Ancient Mesopotamian Gods. Superstition, philosophy, theology - article ; n°2 ; vol.207, pg 115-130

Wilfred Georgelambert

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Revue de l'histoire des religions - Année 1990 - Volume 207 - Numéro 2 - Pages 115-130
The Sumerians organized their gods, which were deified natural forces as conceived, into a systematic pantheon for a land of city states. This continued with modifications under the succeeding Babylonian civilization, which was politically unified. The process of identifying originally distinct gods of similar attributes continued until some scholars identified all major gods with Marduk in a kind of monotheism. Relics of other systems occur in the worship of mountains and rivers, and in southern Iraq itself the concept of deity spread from the god himself to his accoutrements, abode and city.
Les dieux de l'ancienne Mésopotamie : superstition, philosophie, théologie
Les Sumériens organisaient leurs dieux, conçus comme des forces naturelles déifiées, en un panthéon systématique qui convenait à un pays composé de cités souveraines. Cette situation se maintint avec quelques modifications dans l'Empire babylonien, qui était unifié politiquement. Le processus d'identification des dieux, distincts à l'origine mais avec des attributs similaires, se poursuivit jusqu'à ce que certains érudits eussent assimilé tous les dieux importants à Marduk dans une sorte de monothéisme. On trouve dans les textes des allusions à d'autres systèmes pour ce qui est de l'adoration des montagnes et des rivières, et dans le sud de l'Irak, la notion de divinité s'est étendue du dieu lui-même à son équipement, son temple et sa ville.
16 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Philosophie et théologie

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• Publié par: REVUE_DE_L-HISTOIRE_DES_RELIGIONS0
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1990
• Nombre de lectures: 120
• Langue: English

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Wilfred George Lambert
Ancient Mesopotamian Gods. Superstition, philosophy, theology
In: Revue de l'histoire des religions, tome 207 n°2, 1990. pp. 115-130.
Abstract
The Sumerians organized their gods, which were deified natural forces as conceived, into a systematic pantheon for a land of city
states. This continued with modifications under the succeeding Babylonian civilization, which was politically unified. The process
of identifying originally distinct gods of similar attributes continued until some scholars identified all major gods with Marduk in a
kind of monotheism. Relics of other systems occur in the worship of mountains and rivers, and in southern Iraq itself the concept
of deity spread from the god himself to his accoutrements, abode and city.
Résumé
Les dieux de l'ancienne Mésopotamie : superstition, philosophie, théologie
Les Sumériens organisaient leurs dieux, conçus comme des forces naturelles déifiées, en un panthéon systématique qui
convenait à un pays composé de cités souveraines. Cette situation se maintint avec quelques modifications dans l'Empire
babylonien, qui était unifié politiquement. Le processus d'identification des dieux, distincts à l'origine mais avec des attributs
similaires, se poursuivit jusqu'à ce que certains érudits eussent assimilé tous les dieux importants à Marduk dans une sorte de
monothéisme. On trouve dans les textes des allusions à d'autres systèmes pour ce qui est de l'adoration des montagnes et des
rivières, et dans le sud de l'Irak, la notion de divinité s'est étendue du dieu lui-même à son équipement, son temple et sa ville.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Lambert Wilfred George. Ancient Mesopotamian Gods. Superstition, philosophy, theology. In: Revue de l'histoire des religions,
tome 207 n°2, 1990. pp. 115-130.
doi : 10.3406/rhr.1990.1735
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rhr_0035-1423_1990_num_207_2_1735W. G. LAMBERT
The University of Birmingham
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN GODS
SUPERSTITION, PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY*
The Sumerians organized iheir gods, which were deified
natural forces as conceived, into a systematic pantheon for
a land of city states. This continued with modifications under
the succeeding Babylonian civilization, which was politically
unified. The process of identifying originally distinct gods of
similar attributes continued until some scholars identified all
major gods with Marduk in a kind of monotheism. Relics of
other systems occur in the worship of mountains and rivers, and
in southern Iraq itself the concept of deity spread from the god
himself to his accoutrements, abode and city.
Les dieux de l'ancienne Mésopotamie : superstition, philosophie,
théologie
Les Sumériens organisaient leurs dieux, conçus comme des
forces naturelles déifiées, en un panthéon systématique qui conve
nait à un pays composé de cités souveraines. Celle situation
se maintint avec quelques modifications dans l'Empire babyl
onien, qui était unifié politiquement. Le processus d'identifi
cation des dieux, distincts à l'origine mais avec des attributs
similaires, se poursuivit jusqu'à ce que certains érudits eussent
assimilé tous les dieux importants à Marduk dans une sorte
de monothéisme. On trouve dans les textes des allusions à d'autres
systèmes pour ce qui est de iadoration des montagnes et des
rivières, el dans le sud de l'Irak, la notion de divinité s'est
étendue du dieu lui-même à son équipement, son temple el sa
ville.
* Texte initialement prévu pour le numeru t hermit iqup ils la НИН, « On'e^t-ce
qu'un dieu '? » (4/1У88).
lîcvue. <1p l'Histoire des fíeligion*, ccvii-2.'199O, p. 115 à 130 First, "Mesopotamia" a few is words wider than on the the subject-title. area I shall The deal with area
mostly, which is the terrain roughly between the modern
Baghdad and Basra. This small area was a cultural powerhouse
in the ancient world, Sumerian in the third millennium вс,
Babylonian in the second and first millennia. The terms
"philosophy" and "theology" have been delib"superstition",
erately chosen as raw, crude terms to avoid a powerful
terminology which would take over the subject by imposing
"superstition" the its own concepts on the discussion. By
"philosophy" is emotional content of religion is meant ;
used to refer to the rational element in religion (with an
implicit objection to those who might wish to assert that
abstract thought began with the Greeks) ; and "theology"
refers to the amalgam of these emotional and rational
elements.
The area concerned, the southern end of the Mesopotamian
plain, is not particularly hospitable for human habitation.
It is watered by the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates in
the late spring and early summer, but for most of the year
is dry, lacking any useful rainfall, and naturally devoid of
trees and most plant life, apart from the marshes adjacent
to the Persian Gulf. In summer the climate becomes unbear
ably hot, while the winter is chilly. The main natural resources
were clay, since it is an alluvial plain, and reeds, which
grew especially in the marshes. There is no local source for
metals, and not much useful stone is within reach. Yet this
area sprang ahead of the surrounding regions in material
culture at about the end of the fourth millennium вс and
remained a cultural leader until the spread of Hellenism
after Alexander. The reasons can only be guessed, but the
inhospitable terrain may be one of the factors. After 3,000 вс
there was little village settlement, towns composed most of •
■
Л ncient Mesopotam ian gods 1 17
the places where humans lived: One factor in this development,
was- certainly the need : for the mass organization! of human
labour to irrigate the cultivable land as the flood'rose. The
digging andt maintenance- of -canals (the latter especially as
the flood rose) required central direction within each ', city or
group of cities. In turn the cities resulted in a specialization of
crafts that would have been* impossible or unlikely im a
village culture. Wealthy government of> a. village- culture
could" of ; course provide resources for craftsmen supplying
luxury items, but the' early Sumerian ; city states provided:
the bases for1 both? materials and » intellectual* developments.
Furthermore,, there- is not trace oV tribal -. organization; The
cities proved melting-pots for whoever lived there.
From; the times oft the earliest surviving: knowledge
Sumerian; city governors were involved with* religion; ex:
officio. The largest buildings in each city were ■ the temples,
builť and; maintained by the governments of' the cities. In?
each' temple there was a deity who was • its owner, and that
god in the most important temple in each city was considered*
the owner- of? the city. In practice he- or- she ownedrt land
around* the city, employed labour, (both* free andf serf) to
work the land; to look after domestic animals, and' to engage-
in alii the ■ various arts and * crafts of • which ; the • temple had
need; Thus the temples werenot simplyplaces of* worship,
but were large economic organizations, . and« in' this sense
could' be compared5 with- Medieval* manors. The • very; name
reveals the concept. The ■ Sumerian ■ word * for temple was é
"house", the same word as used for any human's house. And:
this anthropomorphic concept; extends much further. The
chief deity of any temple was not the only occupant. There -
was his or her spouse, their children and, sometimes, other
relatives, then their servants and officials, all; considered;
divine. As an extreme, inithe temple of Marduk; city god of*
Babylon, it is known that during at least the periodic. 1500
to с 300 Be. Marduk had four divine dogs named "Snatcher",
"Seizer", "He got it" and- "He howled", and his wife :
118 W. G. Lambert
Zarpânïtum had two divine hairdressers1. The Sumero-Baby-
Ionian temple was a court modelled on human courts.
According to local mythology the human race had been
created by the gods to relieve them of the hard labour of
producing their, daily bread. This practically meant that the
government had to supply meals to statues of the gods
twice daily, and had to clothe these statues, periodically
providing new garments. In addition other items of personal
possession such as seals and jewellery were supplied, and
everything had to be of the best. Hence the need for fields,
workers, skilled and specialized craftsmen, workshops, etc.
So far as practicable temples were self-supporting, though
rulers regularly made personal gifts, and booty of war often
found its way to the gods. It was the duty of the ruler to
keep watch over the templ