Download THE SUMERIANS

Enheduanna, Priestess and Poet
the world’s first known writer
The Enheduanna Research Pages
Women in Ancient Mesopotamia
Inanna: The Opera
Original tablet
Reconstuction of alabaster disk,Philadephia
Enheduanna’s Inscription
Here are the first 4 lines of cuneiform:
1) en-he-du-an-na.....................En-he-du-ana,
2) MUNUS.NUNUZ.ZI.............zirru priestess
3) dam-nanna........................... wife of the god Nanna,
4) dumu-...................................daughter
The inscription continues:
5) sarru-GI............................ of Sargon,
6) [ lugal]............................... [king] of
7) KIS................................... the world (Kish),
8) e-INANNA.ZA.ZA............. in the temple of the
goddess
9) uri.KI-ma-ka...................... Inanna- ZA.ZA in Ur,
10) bara-si-ga........................ made a socle and
11) bi-e-du
12) bara bansur-an-na...........named it: 'dais, table of
13) mu-se bi-sa......................the god An'.
THEOCRACY:
Kings: Servants of the Gods
The powerful gods communicate their desires to
humanity through the medium of a powerful
priestly class or autocratic king who serves as the
intermediary.
- Government of the gods/priest class
- Ruler may be divine himself, or chosen by the
god/gods
- Each city had its own gods
This system centralizes power in the hands of a
small group of people and gives political
decisions a religious authority
Sumerian King List
The City Center
 Temples served civic
and religious purposes
 Daily sacrifices and
rituals
 Storage of surplus
grain and other foods
 Dwelling of priests
and priestesses

Locale where
craftsmen and artisans
could practice their
trades
Ziggurats: Temples to the Gods
Gilgamesh, the
Hero-King
 Ruled in Sumer c. 2700 bc
 Epic of Gilgamesh
chronicles his reign
 Evolves from selfish,
uncontrolled autocrat to
benevolent ruler via:
 friendship
 rebellion
 loss
 quest
 recognition of mortality
 acceptance of responsibilty
and service to the goddess
Ishtar (Inanna)
LAWS: The Code of
Hammurabi, ca. 1760 bce
 2350 bce law reform by King
Urukagina of Lagash to protect
exploited citizens
 21st c. bce: earliest extant law code
from Ur-Nammu (1000 years before
the 10 Commandments
Law-Codex of Hammurabi,first half of the 18th
century BCE, Basalt, Louvre
Full Text of the Code of Hammurabi
Continual warfare among Sumerian
city states and against invading
tribes eventually led to the downfall
of Sumerian civilization. But the
influence of Sumerian civilization
was felt in throughout the Near East,
Egypt, India, the Mediterranean
civilizations: Crete, Mycenae,
Greece, Rome, and in JudeoChristian traditions.
A stele is a monolithic monument that commemorates
an historical event.
The Stele of Naram Sin has a formality and rigidity
similar to Egyptian art.
Compare its strong diagonal composition with the
Victory Stele of Naram Sim
c. 2300- 2200 B.C.E.
61/2' tall, sandstone
horizontal registers of the Standard of Ur.
Flood Myths
Flood myths are present on every continent
 Leeming: “The pattern behind the many forms that the
flood myth takes is the archetype of the productive
sacrifice…. The flood myth…reminds us that life depends
on death, that without death there can be no cycle, no birth.
 Floods connected with cleansing, washing away of
blunders or evil
 Spared survivors are heroes of a new life
Ante- Diluvian
 Blundered
creation
 Error or evil by
mankind
 Period of
degradation
Post- Diluvian
 Sacrifice and thanksgiving
 Salvation of survivors
 Retreat of gods from intimate
relationship with mankind
But: new and renewed relationship
between humanity and divine
consecrated
 Humans must work to live:
learned arts and skills for survival
Mesopotamian and Hebrew Flood Myths
 Gilgamesh text: ca. 2000 bce
 Utnapishtim or Ziusudra
 Enlil annoyed by human noise
 Ea/Enki warns Utnapishtim in
dream of oncoming flood
 Boat built in 7 days
 Contents: family, kin, animals,
craftsmen, gold
 6 days and 6 nights of rain and
rising water
 Ishtar (Inanna) regrets divine
council’s decision
 Boat lands on Mt. Nisir
 Dove, swallow and raven released
 Sacrifice and libation
 Ishtar’s necklace set in sky as token












Genesis text: ca. 1000 bce
Noah
God dismayed by evil of mankind
Noah chosen as righteous man
Noah follows God’s directions to
build ark
Contents: family, 7 of clean
beasts, 2 of unclean
40 days and 40 nights of rain
All mankind perishes except
Noah’s family
Ark lands on Mt. Ararat
Raven, dove, dove released\
Burnt offerings
Rainbow sent in sky as token of
new covenant between God and
mankind.