The Intent Behind the Enuma Elish
The Enuma Elish, often known as The Creation Epic, is often considered the primary source of Mesopotamian cosmology. However, to view the Enuma Elish as a cosmological myth obscures the true intent of the epicís author. The cosmological elements of the Enuma Elish are secondary to the authorís effort to explain the supremacy of Marduk, to justify absolute oriental monarchy, and to defend Babylon as the axis mundi.
The Enuma Elish was composed in Babylonin the early second millennium B.C.E. The decay of Sumerian civilization allowed the Old-Babylonian Empire to become the cultural and political center of Mesopotamia. Babylon was governed by absolute and despotic kings capable of wielding enough power to ensure the continued existence of massive building projects and large-scale irrigation. The harsh environment of Mesopotamia often necessitated the absolute rule by a king powerful enough to command the resources required to maintain civilization.
The poet behind the Enuma Elish sought to justify the position and government of Ba...
Like the Greek Theogony, the creation of the world in the Enuma elish begins with the universe in a formless state, from which emerge two primary gods, male and female:
"Sumerian/Babylonian When on HIgh (Enuma Elish) "Creation and Marduk." [Dennis Bratcher, Tr. Http://www.cresourcei.org/enumaelish.html]." Ancient Mythology East and West. Comp. David Branscome. Print.
Foucault once stated, “Our society is one not of spectacle, but of surveillance; under the surface of images, one invests” (301). By this, he means that our society is full of constant supervision that is not easily seen nor displayed. In his essay, Panopticism, Foucault goes into detail about the different disciplinary societies and how surveillance has become a big part of our lives today. He explains how the disciplinary mechanisms have dramatically changed in comparison to the middle ages. Foucault analyzes in particular the Panopticon, which was a blueprint of a disciplinary institution. The idea of this institution was for inmates to be seen but not to see. As Foucault put it, “he is the object of information, never a subject in communication”(287). The Panopticon became an evolutionary method for enforcing discipline. Today there are different ways of watching people with constant surveillance and complete control without anyone knowing similar to the idea of the Panopticon.
Panic disorder is an anxiety-repeated disorder that affects approximately five percent of the population (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). A diagnosis of panic disorder requires that the individual experiences recurrent panic attacks with any of the following: worry about the possibility of future attacks, avoiding places or situations in which the individual fears a panic attack may occur, fear of being unable to escape or obtain help, or any other change in behavior due to the attacks (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). Panic attacks are often sudden and the sufferer usually experience physical symptoms such as autonomie, otoneurological, gastrointestinal,or cardiorespiratory distress (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). Individuals who suffer from panic disorder typically utilize medical services at a higher rate than those who do not have panic disorder, an impaired social life, and a reduced quality of life (Taylor, 2006). Often times those who suffer from panic disorder may also suffer from depression and general anxiety (Taylor, 2006). According to the Stanford University School of medicine, approximately 50 percent of patients diagnosed with panic disorder will develop depression and approximately 50 percent of depressed patients will develop panic disorder (Taylor, 2006). In addition those who suffer from panic disorder have a higher incidence of suicide, especially those with comorbid depression (Taylor, 2006). Not everyone who experiences a panic attack suffers from panic disorder (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). The same physical symptoms of panic disorder may occur when an individual is faced with specific fears and potentially dangerous situations (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). The difference b...
A panic attack is an unexpected, strong experience of fear joined with an irresistible feeling of threat, escorted by physical symptoms of anxiety. A person with panic disorder may have frequent panic attacks and feel stern anxiety about having another attack (Rosemary Purcell, Paul Maruff, Michael Kyrios, and Christos Pantelis, Arch Gen Psychiatry 1998). The disorder characteristically begins in young adulthood, but older people and children can be involved. Characteristically, a first panic attack appears to come suddenly, occurring as a person is busy in some normal doings like driving a car or walking to work. Unexpectedly, the person is struck by a barrage of scary and painful symptoms. Initial panic attacks may occur when people are under considerable stress, from an excess of work, for instance, or from the loss of a family member or close friend. The attacks may also follow surgery, a severe accident, sickness, or childbirth. Extreme consumption of caffeine or use of cocaine or other refreshment drugs or medicines can also trigger panic attacks (Jeremy D. Coplan, Raymond Goetz, Donald F. Klein, Laszlo A. Papp, Abby J. Fyer, Michael R. Liebowitz, Sharon O. Davies, and Jack M. Gorman, Gen Psychiatry 1998). In panic disorder, panic attacks persist and the person fears having another attack. As noted earlier, this fear called anticipatory anxiety can be there most of the time and critically obstruct with the person's life even when a panic attack is not in development. People who develop these panic-induced phobias will be likely to keep away from situations that they fear will activate a panic attack, and their lives may be increasingly restricted thus. Many people with panic disorder stay powerfully worried about their...
Creation stories have profound effects on humans. Those associated with ancient cultures/civilizations aim to ensure the successful survival or well-being of themselves and that particular culture/civilization of their association, but not all are beneficial, prosperous, or fortunate. Mesopotamia’s “The Gilgamesh Epic”, Egypt’s “Hymn to the Nile-Documents”, and Mesoamerica’s Mayan and Aztec creation stories/religion are influential to establishing significant relationships within society, whether that is between humans and nature or humans and their “god(s).”
This essay will compare and contrast Greek mythology’s The Theogony by Hesiod and the Babylonian creation story found in the Enuma Elish. Both creation myths start off with an empty universe in a formless state. Two chief god entities materialize from this state of nothingness, one represented as a male and the other as a female.
The ancient Mesopotamian writing, The Epic of Gilgamesh, gives readers insight into the traditions and customs of the people who wrote it. Like all epics, The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of a heroic national figure: this epic gives the story of the life of Gilgamesh from his birth as two-thirds god, one-third man to his death. Throughout the epic the importance of loyalty is addressed. In The Epic of Gilgamesh readers see that loyalty is the most important aspect of a Mesopotamian relationship and that there are always consequences for violating trust.
Ancient world literature and early civilization stories are mostly centered on human’s relationship with higher beings. Ancient civilizations were extremely religious, holding the belief that their very lives were in the hands of their almighty god or goddess. This holds true for both the people of biblical times as well as those of the epic era. However, their stories have some differences according to cultural variation but the main structure, ideas, and themes are generally found correlative. It is hard to believe that one work did not affect the others. The first great heroic epic poem of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament are parts of two cultures that are hundreds of years apart. Whereas Gilgamesh is a myth and the book of Genesis is the basis of many religions, they both have notably similar accounts of symbols, motifs, meaningful events according to the relationship between the divine and humans in literature.
Knowledge of the past is as still extremely useful today, in fact, it is essential. Classes such as Human Geography and World History are essential to a student's understanding of the world around them, important in teaching students to be open minded, and in some cases, can help in leading to more grateful students.
We learn about ancient civilizations through literature, artifacts, and stories passed down from generation to generation. The Mesopotamian civilization is one of earth's earliest civilizations, and it's also one we know very little about. We can gather information about these people's way life, beliefs, and geographical location. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a literary work from this time period, shows us several important pieces of information that helps us understand this ancient civilization. This epic shows us the Mesopotamian peoples belief system, their views on death, and their description of the after life.
The questions about the existence of life and the creation of the world are always mind-boggling and fascinating, however, the real answer to these questions may never surface. All there is to rely on are the myths, stories and legends passed on from generation to generation by ancestors and the clues they have left. This essay will try to uncover the ancient Mesopotamian and Hebrew views on existence and creation by looking at sources like the Genesis and other ancient Mesopotamian texts and poems. Mesopotamians and Hebrews had contrasting views on how they explained the events in their lives, and through analysis of ancient sources, those differences will be outlined. In such populated and booming areas, human conflict was inevitable and some of the law codes that were placed in effect to establish order within the society will be examined. Throughout it all, god and religion played a central role in these ancient civilizations.
The epic is based off of a group known as the Sumerians. The Sumerians were the first educated inhabitants of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was a society established around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Sumerian society were the first group of people able to build and maintain a society that included people working together for a common goal. They are also known for having the first sort of use of language to communicate, they also had some sort of a government used to keep everything in order and working smoothly. They also were the first known society to use a form a caste system where people were apart of different classes. They were also able to develop some form of crop rotation and able to work the land for the best turn out of
...ents, resulting in anxiety and desperation when feared events do occur. As example, consider the development of panic attack. Whereas the appearance of unexplained symptoms of physical arousal may make a panic attack more likely, the person cognitive interpretation of those symptoms can determine whether or not the attack actually develops. One study, for instance, found that panic attacks were much less likely if panic disorder patients believed they could control the source of their discomfort. In another study, panic disorder patients were asked to inhale carbon dioxide which typically causes panic attack in such patients. Those who inhaled this substance in the presence or a person they associated with safety where significantly less fearful than patients whose safe person was not present. Results like these suggest a role for cognitive factors in panic disorder
About 320 million years ago, precursors of Pangea Laurussia (combined Scotland, Greenland, North America and Russia) and Gondwana ( which was the rest of the earth's land mass ) converged and made a Godzilla continent surrounded by the huge panthalassic ocean. The collisions of Laurussia and Gondwana raised a mountain belt, present-day remnants of which are the Appalachians along North America’s eastern coast and highlands in central Europe. By 135 million years ago (dang plate tectonics, you move slow ) the breakup of pangea was well under way. Rifting and seafloor spreading opened the nascent North Atlantic Ocean between North America and the old continent Gondwana, in which South America and Africa were still Jointed. So wasn't that nice