MESOPOTAMIAMESOPOTAMIA

THE LAND BETWEEN TWO THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERSRIVERS

LAND BETWEEN TWO LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERSRIVERS

TIGRISTIGRISANDAND

EUPHRATESEUPHRATES

SUMERIANSSUMERIANS

THE FIRST BUSINESSMENTHE FIRST BUSINESSMEN

CUNIEFORM WRITINGCUNIEFORM WRITING

EVOLUTION OF EVOLUTION OF CUNIEFORMCUNIEFORM

TOKENS TO TABLETSTOKENS TO TABLETS

TOPICS OF MESOPOTAMIAN TOPICS OF MESOPOTAMIAN WRITINGWRITING

• BUSINESS RECORDS (MAJORITY)BUSINESS RECORDS (MAJORITY)• RELIGIOUS TEXTSRELIGIOUS TEXTS• COURT RECORDSCOURT RECORDS• CONQUEST LISTSCONQUEST LISTS

EARLY SUMERIAEARLY SUMERIA

SUMERIAN RELIGIONSUMERIAN RELIGION

SAME RELIGION FOR MOST OF SAME RELIGION FOR MOST OF THE CULTURES OF THE CULTURES OF

MESOPOTAMIA WITH A FEW MESOPOTAMIA WITH A FEW ADDITIONSADDITIONS

SOURCESSOURCES

• SACREDOTAL LIBRARY OF SACREDOTAL LIBRARY OF NIPPER(THE RELIGIOUS CENTER OF NIPPER(THE RELIGIOUS CENTER OF SUMER)SUMER)

• TEMPLE AND PALACE OF NINEVEHTEMPLE AND PALACE OF NINEVEH• TEMPLE AND PALACE LIBRARY OF TEMPLE AND PALACE LIBRARY OF

ASSURASSUR

GENERAL RELIGIOUS GENERAL RELIGIOUS CONCEPTSCONCEPTS

• HUNDREDS OF GODS( SKY, WAR HUNDREDS OF GODS( SKY, WAR BRICKS)BRICKS)

• GODS WERE SUPERMENGODS WERE SUPERMEN• GODS COULD BE EVIL, GOOD, BOTH, GODS COULD BE EVIL, GOOD, BOTH,

INDIFFERENTINDIFFERENT• CITY-STATE GODS AND GENERAL CITY-STATE GODS AND GENERAL

COUNTRY GODSCOUNTRY GODS• AFTERLIFE-LAND OF SHEOL(A AFTERLIFE-LAND OF SHEOL(A

LAND OF DREARY LIFELAND OF DREARY LIFE

SUMERIAN GODSSUMERIAN GODS• AN--------------#1 GOD, CREATOR, SKYAN--------------#1 GOD, CREATOR, SKY GODGOD• ENLIL---------LORD OF AIR,CHOSEENLIL---------LORD OF AIR,CHOSE RULERS OF SUMERRULERS OF SUMER• ENKI----------LORD OF EARTH ANDENKI----------LORD OF EARTH AND WISDOMWISDOM• UTU-----------SUN GODUTU-----------SUN GOD• INNANNA---LOVE GODDESSINNANNA---LOVE GODDESS• DUMUZI-----KING OF URUK,DIEFIEDDUMUZI-----KING OF URUK,DIEFIED• NERGAL-----GOD OF WAR AND DISEASENERGAL-----GOD OF WAR AND DISEASE

ZIGGURATZIGGURAT

PRIESTSPRIESTS

SUMERIAN GOVERNMENTSUMERIAN GOVERNMENT

THIS GOVERNMENT VALID FOR THIS GOVERNMENT VALID FOR SUMERIA, SUMERIA,

BABYLONIA,CHALDEABABYLONIA,CHALDEA

KING(KING(ELECTED UNTIL 2800BCELECTED UNTIL 2800BC))UPPER HOUSE LOWER HOUSEUPPER HOUSE LOWER HOUSE (ELDERS)(ELDERS) ( ARMS BEARING MEN )( ARMS BEARING MEN )

PRIESTSPRIESTS

ARISTOCRACYARISTOCRACY (LAND OWNERS)(LAND OWNERS)

COMMON CITIZENSCOMMON CITIZENS SLAVESSLAVES (CAPTIVES OR DEBTORS)(CAPTIVES OR DEBTORS)

SUMERIAN SOCIAL SUMERIAN SOCIAL CLASSESCLASSES

• NOBLESNOBLES• COMMON FREE MENCOMMON FREE MEN• SLAVESSLAVES

SUMERIAN LITERATURESUMERIAN LITERATURE

THE GILGAMESH EPICTHE GILGAMESH EPIC

THE CITY OF URTHE CITY OF UR

THEN AND NOWTHEN AND NOW