Mesopotamian studies: Divination
Summary :
Table of Contents
- Introduction.
- The ever-present divinity.
- Different ways for the Mesopotamians to ascertain or predict the future.
- Texts uncovered when the library of Assurbanipal was excavated.
- Dream divination.
- Conclusion.
- Bibliography.
Abstract
"In the eyes of the Mesopotamians, everything in the world was divinatory." The entire natural world shared a divine presence, according to the mesopotamian beliefs within their religion. The mesopotamian deities ruled supreme over the natural world. Their gods were always represented in a supreme and transcendent way over humans, who they had created to serve them on earth. The ideogram (and cuneiform image) for god literally looks a star, representing the heavens and the superiority of the gods. The cult of the gods was based on the idea that humans had been created by the gods for the sole purpose of providing for and serving the gods. There were many gods, each whom served their own purpose or were related to a specific part of the natural world. The Mesopotamians believed that these gods controlled the fate of humans on earth, leading to the extensive efforts of humans to please the gods. They built extraordinary temples for the gods, where they served lavish feasts and stored large quantities of precious items and economic supplies.
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