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Mesopotamian Gods & Religion

Welcome to our captivating exploration of Mesopotamian gods and religion, where we delve into the fascinating realm of ancient belief systems and spiritual practices that shaped the lives of the people of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was home to a rich and complex pantheon of gods and a vibrant religious landscape that influenced the social, cultural, and political fabric of the region.

In this section of our website, we invite you to step into the world of Mesopotamian gods and religion, where each article unveils a different facet of the ancient beliefs and rituals. From the major deities to the sacred rites and temple practices, we unravel the tapestry of religious life that defined the spiritual outlook of the Mesopotamians.

Eve tempted by the serpent in a paradise illustrated according to the texts of the Bible. An image showing good and evil in one scene.
3 March, 2024 - 21:54 Natalia Klimczak

Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess?

Lilith, an ancient mythological figure and one of the oldest known female spirits in the world, has embodied various roles across cultures. In some sources she has been described as a demon, while in...
Sumerian priestess. Source: Oleksandr / Adobe Stock.
4 October, 2023 - 18:50 Joanna Gillan

Sumerian King Iddin-Dagan Copulated with a Priestess in a Public Annual Ritual

In the annals of history, we have witnessed a myriad of unique, and at times, bizarre traditions that have defined civilizations and their leaders. One such tradition that stands tall in its peculiar...
Lady with an elegant headdress
11 August, 2019 - 20:48 Weam

Ningal: The Mesopotamian Goddess Awakening Female Mysticism

In the city of Ur, where the first settlements in the marshes of southern Mesopotamia were built with reeds without any type of nails or woods, Ningal was born to Ninhursag and Enki. Her name means...
Ninurta
27 October, 2018 - 18:52 Caleb Strom

Ninurta: God of War and Agriculture

Ninurta was a Mesopotamian deity associated with war, agriculture, and the scribal arts. He could be thought of as a defender of civilization against chaos. Ninurta was originally revered in southern...
The Descent of Inanna into the Underworld: A 5,500-Year-Old Literary Masterpiece
2 January, 2017 - 14:49 dhwty

The Descent of Inanna into the Underworld: A 5,500-Year-Old Literary Masterpiece

The Descent of Inanna (known also as ‘Inanna’s Descent to the Netherworld / Underworld’) is a piece of work in the literary corpus of ancient Mesopotamia. This story, which was originally written in...
Many stories from mythology are misinterpreted. ‘Norandino and Lucina Discovered by the Ogre’ (1624) by Giovanni Lanfranco. (Public Domain) Image of the Sumerian god Enki. Modern reproduction of a detail of the Adda seal (c. 2300 BC). (Public Domain) Assyrian relief carving from Nimrud, 883–859 BC, depicting a so-called handbag. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) ‘Eve Tempted by the Serpent’ (1799-1800) by William Blake. (Public Domain) By Priscilla Vogelbacher
30 January, 2019 - 14:00 P.R.I.S.S.

The Nephilim, Anunnaki and More: Four Common Mistakes Made When Interpreting Mythology

The 19th century gave us some of the best work on mythology, but much of it has been ignored over time. Since around the 1960s, when excitement was at its peak regarding space travel and the moon...
Detail of Painting ‘Astarte Syriaca.’
13 May, 2021 - 03:56 Katrina Sisowath

Goddess Ninkharsag—Ancient Powerful Mother who Faded into The Holy Ghost

The tale of our creation we know from the Bible is only half the story—one which has been heavily edited. But have you ever wondered how god created male and female in his image? There are other...
Ordered universe and cuneiform (Public Domain) and Akkadian cylinder featuring Anunnaki.
21 May, 2021 - 01:52 Jason Jarrell

Anunnaki Revealed: Who Were These Beings of Ancient Astronaut Theory? – Part I

The modern era has witnessed an incredible surge in the popularity of all forms of media concerning the mythology of the ancient Mesopotamians. Fueling this ever-growing trend are the writings of a...
Detail of Tiamat.
28 May, 2019 - 01:53 dhwty

Tiamat, Mesopotamian Mother Goddess: From Chaos to Creation

Tiamat is an ambiguous deity who played an important role in the creation myth of ancient Mesopotamia . She was their personification of the primordial sea, from which the first generation of gods...
The “Burney Relief,” which is believed to represent either Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, or her older sister Ereshkigal, Queen of the underworld (c. 19th or 18th century BC).
25 April, 2018 - 01:48 ancient-origins

In Ancient Mesopotamia, Sex among the Gods Shook Heaven and Earth

Sexuality was central to life in ancient Mesopotamia, an area of the Ancient Near East often described as the cradle of western civilisation roughly corresponding to modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, and...
Detail of a modern depiction of the goddess Ishtar.
25 June, 2017 - 14:04 ancient-origins

Love is a Battlefield: The Legend of Ishtar, First Goddess of Love and War

Louise Pryke / The Conversation As singer Pat Benatar once noted, love is a battlefield . Such use of military words to express intimate, affectionate emotions is likely related to love’s capacity to...
Marduk
17 August, 2018 - 02:04 Veronica Parkes

Marduk: Babylonian King of Gods and Reportedly Liberator of the Jews

Most people have heard of Zeus, Odin, or Jupiter, but not many have heard of Marduk. Born to the mother and father of all Babylonian gods, Marduk clawed his way to the top becoming the head of the...
Nabu: Ancient Mesopotamian God of Scribes and Wisdom
15 February, 2021 - 22:10 Aleksa Vučković

Nabu: Ancient Mesopotamian God of Scribes and Wisdom

Nestled in the fertile region around the River Tigris and Euphrates, the historical region of ancient Mesopotamia has long been regarded as one of the earliest cradles of civilization. Home to...
The Mythical Dilmun and The Island of the Dead
11 October, 2016 - 21:57 Jason Jarrell

The Mythical Dilmun and The Island of the Dead

In Sumerian mythology, the mythical Dilmun was known as the bright and pure land, a paradise where sickness and death did not exist. The land of Dilmun was filled with divinely ordained and abundant...
Anahita and Ishtar: Connections to the Planet Venus
5 December, 2016 - 03:47 Caleb Strom

Anahita and Ishtar: Connections to the Planet Venus

Anahita was a goddess associated with water, fertility, wisdom, warfare, and eventually the planet Venus. During the Achaemenid dynasty in Persia, she became incorporated into the Zoroastrian...
Ritual site - cultic platform found under the war god’s temple. Source: British Museum.
30 March, 2020 - 22:56 Ed Whelan

Ritual Site Dedicated to Mesopotamian War God Discovered in Iraq

Archaeologists working in Iraq have made an intriguing discovery. They have found a sacred area that was dedicated to a Mesopotamian war god. The site is up to 5,000 years-old and is in one of the...
Ancient demon. Credit: pixelleo / Adobe Stock
22 December, 2019 - 23:00 Ed Whelan

Mesopotamian ‘Demon of Epilepsy’ Discovered on 2700-Year-Old Tablet

A researcher studying an ancient Assyrian cuneiform tablet has found an image of a demon. The demon was believed to have been the cause of epilepsy. The tablet was used to treat health conditions,...
Ereshkigal.
5 May, 2018 - 18:58 dhwty

Ereshkigal: The Mighty Mesopotamian Goddess of the Underworld

“Namtar made his voice heard and spake, addressed his words to Ereshkigal, "Send me to Anu your father, and let me arrest the god! Let me take him to you, that he may kiss you again!" - Excerpt from...
Mesopotamian god
26 March, 2019 - 12:53 dhwty

Utu - Shamash: Mesopotamian God of the Sun, Justice and the Underworld

Utu was a solar deity and god of justice in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon, and also served as a judge in the Underworld. Whilst Utu was the god’s name in Sumerian, he was known in Akkadian as...
Fall of the Titans". Oil on canvas by Jacob Jordaens, (1638) (Public Domain)
16 February, 2022 - 16:00 Willem McLoud

Were All The Nephilim Giants Or Men Of Renown?

It is often assumed that the biblical ‘Nephilim’ were all Giants. The Nephilim, however, entail much more and can be traced back to a much richer tradition found in ancient Mesopotamia about the...
Representational image of Enki.
18 June, 2019 - 19:39 dhwty

Enki: The Epic Mesopotamian Water God Who Saved Humanity

In the belief system of the Sumerians, Enki (known also as Ea by the Akkadians and Babylonians) was regarded to be one of the most important deities. Originally Enki was worshipped as a god of fresh...
The Nephilim Tradition From Ancient Sumer
3 June, 2020 - 18:46 Willem McLoud

The Nephilim Tradition From Ancient Sumer

The oldest literary tradition about great heroic kings claiming to have been scions of the gods dates back to the Sumerian King List in which the First Dynasty of Uruk is described as having been...
pper part of a gypsum statue of a Sumerian woman. The hands are folds in worship.
13 May, 2018 - 22:32 dhwty

Nammu: A Forgotten Tale of the Sumerian Mother of Gods

Nammu was the primeval Sumerian mother goddess who gave birth to the gods and created humanity. Despite her extremely important role, much of her story is wrapped in mystery. Some information can be...
Sumerian warriors
27 April, 2019 - 15:13 dhwty

The Sumerian Seven: The Top-Ranking Gods in the Sumerian Pantheon

The Sumerian religion was polytheistic in nature, and the Sumerians worshipped a great number of deities. These deities were anthropomorphic beings, and were meant to represent the natural forces of...