Ancient Religions of Iraq and Iran Chapter 7

Ancient Mesopotamia

Ancient Mesopotamia Evidence of life in Mesopotamia from 10,000 BCE The Fertile Crescent Cradle of Civilization Agriculture and domestication of animals Cultivation of wild grains and cereals 9000 BCE Irrigation of agricultural crops 5000 BCE Cultivation of wool bearing sheep 4500 BCE Food distribution and surplus for trade 3400 BCE

Empires of Mesopotamia City-states consolidated by Multiple Empires Sumerian Akkadian Assyrian Babylonian Persian Empires of Mesopotamia Sumerian – irrigation, first cities 5400 BCE Akkadian – building, art, literature 2300 BCE Assyrian – 600 BCE Babylonian – law, science, math 580 BCE Law of Hammurabi – justice for oppressed people Persian – Cyrus the Great 539 BCE Greek – Alexander the Great 334 BCE Rome – 116 CE

Ancient Mesopotamia Cuneiform Tablets Library of Ashurbanipal Sumerians Pictograms Multiple languages Record of culture Non alphabetic Library of Ashurbanipal Found mid 19th Century Story of Gilgamesh

Myth of Enuma Elish Tiamat (salt water) marries Apsu (fresh water) Tiamat births many descendants Apsu kills them because they are noisy Enki kills Apsu and Tiamat rages Marduk splits Tiamat in half Top half is heaven/Bottom half is earth Only god strong enough to subdue Tiamat Creates cosmos from Kingsu (Tiamat’s husband) Gets help from Enlil

Dumuzi and Inanna Dumuzi (fertility god) and Inanna (queen of heaven) Married and increased the vital forces of the world Ereshkigal (Inanna’s sister) is ruler of the underworld Inanna went to visit and arrived a naked hostage While Inanna held hostage and all vegetation dies Enki saves Inanna and Dumuzi and family sub for her

Epic of Gilgamesh Mesopotamian King of Uruk who sought immortality Enkidu a wilderness creature who befriended him Kills monster Huwara on a campaign with Gilgamesh Gets killed by Enlil to revenge Huwara’s death

Epic of Gilgamesh Utnapishtim warned by the gods of a great flood Survives the flood with wife and animals (2 of each) Enlil gives Utnapishtim immortality plant

Gilgamesh and the Search for Immortality Gilgamesh wants to bring Enkidu back to life Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh the immortality plant is in the sea Gilgamesh searches for the plant which is eaten by a serpent who becomes immortal

Mesopotamian Deities Anu (An) – god of the sky Sin – good of the moon Enlil – god of the weather for good agriculture Ninhursaga – goddess over birth Enki – god of fresh water Shamash – god of the sun Ishtar – goddess of the planet Venus (Inanna)

Ziggurat of Uruk

The Absolute for Mesopotamia Gods changed with the fortunes of worshipers Earlier gods accounted for the forces of nature Later gods perceived as rulers of governments Gods of city-states merged into families Political unions led to unity of gods Explains multiple names for the same god Gods acted in parental roles

Ancient Mesopotamia King was god and also subservient to god Humans performed personal devotions No rights of passage recorded Religion not sustainable No immortality Code of Hammurabi Astronomy and Astrology

Religions from Ancient Iran Aryans brought deities to India and the Vedas Zoroastriansim Founder was Zarathustra (Zoroaster) 600’s BCE Noble family initiated into the Rig Veda Left home at 20 and had spiritual crisis at age 30 Vision of Vohu Manah (Angel of Good Thought) Ahura Mazda revealed immortality in heaven

Zoroastrianism Angra Mainyu – god of cattle rustlers Followers should live good lives for Ahura Mazda Immortality given as reward in pleasant courts Alternative was the pits of Angra Mainyu Zarathustra unsuccessful until converting a king Vishtaspa - father of Cyrus the Great Lived out his life in the king’s courts as a priest

Zoroastrianism Monotheistic – Ahura Mazda Served by Amesha Spenta – 6 angels Dualism – Inspired later dualistic religion Manichaeism 3rd Century CE Augustine 4th Century CE Avesta – Book of the Law

Later Zoroastriansim Added deities Anahita – fertility Haoma – animal sacrifices Mithra – god of light, protector of truth, guardian of cattle

The Magi

Rituals of Zoroastrianism Sacred Flame Burned for 1500 years in Yazd, Iran New Year’s priests burning of sacrifices in masks No Roz ritual cleansing Festival of New Day giving gifts to the poor Naozot rite of passage at 6 receive sudreh (shirt) and kusti (thread)

Sky Burial Bodies are prepared Avesta prayers through night Carried to Tower of Silence Left for vultures to strip bones Bones crumble in a central pit

Chinvat Bridge

Absolute and World View Ahura Mazda is either more powerful or struggles against the equal evil force of Angra Mainyu Ahura Mazda relies on Amesha Spenta Humans are soul and body Humans are responsible for moral decisions Humans are born and die only once