God of water in the Mesopotamia. Gods of Ancient Mesopotamia

Water is life. It is difficult to disagree with this statement. We accept it, because we know the important role played by water in human life. Without food, people can manage for more than a month, and without liquid will not live a day. This was known to the inhabitants of the ancient countries of the Middle East, which are now called Mesopotamia. They had a cult of worshiping the gods, which, in fact, were the personification of the forces of nature. Among them, one of the most revered was the god of water spaces Ea. Many of us know where Mesopotamia is, but only a few have heard of what this ancient human civilization lived. It will take a long time to fully cover this issue, so we will limit ourselves to just one small part of it. Let's talk about what the god of water in Mesopotamia was, why people worshiped him and what sacrifices they made. The ancient Sumerian myths will best tell us this.

A few words about the amazing ancient Mesopotamia

What the Mesopotamia map looks like, we remember from the history lessons that took place in high school. At different times, on the territory between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, in the Middle East, there were four large states: Akkad, Assyria, Sumer, Babylonia. This civilization, which arose several millennia ago, was also called Mesopotamia. At different times there were large cities with their unique culture and customs. Among them are Babylon, Uruk, Kish, Akshak, Larsa, Lagash. We have received written sources about the events of those distant times, recorded on clay tablets. Archaeologists and to this day are digging in this area and find evidence of the existence of that distant and ancient civilization.

The Religion of the Mesopotamia

On the territory of Mesopotamia, separate city-states existed for a long time, each of which had its own political system. In all such settlements there was a cult of a local patron god. In the center of the city a temple was built in his honor. All social life was concentrated around the sacred dwelling of the deity. Talk about a single religion of the peoples of the ancient Mesopotamia is not necessary, but with the emergence of large state entities in this territory the situation has changed. The map of the ancient Mesopotamia changed, and with it the life of people changed. If we talk about religion, then we can say that at that time a single pantheon of gods was formed, which, however, did not remain stable.

At first such education arose among the Sumerians. In such a pantheon were the gods of the first order: Anu (the god of the sky), Ea (god of water), Enlil (god of the air). After them followed a series of second-order gods, there were twelve of them, and then there were thirty minor gods. The priests of the Mesopotamia, who served at the temples, developed their complex system of organizing the world. Her positions were reflected in numerous myths. So to this day the legends of how the heaven and earth separated, as God created water and much more. In the Mesopotamia, there were unique customs, which later had a great impact on the global culture.

Culture of the ancient Mesopotamia

Historians believe that Mesopotamia is one of the oldest centers of civilization on earth. At one time there lived about 10% of the entire population of our planet. What does Mesopotamia represent? What inventions did we get from the inhabitants of these countries? It was here that the first written system - cuneiform writing - arose in the history of mankind. Residents of the ancient Mesopotamia wrote on a soft clay with a pointed reed stick. At first, they were drawings, denoting words, and then signs appeared. The culture of the Mesopotamia is extraordinarily rich. It is known that, for example, the Sumerians already at that time had certain knowledge in the field of mathematics and astronomy. They became the authors of the oldest calendar, library catalog, prescription guide. One of the most valuable contributions to world culture is the Sumerian epic poem The Legend of Gilgamesh. Residents of the ancient Mesopotamia left behind a lot of myths about the lives of gods and people. These ancient legends explain to us how the forces of nature act from the point of view of the inhabitants of Mesopotamia. The gods of the ancient Mesopotamia are the personification of the terrestrial and water elements that are not subject to man.

Ea - the god of water in Mesopotamia

How did the inhabitants of the ancient Mesopotamia portray the lord of the water spaces? In their opinion, it was an old man with a beard and a fish tail. In his hands was a lamp. Particularly revered by his fishermen of the coastal islands. During the excavations of the altars of this deity, many fish bones were found. Apparently, so people tried to appease the sea lord. It was believed that he was supportive of them. In the Sumerian myths, he appears to be the creator of people, gods and the world. Ea - wise, sometimes cunning, very kind. Many gods of the Mesopotamia lost these qualities. The list is given above. Often they, like, for example, the god of air Enlil, were hostile to people. Ea not only created man and all living things on Earth, he taught people to plant gardens, plant bread, flax, collect medicinal herbs. He was often portrayed with a sickle, a hoe or an ax. It was believed that especially this god patronizes the Sumerian city of Eridu. Here stood the main temple of Ea, which was called E-Abzu.

If you recall the story, you can see that many people considered their gods patrons of fresh and sea waters. For example, the ancient Greek god of water Poseidon, according to the myths of the ancient Hellenes, was one of the three major Olympian gods, along with Zeus and Hades. Only in contrast to Ea, he had a violent temper, anger and quick temper. The God of the water of the Sumerians is kind to other patrons and condescending to the people.

The gods of ancient Mesopotamia

Anu - the supreme god of the sky, reigns in heaven and never descends to the earth, is one of the three most important patrons of the ancient Mesopotamia, along with Enlil and Ea. In addition, it is considered a symbol of supreme power. According to an ancient Sumerian myth, the gods of the Mesopotamia once decided to force Anu to share their power. In response, he created seven evil demons and sent darkness to the god of the moon, as a result of which the heavenly body was captured and freed only by the intervention of the all-powerful and kind Ea.

Adad - the god of thunder, lightning and wind, personifies the forces of nature, which can both destroy (hailstones, floods, etc.), and revitalize (rain).

Ashur - the master of fate, Father Anu - was portrayed with a bow in the hands of the center of the radiant solar disk.

Baal is the god of storm, thunder, lightning and rain, life-giving for nature. Always dies (drought, wilting, famine) and is resurrected (soil fertility, the flowering of nature).

Zervan is the god of time and destiny. According to ancient myths, was a two-sexed being. Identifies an infinite time.

Marduk is the son of the god of water Ea. Written sources of Ancient Mesopotamia report that he was able to heal and knew magical spells. It was Marduk who, with the help of his savvy, defeated Tiamat, whose war with his father Ea, who killed Apsu, unleashed. Marduk was especially revered by the Babylonians. It was believed that he patronized the city. God's body parts were compared to plants and animals. It was said that its entrails are lions, the spine is cedar, the fingers are reeds, the skull is silver, and the outpouring of the seed is gold. Marduk was dedicated to a special holiday - Tsakmuku.

Mitra is the god of friendship and treaties, the protector of truth and justice. Every day he swept across the sky in a solar chariot. Especially Mitra was favorable to those who honored him. He gave them victory over enemies and wisdom. Usually Mithra was portrayed as a brave warrior armed with a torch and a knife. The paintings in the ancient tombs of noble people tell how the god of friendship defeated the bull by killing him. All the birds, animals and plants appeared from the body of this animal.

Sin - god of the air and lord of the moon. This deity was usually depicted as an old man with a long beard sitting in a boat. Every night in a boat in the form of a crescent moon, he travels through the starry sky. It was believed that Shin destroys the dark plots of intruders, shedding moonlight on their black deeds.

Teshub - the god of thunder. He was revered throughout Asia Minor. Teshuba was depicted as a bearded man with a club in his hands. His symbols are an ax and lightning. In the countries of the ancient Mesopotamia, there was a myth that the wise and fearless Ea helped Teshub to defeat the terrible huge monster Ullikumme, created from diorite. God of water sawed the sky and earth, which led to the weakening of the giant. As a result, the monster was defeated.

Utu-Shamash. In the Akkadian mythology, Shamash, in Sumerian mythology he corresponds to Utu. Keeper of truth and justice, sun god. He was portrayed with rays above his head and with a sickle-shaped knife in his hand. Every day he traveled through the sky, and at nightfall descended into the underworld, giving light to the dead.

Elohim is the father of all gods and people, the creator of the universe. According to myths, he lived in the center of the universe, at the "source of both Oceans". The ancient Sumerians pictured him to be an old man with a big beard and a kind eye, in long clothes and in a horned tiara, and sometimes in the form of a bull.

Enlil - the son of Anu - the god of air and wind. They believed that he was malevolent toward people, sent them pestilence and famine, drought and floods that destroyed crops. He was compared to a roaring wind and a wild unmanageable bull.

The Pantheon of the Ancient Mesopotamia

It is known that in the ancient country of Mesopotamia there were many different gods. Each of them had its own "field of activity". In their significance they were arranged in the following order:

1. Ea - the god of water, Anum - the supreme lord of the sky, Enlil - patron of air and wind.
2. Shamash is the sun god. It was portrayed as an old man with a high turban on his head.
3. Syn. The moon god is an old man with a long silver beard crossing the sky at night in a golden boat.
4. Nergal - the god of the underworld, sends people deadly diseases, unleashes bloody wars.
5. Naboo is the god of wisdom, the patron of calligraphers and scribes. According to Sumerian mythology, is a grandson of Ea.
6. Marduk is the son of Ea, patron of the city of Babylon.
7. Ishtar is the goddess of love and fertility, strife and war. She was the patroness of the heather and easily accessible women.
8. Ninurta is the god of a happy war, the patron of cattle breeding and farming.

The main temple of Ea

As the Mesopotamia map looked like, we know from historical sources that have survived to this day. Clay tablets, found during the excavation of some of the largest Sumerian cities, can shed light on the distant past of the peoples who once inhabited Mesopotamia. From the same sources we know that the inhabitants of cities often built temples in honor of their gods. And they did it in a special way. Firstly, a special plot of land was allocated for the construction of the temple in the city. Secondly, the sacred structure was erected in corners in strict accordance with the wind rose. The sanctuary of rectangular shape was oriented to the sides of the world. The temple was considered the dwelling of God. In the ancient Sumerian city of Eridu there was such a structure, called E-Abzu, which meant "the world ocean of underground fresh waters". In it reigned Ea - the god, especially revered by inhabitants of the given settlement. In this sanctuary sacrifices were often performed. During the excavations of the city, in the part where the temple stood, many fish bones were found. By sacrificing fish, the inhabitants tried to appease their patron Ea, asking him for help and assistance in matters.

The myth of the origin of the gods

How did Ea come about? How did other gods appear - lords of heaven, earth and the afterlife? In the Sumerian myths, the creation of which is calculated in the middle of the fourth millennium BC, it is described as follows. The world of the gods came from chaos. First, the ruler of the underground fresh waters of Apsu and the patron of the world ocean of Tiamat united, and as a result, the first deities that symbolized the masculine (Lahmu) and feminine (Lahama) origins took place. The Sumerians represented these creatures in the form of huge ugly monsters. Lahmu and Lahama, in turn, gave birth to the goddess of the land of Kishar and the god of Heaven Anshar. These creatures already had a human form. They had many children and grandchildren, among whom were the lord of the air Enlil, the master of the sky Anu and Ea (Enki) - the god of water. In the Mesopotamia especially revered the latter. After all, the fertility of the earth and the health of livestock depended on it.

But back to our story about the origin of the gods. Soon, numerous descendants so tired of Apsu with their complaints and abuse, that he decides to destroy them all. Tiamat warns his children about the impending threat. God of water Ea, famous for his cunning and ingenuity, became the savior of all the gods. He read a spell over Apsu, as a result of which the progenitor fell asleep in a sound sleep. Then Enki wrapped him in chains and killed him. On the site of the death of Apsu, the god of water built a temple. He married the goddess Damkin. As a result of this union, Marduk's son was born to his spouses, who later became the patron of the richest city of the Mesopotamia-Babylon.

The myth of the creation of man

The ancient god of water Ea in Sumerian myths was considered not only the creator of other patrons, but also of people. This is how people from the countries of the Mesopotamus told about this many thousands of years ago.

Ea among the gods was distinguished by special wisdom and cunning. More than once the lords of heaven and earth turned to him for help, as to the most powerful, just and judicious among them. Once the gods complained to Ea that they had no servants, no one to serve them, no one to serve wine. Wise Enki, having heeded the requests of his brethren, took soft clay from a spring filled with sweet water, and created a man from it. But it turned out for him not at once, but only with the seventh attempt. The man created was very weak and unfit for life. Compared to the gods, he was weak and powerless. It is possible that just as weak were the inhabitants of ancient Mesopotamia facing the formidable and ruthless forces of nature. The gods of Mesopotamia are the personification of an uncontrollable element that could both destroy and give strength to life.

The myth of the Flood

Similar tales are found in the religion of many peoples. But for the inhabitants of the Mesopotamia myth of the Flood had a special meaning. If, for the Egyptians, the floods of the Nile River, which bring fertile silt, were a source of prosperity and prosperity, for Sumerians the floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were disastrous. Water flooded their crops, thereby condemning people to starvation. This is how the ancient Sumerian myth of the Flood came to us.

Once the gods, who saw the strength of people who had been working on their own to get bread, began to fear the strengthening of the power of people on earth. And then the rulers of heaven and earth decided to put an end to their servants once and for all. A tool for killing the gods chose a flood, which was supposed to wash people off the face of the earth. But the kind and wise Ea decides to save one of the kings, so that he later could continue the human race. For this, the god of water reveals the secret of the impending flood to the king of Siparra, who in turn manages to build a large ark. The plan of the god of water was a success. King Siparra was saved by surviving the flood in the built ark, and his descendants eventually settled the earth.

We learned about who the god of water was for the ancient Sumerians. In Mesopotamia, where he was revered as the creator of people and all life on earth, amazing myths were written about him, most of which have reached our days.