Mythology of the Middle East

General Overview

Texts date back to 2,500Some of the oldest texts ever discovered

Mesopotamia

Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern-day Iraq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8v2vRlLL58&feature=related

Mesopotamia

Name derived from an ancient Greek term meaning “the land between rivers”

By 5000 BC people had settled the southern portion of the river valley

Mesopotamian life flourished thanks to the practice of farming

Land is extremely fertile

Rain is inconstant

Use of irrigation

MesopotamiaDevelop cities 4000-3500 BC

Cities were a center of their livesBuilt Ziggurats – stepped tower

Major cities include Sumer and Babylon

Poorer families seldom had meat, whereas wealthier families ate it regularly.

Beef, lamb, pork, goat, ducks, and geese were the meats of choice. Fish, turtles, and shellfish were plentiful in the rivers and canals.

Grain Barley and Wheatporridge or ground into flour and baked as unleavened bread.

Mesopotamian ReligionUsed statues to maintain constant reverence

Worshipped hundreds of godshttp://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/gods/explore/exp_set.html

Anu – father of the gods; god of the sky

Enlil – god of the air

Utu – god of the sun and truth and justice

Nanna – moon god

Inanna – goddess of love and war

Ninhursag – goddess of the earth

Enki – god of fresh water, wisdom, and magicPeople felt little to no connection to these deities

Depended on a relationship with their own personal god

Mesopotamian Literature

Includes their myths, epics, folktales, prayers, hymns, proverbs, personal letters, and fables

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Code of Hammurabi

Modern Influence

Modern literature still contains referencesPeople seem to be more fascinated with ancient Egypt than anything else

Persia

Middle Eastern empire

Persia

Major cities include Persepolis, Susa, and Pasargadae

Located in Modern-day Iran

Lavish culture both in life and in death

Believe in one major god with other helper gods

Ahura Mazda – the great god

Mithra – god of the sun

Anahita – goddess of all waters

Ahriman – god of evil in conflict with Ahura Mazda

Egypt

Developed around 4000-3000 BC along the Nile river

Egyptian Religion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUC2F0hf5Mc - intro to their religion

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html - list of gods

Egyptian Literature

Devoted to the myths surrounding their gods and goddesses

Tombs contained directions to the underworld

Loved stories of adventure, folk tales, poetry, fairy tales, and biographies.