The three religious texts “Enuma Elish”, “Hymn to the Nile” and “The Book of Genesis” in the “Old Testament” are representative of the beliefs held by different civilizations. They each represent different facets of belief of the ancient Mesopotamians, the ancient Egyptians and the Hebrews. Within this paper, I will consider the perceived role of human beings in three religious texts: “Enuma Elish”, “Hymn to the Nile” and “The Book of Genesis” and discuss how these literary representations of the role of humanity impact the worldview of each civilization. Before I begin, however, I will provide a brief description of each text. “Enuma Elish” is an ancient Mesopotamian creation myth that describes the conflict between the chief gods “Marduk” …show more content…
and “Ti’amat over the world. Within the text, Marduk and Ea overthrow Apsu and Tiamat. As stated in the “Enuma Elish”, “My blood will I take and bone I will fashion, I will make man that man may, I will create man who shall inhabit the Earth”. ( Enuma Elish 6;5-8)Unlike other civilizations, the ancient Mesopotamians believed that Marduk created them from his blood and bones and therefore, the sole purpose of their existence was to serve him and the gods. The water gods “Apsu and Ti-amat”, which are representative of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are presented as forces of disorder within the Enuma Elish.
Ancient Mesopotamian civilization was susceptible to the unpredictable flooding and volatile nature of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. As a result, their creation myth “Enuma Elish” is representative of the natural forces that wreaked havoc on the lives of the Mesopotamians, highlighting the importance of these rivers in the conceptualization of the ancient gods of Mesopotamia. For this reason, Mesopotamians did not believe in benevolent gods, instead the actions of the gods were …show more content…
unpredictable. The “Hymn to the Nile”, is one example of the ancient Egyptians worships of the gods. They believe that their livelihoods and daily existence is a result of the benevolence of the gods and the Nile River. “Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt!” (Hymn to the Nile 1;1)However, due to gentle nature of the Nile River, the Egyptians believed that they had been blessed. The river flooded at opportune times providing irrigation for crops and the layout of the river, and the subsequent natural boundaries it created, was responsible for the unification of Egypt. This created a belief in a more benevolent deity. As with the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians believed that the gods were responsible for the natural disasters that occurred. This was instrumental in their belief that the gods control every aspect of human existence. “O inundation of the Nile, offerings are made unto you, men are immolated to you, and great festivals are instituted for you.” (Hymn to the Nile 13;1)Consequently, the Egyptians were expected to worship the Nile. “ The god manifests not it’s forms, He baffles all conception” (Hymn to the Nile 13;4)The Nile was seen as the only god without a physical form. The other deities were hybrid forms of humans and animals. “give prosperity to Egypt. Come (and) prosper! Come (and) prosper! Come (and) prosper! O Nile, come (and) prosper! O you who make men to live through his flocks and his flocks through his orchards”(Hymn to the Nile 14;2-3) This is representative of the amount of faith the ancient Egyptians had upon their deities. Their existence was dependent upon the benevolence of the gods. The Book of Genesis is the creation myth of the Hebrews present in the Old Testament. The Book of Genesis in the Old Testament discusses the creation of the world. The Hebrew Bible discusses that in the beginning “God created the heavens and the earth”(Genesis 1;1)Subsequently, God created the world in six days. On the sixth day, God created man. “Then God said “Let us make man in our image, in our own likeness, and let them have dominion...”.( Genesis 1;26) This book affirmed the creation of a nation of Hebrews under Abraham, due to the covenant that is created in the “Book of Genesis” between Abraham, his descendants and God. Serving the Gods The “Enuma Elish” clearly dictates the role of human beings in Mesopotamian society. “I will create man who shall inhabit the earth, that the service of the god be established, and that their shrines must be built” This line clearly states the purpose of the creation of man was so that the gods would be worshipped and man would create shrines of the gods. The service of their polytheistic gods was mandatory. Even though the Mesopotamian Gods were unpredictable and not always benevolent, the Mesopotamians believed that service to the Gods would result in prosperity. “Let man rejoice in Marduk, the Lord of the gods, That be may cause his land to be fruitful and he himself may have prosperity”(Enuma Elish Epilogue; 5-6) This references the belief that if one served the gods well, he would be rewarded by the gods in his harvest. The Mesopotamians believed that the gods controlled one’s fate, and service of gods would create prosperity for them. As a result, they created monumental architecture in the form of ziggurats to worship the gods. Similar to the Mesopotamians, the Ancient Egyptians believed that they were required to serve the gods and as a result, the gods controlled their prosperity. “Sacrifice is metle to every god as it is made to the Nile” (Hymn to the Nile 13;3) The Egyptians served their gods by obeying the pharaoh and making sacrifices to the gods. Similar to Mesopotamia, monumental architecture in the form of pyramids, were created to aid in their worship. The pyramids were built to serve as tombs for pharaoh. The building of the pyramid was central to their worship of the gods. The Egyptians believed they would be judged on the scales of maat based on their worship of the pharaoh The worship of the gods was honoured through the worship of the pharaoh who was seen as the living representation of the gods. As a result, he was expected to rule according to the principles of maat, the universal cosmic order and justice.The Egyptians were expected to worship the pharaoh and were thus completely dependent upon the pharaoh for their well-being. Similar to Mesopotamia and Egypt, the “Book of Genesis” places an emphasis upon those who bless Abraham. “ I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12;3)Therefore, the Hebrews were required to follow the leadership of Abraham who was “the father of a multitude of nations” and in result, the Hebrews received the land of Canaan. Similar to ancient Mesopotamia, God created man, but in Genesis, God created man in his own image. Furthermore, there is an emphasis in Genesis on the Hebrews being the chosen people based on Abraham’s covenant with God. The other two civilizations creation myths, Enuma Elish and Hymn to the Nile, do not reference the Mesopotamians or the Egyptians as being chosen by god to inhabit their lands.The role of the Hebrews, was to follow the leadership of Abraham and worship God. Similar to other civilizations, Abraham built “an alter to the LORD, who had appeared to him”( Genesis 12;7) This is reflective of the notion that humans were meant to worship God. Similar to ancient Egypt, the Hebrews believed that if you were virtuous, you were rewarded in the afterlife. However, the Day of Judgement and the scales of maat judge an individual on different virtues. Hebrews were required to revel in God’s beauty whereas the ancient Egyptian were judged on their service to the Pharaoh who was a living representation of their polytheistic faith. The role of humans was to please God and attain Heaven. This is clearly represented in the “Book of Genesis” as God gives man dominion over the earth and resultingly says that “ And I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession and I will be their God” ( Genesis 17;8) In return for the land, God expect that adoration and love of the Hebrews.This impacts the role of human beings because a large part of their identity was the worship and adoration of God. Worldview of these Civilizations The various conception of the role of human beings deeply impacts the worldview of these civilizations.
The beliefs that are present in each myth depict spiritual and cultural beliefs that shaped the cultural identities of each civilization. In Mesopotamia, they did not have benevolent deities due to the many natural disasters that occurred as a result of the Tigris and Euphrates. The gods were seen as unpredictable, however their worship and service was required to bring prosperity to Mesopotamia. This lead to negative societal outlook. . Furthermore, they had a negative outlook on the afterlife which was considered to be equally miserable for all individuals regardless of service or virtue. The gods in Egypt were influenced by natural phenomena, however, they were seen as benevolent and protective of the Egyptian people. Furthermore, the pharaoh was ruled by the principles of maat, which meant that he ruled with justice. The worship and service of the pharaoh lead to individuals being rewarded in the afterlife. As a result, the Egyptian's’ worldview lead them to believe that they were blessed. This was further emphasized by the geographic location and the nature of the Nile river. This lead Egyptian civilization to be protected from outside invasions and ruled by long lasting
dynasties. In the “Book of Genesis”, the Hebrews are portrayed as the chosen people as a result of Abraham and his descendants covenant with God. The Hebrew worldview is deeply impacted by Abraham’s covenant with God because it results in Abraham being promised the land of Canaan. The Hebrews worldview is impacted by the belief that they are the chosen people as the descendents of the patriarch Abraham. The keeping of the covenant granted the Hebrews certain lands and with that the expectation of the worship and adoration of God. This worldview was exceedingly positive and it results in a positive connotation of an afterlife and a life in which they and their descendents were blessed.
The Enuma Elish’s emphasis is not on the creation of humanity, but rather on the rise of the sun god Marduk, and how he became the supreme god. Marduk was born of Ea, who was born of the bitter water god Tiamat, and was very powerful. He was enlisted to defeat Tiamat and her monsters in a great war, and agreed on the condition that he will forever remain king of the gods. He defeated Tiamat, tore her body in half and used it to create the Earth and the sky. He is also credited with positioning the constellations to represent the gods, and assigning jobs to the gods who fought on the losing side with Tiamat in the war. He then created man to serve the gods in their defined duties, as it was deemed beneath them to perform such duties. The creation of man as a working servant of the gods established a lower role of humans in the Babylonian society than in that of the Mayans, where the people were created to praise the gods, not serve them through hard
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).”
Even though “The Enuma Elish” and “Theogony” may appear to be similar creation stories, where younger gods overthrow older gods, they actually have a pivotal difference that sets them apart. In the “The Enuma Elish”, the deaths of the gods facilitate creation through the corpses of the deceased. Whereas in “Theogony”, sex enables creation. Throughout the text, Gods give birth either to cultural concepts or to physical aspects of the world. The most significant difference between “The Enuma Elish” and “Theogony” is the driving force of creation.
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.
In placing humankind within this world, it is the intent of God that humans enjoy this world and flourish in it through a continuing relationship with Him. And God said, “Let us make a human in our image, by our likeness, to hold sway over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens and the cattle and the wild beasts and all the crawling things that crawl upon the earth” (Genesis 158-159). Therefore, He creates a human in His image, the image of God. God did not want man to be alone and decides to fashion a companion from the rib of man. “And the Lord God cast a deep slumber on the human, and he slept, and He took one of his ribs and closed over the flesh where it had been, and the Lord God built the rib He had taken from the human into a woman” (Genesis 160). Upon learning of this the human said, “This one at last, bone of my bones / and flesh of my flesh, / This one shall be called Woman, / for from man was this one taken” (Genesis 160). Human beings occupy center stage in this account of the world’s origin, but are held in low regard in Mesopotamian and Greek creation stories. In Enuma Elish, Marduk spoke to Ea of his idea for the creation of humankind, but Ea was the actual creator who devised how it should come about. In the Sixth Tablet, Marduk says, “My blood will I take and bone will I fashion / I will make man, that man may… / I will create man who shall
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.
"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.
Why do myths from different cultures around the world address such similar or universal themes? Do we see these same themes in today's myths? Think about how myths explain the unknown and the tribulations of mankind.
Since the beginning of time, societies have created stories to explain the mystery of the origin of man and the universe. In the Babylonian text, Enuma Elish and the book of Genesis-which originated in the same part of the world-one finds two very different stories about the creation of man. These two creation stories contrast the two societies that created them: the chaotic lives of servitude of the Babylonians and the lives of the recently freed Jewish people.
In conclusion, Ancient Egypt has a very complex religion and beliefs that would be considered bizarre in many parts of the world. They believed in many gods, some took part in the creation of the universe. Others brought the flood every year, offered protection and took care of people after they died. The ancient Egyptians thought that it was important to recognize and worship the gods because they represented the peace and harmony across the land.
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.
5. Mesopotamian deities required humanity to worship and praise them. Basically, they were to be their servants.
The people thought of all the gods to be wise and would seek their guidance in certain situations. Their religious beliefs brought this respect, and in some ways fear, to honor the gods so they would be gracious in return. “Religious beliefs instilled fear of the gods, who could alter the landscape, and desire to appease them” (Bulliet, 19). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods were human like in form, but that if they were to be unhappy by something the people did, they could alter anything in their lives, and in some cases even kill
While the Hebrews and Egyptians creation theories bear resemblances and differences, the study and comparison of both the Egyptian myths and the biblical account allow us to comprehend the religious views of ancient civilizations in a better light. One may come to the conclusion that the Hebrews were influenced by the cultures of Egyptians by creating similarities in their own beliefs, or by drawing a line of defense of what is in their terms true, by separating from the mass ideals of the Egyptians and establishing distinct