Mesopotamia

Religion

Gods and Goddesses

Shared traits and appearances of humans (Anthropomorphic)

Immortal They ate, drank, got married, had

children They experienced human emotions If a natural disaster occurred people

believed one of the gods were angry

Sumer and Religion

People worshipped many different gods and goddesses (polytheistic)

Sumerians believed in over 3000 deities Their main deities were associated with

nature Sumerians believed that the gods lived

in the skies (heavens) and ruled over the earth

Below the earth was the underworld They believed that humans were made

from clay and the were put on the earth to serve the gods

Mesopotamians believed that their gods lived in the heavens, but that they also visited the earth

They built high temples called ziggurats terraced pyramids with shrines

They would leave food daily at these shrines for the gods to eat while they were in the temple

Religious Beliefs and Practices

The gods controlled all aspects of the human and natural world.

Mesopotamians developed a strong mythology

They used this mythology to tell stories about the gods and their relationships with the world

People would consult the oracles (someone who could interpret the signs of the gods)

Religious festivals were common and competitions and games would be held

Death and the Afterlife

Mesopotamians feared death Once dead they believed they entered

a bleak underworld that was a place no one returned from.

It was important that the dead had their treasures with them in the afterlife, because they were alone.

Social Organization

Assignment

With your elbow partner choose 3 levels of the social pyramid in Mesopotamia each and describe them.

Read your textbook pages 56-57 to help you