CLASS NOTES:

Ancient Middle East: Sumerian Legends

*Print a copy of the notes and bring it to class on the date shown in PowerSchool!

Creation

Anu - Creator


Enlil - son of the Earth and the Sky
Chief god in charge of the world

Ea - god of the water


Flood Story

Enlil - decides human race is evil
- Gods decide to destroy humans with flood rain

Ea - only god who does not want destruction

--Ea goes to a human named Ut-napistim
--Instructs Ut to build boat to save his family and the human race
--Ut takes with him several animals - by twos - one male and one female
--Rains for 7 days and 7 nights
--Ut sends out 6 birds - two pigeons, two sparrows, and two ravens
--one returns with a twig in its mouth

Flood Ends

--Enlil and other gods feel badly for killing all humans
--Enlil gives gift of eternal life to Ut and wife
--Ut and wife create more humans using stones


Epic of Gilgamesh
--Search for eternal life story (4)


Religious Comparisons

  Judaism Israel
Scriptures Torah
(Same as
1st five books of
Christian Bible)
Koran
-prophets- many same as in Torah and Bible
View of Jesus in all three writings


Babylonian Conquering Philosophy
--Absorb Culture
--Allow people to stay in families
--Allow captives to keep own religion
--Tax captives
--Occasional exploitation of captives as labor or for military


Assyrian Conquering Philosophy
--Destroy culture of captives
--Split up families
--Destroy religious beliefs
--Exploit captives as slave labor