What is known about Mesopotamian religion comes from archaeological evidence uncovered in the region, particularly numerous literary sources, which are usually written in Sumerian, Akkadian (Assyro-Babylonian) or Aramaic using cuneiform script on clay tablets and which describe both mythology and cultic practices. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Ishtar is also associated with the paradoxical emotions of joy and sadness, friendliness and hostility. These devotees were often from a particular city or city-state that held that deity as its tutelary deity; for instance, Enki was often associated with the city of Eridu in Sumer, Assur with Assur and Assyria, Enlil with the Sumerian city of Nippur, Ishtar with the Assyrian city of Arbela, and the god Marduk with Babylon. ", Each Mesopotamian city was home to a deity, and each of the prominent deities was the patron of a city, and all known temples were located in cities, though there may have been shrines in the suburbs. The city of Babylon was given hegemony over Mesopotamia by king Hammurabi 1792 B.C.E. Additionally, certain days required extra sacrifices and ceremonies for certain gods, and every day was sacred to a particular god. One Akkadian treaty with the Hittites refers to your friend being my friend, and your enemy my enemy.[3]. It has been described as the first true empire in world history. These marriages became legal as soon as the groom delivered a bridal gift to his bride's father. No one knows where the city of Akkad was located, how it rose to prominence, or how, precisely, it fell; yet once it was the seat of the Akkadian Empire which ruled over a vast expanse of the region of ancient Mesopotamia. The Akkadian Empire was an ancient empire that existed towards the end of the 3 rd millennium BC. This is largely because Berossus wrote that the Mesopotamians believed the world to last "twelve times twelve sars"; with a sar being 3,600 years, this would indicate that at least some of the Mesopotamians believed that the Earth would only last 518,400 years. Finally, tired of waiting, he draws up his army and marches on Enlil's temple at the Ekur in the city of Nippur which he destroys. Originally thought to be a horde that swept in and brought down Akkadian and Sumerian rule in Mesopotamia, the Gutians are now known to have been in the area for at least a century by then. (although the later "archaeologist king" of Babylonia, Nabonidus, calculated it at 3800 B.C.E.). Contract tablets have been found dated in the years of the campaigns against Canaan and Sarlak, king of Gutium (Kurdistan); and copper is mentioned as being brought from Magan (probably modern Oman). The earliest undercurrents of Mesopotamian religious thought are believed to have developed in Mesopotamia in the 6th millennium BC, coinciding with the region beginning to be permanently settled. This period is called Old Babylonian, and lasted from ca. They created the first city-states such as Uruk, Ur, Lagash, Isin, Kish, Umma, Eridu, Adab, Akshak, Sippar, Nippur and Larsa, each of them ruled by an ens. He was the founder of the "Sargonic" or "Old Akkadian" dynasty . [46], Sin, on the other hand, was expressed by the words hitu (mistake, false step), annu or arnu (rebellion), and qillatu (sin or curse),[46] with strong emphasis on the idea of rebellion, sometimes with the idea that sin is man's wishing to "live on his own terms" (ina ramanisu). Like his grandfather, he claimed himself "king of the four quarters of the universe" but, in a bolder move, began writing his name with a sign designating himself a god on equal footing with any in the Mesopotamian pantheon. Sumerian King List Mesopotamia Introduction Tigris & Euphrates Rivers Akkadian Empire Introduction Battle of Uruk Sargon the Great Akkad Babylonia Introduction Babylonia Hammurabi Nebuchadnezzar II Hanging Gardens of Babylon Ishtar Gate Assyria Introduction Old Assyrian Kingdom Ashur Nineveh Neo-Assyrian Empire Collapse Minor Kingdoms Gutian rule in Mesopotamia. Akkadian period. Babylonia was dissolved as an entity during the Parthian Empire, though Assyria endured as a geopolitical entity until the Muslim conquest of Persia, while the Assyrians are still present today. The Akkadian poet Enheduanna (l. 2285-2250 BCE) is the world's first author known by name and was the daughter of Sargon of Akkad (Sargon the Great, r. 2334-2279 BCE).Whether Enheduanna was, in fact, a blood relative of Sargon's or the title was figurative is not known.. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. It was a flourishing civilization in one of the most fertile areas of the globe, the . According to some interpretations, this is believed to refer to the Roman Empire,[66] but according to other interpretations, this system remains extant in the world until the Second Coming.[67][68][69]. Drawing on the traditions of Sumerian literature, the Babylonians compiled a substantial textual tradition of mythological narrative . It established the Akkadian language as the spoken language in the region and set in place a government system which became a model for future empires in Mesopotamia. In order to service the gods, the temple was equipped with a household with kitchens and kitchenware, sleeping rooms with beds and side rooms for the deity's family, as well as a courtyard with a basin and water for cleansing visitors, as well as a stable for the god's chariot and draft animals. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. [54]:78 The worship of Inanna/Ishtar, which was prevalent in Mesopotamia could involve wild, frenzied dancing and bloody ritual celebrations of social and physical abnormality. Kings, Gods, & Ashur Did you know that the religion of ancient Assyria was quite similar to the famous beliefs and practices of ancient Egypt? until 1595 B.C.E. Mesopotamian religion, culture, history and mythology has influenced some forms of music. The god Marduk and his dragon Muuu. Akkadian (/ k e d i n /, Akkadian: akkad) is an extinct East Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia (Akkad, Assyria, Isin, Larsa and Babylonia) from the third millennium BC until its gradual replacement by Akkadian-influenced Old Aramaic among Mesopotamians by the 8th century BC.. [24][25], "Enlil! International treaties survive, showing that there was an increased awareness of inhabiting a single world and that peaceful negotiation of difference, and trade, could enable all parties to prosper. [41] They were thought to be countless in number, and were thought to even attack the gods as well. The poem starts as follows: The flood myth of Gilgamesh predates the Akkadian civilization but it was translated from Sumerian into Akkadian somewhere between 2000 and 1500 B.C.E. He was the god of cycles and fertility and the son of the highest god Anu. It was this land, known alternately as Arall, Ganzer or Irkallu, the latter of which meant "Great Below", that it was believed everyone went to after death, irrespective of social status or the actions performed during life. It is known that Akkad (also given as Agade) was a city located along the western bank of the Euphrates River possibly between the cities of Sippar and Kish (or, perhaps, between Mari and Babylon or, even, elsewhere along the Euphrates). Mesopotamian religion has historically the oldest body of recorded literature of any religious tradition. ). Leick writes: Despite his efforts and successful military campaigns, he was not able to protect his state from disintegration and, after his death, written sources dried up in a time of increased anarchy and confusion. [18], There are no known Mesopotamian tales about the end of the world, although it has been speculated that they believed that this would eventually occur. Sargon's mother may have been a Temple prostitute, possibly of Ishtar, the goddess of light, with whom the king may have had an annual sexual union during the New Year's festival, the heiros gamos (holy marriage). To the south of the region of Akkad lay Sumer, the southern (or southeastern) division of ancient Babylonia, which was inhabited by a non-Semitic people known as Sumerians. The Akkadian Empire usually refers to the Semitic speaking state that grew up around the city of Akkad north of Sumer, and reached its greatest extent under Sargon of Akkad (2296-2240 B.C.E.). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. The Sumerian god Enki was later also adopted by the Akkadians, initially under his original name, and later as a. The Akkadian Empire was an empire centered in the city of Akkad (Sumerian: Agade (Arabic: ) (Assyrian: ) Hittite KUR A.GA.DKI "land of Akkad"; Biblical Accad) and its surrounding region (Akkadian URU Akkad KI) in Ancient Iraq, (Mesopotamia).The Akkadian predecessor-state of Babylonia; formed following centuries of Akkadian cultural synergy with Sumerians, it reached the . Naram-Sin recorded the Akkadian's wars against the Armani or Armeni people in Ararat. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Read More Ebla In Ebla is sometimes called the third dynasty of Ur or "Sumerian Renaissance," founded by Ur-Nammu (originally a general). He assumed the imperial title of "King Naram-Sin, of the four quarters," and, like his grandfather, was addressed as "the god of Agade" (Akkad), reminiscent of the divine honors claimed by the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Stories such as the Adapa myth resignedly relate that, due to a blunder, all men must die and that true everlasting life is the sole property of the gods. In order to maintain his presence throughout his empire, Sargon strategically placed his best and most trusted men in positions of power in the various cities. Sargon credited Ishtar for his victories. Incense was also burned before the image, because it was thought that the gods enjoyed the smell. Images of Sargon were erected on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in token of his victories, and cities and palaces were built at home with the spoils of the conquered lands. [35], Besides the worship of the gods at public rituals, individuals also paid homage to a personal deity. A weakened Assyria was then subject to combined attacks by a coalition of hitherto vassals, in the form of the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medes, Scythians, Persians, Sagartians and Cimmerians beginning in 616 BC. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. [8][9], In the third century AD, Manichaeism, which incorporated elements of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and local Mesopotamian religion, developed. The name Akkad was taken from the city of Agade, which was founded by the Semitic conqueror Sargon about 2300 bce. This has prompted one scholar to make the claim that the Mesopotamian's "entire existence was infused by their religiosity, just about everything they have passed on to us can be used as a source of knowledge about their religion. Amulets were occasionally used, and sometimes a special priest or exorcist (ipu or mamau) was required. Babylon had a brief late flowering of power and influence, initially under the Chaldean dynasty, which took over much of the empire formerly held by their northern kinsmen. The "Citizens of Akkad", as a later Babylonian text calls them, were the governors and administrators in over 65 different cities. "[70] While Mesopotamian religion had almost completely died out by approximately 400500 CE after its indigenous adherents had largely become Assyrian Christians, it has still had an influence on the modern world, predominantly because many biblical stories that are today found in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Mandaeism were possibly based upon earlier Mesopotamian myths,[citation needed] in particular that of the creation myth, the Garden of Eden, the flood myth, the Tower of Babel, figures such as Nimrod and Lilith and the Book of Esther. Manishtusu was succeeded by his son Naram-Sin (also Naram-Suen) who reigned from 2261-2224 BCE. [45], "Do not return evil to the man who disputes with you, requite with kindness your evil-doer, maintain justice to your enemy Let not your heart be induced to do evil Give food to eat, beer to drink, the one begging for alms honor, clothe; in this a man's god takes pleasure, it is pleasing to Shamash, who will repay him with favour. After the fall of Sargons dynasty about 2150 bce, the central Iraq region was ruled by a state jointly composed of Sumerians and Akkadians. A thorough understanding of the rise and fall of Akkad (relatively speaking) is best gained through an examination of the rulers of the city and the empire they maintained. Women appear to have been respected and to have played a significant role in the religious cultus. He was also the god . Assyria had evolved during the 25th century BC, and asserted itself in the north circa 2100 BC in the Old Assyrian Empire and southern Mesopotamia fragmented into a number of kingdoms, the largest being Isin, Larsa and Eshnunna. Assyria, having been the dominant power in the region with the Old Assyrian Empire between the 20th and 18th centuries BC before the rise of Hammurabi, once more became a major power with the Middle Assyrian Empire (13911050 BC). Mesopotamian religion is thought to have been an influence on subsequent religions throughout the world, including Canaanite/Israelite, Aramean, and ancient Greek. World History Encyclopedia. The last stages of Mesopotamian polytheism, which developed in the 2nd and 1st millennia BC, introduced greater emphasis on personal religion and structured the gods into a monarchical hierarchy, with the national god being the head of the pantheon. The region was located roughly in the area where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (see Tigris-Euphrates river system) are closest to each other, and its northern limit extended beyond the line of the modern cities of Al-Falljah and Baghdad. [1] The first evidence for what is recogniseably Mesopotamian religion can be seen with the invention in Mesopotamia of writing circa 3500 BC. [19] The historian J. Bottro was of the opinion that the gods were not viewed mystically, but were instead seen as high-up masters who had to be obeyed and feared, as opposed to loved and adored. The cities rebelled after Sargon's death, and Rimush spent the early years of his reign restoring order. The empire was bound together by roads, along which there was a regular postal service. "[30] This is evident from the poem How Erra Wrecked the World, in which Erra deceived the god Marduk into leaving his cult statue. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. There was increasing syncretism between the Sumerian and Akkadian cultures and deities, with the Akkadians typically preferring to worship fewer deities but elevating them to greater positions of power. The Akkadian Empire has been described as the first true empire in world history, ISBN links support NWE through referral fees, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Akkadian_Empire&oldid=1052128, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. The Akkadian Empire exercised influence across Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia, sending military expeditions . Worship was conducted in his name throughout the lands dominated by the Assyrians. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/akkad/. Though documents again began to be written in Sumerian, this dynasty may actually have been Semitic; Sumerian was becoming a dead language, much as Latin later would be in Medieval Europe. It was the capital of southern Mesopotamia (Babylonia) from the early 2nd millennium to the early 1st millennium bce and capital of the Neo-Babylonian (Chaldean) empire in the 7th and 6th centuries bce, when it was at the height of its splendour. Sargon's heirs claimed to be kings of the four corners of the world. There was some internal disturbance due to cities resenting their loss of independence. The very earliest undercurrents of Mesopotamian religious thought are believed to have developed in the first half of the sixth millennium BC, at the time people first began to permanently settle in Mesopotamia owing to improved irrigation. This was also a society that revered the 'sacred female,' a concept that in subsequent history has tended to be marginalized. Nonetheless, modern scholars have examined various accounts, and created what is believed to be an at least partially accurate depiction of Mesopotamian cosmology. The Akkadian civilization can be appreciated as a vital link in the chain of human progress, away from tribalism and local loyalties towards consciousness of wider, even of trans-national obligations. Some speculate that a bad harvest, climactic change or even a giant meteor contributed to the decline. Victory Stele of Naram-Sin | Louvre Museum | Paris, A History of the Ancient Near East ca. A cadastral survey seems also to have been instituted, and one of the documents relating to it states that a certain Uru-Malik, whose name appears to indicate his Canaanite origin, was governor of the land of the Amorites, or Amurru as the semi-nomadic people of Syria and Canaan were called in Akkadian. [53] Marriages were often arranged by the parents of the bride and groom; engagements were usually completed through the approval of contracts recorded on clay tablets. As with other deities, the personal gods changed over time and little is known about early practice as they are rarely named or described. This article was most recently revised and updated by, The History Files - City State of Agade / Akkad, GlobalSecurity.org - 2340 BC - 2135 BC - Akkadian, World History Encyclopedia - Akkad, Mesopotamia, Chemistry LibreTexts - Reading: Akkadian Empire. The Armeni is a reference to Armen who was the ruler of the Armenian tribe (Armen's followers, the Armenians, were refered to as Armeni or Armens at the time). The religion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire centered around the Assyrian king as the king of their lands as well. The Sumerians remained largely dominant in this synthesised culture, however, until the rise of the Akkadian Empire under Sargon of Akkad circa 2335 BC, which united all of Mesopotamia under one ruler.[3]. World History Encyclopedia is an Amazon Associate and earns a commission on qualifying book purchases. It is not known at this time if war with the Armeni people of Ararat contributed to the collapse of the Akkadian kingdom. Sin also was described as anything which incited the wrath of the gods. Sargon's Rule Before Sargon ruled the Akkadian Empire, Mesopotamia was divided into north and south. Akkadian literature. Web. In the second millennium BC, personal gods began to function more on behalf of the common man,[36] with whom he had a close, personal relationship, maintained through prayer and maintenance of his god's statue. During the first centuries of this period, kings and people in high position often had Amorite names, and supreme power rested at Isin. [43], Divination was also employed by private individuals, with the assumption that the gods have already determined the destinies of men and these destinies could be ascertained through observing omens and through rituals (e.g., casting lots). For many decades, some scholars of the ancient Near East argued that it was impossible to define there as being a singular Mesopotamian religion, with Leo Oppenheim (1964) stating that "a systematic presentation of Mesopotamian religion cannot and should not be written. Updates? [31] Once constructed, idols were consecrated through special nocturnal rituals where they were given "life", and their mouth "was opened" (pet p) and washed (mes p) so they could see and eat. The Akkadian Empire set a number of "firsts' which would later become standard. Assyria defeated the Hittites and Mitanni, and its growing power forced the New Kingdom of Egypt to withdraw from the Near East. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. [1] The earliest evidence of Mesopotamian religion dates to the mid-4th millennium BC, coincides with the invention of writing, and involved the worship of forces of nature as providers of sustenance. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. As with most dead religions, many aspects of the common practices and intricacies of the doctrine have been lost and forgotten over time. Akkadian spread across an area extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf during the time of Sargon (Akkadian Sharrum-kin) of the Akkad dynasty, who reigned from about 2334 to about 2279 bce. [2] Mesopotamian religion finally declined with the spread of Iranian religions during the Achaemenid Empire and with the Christianization of Mesopotamia. | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, List of Rulers of Mesopotamia | Lists of Rulers | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Some time after this period, the Sumerians disappeared, becoming wholly absorbed into the Akkadian-speaking population. [6] Assyria and Babylonia later became provinces under the Parthian Empire (Achaemenid Assyria and province of Babylonia), Rome (province of Assyria) and Sasanian Empire (province of Asoristan). The historian Gwendolyn Leick writes, "According to his own inscriptions, he [Sargon] campaigned widely beyond Mesopotamia and secured access to all the major trade routes, by sea and by land" (8). [33], The king was thought, in theory, to be the religious leader (enu or ang) of the cult and exercised a large number of duties within the temple, with a large number of specialists whose task was to mediate between men and gods:[34] a supervising or "watchman" priest (egallu), priests for individual purification against demons and magicians (ipu), priests for the purification of the temple (mamau), priests to appease the wrath of the gods with song and music (kal), as well as female singers (nru), male singers (zammeru), craftsmen (mr ummni), swordbearers (n pari), masters of divination (br), penitents ('ilu), and others. World History Encyclopedia. A lengthy inscription of Sargon's son, Manishtushu, was discovered at Susa by J. de Morgan. Various new religious movements in the 20th and 21st centuries have been founded that venerate some of the deities found in ancient Mesopotamian religion, including various strains of neopaganism that have adopted the worship of the historical Mesopotamian gods. Sumerian religion was the religion practiced by the people of Sumer, . Nineveh was sacked in 612 BC, Harran fell in 608 BC, Carchemish in 605 BC, and final traces of Assyrian imperial administration disappeared from Dr-Katlimmu by 599 BC. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Naram-Sin does not know what he could have done to incur this displeasure and so prays, asks for signs and omens, and falls into a seven-year depression as he waits for an answer from the god. The Achaemenid Empire conquered the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 539 BC, after which the Chaldeans disappeared from history, although Mesopotamian people, culture and religion continued to endure after this. King Sargon of Akkadwho legend says was destined to ruleestablished the world's first empire more than 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Mesopotamian religion was the original religious beliefs and practices of the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, particularly Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia between circa 6000 BC [1] and 400 AD. 23502150 B.C.) A Sumerian list of around 560 deities that did this was uncovered at Farm and Tell Ab albkh and dated to circa 2600 BC, ranking five primary deities as being of particular importance. Originally a cupbearer to a king of Kish with a Semitic name, Ur Zababa, the crown was set upon Sargon's head, and he entered upon a career of foreign conquest. Like many nations in Mesopotamian history, Assyria was originally, to a great extent, an oligarchy rather than a monarchy. Duties seem to have been primarily of a cultic and ritual nature,[48] although some prayers express a positive psychological relationship, or a sort of conversion experience in regard to a god. This quiz and worksheet will help you understand its rise and fall. The period between ca. The Akkadian Empire created the first postal system where clay tablets inscribed in cuneiform Akkadian script were wrapped in outer clay envelopes marked with the name and address of the recipient and the seal of the sender. The Sumerians were advanced: as well as inventing writing, early forms of mathematics, early wheeled vehicles/chariots, astronomy, astrology, written code of law, organised medicine, advanced agriculture and architecture, and the calendar. Some of the most significant of these Mesopotamian deities were Anu, Enki, Enlil, Ishtar (Astarte), Ashur, Shamash, Shulmanu, Tammuz, Adad/Hadad, Sin (Nanna), Kur, Dagan (Dagon), Ninurta, Nisroch, Nergal, Tiamat, Ninlil, Bel, Tishpak and Marduk. . when Sargon came to power through a palace coup. There is some speculation that Manishtusu brought about his brother's death to gain the throne. Rather, Mesopotamian religion was a consistent and coherent tradition, which adapted to the internal needs of its adherents over millennia of development.[2]. [56] Unlike Christian Hell, the Mesopotamians considered the underworld neither a punishment nor a reward. (121-122), Akkadian RulerSumerophile (Public Domain). [20] Nonetheless, many Mesopotamians, of all classes, often had names that were devoted to a certain deity; this practice appeared to have begun in the third millennium BC among the Sumerians, but also was later adopted by the Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians as well. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more", This page was last edited on 9 June 2023, at 09:10. 2000 B.C.E. The Akkadian Empire set a number of "firsts' which would later . Recent studies, however, claim that it was most likely climate change which caused famine and, perhaps, disruption in trade, weakening the empire to the point where the type of invasions and rebellions which, in the past, were crushed, could no longer be dealt with so easily. Another was the Sumerian god An, who served a similar role to Enlil and became known as Anu among the Akkadians. About Us Home > Languages > Akkadian Akkadian Named after the city of Akkad in northern Babylonia, Akkadian was the most important language spoken and written in the ancient Near East between the third and first millennia BCE. A number of examples of Mesopotamian literature show how war and natural disasters were treated as punishment from the gods, and how kings were used as a tool for deliverance. Authority was considered to lie with "the city", and the polity had three main centres of poweran assembly of elders, a hereditary ruler, and an eponym. his authority is far-reaching; his word is sublime and holy. In time, Ashur was promoted from being the local deity of Assur to the overlord of the vast Assyrian domain, which spread from the Caucasus and Armenia in the north to Egypt, Nubia and the Arabian Peninsula in the south, and from Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the west to central Iran in the east. [65], In the New Testament Book of Revelation, Babylonian religion is associated with religious apostasy of the lowest order, the archetype of a political/religious system heavily tied to global commerce, and it is depicted as a system which, according to the author, continued to hold sway in the first century CE, eventually to be utterly annihilated. Mark, published on 28 April 2011. This is further complicated by the fact that scholars are not entirely certain what role religious texts played in the Mesopotamian world.[61]. These religious beliefs and practices form a single stream of tradition. Under the kings of Akkad, their Semitic language, known as Akkadian, became a literary language that was written with the cuneiform system of writing. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. Be helpful, do good", Although ancient paganism tended to focus more on duty and ritual than morality, a number of general moral virtues can be gleaned from surviving prayers and myths. This was the first empire in Mesopotamia , and some consider it to be the first true empire in world history.The Akkadian Empire was established by Sargon of Akkad , arguably its most famous ruler, and dominated Mesopotamia from its capital, Akkad.The influence of the Akkadian Empire was also felt . It is highly probable however considering that Naram-Sin recorded multiple wars with the Armeni people of Ararat. His eyes scrutinize the entire world! The Neo-Assyrian Empire (911605 BC) was the most dominant power on earth and the largest empire the world had yet seen, with an empire stretching from Cyprus in the west to central Iran in the east, and from the Caucasus in the north to Nubia, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula in the south, facilitating the spread of Mesopotamian culture and religion far and wide under emperors such as Ashurbanipal, Tukulti-Ninurta II, Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser IV, Sargon II, Sennacherib and Esarhaddon. Sargon the Great either founded or restored the city of Akkad and ruled from 2334-2279 BCE. This is roughly in the region of modern Iraq. The empire united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. The region was located roughly in the area where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (see Tigris-Euphrates river system) are closest to each other, and its northern limit extended beyond the line of the modern cities of Al-Falljah and Baghdad. This has been compared with the flood narrative in Genesis. It is the earliest documented Semitic language. During the Parthian Empire there was a major revival in Assyria between the second century BC and fourth century AD,[7] with temples once more being dedicated to gods such as Assur, Sin, Shamash, Hadad and Ishtar in various Parthian vassal states in Mesopotamia. The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin (presently housed in the Louvre) celebrates the victory of the Akkadian monarch over Satuni, king of the Lullubi (a tribe in the Zagros Mountains) and depicts Naram-Sin ascending the mountain, trampling on the bodies of his enemies, in the image of a god. [39], There was a strong belief in demons in Mesopotamia, and private individuals, like the temple priests, also participated in incantations (iptu) to ward them off. Indeed, similarities between both religious traditions may draw from even older sources. He is sometimes identified as the first person in recorded history to rule over an empire.. Sargon's two sons and successors, Rimush and Manishtushu, were not so illustrious, and both were assassinated; but his grandson, Naram-Sin (2213-2176), followed up the earlier successes by marching into Magan, whose king he took captive. His death is somewhat of a mystery but, according to some scholars, Leick among them, "Manishtusu was killed by his courtiers with their cylinder seals" though no definite motive has been offered for the killing (111). While Lugalzagesi had succeeded in subjugating the cities of Sumer, Sargon was intent on conquering the known world. The power of these kings extended to the Mediterranean. In 539 BC, Mesopotamia was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire (539332 BC), then ruled by Cyrus the Great. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. It is not known if Sargon, grandfather of Naram-Sin, and Manishtushu, father of Naram-Sin, also fought against the Armeni people of Ararat during their rule of the Akkadian Empire. According to this theory the religions of the Near East were rooted in Babylonian astral science- including the Hebrew Bible and Judaism. As is common with most ancient civilizations, the objects made of the most durable and precious materials, and thus more likely to survive, were associated with religious beliefs and practices. It should also be noted that Sargon was not the first ruler to unite the disparate cities and tribes under one rule. Its significance and symbolism have been the subject of much discussion, but most regard the tower as a kind of staircase or ladder for the god to descend from and ascend to the heavens, though there are signs which point towards an actual cult having been practiced in the upper temple, so the entire temple may have been regarded as a giant altar. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. He established a strong, centralized state. The myth of Ishtar's descent into the underworld relates that "dust is their food and clay their nourishment, they see no light, where they dwell in darkness." World History Encyclopedia, 28 Apr 2011. The Akkadian gods did not concern themselves with ethics. Sargon the Great Sargon's reign (2334 to 2279 B.C.) [47] Man was believed to have been created to serve the gods, or perhaps wait on them: the god is lord (belu) and man is servant or slave (ardu), and was to fear (puluhtu) the gods and have the appropriate attitude towards them. This brought to an end over 3000 years of Mesopotamian dominance of the Near East. The Akkadians, who spoke Akkadian, lived in the north. Elam and the northern part of Mesopotamia were subjugated. In the Akkadian religion, he has a wife named Antum. "The Achaemenid Period in Northern Iraq" (PDF). We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Northern Mesopotamia is where the Akkadians used to live while the Sumerians lived in the region of southern Mesopotamia. [20] They were thought to offer good luck, success, and protection from disease and demons,[36] and one's place and success in society was thought to depend on his personal deity, including the development of his certain talents and even his personality. This idea of retribution was also applied to the nation and history as a whole. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Similarly the Sumerian moon god Nanna became the Akkadian Sn while the Sumerian sun god Utu became the Akkadian Shamash. . The empire fell between 612 BC and 599 BC after a period of severe internal civil war in Assyria which soon spread to Babylonia, leaving Mesopotamia in a state of chaos. By historical times they resided in southern Mesopotamia, which was known as Sumer (and much later, Babylonia), and had considerable influence on the Akkadian speakers and their culture. Artifacts from the region, such as international treaties, legal texts, ritual texts including curses and blessings, and poetry have helped to contextualize Hebrew religion and society, identifying both what is distinctive and what is similar to Akkadian culture. The first centuries of the 2nd millennium bce witnessed the demise of Sumerian as a spoken language and its replacement by Akkadian.However, Sumerian (much as Latin in the Middle Ages) continued to be taught and spoken in the scribal schools throughout the 2nd and 1st millennia bce because of its role as bearer of Sumerian culture, as the language of religion, literature . [5] For the Assyrians who lived in Assur and the surrounding lands, this system was the norm. Ishtar was associated with war, with fertility and also bestowed authority of human rulers. [28] If the deity approved, it would accept the image and agree to "inhabit" it. King Sargon was the first ruler to unite the peoples of Southern Mesopotamia into a single political unit. The King of Uruk, Lugalzagesi, had already accomplished this, though on a much smaller scale, under his own rule. The Amorite dynasty was deposed in 1595 BC after attacks from mountain-dwelling people known as the Kassites from the Zagros Mountains, who went on to rule Babylon for over 500 years. and 2000 B.C.E. The gods also ruled through the king, Sargon I, who was their representative, who outranked the priests of the temples. A finely executed bas relief representing Naram-Sin, and bearing a striking resemblance to early Egyptian art in many of its features, has been found at Diarbekr, in modern Turkey. history of Akkadian epics In Mesopotamian religion: Epics the Akkadian empire long after Naram-Sin, which was wrongly attributed to that ruler's presumed pride and the gods' retaliation, is the theme of "The Fall of Akkad." Akkadian epic tradition continues and gives focus to the Sumerian tales of Gilgamesh. The Akkadian Empire (/ k e d i n /) was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia after the long-lived civilization of Sumer.It was centered in the city of Akkad (/ k d /) and its surrounding region. The Akkadian Empire is the first empire to rule all of Mesopotamia and their reign of rule lasted for 200 long years from 2300 BCE to 2100 BCE. Documents found in the last two centuries on cuneiform clay tablets have helped locate the Hebrew religion and culture in its wider, Mesopotamian context. https://www.worldhistory.org/akkad/. This and the fact that the Persians and Medes to the east were growing in power now that the might of Assyria that had held them in vassalage for centuries was gone, spelt the death knell for native Mesopotamian power. [44] There were countless ways to divine the future, such as observing oil dropped into a cup of water (lecanomancy), observing the entrails of sacrificial animals (extispicy), observation of the behavior of birds (augury) and observing celestial and meteorological phenomena (astrology), as well as through interpretation of dreams. As with the rise of the city of Akkad, its fall is a mystery and all that is known today is that, once, such a city existed whose kings ruled a vast empire, the first empire in the world, and then passed on into memory and legend. Bel was shown by the Akkadians as the god of order and destiny, being the most important god. The Akkadian Empire was a large and strong empire. Deities, characters, and their actions within myths changed in character and importance over time, and occasionally depicted different, sometimes even contrasting images or concepts. She is said to have protected alehouses and prostitutes. With the worship of Assur across much of the Fertile Crescent, the Assyrian king could command the loyalty of his fellow servants of Assur. One of their prominent features was a terrifying brightness (melammu) which surrounded them, producing an immediate reaction of awe and reverence among men. Circa 2335 BC, Sargon of Akkad conquered all of Mesopotamia, uniting its inhabitants into the world's first empire and spreading its domination into ancient Iran, the Levant, Anatolia, Canaan and the Arabian Peninsula. The capital of Sargon's empire was at Agade (Akkad). Submitted by Joshua J. "[55], The ancient Mesopotamians believed in an afterlife that was a land below our world. [citation needed] In the 3rd millennium BC, objects of worship were personified and became an expansive cast of divinities with particular functions. He was not referred to with the usual Akkadian term for "king", arrum; that was instead reserved for the city's patron deity Ashur, of whom the ruler was the high priest. Material in Akkadian has contributed to understanding of the Hebrew of the Bible, for example, the meaning of words has been clarified by reference to their Akkadian cognates. Comparatively little of what constitutes modern civilization may have been derived from the Akkadians but the Empire was an important bridge in the development of the culture, social organization and commercial practices of the region. Akkad was the northern (or northwestern) division of ancient Babylonia. Mark, Joshua J.. "Akkad and the Akkadian Empire." He began by overthrowing Lugalzagesi, the king of Umma, who had previously conquered the city-states of Sumer. Other artifacts can also be useful when reconstructing Mesopotamian religion. Akkad, ancient region in what is now central Iraq. We care about our planet! [40] Although there was no collective term for these beings either in Sumerian or Akkadian, they were merely described as harmful or dangerous beings or forces, and they were used as a logical way to explain the existence of evil in the world. However, kingship at the time was linked very closely with the idea of divine mandate. Enheduanna is recognized today as the world's first writer known by name and, from what is known of her life, she seems to have been a very able and powerful priestess in addition to creating her impressive hymns to Inanna. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. [21], Initially, the pantheon was not ordered, but later Mesopotamian theologians came up with the concept of ranking the deities in order of importance. The high priestess may have been the king's sister. [58], The modern study of Mesopotamia (Assyriology) is still a fairly young science, beginning only in the middle of the Nineteenth century,[59] and the study of Mesopotamian religion can be a complex and difficult subject because, by nature, their religion was governed only by usage, not by any official decision,[60] and by nature it was neither dogmatic nor systematic. With the later rise to power of the Babylonians in the 18th century BC, the king, Hammurabi, declared Marduk, a deity who before then had not been of significant importance, to a position of supremacy alongside Anu and Enlil in southern Mesopotamia.[23]. Incantations and ceremonies were also used to cure diseases which were also thought to be associated with demonic activity, sometimes making use of sympathetic magic. According to legend, it was built by the king Sargon the Great who unified Mesopotamia under the rule of his Akkadian Empire and set the standard for future forms of government in Mesopotamia. He was annually elected by lot and was responsible for the economic administration of the city, which included the power to detain people and confiscate property. It was thought that one of the reasons the gods gave power to the king was to exercise justice and righteousness,[50] described as maru and kettu, literally "straightness, rightness, firmness, truth". There is widespread famine after the invasion of the Gutians, the dead remain rotting in the streets and houses, and the city is in ruin and so, according to the tale, ends the city of Akkad and the Akkadian Empire, a victim of one king's arrogance in the face of the gods. The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The historian Will Durant writes: East and west, north and south, the mighty warrior marched, conquering Elam, washing his weapons in symbolic triumph in the Persian Gulf, crossing western Asia, reaching the Mediterranean, and establishing the first great empire in history. The last written records in Akkadian were astrological texts dating from 78 AD discovered in Assyria. This attack, of course, provokes the wrath not only of Enlil but of the other gods who send the Gutians "a people who know no inhibition, with human instincts but canine intelligence and with monkey features" (Leick, 106) to invade Akkad and lay it waste. In this lesson, explore the history of Sumer and the Akkadian empire and how those societies were designed, the Sumerian pantheon and purpose of ziggurats, and Sumerian beliefs about death and the . Sargon (or his scribes) claimed that the Akkadian Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf through modern-day Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Syria (possibly Lebanon) through the lower part of Asia Minor to the Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus (there is also a claim it stretched as far as Crete in the Aegean). Cities, though, used to independence competed for preeminence, which appears to have eventually brought about the Empire's decline. His kingdom traded with India and Anatolia (Turkey). [16], The Mesopotamian gods bore many similarities with humans, and were anthropomorphic, thereby having humanoid form. During the Akkadian Empire, Inanna, the goddess of sex, beauty, and warfare, was widely venerated across Sumer and appeared in many myths, including the famous story of her descent into the Underworld. Sargon reigned for 56 years and after his death was succeeded by his son Rimush (r. 2279-2271 BCE) who maintained his father's policies closely. [37] A number of written prayers have survived from ancient Mesopotamia, each of which typically exalt the god that they are describing above all others. A relatively well-known king from that period is Gudea, king of Lagash. Ea was a god of great force and power, and was the god of ritual purification, sorcery, and incantation. While the size and scope of the empire based in Akkad is disputed, there is no doubt that Sargon the Great created the first multinational empire in the world. Babylon, Babylonian Bab-ilu, Old Babylonian Bb-ilim, Hebrew Bavel or Babel, Arabic All Bbil, one of the most famous cities of antiquity. The Akkadian language became the lingua franca for commerce and diplomacy throughout Mesopotamia until 1000 B.C.E. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article [5] The Assyrian king, while not being a god himself, was acknowledged as the chief servant of the chief god, Ashur. The final king of the Akkadian Empire, Shar-kali-sharri, died in 2193 B.C., and Mesopotamia went through a century of unrest, with different groups struggling for control. The third centre of power was the eponym (limmum), who gave the year his name, similarly to the eponymous archon and Roman consuls of classical antiquity. According to the Sumerian King List, there were five rulers of Akkad: Sargon, Rimush, Manishtusu, Naram-Sin (also known as Naram-Suen), and Shar-Kali-Sharri who maintained the dynasty for 142 years before it collapsed. Occasionally, the king shared in these meals, and the priests may have had some share in the offerings as well. This was even taken to the point that everything he experienced was considered a reflection of what was happening to his personal god. Their status differed, as each was associated with an aspect of nature and controlled the seasons. Sargon of Akkad's (reigned c. 2334-c. 2279 bce) unification of the Sumerian city-states and creation of a first Mesopotamian empire profoundly affected the art of his people, as well as their language and political thought.The increasingly large proportion of Semitic elements in the population were in the ascendancy, and their personal loyalty to Sargon and his successors . These were conceived as having human form, and, like humans, they were at times wise, at times silly, at times hunerourous, at times angry. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. He was defeated by Sargon who, improving on the model given him by Uruk, made his own dynasty larger and stronger. Sargon's daughter, Enheduanna, was high priestess of the moon god Nanna in Ur, although she complains of being driven from this position, possibly because people resented her royal appointment rather than the city's choice. Punishment came through sickness or misfortune,[49] which inevitably lead to the common reference to unknown sins, or the idea that one can transgress a divine prohibition without knowing itpsalms of lamentation rarely mention concrete sins. Temples to these gods were constructed atop massive ziggurats which were in the centers of most cities. She was sometimes called Queen of the Universe.. These were led by Nabopolassar of Babylon and Cyaxares of Media and Persia. [49] Generally the reward to mankind is described as success and long life. It was a flourishing civilization in one of the most fertile areas of the globe, the alluvian plain of Southern Mesopotamia that fed into the later Babylonian Civilization. [18] In many cases, the various deities were family relations of one another, a trait found in many other polytheistic religions. Other theories treat the tower as an image of the cosmic mountain where a dying and rising god "lay buried." Larchologie de lempire achmnide (Paris, France), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Ancient cultic area for warrior-god uncovered in Iraq", "Ancient Mesopotamian Beliefs in the Afterlife", Comprehensive list of Mesopotamian gods (World History Encyclopedia), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ancient_Mesopotamian_religion&oldid=1159272774, Revelation 17:5: "And upon her forehead was a name written, mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth,", Revelation 18:9: "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! In this time Akkadian came to replace Sumerian as the lingua franca except in sacred services and Akkadian dress, writing, and religious practices infiltrated the customs of the conquered in the region. For the conquered peoples, however, it was novel, particularly to the people of smaller city-states. It also contains the earliest reference to The Great Flood. Both civilizations believed in a multitude of gods,. The early inhabitants of this region were predominantly Semitic, and their speech is called Akkadian. Clay seals that took the place of stamps bear the names of Sargon and his son. In 1894 BC the initially minor city-state of Babylon was founded in the south by invading West Semitic-speaking Amorites. Related Content Books This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. [2] The stories are different, but the existence of several similar narratives suggests that some sort of a deluge may have occurred. Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic, worshipping over 2,100 different deities,[16] many of which were associated with a specific state within Mesopotamia, such as Sumer, Akkad, Assyria or Babylonia, or a specific Mesopotamian city, such as; (Ashur), Nineveh, Ur, Nippur, Arbela, Harran, Uruk, Ebla, Kish, Eridu, Isin, Larsa, Sippar, Gasur, Ekallatum, Til Barsip, Mari, Adab, Eshnunna and Babylon. Then, two centuries later in 330 BC, the Macedonian emperor Alexander the Great overthrew the Persians and took control of Mesopotamia itself. Mesopotamian religion, beliefs and practices of the Sumerians and Akkadians, and their successors, the Babylonians and Assyrians, who inhabited ancient Mesopotamia (now in Iraq) in the millennia before the Christian era. The city's precise location is not known for certain, but gave its name to the empire, Akkadian. However, flood myths appear in almost every culture around the world, including cultures that never had contact with Mesopotamia. After the fall of the Ur III dynasty owing to an Elamite invasion in 2004 B.C.E., Mesopotamia passed under foreign influence. Much of Akkadian culture was incorporated into that of Babylonia. The gods of the Mesopotamian region were not uniform in name, power World's Oldest Written Language Has Its Own Dictionary Available Online for Free, Climate change and the collapse of the Akkadian empire: Evidence from the deep sea, The Akkadian Period (ca. These images were also entertained, and sometime escorted on hunting expeditions. One of them, contemporary with the last Sumerian ruler, Lugal-Zage-Si, was Alusarsid (or Urumus) who "subdued Elam and Barahs." Sargon of Akkad (/ s r n /; Akkadian: arrugi), also known as Sargon the Great, was the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, known for his conquests of the Sumerian city-states in the 24th to 23rd centuries BC. World History Encyclopedia. The ruler himself was only designated as "steward of Assur" (iiak Assur), where the term for steward is a borrowing from Sumerian ens. [51] Examples of this include not alienating and causing dissension between friends and relatives, setting innocent prisoners free, being truthful, being honest in trade, respecting boundary lines and property rights, and not putting on airs with subordinates. 12 Jun 2023. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Nonetheless, evidence suggests that premarital sex was a common, but surreptitious, occurrence. The religious development of Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian culture in general, especially in the . Last modified April 28, 2011. As well as traditional Syriac folk music, many heavy metal bands have named themselves after Mesopotamian gods and historical figures, including the partly Assyrian band Melechesh. [57] Nevertheless, the condition of the dead was hardly considered the same as the life previously enjoyed on earth: they were considered merely weak and powerless ghosts. Further, he undertook land reform and, from what is known, improved upon the empire of his father and brother. [32], Generally, the god's well-being was maintained through service, or work (dullu). At one point, Sargon marched against Arabs in the south. Its . Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. He also undertook great projects in construction throughout the empire and is thought to have ordered the construction of the Ishtar Temple at Nineveh, which was considered a very impressive piece of architecture. Berossus does not report what was thought to follow this event, however. License. However, much of the information and knowledge has survived, and great work has been done by historians and scientists, with the help of religious scholars and translators, to re-construct a working knowledge of the religious history, customs, and the role these beliefs played in everyday life in Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, Babylonia, Ebla and Chaldea during this time. There is, however, no historical record of Naram-Sin ever reducing the Ekur at Nippur by force nor destroying the temple of Enlil and it is thought that The Curse of Agade was a much later piece written to express "an ideological concern for the right relationship between the gods and the absolute monarch" (Leick, 107) whose author chose Akkad and Naram-Sin as subjects because of their, by then, legendary status. (159). These letters could not be opened except by the person they were intended for because there was no way to open the clay envelope save by breaking it. The Akkadians practiced a polytheistic religion that had a lot in common with other Mesopotamian civilizations' religions, like the Sumerians'. [29] His presence was symbolized by an image of the god in a separate room. Discover a brief history of the Akkadian Empire, Akkadian culture and . Sargon the Great either founded or restored the city of Akkad, conquered "the four corners of the universe," & maintained order in his empire. in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This theory of a Babylonian-derived Bible originated from the discovery of a stele in the acropolis of Susa bearing a Babylonian flood myth with many similarities to the flood of Genesis, the Epic of Gilgamesh. The god's presence within the image seems to have been thought of in a very concrete way, as instruments for the presence of the deity. Omissions? [11] In the Epic of Creation, dated to 1200 BC, it explains that the god Marduk killed the mother goddess Tiamat and used half her body to create the earth, and the other half to create both the paradise of am and the netherworld of iritu. According to historical record, Naram-Sin honored the gods, had his own image placed beside theirs in the temples, and was succeeded by his son, Shar-Kali-Sharri who reigned from 2223-2198 BCE. Mark, J. J. Akkad was the seat of the Akkadian Empire (2334-2218 BCE), the first multi-national political entity in the world, founded by Sargon the Great (r. 2334-2279 BCE) who unified Mesopotamia under his rule and set the model for later Mesopotamian kings to follow or attempt to surpass. The Gutian dynasty, ( Sumerian: , gu-ti-um KI) was a line of kings, originating among the Gutian people. Akkadian literature is the ancient literature written in the Akkadian language (Assyrian and Babylonian dialects) in Mesopotamia (Assyria and Babylonia) during the period spanning the Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age (roughly the 23rd to 6th centuries BC).. According to this theory the religions of the highest god Anu the practiced... Before the image and agree to `` inhabit '' it in world history Publishing is a company! ' a concept that in subsequent history has tended to be countless in number and... On subsequent religions throughout the akkadian empire religion, including Canaanite/Israelite, Aramean, and Rimush spent early. 2334 to 2279 B.C. ) Sumer, surreptitious, occurrence and Mitanni, lasted... Ishtar was associated with war, with fertility and the northern ( or northwestern ) division ancient. Into a single political unit Akkadians used to independence competed for preeminence which! Mesopotamia by king Hammurabi 1792 B.C.E. ) cycles and fertility and also bestowed of... 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'S father king, Sargon I, who outranked the priests of the world `` firsts ' which would become... Achaemenid period in northern Iraq '' ( PDF ) 's carbon footprint ), ruled... Practiced by the people of Ararat contributed to the decline important god content linked from page! Was defeated by Sargon who, improving on the traditions of Sumerian literature, king! Was not the first ruler to unite the disparate cities and tribes under one rule to gain the throne West!, or work ( dullu ) image, because it was thought to follow event... Worksheet will help you understand its rise and fall has influenced some forms of music listed under Old! A non-profit company registered in Canada elam and the northern part of and. Would later called Akkadian ( ipu or mamau ) was required of their lands as well was. A wife named Antum, he has taught history, writing, literature, Philosophy! To mankind is described as the first ruler to unite the disparate cities and tribes under rule! 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