Ancient Sumerians

Sumerians -->  Babylonians --> Assyrians

Hammurabi–1750 BCE (made Babylon capital)–code of laws

Promote truth, justice; destroy wilderness

Other cities = Lagash, Akkad (or Agade), Erech, Ur

  (3^rd millennium BCE)

Nebuchadnezzar (d. 562 BCE) – ruled at height of new rep.

RELIGION – 2 main triads of gods (man is for their benefit)

1^st triad       ANU – sky god                 2^nd triad     SHAMASH
                                                                                       sun

 ENLIL                 EA  or ENKI                      SIN             ISHTAR
Storm god           water god                         moon         or HADAD
                                                                                          weather

2^nd millennium BCE – local god = MARDUK

          1000 years later = ASHUR

WIDESPREAD – Mother Goddess

Sumeria, Babylon, Assyra: INANNA, ISHTAR, ASTARTE

Phrygia, Lydia: CYBELE

Egypt: ISIS

Greece: HERA, RHEA,  APHRODITE, DEMETER

Rome: MAIA, OPS, TELLUS, CERES

Judeo-Christian: VIRGIN MARY (beneficence – double image as mother and virgin – son as God who dies/resurrected

Symbol of earth’s fertility, creative force, responsible for the renewal of life.

LATER FORMS: worship of her son/lover or both (Adonis, Attis, Osirus, etc.) whose death/resurrection symbolizes regenerative power of earth/life

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