Have you ever heard of the “7 Wonders of the World”? What places are included? If you could add or suggest and 8 th wonder, what would it be and why?

World Mythology – Spring 2011

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza 2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 3. The Status of Zeus at Olympia 4. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 6. The Colossus of Rhodes 7. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

In the minds of everyone is a picture of the perfect garden utopia. It would probably have the most beautiful gardens, the most exotic animals, terraces and beautiful monuments, and anything you can imagine. So what were the hanging gardens of legend like? Probably just like that, but no one will ever know. This is the only wonder of the world to have never been proven. It is said to have been located on the east bank of the Euphrates River, about 50 km. south of what is today Baghdad, Iraq. It is said that these great gardens were built by the king Nebuchadnezzar to please one of his current wives or concubines.

The city of Babylon was the capital of the ancient land of Babylonia in southern Mesopotamia. It was situated on the Euphrates River about 50 miles south of modern Baghdad, just north of what is now the modern Iraqi town of al-Hillah. The tremendous wealth and power of this city, along with its monumental size and appearance, were certainly considered a Biblical myth, that is, until its foundations were unearthed and its riches substantiated during the 19th century. Archaeologists stood in awe as their discoveries revealed that certain stories in the Bible were an actual situation that had happened in time.

Mesopotamian Societies Sumerians first major civilization (3000 BCE) non-Semitic people /language Uruk (and other cities) cuneiform writing elaborate mythology and cult-based mythic poems Babylonians / Akkadians later (c BCE) Semitic people. myth based on Sumerian myth

 Babylon is Akkadian "babilani" which means "the Gate of God(s)" and it became the capital of the land of Babylonia.  The etymology of the name Babel in the Bible means "confused" or godlessness.

 Babylonian mythology is a set of stories depicting the activities of Babylonian deities, heroes, and mythological creatures.  While these stories are in modern times usually considered a component of Babylonian religion, their purpose was not necessarily religious in nature.  Often these stories explained a mystery of nature, depicted the rewards for proper behavior, illustrated punishments for taboo behavior, or performed a combination of these or other purposes.

 The Babylonian canon is largely derived from Sumerian mythology.  This was written in Akkadian, a Semitic language, using cuneiform script on clay tablets.  Most texts known today are copies made in scribal schools by student scribes, likely at a time when Akkadian was no longer the spoken language in Babylonia and serious belief in the myths had faded amongst educated people.

Mesopotamian Societies social/political hierarchy with kings as head of state priestly class who also teach/write/preserve literature tradition of sacred writings associated with actual rituals high level of “civilization” (i.e. social structure & material wealth) irrigation-based agriculture, water resources organized by government cuneiform writing

 Sin: (moon god) and overall measurer of time. He had a higher place in the pantheon than his children Shamash and Ishtar  Shamash: (god of the sun) and of justice who becomes important as a deity of all-seeing justice  Ishtar: (the morning star) was the goddess of love, sex, fertility, and war. She is armed with a quiver and bow, and went down into the underworld to gain back her lover. Ishtar is often accompanied by a lion.

 Mammu: the great mother goddess of Babylonian Mythology.  Anshar: (father of heaven) and was the creator of Anu and often associated with heaven and the sky as a whole.  Kishar: father of earth

 Antu: a mother goddess that took on Tiamet’s attributes when she was defeated. She was regarded as one of the 4 main creation gods (goddesses) and was regarded to have created humans from clay. She was later replaced by Ishtar  Anu: (the god of the highest heaven) a sky god and father/king of the gods and lives in what is called the third heaven. He is also known as the god of monarchs and is not friendly to "commoners". He is said to have the ability to turn anything he says into reality.

 Ea: (god of wisdom) the god of fresh water, thus a fertility god; he is often a protective figure. He was known as the "Lord of Wisdom" and "Lord of Incantations"; whatever Ea spoke, became reality.  Ereshkigal: the goddess of the Underworld (Kurnugi).  Entil: (god of weather and storms) the god of air, land, earth, and men's fates. He later became the head of the gods (later to be passed to Anu). He had a very short temper and was responsible for the great flood. He is said to favor those in need, and is the keeper of the "tablets of destiny".

 Nabu: god of the scribal arts  Enurta: god of war

 Mardak: (national god of the Babylonians) He was originally a minor deity, but later became a powerful ruler. He was considered a creator god. After defeating Tiamat in single combat, he created the heavens and the Earth, organized the year into months, and arranged the planets and stars. He created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from Tiemat’s eyes and made mountains from her udders.  Tiamat: (dragon goddess) She was the great mother goddess and overall goddess of the salt waters. Tiamat was very bothered by the noise of her children and those around her. Apsu tried to persuade Tiamat to slay the younger gods with his help, however she declined until after his death. It is thought that she destroyed all of her children in order to make the world.

What do you think it would have been like to have lived in Babylon? What would the gardens have been like? Which god/goddess would you have worshiped? Write a quick poem, letter, journal entry, newspaper article, etc. from the point of view of a Babylonian? What is your life like? What do you enjoy? Fear?