Mythology & Folklore Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [mesopotamia]

For questions linked to the area between Tigris and Euphrates, corresponding to modern-day Iraq. See also the sumeria tag.

For questions related to the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, corresponding to modern-day Iraq and Syria.

Considered a "Cradle of Civilization", this area was home to the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian. The first true written language was invented here, in the form of cuneiform.

See also: .

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What is the meaning of the star symbols appearing on seal VA 243?

Here is the picture of cylinder seal VA/243. Image credits: Z. Sitchin This seal was named like that because it is number 243 in the collection of the Vorderasiatische Museum in Berlin. What is the correct meaning of the star symbol (including 11…
kenorb
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Was the story of Adam and Eve influenced by Sumerian Ninti and Enki?

Was the story of Adam and Eve from Book of Genesis influenced by the Sumerian story of Enki and Ninti? On Wikipedia page about Ninti we can read: Some scholars suggest that this served as the basis for the story of Eve created from Adam's rib in…
kenorb
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Are Noah and Ziusudra the same person?

There are similarities between the stories of Noah from the Bible and Ziusudra hero of the Sumerian flood epic. Both stories describe a flood myth. Based on what kind of information/similarities we can say that both stories describe the same flood…
kenorb
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Was the constellation named after the Bull of Heaven?

On the Wikipedia page we can read: In Babylonian astronomy, the constellation was listed in the MUL.APIN as GU4.AN.NA, "The Bull of Heaven". In the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest works of literature, the goddess Ishtar sends…
kenorb
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Significance of Enoch's age in the Hebrew Bible and identification with seventh antediluvian king/sage from Mesopotamian mythology

In the Hebrew Bible, Genesis 5:23 records Enoch's age as 365 years. As far as I can tell based on my review of the BHS and Göttingen LXX apparatus, there are no alternate readings of this number as 354 nor as 364 years.1 Several scholars have noted…
Dan
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Which myth says that Eve wasn't the first wife of Adam, but Lilith?

According to the Hebrew Bible and Islamic tradition, Eve is known as Adam's wife. However some other works suggested something opposite. Which myths suggest that Biblical Eve wasn't the first wife of Adam?
kenorb
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How many Annunaki were living on Earth at the peak of their time?

The Anunnaki were a group of deities in ancient Mesopotamian culture. How many of them were there at the peak time (which we know about)? For example on Wikipedia page we can read: In the Epic of Creation, it is said that there are 300 lgigu of…
kenorb
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Who is the female figure in the Nirgul tablet?

The Nirgul tablet (also known as Cerberus relief) was a Parthian relief carving of the Mesopotamian god Nergal, a three-headed dog and a seated female figure: According to Wikipedia, which cites Lucinda Dirven's paper A Goddess with dogs from…
yannis
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Why does Shamash help the trapper rather than Enkidu?

In episode I of The Epic of Gilgamesh, why does Shamash help the trapper rather than Enkidu, a creation of his peers who was created to help the people oppressed by Gilgamesh?
Anonymous
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Literature for mesopotamian seven-tiered cosmos?

Reading up on the (excellent) Gilgamesh epic, I found a note for the 11th tablet (where Uta-Napishti - the 'original' Noah) describes the seven-tiered layout of the Ark. The author appended a note stating that some scholars believe this is a poetic…
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How did the ranking system for the Sumerian pantheon work?

According to this source, the gods had some numerical ranks as below: Anu (ranking #60) Antu (ranking #55) Enlil (ranking #50) Ninlil / Sud (ranking #45) Enki / EA (ranking #40) Ninki / Damkina (ranking #35) Nanna / Nannar / Sin / El (ranking…
kenorb
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How did the Assyrians imagine the underworld?

There's an exhibit of two reconstructed Assyrian graves in the Pergamon Museum. The description on the display vaguely mentioned the "Mesopotamians" thought the underworld was very similar to the land of the living; vibrant cities where the dead…
yannis
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How did Gilgamesh die?

Do we know how and in which circumstances Gilgamesh died? According to these answers seems that The Epic of Gilgamesh doesn't mention that, however Wikipedia page mention something about Sumerian poem - The Death of Gilgamesh.
kenorb
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Did the inhabitants of the ancient Near East believe in an ocean in the sky?

An ocean in the sky shows up quite a lot in depictions, for example Psalms 148:4: Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! But finding good evidence for it in Egyptian and Mesopotamian mythology, etc is hard. It does…
Reggie O'Donoghue
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What are the major branches of Mesopotamian mythology?

Mesopotamia refers to a group of civilizations inhabiting the regions of the Tigris and Euphrates. Most people know of the hero Gilgamesh, but many may be unclear as to the distinctions between the mythologies of the cultures included under the…
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