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 to help you