note at least 1 similarity and 2 differences between the two accounts of the creation. One Similarity: Differences: Enuma Enish 1. 2. Book of Genesis

Benevolence / Malevolence Deities can be described as benevolent or malevolent toward human beings.

Mesopotamian Religion Photo by Too. Much. Dew Polytheism Malevolence (Many Gods) (Ill-willed) Anthropomorphism (Human-like Gods)

Floods Catastrophic Floods were a regular part of life in ancient Mesopotamia. Photo by stopherjones

Lots of Rivers = Lots of Floods

Marduk Patron god of Babylon Rivers / Floods

The Great Flood CLICK HERE to Read Bonaventura Peeters, The Great Flood (17 th c. )

Ancient Mesopotamians believed their gods destroyed humans because they were TOO NOISY!

The GOAL of Mesopotamian Religion?

Ziggurats Mesopotamian Temples • • Photo by jmcfall Largest building in city A home for the gods

IMMORTALITY If you could live forever, would you? Explain why or why not. Photo Credit: Notwist

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Utnapishtim The Survivor